Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There’s plenty to choose from this week in a wide variety of genres. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
AFTER SHE DIED – A teenager grieves after a tragic accident takes her mother’s life. Later, she gets the shock of her life when her father introduces his new girlfriend, a woman who looks like a twin of her deceased parent. She begins investigating what happened to her mom, digging up a grave and trying to identify this new arrival. This independent horror/thriller from Australia hasn’t been seen by many critics in this part of the world. So far, the reaction from those who have previewed it has been tepid. A few commented that the movie was an interesting slow-burn, but most suggest that while it looks slick and the concept is interesting, the characters aren’t relatable and the story doesn’t reach a satisfying conclusion. It stars Liliana de la Rosa, Vanessa Madrid and Paul Talbot.
DEATH KNOT – In this Indonesian genre flick, a brother and sister learn that their mother has committed suicide. They return to their hometown with a friend in tow to take care of affairs and plan a funeral. But soon other locals drop by to threaten the pair and accuse their mother of practicing black magic. These rude visitors suddenly begin killing themselves, leaving the pair to wonder if the strange claims might be true. Not many reviewers in this part of the world have seen the film, but the majority of those who did have complemented it. One or two thought it was too slow. The rest noted that the film builds momentum as it progresses, is beautifully shot and very atmospheric. They claim that it will eventually send chills down the spine of patient viewers. The cast includes Cornelio Sunny, Widika Sidmore and Moran Oey.
DETECTIVE KNIGHT: REDEMPTION – While most low-budget direct-to-disc action pictures don’t warrant sequels, occasionally a few come to fruition. This is a follow-up to the 2022 film Detective Knight: Rogue, which followed a cop seeking vengeance for the shooting of his partner. After finding himself in police custody for his vigilantism, the lead accidentally ends up in the middle of a jailbreak led by a psychotic bomber (whose team members dress like Santa Claus). Our hero makes a deal with authorities to take down these baddies in exchange for his freedom and badge. The end result split the press. Half said it was another ineffective low-budget action movie that seemingly pushes the lead character into the background. But just as many thought the flick delivered some entertaining, B-movie fun. It features Bruce Willis, Lochlyn Munro, Corey Large and Miranda Edwards.
LOUDMOUTH – Reverend Al Sharpton is the subject of this documentary. The filmmakers tell the polarizing figure’s life story and detail his experiences as a pastoral prodigy, spokesperson for racial justice and media statesman. Along the way, viewers witness his brash and unusual tactics as the film attempts to determine whether or not he was an opportunist or a trailblazer. The final product earned more recommendations than pans. One-third of the press didn’t think it did more than show highlights of his career and that it avoided examining his attacks on contemporaries who were fighting for the same cause. Still, the majority found it to be an interesting and intriguing documentary about a figure who used the media to promote his message. It also contains interviews with President Barack Obama, James Brown, Reverend Jesse Jackson and more. This is a DVD-only release.
THE MENU – In this darkly comic thriller, a group of food enthusiasts (and one outsider invited at the last minute) gather for a very exclusive dining experience with a renowned chef. After being taken to a private island, the stuffy artisan serves them elaborate courses. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before the attendees discover that their host is not only serving some… unique dishes, but that he has extreme plans for them all. Write-ups were very positive for this effort. A few complained that the movie ended up succumbing to some of the genre tropes it was twisting. Everyone else called the film a very witty comedy that effectively takes shots at the wealthy, art critics, as well as artists themselves. They admired the work of the cast as well, whom they claimed delivered the goods. The movie stars Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janey McTeer, Judith Light and John Leguizamo.
SPEAK NO EVIL – This dark comedy involves a family from Denmark and another from the Netherlands who meet while vacationing in Italy. The conservative Danish group are charmed by their free-spirited companions and agree to go visit them. Unfortunately, it turns out that the family do not live in Amsterdam, but instead in the remote countryside. Things become very uncomfortable for the visitors as the behavior of the homeowners becomes stranger and more intimidating. This dark horror/comedy debuted on Shudder and is now receiving a DVD-only release. It won awards at film festivals and impressed critics. A small contingent didn’t like any of the characters and found the movie too unsettling to enjoy. But the consensus was that the film was incredibly effective at creating tension and fraying nerves. Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huêt and Karina Smulders headline the movie.
SPIN ME ROUND – An American chain restaurant manager is selected to attend a training program in Italy. She is initially thrilled by the prospect, imagining that she will soak in European glamor and maybe even meet a potential boyfriend in the process. The CEO and his sister take an interest in the protagonist and whisk her away on another trip. However, strange comments begin setting off alarm bells in the lead’s head and she begins to wonder if she may actually be in danger. This independent comedy split reviewers nearly down the middle. Almost half thought that the movie was eccentric, but that the talented cast and bizarre situations had them laughing throughout. The same number and a couple others thought the performers were excellent but that the tonal shifts and absurd climax was too problematic to ignore. It features Alison Brie, Alessandro Nivola, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Shannon, Lil Rel Howery and Fred Armisen.
TILL – This biopic tells the story of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie. In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett heads out to Mississippi to visit his cousins. After making an innocuous comment to a shopowner, he is lynched. Grief-stricken, his mother decides to do everything she can to see those responsible prosecuted. She takes unusual steps to do so, in the process garnering national attention. Notices for the movie were excellent. In fact, there were only a couple of reviewers who didn’t care for the picture. They wrote that it felt too conventional in its presentation and needed to be harder-hitting than it was. Virtually all other reviewers praised the lead performance and called it a compelling chronicle of how an average citizen was transformed into a civil rights activist. It stars Danielle Deadwyler, Jayln Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg, Layne Lawson and Kevin Carroll. Read a full review of the movie here.
UTAMA – In the quiet highlands of Bolivia, an elderly couple go about their usual routine. The husband takes their llamas out to graze while the wife collects water. Unfortunately, a lengthy drought begins to threaten their existence. The pair are forced to consider selling their property and moving to the city. When their grandson arrives with further news, the trio must come to a consensus on what to do. Most critics raved about this Spanish-language picture and it is the country’s Academy Award submission for Best International Film. One or two complained about the leaden pacing. But all others thought it was a quietly powerful, gorgeously shot, minimalist tale that beautifully detailed the lives and struggles of those whose existence is directly connected to the environment. José Calcina, Luisa Quispe and Candelaria Quispe headline the movie.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for something older, you have several options as well. Arrow Video is releasing the double-feature Lady Whirlwind & Hapkido on Blu-ray. It contains two titles that were produced in 1972 and feature butt-kicking female protagonists. The first features a young woman who rescues a man being pursued by gangsters. It is soon revealed that the lead is only doing this in order to murder the individual herself, whom she believes killed her sister. The second title is about a Chinese woman who faces resistance when she tries to open a martial arts school in Japan. This Special Edition features upgraded picture quality, multiple film critic commentaries, interviews with cast and crew members, archival featurettes. image galleries and trailers.
Criterion is presenting Lars von Trier’s Europe Trilogy on Blu-ray. It contains three early efforts from the filmmaker. You’ll get The Element of Crime (1984), Epidemic (1987) and Europa (1991). This set contains a 4K restoration of Europa and 3K restorations of the other two movies. There is a director commentary, a documentary on the filmmaker, as well as an interview with him on the trio of titles. You’ll also get making-of documentaries for the three movies, student shorts, another discussion with the director that aired on Danish television, trailers and more.
Kino is presenting several titles on Blu-ray too. Ghost Warrior (1984) is an action film about a samurai who is discovered frozen in ice. The warrior is shipped to Los Angeles, where he is unfrozen and goes on a rampage. The disc includes a film historian commentary, an interview with the make-up effects artist, a trailer and slipcase packaging.
Speaking of action, Chuck Norris fans can pick up the Missing in Action Trilogy on Blu-ray. It contains the original Missing in Action (1984), Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985) and Braddock: Missing in Action 3 (1988). This set contains new 4K restorations of the first two titles and a 2K restoration of the second. It also includes a director commentary on the first movie and a film historian commentary on the second and third films. Additionally, you’ll get a discussion with the screenwriter of the original and trailers for all the flicks.
If you like thrillers, the distributor is delivering a Special Edition Blu-ray of the Richard Gere/Kim Basinger thriller, No Mercy (1986). This tale involves a cop searching for the gangsters who killed his partner. He ends up falling for a witness to the crime and the two find themselves being stalked by assassins. The disc contains a new interview with co-star Jeroen Krabbé and a trailer.
Genre fans may get a kick of Programmed to Kill (1987) aka The Retaliator, an action film about a female terrorist (played by Sandahl Bergman) who is captured and transformed into a cybernetic killing machine for the CIA. The Blu-ray contains a 2K restoration of the film, a commentary track with the director, an interview with the screenwriter, an alternate opening, a trailer and a “limited edition” slipcase.
Paramount is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook edition of the monster movie Cloverfield (2008). It follows a group of friends who videotape their experiences running from a monster rampaging through New York City. This is a 15th anniversary “limited edition” that presents improved picture quality and all of the previously released extras.
You can also pick up the thriller Sliver (1993) on Blu-ray. It’s an over-the-top effort inspired by the success of Basic Instinct (1992) that stars Sharon Stone as an apartment tenant dealing with a series of murders in her building, as well as a voyeuristic stalker.
While this writer isn’t sure that the next title mentioned truly qualifies as a classic, the Ashley Judd/Tommy Lee Jones thriller Double Jeopardy (1999) is arriving on the special Paramount Presents line in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. The story involves a woman who is framed for her husband’s murder. After she finds her way out of prison, she discovers that her spouse is still living and seeks revenge on him. Besides the new image upgrade, it comes with a filmmaker focus on director Bruce Beresford (Tender Mercies, Crimes of the Heart, Driving Miss Daisy) and all the bonuses from earlier versions.
The Japanese drama Big Time Gambling Boss (1968) is also coming to Blu-ray from new distributor Radiance Films. After the head of a large criminal outfit passes away, the remaining members fight among themselves to appoint a new leader. This title is a rarity in this part of the world, but is well regarded. The movie has been transferred in high definition from source materials provided by Toei in Japan. The disc features a video essay on the movie with important details (it is part of a series), a lengthy featurette on gambling, as well as publicity materials.
Finally, Shout! are presenting a couple of titles. The fantastic John Carpenter science-fiction satire They Live (1988) is getting the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment with improved picture quality and the numerous extras from earlier editions. It also comes packaged in a Steelbook.
And the recent Jason Statham action picture Wrath of Man (2021) is also getting the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade, providing an even sharper picture for those who have the set-up.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
It’s a quiet week for kid’s entertainment, but here is what is arriving for youngsters.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Top 10 Tiger Tales (PBS Kids) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And you’ll find listings of all the TV-themed releases below.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Top 10 Tiger Tales (PBS Kids) DVD
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Welcome to Mama’s & Playing Cupid (Hallmark) DVD
My Life is Murder: Series 3 (Acorn) DVD
NATURE: American Ocelot (PBS) DVD