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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTHE BOYS IN THE BOAT \u2013 Set in the early 1930s, this biopic\ntells the story of a University of Washington rowing team. These students\ndidn\u2019t have a lot of money, but decided to compete against the well-funded\nBerkeley and other teams in order to qualify for the 1936 Summer Olympics.\nAfter beating the odds, they are sent to compete in Berlin and face the German\nnational team. Critical reception towards this sports drama was split. Almost\nhalf thought the characters lacked distinction and found the feature predictable\nand emotionally uninvolving. Slightly more appreciated the old-fashioned\napproach to the material and called the movie a beautifully shot and exciting\nunderdog tale. It stars Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guinness, Sam\nStrike and Thomas Elms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBROOKLYN 45 \u2013 This independent horror picture takes place\njust after the end of World War II. Five military veterans and friends from\nchildhood decide to accept an invitation to a friend\u2019s home. Not long after\narriving, they discover that they are being asked to take part in a s\u00e9ance.\nElements of their troubled experiences in battle start rising to the surface\nand causing conflict between them. The press was generally upbeat about this\npicture. A handful found the storytelling repetitive and were not gripped by\nthe various traumas of the lead characters. But the majority were captivated\nand thought the film delivered plenty of jolts and scares, while effectively\ndealing with important issues like PTSD, paranoia and the lasting effects of\nwar. The cast includes Anne Ramsay, Ron E. Rains, Jeremy Holm and Larry\nFessenden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nCOPA 71 \u2013 The 1971 Women\u2019s World Cup was an international\ntournament held in Mexico featuring teams from nations like Denmark, Italy and\nArgentina. It was hugely popular, with the final game drawing more than 110,000\nspectators. Unfortunately, the main world football association known as FIFA\ndid not approve of or endorse women\u2019s soccer and tried to bury it from the\npublic (a Women\u2019s World Cup tournament was finally launched by FIFA in 1991).\nThis documentary tells the story of the landmark 1971 event and features\ninterviews with players, as well as modern athletes who have been inspired by\nthe players. Almost all notices for this feature were positive. One or two\ncomplained that the storytelling was a little bland and that the movie lacked a\nsense of urgency. All others wrote that the film was a wonderful tribute to\ntrailblazers that shed light on an incredible, relatively unknown event. For\nthe time being, this is a DVD-only release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nCRYPTIDS \u2013 A radio show host who focuses on cryptozoology\ndecides to allow callers to tell stories of their encounters with strange\nbeings. He hears five increasingly disturbing tales and, as the evening\nprogresses, begins to wonder if his life might be in danger from a fantastic\ncreature lurking outside his station. This independent anthology horror film\nplayed in theaters some time ago and has been available on streaming sites for\nmore than a year, but is only now debuting on disc. Reaction from genre critics\nwas generally positive. Some stated that the picture was too long and suffered\nfrom pacing issues due to lengthy exposition scenes. Still, most enjoyed the\ncombination of horror and dark comedy and wrote that it would appeal to those\nwho enjoy B-movie terror. It features John Bloom aka Joe Bob Briggs, Bianca\nAllaine and Jordan Beltz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nENNIO \u2013 Late Italian movie score composer Ennio Morricone\nwas one of the greatest in the business, writing the music for classics like The\nGood, The Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Untouchables, The\nMission, The Hateful Eight<\/em> and many more). This documentary tells his life\nstory and features interviews with filmmakers who have worked with him (like\nClint Eastwood, Dario Argento, Brian De Palma, Quentin Tarantino) in addition\nto fans like Bruce Springsteen, John Williams and Hans Zimmer. Critical\nreception to the film was excellent. One or two voices were not converted by\nthis documentary and thought it fawned over its subject. Everyone else found\nthe presentation enlightening and fascinating, noting that viewers could simply\nlisten to the feature and be overwhelmed by the musicianship. Oddly enough,\nthis is arriving on DVD now, but will make its Blu-ray debut in another\nmonth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE \u2013 Speaking of documentaries\nfocusing on the world of filmmaking, this non-fiction feature details the\npopularity of Bruce Lee in the 1970s and takes a close look at all of the\ncopycat films that were made during this era into the 1980s. Now known as the\n\u201cBrucesploitation\u201d movement, viewers see clips from movies and talk to\nindividuals involved in the productions, getting more insight into all of the\nwild knock-offs that were made to cash in on this craze. Every critic who saw the\npicture enjoyed it. They all commented that the movie was zippy and\nwell-edited, revealing a huge number of obscure and notable titles and showing\nhow all these pictures (many of which were made in Hong Kong) managed to create\nan industry and even cement Lee\u2019s legend as an iconic martial arts legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FACELESS AFTER DARK \u2013 A young actress stars in a horror\npicture that involves her being terrorized by a clown. When the movie becomes a\nsuccess, the performer struggles to find a way to capitalize on the attention.\nSuddenly, a deranged fan appears and kidnaps the performer, hoping to recreate\nwhat occurred in the story, but with a new and grimmer ending. The lead must\nescape his clutches and perhaps even use this horrible occurrence to draw some\nattention to herself. Reaction towards this independent thriller was generally\npositive. A small number didn\u2019t think that the characters were very well\nwritten or that the point of the film was clear. Still, the majority suggested\nthat the ambitious production was well acted, wild and unpredictable,\nultimately going in an unexpected direction and accomplishing its goals in the\nprocess. Jenna Kanell and Danny Kang headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE FIRST SLAM DUNK \u2013 This PG-13 animated effort from Japan\nis set on a basketball court. A young player who feels like he is living in the\nshadow of his talented older brother (who suffered a tragedy before making it\nto the big leagues). The kid becomes obsessed with being the best player he can\nbe and joins his local high school team to make his mark. They end up doing\nwell and challenging for a national title, forcing him to deal with tough\ncompetitors and psychological issues. This picture was a massive hit in its\nhomeland and became the fifth-highest grossing animated feature of all time in\nJapan. The press in North America also spoke highly of the movie. All were\npositive, calling it one of the best basketball movies ever made. They\nsuggested the characters are rich, the story dynamic and the animation\nextremely impressive. The disc includes the original Japanese audio with\nEnglish subtitles and an English-dubbed version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE \u2013 This follow-up to the 2021 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife<\/em> finds the Spengler family moving to New York City and taking over the Ghostbusters business. They soon discover that the banks used to store spirits are bursting at the seams. When a sinister force decides to manipulate one of the family members to free the ghosts and create another ice age, the leads and previous members reassemble to stop the threat. Reaction to this picture wasn\u2019t strong and it received slightly more negative write-ups than positive ones. Those who enjoyed it said the film was fast-paced, had great visual efforts and also thought it was wonderful to see the old stars return and help revive the franchise. Unfortunately, more thought that the end results were disappointing. They stated that the plot was an unfocused mess, jumbling too many characters and subplots and leaving them more tired than thrilled. Multiple versions of the film will be released, including a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, regular Blu-ray, Steelbook and more. It stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and William Atherton. Read a review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n IN RESTLESS DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON \u2013 Musician Paul\nSimon, whose career has spanned six decades, is the subject of this\ndocumentary. Viewers get a history of the life and the various projects as the\nartist commences recording his most recent album. The movie includes accounts\nof the making of several Simon and Garfunkel<\/em> albums, the solo effort Graceland<\/em>,\nand other classics. Notices for the picture have generally been good. All seem\nto note that the movie requires a commitment on the part of the viewer (the\nrunning time is 3 \u00bd hours) and that it is extremely detailed in going over many\naspects of the man\u2019s lengthy career. Still, they say that the unique\nbehind-the-scenes footage focusing on the artist\u2019s songwriting process and work\nin the recording studio is amazing to watch and makes the extended length worth\nenduring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE MATTACHINE FAMILY \u2013 A gay couple raise a foster child\nfor a year, only to lose custody and have the boy returned to his mother. The\ntwo consider other ways to start a family, but find themselves disagreeing over\ntheir next steps. As they try to sort things out, they seek advice from friends\nwho are also dealing with parenthood issues. Overall, critics were upbeat about\nthis drama. A small number didn\u2019t like the frequent use of narration and took\nsome issue with the writing of the characters. However, everyone else called\nthe movie authentic, sweet and believable in how it dealt with its themes of\ntrying to build a family in a non-traditional manner. It features Nico\nTortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Emily Hampshire, Carl Clemons-Hopkins and\nHeather Matarazzo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE \u2013 Based on a true story, this World War II tale follows a secret group of agents brought together by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill to help with the conflict. A group of recruits possessing dark and dangerous backgrounds are asked to destroy a major port supplying Nazi forces. They use every means at their disposal to get the job done. Notices for this action picture were generally favorable. Slightly more than one-quarter did take issue with the tone and frequent use of dark