{"id":23222,"date":"2021-07-26T15:46:14","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T22:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23222"},"modified":"2021-07-26T15:46:14","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T22:46:14","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-july-27th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23222","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for July 27th, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on\nBlu-ray and DVD. This edition includes a massive hit and some interesting indie\nfilms, as well as plenty of notable older features getting a high-definition\nupgrade. So, if you can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t be heading out to the movies this week,\nbe 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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EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE –<\/em><\/strong> A psychiatrist\u2019s\ncareer heads into a tailspin after one of his clients commits suicide. In an\nattempt to work through the awful situation, he meets with the surviving\nbrother of the deceased and invites the person to stay with his own family. It\nturns out to be an ill-advised move as the figure slowly begins causing a divide\nbetween the protagonist and his wife and daughter. The press was not\nparticularly taken by this psychological thriller. A small number suggested\nthat the cast members were so good that they helped cover the story\u2019s narrative\nlapses. However, the majority called it predictable and complained there was a\nheavy-handedness to the proceedings that nullified the dramatic impact. It\nstars Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Claflin and Veronica Ferres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE GOD COMMITTEE –<\/em><\/strong> Five doctors are brought\ntogether at a New York City hospital after a donor heart arrives. With only an\nhour to spare, the medical practitioners have to determine who will receive the\nlife-saving transplant. Debate rages between the group members as a result of\ntheir own personal interests, as well as outside factors like bribes from\nfamilies of potential recipients. This drama earned a generally positive\nreception from critics. There was a contingent that found the film melodramatic\nand suggested that it introduced too many unbelievable twists into the plot.\nRegardless, the general consensus was that the feature was suspenseful and did make\nseveral interesting points about these types of scenarios. The cast includes\nKelsey Grammer, Julia Styles, Janeane Garofalo, Dan Hedaya and\nColman Domingo. This film is being released exclusively on DVD for the\ntime being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE LAST CHAMPION –<\/em><\/strong> After his mother dies, a\nman chooses to return to his hometown. He gets a less-than-welcome reception\nfrom locals. It seems that the protagonist was once a promising young wrestler\nwho was expected to compete in the Olympics. Unfortunately, bad decisions and a\nmajor scandal shattered his career. After enduring some tense exchanges, the\nfigure becomes determined to atone for his mistakes and win back the respect of\nthose around him. This faith-based drama hasn\u2019t been seen by many who aren\u2019t in\nthe film\u2019s target demographic. Religious websites seem very positive about the\nfeature and its values, but there is no word from other sources as to how\neffective the film is and if those with different views will find it\nrelatable.  The movie features Cole\nHauser, Sean H. Scully and Annika Marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MIDNIGHT IN THE SWITCHGRASS –<\/em><\/strong> In this thriller,\na pair of agents from the FBI cross paths with a state cop investigating a\nseries of slayings involving women. The individuals team up and decide to mount\nan undercover operation to lure and catch the murderer. However, it goes\nhorribly wrong when the psychopath gets the upper hand. The heroes must race to\nretrieve one of the agents before more deaths occur. Response towards this\nfeature was generally poor. A few reviewers stated that while the story wasn\u2019t\noriginal, there was enough mood and atmosphere to keep them intrigued. However,\neveryone else thought the pacing was poor and that the story was too cliched to\nearn it a recommendation. Megan Fox, Emile Hirsch, Lucas Haas, Colson Baker and\nBruce Willis headline the film.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A QUIET PLACE PART II –<\/em><\/strong> The big release this\nweek is this chilling sequel to the Oscar-nominated smash hit \u201cA Quiet Place\u201d.\nThe story picks up after the events of the previous film. After learning how to\nfight back against the alien force terrorizing Earth, the remaining family\nmembers from the first picture attempt to find civilization and pass along the\ninformation. However, the route is extremely dangerous and new terrors arise as\nthey venture out from their home. Write-ups were very strong for this horror picture.\nA few notices did state that while the film had its moments, moving the\ncharacters away from the original claustrophobic locale killed some of the\nsuspense. All others wrote that it was excellent, stating that the performances\nwere strong, the movie was tense and the end result was as good as one could\nhope for from a follow-up. It stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent\nSimmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou and John Krasinski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SHIVA BABY –<\/em><\/strong> This independent feature was\nslated to arrive on store shelves a month ago, but was delayed and is only\narriving now. The tale follows a college student\nattending a wake with her parents, only to cause chaos when she runs into her \u201csugar\ndaddy\u201d and ex-girlfriend at the event. Critics were impressed with this\nindependent comedy. There were only a few negative notices that said the\ncentral character was unlikable and that the concept had been stretched out to\nan interminable length. The vast majority called the movie extremely sharp and\nclever. They stated that they were impressed by the performances and darkly\nhumorous examinations of jealousy and other complicated aspects of\nrelationships. It was also described as a memorable debut film for the\nwriter\/director and lead actress. The cast includes Rachel Sennott, Molly\nGordon, Polly Draper and Danny Deferrari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SO LONG BILLIE –<\/em><\/strong> Also known as \u201cPompei\u201d, this is\na French-language international co-production between Belgium, France and\nCanada. The story involves a young man and his brother. The two have been\ndeserted by their father and spend the days with other vagrants near an\narcheological site, searching for food scraps. He forms a personal connection\nwith a new female arrival and must decide whether or not to remain in the group\nas his younger sibling comes of age. So far, there aren\u2019t many write-ups for\nthe film in this part of the world. Reviews from other nations have been\ndecent, but not exceptional. They all say that the movie looks gorgeous, but\ndescribe it as a cold and chilly tale that fails to engage viewers on an\nemotional level. The cast includes Aliocha Schneider, Garance Marillier and\nVincent Rottiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arrow Video get the week off to an impressive start with a\n4K Blu-ray release of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage<\/em> (1970). It\u2019s an\nItalian \u201cgiallo\u201d (which signifies a very violent murder\/mystery film) from\ndirector Dario Argento (Deep Red<\/em>, Suspiria<\/em>). All of the bonus\nfeatures are the same as in previous editions, but you\u2019ll get restored and\nimproved picture quality and sound, as well as new art and packaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up Vengeance Trails: Four Classic Westerns<\/em> <\/a>on Blu-ray from the distributor. It contains two of Italian Spaghetti Westerns alongside a couple of Spanish\/Italian co-productions. Massacre Time<\/em> (1966) from director Lucio Fulci (Zombie<\/em>, The Beyond<\/em>) stars Franco Nero as a prospector who teams up with his drunkard brother to fight off sinister landgrabbers. My Name is Pecos<\/em> (1966) follows a gunfighter looking for revenge on the killers who murdered his family. Bandidos<\/em> (1967) follows a similar figure who wants revenge, but can\u2019t strike back after hands are maimed in battle. Instead, he trains a group of young men to gun down the villains. Klaus Kinski headlines And God Said to Cain<\/em> (1970) as a man looking for revenge on the men who wrongly sent him to prison. You\u2019ll get 2K restorations on all four films in additional to critic commentaries, new interviews with the cast and crew and trailers. It also comes with an illustrated collector\u2019s booklet with essays on these flicks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Treasure of the Ninja and the Films of William Lee<\/em>\n(1987) is also arriving on Blu-ray courtesy of AGFA (American Genre Film\nArchive). William Lee was a martial artist who wrote, produced, directed and\nstarred in several homemade martial arts movies and shorts, all of which were\nshot on Super 8 film. The title feature has been newly transferred from the\noriginal \u00be-inch master tape with a commentary from Lee himself. The disc also\nincludes a bonus movie called Dragon vs. Ninja<\/em> (1984). Additionally, it\ncomes with a number of shorts that the filmmaker created during the decade, all\ntransferred in 2K from the original elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory also have some notable genre films coming\nyour way. Brotherhood of the Wolf<\/em> (2001) is an impressive French period\nepic set in the late 1700s. It\u2019s about a scientist and his partner who are sent\nto hunt down and eliminated murderous monster in the countryside. This\n\u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d Blu-ray delivers the Director\u2019s Cut of the film and\nplenty of bonuses. There\u2019s a featurette detailing the elaborate fight scenes, a\nmaking-of special, a look at the \u201cBeast of Gevaudan\u201d (a legend that served as the\ninspiration for this tale), as well as deleted scenes and theatrical trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up a Blu-ray of Chamber of Horrors<\/em>\n(1966), which follows the exploits of a maniac without a hand. In order to\ncontinue his sinister work, he modifies his wrist so that he can screw various\nnasty tools (like a hatchet or hook) in place of his lost appendage. The\nproducers have used a new master from the inter-positive for this transfer. The\ndisc comes with a critic commentary track and lots of publicity materials.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe ice\u2026 is gonna break!\u201d Any fan of The Dead Zone<\/em>\n(1983) will be familiar with that memorable line from lead Christopher Walken. Based\non a book of the same name by Stephen King, Walken plays a man who gets into a\ncar accident and awakens to discover that he can see brief snippets of the\nfuture. Unfortunately, this gift comes with a heavy toll as he meets a\npolitical figure and discovers some shocking truths about where the country is\nheaded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This movie from director David Cronenberg (The Brood<\/em>,\nThe Fly<\/em>, A History of Violence<\/em>) stands as one of the very best\nKing adaptations out there. As a result, the movie is receiving the\n\u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d treatment. The Blu-ray includes a transfer from a 4K\nrestoration taken from the original camera negative. Bonuses include new\ninterviews with the producer and actress Brooke Adams. In addition, there are\nfour audio commentaries\u2026 one with the cinematographer and three more with\nvarious film historians. You\u2019ll also get other featurettes detailing the\npolitics behind the movie, the visual style, how the visions for the main\ncharacter were created and other intriguing extras. This title a must-buy for\nany horror enthusiast.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the distributor is also presenting the comedy State\nand Main<\/em> (2000) under their Shout! Select line. From writer\/director David\nMamet (House of Games<\/em>), the story is about a film crew who arrive in a\nsmall town. They are surprised to find the residents ready to give up all their\nvalues for the new showbiz arrivals. Extras include a trailer and a commentary\nwith cast members Sarah Jessica Parker, William H. Macy, Clark Gregg, David\nPaymer and Patti LuPone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino have a large selection of Blu-ray additions. This\nincludes the Bob Hope western\/comedy Alias Jess James<\/em> (1959). They also\nhave the more recent French thriller Baise-Moi<\/em> (2000), which comes with\na film historian commentary, a 45-minute documentary on the movie and a Q&A\nwith the directors. Clay Pigeons<\/em> (1998) is a crime\/comedy with an\nimpressive cast that includes Vince Vaughn, Joaquin Phoenix, Janeane Garofalo,\nScott Wilson and Ian Holm. This release comes with a director commentary and\ntrailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor is also releasing a Double-Feature Blu-ray\nof Immensee \u2013 Ein Deutsches Volkslied (<\/em>1943) and The Great Sacrifice<\/em>\n(1944), two German melodramas. And they have the Ken Jacobs Collection,\nVolume 1 <\/em>(1955 \u2013 2021), which contains two Blu-rays full of experimental\nshort subjects and documentaries made by the New York-based independent filmmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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L\u2019amour Braque<\/em> (1985) aka Mad Love<\/em> is a\nwell-regarded French romantic comedy with Sophie Marceau. This Blu-ray presents\na 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative, a movie critic\ncommentary, a director and writer audio track, an interview with Marceau, a\ndiscussion with the director of photography and behind-the-scenes footage from\nthe production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor is also putting out the Jimmy Stewart Civil\nWar film, Shenandoah<\/em> (1965). This Blu-ray arrives with a movie historian\ncommentary, a short filmed on the set and a trailer. And western fans can pick\nup Stranger on the Run<\/em> (1967) with Henry Fonda. This title follows an\nalcoholic ex-con who is falsely accused of murder. The movie has been given a\n2K restoration and arrives with a film expert commentary, a trailer, newly\ncommissioned art and a fancy slipcase cover.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramount recently purchased the back catalog of Miramax and\nare now issuing titles from the vaults on Blu-ray. This week, the features\ninclude 40 Days and 40 Nights<\/em> (2002), 54<\/em> (1998), Albino\nAlligator<\/em> (1996), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas<\/em> (2008), as well as\nthe Oscar-nominated Chocolate<\/em> (2000) and The Cider House Rules<\/em>\n(1999). You can also pick up the award-winning City of God <\/em>(2002),\neither on its own or as a Double-Feature Blu-ray that also includes the drama, City\nof Men<\/em> (2007). They are re-releasing the 15th<\/sup> Anniversary\nEdition of Clerks <\/em>(1994), as well as the titles, Cold Mountain<\/em>\n(2003), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind<\/em> (2002), Equilibrium<\/em>\n(2002), The Great Raid<\/em>: Unrated Director\u2019s Cut (2005) and the phenomenal\nneo-noir crime-drama, The Grifters<\/em> (1990).