{"id":29973,"date":"2024-11-05T13:19:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T21:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=29973"},"modified":"2024-11-05T13:19:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T21:19:50","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-november-5th-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=29973","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for November 5th, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray\nand DVD. Last week was quiet, which means that this edition is jam-packed with\nhigh profile titles in a variety of genres. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the\nmovies this week or need to stay in for a few days, be sure to give one of\nthese titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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THE 4:30 MOVIE \u2013 The latest effort from writer\/director\nKevin Smith (the Clerks<\/em> series, Mallrats, Red State<\/em>) is a\ncoming-of-age tale set in 1986 about a trio of teenage friends who spend their\nfree time sneaking into movie theaters and checking out films. When one of them\ngets up the nerve to ask a young lady on a date to an R-rated movie (which they\nare too young to see without an adult guardian), he has to pull off an\nelaborate plan to get them into the cinema. Reaction to this comedy was good.\nAbout one-quarter of reviewers felt that it was overly nostalgic, trying much\ntoo hard to emulate films of the 1980s and failing to deliver laughs. However,\nthe majority called the movie one of Smith\u2019s best in years. They felt that it\nwas a sweet love-letter to the 80s and cinemas that paid proper homage to the\ndecade and left them chuckling. The title can be purchased as a Blu-ray and DVD\nset, or in an Amazon exclusive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook. The cast\nincludes Siena Agudong, Austin Zajur, Kate Micucci, Justin Long, Ken Jeong,\nDiedrich Bader, Method Man and Jason Lee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1992 \u2013 During the unrest surrounding the Rodney King\nverdict, a Los Angeles man attempts to get to his family and reconnect with his\nson. At the same time in another part of the city, a dad and his estranged\nyoungster decide to pull off an elaborate robbery. The heist locale ends up\nbeing the workplace of the first individual. Naturally, the four characters\ncross paths as events around them escalate. This independent action\/drama\nearned more positive reviews than negative ones from the press. A little more than\none-third of notices complained that the picture focused more on the heist than\nbackground events and was unmemorable as a result. However, the rest thought\nthat the performances were strong and that it was an effective and tense\nthriller. The film stars Tyrese Gibson, Ray Liotta, Scott Eastwood, Dylan\nArnold and Christopher Ammanuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AFRAID \u2013 A family is given the opportunity to live in an\nincredible house that contains the latest in smart technology and a digital\nfamily assistant. The artificial intelligence installed quickly begins learning\ntheir habits and preferences. But as time passes, it begins to take a more\nassertive role in their lives, deciding to eliminate potential threats, both to\nthem and itself. This horror picture didn\u2019t go over particularly well with\ncritics. One-quarter of them found the movie tense and commented that it did a\ngood job of showing how AI could end up mimicking the worst aspects of its\ncreators. Still, the consensus was that the film was bland, not taking\nadvantage of its concept, making less and less sense as it progressed and\nultimately failing to instill fear. It features John Cho, Katherine Waterston,\nKeith Carradine and Havana Rose Liu.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BLINK TWICE \u2013 In this thriller, a waitress and her best friend working a fundraiser gala crosses paths with the tech billionaire host. He invites them to leave with his pals and attend a lavish weekend retreat. The pair agree and are initially impressed with their surroundings, but start to get a sense that things might not be as they seem. In fact, they might be part of a horrific plot. Reaction towards this picture was more upbeat than negative. One in four write-ups suggested that the story\u2019s twists and turns were predictable and didn\u2019t really hold up to logic, ultimately describing the movie as a missed opportunity. But most found the movie atmospheric and wrote that it was a well-acted and clever play on gender politics that had some striking moments. Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Liz Caribel, Geena Davis and Kyle MacLachlan headline the picture. Read a full review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE CROW \u2013 This adaptation of the popular comic book (which was previously filmed and released in 1994 with Brandon Lee in the lead role) follows a young man who meets his true love while in a rehabilitation center. She tells him that she is being pursued by a crime lord. The protagonist helps her escape, but the pair are captured and killed by the organization. He awakens in purgatory and makes a deal with the spirit guide to return from the dead, all so that he can save his girlfriend\u2019s soul. The press panned this retelling. A small number liked the lead performance and thought it had some memorably violent action scenes. Everyone else thought it was a dark, slow-moving slog that didn\u2019t feature relatable characters of a story that was compelling or dynamic. It stars Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd, FKA twigs, Danny Huston, Josette Simon and Laura Birn. You can pick it up as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set, a Blu-ray and DVD combo, as well as an Amazon 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook exclusive and Walmart 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook. You can read a review of the picture here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FRANKIE FREAKO \u2013 A workaholic living the perfect life with a\nwife and house in the suburbs begins to think he might have become boring. He\nsees an ad for a party line and impulsively calls it. Little does he know that\nhe has actually freed a group of miniature demons who travel through the phone\nline to his home and cause chaos. The lead ends up having to travel to their\nworld in order to free himself from their grasp. This independent horror\/comedy\nfrom the maker of cult titles Manborg<\/em> and Psycho Goreman<\/em> is a\nhomage to 80s genre titles like Ghoulies <\/em>and Little Monsters<\/em> and\nwas well received by reviewers. A small number didn\u2019t appreciate the references\nand didn\u2019t find the end product funny. Everyone else thought it was a zany,\nwild and creative throwback to low-budget 80s monster movies with plenty of\nlaughs and trippy visuals. The cast includes Conor Sweeney, Kristy Wordsworth,\nAdam Brooks and Rob Schrab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GENIE \u2013 An unfortunate man suffers a really bad week. He misses\nhis daughter\u2019s birthday, his wife leaves him, and he gets fired from his job.\nDepressed, he finds an old jewelry box and accidentally releases a genie who\nhas been trapped for centuries. She reveals that there is no limit to the\namount of wishes he can ask for. The two set out to solve his problems, but\nalso become friends as he helps her adapt to the modern world. This \u201cPeacock\u201d\noriginal feature debuted on the streaming service this time last year and is\nnow appearing on disc. Members of the press were not fond of it. A limited\ncontingent called the movie amusing, sweet, genial entertainment.\nUnfortunately, all others thought it was bland and completely forgettable, with\nnothing notable about the final product. It features Melissa McCarthy, Paapa\nEssiedu, Denee Benton, Jordyn McIntosh, Alan Cumming, Marc Maron and Luis\nGuzman.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IT ENDS WITH US \u2013 Adapted from a hit novel, this drama\nfocuses on a woman striving to start a new life in Boston and open her own\nbusiness. She meets and falls for a charismatic neurosurgeon, but starts to see\nsome abusive tendencies that remind her of the relationship between her\nparents. When an old flame arrives in town, it amplifies tension and the\nprotagonist must decide how to proceed. This melodrama was a box office hit,\nbut the reviewers were only slightly more positive than negative about it. Almost\nhalf found the tone off, stating that it attempted to juggle too many different\nelements and failed to deeply examine its themes of abuse. Slightly more called\nthe movie well-intentioned and stated that it delivered plenty of effective\nmoments that would please anyone with a taste for romance and drama. Blake\nLively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Masan Minhaj and Brandon Sklenar headline\nthe picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER \u2013\nMichael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were British filmmakers celebrated for\ncreating several classic movies like A Matter of Life and Death, Black\nNarcissus, The Red Shoes, Peeping Tom,<\/em> and many others. This documentary on\ntheir life and career is narrated by Martin Scorsese, who goes into detail\nabout how the two met, formed a creative partnership and made some of the best\nfilms of all time. Reviewers were almost as enamored with this picture as they\nwere with the work of the two artists. So far, there is only one negative\nwrite-up that complains Scorsese inserts himself too much into the proceedings,\ntaking them out of the story. All others called Scorsese\u2019s narration\ncaptivating and called the film an incredible homage to two great moviemakers,\noffering incredible detail and revealing quite a few unknown facts about the\npair.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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STRANGE DARLING \u2013 This independent thriller begins with a\nwoman agreeing to a one-night stand with a man at a motel. Before they begin,\nshe tells him just how dangerous doing something like this is for her, and then\nasks him a few pointed questions. She even queries whether he might be a serial\nkiller. The man claims he is not a criminal and the two go inside. Bizarre\nevents follow between the two that deliver a number of shocks and surprises.\nThis picture opened in limited release at theaters about six weeks ago with\nlittle fanfare, but critics have raved about the picture. A few of them didn\u2019t\ncare for the movie\u2019s big twist and had a very negative reaction to what was\nrevealed. But the overwhelming majority called the movie remarkably surprising\nand innovative, playing with genre tropes, timeline and other cinematic\ndevices. They wrote that it delivered thrills, thanks to an excellent cast, and\nwas beautifully shot. It stars Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Madisen Beaty,\nBianca A. Santos, Ed Begley Jr. and Barbara Hershey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TRAP \u2013 The latest thriller from M. Night Shyamalan (The\nSixth Sense, Signs, The Village, The Visit, Split, Knock at the Cabin<\/em>)\nfollows a firefighter taking his daughter to see her favorite musical artist in\nconcert. After arriving, the lead notices police everywhere and asks an arena\nvendor what is going on. The worker states that authorities are closing in on a\nserial killer and are planning to arrest the person during the show. As the\nconcert continues, the father and daughter become caught up in the operation.\nThis effort split the press, but slightly more gave the movie a pass. Those who\ndisliked it suggested there wasn\u2019t enough material here to keep tension up for\nthe running time and found some of the story leaps unbelievable. However, more\ncalled the film pulpy fun.They admired the lead actor\u2019s work and thought that\nthere were enough tense and thrilling moments to make up for bits that didn\u2019t\nland. It stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Alison Pill,\nHayley Mills and Jonathan Langdon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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YOU GOTTA BELIEVE \u2013 Based on a true story, this tale\ninvolves a very small, misfit team of Little League baseball players. A\ndown-on-his-luck coach is hired to help them find their strengths. After\ndedicating their season to a player\u2019s dying father, the young underdogs rise\nthrough the ranks and end up in the 2002 Little League World Series final\n(playing the longest championship game ever). Write-ups for the movie were\nslightly more upbeat than negative. Close to half stated that the performers\nwere likable, but the story didn\u2019t offer any surprises and that the final\nresults came across as generic and corny. Still, the majority called the\npicture heartfelt and inspirational, believing that it would entertain families\nlooking for sports-themed entertainment. The cast includes Luke Wilson, Greg\nKinnear, Sarah Gadon, Molly Parker and Lew Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Looking to watch something a little older? Criterion is\nreleasing the classic Godzilla<\/em> (1954) on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. This\nmarks the debut of the famous monster, who rampages through Japan. The discs\ncontain a new 4K picture restoration, an archival critic commentary, the US\nversion of the movie titled Godzilla, King of the Monsters!<\/em> (1956) which\nfeatures Raymond Burr inserted into the proceedings. The US version also comes\nwith a film historian commentary. In addition, you\u2019ll get a featurette on the\nspecial effects, archival cast and crew interviews, as well as trailers and a\nbooklet with writing on the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino is delivering The Court Martial of Billy Micthell:\nOne Man Mutiny<\/em> (1955) on Blu-ray. Gary Cooper stars as the title character,\na founding father of the U.S. Air Force, who accuses the Army and Navy of\ncriminal negligence in the manufacturing of aircraft and faces a court martial\nfrom superiors. The \u201cSpecial Edition\u201d Blu-ray contains a new master from a 4K\nscan and a film expert commentary track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fright<\/em> (1971) is a UK chiller about a babysitter\nbeing terrorized by the insane father of the child she is caring for. The cast\nincludes Honor Blackman, Susan George and Ian Bannen. For this release, the\n35mm original camera negative has been scanned. There is also a film historian\ncommentary track, an interview with author\/film historian Kim Newman and a\ntrailer. It can be purchased as either a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo or a\nstandalone Blu-ray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rules of Engagement<\/em> (2000) is also arriving in a 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray package or as a Blu-ray only release. Samual L. Jackson\nand Tommy Lee Jones star in this courtroom drama about a Marine veteran put on\ntrial for a failed mission. The original camera negative has been given a 4K\nscan for this edition and it comes with an archival director commentary,\ninterviews with cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes featurette and trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a fan of The Monster Squad<\/em> (1987), you can\nnow pick up a \u201cSpecial Edition\u201d Blu-ray of the documentary Wolfman\u2019s Got\nNards<\/em> (2018), which goes into detail about the creation of the cult flick.\nIt comes with several bonus documentaries, an extra discussion with fans of the\noriginal title, deleted scenes from the doc, a music video, a slide show and\nmore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lionsgate is giving the Keanu Reeves hit action film John\nWick<\/em> (2014) a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Amazon exclusive Steelbook release.\nOne assumes the contents of this edition are similar, if not the same, to\nearlier 4K versions, but with new packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solstice <\/em>(1993) is celebrating its 30th<\/sup>\nAnniversary with a Blu-ray from Nitestar Productions. Not sure what this title\nis. Well, apparently, it is the first ever Lifetime TV-movie and follows a\ndisillusioned young man who learns the true spirit of the holidays. The picture\nhas been restored in 2K and features a newly recorded orchestral score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paramount Pictures is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nedition of the Mel Gibson Vietnam War drama, We Were Soldiers<\/em> (2002).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the studio is delivering a 70th<\/sup>\nanniversary edition of White Christmas<\/em> (1954) that includes a 4K Ultra\nHD disc and Blu-ray. You\u2019ll get a stunning 4K image restoration from the\noriginal Vistavision negative, an archival commentary with co-star Rosemary\nClooney, tons of featurettes on the production and its stars, promo materials\nand more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crime thriller The Italian Connection<\/em> (1972) is\narriving on Blu-ray from Raro Video. Inspired by the success of The French\nConnection<\/em> the year before, it features hitmen hunting down a lost shipment\nof heroin in Milan.  The cast includes Henry Silva and Woody Strode.\nBonuses include a film historian commentary, an archival documentary on the\nmafia and some trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout! Factory is presenting one of their hit titles in new\nSteelbook packaging. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray edition of Escape from New\nYork<\/em> (1981) is arriving with all previously released specs and extras, only\nin a fancy new case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same can be said for Krampus<\/em> (2015). \u201cThe Naughty\nCut\u201d with more footage is being rereleased in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\n\u201cLimited Edition\u201d Steelbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you prefer rom-coms, the recent feature Last\nChristmas<\/em> (2019) is coming out in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package\ncourtesy of Universal Pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, and just in time for the release of the upcoming\nmovie-musical Wicked<\/em>, Warner Bros. is presenting The Wizard of Oz<\/em>\n(1939) in 85th<\/sup> Anniversary \u201cTheater Edition\u201d Steelbook Limited Gift\nSet containing the movie on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Apparently, the content is\nexactly the same as the version released five years ago, but with updated\nanniversary numbering on the package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

If you\u2019re a kid or someone who watches programming for\nyoungsters, you can now purchase the incredible Australian family animated\nseries Bluey<\/em> on Blu-ray. It\u2019s one of the best television programs of the\npast decade (yes, it is that<\/em> good), and can now finally be owned on a\nhigh-quality format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bluey<\/em>: Seasons 1 -3 (Amazon exclusive) (BBC) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Below is a list of all the week\u2019s TV-themed releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bluey<\/em>: Seasons 1 -3 (Amazon exclusive) (BBC) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctor Who: The Complete Jodie Whittaker Years<\/em> (BBC)\nBlu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I Love Lucy<\/em>: The Complete Series (includes Pilot and\nThe Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour) (Paramount) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murdoch Mysteries<\/em>: Season 17 (Acorn) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orphan Black: Echoes<\/em>: Season 1 (AMC Studios) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planet Earth Trilogy Collection<\/em> (BBC) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solstice<\/em> (30th<\/sup> Anniversary of Lifetime\nTV-movie) (Nitestar) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Park: Not Suitable for Children<\/em> (Paramount)\nBlu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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