{"id":28856,"date":"2024-06-17T21:16:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T04:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=28856"},"modified":"2024-06-17T21:16:33","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T04:16:33","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-june-18th-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=28856","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for June 18th, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. Last week was remarkably busy so this edition is slower,\nbut there is one big title and some interesting independent fare to choose\nfrom. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay\nindoors for a few days, 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 FICTION \u2013 An African-American author and professor\nbecomes frustrated that his acclaimed works aren\u2019t selling. After being told\nthat his recent manuscript isn\u2019t \u201cblack enough\u201d and seeing other writers\nachieve great success using stereotypes, the lead decides to play a prank. He\ncreates a fake persona and creates a work that contains all of these elements\nhe despises. The protagonist is shocked to see the book become a critical\ndarling and hit with the masses and must figure out what to do next. This\npicture earned plenty of raves and was nominated for several Academy Awards,\nultimately winning Best Adapted Screenplay. A tiny number of critics complained\nthat the script’s complaints were simplistic and didn\u2019t find it humorous.\nEveryone else thought the movie was a sharp and biting satire with well-written\ncharacters, great performances and plenty of laughs and drama. They thought it\nwould offer the viewer plenty to think about afterwards. It stars Jeffrey\nWright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz and Erika\nAlexander.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DEATH ON THE BORDER \u2013 Based on a true story, this tale\nfollows an ex-cop and her partner who become frustrated by a human trafficking\noperation on the Mexican\/American border. Unable to stop it during their\nemployment, they decide to fake their own deaths and take up arms against the\nvillainous organization. A priest decides to assist them with their plan of\nretribution. This picture received a very limited release before appearing on\ndisc and streaming sites. There haven\u2019t been many reviews for it and the ones\nthat have appeared online have been lukewarm at best. These notices suggest\nthat while the issue is important, the feature awkwardly jumbles stilted\ndialogue, action and a religious message that fails to engage the viewer. For\nnow, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Shannon Elizabeth, Eric\nRoberts, Danny Trejo, Frank Whalley and Kika Magalh\u00e3es.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LAROY, TEXAS \u2013 This independent crime\/comedy follows a\nhardware store owner in a small Texas town. When he discovers that his wife has\nbeen cheating on him, he purchases a pistol and decides to head to a motel to\nkill himself. Before he can carry out the deed, a stranger enters his car. The\nindividual mistakes the lead for a hitman and hands over money to murder a\nlocal. Things get complicated when he clumsily tries to carry out the plan,\ndrawing the attention of police and the assassin. This picture was a festival\nhit and earned nothing but praise from the press. Everyone thought the cast and\nwriting were top notch and had a great time witnessing the characters get into\ntrouble. Many even commented that it reminded them of the early work of the\nCoen Brothers (Blood Simple, Fargo<\/em>). It features John Magaro, Steve\nZahn, Dylan Baker and Galadriel Stineman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MARS EXPRESS \u2013 Those who appreciate animated fare made for\nan older audience might want to investigate this French effort. Set in the year\n2200, the plot involves a private detective and his android partner who are\nhired to locate a notorious hacker. The trail leads them to Mars, where they\nuncover a conspiracy involving brain farms that could change the future of the\nuniverse. This foreign-language effort was extremely well-received and didn\u2019t\nget a single negative review. All write-ups stated that it was an excellent\nscience-fiction murder\/mystery that featured strong visuals, interesting plot\ntwists and a deeper meaning about artificial intelligence that left a poignant\nmark on the viewer. The voice cast includes L\u00e9a Drucker, Mattieu Amalric,\nDaniel Njo Lob\u00e9 and Marie Bouvet. This Blu-ray includes the original French\naudio track with English subtitles and an English language dub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NOWHERE SPECIAL \u2013 In Northern Ireland, a dad raising a\nfour-year-old on his own discovers that he has a terminal disease. With little\ntime left, he becomes determined to find a nice family who will give his boy\nthe best future possible. The father doesn\u2019t want his son to be aware of why\nthis is happening, hoping to enjoy their time together, but the complicated\nprocess requires the two to visit and gently discuss whom they like best.\nReleased in other parts of the world in 2021, this international production\ntook a bit of time to find US distribution. It won several awards in its\nhomeland and received nothing but raves from reviewers. They all wrote that\nwhile the story had the potential to be corny, the screenplay and performances\nwere brilliant and the film was a heartbreaking but beautifully realized drama.\nJames Norton, Daniel Lamont, Carol Moore and Valene Kane headline the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PIAFFE \u2013 A foley artist is a film technician who creates\nbackground noises for films during post-production. This tale involves one such\nindividual working on a television commercial. The woman tries tirelessly to\nget the perfect sound of a horse to accompany the visuals, but becomes so\nobsessed that she suffers a nervous breakdown. When her introverted sister\narrives to help out, she not only suffers the same issues but discovers a horse\ntail growing out of her. This foreign-language fantasy\/drama from Germany\nreceived generally upbeat notices. A handful were baffled by the picture,\nstating that they couldn\u2019t get on its wavelength and found the exercise\npretentious. However, the majority wrote that the movie was a visually striking\nmeditation on gender roles that took plenty of chances but kept them engaged\nthroughout. It stars Simone Bucio, Sebastian Rudolph and Simon Jaikiriuma\nPaetau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE PRESENT \u2013 In this family science-fiction feature, a\nfamily receives a rickety wooden grandfather clock as an heirloom. One of the\nyoung boys in the household happens to be a genius and discovers that it can be\nused to manipulate time. When he and his siblings learn that their parents are\nseparating, they decide to use the clock to prevent their mother and father\nfrom leaving each other. This family-friendly independent effort earned more\npositive reviews than negative ones. About one-quarter complained that while\nwell-produced, the picture was overly silly and sentimental. They wondered how\nthe filmmakers managed to land the well-known stars. Still, most thought that\nthe picture was likable, good-natured fluff that had enough zip to entertain\nboth parents and kids. The cast includes Isla Fisher, Greg Kinnear, Ryan Guzman\nand Shay Rudolph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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RELAX, I\u2019M FROM THE FUTURE \u2013 Speaking of time travel, this\nindependent comedy from Canada suggests that it can be far more difficult to\nchange history. A figure claiming he is from the future appears and meets a\nlocal. He tells her that something very important needs to happen soon to\ncorrect a big problem in the future, but has a hard time communicating exactly\nwhat should occur. The woman feels sorry for him and offers to help, yet the\nquestions only pile up during the mission. Members of the press enjoyed this\npicture. A very small contingent called the movie excessively quirky and didn\u2019t\nappreciate its oddball sense of humor. Regardless, most thought the lead was\nphenomenal and had a hilarious time watching him dispel popular ideas about\ntime travel while trying, and often failing, to successfully accomplish his\ngoals.  For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It features Rhys\nDarby, Gabrielle Graham, Julian Richards and Janine Theriault.<\/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, you have plenty of\noptions. American Gigolo<\/em> (1980) is being made available from Arrow Video\nin 4K Ultra HD (as well as a 4K Ultra HD \u201dArrow Exclusive\u201d edition on their\nwebsite), or on Blu-ray. This picture from noted writer\/director Paul Schrader\n(Blue Collar, Light Sleeper, First Reformed<\/em>) was a big hit during its\noriginal run and detailed the life of an image-obsessed male prostitute. When\nhe is framed for a murder that he didn\u2019t commit, he discovers that both his\nclients and friends in the business aren\u2019t interested in helping him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a very effective and stylish\u00a0picture that is a very accurate reflection of the early 1980s. Richard Gere stars in the movie with Lauren Hutton. Besides the dazzling 4K picture restoration, you\u2019ll get a film critic commentary track, a new interview with Schrader, discussions with co-stars Hector Elizondo and Bill Duke. There\u2019s also an interview with the editor, as well as the camera operator. Featurettes include an analysis of the Giorgio Moroder score, a look at the fashion landscape of the film and the era and a ton of publicity materials. Additionally, there is a foldout poster and reversible sleeve with new and original art for the movie, and the most elaborate edition comes with six postcard-size art card reproductions and an illustrated collector\u2019s booklet with writing on the movie.\u00a0A full review of the release can be found by clicking this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few months back the distributor released the Battles\nWithout Honor and Humanity<\/em> box set containing five Japanese Yakuza movies\nmade between 1973 and 1974. A \u201cStandard Edition\u201d is now arriving with all the\nfilms and most of the extras in a smaller package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion is giving the wonderful thriller Bound<\/em>\n(1996) a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade (a Blu-ray only version is also\navailable). The picture stars Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon as two women who\nfall for each other and try to escape the clutches of a mobster (played by Joe\nPantoliano). It\u2019s a clever and tense picture featuring great performances that\nmarked the directorial debut of the Wachowskis (The Matrix<\/em> series). In\naddition to the improved picture quality, it comes with a commentary track\nfeaturing the directors, cast members and crew. There is also a new video essay\non the picture, six interview programs with cast and crew, more featurettes on\nthe title designer and critics on the importance of the film, and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distributor is also putting out a Blu-ray of Victims\nof Sin<\/em> (1951). This Mexican effort combines crime film with melodrama and\nmusical to tell the story of a nightclub dancer who comes to the aid of an\norphaned boy and tries to protect him from a mobster. The film has been given a\nnew 4K restoration and this release includes an interview with a movie\narchivist on the feature, a talk with the cinematographer and an archival\ndocumentary on the picture.