![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-amityville-murders-dinner-table-1024x484.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Amityville Murders<\/em> – Believe it or not, there\nhave been about 20 movies inspired by the Amityville Horror<\/em> story. The\nlatest features attempts to detail the graphic murders that took place at the\nlocale in 1974, with the plot following a father who begins to hear voices in\nhis head commanding him to execute his entire family. Reviews weren’t\nparticularly strong for this horror flick. One or two believed that it was a\ncompetently made chiller. Yet most said that this sequel and the series in general\nhad been done to death, referring to the final results here as being tacky and\ntasteless. Now curious parties can watch it and decide for themselves. The cast\nincludes John Robinson, Chelsea Ricketts, Paul Ben-Victor and Diane Franklin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Aspern Papers<\/em> – This period drama takes place in Venice,\n Italy and involves a\nwriter obsessed with finding the title documents, which are a series of love\nletters written by a famous poet to his beautiful mistress. While on the hunt,\nthe protagonist follows the trail and locates the actual woman, only to begin\nfalling for her himself and coming under her strange influence. Critics didn’t think\nthat this effort made much of an imprint. There were a few who complimented\nbits and pieces of the movie, but the consensus was that the story came across\nas flat, lifeless and stiffly staged, despite the valiant efforts of the cast.\nIt stars Joely Richardson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Vanessa Redgrave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Berlin, I Love You<\/em> – Following on the success of Paris, Je T’aime<\/em> (2006) and New York, I Love You<\/em> (2008), this is the latest in a series featuring a grouping of short films about love. As you might have guessed, Berlin is the metropolis inspiring these tales. Alas, very few press members were feeling the magic this time out, as this sequel is the worst reviewed title in the franchise. One or two admitted it uneven, but enjoyed enough of the segments to give it a recommendation. Sadly, the overwhelming response from the remainder was that these clips were poor, and didn’t inspire much passion or excitement. Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, Luke Wilson, Jim Sturgess, Mickey Rourke, Hayden Panettiere and Diego Luna all make appearances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Divorce Party<\/em> – A young married couple in their\ntwenties split up in this drama\/comedy. After his wife leaves him, the\nex-husband finds himself struggling to cope when their friends all choose to\nmaintain a relationship with her and shun him. Feeling sorry for his plight,\nthe woman who planned their wedding decides to step in and help the man, creating\na divorce party to help him move on. So far, there haven’t been a lot of\nwrite-ups for the film, so those who are interested will have to take a chance\non it. One review that has popped up online suggests that the story itself is\ngeneric, but the cast are likable. It features Thomas Cocqueral, Claire Holt\nand Matilda Lutz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dog’s Way Home<\/em> – A pooch who gets lost and separated\nfrom their owner decides to wander across the country and find their own way\nhome in this family drama. Along the way, the animal encounters various strangers\nand brings some happiness to their troubled lives. Reaction towards this flick\nwas generally upbeat. A small percentage complained that the approach taken was\nvery old-fashioned and that the film dealt with the issues raised in too simple\na manner. Still, more found the movie sweet and well-intentioned, suggesting\nthat family audiences would appreciate the cute lead character and its positive\noutlook. The movie stars Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Wes\nStudi and Barry Watson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Golden Job<\/em> – This Hong Kong\naction flick involves a team of former mercenaries who decide to take part in a\nmassive heist. The group plan stealing the contents of a medicine truck heading\nto a refugee camp. However, they soon discover that the vehicle contains a\nmassive quantity of gold, and that they have been set up by someone within\ntheir own ranks. This foreign-language title appears to be premiering on disc\nin this part of the world, so there aren’t many notices available. A few write-ups\nthat have appeared online suggest that the movie is a reasonably entertaining,\nif unexceptional, action picture with a few decent chase scenes. The cast\nincludes Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse, Kar Lok Chin and Charmaine Sheh.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holmes & Watson<\/em> – The famous detectives get a\nreworking in this comedy that presents the characters as dimwitted heroes more\nlikely to accidentally solve crimes than use traditional methods to catch perpetrators.\nThis time out, they’re tasked with stopping their nemesis Moriarty in his plot\nto murder the Queen at the unveiling of the RMS Titanic. Let’s just say that this\nteaming between leads Will Farrell and John C. Reilly was not as appreciated as\nthe pair’s previous efforts. A small batch did say that there were a few laughs\nto be had here from the idiotic shenanigans on display, but far more found the\ngags terribly unfunny (the film ended up winning a Worst Picture Razzie). The\nmovie also features Rebecca Hall, Ralph Fiennes, Rob Brydon, Kelly Macdonald,\nSteve Coogan and Lauren Lapkus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mirai<\/em> – This animated effort from Japan\nfollows a four-year-old whose life is turned upside down when his parents\nintroduce him to his new baby sister. Of course, the latest member of the\nfamily starts to steal a great deal of attention, upsetting the young lad.\nHowever, he gets a surprise after walking into his garden when he meets a\nteenage version of his sister. They partake in a journey through their future\nlives as they attempt to deal with issues of sibling rivalry and jealousy.\nCritics were impressed by this drama, calling it sweet and suggesting that it\nhad many layers of meaning to unravel. The English voice over cast includes Jaden\n Waldman, Victoria Grace, John\nCho and Rebecca Hall (one hopes that the English-subtitled, Japanese-language\nversion is also included).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moynihan<\/em> – Politician and sociologist Daniel Patrick\nMoynihan is the subject of this documentary. Considered a maverick, the man was\na fan of statistics and considered himself a moralist, noting the ways in which\nmany who want to do good are often undone by their desires to succeed in their\ncareers. The press were taken with this non-fiction film about the man’s career\nas a US Senator,\n US Ambassador to the\nUnited Nations and eventual Counselor to the President. They stated that this\nmovie provided a new appreciation for his work, helped to clarify some of his\nbeliefs and theories, and allowed viewers to learn more about this interesting\nfigure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the Basis of Sex<\/em> – Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the main\nfigure in this biopic, which focuses on the early part of the Supreme Court\nJustice’s life as well as her groundbreaking work taking on a sex discrimination\nclaim. Early sections of the feature\nfocus on her mistreatment in a male-dominated field and how these experiences\nhelped develop her arguments in this historic case. Reviews were decent for the\nfeature, although not outstanding. Some thought that it was merely a standard\nbiography of a truly exceptional person, although they all complimented the\nperformances and thought the feature brought attention to some of her work. It\nstars Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justine Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston\nand Jack Reynor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Touch Me Not<\/em> – This European art house film is\ndescribed as being, “on the fluid border between reality and\nfiction.” It follows a moviemaker and her characters as they address\nintimacy. Three of the main characters have serious issues with the subject.\nThey are placed in a lab where they attempt to deal with their relationship\nissues and break the ties binding them to their patterns of behavior. Notices\nwere all over the place for this drama, although it did earn a few more positive\nwrite-ups than negative ones. A large percentage found it slow, somber and\ndidn’t think that it offered much in the way of a discovery. Others appreciated\nits attempts to tackle big issues and called it a flawed, but unique movie.\nLaura Benson, T\u00f3mas Lemarquis and Christian Bayerlein headline this title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We Die Young<\/em> – A 10-year-old boy in Washington,\n DC is recruited into a drug-running gang\nagainst the wishes of his teenage brother. The older sibling requests the\nassistance of an Afghanistan\nwar veteran to help him get the youngster away from a life of crime. Together,\nthey infiltrate the organization and attempt to rescue the child. This is an\naction\/drama that appears to be making its debut on disc and through streaming\nservices, so there currently aren’t a lot of reviews. The ones that have popped\nup call it a nice change of pace for its star, although some suggest that this\nB-movie might have benefited from higher production values. The cast includes\nJean-Claude Van Damme, David Castaneda and Elijah Rodriguez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Welcome to Marwen<\/em> – Based on the true story and\ndocumentary Marwencol<\/em>, this biopic tells the story of a man struggling\nwith PTSD. After being beaten within an inch of his life by white supremacists,\nthe lead begins designing a fantasy world populated by action figures of women\nwhom he admires. In the process, the protagonist tries to rebuild his own life.\nSadly, the majority of press members didn’t think this fantasy\/drama worked. A\nsmall selection thought that the movie’s heart was in the right place and that\nit attempted something new and different. However, most suggested that the tone\nwas a mess and the entire enterprise came across as remarkably misguided and\nmisjudged. It stars Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Wever and\nJanelle Mon\u00e1e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blasts from the Past!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lots of interesting older titles are hitting Blu-ray as\nwell. Arrow have the horror\/giallo picture, The Iguana with the Tongue of\nFire<\/em> (1971). Despite being an Italian murder\/mystery, this one is actually\nset in Dublin and is famous for\nhaving a very over-the-top plot with an almost nonsensical amount of red\nherrings. The movie has been given a new 2K transfer from the original camera\nnegative and comes with a giallo expert commentary, as well as a video critic\nappreciation of the film, a discussion about the film’s composer, an interview\nwith the feature’s assistant director, the editor, one of the actresses\ninvolved and numerous publicity materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n M\u00e9lo<\/em> (1986) is also arriving on Blu-ray courtesy of\nthe same distributor’s arthouse line, Arrow\n Academy. This Special Edition\nincludes a 2K restoration of the film, a critic introduction, archived\ninterviews with the director, producer, actors, script supervisor and set\ndesigner. It also comes with a theatrical trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n MVD Marquee Collection have an interesting Blu-ray title in Enigma<\/em> (1982). This Cold War, Russian-set spy thriller with Martin Sheen and Sam Neill got decent reviews when it first came out, but has kind of disappeared since its initial release at theaters and debut on VHS. It’s great to see this lost flick get a high definition upgrade, and the release includes a stills gallery and trailer. Truthfully, this writer has no idea if the movie itself still holds up, but based on the cast alone I’m certainly looking forward to catching up with this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it’s the next Blu-ray title that this columnist is most excited about. Shout! Factory are bringing The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires<\/em> (1974), an amazingly crazy action\/horror co-production between UK’s Hammer Films and the Shaw Brothers from Hong Kong. It features Peter Cushing as Van Helsing, who travels to China on the search for Dracula. After arriving, the parties face-off against numerous vampires and locals with kung-fu skills enter the fray. The movie is a ton of fun and has been given excellent treatment for its Blu-ray debut. Buyers will get two cuts of the film (including Hammer’s original uncut version) presented in 2K and scanned from the original elements, a new film historian commentary and interviews with an actor and a Hong Kong movie expert, as well as loads of trailers and publicity materials. Just based on the poster alone, who in their right mind wouldn’t want to see that movie? I will be picking this Blu-ray up as soon as humanly possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shout! Select also have some fun Blu-rays as well. The first\nis the film noir, This Gun for Hire<\/em> (1942) adapted from the Graham\nGreene novel and starring Veronica Lake\nand Alan Ladd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This distributor are also releasing the biopic, Talk to Me<\/em> (2007), in which star Don Cheadle plays the famous radio personality “Petey” Greene. This Blu-ray comes with a featurette including interviews with the cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes promotional piece, deleted scenes and a theatrical trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kino has some unusual Blu-rays coming your way as well. The\nfirst is the early Charles Bronson action picture, Cold Sweat<\/em> (1970).\nIt’s about a man living a quiet life in France\nwho has a criminal past. When some thugs show up to threaten the hero and his family,\nhe fights back. This disc includes a film historian commentary, a trailer and a\nchase-chase promo for the movie. Bronson fans can also pick up Rider on the\nRain<\/em> (1970), another picture the actor made in France.