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You are here: Community Film Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for July 8, 2022

Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for July 8, 2022

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Welcome to another look at the latest Blu-rays and DVDs coming your way. So, if you can’t make it to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

BIG NEW RELEASES!

ALASKAN NETS: This documentary was shot in Metlakatla (Alaska’s last remaining native reserve) and captures the area’s unending enthusiasm for fishing and… basketball. The heart of the footage follows two cousins and their high school basketball team. Viewers see their passion and drive as they progress through the season and end up playing in the state championship.

Response was upbeat towards this feature. There were a few criticisms stating that the movie only focused on a couple of individuals and didn’t paint a clear enough picture of the other players or the community at large. Still, the general consensus was that the film is sweet and inspirational, presenting a fascinating portrait of a little-known region and their passion for basketball. Actor Chris Pratt serves as executive producer of the movie.

DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA: Based on the hugely popular British TV series, this feature film is a sequel to the first movie released in 2019. As a new decade arrives, the central characters living at the estate try to find ways to earn money and keep the property afloat. They agree to let a movie crew shoot in the home, but end up getting involved in the production. The leads also learn that they have inherited an estate in the South of France and travel abroad to find out why. Critics were positive overall about the period drama. A small contingent complained that the story wasn’t exciting and that the series had seemed to have now run its course. Still, most suggested that the cast charmed them over and that, while formulaic, the feature did deliver a healthy dose of pleasant nostalgia for fans. It features Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Allen Leech and Maggie Smith.

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: An overworked, stressed-out immigrant laundromat owner comes under scrutiny from the IRS. While attending to her taxes, she is visited by someone unexpected. This individual tells her that her help is desperately needed to help fix a rift in the “multiverse” that threatens to unravel the entire universe. The woman must travel to various alternate realities and learn the skills required to get the job done. The press was extremely upbeat about the movie. A small number called the film frantic, overlong and ultimately exhausting, also complaining that the final message wasn’t revelatory. Still, the vast majority loved the cast and thought the story was a lot of fun. They appreciated how many creative elements were jammed into the running time and couldn’t help but enjoy what they witnessed. Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jenny Slate headline the picture.

 

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!

Those looking for something a little older on Blu-ray and DVD also have plenty to choose from. 88 Films is presenting the Hong Kong production “Hero” (1997) on Blu-ray. Yuen Biao stars in this remake of the 1972 classic “Boxer from Shantung” from the Shaw Brothers.

This period effort follows a man making his start in the criminal underworld. The movie wasn’t as well-received as the original initially, but did have some solid action scenes and has since earned a following. The disc includes an Asian cinema expert commentary and trailers for the film.

South Korean writer/director Bong Joon Ho has won accolades and Oscars over the years for numerous titles including “Parasite,” “Snowpiercer” and “The Host” (to name but a few). Criterion is now presenting another film that he made some years back for Netflix.

“Okja” (2017) tells the story of a young girl who risks everything to prevent a multinational corporation from taking an incredible genetically modified “superpig” that she discovers and befriends in the wild. The movie stars An Seo Hyun, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

You can purchase a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo or a stand-alone Blu-ray. It comes with a new conversation on the picture with the director and the producer, new interviews with the cast and crew, a video diary of the production, and many more bonuses.

If you enjoy old horror TV-movies about wildlife attacking humanity, Kino has you covered. First, they are releasing “Ants” (1977) on Blu-ray. This flick follows a holiday resort that comes under siege from a tiny but hungry and very deadly insect menace.

The feature has been given a 2K transfer and arrives with a film historian commentary and numerous interviews with cast and crew members. It also presents the movie in both a 1.33:1 TV aspect ratio of its original broadcast and the 1.85:1 version (that was put out for theatrical releases in international territories).

Finally, Warner Bros. is delivering the grossly underrated Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt science-fiction/action picture “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package. This entertaining feature involved an officer with no fighting experience who is drafted into a battle with alien invaders. He is immediately killed, but is dragged into a time loop and must start each day anew every time he is brutally slain. The lead attempts to learn from his many, many mistakes and make it through the day in one piece.

The movie underperformed when it was originally released to theaters, but in the following years many have discovered just how darkly funny and exciting it is. Now the film has been given a picture upgrade for those wanting to see it with incredibly sharp picture quality.

VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun