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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Barge People<\/em> \u2013 A couple of sisters decide to head\nout on a getaway with their boyfriends, renting a barge and sailing on an\nEnglish canal in a remote area. That\u2019s always a bad idea in a horror movie.\nBefore long, the group learns that toxic chemicals have been dumped in the waters\nand they find themselves under attack from cannibal mutant monsters. Can the\ngroup fight them off before they are devoured? This low-budget genre picture played\nat various horror film festivals over 2019. It didn\u2019t end up getting a big\nrelease, but has managed to pick up a distributor on disc. As such, there aren\u2019t\nmany reviews for the movie. A few who did see the movie over the past year did post\na few online comments, calling the flick a bit clumsy in its execution. The\ncast includes Kate Davies-Speak, Mark McKirdy, Makenna Guyler, Natalie Martins\nand Matt Swales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Collini Case<\/em> \u2013 In this foreign-language crime\ndrama, a young lawyer is tasked with defending a retired Italian worker living\nin Germany who has murderer a famous industrialist. The barrister accepts the\ncase even after it is revealed that that he was a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of the victim. That\nmight seem like a conflict of interests, but the protagonist continues and soon\ndiscovers a vast conspiracy around the slaying. The press appeared to be very positive\nabout this title. A small group complained that the movie felt too conventional\nand overbaked to engage viewers. Still, far more complimented the performances\nand suggested that this was a solid legal drama that presented some interesting\nsurprises along the way. It stars Elyas M\u2019Barek, Alexandra Maria Lara, Heiner Lauterbach,\nManfred Lapatka and Franco Nero. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons \u2013 The Movie<\/em> \u2013\nRegular readers will no doubt be familiar with all of the animated direct-to-disc\nfeatures based on comic book superheroes being released. This R-rated entry\nfrom DC deals with Deathstroke, a family man by day and villainous killer by\nnight. When his various attacks on the public result in his own son being\nkidnapped, the lead is forced to atone for his past and try to save his child. Critic\nresponse towards this effort was solid. There was as contingent who found it a little\nbland and thought that this title didn\u2019t offer any twists to set it apart for\nother titles in the line. Still, most suggested that the feature was well\nanimated and featured a lot of exciting (and bloody) action that would please adult\ncomic book fans. The voice cast includes Michael Chiklis, Sasha Alexander,\nAsher Bishop and Castulo Guerra. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dog\u2019s Courage<\/em> \u2013 This title was supposed to have\nbeen released in April, but was pulled at the last minute and is arriving now. Known\nin some parts of the world as The Underdog<\/em>, this animated feature\nfrom South Korea tells the story of a dog that is abandoned by its owner and\nforced to live on the streets. The lead finds a pack of stray pooches and joins\nthem in their attempts to redefine themselves and make a new own human-free\nhome. This movie played at several festivals in various countries including\nSouth Korea, Taiwan and Japan, where it appeared to earn a positive response.\nHowever, there are currently no detailed reviews available in this part of the\nworld, so interested parties will have to throw caution to the wind and go into\nit cold. The disc itself presents both the original Korean-language version\nwith English subtitles as well as an English-language dub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter the Forbidden City<\/em> \u2013 A famous opera singer in\nImperial China gets himself thrown out of Beijing for vulgarity. After making a\nnew start in another town, he takes on apprentices and teaches them the tricks\nof the trade. Years later, his work has resulted in a famous opera company and\nthe group are invited back to the capital city for a big celebration. The lead\nmust decide whether or not to accept the offer and if he returns, how to address\nand deal with those who had cast him out years before. This historical drama\nhasn\u2019t been seen by many in this part of the world, but it was a success in its\nhomeland. In fact, it nabbed several nominations and won a few awards at festivals\nand the Chinese equivalent of the Oscars. The cast includes Dalong Fu, Jinghan\nMa, Yili Ma and Ziwen Wang. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fragtime<\/em> \u2013 While daydreaming, a teenager discovers\nthat she has a very unusual gift\u2026 that she can freeze time for a few minutes.\nUnfortunately, she can only do it once a day and since it\u2019s only for a brief\nperiod, she is unable to really use it to change much. However, when she decides\nto use the gift to approach another female classmate that she has a crush on, the\nlead is shocked to discover that her target is immune to her powers. The embarrassed\nstudent is put in an awkward situation and tries to make it up to the classmate,\nwith their relationship developing in the process. There aren\u2019t many articles about\nthis picture as of yet, nor is there a critical perspective on it. One online\nreview suggested that this movie is a sweet coming-of-age tale that could have\ndeveloped its concept further, but still manages to charm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Guest of Honour<\/em> \u2013 This drama deals with a complicated\nfather-daughter relationship. It begins after a teacher is jailed for sexual\nassault on a student. She doesn\u2019t fight the charges, claiming that she should\nbe imprisoned for something she did earlier in her life. Her anguished and\nangry father arrives to try and get her released. He has issues as well, taking\nhis aggression out on others at his place of work. As we learn more about the\ncharacters, we learn about their troubled past and what led to their strange\nchoices. Reaction was mixed towards this film. Some commented that this grim\nand downbeat feature was one of best later efforts from Canadian writer\/director\nAtom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter<\/em>, Ararat<\/em>, Remember<\/em>).\nHowever, a slightly larger percentage found the characters difficult to relate\nto and the story ponderous. It stars David Thewlis, Laysla De Oliveira, Luke\nWilson and Rossif Sutherland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I Am Vengeance: Retaliation<\/em> \u2013 One movie that won\u2019t be accused of being too intellectual or ponderous is this British action picture that is a sequel to the 2018 direct-to-DVD film, I Am Vengeance<\/em>. This follow-up begins with its ex-Special Forces hero being tasked with transporting the criminal who betrayed the protagonist\u2019s unit during their final mission. The hero would rather kill the villain, but agrees to the job and must evade assassins and mercenaries to get the bad guy to jail. Reaction was roughly split towards this follow-up. A group thought it was an entertaining B-movie that featured some decent action scenes. Still, more said the thinly drawn story was riddled with clich\u00e9s that no gunfights and fisticuffs could overcome its deeper flaws. Stu Bennett, Vinnie Jones, Sam Benjamin and Jacob Anderton headline the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Looks That Kill<\/em> \u2013 This independent teen comedy features\na lead with an incredible bizarre condition. He\u2019s so attractive that he can\nkill anyone with his incredible looks. As a result, the kid is forced to wrap\nhimself in bandages and make himself look unappealing to others. His life\nchanges when he meets a girl with a bizarre ailment of her own. She decides to help\nthe lead on a quest of self-discovery and two soon develop feelings for each\nother. This title was released on the internet last month and is now arriving on\ndisc. There isn\u2019t much press about the feature and, as of right now, only a\ncouple of notices have appeared. They haven\u2019t been overwhelming, stating that\nthe cast are fine but that the story feels cobbled together and derivative. If\nfeatures Brandon Flynn, Julia Goldani Telles, Ki Hong Lee and Annie Mumolo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Open 24 Hours<\/em> \u2013 A woman is released from an asylum\nafter years of abuse from her serial killer boyfriend. Known as The Rain Ripper,\nthe maniac used to force her to watch him as he mutilated people. Out on her\nown, the heroine quickly realizes that others are suspicious of her and she has\ndifficultly finding a job. After taking a position as an all-night gas station\nattendant, she begins suffering from terrifying visions involving mutilated\nfriends and co-workers\u2026 or could the bodies be real? Response towards this\nindie horror flick was split. Almost half said it could never get a handle on\nthe proper tone and felt like a missed opportunity. Still, there were a few more\nwho believed that this was a well-acted and effective creeper. The cast\nincludes Vanessa Grasse, Brendan Fletcher, Cole Vigue and Emily Tennant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Outpost<\/em> \u2013 Based on a true story, this war picture\nfollows a group of soldiers stationed at the deadliest outpost in Afghanistan.\nWhen they are unexpectedly surprised by a massive force of Taliban insurgents,\nthe men must guard the facility, fend off the onslaught and try to remain\nalive. This feature was recently released for streaming and is now arriving on\ndisc. Despite a lack of publicity, the movie was well regarded by the press. One\nor two stated that by the end they ultimately decided that the enterprise had\nlittle of importance to say about the situation that what was displayed. However,\nthe consensus was that the movie was an extremely tense and disturbing, expertly\nedited and nerve-wrecking throughout. It stars Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry\nJones, Orlando Bloom, Jack Kesy, Cory Hardrict and Milo Gibson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prevenge<\/em> \u2013 This UK horror\/comedy has actually been\naround for a few years, but has been a streaming exclusive on Shudder in North\nAmerica. Now it is finally being released on disc. The story involves a woman\nin the seventh month of her pregnancy who begins believing that her unborn\nchild is influencing her behavior. Guided by her fetus, the mom-to-be goes on a\nrampage, killing anyone who gets in her way. Overall, critics enjoyed this dark\ncomedy. A small number complained that beyond the unique concept, the flick didn\u2019t\nhave much to say and was in bad taste. Still, the majority did suggest that this\nwas a clever flick and felt that it was hinting at more than what was on the\nsurface. They also said that it benefited from an exceptional lead performance.\nThe cast includes Alice Lowe, Gemma Whelan, Kate Dickie and Jo Hartley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those Who Deserve to Die<\/em> \u2013 A small southern town is\nrocked by a series of savage murders committed by a figure dressed in a cape alongside\na very sinister young girl. In the meantime, a troubled war veteran returns\nhome to attend college and fulfil a family obligation. He soon begins dating a\nsocial worker. The more time they spend together, the more that the new girlfriend\nsees connections between the soldier and the maniacs. There currently is only\none critic review available for this independent horror picture. It\u2019s a\nmiddling write-up, suggesting that the flick has its strengths but sparks between\nthe leads isn\u2019t one of them, and as a result it doesn\u2019t quite reach the heights\nthat it\u2019s aspiring to. It features Joey Sykes, Rachel Frawley and Lynn Lowry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blasts from the Past!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While most of this week\u2019s new releases are for quirky and independent releases, that isn\u2019t the case for all the older titles arriving on Blu-ray. Arrow Video are getting the ball rolling with the new release of the cult flick, Flash Gordon<\/em> (1980). For those who aren\u2019t familiar with the character or theme song by Queen, this hero is one of the greatest ever. In truth, he\u2019s a football player tasked with taking down a sinister megalomaniac named Ming the Merciless, who wants to take over and destroy the Earth. The movie tanked when it was released 40 years ago, but has a cheesy charm, a great soundtrack and has developed a large following over the years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can get multiple Limited Editions from Arrow including a\n4K version, as well as 2-disc Collector\u2019s Set and a standard version.\nApparently, this release features astounding picture quality, newly restored in\n4K. You\u2019ll get multiple archives audio commentaries, including one with director\nMike Hodges (Get Carter<\/em>, Black Rainbow<\/em>, Croupier<\/em>). You\u2019ll\nalso get interviews with just about all of the cast and crew, an archival\ndocumentary on the movie, an episode of the animated series spin-off (that was\nquickly cancelled after the film bombed), deleted scenes, ideas for the sequels\nthat never happened, a 35th<\/sup> anniversary special that includes the director\nand cast discussing the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s also a new and lengthy special on what happened behind\nthe scenes of the movie. It seems that Nicholas Roeg (Don\u2019t Look Now<\/em>, The\nMan Who Fell to