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You are here: Community Film Blu-ray/DVD Round-up for July 31, 2020

Blu-ray/DVD Round-up for July 31, 2020

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It’s time to take another look at some of the Blu-ray and DVD highlights coming your way. There are plenty of interesting and eccentric features arriving, as well as some great older titles receiving high definition upgrades. So, since you likely can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

Big New Releases!

AN ACCIDENTAL STUDIO: Movie enthusiasts will be curious to check out this documentary detailing the history of UK production company HandMade Films. It was started by George Harrison of The Beatles, launching careers and providing funding for maverick films that no one else would make (including Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Time Bandits, Withnail and I and the Oscar-nominated Mona Lisa). The feature talks to many who made movies with the studio. They discuss how the company began and share their memories, discussing Harrison’s efforts to back their film endeavors.

Reviews were very strong for the non-fiction feature. They wrote that it was a sweet and inspiring look at Harrison, as well as the wonderful art that he helped to finance. Billy Connolly, Helen Mirren, Michael Caine, Richard E. Grant, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and many others share their stories.

DEAD DICKS: In this independent horror/dark comedy film, a young nursing student receives an unsettling series of messages from her suicidal brother. Panicked, she hurries to get to his place only to find that he has already taken his own life… but has miraculously reappeared. In fact, there are now several dead versions of the man lying around the apartment along with the newest copy of her sibling. The two investigate the scene and try to determine what is happening and why it may be occurring.

Critics have been quite positive for this film. In fact, it has been difficult to locate a negative review. Most state that the actors were excellent and the movie dealt with themes like mental illness in an insightful, powerful, and moving manner. It stars Jillian Harris, Heston Horwin and Matt Keyes.

END OF SENTENCE: A widower reluctantly decides to fulfill his wife’s final wish of meeting up with his estranged son and disposing of her ashes at a remote lake in Ireland. Their son turns out to be an ex-con just out of prison, who isn’t enamored with his late mother’s idea either. The young man agrees to the trip, but only if his father buys him a ticket to California and never speaks to him again. As the two head out, they’re forced to address their personal issues and come to terms with the passing of the family matriarch.

The press was very taken with this UK production. One or two complained that the concept wasn’t all that original, that the drama didn’t take flight. However, the majority were impressed by the performances and found the flick meaningful and inspiring. The cast includes John Hawkes, Logan Lerman, Sarah Bolger and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.

GUNDALA: Superhero fans looking for an international twist on the genre might be curious about this tale from Indonesia. It follows a poor security guard working in Jakarta. Suffering under a system run by mobsters and corrupt politicians who use assassins to enforce their mandates, the young man is struck by lightning and awakens with super powers. He tries to help the locals by fighting off villainous thugs.

This superhero origin story based on a familiar character in the region hasn’t been seen by a lot of reviewers in this part of the world. Still, those who have viewed the picture have been upbeat. They write that while the story is a bit choppy in places, there’s a ton of thrilling, fast-paced action. Additionally, it story addresses deeper themes about the region. Abimana Aryasatya, Tara Basro and Bront Palarae headline the feature.

JAMES CAMERON’S STORIES OF SCIENCE FICTION: Technically, this is an AMC television mini-series, but it may be of interest to genre movie fans. The famous director hosts this program, giving a brief history of the genre and asking various guests and experts about their work creating science-fiction films. They also discuss some of the general concepts being addressed in science-fiction. And, of course, Cameron also shares details about his work on the upcoming Avatar sequels.

Generally, the reaction toward this show was positive. There were a few who found it padded and thought the series lacked depth. Still, most found it to be a good introduction to sci-fi and liked hearing the thoughts of filmmakers and experts. James Cameron hosts and George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Zoe Saldana, Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others share their insights.

THE OTHER LAMB: Life in a religious cult is the jumping off point for this eerie effort. A young girl born into an all-female compound led by a single male guardian finds her beliefs tested after enduring some awkward interactions with the man. After seeing how badly he treats those who disobey his orders and hearing a story from an estranged and shamed woman in the group, she begins to realize that this figure isn’t as much of a holy deity as she initially believed him to be. Overall, critics appeared to like this film.

About a third thought that the material and ideas were presented in less-than-subtle manner and didn’t buy into the concept. Still, the consensus was that the film was beautifully lensed and effectively showed a teen learning that her superiors might be a negative influence. It features Raffey Cassidy, Michiel Huisman and Denise Gough.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!

It’s yet another busy week for older films receiving high definition upgrades. The first disc should be of interest to those who enjoy watching corny and very out-of-date educational shorts from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. The AGFA (American Genre Film Archives) are releasing a Blu-ray called The Scare Film Archives Volume 1: Drug Stories! The disc includes 2K restorations of several films trying to teach youngsters about the dangers of illicit chemicals. The titles included on this release are Beyond LSD, The Bottle and the Throttle, Curious Alice, The Distant Drummer, Drugs, Drinking and Driving, LSD: Insight or Insanity, LSD 25, Narcotics: The Decision, Goofballs and Tea, None for the Road, The Trip Back … featuring a character named Florrie Fisher (apparently, this fictional entity served as the inspiration for Amy Sedaris’ Strangers With Candy TV-series), as well as Users are Losers.

It also comes with a “full length mixtape” called Narcotic Nightmare and Hallucinogenic Hellrides. You’ll have to pick the disc up for yourself to figure out what those last two bonuses entail.

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!

It’s a quiet week for children, but you can expect more titles to arrive in the coming weeks.

ON THE TUBE!

Here are some of the TV-related highlights arriving on disc.

American Experience: The Man Who Tried to Feed the World (PBS)

Deadwater Fell: Series 1

Hawaii Five-O: The Final Season

James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction (AMC TV mini-series)

Marijuana: A Chronic History (History Network)

NCIS: Season 17

The Outsider: Season 1

Somewhere South: Season 1 (PBS)

Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations (PBS)

Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection (‘70s TV series)

VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun