{"id":24267,"date":"2022-02-14T23:38:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-15T07:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=24267"},"modified":"2022-02-14T23:38:05","modified_gmt":"2022-02-15T07:38:05","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-february-15th-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=24267","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for February 15th, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray\nand DVD. This week offers a big studio title, as well as plenty of noteworthy\nand interesting independent features. So, if you can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t be heading\nout to the movies this week, 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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BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN \u2013 In this dark satire, a teacher\nin Bucharest, Romania records herself having sex with her husband. Her spouse\ntakes his computer in for repairs and the recording ends up on the internet.\nThe school board and her student\u2019s parents demand her resignation. However, she\nrefuses to do so, leading to a comical series of conflicts and confrontations.\nThis European production received excellent reviews, winning the Golden Bear\naward at the Berlin International Film Festival. A few naysayers complained\nthat the movie was strangely edited (with extraneous segments at the beginning)\nand didn\u2019t deliver a clear message. Yet the majority called it a bold mix of\nhighbrow and lowbrow humor that intentionally makes viewers uncomfortable and pokes\nfun at hypocrisy in the world. For the time being, this title is only being\nrelease d on DVD. It stars Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia and Olimpia Malai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COSMIC DAWN \u2013 A young girl witnesses her mother being\nabducted and taken away by aliens at the beginning of this independent\nscience-fiction thriller. Now grown up and frustrated that no one has ever believed\nher story, she joins a cult devoted to extraterrestrials. It isn\u2019t long before she\nbecomes suspicious of the group and what they truly represent. Ads note that\nthe popular band MGMT provided new tunes specifically for use in the film. It\nopened in limited release at theaters last week and is now debuting on disc only\na few days later. There currently aren\u2019t many write-ups for the title, but\nmembers of the press who have seen it have all responded favorably. They have stated\nthat the movie is atmospheric and improves as it progresses, ending on a strong\nnote and leaving a lasting impression. The cast includes Camille Rowe,\nEmmanuelle Chriqui, Antonia Zegers and Joshua\nBurge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ETERNALS \u2013 This Marvel comic book adaptation focuses on a group of lower-profile superheroes. They are a group of ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for centuries, trying to help us build a better world. When an unexpected and devastating threat to the planet arises, the members must regroup to save the day. As they do so, some discover surprising secrets about themselves and their true mission. This effort received a mixed response from critics, with a few more negative reviews than positive ones. Upbeat articles liked the cast and admired the film for focusing on character over action. Unfortunately, more found the end results dramatically flat. They felt that the screenplay didn\u2019t offer much depth and that the movie was slowly paced. Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Ma Dong-seok and Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd headline the film. The movie is arriving on disc in various editions (including a 4K version and a regular Blu-ray) so be sure to check the specs before picking it up. To read a full review of the movie, click here. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GANG \u2013 After putting a fellow student in a hospital, a young\nhooligan is transferred to the worst school in the country. In fact, it\u2019s a\nplace that feels more like a prison than an educational institute. Once he\narrives, he knows that he must literally brawl for his place in this new\nsociety. The main character is led to an underground fight club at the school,\nwhere students fight among themselves to be the top dog. This foreign-language flick\nwas made and released in South Korea in 2019 and there aren\u2019t many reviews\navailable for it in this part of the world. You can find a few if you scour the\ninternet and the response hasn\u2019t been pretty. Most complained that the story\ndidn\u2019t make sense, all of the main characters were unlikable and that viewers\nwill have little empathy for them or interest in how any of the events play\nout. It features Ji-Hyuk Cha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JULIA \u2013 Julia Child was a Californian cooking teacher who\nbecame a celebrity in her 50s as an author and television personality. She inspired\naverage people to understand more about food and changed the way that Americans\nthought about the subject. This documentary tells her life story, using never-before-seen\narchival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives and mouth-watering\nfood cinematography. Along the way, viewers learn more about her early days and\nstruggles to find a publisher for her future bestseller, Mastering the Art\nof French Cooking<\/em>. Response was very positive towards this non-fiction\nfilm. One or two reviewers thought it was an average documentary that didn\u2019t\nteach them anything new about the woman. All others concluded that it was a\nsweet and likable look at the life of an important figure in the culinary arts.