Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. This is a slower edition, although it does feature a notable release or two and some interesting upgrades of classic features. 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!
INHERITANCE TO LOVE – Enjoy Hallmark rom-coms? You might appreciate this independent effort that seems to have drawn inspiration from those types of pictures. A woman learns that a wealthy member of her extended family has passed away and will leave her $1 million dollars. This is if she can go off the grid and stay in a remote cabin in the woods for 10 full days. A surprise comes when her ex-fiancé (who left her the night before their wedding for the maid of honor) is offered the very same deal. The two try to pass the time together peacefully, but end up examining how their relationship imploded. Sparks begin to fly once again and they wonder if a second chance for romance is possible. This effort has been available for streaming for some time, but is now arriving on disc. There aren’t many professional reviews available for it, but response from the public appears upbeat. It seems that if you enjoy these types of films, this effort may work for you. It stars Jasen Wade, Tabitha Hanks, Whitney Palmer and Damarr Jones.
KEEPER – This horror picture was slated to arrive last month but was delayed at the last minute. It is now arriving this week (perhaps taking advantage of a quieter timeframe). A couple decide to celebrate their anniversary by taking a vacation at a romantic cabin in a forest. Despite their seemingly happy temperament towards each other, they each appear to be hiding secrets. Suddenly, a chilling presence appears, which forces the pair to examine the dark history of the home and their own relationship. This chiller from Osgood Perkins (Longlegs, The Monkey) split critics, with a few more giving the film a pass than dismissing it. Almost half felt that, after a strong opening act, the movie suffered from slow-pacing and a story that failed to shock or deliver any twists. This group also had difficulty relating to the protagonists. The same number and a few more liked the performances and described the movie as an interesting and moody slow-burn that creeped them out and left a lasting impression. The picture is available in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack. The cast includes Tatiana Maslansky, Rossif Sutherland and Birket Turton.
THE PROSPECT – Here’s another low-budget indie effort vying for your attention. A high school student desperate to get into college realizes that his grades aren’t good enough. In fact, every application he sends out is rejected. Desperate, he calls in friends at the AV Club to help him with an elaborate scheme. Despite having no sporting skills, he decides to pose as an elite baseball player (with fake videos highlighting his incredible accomplishments on the field) in the hopes of obtaining an athletic scholarship. But of course, even if his plan works, he’ll have to find a way to continue the ruse through his college career. This comedy is debuting on disc and hasn’t been seen by any critics thus far, so interested parties will have to bet on it and hope it can run up some laughs. For now, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Rishi Mahesh, Prance, Dana Donnelly, Robert Schultz and Kel Cripe.
STATE OF EMERGENCY – Released in its homeland under the title Výjimecný Stav, this Czech dark comedy follows a radio correspondent assigned to cover the Middle East. After suspecting that his wife is cheating on him, the lead secretly returns home. As soon as he gets back, a conflict arises that he is forced to report on. Panicked, he turns his apartment into a sound studio, creating and presenting stories from the frontlines. The broadcasts become so popular that there is talk of rescuing him from the war zone, leaving him with the choice of confessing, or trying to stage his own death on the air. This tale is based on a stage play and it hasn’t been seen by many critics in this part of the world. Reaction from reviewers in the Czech Republic was positive overall. They stated that the movie features some darkly hilarious moments and noted that it accurately advises its viewers to verify news findings from multiple sources, but also found a few subplots heavy-handed and ineffective. This is a DVD-only release. Ondřej Vetchý and Tatiana Dyková headline the film.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re in the mood for an older title, you have plenty of options. Arrow Video is presenting the remake of Friday the 13th (2009) in “Standard Edition” 4K Ultra HD. A more elaborate edition with fancy packaging arrived on the market in late 2024. This release contains both the theatrical and extended cuts in 4K and presents them in Dolby Vision, along with commentaries, new director and crew interviews, archival discussions, promo materials and more. The only thing it doesn’t have is the fold-out poster, postcards, slipcover, etcetera that came in the previous version.
Alliance Entertainment is the new owner of Mill Creek Entertainment, and this week they are putting out a Blu-ray of the powerful British drama, 10 Rillington Place (1971). Pictured above and to the left, it’s based on the true crimes of serial killer John Christie, who convinced a slow-witted neighbor that they were actually responsible for his horrible acts against several women. The movie stars Richard Attenborough as the killer and John Hurt as the man framed for the crimes.
Criterion is presenting the Glenn Ford/Van Heflin western 3:10 to Yuma (1957) as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo. The movie has been given a 4K restoration and is presented in Dolby Vision. The plot follows a cattle rancher tasked with escorting a captured outlaw to a train going to prison. Various figures get in the pair’s way, leading to several violent showdowns. It comes with an interview with author Elmore Leonard on the movie, as well as a discussion with Ford’s son and biographer. An essay on the title is also included.