Earth<\/em>, The Witches<\/em>) was initially hired to make the\nmovie, but left just before filming began. You\u2019ll find out just what his\nversion might have been like. You\u2019ll also see a 2017 feature-length documentary\non star Sam Jones and the effects both positive and negative that this flick\nhad on his acting career. And much, much more. It sounds like an incredible and\ninformative disc that should please anyone interested in the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And they are re-releasing their out-of-print Special Edition\nBlu-ray of The Last House on the Left<\/em> (1972). It\u2019s an impressive, bonus-filled\nremastering of the early creeper from writer\/director Wes Craven (The Hills\nHave Eyes<\/em>, A Nightmare on Elm Street<\/em>, Scream<\/em>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Arrow are also delivering the well-regarded sci-fi\/horror\/action\nflick, Pitch Black<\/em> (2000). This marked an early starring role for Vin\nDiesel and remains one of his best flicks. He plays a convict on a spacecraft that\ncrashes on a deserted planet. When the sun sets, the survivors discover that\nhungry aliens have come out to feast. The crew, passengers, an officer and the criminal\nmust overcome their differences and team up in order to survive. This Special\nEdition includes new 4K restorations of the theatrical and director\u2019s cuts of\nthe movie, two archived audio commentaries (one with director David Twohy and\ncast members including Diesel, the other with the filmmaker alongside the\nproducer and visual effects team). It also comes with brand new interviews with\nTwohy, the visual effects supervisor, the composer, all of the bonuses from\nolder releases of the movie, behind-the-scenes footage, a short prequel to the\nmovie, an animated short featuring Riddick, publicity materials and other extras.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japanese monster movie fans, today is a big day. Arrow are also putting out an 8-disc Blu-ray box set called Gamera: The Complete Collection<\/em> (1965 \u2013 2006) which contains every film ever made starring the giant heroic monster-battling turtle (there are 12 full-length features in total). Some of the earlier films are silly and a few of the later ones stand tall with any Godzilla flick out there. All of them are loads of fun. You\u2019ll get the uncut Japanese version of every flick and hours of extras (the most recent grouping of films is being given a 4K upgrade). The set also includes multiple historian commentaries and bonuses. In addition, you\u2019ll receive a 120-page comic reprint of a four-issue series starring Gamera and book featuring a new retrospective on the series. It all looks incredible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shout! Factory are releasing a Blu-ray title as well. Frankenstein\nand the Monster from Hell<\/em> (1974) is another period Hammer picture starring\nPeter Cushing as the legendary mad scientist, still alive making a new creation.\nThis edition includes a film historian audio commentary, a new special on the career\nof the producer of the movie, an archived audio track with cast members and\npublicity materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kino have a great many Blu-rays on offer. They include the\nRichard Widmark western Backlash <\/em>(1956) and the World War I feature, The\nEagle and the Hawk<\/em> (1933), starring Cary Grant and Carole Lombard. The drama\nOld Boyfriends<\/em> (1979) has been given a 4K Blu-ray remaster. This drama stars\nTalia Shire (Rocky<\/em>) as a psychiatrist whose marriage falls apart. She decides\nto find old boyfriends to see if their bad behavior influenced her or caused\nher marriage to implode. The movie also stars Keith Carradine, Richard Jordan and\nJohn Belushi. All three of these titles come with film historian audio\ncommentaries and trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Raid on Rommel<\/em> (1971) is a World War II action\nadventure with Richard Burton as a Captain behind enemy recruiting a new group of\nsoldiers to fight with him. The Red Ball Express<\/em> (1952) is another war feature\nin the same vein featuring Jeff Chandler and Sidney Poitier. Soldier Blue<\/em>\n(1970) was promoted as an anti-racist western with Candace Bergen. And Wake Island<\/em>\n(1942) is, yet again, a World War II flick about Marines fighting off Nazis. All\nfour of these Blu-rays include film expert audio commentaries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Recently, the distributor also started delivering Double\nFeature Blu-rays of hilariously out-of-date educational films as part of their Forbidden\nFruit<\/em> line. Their latest addition contains She Shoulda Said \u2018No!