Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. It’s another busy edition with some big titles and just as many interesting independents. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a while, be sure to give one of these titles a try!:
BIG NEW RELEASES!
THE BOYS IN THE BOAT: Set in the early 1930s, this biopic tells the story of a University of Washington rowing team. These students didn’t have a lot of money, but decided to compete against the well-funded Berkeley and other teams in order to qualify for the 1936 Summer Olympics. After beating the odds, they are sent to compete in Berlin and face the German national team.
Critical reception toward this sports drama was split. Almost half thought the characters lacked distinction and found the feature predictable and emotionally uninvolving. Slightly more appreciated the old-fashioned approach to the material and called the movie a beautifully shot and exciting underdog tale.
It stars Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guinness, Sam Strike and Thomas Elms.
BROOKLYN 45: This independent horror picture takes place just after the end of World War II. Five military veterans and friends from childhood decide to accept an invitation to a friend’s home. Not long after arriving, they discover that they are being asked to take part in a séance. Elements of their troubled experiences in battle start rising to the surface and causing conflict between them.
The press was generally upbeat about this picture. A handful found the storytelling repetitive and were not gripped by the various traumas of the lead characters. But the majority were captivated and thought the film delivered plenty of jolts and scares, while effectively dealing with important issues like PTSD, paranoia and the lasting effects of war.
The cast includes Anne Ramsay, Ron E. Rains, Jeremy Holm and Larry Fessenden.
COPA 71: The 1971 Women’s World Cup was an international tournament held in Mexico featuring teams from nations like Denmark, Italy and Argentina. It was hugely popular, with the final game drawing more than 110,000 spectators. Unfortunately, the main world football association known as FIFA did not approve of or endorse women’s soccer and tried to bury it from the public (a Women’s World Cup tournament was finally launched by FIFA in 1991).
This documentary tells the story of the landmark 1971 event and features interviews with players, as well as modern athletes who have been inspired by the players. Almost all notices for this feature were positive. One or two complained that the storytelling was a little bland and that the movie lacked a sense of urgency. All others wrote that the film was a wonderful tribute to trailblazers that shed light on an incredible, relatively unknown event. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release.
CRYPTIDS: A radio show host who focuses on cryptozoology decides to allow callers to tell stories of their encounters with strange beings. He hears five increasingly disturbing tales and, as the evening progresses, begins to wonder if his life might be in danger from a fantastic creature lurking outside his station.
This independent anthology horror film played in theaters some time ago and has been available on streaming sites for more than a year, but is only now debuting on disc. Reaction from genre critics was generally positive. Some stated that the picture was too long and suffered from pacing issues due to lengthy exposition scenes. Still, most enjoyed the combination of horror and dark comedy and wrote that it would appeal to those who enjoy B-movie terror.
It features John Bloom aka Joe Bob Briggs, Bianca Allaine and Jordan Beltz.
ENNIO: Late Italian movie score composer Ennio Morricone was one of the greatest in the business, writing the music for classics like The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Untouchables, The Mission, The Hateful Eight and many more). This documentary tells his life story and features interviews with filmmakers who have worked with him (like Clint Eastwood, Dario Argento, Brian De Palma, Quentin Tarantino) in addition to fans like Bruce Springsteen, John Williams and Hans Zimmer.
Critical reception to the film was excellent. One or two voices were not converted by this documentary and thought it fawned over its subject. Everyone else found the presentation enlightening and fascinating, noting that viewers could simply listen to the feature and be overwhelmed by the musicianship. Oddly enough, this is arriving on DVD now, but will make its Blu-ray debut in another month.
ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE: Speaking of documentaries focusing on the world of filmmaking, this non-fiction feature details the popularity of Bruce Lee in the 1970s and takes a close look at all of the copycat films that were made during this era into the 1980s. Now known as the “Brucesploitation” movement, viewers see clips from movies and talk to individuals involved in the productions, getting more insight into all of the wild knock-offs that were made to cash in on this craze.
Every critic who saw the picture enjoyed it. They all commented that the movie was zippy and well-edited, revealing a huge number of obscure and notable titles and showing how all these pictures (many of which were made in Hong Kong) managed to create an industry and even cement Lee’s legend as an iconic martial arts legend.
FACELESS AFTER DARK: A young actress stars in a horror picture that involves her being terrorized by a clown. When the movie becomes a success, the performer struggles to find a way to capitalize on the attention. Suddenly, a deranged fan appears and kidnaps the performer, hoping to recreate what occurred in the story, but with a new and grimmer ending. The lead must escape his clutches and perhaps even use this horrible occurrence to draw some attention to herself.
Reaction towards this independent thriller was generally positive. A small number didn’t think that the characters were very well written or that the point of the film was clear. Still, the majority suggested that the ambitious production was well acted, wild and unpredictable, ultimately going in an unexpected direction and accomplishing its goals in the process.
Jenna Kanell and Danny Kang headline the feature.
THE FIRST SLAM DUNK: This PG-13 animated effort from Japan is set on a basketball court. A young player feels like he is living in the shadow of his talented older brother (who suffered a tragedy before making it to the big leagues). The kid becomes obsessed with being the best player he can be and joins his local high school team to make his mark. They end up doing well and challenging for a national title, forcing him to deal with tough competitors and psychological issues.
This picture was a massive hit in its homeland and became the fifth-highest grossing animated feature of all time in Japan. The press in North America also spoke highly of the movie. All were positive, calling it one of the best basketball movies ever made. They suggested the characters are rich, the story dynamic and the animation extremely impressive. The disc includes the original Japanese audio with English subtitles and an English-dubbed version.
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE: This follow-up to the 2021 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife finds the Spengler family moving to New York City and taking over the Ghostbusters business. They soon discover that the banks used to store spirits are bursting at the seams. When a sinister force decides to manipulate one of the family members to free the ghosts and create another ice age, the leads and previous members reassemble to stop the threat.
Reaction to this picture wasn’t strong and it received slightly more negative write-ups than positive ones. Those who enjoyed it said the film was fast-paced, had great visual efforts and also thought it was wonderful to see the old stars return and help revive the franchise. Unfortunately, more thought that the end results were disappointing. They stated that the plot was an unfocused mess, jumbling too many characters and subplots and leaving them more tired than thrilled. Multiple versions of the film will be released, including a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, regular Blu-ray, steelbook and more.
It stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and William Atherton.
IN RESTLESS DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON: Musician Paul Simon, whose career has spanned six decades, is the subject of this documentary. Viewers get a history of the life and the various projects as the artist commences recording his most recent album. The movie includes accounts of the making of several “Simon and Garfunkel” albums, the solo effort “Graceland”, and other classics.
Notices for the picture have generally been good. All seem to note that the movie requires a commitment on the part of the viewer (the running time is 3 ½ hours) and that it is extremely detailed in going over many aspects of the man’s lengthy career. Still, they say that the unique behind-the-scenes footage focusing on the artist’s songwriting process and work in the recording studio is amazing to watch and makes the extended length worth enduring.
THE MATTACHINE FAMILY: A gay couple raises a foster child for a year, only to lose custody and have the boy returned to his mother. The two consider other ways to start a family, but find themselves disagreeing over their next steps. As they try to sort things out, they seek advice from friends who are also dealing with parenthood issues.
Overall, critics were upbeat about this drama. A small number didn’t like the frequent use of narration and took some issue with the writing of the characters. However, everyone else called the movie authentic, sweet and believable in how it dealt with its themes of trying to build a family in a non-traditional manner.
It features Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Emily Hampshire, Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Heather Matarazzo.
THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE: Based on a true story, this World War II tale follows a secret group of agents brought together by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill to help with the conflict. A group of recruits possessing dark and dangerous backgrounds are asked to destroy a major port supplying Nazi forces. They use every means at their disposal to get the job done.
Notices for this action picture were generally favorable. Slightly more than one-quarter did take issue with the tone and frequent use of dark humor, calling the end result unexciting. Regardless, the majority enjoyed the work of the charismatic leads and claimed that the movie is a deliriously delightful crowd-pleaser that will satisfy action fans.
Multiple versions of the title are being made available, including a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, an Amazon exclusive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, and a stand-alone Blu-ray.
The cast includes Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Elza Gonzalez, Babs Olusanmokun, Cary Elwes, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding, Roy Kinner and Til Schweiger.
MONKEY MAN: Hanuman is a Hindu God of wisdom, strength and courage. It is also the inspiration for this action picture that stars and is directed, co-written and co-produced by Dev Patel. The story follows a young boy whose family is slaughtered and his home burnt to the ground, leaving him permanently scarred. As an adult, he becomes a fighter with one goal… to find and take vengeance on those responsible for this atrocity.
The press was very taken by the picture. A very small number found the revenge story too simple to justify its nearly two-hour running time. But the consensus was that the film is stylish and expertly edited with incredible action scenes. Some also believe that it is certain to become a cult picture.
It’s being released in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set as well as a Blu-ray only edition.
Besides Patel, it features Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sikander Kher and Sobhita Dhulipala.
ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY: This French documentary is a retelling of the classic Virginia Woolf novel Orlando: A Biography, but cast with nonbinary and trans people. The filmmaker uses 26 individuals to perform updated scenes of the book (which involves the main character changing genders), trying to present the material in a modern and truthful way.
According to the press synopsis, the intent is to show how challenging and potentially dangerous life can be for those undergoing this process. Most reviewers liked the picture. A small number thought the presentation of the material was pompous and over-the-top. However, everyone else commented that the experiment worked and that the final results were engrossing, moving and would help many understand the struggles these individuals go through.
RIDDLE OF FIRE: Three kids living in a small Wyoming town decide that they must find ingredients for and bake a magical blueberry pie in order to help one of their mothers recover from an illness. Their unusual journey takes them on a wild odyssey in which they encounter individuals whom they believe to be a witch, a huntsman and a fairy.
This unique picture won plenty of awards at film festivals around the world and was generally appreciated by the press. About one-fifth suggested that the movie is exceedingly cute and eccentric and didn’t care for some of the performances. Still, most found the end result unusual and fascinating, stating that it harkened back to a different era but still felt inventive and exciting throughout. They also called this a potential cult film classic.
Lio Tipton, Chales Halford and writer/director Weston Razooli are credited in the cast listing,
SPIDER BABY: Also known as Spider Baby, or The Maddest Story Ever Told, this independent horror picture is a remake of the 1967 cult classic. The plot follows a pair of greedy relatives who arrive at a family estate and try to repossess the property. Little do they know that their inbred relations are skilled in very unusual ways and will protect their land at any cost.
The original was a trippy and bizarre but memorable effort. It barely got a release in the ‘60s before building a following at midnight screenings and on video. Curiously, this redo hasn’t been shown yet and appears to be debuting on disc and streaming sites. No one knows what to expect, but unlike the original film, it might be wise to wait until someone out there sees it and can report on its quality.
It features Beverly Washburn, Ron Chaney, Robert Mukes and Brinke Stevens.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Listed below are some kid-friendly releases.
Dexter’s Laboratory The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) DVD
The New Adventures of Batman The Complete Collection (1977) (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray
Strawberry Shortcake’s Summer Vacation (NCircle) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
All of this week’s TV-themed discs can be found here.
Ancient Aliens Season 19 (History) DVD
Barbie: A Touch of Magic Season 2 (NCircle) DVD
Beetlejuice The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) DVD
Christmas in Vienna (Hallmark) DVD
Dexter’s Laboratory The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) DVD
The Flash The Original Series (1990 – 1991) (Warner Archive) Blu-ray
Grand Star The Complete Series (Film Chest) Blu-ray
Hallmark 6-Movie Collection: Roadhouse Romance, Country Aa Heart, Big Sky River, Summer Romance, Wedding at Graceland, Under the Autumn Moon (Hallmark) DVD
Hallmark 12-Movie Collection: Rome in Love, Love on Iceland, Paris Wine & Romance, As Luck Would Have It, A Paris Proposal, Her Pen Pal, A Pinch of Portugal, Loves Greek to Me, A Scottish Love Scheme, Summer to Remember, Two Tickets to Paradise, & Love, Romance & Chocolate (Hallmark) DVD
NATURE: Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers (PBS) DVD
The New Adventures of Batman The Complete Collection (1977) (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray
The Underground Railroad (TV Miniseries) (Criterion) Blu-ray
Xena: Warrior Princess The Complete Series (Universal) DVD
VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
