{"id":29280,"date":"2024-08-21T01:58:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T08:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=29280"},"modified":"2024-08-21T01:58:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T08:58:56","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-august-20th-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=29280","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for August 20th, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. Last week was a busy edition, which often means things\nslow down a bit the following week. As such, most of the new titles here are\nindependents. There are plenty of older titles being issued too, meaning there\nis still plenty to choose from. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the movies this\nweek or need to stay indoors for a few days, be sure to give one of these\nefforts a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIG NEW RELEASES!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1521 \u2013 Also known as 1521: The Quest for Love and Freedom<\/em>,\nthis period drama is set in Cebu, a province in the Philippines. The plot\nfollows a Spanish explorer and his crew arriving on the island, seeking to\nstart trade relations with the local leader and eventually establish his own\nrule. Residents are immediately weary of the man and don\u2019t trust him. As\ntensions escalate, a native princess and one of the Spanish soldiers fall in\nlove. They try to hide their secret affair from everyone. This independent film\nhas a troubled production and there were disputes between cast and crew. It had\na limited release and there weren\u2019t many reviews of the final product. Among\nthose that did appear, there were complaints about a lack of historical\naccuracy. Many found the modern embellishments jarring and stated that it took them\nout of the picture. The film stars Danny Trejo, Bea Alonzo, Hector David Jr.\nand Costas Mandylor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CREEPYPASTA \u2013 For those unfamiliar with the term\n\u201cCreepypasta,\u201d it generally refers to horror stories that can be found on the\ninternet. This writing is sometimes accompanied by pictures and\/or videos\nhoping to convince readers of the tale\u2019s authenticity (although most are now\naware that these \u201curban legends\u201d are fictional). The plot of this film involves\nan amnesiac who finds himself in an abandoned house. In order to figure out\nwhat\u2019s happening, he searches the location, discovering and reading stories from\na \u201ccreepypasta\u201d author who has gone missing. The lead begins to lose his mind\nin the process. Few have seen this independent chiller and, thus far, write-ups\nhave been weak. Many state that the film is well-produced, but complain that\nthere are too many segments that aren\u2019t fully developed. As a result, only a\ncouple of them make an impression. The cast includes Anthony T. Solano, Eva\nIsanta and Silvia Casanova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GREEN BORDER \u2013 This foreign-language drama is said to be\nbased on real events and is set in a swampy region located on the border\nbetween Poland and Belarus. The story follows refugees from the Middle East and\nAfrica attempting to find a way into the European Union. A group of asylum\nseekers are lured into this perilous area by propaganda released by Belarusian\ndictator Alexander Lukashenko. They encounter a border guard and an activist,\nand everyone\u2019s life is put at risk in the process. Released in its homeland\nunder the title Zielona Granica<\/em>, the movie earned mostly raves from\ncritics around the world. A few believed that while the intent was admirable,\nthe plot\u2019s repetitive acts of cruelty were difficult to endure. All others\ncalled the movie powerful and harrowing, accurately depicting the horrors that\nrefugees endure. They also commented that the movie made an important political\nstatement in the process. It features Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Behi\nDjanti Atai and Tomasz Wlosok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAMA BEAR \u2013 A young widower struggles to raise his young son\nafter his wife and daughter are killed in a tragic accident. Things get worse\nwhen a sinister paranormal force begins making its presence known in their\nhome. If that wasn\u2019t bad enough, the protagonist is suddenly arrested for a\nmysterious murder that may have been caused by the evil entity. Desperate for\nhelp, the lead contacts his estranged, ex-con brother-in-law to help save them.\nThis independent chiller was produced in 2022 and received a limited release\nbefore it was eventually picked up for distribution on streaming services and\non disc. There are currently no notices available for the film, so those\ninterested will have to go in cold and hope for the best. Matthew Simmons,\nAngelic Granger, Bunnie Rivera and Jordan Matlock headline the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TOMORROW BEFORE AFTER \u2013 Here is another low-budget\nindependent vying for your attention. It\u2019s a co-production between Columbia,\nCanada and the US and is a science-fiction picture set in a post-apocalyptic\nworld. A young woman travels the landscape with an abandoned dog, hoping to\nfind friendly survivors and make a fresh start on the decimated planet. When\nshe learns that she is somehow pregnant, the woman struggles to make sense of\nthe situation and starts to question her own sanity. This is another picture\nthat hasn\u2019t been seen by the North American press. It did get a release in\nColumbia earlier in the year and received a few decent write-ups, but is\ndebuting on disc and on streaming platforms in this part of the world. The\nmovie stars Natalia Reyes and Blake (the dog).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TRUST IN LOVE \u2013 An L.A.-based record producer finds his\npersonal and professional life falling apart at the beginning of this indie\ndrama. He hasn\u2019t produced a hit record in years, his wife has just left him and\nis fighting for custody of the kids, and one of his children is struggling with\ntheir sexuality. Despite feeling defeated, the lead is advised by a friend to\ndo everything he can to keep his family together (and maybe produce a hit\nrecord in the process). This picture is from the director of the recent Emile\nHirsch film Walden<\/em> (he also co-wrote the Swedish and American versions\nof The Invisible<\/em> from 2002 and 2007). Response at film festivals has\nbeen strong, with the picture winning numerous awards and prizes, but it is\nonly now debuting on disc. The cast includes Jimi Petulla, Logan Arditty,\nSydney Bullock, Natasha Wilson, Rx Ahn and Jeremiah Blakely.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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YOU\u2019LL NEVER FIND ME \u2013 This tale follows an eccentric,\nmiddle-aged man living in a trailer park. One night during a storm, he hears an\nunexpected knock on his door. A mysterious young woman asks to use his phone.\nThe man agrees, but before long she asks for a ride into town. The man\nquestions the lady\u2019s reasons for picking his door and she asks about his past\nas well. Eventually, eerie details about the characters and their motivations\nare revealed. This indie Australian chiller was picked up for distribution by\nShudder. After being made available to stream on their site, it is now arriving\non disc. The press appeared to enjoy the film. A small number felt that while\nit had its moments, the movie was slowly paced and used obvious genre devices.\nBut the vast majority stated that the feature was well acted, beautifully shot,\natmospheric and tense throughout. Brendan Rock, Jordan Cowan and Elena\nCarapetis headline the picture.<\/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 on disc, you have\nplenty of options. Last week, Arrow Video released a Blu-ray box set of When\nTitans Ruled the Earth<\/em> containing the films Clash of the Titans<\/em>\n(2010) and Wrath of the Titans<\/em> (2012). This week, the 4K Ultra HD only\nedition is arriving on store shelves. The pictures follow Greek hero Perseus\n(played by Sam Worthington) doing battle with the Kraken, Medusa, the Minotaur\nand more. They co-star Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonuses are the same, which include numerous featurettes on the production, as well as deleted scenes and promo materials. Best of all, there is a new extra on both films with the producer going into detail about putting the movies together. Read this site’s review of the set here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion is releasing the well-regarded feature Not a\nPretty Picture<\/em> (1976) on Blu-ray. This is an early effort from\nwriter\/director Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl, Real Genius, Rambling Rose<\/em>)\nthat mixes narrative and documentary elements to examine the trauma of date\nrape. The picture has been given a 4K digital restoration supervised by\nCoolidge. It also comes with an interview with the filmmaker, a 1974\ndocumentary the director made about her grandmother, as well as a film critic\nessay on the movie and its importance in cinema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swedish Boarding School Girls<\/em> (1979) is an R-rated\nFrench\/Swiss comedy about a group of attractive students using their charms to\nmanipulate those around them. Full Moon Features is releasing the picture on\nBlu-ray. The picture was transferred from the director\u2019s original negative and\nis being presented fully uncut for the first time in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The well-received LGBTQ comedy A Very Sordid Wedding<\/em>\n(2017) is also arriving on Blu-ray from Gravitas Ventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is delivering a number of Blu-rays as well. The\nApartment<\/em> (1996) is a French thriller with Vincent Cassell and Monica\nBellucci about a man who hears the voice of a lost love and becomes obsessed\nwith finding her. The disc features a film historian commentary and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy British thrillers, you can pick up the\ndouble-feature Blu-ray Peril & Distress: And Soon the Darkness\/Sudden\nTerror<\/em> (1970) which contains two films made in 1970. Both titles have been\nrestored in 4K. Each film contains a director commentary and a movie historian\naudio track, as well as trailers and radio spots. The first group of copies\nsold also come packaged in a slipcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And Prime Cut<\/em> (1972) is appearing in a 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray combo pack, as well as in a Blu-ray only edition. It\u2019s about an\nunderworld enforcer hunting down a mob boss who owes money. The cast includes\nLee Marvin, Gene Hackman and Sissy Spacek. The improved picture is from a 4K\nscan of the original camera negative. Additionally, there is a film historian\ncommentary, a second track featuring a Lee Marvin biographer, and a\ntrailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since fall is almost here, Lionsgate is teaming up with\nmajor retailer Walmart to put out a series of genre Blu-rays in exclusive\nSteelbooks with fancy covers. You can now purchase Hannibal Rising<\/em>\n(2007), I Spit on Your Grave<\/em> (2010), Leatherface<\/em> (2017), Sinister<\/em>\n(2012), the creepy Australian effort Wolf Creek<\/em> (2005) and the clever\nhorror\/comedy You\u2019re Next<\/em> (2011) in this elaborate packaging.\nAdditionally, Texas Chainsaw<\/em> (2013) is being made available in both a\nsingle Blu-ray Steelbook or a Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Steelbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paramount Pictures is putting out a few notable catalog\ntitles on Blu-ray. The first is a rerelease of the Oscar nominee Doubt<\/em>\n(2008) starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. On an entirely\ndifferent note, the Rodney Dangerfield comedy Ladybugs<\/em> (1992) is also\nreappearing on the format. The same goes for the Gwyneth Paltrow\/Anthony\nHopkins\/Jake Gyllenhaal drama Proof<\/em> (2005).