{"id":20296,"date":"2020-04-06T15:42:13","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T22:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=20296"},"modified":"2020-04-06T15:42:13","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T22:42:13","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-april-7th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=20296","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for April 7th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hello and welcome to another very interesting look at\nhighlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. This edition features both Oscar and Razzie\nnominees, meaning that there\u2019s a wide variety of entertainment arriving on\ndisc. So, since you likely can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week, why not give\none of these titles a try?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Camp Cold Brook<\/em> \u2013 A reality TV producer and host of a\nshow about haunted places begins to see his ratings sag and program face cancelation.\nHe decides on choosing the title location for his next episode, the place where\na large group of campers mysteriously drowned some 20 years earlier. After\narriving on site, the crew experience strange and supernatural events that put\nall of their lives in danger. Reviewers were split on the finished product,\nalthough there were slightly more positive notices than negative ones. Those\nwho disliked the film called it a derivative found-footage feature with a generic\nand predictable story. Still, those who gave the flick a pass said that it was\nwell-paced and offered solid performances that made it enjoyable overall. It\nstars Chad Michael Murray, Danielle Harris, Courtney Gains and Michael Eric\nReid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cats<\/em> \u2013 Well, if you\u2019re curious about seeing present\nand future Razzie Award winners on disc, this is your week. This adaptation of\nthe Andrew Lloyd Webber stage play follows the trials of a group of anthropomorphic\ncats who sing and dance their way through\u2026 well\u2026 some kind of competition to\nearn\u2026 well\u2026 some kind of a heavenly prize. It swept the bad movie awards\nrecently, winning almost all of the top prizes. As you might have guessed, it\ndid not impress critics. A small grouping said that the movie was quite unlike\nanything they had ever seen and may be worth it just for the strangeness of it\nall\u2026 and those were the favorable write-ups. All others stated that the story\nwas incomprehensible and that just about every aspect of the production was off-putting\nand misjudged. Now you can check it out for yourselves and make up your own minds.\n The cast includes Francesca Hayward,\nJames Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellan,\nTaylor Swift and Rebel Wilson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Cold Blue<\/em> \u2013 The 8th<\/sup> Air Force division\nwho fought in World War II are the subject of this remarkable documentary. This\nunit were sent on several suicide missions, flying over enemy lines. Nine of\nthe limited number of survivors appear in the film to recount some of the\nevents they experienced in 1943. The movie also uses recently discovered, never-before-seen\nfootage shot by filmmaker William Wyler (who would go on to make Roman\nHoliday<\/em>, The Big Country<\/em> and Ben-Hur<\/em>) and his crew during several\nof their dangerous raids. The press raved about this non-fiction feature. They\nall thought that this was an exceptional tribute and concluded that the stories\nand new footage put viewers right in the middle of the action, helping them to\nunderstand exactly what these brave aviators went through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dolittle<\/em> \u2013 Speaking of movies that haven\u2019t been well received, this update of a doctor who can talk to animals also flopped at cinemas a few months back. The story finds Dolittle living in isolation after the disappearance of his significant other. When the Queen becomes ill and the only cure for the condition necessitates a long journey to a magical island, the doctor heads out to retrieve it with his new apprentice and verbose animal friends. The movie was panned by reviewers. There was a small contingent who said the effects were good and that it might entertain youngsters. However, most called the script a mess and felt that the movie was a rather unexciting and dull slog filled with bad jokes and scatological humor. Could make quite a double-bill alongside Cats<\/em>. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Jessie Buckley and Harry Collett. Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Craig Robinson, Tom Holland, Ralph Fiennes, Marion Cotillard and Jason Mantzoukas provide the voices of the animals. To read a full review of the film, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Escape from Pretoria<\/em> \u2013 Set in South Africa during Apartheid,\nthis drama is based on the events of a real-life prison break that occurred in\n1979. A pair of men are arrested and become political prisoners after creating a\nseries of pamphlets for a group who would become the African National Congress.\nOnce in their cells, the activists suffer abuse but befriend others incarcerated\nunder similar charges. They eventually plot a daring escape. This picture\nearned solid notices from critics. A few did comment that while the story was\ninspiring, it played out in too familiar a manner and the use of many tropes diminished\nits impact. Still, the majority admired the performances and thought that the\nfilm developed plenty of tension over its running time. Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel\nWester, Ian Hart and Mark Leonard Winter headline the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Knives and Skin<\/em> \u2013 This independent drama follows the\ndisappearance of a high school student and depicts what happens to others in\nthe surrounding neighborhood. The mystery results in a wave of tension and\ndistrust among locals. Two other students at the same school attempt to process\nwhat has happened and help out, uncovering dark secrets about the community in\nthe process. This feature garnered a generally upbeat response. There was a small\ngroup who critiqued the film, suggesting that beyond the impressive visuals on\ndisplay, there wasn\u2019t much going on to hook and entrance viewers. Still, most\ncomplimented the surrealistic elements and appreciated the feminist slant, calling\nthe movie a unique and engaging experience. It features Marika Engelhardt, Kate\nArrington, Ireon Roach and Kayla Carter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Little Women<\/em> \u2013 The latest retelling of the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott tells the famous coming-of-age story set at the close of the Civil War. In it, a passionate young woman yearns to be a writer. Through positive times and great hardship, viewers witness her complicated relationships with family members, neighbors and acquaintances. And despite their bickering, the clan helps each other as they try to find their place in the world. Response was very positive towards this adaption of the book. It earned several Academy Award nominations. A few write-ups did complain about the choice to jump around in time and thought that this version wasn\u2019t able to match previous film adaptations. However, the vast majority called it a lavishly mounted and well-acted update that also offered a few amusing revisions. It stars\u00a0Saoirse Ronan,\u00a0Emma Watson,\u00a0Florence Pugh,\u00a0Eliza Scanlen,\u00a0Laura Dern,\u00a0Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet and\u00a0Meryl Streep. To read this site\u2019s review, click here<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rest of Us<\/em> \u2013 This story is about a woman whose\nlife changes dramatically following the sudden death of her ex-husband. While\nattending the funeral, she meets her ex\u2019s widow and children. Discovering that\nthe surviving family are in debt and are about to lose their house, the\nprotagonist invites them all to stay with her clan. The situation ends up revealing\npast secrets and forces the surviving members to process and address the man\u2019s\nuntimely end. Overall, critics appeared to like this independent drama. Some\ndid state that the movie was too low-key for its own good and wouldn\u2019t make a\nlasting impression. Still, more suggested that the subtle approach worked and\nprovided viewers with an authentic-feeling take on a complicated situation. The\ncast includes Heather Graham, Sophie Nelisse, Abigail Priowsky, Jodi Balfour\nand Charlie Gillespie.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Swift<\/em> \u2013 A young, orphaned swift is raised by seagulls\nand grows up believing that he is one of them. Later in life, he realizes that\nhe isn\u2019t one of their kind and runs away (or perhaps more accurately, flies\naway), setting out to discover more about his past and his species. When an\nunexpected force threatens both swifts and seagulls, the youngster takes it\nupon himself to try and save all of his feathered friends. This family animated\nfilm from Germany landed with something of a thud in North America and the press\ndidn\u2019t think much of the effort. One or two said children would be amused and\nthat it was an undemanding distraction. However, the consensus was that the film\nwas poorly written and derivative, with visuals just can\u2019t complete with other\nanimated titles from around the world. The English-language version cast\nincludes Kate Winslet, Willem Dafoe, Josh Keaton and Cassandra Steen.