\u2019<\/em>\n(1949) and The Devil\u2019s Sleep<\/em> (1949). This is the sixth volume and both of\nthe flicks are anti-marijuana movies that exaggeratedly detail the problems associated\nwith smoking cannabis. The disc includes a historian commentary on one of the pictures\nand a trailer gallery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sony are delving into their back catalog with Blu-rays of catalog films. The first is the Robbie Benson Olympic ice-skating drama\/romance Ice Castles<\/em> (1978). Rubin & Ed<\/em> (1991)\u00a0is a quirky comedy starring Crispin Glover and Howard Hesseman about an odd recluse and a desperate salesman who end up teaming up in order to seek out a burial spot for a deceased cat. The pair end up stranded together in Death Valley. The feature includes some trippy images of the feline \u2013 count me in as being very interested in catching up with this flick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you miss action pictures from the 1980s, you can now see\nFred Dreyer take on baddies in Scorpion\u2019s release of Death Before Dishonor<\/em>\n(1987). The Blu-ray includes a new HD master of the movie, as well as a\nrecently recorded interview with the director and another talk with co-star\nKasey Walker. You\u2019ll also get a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Criterion have two new Blu-ray releases as well. The first\nis for the star-studded drama, The Comfort of Strangers <\/em>(1990). Set in\nVenice, it follows a couple working on their relationship who are manipulated by\na stranger they encounter in the city. Rupert Everett, Natasha Richardson, Christopher\nWalker and Helen Mirren headline the movie. The transfer comes from a new 4K\nmaster and the Blu-ray includes two commentaries (one with director Paul\nSchrader and a second with a film historian), interviews with Christopher\nWalken, cinematographer Dante Spinotti and many others. It also comes with a\ntrailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Town Bloody Hall<\/em> (1979) is a documentary from D. A. Pennebaker (Monterey Pop<\/em>, Bob Dylan: Don\u2019t Look Back<\/em>) and Chris Hegedus (Jimi Plays Monterey<\/em>) in which he records a debate and discussion between rabble-rousing author Norman Mailer on female liberation with members of the women\u2019s movement. No doubt he comes off looking quite bad. The film has been restored in 2K, includes a new interview and commentary with Hegedus, footage from a 2004 celebration of the film, an appearance by Mailer on The Dick Cavett Show and archival interviews with Germaine Greer and Mailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warner Archive are making the Whoopi Goldberg period drama Clara\u2019s Heart<\/em> (1988) available as a made-to-order Blu-ray. She plays a housekeeper in Baltimore who forms a bond with the troubled teenage boy (a very young Neil Patrick Harris) in the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paramount are putting together four horror releases and\nrepackaging them as the Thrills & Chills! 4-Movie Collection (2018 \u2013\n2019)<\/em>. The Blu-rays includes are the recent remake of Pet Sematary<\/em>\n(2019), A Quiet Place<\/em> (2018), Crawl<\/em> (2019) and Overlord <\/em>(2018).\nThere are a couple of flicks in there that are entertaining. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Universal also have a Blu-ray of their horror picture, Curve<\/em> (2015). This one is about a woman who tries to commit suicide by crashing her car in the mountains. She survives, but finds herself trapped in the vehicle and tormented by a psychopath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You Know, For Kids!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some releases that may appeal to youngsters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dog\u2019s Courage<\/em> On the Tube!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And here are the week\u2019s TV-themed titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Batwoman<\/em>: Season 1 ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/DVD-collinii-case-1024x536.jpg\")
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Emma! 2: Dance Spectacular!<\/em> (The Wiggles) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cursed Films<\/em> (five-part Shudder documentary series)
Matching Hearts<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie)
The Terror: Infamy<\/em>: Season 2 <\/p>\n\n\n\n