{"id":24087,"date":"2022-01-10T16:57:03","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T00:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=24087"},"modified":"2022-01-10T16:57:03","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T00:57:03","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-january-11th-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=24087","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for January 11th, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s time for another look at the latest highlights arriving\non Blu-ray and DVD. This is a great edition with big features and awards\ncontenders in a wide variety of genres. So, if you can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t be heading\nout to the cinemas right now, 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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DOUBLE WALKER \u2013 A young woman is murdered and returns from\nthe dead as a ghost in this independent horror picture. It seems that this new\nand angry spirit is angry about her untimely end and tries to piece together\nwhat happened from scattered memories. She begins haunting and killing men whom\nshe believes may be responsible for her death. One night while on the hunt, the\nghost is interrupted by a kind theater usher who can see her. A friendship\ndevelops, but her lingering need to find the person responsible starts to cause\ntrouble. Reaction was upbeat towards this little feature. A small percentage\nthought that the story didn\u2019t make a lot of sense or add up to much. However,\nmost were intrigued and thought it was a quirky and well-acted little picture\nwith some memorable moments. It stars Sylvie Mix, Justin Rose, Quinn Armstrong\nand Jacob Rice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DUNE \u2013 Frank Herbert\u2019s science-fiction novel gets a makeover in this new adaptation. The emperor of a faraway galaxy assigns noble family control of an inhospitable desert plant. They are asked to produce a valuable spice that is needed for space travel. The family soon learn that other kingdoms may be planning an invasion and the son discovers that he has a strange and unexpected connection to his new home. The original story has been split and the film only covers the first half of the book, but critics were still very positive about it. A small number did complain that it was all set-up and found themselves frustrated at not getting the entire tale. However, the vast majority thought it was a gorgeously shot epic with strong performances that expertly delivered both the required story information and thrills. The cast includes Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Chang Chen and Dave Bautista. To read a full review of the film, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EMA \u2013 A dancer decides to separate from her husband and give\nback her adopted child in this Chilean drama. She immediately goes on an\nunusual personal journey, seeking out love affairs to seemingly try and overcome\nfeelings of guilt. However, as it turns out it may all be part of an elaborate\nsecret plan to both get out of her marriage and regain custody of the child.\nThe press seemed to generally like this foreign-language feature. A small\nnumber couldn\u2019t relate to the lead character and didn\u2019t buy into the unusual\nmethod used to try ana accomplish her goal. Still, far more thought that the\nlead performance was fantastic and that it was an interesting character study.\nThey also commented that the film kept their attention throughout as it moved\nfrom one bizarre situation to the next. Mariana Di Gir\u00f3lamo, Gael Garc\u00eda Bernal\nand Santiago Cabrera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HALLOWEEN KILLS \u2013 The latest chapter in the popular, long-running horror franchise finds psychotic masked killer Michael Myers still on the loose after another battle with protagonist Laurie Strode. While Strode recovers in a hospital, the maniac wreaks more havoc and targets the recovering woman\u2019s daughter and granddaughter. In the meantime, an angry mob decide to take the law into their own hands and dole out their own justice. Reviewers weren\u2019t as taken by this follow-up as they were by the previous sequel from 2018. Almost half of them admired the creative murder sequences and fast pacing, stating it was enough to earn a recommendation. However, the majority complained that the film felt like an awkward middle chapter of the new trilogy and there were some confusing messages that dampened their enjoyment. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Anthony Michael Hall, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Thomas Mann and Kyle Richards. Here’s a link to a full review<\/a> of the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HEART OF CHAMPIONS \u2013 This sports-themed drama follows a\ndysfunctional and disorganized Ivy League college rowing team. Needing help,\nthe school hires an army veteran to get the program back on track. They\ninitially butt heads with their new mentor, but he soon has them working like a\nteam and inspiring them to a kind of greatness that can\u2019t be taught in the\nclassroom. Notices were quite poor for this effort. A few did say that the cast\nwas charismatic and that it delivered everything you would expect and hope for\nin a sports flick. However, the general consensus was that the feature was\ncorny, melodramatic and overlong. They noted that instead of being moved by the\ncharacters, more viewers would be rolling their eyes at the heavy-handed speeches.