{"id":27776,"date":"2024-01-09T22:07:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T06:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=27776"},"modified":"2024-01-09T22:07:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T06:07:06","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-january-9th-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=27776","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for January 9th, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. This is another relatively quiet edition, but there are a\nfew notable releases arriving on disc. 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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FAR HAVEN \u2013 In this western, a Civil War veteran returns to\nhis hometown after serving time for fighting with superiors. He discovers that\nhis father-in-law has been brutally attacked by a gang of criminals who are\nthreatening the entire area. When the lead discovers that his children are also\nat risk, the protagonist decides that he must deliver justice. This picture is\na faith-based film that is a DVD-only release. It has played a few festivals\nthough, where response from its target audience was upbeat. Write-ups state\nthat it has some violence and isn\u2019t for small kids, but also complimented the\nmovie for corralling a strong cast and attempting to explore important issues\nlike treatment of Native Americans. The cast includes Bailey Chase, Amanda\nRighetti, Bruce Boxleitner, Nancy Stafford, Martin Kove, Chris Mulkey, Jeremy\nGauna and Don Most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE HIGHEST OF STAKES \u2013 For those familiar with\ncryptocurrency, the name Richard Heart and the HEX Token may sound familiar.\nThis documentary tells Heart\u2019s story and shows his attempts to change the world\nof finance by creating a payment network called PulseChain. He is interviewed\nby critics who question him about being a potential scammer and taking\nadvantage of his investors. Apparently, the filmmakers try to present an\nunbiased picture and leave the audience to decide how trustworthy he is. So\nfar, reaction from members of the press who saw the feature is positive. They\ndescribe it as a fascinating portrait of an arrogant but fascinating figure.\nThey claimed that the film would provide plenty of interesting and informative\ndetails about the growth and interest in cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE MENTAL STATE – Based on a 2016 stage play by Josh Adell,\nthis independent thriller involves a high school senior in Kentucky who\nbelieves that a mysterious and sinister figure is preparing to shoot several\ntownspeople. He investigates and thinks that he has discovered the identity of\nthe person, but can\u2019t get anyone to believe him. As his stress grows, he\nbecomes more and more irrational. As things escalate, his mother tries to seek\nhelp for the lead. There haven\u2019t been many reviews for this effort yet, but it\nhas been nominated for awards at indie film festivals and has also received a\nfew positive notices. These critics thought that while the movie may have\nattempted to tackle too many elements, it does have some strong moments and an\nimportant message about mental health issues. It stars Jance Enslin, Carly\nPope, Alyssa Sutherland, Bryan Greenberg and Alison Thornton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SUITABLE FLESH \u2013 Loosely based on the 1937 H.P. Lovecraft\nstory, The Thing on the Doorstep<\/em>, this independent horror\/thriller\ninvolves a psychiatrist living a seemingly idyllic life. One day, a young man\nvisits her office, telling her that he believes his dad is attempting to\npossess his body. She eventually becomes personally involved with her patient\nand begins to experience strange phenomena including moments of body swapping.\nReviewers generally enjoyed the results. A small number did complain that the\nmovie played more like a campy erotic thriller than a chiller and didn\u2019t think\nthis approach worked well. But the vast majority were very amused by the tone\nand the movie\u2019s performances, calling the film a stylish and darkly funny\nadaptation that would also raise hairs on the necks of viewers. Heather Graham,\nJudah Lewis, Bruce Davison, Johnathan Schaech and Barbara Crampton headline the\npicture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THEY TURNED US INTO KILLERS \u2013 A young woman suspects that\nher boyfriend is going to murder her and pens a letter to her best friend. Sure\nenough, the lady is assaulted and killed, but the letter does manage to get\nsent and arrive at its destination. Furious, the pal of the deceased plots\nrevenge against the boyfriend and his brothers who helped cover up the crime.\nShe hunts them down one by one, reading the letter to them before she takes\ntheir lives. This picture is debuting on disc and on streaming platforms this\nweek. As such, no critics have seen the movie yet (so those interested might\nwant to exercise caution and wait for a few notices to come in before making\nany rentals or purchases). It does feature a familiar genre cast that includes\nTaryn Manning, Scout Taylor, Michael Berryman, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder and\nLauren Francesca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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There are plenty of options this week for anyone looking to\npick up an older title. Criterion is putting on a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of\nthe fantastic thriller, Blood Simple<\/em> (1984). This is the debut film of\nthe Coen Brothers (Raising Arizona, Miller\u2019s Crossing, Barton Fink, The\nHudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, The Ballad of\nBuster Scruggs<\/em> and countless other titles) and involves a Texas bar owner\nwho learns that his wife is having an affair. He plots to have his wife and her\nlover murdered, but things go awry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 4K restoration was supervised by cinematographer Barry\nSonnenfeld (who eventually became a director himself with The Addams Family and\nMen in Black series). It comes with a conversation between Sonnenfeld and the\nCoens on the look of the movie, a discussion with the Coens about the\nproduction, as well as interviews with the score composer, the sound editor and\ncast members Frances McDormand and M. Emmet Walsh. Trailers are also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stony Island<\/em> (1978) aka My Main Man from Stony\nIsland<\/em> is arriving in a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack from Freestyle Digital\nMedia. It\u2019s a musical drama that tells the story of a Chicago-based rhythm and\nblues band trying to break into the music business. This was the first film of\ndirector Andrew Davis (Under Siege, The Fugitive, Holes<\/em>). The movie was\nwell received by critics but flopped at the box office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is delivering another Blu-ray box set called Film\nNoir: The Dark Side of Cinema XVI<\/em>, which contains The Mystery of Marie\nRoget<\/em> (1942), Chicago Deadline<\/em> (1949) and Iron Man<\/em> (1951).\nThe films have been restored in 2K and, as with other sets, they arrive with\nfilm historian commentary tracks and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Has Anybody Seen My Gal <\/em>(1952) is getting a Special\nEdition Blu-ray from the distributor. This comedy from Douglas Sirk (All\nThat Heaven Allows<\/em>) about an aging, heirless millionaire who wants to leave\nhis fortune to the family of his first love. But first, he decides to test them\nby pretending to be a poor boarder renting a room at their home. It stars Piper\nLaurie and Rock Hudson and the disc features a 2K scan of the film\ninterpositive, a recently recorded audio commentary with the late Piper Laurie\n(along with Gigi Perreau), in addition to a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hell with Heroes<\/em> (1968) is a post-WW II drama\nwith Rod Taylor taking part in a smuggling operation. This Blu-ray contains a\n2K picture restoration, a film critic commentary and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds Against Tomorrow<\/em> (1959) from Robert Wise (The\nDay the Earth Stood Still, West Side Story, The Sound of Music<\/em>) is\nconsidered the first film noir to feature a black protagonist and stars Harry\nBelafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley and Gloria Grahame. It comes\nwith a movie expert commentary and trailer. It also comes in a slipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Outside Man<\/em> (1973) aka Un Homme est Mort<\/em> is\nan action picture about a hit man from Paris who is tasked with assassinating\nthe biggest mob boss in Los Angeles. The cast includes Jean-Louis Trintignant,\nRoy Scheider, Umberto Orsini, Angie Dickinson and Ann-Margret. On this\ntwo-Blu-ray set, you\u2019ll get the uncut English and French versions of the film\nwith a 4K restoration prepared by Gaumont. Additionally, it comes with a film\nhistorian commentary, trailers, reversible art and a slipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you appreciate the Bing Crosby\/Bob Hope \u201cRoad to\u2026\u201d\nmovies, The Road to Hong Kong<\/em> (1962) is the final collaboration between\nthe pair. The pair co-star with Joan Collins and Peter Sellers as they get\ninvolved in a spy adventure in the title locale. The Blu-ray features a film\nhistorian commentary and trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can also pick up the drama Split Image<\/em> (1982) on\nBlu-ray. Miles O\u2019Keefe plays a young man who becomes brainwashed by a religious\ncult. His parents end up hiring a man to kidnap their boy and deprogram him.