Last Foxtrot in Burbank (1973) is also arriving on Blu-ray. This title is a parody of the controversial erotic drama Last Tango in Paris starring Marlon Brando. This comedy marked the debut feature of Charles Band (he directed Parasite, The Dungeonmaster, Trancers and many other B-movies, as well as founding and serving as president of Full Moon Entertainment) and the film had been thought lost for many years. Apparently, it was recently discovered in the UCLA archives and is now arriving on disc. Band and editor John Carpenter (yes, that John Carpenter) have called it terrible with the latter disowning the end product, but now you can actually see the picture for yourself and judge it accordingly. The 60-minute movie is newly remastered and arrives with an interview on the title featuring Band, as well as trailers and vintage Full Moon trailers.
Kino is releasing The Hi-Lo Country (1998) on Blu-ray. This period drama from Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters, High Fidelity, The Queen, Philomena, Victoria & Abdul) follows two cowboys who struggle to adapt to life on a working ranch after returning from World War II. The cast includes Billy Crudup, Woody Harrelson, Penelope Cruz and Patricia Arquette. Bonuses include a new film historian commentary and a trailer.
Pictured below and to the right, Media Blasters is presenting a “Standard Edition” Blu-ray of The Kamen Rider Dyad Legacy “Kollection” containing the Japanese superhero movies Kamen Rider: The First (2005) and Kamen Rider: The Next (2007). A slipcover is included with the release. It involves a scientist who is turned into a bug-like being who fights crime.
A pair of Mondo Macabro Blu-ray releases slated for mid-January were delayed and are now arriving. I Hate My Body (1974) is a Spanish effort about a man whose consciousness is transplanted into the body of a woman. He has difficulty enduring sexist discrimination and encounters even more prejudices when he takes on a female lover. This Blu-ray contains a 4K picture restoration from the original camera negative, a Spanish and an English audio track, a film historian commentary, an interview with a cast member, a critical analysis of the movie and a discussion on another performer in the picture.
The Power of Darkness (1976), also from Spain, is receiving a “Standard Edition” Blu-ray release. The well-regarded thriller involves a delusional man who becomes convinced that he is being prosecuted by blind people. This title delivers a 4K image restoration from the original camera negative, an “About the Film” video short, and new and exclusive artwork for the release.
Some time ago, Paramount Pictures put out a standalone 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of the slasher classic Friday the 13th (1980). Now, they’re making Friday the 13th: Part 2 (1981) available on its own as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. After the bloody events of the original, another group of camp counselors arrive at Camp Crystal Lake and are picked off by a killer one-by-one. This title introduces the iconic villain of the series (although he wears a burlap sack and wouldn’t find his hockey mask until the next chapter). Of course, you’ll get a crisp 4K image presented in Dolby Vision, as well as some “Crystal Lake Memories”, footage from horror conventions, tales from the making-of the movie, a featurette on Jason Voorhees, and a trailer.
If you have plenty of cash burning a hole in your pocket, you can also purchase the Blu-ray set Exorcismo: Defying A Dictator & Raising Hell in Post-Franco Spain from Severin Films. It contains the Spanish movies Far from the Trees (1972), The Bell from Hell (1973), Creation of the Damned (1974), The Devil’s Exorcist (1975), The People Who Own the Dark (1976), Battered Flesh (1978), Faces (1978), The Priest (1978), Triangle of Lust (1978), Sins of a Nympho (1979), Dimorfo (1980), That House in the Outskirts (1980), Bloody Sex (1981), Supernatural (1981), the documentaries After… Part One: Can’t You Be Left Alone? (1983) and After… Part Two: Tied Up and Tied Up Well (1983), the films Morbus (1983), Poppers (1984) and the recent documentary Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S” (2024). That’s nineteen exploitation films in total, all of which were made in Spain and generally snuck past censors during the Francisco Franco reign. Specs for the set state that, “The majority of the titles in this unprecedented collection are worldwide Blu-ray premieres scanned in 4K from original camera negatives, curated with a 168-page book of essays, stills and posters, along with over 21 combined hours of new and archival special features.”
And if you enjoyed the Fifty Shades of Grey series, you can now order the Fifty Shades: 3-Movie Collection in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray pack from Universal Pictures. You’ll get the original Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), Fifty Shades Darker (2016) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018). Both the theatrical and unrated editions of all three films are included in the best picture quality available, along with “hours” of bonus features.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Unfortunately, there isn’t much coming this week for kids, but hopefully the next couple of weeks will provide more offerings.
ON THE TUBE!
Below is a list of TV-related titles arriving at stores.
Family Recipe: Jewish American Style (PBS) DVD
Masterpiece Mystery!: Miss Scarlet: Season 6 (PBS) DVD