\nThe cast includes Michael Shannon, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Alex\nMacNicoll and Michael Tacconi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I GOT FIVE ON IT 3 \u2013 The original I Got Five on It<\/em>\nwas a 2005 made-for-video comedy about two friends finding themselves in a\nserious of misadventures while trying to get to a party. It was successful\nenough for a sequel to be released in 2009. In this follow-up, the protagonists\nare now running a marijuana dispensary. One of them decides to go to seminary\nschool while the other tries to keep the business going. Things soon get out of\nhand when some old enemies return for payback against the protagonists. This\ntitle has been available on a few streaming services and is now being released\nto disc, but there are currently no reviews available for it. If you happen to\nbe a fan of the previous chapters it may be of interest, but newcomers should\nlook into seeing the older films before committing to this effort. It features\nChris Angelo, Karl J. Arana, Camilo Bravo Jr., Jimmy Bridges and Todd Bridges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019M YOUR MAN \u2013 A scientist is asked to evaluate a very new\nkind of technology in this comedy\/drama. Apparently, a company has developed\nthe ability to create the perfect android life partner for any human. She is\nasked to spend three weeks with a robot tailored to please her in every way.\nThe closed-off scientist initially hates her new helper, but finds her initial\nviews challenged after spending more time with the android. The press gave this\nGerman picture very high marks and it has won some awards in its homeland. A\nvery small number of North American critics didn\u2019t find it funny or think the\nthemes were well addressed. Everyone else called it sweet and clever little\nfilm that deviated from the typical romantic-comedy formula. They noted that it\ndelivered laughs and even asked the audience deeper questions about artificial\nlife and what it means to be human. The cast includes Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens\nand Sandra H\u00fcller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I, PORTRAIT \u2013 A newly married couple are unexpectedly\nvisited by an old friend in this independent Australian thriller. While things\nstart off friendly enough, it becomes very awkward as the visitor starts to intentionally\ncause friction with the hosts. It eventually is revealed that the troublemaker\nhas a grudge against the two and is trying to dissolve their union. Currently,\nit is hard to find any write-ups for this very small title, but it did earn a\nfew award nominations at a few small film festivals. And a few online reviews\nhave appeared from critics. They seem to have difficulty in determining if the\nmovie is over-the-top and melodramatic on purpose, or if it is a case of a feature\nbeing so off-kilter that it is unintentionally hilarious. Those curious about\nthe film will have to find out for themselves. Natalie Heslop, Sienna Stass and Nathan Hill headline\nthe picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MASS \u2013 In this drama, two couples come together and meet to\ndiscuss a violent tragedy at school involving their children. All of the\nindividuals share their thoughts and feelings about what occurred to each\nother. Their discussion leads to conflict as they continue and hope to come to\nsome kind of reconciliation or closure on this horrifying chapter in their\nlives. Critics adored this sad and distressing tale. There were a few who\nthought that while the movie\u2019s intentions and passion were admirable, it didn\u2019t\nmake for a compelling cinematic experience and eventually lost its power\nthrough repetition. The majority stated that the cast were incredible and\ndeserved award-consideration for their work, also calling the film a powerful\nexamination on dealing with loss, grief and guilt. It stars Jason Isaacs, Martha\nPlimpton, Ann Dowd and Reed Birney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MLK\/FBI \u2013 Back in the 1950s and 60s, American Baptist\nminister Martin Luther King Jr. became a leader of the civil rights movement\nand one of its most visible figures. This documentary uses newly discovered and\ndeclassified FBI documents to display how the US government used surveillance\nand other nefarious means like harassment to target the activist and stop him\nfrom achieving his goals. This feature was released last year at this time and\ngenerated a great deal of awards buzz. It even took home some prizes. Now, it\nis arriving on disc. Naturally, reaction towards the picture was almost\nunanimously positive. Those who watched it wrote that it painted a more\ndetailed portrait of King as a person and also showed the disturbing espionage\nand monitoring actions taken by those in office.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MULTIVERSE \u2013 Four university students working on an\nincredible breakthrough in quantum physics experience personal tragedy when one\nof the group dies in a car accident. Five months later, the remaining three are\nstill recovering from the loss. Sadness turns to shock when the deceased friend\nshows up alive, unaware of what occurred to her. Not long after, the others are\nvisited by doppelgangers. Could it have something to do with their unfinished\nproject? This independent science-fiction flick hasn\u2019t received many reviews so\nfar and those that have appeared aren\u2019t particularly strong. These write-ups\nclaim that the movie has an interesting concept, but instead focuses on\nmelodrama between the characters and seems geared primarily to a teenage\naudience. It features Munro Chambers, Sandra Mae Frank, Paloma Kwiatkowski, Robert\nNaylor and Marlee Matlin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SPENCER \u2013 Princess Diana Spencer is the subject of this\nbiopic. It focuses on the woman during her Christmas holidays with the royal\nfamily. Cooped up and dealing with mental health issues, she thinks about her\nrelationship with husband Prince Charles and the Windsor family. The\nprotagonist struggles as she considers whether or not she should end her\ndecade-long marriage, taking into consideration the ripples it would create\npersonally and publicly. Most reviews were upbeat about this drama. About a\nfifth of the notices protested that the movie seemed to be a complete work of\nfiction that took many liberties and didn\u2019t feel convincing. Still, the\nconsensus was that the lead performance was excellent and the movie effectively\nconveyed the feelings of isolation and distress Spencer must have experienced.\nThe cast includes Kristen Stewart, Sally Hawkins and Timothy Spall.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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There are plenty of older titles receiving high-definition\nupgrades as well. And if you like thrillers from the early 1990s, then you\u2019re\ngoing to be very happy. Shout! Factory are presenting the Blu-ray debut of The\nTemp<\/em> (1993). This picture involves a businessman with a history of paranoia\nwho hires a temp worker to help him on the job. She turns out to be a\npsychopath, initially dealing with other executives on his behalf before\nturning on him. It stars Timothy Hutton and Lara Flynn Boyle. The disc includes\nan interview with director Tom Holland (Fright Night<\/em>, Child\u2019s Play<\/em>),\nas well as discussions with co-star Lin Shaye, special effects artist Steve\nJohnson and the film\u2019s editor. A trailer is also included.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up Whispers in the Dark<\/em> (1992) for\nthe first time in high definition. Annabella Sciorra plays a Manhattan\npsychiatrist who begins a passionate affair with a mysterious new man. When her\npatients start dying, she begins to suspect that he might be behind it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino, as always, have plenty of Blu-rays coming your way. The\n7th<\/sup> Dawn<\/em> (1964) is an action\/thriller with Willian Holden set in\nwhat is now Malaysia. The movie has been given a 2K restoration and comes with\na trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking In<\/em> (1989) is a great comedy from director\nBill Forsythe (Gregory\u2019s Girl, Local Hero<\/em>) about an aging cat burglar\nwho takes on a young apprentice. Burt Reynolds and Casey Siemasko headline the title.\nThe disc includes a 2K transfer of the movie, a commentary with the filmmaker\nand screenwriter John Sayles, as well as a trailer. Speaking of burglars, you\ncan also pick up a Blu-ray of Gambit <\/em>(1966) with Michael Caine and\nShirley MacLaine as a pair trying to pull off a big heist. You\u2019ll get improved\nimage quality with a 2K master, a film critic commentary, an interview with\ncast member Don Stroud and a trailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The distributor is also presenting a new 4K edition of The\nGreat Escape<\/em> (1963). This Steve McQueen classic is about a group of\nprisoners in a German POW camp trying to break free. The edition also comes\nwith a regular Blu-ray of the movie with tons of featurettes on the production\nand a trailer. However, those with a 4K set-up are the ones who really get all\nthe benefits. Besides the new restoration, they receive a new film historian\ncommentary as well as an archived audio track featuring director Preston\nSturges and actors James Garner, James Coburn, Donald Pleasence, David\nMcCallum, Jud Taylor and many other crew members. Sounds like a great set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino are also presenting the Burt Reynold thriller Impasse<\/em>\n(1969) on Blu-ray with a 2K restoration. It also comes with a trailer. Journey\nto Shiloh<\/em> (1968) is a western with James Caan that is being given the same\ntreatment. It also comes with a film critic commentary, an interview with\nco-star Don Stroud and a trailer. The Pink Jungle<\/em> (1968) features James\nGarner as a treasure hunter looking for a diamond mine in South America. The\nBlu-ray also includes a trailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Code Red is presenting a Blu-ray of the drama Maria\u2019s Lovers<\/em>\n(1984) with Nastassja Kinski, Robert Mitchum and Keith Carradine. The disc\ncontains interviews with co-stars John Savage and Vincent Spano, along with a\ntrailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Danish feature The Celebration<\/em> (1998) is arriving\non Blu-ray from Criterion. It details a family birthday celebrate that turns\ninto bedlam. You\u2019ll get a 2K restoration of the film, a director commentary,\ntwo early shorts from the filmmaker, a 2002 documentary about the dogma\nmovement (which this film is a part of), a program with the director about what\ninspired the story, a documentary about the production, a profile of the\ncinematographer, deleted scenes with commentary and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, Paramount are presenting a 4K \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Steelbook of Juice <\/em>(1992) in celebration of the movie\u2019s 30th<\/sup> Anniversary. Pictured above and to the right, this title features the acting debut of Tupac Shakur and also stars Omar Epps. This set does not include a Blu-ray of the film, so make sure you can watch it in 4K UHD before picking it up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

There\u2019s a lot to choose from this week for kids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magic School Bus Rides Again<\/em>: Season 2 DVD
Pokemon Journeys: The Series<\/em>: Season 23 \u2013 The Journey Starts Today!<\/em> DVD
Rainbow Rangers: Help is a Rainbow Away<\/em> DVD
Ren & Stimpy<\/em>: The Almost Complete Collection DVD <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

TV-themed releases are listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billions<\/em>: Season 5
Cobra Kai<\/em>: Season 3
Great Performances: Now Hear This \u2013 Beethoven\u2019s Ghost<\/em> (PBS) DVD
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Two for the Win & A Winter Getaway<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD
Magic School Bus Rides Again<\/em>: Season 2
NATURE: The Elephant and the Termite<\/em> (PBS) DVD
NATURE: Season of the Osprey<\/em> (PBS) DVD
NOVA: Unknown Particles<\/em> (PBS) DVD
Pokemon Journeys<\/em>: The Series: Season 23 \u2013 The Journey Starts Today!<\/em> DVD
Ren & Stimpy: The Almost Complete Collection\ufeff<\/em>
Silent Witness<\/em>: Season 24
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