{"id":27932,"date":"2024-02-05T22:19:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T06:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=27932"},"modified":"2024-02-05T22:19:29","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T06:19:29","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-february-6th-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=27932","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for February 6th, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving\non 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. It\u2019s an odd week for new releases, consisting\nalmost entirely of eccentric independent efforts. However, some may be fun and\nthere are plenty of older titles receiving spiffy upgrades. So, if you can\u2019t\nmake it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a few days, be\nsure to check one of these titles out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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CANDY LAND \u2013 A young woman and devotee of a religious cult\nis regularly taken to a truck stop by her leader in order to help him convert\nlocal prostitutes into followers. After she gets on his bad side, the na\u00efve\nwoman is cast out from the cult. The ladies from the truck stop take her in,\nbut insist that she work with them in order to pay for her room and board. This\nindependent feature first debuted on streaming sites last year and is now\ngetting released on disc. More genre critics liked the movie than disliked it.\nAbout one-quarter of them hated the feature, stating that the characters and\nsituation wasn\u2019t developed well and that the end result felt sleazy. However,\nthe majority liked the cast and thought that the movie used grindhouse\ntechniques to interestingly explore issues like prostitution and religious\nextremism. The cast includes Olivia Luccardi, Sam Quartin, Eden Brolin, Owen\nCampbell, Virginia Rand and William Baldwin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CREATURES \u2013 This low-budget independent comedy is a\nMexico\/UK co-production. It\u2019s about a group of astronomy students who take a\ntrip into the countryside to watch a comet fall to Earth. Instead, a spaceship\ncrashes at the site and they find a cute little injured alien whom they try to\nhelp. Alas, nasty turquoise aliens soon appear who are bent on capturing the\ncreature. These beings are violent and also turn their victims into undead\nhelpers. Despite being completed in 2021, there aren\u2019t many reviews available\nfor this picture. Still, a few have popped up online from direct-to-disc film\nenthusiasts. Unfortunately, they haven\u2019t been all that impressive. These\nreviews state that the writing and acting is weak, with more groan-worthy lines\nthan actual laughs. They also complained that the pacing was slow and the film dragged.\nFor the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It features Romain Barbey and\nRina Saito.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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INTO THE ABYSS \u2013 Produced in Argentina, this sci-fi chiller\nis set in a post-apocalyptic future. It involves a man who takes cover during\nan intense downpour in a decrepit building. He soon sees a threatening alien\nmove about in the darkness and it isn\u2019t long before he realizes that the world\nhas been invaded by these beings. The protagonist tries to escape with his life\nand find a way to fight back. Very few people have seen the picture in this\npart of the world and online reaction has been mixed. Some have suggested that\nthe movie drags its feet and that pacing is its major problem. But a few have\nnoted that, for a low-budget movie, it is very atmospheric, features excellent\ncreature effects and some disturbing moments. For now, this title is only\navailable on DVD. Martin Rispau, Germ\u00e1n Baudino and Chucho Fern\u00e1ndez headline\nthe film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PEACOCK \u2013 Released under the title Pou<\/em> in its\nhomeland, this South African horror feature follows a young woman who has been\nraised in a puritanical institution and kept away from what leaders deem\ndangerous influences. Of course, the lead breaks the rules and raises the ire\nof her guardians. In order to set her straight, she\u2019s sent to a farmhouse asked\nto care for one of the founders. But after finding and going through his hidden\nrecords and documents, she realizes she must try to break free. Most members of\nthe press who have seen this foreign-language effort were very taken by it. A\nfew said it lacked scares and needed more character development. Still, the\nmajority thought the movie was gorgeously filmed, moody and presented a\nwell-acted and low-key but compelling story with plenty of intriguing subtext.\nIt stars Alida Theron, Johan Botha and Liza van Deventer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE RED TIDE MASSACRE \u2013 And here\u2019s another independent\ncreeper that is arriving exclusively on DVD. It is directed by John A. Russo\n(co-writer of the original Night of the Living Dead<\/em>) and is set in\nFlorida. A prison escapee on the run is pursued by a sheriff and shot dead in\nthe water. At the same time, a female reporter arrives to report on an\nout-of-control algae infestation on the coast. She uncovers a conspiracy and\nmust contend with a mutated monster who is, well, obviously the convict. This\nmovie is debuting on disc and only a handful of online genre critics have seen\nit. One reviewer appreciated the concept and thought it delivered a couple of\nfun B-movie moments. But far more slammed the movie as being cheap-looking with\na dull plot and poor make-up effects. It features Rich Sands, Susan Elle, Sam\nSchweikert and Michael Par\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SECRET CITIES OF MARK KISTLER \u2013 For those who grew up in\nthe 1980s and 90s watching PBS kids programming like The Secret City, Draw\nSquad<\/em> and Imagination Station<\/em>, this documentary may be for you. It\ntells the life story of Mark Kistler, the man who created these programs that\nwere nationally broadcast on the network. Many consisted of exercises designed\nto help kids learn how to draw and tell stories using pictures. The film\ndocuments how he came up with the concepts and his career, as well as the many\nbooks he has written on the subject and his worldwide influence on young\nartists. Not many have seen this non-fiction feature so far, but those who have\nenjoyed it and the movie won a couple of awards at film festivals. Reviews that\nhave appeared call the movie sweet and heartwarming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WAITRESS: THE MUSICAL \u2013 Back in 2007, an indie film with\nKeri Russell called Waitress<\/em> opened to positive reviews and strong box\noffice results. The movie inspired a musical adaptation that opened on Broadway\nin 2016. Back in December, this production was filmed and released in theaters\nfor five nights. And now it\u2019s arriving on disc. The story follows a pregnant\nwaitress in the Midwest who feels unfulfilled in her marriage. She attempts to\nwin a pie baking contest to earn the money to start her life anew. Critics were\npositive about this special event. They wrote that the show was well-produced\nand looked great on the big screen, with plenty of memorable songs and a\nwonderful lead performance. The cast includes Sara Bareilles, Charity Angel\nDawson, Caitlin Houlahan, Drew Gehling and Dakin Matthews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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If you\u2019re looking for something older, Radiance Films is putting out a Blu-ray of the Japanese feature The Sting of Death<\/em> (1990). This award-winning period drama follows a couple with marriage issues. After the man admits an affair to his wife, she begins to suffer a mental breakdown. They end up isolating themselves from others in order to heal, work things out and try to move forward. It doesn\u2019t go well. Besides the high-definition digital transfer of the feature, there is a documentary on the Japanese film renaissance of the 1990s, featuring interviews with the director and cast. Additionally, the Blu-ray contains a movie scholar interview in which he discusses the title. It also comes with a trailer and a booklet featuring an interview with the filmmaker. This is a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d run of 3000 copies, so pick it up while you can. A full review of the disc can be viewed by clicking this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who follow Arrow Video may remember the release of The\nLukas Moodysson Collection<\/em>, a 6-disc Blu-ray box set containing several\ntitles from the Swedish director, including We Are the Best!<\/em> (2013). A\n\u201cStandard Special Edition\u201d is now being made available, which contains all of\nthe discs and most of the bonuses in a smaller package. The same goes for the Rogue\nCops and Racketeers: Two Films by Enzo G. Castellari<\/em> 2-disc Blu-ray\n\u201cStandard Special Edition\u201d set containing The Big Racket<\/em> (1976) and The\nHeroin Busters<\/em> (1977).