{"id":26344,"date":"2023-04-19T00:50:12","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T07:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=26344"},"modified":"2023-04-19T00:50:12","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T07:50:12","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-april-18th-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=26344","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for April 18th, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the highlights that are\narriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There are a few high-profile releases, as well as\nplenty of interesting independent features. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the\nmovies this week or need to stay 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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COCAINE BEAR \u2013 Inspired very, very loosely by a real event,\nthis horror\/comedy involves a drug dealer who dies in a forest in Georgia while\nsmuggling cocaine. A black bear finds part of the stash and ingests it, turning\ninto a dangerous, angry creature on the prowl. When a group of teenagers come\nupon the bear, they are immediately attacked. One of the youth\u2019s mother heads\nout to try and stop the animal before it gets its paws on her daughter.\nResponse was all over the place for this feature, although it was more positive\nthan negative. About one-third disliked the film, commenting that the\ncharacters weren\u2019t well written, the jokes didn\u2019t work and that the movie\nneeded a more grounded approach. Still, the majority did find the movie funny,\nsaying it delivers exactly what it promises and features enjoyably over-the-top\nmayhem. It stars Keri Russell, O\u2019Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden\nEhrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr.,\nKristofer Hivju, Margo Martindale and Ray Liotta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EMILY \u2013 Famous author Emily Bront\u00eb is the basis for this\nbiopic. Taking a Gothic approach to how the writer came up with Wuthering\nHeights<\/em>, it presents Bront\u00eb as a tortured soul struggling to deal with the\ndeath of her mother. Yearning for freedom yet feeling trapped by her family\nresponsibilities, she tries to rebel and channel her complex feelings onto the\nwritten page. Critics gave this UK\/US co-production high marks. A small number complained\nthat the narrative was a complete work of fiction and that the real person\ndeserved a more accurate and enlightening biography. Still, the consensus was\nthat the cast were very strong and that the picture effectively told a story of\na woman fighting for independence. For the time being, this is a DVD-only\nrelease. The cast includes Emma Mackey, Fionn Whitehead, Oliver Jackson-Cohen\nand Alexandra Dowling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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KIDS VS. ALIENS \u2013 Enjoy low-budget genre pictures? The\nlatest from the creator of Hobo with a Shotgun<\/em> follows a kid who wants\nto make a career of directing monster movies. When his parents head out of town\non Halloween, he decides to shoot a film while his older sister throws a wild\nparty. Both siblings have their plans interrupted when aliens land on their\nlawn and attack. Everyone in the house must band together to survive the\nonslaught. Slightly more members of the press recommended this picture than\npanned it. A significant number didn\u2019t like the protagonists or the aliens and\nfound the end result choppy and ineffective. But slightly more were amused by\nwhat they witnessed, calling it a straight-forward and enjoyable throwback to\nboth low-budget genre flicks and 80s cinema. It features Dominic Mariche,\nPhoebe Rex, Calem MacDonald, Asher Grayson and Jonathan Torrens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LIVING WITH CHUCKY \u2013 This title was slated for release two\nweeks ago but experienced a last-minute delay and is now arriving on disc. Back\nin 1988, a little horror flick called Child\u2019s Play<\/em> was released at\ncinemas. It did solid business (making a little over three times its production\nbudget), but few could have predicted the franchise it would spawn \u2013 as of this\nyear, there have been 8 movies in total as well as a TV series. This\ndocumentary takes an in-depth examination of how the original film was made,\nthe fanbase it developed, and how it was transformed into a massive franchise.\nThe film includes interviews with writer\/director\/creator Don Mancini, Brad\nDourif (who provides the voice of Chucky), as well as crew and sequel cast members\nlike Jennifer Tilly, Tony Gardner, David Kirschner, Fiona Dourif, Marlon Wayans\nand John Waters. Reaction has been uniformly positive from horror journalists.\nThey all wrote that this was an exceptional documentary that presented a\nsurprisingly personal and intimate look at the participants and the effect the\nfilms have had on their lives. They also appreciated learning new details about\nthe movie and its follow-ups, saying it featured great stories and observations\nabout the franchise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAGIC MIKE\u2019S LAST DANCE \u2013 The title character returns in\nthis sequel to the 2012 hit Magic Mike<\/em> and its 2015 sequel. After a\nbusiness deal goes bust, the lead is forced back into the world of bartending\nand dancing. He meets a wealthy socialite who makes him an offer he can\u2019t\nrefuse, involving a trip to London for one final performance. After arriving,\nthe hero discovers that the woman bankrolling him has an alternate agenda and\nmust pull the new show off against the odds. Reaction towards this follow-up\nwas split. Almost half were intrigued by the more serious story about a\nstripper trying to find a future for himself and called the end results spicy.\nYet just as many (and a few more) thought this effort was flat. They didn\u2019t\nfind the story interesting and called it muted and dull in comparison to its\npredecessors. Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Caitlin Gerard, Gavin Spokes and\nAyub Khan-Din headline the feature.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MARLOWE \u2013 The famous detective Philip Marlowe gets a new\nadaptation in this crime\/thriller from Neil Jordan (Greta, Ondine, Interview\nwith the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, The Crying Game<\/em>). In 1930s Los\nAngeles, a down-on-his-luck private eye is hired by a glamorous heiress to find\nher missing lover. The investigation takes the lead to Hollywood, where he\nuncovers a deadly conspiracy involving powerful figures. Response towards this\neffort was muted. A small number thought it was an excellent neo-noir with a\nfantastic cast and eye-popping visuals that kept them entertained throughout.\nUnfortunately, the majority didn\u2019t care for the screenplay suggesting that\ndespite a few fun moments the majority of it was unexciting and mundane. It\nstars Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, Diane Kruger, Alan Cumming, Danny Huston,\nAdewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Colm Meaney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAYBE I DO \u2013 Frustrated by her boyfriend\u2019s unwillingness to commit to marriage, a young woman sets an ultimatum and retreats to get advice from her parents. The beau decides to talk it over with his family as well and come to a conclusion on whether he should finally propose. Little do the two know that their parents have already crossed paths in intimate ways. When they all get together for dinner, the married couples are shocked at the sight of their potential in-laws. Critics largely panned this effort. About one-third of reviewers enjoyed the work of the cast and thought they were charming enough to overcome the story problems. However, most thought the scenario presented was preposterous and inauthentic, suggesting that the material delivered little in the way of heat, laughs or heart. It features Emma Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, Luke Bracey, Diane Keaton and William H. Macy. Read a full review of the film by clicking on this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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RIGHTEOUS THIEVES \u2013 A varied group of thieves are\napproached by the head of a secret organization with a challenge that none of\nthem can refuse. They are asked to steal four paintings taken by Nazi forces\nduring World War II and return the goods to their rightful owners. In order to\nsucceed, the team must use their computer, safe-cracking and physical abilities\nto defeat the billionaire oligarch now possessing the artwork. Reviews for this\ntitle have been abysmal. In fact, it has yet to receive a single positive\nreview. Everyone claimed that the script was full of poorly written dialogue\nand featured over-the-top, yet indistinctive characters who had little of the\ncharisma needed to keep viewers interested in the heist. They all called the\nfinal product stale. Cam Gigandet, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Lisa Vidal, Carlos Miranda,\nMichael Fairman and Danube Hermosillo headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TRANSFUSION \u2013 After finishing his term, a Special Forces\noperative experiences difficulty readjusting to life back home. His work as a\nsalesman leaves him unsatisfied and he finds himself in need of cash after his\nson gets into trouble with the law. The lead is contacted for a job by an old\nfriend from the military, only to find himself deep within the criminal\nunderworld. He tries to get out, but escaping is more difficult than\nanticipated. This Australian thriller earned slightly more upbeat write-ups\nthan negative ones. A large number did complain that while the action was\nimpressive, there wasn\u2019t enough of it and the story was too focused on the\ngloomy main character. Slightly more complimented the picture for focusing on\nthe personal drama instead of the shoot-outs and appreciated the work of the\nperformers. It features Sam Worthington, Phoebe Tonkin, Matt Nable, Susue\nPorter and Edward Carmody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Looking for something older? There are some great options\nthis week, including a film that is considered one of the best ever made.\nCriterion is presenting The Seventh Seal<\/em> (1957) in a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray set. This famous Swedish title from Ingmar Bergman follows a knight who\nreturns home from the Crusades to find his country dealing with a plague. When\nDeath appears before the protagonist, he challenges the menacing figure to a\ngame of chess in the hopes of escaping his fate. Besides the upgraded picture\nquality, the set includes a 2003 introduction to the film by Bergman, a movie\nhistorian audio commentary, a 2006 interview with Bergman, a 1998 audio\ndiscussion on the picture with star Max Von Sydow, a 1989 tribute to Bergman by\nWoody Allen, a selected video filmography tracing the Bergman\u2019s career and a\ntrailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is releasing a number of titles as well. The classic 12\nAngry Men<\/em> (1957) is getting the 4K Ultra HD treatment. Henry Fonda stars in\nthis tale about a trial and a jury holdout trying to convince his colleagues to\nreconsider evidence in order to prevent a miscarriage of justice. This edition\ndoes not feature the famous title on Blu-ray, but instead comes with a \u201cSpecial\nFeatures Blu-ray\u201d with multiple commentary tracks, a making-of, featurettes on\nthe picture and the 1997 William Friedkin remake of the title featuring Jack\nLemmon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can pick up the musical High, Wide, and Handsome<\/em>\n(1937) with Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Dorothy Lamour on Blu-ray as well.\nThis disc includes a new 4K restoration of the movie. Lady in a Jam<\/em>\n(1942) is a screwball comedy also with Irene Dunne about a woman who is charged\nas being insane while fighting to recoup her inheritance after losing it\nquickly. This Blu-ray features a film historian commentary. Oh Doctor!\n(1925) and Poker Faces (1926): Two Comedies Directed by Harry A. Pollard<\/em>\ncontains, as described, two silent farces featuring a pair of men dealing with\nfinancial woes. The pair come with film critic commentary tracks as well as two\nmusical scores to accompany the features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rio<\/em> (1939) is also being made available on Blu-ray from the\ndistributor. In this thriller, Basil Rathbone plays a financier convicted for\nbank fraud who plots an escape in order to murder his wife for falling for\nanother, more honest man. In the pre-code comedy Search for Beauty<\/em>\n(1934), two Olympians are hired to run a health and fitness magazine. They\u2019re\nexcited to share their tips, but soon learn the publishers are con artists who\nare creating a nudie publication instead. Blu-rays for both titles come with 2K\nrestorations and film expert commentaries.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great Al Pacino New York City cop drama Serpico<\/em> (1973) is arriving in a new 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. Pictured above and to the left, it\u2019s about an idealistic officer who discovers corruption at his precinct. His life is threatened when he goes public with his claims. Besides the new 4K restoration, this set includes a film critic commentary, featurettes on the production, cast, and other facets of the film. It also comes with publicity materials like a photo gallery and trailer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is also putting out the Lon Chaney feature The Trap<\/em>\n(1922) on Blu-ray. The silent film follows a miner who plots revenge on the man\nwho steals his fortune. Universal Pictures recently completed a 4K restoration\nof the picture for this release. It also comes with a score for the main\nfeature, a 65-minute documentary, as well as a western short with Chaney. And\nthe Fritz Lang effort You and Me<\/em> (1938) with George Raft and Sylvia\nSidney is arriving on Blu-ray too with a 2K restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paramount is reissuing the well-regarded Mark\nWahlberg\/Christian Bale boxing drama The Fighter<\/em> (2010) on Blu-ray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The studio is also rereleasing the Cheech & Chong\ncomedy Up in Smoke<\/em> (1978) in high definition. You can pick it up in a\n\u201c45th<\/sup> Anniversary Limited Edition Stash Box\u201d which contains the\nBlu-ray in a wooden box. If this all sounds familiar, this is a reissue of a\nprevious set, but it might be of interest to those who didn\u2019t pick it up a few\nyears back. Apparently, there are plenty of fun extras on the disc itself, like\ncommentary tracks and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sunday Woman<\/em> (1975) is arriving as a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray from\nRadiance Films. It\u2019s an Italian murder\/mystery with Marcello Mastroianni as a\npolice commissioner investigating the brutal beating of a wealthy architect.\nThe disc includes a 2K restoration of the film, a newly filmed interview about\nthe picture with a cinema expert, an archival interview with the cinematographer,\na discussion with the screenwriter, a French TV interview with a cast member, a\ntrailer, as well as a 24-page booklet with a piece on the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sandpiper Pictures is delivering Blu-rays of the Chow Yun\nFat\/Seann William Scott action\/comedy, Bulletproof Monk<\/em> (2003). You can\nalso pick up the period drama The Quiet American<\/em> (1958) with Michael\nRedgrave. And the distributor is releasing the European-set rom-com Year of\nthe Comet<\/em> (1992) with Penelope Anne Miller, Tim Daily and Louis Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory is delivering an exclusive this week that\nwill only be available to order through their website. The Brave Archer\nCollection<\/em> contains the Alexander Fu Sheng martial arts pictures The\nBrave Archer <\/em>(1977), The Brave Archer II<\/em> (1978), The Brave Archer\nIII<\/em> (1981), The Brave Archer and His Mate<\/em> (1982) and the spin-off\ntitle Little Dragon Maiden<\/em> (1983). Each Blu-ray features a significant\ncast, crew or movie authority interview in addition to some publicity\nmaterials.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, The Haunting of Julia<\/em> (1977) is being\nreleased as a Collector\u2019s Edition 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. The story\nfollows a mother who tries to escape from the clutches of her controlling\nhusband. After taking residence in a rickety London mansion, she begins\nencountering a ghostly apparition. The set includes a 4K restoration of the\npicture from the original camera negative. It also comes with a director\ncommentary and a film historian commentary, interviews with the associate\nproducer, production designer and composer, a discussion about the title with a\nfilm authority, a trailer and a booklet with more information about the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Australian distributor Umbrella is making inroads in the\nNorth American market recently. This week, curious viewers can order an\nall-region Blu-ray of the cult UK thriller, Twisted Nerve<\/em> (1968). It\u2019s a\ndisturbing tale about a psychotic killer who stalks a young woman. He tries to\nget into her good graces (and home) by pretending to be mentally challenged.\nThe movie has a big fanbase and features an incredible score by composer\nBernard Herrmann (Citizen Kane, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Man Who\nKnew Too Much<\/em>, Psycho, Taxi Driver<\/em>) that was used in Kill Bill:\nVol 1<\/em> by Quentin Tarantino (who loves the flick). This is its world\npremiere Blu-ray release and it comes with a movie expert audio commentary, an\ninterview with another historian about the film\u2019 significance, as well as a\ntrailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Warner Bros. is giving their DC animated superhero\ntitle All-Star Superman<\/em> (2011) a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release. This\nwell-reviewed effort follows a poisoned Superman in failing health trying to\nstop Lex Luthor from taking over the world. Besides the upgrade in picture\nquality, it comes with all previously released bonuses, as well as a new salute\nto the character and a look at the screenwriting process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the studio is delivering a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nedition of the James Dean classic, Rebel Without a Cause<\/em> (1955). As the\ntitle suggests, the story involves rebellious teenagers who act out as a way of\ndealing with family trouble in their households. Extras are the same as the\nstudio\u2019s 2013 Blu-ray edition, but this version features even sharper and more\nstriking image quality that will wow anyone who owns a big-screen television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

If you appreciate Mighty Morphin Power Rangers<\/em> and\nsimilar Japanese entertainment, you may want to give the below title a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman<\/em>: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)\nDVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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

And here are the week\u2019s TV-themed releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Experience: Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blondie<\/em>: The Complete 1957 Television Series (ClassicFlix) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman<\/em>: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)\nDVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marie Antoinette<\/em>: Season 1 (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Midsomer\nMurders<\/em>: Series\n23 (Acorn) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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