\nThis one is a thriller, with Bronson playing an investigator trying to find out\nwhat happened to investigate a murder. The disc includes the US\nand extended French cuts of the movie, along with a film historian commentary\nand trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For those interested in more exotic material, Kino also have\nSpecial Edition Blu-rays of the French features Emmanuelle <\/em>(1974), Emmanuelle\n2<\/em> (1975) and Emmanuelle 3<\/em> (1977), which involve a woman visiting\nforeign lands and embarking on romantic trysts. All three of these releases\ncome with interviews with the director and star about each particular movie, as\nwell as trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Criterion have a Blu-ray of Jim Jarmusch’s Night on Earth<\/em>\n(1991), a movie set in five different cities involving brief interactions\nbetween a cab driver and their fares. The cult film has a quirky, comedic bent\nand was very well received during its original release. This disc include a\ndirector-approved restoration of the film, along with an archival selected\nscene commentary track with the cinematographer, a Belgian television interview\nwith Jarmush and a second Q & A with the creator from 2007. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They are also putting out a Blu-ray of the director’s second\nfeature, Stranger Than Paradise<\/em> (1984). This one follows a New Yorker\nwho is unexpectedly visited by his cousin and the trouble they get themselves\ninto over the course of the visit. This film has also been given a high\ndefinition visual restoration approved by Jarmusch, an actor and director\ncommentary, Jarmusch’s debut film, Permanent Vacation<\/em> (1980), a German\ntelevision interview show about these two features, behind-the-scenes Super 8\nfootage of the 1984 production, as well as US and Japanese trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And there’s more. Warner Archive are releasing Frankenstein\n1970<\/em> (1958) on Blu-ray. Truth be told, I missed this title and haven’t yet\nseen it, but it is set after WWII and involves Victor Frankenstein’s attempts\nto use atomic power to raise the dead. Boris Karloff stars as the mad doctor and\nthe disc includes a film historian audio commentary as well as a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kit Parker Films are making a Blu-ray box-set available that\nfeatures quite a few lost titls. Their Noir Archive Volume 1: 1944 – 1954<\/em>\nfeatures nine film noir titles, including the likes of Address Unknown<\/em>\n(1944), Escape in the Fog<\/em> (1945), The Guilt of Janet James<\/em>\n(1947), The Black Book<\/em> aka The Reign of Terror<\/em> (1949), Johnny\nAllegro<\/em> (1949), 711 Ocean Drive<\/em> (1950), The Killer That Stalked\nNew York<\/em> (1950), Assignment Paris<\/em> (1952) and The Miami Story<\/em>\n(1954).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the AGFA or American Genre Film Archive have a DVD\nof the slasher film, Blood Lake<\/em> (1987). This made-for-video woods-set\nslasher involves party animals being taken down a peg by a supernatural killer.\nThe movie has been rescued from the vaults and is transferred from the original\n1″ master tape. Extras include a director commentary, a Q & A with the\nfilmmaker, an investor trailer and short also made by the director. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You Know, For Kids!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some highlights of kid-friendly titles coming your\nway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paw Patrol: Ultimate Rescue<\/em> (Nickelodeon) On the Tube!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And here are the week’s TV-themed releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Masterpiece: Mrs. Wilson<\/em> (PBS) ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-Aspern-Papers-canals.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-berlin-I-Love-You-Knightley.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-dovorce-party-1024x563.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-dogs-way-home-nature-1024x591.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-golden-job-leads.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-holmes-watson-dance-1024x632.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-mirai-kids-1024x551.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-moynihan-doc.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-on-the-basis-of-sex-elevator-1024x626.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-touch-me-not-1024x592.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-we-die-young-van-damme.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-welcome-to-marwen-camera-carell-1024x507.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-iguana-with-the-tongue-of-fire.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-enigma-sheen-neil.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-7-Brothers-Meet-Dracula-poster.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-talk-to-me-cheadle.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-cold-sweat.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-night-on-earth-benigni-1024x615.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DVD-Frankenstein-1970-quad-poster.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Pokemon: Diamond & Pearl<\/em> 4-Movie Collection
Ready Jet Go! Chasing the Sun<\/em> (PBS Kids)
Wild Kratts: The Briny Blue Sea<\/em> (PBS Kids) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Project Blue Book<\/em>: Season 1 (History Channel)
Ray Donovan<\/em>: Season 6
You’re the Worst<\/em>: Season 5 <\/p>\n\n\n\n