{"id":19607,"date":"2019-12-02T22:45:33","date_gmt":"2019-12-03T06:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=19607"},"modified":"2019-12-02T22:45:33","modified_gmt":"2019-12-03T06:45:33","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-december-3rd-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=19607","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for December 3rd, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s time for another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray\nand DVD. There are all kinds of interesting arrivals vying for your attention,\nincluding independent fare and big studio pictures. So, if you can\u2019t make it\nout to the movies this week, be 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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Battle of Leningrad<\/em> \u2013 Also known as Saving\nLeningrad<\/em>, this Russian foreign-language title is set during WWII. It follows\na young couple who are evacuated during the Siege of Leningrad and placed\naboard a barge. As it attempts to escape the battle, the overstuffed ship encounters\ninto a storm and begins sinking. Enemies planes also arrive and the pair do\ntheir best to survive the terrifying ordeal. Reaction towards the film was\nmixed. According to a few online sources, the movie is well-intentioned and has\nsome tense moments. However, a group suggested that the limited funding doesn\u2019t\nallow for the most convincing visual effects and thought the movie wouldn\u2019t\nlinger in the brain long after the credits. It features Andrey Mironov-Udalov and\nMaria Melnikova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cuck<\/em> \u2013 A brooding loner turns to alt-right propaganda\nand becomes a blogger, finding popularity and acceptance among extremists.  According to the press synopsis, the feature\ntouches on several topical nerves and gives a raw and unforgiving glimpse into\na dark world that hides in plain sight and takes hold of troubled individuals.\nThe press appeared to be split on this independent effort. About half thought\nthat it was grim, but didn\u2019t present any surprises and or properly handle its themes.\nOthers wrote that it was effective considering its modest budget and believed\nthat it was more audacious than expected. The cast includes Zachary Ray\nSherman, Sally Kirkland, Timothy V. Murphy and Monique Parent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Funan<\/em> \u2013 Set in 1975, this French, foreign-language\nanimated feature tells the story of a family attempting to survive in Cambodia\nafter the rise of the Khmer Rouge. Two parents and their relatives are exiled\nfrom their home and their children are separated from the group. As time\npasses, the adults do all they can to sneak away from their work camps, find\ntheir kids and escape. Reportedly, the filmmaker was inspired by tales told to\nhim by relatives. Reviews for the movie were excellent. Only one or two complained,\nwriting that it honed in on one family\u2019s struggle and didn\u2019t go into details about\nthe regime itself. All others praised the feature as a beautifully animated, harrowing\nand authentic tale of survival that wouldn\u2019t be soon forgotten. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Goldfinch<\/em> \u2013 The 2014 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction gets a film adaptation in this epic drama. After his mother is killed in a bombing at the New York Metropolitan Art museum, a young boy\u2019s life veers in an unexpected direction and he is sent away to live with distant relatives. As the years pass, he gets involved in a series of strange events that all tie back to a specific painting of a bird. Sadly, this version of the story didn\u2019t earn a lot of raves. About a quarter of critics stated that while flawed and overlong, they still admired the craft involved and its earnestness. However, most complained that the drama was underplayed and less-than-engrossing, also noting that too many details of the original story were condensed and lost. It stars Ansel Egort, Nicole Kidman, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Wilson and Sarah Paulson. To read this site\u2019s review of the film, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One Must Fall<\/em> \u2013 This small, independent horror-comedy\nis set in the 80s and is about a young woman who is fired from her office job. Desperate\nto make an income, she takes on a new job as part of a crime scene cleanup crew.\nWork picks up when serial killer arrives in town and leaves numerous bodies to\ndispose of. The protagonist become even more concerned after arriving on the\nscene and suspecting that the culprit hasn\u2019t left the site. This title has\nplayed several horror film festivals and has received some positive notices.\nHowever, there aren\u2019t any official reviews available yet so those interested\nwill just have to go in cold and see for themselves. It features Julie Strebel,\nBarry Piascente and Lloyd Kaufman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Parts You Lose<\/em> \u2013 This mystery\/thriller involves a\nyoung deaf boy who is teased at school and can only find shelter with his is sister\nand mother. When the child\u2019s abusive father returns out of the blue, the child withdraws\neven further. The situation changes after the lead comes upon a wounded man\nlying on the road. He takes him the stranger to the family barn and begins\nnursing him back to health. The two become friends, but their relationship is\ncomplicated after the kids finds out that the man is on the run from the law. Reviews\nwere good for this indie effort. Some didn\u2019t think it was particularly\ninvolving and didn\u2019t make the most of its interesting premise. Still, the majority\nthought it was an interesting and well-made low-key character study. The cast\nincludes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Scoot McNairy and Danny Murphy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Portals<\/em> \u2013 Anthology horror has a long and storied\nhistory. The latest film to use the format begins with a wraparound segment set\nin the future at a scientific facility. When the researchers create an active\nblack hole, it suddenly creates strange portals all over the world. The script\ndepicts three different people who are drawn into these new portals and experience\nall kinds of strange and horrific phenomena. Sadly, notices were terrible for\nthis picture and it has yet to receive a recommendation. Instead, the consensus\nis that the characters are underdeveloped, the movie doesn\u2019t really build much\nin the way of tension or scares, and ends on an illogical and unimpressive note.\nDeanna Russo, Neil Hopkins, Gretchen Lodge and Salvita Decorte headline the\npicture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ready or Not<\/em> \u2013 A young woman marrying into a wealthy family known for its board games gets the shock of her life when she\u2019s asked to visit and take part in a very tradition. After drawing an unfortunate card, she discovers that the clan have a secret pact and intend to hunt her down and execute her. She does her best to hide through the night in order to survive the onslaught. The press appeared to be very taken with the horror flick that mixes a healthy dose sense of black humor with shocks. A few weren\u2019t impressed with the carnage on display and didn\u2019t find it funny. However, a large percentage were very amused by the cast, thought the picture was a lot of fun as it satirized an aristocratic household. It stars Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O\u2019Brien, Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell. To read this site\u2019s review of the feature, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Santa Fake<\/em> \u2013 This independently produced, holiday-themed\nfamily musical-comedy is about an immigrant from Ireland who arrives in New\nYork City and is immediately taken in by a crime boss. After making a mistake while\ndelivering a package for his employer, he ends up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and takes\na position there as a department store Santa. Of course, authorities and the\nmob are soon after him and the white-bearded figure must try to evade capture.\nLittle is known about this feature and there aren\u2019t any write-ups available, so\none might want to exercise some caution before seeking it out. At least it has\nan interesting cast that includes Damian McGinty, Jeff Fahey, Jonathan Rhys-Davies,\nHeather Morris, Judd Nelson and Tony Amendola.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Savage<\/em> \u2013 A policeman is forced to endure icy conditions\nafter being stationed at the top of Mt. Baekdu. Things get even worse when a snowstorm\nhits and group of violent and dangerous thieves arrive at the doorstep. Alone\nand with no help on the way for days, the lead must fend off attackers and try\nto stay alive until the bad weather passes. The foreign language feature from\nChina won a prize at the Busan film festival but hasn\u2019t really been seen by many\nin North America. As of right now, there are only two critic reviews, but they\nare upbeat. The movie has been described a simple but well produced and shot\naction thriller filled with impressive photography. Chen Chang, Ni Ni, Fan Liao,\nJue Huang, Yicong Zhang and Hua Liu headline the film.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Semper Fi<\/em> \u2013 A police officer who also serves as a\nMarine Corps reservist is forced to deal with his wild and uncontrollable\nbrother after the sibling kills a man in a bar fight. After the family member\nis sent to prison for the crime, the protagonist is sent to Iraq and experiences\nsome horrific events. The protagonist changes his views upon his return and\ndecides to break his brother out of jail. This gritty independent effort didn\u2019t\nmake an impression on reviewers. While a couple of them appreciated the work of\nthe stars and the film\u2019s attempts to deal with family bonds, most found it to\nbe unconvincing and felt it suffered from an increasingly preposterous story.\nIt features Jai Courtney, Nat Wolff, Finn Wittrock and Leighton Meester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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It\u2019s a busy week for older releases as well. Arrow Video are\nbringing the long out-of-print action comedy Jake Speed<\/em> (1986) to Blu-ray.\nInspired to some degree by the Indiana Jones<\/em> series, this tale involves\na fictional hero who suddenly comes to life courtesy of his author. The pulp\nhero heads to Africa in order to save a damsel in distress. The movie has been\nimpossible to find for some time and this Special Edition arrives with a brand\nnew 2K restoration from the original 35 mm inter-positive, an interview the\nfilm\u2019s co-writer\/producer\/director Andrew Lane, a talk with the producer and more.\nThere may even be a review here of this disc in the coming days, so keep your\neyes peeled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, they have a Special Edition of the\nwell-regarded sci-fi title, Slaughterhouse-Five<\/em> (1972). Based on the\nnovel by Kurt Vonnegut, this is a mind-bending, time travel story. The movie\nhas received a 4K restoration and includes a critic commentary track, a video appreciation\nwith another film expert, an interview with actor Perry King, as well as discussions\nwith a film music historian, producer Michael Crawford (who was a production\nassistant on this title) and the son of the executive producer. Looks like an\nimpressive Blu-ray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Big Trouble in Little China<\/em> (1986) is one most\nentertaining cult films of its era. Inspired by Hong Kong cinema and directed\nby John Carpenter (Halloween<\/em>, The Thing<\/em>), the movie has been\nreleased on disc a few times in the past. Now, Shout! Factory are delivering an\nextras-filled Collector\u2019s Edition. The picture follows a brash truck driver who\ngets in over his head while assisting a friend in Chinatown, and ends up under\nthe city streets squaring off against a powerful, 2000-year-old magician. It\nstars Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, James Hong and Dennis Dunn and is an absolute\nblast, filling with crazy action and hilarious gags. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This edition comes with the old and very entertaining\ncommentary track featuring director Carpenter and star Russell, as well as all\nof the extras from older edition \u2013 including a really goofy rock video\nfeaturing the director and his band. The release also includes new commentaries\nfrom the producer and special effects artist Steve Johnson. You\u2019ll get new\ninterviews with the entire supporting cast, the film\u2019s writer W.D. Richter (The\nAdventures of Buckaroo Banzai<\/em>), members of Carpenter\u2019s band who perform in\nthe video, movie poster artist Drew Struzan, and more new bonuses. If you\u2019re a\nfan of the movie, this one is not to be missed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additionally, Shout! Select have a Blu-ray of the drama, Candy<\/em>\n(2006). This tale of a young woman who falls for a drug addict and takes up the\nhabit stars Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush. Bonus features\ninclude a commentary with the director and writer, a featurette on the movie, a\nvisual representation of one of the poems used in the picture and the trailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well GO US are putting out an elaborate Blu-ray box set\ncalled The Phantasm Sphere Collection (1979 \u2013 2016)<\/em>. This set has been\nreleased before, but this edition includes a replica flying sphere that you can\ndisplay alongside the discs. Apparently, you can select either a white or black\ncolored box. As you might have guessed, the set includes all five of the Phantasm<\/em>\nmovies along with the same numerous extras from previous releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino also have some interesting titles hitting Blu-ray. They\ninclude a Special Edition of the French drama Camille Claudel<\/em> (1988).\nThis one comes with a film historian audio commentary and trailer. The same\nextras are included in the disc for the action picture Dog Day<\/em> (1984),\nwhich features Lee Marvin as a fugitive on the run in France. The distributor is\nalso releasing the early Paramount musical, Glorifying the American Girl <\/em>(1929).\nThe picture has been given a photochemical restoration by UCLA, resulting in a\nnew 2K master. It comes with a commentary featuring a musical film expert, a\ntravelogue of Hollywood, backstage footage from the era attempting to put on a\nstage version of the feature, and a 1934 Technicolor musical short.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If goofy sci-fi is more to your liking, you can pick up a Special\nEdition Blu-ray of the giant ape movie, Konga<\/em> (1961). This flick has been\ngiven a new 2K master and comes with all sorts of publicity materials. They\nalso have a Special Edition of The Magic Sword<\/em> (1962), which comes with\na similar updated image and a film historian commentary. And you can also purchase\nthe post-apocalyptic fantasy feature, She<\/em> (1982). This disc includes an\ninterview with the writer\/director and a trailer. Sounds like plenty of goofy\nfun for B-movie fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And there\u2019s more! Criterion are releasing a Blu-ray of the\nBritish Alec Guinness drama, Tunes of Glory<\/em> (1960). The movie arrives\nwith a 4K digital restoration and the bonuses detailed include a 2003 interview\nwith the director, a 2002 interview with a cast member and a 1973 television\ninterview with star Guiness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have a Blu-ray of the pre-code melodrama, The\nStory of Temple Drake<\/em> (1933), about a woman left at a bootleggers\u2019 hideout\nand the abusive terrors she faces while trapped there. The movie has been given\na digital restoration. It also includes a conversion with a cinematographer\nabout the film\u2019s visual style, along with a discussion on the themes of the\nfilm and a talk about censorship that the movie faced during and after its release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the Cohen Media Group are releasing a Blu-ray of two\nFrench films made together. The first is Joan the Maid I: The Battles<\/em> (1994)\nand the second movie on the disc is Joan the Maid II: The Prisons<\/em> (1994),\nwhich together presumably tell the entire saga of famous historical figure, Joan\nof Arc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some releases that may appeal to children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sesame Street\u2019s 50th<\/sup> Anniversary Celebration<\/em>
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power<\/em>: Seasons 1-3
Teen Titans<\/em>: The Complete Series (2003 \u2013 2006)
Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo<\/em> (2006) (Warner Archive) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are some of the week\u2019s TV-themed releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Christmas Solo<\/em> (TV movie)
Christmas on Holly Lane<\/em> (TV movie)
Doc Martin<\/em>: Series 9
Doctor Who: Colin Baker<\/em>: Complete Season 2 (BBC)
Game of Thrones<\/em>: The Complete Series
Game of Thrones<\/em>: Season 8
Great Performances: Now Hear This<\/em> (PBS)
A House Divided<\/em>: Season 1
Masterpiece: The Durrells in Corfu<\/em>: Season 4 UK Edition (PBS)
Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood: Mr. Rogers & Making Mistakes<\/em> (PBS)
Sesame Street\u2019s 50th<\/sup> Anniversary Celebration<\/em>
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power<\/em>: Seasons 1-3
Teen Titans<\/em>: The Complete Series (2003 \u2013 2006
Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo<\/em> (2006) (Warner Archive)
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