{"id":17880,"date":"2019-02-25T18:25:12","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T02:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=17880"},"modified":"2019-02-25T18:25:12","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T02:25:12","slug":"dvd-blu-ray-roundup-for-february-26th-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=17880","title":{"rendered":"DVD\/Blu-ray Roundup for February 26th, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hello and welcome to another look at highlights arriving on\nBlu-ray and DVD. There’s a lot of variety in\nthis edition, which covers everything from family features to Oscar and indie\nfare. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one\nof these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big New Releases!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Between Worlds<\/em> – In this unusual supernatural\nthriller, down-on-his-luck widower spends his days driving trucks. He meets a\nwoman with spiritualist abilities who is trying to find the lost soul of her\ncomatose daughter. The pair make an arrangement, with the woman agreeing to\nhelp the driver to communicate with his late wife and daughter. However, the\nspirits raised are less-than-friendly. Reviews were mixed, although the\nnegative write-ups outnumbered the positive ones. Some enjoyed the crazy\nconcept and eccentric lead performance, but more suggested that cast were far\nbetter than the material they had been given. It stars Nicolas Cage, Franka\nPotente and Penelope Mitchell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bullitt<\/em>County<\/em>\n– Set in 1977, this picture follows friends getting together for a weekend\nbachelor party. The set out on the Kentucky Bluegrass Bourbon Trail to try and\nfind a treasure hidden during Prohibition. It’s an odd way to celebrate a wedding\nand things become more fractured after they encounter mortal danger on the\ntrail. This independent action\/thriller earned modest notices. Some appreciated\nthe script’s many twists and turns and thought it was an effective little tale,\nbut slightly more complained that the characters weren’t likeable enough and stated\nthat the story didn’t quite come together. The cast includes Mike C. Nelson,\nJenni Melear, David McCracken and Richard Reihle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Day After<\/em> – A married couple have a terrible day\nafter the wife finds a love note written by her husband intended for another\nwoman. Enraged, she heads to his office, confusing a newly-employed secretary\nfor the person her husband is having an affair with. This black and white,\nforeign-language drama from South Korea\nearned plenty of praise from art house audiences. A few didn’t appreciate its\nsimple narrative, low-key approach to events and didn’t feel that the humor\nworked, but the majority complimented the movie as being interesting; they were\nalso impressed with the actors as unusual way of presenting the story. It\nfeatures Kwon Hae-hyo and Kim Min-hee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

London<\/em>\nFields<\/em> – In this thriller, a femme fatale with clairvoyant abilities begins\nto see her impending demise. Hoping to turn the tables, she begins to investigate\nall three of her male lovers and identify which one of them might attempt to\nmurder her. This movie has had a troubled history, having been shot in 2013 and\njust getting a limited release earlier this year (the director sued the producers\ncompany for reworking the movie without his knowledge). According to the press,\nit’s a disaster. The flick has yet to receive a single recommendation, with\nreviews stating that it’s both ridiculous and dull, and features a plot that\nmakes no sense. It earned a Razzie nomination for its lead performance. Amber\nHeard, Gemma Chan, Jason Isaacs, Theo James, Billy Bob Thronton and Jim\nSturgess headline the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mary Queen of Scots<\/em> – This historical period drama\ndetails Mary, Queen of Scots’ tumultuous life, which included getting married\nat 16, being widowed at 18, and moving back to Scotland\nto reclaim her throne. As if that isn’t enough, she is then forced to deal with\nthe apparent jealousy of rival Elizabeth\nI. The results of the conflict become deadly. Critics were generally positive\nabout this biopic, although not without some critiques. A percentage believed\nit was well-made, but never quite found the right tone or approach to its\nstory. Still, the consensus was that the lead performances were strong, the\ndrama palpable and the costumes\/sets incredible to behold. It stars Saoirse\nRonan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, David Tennant and Guy Pearce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Megalodon<\/em> – Giant sharks… as we all know, they’re\nnothing but trouble. This little independent sci-fi\/horror picture follows a\nmilitary ship investigating the disappearance of a sunken submersible. The crew\nsoon locates an enormous and dangerous Megalodon swimming in the same waters\nand must fight it off before the prehistoric creature sinks their boat. This\ntitle actually debuted on the SyFy network on the same day The Meg<\/em> was\nreleased. Now, it is debuting on disc. As one might expect, there hasn’t been a\nlot of publicity around it, with most simply stating that it is, well, pretty terrible.\nThe cast includes Michael Madsen, Dominic Pace and Caroline Harris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Possession of Hannah Grace <\/em>– Exorcisms… also a\ngenerally bad idea. In this horror flick, an exorcism goes wrong and ends up\nkilling a young woman possessed by a demon. When an alcoholic cop turned\nmorgue-worker receives a body and begins having strange visions, she (and the\naudience) begin to think that it may have something to do with the earlier\ntragedy. Notices were quite poor for this chiller. A few did compliment the\nmovie for having a strong opening sequence as well as for creating a foreboding\natmosphere. However, almost all complained that the screenplay offered little\nthat was new and that the film’s jump scares simply did not work. The movie\nfeatures Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Kirby Johnson and Stana Katic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ralph Breaks the Internet<\/em> – This sequel to the 2012 hit Wreck-It Ralph<\/em> continues to chronicle the life of arcade-game character Ralph. When he and his best pal Vanellope learn that a wireless router has been installed at the arcade, they decide to travel through the internet to update their coin-op machines and keep their home from closing down. Response towards the film was largely positive. A few naysayers commented that the emphasis on the internet made it feel like a commercial rather than a family film, but most thought that even if it didn’t match the original, it was still impressively animated and offered plenty of laughs. John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Taraji P. Henson provide the voices. To read this site’s review, click here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Rampant<\/em> – Promoted as being from the studio that brought you Train to Busan<\/em>, this South Korean period action\/horror picture involves a young prince who is taken away as a political hostage by a another kingdom. After many years, he breaks free and returns to his homeland, only to find it overrun by monstrous forces known as “Night Demons”. Thankfully, his skills as the greatest martial artist in the country come in handy as he faces off against the threat. Reviews for this foreign-language effort were decent.  Some members of the press grumbled that the story was unfocused and the whole thing came across as a bit of a mess. However, most thought it improved as it progressed and featured some entertaining thrills and chills. The cast includes Hyun Bin and Dong-Gun Jang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sicilian Ghost Story<\/em> – When a 13-year-old boy living\nin a small village near the woods disappears mysteriously, locals and\nauthorities are baffled. Frustrated, his girlfriend decides to take matters\ninto her own hands and find out what happened. She uncovers dark secrets about\nthe forest and those in her town. Reaction towards this foreign-language\nthriller was very positive. While one or two couldn’t get on its wavelength and\nfound some of the events cruel, almost all others raved about its strange tone\nand called it a disturbing meditation on the loss of childhood. It features\nJulia Jedlikowska, Gaetano Fernandez and Corinne Musallari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blasts from the Past!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of older titles as well that may interest\nreaders. If you like cheesy 90s action pictures, then you might be interested\nin a pair of Blu-rays from the MVD Rewind Collection. The first is the\nJean-Claude Van Damme picture, Double Impact<\/em> (1991). It involves twin\nbrothers kicking the butts of the villains who murdered their parents. This\nCollector’s Edition includes new interviews with cast and crew, previously\nunreleased behind-the-scenes footage and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Showdown<\/em> (1993) stars Ken Marks as a student who\nfinds himself being hunted by a new enemy who, outside of school, is part of an\nunderground and illegal fighting operation. Thankfully, the janitor (Billy\nBlanks) at the school is a martial arts expert who teaches the kid the ropes.\nThe Collector’s Edition Blu-ray comes with a feature length making-of documentary\nabout the film, interview with the director, co-star Billy Blanks, an analysis\nof the fight sequences, photo gallery, trailer and other extras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory have a great many releases this week as well.