{"id":24844,"date":"2022-06-14T01:57:59","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T08:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=24844"},"modified":"2022-06-14T01:57:59","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T08:57:59","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-june-14th-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=24844","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for June 14th, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another exciting look at some of the new Blu-rays\nand DVDs headed your way. This edition is jam-packed with major releases in\naddition to some interesting independent fare. There\u2019s certainly something here\nthat will appeal to everyone. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the movies or\nshouldn\u2019t be out in public this week, make sure you give one of these titles a\ntry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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AHED\u2019S KNEE \u2013 This foreign-language title from Israel\nfollows a filmmaker who returns to a small desert community in his home\ncountry. He plans on visiting his sickly mother, as well as screen one of his\nfeatures to the public. Unfortunately, the man is soon confronted by an officer\nfor the Ministry of Culture, who doesn\u2019t approve of his movie\u2019s content. The\nlead finds himself in the middle of a pair of losing battles. This drama earned\ngenerally strong notices. About a quarter of reviewers suggested that the story\nwas unfocused and that it lacked an emotionally satisfying finale. Still, the\nmajority stated that the film was complex and intriguing, presenting authentic\ncharacters faced with difficult and complicated issues. The cast includes\nAvshalom Pollak, Nur Fibak and Lidor Edri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AMBULANCE \u2013 The latest action extravaganza from director\nMichael Bay (The Rock<\/em>, Armageddon<\/em>, Transformers<\/em>) involves\na decorated veteran in need of cash who asks his adoptive brother for a very\nbig favor. The man begs the family member to help him pull off a bank heist\nthat will yield them $32 million dollars. Of course, it doesn\u2019t go according to\nplan and the pair end up stealing an ambulance in order to make their escape.\nThis elaborate chase feature earned more positive write-ups than negative ones.\nThose who disliked the flick said that the characters needed more fleshing out\nand that it all felt choppy and chaotic. However, the consensus was that while\nthe movie didn\u2019t qualify as high art, it did deliver the action goods and was a\nwild and fast-paced effort that would please casual viewers. It stars Jake\nGyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BENEDETTA \u2013 Set in the 17th<\/sup> century, this tale is\nabout a nun who begins having erotic visions. After falling for another woman\nhelping her at the church, the two begin a torrid love affair. Obviously, this\ncauses great conflict that only intensifies when the protagonist begins\nspeaking out and arguing against other long-held Catholic beliefs. This\nprovocative foreign-language film from Paul Verhoeven (The 4th<\/sup>\nMan<\/em>, Robocop<\/em>, Total Recall<\/em>, Basic Instinct<\/em>, Showgirls<\/em>,\nElle<\/em>) was well-received by critics and earned awards from various critic\ngroups. The small contingent who gave it a negative review either called it\ncrude or, strangely enough, complained that it was too low-key. All others\ncomplimented the film as pure Verhoeven, pushing buttons and often providing\nlots of dark humor and shocks in a unique manner. Virginie Efira, Charlotte\nRampling, Daphn\u00e9 Patakia and Lambert Wilson headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FAREWELL AMOR \u2013 An immigrant to the US from Angola spends\n17-years in his new home country working and fighting to get the rest of his\nfamily across the border. After succeeding, his significant other and teenage\ndaughter finally arrive.It\u2019s a tough reunion and transition after so many years\napart and the trio struggle to reconnect and start anew with one another. This\nindependent production won many awards at film festivals and earned raves from\nthe press. There were only a couple of downbeat notices, which critiqued the\nmovie for being a surface-level examination of immigration issues. Just about\neveryone else called it a slow-moving but beautiful and gripping picture. They\nalso noted the authentic performances of three individual characters with\ndifferent points of view. It features Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Zainab Jah and\nJayme Lawson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FATHERHOOD \u2013 After his wife dies the day after giving birth,\na man must raise his newborn child completely alone. Totally unprepared, he\nmust deal with the unexpected loss of his wife, in addition to adjusting to a\nlife without sleep that consists of constant feedings and diaper changes, as\nwell as other tasks essential to parenting. This comedy\/drama initially debuted\nlast summer on Netflix and is now arriving on disc. Write-ups were generally\nfavorable towards the picture. About a third of them felt that the movie was\nschmaltzy, bland and missed an opportunity to really delve into being an\noverwhelmed single parent. Still, most suggested that while formulaic, the lead\nperformance was very engaging and that the film  had some sweet moments.\nThe movie stars Kevin Hart, Alfre Woodard, Melody Hurd, Lil\u2019 Rel Howery,\nDeWanda Wise and Anthony Carrigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FATHER STU \u2013 Inspired by a true story, this drama involves a tough-talking former boxer who decides to move to Los Angeles. After attempts to become an actor flounder, he wanders into a church and becomes a convert to Catholicism. He then suffers horrible injuries in a motorcycle accident and becomes convinced that the priesthood is where his future lies. Slightly less critics were inspired by the picture than those who had a negative reaction. As mentioned, a contingent did find the tale unique, They called it an interesting religious picture with strong performances that focused on a flawed individual finding redemption. But it seemed that many thought the movie lacked subtlety and found it odd that the lead character\u2019s motivations weren\u2019t examined in a more realistic and complex manner. It features Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Jacki Weaver, Teresa Cruz and Niko Nicotera. If you’d like to know more, read a full review of the feature here. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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INFINITE STORM \u2013 A park ranger heading up Mount Washington decides to turn back when signs of an imminent blizzard emerge. She notes new footsteps in the snow and decides to scout the area before returning to the base of the mountain. Shockingly, the woman discovers an injured man nearby. He doesn\u2019t initially appear responsive or want help, but she insists on getting the figure (and herself) to safety. Based on a true story, this biopic received split notices, with a few more recommendations than pans. Those who gave it a negative write-up were frustrated by the behavior of those involved and thought the events depicted were predictable. Slightly more were impressed by the performances, the photography and slow reveal of who these people were and what inspired their actions. The cast includes Naomi Watts, Billy Howle and Denis O\u2019Hare. Read a review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MORBIUS \u2013 This standalone Marvel comics superhero feature\nintroduces viewers to a doctor suffering from a blood disorder. With little\ntime left to save himself and others suffering from the condition, he takes an\nexperimental concoction of his own making. His condition improves dramatically,\nuntil a nasty side effect is revealed. The doctor now possesses an irresistible\nurge to suck blood and has, in essence, become a vampire. Alas, most write-ups\nfor this fantasy\/action feature were terrible and blasted the final product.\nOnly a tiny number of viewers appreciated it, saying they had fun with the\nflick and calling it an interesting twist on the vampire genre. Everyone else\ncomplained that the plot was generic and that the film itself was dull and\nunmemorable. It stars Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris,\nTyrese Gibson and Michael Keaton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NINJA BADASS \u2013 A cabal of evil ninjas head to the state of\nIndiana and kidnap an attractive local woman whom they are preparing to\nsacrifice in a violent ceremony. A young man and a few others are\nnone-to-pleased with the news and decide to train themselves in order to fight\nback and save the lady. This low-budget comedic homage to martial arts films of\nthe 1980s has been making the rounds on the festival circuit for the past\ncouple of years. In fact, it has won numerous awards at grindhouse and genre\nfilm events. Reviewers have called it outrageous fun and said that while it is\nsomething of a hodgepodge, they still found it charming and admired its\nwillingness to do just about anything to shock audiences and get a laugh. The\ncast includes Ryan Harrison, Mitch Schlagel, Tatiana Ortiz and Dan Holmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OFFSEASON \u2013 This horror feature begins with a woman\nreceiving a letter saying the burial site of her mother has been desecrated.\nNaturally, she immediately returns to the island where her mom was laid to\nrest. After trying to find out what occurred, the woman learns that the land\nmass has been cut off from the mainland and that she is stranded. The locals\nbegin to act strangely, leaving the protagonist to try to find an alternate\nroute home. Reviews were slightly more positive than negative for this indie\nfeature. Those who disliked it stated that the story was weak, borrowing from too\nmany other genre pictures. Regardless, the majority thought it was well made\nand atmospheric, delivering enough chilling moments to earn it a\nrecommendation. It features Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg, Richard Brake,\nMelora Walters and Larry Fessenden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PAULIE GO! \u2013 A brilliant teenage scientist aspiring to work\non AI technology applies for a spot at a world-renowned robotics lab. He\u2019s\nshocked to receive a letter saying that his application has been refused.\nFrustrated, the protagonist decides to steal a vehicle and drive across the\ncountry to Northern Minnesota. He hopes to confront the head of the institute\nand learn the reason why his request was unsuccessful. This independent feature\nwas released on streaming sites only a couple of weeks ago, so there currently\naren\u2019t a lot of reviews available for the movie. One or two have popped up\nonline and have been positive. These write-ups enjoyed the performances and\nsaid that the story was filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept them\nengaged throughout. Ethan Dizon, Madison Wolfe, Bernard White and David Theune\nheadline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TURBO COLA \u2013 Here\u2019s another independent comedy vying for\nyour attention. This tale is set on New Year\u2019s Eve in 1999 and follows a young\nman working at a gas station. He shocks his friends and acquaintances when he\nannounces that he\u2019s skipping a huge party and instead working an extra shift.