Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. After one of the busiest editions in recent memory, things slow down a bit, but there are still plenty of interesting features new and old in a variety of genres. 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!
HOUSE ON EDEN – A group of influencers decide to head out and film their own paranormal investigation in the hopes of jumpstarting their careers. They arrive at an abandoned property where a girl went missing some 60 years ago. The location has no electricity, but is in surprisingly hospitable condition, allowing them to stay the night. The next morning, they go home happy and content with their work. Just kidding! They are unexpectedly pursued and tormented by a supernatural force. This found-footage effort had trouble delivering effective scares on critics. One-third liked the characters and believed it had enough fresh elements to impress horror fans. However, the majority stated that the film didn’t build much momentum and ended up being a disappointing, predictable and ultimately forgettable chiller. It stars Kris Collins, Celina Myers, Jason-Christopher Mayer, Carrie Kidd and Barb Thomas.
I’M ‘GEORGE LUCAS’: A CONNOR RATLIFF STORY – Connor Ratliff is a New York-based performer who has, for 5 years, hosted a popular comedy stage show in which he plays filmmaker George Lucas as a talk-show host. This documentary follows the actor as he prepares for his performances. Those who know him, guests and the subject himself attempt to analyze his life, the show’s concept and its popularity. Over the course of interviews, the actor begins to wonder why he’s performing and whether or not he should continue. Every reviewer who saw this picture enjoyed it. They stated that Ratliff gave the crew unprecedented access and that the film showed all the backstage highs and lows of the performer. Additionally, they were impressed that the film asks a few existential questions about the reasons why we undertake these kinds of endeavors, not to mention even how to stay happy and creative.
RIEFENSTAHL– This documentary takes on a disturbing subject. Leni Riefenstahl was a noted German documentarian who was hired by the Nazi party to make propaganda films. Her features presented fascism in a positive light and were promoted by the government. After the fall of the Nazi regime, many questioned the filmmaker’s collaborations with Nazis. Up until her death in 2003, she was unapologetic, angrily denying that her films were political or that she even had knowledge of the genocide. This documentary goes over her career, presents interview footage, shows the techniques she developed that are still used today, and presents new evidence that she attended executions and deeply supported fascism. The film has received mostly raves from the press. One reviewer didn’t think the feature could answer the questions it raised about the influence of propaganda. Everyone else wrote that the movie was incredibly well-researched, timely and cut through any defensive arguments about the subject, frighteningly showing how the public can be tricked and swayed by misinformation to horrifying ends.
SECRET MALL APARTMENT – Ever visited the Providence Place Mall in Rhode Island? Well, it appears that in 2003, eight people built a hidden apartment inside the property and used it for four years. This documentary tells the story of how the small living area was created and who was responsible for it. As it turns out, the participants filmed the entire process while it was used. In fact, the project was a statement against gentrification and the creators considered the space a work of public/private art. Viewers now get the entire story in detail. Response towards this film was almost entirely positive. Again, a lone voice or two found the second half of the picture problematic, saying it was too focused on recreating that secret room on a studio lot. However, all others stated that this was an incredible story about a creative act of defiance, told in an intriguing way with wonderful behind-the-scenes footage.
SPLITSVILLE – After his wife announces that she would like a divorce, her married husband looks for support from his best friends, a seemingly happy couple. The pair admit something about themselves that they had never shared with him… that they are in an open relationship. The surprised protagonist considers a different sort of arrangement in his life, eventually getting involved with one in the couple. Unfortunately, the new affair ends up fostering jealousy and chaos for all four individuals. This independent comedy was well-received by critics. A small number stated that the humor was hit-and-miss and the plot twists and developments became increasingly unbelievable. Still, the consensus was that this picture was amusing, dealing with marriage in a unique and funny manner and, in the process, providing some enjoyably wild moments. The cast includes Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin.
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE – This surreal comedy from Canada is set in an alternate reality in which the country’s two official languages are Persian and French. The story follows a set of characters who are originally from Iran and are new to the nation. They all must navigate their new and strange home environment. One segment involves a Winnipeg tour-guide, and another features two siblings who see money frozen in the ice and try to dislodge it. This surreal comedy was Canada’s selection last year for Best International Film at the Oscars. It made the final shortlist, but didn’t earn a place in the final five. Reaction to the movie was very upbeat. One or two reviewers found the movie too odd and couldn’t relate to any aspect of the story. The rest thought it was entertainingly eccentric, providing some strange, happy and bittersweet delights of the immigrant experience, as well as the importance of building supportive communities. It features Rojina Esmaeili, Danielle Fichaud, Sobhan Javadi, Saba Vahedyousefi and Pirouz Nemati.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for something else, distributors have plenty of alternate options. Radiance Films is presenting the classic Greek satire/drama, The Ogre of Athens (1957) on Blu-ray. It follows a nebbish banker who is mistaken for a major crime figure. He is immediately treated differently by those around him and enjoys being powerful, but it’s only so long before his real identity is revealed. For this release, the original negative has been restored and scanned in 4K. The extras include an introduction to the film and discussion with author Jonathan Franzen, who talks about his admiration for the picture. There is also a film historian interview on the film and its director, Nikos Koundouros, and a talk with another authority on the “Golden Age” of Greek cinema and how this film fits in. You can read all about the release in detail by clicking this link.
The box set Wicked Games: Three Films by Robert Hossein is also being made available. This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray package contains The Wicked Go to Hell (1955), Nude in a White Car (1958) and The Taste of Violence (1961) all by Hossein (Rififi). These are French titles. One involves a prison break, another has film noir elements, and the third is a western. Gaumont has delivered 2K restorations of all of the titles. You will also get a film historian commentary on each movie, a newly created making-of featurette on the titles, and another about Hossein and his work. Additionally, there is a visual essay on femme fatale movies, an interview with cast member Marina Vlady, an appreciation from filmmaker/historian Alex Cox (Sid and Nancy, Walker), an interview with an expert about the third picture in the set, and trailers. A booklet is also included with essays on the titles. Read a full review of the disc here.
Dark City (1998) was released as an Arrow Video “Limited Edition” recently, and it sold out in no time at all. Now, the distributor is pressing a 4K Ultra HD “Special Edition” rerelease so that more people can pick up and enjoy this notable sci-fi effort.
Arrow Video is also presenting the science-fiction film Red Planet (2000) as a 4K Ultra HD “Limited Edition”. Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss, Tom Sizemore, Benjamin Bratt, Simon Baker and Terence Stamp play astronauts checking up on attempts to terraform Mars. They discover plenty of issues and end up having to fight for their lives. I’ll be honest and admit I wasn’t fond of this movie when it was first released, but now audiences have the chance to reassess the feature and see if it was underappreciated during its original run.
For this title, Warner Bros provided a 4K scan of a restoration of the original negative to Arrow, which is presented in Dolby Vision. It comes with interviews with the visual effects supervisor, as well as the helmet and suits designer. There is also a critic providing a visual retrospective of the title, as well as deleted scenes and a trailer.
Cohen Media Group is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo of the Merchant/Ivory period drama, Howard’s End (1992) starring Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkinis and Vanessa Redgrave. It’s actually a three-disc release. The first two discs feature a 4K restoration of the film from the original negative, overseen and approved by director James Ivory and cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts, along with a film historian commentary. A third Blu-ray contains Ivory in conversation about the picture, an interview with Ivory and Redgrave, a Q&A with Ivory, a 1992 behind-the-scenes featurette, more segments detailing the production, a special in which Ivory remembers collaborator Ismail Merchant, and trailers.
Criterion is putting out Eclipse Series 47: Abbas Kiarostami – Early Shorts and Features on Blu-ray. The package contains several documentary, animation, narrative and kid’s shorts from the Iranian filmmaker, all made between 1970 and 1989. All of the titles featured have received 2K image restorations. An essay on the titles is also featured in the box.
The Howard Hughes film Hell’s Angels (1930) is appearing in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package and a standalone Blu-ray. It’s a World War I picture about flying aces trying to survive the conflict. The movie is noted for breaking new ground in filmmaking with its stunning dogfight scenes (a few crew members actually died making the picture). This release contains a 4K digital restoration of the Magnascope roadshow version of the film, an interview with the visual effects supervisor from the Hughes biopic The Aviator on Hell’s Angels, a discussion with a historian about lead actress Jean Harlow, outtakes from the movie with a film expert commentary, and an essay on the feature.
Surrealist movie enthusiasts can now pick up Luis Buñuel’s Él (1953) aka This Strange Passion in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo or a Blu-ray only release. The story has been described as a stylized nightmare about a woman whose possessive husband causes bizarre visions and experiences. A new 4K digital restoration for the film was undertaken by the director of photography’s son. There is a new film scholar video essay on Buñuel, an appreciation of the movie by director Guillermo del Toro, an archival interview with Buñuel from 1981, a 2009 panel discussion on the title, a trailer and a booklet essay on the movie.
Kino is offering some titles as well. A few weeks ago, and for a second time, the Airport – The Complete 4-Film Collection was delayed. Finally, it is being promised to consumers in both a 4K Ultra HD and a separate Blu-ray set. If you’ve read this column before, you already know all about it.
The crime-comedy The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939) is also arriving on Blu-ray from Kino. It features a detective who is “helped” in an investigation by star Gracie Allen (playing a bumbling version of herself). The disc presents a 4K restoration of the film and a film historian commentary.
No Wave: The Underground Films of Beth B and Scott B is a Blu-ray containing six shorts and a feature made by the filmmakers between 1978 and 1983. The two artists were part of the Times Square and downtown New York art scene and their Super-8 and 16mm titles deliver images of a pre-gentrified city. In addition to the various projects, you’ll also get a filmed intro with Scott B and an interview with Beth B.
Milestone is releasing the Grass and Chang Set on Blu-ray. It contains the early documentaries Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life (1925) and Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927). The first picture details the lives of the Bakhtiari tribe of Persia, while the second follows a Thai farmer and his family dealing with dangerous intruders from a nearby jungle. The first title has been restored in 4K, while the second has been given a 2K scan.
Some time ago, Paramount Pictures released a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook of Pulp Fiction (1994). It has been sold out for some time, and so the studio is putting out a second printing of the fantastic Quentin Tarantino effort. Bonuses should be identical to the previous Steelbook.
And there’s more! The James Dean Story (1957) is arriving on Blu-ray from Shoreline Entertainment. This is a documentary about the Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant actor made just after his tragic death. It contains interviews with many of those who knew the performer and looks back on his life using photographs and narration.
Shout Factory recently began delivering a 4K edition of the John Woo/Chow Yun-fat classic Hard Boiled. This week, they’re presenting A Better Tomorrow Trilogy in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. As you might have guessed, it contains Woo’s A Better Tomorrow (1986) and A Better Tomorrow II (1987), along with the Tsui Hark follow-up A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989). All of the Hong Kong action classics have been given a 4K restoration from the original camera negative, presented in Dolby Vision. All of the movies contain new film historian commentary tracks, interviews with cast and crew members (including Woo and the screenwriters), several looks back on the pictures with experts, and publicity materials.
The Broadway musical film adaptation Rent (2005) is arriving from Sony Pictures as a 4K Ultra HD only release. In case you haven’t seen it, the plot involves young bohemians in New York trying to make enough to keep living there. The cast includes Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel. For its 20th anniversary, you’ll get a 4K edition of the picture presented in Dolby Vision, an archival commentary with the director and co-stars Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, a feature-length documentary on the production, deleted scenes and musical performances and more.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, you can now pick up the compelling Martin Scorsese crime epic Casino (1995) as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook. The contents are likely the same as the previous 4K edition, only in new packaging.
Best Picture Oscar-winner Out of Africa (1985) is receiving a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release from the studio. This period effort features Meryl Streep and Robert Redford as a couple who open a coffee plantation in Kenya. As her marriage falls apart, she falls in love with the country. In addition to the upgrade image, the film arrives with a documentary on the production, an archival feature commentary with director Sydney Pollack (They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, The Way We Were, Tootsie, The Firm), deleted scenes and a trailer.
And finally, Warner Archive is making a ton of catalog material available on made-to-order Blu-ray discs. This week, you can pick up At the Circus (1939) with the Marx Brothers and The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) featuring James Cagney and Bette Davis. You can also purchase the Doris Day Collection on Blu-ray, which contains Romance on the High Seas (1948), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Love Me or Leave Me (1955) and Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962). The Gene Kelly Collection features Blu-rays of For Me and My Gal (1942), The Pirate (1948), An American in Paris (1951) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952).
The Myrna Loy rom-com I Love You Again (1940) is also available, along with the Alan Ladd western, The Iron Mistress (1952) and It’s Love I’m After (1937) with Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland. The James Cagney Collection promises Blu-rays of The Public Enemy (1931), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and White Heat (1949).
And Blu-rays of the drama The Miracle (1959), about a statue of the virgin Mary that comes to life, and Silent River (1948), a Civil War-set tale with Errol Flynn.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Below are a couple of options that might appeal to young tykes.
Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures – Collector’s Set (52 episodes on 4 discs) (NCircle) DVD
Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups to the Rescue (Elevation Pictures) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And here is a list of the week’s TV-themed releases.
The American Revolution (mini-series) (PBS) Blu-ray
The Americas (Nature documentary mini-series) (Universal Studios) 4K Ultra HD or Blu-ray
Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures – Collector’s Set (52 episodes on 4 discs) (NCircle) DVD
Masterpiece Mystery!: Maigret: Season 1 (PBS) DVD
The One That Got Away: Series 1 (Acorn Medaa) DVD
Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups to the Rescue (Elevation Pictures) DVD
Secrets of Great British Castles: Season 1 (PBS) DVD
Ultraman 4K Discovery: Season 1 (Mill Creek Entertainment) 4K Ultra HD only
Yellowstone: The Complete Series (Paramount Pictures) Blu-ray or DVD
