{"id":22856,"date":"2021-06-07T16:14:15","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T23:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=22856"},"modified":"2021-06-07T16:14:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T23:14:15","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-june-8th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=22856","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for June 8th, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at Blu-rays and DVD coming your way.\nThere\u2019s a great mix of familiar and new, interesting features coming your way\nin a wide variety of genres. So, if you can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t be going out to the\nmovies just yet, 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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Assault on VA-33<\/em> \u2013 This independent action feature follows a decorated army veteran visiting his local VA hospital for a routine checkup. He arrives just as a group of terrorists decide to take control of the building. They immediately take hostages, including the lead\u2019s wife. The protagonist evades capture and takes action, trying to stop the threat and safe lives. There aren\u2019t many reviews for the picture just yet, but a few that have popped up online haven\u2019t been complimentary. They describe the movie as an ineffective, predictable, low-budget Die Hard<\/em> rip-off that doesn\u2019t offer much in the way of exciting action or human drama. It features Sean Patrick Flannery, Michael Jai White, Mark Dacascos, Weston Cage Coppola, Abigail Hawk, Gina Holden and Rob Van Dam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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City of Lies<\/em> \u2013 Based on real events and set in 1997,\nthis police procedural depicts two LA detectives assigned with looking into the\nmurders of rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. As they get closer and\ncloser to discovering the truth, their superiors begin getting in the way and\nthreatening the investigation. This production wrapped back in 2018, but was\nshelved because of behind-the-scenes legal disputes. It finally got a limited\nrelease a couple of months ago and is now arriving on disc. Critics were split\non the final results. Those who disliked liked it stated that the narrative was\ntoo choppy and felt the story wasn\u2019t told with enough energy. Still, just as\nmany enjoyed the work of the actors and thought that it was compelling,\naddressing important issues about police corruption. It stars Johnny Depp,\nForest Whitaker, Toby Huss, Dayton Callie, Neil Brown Jr. and Xander Berkeley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flashback<\/em> \u2013 A man begins having strange visions from\nhis youth involving a female friend who vanished. He encounters a mysterious\nand forgotten figure from the same period, inspiring him to dig deeper into\nwhat happened to his long-lost pal. It soon becomes clear that the disappearance\nmay have had something to do with a strange and powerful drug he and his friend\nused to consume. In order to figure it all out, the hero embarks on a\ntime-traveling, drug-induced odyssey. Reaction towards this indie flick was\nmixed. Half said that the concept was engaging but said that it lost their\ninterest and enthusiasm as events became more and more convoluted. Slightly\nmore thought the movie was so ambitious and trippy that they couldn\u2019t help but\nenjoy the wild ride, even if some elements didn\u2019t quite come together. The cast\nincludes Dylan O\u2019Brien, Maika Monroe, Amanda Brugel, Hannah Gross and Emory\nCohen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Lovebirds<\/em> \u2013 Released by Netflix at the height of the pandemic, this comedy is now debuting on disc. It\u2019s about a couple going through a rough patch in the relationship who are considering breaking up. When they witness a violent crime and believe they will be blamed for it, the pair go on the run to try and prove their innocence. Critics gave the film slightly more positive notices than negative ones. Those who panned it said that the plotting was weak and episodic, noting that the lead actors were forced to generate laughs from less-than-stellar material. They felt the jokes were too scattershot to earn the movie a pass. Still, the majority said the cast were charming enough to recommend the title as a simple, straight-forward little comedy that delivers a handful of chuckles. It stars Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Paul Sparks, Anna Camp and Kyle Bornheimer. To read this site\u2019s review of the flick, click here<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Punk the Capital: Building a Sound Movement<\/em> \u2013 This documentary examines the rise of punk music between 1976 and 1984, as well as the artists who grew from a movement based in Washington D.C. Using interviews and archival footage, viewers witness the anarchistic music trends and artists that began to thrive and find a following in a city known for its conservatism. Apparently, this feature was many years in the making and was largely crowd-funded. Members of the press who have seen it have reacted favorably. They felt that the film did an excellent job of detailing the beginnings of the punk era and the incredible scene coming out of Washington (including a number of notable bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat and Fugazi). They also liked the interviews with various musicians from the area, including Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye and Darryl Jenifer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Stylist<\/em> \u2013 A serial-killer hairstylist is the conceit\nbehind this independent horror feature. It follows a young woman working in a\nbeauty salon, giving haircuts by day and scalping customers during the evening\nhours. When she\u2019s hired to do the hair at a wedding ceremony, the maniac\nbecomes obsessed with the lavish lifestyle of her employer and tries to get\nthrough the event without indulging in her darker impulses. Naturally, it isn\u2019t\nlong before attendees find themselves being victimized. Reviewers gave the\nfeature high marks. A few of them did state that besides the lead actress, the\nmovie was too reminiscent of straight-to-video features from the late 80s.\nEveryone else suggested it could become a cult film and was incredibly stylish\nwith a stunning and memorable climax. It features Najarra Townsend, Brea Grant\nand Davis DeRock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Undercover Punch & Gun<\/em> \u2013 Known as Undercover\nvs. Undercover<\/em> in its homeland, this Hong Kong action picture involves a\ncop desperate to take down a major drug dealer and his team of violent\ncriminals. To do so, he goes undercover and ends up befriending his target\u2019s\nbiggest enemies, who also happen to be crooks. The officer finds it difficult\nto keep his true identity secret and hopes that his newfound revenge-seeking\nallies don\u2019t turn on him. Response towards this foreign-language title has been\ndecent, if not exceptional. Online notices suggest that the movie is a\nthrowback to 90s action cinema. They commented that while the story isn\u2019t\nrevolutionary, the action scenes are well-shot and edited and the final\nshowdown is impressive. The cast includes Philip Ng, Vanness Wu, Andy On,\nNicholas Tse and Wenjuan Feng.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Unhealer<\/em> \u2013 The mom of a bedridden teen suffering\nfrom an eating disorder decides to take extreme action after she witnesses a\nfaith-healer seemingly cure a patient. It seems that the procedure is more\nsuccessful than planned, as the youngster seems to suddenly acquire\nsupernatural powers. These new gifts ultimately have a negative effect when the\nyoung man decides to seek revenge on those who tormented him. There aren\u2019t a\nlot of write-ups on this title just yet, but horror journalists who have seen\nit have generally been upbeat. Most of them suggest that this little genre\nflick isn\u2019t a classic, but found that the performances were solid and that it\noffered some effective moments of gruesome fun. It stars Natasha Henstridge,\nLance Henriksen, Chris Browning, Adam Beach and Gavin Casalegno.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zeroville <\/em>\u2013 This feature came out in limited release\njust before the pandemic, but is only now being given a release on disc. The\nstory is set in the 1970s and follows an unusual figure who shows up in\nHollywood with the goal of making himself famous. A beautiful actress sees\npromise in the lead and takes him on a dreamlike journey through show business.\nThere were a few who appreciated its eccentricities and thought that while the\nmovie was utterly bizarre, it did make some interesting points that would\nchange the way you see Hollywood. However, more said that they couldn\u2019t make any\nsense of the picture. They wrote that the tone was off and that the jokes\ndidn\u2019t work (the movie was also nominated for a few Razzies at the beginning of\n2020). The cast includes James Franco, Megan Fox, Seth Rogen, Joey King, Jacki\nWeaver, Dave Franco, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Wow, it\u2019s another busy week for older titles getting\nhigh-definition upgrades. VCI has a Blu-ray of Puzzle <\/em>(1974) aka L’uomo\nSenza Memoria<\/em>, an Italian thriller about a London-based man suffering from\namnesia. He travels to Italy to try and figure out who he is, only to discover\nthat he is married. He then gets embroiled in a complicated murder\ninvestigation and begins to wonder if he isn\u2019t being manipulated by those\naround him. The disc includes a 4K transfer of the feature, a film historian\ncommentary, trailers, publicity materials and liner notes by an expert in the\nItalian giallo genre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino are delivering a couple of French features on Blu-ray. Cartouche<\/em> (1962) is an adventure film about a Robin Hood-like bandit stealing from the upper class. It was a big hit in its homeland some 60 years ago. This Special Edition release comes with a 4K restoration of the feature from the original camera negative, a movie critic commentary, a documentary on the production and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have Le Magnifique<\/em> (1973), a French spy comedy that pokes fun at James Bond flicks and features Jacqueline Bisset as the female lead. The disc includes a commentary and comes with a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the Sand<\/em> (2000) is an eerie drama with\nCharlotte Rampling about a woman whose husband disappears without a trace while\non vacation at a beach. The Blu-ray comes with an archival director commentary\nand interviews with star Rampling, as well as a new audio track with a film\nexpert. You\u2019ll also get a trailer for the film. And the distributor has the\nsilent melodrama The Woman One Longs For<\/em> (1929), a German effort starring\nMarlene Dietrich. It comes with a commentary and a track featuring an\norchestral score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those interested in the history of animation may be curious about Son of the White Mare<\/em> (1981) which is arriving on Blu-ray from Arbelos. This is a Hungarian animated movie that is making its debut on disc in North American and hasn’t been seen by many in this part of the world. The fantasy film is noted for its impressively trippy and psychedelic imagery. Technical specs on the Blu-ray release include a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative, remastered short films from the same director, an interview with the filmmaker, newsreel footage of the figure from 1973, essays on the movie and much more. Looks like a fascinating little feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mill Creek are always good for some notable Blu-rays and\nthis week is no exception. Their discs don\u2019t come with extras, but are always reasonably\npriced. You can purchase the Sean Connery drama Finding Forrester<\/em> (2000),\nas well as the body-switching comedy Like Father, Like Son<\/em> (1987),\nstarring Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor has several double-feature Blu-rays arriving\non store shelves too. The first contains two Matt Damon titles, The\nAdjustment Bureau<\/em> (2011) and The Good Shepherd<\/em> (2006). Mark Wahlberg\nfans can get the heist flick Contraband<\/em> (2012) and the thriller Fear<\/em>\n(1996), in which the star plays the central villain. If you are feeling\nnostalgic for teen-based features, you can pick up December<\/em> (1991) alongside\nthe cheesy action picture, Toy Soldiers<\/em> (1991). The latter stars Sean\nAstin and Wil Wheaton as private school students who must free themselves after\nbeing taken hostage by a militia. And if you want more action, Mill Creek have\na Blu-ray containing the film adaptation of Miami Vice<\/em> (2006) and The\nKingdom<\/em> (2007).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film Movement have a Blu-ray of Center Stage<\/em> (1991),\na period dramatic biopic of Chinese actress Lingyu Ruan. The director provides\na newly recorded introduction to the film and the disc also comes with an\ninterview with the filmmaker, as well as a featurette on the Ruan\u2019s life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you enjoy low-budget genre flicks, there are plenty of new\noptions. Code Red have Scream<\/em> (1981) aka The Outing<\/em> on Blu-ray.\nIt\u2019s about a group of kids on a rafting trip who camp at a ghost town and are\nhunted down by a psychopath. The disc contains a 2K scan of the feature, a\ndirector commentary and a trailer. It also includes the option to watch the\nfilm with a B-movie hostess who presumably pokes some fun at the title while it\nis playing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media Blasters are presenting Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell<\/em> (1978) as a \u201cSpecial Purebred Edition\u201d Blu-ray. This made-for-TV cult flick stars Richard Crenna as a family man whose family accidentally rescues a pup from a Satanic coven. Oops! When the pooch starts threatening neighbors and members of the household, they consider giving the pet an exorcism. The company site says the release has special features, but doesn\u2019t list what they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Naschy\u2019s Howl of the Devil<\/em> (1988) and Jorge\nGrau\u2019s Hunting Ground<\/em> (1983) aka Code of Hunting<\/em> are arriving on\nStandard Edition Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. These are both Spanish horror\npictures noted for having a great deal of graphic violence. Each has been given\na 4K transfer from the original film negative and come fully uncut with lengthy\ncast and crew interviews. The first release also includes a fan\ncommentary.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Full Moon have acquired the rights to the Italian\nB-movie, Lover of the Monster<\/em> (1974), starring Klaus Kinski. The\ndistributor is giving it the high-definition treatment and releasing the movie\nuncut and remastered, along with some genre film trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those who enjoy cinema from the Netherlands may be\ninterested in the Nouchka van Brakel Trilogy<\/em> Blu-ray set from Cult\nEpics. It contains The Debut<\/em> (1977), A Woman like Eve<\/em> (1979) and The\nCool Lakes of Death<\/em> (1982). The movies have all been given new transfers,\nwith the last title listed receiving a 4K restoration. This set includes\nnewsreel footage from the various premieres, trailers and other publicity\nmaterials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion have the Japanese war epic, The Human Condiiton<\/em>\n(1959 \u2013 1961). It\u2019s a 9 and \u00bd hour production that ended up being split into\nthree chapters for its rather spread-out release some 60 years ago. This\nwell-regarded project arrives on disc with a high-definition digital restoration,\nas well as interviews with the director and the main actor. There\u2019s also a 2009\nspecial with a movie critic appreciation of the project that includes the\nparticipation of the filmmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paramount have decided to re-release some of their projects\nwith John Hughes in special Steelbook packaging. They have the hilarious comedy\nFerris Bueller\u2019s Day Off<\/em> (1986) and the iconic high school drama Pretty\nin Pink<\/em> (1986), as well as the underrated Some Kind of Wonderful<\/em>\n(1987). The latter feature takes elements from the previous movie and adapts\nthem in a different way with a new story and characters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Paramount highlight this week is the upgraded 4K Blu-ray\nedition of their Indiana Jones: 4-Movie Collection<\/em>. It contains the\nclassics Raiders of the Lost Ark<\/em> (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple\nof Doom<\/em> (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade<\/em> (1989) and the more\nrecent follow-up, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em> (2008)\nall with new and improved picture. Presumably, all of the same extras are\nincluded. It seems like a no-brainer for anyone who has a 4K set-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sony are also delivering a new 4K Blu-ray of the animated\nfeature, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children<\/em> (2005).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Universal are rereleasing some of their Blu-ray catalog\ntitles with price discounts. This week, you can pick up the Chadwick Boseman\ncrime-thriller, 21 Bridges<\/em> (2019) and the fantasy sequel, Dragonheart:\nVengeance<\/em> (2000). They also have the action picture Killer Elite<\/em>\n(2011), which features Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro. And if you\nhaven\u2019t picked up Jurassic World<\/em> (2015) on Blu-ray, you can do so now at\na lower price. And the studio is putting out a double-feature DVD of the silly comedies\nProblem Child<\/em> (1990) and Problem Child 2<\/em> (1991).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Archive are making a new made-to-order Blu-ray available to customers on their website and Amazon. There Was a Crooked Man\u2026<\/em> (1970) is a prison break feature with Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda (pictured above) that received high marks from critics for its clever script and story turns. You can now own it and take in the widescreen cinematography and improved picture quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Looking for something for small tykes? If they like Sesame\nStreet<\/em> and math, then you\u2019re in luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sesame Street: Cool Counting Collection<\/em> DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

American Experience: American Oz<\/em> (PBS)
Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns<\/em> (PBS Documentary Series)
The Critic<\/em>: The Complete Series
Life at the Waterhole<\/em> (PBS)
Westworld<\/em>: Season 3 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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