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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAlita: Battle Angel<\/em> – Based on the Japanese manga series, this sci-fi\/action picture follows a cyborg who wakes up with no memory of who she is or where she came from. A scientist attempts to replace parts and restore the teen to her full potential. She soon develops incredible abilities and sets out to uncover the truth about her past. Critics were a bit mixed on the final results, although it did earn slightly more praise than criticism. Those who didn’t recommend the film stated that it looked great, but found the CGI lead a bit distracting and also described the story as weak. Others who gave it a pass thought the dystopian world was intriguing and enjoyed the elaborate spectacle on display. It stars Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein and Jackie Earl Haley. To read this site’s review, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Assimilate<\/em> – Taking inspiration from classics like Invasion\nof the Body Snatchers<\/em>, this tale involves three teen friends who decide to\ncreate a web-series and tell the story of their neighborhood. Their research\ngoes in an unexpected direction when they begin to realize that families are\nbeing killed and replaced with perfect copies. The kids must not only identify\nthe real monsters, but do their best to stop its spread. So far, this title has\nonly played at a few festivals, so most people will be seeing it for the first\ntime on disc. There aren’t many reviews available, but the ones that have\nappeared state that while the film is a bit derivative, the cast are likable\nand the plot delivers a few thrills. It features Joel Courtney, Calum Worthy,\nAndi Matichak and Katherine McNamara. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Book of Birdie<\/em> – This unusual arthouse feature is\ndescribed as a fantasy about a fragile and imaginative teenager who is placed\nin a convent. Her obsessions begin to upset some of the nuns and when the lead\nbegins to experience strange hallucinations, the religious order must determine\nwhether her visions are saintly or that of a sinister, Satanic influence. So\nfar, this title has only played in a few cities on the indie circuit, but\nresponse has been quite upbeat. There have been some minor complaints\nsuggesting the story is difficult to follow in spots, but the majority have\ncomplimented the production as being beautifully shot and effectively moody.\nThe cast includes Suzan Crowley, Kymberly Mellen and Kathryn Browning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Burying Yasmeen<\/em> – Here’s a little independent feature\nthat raised some of its completion backing through a Kickstarter campaign. It’s\na road movie about an obsessive man deeply in love with his recently deceased\nwife, despite the fact that her feelings for him may not have been nearly as\nstrong when they were together. Searching for closure and unable to get a new\nstart in life, the protagonist has a vision of the spouse telling him that she\nstill loves him, and that if he returns and buries his wedding ring with her,\nthey will be together eternally. As of right now, this quirky picture is\ndebuting on disc, so there are no reviews available. It features Jason Lott,\nNiki Koss, Mike Langer, Adelaide Lummis and Elena Tovar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Critters Attack!<\/em> – Those who remember their monster\nmovies might have a soft spot for Critters<\/em>, a low-budget effort from\n1986 about a family at a farm who come under attack from small and prickly\nalien invaders. This, the fourth sequel in the series, was made by the SyFy\nnetwork and is premiering on disc and via digital viewing on their website. The\nplot involves a college student babysitting for extra cash. When another batch\nof sinister Critters crash land in the backyard, the guardian must save the\nkids she is caring for. Apparently, they receive assistance from a star from\nthe original film (and some of the newest aliens might not be all bad). There\naren’t any reviews available as of yet, but the makers promise lots of\npractical effects and plenty of gooey, good-natured carnage. Tashiana\nWashington, Dee Wallace, Jaeden Noel and Jack Fulton headline the flick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Geek, and You Shall Find<\/em> – This documentary follows a\ntrio of filmmakers who begin to produce a feature chronicling a local comic\nbook convention. After meeting several cosplayers and hearing their moving\npersonal stories, the group decides to investigate the comic-con culture in\nmore detail. The gang visit several events and talk to both fans and creators\nabout why superheroes and other fantasy shows are so popular, and how these\ntales inspire people to combat real issues. This non-fiction feature is making\nits debut on disc. As such, those with an interest in the material will just\nhave to take a chance on it if they feel so inclined. The movie includes\ninterviews with celebrities like Kevin Eastman, Stan Lee and George R.R.\nMartin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hellboy<\/em> – Speaking of comic books, Hellboy<\/em> is\nanother property that was previously adapted into a film series in 2004. In this\nnew take on the franchise, the titular demon who fights for good is reintroduced\nto audiences. This time out, he is tasked with stopping an undead and powerful\nQueen who wants avenge her death, and perhaps even end the world. Sadly, this\nredo was plagued with behind-the-scenes difficulties and notices for the\nfinished film were very poor. A few did appreciate the sheer strangeness on\ndisplay and admired the movie on that level. However, the overwhelming\nconsensus was that this redo was too nasty and violent, the story was choppy,\nand it lacked the heart and soul of the previous incarnation. It stars David\n Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian\nMcShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel\nDae Kim and Penelope Mitchell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Master Z: Ip Man Legacy<\/em> – This spin-off of the\npopular Ip Man<\/em> martial arts series tells the story of a villain who\nfought and lost a battle with the legendary Chinese folk hero. Things go from\nbad to worse for the weakened character when he starts working as a waiter and comes\ninto conflict with a powerful foreigner. The lead attempts to change his ways\nand turn the tide so that he can both help himself and his neighbors from\ndangerous new threats. Reviews were very good for this foreign-language action\neffort. It seems that almost everyone appreciated the story’s focus on a bad\nguy trying to turn his life around, and stated that the fight scenes were\nextremely well-shot and choreographed. The movie features Zhang Jin, Dave\nBautista, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Jaa and Kevin Chang. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Missing Link<\/em> – Families with an interest in cryptozoology and monsters may appreciate this animated effort from Laika Studios (Coraline<\/em>, ParaNorman<\/em>, Kubo and the Two Strings<\/em>). The plot involves an explorer desperate to earn the approval of his peers. He receives a mysterious note telling him where to find a Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest and heads out to capture the beast. However, after encountering the Sasquatch, plans change and the pair travel across the globe on an exciting adventure. The press gave this flick high marks. One or two critics didn’t think that this title matched the studio’s previous effort, but just about everyone else called the movie gorgeously animated, charming and a whole lot of fun. The voice-cast includes Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Timothy Olyphant. To read this site’s review of the feature, just click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blasts from the Past!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re looking to pick up some older titles on Blu-ray,\nthere’s plenty of exciting stuff to choose from. Arrow Video are releasing a\nSpecial Edition of The Loveless<\/em> (1981). It’s about a motorcycle gang who\nstop off in a small town on their way to the Daytona, leading to tension\nbetween themselves and the community residents. This movie marks the first\nstarring role for acclaimed actor Willem Dafoe, and the picture is the first\ndirectorial credit for Kathryn Bigelow. She co-helmed this effort, but went on\nto make Near Dark<\/em>, Point Break<\/em>, The Hurt Locker<\/em> and Zero\nDark Thirty<\/em>. This Blu-ray includes a new 2K restoration of the feature from\nthe original camera negative. It also comes with a commentary feature\nco-director Monty Montgomery, new interviews with Dafoe as well as other cast\nmembers, talks with the director of photography, as well as the producers,\nproduction designers and musicians on the film. Additionally, it comes with\nplenty of publicity materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also pick up a Special Edition Blu-ray of the teen comedy, Weird Science<\/em> (1985). If you grew up in the 80s, you’ll no doubt be familiar with this tale of a pair of teenage outcasts who use their high-powered computer to create a live woman. Chaos and comedy follows. The film has been given a new restoration with a 4K scan of the original negative. It includes three different versions of the movie, as well as a comparison of all the different material in the alternate cuts. Additionally, there are tons of new interviews with cast and crew members, a documentary on the film that includes the stars of the movie and its celebrity admirers, trailers and TV spot and plenty more. It’s a phenomenal release packed with fascinating extras and you can read all about the disc in detail right here<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shout! Factory are presenting a new Blu-ray the Burt\nLancaster and Yvonne De Carlo film-noir thriller, Criss Cross<\/em> (1949).\nThis well-regarded flick is about an armored car heist that faces added and\nunexpected complications. Classic film fans should be pleased that the disc\nincludes a 4K scan of the original nitrate negative and comes with a film\nhistorian commentary, as well as a trailer, still gallery and poster and lobby\ncard images. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who enjoy old chillers may also appreciate another\nShout! Factory box set. This one’s called The Universal Horror Collection:\nVolume 2<\/em> and it includes Murders in the Zoo<\/em> (1933), The Mad Ghoul<\/em>\n(1943) The Mad Doctor of Market Street<\/em> (1942) and The Strange Case of\nDoctor Rx<\/em> (1942). I can’t speak for every one of the movies included as I\nhaven’t seen all of them, but The Mad Ghoul<\/em> is a reasonably fun one. The\nset includes a couple of film historian audio commentaries, a featurette and\nsome publicity materials for the pictures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Criterion have some great new arrivals too. They include the\ntimely George Orwell adaptation of 1984<\/em> (1984). This movie stars John\nHurt as man struggling to survive in a right-wing, totalitarian society that\nsuppresses free thought and those who stand against Big Brother. The movie was\nalso shot by Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption<\/em>, Fargo<\/em>, Skyfall<\/em>,\nSicario<\/em>, Blade Runner 2049<\/em>) which means it looks pretty darn\nfantastic as well. This disc includes a 4K digital restoration of the feature\nsupervised by Deakins, two different scores (one by composer Dominic Muldowney\nand another by The Eurythmics), interviews with the director and DP, a talk\nwith an Orwell authority, behind-the-scenes footage and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They also have a Blu-ray of the Spike Lee classic, Do the Right Thing<\/em> (1989). Set in a Brooklyn neighborhood, this tale follows the interactions of various locals. Tensions about racism escalate and give way to violence as the night progresses. This release comes with a new 4K digital restoration supervised by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, an introduction from writer\/director Lee and a 1995 audio commentary with Lee, the film’s production designer and a cast member. But that’s not all. You’ll also get a documentary on the film from 1989 (with a new 2K digital transfer), new interviews with costume designer Ruth E. Carter, New York City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr., writer Nelson George, and filmmaker Darnell Martin. The Blu-ray also comes with three programs from 2000 and 2009, featuring Lee and cast and crew members Barry Alexander Brown, Chuck D, Dickerson, Richard Edson, Frankie Faison, Jon Kilik, Kevin Ladson, Steve Park, Rosie Perez, Luis Ramos, Monty Ross, John Savage, Roger Guenveur Smith, and John Turturro, a music video for Public Enemy\u2019s \u201cFight the Power,\u201d directed by Lee, with remarks from rapper Chuck D, footage from the 1989 Cannes Film Festival press conference, behind-the-scenes\nfootage, deleted and extended scenes, along with original storyboards, trailer,\nand TV spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sony are putting out Blu-rays of a couple of their catalog titles. This week, they include the San Francisco-set thriller, Pacific Heights<\/em> (1990). If memory serves, it features an unhinged Michael Keaton as a tenant who torments and tortures the people he’s renting from in an attempt to take the property for himself. They are also prepping a 30th Anniversary Blu-ray of the goofy Shelley Long comedy, Troop Beverly Hills<\/em> (1989). This one is about a socialite who decides to lead a Girl Scouts group. No word as of yet on if there will be any new extras, so fans might want to search for more details on its imminent high definition release. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As always, Kino have plenty of Blu-rays coming your was as well. The titles include the French, Amazon-set adventure film, Death in the Garden<\/em> (1956 aka La Mort en ce Jardin<\/em>, which was directed by Luis Bunuel (Bell du Jour<\/em>). You can also pick up the classic, Death Takes a Holiday<\/em> (1934), which follows the Grim Reaper falling in love while on a sabbatical. Based on the lobby card, he needs a little work at coming off in a less-threatening manner. The film was remade in 1998 as Meet Joe Black<\/em>. Both of these releases include a film historian commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are also making the romantic comedy Easy Living<\/em>\n(1937) available on Blu-ray. It also includes a film critic commentary. Luminous\nMotion<\/em> (1998) is a more recent thriller starring Deborah Kara Unger about a\ncon artist taking men for their money while moving across the country. This\nrelease includes an audio commentary with the director and DP, a gallery of\nproduction still, illustrated script pages, a storyboard gallery and trailers.\nThey also have a Blu-ray another Luis Brunel feature, the surreal comedy, The\nMilky Way<\/em> (1969). This one arrives with a historian commentary, interview\nwith a critic and trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oliver Stone’s The Doors<\/em> (1991) certainly has a\nfollowing (made up primarily of the band’s and director’s fans) and now\nLionsGate are updating their initial release of the film on disc. It’s a new 4K\ntransfer of The Final Cut of the film and presumably, besides the upgraded\npicture quality, it also has all of the previously released bonuses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Warner Archives are putting out a made-to-order\nBlu-ray of the war film, Merrill’s Marauders<\/em> (1962). If you’re\ninterested, you can order it through either the studio site or through Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You Know, For Kids!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are all the kid-friendly releases arriving this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Highlights: CoolSchool!<\/em> On the Tube!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And there are this edition’s TV-themed releases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Critters Attack!<\/em> (SyFy TV-movie sequel) ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/DVD-assimilate-kids-1024x544.jpg\")
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Missing Link<\/em>
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Rivers of Life<\/em> (PBS)
The Wedding March<\/em> & Wedding March 2<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie Double Feature) <\/p>\n\n\n\n