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is delivering the German effort Anna Boleyn<\/em>\n(1920) on Blu-ray. This historical feature depicts the woman\u2019s ill-fated\nrelationship with King Henry XIII, which ended violently. It comes with a\nfeature-length documentary on the director, Ernst Lubitsch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema Vol. XIX<\/em> is a\nBlu-ray box set containing Dark City<\/em> (1950), No Man of Her Own<\/em>\n(1950) and Beware, My Lovely<\/em> (1952). The release contains transfers of\nthe movies from 4K masters, film historian commentaries and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is presenting the over-the-top Bo Derek\nperiod romance feature Bolero <\/em>(1984) on Blu-ray. You can also pick up\nthe James Woods\/Sean Young romance The Boost<\/em> (1988) on the same format.\nIt\u2019s about a businessman who must contend with a drug addiction problem in\norder to be with the woman he loves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paramount is going all-out with the Roman Polanski\nmasterpiece Chinatown<\/em> (1974) delivering the classic on 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray. It is arriving as part of the Paramount Presents line. For those who\nhaven\u2019t seen this period drama\/mystery, Jack Nicholson plays a Los Angeles\nprivate investigator who gets in over his head discovering a conspiracy while\ntrying to expose an adulterer. Simply put, it is one of the best movies ever\nmade. Besides the new 4K picture restoration from the original negative, you\u2019ll\nget the Nicholson directed sequel The Two Jakes<\/em> (1990), an interview\nwith a film historian on the picture and its legacy, a discussion with a\nproducer who was an assistant director on the movie, and a discussion on a\nplanned second sequel that was never made. There is also an audio commentary\nwith screenwriter Robert Towne, a ton of featurettes on the production,\npublicity materials, fold out packaging with the original poster art and plenty\nmore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those interested in imports, the British label\nPowerhouse is delivering \u201cStandard Edition\u201d Blu-rays of Obsession<\/em>\n(1949), Phantom of the Monastery<\/em> (1934), The Shop at Sly Corner<\/em>\n(1947) and Tomorrow We Live (<\/em>1942) for the North American market. They\nall come with upgraded picture quality and a bevy of bonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There\u2019s a definite theme in this week\u2019s releases from Shout!\nFactory. The first is a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray \u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d of Robocop\n2<\/em> (1990). This lesser follow-up followed the 1987 action classic and\ncontinues the adventures of the title cyborg cop as he faces new criminal and\ncorporate threats. The 4K image was taken from the original camera negative and\nthe disc contains a film historian commentary track and a second commentary\nwith an author and CG supervisor. Additionally, there is a making-of featuring\nnew and vintage interviews with cast and crew. A feature detailing the effects\nwork is present, as well as a talk with the man who created the suit for the\ntitle character in the film. There\u2019s a discussion about adapting the story for\nthe film, archival and behind-the-scenes footage of cast and crew, deleted\nscenes and publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you\u2019re a completist, you can also pick-up the remake Robocop<\/em>\n(2014), which is arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo. For this writer,\nthe latest edition was even more problematic than the first sequel, but the\nfilm surely has its fans. Besides a remaster of the film from a digital\nintermediate, it arrives with a three-part documentary on the making-of the\nfeature, deleted scenes, an Omnicorp product announcement and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, Sony is presenting a series of catalog titles on\nBlu-ray. You can pick up the Chris Farley comedy Beverly Hills Ninja<\/em>\n(1997), the French\/Italian crime picture, The Burglars<\/em> (1971) and the\nBest Actor Oscar-winning Jane Fonda\/Lee Marvin western, Cat Ballou<\/em>\n(1965). On a more recent note, Shotgun Stories<\/em> (2007) is also appearing\non Blu-ray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you can pick up a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray 40th<\/sup>\nanniversary edition of The Karate Kid<\/em> (1984) in \u201cVHS Collectible\nPackaging\u201d that replicates the appearance of an old VHS tape. It arrives with\nall previously released extras, as well as a new commentary track with the\ncreators of the program Cobra Kai and over 30 minutes of raw, unseen footage\nshot for several scenes that weren\u2019t used in the final product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

It\u2019s a slow week for kid-friendly entertainment. Listed\nbelow is the nearest thing that may qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Present<\/em> (Gravitas Ventures) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here are all of the week\u2019s TV-themed releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A.I. Revolution<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call the Midwife<\/em>: Season 13 (BBC) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Death in Paradise<\/em>: Season 13 (BBC) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NCIS: Sydney<\/em>: Season 1 (CBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romance With a Twist<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steven Universe<\/em>: The Complete Collection (Cartoon\nNetwork) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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