{"id":23431,"date":"2021-09-06T17:13:06","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T00:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23431"},"modified":"2021-09-06T17:13:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T00:13:06","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-september-7th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23431","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for September 7th, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s time for another look at some of the highlights that\nare arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. In addition to a high-profile superhero title,\nyou\u2019ll find plenty of quirky little releases that may be of interest. So, if\nyou can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t be heading out to the movies this week, be sure to give\none of these films a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIG NEW RELEASES!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS: GIRLS\u2019 RULES\u00a0–<\/strong> While the original American Pie<\/em> series came to a close in 2012, that hasn\u2019t stopped producers from making direct-to-disc spin-offs. The latest follows a group of four female high school seniors who want to lose their virginity and\/or are looking to take revenge on past boyfriends. The friends help each other to accomplish their goals before graduation. This is the first movie in the franchise not to feature a cameo from Eugene Levy and critics panned the final product. A few commented that they liked the idea of having women at the center of the story and enjoyed a couple of the performances. All others stated that while the gender swap offered potential, the movie featured the same old gags and familiar scenarios that weren\u2019t any funnier in their updated form. It stars Madison Pettis, Lizzie Broadway, Piper Curda, Natasha Behnam, Danny Trejo and Barry Bostwick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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APOCALYPSE \u201945 \u2013 <\/strong>Marking the 75th<\/sup> anniversary of the Pacific War, the makers of this documentary have unearthed unseen and at times grisly color footage from the last months of the conflict. This incredible, newly discovered film has been restored to pristine condition and is being presented for the first time, narrated by two dozen soldiers who lived through the events. As of this writing, all members of the press have praised the feature. Most were stunned by what they witnessed. They called it a jarring and completely compelling contrast to Hollywood\u2019s narrative depictions of the war. The journalists noted that it was heavy viewing, but showed things as they really occurred and painted an intimate portrait of the horrors that many were forced to endure. The feature originally premiered on Discovery and is now arriving on disc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE GATEWAY \u2013<\/strong> A down-on-his-luck social worker is assigned to provide assistance to a single mother with a recently paroled ex-husband. He does his best to protect the woman and her daughter, but is told by the lady that a large stash of cash is hidden in the home. He soon finds the place surrounded by the woman\u2019s violent, drug-dealing spouse and his team of thugs. Reviewers were less-than-enthused by this crime thriller. A small contingent enjoyed the performances and thought the movie delivered some tense moments. Unfortunately, the majority complained that while the filmmakers had noble intentions in trying to deal with spousal abuse, it didn\u2019t handle its themes well or generate any excitement. The cast includes Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, Keith David, Taryn Manning, Mark Boone Junior, Taegen Burns and Frank Grillo. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GREAT WHITE \u2013 <\/strong>After their seaplane crashes in the ocean over 100 miles from shore, the surviving pilot and tourists climb into a life raft and wait for rescuers. Unfortunately for them, the waters are shark infested. Drifting throughout the night, a clever, stealthy great white picks up their scent and tracks them, leading to a battle between the group and an apex predator. Response to the feature was more negative than positive. Those who appreciated this thriller suggested it was tense and that the characters were developed enough for viewers to care about them. Sadly, the majority stated that there really wasn\u2019t enough about the title that was unique or clever and that it would be forgotten soon after the credits rolled. It features Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano and Te Kohe Tuhaka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SILO \u2013<\/strong> Farms are dangerous places! This independent thriller follows a teenage boy who accidentally falls into a silo filled with corn. Trapped and slowly sinking in the massive tower, he does his best to alert his family. From this point forward, his parents and neighbors do everything they can to retrieve the boy before it\u2019s too late. This title is scheduled to arrive on Blu-ray and DVD and is available on Target, but the listing doesn\u2019t appear to be on Amazon yet. Overall, reaction towards the film has been positive. A small number of reviewers found it a bit overbaked and asserted that the simple story didn\u2019t justify a full feature. Still, far more were impressed by the photography, thought the film really detailed the dangers that farmers face daily and called it remarkably tense. It stars Jeremy Holm, Jill Paice and Jack DiFalco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SLAXX \u2013 <\/strong>This horror\/comedy certainly has a unique concept. Set in a popular