humor, calling the end result unexciting. Regardless, the majority enjoyed the work of the charismatic leads and claimed that the movie is a deliriously delightful crowd-pleaser that will satisfy action fans. Multiple versions of the title are being made available, including a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, an Amazon exclusive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, and a stand-alone Blu-ray. The cast includes Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Elza Gonzalez, Babs Olusanmokun, Cary Elwes, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding, Roy Kinner and Til Schweiger. Read a full review of the picture here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n MONKEY MAN \u2013 Hanuman is a Hindu God of wisdom, strength and\ncourage. It is also the inspiration for this action picture that stars and is\ndirected, co-written and co-produced by Dev Patel. The story follows a young\nboy whose family is slaughtered and home burnt to the ground, leaving him\npermanently scarred. As an adult, he becomes a fighter with one goal\u2026 to find\nand take vengeance on those responsible for this atrocity. The press was very\ntaken by the picture. A very small number found the revenge story too simple to\njustify its nearly two-hour running time. But the consensus was that the film\nis stylish and expertly edited with incredible action scenes. Some also believe\nthat it is certain to become a cult picture. It\u2019s being released in a 4K Ultra\nHD and Blu-ray set as well as a Blu-ray only edition. Besides Patel, it\nfeatures Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sikander Kher and Sobhita Dhulipala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY \u2013 This French documentary is\na retelling of the classic Virginia Woolf novel Orlando: A Biography<\/em>,\nbut cast with nonbinary and trans people. The filmmaker uses 26 individuals to\nperform updated scenes of the book (which involves the main character changing\ngenders), trying to present the material in a modern and truthful way.\nAccording to the press synopsis, the intent is to show how challenging and\npotentially dangerous life can be for those undergoing this process. Most\nreviewers liked the picture. A small number thought the presentation of the\nmaterial was pompous and over-the-top. However, everyone else commented that\nthe experiment worked and that the final results were engrossing, moving and\nwould help many understand the struggles these individuals go through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RIDDLE OF FIRE \u2013 Three kids living in a small Wyoming town\ndecide that they must find ingredients for and bake a magical blueberry pie in\norder to help one of their mothers recover from an illness. Their unusual\njourney takes them on a wild odyssey in which they encounter individuals whom\nthey believe to be a witch, a huntsman and a fairy. This unique picture won\nplenty of awards at film festivals around the world and was generally\nappreciated by the press. About one-fifth suggested that the movie is exceedingly\ncute and eccentric and didn\u2019t care for some of the performances. Still, most\nfound the end result unusual and fascinating, stating that it harkened back to\na different era but still felt inventive and exciting throughout. They also\ncalled this a potential cult film classic. Lio Tipton, Chales Halford and\nwriter\/director Weston Razooli are credited in the cast listing, <\/p>\n\n\n\n SPIDER BABY \u2013 Also known as Spider Baby, or The Maddest\nStory Ever Told<\/em>, this independent horror picture is a remake of the 1967\ncult classic. The plot follows a pair of greedy relatives who arrive at a\nfamily estate and try to repossess the property. Little do they know that their\ninbred relations are skilled in very unusual ways and will protect their land\nat any cost. The original was a trippy and bizarre but memorably bizarre\neffort. It barely got a release in the 60s before building a following at\nmidnight screenings and on video. Curiously, this redo hasn\u2019t been shown yet\nand appears to be debuting on disc and streaming sites. No one knows what to\nexpect, but unlike the original film, it might be wise to wait until someone\nout there sees it and can report on its quality. It features Beverly Washburn,\nRon Chaney, Robert Mukes and Brinke Stevens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BLASTS FROM THE PAST!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s an incredibly busy week as well for older movies\nreceiving high-definition upgrades. There are so many (and I\u2019m currently out of\ntown) that I\u2019m going to have to rush through things a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, Film Movements is delivering a Blu-ray of the Italian effort Bandits of Orgosolo<\/em> (1961). It\u2019s a drama inspired by classic neo-realist pictures and is about a Sardinian shepherd who is falsely accused of murder and becomes an outlaw. While not as famous in North America as films that inspired it like Bicycle Thieves<\/em>, the movie is excellent. This disc includes an interview with a film historian about the movie\u2019s production and its importance, as well as a discussion with the cinematographer about the incredible visuals. A trailer is also included in addition to a booklet with more essays on the movie. You can find a full review of the disc here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DVD-Enter-the-Clones-of-Bruce-doc-fixed.jpg\")
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