{"id":20590,"date":"2020-06-08T15:12:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T22:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=20590"},"modified":"2020-06-08T15:12:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T22:12:28","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-june-9th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=20590","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for June 9th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on\nBlu-ray and DVD. It\u2019s another busy edition filled with studio pictures, independent\nfare as well as flicks from around the world. So, if 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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Blush<\/em> \u2013 An obsessive-compulsive suburban mom has\ndifficulty getting on with her teenage daughter and believes that her husband\nmay be having an affair. She decides to break her routine and begin cat-sitting\nfor another family while they\u2019re away. Alone, the woman begins watching the neighbors\nin the house next door, and eventually becomes intimately involved in their struggles.\nIt leads to all sorts of awkward encounters, unravelling her own household in\nthe process. Notices were good for this independent drama. A small percentage\nof reviewers complained that there were too many subplots and that the movie lost\nits direction by the close. However, most thought that the majority of the\nmaterial worked and were impressed by the performances. It stars Wendi\nMcLendon-Covey, Christine Woods, Max Burkholder and Steve Little. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Corpus Christi<\/em> \u2013 Also known as Boze Cialo<\/em>,\nthis foreign-language drama from Poland follows a young man serving time in a\nyouth detention center. After experiencing a spiritual awakening, he decides to\ntake steps to become a priest, but finds his efforts denied once he is released\ndue to his criminal past. The protagonist decides instead to impersonate a\nmember of the cloth at a local parish to attain his ambitions and bring his\ncommunity together. Critics were very taken with this effort and the movie was\nnominated for an Oscar at last year\u2019s Academy Awards. Currently, there are only\na couple of negative write-ups for the movie, stating that the film was a bit\ntoo drawn out for its own good. Everyone else praised it as an effective and gritty\nslow-burn of a movie that packs a big emotional wallop at the close. The cast\nincludes Bartosz Bielenia, Eliza Rycembel and Aleksandra Konieczna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Hunt<\/em> \u2013 A dozen complete strangers wake up in a field with no memory of how they got there or why. Shortly thereafter, they\u2019re forced into picking up arms and running away from teams of hunters out to kill them. It doesn\u2019t go well for many of the targets, but one woman being pursued turns out to be far more cunning than anticipated, quickly turning the tables on the murderers. Reaction towards this genre picture was split. About half thought that the movie was only out to try and shock viewers, suggesting that it wasn\u2019t a particularly sharp satire and didn\u2019t really have all that much to say of importance. The same amount commented that the movie was grimly funny and entertaining, thanks to the efforts of a talented and committed cast. It features Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Ike Barinholtz, Wayne Duvall and Ethan Suplee. To read this site\u2019s review, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Public Enemy Number One<\/em> \u2013 The history of drug culture\nand the actions taken against narcotics by US government officials are examined\nin this documentary. It begins with the origins of the \u201cWar on Drugs\u201d in the 1960s\nas overseen by President Richard Nixon and follows the movement\u2019s progression\nthrough the decades. Viewers will see how the campaign was extended and\nstrengthened in the 1980s, leading to the stigmatizing and criminalization of\nrecreational marijuana users. The filmmakers address the unnecessary mass incarcerations\nthat have resulted because of new laws being introduced. It also features interviews\nwith top activists and authorities on the subject, as well as policy makers and\neven a drug czar or two. The movie is debuting on disc, so there aren\u2019t many\nreviews of the feature that are available just yet. Ice-T provides the narration.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Red Cow<\/em> \u2013 This Israeli foreign-language coming-of-age\ndrama (released as Para Aduma<\/em> in its homeland) is set in the mid-1990s,\njust before the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The story specifically\ndetails the struggles of a 16-year-old whose mother has just passed away,\nleaving her under the care of her right-wing, religious extremist father. It\nresults in a tense situation as the teenager tries to navigate a tension-filled\nrelationship with her dad while determining her own sexual, religious and\npolitical beliefs. Reaction towards the film was upbeat. According to\nreviewers, this tale does a solid job and effective job of juggling concepts\nlike dealing with first loves, as well as examining issues like patriarchy. Avigail\nKovari, Gal Toren and Moran Rosenblatt headline the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Return to Hardwick<\/em> \u2013 Press releases for this documentary\nnote that the 93rd Bomb Group was arguably the most decorated, most traveled\nand most effective bomb group of World War II. Based in Norfolk near the east coast\nof England, these servicemen were responsible for some of the biggest raids during\nthe conflict. The feature details their heroic acts and introduces viewers to\ntheir descendants. Together, the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren\nof these servicemen visit the old Hardwick base where they were stationed and\nexplore it in order to get a deeper sense of their own family history. For\nmost, this movie is debuting on disc, so there aren\u2019t any write-ups available\nonline. However, the film has played at numerous film festivals over the past\ncouple of years and has won several awards at these screenings. Michael Cudlitz\nnarrates the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Straight Edge Kegger<\/em> \u2013 A youth decides to leave his gang\nbehind after feeling like they\u2019ve gone too far and become too violent. He meets\nand befriends a stranger who invites him along to a nearby celebration. After\nmeeting a fetching young lady and enjoying several drinks, the lead is happy\nwith his decision. However, that all changes when his old gang arrives at the\nparty clad in masks. The crew begin attacking the partygoers and the protagonist\nmust get his new acquaintances out to safety before they all meet their end.\nThis independent horror feature hasn\u2019t received many reviews yet, but the few\nthat have popped up have been complimentary. They suggest that while it is a\nlow-budget picture with a few shortcomings, horror fans may appreciate the cast\nand the film\u2019s frantic energy. The cast includes Colin Kays, Evelyn Reidy and\nJulio Alexander. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Think Like a Dog<\/em> \u2013 In this family comedy, a young boy\nwho happens to be scientific whiz kid finds a way to create a telepathic\nconnection with his dog. He and the family pet\u2019s relationship grow stronger as\nthe two communicate and share their gripes with one another. Together, the pair\ntry to help solve each other\u2019s problems at home and at school. This flick has\nplayed at the Chinese American Film Festival, but is otherwise making its debut\non disc. It\u2019s difficult to find any articles on the feature, but one write-up has\nappeared online and it isn\u2019t overly complimentary. The reviewer states that the\nmovie might appeal to youngsters, but is little more than a series of fart\njokes that won\u2019t hold the attention of adults. It stars Josh Duhamel, Megan\nFox, Gabriel Bateman, Madison Horcher and Kunal Nayyar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Turner Risk<\/em> \u2013 We all feel like it would be great to\nmake a fresh start in our lives. In this thriller, a young man takes it to extremes.\nA frequent victim of bullying, he decides to strike back against the negative\nforces putting him down. The lead meets up with a couple of new friends and describes\nhow he is plotting to wipe out his biggest nemesis at school. While wandering\nthe streets and hunting the figure down, the three discuss and compare how their\ntarget has caused them pain and, while sharing their experiences, eventually come\nto unexpected revelations. This indie flick hasn\u2019t been seen by critics yet, but\nit has fared well at various film festivals, picking up a few trophies for its story,\ncinematography and performances. It features Nick Fink, Carlin James, Sean Cruz\nand Rory Hart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We Summon the Darkness<\/em> \u2013 Set in the American heartland,\nthis independent horror feature details three ladies heading out to a heavy\nmetal music festival\u2026 while a group of Satanists are reported to be embarking\non a murder spree. When the friends arrive at the event, they meet up with a\ntrio of guys and leave with them for an afterparty at a secluded location. Bad\nidea, people! It isn\u2019t long before Satanic psychos arrive and the lives of all\ninvolved are put into jeopardy. The press was actually generally positive about\nthis genre flick. A contingent did complain that the filmmakers gave too much\naway too early in the proceedings, leading to weak finale. Still, more appreciated\nthe mayhem on display, calling it enjoyable entertainment for horror fans with\na sense of humor. The cast includes Alexandra Daddario, Keenan Johnson, Maddie Hasson,\nAmy Forsyth and Johnny Knoxville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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As usual, there are plenty of interesting catalog titles being upgraded to high definition as well. Shout! Factory are delivering a Blu-ray of Princess Caraboo<\/em> (1994). This period comedy is set in the early 1800s and involves a mysterious woman who unexpectedly arrives at a wealthy English estate. The bizarrely-dressed lady speaks no English, yet the nobility becomes smitten with the new arrival and assumes that she must be a princess visiting from a faraway land. This flick stars Phoebe Cates, Jim Broadbent, Kevin Kline, John Lithgow and Stephen Rea. According to online sources, the movie does a good job of keeping viewers guessing as to the woman\u2019s real identity. The movie has gained a following over the years, so you\u2019re a fan of period pieces with a sense of humor, then this title might be enjoyable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino also have some interesting Blu-ray selections arriving\non store shelves. The first is the Deanna Durbin Collection<\/em>. This is a\nbox set with three films (all of which are musicals) starring the actress and\ndirected by Henry Koster (The Bishop\u2019s Wife<\/em>, The Robe<\/em>). You\u2019ll\nget 100 Men and a Girl <\/em>(1937), Three Smart Girls Show Up<\/em> (1939)\nand It Started with Ev<\/em>e (1941). You\u2019ll also get film historian\ncommentaries on two of the features, as well as trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If thrillers are more to your liking, you can pick up Film\nNoir: The Dark Side of Cinema III<\/em>. This Blu-ray set includes some\nwell-reviewed but lesser known examples from the genre. In this package, you\u2019ll\nreceive Abandoned<\/em> (1949), The Lady Gambles<\/em> (1949) and The\nSleeping City<\/em> (1950). The discs come with movie expert commentary tracks\nfor all three movies, as well as multiple trailers (which may include previews\nfor other film noirs from the distributor). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Kino are releasing the Hungarian comedy\/drama,\nMy 20th<\/sup> Century<\/em> (1989). It\u2019s a period film about identical\ntwins separated early in life who rediscover one another as adults. The movie\nhas been given a 2K restoration and comes with a filmmaker interview and\nintroduction to the movie, as well as a commentary track with the director and\ncinematographer. The distributor is also putting out the German comedy, Victor\nand Victoria<\/em> (1933), about a singer who begins impersonating a man to get\nmore opportunities on stage. This film has been remade several times over the years,\nperhaps most notably by Blake Edwards in 1982. The disc includes a film\nhistorian audio commentary.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the company is releasing a Blu-ray set called Western\nClassics I<\/em>. It includes Blu-rays of When the Daltons Rode<\/em> (1940), The\nVirginian<\/em> (1946) and Whispering Smith<\/em> (1948). Once again, movie\nexperts will provide optional commentary tracks giving viewers background\ninformation about each film. Trailers are also included on each disc.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And Sony are providing Blu-rays of a couple of interesting movies\ntoo. Anne Frank Remembered<\/em> (1995) is an acclaimed WWII documentary about\nthe young woman, featuring readings from her dairy that chronicle the girl\u2019s experiences\nin Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands. It won the Academy\nAward for Best Documentary Feature and is narrated by Kenneth Branagh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian\u2019s Song<\/em> (1971) is another well-reviewed film\nfrom the studio that is based on a true story. It details the growing friendship\nbetween two professional football players. It depicts how each man helped the\nother deal with personal and professional tragedies. The movie stars James Caan\nand Billy Dee Williams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion have a new Blu-ray as well. An Unmarried Woman<\/em>\n(1978) stars Jill Clayburgh and tells the story of a woman whose husband leaves\nher for a younger woman. Despite feeling hurt and lost, she decides to set out and\nmake a new start, finding her own way in the world through new experiences and\nchallenges. This candid drama was nominated for three Oscars. The disc provides\na new 4K digital restoration of the feature, a 2005 commentary with director\nPaul Mazursky (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice<\/em>, Down and Out in\nBeverly Hills<\/em>) and Clayburgh, interviews with the film\u2019s co-stars, a talk\nwith a Mazursky biographer, and an audio recording from 1980 of the director\nspeaking about the picture at the American Film Institute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For genre picture fans, Mill Creek has an inexpensive Blu-ray Double Feature of two science fiction B-movies. The first film is called The H-Man<\/em> (1958). It\u2019s a Toho release (the production company also responsible for the Godzilla<\/em> series) that follows humanity\u2019s efforts to stop an irradiated monster who rises from the waters near Tokyo and goes on the rampage. The creature oozes slime and disintegrates anyone it touches. This movie is paired with another title from Toho called Battle in Outer Space<\/em> (1959). It involves a team of scientists from around the world teaming up to stop an alien force stationed on the moon and plotting an invasion of Earth. Sounds like a great time for genre movie fans! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the distributor are also releasing The White\nCrane Chronicles<\/em> on Blu-ray. This is actually a TV mini-series that aired under\nthe title Kung Fu Killer<\/em> (2008). It stars David Carradine as a monk who\nunexpectedly decides to seek out vengeance against the gang who murdered his\nGrandmaster. Daryl Hannah also appears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

If you\u2019re looking to entertain the kids, it looks as though\nyou only have one new option coming your way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think Like a Dog<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Below you\u2019ll find all the TV-themed releases coming your\nway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1619 – Up from Slavery<\/em>: A 14-Part Documentary Series
Doctor Who<\/em>: Series 12
The Last Bridesmaid<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie)
Love, Take Two<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie)
NATURE: Cuba\u2019s Wild Revolution (PBS)\ufeff<\/em>
NATURE: Remarkable Rabbits<\/em> (PBS)
The Windermere Children<\/em> (Drama and Documentary included) (PBS)
White Crane Chronicles<\/em> \u2013 Kung Fu Killer<\/em> \/ Kung Fu Killer II<\/em> (2008) TV Mini-series
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