{"id":23290,"date":"2021-08-09T16:52:22","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T23:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23290"},"modified":"2021-08-09T16:52:22","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T23:52:22","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-august-10th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23290","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for August 10th, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome back to another busy week of Blu-ray and DVD\nreleases. Once again, there\u2019s a wide variety of titles to choose from in this\nedition, as well as some fascinating older features receiving high-definition\nupgrades. 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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AMERICAN TRAITOR: THE TRIAL OF AXIS SALLY<\/em><\/strong>:\nMildred Gillars is the subject of this period biopic that follows an American\nwoman who falls for a German man and moves abroad. After WWII breaks out,\nGillars becomes a voice of Nazi propaganda, sending discouraging messages to US\nsoldiers across the radio. After the fall of the Third Reich, the woman is sent\nback to America and forced to stand trial for treason. A lawyer presents her\ncase in court. This drama earned mostly pans from the press. A few wrote that\nthe subject matter was intriguing, even if the storytelling itself was flawed.\nStill, everyone else thought that the movie was a clumsily told mess that didn\u2019t\npique interest or address its subject in a thoughtful manner. It stars Meadow\nWilliams, Al Pacino, Thomas Kretschmann and Mitch Pileggi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN – PART TWO<\/em><\/strong>: Roughly\na month and a half ago, Warner Bros. released the first part of this animated\nBatman story. The finale to this tale is now arriving on disc. The first title\nwas set during a period when organized crime is rampant in Gotham City. Batman\nfinds even more to contend with the arrival of a serial killer who kills during\nholidays. Now, as the next ill-fated festive period approaches, Batman and\nCommission Gordon must identify and stop the psychopath before he strikes\nagain. Critics have been very positive about this effort. As of yet, there\nhaven\u2019t been any negative notices. All reviews state that this is an exciting\nand tension-filled climax to the story that outdoes the first installment and\nserves as an excellent adaptation of the original print source material. The\nvoice cast includes Jensen Ackles, Naya Rivera, Josh Duhamel, Billy Burke and Troy\nBaker.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FINDING YOU<\/em>:<\/strong> An aspiring violinist has a\nterrible audition at a prestigious New York music conservatory. Feeling\ndefeated, she decides to get away and study abroad. After arriving at a small\ncoastal village in Ireland, the lead bumps into an actor filming a popular TV-series\non the island. They share their concerns for the future, sparks fly and the two\ninspire each other to change their outlooks on life. As the production winds\ndown, they must decide if they have a future together. Write-ups for this\nromantic-comedy were split right down the middle. About half stated that the\nmovie was a sentimental pastiche of just about every genre trope from the past\n20 years. Just as many thought the cast members were charming and believed\nanyone looking for simple escapism would appreciate it. It features Rose Reid, Jedidiah\nGoodacre, Katherine McNamara and Patrick Bergin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR: MEET THE BLACKS 2<\/em>:<\/strong> The\n2016 comedy \u201cMeet the Blacks\u201d was a satirize of \u201cThe Purge\u201d horror series. It told\nthe story of a family with new money moving to a wealthy, west coast suburb and\ntrying to survive a government-sanctioned crime spree. This follow-up picks up\nwith the same characters after they decide to return home to Chicago. After\ntheir arrival, the family become concerned about their new neighbor, whom they\nbelieve is a vampire out to drain their blood. Reviews were not very strong\nfrom this effort. A very small number suggested that they liked this concept\nbetter than the one used in the previous film and thought it delivered some\nchuckles. However, the overwhelming majority complained that this sequel was a completely\nunnecessary collection of brain-addled jokes that land with a thud. The cast\nincludes Mike Epps, Katt Williams, Bresha Webb, Zulay Henao, Lil\nDuval, Michael Blackson, Danny Trejo, Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE MISFITS<\/em>:<\/strong> A famous international thief\nbreaks out of jail at the beginning of this thriller. He soon finds himself\ntaken in by a young group of modern-day Robin Hoods. The thief learns that this\ngroup of criminals do devious work, but do it for the greater good of society.\nTogether, they all set out on a daring mission to steal gold bars from a\nsinister and ruthless businessman who uses his wealth to fund terrorists. This\nfeature is directed by genre veteran Renny Harlin (\u201cDie Hard 2\u201d, \u201cCliffhanger\u201d,\n\u201cThe Long Kiss Goodnight\u201d, \u201cDeep Blue Sea\u201d), but critics didn\u2019t respond\npositively to the finished product. A small group called it an entertaining\nthrowback to 90s action films with impressive action sequences. However, most\nstated that the poorly written, nonsensical script was too big of an obstacle for\nthe movie to overcome. It stars Pierce Brosnan, Nick Cannon, Jamie Chung, Rami\nJaber, Mike Angelo and Tim Roth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MY HEART CAN\u2019T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO<\/em>:<\/strong> In\nthis independent horror picture, a young man skulks the streets at night\nlooking for victims who won\u2019t be missed. It soon becomes clear that the killer\nis providing for his sister and brother\u2026 specifically the youngest and\nsickliest family member who needs blood. Feeling guilty about his crimes, the\nlead argues with his siblings and considers leaving them both. Critics were\nvery upbeat about this eccentric genre picture. A small group complained that\nthe pacing was too slow and wrote that the unrelentingly somber approach hurt\nthe film. Still, almost everyone else thought the performances were excellent\nand complimented the feature as a grim but memorable and original take on the\nvampire genre. Patrick Fugit, Ingrid Sophie Schram and Owen Campbell headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OCCUPATION: RAINFALL<\/em>:<\/strong> Aliens arrive on Earth\nand mount an intergalactic assault in this Australian science-fiction effort. Two\nyears later, a group of survivors in Sydney continue battling the invading\nforces and finally discover their enemy\u2019s hidden weakness. But with the world\nin ruins and more dying by the day, can the heroes get the message out to\nothers before it\u2019s too late? This feature is actually a sequel to a 2018\nfeature called \u201cOccupation\u201d. There aren\u2019t a great many reviews for this\nfollow-up yet and the ones that have appeared are mixed. Many have noted that\nthe performances are uneven and this low-budget film can\u2019t compete with\nmega-budgeted sci-fi epics. However, numerous reviewers have asserted that it\nis an improvement the first film, with a stronger story and convincing action\nand effects. It features Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Daniel Gillies, Lawrence\nMakoare and Ken Jeong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PROFILE<\/em>:<\/strong> Based on a true story, this drama follows a driven British journalist investigating Islamic extremist groups and their efforts to indoctrinate young women through social media. She sets up a fake online persona to get in contact with a violent group and receive firsthand knowledge of how their techniques. However, the reporter befriends and finds herself slowly becoming personally involved in one of the men\u2019s struggles. Despite being set entirely on a computer screen, this movie ended up receiving mostly positive reviews. Those who disliked the picture criticized the approach as gimmicky and claimed that the lead was too gullible. However, more thought that the unusual storytelling technique worked more effectively here than in other films of its ilk and felt the work of talented cast helped sell the movie. It stars Valene Kane, Shazad Latif, Christine Adams and Morgan Watkins. To read a full review of the feature, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SUPERSTARS: THE DOCUMENTARY \u2013 EXTENDED VERSION<\/em>: <\/strong>\u201cJesus\nChrist Superstar\u201d is a famous rock opera musical that premiered onstage in\n1970. In 1973, director Norman Jewison (\u201cFiddler on the Roof\u201d, \u201cMoonstruck\u201d,\n\u201cThe Hurricane\u201d) adapted the material for the big screen, shooting in Israel\nwith young, talented actors and singers. The movie was successful at the box\noffice, earning numerous nominations and awards after its release. Using\narchived footage from the production, this documentary takes a look at how the\nmovie was made. It also includes new discussions with surviving cast and crew\nmembers, who comment on their experience and the impact the movie had on their\nlives. There aren\u2019t many reviews for this picture available at present, but one\ncan assume that it will be of interest to any fans of the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Looking for some Blu-ray upgrades of older titles? There\u2019s\nplenty to choose from this week. Shout! Factory are presenting Havoc<\/em>\n(2005) in high definition. It features a young Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips\nas two affluent suburban girls who take a trip to Los Angeles and find\nthemselves getting embroiled in gang culture. This Blu-ray includes a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1970s, public interest in aliens and mystical\nphenomenon became something of a fad, resulting in TV shows like In Search of\u2026<\/em>\nand films like the pseudo-documentary, Chariots of the Gods<\/em> (1970).\nThis, well, exaggerated and silly film made a case for aliens having built or\ninspired ancient structures like the pyramids of Egypt. In honor of the\nfeature\u2019s 50th<\/sup> anniversary, VCI is releasing the movie on Blu-ray\nwith a 2K restoration from the original negative (so all the stock footage used\nin it will look sharper than ever!). It\u2019ll provide goofy fun for alien\nenthusiasts and the disc also includes Mysteries of the Gods<\/em> (1976), a\nfollow-up featuring more \u201cevidence\u201d that is narrated by William Shatner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy old cliffhanger serials, the distributor is\nalso putting out Pirate Treasure<\/em> (1934) in high definition. This tale of\ntreasure hunters aiming to beat dangerous competitors and find hidden pirate\nbooty over several chapters (that end up totaling 4 hours) has been given a\nspiffy new 2K picture restoration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino are delivering plenty more Blu-rays this week. They have the Susan Hayward tearjerker Back Street<\/em> (1961), which arrives with a film historian commentary and trailer. The classic romantic comedy Desire<\/em> (1936) is also available on Blu-ray. This heist tale stars Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper. You\u2019ll get a new 2K master of the film, two commentary tracks giving background information on the production and a trailer. And action fans can pick up F.P. 1 Doesn\u2019t Answer<\/em> (1932), a German film about the crew of a massive airport stationed on a floating platform. This disc includes the original foreign-language version and the English US version title Secrets of F.P. 1<\/em>, along with a movie historian commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilies of the Field<\/em> (1963) is a drama about a\ntraveling handyman who helps five impoverished nuns build a church. This\nwell-regarded drama was nominated for five Academy Awards and earned star\nSidney Poitier a Best Actor Oscar. It also comes with an audio track featuring\na movie authority giving details about the production. In the World War II\ndrama, O.S.S.<\/em> (1946), Alan Ladd plays an undercover spy trying to help\nthe French prevent Nazi forces from using their railway system. This picture\nhas been given a 2K master and includes a commentary and trailer. And you can\nalso pick up a Blu-ray of the Gary Cooper period drama, Peter Ibbetson<\/em>\n(1935) that is based on the George du Maurier novel. It comes with a film\nhistorian track and a theatrical trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion are making a Blu-ray available of the Japanese\ndrama, After Life<\/em> (1998). It\u2019s set in a world where, when one dies,\ntheir spirits are permitted to exist in one happy life memory. The dead\nstruggle to choose and determine how to spend eternity. The disc includes a 2K\nrestoration of the feature, a film scholar commentary, new interviews with the\nmovie\u2019s cinematographers, deleted scenes, a trailer and an essay on the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horror fans likely already know about the massive Friday the 13th<\/sup><\/em> series Blu-ray boxset that was released by Shout! Factory last year. If you didn\u2019t pick it up and have been waiting for a cost-effective alternative, Paramount are rereleasing the first batch of titles that they produced and distributed (New Line Cinema ended up releasing the following four instalments). This new set is called the Friday the 13th<\/sup>: 8-Movie Collection<\/em> and it contains many of the same extras featured in the previous edition, including newly restored versions of first four movies. Frankly, if you\u2019re a big fan you\u2019re probably better off with the big box set, but those who want a cheaper option may appreciate this edition. The studio is also revealing the original Friday the 13th<\/sup><\/em> (1980) as a standalone title in a Steelbook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, if you\u2019d like more horror in your life, you can also\npick up a Blu-ray of the remake of The Haunting<\/em> (1999). It isn\u2019t nearly\nas well regarded as the 1963 original, but it does feature an impressive cast\nthat includes Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Lili Taylor,\nVirginia Madsen and Bruce Dern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The high-quality \u201cParamount Presents\u201d Blu-ray line also has\na couple of new titles coming your way. The first is the much-lauded musical\ndrama Nashville<\/em> (1975) from director Robert Altman (MASH<\/em>, McCabe\n& Mrs. Miller<\/em>, The Player<\/em>, Gosford Park<\/em>) which follows a\nfew days in the life of some musicians mounting a show for a presidential\ncandidate. The film arrives with a 4K restoration and includes a documentary on\nthe feature, an archived commentary track with Altman, trailers and collectable,\nfold-out packaging that displays the movie poster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Place in the Sun<\/em> (1951) is a well-respected drama\nfrom director George Stevens (Shane<\/em>, Giant<\/em>) about a poor factory\nworker who falls in love with two women from different social classes. It was\nshowered with 6 Academy Award wins (although it didn\u2019t pick up Best Picture)\nand has now been given a 4K restoration for this Blu-ray edition. The disc\nincludes a featurette about the movie with noted film critic Leonard Maltin,\nretrospective cast and crew interviews, an archived director commentary track,\na special about filmmaker George Stevens, trailers and the same nifty\npackaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re looking for genre fare, Dark Force have a Blu-ray of The Treasure of Jamaica Reef<\/em> (1974), aka Evil in the Deep<\/em>. It\u2019s a thriller with Cheryl Ladd (from the TV-series Charlie\u2019s Angels,<\/em> she’s credited in the feature as Cheryl Stoppelmoor) searching for a lost sunken galleon under the sea. This disc includes a new 2K master of the movie, a recently recorded 35-minute interview with the movie\u2019s camera operator, an extra scenes featurette and the original pressbook for the flick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media Blasters are putting out a Blu-ray of the Japanese\nanimated feature, Black Rat<\/em> (2010), which follows a group of high school\nstudents fighting off a maniacal killer. Additionally, the distributor is\nreleasing the low-budget creeper, Flesh for the Beast<\/em> (2003). It stars\nSergio Jones and Caroline Munro and features music by Buckethead. Bonus\nfeatures include a behind-the-scenes featurette and interviews with cast\nmembers Munro and Aldo Sanbrell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Moon Pictures have a Blu-ray of a low-budget feature\ncoming your way as part of their \u201cEurocine Collection\u201d. It\u2019s an exploitation\neffort from B-movie writer\/director Jess Franco (The Awful Dr. Orloff<\/em>, Oasis\nof the Zombies<\/em>) called Angel of Death<\/em> (1987). Described by some\ncritics as \u201cdaft\u2026 and unsavory\u201d, curious parties will find the film presented\nin its uncut form mastered from the original camera negative.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up a Blu-ray of The Frenchman\u2019s Garden<\/em>\n(1978) from Mondo Macabro. It\u2019s a narrative based on Spain\u2019s most notorious\nserial killer. The film has been hard to find outside of its homeland, but is\nnow arriving on disc in the US fully uncut and restored for the first time. The\nmovie has received a 4K transfer and comes with an interview with star Paul Naschy,\nas well as a film critic commentary and trailers. The distributor also has the\nviolent Philippines-made genre flick, Silip: Daughters of Eve<\/em> (1985). It\nalso comes with similar extras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, Warner Archive are premiering an amusing little 80s\nteen comedy on Blu-ray. One Crazy Summer<\/em> (1986) was the follow-up to\nwriter\/director Savage Steve Holland\u2019s cult flick, Better Off Dead<\/em>. It\nstars many of the same cast members, including John Cusack and Curtis\nArmstrong. In this tale, Cusack plays as an aspiring cartoonist in Nantucket,\nMassachusetts who comes to the aid of a singer (played by Demi Moore) after her\nhome targeted by sinister property developers. Bobcat Goldthwait also plays one\nof the protagonists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a couple of other comedies made during the era (Summer\nRental<\/em>, Up the Creek<\/em>), the group end up having to face off and beat the\nbad guys in a boat race. This movie isn\u2019t high art, but it definitely has a\nfollowing and includes a few amusing gags – many fans will likely recall a very\nfunny scene inspired by Godzilla<\/em> films. There is no word on whether any extras\nare included yet, but one hopes that the commentary track from the old DVD has\nbeen added to this release, as well as the film\u2019s specially narrated trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here is all the kid-friendly entertainment coming your way\nthis week (providing they can handle some chills)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Curse of the Shadows<\/em>\n(2019 \u2013 2021) Nickelodeon TV-series<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And you\u2019ll find some TV-themed releases arriving on store\nshelves below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Curse of the Shadows<\/em> (2019 \u2013 2021) Nickelodeon TV-series
Charmed<\/em>: Season 7 Blu-ray
Charmed<\/em>: Season 8 Blu-ray
Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island<\/em> (PBS Kids)
Don\u2019t Go Breaking My Heart<\/em> (Hallmark)
Total Control<\/em>: Season 1 (Sundance) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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