{"id":26416,"date":"2023-05-03T00:20:47","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T07:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=26416"},"modified":"2023-05-03T00:20:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T07:20:47","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-may-2nd-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=26416","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for May 2nd, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the highlights that are\narriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It\u2019s a busy edition once again, with a few big\ntitles and some interesting smaller fare in a wide variety of genres. So, if\nyou can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, be sure\nto 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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80 FOR BRADY \u2013 A group of senior women bond while watching the New England Patriots and become obsessive fans of the team and quarterback Tom Brady. When the Patriots make it to another Super Bowl and one of the friends fears that she may have terminal cancer, the protagonists decide to find a way to get tickets and attend the game. While at the celebrations, they meet celebrities and get into all kinds of misadventures. This comedy earned slightly more positive notices than it did negative ones. Those who disliked the movie said the stars deserved a better screenplay, the humor was hackneyed and that the attempts at drama were ineffective. Still, slightly more enjoyed seeing four screen legends together and thought seniors would get a chuckle or two out of it. The movie stars Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Tom Brady, Billy Porter, Rob Corddry, Alex Moffat, Guy Fieri, Bob Balaban, Glynn Turman, Sara Gilbert and Jimmy O. Yang. Read a full review of the film here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BABY RUBY \u2013 A vlogger and influencer is thrilled to welcome\na baby into her life. But after returning home from the hospital, she starts\ngetting a very strange feeling. The protagonist wonders if she isn\u2019t adjusting\nwell to the change, or if perhaps there is something odd about the newborn.\nWhen neighbors begin showing up and aggressively trying to make friends, she\nbecomes more and more paranoid about what might be going on. More critics\nenjoyed this drama than disliked it. About one-third of them called the film\noverly melodramatic and exaggerated, suggesting the over-the-top approach hurt\nthe movie and its attempt to deliver an effective message. The rest were\nintrigued, finding the fears of the protagonist relatable and calling it an\ninteresting examination of a family falling apart under the pressure of being\nnew parents. The cast includes No\u00e9mie Merlant, Kit Harington, Meredith Hagner\nand Reed Birney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CHAMPIONS \u2013 After getting into trouble with the law, a mean-spirited minor-league basketball coach is forced to help out a local team made of intellectually disabled players. Initially, he does everything he can to get out of the assignment. However, after getting to know the group personally and changing his training methods, the team begins to win and the protagonist finds himself changing in a positive way. Slightly more reviewers appreciated the film than critiqued it. Close to half of notices called the feature well-intentioned but formulaic and didn\u2019t think the mix of broad humor and drama worked particularly well. But the majority wrote that the movie was a warm-hearted, wholesome and inspirational crowd-pleaser that would play well for the entire family. It features Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, Cheech Marin, Matt Cook, Madison Tevlin and Kevin Iannucci. A full review of the film is available here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FOREST OF DEATH \u2013 Those who enjoy low-budget, DIY horror\npictures may appreciate this effort. It follows a group of friends who want to\nparty and travel to the remote countryside for the weekend to do so.\nUnfortunately, they are targeted by a \u201cskinwalker,\u201d a creature that can take\nthe form of a human and mimic them in order to get close to its victims. The\npals begin to turn on each other as they try to survive the onslaught. Genre\ncritics who have seen the movie have reacted favorably towards it. In fact, all\nof them commented that while the filmmakers didn\u2019t have a big budget, they did\ncreate plenty of atmosphere and delivered a sharp creeper with plenty of jolts\nand eerie moments. Dylan DeVane, Howard Hawkins, Reggie Johnson, Stephanie\nKirves, Tyler Miller, Benjamin L. Newmark and Chlo\u00eb Marie Rhoades headline the\nfilm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE FORGER \u2013 Released in its home country as Der\nPassf\u00e4lscher<\/em>, this foreign-language period drama from Germany is based on a\ntrue story. Set during WWII, it details a work of a young Jewish man in Berlin\nwho possesses incredible forging abilities. In order to survive the Nazi\noccupation, he creates a fake identification for himself. It works, and so he\nthen tries to save others with his unique skills. But to succeed, he must avoid\nsuspicion and hope that the woman he loves doesn\u2019t turn him in to authorities.\nThis drama was generally well-received. About one-third of notices thought the\ntone was too light and that the movie needed to be more somber and downbeat.\nThose who enjoyed it also noted the odd and upbeat mood, but found the protagonist\nclever and his scams fascinating to witness. For the time being, this is a\nDVD-only release. It stars Louis Hoffmann, Jonathan Berlin, Luna Wedler and\nNina Gummich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OF AN AGE \u2013 This coming-of-age story involves a 17-year-old\namateur ballroom dancer. Before he must leave town, he spends 24-hours hanging\nout with a friend\u2019s older brother. What starts as a simple day out intensifies\nover a very brief period of time when the two immediately connect and fall in\nlove. They talk about what each of them wants out of life and if there is any\nway that they can reconnect in the future. Most write-ups for this title were\ncomplimentary. A small number thought the tale became more and more sorrowful\nand weepy as it progressed, ultimately becoming a slog to endure. Regardless,\nmost commented that the leads were extraordinary and that the film was a sweet,\nsensitive and humanistic story about two young men trying to find their way in\nthe world. Elias Anton and Thom Green headline the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ON THE EDGE \u2013 Also released under the title Entre la vie\net la mort<\/em>, this foreign-language thriller involves a subway driver working\nin Brussels, Belgium. One night, his estranged son jumps in front of his train\nand dies on the tracks. The tormented driver becomes determined to find out why\nthis occurred and who was responsible. As the story progresses, viewers\ndiscover that the lead is originally from Spain and that he has a dark and\nstoried past. The movie hasn\u2019t been seen by many in this part of the world, but\nresponse towards the film in Europe was generally favorable. Reviewers there\nstated that the story wasn\u2019t particularly original and that the tone taken by\nthe filmmakers was cool and icy, but also praised the lead performance and\nthought the Brussels backdrop was visually striking. It features Antonio de la\nTorre, Marine Vacth, Olivier Gourmet and Fabrice Adde.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE RITUAL KILLER \u2013 At the beginning of this thriller, a\npsychopath who travels the world and murders victims in order to use their\nparts and summon occult powers arrives in Mississippi. After starting to kill\nand perform sacrifices on locals, the detective assigned with the cast finds\nhimself in over his head. He contacts a professor of African Studies at a\nuniversity in order to learn more about the figure. The pair try to stop the\nmurderer and save the day before he strikes again. Overall, the press hated\nthis feature. So far, there has been only one positive notice, claiming the\nstory offered a new and different twist on the serial killer flick. Everyone\nelse thought it was a mess, writing that the plot didn\u2019t make much sense and\nthat the ending was completely baffling. They also noted that it lacked thrills\nor any kind of excitement. The cast includes Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser,\nVernon Davis, Peter Stormare and Julie Lott.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SUPERCELL \u2013 A teenager feels like he has big shoes to fill a\nfew years after the tragic death of his father, a legendary storm chaser. He\nleaves home to follow in his pop\u2019s footsteps and try to understand why some\nfind these dangerous weather systems so alluring. When a massive and deadly\nsuperstorm approaches, the youngster encounters a team of seasoned, quirky\nprofessional chasers who take him under their wing. This disaster flick split\nthe critics, with one or two more disliking the final result than appreciating\nit. Almost half thought it was a decent effort, stating the storm effects were\ngood and that the script worked hard to help viewers understand the characters\nand the reasons for their unusual pursuit. Slightly more appreciated the cast,\nbut thought the picture needed more thrills, excitement. They also found the\ndramatic elements overplayed. It features Alec Baldwin, Anne Heche, Skeet\nUlrich, Daniel Diemer and Jordan Kristine Seam\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s a slightly slower week for older films earning\nhigh-definition upgrades, but notable titles are hitting store shelves. Last\nweek, this writer spent time detailing the Paramount adventure\/comedy The\nAssassination Bureau <\/em>(1969) from Arrow Video, even putting up a full review\nof the disc. Unfortunately, its release was delayed by a week. Thankfully, the\ntitle is now appearing on shelves. For those who missed the write-up, the movie\nstars Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas and details what happens when\nthe leader of the most famous organization of assassins has a contract put out\non his own life. In this film, it leads to comedy and excitement as the figure\ntravels across Europe and squaring off against the nastiest members of his own\nteam. Extras include a lengthy discussion about the strange history of the\nproduction, as well as a film historian commentary track and publicity\nmaterials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set of the\nmoody German drama, Wings of Desire<\/em> (1987). Shot in glorious black and\nwhite, the story follows a guardian angel in West Berlin who watches over the\nsad everyday lives of citizens. When he falls in love with a mortal woman, he\nmust decide whether or not to give up being an angel and experience the joy and\npain of human existence. This much-adored feature from Wim Wenders (The\nAmerican Friend, Until the End of the World, Buena Vista Social Club<\/em>) is\nevocative and beautifully shot. Extras include a commentary with Wenders and\nco-star Peter Falk that was recorded back in the late 1990s. It also comes with\na 2003 documentary on the movie, an episode from a French film television\nprogram examining the title, excerpted conversations with the cinematographer,\ndeleted scenes and outtakes, trailers, still and a 30-page booklet on the\nmovie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most films in the Star Wars<\/em> series have been\nreleased in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, Disney is presenting a few titles in new\nSteelbook packaging that will be available only at Best Buy stores. You can\npick up the original trilogy, specifically Star Wars: Episode IV \u2013 A New\nHope<\/em> (1977), Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back<\/em> (1980)\nand Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi<\/em> (1983) with these fancy\ncases. They all presumably arrive with the same bonus features, but in a hard\nmetallic cover with new art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino is presenting the Anna May Wong Collection<\/em>\nboxset on Blu-ray. It contains Dangerous to Know<\/em> (1938), Island of\nLost Men<\/em> (1939) and King of Chinatown<\/em> (1939). All three titles\nfeature the iconic actress, known as the first Chinese-American film star in Hollywood.\nThe set comes with 4K or 2K masters of the films, movie historian commentary\ntracks and a theatrical trailer for the third feature in the set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XIII<\/em> is also\narriving on Blu-ray from the distributor. It contains the lesser-known but\nstill effective crime thrillers Spy Hunt<\/em> (1950), The Night Runner<\/em>\n(1957) and Step Down to Terror<\/em> (1958). These titles have been given 2K\ntransfers for the set and bonuses include film expert commentary tracks on the\nmovies and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up a Blu-ray of the rom-com The\nTreatment<\/em> (2006) starring Chris Eigeman, Famke Janssen and Ian Holm. It\u2019s\nabout a neurotic prep school teacher who seeks therapy after being dumped. As\nhe does so, he meets and attempts to romance a wealthy widow. Bonuses include\ndeleted scenes, a featurette with psychotherapists providing an analysis of the\nmovie, as well as a trailer.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paramount is giving the popular disaster film Deep Impact<\/em>\n(1998) the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment in celebration of the title\u2019s 25th<\/sup>\nanniversary. This effort follows a wide variety of characters (including\nscientists, government officials, a teenage astronomer and more) who learn that\na comet will soon crash into the Earth and potentially wipe the human race out.\nThey all try to figure out how to save the planet and\/or survive the impending\ncollision. This feature came out the same year as the action-spectacle Armageddon<\/em>,\nbut took a more serious and (according to some) melodramatic approach to the\nsubject matter. The cast includes T\u00e9a Leoni, Robert Duvall, Morgan Freeman,\nElijah Wood and Jon Favreau. Besides the 4K picture restoration, it arrives\nwith archived features from previous editions including a director commentary,\nfeaturettes and publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radiances is making The Sunday Woman<\/em> (1975) available\non Blu-ray. This title is a dark crime comedy from Italy with Marcello\nMastroianni as a policeman forced to investigate a series of murders among the\ncity of Turin\u2019s high society. The film has been given a 2K restoration and the\ndisc comes with a discussion featuring an Italian movie authority. You\u2019ll also\nget an archival with the cinematographer, a newly filmed talk with the son of\nthe co-screenwriter, a French TV-interview with co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant,\na trailer, a limited edition 24-page booklet on the movie and a reversible\nsleeve with designs based on posters for the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nedition of the alien-invasion flick, Skyline<\/em> (2010). It follows a group\nof friends and acquaintances taking refuge from the attack in a Los Angeles\ncondo. The release contains an upgraded picture with previously released extras\nincluding a director commentary track, a co-writer\/producer commentary, deleted\nand extended scenes and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the Warner Archive Collection is presenting Border\nIncident<\/em> (1949) on Blu-ray through Amazon. Ricardo Montalban and George\nMurphy play agents from both sides of the Mexican and American borders who team\nup to stop a vicious gang from exploiting illegal farm workers. You can also\npick up Clash by Night<\/em> (1952) with Barbara Stanwyck and Marilyn Monroe\non Blu-ray. It\u2019s a drama set around workers at a fish cannery from director\nFritz Lang (Metropolis, M, The Big Heat<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s a slow week for small kids, but things will pick up in\nthe near future.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are the latest titles originating from TV that are\nnow arriving on Blu-ray and DVD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hallmark 3-Movie Collection: Hidden Gems, Two Tickets to\nParadise & Caribbean Summer<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The King Who Fooled Hitler<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATURE: Dogs in the Wild<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOVA: Star Chasers of Senegal<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the Vines<\/em>: Series 2 (Acorn) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wedding Veil: Expectations<\/em> (2023) (Hallmark\nTV-movie) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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