{"id":26238,"date":"2023-03-28T02:28:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T09:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=26238"},"modified":"2023-03-28T02:28:41","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T09:28:41","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-march-28th-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=26238","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for March 28th, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the week\u2019s highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It\u2019s another busy edition with award-winning features, high profile efforts, family fare and more. So. If you can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, 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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ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT \u2013 Based on the classic 1929\nanti-war novel, this German drama follows a young soldier who joins the\nmilitary to fight in WWI Initially, he and his friends are arrogant about going\ninto battle, but that changes as he arrives on the frontlines and engages in\nbattle. The traumatic experiences slowly break him down until he realizes the\nuntruths he has been told and begins to understand the futility of war. This\nNetflix feature won a lot of praise and was nominated for several Academy\nAwards (it ended up winning best International Feature, Original Score,\nCinematography and Production Design). Most critics appreciated what they saw.\nA small contingent thought it was dramatically inert, disliked new scenes\ninvolving negotiators and called it a weak adaptation of the book. However, the\nmajority wrote that the movie was a grisly, powerful and technically\naccomplished redo with a message that still feels relevant today. They also\ncomplimented the performances. It stars Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch and\nDaniel Br\u00fch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AMERICAN RAPSTAR \u2013 This documentary details a new group of\nrappers who have emerged by avoiding the traditional distribution route.\nInstead, they are using the streaming service Soundcloud to control their own\nmusic and upload it to the public themselves. According to the press synopsis,\nthe filmmakers interview the biggest stars from this movement, who have become\nthe most culturally disruptive force in hip hop, shocking the world with\nrambunctious antics and rebellious punk energy. There aren\u2019t many reviews for\nthis title yet, but a few positive write-ups have appeared. These notices\nsuggest that while the film takes a standard approach to presenting its subject\nand informing viewers about this movement, it\u2019s interesting and makes for a\ngood introduction to plenty of new faces on the scene. The movie includes\nInterviews with Smokepurpp, Lil Xan, XXXTentacion, Lil Peep and Bhad Bhabie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BATMAN: THE DOOM THAT CAME TO GOTHAM \u2013 The latest title in\nDC\u2019s animated superhero franchise is this stand-alone film. It is inspired by a\n1920s set comic book series by Mike Mignola, Richard Pace and Troy Nixey. After\naccidentally unleashing ancient supernatural forces, Batman returns to Gotham\nto try and clean up his mess. After the powerful villains initially prove\nunstoppable, the caped crusader must team with enemies like Green Lantern, Ra\u2019s\nal Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc and Two-Face to eliminate the threat. This\ntitle is being released in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set or as a stand-alone Blu-ray.\nSo far, the response has been good. The limited number of press members who\nhave seen it state that the movie stays true to the source material and\ndelivers plenty of effective action, as well as some very creepy moments. The\nvoice cast includes David Giuntoli, Tati Gabrielle, Gideon Adlon and Jeffrey\nCombs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BEAUTIFUL BEINGS \u2013 A misfit teenager in Iceland struggles to\nfit with his classmates and finds himself being bullied. As it turns out, his\nmother is an eccentric clairvoyant, which doesn\u2019t do much to endear the lead to\nothers his age. After befriending a few other young men dealing with similar\nissues (including abuse from family members), they decide to form a group. The\ninexperienced youngsters strike back against their tormentors and become aggressive,\ncausing more problems for themselves. Critics generally enjoyed this\nforeign-language drama. A handful complained that it brought little that was\nnew to the story of young men dealing with uncontrolled anger. They claimed\nthat some of the messages were confusing and contradictory. Still, the\nconsensus was that the movie was well-acted, had some interesting supernatural\ntwists and effectively detailed the struggles of social outcasts. It features\n\u00c1skell Einar P\u00e1lmason, Viktor Ben\u00f3n\u00fd Benediktsson, Snorri Rafn Fr\u00edmannsson,\nBirgir Dagur Bjarkason and \u00cdsger\u00f0ur Elfa Gunnarsd\u00f3ttir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BLUE\u2019S BIG CITY ADVENTURE \u2013 Based on the popular Blue\u2019s\nClues<\/em> children\u2019s television series, this family film features Storybook\nWorld resident Josh being cast in a Broadway show. He and his dog Blue head out\nto New York City. Unfortunately, Josh forgets his notebook and the pair get\nlost. They try to survive by singing, dancing and befriending locals. In the\nmeantime, characters from home recover the item and attempt to get it back in\nJosh\u2019s hands. This effort debuted on Paramount\u2019s streaming service, and members\nof the press were pleased by it. A couple complained that the story wasn\u2019t\ninteresting and that they never even got a sense of why Josh wanted to star on\nBroadway. Still, everyone else called the movie upbeat family fare that would\nimpress preschoolers with plenty of colorful images and fun musical numbers.\nFor the time being, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Joshua Dela\nCruz, Donovan Patton, Traci Page Johnson, Steve Burns and BD Wong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CODE OF THE ASSASSINS \u2013 This feature from China premiered a\nlittle while back on the streaming service Hi-Yah! and is now arriving on\nBlu-ray. The story follows a man who is trained to be an assassin, but can\u2019t\nfollow through and fails to strike down his first assigned target. He becomes a\nfugitive from his order and goes on the lam, with several killers and fellow\nstudents in pursuit. As he runs, he uncovers a conspiracy between several\nmartial arts schools. Also known as Song of the Assassins<\/em>, response\ntowards this Mandarin-language title has been all over the place. Some have\ncalled it overly complicated, featuring too many characters and distractingly\npoor visual effects. But just as many stated that the movie was over-the-top\nfun, delivering stylish and beautiful visuals that were to watch. They also\ncomplimented the action choreography. It stars Shaofeng Feng, Jun Hu, Chen Jin\nand Norman Chu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FATHER STU REBORN \u2013 Back in April of 2022, the R-rated Mark Wahlberg faith-based biopic Father Stu<\/em> was released. It told the story of a boxer-turned-priest who was inspired to join the Catholic Church, but met with resistance because of his uncouth ways. The movie garnered a mixed reception. After playing in cinemas and being released on home video, Sony Pictures set out to put together a PG-13 edition, editing out almost all of the cussing (which apparently totaled nearly 200 swear words). For those curious, it seems that some elements, including a crash and a romance, haven\u2019t been significantly altered. The updated edition was re-released in movie theaters in late December. Now, this version of the film is arriving as a DVD-exclusive (no Blu-ray has been announced). It features Walhberg, Mel Gibson, Jacki Weaver, Teresa Ruiz and Malcolm McDowell. Read a review of the R-rated version here. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MISSING \u2013 In recent years, there have been several films set\nentirely on computer screens and cell phones. This title is a sequel to the\n2018 thriller Searching<\/em> that features a similar scenario, but new\ncharacters. When a Los Angeles-based teenager learns that her mother has gone\nmissing while vacationing with a boyfriend in Columbia, the youngster uses cell\nphones, social media and every available resource to locate her. The consensus\non this thriller was upbeat. A small contingent did comment that the\nscreen-only formatting left everything feeling contrived and phony. But while\nmost admitted that the story pushed the limits of believability, they\nultimately appreciated the attempt, as well as some story twists. These\nreviewers also thought the cast was excellent and it was better than similar\nefforts. The cast includes Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy\nLandecker, Daniel Henny and Nia Long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PLANE \u2013 A commercial aircraft pilot has the worst day of his\nlife when lighting strikes during a flight and takes out an engine. He manages\nto land on an island nation, only to learn that they are in a warzone. When his\npassengers are taken hostage, the hero teams up with an accused murderer (who\nhappened to be on his flight) to free those on the plane and escape with their\nlives. This action picture earned more positive notices than negative ones.\nAlmost one-quarter of reviews called the movie preposterous yet strangely dull\nand routine in execution. They stated that it wasn\u2019t much better than a direct-to-disc\ntitle. However, the majority asserted that the cast was good and that it\nprovided enough B-movie thrills to entertain action film enthusiasts. The title\ncan be purchased as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo or a stand-alone Blu-ray.\nIt stars Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Tony Goldwyn, Yoson An, Evan Dane Taylor,\nDaniella Pineda and Paul Ben-Victor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SON \u2013 This drama focuses on a divorced man dealing with a hectic job and raising a new baby with his partner. Things get more complicated when the lead\u2019s ex-wife arrives and tells him that their teenage son has been acting strangely. She says that he no longer wants to stay with her and asks the protagonist if he wouldn\u2019t mind taking him in until he improves. He agrees and tries to help his son, but finds their relationship strained as the youth shows suicidal tendencies. This feature from Florian Zeller (director of the award-winning drama The Father<\/em>) didn\u2019t not fare well with the press. A small contingent wrote that the movie was an interesting if downbeat study of depression with strong lead performances. However, most took issue with the film, calling it stagy, melodramatic with too many over-the-top scenes that lacked authenticity. The cast includes Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Kirby and Zen McGrath. Read a full review of the film here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE WEAPON \u2013 A tough guy appears out of the blue and starts\nwiping out Las Vegas-based biker gang meth labs, leaving nothing but corpses\nbehind. Through flashbacks, viewers begin to learn who the figure is and why he\nis seeking revenge. Of course, leaders of the criminal organization send out\nevery goon they have to kill the main character before he arrives at their\ndoorstep. There currently aren\u2019t many reviews for this low-budget action title\nand the ones that have appeared so far have been uniformly negative. They note\nthat despite a decent cast, the editing is confusing, the dialogue terrible and\nthe fight scenes poorly staged and edited together. It sounds like in the end\nviewers may also experience some suffering. For the time being, this effort\nwill only be available on DVD. Tony Schiena, Donald Cerrone, James Chalke,\nBruce Dern, Sean Patrick Flannery and Cuba Gooding Jr. headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WHO DONE IT? THE CLUE DOCUMENTARY \u2013 This documentary is\nabout the 1985 comedy Clue<\/em> that was based on the popular board game of\nthe same name. The underrated, very amusing comedy\/mystery boasted a stellar\ncast and crew. Oddly enough, it also featured three completely different\nendings depending on what theater you happened to see it at. Unfortunately, the\nmovie tanked at the box office, but over the years the movie has found a cult\nfollowing. One obsessive fan attempts to talk with as many cast and crew\nmembers as he can about their experience on the picture. While he misses Tim\nCurry, Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull and co-writer John Landis, he does manage\nto interview Colleen Camp, Jeffrey Kramer, Michael McKean, Lee Ving, Lesley Ann\nWarren and director Jonathan Lynn (who would go on to helm My Cousin Vinny<\/em>\nand The Whole Nine Yards<\/em>). So far, reviews state that the movie is\nvirtually homemade and some of the fan footage is a bit much. They do, however,\nconcede that there are some funny stories from the subjects and that the doc\nwill appeal to those who enjoy the original film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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It\u2019s another busy week for older films receiving high-definition upgrades. Arrow Video is presenting the Hong Kong action\/comedy\/drama Knockabout<\/em> (1979) on Blu-ray. This film was directed by Sammo Hung (who also co-stars) and follows two con artist brothers who get in over their heads after