Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. This edition doesn’t feature many new titles, but some of the ones that are appearing look interesting. And there are tons of older titles getting high-definition upgrades. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
CHASING RAINE: After their young daughter is kidnapped by a man with ties to a trafficking syndicate, a mother and father who were once elite soldiers decide to arm themselves and find their child. In order to do so before she is sold to the highest bidder, they head into the criminal underworld and use their skills to wipe out every obstacle in their path.
This independent action film debuted on streaming sites last week and is now arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. As of right now, the picture has not been seen by many critics. In fact, it has yet to receive a single official review. As with most low-budget efforts, curious parties may want to wait for a write-up to appear before taking a chance on it.
It stars Maurice P. Kerry, Krystal Jordan, Dall’asia Howard and DJ Walton.
COUP DE CHANCE: The latest from writer/director Woody Allen is a French-language tale set in Paris. A young woman who is happily married to a powerful businessman meets an old friend from high school while walking down the street. They catch up over coffee and soon romance blossoms between them. In fact, the lead begins wondering if she might have wed the wrong person. Meanwhile, her mysterious husband becomes very suspicious of his wife’s activities.
This picture combines comedy and thriller elements. It received strongly positive reviews from the press. A small number called the film predictable and wrote that they preferred his specifically comedic works. Still, the majority thought it was one of the filmmaker’s best efforts in some time, boasting great performances, lovely locations, sharp dialogue and some entertaining plot twists.
Lou de Laâge, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Schneider and Valérie Lemercier.
DEAD WRONG: A desperate man with an unsavory background looks for a big score after his wife demands they conceive a child. The lead also appears to be obsessed with his spouse’s sister. He comes up with an elaborate scam that he hopes will solve all of his problems and get him everything that his heart desires. Of course, the complicated plan begins to go awry, leading to unexpected revelations and violence.
This picture appears to be debuting on disc and streaming platforms on the same day. There have been a couple of middling online reviews posted. They suggest that for a lower-budgeted independent crime/thriller/comedy, it has a better cast than anticipated. However, these notices also suggest that, in the end, the film doesn’t make a lasting impression.
It features Derek Smith, Katrina Bowden, Chelsea Debo, Cress Williams, Joshua Bitton, Chet Hanks and Rob Schneider.
FITTING IN: After visiting her doctor, a 16-year-old is diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, a condition that results in underdeveloped parts of her female anatomy. All of the teen’s future plans as a woman, as well as her relationship with a boyfriend, are put into jeopardy. Conflicts even arise with family members about what to do next.
This independent coming-of-age drama/comedy was well received by reviewers. One or two write-ups complained that despite its unique subject the story didn’t contain many insightful revelations about the lead character’s condition. Regardless, all others called the film upbeat and warm-hearted, with an important and sensitively delivered message about finding and accepting oneself.
For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
It may be something of a slow week for new releases, but there are a ton of amazing older titles being given high-quality upgrades.
Back from the dead.jpg
Kino is releasing several titles this week. Back from the Dead (1957) is about a young bride who finds herself possessed by the vengeful spirit of her husband’s deceased ex-wife. This disc comes with two film historian commentaries and early copies arrive in a slipcase.
Big Man on Campus (1989) is a comedy following a mysterious and unkempt figure who secretly takes up residence at UCLA’s campus clock tower. The university’s psychology department eventually discovers the man and attempts to treat him and understand his motivations. It stars Allan Katz, Tom Skerritt, Cindy Williams and Jessica Harper. The “Limited Edition” Blu-ray delivers a 2K restoration of the film from an interpositive, an audio commentary with the director and a film historian, an interview with the moviemaker, an alternate ending (with optional commentary), a stills gallery and a trailer. Some copies also come in a slipcase.
Daisy Miller (1974) is a period drama from Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) with Cybill Shepherd as a headstrong American woman making waves in Europe. The picture for this “Special Edition” Blu-ray comes from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. An archived commentary from Bogdanovich is featured, along with a film historian commentary, a recently recorded interview with Shepherd, an introduction from Bogdanovich and a trailer.
If you’re looking for some old chillers on Blu-ray, Republic Pictures Horror Collection may be worth your while. It features The Lady and the Monster (1944), The Phantom Speaks (1945), The Catman of Paris (1946) and Valley of the Zombies (1946). All of the movies have been given HD masters from 4K scans at Paramount Pictures. There are film historian commentaries on all the titles and an on-camera movie expert sidebar on the first movie.
The Gary Sinise/John Malkovich adaptation of the classic Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men (1992) is coming from MGM and will be available as either a Blu-ray or a DVD.
Perhaps Paramount Pictures is clearing out some excess inventory, but this week they are presenting an incredible offer to collectors. The distributor is releasing ten movies from their catalog in all formats. That means each title contains a 4K Ultra HD disc, a Blu-ray, a DVD and a digital copy of the title. The price (on Amazon) is a shocking $11, so pick these up while you can (I just purchased a couple myself).
The films currently available are Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Cloverfield (2008), Escape from L.A. (1996), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Interstellar (2014), The Lost City (2022), A Quiet Place (2018), Shutter Island (2010) and The Untouchables (1987). Hopefully more movies will follow at this incredible price.
Additionally, the studio is putting out a Blu-ray only reissue of Into the Wild (2007) and the recent Stephen King adaptation of Pet Sematary (2019).
Sony is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Oscar-nominated, all-star crime drama American Hustle (2013) with a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook release. Based on a true story from 1980, it follows an undercover sting operation of Congress to stop a plot created by the world’s greatest con man. It stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner and many other familiar faces. The synopsis for the film boasts that this release contains 15 minutes of never-before-seen deleted and extended scenes as an extra.
In addition, Sony is making Blu-rays available for The Cleanse (2016), Man’s Castle (1933), Thunderheart (1992) and The Vertical Ray of the Sun (2000).
The Occultist (2009) is appearing on Blu-ray from Sterling Entertainment. It involves med students who discover (while writing their exams) that their professor is a Satanist who wants to do them in.
And finally, Warner Bros. is reissuing the excellent, Oscar-nominated comedy/drama Licorice Pizza (2021) on Blu-ray (apparently, a DVD of the film is also being made available).
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Looks like there is only one option right now for kid-friendly entertainment, but hopefully more will arrive in the coming weeks.
Powerpuff Girls The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And all the TV-themed releases are listed below.
Betty’s Bad Luck in Love (Hallmark) DVD
Father Brown Season 11 (BBC) DVD
Frasier Season 1 (2023 Series) (Paramount) DVD
Masterpiece Mystery! Guilt Season 3 (PBS) DVD
Powerpuff Girls The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) DVD
VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
