{"id":25175,"date":"2022-08-16T01:05:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T08:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=25175"},"modified":"2022-08-16T01:05:38","modified_gmt":"2022-08-16T08:05:38","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-august-16th-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=25175","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for August 16th, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of\nthe highlights coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. This edition includes major\nreleases as well as some interesting independent fare. So, if you can\u2019t make it\nout to the movies this week or shouldn\u2019t be out in big crowds, be sure to give\none of these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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BABY ASSASSINS \u2013 This\naction\/comedy from Japan follows two high school seniors who moonlight as hired\nkillers. When the organization they work for tells them to move in and share an\napartment over their final year of class, things go badly and their relationship\nbegins to sour. In addition to normal coming-of-age problems, the relationship\nturns violent and they begin targeting one another. This foreign-language\neffort earned solid notices from critics who saw it. They all said that while\nthe concept could have been further developed and even funnier, it was\nentertaining to see two young assassins get into a petty battle with each\nother. The action scenes were also complimented as being well shot and amusing.\nThe cast includes Yukina Fukushima, Saori Izawa, Masanori Mimoto, Atom Mizuishi\nand Mone Akitani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE BLACK PHONE \u2013 A shy 13-year-old finds his life in imminent danger after being kidnapped off of the street by a masked sadistic killer. He is immediately locked by his captor in a soundproof basement, where a disconnected phone begins ringing. The youngster answers and discovers that the murderer\u2019s previous victims are calling to give him advice on how to escape. The latest from writer\/producer\/director Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister<\/em>) was generally well received by the press. A small number complained that there wasn\u2019t much about the final product that was memorable and that it wasted its big star in an underwritten role. However, the majority thought that the entire cast gave stronger than expected performances. They stated that this was an atmospheric and slickly made effort that reminded them of chillers from the 80s. It stars Mason Thames, Ethan Hawke, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies and E. Roger Mitchell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BLOWBACK \u2013 The is the latest\nlow-budget action picture to be released as an exclusive made-for-disc title\n(it will also be available on streaming platforms). It\u2019s about a master thief\nwho is set up during a bank heist and left for dead. He manages to evade\ncapture and sets his sights on getting revenge on those responsible before the\npolice and mobsters catch him. Notices were unsurprisingly poor for this\nfeature. A small number appreciated that it didn\u2019t follow every action film\ntrope and attempted to throw a few twists into its story. However, everyone\nelse said that the screenplay was focused so much on its little turns and that\nit was overly talky and unexciting. This is a DVD-only release. Randy Couture,\nCam Gigandet, Louis Mandylor, Michele Plaia, Rafael Cabrera and William\nMcNamaar headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FRANK AND PENELOPE \u2013 A man with a\ncriminal past decides to run from his troubles after falling for an exotic\ndancer. They head into the desert, hoping to find a quiet place to make a new\nstart. However, they end up at a small compound run by a cult leader. The pair\ndecide to stay for the night, only to learn that their hosts may not only be\ndangerous, but also cannibals ready to gorge on them. Write-ups for this film\nwere not positive. About one third appreciated the movie\u2019s attempts to meld multiple\ngenres together (including thriller, horror, dark comedy and drama) and found\nit intriguing. Still, the consensus was that the film was cliched and that the\nevents depicted came across as mean-spirited rather than grimly amusing. It\nfeatures Caylee Cowan, Billy Budinich, Kevin Dillon, Sean Patrick Flanery (who\nalso wrote and directed the picture), Johnathon Schaech, Donna D’Errico and Lin\nShaye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION \u2013 The biggest release of the week is this dinosaur-themed blockbuster. It’s the third and final film in the Jurassic World<\/em> trilogy (which also includes connections to the original series from the 1990s). This follow-up begins four years after the previous installment with the previous movie\u2019s survivors living off the grid. After villains arrive and kidnap one of them, the others seek out the responsible party. They cross paths with characters from the original series, who are investigating a strange new breed of genetically engineered locusts. The trail leads to a dinosaur sanctuary run by a private genetics company. Sadly, this feature received the weakest reviews of any title in the series. A handful did enjoy seeing all of the characters together and enjoyed the action scenes. Regardless, the majority claimed the story had major logic lapses and also found it overlong, noting that its best scenes were repeats of moments from earlier chapters. It stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Isabella Sermon and Campbell Scott. Read a full review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PARIS, 