{"id":20325,"date":"2020-04-13T14:46:53","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T21:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=20325"},"modified":"2020-04-13T14:46:53","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T21:46:53","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-april-14th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=20325","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for April 14th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome back to another look at highlights coming your way\non Blu-ray and DVD. Looks like there\u2019s a wide variety of choices that include\neverything from dramas to monster movies. So, since you can\u2019t make it out to\nthe 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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The Cat and the Moon<\/em> \u2013 A teenager is forced into dealing with several family-related problems after his father dies and his mother decides to go into rehab. With no support system, he accepts an invitation to stay with his dad\u2019s old friend, a jazz musician in New York. The experience is an eye-opening one for the young man as he makes new friends and finds a way to endure a difficult period in his life. Reaction towards this independent drama was generally positive. A small group did complain that the pacing was off and it took a long time for the movie to find its footing. However, most complimented the lead performance and stated that the story was unfocused, it actually made the tale more unpredictable and interesting. It features Alex Wolff, Skyler Gisondo, Stefania LaVie Owen and Mike Epps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Dog\u2019s Courage<\/em> \u2013 Also known in some parts of the\nworld as The Underdog<\/em>, this animated feature from South Korea tells the\nstory of a dog that is abandoned by its owner and forced to scrape by living on\nthe streets. The lead finds a pack of stray pooches and joins them in their\nattempts to redefine themselves without humans and make their own new and\nloving home. This movie played at several festivals in various countries\nincluding South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, where it appeared to earn a positive\nresponse. However, there are currently no detailed reviews available in this\npart of the world, so interested parties will have to throw caution to the wind\nand go into it cold. The disc itself presents both the original Korean-language\nversion with English subtitles as well as an English-language dub. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Final Kill<\/em> \u2013 This direct-to-disc, low-budget action\npicture follows an aging protection specialist who wants to retire, but needs\nto take on one last and very dangerous job in order to pay his debts and be\nfinancially secure. Sent to Costa Rica, he must provide safety for a couple who\nhave stolen $8 million dollars from a powerful crime family. Naturally, things\nheat up when the mobsters discover the hideaway and send killers to wipe everyone\nout. Only a few notices have appeared online for the movie. While they have\nnoted that it wasn\u2019t as weak as some other direct-to-disc action films, they\ndid state that it took an awfully long time for the movie to get to the central\nconfrontation and felt excessively padded out. It stars Ed Morrone, Randy\nCouture, Danny Trejo, Billy Zane and James Russo.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Fittest<\/em> \u2013 If you\u2019re currently cooped up and miss\nexercising, this documentary will either give you a vicarious thrill or make\nyou feel much worse about being indoors. The subjects are participants in the\n2019 CrossFit Games. This competition includes numerous events including\naerobics, weightlifting, an obstacle course, as well as surprise challenges\nlike ocean swimming. Male and female winners are declared the fittest people on\nthe planet. Using interviews with past champions who are attempting to repeat\nas title-holders, other participants and footage from the event itself, viewers\nare taken on the journey and experience the games firsthand. There haven\u2019t been\nany write-ups of this non-fiction feature yet, so those who are curious will\njust have to dive right in without any previous knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grass<\/em> \u2013 Shot entirely in black and white, this unique\nlittle comedy\/drama from South Korea is set in a caf\u00e9 and follows a writer typing\non her computer and watching various conflicts among several groups seated\naround her. There\u2019s an older man trying to rekindle a frayed relationship, a\nyoung couple who are accusing each other of various crimes, and a filmmaker\nstruggling to realize his next project. Viewers must ascertain whether these\nstressed people are inspiration for what the lead is writing, or if they are\nperformers acting out the words and thoughts written on the page. Critics were\nvery taken with this little film, calling it a fascinating, fun and cutting\nmovie that harbors deeper ruminations on people-watching and the art of\ncreation. The cast includes Kim Min-hee, Key Joobong and Ahn Jae-hong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just Mercy<\/em> \u2013 This biopic tells the true story of a lawyer and Harvard graduate starting a position as a defense attorney in Alabama and hoping to fight for the rights of the wrongfully accused. He is introduced to Walter McMillian, an innocent man on death row convicted of murdering an 18-year-old girl. After looking into the case, the lawyer discovers the series of lies and horrendous acts undertaken by authorities to imprison the man. The press gave this drama very high marks. There were a few who found the storytelling predictable, eliminating tension from some of the events depicted. However, almost all reviewers found the case itself compelling and complimented the exceptional work of the cast members. It stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan. O\u2019Shea Jackson Jr. and Tim Blake Nelson. To read a full review of the film, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pigeon Kings<\/em> \u2013 Did you know that pigeons can be\ntrained? This documentary takes viewers to South Central Los Angeles and\nintroduces a number of men who breed and teach these birds for competition in\nthe Birmingham Roller Pigeon World Cup. The event requires trainers to encourage\na flock of pigeons to fly in unison and perform a series of elaborate maneuvers.\nThis feature follows one particular enthusiast who is attempting to make a\ncomeback after being shamed for past failures by others in his field. The\npicture has played at several film festivals over the past year and has been\nnominated for awards in non-fiction filmmaking. Unfortunately, there isn\u2019t much\nelse known about the movie, so bird enthusiasts will have to simply wing it and\nwatch the movie without any prior knowledge.  \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Talking About Adultery<\/em> \u2013 Here\u2019s another documentary hitting\ndisc. This one attempts to examine why spouses cheat on one another, what\nhappens when one stays from their marriage and how certain couples attempt to\ndeal with infidelity. According to the synopsis, the movie uses very personal\nand revealing interviews with varied subjects, weaving together over 50\ninterviews with lovers, husbands, wives, mistresses, and participants in\nnon-traditional, polyamorous relationships, creating a conversation-rich\ntapestry of intimate interiors and urban landscapes. Press photos about the\nmovie suggest that it also includes a figure wearing a monkey mask. Guess\nyou\u2019ll have to see it for yourself to find out why, since the movie has played at\nfestivals but hasn\u2019t received many write-ups yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Underwater <\/em>\u2013 A group of researchers working on the\nocean floor for a deep-sea drilling company in the Mariana Trench get a shock\nwhen a sudden earthquake threatens their station. With oxygen dwindling, the\ngroup attempt to find safety. But of course, the disaster also releases\nsomething mysterious from the ocean floor that begins targeting surviving crew\nmembers. Overall, critics were split on this creature feature. Almost half said\nthat while the film followed all of the monster movie tropes, it was stylishly\nshot, well-acted and would impress horror fans. Still, just as many argued that\neverything in the movie was too familiar and that the set-pieces had been delivered\nmore effectively in other genre pictures. Now viewers can rent it and decide\nfor themselves if it\u2019s scary, silly\u2026 or a mix of both. The movie features\nKristin Stewart, Vincent Cassell, T.J. Miller, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher\nJr. and Mamoudou Athie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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It\u2019s a very, very busy week for older films receiving\nBlu-ray upgrades. Arrow Video are getting the ball rolling with a Special\nEdition of Sixteen Candles<\/em> (1984). This seminal comedy from John Hughes\n(Weird Science<\/em>, Ferris Bueller\u2019s Day Off<\/em>, The Breakfast Club<\/em>,\nPretty in Pink<\/em> and many others) tells the story of a high school student\njuggling her classes, a sister\u2019s wedding and a younger student in pursuit of\nher. This occurs while she attempts to get the attention of another guy whom\nshe has a crush on. While certainly a product of its era, this is a landmark\ncomedy that established Hughes\u2019 endearingly unique style and teen dialect. With\ngreat work from star Molly Ringwald and memorable supporting turns from Anthony\nMichael Hall, Paul Dooley, Gedde Watanabe, John Cusack and Joan Cusack, it\u2019s a\ncoming-of-age classic and remains one of the best features in his catalog.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The movie has been given a new 4K restoration by Arrow and\nincludes both the theatrical cut and an extended version with an additional\ncafeteria scene (you can also watch the extra scene separately from the feature\nif you\u2019re so inclined). The set also includes new interviews with the casting\ndirector, actors Gedde Watanabe and Deborah Pollack, John Kapelos, camera\noperator Garry Kibbe (who would later serve as director of photography for John\nCarpenter on his many of his films from the late 80s onward), composer Ira\nNewborn, filmmaker Adam Rifkin (The Chase<\/em>, Detroit Rock City<\/em>) who\nworked as an extra on the feature and shadowed Hughes during the shoot. You\u2019ll\nalso a video essay on the film, an archival documentary on the movie with the\ncast and crew, as well as all sorts of publicity materials including trailers\nand stills. And when this movie first hit VHS and TV, the filmmakers didn\u2019t\nhave the rights to use all of the original music. Another extra on this set is\nthat it contains options to watch some of these scenes with the alternate music\nsoundtrack (you\u2019re better off watching the version with the proper tunes as originally\nintended, but it\u2019s a nifty extra regardless). Overall, this sounds like a\nmust-own for 80s movie enthusiasts and fans of the filmmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrow also have a Blu-ray box set called Seijun Suzuki’s\nThe Taisho Trilogy<\/em> (1980 \u2013 1991), which contains a trio of supernatural\ndramas. The films featured are Zigeunerweisen<\/em> (1980), Kageroza<\/em> (1981)\nand Yumeji<\/em> (1991). Naturally, interested parties can rest assured\nthat there are numerous extras included, including new introductions to the\nmovies as well as a critical analysis and appreciation by an expert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stray Cat Rock: The Collection<\/em> (1970 \u2013 1971) is a\nBlu-ray set of 5 Japanese movies detailing the members of a female gang and their\nvarious crime sprees. The flicks included in this Special Edition set are Delinquent\nGirl Boss<\/em>, Wild Jumbo<\/em>, Sex Hunter<\/em>, Machine Animal<\/em> and Beat\n\u201971<\/em>. Those who pick it up will also receive interviews with the star of all\n5 films, the man who directed three of the features and other cast members too.\nLooks like a lot of B-movie fun.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have a Special Edition Blu-ray of The Wind<\/em>\n(1986), a horror picture about a writer trapped indoors and terrorized by a\npsychotic killer while a hurricane causes devastation around outside. The\noriginal negative has been given a 4K scan approved by writer\/director Nico\nMastorakis (The Zero Boys<\/em>, Nightmare at Noon<\/em>), and you\u2019ll also\nget an interview with the filmmaker, the complete soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and\nStanley Myers, and a load of trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And MVD Visual is debuting a group of thrillers on Blu-ray. Even\nMoney<\/em> (2006) follows a group of desperate characters (played by Kim\nBasinger, Danny DeVito, Forest Whitaker, Kelsey Grammer, Tim Roth, Ray Liotta\nand Carla Gugino) gambling all their savings at a casino. Sylvester Stallone\nstars in Eye See You<\/em> (2002) a flick about a detective undergoing therapy\ntreatments at a remote location who must identify a killer within the group. The\npicture suffered from a troubled production that resulted in a lot of studio-mandated\nreshoots. This Special Edition of the film includes final version and, for the\nfirst time ever, the original director\u2019s cut that the distributor disliked and\ndecided to have reworked and reedited. Sounds like a fascinating bonus. You\u2019ll\nalso get deleted scenes and other extras. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are also releasing Blu-rays of the Orlando Bloom\/Zoe\nSaldana thriller Haven<\/em> (2004) and the Sarah Michelle Gellar entry, Possession<\/em>\n(2008). In the latter picture, Gellar plays a woman whose husband gets into a\ncar wreck with his brother. Both men are hospitalized in a comatose state. When\nher spouse\u2019s brother wakes up first, he tries to convince the protagonist that\nhe is actually her husband and has somehow been moved into his brother\u2019s body.\nThis release includes 30 minutes of deleted scenes and other extras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

VCI Entertainment have a Blu-ray of the goofy serial, Jungle\nQueen<\/em> (1945), about a group of heroes fighting off Nazi forces in Africa.\nThe elements have been given a 2K scan from the original 35mm film\nelements.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If that wasn\u2019t enough, Shout! Factory have some exciting\nBlu-rays as well. The first is the hard-to-find Hammer cult flick, Captain\nKronos: Vampire Hunter<\/em> (1974). The title character squares off against a\ngroup of vampires who drain victims of their youth, leaving husks behind. The disc\ncomes with a new film historian audio commentary, a Hammer films in the 70s\ndocumentary, a preexisting commentary featuring the director and actress\nCaroline Munro, as well as a trailer and radio spots.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homeboy<\/em> (1988) is a gritty and well-regarded boxing\nmovie about an aging pugilist struggling for one last chance in the ring. The\ncast includes Mickey Rourke and Christopher Walken. The Blu-ray comes with a\ntrailer and a featurette on the production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s more! Kino are presenting a Blu-ray of Cattle\nAnnie and Little Britches<\/em> (1981), a western starring Amanda Plummer and\nDiane Lane about two female outlaws. On their journey, they encounter other\ncharacters, played by legends like Burt Lancaster and Rod Steiger. The movie\nhas been given a new HD master and arrives with an interview with the producer\nand a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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They also have the silent horror classic, The Golem<\/em>\n(1920) aka The Golem: How He Came into the World<\/em>. It\u2019s a German production\nthat adapts the Hebrew myth of a giant clay warrior created to protect the\npeople. Of course, its greedy creator decides to misuse the figure and the\nmonster ends up going on a rampage. This Blu-ray contains a 4K restoration of\nthe German release version, which includes a historian commentary and a\ncomparison between this cut and the US version. The disc also provides the shorter\nAmerican cut for those interested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jenny<\/em> (1970) is a drama about a woman and man who\ntake part in a marriage of convenience, but eventually fall for each other as\nthey spend more and more time together. Besides a new 4K master and film expert\ncommentary, you\u2019ll also get a trailer on this Blu-ray. Additionally, Kino are\nputting out the musical Song of Norway<\/em> (1970) in high definition. This\none has been given a 2K transfer and includes a historian audio track. Also\ncoming to Blu-ray is the Richard Widmark war drama, Time Limit<\/em> (1957),\nwhich has also been upgraded to 2K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And here\u2019s an amazing release courtesy of Paramount that\ncomes highly recommended – Police Squad!: The Complete Series <\/em>(1982).\nThis comedy show from the Zucker Brothers (Airplane!<\/em>, Top Secret<\/em>)\nstarred Leslie Neilson as a cop doing his less-than-subtle part to stop crime\nacross Los Angeles and occasionally causing more unintentional chaos in the\nprocess. The show was hysterical, featuring some amazing slapstick gags and\nrunning jokes, but didn\u2019t hit with the public during its original release. It\nseems that at the time, audiences weren\u2019t ready for the rapid-fire barrage of gags\npoking fun at cop shows. This set contains all six episodes of the landmark\ntelevision series in high defintion. Thankfully, the Zuckers were able to resurrect\nthe lead character and concept for The Naked Gun<\/em> movie series, which were\nmassive box office hits (I suppose by then viewers had come around to the\nconcept).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some quirky little B-movies arriving as well.\nUnearthed Films have the horror picture Gutterballs<\/em> (2008) on Blu-ray.\nThe story is about a killer terrorizing a group of visitors at a disco bowling\nalley.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scorpion are delivering a Blu-ray of the comedy, Uphill\nAll the Way<\/em> (1986). It\u2019s a comedy about con-men in the old west and stars\nRoy Clark, Mel Tillis, Burl Ives, Glen Campbell and Frank Gorshin. They\u2019ve\ngiven the film a new HD master and have included the trailer as a bonus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re looking for a classic, you can now purchase Destiny\nRides Again<\/em> (1939) on Blu-ray from Criterion. This one features Marlene\nDietrich alongside Jimmy Stewart, who plays a new sheriff trying to clean up a\ntown in the old west. This spoof was very well-reviewed in its day and the\ndistributor has given it a spiffy new clean up with a 4K digital restoration.\nThe disc also includes an interview with a film critic on the picture as well\nas a Stewart biographer. It also comes with interviews and a radio play version\nof the title also featuring Stewart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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S\u00e9rie Noire<\/em> (1979) is an award-nominated crime drama\nthat is arriving on Blu-ray from France Film Movement. This disc has interviews\nwith the director and star as well as a featurette on the movie.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Archive are introducing a trio of new Blu-rays. The first is for Action of the Tiger<\/em> (1957), a crime drama starring Van Johnson are a contraband runner who is convinced to help a woman sneak her brother out of Albania. Tin Cup<\/em> (1996) is a romantic comedy set around the golfing world from Ron Shelton (Bull Durham<\/em>, White Men Can\u2019t Jump<\/em>). Kevin Costner and Rene Russo take on the lead roles. Lastly, the studio is putting out the science-fiction miniseries, V: The Final Battle<\/em> (1984). This was a sequel to an earlier miniseries about a group of aliens invading Earth. They were very popular in their day and the ratings from this one ultimately led to a TV series the following year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This week\u2019s child-friendly options are listed below.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Dog\u2019s Courage<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are this edition\u2019s TV-themed highlights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balthazar<\/em>: Series 1
Bottled with Love<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie)
Earth\u2019s Sacred Wonders<\/em> (PBS)
East Lake Meadows<\/em> (PBS)
The Heart Guy<\/em>: Series 4
Niall Ferguson\u2019s Networld<\/em> (PBS)
Police Squad<\/em>: The Complete Series (1982)
V: The Final Battle<\/em> (1984)
Witness to Murder: A Darrow Mystery<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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