asking to be trained by a kung-fu master. It features some incredible fight sequences and an early lead role for Yuen Biao (Millionaires\u2019 Express, Righting Wrongs, Eastern Condors, Dragons Forever, Once Upon a Time in China<\/em>). The disc contains two cuts of the movie with 2K restorations, as well as the original language track (with multiple English subtitle tracks) and two choices of English dubbed audio. Added extras include two film historian commentary tracks, archival interviews with Sammo Hung, Bryan \u201cBeardy\u201d Lueng Kar-Yan, and \u201cmonkey style\u201d kung-fu Grandmaster Chan Sau Chang. There is also a deleted scene, a theatrical trailer and a reversible sleeve. Here is a detailed review of the disc.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If thrillers are more to your liking, you can also pick up a\nBlu-ray of Black Sunday<\/em> (1977) from Arrow Video. This disaster movie\nfrom John Frankenheimer (Birdman of Alcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, The\nTrain, Seconds, Grand Prix, Ronin<\/em> and many others) is about a deranged US\nVietNam veteran planning to crash a blimp during the Super Bowl and kill all\n80,000 attendees. It stars Robert Shaw and Bruce Dern and was based on the book\nby Thomas Harris (Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs<\/em>), who also\nco-wrote the screenplay. Bonuses include a film scholar commentary, a visual\nessay on the movie, an hour-long documentary on Frankenheimer from 2003, an\nimage gallery, as well as a reversible cover with original and newly created\nart for the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) is delivering a Blu-ray\nof the fun documentary, GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling<\/em>\n(2012). GLOW<\/em> was the first all-women pro-wrestling league and\ninterviewees share their experiences during its run from the mid-1980s to\nearly-1990s. This disc contains an archival commentary track with Billy Corgan\nof The Smashing Pumpkins<\/em> and GLOW<\/em> wrestlers Little Egypt, Matilda\nthe Hun and Hollywood. It also comes with a Q&A from a film festival,\nouttakes, a trailer and 70-minutes of vintage glow matches, skits and music\nvideos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wild Reeds<\/em> (1994) is arriving on Blu-ray from Altered\nInnocence. It\u2019s a French coming-of-age drama about the romantic lives of four\nteenagers. This release comes with a video essay on the movie, an interview\nwith a cast member, a double-sided poster with an essay on the film, and plenty\nof trailers for the title.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The movie studio A24 has their own online shop, and if you\nhappen to go there you can pick up an exclusive from them. It\u2019s a Collector\u2019s\nEdition \u201cDigibook\u201d of The Lighthouse<\/em> (2019) with Robert Pattinson and\nWillem Dafoe. The release contains a sharper-looking 4K Ultra HD disc of the\nmovie (it doesn\u2019t look like a Blu-ray is included).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going back to wrestling documentaries, you can also purchase\na Blu-ray of Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows <\/em>(1998) from Canadian\nInternational Pictures. It contains the well-regarded feature that chronicles\nBret Hart\u2019s experiences in the WWE (which was called the WWF at the time).\nAdditionally, it comes with a commentary track with Hart, new interviews with\nthe figure and the movie\u2019s director, archival interviews with Hart and the\nfilmmaker. You will also get a non-fiction 47-minute film called The Life\nand Death of Owen Hart<\/em> (1999) detailing Bret\u2019s brother, who was also a\npro-wrestler for the same organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chilly Scenes of Winter<\/em> (1979) is a bittersweet\nromantic comedy with John Heard and Mary Beth Hurt about a civil servant\nwilling to do anything to rekindle a past relationship. Apparently, the studio\nwasn\u2019t thrilled with this movie\u2019s dark ending, so they insisted on a happy\nfinale for the film. When it didn\u2019t play, they changed their minds and put the\noriginal denouement back in. Criterion is releasing a Blu-ray of the proper\nversion of the film with a 4K picture restoration, a program featuring\nproducers Griffin Dunne, Mark Metcalf and Amy Robinson, a 1983 documentary\nabout director Joan Micklin Silver, a 2005 interview with the filmmaker, as\nwell as the upbeat final sequence that was eventually removed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discotek Media is delivering a Blu-ray of Another<\/em> (2012),\na Japanese live-action feature. It is based on an animated series about a young\nstudent who meets and befriends a student whom no one else can see. No extras\nare currently listed for this release.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a member of the Disney Movie Club, you\u2019ll be happy\nto know that Cinderella<\/em> (1950) is being released as part of an Ultimate\nCollector\u2019s Edition series exclusive through their ordering service. This\nedition contains a 4K Ultra HD disc, a Blu-ray and a DVD of the animated\nclassic along with tons of extras.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Seven from Texas<\/em> (1964) aka Hour of Death<\/em>\naka Seven Guns from Texas<\/em> is arriving on Blu-ray from Dorado Films. It\u2019s\na western that was a co-production between Spain and Italy about a man who is\nreleased from prison and must contend with the fact that his fiancee has\nmarried another man. Violence eventually erupts (and I suppose at least five\nmore people get involved in the fracas).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Parker Posey comedy Party Girl<\/em> (1995) is being\nreleased on Blu-ray from Fun City Editions. This well-regarded independent\ncomedy\/drama follows a debt-ridden young woman in New York who takes a job as a\nlibrary clerk to make ends meet and turn her life around. The movie has been\ngiven a 4K restoration and comes with a new interview with the director, a\nrecently recorded discussion with star Posey, talks with the music supervisor,\nas well as the co-writer and co-producer. It also comes with publicity\nmaterials and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is delivering several Blu-rays as well. They include\nthe Joel McCrea western Border River<\/em> (1954). Extras include a film\nhistorian commentary and trailer. Counselor at Law<\/em> (1933) stars John\nBarrymore as an attorney who learns that his wife has been cheating on him. The\nbonuses on this title are the same, and you\u2019ll also get an upgraded 2K master of\nthe movie itself. If I Had a Million<\/em> (1932) is a comedy about an elderly\ntycoon who decides to give his fortune away to random strangers, only to be\nbombarded with requests from oddballs. It stars Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton,\nW.C. Fields and George Raft. The disc features a film authority commentary and\na trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A few years back, Kino released a Blu-ray of the Irish\nhorror film Rawhead Rex<\/em> (1986), which was based on a short story by\nClive Barker. If memory serves, the movie wasn\u2019t particularly good, but it has\nsold well and thus a new 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray edition is being put out. It\npresents the film with an upgraded restoration in 4K from the original camera\nnegative, as well as all of previously released bonuses, including a director\ncommentary, cast and crew interviews and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up the Van Hefflin western Tomahawk<\/em>\n(1951) on Blu-ray. Hefflin plays a scout who tries to prevent a war between the\nSioux and US Army. The disc comes with a film historian commentary and trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy stand-up comedy, Mill Creek is delivering Mike\nBirbiglia Stand-Up Spotlight \u2013 2 Comedy Specials<\/em> on DVD. Additionally, the Jim\nGaffigan Stand-Up Spotlight \u2013 2 Comedy Specials<\/em> is also getting a DVD\nrelease. They both contain popular specials featuring the funnymen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And G.I. Joe: Retaliation<\/em> (2013) is coming from\nParamount in a special Steelbook that contains a 4K Ultra HD disc and a Blu-ray\nof the title. Apparently, the extended cut is present in this release only on\nthe Blu-ray disc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s more! You can pick up a Blu-ray of the\nindependently produced, ultra-low-budget shot-on-video feature Deep Undead<\/em>\n(2005) courtesy of Satan\u2019s Core. It\u2019s about a diver who ends up in over his\nhead investigating the waters near a nuclear power plant. You\u2019ll get the\noriginal cut and an extended version of the film, a writer\/director commentary\ntrack, a cast and crew Q&A, an archival making-of, an alternate ending,\nouttakes, a short film and publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Severin is having a busy week. Attack Force Z<\/em> (1981)\nis an action feature about Australian commandos embarking on a secret mission\nagainst Japanese forces. The cast includes Sam Neill, Mel Gibson and John\nPhillip Law. This Blu-ray includes a near 30-minute interview with the producer\nand talks with a few supporting actors, in addition to a slide show of stills\nand a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up the 2-disc Blu-ray release, Blood on\nMelies\u2019 Moon<\/em> (2016) from Italian genre filmmaker Luigi Cozzi (Starcrash,\nHercules, The Adventures of Hercules<\/em>). The story involves a murder that\noccurs in the basement of the Profondo Rosso<\/em> museum\/store in Rome and\nthe efforts of Cozzi himself to solve the crime. He uncovers a connection\nbetween the killing and inventor Louis Le Prince, who is now believed to be the\nman who really invented the movie camera. In addition to the film, you\u2019ll get\nan introduction to the movie with Cozzi, the bonus movie The Little Wizards\nof Oz<\/em> (2018), several making-of featurettes and FantastiCozzi<\/em>\n(2016), a documentary on the filmmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severin is also releasing The Devil\u2019s Game<\/em> (1981),\nthe final project from legendary Italian genre film director Mario Bava (Black\nSunday, Black Sabbath, Blood and Black Lace, Planet of the Vampires, Danger:\nDiabolik, A Bay of Blood, Lisa and the Devil<\/em>). In actuality, this title was\na very well-reviewed 6 episode, 60-minute TV mini-series from several\ndirectors, but Bava\u2019s episode earned the most praise and is considered a\nmasterwork. The mini-series has been discovered and remastered for Blu-ray and\ncomes with a film historian commentary, an interview with Lamberto Bava (Mario\nBava\u2019s son and the director of Demons<\/em> and Demons 2<\/em>), as well as\nthe cinematographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If that wasn\u2019t enough Italian fun, you can pick up The\nFive Days<\/em> (1973) aka Five Days of Milan<\/em> in a set that contains a 4K\nUltra HD presentation as well as a Blu-ray and a CD of the score (or as a\nstandalone Blu-ray). This is something of a lost film of Dario Argento (Deep\nRed, Suspiria<\/em>) that is an epic dark comedy about the 1848 siege of Milan,\nfollowing the adventures of a thief and a baker trying to avoid capture by the\ninvading Austrian army. It flopped in its homeland and didn\u2019t get much of a\nrelease in the rest of the world. The movie is finally debuting for the first\ntime in North America. Specs include a 4K restoration of the film, a historian\ncommentary track, in addition to interviews with Argento, screenwriter Luigi\nCozzi, executive producer Claudio Argento, as well as other members of cast and\ncrew. It also comes with publicity materials and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, the distributor is putting out Violent Streets: The\nUmberto Lenzi\/Tomas Milian Collection<\/em> on Blu-ray, which contains the action\nflicks Almost Human<\/em> (1974), Syndicate Sadists<\/em> (1975), Free\nHand for a Tough Cop<\/em> (1976), The Cynic<\/em>, The Rat and the Fist<\/em>\n(1977) and Brothers Till We Die<\/em> (1978). This release also includes a CD\nand each film is restored in 2K and comes with tons of bonuses including\ncommentary tracks and interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory is also having a busy week. Their first title\nis a Collector\u2019s Edition of the killer ventriloquist dummy movie Dead\nSilence<\/em> (2007) that includes a 4K Ultra HD disc and a Blu-ray of the film.\nThe 4K Ultra HD disc is of the theatrical cut and the release also boasts a\nBlu-ray of the theatrical and unrated versions (which is prompting some outcry\nfrom horror fans, who wanted a 4K version of the uncut edit). At least this set\ncomes with new interviews with director James Wan (Saw, Insidious, The\nConjuring, The Conjuring 2<\/em>), the film\u2019s screenwriter, the ventriloquist\ndummy creator, and all previously released extras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Exorcist III<\/em> (1990) Collector\u2019s Edition contains\na 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of the theatrical cut and an additional Blu-ray with\nthe director\u2019s cut. This sequel to the 1973 horror classic, written and\ndirected by The Exorcist<\/em> author William Peter Blatty (based on his own\n1983 book, Legion<\/em>) has a few good jolts. In fact, one particular scare\nat the end of a long, static shot is among the best cinematic jolts of the\n1990s. Besides the improved picture quality, all previously released bonuses\nare here, including a feature-length documentary on the production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The James McAvoy\/Angelina Jolie action picture Wanted<\/em>\n(2008) is also getting the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment from the\ndistributor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the rather poor Hawaii-set monster movie Demon of\nParadise<\/em> (1987) is being released on Blu-ray as a Shout! Factory exclusive\nthat can only be purchased on their website. It contains a new 2K scan of the\nmovie and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VCI is presenting the Gloria Swanson romantic comedy Tonight\nor Never<\/em> (1931) on Blu-ray. The story follows an engaged opera singer who\nis told she will never be the top in her field until she experiences true love.\nOther features on the disc have not been listed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vinegar Syndrome also has a giant list of new Blu-rays that\nare all chock full of extras. The first is the fun Hong Kong picture, Bio-Zombie<\/em>\n(1998) which is something of a comic update of George Romero\u2019s Dawn of the\nDead<\/em> and has a few laughs. You can also pick up the low-budget effort Curucu,\nBeast of the Amazon<\/em> (1956), which features a bizarre-looking monster. The\nDevonsville Terror<\/em> (1983) stars Donald Pleasance as a professor\ninvestigating a witch\u2019s curse in a small New England village. All of these\nBlu-rays include bonuses and the specifics can be found on the distributor\nwebsite.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor is also releasing the cult film Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby<\/em> (1999) as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. Pictured above and to the right, this sequel to the 1996 film Freeway<\/em> involves a new set of characters who go on a violent rampage. Natasha Lyonne, Vincent Gallo and David Allen Grier headline the film. It contains tons of treats including a feature-length making-of documentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mexican Gothic: The Films of Carlos Enrique Taboada<\/em>\ncontains the films Poison for the Fairies<\/em> (1984), Darker Than Night<\/em>\n(1975) and Rapina<\/em> (1975). These titles involve bewitched children,\nrevenge-seeking spirits and murderous thieves. It arrives with 4K restorations\nof the movies and several video essays on the films and their importance in\nMexican cinema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also purchase tons of new Vinegar Syndrome\nexclusives through their website, like the action picture Dog Tags<\/em>\n(1987) and Gina<\/em> (1975), an early genre flick from French-Canadian Denys\nArcand (The Decline of the American Empire, Jesus of Montreal, The Barbarian\nInvasions<\/em>), who would eventually win a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for\nthe last title listed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s a great week for family-themed entertainment. Check out\nall the titles listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue\u2019s Big City Adventure<\/em> (2022 Blue\u2019s Clues Movie)\n(Nickelodeon) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cinderella <\/em>(1950) (Disney Movie Club Exclusive) 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray and DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duck Dodgers<\/em>: The Complete Series (2003 \u2013 2005)\n(Warner Bros.) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frozen Planet II<\/em> (TV Mini-Series) (BBC) 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paw Patrol: Aquapups<\/em> (Nickelodeon) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are all of the week\u2019s releases of TV\nseries.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chucky<\/em>: Season 2 (Universal) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctor Who: William Hartnell<\/em>: Season 2 (BBC) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duck Dodgers<\/em>: The Complete Series (2003 \u2013 2005)\n(Warner Bros.) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frozen Planet II<\/em> (TV Mini-Series) (BBC) 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaslit<\/em>: The Complete Limited Series (Universal)\nBlu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maigret:<\/em> Season 4 (Kino) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paw Patrol: Aquapups<\/em> (Nickelodeon) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rick and Morty<\/em>: Season 6 (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survivor<\/em>: Season 43 (CBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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