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You are here: Community Film Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for August 12, 2022

Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for August 12, 2022

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Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving this week on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s a busy edition with major releases as well as interesting independents that earned raves from critics. So, if you can’t go out to the movies or shouldn’t be out in public right now, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

 

BIG NEW RELEASES!

CALENDAR GIRL: This documentary details the life of Ruth Finley. Apparently, she scheduled every single fashion event in New York City under the banner of “Fashion Calendar” for over 70 years, in part creating the entire industry.  In 2014 at the age of 95, she sold the business, marking the end of an era. The filmmaker shows her beginnings in 1945 and how the single mother raised three sons while running the operation out of a home office.

A small group of critics saw the feature and all of them enjoyed it. While they commented that there was nothing trailblazing about the storytelling techniques used in the film, they did call it a sweet and moving tribute to a fascinating woman whom many may not know about. For the time being, this is a DVD only release.

JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY: Shot in 2019, this documentary captures the 50th anniversary of The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, aka Jazz Fest. Considered by many to be the country’s greatest festival, the event celebrates the music, food, arts and culture of Louisiana. The film crew capture the incredible live acts performing at the show, discuss its history and examine the rich culture of the city.

The press enjoyed the footage and most recommended the movie. A small number critiqued the project for being very short and believed that it felt more like a commercial for the festival than an insightful look at its importance. Still, the consensus was that the film was an effectively zippy tribute to the celebration and that the musical performances were phenomenal to witness. It features Jimmy Buffet, Gary Clark Jr., Earth, Wind and Fire, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Tom Jones, Aaron Neville, Katy Perry, Pitbull, Bruce Springsteen and Irma Thomas.

MEN: After the sudden suicide of her ex-husband, a woman retreats to a large estate in the English countryside to try and cope with feelings of loss and guilt. Alas, the homeowner and other men in the community do little to calm her nerves. If anything, they begin making unsettling comments that result in feelings of dread and fear.

This chiller from writer/director Alex Garland (“Ex Machina,” “Annihilation) earned more upbeat write-ups than negative reviews. About one third of articles complained that the movie could have been done with more subtlety and felt that the themes of toxic masculinity were delivered with a sledgehammer. But the overall consensus was that while flawed, there were images and moments in the film that were effectively unsettling. They believed that it succeeded in its goal of putting viewers on edge. Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear and Paapa Essiedu headline the feature.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2: Based on the Sega video game, this sequel to the 2020 hit finds the heroic hedgehog still living with the humans who discovered him. When they head away on vacation and leave him in charge of the house, the villainous Dr. Robonik returns to Earth with a new partner. The sinister pair plan on stealing an emerald that will give them the power to destroy the world. Sonic and his animal pals set out to stop them.

The press gave the movie more recommendations than pans. While about a third of reviews described the movie as loud, irritating and exclusively for young kids, the majority thought it was better than the first picture. They wrote that it served as enjoyable family popcorn entertainment and was filled with amusing nods to the game that would please fans. It stars James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally and the voices of Ben Schwartz and Idris Elba.

VIVO: This animated musical tells the tale of a kinkajou (a rainforest honey bear) named Vivo who happily spends his days with his human owner. Despite not being able to understand one another, their mutual love of music has formed a bond and the pair perform daily for crowds on the street. After a tragedy, Vivo receives a letter from the master’s old flame hoping to reconnect. The honey bear sets out to deliver an important message, written as a song, to the woman.

This film features tunes by Lin-Manuel Miranda and was well-received by critics. A small number believed that the story had some issues and that the final film didn’t deliver the emotional punch it should have. Still, the overwhelming consensus was that this was solid family-friendly entertainment. They claimed the songs were excellent, the characters were charming and the movie effectively dealt with issues like loss in a sensitive manner. The voice cast includes Lin-Manual Miranda, Zoe Saldana, Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Rooker, Nicole Byer and Gloria Estefan.

 

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!

It’s another great week to pick up some older movies.

If you belong to the Disney Movie Club mail order service, you can now pick up the double-bill Blu-ray “Lilo & Stitch: 2-Movie Collection” that contains the 2002 original film “Lilo & Stitch” and “Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch” made for the direct-to-video market. This is an exclusive release that can only be ordered online after joining the service.

Paramount Presents have an interesting new Blu-ray that is making its official and belated debut on the format. “Back to the Beach” (1987) stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello who were the original stars of a series of “Beach Party” comedy/musicals in the 1960s. In this follow-up, they are now married and return to the beach to help their kids. The film includes appearances by Bob Denver, Tony Dow, Jerry Mathers, Don Adams, Edd “Kookie” Byrnes, Pee-Wee Herman, Connie Stevens and many more. It has been given a 4K restoration and comes with a filmmaker focus featurette with the director and a fold-out cover with the original poster.

Looking for more? Shout! Factory is premiering a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade of the science-fiction/horror picture “Event Horizon” (1997). It’s about a rescue crew who investigate a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned. Things don’t go well for the heroes after boarding the ship. Lawrence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson and Jason Isaacs headline the cast.

It’s a visually spectacular movie, but one that suffered from heavy cuts (apparently, something like 30 minutes) that were made by the studio. Still, the movie has a following and now fans can watch it with optimal picture quality. This 25th anniversary edition also comes with an archival director and producer commentary, making-of featurettes, “secrets” with an optional commentary, an unfilmed rescue scene with conceptual art and more.

They are also putting out “Learning to Drive” (2014) under the Shout! Select line. This film is about a Manhattan writer who takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor – the two become close friends as they discuss their problems during their trips in the car. It stars Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley and the disc includes behind-the-scenes footage and a trailer.

You can also pick up a Blu-ray of the Hong Kong genre flick “Dr. Lamb” (1992) from Unearthed Films. It’s about a crazed taxi driver stalking women. The disc comes with a 2K restoration of the uncut version, a movie expert commentary, an interview with the filmmaker behind the project and various academics speaking about the title. It also comes with a trailer.

Finally, Universal is presenting the Dwayne Johnson video game adaptation of “Doom” (2005) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set.

 

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!

Here are some titles that may appeal to kids.

“Gulliver Returns” (Shout! Factory) DVD

“Lilo & Stitch: 2-Movie Collection” (2002 and 2005) (Disney Movie Club Exclusive) Blu-ray

“Vivo” (Sony) Blu-ray

 

ON THE TUBE!

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

“Candace Cameron Bure 4-Film Collection: A Christmas Detour, Christmas Under Wraps, Journey Back to Christmas, Switched for Christmas” (Hallmark) DVD

“Green Planet” (BBC) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray

“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray

“NOVA: Ice Age Footprints” (PBS) DVD

“A Second Chance at Love” (Hallmark) DVD

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun