{"id":22681,"date":"2021-05-10T15:56:31","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T22:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=22681"},"modified":"2021-05-10T15:56:31","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T22:56:31","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-may-11th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=22681","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for May 11th, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving\non Blu-ray and DVD. It\u2019s a busy edition with several high-profile features arriving\nin a wide variety of genres. So, if you can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t head out to the\nmovies 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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Bigfoot\u2019s Bride<\/em> \u2013 Wild Eye Releasing is a distributor\nwho specializes in releasing campy, low-budget and even homemade genre\npictures. This horror\/comedy is set in the wilderness of North America. The\nstory follows a group of campers who discover the legendary Bigfoot monster.\nThey learn that some of the reports about the hairy figure are false when he\nbegins attacking them. The creature also decides to take one of the group\nmembers as his bride, leaving the survivors to try and find a way to rescue\ntheir friend. There aren\u2019t many notices for the title yet, although it did play\nat a few little film festivals back in 2019. One review that has appeared\nstated the movie will be amusingly cheesy to those who like B-pictures. It is\nbeing released exclusively on DVD. The cast includes Jordan Phipps, Jessica\nMegan Rivera and Joel Rogers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Final Stand<\/em> \u2013 Also known as The Last Frontier<\/em>,\nthe Battle of Moscow is the inspiration for this biographical war film. As\nhighly-trained Nazi forces advance, a team of young cadets are sent out to the\nfront lines to help weakened army forces protect the city. The teens are thrown\ninto the fray and end up serving as the last line of defense, with many giving\ntheir lives over a relentless assault that stretches out more than two weeks.\nThis foreign-language feature appears to have been successful in its homeland,\nbut there aren\u2019t many write-ups available for it in this part of the world. The\nones that have appeared so far are mixed. One stated that the fighting scenes\nwere well-staged but that the dramatic elements were overly sentimental.\nAnother thought that the film was well made and that the action was as well\nexecuted as in any Hollywood feature. It stars Artyom Gubin, Lubov Konstantinova and Sergey Bezrukov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Justice Society: World War II<\/em> \u2013 The latest in a long line\nof Warner Brothers animated features based on DC superheroes and set during\nWorld War II. It follows the Flash, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Aquaman and others\nas they are brought together by a mysterious figure from another time to change\nthe future and help the allies win the struggle. One assumes that this tale\nalso serves as something of an origin story for the Justice League. Response\ntowards the picture was generally positive, but not exceptional. Those who\ndisliked it said that the story was a mess and that the filmmakers could have created\nmore exciting as the protagonists faced off against Nazis. However, more said\nthat the characters were well developed (in particular, the Flash and Wonder\nWoman) and complimented the end results as being fun to watch. The voice cast\nincludes Stana Katic, Matt Bomer, Omid Abtahi, Darren Criss and Darin De Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Land<\/em> \u2013 After a personal tragedy, a woman decides to\nescape the modern world in order to find new meaning in her life. She decides\nto travel out to the unforgiving wildness of the Rockies and exist off of the\nland. Naturally, it\u2019s a tough existence and after a serious injury, she finds\nherself being helped by a local hunter. The protagonist is forced once again to\naddress her personal issues and find a new way to move forward. Critics were\nupbeat about the drama, which not only stars but was also directed by Golden\nGlobe winner Robin Wright. A small contingent did complain that the screenplay\ndidn\u2019t manage to properly address the themes of the story and noted that the\nmovie left them cold. However, the consensus was that the film was subtly\npowerful and that the performances and photography were very impressive. It\nalso features Demi\u00e1n Bichir, Sarah Dawn Pledge and Kim Dickens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Legend of Hei<\/em> \u2013 The lead in this animated feature\nfrom Japan is a cat\u2019s spirit. When his home is destroyed and deforested by\ndevelopers, the supernatural entity is left homeless. The feline finds other\nspirit creatures planning on conquering the human race and taking back their\nland. However, the cat is separated from the group and meets with a man who decides\nto teach the animal to control and develop his powers. The spirit must then\ndecide which side her should fight for. There haven\u2019t been many notices written\nfor this title, but it has won awards at film festivals and review that have appeared\nhave been positive. They have all called the movie gorgeously animated and\ncomplimented its remarkably complex story that offers a lot of information for\nthe main character to process. The disc includes the film in its original\nMandarin with English subtitles, as well as an English-language dub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Marksman<\/em> \u2013 A patriotic Arizona rancher living\nnear the Mexican border finds a young refugee fleeing from cartel assassins.\nAfter taking him in and getting to know the boy, the protagonist unexpectedly\nfinds himself defending the child. He decides to fight back against the\ncriminals pursuing the youngster, as well as prevent border patrol agents from\nsending the kid back home to certain death. Alas, the press was not overly\ntaken by this effort. A small group suggested that the lead actor\u2019s performance\ncarried them through the otherwise predictable story. However, most suggested\nthat the talented star\u2019s work wasn\u2019t enough to make up for the film\u2019s\nslow-pacing and indistinctive, unexciting narrative. Liam Neeson, Jacob Perez, Teresa Ruiz, Alfredo Quiroz and Sean A. Rosales headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Mauritanian<\/em> \u2013 This picture is based on the true story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was detained and imprisoned by the U.S. government in Guantanamo Bay for years without actually having any criminal charges placed against him. A group of public defenders hear about his plight and head down to Cuba to try and defend the man. Not only do they discover the horrible abuses that Slahi has been forced to endure, but also learn shocking truth about the case. Response was solid towards this drama. A small group did give it poor marks for presenting an important story in a generic and bland manner.  However, the majority were so impressed with the performance of the man playing Slahi and found the rest of the cast so engrossing that they forgave the movie delivering the material in a familiar style. It stars Tahar Rahim, Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch. To read this site\u2019s review of the film, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Morgue<\/em> \u2013 A young man suffers a harrowing accident and\nfinds himself out of money and work. Desperate to find something to make ends\nmeet, he takes a position as an overnight security guard at a local morgue. As\nthe evening wears on, the protagonist begins to witness strange and disturbing\nsights, including a corpse that won\u2019t stay still. Are the dead coming to life\nor this the troubled hero having a mental breakdown? This Spanish-language\nfeature is from Paraguay and was a big hit in its homeland. In fact, there\u2019s\nword of a US remake currently in development. Genre critics have generally been\nvery supportive of the movie so far. One or two have called it slowly-paced and\nineffective, but more state that the movie has a lot of creepy atmosphere and\nthat lead is engaging. The cast includes Pablo Martinez and Abel Martinez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pixie <\/em>\u2013 This crime-thriller dark comedy involves a\nfrustrated woman who, after her mother\u2019s death, sets out to pull off an\nelaborate heist and get out of town. She teams with a pair of misfits to\naccomplish her goals, but things don\u2019t go according to plan and the motley crew\nfind themselves being pursued by not only the police, but a criminal gang of\npriests and nuns. The movie earned some good reviews during its streaming\nrelease a couple of months ago. A fraction didn\u2019t find the flick all that funny\nand suggested that it was a poor emulation of crime pictures from the 1990s.\nHowever, the consensus was that the strange characters were entertaining and\nthat, if you could get on the film\u2019s wavelength, there were plenty of laughs to\nbe had. It features Olivia Cooke, Alec Baldwin, Ben Hardy, Daryl McCormack and\nColm Meaney. Those interested should note that for the time being it will only\nbe available on DVD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scavenger<\/em> \u2013 Known in its homeland as Carro\u00f1a<\/em> (which\nis a slang term there for low-life), this Argentinian grindhouse flick is set\nin a post-apocalyptic world. Meat and protein are hard to come by and many are\nkilled as a result. An assassin and organ dealer struggles to survive in this\nworld and seeks revenge for the wrongs done to her by enemies. Apparently, this\nis an incredibly violent and gritty little effort that is packed with all sorts\nof violent mayhem. Critics have said that it works as a no-budget Mad Max<\/em>\nrip-off and is more stylishly shot than one would expect. However, they also\nwarn that there\u2019s a lot of hit-and-miss elements and some of them (including a\nseries of physical assaults) aren\u2019t particularly fun to watch. You can watch\ndisc in its original language with English subtitles or an English dubbed\nversion. Nayla Churruarin, Sofia Lanaro, Jose Manuel Solis Vargas,\nand Gonzalo Tolosa headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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It\u2019s another busy time for classic titles getting high-definition upgrades. Arrow Video have a Special Edition of the Japanese film, Giants and Toys<\/em> (1958). It\u2019s a corporate satire about two warring caramel\/chocolate corporations who embark on elaborate publicity campaigns to try and outdo each other. One of the companies hires a ditsy teenage girl to act as their new mascot and spokesperson, while also encouraging her to befriend the competition and try to unveil their plans. This movie is a cult item that is very well-regarded in Japan for the wild and clever advertising campaigns detailed. Remarkably, it has never been released on Blu-ray in North America. So, it\u2019s amazing to see the movie finally get a release in this part of the world. You can read a detailed review of the disc right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MVD are delivering some interesting films this week. The\nfirst is a Collector\u2019s Edition Blu-ray of Action USA<\/em> (1989), an independent\nfeature noted for its incredibly dangerous-looking stunt work. The flick has\nbeen newly restored in 4K so those car crashes, giants spills and explosions look\nall the more stunning. It comes with a commentary featuring a trio of\nparticipants that include the director, lead actor and the cinematographer.\nThere\u2019s also an interview with the moviemaker, a behind-the-scenes featurette\non the stunts, a trailer and plenty more. Looks like a flick well worth\nchecking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speaking of action, Drive<\/em> (1997) is a remarkably entertaining flick that got lost in the shuffle back in the day, especially in North America due to a distributor that didn\u2019t believe in it. The feature ended up being heavily edited in this part of the world and arriving as a direct-to-video title\u2026 it deserved much better. If memory serves, the original version was dynamically shot in widescreen and featured some memorable and thrilling martial arts choreography. It stars Mark Dacascos (who recently appeared as a heavy in John Wick: Chapter III \u2013 Parabellum<\/em>) as a genetically modified human doing his best to evade being captured by some nasty bad guys who want the technology for themselves. Along the way, he makes a couple of friends (Kadeem Hardison and Brittany Murphy) who try to help him escape. The disc includes the proper director\u2019s cut which runs an additional 18 minutes, as well as the shorter video version that US viewers will be more familiar with. This release also features a commentary with the director, Dacascos and Hardison, as well as deleted scenes, an archival documentary on the production, cast interviews and trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory also have some very notable new Blu-rays. All\nAbout the Benjamins<\/em> (2002) is an action\/comedy with Ice Cube and Omar Epps\nabout a bounty hunter who teams with a hustler to pull of an elaborate heist.\nThis release includes a director and producer commentary, numerous featurettes\nabout the shoot, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a music video, a theatrical press\nkit, interviews with the cast from the movie\u2019s premiere and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another big title arriving from the distributor is the\nCollector\u2019s Edition of King Kong<\/em> (1976). This remake of the classic\nmonster movie starred Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange who encounter the big\nmonkey and try to save it from being exploited. The flick is flawed and didn\u2019t\nget the best of reviews during its original release, but if you grew up with\nthe picture (like this reviewer did) then you\u2019ll probably feel some affection\nfor it. Believe it or not, the movie has never been released on Blu-ray and this\nedition includes the theatrical cut and the extended television version scanned\nin 2K. Other extras include a film historian commentary track, an audio\ninterview with make-up effects man Rick Baker, new interviews with various\nmembers of the crew, a ton of publicity materials, not to mention a lengthy\npanel discussion about the movie from 2016 that was recorded in the Aero\nTheater in Los Angeles. If you\u2019re a monster movie enthusiast, the release of\nthis movie in high definition is a big deal. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino also have plenty of Blu-rays coming your way. The first\nis a set called The Douglas Sirk Collection<\/em>, which contains To New\nShores<\/em> (1937) and Habanera<\/em> (1937). Both titles feature a movie\ncritic commentary track that details background information about the movies\nand their importance in film history. The distributor is also putting out a\nBlu-ray of the western, Horizons West<\/em> (1952), about two brothers in\nTexas who end up on opposite sides of the law. This disc comes with an\ninformative commentary and a trailer. Fred MacMurray and Dorothy Malone\nheadline Quantez<\/em> (1957), another western about robbers trying to escape\nauthorities by crossing the border into Mexico. The bonuses on this release are\nthe same as on the previous title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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They are also debuting the comedy Tank<\/em> (1984) on\nBlu-ray. James Garner plays an army sergeant on his final tour of duty. When he\ndiscovers that some of the locals are part of a sinister operation, he decides\nto borrow a large piece of military equipment from the base and square off\nagainst the bad guys. The disc comes with an entertainment journalist\ncommentary, numerous radio spots and a trailer. And Kino also has a Blu-ray of the\naction flick, Wild Geese II<\/em> (1985), which follows a group of mercenaries\nwho attempt a death-defying mission to break into a German prison. The cast\nincludes Scott Glenn, Barbara Carrera, Laurence Olivier and Patrick Stewart. It\narrives with a critic commentary, an interview with co-star Carrera and a\ntrailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And there are even more Blu-rays to choose from! Criterion\nare giving the deluxe treatment to the beloved comedy, Fast Times at\nRidgemont High <\/em>(1982). The film painted a portrait of teenage life in the\n80s and its many pitfalls with a biting sense of humor. It was a big success\nand helped launch the careers of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge\nReinhold, Forest Whitaker, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz and Sean Penn. This\nmovie has received a 4K digital transfer with an improved picture that was\nsupervised by the director. It also comes with the TV cut featuring deleted and\nalternate scenes. In addition, you\u2019ll get a discussion with director Amy\nHeckerling (Clueless<\/em>) and writer Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire<\/em>, Almost\nFamous<\/em>), a 1999 documentary on the movie, a 1982 interview with Heckerling\nand a few other bonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor also has a Blu-ray of the pre-code feature, Merrily\nWe Go to Hell<\/em> (1932). Movies made before the Hollywood production code was\nestablished were often more daring than the features that came decades later.\nThis tale follows a married high-society couple who decide to try to solve\ntheir personal problems with an open marriage, leading to all sorts of unexpected\ndifficulties. It has been called an early-feminist comment on marriage and\narrives on Blu-ray with a 4K transfer, a 1983 documentary on the moviemaker and\na film historian video essay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who enjoy arthouse thrillers can pick up a Blu-ray of the\nDutch feature, The Cool Lakes of Death<\/em> (1982) from Cult Epics. The movie\nhas been given a 4K restoration from the original camera negative and comes\nwith a newsreel featurette from 1982, as well as plenty of publicity materials.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Reason<\/em> (2010) is a German indie horror movie about\na woman\u2019s lost soul trying to find some kind of enlightenment in another realm.\nUnearthed Films is releasing this Blu-ray, which comes with a making-of, an\ninterview with cast member Timothy Balme (Dead\/Alive<\/em>), a photo gallery\nand trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Universal Pictures also has a few Blu-ray releases. They are\nputting out a 4K version of The Fast and the Furious<\/em> (2001) and a 20th<\/sup>\nAnniversary 4K Edition of the animated favorite, Shrek<\/em> (2001). If old\naction comedies with Burt Reynolds are more to your liking, you can also pick\nup the Smokey and the Bandit 3-Move Collection<\/em>, which contains the 1977\noriginal, its 1980 sequel and the final 1983 follow-up (which doesn\u2019t have\nReynolds in it). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a new Saw<\/em> spin-off movie that is arriving at\ncinemas next week, so Lionsgate have decided to give the original Saw<\/em>\n(2004) a 4K Blu-ray upgrade. One assumes all the extras will be the same, with\nthe improved picture and sound being the main selling point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warner Archive are releasing made-to-order Blu-rays of the\nBob Hope comedy, Bachelor in Paradise<\/em> (1961), the film-noir They\nWon\u2019t Believe Me <\/em>(1947) and the Oscar-winning Gregory Peck western, The\nYearling<\/em> (1946). If you\u2019d prefer not to order through their site, you\nshould also be able to find these discs on Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, LPs have been making a big comeback over the last\nten years, resulting in many film soundtracks being repressed or newly released\non the format. Cinema Paradiso Recordings would like everyone to know that they\nare putting out a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d white vinyl LP of The Parallax View<\/em> (1974)\nscore. It\u2019s a very strong collection of orchestral music which was composed by\nMichael Small. Remarkably, the soundtrack has never been released in any form before,\nmaking this an impressive release by the relatively new distributor. And just\nto make the deal sweeter, if you head to their official website, you can\npurchase the LP in a deluxe package that comes with the Criterion Blu-ray of\nthe movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

If you\u2019re kids haven\u2019t seen Shrek, you can now enjoy the\nfilm together in 4K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shrek<\/em> (2001) 20th<\/sup> Anniversary Edition\nUniversal <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are the week\u2019s TV-themed releases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolly Parton & Friends: 50 Years at the Opry<\/em> (PBS)
Man with a Camera<\/em>: The Complete Series
Taking a Shot at Love<\/em> (Hallmark Channel)
Timeless Love<\/em> (Hallmark Channel)
When Calls the Heart Double-Feature: Open Season & From the Ashes\ufeff<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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