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for more, you can pick up Blu-rays of Jay\nand Silent Bob Strike Back<\/em> (2001), the music-themed documentary Madonna:\nTruth or Dare<\/em> (1991), Marvin\u2019s Room<\/em> (1996) and the horror film Mimic<\/em>:\nThe Director\u2019s Cut (1997). They also have the Oscar-winning My Left Foot<\/em>\n(1989), as well as Proof <\/em>(2005) and Reindeer Games<\/em> (2000). The\ncomedies Scary Movie<\/em> (2000), Scary Movie 2<\/em> (2001) and Scary\nMovie 3<\/em> (2003) are also being made available. And you can pick up the fun\nAustralian dance-themed rom-com Strictly Ballroom<\/em> (1992) and the horror\nflick Venom<\/em> (2005). In addition, there are DVDs of even more Miramax films\narriving on store shelves this week \u2013 check your retailer to find out which\nones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vinegar Syndrome have a couple of interesting Blu-rays coming\nyour way. The low-budget flick Alien from L.A.<\/em> (1988) stars\nmodel-turned-actress Kathy Ireland as a young woman whose archeologist-father\ndisappears. She ends up on an adventure as she searches for him under the\nplanet\u2019s surface. This title has been newly scanned and restored in 2K. The\ndisc also includes an interview with the director, another with cast member\nThom Mathews and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are also releasing a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray set of The\nBeastmaster<\/em> (1982). This fantasy film features a young man in a fantastic\nworld who possesses the ability to communicate with animals. After his family\nare wiped out, he raises his sword and rises with his wild friends to fight\nback against those responsible. This feature came on the heels of \u201cConan the\nBarbarian\u201d and became a popular cult flick through its VHS release and frequent\ncable airings. Directed by Don Coscarelli (Phantasm<\/em>, Bubba Ho-Tep<\/em>),\nthis particular edition includes updated visual effects. It also arrives with a\nrecently recorded filmmaker commentary, an archival audio track with the\ndirector, a new feature length making-of documentary, an archival making-of,\n8mm home movies that were shot on set, outtakes, as well as stills, promotional\nand archival publicity materials. If you enjoy the film, this sounds like a\ngreat package. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scorpion are putting out The People Next Door<\/em> (1970)\non Blu-ray. It\u2019s a gritty drama about a couple who try to help their teenage\ndaughter overcome a severe drug addiction. The transfer of the film comes from\na 4K restoration of the original camera negative. Extras includes a film\nhistorian audio commentary, an interview with one of the cast members and some\ntrailers of movies with similar themes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, ClassicFlix are releasing the Blu-ray set, The\nLittle Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 2<\/em>. It contains 11\nremastered and uncut comedic shorts made between 1930 and 1931. They feature a\ncast of young rapscallions collectively known as \u201cOur Gang\u201d, who consistently\nfind themselves getting into trouble. Obviously, some of the material featured\nhere is 90-years-old and won\u2019t be very PC (and perhaps inappropriate for young\nkids). However, those who do remember the shorts or are curious about them can\nnow pick them up if they so desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s some titles that may be appropriate for youngsters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blaze and the Monster Machines: The Cast of the Treat Thief<\/em> (Nickelodeon)
The Herculoids<\/em>: The Complete Original Series (1967 \u2013 1968) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ON THE TUBE!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

American Gods<\/em>: Season 3
Blaze and the Monster Machines: The Cast of the Treat Thief<\/em> (Nickelodeon)
Dexter<\/em>: The Complete Series (2006 \u2013 2013)
Family Ties<\/em>: The Complete Series
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: In the Key of Love<\/em> & A Valentine\u2019s Match<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Winter Castle<\/em> & Love on Iceland<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD
Hawaii Five-O<\/em>: The Complete Series
The Herculoids<\/em>: The Complete Original Series (1967 \u2013 1968)
Keeping Faith<\/em>: Series 3
NOVA: Hindenburg \u2013 The New Evidence<\/em> (PBS)
Professor T.<\/em>: Season 1
V.C. Andrews’ Landry Family<\/em>: 4-Movie Series
The Venture Bros.<\/em>: Season 1 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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