\nThis is a DVD-only release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MOGUL MOWGLI \u2013 Last year, actor Riz Ahmed earned raves and\nan Academy Award nomination for his performance in Sound of Metal<\/em>. He\nfollowed that film up with this project (which he also co-wrote) about another\nmusician struggling with a health issue. He plays a British-Pakistani rapper whose\nstar is rising. Just before setting out on a big European tour, he is diagnosed\nwith a degenerative autoimmune disease and must contemplate his next step in\nlife. The press found plenty to like in this independent drama. A small\ncontingent thought it dragged and that the story was too unfocused to make a lasting\nimpression on viewers. Regardless, the vast majority claimed that the star gave\nanother stellar performance. They also said the movie was unpredictable and\nbrought up some interesting and complex thematic issues. The cast also includes\nAnjana Vasan, Aiysha Hart, Nabhaan Rizwan and Alyy Khan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MONDAY \u2013 When two Americans in their mid-30s cross paths unexpectedly\nin Athens, Greece, sparks immediately fly. After a whirlwind romance between\nthe man and woman over a single weekend, she reveals that she is scheduled to\nhead back home to her highly-paid job in the US. The lady is tempted to leave\nit all behind and try to make it work with her new love. Can a sudden and\nunexpected relationship abroad survive after the vacation ends? Critics were\nsplit down the middle about whether they believed the movie was worth enduring.\nHalf thought that it was an accurate depiction of an unexpected fling and the\ncomplications that can arise as complications begins to set in. Just as many\nwrote that there was little palpable chemistry between the leads and criticized\nthe movie for being ponderous and lacking passion. It stars Sebastian Stan and Denise\nGough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SEOBOK: PROJECT CLONE \u2013 In this South-Korean\naction\/thriller, a terminally ill ex-intelligence agent is hired to transport\nthe world\u2019s first human clone. Of course, he quickly learns that it will be the\ntoughest assignment of his career. Knowing that this creation holds the secret\nto immortality, powerful criminals and other desperate individuals set out to\nkidnap the clone for their own experiments. Write-ups were decent for this\npicture. About a quarter of them called the film hollow and thought it\nmishandled some of the interesting themes behind the concept. Still, the\nconsensus was that this was an effective buddy movie that made some intriguing\npoints about cloning. They also thought that a lot of tension was generated by\nthe grim situation placed upon the lead characters. Park Bo-gum, Gong Yoo and Park\nBo-gum headline the picture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SETTLERS \u2013 In the future, a convoy of humans attempt to\nsettle on Mars. A family living in a remote area on the harsh planet find\nthemselves in danger after an armed figure suddenly appears at their door. The\nnew arrival explains that people have turned on each other and that larger settlements\nof people have been wiped out. He seizes control of their property and the\nfamily must find a way to regain their home. Response was divided towards this\nindependent science-fiction feature that possesses western elements. Almost\nhalf of reviewers found it so bleak, heavy and minimalist that it was a chore\nto sit through. Still, the same amount admired its dourness, which they\nbelieved added to its authenticity. They also called it chillingly atmospheric.\nThe cast includes Sofia Boutella,\nJonny Lee Miller, Nell Tiger Free, Brooklynn Prince, and Ismael Cruz Cordova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SLATE \u2013 Here\u2019s another South Korean action film making its\nNorth American debut on disc. It follows an aspiring actress who has always\ndreamed of becoming an action film star. After many years auditioning and training\nin swordplay, she is offered a low position as a stand-in on a movie set. The\nlead shows up for work and is unexpectedly transported to a lawless and\ndangerous parallel world. Suddenly, she gets the opportunity to be an action\nheroine\u2026 for real. There aren\u2019t a lot of write-ups available for this title,\nbut the ones that have appeared online have been decent. They suggest that\nwhile the movie isn\u2019t perfect, it does have a great concept and delivers some\nfun action, as well as a few winks and amusing jokes made at the expense of the\nmovie industry. It features Ji-hye Ahn, Min-ji Lee and Tae-San Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SPONTANEOUS \u2013 This genre picture certainly has an\ninteresting premise. A group of high school students begin suffering from\nsudden and unexpected bouts of spontaneous combustion. Knowing that any moment\ncould be their last, two seniors decide to embark on a romance and find some\nhappiness in a terrible situation. This feature played at drive-ins and open\ntheaters during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and is now finally\npremiering on disc. The movie earned excellent notices from critics. In fact,\nthere were only a couple of reviewers who panned it, stating that the movie\ndidn\u2019t take full advantage of its conceit. However, the consensus was that the\nmovie was surprisingly effective, benefitting from likable leads and\neffectively blending horror, satire and teen romance in a new and unique\nmanner. It stars Katherine Langford, Charlie Plummer, Yvonne Orji, Hayley Law, Piper Perabo and Rob Huebel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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If you\u2019re looking for something a little older, there are\nplenty of options as well. Arrow Video have Versus<\/em> (2000), an\nover-the-top Japanese zombie flick. It follows an escaped convict who ends up\nin the forebodingly named Forest of Resurrection. He must travel through the\nwoods and battle a horde of zombies in order to reach safety. This Special\nEdition Blu-ray includes a 2K restoration of the film, two commentaries (one\nwith director and producer and another with the director, cast and crew), as\nwell as a visual essay on the movie and director from a Japanese movie\nauthority. You\u2019ll also get a documentary on the feature, film festival\nscreening footage, archival promotional materials with the cast and crew,\ndeleted scenes, a pair of mini-movies that tie-in to the main story, a\ncondensed 20-minute recut of the title and much, much more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Howling<\/em> (1981) is a werewolf movie about a TV\nreporter who is attacked by a serial killer. After surviving the assault, she\ndecides to recuperate at a mountain resort, only to encounter a new, beastly threat.\nIt\u2019s a very clever genre flick that features some fantastic make-up effects by\nRick Baker (who won an Oscar the very same year for his work on another horror\nflick, An American Werewolf in London<\/em>). Shout! Factory are presenting a Collector\u2019s\nEdition that contains a 4K Ultra HD disc and a regular Blu-ray of the feature.\nBesides the upgraded picture quality, you\u2019ll also get two audio commentaries,\nan interview with members of the cast and crew, vintage featurettes, deleted\nscenes with optional commentary, outtakes, a look at the locations, trailers\nand a still gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lipstick<\/em> (1976) is a crime drama starring Margaux\nHemingway as a model who seeks justice (and eventually, revenge) after being brutally\nassaulted by her sister\u2019s disturbed music teacher. The actress was nominated\nfor a Golden Globe for her lead performance. This Blu-ray includes interviews\nwith co-stars Chris Sarandon, Mariel Hemingway and Perry King, as well as a\nfilm historian commentary, theatrical trailer and still gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino have some interesting Blu-rays as well. They are\nreleasing a double-feature disc (as part of their Forbidden Fruit line) containing\nDamaged Lives<\/em> (1933) and Damaged Goods<\/em> (1937). Both are\nconsidered \u201csocial hygiene\u201d films, giving viewers over-the-top warnings about\nthe dangers of venereal and sexually transmitted diseases. Each of the titles\nhave commentary tracks with exploitation movie experts. It also comes with four\nshort films dealing with the same subjects, old and out-of-date sex hygiene\nlecture reels for teaching purposes and a few trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for 80s action, Kino have you covered there\nas well. The Final Option<\/em> (1982) is a British film about terrorists\ntaking over the US embassy in London. A highly trained SAS team are sent in to\nstop the threat. This Special Edition Blu-ray includes a commentary with the\ndirector and the producer, as well as a documentary on the very same producer\nand a couple of trailers for the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Murphy\u2019s Law<\/em> (1986) is a Charles Bronson flick about\na cop framed for the murder of his wife. He breaks out of prison and seeks\nrevenge while handcuffed to a young, foul-mouthed female car thief. It all\nmakes for an interesting and unique buddy-movie pairing. This Special Edition\nBlu-ray has a commentary that includes a film historian and co-star Kathleen\nWilhoite (who plays the thief). You\u2019ll also get an interview with another cast\nmember, radio spots and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins<\/em> (1985) is a film\nadaptation of the novel The Destroyer<\/em>, the first in a popular action book\nseries. It stars Fred Ward as the title character, a cop who is killed in the\nline of duty. Or at least, that\u2019s what the world thinks. He ends up being taken\nby the government and trained as a secret agent\/assassin for the US President.\nThe movie earned an Oscar nomination for its make-up effects, but flopped\nduring its theatrical release. This Blu-ray features a commentary track with\nthe producers, numerous featurettes on the production and lots of publicity\nmaterials used during its initial run at theaters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion are releasing a Blu-ray of Love Affair<\/em>\n(1939), a romance picture about two strangers who fall in love while travelling.\nThey agree to meet again six months later at the top of the Empire State\nBuilding if they are still interested in being with one another. This classic\nwas nominated for numerous Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and was\nremade in 1957 as An Affair to Remember<\/em> with Cary Grant. The story was\nfilmed once again in 1994 with Warren Beatty and Annette Benning in the lead\nroles. It has been given a new 4K restoration for Blu-ray. Bonuses include a\nspecial feature in which a film critic discusses the original feature\u2019s\ncomplicated production history, an interview with the person who led the\npicture restoration efforts, two radio adaptations of the story, as well as two\nshorts made by the same director. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discount Blu-ray distributor Mill Creek are presenting The\nSkulls Trilogy<\/em> on Blu-ray. This includes The Skulls<\/em> (2000), a pulpy teen\nthriller with Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker about a secret society at an Ivy League\ncollege. You\u2019ll also get the follow-ups The Skulls II<\/em> (2002) and The\nSkulls III<\/em> (2004), which don\u2019t feature any of the original cast members and\ninstead involve all-new characters coming into contact with the sinister outfit.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paramount are delivering several movies on Blu-ray, some for\nthe first time ever. First, they have the star-studded comedy 200 Cigarettes<\/em>\n(1999), which involves a group of 20-somethings dealing with relationships\nproblems. Just who is in it, you may ask? Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Dave\nChappelle, Kate Hudson, Gaby Hoffman, Janeane Garofalo, Courtney Love, Jay\nMohr, Christina Ricci, Paul Rudd, Elvis Costello and many more. Crocodile\nDundee in Los Angeles<\/em> (2001) is the third and final feature in the popular comedy\nseries about an Australian crocodile hunter. You can also pick up Euro Trip<\/em>\n(2004) and the animated family film Hey Arnold! \u2013 The Movie<\/em> (2002) in\nhigh definition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you like thrillers, In Dreams<\/em> (1999) is an\ninteresting one with supernatural overtones starring Annette Benning and Robert\nDowney Jr.. It was directed and co-written by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game<\/em>,\nInterview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles<\/em>, Ondine<\/em>, Greta<\/em>).\nThey also have Intersection <\/em>(1994) another suspense picture featuring Richard\nGere and Sharon Stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy<\/em> (1996) was movie a spin-off off the popular Canadian Kids in the Hall<\/em> sketch-comedy show. The story was about a group of scientists who develop an anti-depression pill that promises to make all of humanity happy. This movie takes aim at the pharmaceutical industry and profiteering from mass-marketed drugs. Unfortunately, it did not make a good impression during its original release and was essentially buried by the studio (who hated some of the edgier material present in the film). Time has actually been kind to the feature \u2013 there\u2019s some sharp satire present in the movie and it has earned a cult following over the years. Finally, fans can pick it up on Blu-ray… and now<\/em> hope that the original ending and all of the deleted scenes (some of which are in the trailer) will eventually see the light of day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have Nick of Time<\/em> (1995) with Johnny Depp\nand Christopher Walken. This suspense picture involves an average man whose\ndaughter is kidnapped. He is told that he must assassinate an important\npolitician in order to get her back safely. The story and its events all play\nout in real time over 90 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sony are releasing Looper<\/em> (2012) in a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray set to celebrate the movie\u2019s 10th<\/sup> Anniversary. It\u2019s a\ntime-travel story about a hired gun who is sent through time to kill a target.\nHe soon realizes that he is hunting himself, leading to various complications.\nThe cast of this well-received picture includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce\nWillis and Emily Blunt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, Warner Archive are presenting The Three\nMusketeers<\/em> (1948) with Gene Kelly as a made-to-order Blu-ray.  This adaptation of the classic Alexandre\nDumas novel was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, so\nit\u2019ll probably look quite good in high definition. You can purchase it\nexclusively through Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some new releases that may appeal to kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

44 Cats<\/em>: Season 1 DVD
Chip \u2018n\u2019 Dale Rescue Rangers<\/em>: The Complete Series (used to be a Disney Movie Club exclusive, now available through Amazon) DVD
Hey Arnold! \u2013 The Movie <\/em>
Llama Llama and Friends<\/em> (Netflix) DVD
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\nON THE TUBE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And you\u2019ll find a listing of all the TV-themed titles below\nthat are arriving on store shelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

44 Cats<\/em>: Season 1 DVD
Chip \u2018n\u2019 Dale Rescue Rangers<\/em>: The Complete Series (used to be a Disney Movie Club exclusive, now available through Amazon) DVD
Doctor Who: Flux<\/em>: The Complete 13th<\/sup> Series
Heels<\/em>: Season 1
Legacies<\/em>: Season 3 DVD
Llama Llama and Friends<\/em> (Netflix) DVD
Signed, Sealed, Delivered Collection<\/em>: Movies 1 \u2013 4 (Hallmark Channel) DVD
Signed, Sealed, Delivered Collection<\/em>: Movies 5 \u2013 8 (Hallmark Channel) DVD <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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