{"id":29014,"date":"2024-07-23T01:51:14","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T08:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=29014"},"modified":"2024-07-23T01:51:14","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T08:51:14","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-july-23-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=29014","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for July 23, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. This edition sees the arrival of a couple of studio\ntitles, as well as plenty of interesting independent fare. 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 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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ALL YOUR FACES \u2013 Set in France, this drama examines a\nprogram involving restorative justice. A group of victims of various crimes are\nbrought to a prison to meet with the perpetrators. Supervised by professionals,\nthey start a series of discussions about what occurred in the hopes of finding\nclosure and healing. The talks take surprising turns along the way. This\nforeign-language feature received unanimous praise from the press. While most\nadmitted that it was a talky picture and that they knew where the story would\nultimately lead, all were impressed by the writing and performances. They\ncalled the end result authentic, powerful and surprisingly hopeful. For the\ntime being, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Briane Ba, Leila\nBekhti, Anne Benoit, Dali Benssalah, Elodie Bouchez and Suliane Brahim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ANSELM \u2013 Last week, the biggest release was the Academy\nAward-nominated foreign-language drama Perfect Days<\/em> by Wim Wenders (who\nalso directed Wings of Desire<\/em> and Buena Vista Social Club<\/em>). This\nedition sees the latest documentary by the filmmaker arriving on disc. It tells\nthe life story of Anselm Kiefer, considered one of the most important painters\nand sculptors in recent years. Viewers learn about his beginnings in Germany\nand his work created in his current residence in France. The picture was shot\nin 6K and this release contains a regular Blu-ray edition and a 3D Blu-ray (the\nfilm was shot in this format). Response towards the picture was excellent. One\nreviewer thought the film was dull. Everyone else described the movie as an\nimmersive visual wonder that used 3D expertly and presented viewers with a\nbeautiful homage to an incredible artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ARCADIAN \u2013 After an apocalyptic event wipes out most of the\nhuman population, a survivor escapes with his two sons. They take refuge in an\nisolated farmhouse and hide from whatever is left of the world. As the boys\nbecome teenagers, their dad tries to teach them how to stay safe from potential\nthreats. But when one of the youths meets and befriends a young woman,\neveryone\u2019s safety is compromised. This multinational independent horror film\nearned upbeat notices from critics. A small number didn\u2019t think that the\nscreenplay made the most of its setup and that it failed to deliver thrills or\nany memorable commentary. Still, the vast majority complimented the work of the\ncast and lead performer. They also called the film tense and stated that it\ndelivered plenty of chilling moments. It stars Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell,\nMaxwell Jenkins, Sadie Soverall and Samantha Coughlan.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BACK TO BLACK \u2013 Famous London-based singer Amy Winehouse is the subject of this biopic. The story follows this naturally talented musician, who grows up in a family that values singing and performing. She is discovered by a record label and her music immediately garners attention. Unfortunately, problems develop after she falls for a local with a serious drug problem. The two spiral downwards as their substance abuse escalates. Write-ups were weak for this drama. About one-third called it a moving portrait with an excellent lead performance that highlighted how Winehouse was left alone to deal with addiction. Regardless, most thought that the screenplay was surface-level and didn\u2019t do enough to detail the toxic relationships in Winehouse\u2019s life or her own personal issues. They claimed that it failed to deliver any new insight on this tragic figure. Marisa Abela, Eddie Marsan, Jack O\u2019Connell and Lesley Manville headline the picture. Click this link to read a review of the picture.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EZRA \u2013 A stand-up comic struggling to make his mark deals\nwith several personal issues in this drama. He is separated from his wife and\nco-parenting an autistic son while living with his father. When he and his ex\nare asked to make big decisions about their child and his next steps, the\nprotagonist takes the boy away with him on a road trip. The experience ends up\nbringing them closer and helping them find a path for the future. Reaction was\nmore upbeat than negative for this independent drama. About one-third of\nwrite-ups took issue with the writing, stating that they couldn\u2019t believe some\nof the actions that the father character took and also called the climax\ncliched and overly sentimental. But the consensus was that the picture was very\nwell acted and that the relationship between father and son was sweet. They\nalso suggested that the movie did present a more detailed portrait of an\nautistic character. It features Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga,\nWhoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson and Robert De Niro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE FALL GUY \u2013 Loosely based on an 80s TV show, this action\/comedy involves a talented Hollywood stuntman who suffers a debilitating injury on a film set. He breaks contact with his girlfriend and, after a rough period of self-imposed exile, is coaxed back by an old friend who needs his help on a production in Australia. The lead learns that the director is his ex-girlfriend and that the star of the picture has vanished. He tries to solve the disappearance and uncovers a conspiracy in the process. Critics liked this picture a great deal. A small number didn\u2019t care for the characters, called the story predictable and didn\u2019t find the events funny. Still, the majority suggested the leads were charming, the action scenes incredible and that there were plenty of laughs and movie references to enjoy. They called it perfect popcorn-munching summer entertainment. This picture is being released on disc in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, Walmart exclusive Steelbook combo and regular Blu-ray. It contains the theatrical version and an extended cut with an extra 20 minutes of footage. The cast includes Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke and Hannah Waddingham. Read a full review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH PART 3 \u2013 This is\nthe third chapter in an animated series of films featuring DC superheroes.\nPicking up where the previous entry left off, a villain who is attempting to\neliminate various alternate universes and the characters within them decides to\nfinish the job with an unrelenting attack on all remaining Earths. Various\nsurviving versions of Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Batgirl, Martian Manhunter,\nWonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkman from alternate worlds make a final stand\nagainst the bad guy. There haven\u2019t been a lot of reviews posted yet, and online\nreaction so far has been positive but not exemplary. Some have called it a\nfitting close to the series that ends on a strong note, yet just as many found\nit so overloaded with characters and action that they tired of it. The movie\ncan be picked up as either a 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release or on Blu-ray.\nJensen Ackles, Gideon Adlon, Ike Amadi, Kevin Conroy, Alexandra Daddario and\nJohn DiMaggio provide some of the voice talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NOT ANOTHER CHURCH MOVIE \u2013 In this spoof, a talk show host\nmanages to forge a direct connection to God. She first asks the deity to help\nimprove her flailing ratings, then threatens to deal the figure bad press.\nPanicked, God decides to visit popular filmmaker Taylor Pherry and convince him\nto create a hit movie based on his own relatives that will earn him more\nfollowers. When the Devil appears to take part in the shoot, he sees it as an\nopportunity to do his own bidding. This picture received disastrous notices\nfrom the press. One or two thought that the comedy did a solid job of poking\nfun at Tyler Perry films and delivered some laughs. Unfortunately, all others\ndescribed this picture as clumsily made and painfully unfunny. A few who don\u2019t\neven care for Perry\u2019s work thought that his features were great in comparison\nto this project. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Jamie\nFoxx, Kevin Daniels, Vivica A. Fox, Tisha Campbell, Jasmine Guy and Mickey\nRourke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 \u2013 For those already confused, this\nis a remake of the popular 2008 chiller The Strangers<\/em> which follows a\ncouple being tormented by masked home invaders. This new redo is the first in a\ntrilogy of films that have already been shot and will be released later this\nyear and possibly into next year. This time out, a couple celebrating their\nanniversary break down on the road and rent an Airbnb. They come under attack\nby masked figures. The press gave this update mostly negative notices. About\none-fifth of them did think that the movie was effectively shot and managed to\npull out a few unexpected tricks. All others described it as brutal, nihilistic\nand unpleasant in the extreme. And a few stated that this version was just too\nsimilar to the original. The film is being made available as a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray combo, a Blu-ray and DVD pack, or a 4K Ultra HD only Walmart exclusive\nSteelbook. The cast includes Madelaine Petsch, Ryan Bown, Matus Lajcak, Olivia\nKreutzova and Letizia Fabbri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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If none of those pictures strike your fancy, there are plenty of older options available. Eureka Entertainment is releasing the Hong Kong production The Double Crossers<\/em> (1976) on Blu-ray. It\u2019s a revenge thriller involving martial arts about a man whose father is murdered by a criminal underworld figure. The lead plots an elaborate revenge scheme and teams with his dad\u2019s old business partner to pull it all off. They visit various countries and are put into grave danger in the process. This release contains the Hong Kong cut and the English language export version (with a different ending), both with a 2K picture restoration. The disc comes with two film historian commentary tracks and a trailer. You\u2019ll also get a reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork and a collector\u2019s booklet with writing on the film. Sounds like fun. Read a full review of this disc by clicking on this link!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion is making the Oscar-nominated Hong Kong\/China\nproduction Farewell My Concubine<\/em> (1993) available in a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray pack or as a standalone Blu-ray only. This film tells the tale of two\nBeijing Opera performers who fall for the same woman. It also attempts to\ninsert much of the political history of China into its storyline. Extras\ninclude an archival making-of, a 1993 interview featuring the director with\nCharlie Rose, a new analysis of the film with a professor, as well as a trailer\nand leaflet with an essay on the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The dark comedy Risky Business<\/em> (1983) was a huge hit\nback in the day that made a real star of Tom Cruise. He plays a Chicago\nteenager from a wealthy family who is left alone in his parent\u2019s home while\nthey go on vacation. The lead ponders his future, gets involved with a\nprostitute and tries to help her escape from her violent pimp. It also stars\nRebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Masur, Bronson Pinchot and Curtis\nArmstrong. Criterion is presenting the film on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray or\nsimply on Blu-ray with what has been described as a stunning new picture\nrestoration of the director\u2019s cut and theatrical version from the original\ncamera negative. It comes with an archival commentary with the filmmaker, Tom\nCruise and the producer, an archival documentary on the movie featuring most of\nthe cast and crew, a new discussion with the producer, as well as recently\nrecorded interviews with the editor and the casting director. There are also\nscreen tests for the cast, a trailer and a new essay on the\nfeature.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for kung-fu, you can pick up a Blu-ray of The\nCrippled Masters<\/em> (1979) from Film Masters. It\u2019s about two physically\ndisabled fighters who learn martial arts and use their skills to get revenge.\nThe movie has been given a 2K restoration from a rare 35mm print of the movie.\nBonuses include a documentary on the film, a movie historian commentary and a\nnewly recut trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B-movie enthusiasts will be happy to learn that Gemini\nEntertainment is delivering a double-feature Blu-ray containing Attack of\nthe Giant Leeches<\/em> (1959) and Night of the Blood Beast<\/em> (1958). Both\nfeatures were produced by the legendary Roger Corman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is also putting out a few interesting titles. The first\nis a Blu-ray of Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Picture\nVol. 16<\/em>, which contains The Cocaine Fiends<\/em> (1935). It tells the\nstory of a waitress who falls for a drug-dealing gangster and vanishes. Her\nbrother tries to locate her, only to end up addicted to cocaine himself in the\nprocess. The film is a remake of The Pace That Kills<\/em> (1928) and both are\npresented here restored in 4K from archival 35mm elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Girl on the Bridge<\/em> (1999) is a well-regarded\nFrench romance with Vanessa Paradis that is also getting the Blu-ray treatment.\nShot in black and white, it follows a suicidal woman who is rescued from a\ncanal by a carnival knife-thrower and then joins his dangerous act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their big release of the week is In & Out<\/em> (1997) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack. Pictured above and to the right, this comedy involves a midwestern schoolteacher who begins to question everything in his life after his ex-student makes a very public comment about his sexuality at the Academy Award. Kevin Kline plays the lead, and Joan Cusack earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as the protagonist\u2019s wife. The cast also includes Matt Dillon, Tom Selleck, Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley and Bob Newhart. Besides the picture upgrade from the original 35mm camera negative, the release includes a new screenwriter audio commentary, recent discussions on the film with director Frank Oz (Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Bowfinger, Death at a Funeral<\/em>) and the score composer, along with vintage promo materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underground Aces<\/em> (1981) is a wild comedy about the\nmisadventures of a group of parking lot attendants working in star-studded\nBeverly Hills. It stars Dirk Benedict, Melanie Griffith, Frank Gorshin, Robert\nHegyes, Michael Winslow, Sid Haig, Jerry Orbach and Audrey Landers. For its\nBlu-ray release, the film has been given a 2K restoration from an interpositive\nand features a film historian commentary. The first group of copies also come\nin a slipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MVD Visual is delivering The Linguini Incident<\/em> (1991)\non Blu-ray. David Bowie and Rosanna Arquette play cash-strapped individuals in\nNew York City who decide to try and rob a popular restaurant. Their attempt\ndoesn\u2019t go as planned, but they do fall in love in the process. You\u2019ll get a\nnew 4K transfer of the director\u2019s cut of the film (from an interpositive), an\nintroduction from the director. There is also a filmmaker commentary, a second\nfeaturing the moviemaker with co-star Arquette, a co-producer and the\nco-writer. A 105-minute making-of documentary is included, a photo gallery, the\noriginal theatrical version and trailers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramount is presenting Blu-rays of some catalog titles,\nincluding the World War II drama, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas<\/em> (2008),\nthe \u201cunrated version\u201d of the horror film The Ruins<\/em> (2008) and the Jackie\nChan\/Jennifer Love Hewitt action picture, The Tuxedo<\/em> (2002).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Untouched<\/em> (1954) is getting a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d\nrelease in the US from Powerhouse Films. The Mexican feature stars Ricardo\nMontalban as a scientist who travels to Veracruz to study a medicinal plant. He\ngets lost in the jungle, ends up in a village and romances a local. The release\nboasts a 4K restoration of the fully uncut and uncensored version for the first\ntime anywhere in the world on Blu-ray. You can watch it in its original Spanish\nwith English subtitles or an English dub, and extras include a film historian commentary,\nan interview with the great niece of the producers, a discussion with a\npassionate movie expert about the director, as well as an examination of the\ncareer of Montalban. Promotional materials are also included alongside a\n\u201climited edition\u201d booklet with writing on the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sony is putting out a 4K Ultra HD exclusive version of the\nfilm-noir classic, The Lady from Shanghai <\/em>(1947) from Orson Welles (Citizen\nKane, Touch of Evil, The Trial<\/em>). It\u2019s a visually striking thriller in which\nthe co-writer and director is an unemployed man who rescues a wealthy femme\nfatale (played by Rita Hayworth). She hires him on her yacht and then tries to\nmanipulate him into a murder plot. Among the other strong elements, there is a\nhall of mirrors sequence during the climax that is memorably shot and edited.\nThe movie has been restored from the original camera negative and comes with an\narchived Peter Bogdanovich commentary and conversation on the movie. A trailer\nis also featured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The independently-produced crime film Confessions of a\nSerial Killer<\/em> (1985) is arriving on Blu-ray from Unearthed Films. This\ntitle was picked up by Roger Corman the following year, but he shelved in North\nAmerica until 1991 due to its unintended similarity to the film Henry:\nPortrait of a Serial Killer<\/em> (1986). Apparently, it\u2019s a decent effort that\nplayed well in overseas markets. The disc comes with a director commentary\n(also featuring the cinematographer and a co-star), a featurette on Henry Lee\nLucas (the inspiration for the movie), documentary on the project and publicity\nmaterials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Universal is releasing the Jaws: 3-Movie Collection<\/em>\ncontaining upgraded 4K Ultra HD disc and Blu-rays of the sequels Jaws 2<\/em>\n(1978), Jaws 3<\/em> (1983) aka Jaws 3-D <\/em>and Jaws: The Revenge<\/em> (1987).\nThe first sequel to the 1975 classic is a lot of fun, but the next two films\nare only entertaining if you appreciate camp and so-bad-it\u2019s-amusing cinema. Jaws\n2<\/em> contains all of the same extras as the previous Blu-ray, as do the other\nfollow-ups. The alternate ending to the final sequel is also included as a\nbonus on that release. For those who don\u2019t know, a character in that film is\nkilled during the climax. However, since he was one of the most likable\nindividuals in the picture, his fate (along with that of the shark) was altered\na week or so after the movie\u2019s debut and changed much fanfare. I was in the\ntheater on opening day and was surprised to see the differences when it later\nplayed on cable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you aren\u2019t interested in owning all three titles, the\nlast two sequels can be found separately as 4K Ultra HD only titles or 4K Ultra\nHD and Blu-ray Steelbooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the Spanish-language Mexican drama Soledad\u2019s\nShawl<\/em> (1952) aka El Rebozo de Soledad<\/em> is arriving on Blu-ray from\nVCI Entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Listed below is the latest kid-friendly entertainment\narriving on disc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pok\u00e9mon the Series: Ultimate Journeys<\/em> (Viz\nMedia\/Warner Bros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City<\/em>: Season 2\n(NCircle) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go \u2013 The Sights of\nSodor<\/em> (NCircle) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

All of the TV-related titles appearing on disc can be found\nbelow.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dynamic Planet <\/em>(PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halo<\/em>: Season 2 (Paramount) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray or\nBlu-ray only<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Persuaders<\/em>: The Complete Series (Imprint) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sense and Sensibility<\/em> (Hallmark Mahogany) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City<\/em>: Season 2\n(NCircle) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go \u2013 The Sights of\nSodor<\/em> (NCircle) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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