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VFW<\/em> \u2013 A group of war veterans get together at their\nlocal VFW to have a drink and catch up. Their reunion is suddenly interrupted by\nthe arrival of a panicked and innocent teenager who is being hunted by a menacing\ndrug dealer. When the deranged antagonist and his army arrive at the legion\nhall, the men inside decide to protect the new arrival by fighting back against\nthe threat. This action\/horror hybrid earned positive word of mouth at film\nfestivals and impressed reviewers. A very small contingent wrote that certain darker\nshots made it hard to figure out what was happening and said that the movie was\nmore of a homage to an earlier cinematic era than something new. However, the generally\nconsensus was upbeat, saying that this was a punchy little exploitation picture\nwith a great cast that hit all the right notes. It features Stephen Lang,\nWilliam Sadler, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, David Patrick Kelly and George\nWendt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Woman Who Loves Giraffes<\/em> \u2013 Anne Innis Dagg may be\nthe very first person ever to study animal behavior. In fact, her research\npredated Jane Goodall and Dian Fosse, writing numerous papers in 1956 about her\ntime spent with chimpanzees in Africa, before undertaking complex studies of\ngiraffes. This documentary details the woman\u2019s life and work, as well as her struggles\nreceiving recognition as a female scientist and her work as an activist. It\nalso shows how long it took for those in academia to take her studies\nseriously. This documentary has yet to receive a negative review. While some\nthought that the storytelling approach was a bit old-fashioned, yet they couldn\u2019t\nhelp but be amazed and drawn in by the woman\u2019s incredible work and the lack of\nrecognition she has received for it. Dagg tells her own story, assisted with\nsome voice-over work by Tatiana Maslany and Victor Garber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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There are loads of interesting new Blu-rays arriving this\nweek as well. Arrow Video are debuting a 2-disc Special Edition of the Italian horror\nflick, Beyond the Door<\/em> (1974). It has been described by some as a\ngloriously over-the-top knock-off of The Exorcist<\/em>. The story is set in San\nFrancisco and follows a pregnant woman who finds herself possessed by a Satanic\nforce. This leads to all sorts of inappropriate behavior and exaggerated vomiting\nspells. Apparently, Warner Brothers sued the makers of this film for copyright\ninfringement, but they evaded prosecution. Now you can have a great time\nfinding out why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This edition is limited to 3,000 and includes a new 2K\nrestoration of the uncut version of the film. There\u2019s a bonus disc featuring an\nalternate US theatrical version and a feature-length documentary on the production.\nIt includes recent interviews with director\/producer Ovidio G. Assonitis (who\nwas also involved in productions like Tentacles<\/em>, The Visitor<\/em>, Piranha\nII: The Spawning<\/em> and Sonny Boy<\/em>), as well as the cinematographer, the\ncamera operator, the film\u2019s composer, and the cast member who played the male\nlead. And there are other bonuses like alternate title sequences and likely\nevery trailer, TV and radio spot created for the movie\u2019s release. Sounds like a\nB-movie blast that I can\u2019t wait to catch up with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino have a large selection of early classics arriving on\nBlu-ray. They include the Marlene Dietrich romantic comedy, Angel <\/em>(1937),\nthe Gary Cooper adventure flick, Beau Geste<\/em> (1939), and another Oscar-nominated\ntitle featuring the star called The General Died at Dawn<\/em> (1936). All\nthree have been given new 4K masters and include trailers and detailed film historian\ncommentaries to give viewers plenty of analysis and background information the\ntitles.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor is also putting out a Blu-ray of The\nGreat Leap<\/em> (1926), a German romantic comedy set in the Dolemites mountain\nrange starring Leni Riefenstahl before she became a notorious documentarian who\nmade propaganda films for the Nazis. This release also includes a commentary\nwith a film historian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a lighter note, you can also pick up another Gary Cooper\npicture with The Lives of a Bengal Lancer<\/em> (1935). They are also releasing\nthe Fred MacMurray crime-comedy, Murder, He Says<\/em> (1945). Like some of\nthe other Kino releases this week, the movies arrive with 4K transfers and film\nexpert commentaries. And they are putting out Supernatural <\/em>(1933), a Carole\nLombard thriller about a woman possessed by a murderer\u2019s dark soul. This one as\nbeen given a 2K remaster and also contains a commentary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Horror fans are likely wondering if there\u2019s anything else\nthat they can pick up this week. Scorpion have something to offer with a new\nBlu-ray of the Jamie Lee Curtis slasher pic, Terror Train<\/em> (1980). As you\nmight have guessed, it\u2019s about a masked maniac getting his revenge on six\ncollege students partying on a locomotive over New Year\u2019s Eve. Magician David\nCopperfield also appears in the film. The disc presents the movie with a new 2K\ntransfer from the original interpositive. It also features interviews with director\nRoger Spottiswoode (The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper<\/em>, Under Fire<\/em>, Air\nAmerica<\/em>, Tomorrow Never Dies<\/em> and many others) and a screenwriter who\ncontributed significantly to rewrites. You\u2019ll also get a trailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal Pictures are also debuting some older titles on\nBlu-ray as well as rereleasing a few. This time out, it\u2019s American Pie Presents:\nThe Naked Mile<\/em> (2006), Breach<\/em> (2007), Empire<\/em> (2002), the\nlive-action update of Thunderbirds<\/em> (2004) and the tennis romantic\ncomedy, Wimbledon<\/em> (2004) getting the high definition treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And there\u2019s more. Budget friendly consumers will be happy to\nhear that Mill Creek have some interesting products as well. You won\u2019t get much\nin the way of extras, but you will get the movie at a low price. First up is a\nBlu-ray of the Matt Damon\/Pen\u00e9lope Cruz western romance, All the Pretty\nHorses<\/em> (2000). Eddie Macon\u2019s Run<\/em> (1983), about a young man who\nbreaks out of prison and is hunted by authorities while trying and find and reconnect\nwith his family is making its high definition debut. It stars John Schneider, Kirk\nDouglas and Tom Noonan. Henry Winkler, Sally Field and Harrison Ford headline Heroes<\/em>\n(1977), a Golden Globe-nominated comedy\/drama about a Viet Nam vet breaking out\nof VA hospital. This one is also brand new to Blu-ray. And the company are bringing\nthe kidnapping thriller Trapped<\/em> (2002) to disc. This one also has a\ngreat cast that includes Kevin Bacon, Charlize Theron, Courtney Love and Dakota\nFanning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion are bringing Army of Shadows<\/em> (1969) to\nBlu-ray. This foreign-language drama details the French Resistant movement and\nits underground fighters during WWII. The well-regarded feature won several awards\nduring its original run and the disc boasts a high definition digital\nrestoration supervised by the director of photography, a film scholar audio\ncommentary, interviews from 2007 with the cinematographer and editor, publicity\nmaterials, as well as on-set footage and archival talks with the cast and crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re one of those lucky people who are able to watch\n3-D programs on your televisions, Flicker Alley are releasing 3-D Rarities\nVolume II (1941 – 1983)<\/em>. It\u2019s another grouping of remarkable trailers and numerous\nshort films from around the world shot in the format. There\u2019s even a feature-length,\nMexican adventure flick El Coraz\u00f3n y la Espada<\/em> (1953) with Cesar\nRomero that is included. The movie has been scanned in 4K so that every thing flying\npast your face looks extra sharp. Sounds like a lot of fun and I\u2019m envious of those\nwho can watch these flicks in 3-D at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Film Movement have a Blu-ray box set called Alastair\nSim\u2019s School for Laughter: 4 Classic Comedies<\/em>. It includes the British\ncomedies The Belles of St. Trinian\u2019s<\/em> (1954), School for Scoundrels<\/em>\n(1960), Laughter in Paradise<\/em> (1951) and Hue and Cry<\/em> (1947) and is\nsaid to include more than two hours of bonus features.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some titles that may keep younger kids occupied for\nan hour or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octonauts: Ocean Adventures<\/em>
Swift<\/em>
Thunderbirds<\/em>
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On the Tube!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here are some TV-themed releases that may distract parents\nor slightly older viewers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Paris, Wine and Romance \/ Rome in Love<\/em>
Madam Secretary<\/em>: The Complete Series
Madam Secretary<\/em>: The Final Season
Moonlight in Vermont<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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