{"id":20181,"date":"2020-03-16T17:19:15","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T00:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=20181"},"modified":"2020-03-16T17:19:15","modified_gmt":"2020-03-17T00:19:15","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-march-17th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=20181","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for March 17th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Well, it\u2019s been an unusual week, hasn\u2019t it? Entertainment options in public spaces will be considerably slimmer (or nonexistent) for the next little while, but at least it gives us all a chance to catch up at home on films and programs that we may have missed. There are also plenty of new releases arriving on Blu-ray and DVD, and the highlights are right here. So, if you can\u2019t (or, more likely, don\u2019t want to) make it out 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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Abigail<\/em> \u2013 A massive epidemic seals off a small town from the rest of the world and results in numerous citizens being mysteriously taken away by government authorities. Some years later, a young girl who has lost her father in the process sets out to find him. She soon learns that her city was targeted because it is full of magic, and she decides to begin using fantastic powers to accomplish her goal. There haven\u2019t been all that many reviews for this English-language Russian production and the ones that have appeared aren\u2019t spectacular. Most say that while the film utilizes some nifty special effects on a modest budget, the story and characters are poorly written. It features Tinatin Dalakishvili, Eddie Marsan and Rinal Mukhametov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bakerman<\/em> \u2013 Loosely inspired by films like Falling\nDown<\/em>, this Danish foreign-language effort follows an introverted baker who\nsuffers a break-in and ends up killing one of the invading thugs in the fracas.\nThis experience pushes him over the edge of sanity and changes him, causing the\nman to go on a rampage as a vigilante and take down anyone in his past who has irked\nhim. This feature was shot a few years ago and is only now making its way to\nthis part of the world. It played in film festivals across Europe (and one of\ntwo in the US) and word was positive, even winning some prizes at a few shows.\nStill, most critics haven\u2019t seen it yet, so curious viewers will have to go in\ncold. The cast includes Mikkel Vadsholdt, Brian Hjulmann and Slir Tilif.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Black Christmas<\/em> \u2013 The original Black Christmas<\/em>\ncame out in 1974 and is considered a cult classic. A 2006 remake wasn\u2019t nearly\nas successful critically or commercially, but it seems that hasn\u2019t stopped\nproducers from trying to resurrect the property once again. The latest\nreimagining involves another group of female students who are stalked and murdered\nby an unknown stranger over their Christmas break. The ladies decide to fight back\nand identify their pursuer. Notices weren\u2019t as terrible this time around, although\nthey weren\u2019t great either. A small group admired the movie\u2019s attempts to empower\nthe students and thought it was a fun, updated slasher. Far more commented that\nthere were serious issues in execution. Some even noted that the original had\nalready subtly emasculated its male characters, and stated that while this\nmovie\u2019s intentions were noble it didn\u2019t offer any insight or deliver any scares.\nThe movie stars Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Brittany O\u2019Grady and\nCarey Elwes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Bluebird in My Heart<\/em> \u2013 In this independent drama, an\nex-con tries to live a quiet and reformed life after getting out of prison. He is\npermitted to make a new start by staying at and helping out in a nearby motel.\nThe lead befriends the manager, a single mother, as well as her daughter. But\nwhen one of his newfound friends is assaulted, the man begins to feel rage and is\nforced to face his inner demons. This little film is actually an English-language\nFrance\/Belgium co-production. It received very good notices during its limited\nrun. There were a few who stated that the story itself was predictable and mimized\nits impact. However, the majority appreciated the skills shown by the lead\nactor and thought it all worked as an intimate character study. Roland M\u00f8ller, Lola\nLe Lann and Veerle Baetens headline the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Dustwalker<\/em> \u2013 The plot of this Australian genre film\nbegins with a strange, alien object that crashes to Earth. Some unfortunate locals\ncome into contact with it and become, according the official synopsis, lifeless\nand deformed. The number of monsters slowly increase as more come into contact\nwith the object and it soon becomes clear that the now possessed victims are\ntargeting kids. A sheriff and some locals attempt to protect the town\u2019s children\nfrom the new threat. They eventually find themselves teaming up with another alien\nvisitor in order to fight the invaders off. This little picture is debuting on\ndisc and there are absolutely no reviews for it as of yet, so B-movie fans who\nare curious about the feature will have to go in cold. The cast includes Jolene\nAnderson, Stef Dawson and Talina Naviede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Hidden Life<\/em> \u2013 Filmmaker Terrence Malick is known\nfor a number of well-regarded arthouse films including Badlands<\/em>, Days\nof Heaven<\/em>, The Thin Red Line<\/em> and The Tree of Life<\/em> (among many\nothers). His latest tells the true story of Franz J\u00e4gerst\u00e4tter, an Austrian farmer\nwho became a conscientious objector when Nazi forced took over his country and tried\nto force him to serve in their army. The man and his entire family are forced\nto deal with death threats and fallout after he refuses to fight. Overall, the\npress greatly admired the work, although those who appreciate the filmmaker\nwill also know that those who dislike his pictures\u2026 really dislike them. A minority\ncouldn\u2019t get on its wavelength and found it slow and tedious. However, most\nthought it was one of Malick\u2019s best, calling it gorgeously photographed, moving\nand emotional as it detailed one man\u2019s inner struggle and personal sacrifice.\nIt stars August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Maria Simon, Matthias Schoenaerts,\nFranz Rogowski and Michael Nyquist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Intrigo: Death of an Author<\/em> \u2013 This mystery flick is\nbased on a global bestseller and involves a translations writer who decides to\nbump off his wife. He seemingly succeeds in his goal, although her body is\nnever actually recovered. While working on a book translation of a deceased author,\nhe begins to note similarities between his life and the story he\u2019s working on. The\nlead slowly becomes convinced that his wife is not actually dead and is instead\nseeking revenge. Critics were not at all impressed with this feature. One or\ntwo liked the beautiful locations and called it an interesting little flick.\nStill, most commented that the feature didn\u2019t do its source material justice,\nnever built up much dramatic tension and lacked the required thrills. Ben\nKingsley, Tuva Novotny, Benno Furmann and Michael Byrne headline the flick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jumanji: The Next Level<\/em> \u2013 The 2017 remake of Jumanji<\/em>\nwas a massive hit with audiences and reviewers. This sequel to the film picks\nup where the original left off. Once again, a group of kids enter a video game\nworld using a series of character avatars. When one of the group members needs\nto be rescued, the others try to locate their friend, noting that the game has\nchanged and the challenges have become even more difficult. Most were generally\npositive about this follow-up. There was a contingent who said that this was a\nquick cash-in that just offered more of the same gags and took too long to find\nits footing. Still, the consensus was that while it was repetitive, the cast\nwere still charming and the movie a fun ride that would entertain the entire family.\nIt stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karem Gillan, Awkwafina and\nNick Jonas.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nefarious<\/em> \u2013 This UK-produced independent horror movie\nis about a group of youths living in poverty in a social housing development.\nAfter losing their only source of income and having a gangster threaten their\nlives unless they offer up cash, the gang decide to rob the home of a wealthy\nman across town (who has spent time helping out one member of the crew). The\nhome invasion begins, but as more info is revealed, things don\u2019t end up progressing\nas planned. There aren\u2019t a lot of write-ups yet about this low-budget feature,\nalthough one of two have popped up online. One claimed that this was an\neffective little chiller that would appeal to genre fans. Another complained\nthat it was far too clumsy in execution to recommend to viewers. The cast\nincludes Jon Vangdal Aamaas, Arron Thomas Ward, Nadia Lamin and Tony Sands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Richard Jewell<\/em> \u2013 Richard Jewell is the subject of this biopic that details his involvement in the 1996 bombing at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. In the film, the security guard identifies and reports a dangerous package that explodes, only to be vilified by a journalist as the responsible party. Jewell must ask a lawyer whom he once knew to represent him in court. The press gave the movie decent marks, although had some serious caveats. Most thought that while the film had problems, the lead performance was excellent.  Those who panned it didn\u2019t think it offered much insight into the man and had serious issues with the fictionalized portrayal of a reporter in the movie. In fact, they suggested that it was wrong for a movie that decries character assassination to essentially do the same thing to one of the real figures being portrayed onscreen. It features Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm and Olivia Wilde. To read this site\u2019s review, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Superman: Red Son<\/em> \u2013 Superman gets an alternate\nhistory in this animated feature that was made for the direct-to-video market. In\nthis reimagining, the spaceship of the baby superhero lands in the USSR and ends\nup raised with completely different ideologies. While Superman becomes a cultural\nicon and leader in the Soviet Union, he also finds himself at odds with other superheroes.\nAfter Lex Luthor takes control of America, it leads to a major conflict between\nthe two leads. Critics really enjoyed this take on the character, giving it\nuniformly positive reviews. They thought it was unique and exciting, appreciating\nits moral ambiguity and suggesting that the movie had a lot of say about how\ngovernments and national identities shape us. The voice cast includes Jason Isaacs,\nAmy Acker, Tara Strong, Diedrich Bader, Vanessa Marshall, Phil Morris and Paul\nWilliams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


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

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There are a great many older movies also arriving this week\nwith spiffy, new high definition transfers. Shout! Factory are debuting a\nBlu-ray of American International Pictures\u2019 How to Make a Monster<\/em> (1958).\nThis is a creature feature about a make-up man who learns that his studio\nemployers have decided to switch focus and make more musicals. He goes mad,\ncreates a real chemical formula and ultimately uses the production house\u2019s\nstars, turning them into zombie killers and hoping to enact revenge on the\nexecutives. It\u2019s a great concept and is a well-liked monster movie, receiving\nplenty of good reviews during its original release, as well as many additional\nones from horror fans over the following decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for more scary stuff, you can also pick up\nthe Universal Horror Collection Volume 4<\/em> Blu-ray set, which includes the\ntitles Night Key<\/em> (1937), Night Monster<\/em> (1942), The Climax<\/em>\n(1944) and House of Horrors<\/em> (1946), featuring the likes of Bela Lugosi\nand Boris Karloff. Three of the four movies have been upgraded with 2K scans\nfrom either a fine grain film element or the inter-positive itself. All of the\nfilms arrive with a film historian commentary as well as publicity materials\nand other goodies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino have a ton of titles as well, including the Blu-ray discs,\nAlice Guy Blache Vol. 1: The Gaumont Years<\/em> (1897 – 1907) and Alice\nGuy Blache Vol. 2: The Solax Years<\/em> (1911 \u2013 1914). She was an early pioneer\nin cinema who made a string of successful and popular silent pictures in France,\nexpanding storytelling and editing techniques, ultimately helping to advance the\nformat through its earliest years. Each volume contains 15 or more shorts that\nrun the gamut between drama and comedy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Getting back into horror pictures, you can also purchase a\nBlu-ray of the Italian effort, Cannibal Apocalypse<\/em> (1980). This one is\nabout an infection that turns average citizens into flesh-craving lunatics who run\nthrough the sewers of Atlanta. The uncut version of the feature is arriving\nwith a new 4K restoration, an audio commentary with a film historian, an\ninterview with one of the cast members, a video tour of the filming locations,\nas well as an alternate US opening and the European and Japanese trailers. If\nyou enjoy cheesy, early 80s Italian horror flicks, you may want to check it\nout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino also have a Special Edition Blu-ray of the World War II action film, Force 10 from Navarone<\/em> (1978). It’s actually a sequel to the book and 1961 movie, The Guns of Navarone<\/em>, and details a different team of commandos on a suicide mission as they are tasked with destroying a dam in order to take out a Nazi base. The movie has a great cast that includes Robert Shaw, a pre-stardom Harrison Ford, Carl Weathers, Franco Nero, Barbara Bach and Richard Kiel. The film has been given a new 2K master and arrives with a new film historian audio commentary and trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The distributor has another Blu-ray called The Intrigue:\nThe Films of Julia Crawford Ivers<\/em> (1916). This is another set of important films\nfrom a female moviemaker in the early days of cinema. She worked for Paramount\nand directed several well-received shorts and features for the studio. The disc\nincludes four of her efforts made during a single year. It arrives with a historian\ncommentary track and an essay on the filmmaker and her work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And there\u2019s more. They also have a Blu-ray of Man in the\nShadow<\/em> (1957), an action-packed thriller starring Orson Welles and Jeff\nChandler about a sheriff facing off against a murderous rancher. Speaking of\nthrillers, you can now pick up A Pure Formality<\/em> (1994). This title involves\na crime writer with amnesia who is found close to a dead body. A police interrogator\nwho happens to be a fan of the author is tasked with interviewing the author and\ngetting to the truth. This film from Guiseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso<\/em>)\nstars Gerard Depardieu and Roman Polanski and features a score by Ennio\nMorricone. They are also releasing the thriller, The Runner Stumbles <\/em>(1979).\nIt stars Dick Van Dyke as a priest accused of murdering a nun. All three of\nthese Blu-rays arrive with movie expert commentary tracks and trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion are delivering another Spike Lee titles with their\nBlu-ray of Bamboozled<\/em> (2000). It\u2019s a satire that takes a look at racism\nin popular culture. The plot follows an African-American network producer who\ntries to bring back the practice of using blackface in order to stir up\ncontroversy and ratings. Thing do not go according to plan and the horrific\nstereotype begins proving more popular than anticipated. The well-reviewed\nfeature has been given a 2K digital restoration approved by the cinematographer\nand director, as a 2001 filmmaker commentary track. The disc also includes a\nnew conversation between Lee and a film critic, numerous interviews with cast\nand crew members, a piece on the history of Blackface and the Minstrel Show, a lengthy\nmaking-of, deleted scenes, music videos and loads of publicity materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mill Creek are always an affordable option for movie\nenthusiasts, offering titles on Blu-ray at a low cost. This week, their releases\ninclude a Wesley Snipes Double Feature<\/em> that contains The Fan<\/em>\n(1996) and The Contractor<\/em> (2007). The first film is definitely the more\nnotable title of the two on the disc. In the movie, the actor portrays a\nbaseball player who finds himself stalked by an obsessive fan. Robert De Niro\nplays the psychotic follower.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Sidaris was an independent filmmaker known for his corny,\nlow-budget action flicks made in the 1980s and 1990s. Mill Creek has slowly\nbeen releasing his titles on Blu-ray over the past year and this week are\nadding two new ones to their catalog. The first is Fit to Kill<\/em> (1993)\nand it\u2019s about a pair of female agents trying to protect a rare diamond from a\nsinister jewel thief. The second is Hard Hunted<\/em> (1992). This title\nfeatures more skilled ladies out to stop an international criminal from\nobtaining a missing nuclear-weapons trigger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those looking for something in the suspense genre can try The\nNines<\/em> (2007). It is a thriller about an actor holed up in a secluded mansion\nwho begins experiences strange events. Soon, he even begins seeing visions of\nhimself.  He sets out to solve the mystery\nof what is happening. The feature stars Ryan Reynolds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, those who enjoy Japanese giant monster flicks can\ncheck out recent remakes of some classic properties. Ultraman is an enormous,\nrobotic hero dating back to the 1970s who fights alien invaders and prehistoric\ncreatures. The recent remakes, Ultraman Orb: The Movie<\/em> (2017) and its\nsequel, Ultraman Geed: The Movie<\/em> (2018) are both being made available on\nBlu-ray. I know absolutely nothing about these recent Japanese monster flicks,\nbut fans can check them out and see if they match up with the original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dark Force Entertainment are releasing Freeway 2:\nConfessions of a Trickbaby<\/em> (1999) on Blu-ray. This dark comedy is a sequel\nto the filmmaker\u2019s 1996 cult hit, Freeway, in which a pedophile kidnaps a tough\njuvenile delinquent and gets far more than he bargained for. The sequel\nfeatures Natasha Lyonne and Vincent Gallo and features a slightly different\nscenario. This time out, a teenage prostitute and serial killer team up and go\non the rampage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the distributor is putting out a Blu-ray of the\naction flick, Point Doom<\/em> (2000). It involves a Hollywood talent agent\nwhose new girlfriend thrusts him into a dangerous world of crime and drugs. The\nnotable cast includes the likes of Richard Grieco, Andrew Dice Clay, Angie Everhart,\nZach Galligan, Ice-T and Sebastian Bach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can also pick up Raw Courage<\/em> (1984) on Blu-ray courtesy\nof Scorpion Releasing. Also known as Courage<\/em>, this is a little suspense\npicture about marathon runners training in the New Mexico desert who are suddenly\ntargeted by a right-wing militia. Naturally must fight (and presumably run) their\nway back to safety. It got an impressive cast that includes Ronny Cox, Art Hindle,\nM Emmet Walsh and Lois Chiles. The movie has been given a 2K remastering and includes\nan interview with Ronny Cox (who also wrote and produced the film).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal are releasing and re-releasing a great number of old\ncatalog movies. They include the films About Time<\/em> (2013), Couples\nRetreat<\/em> (2009), Dumb and Dumber To<\/em> (2014), Get on Up<\/em> (2014), Moonrise\nKingdom<\/em> (2012), Nightcrawler<\/em> (2014), Pillow Talk<\/em> (1959), Silent\nHouse<\/em> (2011), Sudden Death<\/em> (1995) and Unfriended<\/em> (2014). If I\nwere to offer some recommendations, About Time<\/em> is a really effective\nBritish rom-com involving time travel from writer\/director Richard Curtis (he\nwas writer\/director on Love Actually<\/em>, and also wrote Yesterday<\/em>, Bridget\nJones\u2019s Diary<\/em> and Four Weddings and a Funeral<\/em>). The father and son\nrelationship featured may even bring a tear to the eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Moonrise Kingdom<\/em> from Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest\nHotel<\/em>, Rushmore<\/em>) is also a lot of quirky fun, and Nightcrawler<\/em>\nis a very disturbing and incredibly effective piece about a broken mind attempting\nto make a career for himself in the world of news broadcasting. If you enjoy\ngoofy action pics, Sudden Death<\/em> is an amusingly over-the-top Jean-Claude\nVan Damme vehicle about an ex-fireman who not only saves the President from terrorists\nduring the final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but also ends up on the ice trying\nto help his team win the big trophy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Archive has Blu-rays of the Gregory Peck\nwestern, The Stalking Moon<\/em> (1968) and the cartoon Tom & Jerry:\nGolden Collection Volume 1<\/em> (1940 \u2013 2005). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some titles that might keep the kids entertained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jumanji: The Next Level<\/em>
Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection Volume 1<\/em> (1940 \u2013 2005)
Ultraman Geed: The Movie<\/em> (2018)
Ultraman Orb: The Movie<\/em> (2017) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s a slow week for TV-themed releases, but here\u2019s what you\ncan pick up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crashing: Season 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take care out there and have fun watching stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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