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You are here: Community Film Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for Dec. 2, 2022

Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for Dec. 2, 2022

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Welcome to another look at the latest titles arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. Once again, there is a big studio release, as well as plenty of interesting independent fare. 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 movies a try!

BIG NEW RELEASES!

AMITYVILLE KAREN: My goodness, there are an awful lot of “Amityville films. Since the 1979 original (based on the bestselling book), there have been more than 35 titles with the word in the title. The latest appears to have little to do with the original location or story.

It’s a low-budget, independent effort about a nasty and entitled middle-aged woman who spends her days treating others horribly. After she steals a bottle of wine, she becomes possessed by an evil spirit and goes on a murder spree. It turns out that the booze has a connection to the notorious haunted house.

DETECTIVE KNIGHT: ROGUE: The latest low-budget direct-to-disc action picture with Bruce Willis follows a good cop from Los Angeles whose partner is critically wounded during a heist. Determined to catch the masked thieves responsible, the lead follows the trail to New York City. As the threats and violence between him and the criminals escalate, local detectives get involved in the case and discover secrets about the cop.

DON’T WORRY DARLING: In this thriller, a woman living a seemingly idyllic life in a closed off community begins witnessing strange events. She begins to question why she and other wives don’t know what their husbands do for a living. As the protagonist becomes more determined to find out the truth about the town and what is going on behind the scenes, she comes under attack.

EMERGENCY DECLARATION: A detective investigating a deadly virus gets horrible news when he learns that the terrorist who engineered it has hopped onto an international flight bound for the U.S. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he learns that his wife is on the very same airplane. When the pilot becomes incapacitated, the hero has to contact the passengers and advise them on how to survive the ordeal.

EMILY THE CRIMINAL: In this crime/drama, a young woman has difficulty finding a job to pay her loans, all because of a minor conviction in her past. Desperate, she accepts a position in a credit card fraud ring. Through several dangerous interactions and altercations, the lead soon learns the ropes and begins branching out on her own. As she continues her pursuits, she is targeted by law enforcement, businesses and other criminals.

MONA LISA AND THE BLOOD MOON: A young woman with strange mental powers escapes from a mental asylum and flees to New Orleans. Once there, she befriends a single-mother in dire financial straits. The parent takes the lost figure in, but decides to use her in order to make some fast cash. They begin a criminal enterprise that is initially lucrative, but also draws the attention of the police.

PRANCER: A CHRISTMAS TALE: This family fable is debuting on streaming sites and on disc. The story involves a 10-year-old girl who spends a great deal of her time attending to her recently widowed grandfather. When the extended family gathers for holiday celebrations, a reindeer appears near their home. The patriarch comes to believe that this animal may be magical, while his granddaughter tries to hide his views from attendees, fearing they will send him away to a retirement home.

THE SILENT TWINS: June and Jennifer Gibbons were identical twins who grew up in Wales. Completely engrossed in their own world, the pair only communicated with each other and ignored everyone else in the community. This biopic tells their unusual story, depicting who they were and the incredible world they created to escape the reality of their own lives.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!

 

If you’re looking for something older, you have options as well.

 

Canadian International Pictures is an independent outfit committed to releasing small films from its home country on Blu-ray – they often pair with distributor Severin Films on some of their releases. This week, “The Amityville Curse(1990) is arriving in high definition. It’s the fifth Amityville flick and features protagonists trying to purchase and flip the famous property, only to learn that the spirits inside would rather see them dead than get remodeled.

The disc includes a film historian commentary, video conference call interviews with the director, the director’s assistant and a cast member, as well as the cinematographer and more.

Kino is releasing the Kirk Douglas crime film “Detective Story (1951) on Blu-ray. The movie follows a busy day in the life of a hard-nosed detective. The feature has been remastered for disc from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. Bonuses include a film historian commentary and a trailer.

Joseph Cotton stars in the thriller “Peking Express” (1951), which is about a group of refugees who must square off against outlaws while fleeing China via a locomotive. This release includes a 4K restoration of the feature from Paramount Pictures, movie critic commentary and a trailer. Speaking of thrillers, “The Unguarded Moment” (1956) is another suspense picture. Esther Williams takes on a dramatic role as a high school teacher who is stalked by a violent peeping tom. This title includes a 2K film restoration, two film expert commentary tracks and a trailer.

 

And there’s more! “Alma’s Rainbow” (1994) is arriving on Blu-ray from Milestone. It’s a coming-of-age tale about three black women dealing with teen issues like beauty, self-image and the rights they have over their bodies. This movie has been restored in 4K for this release and the disc comes with a panel discussion, an oral history of the film and approximately nine short films from the director made prior to this effort. Sounds like a lot of impressive extras for fans of the movie.

This week, Severin is presenting several genre titles on Blu-ray. “Blood Hunt” (1985) is a Spanish shocker about a village that hunts down teenage drug addicts as human prey. It is being made available in North America for the first time ever with a 2K scan from the original negative. “Libido” (1965) is an early “giallo” from Italy involving a young man who becomes a murderer as a result of witnessing his father slay a woman. This film has been given a 2K restoration. It comes with a director interview, a film historian commentary and a trailer.

 

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!

Here are some titles that may appeal to kids.

“Prancer: A Christmas Tale” (Universal) Blu-ray

“Sherlock Hound: Complete and Unabridged” (1984-1985 Japanese animated series) (Discotek Media) Blu-ray

“Tom and Jerry’s Snowman Land” (Warner Bros.) DVD

ON THE TUBE!

 

And you’ll find all the week’s TV-themed releases listed below.

“The Borgias” The Complete Series (Paramount) Blu-ray

“The Flight Attendant” Seasons 1 & 2 (Warner Bros.) DVD

“Ghosts” Season 1 (Lionsgate) Blu-ray

“Masterpiece – Annika” Season 1 (PBS) DVD

“The Offer” (TV Mini-series) (Paramount) Blu-ray

“Riverdale” Season 6 (Warner Bros.) DVD

“Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes” (PBS) DVD

“Sherlock Hound: Complete and Unabridged” (1984-1985 Japanese animated series) (Discotek Media) Blu-ray

“Westworld” Season 4 (Warner Bros.) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray or Blu-ray only

VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun