{"id":21161,"date":"2020-08-31T18:08:01","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T01:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=21161"},"modified":"2020-08-31T18:08:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T01:08:01","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-september-1st-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=21161","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for September 1st, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome back to another look at some of the highlights\narriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There\u2019s plenty of interesting stuff to choose from\nboth new and old in this edition, including a high-profile feature. So, since\nyou likely can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these\ntitles a try! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest<\/em> \u2013 For those unfamiliar\nwith Baba Yaga, this figure is a witch famous in Eastern European folklore.\nThis Russian horror flick updates the legend for modern audiences. A family\nmoves out to the countryside and hire a nanny to care for the kids.\nUnfortunately, the children immediately start to suspect that the governess is\na monster. The son becomes certain when his sister disappears and his parents\nbegin acting in a trance-like manner. There aren\u2019t any reviews yet in this part\nof the world for this Russian-language feature, but online write-ups haven\u2019t\nbeen all that positive. Many have complained that the filmmakers throw away the\ncharacter\u2019s history and instead ape the generic American horror film formula. It\nfeatures Oleg Chugunov, Glafira\nGolubeva and Artyom Zhigulin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blood Quantum<\/em> \u2013 This independent horror flick from\nCanada was premiered on the horror streaming service Shudder and is now it is\nbeing released on disc. The plot involves a zombie plague rampaging through a\nFirst Nations community. After locking themselves in from the undead, the group\nmust figure out how to find a cure and whether or not to let outsiders into their\nreserve. This picture earned a lot of great press and received solid reviews.\nOne or two thought that it mishandled an interesting concept. However, the\nmajority stated that it was a violent and disturbing horror picture with plenty\nof great commentary. Some even thought it reminded them of the films of George\nA. Romero (Night of the Living Dead<\/em>, Dawn of the Dead<\/em>). It stars\nMichael Greyeyes, Elle-M\u00e1ij\u00e1\nTailfeathers, Forrest Goodluck and Kiowa Gordon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Children of the Sea<\/em> \u2013 After she claims to have witnessed\na ghost at the aquarium where her dad works, a young girl grows up and is drawn\nback to the site some years later. She befriends two boys who claim to have\nheard and seen the same things that she did. As the group try to figure out\nwhat they have experienced, they soon discover that those working at the\naquarium may actually know more about the phenomenon than they are letting on. Notices\nwere generally positive for this animated feature from Japan. A few said that\nit was pretty but that the story didn\u2019t make much sense. However, most suggested\nthat while it was confusing in spots, this still was a gorgeously animated ode\nto the sea that impressed and transfixed them. The release includes a Japanese track\nwith English subtitles and an English language audio track.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cut Off<\/em> \u2013 If you\u2019re looking for a crime thriller\nrevolving around the world of forensic pathology, you may be interested in this\nGerman-language effort (released as Abgeschnitten<\/em> in its homeland). If\nfollows a coroner asked to perform an autopsy on s severed head from a crime scene.\nThe lead is shocked to discover a note in the skull with his estranged daughter\u2019s\nphone number scrawled on it. With the help of an intern, he heads out to try\nand determine who the killer is and save his daughter\u2026 before she becomes the\nnext victim. Critics enjoyed this picture and as of yet it hasn\u2019t   received any negative reviews. They appear to\nadmit that the movie is a bit over-the-top and exaggerated, but they could help\nbut be swept up in the narrative and found it to be a pulse-pounding ride. Moritz\nBleibtreu, Jasna Fritzi Bauer and Lars Eidinger headline the flick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Irresistible<\/em> \u2013 Comedian and political commentator (among other things) Jon Stewart wrote and directed this comedy about a Democratic political strategist looking to make inroads in a conservative farming community. When he decides to encourage a local man to run for mayor, the lead\u2019s Republican nemesis arrives and the small-town race makes national headlines. Desperate to win, the opponents to try more and more outrageous tricks to one-up each other. Reaction was mixed towards this effort and it received a few more negative notes than positive ones. Some thought that it was a good deal of fun and aptly criticizes modern political campaigns. However, more wanted it to take a stronger stance and suggested that it doesn\u2019t tell us anything about the process that we don\u2019t already know. It stars Steve Carrell, Rose Byrne, Chris Cooper, Brent Saxton, Will lSasso, Topher Grace and Natasha Lyonne. To read a full review of the movie, click here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jump Shot: The Kenny Sailors Story<\/em> \u2013 Sports fans may\nget a kick out of this documentary that details the work of Kenny Sailors, the\nproclaimed developer of the modern-day jump shot in basketball. It includes\nfootage of the man introducing the technique in the Collegiate National Championship\nin 1943. However, after his career went south, the man disappeared into the\nAlaskan wilderness. Various guest speakers and fans speak up and tell how this\nlittle-known figure influenced the game and changed the way it is played.\nNotices for the feature were excellent, with all of those who reviewed it giving\nit high marks. They said that it was a sweet and inspirational tale about a\nforgotten piece of basketball history. Interview subjects include Steph Curry,\nKevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Jay Bilas, Clark Kellogg, Bob Knight, Lou\nCarneseca, Kiki Vandeweghe, Nancy Lieberman and other sports legends.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Murder Death Koreatown<\/em> \u2013 This strange feature is a found-footage\nfilm about an unemployed man whose neighbor is murdered. The protagonist\ndecides to investigate the crime himself. The trail spirals him down some strangely\ndark and dangerous corners, until he eventually becomes convinced of an\nelaborate conspiracy revolving around the slaying. This picture is already available\non Amazon Prime, but is now debuting on disc. Response was reasonably good, if\nsomewhat confused. A percentage called it an artistic exercise that really didn\u2019t\nknow what it was trying to accomplish and quickly became tiring. However, more\nadmired the movie and found it fascinating, even if they couldn\u2019t figure out exactly\nwhat the flick really was attempting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Odd Man Rush<\/em> \u2013 An American kid with dreams of playing\nprofessional hockey is drafted into Sweden\u2019s minor leagues in this independent comedy\/drama.\nUnfortunately, this immediately creates a great deal of strife, as the young man\nis in a serious relationship with a girl at the local market. He must figure\nout whether or not to accept the offer and play abroad or stay with his lady\nand try to find a career closer to home. This movie is based on a popular and\nvery well-regarded biographical book by Bill Keenan. It appears to be debuting\non disc and so there are almost no reviews for it from critics at this point in\ntime. Unfortunately, the only one that has appeared suggests that while its\nintentions are good, the movie itself doesn\u2019t come close to reaching the cinematic\nheights of Slap Shot<\/em> or Goon<\/em>.  Dylan Playfair, Jack Mulhern headline the\nfeature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rogue<\/em> \u2013 A battle-hardened mercenary leads a team of\nsoldiers on a dangerous mission in a remote part of Africa to rescue a group of\nhostages from a group of violent rebels. Unfortunately, the mission doesn\u2019t go\nas planned and the heroes find themselves wounded and stranded. They are forced\nnot only to fight off enemies, but enraged and hungry lions who are looking for\ntheir next meal. This action picture received a limited release last week and\nis now appearing on disc. Very few members of the press have written it up, although\nthe notices that have popped up aren\u2019t terrible. One of them does call it a forgettable\nand silly flick with bad visual effects that doesn\u2019t even quality as a so-bad-it\u2019s-good\nkind of movie. However, other have stated that it delivers a few thrills and mentioned\nthat the lead performance is better-than-anticipated. It stars Megan Fox,\nPhilip Winchester, Greg Kriek, Brandon Auret and Jessica Sutton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Looking to discover or revisit something a little older? AGFA\n(American Genre Film Archive) are releasing a Blu-ray of Limbo<\/em> (1999), written\nand directed by Tina Krause, the star of hundreds of micro-budgeted independent\ngenre pictures. It is described as presenting three days in the life of a woman\nnamed Elizabeth, as she deals with identity issues, sexist mouth-breathers,\nsupernatural manifestations… and a possible trip to Hell. The movie has\nbeen transferred from the original S-VHS master tape and comes with a filmmaker\ncommentary, an archival behind-the-scenes documentary, a short film made by Tina\nKrause, a Q&A and another short starring Krause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino have a great selection of titles this week, including\nsome amazing international features that are well worth picking up. The first\nBlu-ray is of the foreign-language film noir, Black Gravel<\/em> (1961), about\nlife in post-war Germany. It features characters struggling to survive and\ntaking to the black market. The disc includes the uncensored version that played\nat its premiere and the re-editing cut that was eventually distributed. It also\ncomes with a film historian commentary.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Britannia Hospital<\/em> (1982) is a dark comedy and satire\nabout a reporter who arrives to make a documentary on the opening of a new wing\nat the title location. The movie satirizes British Society and features an\nall-star cast including Malcolm McDowell, Mark Hamill, Joan Plowright and many\nothers. The Blu-ray includes a high-definition remaster of the title, a critic\ncommentary and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019m very excited about this upcoming release which is making its Blu-ray debut in North America. Clockwise<\/em> (1986) is a fantastic comedy starring John Cleese as a stuffy, arrogant headmaster who runs a tight, organized and regimented life scheduled down to the minute. When he\u2019s asked to give a hugely important speech at a conference, everything starts going wrong and his career as well as sanity begin to fall to pieces. It\u2019s a brilliantly funny movie that wasn\u2019t a big hit during its original release and deserves to be seen by more British comedy fans. This Blu-ray includes a new 4K remaster of the film courtesy of StudioCanal, as well as an interview with John Cleese, a feature on the score, an entertainment journalist audio commentary and a trailer. I\u2019ll be picking this one up as soon as possible.