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Paramount Presents released the entertaining Wes Craven thriller Red Eye<\/em> (2005) on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Pictured to the left, this set went out-of-print, but you can now pick up a standard edition from Paramount Pictures with content identical to the previous edition. You\u2019ll get multiple commentary tracks, a making-of, a gag reel and more. The only element from the last release that it doesn\u2019t have is the fold-out packaging with poster art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory is delivering the dark comedy Death to\nSmoochy<\/em> (2002) on Blu-ray. Robin Williams and Edward Norton play children\u2019s\nshow hosts who end up in serious clashes with each other.  The film was a\nbit of a flop during its original release, but has built a following over the\npast two decades. This release includes a 2K picture restoration, an archived\ndirector and cinematographer commentary, cast and crew interviews,\nbehind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, bloopers and outtakes and tons\nof publicity material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The effective remake Evil Dead<\/em> (2013) is appearing in\na 4K Ultra HD \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Steelbook from the same distributor. Both the\ntheatrical and unrated versions of the movie are presented in the highest image\nquality possible, along with most, if not all, previously released bonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you grew up in the 1980s, you may have seen the\nRankin\/Bass animated fantasy musical, The Last Unicorn<\/em> (1982). It tells\nthe tale of a unicorn searching for others of her kind. Jeff Bridges, Mia\nFarrow, Angela Lansbury and Alan Arkin provide voices for the narrative. Now,\nShout! Factory is putting the movie out in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo\npack, as well as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive Steelbook. It\narrives with a film expert commentary, a featurette on the production,\nhighlights from a worldwide screening tour, animated storyboards and a\ntrailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a new version of the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo of\nthe zombie classic The Return of the Living Dead<\/em> (1985) is being\nreleased as a Walmart Exclusive in Steelbook packaging. All the content appears\nto be the same as in previous editions, the packaging is the only change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sony is delivering a special 4K Ultra HD only edition of the\nteen comedy Can\u2019t Hardly Wait<\/em> (1998). Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry,\nCharlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Seth Green and many more appear in this story\nabout a giant party during graduation night for a group of high school\nstudents. Besides the major picture upgrade, the release boasts 11 newly\nuncovered alternate and deleted scenes, six existing deleted scenes, two cast\nand crew commentaries, a reunion piece from the movie\u2019s 10th<\/sup>\nanniversary, featurettes, a music video and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The China Syndrome<\/em> (1979) is an Oscar-nominated drama\nabout a reporter discovering major safety violations at a nuclear power plant.\nJane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas star in this picture, which has\nbeen out-of-print on Blu-ray for several years. It is now available for\npurchase on Blu-ray once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal Pictures is giving the recent Kevin Costner\/Diane\nLane crime\/drama Let Him Go<\/em> (2020) a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo\nrelease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they are also putting out a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray\nbox set called Tremors: 7-Movie Collection<\/em> which includes the original\nand excellent 1990 horror\/comedy along with the six made-for-video sequels that\nfollowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up a Steelbook version of the Blu-ray\nrelease exclusively from Walmart called Tremors: 7-Movie Collection \u201cLimited\nEdition\u201d Glow-in-the-Dark<\/em> edition in which the cover presumably glows in\ndarkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, the recent comic book adaptation and hit film Joker<\/em>\n(2019) is receiving a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive Steelbook\ncourtesy of Warner Bros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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

Below is a list of titles that may appeal to kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Last Unicorn <\/em>(1982) (Shout! Factory) 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive Steelbook<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paw Patrol & Friends<\/em> (Import from Canada)\n(Elevation) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And here are all of the latest TV-related discs coming your\nway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COBRA<\/em>: Season 3 (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hallmark 3-Movie Collection: An American in Austen, Rip\nin Time, Love Strikes Twice<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Hotel Portofino<\/em>: Season 3 (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

La Brea<\/em>: Season 3 (Universal) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paw Patrol & Friends<\/em> (Import from Canada)\n(Elevation) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walker<\/em>: The Final Season (2021-2024 reboot of Walker,\nTexas Ranger<\/em>) (CBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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