{"id":26762,"date":"2023-08-01T01:26:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T08:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=26762"},"modified":"2023-08-01T01:26:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T08:26:00","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-august-1st-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=26762","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for August 1st, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving\non Blu-ray and DVD. This edition features several notable independents and one\nof the biggest box office hits of the year (thus far). So, if you can\u2019t make it\nout to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a while, be sure to\ngive one of these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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ABOUT MY FATHER \u2013 Using his own life as inspiration, comic\nSebastian Maniscalco writes, directs and stars in this comedy. After he and his\nsignificant other decide to get married, the lead\u2019s fianc\u00e9e convinces him to\nbring his immigrant, hairdresser father to her family celebration. Despite\nbeing wary, the protagonist agrees and introduces his quirky father to his\nextremely wealthy and eccentric future in-laws. It leads to plenty of awkward\ninteractions. More critics disliked this effort than gave it a recommendation.\nAbout one-third of write-ups complimented the cast, thought it improved as it\nprogressed and ultimately delivered some memorably funny moments.\nUnfortunately, the rest complained that the story was predictable and the humor\nwas too broad. They also found themselves irritated by most of the characters.\nIt stars Maniscalco, Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb, Kim Cattrall, David Rasche\nand Anders Holm.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ASSAULT ON HILL 400 \u2013 Set during World War II, this tales\nfeatures a pair of American generals who are tasked with leading a raid on a\nNazi stronghold in Belgium. It\u2019s an almost impossible assignment, but the\nheroes recruit a team of brave soldiers to try and take back the territory from\ntheir enemy. Oddly enough, this war drama is from B-movie production company\nThe Asylum (Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid<\/em>, the Sharknado<\/em>\nseries). It appears to be premiering on disc and there haven\u2019t been many\nreviews so far, but a few have popped up online. These articles report that the\nmovie is being earnest in trying to tell an important story about WWII, but\nstate that the very limited budget results in failings on several levels. They\nsuggest that the movie simply doesn\u2019t work effectively. The cast includes\nCollin Arend, William Baldwin, Johnny Barden, Michael Madsen and Eric Roberts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DOS ESCTACIONES \u2013 This foreign-language drama from Mexico\ninvolves the owner of a once-thriving tequila factory. Struggling to keep the\nfamily business afloat, she experiences even more difficulties when a flood\nresults in unexpected and devastating damage. With offers coming in from\nforeign corporations, the protagonist does everything possible to save the\ncompany, as well as the jobs of those who work for her. This drama earned solid\nreviews from the press. A small contingent thought the final film was icy and\nlacked emotion, spending too much time detailing the process of making tequila.\nStill, the vast majority stated that the picture was an authentic and involving\ncharacter study with beautiful cinematography. They also liked that it showed\nlife in a very specific and lesser-known part of Mexico. It features Teresa\nS\u00e1nchez, Rafaela Fuentes and Tat\u00edn Vera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DURAN DURAN – A HOLLYWOOD HIGH\u2013 Enjoy the music of Duran\nDuran? This documentary\/concert film chronicles the band\u2019s 40+ year career,\nincluding the recording of their most recent album. The group are captured\nperforming several classics in Los Angeles on a rooftop next to the Capitol\nRecords building. It also provides exclusive new interviews, behind-the-scenes\nvideos and unseen archival footage capturing their rise to the top of the music\nworld. There aren\u2019t many reviews available for this title yet, but one has\nappeared online. It admits that while the film doesn\u2019t present any shocking new\ndetails about the group, the concert footage is dynamic. The person found that\nit was fun to watch and that fans would appreciate seeing tracks like \u201cA View\nto a Kill,\u201d \u201cInvisible,\u201d \u201cNotorious,\u201d \u201cCome Undone,\u201d \u201cOrdinary World,\u201d and\n\u201cHungry Like the Wolf,\u201d performed live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 \u2013 The big release of the week is the latest Marvel superhero film that is considered to be a finale of sorts for the title group of characters. Still reeling from the fallout while helping battle Thanos, the group are unexpectedly attacked by a new and powerful foe. When one heroic member is badly wounded, the rest of the team rush to save this individual (and the universe in the process). Overall, response was upbeat. About one-fifth of reviewers commented that this follow-up was too dark and serious, overlong and ultimately uninvolving. However, everyone else believed that this episode effectively carried on the unique tone of previous films in the series. They wrote that it was visually striking and had a great deal of heart. Additionally, most stated that it wrapped things up nicely and was stronger than many recent Marvel releases. It stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji and Will Poulter. It also features the voices of Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Maria Bakalova. Read a full review of the film here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAGGIE MOORE(S) \u2013 Loosely based on a true story, this dark\ncomedy and crime picture involves a smalltown sheriff who is called to\ninvestigate the murder of a woman. Strangely enough, the victim shares her name\nwith another person who died under suspicious circumstances only a week\nearlier. The officer talks to neighbors of the deceased and becomes friendly\nwith one of them \u2013 they eventually work together to figure out who the intended\ntarget really was. This effort split critics, with one or two more giving it a\nrecommendation than a pan. Those who disliked the film suggested that it tried\nto juggle too many elements (murder\/mystery, comedy and romance) and never\nestablished a consistent tone. Slightly more were entertained by the unique\napproach, thought the dialogue was witty and greatly enjoyed the work of the\ncast. It features Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Happy\nAnderson and Mary Holland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MONTREAL GIRLS \u2013 An introverted, aspiring poet from the\nMiddle East decides to attend a medical school in Montreal and moves in with\nhis cousin. After arriving, he discovers that his relation is a wild child. She\nintroduces him to city\u2019s underground subculture and nightlife. The experience\nis thrilling and eye-opening, but also causes the lead difficulty in focusing\non his studies and poetry. Things become even more complicated when he meets\ntwo intriguing women while out on the town. This picture won an award for Best\nMicro-Budgeted Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Reviewers also gave it\nhigh marks and uniformly positive notices. They all commented that the movie was\ncharming, funny and slickly-produced, even if the story didn\u2019t offer a lot of\nsurprises. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes\nHakim Brahimi, Jasmina Parent, Sana Asad and Jade Hassoune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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RIVER WILD \u2013 This recent effort has been described as a\n\u201cstandalone\u201d follow-up to the 1994 Meryl Streep\/Kevin Bacon thriller The\nRiver Wild<\/em> (which essentially means that, beyond having a similar premise,\nthe two films are unconnected). It involves two siblings who decide to go white\nwater rafting with a small group. When the brother announces that his troubled\nchildhood friend will be joining them on the excursion, the sister becomes\nconcerned. As it turns out, her fears are justified as the old pal turns out to\nbe a dangerous threat. This title is being released direct-to-disc and will\nalso be available on streaming sites. It hasn\u2019t been previewed for any members\nof the press thus far. Looks like interested viewers will have to take a chance\nand ride it without any hints as to its quality. Leighton Meester, Adam Brody,\nTaran Killam, Olivia Swann and Eve Connolly headline the feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SORRY ABOUT THE DEMON \u2013 A young man is brokenhearted after\nhis girlfriend breaks up with him and can\u2019t seem to move forward with his life.\nIf things weren\u2019t bad enough, strange this begin occurring at the house he has\nrented. He soon learns that there is a demon living on the property who is\ndemanding a human sacrifice. Many strange and darkly comical thoughts go\nthrough the protagonist\u2019s head as he attempts to find a way out of his\npredicament. This independent horror\/comedy premiered on the Shudder streaming\nservice and is now arriving as a DVD-only release. The film was generally\nwell-received. A few didn\u2019t think that the mix of laughs and scares worked.\nRegardless, everyone else found the performers charming and thought the picture\nwas sweet and amusing, with a subtle point to make as it reached its close. It\nfeatures Jon Michael Simpson, Jeff McQuitty, Olivia Ducayen and Paige Evans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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You can also find upgrades of older titles this week. Disney is presenting an Ultimate Collector\u2019s Edition of the classic animated film Cinderella<\/em> (1940). The set includes a 4K Ultra HD disc, a Blu-ray and a DVD of the film. Additionally, the film is also being released as a Steelbook exclusively through Best Buy. It comes with a ton of bonus features and publicity materials that can be found on the Blu-ray disc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Frozen<\/em> (2013) is arriving as a 4K Ultra\nHD and Blu-ray Steelbook exclusively through Best Buy.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is presenting the John Garfield film-noir Force of\nEvil<\/em> (1948) on Blu-ray. It follows a crooked lawyer who struggles to help\nhis older brother get out of trouble with a local mobster. The movie has been\ngiven a 4K restoration and arrives with a critic commentary, an introduction\nfrom filmmaker Martin Scorsese, a trailer and a slipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor is also reissuing their double feature of F\/X<\/em>\n(1986) and F\/X 2<\/em> (1991). The first movie in particular is a fun\nthriller. It involves a make-up effects man who is hired by the FBI to help\nthem fake a murder. After a double-cross, he must use his skills to save his\nown life. The Blu-ray includes an interview with the director of the first\ntitle, making-of featurettes and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Oscilloscope Pictures is releasing a Blu-ray containing the\ndirector\u2019s cut of the independent period drama, Going All the Way<\/em>\n(1997). The film tells the story of two Korean War veterans trying to make a\nfresh start in Indianapolis. It stars Jeremy Davies, Ben Affleck, Amy Locane,\nRose McGowan, Rachel Weisz, Jill Clayburgh, Leslie Ann Warren and Nick\nOfferman. It also has some fun bonuses like an interview with Offerman, a\nmaking-of, deleted scenes, a press reel, a trailer and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramount is delivering a 4K Ultra HD edition of the hit\nJohn Hughes comedy, Ferris Bueller\u2019s Day Off<\/em> (1986). The title will also\nbe available in Steelbook packaging.  4K\nUltra HD only (also available in Steelbook packaging). It comes with all\npreviously released extras, but no Blu-ray. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other end of the spectrum, the Mark Wahlberg\/Chiwetel\nEjiofor science-fiction picture Infinite <\/em>(2021) is being rereleased\nexclusively on DVD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The horror epic Nightbreed<\/em> (1990) is getting the\nCollector\u2019s Edition treatment from Shout! This title from writer\/director Clive\nBarker (Hellraiser<\/em>) involves an outcast who is framed by a serial killer\nfor murder. After learning that he is a mutant, he seeks out a cabal of\ncreatures like himself. This edition features a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of the\ntheatrical cut, plus a Director\u2019s Cut Blu-ray. Besides the picture upgrade, it\ncomes with all previously released extras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synapse is making a standard edition Blu-ray available of Invaluable:\nThe True Story of an Epic Artist<\/em> (2014). It is a feature-length documentary\nabout make-up effects man Tom Sullivan, best known for his work on the Evil\nDead<\/em> film series. The disc also has numerous extras like extended\ninterviews with actors like Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Josh Becker, Danny\nHicks, Hal Delrich, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly and more, who\nshare their experiences working with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a lot of money in your pocket for imports, you\ncan pick up Umbrella\u2019s 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade of the Australian killer\nboar picture, Razorback <\/em>(1984). It contains all bonuses featured in the\namazing edition released previously, but with improved picture quality on the\nmovie itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal is giving the Denzel Washington\/Mark Wahlberg\naction picture 2 Guns<\/em> (2013) a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release. One\nassumes all the extras will be identical to earlier versions. A special Best\nBuy exclusive Steelbook edition will also be available through this\nretailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In celebration of its 25th<\/sup> anniversary, The\nBig Lebowski<\/em> (1998) is arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set as part of\nthe Universal Essentials Collection. It\u2019s a brilliant comedy from the Coen\nBrothers (Fargo, No Country for Old Men<\/em>) about a mellow bowler who,\nthanks to a case of mistaken identity, ends up in the middle of all kinds of\ntrouble. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi,\nPhilip Seymour Hoffman and John Turturro. In addition to the extras from the\nlast set released, this release also includes art cards, a booklet on the\nfeature, a film cell replica and a certificate of authenticity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Bros. is delivering the James Dean epic East\nof Eden<\/em> (1955) in 4K Ultra HD. Besides the picture upgrade, it also comes\nwith a film historian commentary track. You can also pick up a 4K Ultra HD\nedition of the John Wayne\/Dean Martin\/Ricky Nelson western classic Rio Bravo<\/em>\n(1959) from director Howard Hawks (Red River, The Big Sleep, Bringing Up\nBaby, Scarface<\/em>). Filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing<\/em>) and\ncritic Richard Schickel deliver audio commentary for the film. Unfortunately,\nno Blu-rays are included with either of these releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

You\u2019ll find the week\u2019s kid-friendly titles listed below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cinderella<\/em> (1940) Ultimate Collector\u2019s Edition\n(Disney) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray (also available in Best Buy Steelbook\npackaging)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frozen<\/em> (2013) (Disney) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Best\nBuy Steelbook<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peanuts 2-Movie Holiday Giftset \u2013 Race for Your Life,\nCharlie Brown and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown<\/em> (And Don\u2019t Come Back!) <\/em>(1977\nand 1980 animated films) (Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And all of the TV-themed releases can be discovered right\nhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Ghost Island <\/em>(Mini-series)\n(Nickelodeon\/Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hallmark Hall of Fame 6-Movie Collection: Cupid &\nCate, Grace & Glorie, After the Glory, The Piano Lesson, Follow the Stars\nHome, Rose Hill<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOVA: Hidden Volcano Abyss<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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