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agatha Christie fans will be happy to see the Blu-ray eleases\nof three movies based upon her works. The first is a Special Edition of the\nHercule Poirot mystery, Death on the Nile<\/em> (1978). This all-star murder\nmystery features Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Olivia Hussey, George\nKennedy, Angela Lansbury, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Jack Warden, Jane Birkin,\nLois Chiles, Jon Finch and Simon MacCorkindale (Manimal<\/em> himself!). You\u2019ll\nget a film historian commentary, a making-of, interviews with Ustinov and Jane\nBirkin, as well as trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re looking for more in a similar vein, Evil Under the\nSun<\/em> (1982) is another whodunit? set on a beautiful island for the rich and\nfamous. It also features Ustinov as detective Poirot alongside James Mason,\nMaggie Smith, Roddy McDowell, Diana Rigg and many others. This one comes with another\nfilm expert audio track, a making-of as well as all sorts of publicity\nmaterials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mirror Crack\u2019d<\/em> (1980) doesn\u2019t feature Hercule\nPoirot, but it is another Christie mystery about a murder on a film set. They\ndidn\u2019t skimp on the cast either for this production, which includes Angela\nLansbury, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Rock Hudson, Geraldine Chaplin, Tony\nCurtis and Peirce Brosnan. The extras are almost identical to the previous discs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, all three of the titles have been given crisp,\n2K restorations, so they\u2019ll look great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they also have a Blu-ray of the drama, The Raging\nMoon<\/em> (1971), which casts Malcolm McDowell as a young man who loses the use\nof his legs after an accident during a soccer match. While in recovery, he\nfalls for another patient and the two try to make a new start in life. StudioCanal\nhave restored this title in 2K and disc also includes a 2016 interview with\nMcDowell, as well as trailers and a critic commentary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you are more interested in genre pictures. Vinegar Syndrome have some Blu-rays that may be of interest. The Eleventh Commandment<\/em> (1986) is about a man whose uncle institutionalizes him in order to steal his inheritance. The experience makes the lead into a violent psychopath as he escapes and seeks revenge. Besides a 2K restoration of the movie, the disc comes with cast member interviews and a promotional still gallery. Perfect Strangers<\/em> (1984) involves an assassin who thinks that a child may have witnessed him while taking part in a hit. In order to find out for sure, he begins dating the kid\u2019s single mother. This title from Larry Cohen (The Stuff<\/em>, God Told Me To<\/em>) has been given a 2K restoration and includes interviews with the female lead and Cohen himself, along with promotional materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toy Soldiers<\/em> (1984) is a goofy action picture about a\ngroup of college students vacationing in Central America. When they\u2019re taken hostage\nby a militia, one student escapes. She decides to create her own team of soldiers\nto raid their compound and get her friends back. Code Red are releasing this\nBlu-ray, and it includes a new remaster of the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, Warner Bros are releasing a series of older title\nwith new and sharp 4K transfers for those who have TV and players capable of\nthe up-conversion. This week, the releases include Beetlejuice<\/em> (1988), The\nGoonies<\/em> (1985), Sherlock Holmes<\/em> (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A\nGame of Shadows<\/em> (2011). I\u2019m not entirely certain, but more than likely all\nof the other extras and bonuses previously released should be included on these\ndiscs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some new discs that may please kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue’s Clues & You!<\/em> (Nickelodeon)
Gigantosaurus<\/em>: Season 1, Volume 1
Looney Tunes: Holiday Triple Feature<\/em> DVD
Sesame Street: Monster Hits – Rock & Rhyme with Elmo<\/em>
Sonic Boom: Robot Uprising!\ufeff<\/em>
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On the Tube!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And these are some of the TV-themed releases coming your\nway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy Yoga for Everything with Peggy Cappy<\/em> (PBS)
Gigantosaurus<\/em>: Season 1, Volume 1
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection<\/em>: Nature of Love<\/em> and Pearl in Paradise<\/em>
Prehistoric Road Trip<\/em> (PBS)
SeaChange: Paradise Reclaimed<\/em> (new 2020 season of Australian series from the late 90s)
Young Sheldon<\/em>: Season 3 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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