Welcome back to another look at Blu-rays and DVDs that are arriving on store shelves. It seems as though this edition is chock full of well-reviewed little independent features, as well as a great many classic features that are receiving new high-definition upgrades. So, if can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
42nd Street: The Musical – This musical follows a talented young performer trying to earn her big break on Broadway. As she and other performers prepare for a show, we see behind-the-scenes romances and break-ups, as well as battles between the cast members. The story is based on the 1933 film of the same name and is set to famous tunes of the era. It won a Tony Award during its original run in 1980 and is hugely popular. According to a press release, this version is a recording of a 2019 London stage production of the show. It initially premiered as a Fathom event at theaters, but is now making its debut on disc. Reviews for the effort were quite good when it ran at cinemas a couple of years ago, calling it a high-energy production with great sets and backdrops. It features Bonnie Langfor, Clare Halse, Hughie Green, Tom Lister and Jasna Ivir.
Closed for Storm – Theme parks are a lot of fun, but what happens to them after they close or shut down? A filmmaker who grew up near the Six Flags amusement park Jazzland near New Orleans, Louisiana examines the concept. Jazzland opened in 2000, but was shut down in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina flooded the park and surrounding area. The owners decided not to reopen and instead collected insurance money on the property, leaving the area completely abandoned. 15 years later, the director returns to the site to see the remains of Jazzland and tell his story, as well as discuss what happened to surrounding area and the impact the theme park’s demise had on the community. This title played last winter at the New Orleans Film Festival and garnered positive response. It is now debuting on disc and on streaming platforms this week.
Dark Spell – After her husband leaves her, an obsessed woman becomes determined to do whatever it takes to win him back. She goes to the extreme, looking into witchcraft and performing a spell called a “Black Wedding”. Her ex immediately returns, but in a bizarre state. He becomes extremely jealous, threatening both the lives of the protagonist’s friends and the leading lady herself. It is soon discovered that the spell is irreversible and that even death won’t stop the spouse from leaving her alone. This Russian horror movie hasn’t been seen by many reviewers in this part of the world. So far, there are only a couple of write-ups that have appeared online. One called it an effectively chiller that emphasizes mood and atmosphere over shocks. The other fond the story too by-the-numbers and predictable to recommend. The cast includes Yana Yenzhayeva, Konstantin Beloshapka and Igor Khripunov.
Drunk Bus – The story opens with a college grad struggling to cope with terrible misfortune. His post-education plans go awry and his girlfriend leaves him for a job in New York City. Unsure of what to do next, he takes a position as a bus driver at a university campus. He soon meets interesting new people and befriends a Samoan security guard. The two men attempt to help each other break out of their routines and make a new start. This independent feature earned a lot of good press at film festivals and screenings. It even won praise at last year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas and took home prizes at the San Diego Film Festival. One or two reviewers weren’t fond of the protagonist and found the messages being relayed confused. However, everyone else complimented the film as being sweet and handling themes like depression in an engaging and even funny way. It stars Charlie Tahan, Pineapple Tangaroa, Kara Hayward, Zach Cherry and Will Forte.
Equal Standard – The lives of police officers in New York City are intertwined with various residents in this drama. After a white NYPD officer refuses to believe that an undercover black detective is a policeman, gunfire is exchanged, leading to a casualty. With this and other racially motivated shootings causing strife in the area, the characters argue about what has occurred and how these events should be prevented. There haven’t been a great many notices written about the picture, but those that have appeared have been split. Half suggest that the film doesn’t make a big emotional imprint and suffers from being overwritten and awkwardly paced. However, just as many believed that the film’s ideas were interesting and called the filmmaker’s approach realistic. Tobias Truvillion, Robert Clohessy, Maurice Benard, Hassan Johnson and Ice-T headline the picture.
Locked In – A storage facility doesn’t necessarily leap to mind as a dynamic locale for an action picture, but this independent effort attempts to deliver thrills in the closed-off space. A woman takes her daughter to the high-tech storage site where she works, only to discover that a heist is occurring. She tries to protect her daughter by heading deep into the labyrinth of passageways and units so that they can escape with their lives. This thriller played briefly in a few theaters about a month ago and is now being released exclusively on DVD (no Blu-ray date has been set yet). Only a handful of critics have seen it and they weren’t overwhelmed with what they witnessed. They reported the movie being a rote and predictable thriller that ends up suffering from its visually uninteresting setting. It stars Mena Suvari, Jeff Fahey, Jasper Polish, Manny Perez and Costas Mandylor.
Marathon – in this independent comedy, an amateur documentary crew chronicles five wannabe athletes training for the Devil’s Canyon Marathon, an eccentric but tough desert-set competition celebrating its 15th year. Viewers see the competitors train for three months leading up to the event, irritating friends and family until they finally face off against one another. Reaction towards this mockumentary (shot in the style of films like Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show) was extremely upbeat. In fact, as of right now it has received nothing but positive notices from the press. They all thought that the cast were excellent and thought the leads were all extremely well-written and funny. The movie is debuting on both DVD and streaming platforms this week. The cast includes Jimmy Slonina, Andrew Hansen, Natalie Sullivan, Anais Thomassian and Tavius Cortez.
Movie Hoarders: From VHS to DVD and Beyond! – This documentary may be of interest to film buffs and movie collectors. Apparently, the project was crowdfunded by physical media enthusiasts who discuss their love for Blu-ray, DVD, VHS and even laserdiscs. A few even go on about their rare LPs. You’ll see all kinds of media formats and discover why these enthusiasts continue to grow their collections. Viewers go through the enormous stockpiles of goods. Those involves also discuss rare items, including movie titles that have been altered by studios since their original media releases. This feature is being put out exclusively on DVD and can be purchased on retail sites like Amazon. There aren’t any reviews available just yet, but if this sounds exciting to you, then you’ll more than likely enjoy what you see!
The Ringmaster – Two young women take jobs as attendants at a secluded gas station. While working the nightshift, a strange and disturbing figure appears. He announces himself as the “Ringmaster”, trapping the protagonists. The pair soon learn that they have been chosen to participate in a horrific show being streamed on the dark web. They are put through various terrifying scenarios chosen by the unseen show audience. This Danish chiller was released in its home country back in 2018 (under the title Finale) and only recently found a US distributor. Critics were split on the final product. Roughly half said this was a nasty movie that borrowed heavily from genre titles like Saw and wasn’t distinctive enough to make a lasting impression. Still, just as many thought it was a polished effort that frightens viewers as it critiques voyeurism. Anne Bergfeld, Karin Michelsen and Damon Younger headline the picture.
Silat Warriors: Deed of Death – A young man living a wild and reckless lifestyle puts his family at risk with his gambling addiction. Two of his brothers decide to locate the sibling and take him back home, only to discover that he has fallen in with a criminal outfit. They soon discover that their relation has bet and lost the family home. The group return to their property, boarding themselves in and preparing to defend themselves as the bad guys arrive to take control. This Malaysian martial arts movie has received solid reviews from most online sources. Numerous sites have suggested that the fight sequences are extremely well choreographed and that the drama involving family relationships is well handled for a action flick. The cast includes Khoharullah Majid, Feiyna Tajudin, Fad Anuar and Namron.
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street – Sesame Street is one of the most iconic children’s programs ever made. Using new interviews with surviving members of the cast and creative team, as well as archival footage, this documentary tells the story of how the series was developed. It gives new insight into what occurred behind the scenes and how all the parties worked together to make the groundbreaking program. The press gave this feature extremely high marks. One or two didn’t think it really enlightened them about the history of Sesame Street as much as they had hoped it would. However, everyone else thought it was an inspirational, important and interesting tribute to the show that detailed the many highs and lows the participants went through along the way. Jim Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney, Frank Oz, Carroll Spinney, Bob McGrath, Sonia Manzano and Emilio Delgado all appear in the doc.
Ten Minutes to Midnight – This independent horror picture tries to deliver a new spin on the vampire tale. A punk rock radio DJ is bit by a rabid bat just before her final shift. When she arrives at work, a storm hits that traps her in the studio with her replacement and other employees. The protagonist soon begins to feel the effects of the infection, turning into something unfamiliar and terrorizing her fearful ex-coworkers. The overall response towards this feature was positive. There was a small percentage who said that the concept wasn’t particularly well developed and that the strong cast were left hanging. However, the majority liked the performers and stated that while not every element worked, the movie was full of ideas, took wild chances and was quite interesting to watch. It stars Caroline Williams, Nicole Kang, Nicholas Tucci and William Youmans.
Threshold – A young man sets out to find his sister, who is suffering from drug-addiction. He eventually locates her, but gets an odd story about what has led her to this state. The sister says that it is part of a curse that has been placed upon her. She then attempts to convince her brother to help her break the spell. He’s skeptical, but agrees to help anyway. The two head off on a revealing cross country road trip. Generally speaking, critics were impressed by this low-budget feature. A couple of them complained that it was slowly paced and that the characters and story didn’t gel convincingly. However, most stated that this was a fun little slow-burn of a movie with good performances that deftly merged family drama with eccentric horror elements. Joey Millin, Nadine Sondej-Robinson and Daniel Abraham Stevens headline the film.
Blasts from the Past!
If you’re looking to watch something a little older, you’ve got plenty to choose from. MVD Visual are releasing a Special Edition Blu-ray of The House on Sorority Row (1983). This slasher involves a group of college students being murdered by a mysterious stalker furious over a prank that went awry some years ago. The disc includes two versions of the film (one has a very different opening scene), an audio commentary with the director and a second track with the filmmaker and stars. It also comes with interviews with the cast and crew, the original pre-credit sequence presented on its own, alternate ending storyboards and all kinds of publicity materials.
They also have the Thomas Jane/Keanu Reeves/Adrian Brody effort, The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997). It is a drama about a group of young men trying to find their path in life. Back on the horror front, Mortuary (1983) is also being given the “Special Edition” treatment. The story involves a girl who has had nightmares since her father’s death involving hooded figures. Things get really strange when she and her boyfriend start seeing these figures in the real world. The packaging includes a poster and the disc has an interview with the score composer, as well as other bonuses.
Oscar-nominated writer/director Noah Baumbach is known for critically praised features like Marriage Story, Frances Ha and The Squid and the Whale. Now, MVD are debuting one of his earliest titles on Blu-ray. Mr. Jealousy (1997) was Baumbach’s second feature and it follows a man (played by Eric Stoltz) whose romantic relationships have been doomed because of his lifelong trust issues. He meets a lovely woman and tries to make a change, but his old habits threaten to ruin everything. This disc includes a lengthy archived retrospective piece on the movie. Read a full review of this Blu-ray right here!
MVD also have a Blu-ray of the period drama, Royal Deceit (1994). It’s about a prince trying to regain the throne after his dad is murdered by a person within the household. It stars Christian Bale, Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Kate Beckinsale, Andy Serkis and Tom Wilkinson.
Arrow are presenting a 3-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray box set called Kiju Yoshida: Love + Anarchism. For decades, it has been difficult in this part of the world to see this well-regarded Japanese filmmaker’s works. This set brings together three of his dramas that form a loose trilogy. Eros + Massacre (1969) is presented in its theatrical cut and director’s edition, alongside Heroic Purgatory (1970) and Coup d’état (1973). They tell stories of leftist student protestors, right-wing extremists and government officials. The set comes with director introductions, a 30-minute documentary on the features, a discussion with a Japanese film expert, scene-select commentary tracks from the same movie authority, trailers and more.
VCI are presenting a Special Edition Blu-ray of the serial, The Phantom of the Air (1933). It follows heroes and villains as they fight for control of new technology that can make planes disappear. The chapters have all been restored in 4K and the disc also includes trailers from other serials. The distributor is also releasing a Blu-ray of Espaldas Mojadas (1955) aka Wet Backs. Considered a Mexican classic, it tells the story of an immigrant who moves across the border and tries to adapt to life in the US. This movie has been given a 4K restoration by the Mexican National Cinematheque and comes with an essay booklet and numerous theatrical trailers.
Kino are always good at delivering high quality Blu-rays of hard-to-get classics and cult flicks. This week, they are presenting The Black Marble (1980) on disc. It’s a quirky comedy/drama about a deeply eccentric Hollywood cop investigating a dog-kidnapping. The movie has received a 4K restoration from the original camera negative and includes a director commentary and a trailer.
Icy Beasts (1974) is a French crime-thriller set in Nice about a writer who gets caught up in the life of a mysterious woman with a violent past. Blu-ray features include a 4K restoration of the movie, a film historian commentary, both the original French and English audio tracks and trailers for other French titles from the distributor.
Moments Without Proper Names (1987) is a documentary about noted photographer/musician/writer/filmmaker Gordon Parks that was made by the man himself. The movie included newly found footage of the figure that impressed critics of the day. This Blu-ray comes with a producer commentary, a short by director and a lengthy interview from 1973 with the man himself.
If you’re looking for more French films, The Road to Salina (1970) is a drama about a man who walks into a gas/station restaurant only to discover that he bears an uncanny resemblance to the deceased son of the owner. And The Widow Couderc (1971) tells the story of an escaped convict taking refuge at a remote French farm. Both Blu-rays include 4K restorations, film historian commentaries and trailers.
Since the Blu-ray line started a year or so ago, Paramount Presents have been putting out some amazing material from their studio vault. This week they are delivering another pair of noteworthy titles. 48 Hrs. (1982) is an exceptional action/comedy and one of the best buddy flicks of its era. It stars Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte and follows a gruff cop forced into teaming with a convict to find a pair of maniacal killers. The interplay between the two leads is fantastic and, if memory serves, the picture is a fun-filled blast. Besides the collectable packaging and a 4K restoration of the movie itself, the disc comes with a featurette on director Walter Hill (famous for his tough-guy flicks like The Driver, The Warriors, Southern Comfort, Streets of Fire, Red Heat, Trespass and many others), a trailer and the full 1966 animated short Space Kid that is featured in the movie.
They are also giving the same treatment to the sequel, Another 48 Hrs. (1990). This follow-up isn’t nearly as strong as the original, but the upgraded 4K picture will be appreciated by fans and completists who want to own both movies. Bonuses featured are identical to the previous title, with the exception of the animated short which is only on the first film.
If you’re looking for some low-budget genre pictures, Cauldron Films have you covered. Beyond Terror (1980) is a Spanish effort that follows three robbers whose callous crimes result in the death of an elderly woman and her grandson. Their spirits of the dead return to take vengeance on the crooks. This Blu-ray arrives with a 4K picture restoration, a film expert commentary, an image gallery and more. The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972) is an Italian “giallo” mystery about a killer who uses a black cat with poisoned claws. A blind pianist decides to try and identify the psychopath before he ends up a victim. This title is making its worldwide debut on Blu-ray with a 4K restoration and loads of extras including multiple commentary tracks and interviews with members of the cast and crew.
Full Moon Entertainment are well known for their B-movie horror flicks. It seems that they have also licensed material from other countries. This week, they’re premiering the sexually-charged French exploitation titles Emanuelle: Black Velvet (1976) and Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade (1978) on Blu-ray. They are both arriving on disc uncut and remastered.
On a completely different note, Criterion are bringing some class to store shelves with their Blu-ray release of the classic Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn comedy, Bringing Up Baby (1938). The story follows a paleontologist investigating a mystery at a museum with an eccentric heiress. This disc includes a new 4K restoration, a 2005 audio commentary on the feature with Peter Bogdanovich, a video essay on Cary Grant, a discussion about the movie’s cinematographer, the film’s special effects, a selected-scene commentary on the costumes, a 1977 documentary on director Howard Hawks (Scarface, The Big Sleep, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Rio Bravo), audio interviews with Grant and Hawks and more.
Andrei Tarkovsky is a Russian filmmaker noted for cerebral science-fiction features like Solaris and Stalker. Criterion are now presenting another of his features on Blu-ray. Mirror (1975) is a surreal and hallucinogenic trip through the mind of a dying poet that also deals with history and major events in the country over the past century. The Blu-ray presents the feature with a 2K restoration, a 2019 documentary on Tarkovsky made by his son, another documentary on the film, an interview with the composer for the feature, a featurette on the cinematographer and archival discussions with the filmmaker.
Sony are getting on the 4K bandwagon by presenting the classic, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) on Blu-ray in 4K Ultra HD. The disc has all of the features of the previous Sony release and a few extra ones. It also has many of, but not all of the bonuses from the Criterion version from a few years back. However, this new edition does contain most of the material and will feature improved picture and sound quality.
Universal are digging into their catalog and rereleasing several Blu-ray titles. This week, you can pick up the horror features Curse of Chucky (2013) and The Forest (2016), as well as the stand-up comedy film, Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016). The studio is also rereleasing the biopic dramas Steve Jobs (2015) and Trumbo (2015).
However, the most notable Blu-rays from Universal are the 4K upgrades coming your way (these releases also come with a regular Blu-ray and digital movie code of the feature). First, Howard the Duck (1986) is getting a 4K release. Yes, this notorious effort is getting an unexpected image and sound cleanup. Admittedly, it is a fascinatingly strange movie that has built up a cult following over the years. Given its comic book origins, one can see why it might be a big seller. Extras from pervious releases will be included on this latest edition.
The science-fiction/fantasy epic Mortal Engines (2018) is also getting the Steelbook treatment with an image upgrade. Like Howard the Duck, it was also a box office flop, but one that no doubt features top notch visual effects. This is a Best Buy Exclusive, so those interested will have to shop for this particular edition as this retailer. Best Buy also listed an exclusive 4K Steelbook of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), but it appears to have already sold out on the store website. No word on whether more copies will arrive in the coming weeks.
The new film and sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy will be hitting cinemas on July 16th. In anticipation, Warner Bros. are taking the opportunity to release the original Space Jam (1996) in a 4K Blu-ray package. For those who don’t remember, the plot involves basketball legend Michael Jordan being forced to play aliens on the ball court in order to rescue Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. There are two versions of this release that will be up for grabs. The disc contents are the same, but the packaging is different. The first is a Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook release, while the second is a regular 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/digital download Blu-ray edition. The extras appear to be exactly the same for the newest upgrade as in previous releasees of the film.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some titles that may appeal to youngsters.
The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Season 1
Space Jam (1996) 4K
On the Tube!
And you can check out all of the week’s TV-themed releases below.
Bäckström: Series 1 (Acorn) DVD
Defending Jacob (Apple TV+ miniseries)
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Love to the Rescue & Like Cats & Dogs (Hallmark) DVD
The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Season 1
No Activity: Season 2 DVD
NOVA: Picture a Scientist (PBS)
A Royal Love Collection: Fit for a Prince & My Summer Prince (Hallmark) DVD
Ruby Herring Mysteries: 3-Movie Collection (Hallmark) DVD
The Venture Bros.: Season 3