\nThe cast includes Karen Allen, Peter Fonda, James Woods and Brian Dennehy. The\npicture has been given a 2K upgrade and the Blu-ray comes with a film historian\ncommentary and trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massacre Video is presenting 555<\/em> (1988) on Blu-ray.\nIt follows two cops hunting down a homicidal maniac who strikes every five\nyears. You can also pick up a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of the fantasy action\npicture BloodRayne<\/em> (2005). This video game adaptation from Uwe Boll (House\nof the Dead<\/em>) features Kristanna Loken, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Rodriguez,\nMichael Madsen, Udo Kier, Meatloaf, Michael Pare and Billy Zane and arrives\nwith all extras from the previous DVD, in addition to a new Boll commentary.\nThis distributor is also releasing a Blu-ray of the German splatter film, Dard\nDivorce<\/em> (2007).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Blu-ray of the Japanese horror\/occult film Curse of the\nDog God<\/em> (1977) is arriving from Mondo Macabro. It\u2019s about a man trying to\nmine uranium, only to find himself tormented by the supernatural title\ncreation. The movie has been given a 2K restoration and arrives with a director\ninterview, a trailer, a film expert commentary trailer and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inferno<\/em> (1979) aka Hell<\/em> is another\nJapanese genre title. This one follows a female daredevil race car driver who\nuncovers supernatural secrets about her mother and past. This edition includes\nsimilar technical specs and extras to the above film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramount is releasing the stand-up film, Eddie Murphy:\nRaw<\/em> (1987) on Blu-ray. Additionally, you can pick up a Blu-ray of the\nGeorge Clooney\/Nicole Kidman thriller The Peacemaker<\/em> (1997).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The studio is also giving the football coming-of-age drama Varsity\nBlues<\/em> (1999) a spiffy new upgrade. It\u2019s arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray set in celebration of the movie\u2019s 25th<\/sup> anniversary.\nCurrently, it also looks like bonuses from earlier editions, like the director\ncommentary, will be included in this set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout! Factory is delivering some Charles Bronson action on Blu-ray. St. Ives<\/em> (1976) features the actor playing an ex-crime reporter who finds himself in the middle of a negotiation between some intimidating criminals. It also features Jacqueline Bisset, John Houseman, Jeff Goldblum and Robert Englund. The movie has been given a new scan for this Blu-ray and comes with a behind-the-scenes featurette and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telefon<\/em> (1977) is a spy thriller about secret, hypnotized Russian agents planted in the US during the Stalin era who don\u2019t know they have been programmed to be killers. The group are suddenly awakened and Bronson must team up with another agent to stop them. This title has also been newly scanned and comes with a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Australian distributor Via Vision is putting out a\nBlu-ray box set called On the Buses: Film Collection<\/em> (it is currently\nlisted on Amazon as On the Buses: The Ultimate Collection<\/em>). For those\nunfamiliar with the title, On the Buses<\/em> was a hugely popular British\nsitcom about public transit workers. The show was so successful that the cast\nappeared in movies based on the show. This set contains On the Buses<\/em>\n(1971), Mutiny on the Buses<\/em> (1972) and Holiday on the Buses<\/em>\n(1973). Studiocanal has done the film transfers and there is a television\nhistorian commentary track, featurettes on the franchise, interviews with\nexperts on the films, publicity materials and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here is a kid-friendly for those seeking out G-rated\nentertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PBS Kids: Book Buddies<\/em> (PBS Kids) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And all of the week\u2019s TV-related releases are listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston<\/em>: Season 2\n(PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace<\/em> (1967) (BBC)\nBlu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magnum P.I.<\/em>: The Complete Series (Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magnum P.I<\/em>.: The Final Season (Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Native America<\/em>: Season 2 (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PBS Kids: Book Buddies<\/em> (PBS Kids) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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