Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. This edition sees the arrival of a couple of studio titles, as well as plenty of interesting independent fare. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a few days, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
ALL YOUR FACES – Set in France, this drama examines a program involving restorative justice. A group of victims of various crimes are brought to a prison to meet with the perpetrators. Supervised by professionals, they start a series of discussions about what occurred in the hopes of finding closure and healing. The talks take surprising turns along the way. This foreign-language feature received unanimous praise from the press. While most admitted that it was a talky picture and that they knew where the story would ultimately lead, all were impressed by the writing and performances. They called the end result authentic, powerful and surprisingly hopeful. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Briane Ba, Leila Bekhti, Anne Benoit, Dali Benssalah, Elodie Bouchez and Suliane Brahim.
ANSELM – Last week, the biggest release was the Academy Award-nominated foreign-language drama Perfect Days by Wim Wenders (who also directed Wings of Desire and Buena Vista Social Club). This edition sees the latest documentary by the filmmaker arriving on disc. It tells the life story of Anselm Kiefer, considered one of the most important painters and sculptors in recent years. Viewers learn about his beginnings in Germany and his work created in his current residence in France. The picture was shot in 6K and this release contains a regular Blu-ray edition and a 3D Blu-ray (the film was shot in this format). Response towards the picture was excellent. One reviewer thought the film was dull. Everyone else described the movie as an immersive visual wonder that used 3D expertly and presented viewers with a beautiful homage to an incredible artist.
ARCADIAN – After an apocalyptic event wipes out most of the human population, a survivor escapes with his two sons. They take refuge in an isolated farmhouse and hide from whatever is left of the world. As the boys become teenagers, their dad tries to teach them how to stay safe from potential threats. But when one of the youths meets and befriends a young woman, everyone’s safety is compromised. This multinational independent horror film earned upbeat notices from critics. A small number didn’t think that the screenplay made the most of its setup and that it failed to deliver thrills or any memorable commentary. Still, the vast majority complimented the work of the cast and lead performer. They also called the film tense and stated that it delivered plenty of chilling moments. It stars Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, Sadie Soverall and Samantha Coughlan.
BACK TO BLACK – Famous London-based singer Amy Winehouse is the subject of this biopic. The story follows this naturally talented musician, who grows up in a family that values singing and performing. She is discovered by a record label and her music immediately garners attention. Unfortunately, problems develop after she falls for a local with a serious drug problem. The two spiral downwards as their substance abuse escalates. Write-ups were weak for this drama. About one-third called it a moving portrait with an excellent lead performance that highlighted how Winehouse was left alone to deal with addiction. Regardless, most thought that the screenplay was surface-level and didn’t do enough to detail the toxic relationships in Winehouse’s life or her own personal issues. They claimed that it failed to deliver any new insight on this tragic figure. Marisa Abela, Eddie Marsan, Jack O’Connell and Lesley Manville headline the picture. Click this link to read a review of the picture.
EZRA – A stand-up comic struggling to make his mark deals with several personal issues in this drama. He is separated from his wife and co-parenting an autistic son while living with his father. When he and his ex are asked to make big decisions about their child and his next steps, the protagonist takes the boy away with him on a road trip. The experience ends up bringing them closer and helping them find a path for the future. Reaction was more upbeat than negative for this independent drama. About one-third of write-ups took issue with the writing, stating that they couldn’t believe some of the actions that the father character took and also called the climax cliched and overly sentimental. But the consensus was that the picture was very well acted and that the relationship between father and son was sweet. They also suggested that the movie did present a more detailed portrait of an autistic character. It features Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson and Robert De Niro.
THE FALL GUY – Loosely based on an 80s TV show, this action/comedy involves a talented Hollywood stuntman who suffers a debilitating injury on a film set. He breaks contact with his girlfriend and, after a rough period of self-imposed exile, is coaxed back by an old friend who needs his help on a production in Australia. The lead learns that the director is his ex-girlfriend and that the star of the picture has vanished. He tries to solve the disappearance and uncovers a conspiracy in the process. Critics liked this picture a great deal. A small number didn’t care for the characters, called the story predictable and didn’t find the events funny. Still, the majority suggested the leads were charming, the action scenes incredible and that there were plenty of laughs and movie references to enjoy. They called it perfect popcorn-munching summer entertainment. This picture is being released on disc in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, Walmart exclusive Steelbook combo and regular Blu-ray. It contains the theatrical version and an extended cut with an extra 20 minutes of footage. The cast includes Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke and Hannah Waddingham. Read a full review of the movie here.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH PART 3 – This is the third chapter in an animated series of films featuring DC superheroes. Picking up where the previous entry left off, a villain who is attempting to eliminate various alternate universes and the characters within them decides to finish the job with an unrelenting attack on all remaining Earths. Various surviving versions of Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Batgirl, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkman from alternate worlds make a final stand against the bad guy. There haven’t been a lot of reviews posted yet, and online reaction so far has been positive but not exemplary. Some have called it a fitting close to the series that ends on a strong note, yet just as many found it so overloaded with characters and action that they tired of it. The movie can be picked up as either a 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release or on Blu-ray. Jensen Ackles, Gideon Adlon, Ike Amadi, Kevin Conroy, Alexandra Daddario and John DiMaggio provide some of the voice talent.
NOT ANOTHER CHURCH MOVIE – In this spoof, a talk show host manages to forge a direct connection to God. She first asks the deity to help improve her flailing ratings, then threatens to deal the figure bad press. Panicked, God decides to visit popular filmmaker Taylor Pherry and convince him to create a hit movie based on his own relatives that will earn him more followers. When the Devil appears to take part in the shoot, he sees it as an opportunity to do his own bidding. This picture received disastrous notices from the press. One or two thought that the comedy did a solid job of poking fun at Tyler Perry films and delivered some laughs. Unfortunately, all others described this picture as clumsily made and painfully unfunny. A few who don’t even care for Perry’s work thought that his features were great in comparison to this project. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Jamie Foxx, Kevin Daniels, Vivica A. Fox, Tisha Campbell, Jasmine Guy and Mickey Rourke.
THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 – For those already confused, this is a remake of the popular 2008 chiller The Strangers which follows a couple being tormented by masked home invaders. This new redo is the first in a trilogy of films that have already been shot and will be released later this year and possibly into next year. This time out, a couple celebrating their anniversary break down on the road and rent an Airbnb. They come under attack by masked figures. The press gave this update mostly negative notices. About one-fifth of them did think that the movie was effectively shot and managed to pull out a few unexpected tricks. All others described it as brutal, nihilistic and unpleasant in the extreme. And a few stated that this version was just too similar to the original. The film is being made available as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, a Blu-ray and DVD pack, or a 4K Ultra HD only Walmart exclusive Steelbook. The cast includes Madelaine Petsch, Ryan Bown, Matus Lajcak, Olivia Kreutzova and Letizia Fabbri.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If none of those pictures strike your fancy, there are plenty of older options available. Eureka Entertainment is releasing the Hong Kong production The Double Crossers (1976) on Blu-ray. It’s a revenge thriller involving martial arts about a man whose father is murdered by a criminal underworld figure. The lead plots an elaborate revenge scheme and teams with his dad’s old business partner to pull it all off. They visit various countries and are put into grave danger in the process. This release contains the Hong Kong cut and the English language export version (with a different ending), both with a 2K picture restoration. The disc comes with two film historian commentary tracks and a trailer. You’ll also get a reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork and a collector’s booklet with writing on the film. Sounds like fun. Read a full review of this disc by clicking on this link!
Criterion is making the Oscar-nominated Hong Kong/China production Farewell My Concubine (1993) available in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray pack or as a standalone Blu-ray only. This film tells the tale of two Beijing Opera performers who fall for the same woman. It also attempts to insert much of the political history of China into its storyline. Extras include an archival making-of, a 1993 interview featuring the director with Charlie Rose, a new analysis of the film with a professor, as well as a trailer and leaflet with an essay on the movie.
The dark comedy Risky Business (1983) was a huge hit back in the day that made a real star of Tom Cruise. He plays a Chicago teenager from a wealthy family who is left alone in his parent’s home while they go on vacation. The lead ponders his future, gets involved with a prostitute and tries to help her escape from her violent pimp. It also stars Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Masur, Bronson Pinchot and Curtis Armstrong. Criterion is presenting the film on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray or simply on Blu-ray with what has been described as a stunning new picture restoration of the director’s cut and theatrical version from the original camera negative. It comes with an archival commentary with the filmmaker, Tom Cruise and the producer, an archival documentary on the movie featuring most of the cast and crew, a new discussion with the producer, as well as recently recorded interviews with the editor and the casting director. There are also screen tests for the cast, a trailer and a new essay on the feature.
If you’re looking for kung-fu, you can pick up a Blu-ray of The Crippled Masters (1979) from Film Masters. It’s about two physically disabled fighters who learn martial arts and use their skills to get revenge. The movie has been given a 2K restoration from a rare 35mm print of the movie. Bonuses include a documentary on the film, a movie historian commentary and a newly recut trailer.
B-movie enthusiasts will be happy to learn that Gemini Entertainment is delivering a double-feature Blu-ray containing Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) and Night of the Blood Beast (1958). Both features were produced by the legendary Roger Corman.
Kino is also putting out a few interesting titles. The first is a Blu-ray of Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Picture Vol. 16, which contains The Cocaine Fiends (1935). It tells the story of a waitress who falls for a drug-dealing gangster and vanishes. Her brother tries to locate her, only to end up addicted to cocaine himself in the process. The film is a remake of The Pace That Kills (1928) and both are presented here restored in 4K from archival 35mm elements.
The Girl on the Bridge (1999) is a well-regarded French romance with Vanessa Paradis that is also getting the Blu-ray treatment. Shot in black and white, it follows a suicidal woman who is rescued from a canal by a carnival knife-thrower and then joins his dangerous act.
Their big release of the week is In & Out (1997) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack. Pictured above and to the right, this comedy involves a midwestern schoolteacher who begins to question everything in his life after his ex-student makes a very public comment about his sexuality at the Academy Award. Kevin Kline plays the lead, and Joan Cusack earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as the protagonist’s wife. The cast also includes Matt Dillon, Tom Selleck, Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley and Bob Newhart. Besides the picture upgrade from the original 35mm camera negative, the release includes a new screenwriter audio commentary, recent discussions on the film with director Frank Oz (Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Bowfinger, Death at a Funeral) and the score composer, along with vintage promo materials.
Underground Aces (1981) is a wild comedy about the misadventures of a group of parking lot attendants working in star-studded Beverly Hills. It stars Dirk Benedict, Melanie Griffith, Frank Gorshin, Robert Hegyes, Michael Winslow, Sid Haig, Jerry Orbach and Audrey Landers. For its Blu-ray release, the film has been given a 2K restoration from an interpositive and features a film historian commentary. The first group of copies also come in a slipcase.
MVD Visual is delivering The Linguini Incident (1991) on Blu-ray. David Bowie and Rosanna Arquette play cash-strapped individuals in New York City who decide to try and rob a popular restaurant. Their attempt doesn’t go as planned, but they do fall in love in the process. You’ll get a new 4K transfer of the director’s cut of the film (from an interpositive), an introduction from the director. There is also a filmmaker commentary, a second featuring the moviemaker with co-star Arquette, a co-producer and the co-writer. A 105-minute making-of documentary is included, a photo gallery, the original theatrical version and trailers.
Paramount is presenting Blu-rays of some catalog titles, including the World War II drama, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), the “unrated version” of the horror film The Ruins (2008) and the Jackie Chan/Jennifer Love Hewitt action picture, The Tuxedo (2002).
Untouched (1954) is getting a “Limited Edition” release in the US from Powerhouse Films. The Mexican feature stars Ricardo Montalban as a scientist who travels to Veracruz to study a medicinal plant. He gets lost in the jungle, ends up in a village and romances a local. The release boasts a 4K restoration of the fully uncut and uncensored version for the first time anywhere in the world on Blu-ray. You can watch it in its original Spanish with English subtitles or an English dub, and extras include a film historian commentary, an interview with the great niece of the producers, a discussion with a passionate movie expert about the director, as well as an examination of the career of Montalban. Promotional materials are also included alongside a “limited edition” booklet with writing on the title.
Sony is putting out a 4K Ultra HD exclusive version of the film-noir classic, The Lady from Shanghai (1947) from Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, The Trial). It’s a visually striking thriller in which the co-writer and director is an unemployed man who rescues a wealthy femme fatale (played by Rita Hayworth). She hires him on her yacht and then tries to manipulate him into a murder plot. Among the other strong elements, there is a hall of mirrors sequence during the climax that is memorably shot and edited. The movie has been restored from the original camera negative and comes with an archived Peter Bogdanovich commentary and conversation on the movie. A trailer is also featured.
The independently-produced crime film Confessions of a Serial Killer (1985) is arriving on Blu-ray from Unearthed Films. This title was picked up by Roger Corman the following year, but he shelved in North America until 1991 due to its unintended similarity to the film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986). Apparently, it’s a decent effort that played well in overseas markets. The disc comes with a director commentary (also featuring the cinematographer and a co-star), a featurette on Henry Lee Lucas (the inspiration for the movie), documentary on the project and publicity materials.
Universal is releasing the Jaws: 3-Movie Collection containing upgraded 4K Ultra HD disc and Blu-rays of the sequels Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws 3 (1983) aka Jaws 3-D and Jaws: The Revenge (1987). The first sequel to the 1975 classic is a lot of fun, but the next two films are only entertaining if you appreciate camp and so-bad-it’s-amusing cinema. Jaws 2 contains all of the same extras as the previous Blu-ray, as do the other follow-ups. The alternate ending to the final sequel is also included as a bonus on that release. For those who don’t know, a character in that film is killed during the climax. However, since he was one of the most likable individuals in the picture, his fate (along with that of the shark) was altered a week or so after the movie’s debut and changed much fanfare. I was in the theater on opening day and was surprised to see the differences when it later played on cable.
If you aren’t interested in owning all three titles, the last two sequels can be found separately as 4K Ultra HD only titles or 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbooks.
Finally, the Spanish-language Mexican drama Soledad’s Shawl (1952) aka El Rebozo de Soledad is arriving on Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Listed below is the latest kid-friendly entertainment arriving on disc.
Pokémon the Series: Ultimate Journeys (Viz Media/Warner Bros.) DVD
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City: Season 2 (NCircle) DVD
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go – The Sights of Sodor (NCircle) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
All of the TV-related titles appearing on disc can be found below.
Dynamic Planet (PBS) DVD
Halo: Season 2 (Paramount) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray or Blu-ray only
The Persuaders: The Complete Series (Imprint) DVD
Sense and Sensibility (Hallmark Mahogany) DVD
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City: Season 2 (NCircle) DVD
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go – The Sights of Sodor (NCircle) DVD