{"id":31882,"date":"2025-08-26T00:07:50","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T07:07:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=31882"},"modified":"2025-08-26T00:07:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T07:07:50","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-august-26th-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=31882","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for August 26th, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. After a slow edition, this is among the busiest in some\ntime. You\u2019ll be able to pick from several major releases, as well as a number\nof international titles and independent fare. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to\nthe movies this week, you can be sure that there will be something here worth\nchecking out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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BABY ASSASSINS 3 \u2013 Wow, the producers of this Japanese\naction\/comedy series have certainly been busy with this series of films. The\n2021 original focused on the exploits of two high school students who become\nassassins. In this chapter, also known as Baby Assassins: Nice Days<\/em>, the\ntwo kids have become famous in the world of hired killers. They decide to visit\na coastal town for a break, but find themselves being pursued by a noted hitman\nwho wants to wipe them out and become the top-rated assassin. Reviews have been\nvery strong for the latest effort. Pretty much every reviewer who saw the film\nstated that the chemistry between the two pals has only gotten stronger, and\nthe interesting story added tension and fear to the proceedings. They also\ncalled the action scenes memorable. It stars Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa,\nSosuke Ikematsu and Atsuko Maeda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EUREKA \u2013 A bird flies across the continent of North America,\ntraveling through time and telling stories about Native Americans and their\nstories. One tale is set in 1870 and follows a man searching the west for his\nkidnapped daughter, while another takes place more recently and follows an\nactor interviewing people to prepare for a role in a western film. This\nmultinational production from Argentinian filmmaker Lisandro Alonso (Jauja<\/em>)\nearned a positive reaction from the press. A small number had trouble with the\nunique storytelling angle, stating they found the wraparound format odd and the\nplot slow-moving. However, most were impressed with what they saw, stating the\nmovie was original, ambitious and cerebral. It was also described as\nfascinating in its observations on colonialism and its horrific impact on\nNative American people. The cast includes Aliana Clifford, Sadie LaPointe,\nChiara Mastroianni and Viggo Mortensen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GHOSTLIGHT \u2013 In this independent drama\/comedy, a\nconstruction worker is struggling with a family tragedy. His teenage daughter\nhas also developed behavioral issues and is in therapy. While waiting for her\nat a therapist, he wanders down the street and encounters members of a local\ntheater troupe. The lead ends up secretly joining their latest production as an\nactor and finds it therapeutic, but wants to keep his newfound hobby secret\nfrom his family. This leads to complications when his daughter catches him\nrehearsing for a big play. The picture received almost unanimous raves from\ncritics. One or two voices found that the picture was unsubtle and tried too\nhard to elicit sentiment from viewers. Everyone else couldn\u2019t help but be\ncharmed and moved by the proceedings. They called it an honest and sincere\nattempt to deal with grief, buoyed by great performances. The film ended up\nbeing listed as one of the year\u2019s ten best independent films by the National\nBoard of Review. It features Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara\nMallen, Dolly De Leon, Hanna Dworkin and Dexter Zollicoffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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INVADER \u2013 Speaking of indie films, this littler chiller made\nan impression on the festival circuit, before receiving a brief theatrical\nrelease. It is now arriving on disc as an exclusive through distributor Terror\nVision\u2019s website. The story involves a young woman who arrives in an unfamiliar\nsuburb trying to find her cousin. After finally locating the correct house, she\nenters and discovers unimaginable horror. A psychopath is there, tormenting all\nwho enter the premises. More horror reviewers recommended the movie than panned\nit. Close to half wrote that the characters were poorly developed and that the\nnastiness on display was difficult to sit through. Slightly more were impressed\nby the tone of dread and fear the movie generated, complimenting it for trimming\nall unnecessary story and delivering home invasion tension and fear for its\nfull 70 minutes. Vero Maynez, Colin Huerta and Joe Swanberg headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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KARATE KID: LEGENDS \u2013 Who would have believed that a\ncoming-of-age martial arts movie from 1984 would inspire multiple movies, TV\nseries and video games? This is the sixth film in the franchise, and the plot\nfollows a young martial arts prodigy who moves from China to New York City. He\nmeets a girl and the two begin dating, but he is unexpectedly attacked by her\nex-boyfriend, a karate champion. The protagonist meets two characters from\nearlier films, who agree to help him train and fight the bully in an upcoming\ntournament. This picture earned slightly more upbeats notices than it did pans.