clothing company\u2019s flagship store, a group of trendy and fashion-obsessed employees work the nightshift. They\u2019re assigned to set the shop up for the release of a big new product line the following day. Little do they know that among the items on the shelves is a possessed pair of jeans ready to murder them for their unethical business practices and behavior. This film debuted earlier in the year as a streaming title and is now arriving as a DVD exclusive. Critics were generally amused by what they witnessed. One or two of them hated the self-obsessed characters. But everyone else wrote that there was a lot of fun satire and enough of the gags worked to earn the flick a recommendation. The cast includes Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani and Stephen Bogaert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TOGETHER TOGETHER \u2013<\/strong> A single man in his 40s decides that he wants to become a father. Without a significant other to conceive a child with, he comes into contact with a stranger who agrees to be a surrogate. While remaining platonic pals, as the pregnancy progresses and the two get to know each other better, they find their relationship changing and developing in complex and unexpected ways. Notices were excellent for this independent comedy\/drama. There was a small group who didn\u2019t like the ending and criticized the screenplay for failing to wrap things up in a satisfying manner. However, the majority thought the movie was sweet, were blown away by the performances and believed it would spark interesting discussion among viewers. For the time being, this is a DVD only release. Patti Harrison, Ed Helms, Nora Dunn, Tig Notaro and Rosalind Chao headline the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT \u2013<\/strong> Here\u2019s yet another feature that warns audiences not to spend their vacations staying at isolated and eerie locales. This chiller involves a banker whose previous wife passed away under suspicious circumstance. Remarried to a young actress, he heads out with his new spouse and daughter to a Welsh manor. Once they arrive, the tourists begin to feel uneasy and start becoming convinced that an evil figure is haunting the place. Generally, this picture failed to intrigue members of the press. Some of them complemented it for maintaining an eerie atmosphere and complimented the game cast who helped deliver a couple of jolts. Still, the consensus was that this picture didn\u2019t generate enough thrills to recommend and felt clich\u00e9d and predictable. The cast includes Kevin Bacon, Amanda Seyfried, Avery Tiiu Essex and Colin Blumenau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ZACH SNYDER\u2019S JUSTICE LEAGUE \u2013<\/strong> Back in 2017, the DC superhero team-up film Justice League<\/em> was released at theaters. It featured Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Superman and Cyborg teaming up to face a potentially world-ending threat. Most were underwhelmed by the results and the movie was generally considered<\/a> to have been a missed opportunity. During the recent pandemic, director Zach Snyder went back to the editing room to reassemble his original vision for the movie. Running at 4 hours (twice the running time of the original) this new version tries to fill in some plot holes and fix issues with the earlier cut. It recently premiered on HBO Max and can now be picked up as either a regular Blu-ray or separately in 4K Ultra HD. Overall, critics have suggested that it is better than the previous version. A large number suggested that even if the narrative problems had been rectified, it was an overlong slog and still an ineffective superhero movie. However, more thought that the changes made the film a much more cohesive and entertaining experience. It stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Henry Cavill and Jesse Eisenberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Lots of interesting older films are also receiving upgrades this week. Kino are releasing a Blu-ray of the cult horror flick, Theater of Blood<\/em> (1973). Made in the UK, this feature stars Vincent Price as a Shakespearean actor who is so irritated by scathing reviews from the press that he presumably fakes his own death starts to murder his harshest critics in diabolical and ironic ways. The movie is grimly funny and this Special Edition Blu-ray comes with a new audio commentary featuring the film\u2019s screenwriter\/producer, a film historian audio track, as well as multiple trailers and promotional materials. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tomb of Ligeia<\/em> (1964) is another Price title\nabout a man obsessed with his deceased wife. His strange behavior continues after\nremarrying, much to the concern of his new bride. This Special Edition disc\narrives in high definition with multiple commentaries. One features a film historian\nwho tells background information on the production, another is an archived\ntrack with producer\/director Roger Corman and a third includes cast member\nElizabeth Shepherd. You\u2019ll also get some trailers for the film. Collectors\nshould also take note that both of these releases arrive with a limited slipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ronin Flix often give wonderful treatment to obscure genre\nfilms. This week, they are putting out Adrenaline: Fear the Rush<\/em> (1996)\non Blu-ray. It\u2019s a thriller featuring two cops (played by Christopher Lambert\nand Natasha Henstridge) hunting down a serial killer who operates out of a\nlabyrinth-like dungeon. This title includes a trailer. You can also pick up Lawnmower\nMan 2: Jobe\u2019s War<\/em> (1996) aka Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace<\/em>. The\ntitle character from the previous horror film now lives in a digital world and\ndecides to battle for world control with another individual. In truth, it\u2019s a\npretty terrible sequel to a not-so-great original movie, but those looking for B-movie\nlaughs may get a kick out of the outdated technology and computer-based\nshenanigans. It also arrives on disc with a trailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Universal are digging deep into their vaults for some\nclassic titles to present on Blu-ray. This week, they have the Deanna Durbin romantic\nmusical comedy, Because of Him<\/em> (1946). If you\u2019re looking for more in the\nsame vein, you can also see Durbin in Can\u2019t Help Singing<\/em> (1944), as well\nas For the Love of Mary<\/em> (1948) and Something in the Wind<\/em> (1947).