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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAFTER SHE DIED \u2013 A teenager grieves after a tragic accident\ntakes her mother\u2019s life. Later, she gets the shock of her life when her father\nintroduces his new girlfriend, a woman who looks like a twin of her deceased\nparent. She begins investigating what happened to her mom, digging up a grave\nand trying to identify this new arrival. This independent horror\/thriller from\nAustralia hasn\u2019t been seen by many critics in this part of the world. So far,\nthe reaction from those who have previewed it has been tepid. A few commented\nthat the movie was an interesting slow-burn, but most suggest that while it\nlooks slick and the concept is interesting, the characters aren\u2019t relatable and\nthe story doesn\u2019t reach a satisfying conclusion. It stars Liliana de la Rosa,\nVanessa Madrid and Paul Talbot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDEATH KNOT \u2013 In this Indonesian genre flick, a brother and\nsister learn that their mother has committed suicide. They return to their\nhometown with a friend in tow to take care of affairs and plan a funeral. But\nsoon other locals drop by to threaten the pair and accuse their mother of\npracticing black magic. These rude visitors suddenly begin killing themselves,\nleaving the pair to wonder if the strange claims might be true. Not many\nreviewers in this part of the world have seen the film, but the majority of\nthose who did have complemented it. One or two thought it was too slow. The\nrest noted that the film builds momentum as it progresses, is beautifully shot\nand very atmospheric. They claim that it will eventually send chills down the\nspine of patient viewers. The cast includes Cornelio Sunny, Widika Sidmore and\nMoran Oey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDETECTIVE KNIGHT: REDEMPTION \u2013 While most low-budget\ndirect-to-disc action pictures don\u2019t warrant sequels, occasionally a few come\nto fruition. This is a follow-up to the 2022 film Detective Knight: Rogue<\/em>,\nwhich followed a cop seeking vengeance for the shooting of his partner. After\nfinding himself in police custody for his vigilantism, the lead accidentally\nends up in the middle of a jailbreak led by a psychotic bomber (whose team\nmembers dress like Santa Claus). Our hero makes a deal with authorities to take\ndown these baddies in exchange for his freedom and badge. The end result split\nthe press. Half said it was another ineffective low-budget action movie that\nseemingly pushes the lead character into the background. But just as many\nthought the flick delivered some entertaining, B-movie fun. It features Bruce\nWillis, Lochlyn Munro, Corey Large and Miranda Edwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LOUDMOUTH \u2013 Reverend Al Sharpton is the subject of this\ndocumentary. The filmmakers tell the polarizing figure\u2019s life story and detail\nhis experiences as a pastoral prodigy, spokesperson for racial justice and\nmedia statesman. Along the way, viewers witness his brash and unusual tactics\nas the film attempts to determine whether or not he was an opportunist or a\ntrailblazer. The final product earned more recommendations than pans. One-third\nof the press didn\u2019t think it did more than show highlights of his career and\nthat it avoided examining his attacks on contemporaries who were fighting for\nthe same cause. Still, the majority found it to be an interesting and\nintriguing documentary about a figure who used the media to promote his\nmessage. It also contains interviews with President Barack Obama, James Brown,\nReverend Jesse Jackson and more. This is a DVD-only release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE MENU \u2013 In this darkly comic thriller, a group of food\nenthusiasts (and one outsider invited at the last minute) gather for a very\nexclusive dining experience with a renowned chef. After being taken to a\nprivate island, the stuffy artisan serves them elaborate courses.\nUnfortunately, it isn\u2019t long before the attendees discover that their host is\nnot only serving some\u2026 unique dishes, but that he has extreme plans for them\nall. Write-ups were very positive for this effort. A few complained that the\nmovie ended up succumbing to some of the genre tropes it was twisting. Everyone\nelse called the film a very witty comedy that effectively takes shots at the\nwealthy, art critics, as well as artists themselves. They admired the work of\nthe cast as well, whom they claimed delivered the goods. The movie stars Ralph\nFiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janey McTeer, Judith Light\nand John Leguizamo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPEAK NO EVIL \u2013 This dark comedy involves a family from\nDenmark and another from the Netherlands who meet while vacationing in Italy.\nThe conservative Danish group are charmed by their free-spirited companions and\nagree to go visit them. Unfortunately, it turns out that the family do not live\nin Amsterdam, but instead in the remote countryside. Things become very\nuncomfortable for the visitors as the behavior of the homeowners becomes\nstranger and more intimidating. This dark horror\/comedy debuted on Shudder and\nis now receiving a DVD-only release. It won awards at film festivals and\nimpressed critics. A small contingent didn\u2019t like any of the characters and\nfound the movie too unsettling to enjoy. But the consensus was that the film\nwas incredibly effective at creating tension and fraying nerves. Morten Burian,\nSidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Hu\u00eat and Karina Smulders headline the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPIN ME ROUND \u2013 An American chain restaurant manager is\nselected to attend a training program in Italy. She is initially thrilled by\nthe prospect, imagining that she will soak in European glamor and maybe even\nmeet a potential boyfriend in the process. The CEO and his sister take an\ninterest in the protagonist and whisk her away on another trip. However,\nstrange comments begin setting off alarm bells in the lead\u2019s head and she\nbegins to wonder if she may actually be in danger. This independent comedy\nsplit reviewers nearly down the middle. Almost half thought that the movie was\neccentric, but that the talented cast and bizarre situations had them laughing\nthroughout. The same number and a couple others thought the performers were\nexcellent but that the tonal shifts and absurd climax was too problematic to\nignore. It features Alison Brie, Alessandro Nivola, Aubrey Plaza, Molly\nShannon, Lil Rel Howery and Fred Armisen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TILL \u2013 This biopic tells the story of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie. In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett heads out to Mississippi to visit his cousins. After making an innocuous comment to a shopowner, he is lynched. Grief-stricken, his mother decides to do everything she can to see those responsible prosecuted. She takes unusual steps to do so, in the process garnering national attention. Notices for the movie were excellent. In fact, there were only a couple of reviewers who didn\u2019t care for the picture. They wrote that it felt too conventional in its presentation and needed to be harder-hitting than it was. Virtually all other reviewers praised the lead performance and called it a compelling chronicle of how an average citizen was transformed into a civil rights activist. It stars Danielle Deadwyler, Jayln Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg, Layne Lawson and Kevin Carroll. Read a full review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n UTAMA \u2013 In the quiet highlands of Bolivia, an elderly couple\ngo about their usual routine. The husband takes their llamas out to graze while\nthe wife collects water. Unfortunately, a lengthy drought begins to threaten\ntheir existence. The pair are forced to consider selling their property and moving\nto the city. When their grandson arrives with further news, the trio must come\nto a consensus on what to do. Most critics raved about this Spanish-language\npicture and it is the country\u2019s Academy Award submission for Best International\nFilm. One or two complained about the leaden pacing. But all others thought it\nwas a quietly powerful, gorgeously shot, minimalist tale that beautifully\ndetailed the lives and struggles of those whose existence is directly connected\nto the environment. Jos\u00e9 Calcina, Luisa Quispe and Candelaria Quispe headline\nthe movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BLASTS FROM THE PAST!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for something older, you have several\noptions as well. Arrow Video is releasing the double-feature Lady Whirlwind\n& Hapkido<\/em> on Blu-ray. It contains two titles that were produced in 1972\nand feature butt-kicking female protagonists. The first features a young woman\nwho rescues a man being pursued by gangsters. It is soon revealed that the lead\nis only doing this in order to murder the individual herself, whom she believes\nkilled her sister. The second title is about a Chinese woman who faces\nresistance when she tries to open a martial arts school in Japan. This Special\nEdition features upgraded picture quality, multiple film critic commentaries,\ninterviews with cast and crew members, archival featurettes. image galleries\nand trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Criterion is presenting Lars von Trier\u2019s Europe Trilogy<\/em>\non Blu-ray. It contains three early efforts from the filmmaker. You\u2019ll get The\nElement of Crime<\/em> (1984), Epidemic <\/em>(1987) and Europa<\/em> (1991).\nThis set contains a 4K restoration of Europa <\/em>and 3K restorations of the\nother two movies. There is a director commentary, a documentary on the\nfilmmaker, as well as an interview with him on the trio of titles. You\u2019ll also\nget making-of documentaries for the three movies, student shorts, another\ndiscussion with the director that aired on Danish television, trailers and\nmore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kino is presenting several titles on Blu-ray too. Ghost\nWarrior<\/em> (1984) is an action film about a samurai who is discovered frozen\nin ice. The warrior is shipped to Los Angeles, where he is unfrozen and goes on\na rampage. The disc includes a film historian commentary, an interview with the\nmake-up effects artist, a trailer and slipcase packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of action, Chuck Norris fans can pick up the Missing\nin Action Trilogy<\/em> on Blu-ray. It contains the original Missing in Action<\/em>\n(1984), Missing in Action 2: The Beginning<\/em> (1985) and Braddock:\nMissing in Action 3<\/em> (1988). This set contains new 4K restorations of the\nfirst two titles and a 2K restoration of the second. It also includes a\ndirector commentary on the first movie and a film historian commentary on the\nsecond and third films. Additionally, you\u2019ll get a discussion with the\nscreenwriter of the original and trailers for all the flicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you like thrillers, the distributor is delivering a\nSpecial Edition Blu-ray of the Richard Gere\/Kim Basinger thriller, No Mercy<\/em>\n(1986). This tale involves a cop searching for the gangsters who killed his\npartner. He ends up falling for a witness to the crime and the two find\nthemselves being stalked by assassins. The disc contains a new interview with\nco-star Jeroen Krabb\u00e9 and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Genre fans may get a kick of Programmed to Kill<\/em>\n(1987) aka The Retaliator<\/em>, an action film about a female terrorist\n(played by Sandahl Bergman) who is captured and transformed into a cybernetic\nkilling machine for the CIA. The Blu-ray contains a 2K restoration of the film,\na commentary track with the director, an interview with the screenwriter, an\nalternate opening, a trailer and a \u201climited edition\u201d slipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paramount is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook\nedition of the monster movie Cloverfield <\/em>(2008). It follows a group of\nfriends who videotape their experiences running from a monster rampaging\nthrough New York City. This is a 15th<\/sup> anniversary \u201climited edition\u201d\nthat presents improved picture quality and all of the previously released\nextras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also pick up the thriller Sliver <\/em>(1993) on Blu-ray. It\u2019s an over-the-top effort inspired by the success of Basic Instinct<\/em> (1992) that stars Sharon Stone as an apartment tenant dealing with a series of murders in her building, as well as a voyeuristic stalker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this writer isn\u2019t sure that the next title mentioned\ntruly qualifies as a classic, the Ashley Judd\/Tommy Lee Jones thriller Double\nJeopardy<\/em> (1999) is arriving on the special Paramount Presents line in 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray. The story involves a woman who is framed for her\nhusband\u2019s murder. After she finds her way out of prison, she discovers that her\nspouse is still living and seeks revenge on him. Besides the new image upgrade,\nit comes with a filmmaker focus on director Bruce Beresford (Tender Mercies,\nCrimes of the Heart, Driving Miss Daisy<\/em>) and all the bonuses from earlier\nversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Japanese drama Big Time Gambling Boss<\/em> (1968) is\nalso coming to Blu-ray from new distributor Radiance Films. After the head of a\nlarge criminal outfit passes away, the remaining members fight among themselves\nto appoint a new leader. This title is a rarity in this part of the world, but\nis well regarded. The movie has been transferred in high definition from source\nmaterials provided by Toei in Japan. The disc features a video essay on the\nmovie with important details (it is part of a series), a lengthy featurette on\ngambling, as well as publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Shout! are presenting a couple of titles. The\nfantastic John Carpenter science-fiction satire They Live<\/em> (1988) is getting\nthe 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment with improved picture quality and the\nnumerous extras from earlier editions. It also comes packaged in a Steelbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the recent Jason Statham action picture Wrath of Man<\/em>\n(2021) is also getting the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade, providing an even\nsharper picture for those who have the set-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a quiet week for kid\u2019s entertainment, but here is what\nis arriving for youngsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Daniel Tiger\u2019s Neighborhood: Top 10 Tiger Tales<\/em> (PBS\nKids) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n ON THE TUBE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And you\u2019ll find listings of all the TV-themed releases\nbelow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Daniel Tiger\u2019s Neighborhood: Top 10 Tiger Tales<\/em> (PBS\nKids) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Welcome to Mama\u2019s &\nPlaying Cupid<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n My Life is Murder<\/em>: Series 3 (Acorn) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n NATURE: American Ocelot<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/DVD-Loudmouth-fixed.jpg\")
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