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Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for December 11, 2020

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Welcome to another look at some of the new Blu-rays and DVDs coming your way. This edition features plenty of interesting titles both old and new to keep viewers entertained. So, since you can’t or likely shouldn’t head out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

BIG NEW RELEASES!

COMFORT FARMS: In this documentary, an Army Ranger war veteran sets out to create a new form of therapy. He starts his own farm to keep those at high risk for suicide busy and working in a calm environment. Helped by a unique group of veterans, farmers and animal-loving butchers, the film captures their efforts and development of the project. So far reviews for this feature have been decent.

A couple of write-ups thought that the movie was a surface-level examination of trauma and its subject and wasn’t particularly enlightening. They also didn’t care for some of the practices the group was employing as therapy. However, more commented that while aspects of the film were tough to watch, it was an intriguing and unique picture.

FAITH UNDER FIRE: Speaking of faith-based films, this title actually qualifies as one of those features that the previous title is poking fun at. It follows a heroic fireman. After many years rescuing people and saving lives on the job, his wife tragically passes away from cancer, leaving him feeling despondent and helpless. When his daughter is also diagnosed with the disease, he becomes even more fearful and frustrated.

However, one of his friends challenges him to face grief and adversity with faith. This picture debuted on streaming platforms a couple of weeks ago and is now arriving on disc. There haven’t been many reviews for it available, but one can imagine exactly what they’re in for if they check the flick out. The cast includes Dean Cain, Kevin Sorbo, Nick Vlassopoulos and Tenley.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!

 

Kino is also delivering several noteworthy new Blu-rays. The first is Fellini’s Casanova (1976) in which Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, ) tells the story of the life of the famous womanizer. Disc features include a 4K restoration of the movie, both the feature’s English and Italian audio tracks, a film critic commentary and a movie scholar essay.

 

The distributor also has Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes by William Greaves on Blu-ray, which contains the movies Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One (1968) and Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take 2½ (2005). These are documentary/fiction hybrid films in which the director gathers a crew and assigns them to make a movie on the spot, then captures their artistic process as they try to create something on the fly. Both films are given high-definition digital transfers and come with a documentary on the director, interviews with participants in the projects and other extras.

 

If you’re looking for Japanese cinema, Arrow also has the Blu-ray box set, Survivor Ballads: Three Films by Shohei Imamura. It contains three flicks from the Japanese New Wave movement of the ‘80s by Imamura, including The Ballad of Narayama (1983), Zegen (1987) and Black Rain (1989). The discs include film historian audio commentaries on all of the titles, in-depth appreciations of the features, an alternate color ending to Black Rain, archival interviews with crew members, multiple trailers and image galleries, press kits for the titles and a lengthy booklet giving more background information about these movies.

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!

Here are some new titles that might appeal to youngsters.

Bobbleheads: The Movie

Curious George: Fun with Animals / Great Outdoors

Little Penguin Pororo’s Dinosaur Island Adventure

ON THE TUBE!

And if you’re looking to catch up some TV programs, here are the latest releases.

American Masters: Keith Haring - Street Art Boy (PBS)

Death in Paradise: Season 9

Father Brown: Season 8

Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Winter Weekend & One Winter Proposal

Hawaii Five-O: The Complete Series

Instinct: Season 2

NOVA: Secret Mind of Slime (PBS)

The Other One: Series 1

Ransom: The Complete Series

Secrets of Royal Travel (PBS)

The Secrets She Keeps (Sundance Series)

The Sommerdahl Murders: Series 1

True Detective: The Complete Seasons 1 – 3

Winter Castle (Hallmark Movie)

Yellowstone: Season 3

VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun