Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. There is a mix of interesting titles in this edition, including an Oscar-nominee and plenty of horror fare. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a few days, be sure to give one of these titles a try!!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
FALLEN LEAVES: This eccentric comedy/drama from Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki (Drifting Clouds, The Man Without A Past, The Other Side of Hope) follows two lonely, working-class people living in Helsinki. After unexpectedly meeting in a karaoke bar, they exchange information and hope to forge a romantic relationship. However, circumstances and personal issues end up making it hard ro connect.
This foreign-language title received raves from the press and the film was nominated for Best International Picture at the Academy Awards. One or two couldn’t get onto its unusual wavelength and found it dull. Everyone else described the low-key, deadpan humor as hilarious and found the unique characters immensely likable. They also found the movie strangely inspiring.
The cast includes Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen.
FINESTKIND: After taking their commercial fishing boat into illegal waters and getting caught by authorities, two brothers find themselves facing severe fines. To cover their debts, one of them makes a deal with a criminal outfit to transport drugs on their seacraft. But after a double-cross the entire family finds their lives in danger.
Critics weren’t very impressed by this thriller. About one-third thought that the film’s themes of familial bonds and excellent cast made up for the story’s familiar elements. Unfortunately, the majority stated that everything in the film felt predictable and the tonal shifts between melodrama and action didn’t feel natural.
For the time being, this is a DVD-only release (it has been available to stream on Paramount+ for some time already). The feature stars Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, Tommy Lee Jones, Tim Daly and Lolita Davidovich.
IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE: A masked, knife-wielding killer goes on the rampage on Christmas Eve until he is stopped and killed by a young woman. One year later, she is still haunted and traumatized by the event, even going so far as to wish that she had never been born. The woman suddenly finds herself transported to an alternate reality where she doesn’t exist and the maniac is still hunting locals. She is forced to stop him once again and try to reclaim her life.
The press was split on this holiday-themed horror/comedy. Almost half took issue with the script, calling it full of plot holes and riddled with lame jokes. The same number (plus one or two) suggested this chiller pleased them by not taking itself seriously. They felt that it provided enough laughs and shocks to earn a recommendation.
Jane Widdop, Joel McHale, Justin Long and Jess McLeod headline the picture.
LISA
FRANKENSTEIN:
This modern-day take on the classic Frankenstein story finds a teenager obsessing over a deceased youth in her local cemetery. When a lightning strike raises him from the dead, the lead takes him in. Unfortunately, rot becomes an issue, so she decides to murder some unpleasant boys at her school to help rebuild her new beau’s body.
This horror/comedy from Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult, Tully) received an almost equal number of positive and negative reviews. Those who disliked it wrote that it felt like a patchwork of other genre movies, wasn’t funny or scary enough, and suggested the main characters lacked charisma. Just as many (plus a few extra voices) wrote that the final product was fun and surprisingly sweet, possessing enough unique moments to make it a potential cult film.
The cast includes Kathryn Newton, Liza Soberano, Cole Sprouse and Carla Gugino.
NIGHT SWIM: Based on a well-regarded horror short from 2014, this feature-length version of the story finds an injured former professional baseball player moving to a suburban home with his family. The lead seems particularly excited about the large backyard swimming pool, which he secretly hopes will help him recover quickly and return to the big leagues. Unfortunately, an evil force in the pool begins to torment the new arrivals.
The press didn’t respond well to this picture. A small number believed that the story had interesting characters and delivered plenty of suspense and jump-scares from the concept. However, the vast majority complained that the tale was preposterous, that they saw every twist coming, and as a result the film didn’t deliver the necessary scares.
Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle and Gavin Warren headline the picture.
THE ROUNDUP: NO WAY OUT: Here’s another film that was delayed a week or two from its original date. And now it’s arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack (as well as on a standalone Blu-ray). This sequel to the 2017 Korean action movie The Outlaws and its 2022 follow-up The Roundup finds the main character and heroic detective investigating an overdose-related death. He discovers that a sinister crime syndicate is supplying the area with a new designer drug and goes toe-to-toe with the organization to stop them.
