{"id":31206,"date":"2025-05-05T11:46:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=31206"},"modified":"2025-05-05T11:46:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:46:24","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-may-6th-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=31206","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for May 6th, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving\non 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. The last edition was incredibly busy, so this\nis a slower one. However, there are a few acclaimed pictures arriving on disc\nand plenty of interesting fare that should tide viewers over. So, if you can\u2019t\nmake it out to the movies this week, be sure 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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AMERICAN DELIVERY \u2013 For a significant period of time, the\nU.S. has held a rather troubling record. The country has the highest maternal\nmortality rate among the industrialized world, and the difference between this\ncountry and other nations on the list is considerable. This documentary\nexamines the problem in detail. A film crew travels to birthing centers and\nInterviews are conducted with mothers, nurses and midwives to identify the\nmajor issues and make suggestions on how to fix them. The film hasn\u2019t been seen\nby many reviewers yet, but it has played at film festivals and won awards at\nsome of them. One write-up that has appeared online calls the picture\nincredibly important, stating that it is informative and gets specific about\nthe flawed healthcare system of the United States and the need for change. For\nthe time being, this is a DVD-only release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE EMPIRE \u2013 Looking for a quirky, independent effort? This\nFrench science-fiction feature is described as a parody of alien invasion\nmovies. A spacecraft lands in a small village in Northern France. Aliens who\nlook just like humans exit the ship and assess the locals as being\nsimple-minded and easy to conquer. But as they begin their efforts to take over\nthe world, unexpected complications arise. This feature earned slightly more\npositive notices than negative responses from the press. Very close to half commented\nthat while the film was goofy and had a few fun moments, it was slight and\ndidn\u2019t have a clear or memorable message. However, slightly more were amused,\ncalling the film wild and adventures, possessing an oddball tone quite unlike\nanything else out there, while also offering a gentle critique of the sci-fi\ngenre. It stars Lyna Khoudri, Anamaria Vartolomei, Camille Cottin and Fabrice\nLuchini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FISH WAR \u2013 This documentary examines a series of protests in\nthe late 1960s and early 1970s. Tribes in the Pacific Northwest, who had been\nforced to cede lands to the U.S. government and were not allowed to fish for\nsalmon outside of their reservations, began returning to their ancestral areas\nanyway. Their public demonstrations gained attention and, after the 1974 Boldt\ncourt case, a ruling re-affirming their rights was granted. They were allowed\nto co-manage the property, but the state refused to enforce the judgment,\ncausing more conflict. Using archival material, the complete story is retold,\nas well as the troubling aftermath. There aren\u2019t many reviews for this picture\nyet, but it has played at and earned acclaim at various festivals. One written\nreview has appeared online, stating that the film retells events effectively\nand reminds one that things haven\u2019t improved as much as one would have expected\nover the past 50-plus years. This is currently a DVD-only release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE LAST SHOWGIRL \u2013 At the beginning of this drama, a\n57-year-old showgirl in Las Vegas gets disappointing news. Her show is being\nshuttered for a more contemporary production. Out of work and low on funds, the\nperformer attempts to audition at other venues on the Las Vegas Strip. She also\nreaches out to her estranged daughter, trying to repair their relationship.\nSadly, the stress of the situation causes even more friction between them. This\npicture earned a lot of positive press and awards buzz (it was nominated for\nsome Golden Globes, but failed to earn any Oscar nominations). A small number\ncomplained that while the performances were excellent, the narrative was weak\nand that the story finished on a false and ineffective note. However, the\nconsensus was that the movie boasted wonderful characters and aptly depicted\nthe joy and desperation of a working performer in Las Vegas. The movie will\nofficially be released on disc May 9th<\/sup>. The cast includes Pamela\nAnderson, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista and Jamie\nLee Curtis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MCVEIGH \u2013 \u201cBased on real events,\u201d this independent drama\ntells the story of army veteran and domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh. Viewers\nwitness his personal rage against the federal government grow as he takes on\nextremist views, visits a white supremacist, and ultimately plots a deadly\nbombing. It also deals with his relationships with co-conspirators, as well as\na brief fling with a local waitress. The final product received more positive\nreviews than negative ones. About one-third wrote that while the movie was\nwell-produced, it didn\u2019t have anything meaningful to say about its subject and\nfelt like a bit of a slog to endure. Regardless, more were impressed by the\nperformances and found it to be a chilling examination of individuals who get\ncaught up in conspiracy theories and become sociopathic. For now, the film is\nonly available on DVD. It features Alfie Allen, Brett Gelman, Ashley Benson,\nAnthony Carrigan and Tracy Letts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NO ADDRESS \u2013 Here\u2019s another drama that is, \u201cInspired by true\nevents.\u201d It follows a young woman thrown out of her home. With nowhere to go,\nshe takes to the streets and meets others who have lost their residences. The\ngroup struggle to survive, enduring encounters with a violent gang and\nunforgiving locals, in addition to equally unsympathetic police forces. Only a\nhandful of critics have seen it, and reaction towards the picture has been\ntepid. A few have called the film endearing and inspiring as it presents\nrelatable characters falling on hard times. Unfortunately, the majority noted\nthat while the movie was well-intentioned, it felt clumsily presented. They\nstated that it doesn\u2019t deal with its themes on more than a surface level and\nends up pushing a religious message. This is another DVD-exclusive release.\nBeverly D\u2019Angelo, Xander Berkeley, William Baldwin, Kristanna Loken, Patricia\nVelasquez and Isabella Ferreira headline the picture.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG \u2013 An Iranian man is promoted to\nthe position of an investigative judge in this crime thriller. He is assigned a\ncase involving the death of a young woman. It soon becomes clear that his job\nis fraught with danger and he begins fearing for his wife and family. When the\njudge\u2019s gun disappears, he suspects his concerned spouse and daughters,\nimposing strict rules that begin to sever bonds. This picture earned raves from\nthe press and was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the Academy\nAwards. A very small number of reviewers critiqued the movie as being too\nobvious in making its points and also noted that it was so long (nearly three\nhours) that it ran out of steam before its climax. However, everyone else\nthought the film was powerful, daring and unpredictable. They found the\ntransition of the judge disturbingly fascinating and believed this chilling\npicture would make a lasting impression on viewers. It stars Soheila Golestani,\nMissagh Zareh, Setareh Maleki and Mahsa Rostami.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VIET AND NAM \u2013 This Vietnamese drama tells the story of two\nyoung miners working in horrible conditions under the ground. One finally sees\nan opportunity to start a new life elsewhere. However, his best friend suddenly\nreveals that his soldier father has been declared dead and that he needs\nassistance finding the parent\u2019s remains in a faraway forest. As the pair head\nout, the main protagonist thinks about his past and reconsiders his future.\nEveryone who saw the picture rated it highly. They called it a slow-burn of a\nmovie in which not a lot happens, but that the ideas expressed stayed with them\nlong after the film ended. They also called the cinematography gorgeous and the\noverall effect of the picture moving and almost transcendent. Alas, for now it\nwill only be available on DVD. Thanh Hai Pham and Duy Bao Dinh Dao play the\ntitle characters.<\/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, there are also a few\noptions. Criterion is releasing In the Heat of the Night<\/em> (1967) as a 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray combo. This picture stars Sidney Poitier as an\nAfrican-American cop from Philadelphia who is unjustly arrested by police in\nthe US South after a prominent businessman is murdered. The local chief (Rod\nSteiger) reluctantly apologizes for the force\u2019s actions and then asks for the\nlead\u2019s assistance in the case. The detective attempts to find out the\nresponsible party while dealing with horrific racism from the police force and\nlocals. The movie won multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This set includes a 4K restoration of the film, interviews\nwith director Norman Jewison and co-star Lee Grant, a 2006 interview with\nPoitier, a discussion with a movie expert who wrote a book on Poitier, and an\narchival commentary track with Jewison, Grant, Steiger and cinematographer\nHaskell Wexler. There is also a program about the production of the movie and\nits legacy, a featurette examining Quincy Jones\u2019 soundtrack to the film, as\nwell as a trailer and essay on the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The French musical\/romance The Umbrellas of Cherbourg<\/em>\n(1964) is also receiving the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment from the\ndistributor. Catherine Deneuve plays the lead in this story about a young woman\nwho must consider her future after her true love is drafted to serve in the\nAlgerian war. This picture has always been well-regarded (it won the Palme d\u2019Or\nand was nominated for five Academy Awards), but in recent years it has risen\neven higher in the ranks of many critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This edition boasts a new 4K picture restoration approved by\nthe director\u2019s son. You\u2019ll also get a 2008 documentary on the movie, a film\nscholar discussion about the picture, a 1964 French television interview with\nthe director, archival audio interviews with the filmmaker and Deneuve, a\ndemonstration of a 2013 restoration of the feature, and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With the release of a live-action remake only a few weeks\naway, Disney is delivering a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray \u201cUltimate Collector\u2019s\nEdition\u201d of the animated feature Lilo & Stitch<\/em> (2002). The story\nfollows a small, aggressive alien who lands in KauaI and is cared for by a\nlittle girl and her older sister. The creature proves difficult to domesticate,\nbut does eventually take a liking to its adopted family and new planetary home.\nBesides the upgraded image quality, extras include an audio commentary, deleted\nscenes, a hula lesson, a featurette on animating the hula bits, a look at the\nislands of Hawaii, two music videos (presumably Elvis Presley tunes), and a\nlook at the alien Stitch through time and its various appearances in other\nDisney projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fun City Editions is putting out a Blu-ray of the Robert De Niro\/Meryl Streep drama Falling in Love<\/em> (1984). The two actors play married strangers shopping during the Christmas season. They get their packages mixed up and after meeting to correct the error, continue to bump into each other. The pair become close friends, commuting together each day, and consider having an affair. The film is arriving on disc with a 4K picture restoration from the original camera negative. It also comes with a film historian commentary, an image gallery, a booklet with an essay on the movie, and everything is packaged in double-sided wrap with legacy artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massacre Video is delivering a double-feature Blu-ray\ncontaining Burrp!<\/em> (1996) and Mas Carnaza<\/em> (1997). These are\nunderground Spanish genre films from movie maker Sergio Blasco. Newly\nremastered for this release, bonuses include a making-of, a short film from the\ndirector, trailers, and even more previews for other titles from the\ndistributor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Girl Hell 1999<\/em> (1999) is a Japanese effort about a\nlonely teenager suffering various forms of abuse from just about everyone in\nher life. This is a disturbing, shot-on-video title that is being made\navailable on Blu-ray and in general for the first time in North America.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscilloscope Pictures is releasing a Blu-ray of the\ndocumentary I Like Killing Flies<\/em> (2004), which captures the quirky,\ncantankerous, foul-mouthed chef Kenny Shopsin, whose Greenwich Village\nrestaurant is legendary in New York City. It arrives with a short film called Cooking\nwith Kenny, <\/em>as well as a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gladiator<\/em> (2000) and Gladiator II <\/em>(2024) is\nbeing rereleased by Paramount as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Amazon exclusive\nSteelbook. You\u2019ll get the highest quality editions of both films and all\npreviously released extras together in fancy Steelbook packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you were hoping to pick up a bunch of Star Trek<\/em>\ntitles in one go, the studio is putting out a Star Trek 10-Movie Collection<\/em>\nBlu-ray set, which contains all of the original series films and Next\nGeneration<\/em> movies made between 1979 and 2002. One imagines that this is\nsimply a repackaging of older releases, but it\u2019s a nice way to pick up all the\ntitles from these eras if you don\u2019t already own them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, in celebration of its 25th<\/sup> anniversary,\nShout Factory is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack of the\nthriller What Lies Beneath <\/em>(2000). This supernatural chiller from Robert\nZemekis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Death Becomes Her,\nForrest Gump<\/em>) stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a married\ncouple. When the wife begins to suspect that a neighbor has murdered his wife,\nshe begins experiencing strange apparitions. After confiding in her husband\nabout the visions, he tries to calm her down, but she pulls him into her own\ninvestigation of what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This release contains a new 4K master of the film from the\noriginal camera negative, approved by the cinematographer. There is an audio\ncommentary with Zemeckis, a new feature-length retrospective documentary with\ncast and crew (pretty much everyone except Ford and Pfeiffer), a featurette on\nthe title, and a trailer.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

As mentioned, the big release for kids this week is a new 4K\nedition of a well-regarded Disney animated film.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilo & Stitch<\/em> (2002 animated film) (Disney) 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray \u201cUltimate Collector\u2019s Edition\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

And below is a list of this week\u2019s TV-related titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOVA: Egypt\u2019s Tombs of Amun<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultraman Trigger<\/em>: Complete Series and Ultraman\nTrigger Episode Z <\/em>(Mill Creek Entertainment) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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