{"id":21665,"date":"2020-11-30T15:29:26","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T23:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=21665"},"modified":"2020-11-30T15:29:26","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T23:29:26","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-december-1st-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=21665","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for December 1st, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the latest Blu-rays and\nDVD arriving on store shelves. There are plenty of familiar titles arriving on\ndisc both new and old in a wide variety of genres. So, since you can\u2019t or\nlikely shouldn\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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Cagefighter<\/em> \u2013 The title alone of this feature may\ngive you some idea of what you\u2019re in for. A mixed martial arts champion who has\nsuccessfully defended his title several times begins to hear word that he may\nbe an all-time great\u2026 as long as he can keep his winning streak going. However,\nthe lead\u2019s promoter decides to book him for a high-profile cross promotional\nevent in which he must square off against his toughest challenger yet\u2026 a\nfast-talking, professional wrestling superstar. There aren\u2019t a great many\nreviews for this title so far, but the ones that have appeared online have been\nreasonable. One write-up complained that the acting wasn\u2019t up to snuff, but the\nothers commented that the film was an interesting and enjoyable B-movie. It\nstars Gina Gershon, Alex Montagnani, Jonathan\nGood, Brenna Coates and Jay Reso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do Not Reply<\/em> \u2013 This independent horror film follows\nan introverted teen looking to make new friends. Unfortunately, after using a\nsocial media app and making a contact, she is kidnapped. She is taken to the\npsychopath\u2019s lair where he is keeping other young women captive and forcing\nthem to dress up in a particular way. The protagonist tries to encourage the\ngroup of prisoners to fight back and escape before they become murder victims.\nThis title is available for streaming and is now premiering on disc, but there\nisn\u2019t much buzz about it. A couple of negative notices have popped up,\ncomplaining that the concept wasn\u2019t well thought out or executed and that this\nflick felt too nasty and cruel for its own good. The cast includes Amanda\nArcuri, Jackson Rathbone, Kerri Medders, Elise Luthman and Ashlee F\u00fcss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fatman<\/em> \u2013 Those looking for more eccentric holiday entertainment may be intrigued by this dark tale about Saint Nicholas. Still living in the North Pole but struggling to keep his operation going, Santa faces new challenges after a wealthy young sociopath decides to punish the gift-given for leaving a lump of coal under the tree. The boy sends a hired killer out to assassinate the holiday icon, leading to a showdown between good and evil. Reaction from the press was split for this feature. Nearly half commented that the cast were strong and that this exaggerated and gruesome movie was an odd but intriguingly unique little fable. Slightly more said it took too long to find the right tone and didn\u2019t make the most of its exciting concept. It features Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Chance Hurstfield. To read a full review of the movie, click here<\/a>.<\/em> – NOTE: THE BLU-RAY\/DVD RELEASE DATE FOR FATMAN<\/em> HAS BEEN MOVED TO JANUARY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Made in Italy<\/em> \u2013 A London art gallery owner and his estranged bohemian artist father are forced back into each other\u2019s company when they are asked to sell an old family property in the Italian countryside. The two men are forced to head to the home in Tuscany and clean it up together, where they must ultimately address their various issues with one another. Can the two men work things out and will they ultimately sell the home? The press had divided opinions about the picture. Those who disliked the film said that the beautiful locations couldn\u2019t make up for a very routine and predictable story. Those who recommended the feature described it as pleasant and enjoyed the watching the cast. Liam Neeson, Miche\u00e1l Richardson, Valeria Bilello and Lindsay Duncan headline the film. To read this site\u2019s review of the picture, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rental<\/em> \u2013 Two brothers decide to rent a fancy home on the Northwestern coast for the weekend and take their significant others for a vacation there. When they arrive, they find the caretaker to be a bit off-putting, but decide to move ahead with their plans. Interpersonal issues begin to arise, but that problem is nothing compared to a strange and malevolent figure who appears to be watching them over their stay. Critics generally liked this independent thriller. About a quarter of them suggested that while the characters and set-up were interesting, the movie didn\u2019t deliver many surprises and ultimately went down the same road as other horror films. Still, the majority thought that director Dave Franco did a good job of establishing a foreboding mood and that the performances carried it through any rough spots. It stars Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand and Jeremy Allen White. To read more about the movie, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rising Hawk: Battle for the Carpathians<\/em> \u2013 Also\nknown simply as The Rising Hawk<\/em>, this period drama is set in Eastern\nEurope during the 13th<\/sup> century. As Mongol invaders move across the\nland raiding and pillaging villages, a small community in the mountains prepare\nthemselves for the inevitable onslaught. Local leaders try to come up with a specific\nplan to stop these forces and save themselves from death and destruction. This\ntale did not win its battle with reviewers, who generally panned the flick. One\nor two admired the attempts to develop individuals and deal with their emotional\nstruggles. However, most complained that it came across as cheesy instead of\nexciting and had a sluggish pace. The cast includes Alison Doody, Robert\nPatrick, Tommy Flanagan, Poppy Drayton and Alex MacNicoll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Unbelievable Plight of Mrs. Wright<\/em> \u2013 This\ndocumentary tells the story an American nurse and entrepreneur named Diana\nWright. To be frank, there isn\u2019t a lot of information available about the\ntitle. The press synopsis states that overcoming poverty and abuse, Wright\nbuilt a massive business devoted to improving the quality of life for nurses,\nonly to be given a terminal cancer death sentence by the very industry she\ndedicated her life to. Failed by the American medical system with only eight\nmonths to live, Diana takes her health into her own hands, spending her\nallotted time in search of the cure for cancer. As mentioned, there aren\u2019t many\nwrite-ups for the feature, but it has won awards at various film festivals\nacross North America. So, if it sounds interesting, then you might want to give\nit a shot.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Werewolf<\/em> \u2013 Released under the title Wilkolak<\/em>\nin its homeland, this Polish\/German production uses monsters to deal with the\nfallout of WWII. Set in 1945, it follows a group of kids who are liberated from\nan SS war camp and placed at a remote and dilapidated orphanage. Worried about\nSoviet soldiers arriving to harm them, the youths must deal not only with psychological\ntrauma, but also fend off a pack of hungry wolves who have surrounded the\nrickety complex. This foreign-language feature received excellent reviews from\nthe press. While one or two couldn\u2019t get a handle on the mixing of war, horror tropes\nand coming-of-age observations, the rest called the cast excellent, the\ncamerawork striking and described the movie as a powerful, unsettling and\ndisturbing drama about the effects of war. Kamil Polnisiak, Nicolas Przygoda, Sonia\nMietielica and Danuta Stenka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This week, Kino gets the ball rolling with some intriguing\nBlu-rays. Apache<\/em> (1954) stars Burt Lancaster as a warrior who escapes\nfrom his captors in the hopes of returning to his homeland. Attack!<\/em>\n(1956) is a war movie with Jack Palance and Eddie Albert. It is about a\ncommander who feels forced into taking the life of an ineffective captain. Both\nof these films were directed by Robert Aldrich (The Dirty Dozen<\/em>, Whatever\nHappened to Baby Jane?<\/em>) and each disc includes a trailer for the film.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It may come as a surprise to some, but Blues Brothers<\/em>\nstar John Belushi headlined a romantic comedy during the height of his\npopularity. Continental Divide<\/em> (1981) stars the comedian as a gruff and\nunhealthy reporter who does a story on an ornithologist (played by Blair Brown)\nstudying the Bald Eagle. The two unexpectedly fall for each other. The movie is\npremiering on Blu-ray with a film historian commentary track and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

D.C. Cab<\/em> (1983) is also making its debut on Blu-ray.\nThis wild and wacky comedy from Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys<\/em>, Flatliners<\/em>,\nFalling Down<\/em>) follows a group of taxi drivers struggling to survive and\nkeep their employer\u2019s business afloat. It features a notable cast that includes\nMr. T, Adam Baldwin, Gary Busey, Gloria Gifford, Marsha Warfield, Paul\nRodriguez, Bill Maher and Irene Cara. The disc also comes with a film expert\ncommentary, 8 radio spots and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who appreciate B-movies can now pick up the Italian\nsword-and-sorcery flick, The Barbarians<\/em> (1987) courtesy of Scorpion. It\nstars, well, the Barbarian Brothers as the title characters and the disc\nincludes a trailer and a commentary track featuring information about the\nproduction.  Code Red have the Italian\nhorror flick Panic<\/em> (1982) on Blu-ray. This film is about a bacterial experiment\ngone awry that ends up infecting an English village. The release comes with a\n2016 HD scan and a selection of trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion have released plenty of filmmaker David\nCronenberg\u2019s works over the years on Blu-ray, including The Brood<\/em>, Videodrome<\/em>\nand Naked Lunch<\/em>. This week, they\u2019re adding Crash<\/em> (1996) to their\nslate. This tale involves a group of very eccentric people living with a fetish\nfor car-crashes. The movie has received a new 4K digital restoration for its\nBlu-ray debut and includes a 1997 commentary with the director, a press\nconference from the 1996 Cannes Film Festival featuring the cast and filmmaker,\na 1996 Q&A with Cronenberg in London, behind-the-scenes footage and other\npromo material. One can only hope that someday Criterion will finally license the\ndirector\u2019s underrated 1999 sci-fi opus eXistenZ<\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many distributors are also upgrading their catalog with new\n4K transfers. Those with high-end TVs can now experience better picture quality\non several Paramount Blu-ray titles, including Arrival<\/em> (2016), Beverly\nHills Cop<\/em> (1984), Coming to America<\/em> (1988) and Top Gun<\/em>\n(1986).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speaking of Eddie Murphy films, Paramount are also putting\nout The Golden Child<\/em> (1986) and Trading Places <\/em>(1983) as part of\ntheir fancy Paramount Presents Blu-ray line with a gatefold cover. These flicks\nfeaturing the star also come with 4K restorations. The Golden Child<\/em>\nBlu-ray has a making-of and a trailer, but Trading Places<\/em> comes\njam-packed with extras like deleted scenes, a making-of, a costume featurette,\na short on stock trading, stories from the shoot, an industry promotional piece\nand a trailer. Great bonuses for a very funny movie! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And the studio is also releasing a 40th<\/sup>\nAnniversary Edition Blu-ray of the Robin Williams box-office bomb, Popeye<\/em>\n(1980). This lavish comic adaptation came from an unlikely source in director\nRobert Altman (MASH<\/em>, McCabe & Mrs. Miller<\/em>, The Player<\/em>,\nGosford Park<\/em>) but didn\u2019t make a good impression upon its original\nrelease. Time has passed and the movie has gained some admirers for its\nimpressive sets and elaborate production value. Extras include an archived look\nback at the feature with the cast and crew, a short on the actors, footage from\nthe premiere and a medley of songs from the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sony are also updating their titles in 4K Blu-ray. You can\nnow pick up Baby Driver<\/em> (2017), Bad Boys for Life<\/em> (2020), Bloodshot<\/em>\n(2020), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon<\/em> (2000), a double-feature of The\nEqualizer<\/em> (2014) and The Equalizer 2<\/em> (2018) as well as The Fifth\nElement<\/em> (1997). They are also releasing Hellboy<\/em> (2004) in 4K\n(containing both the theatrical and unrated cuts of the film), the Jumanji\n3-Film Collection<\/em> (1995 – 2019), the amazing action flick Leon<\/em>\n(1994) aka The Professional<\/em> and the entertaining comedy, Pineapple\nExpress<\/em> (2008). Additionally, Spider-Man: Far from Home<\/em> (2019), Spider-Man:\nInto the Spider-Verse<\/em> (2018), Underworld<\/em> (2003) with the 4K theatrical\ncut plus an unrated version on standard Blu-ray, as well as Venom<\/em> (2018)\nand Zombieland: Double Tap<\/em> (2019) in 4K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Warner Brothers are upgrading the fun Wesley Snipes comic\nbook adaptation Blade <\/em>(1998) in 4K Blu-ray. The Lord of the Rings:\nThe Motion Picture Trilogy Gift Set<\/em> (2001 \u2013 2003) features the extended and\ntheatrical cuts of the Oscar winning titles on Blu-ray in 4K, and the same is\ntrue for their release of The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy<\/em> (2014 \u2013\n2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have the Bugs Bunny 80th<\/sup> Anniversary\nCollection<\/em> (1930 \u2013 1969), which contains many classic cartoons featuring\nthe famous animated character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Archive are making a made-to-order 2-disc\nBlu-ray available of Hammer\u2019s The Curse of Frankenstein<\/em> (1957). It\npresents new 4K restorations of two cuts of the movie, a recently recorded film\nhistorian commentary and numerous other special features about the production.\nThey are also presenting a restoration of the romantic comedy Holiday Affair<\/em>\n(1949), starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh. This release includes a radio\nperformance of the story and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

If you want to introduce youngsters to Bugs Bunny, this is\nyour week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bugs Bunny 80th<\/sup> Anniversary Collection<\/em>\n(1930 \u2013 1969) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are the latest TV-themed releases coming your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chernobyl <\/em>(2020) 4K TV mini-series
Great Performances – Now Hear This<\/em>: Season 2 (PBS)
Mission: Impossible<\/em>: The Original TV Series (1966 \u2013 1973)
Love in Winterland<\/em> (Hallmark TV Movie)
NOVA: Human Nature<\/em> (PBS)
Perry Mason<\/em>: Season 1
Tudors<\/em>: Season 3
Walker: Texas Ranger<\/em>: Season 5
Winter in Vail<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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