{"id":20925,"date":"2020-07-27T14:09:11","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T21:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=20925"},"modified":"2020-07-27T14:09:11","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T21:09:11","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-round-up-for-july-28th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=20925","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Round-up for July 28th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s time to take another look at some of the Blu-ray and\nDVD highlights coming your way. There are plenty of interesting and eccentric features\narriving, as well as some great older titles receiving high definition\nupgrades. So, since you likely can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week, be\nsure 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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An Accidental Studio<\/em> \u2013 Movie enthusiasts will be\ncurious to check out this documentary detailing the history of UK production\ncompany HandMade Films. It was started by George Harrison of The Beatles, launching\ncareers and providing funding for maverick films that no one else would make (including\nMonty Python\u2019s Life of Brian<\/em>, Time Bandits<\/em>, Withnail and I<\/em>\nand the Oscar-nominated Mona Lisa<\/em>). The feature talks to many who made movies\nwith the studio. They discuss about how the company began and share their\nmemories, discussing Harrison\u2019s efforts to back their filmic endeavors.  Reviews were very strong for the non-fiction\nfeature. They wrote that it was a sweet and inspiring look at Harrison, as well\nas the wonderful art that he helped to finance. Billy Connolly, Helen Mirren,\nMichael Caine, Richard E. Grant, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and many others\nshare their stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dead Dicks<\/em> \u2013 In this independent horror\/dark comedy film,\na young nursing student receives an unsettling series of messages from her suicidal\nbrother. Panicked, she hurries to get to his place only to find that he has already\ntaken his own life\u2026 but has miraculously reappeared. In fact, there are now several\ndead versions of the man lying around the apartment along with the newest copy\nof her sibling. The two investigate the scene and try to determine what is\nhappening and why it may be occurring. Critics have been quite positive for\nthis film. In fact, as of right now it has been difficult to locate a negative review.\nMost state that the actors were excellent and the movie dealt with themes like mental\nillness in an insightful, powerful and moving manner. It stars Jillian Harris,\nHeston Horwin and Matt Keyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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End of Sentence<\/em> \u2013 A widower reluctantly decides to\nfulfil his wife\u2019s final wish of meeting up with his estranged son and disposing\nof her ashes at a remote lake in Ireland. Their offspring turns out to be an\nex-con just out of prison, who isn\u2019t enamored with his late mother\u2019s idea\neither. The young man agrees to the trip, but only if his father buys him a\nticket to California and never speaks to him again. As he two head out, they\u2019re\nforced to address their personal issues and come to terms with the passing of\nthe family matriarch. The press was very taken with this UK production. One or\ntwo complained that the concept wasn\u2019t all that original that the drama didn\u2019t\ntake flight. However, the majority were impressed by the performances and found\nthe flick meaningful and inspiring. The cast includes John Hawkes, Logan\nLerman, Sarah Bolger and \u00d3lafur Darri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gundala<\/em> \u2013 Superhero fans looking for an international\ntwist on the genre might be curious about this tale from Indonesia. It follows\na poor security guard working in Jakarta. Suffering under a system run by mobsters\nand corrupt politicians who use assassins to enforce their mandates, the young man\nis struck by lightning and awakens with super powers. He tries to help the\nlocals by fighting off villainous thugs. This superhero origin story based on a\nfamiliar character in the region hasn\u2019t been seen by a lot of reviewers in this\npart of the world. Still, those who have viewed the picture have been upbeat.\nThey write that while the story is a bit choppy in places, there\u2019s a ton of thrilling,\nfast-paced action. Additionally, it story addresses deeper themes about the\nregion. Abimana Aryasatya, Tara Basro and Bront Palarae headline the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ice Cream in the Cupboard<\/em> \u2013 A husband becomes deeply\nconcerned about his wife after she begins displaying odd and violent behavior.\nAfter taking her to a physician, the protagonist realizes that she is suffering\nfrom early onset Alzheimer\u2019s. As her memories worsen and she begins to forget\nwho her spouse even is, the husband retreats into memories of their time together.\nAs of right now, there isn\u2019t much that has been written about the feature. It\nhas played at a couple of film festivals and won prizes at one in Rhode Island,\nbut will essentially be debuting on disc. As such, interested parties will have\nto venture forth on this journey with limited knowledge. It features Jaime King,\nTobin Bell, Sean Whalen and Dana Ashbrook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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InstaBAND<\/em> \u2013 Creating and releasing music has sure changed\nin the past decade or so. This documentary attempts to chronicle new musical\nacts and capture them hard at work trying to achieve stardom. Naturally, the\nprocess now involves streaming and using new technology to record and release\nwork on their own. But can they break through without the backing of major\nlabels or a marketing department. But in a world filled with an endless supply\nof online content, one imagines that it isn\u2019t as easy as just posting music on\na website. Thus far, it hasn\u2019t been particularly easy to see this non-fiction\neffort. The movie is premiering on disc, so currently there are no write-ups\nfor the documentary. Still, it may provide amateur musicians with some ideas on\nhow to find an audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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James Cameron\u2019s Story of Science Fiction<\/em> – Technically,\nthis is an AMC television mini-series, but it may be of interest to genre movie\nfans. The famous director hosts this program, giving a brief history of the genre\nand asking various guests and experts about their work creating science-fiction\nfilms. They also discuss some of the general concepts being addressed in\nscience-fiction. And, of course, Cameron also shares details about his work on\nthe upcoming Avatar <\/em>sequels. Generally, the reaction towards this show\nwas positive. There were a few who found it padded out and thought the series lacked\ndepth. Still, most found it to be a good introduction to sci-fi and liked hearing\nthe thoughts of filmmakers and experts. James Cameron hosts and George Lucas, Steven\nSpielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Zoe Saldana,\nKeanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others share their insights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Light from Light<\/em> \u2013 A woman whose dreams may provide accurate\nvisions of the future decides to use her gift to start investigating paranormal\nphenomena. She is soon asked to visit a haunted house in Tennessee. Once on\nsite, the lead encounters the owner, a man who believes that his wife is haunting\nthe property and is trying to communicate with him. The lead does her best to\nfind the presence, but experiences new and strange visions of herself and her\nown family. Response was positive towards this chiller. A few critiqued the\nmovie for being too muted in its approach and ultimately a bit of a slog to\nendure. Still, most complimented the feature for focusing on the characters and\ntheir inner traumas, rather than simply going for typical shocks and jolts. The\nmovie stars Marin Ireland, Jim Gaffigan, Josh Wiggins and Atheena Frizzell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nazi Undead<\/em> \u2013 This little Australian independent horror feature involves a pair of college students who decide to take a trip into the heartland of Germany. While on the road, they cross paths with a wounded young girl and try to find help from a nearby home. They soon encounter the spirit of a SS Nazi officer. The group are then pulled into a supernatural vortex and must fend off undead soldiers and locals. This movie has played at a couple of genre film festivals, but is otherwise heading straight to disc. At present, there aren\u2019t any reviews online, but some genre fans have gone online to make their opinions known. They\u2019ve suggested that the movie has an interesting concept, but doesn\u2019t take advantage of it and stated that the end product has logic issues. Georgia Chara and Leigh Scully play the terrorized couple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Other Lamb<\/em> \u2013 Life in a religious cult is the jumping off point for this eerie effort. A young girl born into an all-female compound led by a single male guardian finds her beliefs tested after enduring some awkward interactions the man. After seeing how badly he treats those who disobey his orders and hearing a story from an estranged and shamed woman in the group, she begins to realize that this figure isn\u2019t as much of a holy deity as she initially believed. Overall, critics appeared to like this film. About a third thought that the material and ideas were presented in less-than-subtle manner and didn\u2019t buy into the concept. Still, the consensus was that the film was beautifully lensed and effectively showed a teen learning that her superiors might be a negatively influence. It features Raffey Cassidy, Michiel Huisman and Denise Gough. To read this site\u2019s review of the film, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Icarus Fell<\/em> \u2013 Here\u2019s another independently produced\nfeature film that has been picked up by a small distributor and arriving this\nweek. To be frank, there\u2019s little information about the movie. The flick doesn\u2019t\nappear to have played at any festivals and there aren\u2019t any write-ups currently\navailable for it. All that is online is a plot synopsis, which is as follows\u2026 the\nproposal for a wind turbine in a rural American town brings together the\ninterlocking stories of an ambitious politician, an eager intern, a struggling\nfarm owner, her despondent son, and the newly arrived construction manager\ntrying to start a family. A. Monnie Aleahmad, Ron E. Rains, and Tania Mejia\nlead the cast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s yet another busy week for older films receiving high definition upgrades. The first disc should be of interest to those who enjoy watching corny and very out-of-date educational shorts from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The AFGA (American Genre Film Archives) are releasing a Blu-ray called The Scare Film Archives Volume 1: Drug Stories!