Critics in this part of the world have been impressed with this series and raved about the latest chapter. Everyone enjoyed it, saying it was an extremely entertaining picture that reminded them of entertainingly excessive cop movies like Lethal Weapon. They also described it as well-produced with jaw-dropping action scenes from its dynamic star.
The film features Ma Dong-seok (credited as Don Lee on the poster), Lee Jun-hyuk and Munetaka Aoki.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU: This independent romantic comedy begins with a woman who is coming off a string of bad relationships arriving as a guest at a wedding ceremony. She hits it off and has a fling with an attendee who is also coming off a series of romantic disasters. After their passionate encounter, the pair discuss their messy breakups and heartbreaks, hoping they can find a way to make this relationship work, or at least understand why they have failed so many times in the past.
The film earned more upbeat notices than negative ones from reviewers. Nearly one-third stated that the characters were superficial and that the movie was an ineffective clone of Before Sunrise and other rom-coms. However, the rest were charmed by the cast, noting that the movie was a simple, effectively told tale that would provide single people hope in finding a true match.
It stars Lucy Hale, Nat Wolff and John Gallagher Jr..
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for something older, there are plenty of options arriving as well.
Recently, 88 Films put out an impressive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo of the Jackie Chan action picture, Police Story III: Supercop (1993). This week, a Blu-ray “Standard Special Edition” is arriving that contains the same extras (it just doesn’t come with a 4K Ultra HD disc).
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) is an eerie Australian classic from Peter Weir (Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show) that is being given a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade from Criterion. Based on a true story and set in the year 1900, it involves a group of students and a teacher from a girl’s school. They take a day trip excursion to a prehistoric rock formation and vanish without a trace. Besides the new, sharper picture transfer (which was approved by late director Weir and cinematographer Russell Boyd), it contains a discussion with the filmmaker, a program on the making-of the movie, an introduction by a film scholar, an on-set documentary with cast and crew interviews, Weir’s 50-minute comedy/drama Homesdale (1971) from early in his career and a trailer.
Paramount Pictures is putting out a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook of King Kong (1976). This giant ape remake stars Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange as humans who help discover the giant ape and take it back to New York (where it goes on a rampage). This release includes the theatrical version and extended TV cut with a major picture upgrade.
Shout! Factory is releasing a couple of titles this week. The first is a “Collector’s Edition” Blu-ray of Lost in Space (1998), a feature remake of the 1960s television series. William Hurt, Gary Oldman, Mimi Rogers, Matt LeBlanc, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert and Jack Johnson star in this adventure about the Robinson family trying to find their way home after their mission into space goes awry. The release contains a new 2K scan of the film’s interpositive, a commentary with director Stephen Hopkins (who directed Judgment Night, Blown Away, The Ghost and the Darkness and served as executive producer and director on the TV-series 24), another commentary track with crew members and, new interviews with Hopkins and writer/producer Akiva Goldsman. You’ll also get deleted scenes, additional scenes, featurettes on the production, a Q&A with the T.V. show’s cast and a trailer.
Finally, recent Razzie Award-winner Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey (2023) is also arriving on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory. This release comes with a making-of and a trailer.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Below is a list of the week’s kid-friendly titles.
Sesame Street Mecha Builders The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 1 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 2 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 3 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 4 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 5 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 6 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
All of this edition’s TV-related discs can be found below.
Doom Patrol Season 4 (Final Season) Blu-ray
Doom Patrol The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray
Royal Flying Doctor Service Season 2 (PBS) DVD
Sesame Street Mecha Builders The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) DVD
SkyMed Season 2 (CBS) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 1 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 2 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 3 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 4 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 5 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Sunny Bunnies Season 6 (Dreamscape Media) DVD
Unforgettable The Complete Series (Via Vision Australian Import) DVD
VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun