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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTHE ACTOR \u2013 A man wakes up alone in a small town with\nabsolutely no idea how he got there. He begins to start a new life for himself\nand even starts dating a costume designer. But as bits and pieces of what may\nbe his real past slowly emerge, the lead begins to question everything about\nhimself and how he ended up where he is. This independent drama earned good\nnotices from reviewers. A handful didn\u2019t think the screenplay did enough to\nmake the mystery engaging and that the end product suffered as a result. Still,\nthe majority thought the film marked an impressive live-action feature debut\nfor director Duke Johnson (Anomalisa<\/em>). They believed it featured some\nwild stylistic flourishes and were impressed with themes about losing one\u2019s\nidentity. It stars Andr\u00e9 Holland, Gemma Chan, May Calamawy, Asim Chaudhry, Joe\nCole, Simon McBurney and Toby Jones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BLACK TEA \u2013 This multi-national, multi-language\nromantic-drama begins with an African bride-to-be leaving her fianc\u00e9 at the\naltar and heading off to China. She decides to make fresh beginnings in the\ncity of Guangzhou, which has a large population of exiles from her homeland.\nThe lead gets a job at a local tea shop and begins to learn the elaborate\nrituals for preparing and drinking tea. This information begins to open up her\nworld and she forms a close, potentially romantic connection with her employer.\nCritics generally didn\u2019t enjoy this sampling. About one-third described the\nfilm as warm and intimate, benefiting from beautiful photography and an\nengaging cast. But the majority didn\u2019t think that there was much chemistry\nbetween the leads and the film failed to combine all of its story elements in a\ncohesive manner. The cast includes Nina Melo, Han Chang, Ke-Xi Wu and Michael\nChang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BLUR: TO THE END \u2013 If you\u2019re familiar with 1990s Britpop,\nthen you\u2019ll know that Blur<\/em> were among the biggest acts of the era (and\nthey\u2019re still pretty great live if you get the chance to see them). This\ndocumentary follows a year in the life of the group, catching up with them\nduring their recent reunion, as well as the recording and release of The\nBallad of Darren<\/em> in 2023. Each member gives their thoughts on making music\nand how their relationships have changed over the years. Viewers also get a\nbehind-the-scenes look at their latest tour. The press was impressed with this\nmusic-related feature. One or two stated that they didn\u2019t learn much about the\nband, why they were successful or what motivates them. All others thought it\nwas a great documentary in which viewers really felt like a fly on the wall,\nwitnessing the group deal with the complexities of recording, touring and\nfriendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HOW TO RUIN THE HOLIDAYS \u2013 An aspiring comedian goes through\na rough patch in Los Angeles and, after hearing that her father is injured, is\nforced to return to her small hometown for the holidays. She arrives home and\nis welcomed by her eccentric family. As the time passes, the protagonist\u2019s\nsister arrives and tells her that her father can\u2019t really take care of their\nspecial-needs brother, and thus the protagonist should agree to have the house\nsold and put the pair into different facilities. This independent comedy split\nreviewers. Half commented that the issues it dealt with weren\u2019t handled in a\nbelievable manner and that it all felt phony. The same number thought that the\ncast were excellent and that the film was an amusing quirky comedy with sharp\ndialogue. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. Amber Nash, Colin\nMochrie, Kate Lambert, Aisha Tyler, Henry Zebrowski, Luke Davis and Ronny\nChieng headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n QUEENS OF DRAMA \u2013 This drama is a co-production between\nBelgium and France. It follows two young women, a pop singer and a punk rocker,\nwho fall for each other. They both want to be famous, but promise each other\nthat fame will never get in the way of their love. Of course, one becomes a\nstar and turns her back on the other, fearing that coming out as gay will hurt\nher career. The film follows the tumultuous relationship between the pair over\nhalf a century. This foreign-language feature was well-received by reviewers. A\nsmall number called the film bold but not very deep, eventually succumbing to\nover-the-top melodrama and silliness. Still, the majority called the film\nexuberant, stylish and joyously exaggerated, with dynamic visuals in keeping\nwith the musical tone of the piece. Gio Ventura, Louiza Aura, Alma Jodorowsky\nand Nana Benamer headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE SURFER \u2013 A man decides to take his son to the beach\nwhere he learned to surf. It\u2019s an idyllic spot, but the pair are met by locals\nwho don\u2019t take kindly to interlopers. In fact, those on site get aggressive,\ntaking the protagonist\u2019s board. Humiliated and frustrated, the lead begins\ntaunting them in return. As the conflict grows bigger and the temperature heats\nup, it is only a matter of time before violence erupts. The press was upbeat\nabout this thriller. A handful of reviewers complained that the main character\nwasn\u2019t a very sympathetic character and the message of toxic masculinity wasn\u2019t\neffectively handled. However, the consensus was that the movie was dynamic,\nwith memorable performances, marking an excellent satire that effectively\ncritiques its themes. The picture is available in an 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\ncombo pack. It stars Nicolas Cage, Finn Little, Rahel Romahn, Michael\nAbercromby, Alexander Bertrand and Julian McMahon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TALES OF BABYLON \u2013 This independent crime-thriller is set in\nLondon, England. It follows four different assassins who find themselves\ncompeting for a contract without knowing the others involved. It all has\nsomething to do with a crime boss and his young granddaughter, which causes\nmore complications and tension among the characters. This independent effort\nhasn\u2019t been seen by a great many critics as of yet. There are a handful of\nreviews from festival screenings. Generally, it seems that the movie harkens back\nto the early efforts of Quentin Tarantino (apparently, there are even direct\nreferences). Some find it a little too much of a copy for their liking, while\nothers have described the script as witty and the final product entertaining.\nThe cast includes Clive Russell, Brandon Burke, Billie Gadsdon, Aaron Cobham,\nBeatrice Fletcher and Paul Cassidy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BLASTS FROM THE PAST!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also options for anyone looking for something a\nlittle older. Arrow Video is releasing a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray of Crumb\nCatcher<\/em> (2023). It follows a wealthy couple who are kidnapped by a husband\nand wife. The kidnapping duo are hoping to hold them hostage for a giant fee\nthat will allow them to finance an incredible invention. Those who pick up the\ndisc will get a high-definition transfer of the movie, a commentary with the\nwriter\/director, a 38-minute behind-the-scenes making of for the project, a\n2016 and a 2010 short from the filmmaker, an original trailer, a booklet with\nan intro to the film, and a reversible sleeve featuring new and original\nartwork for the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Criterion is delivering The Adventures of Antoine Doinel<\/em>,\na 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray box set containing the French classics The 400\nBlows<\/em> (1959), Antoine and Colette<\/em> (1962), Stolen Kisses<\/em>\n(1968), Bed and Board<\/em> (1970) and Love on the Run<\/em> (1979). Antoine\nDoinel is the name of the lead character in these films by Francois Truffaut.\nIf you pick up the set, you\u2019ll get 4K restorations of all five films presented\nin Dolby Vision, a 1957 short film from the director also restored in 4K, two\narchival commentary tracks for the first film in the set, archival interviews\nwith Truffaut and his collaborators, video essays on the titles, a 2019\ninterview with the filmmaker\u2019s daughter, actress Laura Truffaut, as well as\ntrailers. A Blu-ray-only edition will also be available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you like your entertainment spicy, Delirium Home Video is\nreleasing Blu-rays of Rolls-Royce Baby<\/em> (1975) and Jess Franco\u2019s Satanic\nSisters<\/em> (1976). These titles arrive uncut and remastered in HD from the\noriginal negative. The first contains a film historian commentary, an interview\nwith the writer and promo materials. Listed bonuses on the second disc include\nan audio commentary, an interview with a film expert about the picture, a photo\ngallery and trailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kino is putting out a few notable titles as well. Exclusive<\/em>\n(1937) is a newsroom-set drama about two papers pitted against each other (one\nof which is owned by a mobster). This film stars Fred MacMurray and the disc\nincludes a film scholar commentary and a photo gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sand of the Kalahari<\/em> (1965) is a disaster picture\nabout a plane that crashes in the Kalahari Desert. One of the seven survivors\ndecides that his chances will improve if he, well, eliminates the other\npassengers. The disc boasts a new master from a 4K scan of the original 35mm\ncamera negative, a film historian commentary and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The classic western Shane<\/em> (1953) is appearing in a 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray combo pack, as well as a standalone Blu-ray. The story\nfollows a gunslinger who wants to start a new life as a farmhand. He befriends\na homesteader and her young son, but finds himself raising his guns again when\na cattle baron threatens them. You\u2019ll get a new 4K restoration of the film from\nthe original camera negative, a new film historian commentary track, a track\nwith the son of late director\/producer George Stevens and the associate\nproducer, a trailer and a slipcase for the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lionsgate Limited is the recent line of titles that are\nbeing made available exclusively through the studio\u2019s official website. This\nweek, the excellent creeper Frailty <\/em>(2001) is arriving in a \u201cLimited\nExclusive\u201d 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. This picture follows a man who arrives\nat FBI headquarters and recounts a chilling tale of how he and his brother\nwitnessed their father go on a killing spree after receiving visions telling\nhim that some people were actually demons in disguise. The movie was directed by\nand starred the late, great Bill Paxton. The cast also includes Matthew\nMcConaughey and Powers Boothe. The film has been remastered in 4K and is\npresented in Dolby Vision. The set includes a printed reproduction of the\noriginal shooting script with Paxton\u2019s handwritten notes, never-before-seen\nextras including stories from the set and an establishing shot featurette, as\nwell as numerous legacy special features and art for the box featuring a\nportrait of the stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you like your horror sillier, then you can also order Ghoulies\nIII: Ghoulies Go to College<\/em> (1991), which is being released as a Lionsgate\nLimited exclusive and part of the Vestron \u201cCollector\u2019s Series\u201d on Blu-ray. The\ntitle tells you all you need to know about the story. The company site promises\nthat this Blu-ray debut of the movie features a sleeve with new art and special\nfeatures like a commentary track, interviews, international trailers and a\nstill gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And there\u2019s more! Battle Beyond the Stars<\/em> (1980) is\ngetting the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo treatment from Shout Factory. This\nscience-fiction Star Wars<\/em> knock-off from Roger Corman is about space\nmercenaries hired to save a planet from an invading tyrant. It does feature an\nimpressive cast that includes Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard,\nJohn Saxon and Sybil Danning. You\u2019ll get a 4K scan of the film from the\noriginal camera negative presenting in Dolby Vision, as well as three\ncommentary tracks (one featuring Corman and screenwriter John Sayles), a\ndocumentary on composter James Horner, a look at the special effects, an\ninterview with star Thomas, a featurette on building the space world featured\nin the film, as well as promotional materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also now pick up a \u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d Steelbook\nof Robocop 2 <\/em>(1990), which contains the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray versions\nof the movie. All of the extras should be the same as in the previous Shout\nedition, only housed in new packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking\nCollection<\/em> is also being reissued in a standard 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set\n(it previously came out in a big box. This is a simpler edition containing all\nthe shorts and extras in a smaller package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sony Pictures is putting out the popular Brad Pitt\/Shia\nLaBeouf WWII tank movie Fury<\/em> (2014) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nSteelbook. You\u2019ll get a 4K Presentation of the film in Dolby Vision, along with\nloads of featurettes on the production, 50 minutes of deleted and extended\nscenes, a combat journal, photo gallery and trailers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stop! Look! and Laugh<\/em>! (1960) is a comedy featuring\nThe Three Stooges. The story of a ventriloquist getting interrupted by the\ntroupe is more of an excuse for providing compilation footage from earlier\nshorts, but many who saw it back in the day will likely enjoy revisiting it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n The independent zombie film Empire State of the Dead<\/em>\n(2016) is arriving on Blu-ray from SRS Cinema with a commentary track and a\ntrailer. She Kills<\/em> (2016), from the same distributor, is a low-budget\nrevenge film appearing on Blu-ray with multiple commentary tracks, trailers,\nbloopers and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also pick up First Love<\/em> (1970) from VCI on\nBlu-ray. It\u2019s a period drama set in czarist Russia with an international cast\nand crew. A 4K restoration of the film has been used for this Blu-ray, which\nalso contains a film historian commentary track, multiple featurettes on the production,\na photo and poster gallery and a restored original theatrical trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And finally, the Bette Davis drama Dark Victory<\/em>\n(1939) from Warner Bros. is being released on Blu-ray. The story involves a\nyoung socialite who is diagnosed with a brain tumor and must figure out how to\nspend the rest of her short life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is a list of some kid-friendly new arrivals on disc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo<\/em>: The Complete Series\n(Warner Bros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n LEGO DC Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis<\/em>\n(Warner Bros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n PBS KIDS: 15 Cool School Stories<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n ON THE TUBE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n All of the week’s TV-related releases can be perused right\nhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo<\/em>: The Complete Series\n(Warner Bros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 100<\/em>: Season 1 (Warner Bros.) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cooking With Legends<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n Manifest<\/em>: The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n Masterpiece Mystery!: Grantchester<\/em>: Season 1 (PBS)\nDVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n NATURE: Hummingbirds of Hollywood<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOVA: Secrets of the Forest<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DVD-Black-Tea-film-fixed.jpg\")
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