\nHowever, as the story progresses it becomes clear that the lead and his best\nfriend are planning to steal all the money from the shop\u2019s ATM machine. Of\ncourse, numerous people show up over the course of the evening, potentially\nfoiling their plans. This feature is debuting on streaming platforms and on\ndisc at the same time. There are a couple of reviews floating around that call\nit a slick, amusing and exciting effort that impressed them. It stars Nicholas\nStoesser, Jared Spears, Jordyn Denning and Brooke Maroon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING \u2013 When a tornado hits, a family\ndecides to take refuge in a nice but empty house. Unfortunately, a large tree\nfalls in front of the door and traps them inside. They wait for help, but can\u2019t\nseem to get out or attract attention. After days pass, they become fearful that\nthere might be something else after them – their paranoia causes them to\nconfront each other about past deeds. This independent horror flick earned\nmixed notices. Nearly half complained that beyond a jolt or two, the movie\nwasn\u2019t scary. According to them, the drama felt forced and the characters\ndidn\u2019t resonate. A few more found the plot surprising and were impressed that\nthe story was all set in one room. They praised it as being claustrophobic and\nchilling. The cast includes Sierra McCormick, Vinessa Shaw, Pat Healy, John\nJames Cronin and Lisette Alexis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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If you\u2019re looking for some older titles, this edition is\njust as busy on that front. American Arcana is releasing a Blu-ray\ndouble-feature containing the genre flicks The Bushwhacker<\/em> (1968) and The\nRavager<\/em> (1970). The first exploitation picture is about a plane crash in\nwhich the survivors are hunted by a maniac. Feature number two features a\ndisturbed war veteran who stalks and watches couples in their most intimate\nmoment\u2026 before blowing them up with dynamite. The set comes with HD transfers\nof the movies and some trailers.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ClassicFlix is presenting The Little Rascals Volume 6\nRestorations<\/em>. It contains a series of comedic shorts made between 1922 and\n1938 involving a group of rascally kids getting into trouble. The sketches are\nuncut and have been restored and remastered for Blu-ray.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pictured above and to the right, Last Passenger<\/em> (2013) is a British film starring Dougray Scott about passengers on a train that gets held hostage by a terrorist group. The movie didn\u2019t get a big release in this part of the world, but it earned a lot of praise and was called a remarkably tense and exciting thriller. Cohen Media Group is now presenting the title on Blu-ray. This release includes numerous featurettes on the production, as well as a B-roll of footage, sound bites and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those looking for family fare who are a part of the \u201cDisney Movie Club\u201d subscription ordering service can now collect a couple of double-feature Blu-ray and DVD combo sets courtesy of Disney. The first is The Emperor\u2019s New Groove 2-Movie Collection<\/em>, which contains the well-regarded original 2000 animated feature about an emperor who’s wise-cracking mind is transplanted into a llama. You\u2019ll also get the 2005 direct-to-disc sequel, Kronk\u2019s New Groove<\/em>, which was not as well-received. They are also releasing The Rescuers 2-Movie Collection<\/em> which contains the effective original1977 title and its follow-up, The Rescuers Down Under<\/em> (1990). Both sets likely come with extras, but you\u2019ll have to look them up on the official site to find out exactly what they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film Movement is presenting the award-winning Taipei drama Vive\nL\u2019Amour<\/em> (1994) on Blu-ray. It follows the love affairs of three individuals\nwho use the same apartment for their trysts. The disc includes an interview\nwith the film\u2019s writer\/director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The western The Horse Soldier<\/em> (1959) with John Wayne and William Holden is arriving on Blu-ray from Kino. You\u2019ll get improved picture quality with a new 4K master of the movie, as well as a film historian commentary and a trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additionally, you can pick up the modern bounty hunter western Last of the Dogmen<\/em> (1995). This one stars Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey. The Blu-ray presents two versions of the feature. One cut has narration and the other does not (this is the filmmaker preferred version). You\u2019ll also receive a commentary with the writer\/director and the producer. It also comes with a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is also presenting a Blu-ray of the adventure flick, Love\nSlaves of the Amazon<\/em> (1957), which includes a 2K master, as well as an\nentertainment journalist commentary track and trailers. In addition, you can\npick up a double-feature Blu-ray of The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu<\/em> (1929)\nand The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu<\/em> (1930), which contains similar bonuses.