{"id":31001,"date":"2025-04-08T21:48:28","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T04:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=31001"},"modified":"2025-04-08T21:48:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T04:48:28","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-april-8th-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=31001","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for April 8th, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. This edition includes a number of independent efforts, as\nwell as a few notable older features that will be receiving high-definition\nupgrades. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give\none of these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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GOOD BAD THINGS \u2013 After another failed relationship, a man\nwith muscular dystrophy wonders if he\u2019ll ever find the right woman. He\nultimately decides to check out the world of online dating. He soon meets a\nphotographer who doesn\u2019t initially seem like a match. However, as they get to\nknow each other, she brings out the unexpected in the protagonist and helps him\ncome to accept himself. This independent drama earned more positive write-ups\nthan negative ones. About one-quarter of reviews commented that while well-intentioned,\nthe story was too familiar and predictable to make a lasting impression. Still,\nthe majority commented that it was an inspirational and warm-hearted tale that\nfocused on the strengths of its characters and their strengthening relationship.\nIt stars Jessica Parker Kennedy, Samantha Robinson, Danny Kurtzman, Ryan\nWhitney and Brett Dier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JADE \u2013 In this indie action film, a young woman deals with\nthe tragic death of her brother, caused by her own hands. When she comes into\npossession of his secret hard drive, everyone wants it, from a powerful\nbusinessman\/gang leader to Interpol agents. She decides to use her remarkable\nfighting skills to keep the data from getting into the wrong hands, while also\ndoing what she can to provide a future for her sibling\u2019s child. So far, only a\nhandful of critics have seen this picture, and reaction has been mixed. A few\nthought that the movie was an entertaining homage to action titles of the\n1970s, and benefitted from a charismatic lead. But the same number and a few\nmore complained that the script ultimately let the performers down, delivering\na story so dull and lacking in freshness that it couldn\u2019t rise to its full\npotential. The cast includes Shaina West, Mickey Rourke, Katherine McNamara,\nMarc Dacascos and Steven Michael Quezada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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RELATIVE CONTROL \u2013 A middle-aged lawyer is handed the\nbiggest case of her career, defending a client from a hostile corporate\ntakeover. As the conflict heats up in the courtroom, she finds complications\noccurring in her personal life. Specifically, her ex-cop father, who is\naccident-prone and can\u2019t help but get himself into trouble at the most\ninconvenient moments, begins causing major issues for the protagonist. This\nindependent comedy\/drama hasn\u2019t been seen by many members of the press yet. In\nfact, it appears to be debuting on disc and on streaming platforms at the same\ntime. So, you might want to wait another week or so in order to hear what the\nword is on the final product. For now, this is a DVD-only release. It features\nTeri Polo, Patrick McDade, Jeff Mark and Brian Anthony Wilson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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REVOLVER \u2013 This crime film from South Korea follows a police\nofficer readying to move into her dream apartment. When a corruption scandal\nrocks her department, she is asked to take the fall for the crime, in exchange\nfor a reward upon her release. Two years later, she walks out of prison to be\nmet by a stranger, who tells the lead that what she was promised cannot be\ndelivered. Furious, the protagonist seeks out the individual and uncovers the\nelaborate scheme that she was made part of. So far, this picture has only been\nseen by a handful of reviewers. None of them have had kind things to say. They\nnote that while the concept is interesting, the slow-burn approach to the story\ndoesn\u2019t work. In fact, they felt it was so slow that there was very little\ntension or excitement. Jeon Do-Yeon, Ji Chang-Wook, Lim Ji-Yeon and Kang\nEui-Shik headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THERE\u2019S STILL TOMORROW \u2013 In post-war Italy, a mother does\nher best to raise three children and keep a roof over their heads while\nsuffering abuse from her husband. When her teenage daughter accepts a marriage\nproposal from a wealthy suitor, the parent is initially thrilled, but realizes\nthat her offspring will experience the same kind of life. She plots a way to\ntry and stop the wedding. This Italian-language comedy\/drama was a huge hit in\nits homeland, winning numerous awards (including the Italian equivalent of a\nBest Picture Oscar). Critics here enjoyed the feature. A few thought that the\nfilm\u2019s homage to neo-realism and striking black and white photography took away\nfrom the drama and message. However, the majority appreciated the look and\nthemes, stating that it effectively emulated its cinematic inspirations to\ndeftly deliver an affecting, well-acted drama that possessed surprisingly\neffective notes of humor. For now, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Paola\nCortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea, Romana Maggiora Vergano and Emanuela Fanelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE VOURDALAK \u2013 This French vampire tale is based on a short\nstory by Aleksei Tolstoy. A noble emissary of the king gets lost in a forest\nand is attacked by bandits. He escapes and tries to find help, eventually being\ntaken in by an eccentric family, who soon warn him about a nasty vampire\nresiding in the area. They all come under attack and the visitor finds himself\nbeing blamed by his hosts for bringing the monster to their door. Reaction to\nthis chiller was extremely positive. One or two were confused by the dark sense\nof humor in the movie and didn\u2019t care for the eccentric tone of the movie.\nEveryone else described the film as so engagingly strange, unique and tense\nthat it may become a cult hit. They also called it fantastically bleak and\nunexpectedly funny, subtly tackling modern issues within its storytelling and\ndelivering a memorable finale. The cast includes Kacey Mottet Klein, Ariene\nLabed, Gregorie Colin and Vassili Schneider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Looking for something older to pick up? Arrow Video is making a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d 4K Ultra HD disc available of the action picture, The Long Kiss Goodnight<\/em> (1996). Geena Davis stars as an amnesiac who has been living a quiet life in the suburbs for 8 years with her daughter and boyfriend. When thugs arrive at her door and threaten her life, she discovers hidden abilities. As it turns out, she used to be an assassin and she heads out with a private detective (played by Samuel L. Jackson) to find out about her past. While it wasn\u2019t a big hit during its original release, this is an exceptionally entertaining effort with some fantastic fight scenes and plenty of memorable dialogue (the film was written by Shane Black of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang<\/em> and The Nice Guys<\/em> fame). The trailer simply doesn’t do it justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This 4K Ultra HD edition contains a new restoration of the 35mm original negative approved by director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger<\/em>). It comes with two film historian commentary tracks, a trailer and an image gallery. The release also contains a Blu-ray of extras that include new interviews with actress Yvonne Zima, stunt coordinator Steve Davidson, and make-up artist Gordon J. Smith, as well as three new visual essays on the movie dealing with the depiction of its female protagonist. Two deleted scenes are included, in addition to the original electronic press kit with cast and crew interviews, a making-of and behind-the-scenes footage. There is also a reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork for the film, a booklet with essays on the picture, a postcard featuring co-star Jackson and a sticker. Read a full review of the disc right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Radiance Films is delivering the Hardboiled: Three Pulp Thrillers by Alain Corneau<\/em> Blu-ray box set. It contains the thrillers Police Python 357<\/em> (1976), Serie Noire<\/em> (1979) and Choice of Arms<\/em> (1981). The first two are based on American crime novels, while the third is an original. All of the titles are well regarded and arrive on disc with 4K picture restorations from Studio Canal. You\u2019ll get a film historian commentary on the first title, along with an interview with a French film expert on the title, and an archival interview with director Corneau. Bonuses for the second movie include a lengthy documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew, an archival interview with the filmmaker and a cast member, a visual essay on adaptations of the work of Jim Thompson (who wrote the source material). The third feature arrives with an introduction by an authority on the movie, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage with cast and crew, on-set interviews, a recent discussion about the career of the film\u2019s star Yves Montand, and trailers. This set is a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d of 2500 and arrives with an 80-page booklet with writing on the titles. Read a complete review of the set right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of one of\nthe greatest comedies ever made. Some Like It Hot<\/em> (1959) features Jack\nLemmon and Tony Curtis as jazz musicians on the run who end up pretending to be\nwomen in order to hide out. They join an all-female band, but find themselves\nsurrounded by criminals and lecherous men. Marilyn Monroe co-stars as a member\nof the group. This is a well-reviewed 4K presentation boasting improved image\nquality from Blu-ray and features an archival film historian commentary. On the\naccompanying Blu-ray version of the film, you\u2019ll get an hour-long archival\ninterview with director Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend,\nSunset Boulevard, Ace in the Hole, The Seven Year Itch, The Apartment<\/em>), a\nrare audio interview with Monroe from 1955, a lengthy discussion with Lemmon\nfrom 1988 about the film, a 2001 talk with Curtis, a 2018 interview with the\ncostume designer, and a trio of programs about the lasting appeal of the movie\nthat were made in 2001 and 2006. Additionally, a trailer and a leaflet on the\nfilm is included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kino Lorber is releasing the Blu-ray box set Film Noir:\nThe Dark Side of Cinema XXV<\/em>, which contains The Flame<\/em> (1947), The\nCity That Never Sleeps<\/em> (1953) and Hell\u2019s Half Acre<\/em> (1954). For this\nedition, Paramount Pictures provided 4K picture restorations. All three\nfeatures arrive with film historian commentaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up the well-regarded British comedy I\u2019m\nAll Right Jack<\/em> (1959) on Blu-ray from Kino. Peter Sellers stars in this\nsequel to the 1956 film Private\u2019s Progress<\/em>, with the star playing both a\nunion leader and a financier who butt heads during a strike at a missile\nmanufacturing factory. This disc contains a film historian commentary track, an\ninterview with co-star Liz Fraser and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Media Blasters is presenting a \u201cStandard Edition\u201d of The\nKamen Rider Trilogy<\/em> on Blu-ray, featuring Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue<\/em>\n(1992), Kamen Rider ZO<\/em> (1993) and Kamen Rider J<\/em> (1994). The set\ncontains multiple movie expert commentary tracks, a photo gallery and other\nbonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout Factory is making a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\n\u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d available of the slasher Sorority House Massacre<\/em>\n(1986). It follows a group of sorority sisters being stalked by a\nknife-wielding maniac. Produced by Roger Corman, the film is noted for having a\nfemale director and addressing feminist themes in its narrative and has a cult\nfollowing. The release includes a 4K picture restoration from the original\ncamera negative, a featurette about how to survive slasher film, an interview\nwith a cast member, a discussion with a film historian, archival talks with\nRoger Corman and cast members, an original trailer, and an extended UK VHS cut\nof the film with additional footage (present on the Blu-ray).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Warner Archive is making a Blu-ray available of the\ncomedy Just Friends<\/em> (2005) with Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris and\nChris Klein. Reynolds plays a LA music executive who was once an overweight and\nshy teenager. When he returns to his hometown for a visit, he meets his high\nschool crush and begins feeling old anxieties and worries about himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Sorry, it\u2019s a quiet edition for kid\u2019s fare. Hopefully the\nnext one will be better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

Dalgliesh<\/em>: Series 3 (Acorn) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hallmark 6-Movie Collection: A Winning Team, Taking a\nShot at Love, Game Set Love, Love on the Right Course, Hearts in the Game,\nFourth Down and Love<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATURE: Big Cats, Small World<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UFO: The Complete S.H.A.D.O. Files <\/em>(Imprint) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New<\/em>\n(Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women of World War II: The Untold Stories<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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