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray edition of\nthe classic McCabe & Mrs. Miller<\/em> (1971) from famed director Robert\nAltman (M*A*S*H*, Nashville, Gosford Park<\/em>). This grimy and grim western\nfollows a gambler who befriends a prostitute and tries to open a business with\nher, only to come under attack from a large corporation. Besides the 4K picture\nrestoration, this edition arrives with a 2002 Altman and producer David Foster\ncommentary track. It also comes with a making-of documentary with cast and crew\nmembers, a conversation between critics on Altman\u2019s career, a featurette from\nthe film\u2019s production, a 1999 Q&A with the production designer, excerpts\nfrom archival interview with the cinematographer, a gallery of stills from the\nset, excerpts from two episodes of The<\/em> Dick Cavett Show <\/em>featuring\nAltman and movie critic Pauline Kael, as well as a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a completely different note, Full Moon Features is\nputting out a Blu-ray of the Jess Franco exploitation film Voodoo Passion<\/em>\n(1977), about a woman who moves to Haiti, gets into black magic and exhibits\nsome kinky behavior. It\u2019s appearing on disc fully uncut and remastered from the\noriginal negative. There\u2019s also an audio interview with Franco, a German\ntrailer for the movie and a vintage trailer reel of other titles from the\nfilmmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino has a big week. You can pick up a Blu-ray of the\nclassic Gregory Peck western The Big Country<\/em> (1958). He plays a man who\narrives in the Old West and finds himself in the middle of a dispute between\ntwo ranching families. This \u201cSpecial Edition\u201d contains a cultural historian\ncommentary track, a documentary on director William Wyler (Roman Holiday,\nThe Desperate Hours, Ben-Hur<\/em>), Wyler documentary outtakes on the movie,\ncast and crew interviews, a featurette on the movie, a talk from moviemaker\nLarry Cohen on the title\u2019s co-star Chuck Connors, as well as publicity\nmaterials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burnt Offerings<\/em> (1976) is a chiller with Oliver Reed and Karen Black as a part of a family who move into a haunted house. Pictured above and to the right, this reissue Blu-ray comes with a film historian commentary, cast and crew interviews and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OSS 117: Five Film Collection<\/em> is a Blu-ray box set\ncontaining five spy thrillers from France made in the mold of James Bond that\nwere produced between 1963 and 1968. They are based on a series of popular\nnovels and projects that actually predated Ian Fleming\u2019s espionage tales. No extras\nappear to be included, but you\u2019ll get a bunch of fun globe-trotting adventure\npictures. For those curious, the character inspired the funny Jean Dujardin\nspoofs that started arriving in the mid-2000s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also purchase a Blu-ray of the French crime picture,\nThe Road to Shame<\/em> (1959). It comes with a new restoration of the film\nand a movie expert commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Blu-rays of the Steve McQueen classic The Thomas\nCrown Affair<\/em> (1968) and the Tyrone Power courtroom drama Witness for the\nProsecution<\/em> (1957) are both receiving reissues with previously included\nbonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory is releasing a \u201cSpecial Edition\u201d Blu-ray of\nthe creeper, Funeral Home<\/em> (1980). A young woman is asked to help her\ngrandfather turn the title location into a bed-and-breakfast inn, but things\nget even more difficult for her when a killer starts terrorizing the guests.\nThis slasher has been given a new image scan from the original camera negative.\nBonuses include a film historian commentary track, an isolated score with a\nmusic historian commentary, audio and video interviews with cast and crew,\noriginal filming location footage and a ton of publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the popular science-fiction thriller The Terminal Man<\/em> (1974) is also arriving on Blu-ray. This picture is based on the novel by Mchael Crichton (Jurassic Park) and features George Segal as a man who has experimental brain surgery to end his severe seizures. Unfortunately, it results in the character beginning to experience pleasure when he acts out in a violent manner. Unfortunately, it appears that no extras are included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Below is a list of titles that might appeal to children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paddles<\/em>: Volume 1 (Dreamscape Media) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go \u2013 All Wheels on\nTrack<\/em>: Season 26 (nCircle Entertainment) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

All of the week\u2019s TV-related releases can be found below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Paradise<\/em>: Season 1 (BBC) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Sky River: The Bridal Path<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOVA: The Battle to Beat Malaria<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go \u2013 All Wheels on\nTrack<\/em>: Season 26 (nCircle Entertainment) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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