<\/em> The disc includes 2K restorations of several films trying to teach youngsters about the dangers of illicit chemicals. The titles included on this release are Beyond LSD<\/em>, The Bottle and the Throttle<\/em>, Curious Alice<\/em>, The Distant Drummer<\/em>, Drugs, Drinking and Driving<\/em>, LSD: Insight or Insanity<\/em>, LSD 25<\/em>, Narcotics: The Decision<\/em>, Goofballs and Tea<\/em>, None for the Road<\/em>, The Trip Back\u2026<\/em> featuring a character named Florrie Fisher (apparently, this fictional entity served as the inspiration for Amy Sedaris\u2019 Strangers With Candy<\/em> TV-series), as well as Users are Losers<\/em>. It also comes with a \u201cfull length mixtape\u201d called Narcotic Nightmare<\/em> and Hallucinogenic Hellrides<\/em>. You\u2019ll have to pick the disc up for yourself to figure out what those last two bonuses entail. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout Factory! have a few notable Blu-ray releases as well. Graveyard\nShift<\/em> (1990), goofy little horror picture based on a Stephen King story with\nDavid Andrews, Andrew Divoff and Bard Dourif. It\u2019s about a mill that houses a giant\nkiller rat\u2026. and presumably plenty of smaller hungry rats who target workers\nlate at night. Bonuses include two new interviews with producer\/director Ralph\nS. Singleton and talks with many of the supporting cast members (although none\nof the figures listed above). It also comes with promotional materials. This\ntitle might provide some fun for King movie enthusiasts.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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They also have the creepy classic, The Tenant<\/em> (1976)\nfrom director\/star\/co-writer Roman Polanski (Repulsion<\/em>, The Fearless\nVampire Killers<\/em>, Rosemary\u2019s Baby<\/em>, Chinatown<\/em>). It\u2019s about a\nquiet clerk looking for a decent apartment in Paris. He finally finds one at a\nreasonable place, but it comes with a nasty history\u2026 the previous tenant attempted\nsuicide by jumping from the flat\u2019s window. The new renter soon witnesses odd\nbehavior from his neighbors. It all begins taking a toll on his own sanity. This\nis an incredibly effective psychological horror film certain to deliver chills\ndown the spine. For its Blu-ray debut, you\u2019ll get both the English and French audio\ntracks (with English subtitles), a new interview about the film with Polanski,\na talk with the assistant cameraman, a discussion with the script supervisor, a\nmovie historian audio commentary, an audio essay on the feature, archived audio\ninterviews with one of the co-screenwriters and author of the novel. If you\u2019re\na fan of the film, this release is a must buy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the distributor has a Collector\u2019s Edition\nBlu-ray of Thirteen Ghosts<\/em> (2001), a remake of the 1960 William Castle haunted\nhouse flick. This creeper arrives with a recently recorded director commentary.\nIt also includes an interview with the producer and cast members Shannon\nElizabeth, Matthew Harrison, John SeSantis and Herbert Duncanson. It also comes\nwith all of the bonuses from the old DVD edition, including a commentary track with\nthe director, production designer, and make-up effects team, as well as a making-of\nspecial, the original electronic press kit and promotional materials.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino have a great many Blu-rays in various genres from\nseveral different eras. The list includes the first adaptation of Jules Vern\u2019s classic,\n20,000 Leagues Under the Sea<\/em> (1916). This silent film comes with a film\nhistorian track. You can also pick up the Anthony Quinn\/Margaret O\u2019Hara\nswashbuckler, Against All Flags<\/em> (1952), with also comes with a movie\nexpert commentary and trailer. On a different note, there\u2019s the arthouse drama A\nBigger Splash<\/em> (1973). That disc arrives with a director commentary, booklet\nessay and two shorts from the filmmaker. Hannibal Brooks<\/em> (1969) is an\neccentric WWII comedy from director Michael Winner (Death Wish<\/em>) that\nstars Oliver Reed as a POW assigned to take care of an elephant at a Munich zoo.\nThe human and pachyderm attempt an elaborate escape from their captors. This particular\ndisc includes a new 2K master of the movie and trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lorenzo\u2019s Oil<\/em> (1992) is unique in the fact that it is a drama from writer\/director George Miller (the Mad Max<\/em> series, The Witches of Eastwick<\/em>, Babe: Pig in the City<\/em>). While the filmmaker is generally known for making more kinetic and action-filled features, the subject matter here does make sense given the filmmaker\u2019s previous career as an MD. This Oscar nominated film is based on a true story and follows the efforts of a husband and wife to find a cure for his son\u2019s rare brain disorder. The Blu-ray also includes a movie historian commentary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additionally, the Joe Pesci neo-noir The Public Eye<\/em>\n(1992) is arriving in high definition. Set in the 1940s, it\u2019s about a crime\nscene photographer who gets mixed up with the mob. This title comes with a\nwriter\/director commentary from Howard Franklin (Quick Change<\/em>) and a\ntrailer. You\u2019ll get similar bonuses with the Blu-ray for the Sissy Spacek effort,\nRaggedy Man<\/em> (1981). The same actress stars with Mel Gibson in the Oscar-nominated\ndrama The River<\/em> (1984), which follows a family trying to survive a powerful\nstorm and flood on their farm. Like the other titles listed, this Blu-ray features\nand informative audio track bonus and a trailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for something older, the distributor has\nBlu-rays of the boxing drama The Shakedown<\/em> (1929), which again includes\na film historian commentary. They are also prepping another Michael Winner title,\nThe System<\/em> (1964) aka The Girl-Getters<\/em>, a UK effort featuring Oliver\nReed and David Hemmings as part of a gang looking to take advantage of young\nladies at a seaside resort. The Blu-ray comes with a movie critic commentary, a\n20-minte featurette on the movie and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those in the mood for more entertainment from Mel Gibson can also pick up one of his directorial endeavors, Apocalypto<\/em> (2006). The Blu-ray arrives courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films. This Maya-language film follows a peaceful tribe who are attacked by enemies who need them for sacrificial purposes. The feature has been out-of-print for a while and is now being made available once again. If memory serves, it\u2019s one of Gibson\u2019s strongest efforts behind the camera. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vinegar Syndrome are presenting Best Friends<\/em> (1975) on\nBlu-ray. It\u2019s a B-movie about a two childhood friends heading out on a trip\ntogether. One couple plans to marry, but the friend decides to try and sabotage\nthe relationship. The movie has been newly scanned and restored in 2K from the 35mm\noriginal camera negative. It also includes interviews with the director,\ncinematographer, editor and composer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they have a Blu-ray of Old Dracula<\/em> (1975), an old\ncomedy with David Niven playing the bloodsucker. It has also been scanned and\nrestored in 2K and comes with a promotional still gallery and an interview with\nthe director of photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severin have some, well, seedier stuff arriving this week on\nBlu-ray. Mondo Bizarro<\/em> (1967) is a film hosted by Boris Karloff that\nfeatures \u201cdocumentary\u201d both real and faked of shocking acts performed around\nthe world. Scanned in 4K from the original negative, purchases will also\nreceive The Orientals<\/em> (1960), an early Mondo-themed title scanned from a\n35mm print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you like really terrible zombie movies, then maybe you\u2019ll enjoy the notorious French feature The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls<\/em> (1987). It\u2019s about a group of female ladies who drink tainted milk and turn into walking corpses that tear and devour the private parts off of their victims. Severin is presenting this title, uncut and remastered in HD. Bonus features includes an interview with the director as well as the special effects artists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have The Wild, Wild World of Jane Mansfield<\/em>\n(1968), This is another Mondo-style exploitation film featuring footage of the\nstar (narrated by a soundalike) visiting a nudist colony and other locales that\nwould have been considered (at the time) on the fringes of society. When the actress\npassed away in a car accident, the filmmakers, in rather poor taste added photographs\nfrom the scene of her death. The movie has been scanned from a 35mm print and viewers\nwill get a second Mondo flick, Wild, Weird Wonderful Italians<\/em> (1966)\nincluded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Code Red are releasing a Blu-ray of Slave of the Cannibal\nGod<\/em> (1978) a horror\/adventure film starring Ursula Andress and Stacy Keach.\nThe disc includes the unrated international cut and the US release version, along\nwith trailers and an interview with star Keach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On a completely different note, Warner Archive are putting out\nsome made-to-order Blu-rays. The first is the Mickey Rooney\/Judy Garland musical\ncomedy, Girl Crazy<\/em> (1943). The pair help put on a musical show to save\ntheir college in the American West. Million Dollar Mermaid<\/em> (1952) is a musical\ndetailing the life story of Australian swimming champion Annette Kellerman. It\nstars Esther Williams and Victor Mature. The film was nominated for an Academy\nAward for its cinematography. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they have a Blu-ray of an early Hollywood adaptation of\nJane Austin\u2019s Pride and Prejudice<\/em> (1940). This version features Greer\nGarson and Laurence Olivier. It won an Oscar for Art Direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s a quiet week for children, but you expect more to arrive\nin the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some of the TV-related highlights arriving on disc.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Experience: The Man Who Tried to Feed the World<\/em> (PBS)
Deadwater Fell<\/em>: Series 1
Hawaii Five-O<\/em>: The Final Season
James Cameron\u2019s Story of Science Fiction<\/em> (AMC TV mini-series)
Marijuana: A Chronic History<\/em> (History Network)
NCIS<\/em>: Season 17
The Outsider<\/em>: Season 1
Somewhere South<\/em>: Season 1 (PBS)
Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations<\/em> (PBS)
Wonder Woman<\/em>: The Complete Collection (70s TV series) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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