\nAlmost half of write-ups complained that the story was lazy and predictable and\nthe movie served as little more than a cash-in on the franchise\u2019s legacy.\nRegardless, the majority countered that this was an entertaining effort with a\ncharismatic cast that did manage to recapture some of the original film\u2019s\nmagic. This title will be available in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo set, a\n4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook, and a Blu-ray-only release. The film stars\nJackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na\nWen, Aramis Knight and William Zabka.       <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE KING OF KINGS \u2013 Inspired by the Charles Dickens book, The\nLife of Our Lord<\/em>, this animated Christian film begins with the author\ngrappling to deal with his misbehaving son. He decides to tell the youngster\nthe story of Jesus in the hopes that the child will learn some life lessons in\nthe process. The kid is enthralled by the tale, eventually changing the way\nthat he views the world and those around him. The press was generally split\nover this effort, although it did earn a few more positive reviews than downbeat\nones. More than one-third of critics found it very blunt in its messaging, and\nthis approach distracted them and kept them at an emotional distance from the\nmain characters. Still, the consensus was that the film was warm-hearted and\neffectively delivered its story. They thought the film\u2019s target demographic\nwould appreciate it. The voice-cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark\nHamill, Pierce Brosnan, Roman Griffin Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley and\nOscar Isaac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LILO & STITCH \u2013 Disney\u2019s live-action remake of its 2002 animated film has become one of the highest grossing films of the year. This week the title is arriving in a 4K Ultra HD Steelbook and Blu-ray combo pack and as a Blu-ray only release. A fugitive alien named Stitch crash-lands on Kaua\u2019i and encounters an orphaned young girl being raised by an overwhelmed sibling. Child protective services threaten to separate the family, and things get more complicated when Stitch takes the girl on a wild and dangerous adventure. The film received more praise than pans from critics. Slightly more than one-quarter described it as another in a series of empty remakes that didn\u2019t capture the charm of the original, nor did it impress them with updated themes and jokes. But overall, most awarded the film a passing grade, calling the end result a pleasant diversion that kids would love. They were also impressed with the work of the young star and thought other cast members effectively generated laughs. It features Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudon, Chris Sanders, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Hill and Tia Carrere. Read this site’s review of the film here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LOCKED \u2013 A cash-strapped ex-criminal doesn\u2019t have the funds\nto support his young daughter. Desperate, he walks past an unlocked luxury SUV\nand finds that he can\u2019t help himself from entering. He searches for goods to\nsteal, only to find himself trapped. The car owner appears on a monitor inside\nthe vehicle and begins to ask the lead questions about his past. The figure\ntries to talk his tormentor down and figure out how to escape from the car with\nhis life. Reaction to this thriller was moderately positive. About one-third\nhad trouble getting invested in either of the two character\u2019s plights and\nthought the claustrophobia and suspense wore thin as the story progressed. Yet\nmore believed it was a well-acted, dark and effective genre picture that\nattempted to address modern moral issues. They commented that it left them\nimpressed. For now, this is a DVD-only release. Bill Skarsgard, Anthony Hopkins\nand Ashley Cartwright headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MATERIALISTS \u2013 A professional matchmaker in New York City caters to wealthy clients searching for a mate. Despite her profession, she is a single woman who has vowed never to marry unless it is to someone rich. While attending the wedding of a client, the lead runs into her old boyfriend, a struggling actor who is working at the venue as a waiter. The protagonist also meets a financier, who takes a romantic interest in the lead and begins courting her.\u00a0 She must ultimately decide If she does want to settle down, and if so, with whom. This drama\/comedy was well received, although the reaction wasn\u2019t as uniformly positive as it was for Past Lives<\/em>, the previous film from writer\/director Celine Song. A small number complained that the movie didn\u2019t resonate as strongly with them as hoped for, also suggesting that after a good start critiquing modern dating, the ending was ultimately disappointing. Regardless, more were charmed by the cast and thought the film was sharp-witted, clever and had a lot more depth than typical rom-coms. Dakota Johnson, Chirs Evans and Pedro Pascal headline the movie. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN PUSHED TO SEPTEMBER 9th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS \u2013 This foreign-language feature from\nChina is set in the 1990s and follows the chief of police in a rural town. A\nseries of murders occur and the detective quickly discovers an individual who\nappears to be responsible. Everyone in town is satisfied, but the lead finds\nnew clues that raise serious doubts. He begins to learn dark secrets about the\ntown and its people that suggests a different party could be responsible.\nOverall reception for this crime\/mystery effort was good. A handful of\nwrite-ups noted that while the movie was stylish, it wasn\u2019t particularly\nthrilling and left them cold. But all others liked the neo-noir, slow-burn\napproach to the storytelling, commenting that the film did a good job of\ndeveloping the lead character, took some unexpected turns and kept them gripped\nuntil the finale. It stars Yilong Zhu, Chloe Maayan, Tianlai Hou and Tong\nLinkai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SELF DRIVER \u2013 A cab driver having difficulty keeping\nfinancially afloat learns about a new app that wealthy clients use for rides.\nIf he moonlights after work and spends the evening using the service and\ngetting some big extra fares, it might solve his problems. He decides to try it\nout, but after picking up his first customer immediately starts regretting the\ndecision. The driver finds himself in the criminal underworld and the endless\nevening ends up testing his moral and ethical values. This is a small independent\nfeature, but reviewers who have seen it have all been very excited about the\nfinal results. They found themselves gripped by what was occurring onscreen,\nstating that the film did an excellent job of generating tension in a small\nspace and examining just how far desperate people can potentially push\nthemselves to earn extra money. The cast includes Nathaneal Chadwick, Catt\nFilippov, Reece Presley and Lauren Welchner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SHARKSPLOITATION \u2013 Everyone enjoys the classic 1975 thriller\nJaws<\/em>, but did you know that the film has inspired hundreds of imitators?\nOkay, you probably are aware of that fact, but this documentary goes into\nspecifics about the many wild shark-centric horror movies that have been\nreleased over the last 50 years. The filmmakers present an overview of the\nsubgenre, talking to many knowledgeable parties, as well as many who have been\ninvolved in these productions. The picture has been available to stream for about\na year, but is now arriving on Blu-ray with both the movie and a few new\nextended\/deleted interviews. Horror journalists all had a good time with the\npicture, stating that the moviemaker did a lot of research, revealing\nincredible new tidbits and information about these pictures. Apparently, it\u2019ll\nleave most with a list of shark movies to catch up with. Some of the interview\nsubjects include Wendy Benchley, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Michael Gingold, Carl\nGottlieb, Adam Rifkin, Mario Van Peebles, and many, many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOVEREIGN \u2013 Inspired by real events, this grim drama is\nabout a boy taught and raised outside of traditional schooling by his father.\nThe two have become anti-government extremists who consider themselves\n\u201cSovereign Citizens\u201d and travel across the country to spread their beliefs.\nThey eventually find themselves in a standoff with police, resulting in a\nmanhunt that results in violence. Notices for this indie feature were very\nstrong.  A few didn\u2019t think that the movie dealt with the issues it raised\nin a clear or satisfying manner and seemed too vague about its final message.\nYet everyone else commented that while the movie was difficult to watch, it was\nexceptionally well-performed and delivered a powerful tale of how extremism can\nlead to tragedy. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. Nick Offerman,\nJacob Tremblay, Dennis Quaid, Martha Plimpton, Nancy Travis and Thomas Mann\nheadline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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STOCKHOLM BLOODBATH \u2013 Here\u2019s an unusual one. This is an\nEnglish-language Danish\/Swiss period exploitation film from director Mikael\nH\u00e5fstr\u00f6m (1408, The Rite, Escape Plan<\/em>). The trailer claims that the\nstory is based on true events. It begins in 1520, when a village is raided by a\nKing and his army planning on taking control of Sweden. Two women seek revenge\non the King and others who murdered their family. They lead their own team on a\nblood-filled rampage against the invaders. North American critics were slightly\nmiffed by what they experienced. A few found the title to be twisted fun, with\na likable cast, outrageous action scenes and a few unexpected story twists.\nUnfortunately, more reviewers here couldn\u2019t get on the movie\u2019s wavelength,\nfinding the mix of drama, chuckles and graphic violence off-putting and\nineffective. It features Sophie Cookson, Claes Bang, Alba August and Mikkel Boe\nFolsgaard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THEY CALL HER DEATH \u2013 Those who appreciate micro-budgeted\nexploitation western titles will be happy to check out this effort. The plot\ninvolves a woman who seeks revenge on those who murdered her husband. She rides\nfrom town-to-town, gunning down all evil-doers who cross her path. The synopsis\nfor the film also states that she is joined on her journey by the embodied\nspecter of Death, who makes sure she keeps on killing. This effort popped up on\nstreaming sites last year and is now appearing on disc. There are only a\nhandful of reviews available from online genre film sites. They all call the\nfilm a homage to European horror and western pictures. Some called it\nentertainingly unique with plenty of wild moments, while others suggested that\nyou really do have to be forgiving of the film\u2019s miniscule budget and some\ntechnical flaws. The cast includes Sheri Rippel, Jeff Boyer, Dane Shobe and\nDevan R. Garcia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE UNHOLY TRINITY \u2013 Speaking of westerns, this independent\neffort takes place in 1870s Montana and involves a son whose father has been\nconvicted of a crime he didn\u2019t commit. The dad tells his boy to murder the\nperson who caused the tragedy and the young man sets out to do just that. After\narriving in a town called Trinity, filled with vicious strangers, the\nprotagonist finds himself caught between the town\u2019s sheriff and another\nmysterious arrival. The press was not overly thrilled by this feature. Close to\nhalf did think it was an entertaining throwback to old-fashioned westerns and\nenjoyed the work of the familiar faces appearing in the title. But the majority\ncomplained that the movie was slow-moving and predictable, also claiming that\nit had difficulty establishing an authentic look and feeling. The film stars\nBrandon Lessard, Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, Veronica Ferres, Gianni\nCapaldi, Q\u2019orianka Kilcher, David Arquette and Tim Daly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VERMIGLIO \u2013 This historical drama from Italy takes place in\na rural mountain village in 1944. A war deserter from Sicily arrives in the\ntown and is allowed to stay with the family of a local teacher. He becomes\nromantically involved with the lady\u2019s daughter, eventually marrying her.\nFurther complications arise in the form of a pregnancy. Then, the husband asks\nhis wife to allow him to return to his home in order to tell his family of his\nnew life. This foreign-language effort earned raves for its realism and was\nnominated at last year\u2019s Academy Awards for Best International Film. A very\nsmall number complained that the film never took issue with its characters and\ntheir very selfish decisions. All others thought the movie felt incredibly\nauthentic, presenting all the positives and negatives of rural people living\ndifficult lives as World War II came to a close. Giuseppe De Domenico, Martina\nScrinzi and Tommaso Ragno headline the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

If you thought that there were a large number of new\nreleases, you\u2019ll find just as many older features receiving big upgrades. Teenage\nGang Dolls<\/em> (1966) is arriving on Blu-ray from AGFA. It\u2019s about a teenager\nwho moves to New York and, in order to fit in, joins a gang. Obviously, this\nleads to a lot of trouble. The image is taken from a 35mm print, and extras\ninclude a film historian commentary, the bonus movie The Rebel Set<\/em>\n(1959), shorts about juvenile delinquency, a trailer reel and a booklet with an\nessay on these types of pictures.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arrow Video is delivering The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:\nThe Beginning<\/em> (2006) as either a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d 4K Ultra HD disc or a\n\u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray. It might sound confusing, but this title is a\nprequel to the 2003 remake of the 1974 horror classic that shows the history of\nLeatherface and his cannibal family. The release contains 4K restorations of\nthe theatrical and uncut versions of the movie presented in Dolby Vision. A new\nfilm expert commentary is included, along with three archival tracks featuring\nthe director and various cast and crew members. You\u2019ll also get new interviews\nwith the director, cinematographer, as well as cast and crew. There is a\nmaking-of documentary, and an in-depth look at the life of Ed Gein (a serial\nkiller who was the inspiration for Leatherface). If that wasn\u2019t enough, deleted\nscenes, screen tests, and promotional materials are also included. And the disc\ncomes with a booklet with writing on the film, in addition to new and original\ncover art also featured on a foldout poster included in the set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Man of Integrity<\/em> (2017) is a noted Iranian feature\narriving on Blu-ray from Big World Pictures. It\u2019s about a man who moves to the\ncountry to escape government corruption, only to find the same kinds of\nproblems within his new community. The disc contains a trailer and an essay\nabout the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Canadian International Pictures has been restoring and\nreleasing some great titles for a few years now. Their latest release is The\nHeatwave Lasted Four Days<\/em> (1975) is a TV movie about a television cameraman\nwho captures footage of a convict trying to fake his death. The protagonist is\nsoon drawn into the criminal\u2019s dark world. It stars Gordon Pinsent and was\nhighly rated when it aired in the US on ABC\u2019s Wide World of Mystery<\/em>.\nBecause it made its way around various countries, three versions of the feature\n(a TV cut, an extended cut, and a four-episode edition) are included. They have\nbeen scanned and restored in 2K from 16mm interpositives provided by the\nNational Film Board of Canada. A film historian commentary is listed as a\nbonus, as well as an overview of the differences in the various versions, two\nshorts from the director, another award-winning TV-movie from the filmmaker,\nand a press gallery. You\u2019ll also receive a press gallery and a double-sided\nposter for the title (both images are also featured on the reversible cover).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion is delivering Compensation<\/em> (1999) on\nBlu-ray. This well-regarded film drama depicts the experiences of deaf\nAfrican-Americans during two different time periods. It\u2019s considered by many to\nbe a landmark of American independent cinema. The film has been given a 4K\nrestoration supervised and approved by the director in conjunction with the\nUCLA Film & Television Archive and the Sundance Institute. The disc\nfeatures a director commentary (accompanied by the screenwriter and the\ncinematographer), a Q&A with cast and crew, two shorts by the filmmaker, a\n2021 interview with the director, a featurette about the archival photos and\nsymbols used in the feature, a trailer, and a booklet with an essay, a\ndirector\u2019s note, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saving Face<\/em> (2004) is a queer rom-rom also arriving\non Blu-ray from Criterion. It\u2019s set in New York and follows a daughter opening\nup to her traditional mother about her sexuality. They pair try to find common\nground, leading to some humorous exchanges. The image is from a high-definition\ndigital master approved by the director. It comes with interviews with the\nfilmmaker and co-star Joan Chen, deleted scenes with optional commentary, a\nbehind-the-scenes featurette, a program on the title from the 2005 Sundance\nFilm Festival and a trailer. A booklet and essay are also listed as a bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not to be confused with the 1980s action picture starring\nChuck Norris, Invasion, U.S.A.<\/em> (1952) is arriving as a \u201cSpecial Edition\u201d\nBlu-ray from Film Masters. This is a different \u201cRed Scare\u201d movie about the\npatrons of a bar who learn that the U.S. has been invaded by Russia. The film\nhas been newly restored from original 35mm archival elements. It comes with a\nbrief presentation that accompanied the movie when it opened in theaters, a\nprofessor commentary track, an interview with the son of the star, and a film\nhistorian essay. Additionally, you will get the film Rocket Attack, U.S.A.<\/em>\n(1958) presented from its 16mm archival elements. This title also gets a film\nhistorian commentary track, an essay on the movie, a featurette on Hollywood\nvs. Communism in the 1950s, a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode of the\nsecond title, still galleries, atomic short films, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film Movement is delivering the Blu-ray set Nature and\nNature: Three Films by Naomi Kawase<\/em>, which contains the Japanese dramas Still\nthe Water<\/em> (2014), Radiance<\/em> (2017) and True Mothers<\/em> (2020).\nApparently, there is also a discussion included between the director and\nJuliette Binoche about the third title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm Water Under a Red Bridge<\/em> (2001) is another\nJapanese title that the distributor is presenting on Blu-ray about an\nunemployed salaryman who begins an affair with an unusual woman in a fishing\nvillage. The disc boasts a new restoration of the film for this release, along\nwith a video essay and a lengthy booklet with an essay on the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 4-plus-hour road movie\/documentary Route One\/USA<\/em>\n(1989) is arriving on Blu-ray from Icarus Films. It follows two men traveling\nthe entire length of Route 1 from the Canadian border to Key West, Florida. A\ndocumentary about the filmmaker is also included, as well as a booklet with\nwriting on the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And if you\u2019re a horror fan, then you may have seen and been\ndisturbed by the unsettling Mexican cannibal picture We Are What We Are<\/em>\n(2010). IFC Films is releasing it on Blu-ray. The disc includes a new film\nexpert commentary track, an archival making-of featurette, and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a busy week for Kino Lorber. First off, the company\nis releasing Blu-rays of the Paul Auster\/Wayne Wang all-star indie comedies Blue\nin the Face<\/em> (1995) and Smoke<\/em> (1995). Smoke<\/em> is a narrative\nabout the personal lives of various customers who shop at a tobacco store. Blue\nin the Face<\/em> is an improved series of comedic events involving many of the\nsame individuals (both films were shot together in just a handful of days). Smoke<\/em>\ncast members include Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Giancarlo Esposito, Jose Zuniga,\nJared Harris, Forest Whitaker, Stockard Channing, Ashley Judd and more, while\nBlue in the Face also includes Lou Reed, Michael J. Fox, Rosanne Barr, Jim\nJarmusch, Lily Tomlin, Madonna, Mira Sorvino and Keith David. The two titles\ncan also be purchased together in a Double-Feature Blu-ray for a discounted\nrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rundown<\/em> (2003) marked an early effort for action\nstar Dwayne Johnson. He plays a nice guy bounty hunter who travels to the\nAmazon to find his employer’s son, only to have to square off against a\ntyrannical treasure hunter. The cast also features Christopher Walken, Seann\nWilliam Scott, Rosario Dawson, Ewen Bremner and Arnold Schwarzenegger (in an\nuncredited role). This film is now arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo\npack. If you pick it up, you\u2019ll get a recently created 4K master of the movie\nfrom the original camera negative presented in Dolby Vision, along with a new\nfilm historian commentary, archival commentaries with director Peter Berg and\nstar Johnson, as well as a track featuring the film\u2019s producers. \nAdditionally, there are tons of archival featurettes, deleted scenes, and a\ntrailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also appearing on Blu-ray is the Jack Lemmon drama, Save\nthe Tiger<\/em> (1973), about a disillusioned American acting out after becoming\nresentful of his suburban life. The disc contains a 4K picture restoration from\nthe original negative provided by Paramount Pictures. It also comes with a\nmovie authority commentary track, an archival track with director John G.\nAvildsen (Joe, Rocky, The Karate Kid<\/em>) and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The amusing Woody Allen comedy Scoop<\/em> (2006) is also\nbeing made available on Blu-ray. This effort stars Allen, Hugh Jackman and\nScarlett Johansson. The latter plays a journalism student who thinks she may\nhave unearthed a big story about the illegal activities of an aristocrat. She\ndrags an older magician into her investigation. It comes with a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lionsgate is delivering a 4K Ultra HD-only \u201cDirector\u2019s Cut\u201d\nAmazon exclusive of the film, But I\u2019m a Cheerleader<\/em> (1999). This is a\ndark comedy about a high school student who is sent to rehab camp when her\nparents begin to believe that she might be a lesbian. The cast includes Natasha\nLyonne, Clea DuVall, Michelle Williams, RuPaul, Bud Cort, Mink Stole, Cathy\nMoriarty and Melanie Lynskey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Severin Films also is putting out some notable titles. If\nyou enjoy behind-the-scenes stories about moviemaking, you\u2019ll definitely want\nto pick up The Ghost of Peter Sellers<\/em> (2018). This title tells the\nfirst-hand story of the making of Ghost in the Noonday Sun<\/em>, 1974 a\npirate comedy starring Peter Sellers. Haven\u2019t heard of that film? Well, there\u2019s\na reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film director Peter Medak recounts his experiences as a young director building a career with films like The Ruling Class<\/em>. After being introduced to Sellers, the comic actor was friendly and mentioned that he was writing a draft of a major studio comedy. Sellers convinced the filmmaker to take the directing assignment on the picture, but things immediately went awry. Once on set, the star suddenly turned on Medak, causing disruptions, acting out and actually sabotaging the production. Using outtakes and unseen footage from the shoot, Medak tries to deal with the lasting trauma it caused (he wasn\u2019t able to find work for years after this project). Thankfully, Medak eventually did make a name for himself with films like The Changeling, The Krays, Let Him Have It, Romeo Is Bleeding<\/em> and other films, but it was an experience he still shudders at. The Blu-ray comes with an audio interview with Medak, some of Medak\u2019s production albums, a visual essay on the director, and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Tension: Four Films by Lamberto Bava<\/em> is a\nBlu-ray box set containing, swell, exactly what it promises. You\u2019ll get Eye\nWitness<\/em> (1993), The Man Who Wouldn\u2019t Die<\/em> (1993), School of Fear<\/em>\n(1993) and The Prince of Terror<\/em> (1996). While Bava is perhaps best known\nfor the Demons<\/em> series, these harder-to-find shockers should still\nentertain any fan of exaggerated Italian chillers. All of the titles have been\ngiven 2K restorations and come with interviews with Bava and other crew\nmembers. Eye Witness<\/em> and The Prince of Terror<\/em> even come with a\nfilm historian commentary track. A CD of choice cuts from the movies by\ncomposer Simon Boswell is also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speaking of Peter Medak, Severin is also presenting his\nfirst feature on Blu-ray. Negatives <\/em>(1968) stars Peter McEnery, Glenda\nJackson and Diane Cilento in a bizarre love triangle. The original 4K negative\nhas been scanned in 4K by the British Film Institute for this release and a\nbonus movie is also included. It\u2019s called Sparrows Can\u2019t Sing<\/em> (1963),\nand Medak was the assistant director on the feature.