{"id":23722,"date":"2021-10-25T19:31:07","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T02:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23722"},"modified":"2021-10-25T19:31:07","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T02:31:07","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-october-26th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23722","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for October 26th, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to yet another look at some of the latest Blu-rays\nand DVDs coming your way. It\u2019s a busy week filled with high profile Hollywood\nfare, independents and some titles perfect for Halloween. So, if you can\u2019t or\nshouldn\u2019t be heading out to the movies just yet, be sure to give one of these\ntitles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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

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DEATH OF NINTENDO \u2013 While this movie\u2019s title might lead one\nto assume it is a documentary about the Nintendo video game system, this is actually\na coming-of-age comedy set in the Philippines during the early 1990s. The story\nfollows a group of teenagers who spend a summer playing Nintendo together and\ntalking about the opposite sex, as well as discussing their own hopes and\ndreams for the future. The press really enjoyed the picture and gave it\nuniformly positive reviews. They thought that the four young leads were all\nexcellent and suggested their growing pains were relatable as they amusingly\nattempt to navigate a path into adulthood. Overall, reviewers called the film\nsweet and endearing. The cast includes Noel Comia Jr., Agot Isidro, Moi\nMarcampo, John Vincent Servilla and Mailes Kanapi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DON\u2019T BREATHE 2 \u2013 This sequel to the surprise 2016 horror hit is set eight years after the original, which followed a group of home invaders being picked off by a blind and violent veteran. The sightless figure lives off the grid in an isolated cabin with a young girl whom he discovered and raised. Soon, viewers learn that she is the daughter of a drug dealer. When the criminal is released from prison and learns what happened to his child, he decides to find her, leading to a confrontation between the two parties. This follow-up features a new director and critics weren\u2019t nearly as impressed with the final product. A group did find the lead character easier to root for as the protagonist and thought the movie offered some tense moments. Still, more found the new approach odd and complained that the story wasn\u2019t as inventive or thrilling as its predecessor. It stars Stephen Lang, Madelyn Grace, Brendan Sexton III and Adam Young. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FOR MADMEN ONLY \u2013 Also known as For Madmen Only: The\nStories of Del Close<\/em>, this documentary tells the life story of a legendary\nimprov figure. Del Close was a stand-up comic who developed new improvisation\ntechniques and lived a wild and self-destructive lifestyle. Despite his\npersonal issues, he was a mentor to everyone from Bill Murray to Tina Fey and\nappeared in numerous films over the course of his life. A series of strange,\nbizarre and troubling stories about the man and his days in show business are\nrelayed through interviews with many famous celebrities whom he worked with and\ninspired. Reaction was upbeat towards this picture. One or two thought that the\nmany famous people featured overwhelmed the picture and drew the focus away\nfrom its subject. However, everyone else called it an entertaining, fascinating\nand bittersweet eulogy to a talented figure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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KID CANDIDATE \u2013 Another documentary arriving this week\nfollows young musician Hayden Pedigo. While living in Amarillo, Texas, he\nbecomes interested in politics and decides to run for city council. He ultimately\nfashions a spoof campaign video that goes viral. Filmmakers follow Pedigo as he\ndeals with sudden fame and popularity during his run for office. Reviews for\nthis feature were generally positive. A contingent did suggest that while the\nstory itself was interesting, the documentarians didn\u2019t really fashion a dynamic\nfilm about their subject, leaving many questions unanswered and only providing\na general overview of what occurred. Still, the majority thought that it was an\ninteresting film that could inspire young people to take a stand and promote\nchange in their communities.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MALNI: TOWARDS THE OCEAN, TOWARDS THE SHORE \u2013 The third\ndocumentary arriving this week details the Chinookan people in the Pacific\nNorthwest. Filmmakers follow two individuals from the group as they make a\nlengthy trek through forests and nature from their homes to the ocean. Along\nthe way, viewers learn about Chinookan beliefs and their relationship with\nnature. The subjects also contemplate afterlife, rebirth and death. Reaction\nwas very positive towards this feature. In fact, there haven\u2019t been any\nnegative reviews for the feature as of yet. All wrote that it effectively\ncombined interesting discussions and experimental techniques to help viewers understand\nthe Chinookan, their motivations and how their lives are intrinsically\nintertwined with the natural world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ON THE ROCKS \u2013 A woman who fears that her husband may be having an affair tells her fears to her eccentric father. She expects him to calm her and tell her that she is misinterpreting things, but the parent actually makes the protagonist doubt her spouse even more. The two decide to secretly investigate her husband over the next several days, following him around town. This comedy from Apple TV+ was a critical success last year and garnered award nominations from various outlets. However, the movie was only available via the streaming service. They\u2019ve now decided to finally release it on Blu-ray and DVD. A few did find the movie to be too playful and thought it suffered from a lack of dramatic tension. However, consensus on the movie suggested that it dealt with its subject matter in an intriguing way and benefitted from some fantastic performances. It stars Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans, Jessica Henwick and Jenny Slate.\u00a0Read a full review of the movie here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SHIT & CHAMPAGNE \u2013 Low-budget exploitation flicks are\nthe inspiration for this independent comedy. It involves a divorcee and exotic\ndancer named Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White. When her fianc\u00e9 and\nhalf-sister are murdered by a sinister sex, drug and back-to-school clothing\nring, the protagonist decides to go undercover and get revenge. This movie has\npremiered last month on Apple TV+ and Amazon and is now debuting on disc. There\nhaven\u2019t been many write-ups for it so far, but the ones that have appeared online\nhave been upbeat. They say that it definitely feels inspired by the work of filmmakers\nlike John Waters and delivers enough cheesy and intentionally trashy moments to\nearn it a recommendation. The cast includes D’Arcy Drollinger, Matthew Martin\nand Seton Brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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STILLWATER \u2013 An American roughneck working on an oil rig decides to visit Marseilles, France. Viewers learn that his estranged daughter is imprisoned there, having been prosecuted for the murder of her girlfriend. The parent becomes determined to try and help find evidence that will prove his daughter\u2019s innocence. However, he gets himself into more and more trouble as he struggles to communicate with French locals. This drama earned a lot of praise, although there was also a segment of reviewers who disliked the film. About one quarter of them found the story frustrating to watch and didn\u2019t like the direction that events took as they progressed. However, everyone else thought the movie took some unexpected and compelling turns. They also complimented the writing as sharp and called the cast performances superb. It features Matt Damon, Camille Cottin and Abigail Breslin. Read a review of the picture here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SUICIDE SQUAD \u2013 The 2016 film adaptation of DC comic\nbook Suicide Squad<\/em> followed a group of super-villains taking on a\nsuicide mission to reduce their prison sentences. This follow-up introduces\nseveral new characters (as well as a few returnees from the first picture) as\nthey take on a bigger and more dangerous foes on a remote, enemy-infused\nisland. In order to survive, they must take down their assigned targets and\navoid killing each other. Critics reacted more positively to this feature than\nto the previous film. There were some reviewers who commented that the\ngross-out humor was hit-and-miss and that the characters weren\u2019t relatable or\nlikable enough to keep them engaged. However, most appreciated what they saw, describing\nthe movie as a wild and bloody adventure that shocked and amused in equal\nmeasure. The cast includes Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman,\nMichael Rooker, Viola Davis, Nathan Fillion and more.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WARNING \u2013 This science-fiction picture is set in the future\nand features a series of vignettes with intertwining characters. Among the many\nfeatured, there\u2019s a janitor working on a space satellite, a beat-up old robot finding\ndifficulty gaining employment, as well as a company who allows customers to\npurchase time in the mind of another person. Notices were mixed-negative\ntowards this independent feature. Close to half of the write-ups said that the\nscreenplay was flawed but ambitious and that some of the individual stories still\nmade an impression. Slightly more complained that it was pretentious, muddled\nand that the various segments didn\u2019t interconnect or come together in a meaningful\nmanner. Thomas Jane, Tomasz Kot, Antonia\nGarrn, Rupert Everett, Alice Eve, Alex Pettyfer and Richard Pettyfer headline\nthe movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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It\u2019s another busy week for anyone seeking out some\nhigh-definition upgrades of older features. Arrow Video are presenting a \u201cLimited\nEdition\u201d 4K Ultra HD upgrade of the Italian horror classic, Deep Red<\/em>\n(1975). It\u2019s about a musician who witnesses a murder and becomes a target of\nthe killer himself as he tries to figure out who is responsible. The 4K Ultra\nHD version includes both the Italian and export versions of the film with\nlimited edition packaging and all extras from previously released versions. You\ncan also pick up a regular Blu-ray version with the improved picture quality,\nbut it doesn\u2019t have any notable extras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrow also have the Blu-ray box set Giallo Essentials<\/em>,\nwhich includes the three Italian thrillers, The Possessed<\/em> (1968), The\nFifth Cord<\/em> (1971) and The Pajama Girl Case<\/em> (1978). It contains new\n2K restorations of each film and arrives with all the extras from previous\neditions like commentaries, cast and crew interviews, video essays and\npublicity materials. The last film in the set also has some new features like a\nfilm critic commentary and discussions with the editor and a cast member. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory are delivering the Japanese animated feature A\nLetter to Momo<\/em> (2011) on Blu-ray. A lonely young girl moves to an island\nafter the death of her father, only to befriend strange and comical creatures\nliving in the home. This disc arrives with a making-of, trailers and TV spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing But Trouble<\/em> (1991) is a bizarre comedy with\nChevy Chase, Demi Moore, John Candy and Dan Aykroyd (who also served as writer\nand director) about a stock market trader and a coworker who end up trapped in\na town with a corrupt and monstrous looking judge. The movie tanked when it\nfirst hit cinemas, but has built a following over the years through home video\nand frequent airings on cable. This Blu-ray comes with new interviews with\nAykroyd, co-star Bertila Damas, the production designer, the costume designer\nand the music producer, as well as a pop culture historian commentary track and\nplenty of publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many readers will already be familiar with the Vestron line,\nwhich delivers high quality Blu-ray versions of several titles that the\nindependent distributor put out decades ago on VHS. This week, they are\npresenting the post-apocalyptic Patrick Swayze action flick, Steel Dawn<\/em>\n(1987). Expect a low-budget knock-off of Mad Max<\/em> with more fist fights\nthan car chases and you\u2019ll be on the right track. This \u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d\ncomes with a director commentary, a discussion with the screenwriter, an\ninterview with the director of photography and a talk with the production\ndesigner. Additionally, the disc includes an archival featurette, a still\ngallery and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for more? Kino also have plenty of Blu-rays worth\nchecking out. They include The Cheat<\/em> (1931), a Pre-Code era drama about\nan impulsive gambler. For those unfamiliar with Pre-Code features, they arrived\nbefore there was a rating system in the US and were less conservative in\ndealing with social issues. This release includes a film critic commentary and\na trailer. The company also has Devil and the Deep<\/em> (1932), another\nPre-Code melodrama about a cop who believes his wife is cheating on him. It\nfeatures Cary Grant and Gary Cooper. This disc includes the same extras as the\nprevious title. The company has more features from this era, including another\nCary Grant effort, Hot Saturday<\/em> (1932), as well as Torch Singer<\/em>\n(1933) with Claudette Colbert. She plays a singer who has an illegitimate child\nand tries to juggle her responsibilities while performing at nightclubs.\nBonuses are the same as for previous releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino are also putting out a Blu-ray of the Michael J. Fox\ncomedy, For Love or Money<\/em> (1993). The star plays a concierge trying to rope\nan investor in on a business opportunity, but finds the situation complicated\nwhen he falls for the girlfriend of a wealthy financier. It arrives with a film\nexpert commentary and a trailer. And they are releasing a Blu-ray of The\nPursuit of D.B. Cooper<\/em> (1981). This is a take on the famous real-life 1971 heist\nabout a man who parachuted out of an airliner with $200,000 dollars and\ndisappeared. The picture stars Treat Williams and Robert Duvall and the disc\nincludes a screenwriter commentary, TV spots and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion are putting out Devi <\/em>(1960) aka The\nGoddess<\/em> on Blu-ray. It\u2019s an Indian drama a young woman who is deemed a real\ngoddess by family members and the complications that follow. The disc includes\na 4K restoration of the film, a 2013 program featuring interviews with some of\nthe cast and a video essay on the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you enjoy the work of Ralph Bakshi (Wizards<\/em>, American\nPop<\/em>, Cool World<\/em>), Scorpion are releasing two of his most popular\nadult-themed animated efforts on Blu-ray. Fritz the Cat<\/em> (1972) is a\nsatire on the swinging 60\u2019s, with a talking, sex-obsessed cat as its\nprotagonist. This disc includes a commentary track with artist\/historian\nStephen Bissette and author G. Michael Dobbs, as well as a trailer. And you can\npick up a copy of the sequel, The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat<\/em> (1974), in\nwhich the title character is now married an ruminates on missed opportunities\nin his life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severin have some intriguing genre films as well arriving on\nBlu-ray. They include An Angel for Satan<\/em> (1966) and Beyond Darkness<\/em>\n(1990). Additionally, they are putting out a double feature disc called Franco\nNoir<\/em>. It includes Riffifi in the City<\/em> (1963) and Death Whistles\nthe Blues<\/em> (1964), both directed by Jess Franco. All of these titles arrive\nwith new restorations and bonus features. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This week\u2019s highlight from this distributor is a new 4K\nUltra HD, Blu-ray and CD set of Blood for Dracula<\/em> (1974). Produced and\npresented by Andy Warhol, this notable cult film features an aging Dracula\nsearching for new victims in Italy. Things get strange and spicy after he\narrives at a crumbling estate filled with incestuous lesbians and a Marxist\nservant. In addition to the new transfer, the disc includes numerous interviews\nwith the cast and crew (including stars Udo Kier and Joe Dallesandro), a visit\nto the movie\u2019s locations, as swell as the entire soundtrack on CD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vinegar Syndrome have a bunch of extras-packed Blu-rays of independent genre pictures. They include Blades<\/em> (1989), Devil Story<\/em> (1986) and Shallow Grave<\/em> (1984). Perhaps most notably, they have the hard-to-find cult comedy, Six-String Samurai<\/em> (1998), about the adventures of a samurai musician in a post-apocalyptic Nevada. It arrives in an impressive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package with bonuses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ticks<\/em> (1993) is also being released in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. This cult flick features a group of troubled teenagers in L.A. being sent camping by social workers. They bond after being attacked in the woods by monstrous ticks. It stars Ami Dolenz, Seth Green, Alfonso Ribeiro, Peter Scolari and Clint Howard. The movie has been out-of-print for a long time and likely comes with plenty of extra material. You\u2019ll find it available for purchase through the Vinegar Syndrome website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans of musician\/filmmaker Rob Zombie can pick up one of his\nmore recent horror features, 31<\/em> (2016). This film is being released\nthrough Lionsgate as a Target Exclusive Steelbook Blu-ray. The distributor also\nhas the teen thriller, Megan is Missing<\/em> (2011), which involves a teen\nwho meets some disturbing figures while chatting online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Film Detective are putting out a Blu-ray of The\nAmazing Mr. X<\/em> (1948). It\u2019s a well-regarded, atmospheric creeper about a\nspiritualist who preys on the gullible, but soon finds his own life in peril. The\nmovie has received a 4K restoration for its release and arrives with a film\nprofessor commentary, a documentary about movies featuring mediums and an\nessay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enjoy watching vampires fight werewolves, or just appreciate\nKate Beckinsale? Sony are releasing a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Underworld<\/em> box\nset, which contains all five movies in the fantasy\/action franchise which were\nput out between 2003 and 2016. The titles are being presented on 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warner Brothers have decided to give one of their most\ncritically and commercially successful franchises an upgrade. They are\npresenting The Lord of the Rings: The Movie Picture Trilogy<\/em> Expanded\nEditions Remastered<\/em>, which pretty much explains all you need to know about\nthe product. It\u2019s the 2001, 2002 and 2003 Academy Award-winning Peter Jackson\nadaptions with all the same bonuses plus newly improved picture quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Warner Archive have a stack of made-to-order Blu-rays\ncoming your way. You can order the classic British chiller Children of the\nDamned<\/em> (1964), as well as the John Barrymore\/Jean Harlow drama, Dinner\nat Eight<\/em> (1933). They also have the UK horror picture Eye of the Devil<\/em>\n(1966) with David Niven. And those looking for more melodrama can pick up Mary\nStevens, MD<\/em> (1933). Finally, slasher fans will be happy to see the slasher Killer\nParty<\/em> (1986) arriving on Blu-ray. All of these titles can be purchased\nthrough Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius<\/em>: The Complete Series (Nickelodeon)
Superman<\/em>: The Complete Animated Series (1996 \u2013 2000) Blu-ray <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And you\u2019ll find all of the TV-themed releases listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius<\/em>: The Complete Series (Nickelodeon)
Charmed<\/em>: Season 6 – Blu-ray
Charmed<\/em>: Season 7 – Blu-ray
Christmas Cookies<\/em> (Hallmark TV-movie) – DVD
Gomorrah<\/em>: Season 1
The Heart Guy<\/em>: Series 5 – DVD
The Incredible Hulk<\/em>: The Complete Series – Blu-ray
Serengetti II\u00a0<\/em>(BBC) – Blu-ray
Star Trek<\/em>: The Complete Original Series \u2013 Blu-ray
Superman<\/em>: The Complete Animated Series (1996 \u2013 2000) – Blu-ray \ufeffThe Twilight Zone: The Complete Series \u2013 Blu-ray reissue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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