Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. This edition may not have a great many new arrivals, but there are a couple of big films and some interesting independent fare. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
ARMOR – An armored truck is stopped and trapped on a bridge, surrounded by heavily armed hijackers. The two drivers initially try to take cover until help arrives, but the vehicle is toppled, leaving them no escape. The pair still deny entry to the robbers and try to figure out why they are being attacked and how to fight back. It all leads to an intense fnal confrontation. The press universally panned this action/thriller. All of them said that while the movie had an interesting premise, claustrophobic setting, and a strong cast, it failed to do anything with the setup. They continued that the story didn’t make much sense and that the action wasn’t dynamically shot or edited, leaving the entire film feeling bland and overstretched. It stars Jason Patric, Sylvester Stallone, Dash Mihok, Josh Wiggins, Laney Taylor, Erin Ownbey, Jeff Chase and Martin Bats Bradford.
BEYOND THE WASTELAND – Not to be confused with the recent documentary about the Mad Max franchise, this science-fiction feature is an international co-production between North Macedonia, Croatia, France, Kosovo and Luxembourg that was released outside of North America as M. A young boy named Marko escapes a pandemic with his father and spends years living in an isolated forest. After a personal tragedy, he leaves, encounters another young survivor and crosses paths with desperate, violent adults. As they head back to civilization, it seems that much of humanity has been turned into zombie-like monsters. There aren’t any notices for the film in this part of the world but European write-ups were decent. Many stated that the film was well-directed and quite tense, although they felt that the first half was much stronger than the second section. Matej Sivakov, Sasko Kocev, Aleksandar Nichovski and Kamika Tocinovski headline the picture.
CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID – Democratic strategist James Carville is the subject of this documentary. It tells the story of this outspoken figure’s professional and personal life, masterminding Bill Clinton’s successful presidential campaign in 1992 all the way to his recent attempts to help the party after a calamitous debate performance last fall. The movie also details Carville’s marriage to former Republican consultant Mary Matalin. Most reviewers liked the feature. They stated that while it didn’t deliver any revelations and was unintentionally depressing given what eventually transpired in the 2024 election, it was generally entertaining and provided an interesting look at a dynamic figure and at what occurs behind the scenes during political races. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release.
SATURDAY NIGHT – The famous late-night sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live has now been on the air for 50 years, and this biopic dramatizes what happened during the chaotic premiere of the show. Audiences follow producer Lorne Michaels backstage as he tries to deal with nervous executives, censorship, difficult star personalities and other production issues hours before the show’s first live national broadcast. Critics were generally upbeat about what they witnessed. About one-fifth claimed that the movie was overstuffed and didn’t have an important message or purpose. However, the majority called the film tightly-paced and exciting to watch, with the performers doing marvelous takes on the program’s personalities. They also thought it effectively showed how something legendary could be produced in a madhouse environment thanks to creative solutions, as well as a bit of luck. It features Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matua, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Jon Batiste and Willem Dafoe.
SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT – In 1960, the U.S. State Department and the CIA helped orchestrate a coup in Congo that resulted in the assassination of the country’s leader. To do so, various American jazz artists like Louis Armstrong and other famous performers were sent to the African nation to serve as a distraction while their plot was undertaken. The synopsis of this documentary states that it uses eyewitness accounts, official government memos, testimonies from mercenaries and CIA operatives, speeches from Lumumba himself, and a veritable canon of jazz icons to tell the story. Write-ups for the movie were excellent. One reviewer thought the moviemakers became distracted by the music and lost control of the narrative being told. All others stated that while it required the full attention of viewers, this was a remarkable story that was thrillingly told and filled with incredible music. Some thought it was among the best documentaries of the year.
WE LIVE IN TIME – This UK drama tells the story of a couple, from their unexpected first meeting, all the way through an incredibly difficult time following a dire medical prognosis. The tale is presented out of sequence, jumping from the present, to the past, and various points in between, showing significant highlights in their lives. The press gave this feature more recommendations than negative write-ups. About one-fifth commented that the unusual storytelling technique took them out of the drama, while a few others suggested the film tried too hard to elicit an emotional response from them. Still, most thought it was an interesting and engaging effort with wonderful performances that really sold the emotional stakes. They also believed it made a lasting impression with its idea that seemingly small moments in life can have great significance. The movie stars Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Grace Delaney, Lee Braithwaite, Aoife Hinds and Adam James. Read a full review of the film here.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
It’s a little quiet this week on the older title rerelease schedule, but there are a few notable releases coming before things get busy again. Arrow Video is releasing the Japanese horror anthology Rampo Noir (2005) on Blu-ray. The four stories in this feature (all from different directors) are adapted from the works of popular genre writer Edogawa Rampo and involve nasty events like a man walking through a desolate landscape, a detective investigating murders in which the victim’s faces are charred, a wounded veteran being tortured by his wife and a woman who her chauffeur. Extras include a film historian commentary track, numerous cast and crew interviews, a making-of documentary, a collection of image galleries, as well as an insert booklet with essays on the movie and a fold-out poster.
The Akira Kurosawa classics Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) will be arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set from Criterion. The first features a ronin warrior who arrives in a town and gets himself embroiled in the middle of a gang war. He uses the situation to his advantage, switching sides whenever it serves his own purposes. The second title involves a samurai using his wits to help a boy save his uncle, who has been arrested by a corrupt government official. Besides the 4K picture upgrades, bonuses include movie scholar commentary tracks on the pictures, making-of documentaries, teasers and trailers, still galleries, in addition to essays about the importances of these Japanese masterpieces.
Let’s Get Lost (1988) is a documentary about famous jazz trumpeter-singer Chet Baker, a tragic figure whose drug addiction ultimately led him down a dark path. It features rare footage from his heyday in the 1950s along with images of him during his final years in the 1980s. The picture has been given a 4K restoration and the disc includes a number of additional shorts by the director and a trailer.
Shout! Factory is giving the very entertaining Drag Me to Hell (2009) a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Walmart exclusive Steelbook release. If you haven’t seen the picture, it’s about a bank employee yearning for a promotion. When she tries to impress her boss by getting tough with an elderly woman, she ends up having to deal with a gypsy curse. This wildly fun and visually striking feature from Sam Raimi (the Evil Dead and original Spider-Man series) includes all previously released extras like the unrated and theatrical cuts all in 4K, commentaries and more, but in new packaging.
The same is true for the cult classic Motel Hell (1980). This 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Walmart exclusive Steelbook contains the best available image quality as well as the previously released director commentary, cast and crew interviews and more. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a remote inn that secretly uses guests as part of the dinner menu. It features a very memorable climactic chainsaw duel.
After the financial success of Avatar in 2009, 3D pictures were starting to make a comeback. One of the titles that followed was the thriller Sanctum (2011), about a cave diving team who get lost in an unexplored series of underwater caverns. While the 3D craze appears to have ended for now, the distributor is putting out a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo of the film. The original elements have been used for this 4K 2D transfer, and it comes with a new movie expert commentary track, an archived cast and crew commentary, deleted scenes, and various featurettes.
And Warner Bros. is giving The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001) a 4K Ultra HD only Walmart exclusive Steelbook release. The extended and theatrical cuts are included with the highest possible image quality. It doesn’t look like this edition contains as many bonuses are previous versions. For those interested, it’s a safe bet that the other films in the series will soon arrive as Walmart exclusive Steelbooks as well.
Se7en (1995) recently received a successful IMAX rerelease, and now Warner Bros. is putting it out for purchase as a 4K Ultra HD or as a 4K Ultra HD in Steelbook packaging. This incredible thriller from David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network) about two detectives seeking out a killer who uses the seven deadly sins as inspiration for his horrendous acts, has been given a new restoration supervised by the director. Most of the extras from the previous 2010 Blu-ray of the film are also included.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Looks like another slow edition for kid’s entertainment, but things will soon pick up considerably!
ON THE TUBE!
Here is a list of the week’s TV-related releases.
A Biltmore Christmas (Hallmark) DVD
A Merry Scottish Christmas (Hallmark) DVD
Miracle in Bethlehem, PA (Hallmark) DVD
NATURE: Dracula’s Hidden Kingdom (PBS) DVD
Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas (Hallmark) DVD