{"id":19522,"date":"2019-11-20T12:26:39","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T20:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=19522"},"modified":"2019-11-20T12:26:39","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T20:26:39","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-november-19th-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=19522","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for November 19th, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s time for another look at new releases on Blu-ray and\nDVD. As always, there\u2019s an interesting selection of discs coming your way in a\nwide variety of genres. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week,\nbe sure to give one of these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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American Dreamer<\/em> \u2013 A driver-for-hire finds himself\nworking for a low-level drug-dealer, but when he falls deeper and deeper in\ndebt, he decides to take some very drastic actions. The lead attempts to kidnap\nthe daughter of his employer, leading to all sorts of violent complications. This\ndrama\/thriller split reviewers. About half wrote that the lead performance was\nstrong but that the story was weak and the poor choices made by character made\nthem all less-than-compelling. The same amount found this to be a dark, tense\nand uncomfortable effort bolstered by the committed and very talented cast. It\nfeatures Jim Gaffigan, Robbie Jones, Isabel Arraiza and Tammy Blanchard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blinded by the Light<\/em> – Set in England in 1987, this\nmusical drama follows a Pakistani teen and immigrant to the UK who becomes a\ndevoted fan of Bruce Springsteen. Wanting to escape some of his parent\u2019s\ntraditional values as well as his glum neighborhood surroundings, the youth\nfinds meaning and inspiration in the music and attempts to find out if he can\nmake a new start. The press very generally positive about this effort. A few commented\nthat it was overly sentimental and didn\u2019t handle elements involving racism as\neffectively as it should have. However, the majority found it charming and\ndescribed the movie as a fun and charming coming of age film with some great tunes.\nIt stars Viveik Kaira, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon and Neil Williams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cold Case Hammarskjold<\/em> \u2013 United Nations\nsecretary-general Dag Hammarskjold passed away in a tragic and mysterious plane\ncrash back in 1961. This documentary involves a journalist who reexamines the\nman and the crash itself, attempting to answer questions about exactly what\nhappened and who may have been responsible. Apparently, the trip takes the investigator\ndown a rabbit hole as he learns more and more surprising details about his\nsubject. Critics were quite positive towards this non-fiction feature. A small\npercentage suggested that the pacing was a bit slow and that the filmmaker\nslowly lost credibility as his searched progressed. Yet many stated that the eye-opening\ndetails revealed were not only surprising, but equally shocking and frightening.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cold War<\/em> \u2013 This foreign-language drama from Poland was released in cinemas late last year and ended up being nominated for a couple of Oscars, but is only now debuting on Blu-ray and DVD (courtesy of Criterion on a disc filled with extras). It\u2019s about a doomed love affair between a man auditioning talent for a state-sponsored folk troupe and the young singer whom he falls for. The story follows the tumultuous life, with the melodies being reworked as the times and their relationship changes. Obviously, the movie was very well liked. A small group found it too downbeat and icy for their liking, but the consensus was that there was great visual beauty and fiery passion on display. The cast includes Joanna Kulig and Tomas Kot. To read a full review of the picture, click here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Divine Fury<\/em> \u2013 Set in South Korea, this\nforeign-language effort combines elements of martial arts, fantasy and horror.\nThe story involves a champion MMA fighter who lost his father at a young age\nand gave up on religion. He begins to experience bizarre stigmata wounds on his\nhands. After contacting a priest, the pair determine that to save the hero\u2019s\nsoul, he\u2019ll have to fight and defeat a series of supernatural opponents.  The picture garnered mixed notices, with\nslightly more negative notes than positive. Many said that the movie delivered\nkooky fun and some great fight scenes. Unfortunately, slightly more thought\nthat it could have gone further with the concept and felt too restrained\noverall. It features Seo-joon Park and Sung-Ki Ahn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dora and the Lost City of Gold<\/em> \u2013 Based on the popular\ncartoon series Dora the Explorer<\/em>, this live-action adaptation follows\nteenager Dora and her friends as they embark on an incredible adventure. While\nattending high school, the youngster learns that her explorer parents have\ndisappeared while searching Inca ruins in a jungle. She sets out to find them\nand reunite the family. The press seemed very positive about this\nfamily-friendly effort. While a few did grumble that the Dora character didn\u2019t\nget enough of the spotlight and noted that movie could have used more\nexcitement, most believed it was fun and charismatic. They also appreciated the\nfact that it enjoyed poking fun at its own outrageous premise. It stars Isabela\nMerced, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria, Adriana Barraza and Temuera\nMorrison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Faithful Man<\/em> \u2013 This French comedy\/drama follows an\nunusual relationship between a man and woman. When the lady decides to leave\nher significant other for his best friend, he is devastated. Several years\nlater, things get even odder when the man\u2019s old chum dies and his ex decides to\nrekindle their relationship with him. This all comes as something of a shock to\nfamily and friends. Critics were generally positive about this foreign-language\nfeature. A couple of them didn\u2019t think it delved deeply enough into the various\nramifications of getting back together. Yet most complimented it as a\nwell-shot, direct, low-key and interesting look at complicated modern couples.\nThe cast includes Louis Garrel, Laetitia Casta and Lily-Rose Depp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Fare<\/em> \u2013 A taxi driver gets himself into a whole\nlot of trouble after picking up a charming fare. Sparks fly as the two talk,\nuntil she disappears from his back seat without a trace. Even more shocking,\nwhen the man behind the wheel resets his meter, he finds himself reliving the\nprevious ride. Panicked and desperate, the cabbie tries to figure out what is\nhappening by experiencing the same event over and over again. This independent\nthriller is premiering on disc and being made available for streaming today,\nwhich means there aren\u2019t a lot of reviews as of yet. Still, a few have popped\nup and are positive. They call it an enjoyable little mystery with good writing\nand strong performances. Gino Anthony Pesi, Brinna Kelly and Jason Stuart\nheadline the film.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Liyana <\/em>\u2013 Combining live-action and animation, this\nfeature follows a Swazi girl who undertakes a dangerous mission to find and\nrescue her brothers. Apparently, this tale from Africa is told through the eyes\nof five orphaned children in Switzerland who collaborate using various artistic\ntechniques to present a unified vision of the fable. This picture earned raves\nfrom reviewers. In fact, as of right now there aren\u2019t any negative reviews for\nit out there. Write-ups stated that the story was incredibly engaging and also\ncomplemented the visuals as being striking and impressive. According to them,\nadults will find the picture as stimulating as it should be for youngsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pipe Dreams<\/em> \u2013 This documentary details five\nindividuals involved in a somewhat eccentric competition. Specifically, a group\nof young organists involved in the Canada\u2019s prestigious International Organ\nCompetition in Montreal. Viewers will see the various participants compete and witness\nall of the stressful interactives, between hearing some beautiful music.  There aren\u2019t a lot of reviews for this film\nout there just yet, but one upbeat notice has appeared online. They wrote that\nthe film was pretty, the contest was interesting to watch, and mentioned that\nthey liked the individuals and their passion for the trade. Sounds like it\nmight be of some appeal to music enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pretty Little Stalker<\/em> \u2013 Also known as The Danger\nof Positive Thinking<\/em>, this thriller involves a self-help writer who finds\nherself in over her head after a fan begins stalking her. As the author tries\nto figure out what to do next, her superfan begins causing trouble for not only\nthe protagonist, but also the lead\u2019s family. \nThis independent thriller was made in Kentucky and appears to have\nplayed at a few festivals over the past year. According to IMDB, it even\nreceived a limited release in Canada. However, there are no reviews available\nin the press, so curious parties will have to take a chance on it. The cast\nincludes Nicky Whelan, Sierra McCormick, Heather Morris and Jesse Hutch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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There are plenty of older titles arriving in high definition\nas well. Arrow Video are delivering some genre fare with a Blu-ray of Hitch\nHike to Hell<\/em> (1977), a gritty horror flick about a mild-mannered but\npsychotic truck driver with a mother obsession who enjoys picking up female\nhitchhikers and murdering them. The movie has been given a brand new 2K\nrestoration and allows the film to be viewed in 1.33 and 1.78 aspect ratios.\nYou\u2019ll also get a recently created appreciation of the film by a horror movie\nexpert, a visual essay exploring the dark side of hitchhiking and an original\ntheatrical trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory have numerous Blu-rays coming your way as\nwell. The first is the box set, Abbott & Costello: The Complete\nUniversal Pictures Collection<\/em> (1940 \u2013 1965) which is exactly as described,\nincluding all of the comedians work for the studio \u2013 28 films in total. This 80th<\/sup>\nanniversary box comes with numerous bonuses like film historian commentary\ntracks on select titles and publicity materials. If you just want what is\nperhaps their most famous title, you can also pick up Buck Privates<\/em>\n(1941) separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have American Me<\/em> (1992) through their Shout\nSelect line. This well-regarded drama stars and was directed by Edward James\nOlmos. The Blu-ray also includes extras like a look back at the film featuring\ninterviews with co-stars, an archival featurette and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If musicals are more to your liking, you can also pick up\nthe documentary, Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll<\/em> (1987), which\nfeatures the famous artist performing on stage with various musicians. This\nCollector\u2019s Edition includes the 2006 introduction to the film from director\nTaylor Hackford, concert rehearsal footage, a making-of, archival short\nspecials featuring co-stars Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, The\nEverly Brohters, Roy Orbison and others. You\u2019ll also get a scrapbook feature,\nsomething called \u201cChuckisms\u201d and some final words from the filmmaker. Some\nversions even include a biographical book on Berry himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s more. Shout! also have a Blu-ray of the\nthriller, The Fan<\/em> (1981), which features Michael Biehn as a stalking\nterrorizing a Broadway star played by Lauren Bacall. It arrives with a new\ninterview with Biehn, the director, the editor, as well as a commentary with\ncult film director Dave DeCoteau and publicity materials. The same distributor\nis also putting out a Steelbook of the fun Roger Corman-produced comedy, Rock\n\u2018N\u2019 Roll High School<\/em> (1979) featuring The Ramones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sony are getting in on the specialty Blu-ray market and have\na trio of titles arriving in high definition. The first is the action\/comedy, 3000\nMiles to Graceland<\/em> (2001) with Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner as Elvis\nimpersonators pulling a heist in Las Vegas. They also have a 20th<\/sup>\nanniversary edition of the dark comedy, Jawbreaker<\/em> (1999), about a high\nschool kidnapping prank that goes horribly wrong. There\u2019s no word ass of yet\nwhat extras, if any at all, will be included. And they are releasing the\namusing Bruce Willis\/Mathew Perry comedy, The Whole Nine Yards<\/em> (2000)\nwith a newly upgraded image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion are releasing a Blu-ray of the Oscar-nominated\nFrench drama, Betty Blue<\/em> (1986). The movie has been given a\nhigh-definition digital restoration approved by director Jean-Jacques Beineix\nand comes with an hour-long documentary on the production, a short video\nmaking-of, a short made by director in 1977, a French television interview with\nfilmmaker from 1986, screen tests and trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of French cinema, many of the Blu-rays being made\navailable by Kino this week are from this country. This week, this includes Diabolically\nYours<\/em> (1967), Farewell, Friend<\/em> (1968) and Un Flick<\/em> (1972) aka\nDirty Money<\/em>. They also have the not-so-great Eddie Murphy comedy, Holy\nMan<\/em> (1998) on Blu-ray, as well as the features Intimacy<\/em> (2001) and Someone\nBehind the Door<\/em> (1971).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s more. Synapse are giving horror fans a treat\nwith an upgrade of their fantastic Suspiria<\/em> (1977) Blu-ray. It has been\ngiven the 4K Ultra HD treatment and is now included with the original Blu-ray\nin a combo pack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Severin have a Blu-ray of the chiller, The Boys Next Door<\/em> (1985) about a pair of California teens (played by Matthew Caulfield and Charlie Sheen) who go on the rampage through Los Angeles. You\u2019ll get a new 4K restoration of the fully uncut version of the film, audio commentary with director Penelope Spheeris and co-star Caulfield, an interview with a movie critic on the film, extra talks with Caulfield and co-star Chirstopher McDonald, an alternate opening and extended scenes, and many more pluses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have the campy and kinky adventure, Gwendoline<\/em>\n(1984) aka The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak with<\/em>\nTawny Kitaen. The disc includes a brand new 4K restoration of 2 cuts of the\nfilm, multiple commentary tracks (one with the director and another with\nKitaen), a 2019 filmmaker interview, talks with the costume designers and other\ncrew members, the executive producer, the production designer, and several\nother extras. If you like the movie, you\u2019ll probably love this release. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scorpion have some 80s action cheese with their Blu-ray for the musical, Delivery Boys<\/em> (1985). The feature has been given a new 2K remaster, an interview with the cinematographer, and trailers. It never received a DVD release and has been lost to time, so it\u2019s great to have it see the light of day once again (I completely missed it during its original run).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal are putting out a trio of family friendly titles\non Blu-ray. They include the animated feature, Cricket on the Hearth<\/em>\n(1967) as well as the 25-minute holiday animated TV special, The Little\nDrummer Boy<\/em> (1968), and Mr. Magoo\u2019s Christmas Carol<\/em> (1962), a 52-minute\nanimated TV special. On a completely different note, you\u2019ll be able to pick up\na Blu-ray of Scarface<\/em> (1932) which includes 2 cuts of the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Archive have a Blu-ray of the Kirk\nDouglas\/Lana Turner romance, The Bad and the Beautiful<\/em> (1952), for your\nenjoyment in high def.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some titles that kids may enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cricket on the Hearth<\/em> (1967)
The Little Drummer Boy<\/em> (1968) holiday TV special
Mr. Magoo\u2019s Christmas Carol<\/em> (1962) holiday TV special <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And you\u2019ll find the week\u2019s TV-themed releases below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charlie\u2019s Angels<\/em>: The Complete Series (1976 \u2013 2011)
Farscape<\/em>: The Complete Series (1999 \u2013 2004)
FRONTLINE: Flint\u2019s Deadly Water<\/em> (PBS)
FRONTLINE: For Sama<\/em> (PBS)
The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/em>: Season 3
The King of Queens<\/em>: The Complete Series (1998 \u2013 2007)
The Kominsky Method<\/em>: Season 1
Life from Above<\/em> (PBS)
Wedding at Graceland<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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