{"id":25093,"date":"2022-07-25T23:50:16","date_gmt":"2022-07-26T06:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=25093"},"modified":"2022-07-25T23:50:16","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T06:50:16","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-july-26th-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=25093","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for July 26th, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray\nand DVD. This week is a big one, with a few major releases, in addition to some\nwell-regarded independent fare. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the movies this\nweek or need to keep yourself indoors, be sure to 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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DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS \u2013 The latest Marvel Universe superhero feature details a new adventure with the title character. The story begins with a teenage girl making contact with the lead. She explains that she has the ability to travel between alternate universes and that an evil figure is pursuing her in order to steal her powers. Doctor Strange attempts to protect the visitor, traveling to other universes in the process. In these strange worlds, the lives of notable characters have played out differently, adding complications for the heroes. Reviews were generally upbeat for the feature. About 25 percent of write-ups complained that the tone was too dark and that a general feeling of superhero movie fatigue is now setting in. However, the overall consensus was that director Sam Raimi (the original Evil Dead<\/em> series, Drag Me to Hell<\/em>) did manage to deliver thrills, shocks and throw in some unique horror elements to help the picture stand out from others of its ilk. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez and Rachel McAdams.\u00a0Read a full review of the picture here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE DUKE \u2013 This British biopic details the curious figure of Kempton Bunton, a struggling 60-year-old taxi cab driver who stole a valuable Goya portrait (known as The Duke) from the National Gallery in London. This comic narrative attempts to get to the heart of who this eccentric figure was and why he committed the crime. As more is revealed, viewers learn that his motivations weren\u2019t for profit and that there was more to the story than initially thought. Notices were almost uniformly positive for this feature. Only a few critics disliked it, stating that the film focused on the Bunton\u2019s family when it should have attempted a more serious tone and delved deeper into the class system in England. Everyone else thought it was sweet and charming from beginning to end. They complimented the cast and called it a fascinating story that did have an effectively subtle and inspirational message. The cast includes Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Fionn Whitehead, Anna Maxwell Martin and Matthew Goode. Click the link to read all about the movie.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FIDDLER\u2019S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN \u2013 It has been just over\n50 years since the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> was released at\ncinemas. For those who haven\u2019t seen it, the movie follows a Jewish peasant in\nCzarist Russia trying to find husbands for his daughters and deal with\nanti-Semitic attitudes in his hometown. This documentary tells the story of how\ndirector Norman Jewison (In the Heat of the Night, The Thomas Crown Affair,\nJesus Christ Superstar, Moonstuck, The Hurricane<\/em>) re-envisioned the hit\nstage version as a work of cinema. Using interview clips, never-before-seen\nfootage and stills as well as other rare materials, viewers get a much clearer\nlook at the creative process and how the classic was created. Response towards\nthe film was uniformly upbeat. They all called it an insightful and detailed\nchronicle of a passion project with previously unheard inside stories and\nrevelations. Jeff Goldblum narrates the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GREEN LANTERN: BEWARE MY POWER \u2013 If you prefer DC superhero\nfables to Marvel ones, you can also pick up a new picture this week in the DC\nanimated movie line. This tale follows a discharged Marine sniper who sees an\nalien vessel crash in his neighborhood. The being within gives him an\nextraterrestrial ring that grants the noble ex-soldier the powers of the Green\nLantern of Earth. He is quickly recruited to do battle and save the planet from\nthe villainous Sinestro. This title has been made for the direct-to-disc and\nstreaming markets. There haven\u2019t been many reviews so far and the ones that\nhave appeared are mixed. All of them noted that the visuals were excellent and\nthat the feature gets off to an exciting start. However, several have suggested\nthat the characters are one-dimensional and that the story falters as it\nprogresses. Some referred to it as a decent entry in the DC animated series,\nbut not one of their best titles. The voice cast includes Aldis Hodge, Jimmi\nSimpson, Nolan North, Jamie Gray Hyder, Brian Bloom, Keesha Sharp and Rick D.\nWasserman.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE LOST CITY \u2013 A reclusive romance\/adventure novelist begins to lose her creative spark after the death of her husband. While being forced to promote her latest, less-than-stellar work on a tour with the cover model for her books, she is kidnapped by a billionaire. He demands the author travel to a hidden island in the Atlantic Ocean and help him locate a priceless jewel she noted in one of her tales. The sweet-natured but dense cover model sets out to rescue her, despite having absolutely no skills as a soldier. It appears that the press generally had a good time with this picture. A small contingent called the movie unfunny and overly familiar nonsense that wouldn\u2019t remain in the memory for long after the credits rolled. However, most found the chemistry between the leads irresistible and thought it was an amusingly sweet and sincere effort that harkens back to rom-com adventure films of old. Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da\u2019Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nunez, Patti Harrison and Brad Pitt headline the feature. Here’s a review of the new Blu-ray.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MID-CENTURY \u2013 In this independent chiller, a couple decide\nto rent a mid-century modern home created and once lived-in by a famous\narchitect. They head out for the weekend to stay in the remote locale… always\na bad idea in a horror picture! Not long after arriving, the pair decide to\ncheck the place out and discover secrets about the home. It seems that two of\nthe architect\u2019s wives died on site and haunt the establishment. Even worse, he\nhas a deranged son who appears and begins stalking them in the home. The movie\nreceived more pans from critics than recommendations. Those who appreciated it\nwrote that the film was ambitious and atmospheric and complimented the story\nfor delivering a couple of effective surprises during the final act. Still,\nmore suggested that the flick failed to generate tension and felt flat and\nineffective. It stars Shane West, Sarah Hay, Stephen Lang, Bruce Dern and\nChelsea Gilligan.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This is a very busy week if you\u2019re looking for high-definition\nupgrades of older titles. AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) is releasing a\nBlu-ray of Final Flesh<\/em> (2009). This is a very odd independent production\nthat was shot on video and relays the story of various individuals awaiting an\napocalyptic event. Apparently, the flick was written in four parts with each\npart being shot by video companies who specialize in fetish films. This is not\nan adult movie, but one that is said to be, well, kinky in certain respects.\nThe Blu-ray includes an intro, a music video, an alternate score, outtakes, a\ncommercial and a trailer.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ClassicFlix is known for delivering high-quality transfers\nof various classic films. This week, they are releasing a 70th<\/sup>\nAnniversary \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray of Jack and the Beanstalk<\/em> (1952)\nstarring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It\u2019s a comical version of the fairy tale.\nBesides a restored picture, extras include an intro to the film with Costello\u2019s\nyoungest daughter, an Abbott and Costello historian commentary, featurettes\nwith deleted scenes, a look at the movie\u2019s score, a history of the Cinecolor\nfilm process, newsreels, a restoration demo, images trailers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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They also have a Reissue of a Special Edition Blu-ray for Raw\nDeal<\/em> (1948). This Film Noir is about a man who goes to prison on behalf of\na gangster, who promises to break him out. When the hood sets him up, the\nfigure decides to free himself and get revenge. Contents are the same as the\nedition released in 2018, which features a restored picture, film historian\ncommentary, a featurette on lead Dennis O\u2019Keefe, an image gallery and\ntrailers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film Movement is making Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands<\/em> (1976) available on Blu-ray. Pictured above and to the left, this Brazilian comedy was the highest grossing film of all time in its home country until 2010. It\u2019s about a widow who is visited by the ghost of her husband (who often appears naked) after remarrying. Sonia Braga stars in one of her first roles. The disc contains a new restoration of the film, a director commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette and a 16-page booklet on the title with essays by the producer and costume designer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino has plenty to choose from this week. You can pick up a\nBlu-ray of the thriller El Cortez<\/em> (2006). Lou Diamond Phillips plays a\nman just released from a mental institution who gets involved with a gold mine\nscheme, a drug dealer and a femme fatale. It comes with a behind-the-scenes\nfeaturette, deleted scene and trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of their biggest releases is a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nset of the wonderful science-fiction drama, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless\nMind<\/em> (2004). Jim Carrey stars as a depressed man who suffers a painful\nbreak-up and decides to have his memory of the relationship erased from his\nbrain. He soon finds out that his subconscious isn\u2019t as willing to let go of\nthe past. Kate Winslet and Elijah Wood co-star. In addition to the restoration,\nit comes with all of the previously released bonuses from old DVD editions) and\na new interview with the cinematographer. You can also pick up a standalone\nBlu-ray with the 4K film restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Kino have a Blu-ray of I\u2019m Dangerous\nTonight<\/em> (1990), a thriller with Madchen Amick (who was a cast member of the\nTV-series Twin Peaks<\/em> at the time). She plays a young woman who comes\nunder the influence of a cursed dress. The project originally aired on cable\nTV. The disc has a 2K picture restoration, two commentaries with movie experts,\narchived interviews with co-star Dee Wallace, the director of photography,\nbehind-the-scenes footage and plenty more.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Kubrick\u2019s heist movie The Killing<\/em> (1956) was\npreviously released on Blu-ray by Criterion, but now Kino are presenting a 4K\nUltra HD edition of the title. It arrives with a movie expert audio track and a\ntrailer. Alas, there is no Blu-ray included, so interested parties should make\nsure they have a 4K Ultra HD set-up before purchasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Science-fiction and horror fans can purchase a Blu-ray of\nthe stylish Mario Bava sci-fi\/horror feature, Planet of the Vampires<\/em>\n(1965). It\u2019s about the crew of a spaceship who landing on a strange planet. Things\nquickly go bad as crew members turn on each other and return from the dead. The\nmovie has been given a 2K restoration and comes with a movie critic commentary,\ntrailers and comments from filmmakers\/fans Joe Dante and John Olson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have a Blu-ray of the melodrama, Time Out of\nMind<\/em> (1947). This Blu-ray includes a 2K master of the movie, a film\nhistorian commentary and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for 4K Ultra HD exclusives, Lionsgate have\nyou covered. They are presenting the comedy Barb & Star Go to Vista Del\nMar<\/em> (2021) on the format, as well as the Nicolas Cage action feature, Primal\n<\/em>(2019). There are no Blu-rays included in these releases, just 4K Ultra HD\nversions and digital copies of the films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severin is releasing The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee\nCollection 2<\/em> Blu-ray set, which contains new restorations of obscurities\nlike Uncle Was a Vampire<\/em> (1959), Secret of the Red Orchid<\/em> (1962),\nDark Places<\/em> (1974), Dracula and Son<\/em> (1976), Mask of Murder<\/em>\n(1988) and Murder Story<\/em> (1989). It comes with numerous bonuses like\ncommentaries and interviews, as well as a CD of the soundtrack from Dracula and\nSon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can also pick up a double-feature Blu-ray of the\nlow-budget chillers Horror High<\/em> (1972) and Stanley<\/em> (1973). In\naddition to picture restorations, the disc is packed with other extras like\ninterviews and commentary tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who enjoy Dennis Hopper movies can now purchase Out\nof the Blue<\/em> (1980) on 4K Ultra HD or separately on Blu-ray. The performers\nappeared in and directed this tale of a young, rebellious girl (Linda Manz)\ntrying to find herself in the punk scene. This cult feature has been given a 4K\nrestoration and includes three archived commentary tracks (one with Hopper, and\ntwo from film critics), a 1984 interview with the filmmaker on the movie, a\ntribute to the star of the picture, a video essay and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severin is also releasing the parody, The Return of Captain Invincible<\/em> (1983) with Alan Arkin (the poster is visible above and to the right). In this tale, a once revered and now drunken superhero comes out of retirement to save the world. This set has two Blu-ray and a CD. Blu-ray one contains a theatrical cut of the movie with cast and crew interviews. The second Blu-ray has a Director\u2019s Cut with commentary from filmmaker Philippe Mora (Mad Dog Morgan, Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf, Communion<\/em>), and other bonuses relating to the director. The CD contains a soundtrack for the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory has a Collector\u2019s Edition 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray of the science-fiction\/horror flick, Species<\/em> (1995). Once\njokingly referred to me by a film professional under the moniker, \u201cThe Monster\nis a Babe\u201d (a more apt title, if you ask me), the movie features an alien who\ntakes the form of an attractive woman in order to mate with human men and\nproduce offspring that will take over the world. Besides the picture\nrestoration, you\u2019ll get all of the features included in previous releases like\na commentary with the director and stars Natasha Henstridge and Michael Madsen,\nanother track with the special effects team, an alternate ending, featurettes\nand more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal is releasing and rereleasing a number of catalog\ntitles on Blu-ray this week. They include Beginners <\/em>(2010), Captain\nFantastic<\/em> (2016), Changeling<\/em> (2008), The Guest<\/em> (2014), Hail,\nCaesar<\/em> (2016), Ouija: Origin of Evil<\/em> (2016), The Place Beyond the\nPines<\/em> (2012) and the John Candy comedy, Uncle Buck<\/em> (1989). There are\nsome good movies in there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Wild Eye Releasing is putting out a strange little\nJapanese genre title on Blu-ray. Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell<\/em>\n(1995) aka The Japanese Evil Dead<\/em> is an ultraviolent cult picture that\nwas originally made for the direct-to-video market. It\u2019s about a bodybuilder\nwho helps a professional psychic square off against evil spirits in a haunted\nhouse. The flick is said to be outrageous. It has never been released in North\nAmerica and was only available as a bootleg\u2026 until now. The picture has been\ntransferred from an archival SD master tape that was remastered. You\u2019ll get a\nnew interview with the director, commentary tracks from filmmakers Adam Green (Hatchet<\/em>)\nand Joe Lynch (Shudder\u2019s Creepshow<\/em> series), a Japanese film historian\ntrack, outtakes and more bonuses than you could possibly imagine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Alas, this edition is a bit of a thin one for kid\u2019s releases,\nbut there should be more next time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are all of the TV-themed sets arriving this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 4400<\/em>: The Complete Series (Paramount) Blu-ray
The Gilded Age<\/em>: Season 1 (Studio Distribution) DVD
Night Gallery<\/em>: Season 2 (Kino) Blu-ray
Rocco Schiavone: Ice Cold Murders<\/em>: Season 3 and 4 (Kino) Blu-ray
Starhunter ReduX<\/em>: The Complete Series (2017) (Shout! Factory) Blu-ray <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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