{"id":26900,"date":"2023-08-23T00:16:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T07:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=26900"},"modified":"2023-08-23T00:16:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T07:16:15","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-august-22nd-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=26900","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for August 22nd, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray\nand DVD. This edition sees a couple of well-received comedies, in addition to\nsome interesting fare from abroad. So. If you can\u2019t make it out to the movies\nthis week or need to stay indoors for a little while, be sure to check out one\nof these titles!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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THE BLACKENING \u2013 A group of black friends decide to reunite\nover the Juneteenth weekend by renting a remote cabin. They discover a bizarre\nboard game and then learn that a masked psychopath is forcing them to play. The\ngroup have to use their knowledge of horror films and black history in order to\nsurvive the ordeal. This horror\/comedy was well-received by the press. A very\nsmall number complained that while containing a few laughs, the concept didn\u2019t\nwarrant a full-length feature and felt awkwardly paced. However, everyone else\nthought it was hilarious. They complimented the picture on having a very funny\nand likable cast and also wrote that it delivered a few jumps, as well as effectively\npoking fun at genre cliches. It stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins,\nGrace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg and X Mayo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CLARA SOLA \u2013 This Spanish-language drama follows a\n40-year-old woman who lives in a remote village with her religious, demanding\nmother in Costa Rica. Awkward and withdrawn but skilled with animals, the lead\nspends most of her time in the natural world. However, when her niece arrives\nto celebrate her 15th<\/sup> birthday, it inspires the woman to form human\nrelationships and break free from her oppressive mother\u2019s grip. Critics spoke\nvery highly of this international co-production. Three or four did find the\nfilm pretentious and commented that it was predictable and didn’t make a\nlasting impact. But the vast majority thought the movie marked a stunning debut\nfor its writer\/direction. They thought that the picture was beautifully acted,\natmospheric and powerful as viewers followed the protagonist finding their way\nin the world. The cast includes Wendy Chinchilla Araya, Ana Julia Porras\nEspinoza and Daniel Casta\u00f1eda Rinc\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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METALOCALYPSE: ARMY OF THE DOOMSTAR \u2013 Metalocalypse<\/em>\nwas an adult animated series that ran on the Cartoon Network\u2019s Adult Swim\nprogramming block between 2006 and 2013. It followed the exploits of the\nnot-so-sharp members of a death metal band. This feature-length, direct-to-disc\nfollow up attempts to bring back the characters and tie up many of the loose\nends that were left dangling with the show\u2019s unexpected cancellation. In this\nfinale, the world is on the brink of disaster from sinister forces and the band\nmust overcome personal obstacles to write an epic tune that could save the\nplanet. This effort is debuting on disc, so no one has seen it as of yet. One\nexpects that it will entertain those who enjoyed the show and it does boast an\nimpressive voice-cast, including Brendon Small, Tommy Blacha, Mark Hamill,\nMalcolm McDowell, Victor Brandt, Jon Hamm, Laraine Newman, Juliet Mills, Chris\nElliott, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Patton Oswalt, Jack Black, Dave Grohl, Kirk\nHammett, Ace Frehley, Dweezil Zappa, Andy Richter, Brian Posehn, Werner Herzog\nand many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SPIRIT HALLOWEEN: THE MOVIE \u2013 Ever gone to the Spirit\nHalloween<\/em> retailer to buy a costume? Well, someone worked out a licensing deal\nwith the brand and made a fictional film based on the store. It was released at\ntheaters and on digital platforms last fall and is now debuting on disc. The\nplot follows a nasty man who tries to close an orphanage in the 1940s and dies\nin the process. Some 80 years later, a group of teens decide to sneak into a\nSpirit Halloween store and spend the night there. They encounter the spirit of\nthe villainous figure and must get out in one piece. This effort split\nreviewers, although it received a few more positive notices than negative ones.\nThose who disliked the movie stated that the script was bland and that the\nfinal product wasn\u2019t exciting or memorable, merely serving as a commercial for\nthe store. Slightly more thought it was well-produced and believed that it\nwould sufficiently entertain tweens looking for fun Halloween-themed\nentertainment. Christopher Lloyd, Rachel Leigh Cook, Donovan Colan, Marissa\nReyes, Jaiden Smith, Dylan Martin Frankel and Marla Gibbs headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TWO TICKETS TO GREECE \u2013 After many years apart two childhood\nfriends randomly meet. Now middle-aged, one is conversative, while the other is\nwild. Excited to catch up, they decide to make good on a promise made years ago\nand go on a dream vacation to Greece. After arriving, they realize that they\nboth need to make a fresh start in their lives. The pair get into all sorts of\nshenanigans as they travel across the country. This French comedy earned more\nrecommendations than pans. About one-third of critics stated that the movie had\ndifficulty juggling humor and drama and that the final product was predictable\nand contrived. Regardless, more were charmed by the cast and locales, calling\nthis a fun little comedy about an unusual but lasting friendship. For the time\nbeing, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Laure Calamy, Olivia Cote, Kristin\nScott Thomas and Alexandre Desrousseaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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YOU HURT MY FEELINGS \u2013 In this independent comedy\/drama, a\nhappily married novelist is putting the finishing touches on her latest book.\nWhile her husband is supportive of it, she overhears a private conversation\nbetween him and a friend in which he mentions that he really doesn\u2019t like the\nwork. Upset, she confronts him about it. The issue upends the marriage with\neach spouse talking to friends about how to deal with the problem and move forward.\nReaction was very upbeat towards this feature. One or two didn\u2019t find the\nsubject matter of addressing white lies in a relationship interesting to them\nand didn\u2019t care for the film. Everyone else thought it was extremely\nwell-written, relatable, refreshingly honest and fun to watch. They also gave\nhigh marks to the cast and the performances. The cast includes Julia Louis\nDreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed and David Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Arrow Video is releasing a Blu-ray of the creepy British thriller Unman, Wittering and Zigo<\/em> (1971). David Hemmings stars as a teacher who takes a job at a school where his predecessor has died under mysterious circumstances. As it turns out, the kids are very resistant to his lessons and tension rises within the group. The well-regarded movie is said to criticize the British public school system, including teaching methods and the behavior of kids, some of whom have powerful and influential parents. The disc contains film critic commentary, an appreciation by a cultural historian, interviews with cast members Michael Howe, Michael Cashman, James Wardroper and Carolyn Seymour, the original 1958 recording of the radio play that the movie is based on, as well as publicity materials. Read a full disc review right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor is also putting out a 4K Ultra HD edition of the comedy, Weird Science<\/em> (1985). The story follows two teenage nerds who create a real woman using their computer. While their motives aren\u2019t particularly noble, she ultimately teaches them about how to be decent human beings. The cast includes Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly LeBrock, Bill Paxton and Robert Downey Jr.. Just like the previous Blu-ray version, the disc contains both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film (but in 4K with an impressive picture upgrade), as well as all extras from their previous edition. Here’s a detailed look at the release.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Moment of Romance<\/em> (1990) is a well-regarded Hong Kong feature about a heist getaway driver who takes a woman hostage and then falls for her. Reviewers praised the movie\u2019s style, breakneck pacing and unusual storyline. This cult title is arriving on Blu-ray from Radiance Films. It contains a 4K picture restoration, an archival interview with director Benny Chan, a visual essay on the movie, an audio commentary with an Asian cinema expert, a trailer and a reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork for the film. This is a limited edition, so if you\u2019re interested, pick it up quickly before it\u2019s gone. If you’d like to know more, read a review of the disc by clicking this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion is presenting Bo Widerberg\u2019s New Swedish Cinema<\/em>\non Blu-ray. This set contains the films The Baby Carriage<\/em> (1963), Raven\u2019s\nEnd<\/em> (1963), Elvira Madigan<\/em> (1967) and Adalen 31<\/em> (1969). The\nmovies all made a mark in their homeland and are described as realistic and\ngripping portrayals of working-class Swedes and the problems in their everyday\nlives. The set includes introductions to the movies, a discussion with a cast\nmember and a cinematographer on one of the titles, a short from Widerberg, 60s\ntelevision interviews with the filmmaker, behind-the-scenes footage and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Tim Burton-produced animated feature The Nightmare\nBefore Christmas<\/em> (1993) has become both a Halloween and Christmas classic.\nDisney is marking the movie\u2019s 30th<\/sup> anniversary with an Ultimate\nCollector\u2019s Edition 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set (other versions available too,\nincluding a Best Buy exclusive Steelbook). Besides the picture improvements,\nthe Blu-ray delivers all the previously released extras, including Burton\u2019s\nfantastic 1984 Frankenweenie <\/em>short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is delivering plenty of products as well. Geroge C.\nScott stars in the hard-hitting drama Hardcore<\/em> (1979) from\nwriter\/director Paul Schrader (First Reformed, Auto Focus<\/em>). The story\nfollows a religious, conservative businessman searching for his runaway\ndaughter. He soon discovers she is working in the porno film industry and sets\nout to free her. This Special Edition comes with a Schrader commentary track, a\nmovie historian commentary and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pretty Baby<\/em> (1978) from acclaimed filmmaker Louis\nMalle (My Dinner with Andre<\/em>) features Susan Sarandon, Keith Carradine as\nwell as a young Brooke Shields playing a child prostitute in this examination\nof New Orleans brothels in the 1910s. Paramount has provided a new master from\na 4K scan of the original camera negative for this release. It also comes with\nfilm critic featurettes, an interview with Shields and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Into Two Won\u2019t Go<\/em> (1969) stars Rod Steiger as a\nmiddle-aged man who begins an illicit affair with a teenage hitchhiker. Things\nget really awkward when his lover moves in with the man and his wife. This disc\nincludes a 2K restoration of the movie, a film expert commentary, a TV cut of\nthe feature, and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powerhouse is presenting two European genre titles on\nBlu-ray. The Night of the Hunted<\/em> (1980) is a French effort from\nB-moviemaker Jean Rollin about a woman trying to escape from a mysterious\nclinic. It can be purchased either in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray or as a\nstandalone Blu-ray. As with other titles from the distributor, it arrives with commentaries,\ntons of interviews and other bonus features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for Rollin\u2019s The Rape of the Vampire<\/em>\n(1968), which is an early title from the moviemaker with two loosely connected\nerotic vampire tales. Like the other Powerhouse titles, extras are too numerous\nto list here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory is releasing a Special Edition Blu-ray of the thriller Coma<\/em> (1978). Co-written and directed by Michael Crichton (who penned the original novel, as well as Jurassic Park<\/em>), this popular effort follows a female doctor who becomes suspicious after several patients fall into a coma. While investigating, she uncovers a horrible conspiracy. The movie stars Genevieve Bujold, Michael Douglas and Rip Torn. This disc contains an upgraded 2K picture scan, a film critic commentary and lots of publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Angelina Jolie\/Jonny Lee Miller computer thriller Hackers<\/em>\n(1995) is receiving the Collector\u2019s Edition treatment\/ This set includes a 4K\nUltra HD disc as well as a Blu-ray. The story depicts a group of young hackers\nwho are set up for a crime they didn\u2019t commit. Besides the improved 4K image\nquality, it comes with a look back documentary featuring the director,\nsupporting cast members like Fisher Stevens and Matthew Lillard and crew. A\ntrailer is also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ralph Bakshi is known to many as the animator who created\nR-rated features like Fritz the Cat <\/em>(1972). One of his most underrated\nefforts is American Pop<\/em> (1981). It presents the story of four\ngenerations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers\nparallel the history of American popular music in the 20th century. This\nanimated effort is chock full of great music from beginning to and Sony is\nfinally delivering it on Blu-ray.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sony is also presenting the action film sequel The Legend\nof Zorro<\/em> (2005) with Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones on 4K Ultra\nHD. It\u2019s a follow-up to the fun effort The Mask of Zorro<\/em> (1998) that\nfinds the title character returning to action to take down a sinister\naristocrat seeking power. Alas, no Blu-ray is included in this release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This week\u2019s kid-friendly titles are all listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nightmare Before Christmas<\/em> (1993) Ultimate\nCollector\u2019s Edition (Disney) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray \u2013 other versions available\ntoo, including Best Buy exclusive Steelbook<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peanuts Deluxe Collection<\/em> (Repackaged 2023) (Warner\nBros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom & Jerry 3-Pack Collection<\/em> (Warner Bros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And below is a list of all the TV-related releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago Fire<\/em>: Season 11 (Universal) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CSI: Vegas<\/em>: Season 2 (CBS\/Allied) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar<\/em> (Warner Bros.)\nBlu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NCIS<\/em>: Season 20 (Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peanuts Deluxe Collection<\/em> (Repackaged 2023) (Warner\nBros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silent Witness<\/em>: Season 26 (BBC) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom & Jerry 3-Pack Collection<\/em> (Warner Bros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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