{"id":22817,"date":"2021-05-31T22:39:57","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T05:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=22817"},"modified":"2021-05-31T22:39:57","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T05:39:57","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-june-1st-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=22817","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for June 1st, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another article detailing some of the new\nBlu-rays and DVD highlights arriving on store shelves. There are numerous\nfeatures in this edition that encompass a wide variety of genres. So, if you\ncan\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t be heading out to the movies this week, be sure to give one\nof these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Boogie <\/em>\u2013 A young basketball player dreams of moving on from his humble beginnings in Queens and becoming an NBA player. The narrative follows the teenager as he struggles to achieve his goal. Along the way, he tries to mediate the testy relationship between his parents, begin a romance and earn a scholarship deal from a notable school. Critics were slightly more negative about this coming-of-age story than they were complementary. A large portion called it uneven but suggested that a few of the elements being presented were fresh enough to earn the film a recommendation. However, most complained that the characters were difficult to relate to and that the story didn\u2019t come together. It stars Taylor Takahashi, Pamelyn Chee, Taylour Paige, Perry Yung, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Pop Smoke. To read this site\u2019s review of the film, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Courier<\/em> \u2013 Based on a true story, this tale is set during the Cold War. It details the life of a British importer\/exporter with contacts in the USSR who is recruited by the MI6 and CIA. He is asked by government officials to visit the Soviet Union and courier sensitive information out of the country during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Naturally, being a spy causes great personal strife and danger for the businessman. The press was very taken by this drama. A small percentage of them found the lead too meek and the filmmaking too low-key, saying that the final product lacked thrills. Still, the vast majority stated that they weren\u2019t aware of this real-life figure, found the story tense and found the every-man protagonist extremely relatable. The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan, Anton Lesser and Jessie Buckley. To read a full review of the feature, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Embattled<\/em> \u2013 This sports film follows a professional\nmixed martial arts champion. When he decides to train his son to become a\nfighter, his abusive and violent nature begins to display itself. This causes a\nlot of trouble both in the ring and at home. Their relationship deteriorates as\nthe son demands that his father deal with his issues and brutal instincts.\nResponse towards this feature was positive overall. There was a contingent who\nfound the characters difficult to root for and stated that the picture was a\nslog, overplaying some of the serious themes that it was tackling. Still, the\nmajority commented that it was a gritty and compelling drama that possessed a\nlot of heart and even delivered some unanticipated twists. It features Stephen\nDorff, Darren Mann, Karrueche Tran, Elizabeth\nReaser and Donald Faison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Endangered Species<\/em> \u2013 A man decides to take his wife,\nadult children and a friend on a safari adventure vacation in Kenya. Everything\ngoes well until their van is tipped over by an angry rhinoceros in the middle of\nnowhere. In order to reach safety, the group must struggle to survive the\nelements, including several hungry animals and blazing hot conditions. This\nthriller received more negative reviews than it did positive ones. Those who\nliked the film wrote that it was an exciting picture with great photography\nthat also managed to incorporate a few comments about treating nature with\nrespect. Yet the general consensus was that while well-intentioned, this was a\nmisfire that suffered from phony-looking CGI animals and awkwardly written\nfamily drama. Rebecca Romijn, Philip\nWinchester, Isabel Bassett, Michael Johnston and Jerry O’Connell headline the\nfilm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Saltwater: The Battle for Ramree Island<\/em> \u2013 Set during\nthe close of WWII, this independent horror flick from the UK follows a group of\nsoldiers attempting to liberate an island off the coast of Burna (known to some\nas Myanmar). After a mishap with enemy forces finds them stranded in a swamp,\nthe team find themselves being attacked and devoured by hungry crocodiles. The\nmakers of this feature claim that it was based on actual events. It is\npremiering only on the DVD format, so as of right now there are no write-ups or\nopinions about the movie. It comes from a director with credits that include KillerSaurus<\/em>,\nHellriser<\/em> and The Haunting of Alcatraz<\/em>, so that should give you a\nsense of the tone of the feature. The cast includes Glenn Salvage, Jas Steven\nSingh, Steve Dolton and Ryan Harvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shoplifters of the World<\/em> \u2013 The 80s musical pioneers The\nSmiths inspired this comedy\/drama. It\u2019s about a group of teens who hear news of\nthe band\u2019s break-up and decide to throw a party and mourn the loss. Over the\ncourse of the evening, the leads go on a journey of self-discovery, while a\nlocal radio DJ is held hostage by a fan who forces him to play nothing but\nSmiths records. Response was mixed towards this film, which features over 20\nsongs from the band\u2019s catalog. Nearly half thought that the movie effectively\ncaptured a time period in a person\u2019s life when music meant everything and\nappreciated the great soundtrack. Slightly more thought that the characters\nweren\u2019t distinctive or interesting enough to keep them interested in the story.\nThe movie stars Helena Howard, Ellar Coltrane, Elena Kampouris, Nick Kruase,\nJames Bloor, Thomas Lennon and Joe Manganiello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spare Parts<\/em> \u2013 This B-movie follows an all-female band\nwho go on tour, only to find themselves being drugged and kidnapped by\nmysterious figures from a sinister town. When they awaken, they are shocked to\ndiscover that their appendages have been removed and replaced with bizarre weapons.\nThe group are put into a gladiator ring and forced to fight for their lives\nagainst various enemies. This flick hasn\u2019t received a lot of press so far, but\nthe notices that have appeared for it have all been upbeat. They say that while\nthe filmmakers could have made even more of the concept and added some twists\nto the story, it was still an outrageous and fun little genre flick with likable\nleads and plenty of action. It features Julian Richings, Michelle Argyris, Emily\nAlatalo, Kiriana Stanton and Chelsea Muirhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trigger Point<\/em> \u2013 A US agent decides to quit his line\nof work after suffering messing up a mission and suffering from memory loss.\nHe\u2019s pulled back into the spy world after learning that a close colleague has\ndisappeared. Unfortunately, to find his lost friend, he will have to deal with\nhis disabilities and use his own fractured mind to put the pieces together.\nAlas, the press was not taken by this espionage thriller. A minor contingent\nwrote that the action was well shot and believed the cast helped sell the\nroutine story elements. But it seems the majority felt that despite the intriguing\nconcept, the movie was a slog to sit through, describing it as heavy and\nunexciting. Barry Pepper, Laura Vandervoort, Colm Feore, Eve Harlow, Carlo Rota, Jayne Eastwood and Karen Robinson headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Vault<\/em> \u2013 This heist thriller follows a man and a\nteam of robbers who learn about a secret vault filled with incredible riches\nunderneath The Bank of Spain. They plot to break in and take the contents while\nthe country is distracted watching the national team play in the World Cup\nfinal. Of course, for everything to work, the group must perform their tasks\nflawlessly under great duress. This picture was directed by Spanish filmmaker Jaume\nBalaguer\u00f3 (Darkness<\/em>, the REC<\/em> series) and received both positive\nand negative responses from critics. Some commented that the story had giant\nplot holes and paled in comparison with more famous heist flicks. Still, more\nthrough the cast were fun to watch and that the elaborate crime was thrilling\nto witness. The film stars Freddie Highmore, Astrid Berg\u00e8s-Frisbey, Sam Riley,\nLiam Cunningham and Famke Janssen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About\nHim)?<\/em> \u2013 Late Folk singer\/songwriter Harry Nilsson pioneered new uses of\nrecording technology and created a large body of music. He is the subject of\nthis documentary, which uses old footage as well as recent interviews to detail\nhis life and career. Brian Wilson, Yoko Ono, Mikey Dolenz, Randy Newman and\nmany others share their memories of the figure. Critics seemed to have liked\nwhat they saw. One or two critiqued the movie for using a traditional and\nconventional storytelling format. Still, everyone else thought it was an\nenlightening documentary that drew warranted attention to the figure. They also\nenjoyed hearing great behind-the-scenes stories from the interview\nparticipants. At present, this title will be available exclusively on DVD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The World to Come<\/em> \u2013 Set in the mid-19th<\/sup>\ncentury, this period drama follows two couples living in the East Coast\nAmerican frontier. Their lives are isolated and unforgiving, which ends up\nchallenging the foursome both physically and emotionally. Things get even more\ncomplicated when the two wives begin to fall in love with each other and\nconsider leaving their husbands. The movie received decent if not exceptional\nmarks from reviewers. Those who panned it liked the cast but thought the events\ndepicted were unmemorable and that the story played out in a predictable\nmanner. Still, the majority concluded that the tone and performers managed to\nslowly pull in and engage viewers, making an impression on them. It stars Katherine\nWaterston, Vanessa Kirby, Casey Affleck and Christopher\nAbbott.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

For those looking to purchase some older features on\nBlu-ray, there is plenty to choose from this week. Kino are delivering the very\npopular British crime picture, The Blue Lamp<\/em> (1950). It follows a group\nof London policemen and the various encounters they have with criminals. This\nmovie has been restored by Studio Canal for its Blu-ray debut and comes with a\nfilm historian commentary and some trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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They also have the British dark comedy, The Green Man<\/em>\n(1956). Alastair Sim plays a meek watchmaker who moonlights as an assassin. The\nBlu-ray includes a 4K restoration of the flick from the original camera\nnegative, a movie expert commentary and trailers for similar features. Also\narriving in high definition with the same extras as those on the previous disc\nis the Benny Hill comedy, Who Done It?<\/em> (1956). Hill plays a buffoonish\namateur detective who stumbles upon an actual spy plot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discount line Mill Creek are rereleasing a Blu-ray of the\nall-star LA crime feature, Alpha Dog<\/em> (2006). This title features Bruce\nWillis, Sharon Stone, Emile Hirsch, Justin Timerlake, Ben Foster and Anton\nYelchin. They are also presenting the Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds\nthriller, Safe House<\/em> (2012), in which a CIA agent is tasked with\nprotecting a fugitive. Since these discs are reasonably priced, purchasers\nshouldn\u2019t expect much in the way of extra features. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independent Blu-ray distributor Code Red are releasing a\nBlu-ray of The Love Butcher<\/em> (1975), about a man who goes on a rampage\nafter creating a murderous alter ego. Bonuses include a director audio\ncommentary and trailers. Scorpion have the action picture Trackdown<\/em>\n(1976), which follows a Montana rancher out for revenge on the LA crooks who\nhave ensnared his sister in a criminal enterprise. The film arrives on Blu-ray\nwith a new 2K master, a trailer and a \u201climited edition\u201d slipcase.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Universal are putting out a couple of titles this week with\nnew 4K transfers. Backdraft<\/em> (1991) from director Ron Howard (Solo: A\nStar Wars Story<\/em>, The DaVinci Code<\/em>, Cinderella Man<\/em>, Apollo\n13<\/em>) tells the story of a group of firefighters. The movie will no doubt benefit\ngreatly from a high-resolution presentation. The studio is also releasing the\nBurt Reynolds\/Sally Field hit comedy, Smokey and the Bandit<\/em> (1977) as a\n4K Blu-ray. Both of the titles come with a regular Blu-ray and digital copy of\nthe film, alongside all of the extras from previous editions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The studio also has a couple of noteworthy DVDs arriving on\nstore shelves. The first is the American Pie 9-Movie Collection<\/em>, which\ncontains every movie in the comedy series from 1999 to 2020. They also have the\nSteve Martin 8-Movie Collection<\/em>, which contains DVDs of The Jerk<\/em>\n(1979), Dead Men Don\u2019t Wear Plaid<\/em> (1982), The Lonely Guy<\/em> (1984), Parenthood<\/em>\n(1989), Housesitter<\/em> (1992), Sgt. Bilko<\/em> (1996), Bowfinger<\/em>\n(1999) and It\u2019s Complicated<\/em> (2009). Looks like there are some excellent\nmovies in the set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lionsgate are putting out a Director\u2019s Cut Blu-ray of the\ncult comedy, But I\u2019m A Cheerleader<\/em> (1999). This movie involves a\npopular, all-American high school student who decides to come out. It has a\ngreat cast that includes Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, RuPaul, Cathy Moriarty\nand Michelle Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re looking for something over-the-top and campy, then\nMommie Dearest<\/em> (1981) with Faye Dunaway may be for you. It\u2019s arriving as\npart of the Paramount Presents line, which means that they have gone to town in\npresenting this 40th<\/sup> anniversary edition Blu-ray. It comes with a\nnew 4K restoration and audio commentary with drag queen and fan Hedda Lettuce.\nYou\u2019ll also a feature on the director, as well as extras from earlier releases,\nlike a John Waters audio track, featurettes on the movie and publicity\nmaterials.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramount are also putting out Blu-rays of several\ninteresting titles. The first is the popular comedy In & Out<\/em> (1997) with\nKevin Kline. You can also pick up the Ladies Night In: 3-Moive Collection<\/em>,\nwhich includes the films Nobody\u2019s Fool<\/em> (2018), What Men Want<\/em>\n(2019) and Like a Boss<\/em> (2020). If you feel like some action, they have a\n20th<\/sup> Anniversary Edition of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider<\/em> (2001),\nwhich includes a 4K remaster of the feature. If you\u2019re also looking for the\nfollow-up, they have Lara Croft: Tomb Raider<\/em> (2001) and the follow-up Tomb\nRaider: The Cradle of Life<\/em> (2003) as a 4K double-feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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20 years ago, the studio released Rat Race<\/em> (2001), a wacky all-star comedy in the vein of It\u2019s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World <\/em>about various cash-strapped eccentrics in a cross-country race to find some loot. The movie stars Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr. Seth Green, Jon Lovitz, Kathy Najimy, Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, Dave Thomas and Kathy Bates. It\u2019s now making its Blu-ray debut. If memory serves, some of the material featured wouldn’t play well today, but there are several amusing sequences with a few big laughs. And the studio is also releasing a Blu-ray of The Stepford Wives<\/em> (2004) remake with Nicole Kidman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also arriving in high definition is The Little Rascals:\nThe ClassicFlix Restorations – Volume 1: Small Talk, Railroadin’, Lazy Days,\nBoxing Gloves, Bouncing Babies, Moan and Groan Inc, Shivering Shakespeare, The\nFirst Seven Years, When the Wind Blows, Bear Shooters, A Tough Winter (1929 \u2013\n1930)<\/em>. As you might have guessed, the Blu-ray set includes numerous comedic\nshorts featuring the famous team of kids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Disney Movie Club is a service much like Columbia House\nthat offers subscribers the change to order Blu-rays of studio titles and\nexclusives directly through them. They\u2019ve ramped up production in recent weeks\nand are offering high-definition discs of Herbie Fully Loaded<\/em> (2005)\nwith Lindsay Lohan and Michael Keaton, as well as Ice Princess<\/em> (2005)\nstarring Michelle Trachtenberg and Kim Cattrall. They also have the Bruce\nWillis feature The Kid<\/em> (2000) and the Vin Diesel comedy, The Pacifier<\/em>\n(2005). If you\u2019re interested, head over to their website to see if you want to\njoin up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some titles that may appeal to the kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curious George 5-Movie Collection<\/em> DVD
Herbie Fully Loaded<\/em> (2005) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
\ufeffIce Princess<\/em> (2005) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
The Kid<\/em> (2000) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
The Pacifier<\/em> (2005) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
Paw Patrol: Moto Pups<\/em> (Nickelodeon)
VeggieTales: Fruits of the Spirit Stories Vol. 1 \u2013 Love, Joy, Peace<\/em> DVD <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

Agatha and the Truth of Murder\/Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar\/Agatha and the Midnight Murders \u2013 Triple Feature: Three Tales of Murder & Mystery<\/em> (PBS)
American Experience: The Blinding of Isaac Woodward<\/em> (PBS)
Billions<\/em>: Season 2
Doctor Who – Jon Pertwee<\/em>: Complete Season Two
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Beverly Hills Wedding <\/em>& My Best Friend\u2019s Bouquet\ufeff<\/em>
I Hate Suzie<\/em>: Season 1
Mystery 101<\/em>: 3-Movie Collection (Hallmark)
Samurai Jack<\/em>: The Complete Series <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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