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The studio is also giving a few titles 4K upgrades. This\nweek, they are presenting the Alfred Hitchcock classics Rear Window<\/em>\n(1954) and Vertigo<\/em> (1958) as Ultra HD titles (with a regular Blu-ray and\ndigital copy included for those who don\u2019t feel like upgrading their TVs just yet).\nThese two films were a part of a recent Hitchcock box set and are both being\nmade available individually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And those who love the work of horror maestro John Carpenter\n(Halloween<\/em>, Escape from New York<\/em>, Big Trouble in Little China<\/em>,\nThey Live<\/em>, In the Mouth of Madness<\/em>) will be thrilled to see a 4K\nUltra HD\/Blu-ray\/Digital edition of The Thing<\/em> (1982). It\u2019s one of the\nfilmmaker\u2019s best titles, a literally chilling tale of a shapeshifting alien attacking\na group of men stationed at an Antarctic base. The discs include the previously\nreleased commentary track with Carpenter and star Kurt Russell. Additionally, the\nset also comes with a lengthy documentary on the movie and outtakes. If you\nshop at Best Buy, the 4K release can be purchased there in exclusive Steelbook packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Code Red are releasing the action flick Death Ring<\/em> (1992) on Blu-ray. It\u2019s inspired by The Most Dangerous Game<\/em> and follows an extraordinarily wealthy aristocrat who spends his spare time hunting and murdering humans on an uncharted island. Of course, his latest target turns out to be much harder to kill than anticipated. The disc comes with a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And Film Detective are putting out a Blu-ray of the well-regarded\nfilm noir, A Life at Stake<\/em> (1955). It follows an architect who begins an\naffair, only to learn that his new girlfriend\u2019s previous man died under\u2026 odd circumstances.\nAngela Lansbury (more familiar to younger viewers as the lead in the TV-series,\nMurder, She Wrote<\/em>) plays the femme fatale. The movie has been given a 4K\nrestoration and comes with a film scholar commentary, a documentary and an illustrated\nbooklet with an essay on the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramount are rereleasing some catalog titles, as well as a\nfew Miramax films that they have acquired the rights to. You can pick up Mission:\nImpossible \u2013 Rogue Nation<\/em> (2015), Scream 2<\/em> (1997), Scream 3<\/em>\n(2000), Star Trek into Darkness<\/em> (2013), Star Trek: The Motion Picture<\/em>\n(1979), State of the Union<\/em> (1948), Terminator: Genisys<\/em> (2015) and\nThe Wolf of Wall Street<\/em> (2013). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you noted the Star Trek<\/em> rereleases above, then you\u2019ll\nalso be excited by the new box set, Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie\nCollection<\/em>. It contains upgraded 4K Ultra HD versions of Star Trek: The\nMotion Picture<\/em> (1979), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn<\/em> (1982), Star\nTrek III: The Search for Spock<\/em> (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home<\/em>\n(1986). The set includes alternate cuts of some of the titles and hours of\nspecial features. Naturally, the release also comes with regular Blu-rays and\ndigital copies of the films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Lightyear Video have a DVD-only release of the\nsequel, The Return of the Swamp Thing<\/em> (1989). Based on the DC comic book\ncharacter, this is a campy follow-up to the 1982 original film adaptation. The\nstory features the heroic swamp monster doing battle with various evildoers (including\nthe villain from the first picture). It stars Heather Locklear and Louis Jordan.\nThis \u201c30th<\/sup> Anniversary Collector\u2019s Edition\u201d must have been delayed\nfor some time, since it\u2019s already a couple of years out-of-date, but the disc includes\na nice, new digital restoration of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

There are a couple of new titles that may be of interest for\nyoung children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PBS Kids: 15 Girl Power Adventures!<\/em> DVD
The Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection<\/em> (1941 \u2013 1972) (includes 25 Original Theatrical Cartoons) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

As Luck Would Have It<\/em> (Hallmark Channel) DVD
Dangerous Assignment<\/em>: The Complete Series
Frankie Drake Mysteries<\/em>: Season 4
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Just My Type & Harvest Love<\/em> DVD
Love Alaska<\/em> (Hallmark Channel) DVD
PBS Kids: 15 Girl Power Adventures!<\/em> DVD
SEAL Team<\/em>: Season 4
The Soul of The Midnight Special<\/em> – 10 DVD Set
Sweet Carolina<\/em> (Hallmark Channel) DVD
Young Sheldon<\/em>: Season 4 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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