{"id":32017,"date":"2025-09-16T01:49:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T08:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=32017"},"modified":"2025-09-16T01:49:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T08:49:59","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-september-16th-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=32017","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for September 16th, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray and DVD. Last week was remarkably busy. That means this edition is\nquieter. Still, there are some interesting new arrivals and plenty of notable\nolder features receiving impressive releases. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to\nthe 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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BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER! \u2013 This documentary is exactly\nwhat it sounds like\u2026 a film devoted to chronicling the best festive features\never made. Stars, critics, writers, directors and authors (several of whom are\ninvolved with titles on the list) run down some of their favorites and why\ncertain pictures resonate with audiences. By the time all is said and done,\nviewers get all the details on approximately 50 yuletide favorites. As of right\nnow, there aren\u2019t any reviews available for this title, but one imagines that\nanyone thinking of checking something out this December might be curious to see\nwhat makes the cut on this list (wonder if Gremlins<\/em> is included\u2026 and\nwould be surprised to see a few of my favorites, like Comfort and Joy<\/em>, The\nIce Harvest<\/em> and The Ref<\/em> get chosen). Interview subjects include Jon\nBerg, Jeremiah S. Chechik (director of National Lampoon\u2019s Christmas Vacation<\/em>),\nDenise Crosby, Terry Farrell, Kurt Fuller, Mitch Glazer (co-writer of Scrooged<\/em>),\nBiran Levant (director of Jingle All the Way<\/em>), Steven E. de Souza\n(writer of Die Hard<\/em>), Ilya Salkind (producer of Santa Claus: The\nMovie<\/em>) and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HIDDEN FACE \u2013 An orchestra conductor falls for his cellist\nand the two announce that they are engaged. But not long after, she vanishes,\nleaving only a cryptic video behind. Time passes and a replacement joins the\norchestra. The conductor begins to develop feelings for the replacement, who\nsoon returns his affections. But the pair realize they might be judged by\nothers for the relationship and try to keep their romance a secret. As this\noccurs, more details about the missing musician come to light. This South\nKorean mystery\/thriller hasn\u2019t been seen by many North American critics. Still,\nthose who did catch the movie and write it up were positive about it. They\nwrote that the cast was charismatic and that this was a slick, well-produced\npicture that would keep thriller enthusiasts on edge. The cast includes Song\nSeung-heon, Cho Yeo-jeong and Park Ji-hyun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE LAST RONIN \u2013 While the title of the feature might make\none believe this is a Japanese period story, that couldn\u2019t be farther from the\ntruth. This movie is actually a Russian, post-apocalyptic action picture. After\nnuclear war has ravaged the planet, very little from the old world still works.\nThe only source of value and currency become weapons and ammunition. A lone\nsurvivor with sword-fighting skills wanders through the wasteland, until he\nmeets a young woman in desperate need for help. Very few people have seen this\npicture and there are currently no reviews available for it. A few online\nwriter-ups from other parts of the world have appeared, and opinions are all\nover the place. Some commented that the movie looked impressive and the action\nwas good, while others complained that it was bland, stiff and predictable.\nYuri Kolokolnikov, Diana Enakaeva and Bekarys Akhmetov headline the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SO UNREAL \u2013 This is a busy week for documentaries about\nmovies. In this example, pictures with a cyberspace theme made between 1981 and\n2001 are examined. The filmmaker goes through titles like eXisTenz, The\nMatrix, TRON, Tetsuo: The Iron Man<\/em>, and TRON<\/em> (and hopefully Electric\nDreams, Ghost in the Machine<\/em>, Johnny Mnemonic, The Lawnmower Man <\/em>and\nothers) to explore the public\u2019s fears and anxieties about technology at the\ntime. Viewers will see some prescient ideas in these movies, along with ideas\nthat didn\u2019t make as strong an impact. Notices for this effort were generally\ngood. A lone voice or two thought the film reminded them of a student thesis.\nThey didn\u2019t really buy into many of the arguments it was making. But the\nmajority liked it. They admitted that the presentation was a bit dry, but\nthought it would appeal to those who enjoyed the genre. And others believed the\nmovie did offer interesting arguments and ideas that would engage and\nentertain. The film is narrated by Debbie Harry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TULSA TERRORS \u2013 Want even more documentaries about movies?\nYou can complete a trifecta this week with this effort. It goes into the\ndirect-to-video movie boom that began in the late 1980s into the 1990s. For\nsome time, independent filmmakers used video equipment to create movies and a\ngreat many got major VHS distribution deals. This film tells the story and also\ngoes into specifics about a pair of tenacious Oklahomans who may have been\nresponsible for getting the ball rolling with Blood Cult<\/em>, a 1985 horror\nfilm that was a big seller at the time of release. As it turns out, VCI\nEntertainment-founder Bill Blair was one of the figures who made the movie. He\nand filmmaker Christopher Lewis tell how things exploded and what the film\u2019s\nsuccess led to. There aren\u2019t any reviews for this title just yet, but it sounds\nlike a fascinating story that will be of interest to fans of micro-budget\nmoviemaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VULCANIZADORA \u2013 Two friends trudge out into the Michigan\nwilderness in this unusual drama\/dark comedy with genre film elements. They\njoke around and talk about their lives, while making reference to fulfilling a\npact. The journey goes awry and the two have to deal with the consequences, as\nwell as how to move forward once locals know the truth of what they\u2019re up to.\nThere\u2019s not a whole lot known about the plot of this independent effort, but\nmembers of the press who saw it spoke highly of it. In fact, the film played at\nnumerous festivals, winning awards at both Tribeca and Fantasia. A lone voice\nliked the cast but was let down by where the story ultimately went. All others\ncalled the movie completely unique and that it went to unusual and challenging\nplaces. They were impressed by the cast and thought the story\u2019s existential\nelements would stay with viewers. It stars Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus and Solo\nPotrykus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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If you\u2019d like to give an older title a try, you have plenty\nto choose from as well. Radiance Films is releasing The Betrayal<\/em> (1966)\na Japanese samurai picture about an honorable swordsman who is asked by his\nmaster to take the blame for a murder he didn\u2019t commit, until figures above him\ncan sort out a solution and return him to a position of honor. He ends up being\nsent away and, now a ronin, the lead discovers that no one above him has any\nintention of clearing his name. Instead, they all end up trying to murder him\nbefore he causes trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This picture has earned a following over the years and is now arriving as a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray, containing a high-definition film transfer presented by Kadokawa. There is a scene select audio commentary from a film critic, a visual essay comparing this version of the story to an earlier, silent production, and a visual essay on themes in the films of director Tokuzo Tanaka (The Snow Woman, Shinobi 4<\/em>). The disc comes with a booklet and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned art for the feature. You can read a full review of the disc by clicking on this link!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Los Golfos<\/em> (1960) aka The Delinquents<\/em> is a Spanish drama about a group of kids struggling to survive in Madrid. They turn to petty crime to try and earn a living for themselves and eventually plot an elaborate heist. The picture made waves during its initial release and was nominated for the Palm d\u2019Or at Cannes. For this \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray, Filmoteca Espanola is presenting a 4K picture restoration from the original camera negative. There is an introduction to the film by a critic, an interview with another movie expert about the title\u2019s importance and influence on Spanish cinema, 13 minutes of scenes censored by dictator Francisco Franco\u2019s film office (the cut presented on the disc restores almost all cuts), and two early shorts from the director. It all comes with a booklet and a reversible sleeve with original and new art for the film. You can read a full review of this disc right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arrow Video is putting out a Blu-ray of the American\nindependent folk horror film Hellbender<\/em> (2021). The plot involves a teen\nwith an immunity disorder who begins to believe that her protective parents\nmight actually be lying about her condition. The film has been given a\nhigh-definition transfer and comes with a filmmaker commentary, a video essay\non the movie, a featurette on the visual effects, behind-the-scenes footage, a\nshort film, four music videos and a trailer. This release also comes with a\nbooklet with writing on the title, as well as new and original cover artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comedy Big Helium Dog<\/em> (1999) is arriving from Big\nChoice Video as a Collector\u2019s Edition Blu-ray. This independent effort was a\nsketch comedy movie featuring a cast of familiar faces, including Kevin Smith,\nMichael Ian Black and Jay Changrasekhar. The original camera negative was\nrestored for this new high -definition release and it comes with two filmmaker\ncommentary tracks, and intro from the writer\/director and Kevin Smith, a\nQ&A with the filmmakers, associate producer and cast members, cast\nauditions, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, trailers and a slipcover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hotel Rwanda<\/em> (2004) is a very well-regarded title\nwith Don Cheadle that was a multiple Oscar nominee. The story involved a hotel\nmanager who took in more than one thousand Tutsi refugees in the country. This\nfeature is arriving from Capelight Pictures as a Blu-ray Mediabook and a\nstandalone Blu-ray. Previous editions of the film contained bonus features, so\none hopes that this edition will carry over some of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criterion is delivering the Lizzie Borden film Born in\nFlames<\/em> (1983) on Blu-ray. The story is set in the US after a peaceful\nrevolution puts the extreme right into power. Minorities, liberals, gay rights\norganizations and feminists are put through the ringer by the government. For\nthis release, the movie has been given a 2K restoration by the Anthology Film\nArchives (with funding from the Golden Globe Foundation and Film Foundation),\nsupervised and approved by the director.  Borden provides an intro to the\nfeature, and is part of a cast and crew commentary track. The disc also\nincludes Regrouping<\/em> (1976), a feature documentary from Borden about a\nNew York City women\u2019s group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This Is Spinal Tap<\/em> (1984) is arriving in a 4K Ultra\nHD and Blu-ray set as well as a standalone Blu-ray. This classic mockumentary\ntells the story of a hard rock band promoting and touring their latest album.\nWe see all the absurd hardships they go through as they reach for glory. The\nmovie is hilarious and serves as one of the best of its kind, thanks to the\nwork of writer\/director Rob Reiner (who also appears in the film as the\ndocumentarian) and cast members Christopher Guest, Michael McKeon, Harry\nShearer, Tony Hendra, Bruno Kirby, Ed Begley Jr., Fran Drescher, Patrick\nMacnee, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Howard Hesseman, Paul Shaffer, Archie Hahn,\nAngelica Huston and Fred Willard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film has been given a 4K restoration supervised and\napproved by Reiner and presented in Dolby Vision (apparently it looks\nincredible). There are three audio commentaries: one with actors Christopher\nGuest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer; one with Reiner, producer Karen\nMurphy, and editors Robert Leighton and Kent Beyda; and one with band members\nNigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls. A recently recorded\nconversation between Reiner and actor Patton Oswalt is included, as well as\nouttakes, alternate takes and abandoned subplots (some of which are very\nfunny). The 20-minute video Spinal Tap: The Final Tour<\/em> (1981), which was\nshot to help gain funding for the feature, is also included, as well as\ntrailers (including the legendary \u201ccheese\u201d teaser), promotional spots, media\nappearances, music videos, and commercials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also pick up a Blu-ray of Dakota<\/em> (1974) from\nCult Epics. It\u2019s a Dutch feature about a pilot who gets involved with\ncontraband in order to keep his plane operating. The movie was big in its\nhomeland and was shot by Jan de Bont (who would go on to direct Speed and\nTwister). The film has been given a 2K restoration for this release and arrives\nwith the film historian commentary, a press flight, footage from Cannes, a\nphoto gallery and trailers. A slipcase is included with the disc, and the\njacket has a reversible sleeve with the original Dutch poster art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deaf Crocodile Films is notable for releasing notable\nEastern European titles. This week sees the release of several discs. The first\nis a \u201cStandard Edition\u201d Aleksandr Ptushkov Fantastika Box<\/em>, containing\nBlu-rays of the Russian fantasy films The Sword & the Dragon<\/em> (1956)\naka Ilya Muromets<\/em>, The Day the Earth Froze<\/em> (1959) aka Sampo<\/em>,\nThe Tale of Tsar Saltan<\/em> (1967) and Ruslan and Ludmila<\/em> (1972).\nYou\u2019ll get restorations of all four films, movie historian commentary tracks,\nan hour-long interview with visual effects artist and authority Robert Skotak\non the movie\u2019s special effects, a film historian essay, a video essay on the\nmovies, and a restoration trailer. Printed articles on the movie are included\nin the box too. And, if you\u2019d prefer to just own any title separately,\nindividual copies will be available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the distributor is presenting The Devil\u2019s\nBride<\/em> (1974) on Blu-ray. This is a Lithuanian musical about a devil who is\nkicked out of heaven and tries to cause chaos on Earth. Apparently, it\u2019s quite\nsurreal and visually striking. The Lithuanian Film Center has restored the\npicture for its first-ever Blu-ray release, which comes with an interview\nfeaturing the daughter of the director. A Lithuanian film critic also talks\nabout the movie, and there is a visual essay on the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pied Piper<\/em> (1986) is a Czech take on the\nlegendary folk tale that is arriving on Blu-ray with other shorts by Jiri Barta\n(who directed the feature film). The specs boast a new restoration of the film,\nand a rare short from the director, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary\non the movie, a new interview with Barta, a film expert commentary track, a\nbooklet and essay, and new artwork for the disc case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flaming Brothers<\/em> (1987) marks an early starring role\nfor Chow Yun-Fat, and Eureka Entertainment is delivering the title as a\n\u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray. It follows the lead and his pal as they rise through\nthe ranks of the Hong Kong criminal underworld. Eventually, they are forced to\nturn on each other. The movie has been given a 2K restoration and comes with an\nAsian cinema expert commentary, an archival interview with the director, a\npiece on the film locations, and a trailer. You\u2019ll also get a slipcard with new\nart for the film and a booklet with writing on the title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a busy week for Kino Lorber too. Angry Harvest<\/em>\n(1985) is an early effort from Polish filmmaker Agnieska Holland (the 1993\nversion of The Secret Garden, Washington Square, Green Border<\/em>) about a\nJewish family hiding from Nazis in Silesia during World War II. It comes with a\nfilm critic commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M\u00e4dchen in Uniform<\/em> (1958) is a West German\/French\neffort about a student in a Prussian boarding school who falls for her female\nteacher. It arrives on Blu-ray with a movie expert commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The crime thriller Night of the Juggler<\/em> (1980) is\nbeing released in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack and in a Blu-ray-only\npackage. James Brolin plays an ex-cop turned truck driver visiting his daughter\nin New York City. When she gets kidnapped, he races in pursuit through some\ndark corners of the city. The cult film has been given a 4K restoration from\nthe original camera negative, all presented in Dolby Vision (early word is that\nthe transfer is stunning).  Extras include a film expert commentary, an\ninterview with star Brolin and a discussion with co-star Julie Carmen. There is\nalso a featurette on director Sidney J. Furie, who shot the first third of the\nmovie, before a cast member injury put the production on hold and forced the\nfilmmaker to leave the production. A trailer and a reversible cover for the\ndisc is included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Peter Sellers comedy The Wrong Arm of the Law<\/em>\n(1963) is appearing on Blu-ray as well. The star plays a thief whose robbery\nplans keep going awry. He has to pick out a traitor in his crew. This disc\ncontains a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, a film expert\ncommentary track, an interview with the screenwriter and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lionsgate Limited is a special line of titles that are only\navailable through the Lionsgate website. This week sees the appearance of a 4K\nUltra HD and Blu-ray \u201cLimited\u201d exclusive Steelbook of the vampire picture Daybreakers<\/em>\n(2009). After most of the population have been turned into bloodsuckers, the\nlack of human plasma becomes a major issue for the population. A scientist\ntries to engineer a blood substitute and ends up joining a group of rebel\nvampires fighting the establishment. The movie is being presented in 4K with\nDolby Vision and comes with new featurettes on the production, a gag reel, an\narchival making-of, a short from the directors, an audio commentary with the\nfilmmakers and the creature designer, and publicity materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The early Billy Murray effort Meatballs<\/em> (1979) is also receiving a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray \u201cLimited\u201d exclusive Steelbook. Yep, a few gags in this picture probably don\u2019t play as well today, but if you grew up with this Canadian comedy (like I did) from Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Ghostbusters, Twins, Evolution<\/em>), you adore it. Amidst all the goofy gags, it tells the tale of an awkward, lonely kid attending a summer camp in Ontario, Canada, finding a friend in one of the camp counselors. The kid and other attendees ends up in the middle of a bitter competition with a nearby camp populated by obnoxious, wealthy kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The release promises a 4K restoration of the film presented\nin Dolby Vision, a new stereo mix for the movie, new featurettes on the\nproduction about Reitman, including one with his son and filmmaker Jason\nReitman (Juno, Up in the Air, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Saturday Night<\/em>).\nThe original 1979 casting sessions are listed as an extra, along with an\narchival commentary with Reitman and the writer-producer, a making-of, and a\ntrailer. Once again, if you want either of these releases, head on over to the\nLionsgate Limited website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shout Factory is rereleasing Halloween<\/em> (1978) and Halloween\nII<\/em> (1981) as 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Amazon exclusive Steelbooks. The\ncontents of these releases will be the same as previous 4K editions, only in\nnew packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here\u2019s another picture from my childhood that I actually have a soft spot for. The British fantasy adventure film Krull<\/em> (1983) is coming from Sony Pictures as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook. This effort was an unusual combination of Star Wars and Excalibur. A sinister force from space invades a planet, wipes out most of a kingdom and kidnaps the queen. A young prince is rescued and teams with a group of thieves and fighters to try and save their world. The hero\u2019s costume is pretty silly, but the cast features plenty of future stars (Alun Armstrong, Liam Neeson, Robbie Coltrane), the visuals are impressive and the score by James Horner (who would later score titles like Aliens<\/em>, Field of Dreams, Braveheart, Titanic, <\/em>and Avatar<\/em>) is excellent. Call me crazy, but I also believe director Peter Yates (Bullitt, Murphy\u2019s War, The Deep<\/em>) is also subtly working in a World War II-feel to the proceedings, with the group nobly fighting and sacrificing themselves against enemy forces. This also helps the film make an impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The studio is also releasing a Blu-ray of This is My\nFather<\/em> (1998) a drama with Aidan Quinn and James Caan about a Chicago\nschoolteacher who finds a picture of his mother with a mystery man from Ireland\nand travels across the Atlantic Ocean to find out more about their\nrelationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Universal Pictures is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nedition of the effective Russell Crowe\/Renee Zellweger boxing drama, Cinderella\nMan<\/em> (2005). Based on the true story of the Baer-Braddock fight, this 20th<\/sup>\nanniversary edition contains over three hours of bonus material, including\ndiscussions with director Ron Howard and star Crowe about recreating the main\ncharacter in the story. They also watch the original fight and give their\nthoughts on it. There are three archival commentary tracks (one with Howard,\none with co-writer Akiva Goldsman, and another with co-writer Cliff\nHollingsworth). Deleted scenes are included, alongside numerous featurettes on\nthe production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier in May, the well-reviewed drama My Dead Friend\nZoe<\/em> (2025) was given a DVD-only release. This week, it\u2019s arriving on\nBlu-ray from Universal. Sonequa Martin-Green stars as an Afghanistan war\nveteran who returns home, but can\u2019t stop conversing with her best friend who\ndied on the battlefield. It also stars Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. The disc\ncontains deleted scenes and a featurette on the story that inspired the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you were chilled by the Jame McAvoy horror remake Speak\nNo Evil<\/em> (2024), you can now pick up a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo of the\ntitle. In addition to the picture upgrade, this edition contains a\nwriter\/director commentary and featurettes on the production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, VCI is releasing the Mexican feature Santo vs.\nInfernal Men<\/em> (1961) on Blu-ray, which sees the masked wrestling hero\nsquaring off against some sinister bandits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Below is a title that might appeal to children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ernest & Celestine: Winter Tales<\/em> (Dreamscape\nMedia) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here is a list of the week\u2019s TV-related titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brokenwood Mysteries<\/em>: Series 11 (Acorn) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buster Keaton Show<\/em> (1949 series) (Liberation\nHall) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fire Country<\/em>: Season 3 (CBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hallmark 6-Movie Collection: Falling Together, Falling\nfor You, Notes of Autumn, Sweet Autumn, Pumpkin Everything, Under the Autumn\nMoon<\/em> (Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The John Wayne Gacy Murders: Life and Death in Chicago<\/em>\n(TV mini-series) (MVD Visual) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M*A*S*H* – The Comedy That Changed Television<\/em>\n(TV-documentary about TV-series) (Crew Neck Productions) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Masterpiece Mystery! Unforgotten<\/em>: Season 6 (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor T<\/em>: Season 4 (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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