\nThe first is a  Blu-ray box set of The\nLegally Blonde Collection<\/em>, which contains the 2001 original and 2003\nsequel. The original has been given a new 4K scan from the original camera\nnegative and comes with multiple audio commentaries, a new interview with\nco-star Jessica Cauffiel, deleted scenes, a making-of, a featurette on the\nhairstyles, a music video and trailer. Bonuses on the sequel include another\nnew interview with co-star Jessica Cauffiel, a commentary track, numerous\nfeaturettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a music video and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The distributor are also putting out a Blu-ray of the\nmonster movie, The Mole People<\/em> (1956). This one involves a group of\ngeologists who tunnel underground around the site of Mesopotamia\nand discover a group of “mole people” living under the surface. This\nrelease presents the film in two aspect ratios (1.85:1 and 2.00:1), and adds a\nnew film historian audio commentary and a new documentary on the making-of the\nfeature. It also includes the MST3K episode featuring the TV show characters\npoking fun at the movie. And it also comes with a wealth of publicity\nmaterials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

They’re also debuting Used Cars<\/em> (1980) on Blu-ray.\nThis wild comedy from Robert Zemekis (Romancing the Stone<\/em>, Back to\nthe Future<\/em>, Forrest Gump<\/em>) stars Kurt Russell and focuses in on the\nlives of some shady used car salesmen. If memory serves, it’s pretty funny and\nfeatures some crazy car-related stunt gags. This disc features a new interview\nwith producer\/co-writer Bob Gale, a previously recorded commentary track with\nZemekis, Gale and star Russell, outtakes and all sorts of trailers, radio and\nTV spots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have the kooky Hammer adventure flick, The\nVengeance of She<\/em> (1968). It’s about a woman inexplicably drawn to the east,\nwhere she finds lost city and a potentially sinister force. The Blu-ray has a\n2K scan of the original film elements, new interviews with the assistant\ndirector, a visual effects artist on the feature and the clapper\/loader. It\nalso comes with an audio commentary featuring Monster Party Podcast hosts and\nother bonuses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shout! are also delivering the horror film, Willard<\/em>\n(2003), on Blu-ray. It’s about an awkward, isolated young man who befriends\nrats who begin to do his bidding. It’s a remake of a 1971 B-movie, but stands\nas one of the rare examples in which the redo is actually better than the\noriginal. Crispin Glover stars and this edition boasts all kinds of bonuses.\nThe film has been given a new 2K transfer and also features two newly recorded\naudio commentaries (one with director Glen Morgan and the cinematographer, and\nanother with the movie’s animal trainer). Also featured are new interviews with\nthe above crew members, as well as all of the bonuses from the old DVD,\nincluding a Morgan and Crispin Glover audio commentary, deleted scenes and\nother extras. And yep, it has the Crispin Glover video of the actor performing\nthe song, Ben. Looks like a great set for those who are a fan of the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To Sleep with Anger<\/em> (1990) is a well-regarded feature\nstarring Danny Glover as a drifter who turns up on the doorstep of some old\nfriend’s homes in South Central Los Angeles. Things simmer to boil not long\nafter his arrival. Criterion are giving the film a new, 4K, digitally restored\npresentation for Blu-ray. The release also comes with a new interview program\nfeaturing the cast and crew, and an hour-long conversation with Charles\nBurnett, the director of the feature and a video tribute to the filmmaker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

VCI are delivering the low-budget genre flick, Beast of\nthe Yellow Night<\/em> (1971). They’ve given the movie a 2K restoration from the\noriginal negative and an archival print and are providing a film historian\naudio commentary for the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And Kino have Blu-ray of the films Desert Fury<\/em> (1947),\nThe Midnight Man<\/em> (1974) and The Rover<\/em> (1967). All feature a film\nhistorian audio commentary as well as trailers. And finally, Classic Flix have\na newly restored Blu-ray of the Humphrey Bogart flick, Stand-in<\/em> (1937).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Know, For Kids!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a slim week for programs for younger viewers…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pinkalicious & Peterrific: Pinkatastic Pets!<\/em> (PBS\nKids)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Tube!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here are the week’s TV-related titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dynasties<\/em> (BBC Earth)
Master of None<\/em>: Season 1
Megalodon<\/em> (SyFy TV-movie)
Mystery Road<\/em>: Series 1
Pinkalicious & Peterrific: Pinkatastic Pets!<\/em> (PBS Kids) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6E9lxoVePQs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uQfArCYLHGU\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n