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years after the Peter Sellers debacle, Medak finally found\nanother gig with the black comedy The Odd Job<\/em> (1978) starring Graham\nChapman. It\u2019s about a married man who becomes suicidal after his wife leaves\nhim. He hires a stranger to kill him. When his wife returns home, the lead\ndiscovers that the individual he hired still has every intention of murdering him.\nChapman stars, along with Sir David Jason, Carolyn Seymour, Simon Williams,\nBill Patterson and Richard O\u2019Brien. This hard-to-find title has been scanned in\n2K from Medak\u2019s personal 35mm print. The director also delivers an intro for\nthe film. There is also an audio interview with the filmmaker, a Zoom reunion\nbetween Medak and Jason, as well as cast and crew interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shout Factory is presenting the Hong Kong action film City\non Fire<\/em> (1987) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo set. Chow Yun-Fat stars\nin this effort from Ringo Lam (Twin Dragons, Full Contact<\/em>) about a cop\nwho ends up in the middle of a conflict between the police force and a criminal\nwho has been honorable with him. You\u2019ll get a 4K Ultra HD picture restoration\npresented in Dolby Vision, a film historian commentary, new interviews with the\nscreenwriter and various authorities on the production, as well as a trailer\nand image gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deathstalker<\/em> (1983) and Deathstalker II<\/em> (1987)\nis a \u201cCollector\u2019s Edition\u201d Double-Feature 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package\ncontaining two low-budget fantasy pictures made on the heels of Conan the\nBarbarian. Both movies have been given 4K restorations from the interpositive\nand are presented in Dolby Vision. They come with director commentary tracks\nand trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larry Cohen: Mystery and Misdirection<\/em> is a Blu-ray\nset that will be available only through the Shout Factory website. It contains The\nPrivate Files of J. Edgar Hoover<\/em> (1977), Special Effects<\/em> (1984) and Wicked\nStepmother <\/em>(1989). The first and third titles listed have been given new 2K\nscans from the original camera negatives. There is also an interview with a\nmusic expert on the 1977 film, and a discussion with the editor of the last\ntitle in the set (some sources suggest this was a troubled production in which\nthe director clashed with star Bette Davis). Trailers are included on all three\ntitles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cStandard Edition\u201d Blu-ray of Slaxx<\/em> (2020) is now\navailable from Shudder. The streaming site made this title available on their\nplatform some time ago and are now making it available on disc. The horror\nstory involves a demonically possessed pair of jeans. The disc contains a\ndirector\/co-writer and co-writer\/co-producer commentary track, and a booklet\nwith new writing on the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Sony is debuting the latest Karate Kid title this\nweek, they are also making the Karate Kid Ultimate 6-Movie Collection<\/em> 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook available for fans of the series. You\u2019ll get all\nthe movies made between 1984 and 2025 in one package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The comedy classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail<\/em>\n(1975) is also getting the 4K Ultra HD Steelbook treatment from Sony.\nApparently, the 4K restoration presented in Dolby Vision looks absolutely\nstunning. If you haven\u2019t seen it, this comedy is a retelling of the Knights of\nKing Arthur starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin,\nTerry Jones and Terry Gilliam. You\u2019ll also get a \u201cnear-theatrical\u201d slightly\nshorter version of the movie in HD resolution with some alternate takes. There\nis also a 50-year tribute to the movie, two archival commentaries that feature\nall five stars, a 2015 Q&A with the cast, various featurettes with Jones\nand Palin, outtakes and extras scenes, three songs to sing-along and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 25th anniversary Blu-ray of Psycho Beach Party<\/em>\n(2000) is arriving from Strand Releasing. It\u2019s a send-up of beach movies with\nLauren Ambrose, Thomas Gibson and Amy Adams. The disc contains a director\ncommentary, music video, and trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal Pictures is presenting the Academy Award-winning\nJulia Roberts drama Erin Brockovich<\/em> (2000) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nset. The 4K picture is presented in Dolby Vision and the disc contains archival\nbonuses like deleted scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up the Twisters Double Feature<\/em> 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray pack containing the recent 4K editions of Twister<\/em>\n(1996) and Twisters<\/em> (2024) together in the same package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vinegar Syndrome is releasing a number of titles as well. Many were originally available only through their website, but now they can be purchased anywhere. These titles include the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set of Dario Argento\u2019s The Card Player<\/em> (2004) and the notoriously cheeseball E.T. rip-off Mac and Me<\/em> (1988), also co-starring Ronald McDonald, is also arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo. The same goes for the sequel, The Rage: Carrie 2<\/em> (1999) and the classic giant creature-feature, Yongary, Monster from the Deep<\/em> (1967).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you head over the Vinegar Syndrome website for some\nexclusives, you\u2019ll find Castle of Evil<\/em> (1966) available to order on\nBlu-ray.  This is a whodunit? murder mystery set on a Caribbean island.\nThe original 35mm camera negative has been scanned and restored in 4K for this\nrelease. It comes with a pair of film historian commentaries, an interview with\na genre film expert and reversible sleeve artwork.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of Monsters and Madness: The Films of Larry Fessenden\nVolume 1<\/em> is a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set containing the two titles, No\nTelling<\/em> (1991) and Habit (<\/em>1995). The release is limited to 6000 and\ncontains the No Telling newly scanned & restored in 4K from a 16mm original\nnegative and a 35mm blowup interpositive, both presented in Dolby Vision. Three\ncommentary tracks are presented on the disc, an archival making-of featurette,\nbehind the scene footage with an intro by Fessenden, as well as a short by the\nfilmmaker. Habit has been restored in 4K from its original 16mm camera negative\nin Dolby Vision, and arrives with four commentary tracks, tons of archival\nbonuses, another short by Fessenden, and publicity materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robo Warriors<\/em> (1996) is a low-budget direct-to-video\nscience-fiction tale with James Remar. The title has been newly restored in 2K\nfrom its 35mm interpositive and arrives with a director of photography\ncommentary track, a 42-minute making-of documentary on the production featuring\ninterviews with crew members, as well as a double-sided poster and reversible\nsleeve artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With another sequel arriving in just another week or two,\nWarner Bros. is presenting the horror hit The Conjuring<\/em> (2013) in a 4K\nUltra HD package and as a 4K Ultra HD Steelbook. This release marks the film\u2019s\ndebut on the 4K format and it arrives with improved visuals and two new\nfeaturettes. One features the cast and creators of the movie talking about the\nseries and its biggest shocks. The cast and crew also reflect on their\nexperiences shooting the movie. Additional archival extras are also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warner Archive is delivering Blu-rays of 7 Women<\/em> (1966), The Hard Way <\/em>(1943), Intruder in the Dust<\/em> (1949) and That Midnight Kiss<\/em> (1949).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps most notably, the line is delivering a 4K Ultra HD\nand Blu-ray set of the Michael Caine tough-guy picture Get Carter<\/em>\n(1971). He plays a mob enforcer whose brother is killed. He sets out to find\nthe party responsible and get his revenge. This set contains a new 4K\nrestoration of the title from the British Film Institute in Dolby Vision, along\nwith a vintage commentary with Caine, the director and the cinematographer.\nThere is also a film historian commentary, an hour-long archival conversation\nwith the director, a look at the film\u2019s score, an interview with co-star Petra\nMarkha, and a discussion with the son of the film\u2019s producer. A standalone\nBlu-ray is also available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Below is a list of the week\u2019s kid-friendly titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Huckleberry Hound Show<\/em>: The Complete Original\nSeries (Warner Archive) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The King of Kings<\/em> (Vidangel Studios) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilo & Stitch<\/em> (Disney) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nSteelbook or Blu-ray only<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

All of this edition\u2019s TV-related titles can be found here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergency!<\/em>: The Complete Series (Universal Studios)\nBlu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Huckleberry Hound Show<\/em>: The Complete Original\nSeries (Warner Archive) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matlock<\/em>: Season 1 (Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NCIS Origins<\/em>: Season 1 (Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You<\/em>: Season 4 (Netflix) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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