{"id":28223,"date":"2024-03-19T00:17:17","date_gmt":"2024-03-19T07:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=28223"},"modified":"2024-03-19T00:17:17","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T07:17:17","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-march-19th-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=28223","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for March 19th, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. It\u2019s been an odd month, with one slow week followed by an\nincredibly busy one. This is another slim edition before viewers are bombarded\nonce again. Yet a few interesting releases will be made available. So, if you\ncan\u2019t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a few\ndays, be sure to 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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CULT KILLER \u2013 A woman who wants to become a private\ninvestigator is helped in her pursuits by a veteran PI who takes her on as a\nprot\u00e9g\u00e9. While teaching her everything he knows, she is asked by police to help\ntrack a killer focused on eliminating a wealthy family. The protagonist\neventually learns the dark and disturbing conspiracy behind the slayings and\nconfronts her target. This independent thriller split critics, earning slightly\nmore negative reviews than positive ones. Those who liked it thought that the\nstory was disturbing and provided some unexpected twists. They also noted that\nit was greatly helped by the work of the committed cast. But more didn\u2019t\nbelieve that the surprises were credible. These reviewers complained that the\nmovie was attempting to shock for its own sake and a couple even stated that\nthe film\u2019s title had no relevance to the plot. For the time being, this is a\nDVD-only release. It stars Alice Eve, Antonio Banderas, Shelley Hennig, Paul\nReid and Olwen Fou\u00e9r\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DRIVING MADELEINE \u2013 This French comedy\/drama involves a\nworld-weary Parisian cab driver. He picks up a 92-year-old fare who asks him to\ntake her to her new living quarters in a retirement home. On the way there, the\nlady asks to drop by important places from her past. He agrees and begins to\nhear the remarkable story of her life. The woman\u2019s stories begin to inspire him\nand a friendship slowly develops. This foreign-language feature was released in\nits homeland in 2022 and was a success at festivals. It also garnered positive\nresponses in this part of the world. A small number found the central\nrelationship unbelievable and weren\u2019t moved by the proceedings. Yet everyone\nelse called the film compassionate and deeper than it appeared on the surface.\nThey were also impressed with the two stars and thought the end result was\ncharming. The cast includes Line Renaud, Dany Boon, Alice Isaaz, J\u00e9r\u00e9mie\nLaheurte and Gwendoline Hamon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EMBODIED \u2013 Weight stigma is the subject of this documentary.\nViewers are introduced to five individuals, who tell their stories and deal\nwith various personal issues because of their body shape. One is a drag queen\ntrying to use humor to cope with rude comments, another is a midwife who feels\na bias from others in the healthcare field and the third is an ex-mermaid\nperformer. A large, former athlete struggling to care for his health is also\nfeatured. Additionally, the movie covers a CEO trying to create a community for\nthe millions of American who are deemed overweight. This picture played at a\ncouple of festivals (including Tribeca X in New York) and was picked up for\ndistribution on disc, but otherwise hasn\u2019t been seen by the press. So, those\ncurious about the non-fiction feature will have to take a chance on it without\nreading any reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LYNCH\/OZ \u2013 Filmmaker David Lynch is known for his unique and sometimes surreal work in movies like Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks series, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Drive<\/em> and many others. Apparently, he is a fan of the 1939 feature The Wizard of Oz<\/em> and this documentary explores his love of the picture. The moviemakers provide an analysis of the themes and imagery in his pictures and the influence that the family fantasy may have had on him. The feature played at numerous festivals where it earned praise and a few nominations. Criterion is now putting the picture out on Blu-ray. Write-ups were positive. There was a small contingent who thought the movie really strained to make connections between Oz<\/em> and Lynch\u2019s work, finding the film a slog. Yet the majority were amused by the arguments being made, describing it as a stream-of-consciousness doc with a unique argument. They felt that it didn\u2019t matter If they agreed with the thesis because it was fun to hear the arguments and that the picture allowed them to think and come to their own conclusions.   <\/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 a bit older, options are available. Arrow Video is delivering a 4K Ultra HD \u201cLimited Edition\u201d version of the Japanese ghost story, Dark Water<\/em> (2002). For those unfamiliar with the movie, it came during the height of the J-horror craze and featured a recently divorced woman who moves into a dilapidated apartment complex with her young daughter. The pair begin witnessing supernatural phenomena and experience strange water puddles and drips around the building. It\u2019s a creepy and effective chiller that isn\u2019t afraid to put its young characters in jeopardy (which may make the movie more unsettling to parents). A US remake was produced in 2005 with an English-speaking cast. Click this link to read a full disc review.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This disc contains only a 4K Ultra HD disc (no Blu-ray is\nincluded). Besides the upgraded picture presentation, extras include interviews\nwith the director, the author of the book upon which the film is based, the\ncinematographer, archival discussions with cast members and the theme song\nartist, an original making-of documentary, publicity materials, a reversible\nsleeve with original and newly commissioned art for the title, and an\nillustrated booklet featuring writing on the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few months back, Arrow put out a special \u201cGiallo\u201d set with\nthree Italian thrillers in it. You can now pick up the Giallo Essentials\nYellow Edition<\/em>, which is a 3-Disc \u201cStandard Special Edition\u201d release. It\ncontains Blu-rays of What Have They Done with Our Daughters<\/em> (1972), Torso<\/em>\n(1973) and Strip Nude for Your Killers<\/em> (1975) with most of the bonuses\nincluded in the previous edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The same is true for the award-winning Harrison Ford\npicture, Witness<\/em> (1985). This 4K Ultra HD \u201cStandard Edition\u201d appears to\ndeliver everything in the previous version, but only on a single 4K disc (no\nBlu-ray is included).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion is releasing The Runner<\/em> (1984) on Blu-ray. Pictured to the right, this foreign-language drama from Iran tells the story of a poor young boy who enrolls in school. He must compete in an unusual competition in order to earn the respect of his fellow students. The well-regarded film has been given a 2K restoration supervised by the director and comes with a new conversation with the moviemaker, in addition to a 2022 audio interview with him. You\u2019ll also get Waiting<\/em> (1974), an earlier 48-minute film from the director, as well as a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kino is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo of the Ben Affleck\/Samuel L. Jackson drama, Changing Lanes<\/em> (2002). The two leads play strangers who get into a fender bender and, after a brief disagreement, begin to dismantle each other\u2019s lives. It comes with a director commentary, featurettes on the production, deleted\/extended scenes and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Manchurian Candidate<\/em> (2004) is also getting the\n4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment in a 20th<\/sup> Anniversary Edition.\nThis is a remake of the 1962 classic political thriller that features Denzel\nWashington as the protagonist. Besides a new 4K remaster of the movie, it comes\nwith an archived commentary with the director and the co-writer, featurettes on\nthe cast and the production, a featurette with optional director commentary,\nco-star Liev Schreiber\u2019s screen test, deleted\/extended scenes, outtakes and a\ntrailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019d like to own the Burt Reynolds\/Liza Minelli thriller\nRent-a-Cop<\/em> (1987), it\u2019s now appearing on Blu-ray for the very first\ntime. Reynolds plays a cop who is wrongly accused of corruption and, desperate\nfor cash, takes a job escorting a call girl. When she\u2019s targeted by the same\ncrook as he was, the two pair up to take him down. This very, very silly movie\nhas been given a 4K restoration and arrives on Blu-ray with a commentary\nfeaturing a critic along with co-star Richard Masur. It also comes with a\ntrailer and a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d slipcase.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Soldier\u2019s Tale<\/em> (1984) is a 51-minute animated\nfable voiced by Max von Sydow about a soldier who encounters the Devil. The\npair battle over the fighter\u2019s violin. Bonuses include a commentary with the\ndirector alongside an animator and the associate producer, along with another\nshort and a selection of animated commercials and other efforts from the\nmovie-maker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Target <\/em>(1985) from Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde,\nLittle Big Man<\/em>) follows a teenager who doesn\u2019t get on with his dad. When\nthe youngster\u2019s mother is kidnapped in Europe, his father reveals himself to be\na government agent and the pair race to find her. This picture stars Matt\nDillon and Gene Hackman and is also making its Blu-ray debut. Paramount has\ndelivered a 4K picture restoration for this release and the disc\u2019s special\nfeatures offer an entertainment journalist commentary, a trailer, and a fancy\nslipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory is providing four 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\ncombo sets. The first is a \u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d of the remake of Stephen\nKing\u2019s famous pyrokinesis tale Carrie<\/em> (2013). A young Chlo\u00eb Grace Moretz\nplays the title character and Julianne Moore co-stars as her overprotective,\nunhinged mother. Obviously, the set includes a big picture upgrade, but also\noffers a new interview with the production designer and a talk with the author\nof a book on the various adaptations of the King novel. There\u2019s also an\nalternate ending, deleted\/alternate scenes, multiple featurettes on various\naspects of the production and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of remakes, the recent redo of the killer doll\nflick Child\u2019s Play<\/em> (2019) is getting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\n\u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d too. Expect improved image quality, new talks with the\nproduction designer and cast members Gabriel Bateman and David James Lewis, as\nwell as a director commentary, a making-of, a special on bringing the toy to\nlife, a soundtrack trailer, Lee Hardcastle \u201cClaymations\u201d and publicity\nmaterials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Harrison Ford submarine drama K-19: The Widowmaker<\/em>\n(2002) is being released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Ford plays a Russian\nnuclear submarine captain who attempts to save his damaged craft from\nself-detonating and triggering a war between his country and the US. This\n\u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d presents a new 4K scan of the original negative, an audio\ncommentary with the director and cinematographer, a making-of, three\nfeaturettes on the production and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Ring Collection<\/em> is also arriving in a 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray box set. This box contains the US-produced trilogy that was based\non the original Japanese chiller about a videotape that kills anyone who\nwatches it and doesn\u2019t pass it on to another viewer. You\u2019ll get The Ring<\/em>\n(2002) and The Ring Two<\/em> (2005) starring Naomi Watts, along with the\nmore-recent Rings<\/em> (2017) with Johnny Galecki. The first title includes a\nsharp 4K picture restoration, a new featurette on the \u201cghost girl\u201d from the\nfilm, a collection of deleted footage, a short film that connects the first and\nsecond movies, cast and crew interviews and more. Bonuses on the second title\ninclude a 4K picture restoration, a critic commentary, the unrated version of\nthe movie, deleted scenes, featurettes on the production, a making-of and a\ntrailer. The final flick comes with a new 4K master of the picture, deleted\/extended\nscenes, and a couple of featurettes on the production.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sony is delivering the pre-code crime\/drama Cocktail Hour<\/em>\n(1933) on Blu-ray. It follows a woman who doesn\u2019t believe in marriage. She\ndecides to end her relationship and move to Paris, getting involved with some\ninteresting characters. Soon, the lead falls for a prince and an unexpected\ndeath occurs, before her past loves re-enter her life any vie for her\naffection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, you can pick up Sony\u2019s Blu-ray of the award-winning\nChinese historical drama, Shadow Magic<\/em> (2000), about filmmakers trying\nto produce a successful film without offending the local Empress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Bros. is making a few catalog titles\navailable once again for purchase. Appaloosa<\/em> (2008) is an interesting\nwestern with Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger. You can also\npurchase a reissue of the classic comedy Blazing Saddles<\/em> (1974), not to\nmention the Hammer Horror effort, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave<\/em>\n(1968), starring Christopher Lee in his fourth appearance as the title\ncharacter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s a slow week for kid\u2019s entertainment, but the next\nedition should present plenty of options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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

All of the week\u2019s TV-themed releases can be found listed\nbelow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Act<\/em>: The Complete Limited Series (Universal)\nBlu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Masters: Dr. Tony Fauci<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctor Who: The Daleks<\/em> (in Color) (colorized\nfeature-length film cut together from original Dalek episodes form the 60s,\nalso includes all the original black and white TV episodes) (BBC) Blu-ray and\nDVD combo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gospel<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suits<\/em>: The Complete Series (Universal) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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