13th<\/sup> DISTRICT \u2013\nReleased under the title Les Olympiades, Paris 13e<\/em> in its homeland, this\ndrama\/comedy\/romance film from France involves three women and a man whose\nlives become romantically intertwined. Viewers witness how their relationships\ndevelop and the complications that arise in what the distributor describes as a\n\u201cmodern love story\u201d set in Paris. The title was nominated for the Palm d\u2019Or as\nwell as some Cesar Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscars) and earned nods\nat various festivals. Reaction towards it was generally positive in this part\nof the world. A small number complained that the film was overly melodramatic\nand didn\u2019t make a strong emotional impression. But most thought it presented an\ninteresting perspective on romance between people in their late 20s and early\n30s and enjoyed the work of the cast. Lucie Zhang, Makita Samba, No\u00e9mie Merlant\nand Jehnny Beth headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SNIPER: ROGUE MISSION \u2013 The ninth\nfeature in the Sniper<\/em> movie series (the first flick was the only one to\nget a theatrical release, all others have been direct-to-video or\ndirect-to-disc follow-ups) picks up with the hero from the last five movies\ngoing rogue after learning that one of his superiors is involved in a human sex\ntrafficking ring. Another young agent and some old acquaintances join the\nprotagonist as they all band together to stop the criminal organization. This\nfeature is premiering on disc and streaming platforms, but hasn\u2019t been shown to\nmany members of the press. Of the few reviews that have appeared, most have\nstated that it isn\u2019t a classic. But they note the movie is an improvement over\nthe more recent adventures and say it has a welcome sense of humor. It features\nChad Michael Collins, Ryan Robbins, Sayaka Akimoto, Josh Brener, Brendan Sexton\nIII and Dennis Haysbert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SUMMONED \u2013 Two celebrity\ncouples are summoned to an exclusive self-help retreat to receive therapy. They\nagree to the three-day session and head out to the remote countryside, only to\nquickly realize that the on-site therapist has villainous motives. The group\nare forced to examine the cost of their success and begin experiencing\ndisturbing visions and paranoid delusions. More critics enjoyed this horror\npicture than disliked it. Those who did take issue with the film wrote that the\nstory was slowly paced and simply took too long to get to the interesting\nmaterial. Still, others appreciated that the screenplay attempted to throw a\nfew curveballs at viewers and called it a fun and humorous little horror picture.\nFor the time being, this is a DVD only release. The cast includes J. Quinton\nJohnson, Emma Fitzpatrick, Angela Gulner, Salvador Chacon and Frederick Stuart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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If you would prefer to catch up on\nsome older titles, there is plenty coming your way as well. Code Red is\nreleasing a Blu-ray of the romantic comedy The Boyfriend School<\/em> (1990)\naka Don\u2019t Tell Her It\u2019s Me<\/em> with Steve Guttenberg, Jami Gertz, Shelley\nLong, Kyle MacLachlan and Madchen Amick. This is a tale of a lonely cartoonist\nand cancer survivor whose sister coaches him on how to create a fake persona\nand win the woman of his dreams. I never saw this movie, but I remember it\nplaying at theaters and on video under the second title listed and wonder why\nthe first moniker now appears to be the more common one. Whatever the case may\nbe, this disc includes a 2K restoration of the film, alternate titles and art\nand a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion is presenting Daddy Longlegs<\/em> (2009) on Blu-ray. Pictured below and to the right, it\u2019s the first film from Josh and Bennie Safdie (Good Time, Uncut Gems<\/em>) and involves a father struggling with his parental responsibilities and getting himself and his young kids into a lot of trouble during a wild and crazy two-week visit. The movie has been given a 4K digital transfer approved by the directors and comes with cast interviews, a 2017 documentary about the Safdies, a making-of, a short film by the Safdies, deleted scenes, publicity materials and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The distributor is also making the\nindie feature Frownland<\/em> (2007) available on Blu-ray. This title was made\nby the lead actor in Daddy Longlegs<\/em> and examines misfit alienation\nthrough the eyes of a maladjusted social outcast whose life begins spiraling\ndownward. This title comes with a new 2K digital transfer of the movie, an\nintroduction from the director, a conversation between the filmmaker and Josh\nSafdie, deleted scenes and other extras.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bridge of San Luis Rey<\/em>\n(2004) is arriving on Blu-ray courtesy of Epic Pictures.  The synopsis\nstates that the story is set in 1714 Peru and deals with the trial of a friar\nwho questions God and the church after five of his parishioners die in a rope\nbridge accident. It has an all-star cast that includes Gabriel Byrne, Robert De\nNiro, Harvey Keitel, Kathy Bates, F. Murray Abraham and Geraldine Chaplin.