{"id":28407,"date":"2024-04-23T00:53:13","date_gmt":"2024-04-23T07:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=28407"},"modified":"2024-04-23T00:53:13","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T07:53:13","slug":"blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-april-23rd-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=28407","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for April 23rd, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving\non 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. This is a busy edition that features a mix of\nstudio pictures, independents and micro-budgeted eccentricities. 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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AMERICAN STAR \u2013 A hitman nearing retirement decides to\ntravel to Spain\u2019s Canary Islands for his final assignment. After arriving, he\nis told that his mysterious target has left the area and will return in a\ncouple of days. The lead decides to wait it out and take in his tranquil\nsurroundings in the meantime. He quickly finds himself drawn in by the locals,\nthe beautiful surroundings and an impressive shipwreck. When the individual\nreturns, the lead learns that the person may have a connection to his new\nfriends. This film was generally well-received by critics. About one-quarter\ndid state that the plot was predictable and that the style was too slow to make\na lasting impression. However, the majority thought the cast were excellent and\nsuggested that the film was an engaging, low-key existential drama. For the\ntime being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Ian McShane, Nora Arnezeder,\nOscar Coleman and Thomas Kretschmann.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE BEEKEEPER \u2013 This tale follows a beekeeper with a secret\npast living quietly in a Massachusetts barn where he tends to his colony. When\nthe retired teacher who owns the property is taken for all she has by\ncybercrime scammers and commits suicide, the tenant decides that he has to act.\nAs it turns out, the protagonist was once a special operative who knows exactly\nhow to eliminate the criminal organization responsible. Overall, the response\nwas upbeat towards this action picture. About one-quarter of reviewers thought\nthe film was generic and didn\u2019t take full advantage of its unusual concept,\nleaving them unimpressed with the proceedings. However, the majority described\nthe film as an entertaining, old-fashioned throwback to action pictures of\nyesteryear, providing plenty of fun mayhem and thrills. This picture is\navailable in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo or as a standalone Blu-ray. The\ncast includes Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Bobby Naderi, Josh Hutcherson,\nJeremy Irons, Phylicia Rashad and Minnie Driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BEFORE THEY VANISH \u2013 An elderly rancher who has devoted his\nlife to caring for and preserving the rare Nokota breed of horses gets terrible\nnews from his doctor. After struggling with cancer for many years, he is told\nthat the illness is now terminal and that he has little time left. Knowing that\nbuyers will likely purchase the animals for slaughter and wipe out the horse\nbreed, the protagonist must quickly try to find a way to save them. This\nindependent picture is based on a true story and was given a limited release a\nfew months ago, but hasn\u2019t been seen by many at present. So, curious parties\nwill have to go into the movie without knowing the general feeling about its\nquality. Christine Carapico McGowan, Elizabeth Carrapico, Yvette Running Horse\nCollin and Michael Filisky are listed as cast members in this feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BETWEEN WAVES \u2013 A woman on various medications after the\ndisappearance of her lover starts having visions of him in this\nscience-fiction\/drama. She soon begins to suspect that he may have traveled to\na parallel universe. While friends suggest that she needs to take more meds as\nshe begins to think about other worlds and whether or not she may even be in\nthe correct timeline. This film from Canada has been making the festival rounds\nsince 2020 and was released at cinemas in its homeland, but has only recently\nfound a US distributor. Members of the press who have seen it have been\nslightly more positive than negative. Those who didn\u2019t care for it suggested\nthat the movie was confusing and left too many unanswered questions. Others\nthought while it wasn\u2019t perfect, this was a well-shot and fascinating story\nabout obsession and grief.  Fiona Graham, Luke Robinson and Sebastian\nDeery headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS \u2013 After breaking up with her girlfriend, a free-spirited young woman yearns to leave town and have fun in another city. She convinces an uptight female acquaintance to let her tag along on a road trip delivering a car to Tallahassee. Little do the pair know that they have been given the wrong vehicle to take to their faraway locale. Criminals pursue them as the women drive and form a close friendship. This comedy was co-written and directed by Ethan Coen (of the Coen Brothers, who made Raising Arizona, Fargo, No Country for Old Men<\/em> and many other critically lauded titles). The press wasn\u2019t overwhelmed by the movie, but did give it more recommendations than pans. About one-third of write-ups complained that the gags were hit-and-miss, the characters weren\u2019t engaging and that the film seemed slapdash in execution. However, the majority thought the eccentric characters were fun to watch. They called elements of the story hilarious and admired the film\u2019s boldness. It stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon. Read a full review of the title here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FATHER OF NATIONS \u2013 This independent science-fiction\/drama\nfrom north of the border is set years after a catastrophic event has put\nhumanity on the verge of extinction. An accident hampers a loner, who is\ndiscovered and taken in by a small community of survivors. He and the group do\ntheir best to find some kind of purpose, despite being short on supplies and\nideas on how to continue long-term into the future. Apparently, the little\npicture was made over a period of several years. It did get a theatrical release\nin Canada at the end of 2022 and has recently been picked up for distribution\non disc in the US. There currently aren\u2019t many professional reviews for the\npicture, but online viewers have given their thoughts. While some suggested the\nfilm was a bit too long and some of the performances stiff, they commented that\nit was beautifully shot and dealt interestingly with deep themes. It features\nNathan Horch, Ed Ogum, Kyra Macpherson and Lindsay Christopher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FIRSTNESS \u2013 Here\u2019s an independent production that appears to\nhave been shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, before arriving on streaming\nplatforms and now, a few years, on disc. The story follows three characters in\nthe desert. A father struggles with mental illness while traveling with his\nnon-binary son. The pair unexpectedly encounter an ex-con looking for work.\nStrangely enough, they all start to communicate and come to a deeper\nunderstanding of each other. Not many critics have seen the picture, but the\nones who did responded positively towards it. They suggested that the movie was\nstrange, dreamy and didn\u2019t seem to follow a traditional storyline. Still, they\nnoted it was sweet, gentle and made points about tolerance and understanding\nwithout preaching to the audience. Tim Kinsella, Spencer Jording and Caleb\nCabrera headline the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IT\u2019S QUIETER IN THE TWILIGHT \u2013 NASA\u2019s Voyager program is\nnoted for the launch of two space probes in 1977. Their creators hoped these\ninstruments would collect new and exciting data from Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune\nand Uranus and transmit it back to Earth. This documentary deals with the\nengineers and scientists who made the probes, but garnered little public\nattention for their work. Now elderly, the group speak about their\ncontributions to the project, also noting that their lives will likely end\nbefore those of their creations. Everyone who saw this picture was impressed.\nThey wrote that while a lot of details are unloaded on viewers, they should be\nable to keep up with the technical talk and understand it all. Compliments were\nalso paid to the film for shining light on the incredible work of the\nindividuals who have put together these metallic travelers and now sent them\npast their targets into interstellar space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS PART TWO \u2013 This DC\nsuperhero animated adventure is a follow-up to the previous chapter that was\nreleased on disc a few months ago. It picks up the story about multiple\nversions of familiar heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman fighting a\npowerful and sinister force who threatens to destroy not only the Earth, but\nall of its parallel universes. This final showdown reveals who comes out on top\nand survives the ordeal. So far, no members of the press have seen the final\nproduct, so there are no opinions about its overall quality. The first film was\nwell-received, so hopefully this sequel can equal or better the previous\nchapter. The movie is being released in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook and\nis also being made available as a standalone Blu-ray. The voice-cast includes\nJensen Ackles, Stana Katic, Jimmi Simpson, Troy Baker, Jennifer Hale and Lou\nDiamond Phillips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MONOLITH \u2013 A podcaster is the lone character in this\nlow-budget independent science-fiction drama. Desperate to build an audience,\nshe uses less-than-professional methods to try and get ahead in her field. The\ncentral character eventually finds a story lead and talks to a maid who\nbelieves that a specific black brick (that her employer has stolen) contains\nsupernatural powers. As the podcaster investigates, she begins to wonder if she\nhas uncovered an incredible conspiracy. Reception for this effort was reasonably\ngood. A small number did suggest that the emphasis on audio over visuals and\nthe confusing nature of the story left them unsatisfied. However, the majority\ncomplimented the claustrophobic feel and thought the film was clever, creepy\nand left them with plenty to think about. Lily Sullivan headlines the\nfeature.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE NEW CORPORATION: THE UNFORTUNATELY NECESSARY SEQUEL \u2013\nThis documentary is a follow-up to a 2003 effort made the rounds on the\nfestival circuit through 2020 and 2021. The sequel has been available to stream\nfor a couple of years, but is only now arriving on disc in North America. It\nexamines the influence of global corporations in every aspect of our lives, and\nhow they have rebranded themselves over the past two decades, emphasizing\ngiving back as a part of their company policies. However, the filmmakers\nsuggest that for some corporations, this is merely a business tactic to\nincrease privatization and maximize financial profit. The majority of critics\nliked the movie. A small number stated that while they agreed with many of the\nideas, the execution was lacking and it didn\u2019t offer many revelations. Still,\nmost thought it was a compelling feature showing how many companies are more\npowerful than ever and turning us all into dependent consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ON THE LINE \u2013 Set in the UK in 1964, this independent\npicture involves a young switchboard operator who spends her time connecting\ncalls (and often listening to them for fun). One night, she hears a frightening\ncall from a woman who claims to have been kidnapped. The operator contacts the\npolice while trying to guide the person to safety. In the process, the\npotential kidnapper gets involved and the protagonist attempts to talk them\ninto surrendering. This picture played the festival circuit through 2023 and\narrived on streaming sites in January. Overall, the press had a favorable\nreaction. A small number noted that the story was too similar to the 2018\nDanish film The Guilty<\/em> and its 2021 Netflix remake, failing to match the\nintensity of those titles. However, most were impressed by the lead actress and\nthought it was an effectively told thriller with a couple of effective twists.\nIt stars Victoria Lucie, Royce Pierreson and Harriet Walter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SCORE \u2013 Here\u2019s another COVID-19 production that received\na 2022 release in other parts of the world and a limited run in North America,\nbut is only now arriving on Blu-ray. It\u2019s an eccentric British\ncrime\/comedy\/musical about two small-time crooks stopping at a remote diner and\nreadying themselves for a big score. One of the men hits it off with the lone\nwaitress at the establishment and considers escaping with her. His partner is\nless-than-enthused about the blooming romance. The press in North America were\nall over the map in their response to the movie. Slightly less than half\ncouldn\u2019t get onto its wavelength, found the musical elements gimmicky and\ndidn\u2019t care for the songs. But more thought that the film was completely\noriginal, funny and suspenseful. They found the cast exceptional, loved the\ntunes and were completely charmed by the picture and its numerous twists. It\nfeatures Will Poulter, Johnny Flynn (who also wrote the music) and Naomi Ackie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TETHERED \u2013 A blind teenager lives in a cabin and spends his\ndays wandering for food in a remote wooded area. He listens to a tape with\ninstructions from his mother as he does so. The voice encourages him to give\nback to the forest when taking from it. A mysterious stranger arrives and is\ngiven shelter by the youth. This new arrival asks where the loner teen\u2019s family\nis and asks if he wants to come with him on his travels. But their discussion\nbecomes moot when it becomes clear that something ravenous is living in these\nwoods. This independent horror film earned a limited and streaming release in\n2022 and is now arriving on Blu-ray. Sadly, reviewers weren\u2019t upbeat about the\nfeature. A small number called the movie agreeable and thought the premise was\ninteresting. Unfortunately, the consensus was that the film botched a great\nidea, losing momentum and tension as it stumbled forward. The cast includes\nAlexandra Paul, Body Brett, Kareem Ferguson, Chris Demm and Jared Laufree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THEY\/THEM\/US \u2013 Here\u2019s an independent feature that debuted in\nlimited release and on streaming platforms in 2022, but is only now arriving on\nBlu-ray. The comedy\/drama involves two single 40-something parents who try to\ndate while juggling complex relationships with their complicated teens. It also\nseems the adult pair are into BDSM sex, adding an unusual element into their\npersonal relationship. Overall, the movie was well received by the press. A\nsmall number complained that the tone jumped from drama to comedy jarringly and\nthat it tried to incorporate too many story elements together. Still, most\nenjoyed the performances and admired the small film\u2019s attempts to deal with\nunique subjects in an unexpectedly sweet and heartfelt manner. Joey Slotnick,\nAmy Hargreaves, Jack Steiner and Lexie Bean headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TOMORROW\u2019S GAME \u2013 A teenager heads out with his