\nAnd you can now purchase The UFO Incident<\/em> (1975) starring James Earl\nJones. It\u2019s a dramatization of a real claim of alien abduction and is based\nupon sworn testimony. The disc comes with a 2K master of the feature, a film\nhistorian commentary, a featurette on the composer for the movie, as well as\ntrailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mill Creek have some price-friendly Blu-rays of the action\nremake Assault on Precinct 13<\/em> (2005) with Ethan Hawke and Lawrence\nFishburne, as well as the Brian De Palma drama, The Black Dahlia (2006), which\nchronicles a real and notorious Los Angeles murder case from the 1940s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mondo Macabro is presenting the Italian chiller Hotel\nFear<\/em> (1978) on Blu-ray with plenty of extras. And they are bringing the\neffective and little-seen (in this part of the world) Serbian dark comedy, Strangler\nvs. Strangler<\/em> (1984). It tells the story of a young and old serial killer\nwho end up competing and squaring off against one another in order to make\ntheir slayings the number one headline in the news. The picture has been given\na 2K restoration and bonuses include both the Serian and English-language\nversions of the movie, a new interview with the director, in addition to a\ncommentary with another Serbian director and fan of the feature named Igor\nStanojevic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cUnrated\u201d edition of the teen comedy Eurotrip<\/em>\n(2004) is arriving on Blu-ray through Paramount. And for those who have a 4K\ntelevision set-up, they are also releasing Raiders of the Lost Ark<\/em>\n(1981) in a Steelbook containing a 4K Ultra HD disc of the movie (please take\nnote that no regular Blu-ray is included in this edition).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory has a huge Blu-ray box-set from a major\nfilmmaker hitting shelves this week. Herzog: The Collection, Volume 2<\/em>\npresents another selection of various titles from the acclaimed movie-maker.\nYou\u2019ll getSigns of Life<\/em> (1968), The Great Ecstasy of\nWoodcarver Steiner<\/em> (1974), How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck<\/em>\n(1976), La Soufri\u00e8re<\/em> (1977), God\u2019s Angry Man<\/em> (1981), Huie’s\nSermon<\/em> (1981), The Dark Glow of the Mountains<\/em> (1985), Herdsmen of\nthe Sun<\/em> (1989), Echoes from a Somber Empire<\/em> (1990), Wheel of Time<\/em>\n(2003) and The Wild Blue Yonder<\/em> (2005).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sony is releasing a Blu-ray of the \u201cUnrated Director\u2019s Cut\u201d\nof Love and Human Remains<\/em> (1993), a well-regarded comedy\/drama about\ntwenty-somethings looking for companionship. It\u2019s from Canadian filmmaker Denys\nArcand (The Decline of the American Empire<\/em>, Jesus of Montreal<\/em>, The\nBarbarian Invasions<\/em>) and stars Thomas Gibson. They are also presenting a\nhigh-definition of the biopic Wilde<\/em> (1997) featuring Stephen Fry as the\nfamous poet\/playwright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, Warner Bros. is distributing a Blu-ray box set\ncalled the Final Destination 5-Film Collection<\/em>. It contains Final\nDestination<\/em> (2000), Final Destination 2<\/em> (2003), Final Destination\n3<\/em> (2006), The Final Destination<\/em> (2009) and Final Destination 5<\/em>\n(2011). These are a series of horror movies that feature a group of youngsters\nnarrowly avoiding a violent death, only to learn that they had been fated to\ndie. Many begin meeting with tragic accidents as events progress. The first\nfilm is extremely effective and I have a soft spot for the fifth and final\nchapter, which delivers an impressive bridge collapse and a clever homage to\nthe original title. Still, even the lesser efforts all have elaborate and\nimpressively graphic opening sequences and most horror fans will appreciate the\nentire franchise. The set comes with bonus material, but it doesn\u2019t look like\nit includes 3-D editions of the fourth and fifth titles (which were released to\ntheaters in 3-D, with items popping out of the screen for maximum effect) <\/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 Emperor\u2019s New Groove 2-Movie Collection<\/em> (2000 \u2013 2005) (Blu-ray and DVD) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
The Little Rascals Volume 6<\/em> Restorations<\/em> \u2013 (ClassicFlix) Blu-ray
The Rescuers 2-Movie Collection<\/em> (1977 \u2013 1990) (Blu-ray and DVD) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
The Smurfs<\/em> (2021 Series): Season 1, Volume 1 (Nickelodeon) DVD <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are all of the TV-themed releases coming your way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billions<\/em>: Season 6 (Paramount) DVD
Charmed:<\/em> The Complete Series (Paramount) Blu-ray
The Chelsea Detective<\/em>: Season 1 (Acorn) DVD
Curb Your Enthusiasm<\/em>: Season 11 (HBO) DVD
Great Performances: Now Hear This<\/em>: Season 3 (PBS) DVD
Hacks<\/em>: Season 1 (Universal) Blu-ray
MacGuyver <\/em>(2016 \u2013 2021 Series): Seasons 1 \u2013 5 (Paramount) DVD
NATURE<\/em>: American Arctic (PBS) DVD
Ragdoll<\/em>: Season 1 (AMC) Blu-ray
Rutherford Falls<\/em>: Season 1 (Universal) Blu-ray
The Smurfs<\/em> (2021 Series): Season 1, Volume 1 (Nickelodeon) DVD
Titans<\/em>: Seasons 1 & 2 (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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