\nApparently, this is a restored cut of the movie with over 40 additional minutes\nof unseen footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is delivering Coming Apart<\/em>\n(1969) with Rip Torn and Sally Kirkland. It\u2019s about a disturbed and obsessive\npsychiatrist who begins recording sessions with female patients and ends up\ncapturing his own mental breakdown. There\u2019s a 2K restoration of the film on\nthis Blu-ray, along with a director interview, a Rip Torn memorial from 2019, a\n50th<\/sup> anniversary discussion of the movie and numerous shorts made by\nthe filmmaker in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Electra Glide in Blue<\/em> (1973)\nis a cult movie with Robert Blake as an Arizona-based motorcycle cop who is\npromoted to his department\u2019s homicide division and is tasked with solving an\nincredibly difficult case. The movie has been released on Blu-ray before, but\nthis \u201cSpecial Edition\u201d delivers a 4K restoration of the title, a new commentary\nwith the screenwriter, an archived track with the director, as well as new\ninterviews with the screenwriter and supporting cast member Mitchell Ryan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up a Blu-ray of\nthe action flick Kill a Dragon<\/em> (1967) with Jack Palance as a soldier of\nfortune out to steal a dangerous load of nitroglycerin that has fallen into the\nhands of a dangerous criminal. It comes with a trailer. Samson and the 7\nMiracles of the World<\/em> (1961) is a sword-and-sandal pic being given a\n\u201cSpecial Edition\u201d Blu-ray that includes the international and US cuts of the\nmovie, a critic commentary and trailers. Additionally, the Tim Conway comedy They\nWent That-A-Way & That-A-Way<\/em> (1978) is arriving on Blu-ray. Conway plays\none of a pair of slow-witted cops who go undercover in a penitentiary. When\ntheir boss passes away unexpectedly, the two must find a way to break out of\nthe slammer. This disc comes with a trailer and TV spots.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lionsgate is giving Barb and\nStar Go to Vista Del Mar<\/em> (2021) the 4K Ultra HD and digital treatment. Fans\nof the movie should note that this set does not contain a Blu-ray and can only\nbe played on 4K Ultra HD equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramount is releasing some of\ntheir back catalog on Blu-ray. They have The Back-Up Plan<\/em> (2010)\nstarring Jennifer Lopez and the SNL spin-off comedy Coneheads <\/em>(1993)\nwith Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin as pointy-headed aliens trying to adapt to\nlife on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The studio is giving Indiana\nJones and the Last Crusade<\/em> (1989) a special presentation in a 4K Ultra HD\nSteelbook set. This release does not include a Blu-ray of the film.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Last Vegas<\/em> (2013), Stalag\n17<\/em> (1953), What Women Want<\/em> (2000) and the excellent, Oscar-nominated\nJohnny Depp\/Leonarda DiCaprio drama What\u2019s Eating Gilbert Grape<\/em> (1993)\nare also receiving Blu-ray releases. The latter title also stars Juliette\nLewis, Mary Steenburgen, Kevin Tighe, John C. Reilly and Crispin Glover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory is giving the\noriginal Child\u2019s Play<\/em> trilogy special treatment. They are presenting Child\u2019s\nPlay<\/em> (1988), Child\u2019s Play 2<\/em> (1990) and Child\u2019s Play 3<\/em> (1991)\nin an elaborate 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. For those who don\u2019t remember the\nseries, the films feature a possessed toy doll named Chucky who goes on a\nviolent and darkly comic killing spree. And if you\u2019d just prefer one or two of\nthe franchise titles, they can also be purchased individually. Be sure to go\nthrough all the listings to find out which package is right for you. All of the\nmovies were given new 4K scans from the original negative with incredible\npicture upgrades. Each film has all of the previously recorded commentaries and\nextras from earlier editions, as well as new interviews with cast and crew\nmembers. Truth be told, there is simply too much bonus material to list here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor also is putting\nout a Collector\u2019s Edition 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of the action picture Red\nDawn<\/em> (1984) with Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, C. Thomas\nHowell, Jennifer Grey as high school students attempting to survive an invasion\nby Soviet forces. Besides the upgraded picture, you will get all of the\npreviously released extras from earlier editions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, a Blu-ray of the independent comedy Denise Calls Up<\/em> (1995) is arriving courtesy of Sony Pictures. And bizarrely, the studio is releasing Johnny Mnemonic: In Black and White<\/em> (1995). This Keanu Reeves science-fiction flick was shot and released in color back in the day. For some strange reason, it is now being rereleased with a black and white picture.
Perhaps draining the color improves some of the out-of-date visual effects? The original, out-of-print version is not being included on the disc. Those desperate to own this not-so-great epic are advised to wait until a version arrives containing both the color version and black and white edition.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are some titles that may\nappeal to youngsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bluey<\/em>: Seasons 1 & 2 (Universal\/BBC) DVD
Play Date Triple Feature! (Nature Cat\/Molly of Denali\/Wild Kratts)<\/em> (PBS Kids) DVD
Rainbow Rangers: Rangers Assemble!<\/em> (Nick Jr.) DVD <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston<\/em> (PBS) DVD
Bluey<\/em>: Seasons 1 & 2 (Universal\/BBC) DVD
Feeling Butterflies<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD
Firebite<\/em>: Season 1 (RLJ Entertainment) Blu-ray
Hidden Assets<\/em>: Series 1 (Acorn) DVD
NCIS<\/em>: Season 19 (Paramount) DVD
South Park<\/em>: Season 24 (Paramount) Blu-ray <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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