family to\ncelebrate his uncle\u2019s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sadly, the\nyouth doesn\u2019t like the game and has no interest in the event. But after\nwandering off, he accidentally travels through time. The kid finds himself\ntransported to a 1957 ballpark and witnesses his uncle, an immigrant from the\nDominican Republic, making his big-league debut. As the young lead tries to\nfind a way home, he sees the hardships and successes his uncle experienced. This\ntitle premiered last summer on streaming sites and is being given a DVD-only\nrelease. Not many critics saw the picture, but online reviews have been\nreasonable. One has commented that the film is cliched, stilted and\nineffective. But other online reviews call it a sweet ode for the whole family\nthat celebrates advances made by previous generations. It stars Alejandro De\nAnda, Miranda Meadows and Paul Rodriguez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TRENQUE LAUQUEN \u2013 This Spanish-language title from Argentina\nis a 4-plus hour effort that is split into two feature-length sections. When a\nwoman who specializes in the classification of plants and flowers disappears\nwithout a trace, her partner and a colleague decide to combine forces to try\nand locate her. They share memories, find love letters and discover other\ndetails about her life, including notes about an apparition on a lake. The\nresearch ultimately takes the two on a bizarre and unique trip. Reviewers\nadorned this quirky drama\/mystery. They warned viewers that the story isn\u2019t\nreally about the destination so much as it is about the journey itself.\nAccording to the critics, this is an arthouse cult film that travels down an\nenjoyably deep rabbit hole and allows viewers to get an idea of how\nunexpectedly complex and layered people can really be. The cast includes Laura\nParedes, Ezequiel Pierri and Rafael Spregelburd.<\/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 little older, there are plenty of options being made available. Arrow Video is presenting a Blu-ray of The Scarface Mob<\/em> (1959). This title was originally a two-episode pilot for The Untouchables<\/em> TV-series that was cut together as a feature for international audiences. The episodes were so successful when they aired that it was also released at theaters in the US (this was back in the day when there was no home video or any other means of rewatching old episodes unless they happened to appear again on the tube). If memory serves, the stylish and violent show was dynamic and thrilling for its era and really made an impression on them. The feature stars Robert Stack as Eliott Ness, a US Treasury agent who is tasked with stopping Al Capone\u2019s criminal empire in Chicago. Capone is played by Neville Brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray contains a new visual essay on the film and career of director Phil Carlson (The Phenix City Story<\/em>), another on all of the Eliot Ness movies adaptations, a trailer, a gallery of publicity materials, a reversible sleeve with new and original artwork for the title, six postcard-sized lobby card reproductions, a double-sided fold-out poster with the sleeve art, and an illustrated collector\u2019s booklet with essays on the title. READ A FULL REVIEW OF THE DISC HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue Underground is presenting Goodbye Uncle Tom<\/em>\n(1971) in a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and CD set. The Italian film can also be\npurchased as a Blu-ray and CD combo. From the makers of Mondo Cane<\/em>, this\ncontroversial shocker details American slave trade atrocities. 13-minutes of\nfootage involving race-war politics was chopped out upon its US release. Now,\nthe distributor is presenting the full-length Italian and edited English\nversions of the film with a 4K 16-bit picture restoration. Extras include two\nfeature-length documentaries on the movie and its directors, interviews with\nthe writers\/directors and composer, an interview on the picture with a film\nacademic, a professor, as well as extensive still galleries, behind-the-scenes\nphotos and a CD of the soundtrack. Additionally, the release includes a booklet\nwith a lengthy essay on the movie, an embossed slipcover and a reversible\nsleeve with alternate artwork for the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I Am Cuba<\/em> (1964) is arriving from Criterion in a 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray combo package or as a Blu-ray only release. This anthology\nfeatures four vignettes detailing Cuban life. The movie has a political bent\nand is considered a gorgeously photographed hymn to revolution and liberation.\nBesides the picture upgrade, it comes with a 2004 making-of documentary, a 2003\ninterview with Martin Scorsese about the title, new appreciation of the picture\nfrom cinematographer Bradford Young (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Arrival, Selma<\/em>)\nand a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Greek spy picture Assignment Skybolt<\/em> (1968) is\ncoming out on Blu-ray from Dark Force Entertainment. It follows an American\nsecret agent trying to find a hydrogen bomb before foreign agents detonate it\nand start World War III. The disc contains a 4K picture scan from the original\ncamera negative and a cult movie trailer reel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Like martial arts pictures? Eureka Classics is presenting a\n\u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray (only 2000 will be manufactured) of Jet Li\u2019s Black\nMask<\/em> (1996). The plot involves a librarian-by-day who was part of a secret\nsoldier project making him impervious to pain. He sets out to stop his former\ncommander, who is now a crime boss. The disc presents 2K restorations of the\nuncut Hong Kong version and the US edition, a commentary with an Asian film\nexpert, a commentary with action cinema experts, a discussion with a stuntman\non the film, a talk with a film critic, an interview with a Hong Kong cinema\nexpert, trailers, archival making of featurettes, and a reversible sleeve\nfeaturing original poster artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up The Cat and the Canary<\/em> (1927) on\nBlu-ray. This horror comedy is set 20 years after the death of a millionaire.\nHis surviving relatives are gathered together for a will reading and learn that\nhis niece has been awarded everything on the condition that she is declared\nlegally sane. As this is announced, the group learns that a murderer from a\nnearby asylum has escaped and is on the property. Apparently, the movie\ninspired James Whale\u2019s The Old Dark House at Universal Pictures. The film has\nbeen restored in 4K for this release and bonuses include two critic commentary\ntracks, a video essay on the movie, with movie expert interviews, extracts from\nthe play that the film is based on, an endorsement for Lucky Strike cigarettes\nfeaturing a testimonial from the picture\u2019s director, a collector\u2019s booklet with\nwriting on the film, and a special slipcase featuring new artwork (on the first\n2000 copies sold).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is presenting Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the\nExploitation Picture Volume 15<\/em> on Blu-ray. This latest disc in the series\nincludes two versions of The Road to Ruin<\/em> (a silent production from 1928\nand a sound version made in 1934). Both follow a woman who pays a price for\npartaking in drinking, drugs and sex. There are film historian commentaries on\nboth titles and a gallery of exploitation trailers is also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nostalghia<\/em> (1983) is a well-regarded Russian drama from Andrei Tarkovsky (Solaris<\/em>). Kino is presenting the movie in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo package and as a standalone Blu-ray. The plot features a homesick Russian intellectual in Tuscany, Italy who has visions while researching a famous composer. Besides the picture upgrade, these discs arrive with a film historian commentary, an interview with the cinematographer, a behind-the-scenes documentary and a re-release trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MGM is rereleasing some out-of-print catalog titles on\nBlu-ray. You can pick up the effective John Sayles biopic Eight Men Out<\/em>\n(1988) that deals with the 1919 World Series scandal. It stars John Cusack,\nJohn Mahoney, Micheal Rooker, Clifton James, Michael Lerner, Christopher Lloyd,\nCharlie Sheen, David Strathairn and D.B. Sweeney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressure Point<\/em> (1962) is a psychological drama with\nSidney Poitier and Bobby Darin about a prison psychiatrist treating an American\nNazi sympathizer during World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milestone is putting out a Blu-ray of the well-regarded\nindependent comedy\/drama Household Saints<\/em> (1993), starring Vincent\nD’Onofrio, Tracey Ullman and Lili Taylor. It follows the trials of an\nItalian-American family in New York. The film is restored in 4K and comes with\ntwo student films from the director, a 2023 making-of documentary, archival\ninterviews with cast and crew, an interview with the filmmaker and Lily Taylor\n(courtesy of the Criterion Collection) and a re-release trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hansel and Gretel<\/em> (1987) from Cannon Films is\narriving from MPI Media Group as a Mediabook Blu-ray and DVD package (you can\nalso purchase a Blu-ray only edition). This is a live-action\/musical take on\nthe Brothers Grimm\u2019s Fairy Tale with a cast that includes David Warner, Cloris\nLeachman. If you watched the Disney Channel in the 1980s, you may already be\nfamiliar with it (as it frequently aired on the network).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy bizarre Dutch television? You can\u2019t get much stranger\nthan The Kingdom<\/em>, and MUBI is releasing Lars von Trier\u2019s The Kingdom\nTrilogy<\/em> on Blu-ray in a seven-disc set. The show follows the supernatural\ngoings on in a hospital. The set contains the original 1994 series, the 1997\nfollow-up and the recent 2022 edition. You\u2019ll get selected episode commentary\nfrom Lars von Trier, a documentary on the show, interviews with the filmmaker\nand cast, a Danish TV commercial for a tabloid newspaper made by von Trier, and\na 28-page companion booklet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powerhouse Films is importing a couple of 4K Ultra HD\nversions of cult films from Jean Rollin. You can now pick up new editions of The\nDemoniacs<\/em> (1974) and The Nude Vampire<\/em> (1970) with the highest\npossible picture quality. Both releases come with so many extras that they\ncan\u2019t all be listed here. So, if you\u2019re interested, check them out on your\nfavorite retailer site and read all about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Synapse is delivering the documentary Graphic Sexual Horror<\/em> (2009) on Blu-ray. Pictured above and to the left, this disturbing non-fiction film tells the story of a Carnegie Mellon University professor who created a sadomasochistic website that instantly earned 35,000 followers who paid $60 dollars a month to view its content. The site was shut down by the Department of Homeland Security and this picture details what happened. The disc contains newly discovered deleted scenes and interviews not seen in previous releases, as well an interview with the co-director and a promotional trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolling Thunder<\/em> (1977) is arriving in a 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray combo set from Shout! Factory. This revenge thriller stars William\nDevane as a war vet who endured torture at a POW camp. He returns home to find\nthat his family have moved on. When local hoodlums murder his wife and son, he\nteams up with his best friend to take vengeance. Tommy Lee Jones plays the\nlead\u2019s pal. In addition to a 4K upgrade taken from the original camera\nnegative, bonuses include two historian commentary tracks, an interview with\none of the commentary participants on the film\u2019s director John Flynn (Lock\nUp, Out for Justice<\/em>), an interview with the composer, a making-of feature\nwith Willaim Devane, Tommy Lee Jones and screenwriters Paul Schrader and\nHeywood Gould. You\u2019ll also get publicity materials and filmmaker Eli Roth\nanalyzing the trailer for the movie.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you prefer dramas, Sony is delivering a 35th<\/sup>\nanniversary 4K Ultra HD edition of Steel Magnolias<\/em> (1989). It features a\ngroup of women who bond at a beauty salon who bond over their joys and\ntroubles. The all-star cast includes Shirely MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Sally\nField, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah, Tom Skerritt, Sam Shepard and\nDylan McDermott. There is no Blu-ray in this package, but the 4K Ultra HD disc\nincludes a director commentary, a retrospective featurette, the 1990 pilot for\na TV show based on the movie, 10 deleted scenes and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Touch <\/em>(1997) is an unusual effort from Rolling\nThunder co-writer Paul Schrader (who also wrote Taxi Driver<\/em> and\nwrote\/directed Auto Focus<\/em> and Affliction<\/em>) about a man who is\ngiven the power to heal with only a touch from his hand. When those around\nlearn about his abilities, he is manipulated by exploitative media figures. It\nfeatures Skeet Ulrich, Bridget Fonda, Christopher Walken, LL Cool J, Gina Gershon,\nTom Arnold and Breckin Meyer. Vinegar Syndrome is releasing a Blu-ray of the\nfilm as an exclusive on their website. This Mediabook is limited to 5000\ncopies. The picture has been given a 2K restoration and the disc includes a new\nvideo interview with Schrader, a film historian audio commentary, a video essay\non the movie, and more written essays on the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, Warner Bros. is rereleasing a Blu-ray of Cyrano<\/em>\n(2021) with Peter Dinklage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, you can pick up The Departed<\/em> (2006)\nfrom the studio on 4K Ultra HD and as a 4K Ultra HD in Steelbook packaging.\nThis Oscar-winning picture from Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon,\nThe Irishman, The Wolf of Wall Street, Casino, Cape Fear, Goodfellas, Raging\nBull, Taxi Driver<\/em> and many others) features Leonardo DiCaprio as an\nundercover cop infiltrating an Irish criminal organization in Boston. Jack\nNicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Vera\nFarmiga co-star. Besides the picture upgrade, it includes several extras from\nearlier versions (deleted scenes, featurettes) and a new retrospective\nfeaturette. No Blu-ray is included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This week sees the arrival of a couple of new titles that\nmight appeal to kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hansel and Gretel<\/em> (1987) (MPI Media Group) Mediabook\nBlu-ray and DVD or Blu-ray only<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomorrow\u2019s Game<\/em> (Allied Vaughn) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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

Below is a list of the latest TV-themed releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen<\/em>\n(BBC) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harley Quinn<\/em>: Season 4 (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kamen Rider Greats<\/em>: The Complete Series (Shout!\nFactory) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOVA: When Whales Could Walk<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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