Mill Creek Entertainment Tabs July 9 For The 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack Release Of IMAX: Space Station

Last week Mill Creek Entertainment announced its first priced-to-collect Blu-ray product offerings for the month of July.   These were two new 4K transfer (both first time in widescreen) from cult filmmaker Andy Sidaris’ “Bullets, Bombs and Babes” hit series of films from the 1980s.   

Already in place and released on Apr. 16 were Malibu Express and Hard Ticket to Hawaii and now July 9 will see the arrival of Dona Speir and Hope Marie Carlton starring in Picasso Trigger and Savage Beach (both include Digital Copy).

That’s a tough act to follow, but Mill Creek Entertainment has matched the excitement of these action classics with an eye towards the celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing on July 20, 1969.   Available on July 9 will be a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack edition of documentary filmmaker Toni Myers’ 2002 IMAX presentation of Space Station (complete with Digital Copy).

This film about the construction of the International Space Station, space walks and more has grossed over $93 million in its long-term IMAX theatrical run.  Tom Cruise serves as the narrator and the visuals are nothing short of spectacular!

Bonus goodies included with the 4K Ultra HD debut include the featurette titled “Adventures in Space,” featuring Tom Cruise, filmmaker Toni Myers and ISS astronauts, plus two technical featurettes — “Expedition 7” (a tour of the ISS) and “STS-108” (a tour of the Endeavor on its way to the ISS).

Wait!   Mill Creek Entertainment’s celebration of space continues on July 9 with the double-disc Blu-ray release of NASA: A Journey Through Space (complete with Digital Copy).

This seven-part history of the United States space program includes the following segments — “The History of Flying and the Space Race,” “Operation: Lift Off,” “Shooting for the Moon,” “The Apollo Missions,” “After a Giant Leap,” “The Shuttle and Living in Space” and “The 21st Century and Beyond.”

Bullets, Bombs and Babes and the 50^th Anniversary celebration of the Moon Landing … and Mill Creek Entertainment is just getting started!

Cinetrove International Restores French New Wave Filmmaker Jacques Doniol-Valcroze's L’eau a la Bouche For Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Release On June 18

The French New Wave produced the likes of François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Éric Rohmer and in early 1960 a new “filmmaker” member to the movement made his feature film directing debut … Jacques Doniol-Valcroze.   

His role, however, with the New Wave film movement in France was from its very beginning in the post-war period … and as a co-founder of the New Wave film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma, Doniol-Valcroze credentials are impeccable.   It just took a tad longer for him to sit in the director’s chair.

Word arrived this past week that Cinetrove International has a new restoration of Doniol-Valcroze’s debut feature film, L’eau a la Bouche (aka: A Game for Six Lovers) ready for domestic consumption on June 18 as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack.

The film, starring Bernadette Lafont (three-time César Awards nominee — Prête-Moi Ta main, Masques, L'Effrontée) Françoise Brion and Alexandra Stewart, was released theatrically in France in January of 1960, but when it arrived in the United States two years later, the French language track had been stripped out and the film was dubbed — can you imagine Truffaut’s 400 Blows or Godard’s Breathless as only English-dubbed viewing options!!   Fortunately, Cinetrove International has the original French-language version for cinephiles to enjoy.

Miléna (Brion) lives in her wealthy grandmother’s château and suddenly finds her comfy world coming unraveled when the old lady dies.   The attorney for the estate insists that Miléna’s estranged cousins be at the reading of the will and soon enough Fifine (Stewart) arrives … and just as quickly starts hitting on the attorney.   

Fifine’s brother, Jean-Paul (who is really her lover) also shows up and is quickly smitten with his “cousin,” Miléna.   This complicated series of affairs of the heart expands to include the long-time butler who is trying to score with the new maid!

So how does it all work out?   Cousins with “cousins” and the legal affairs of the estate in obvious conflict … June 18 on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack to find out how it all comes out.

L’eau a la Bouche is presented in French with English subtitles.   Bonus features include an extensive photo gallery and the featurette titled “The French 60s and theme to L’eau a la Bouche by Serge Gainsbourg.”

 

MVD Entertainment Group To Release DVD And Blu-ray Editions Of Documentary Filmmaker Olivia Lichtenstein’s Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don't Know Me On Aug. 23

On July 13, 1985 the Live Aid benefit concerts took place simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia.  The recent Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody was capped off with a 20-minute recreation of Freddie Mercury and Queen’s performance at Wembley Stadium (an amazing bit of filmmaking) … “across the pond” (as they say) an equally emotional performance took place on that date. 

MVD Entertainment Group has announced that documentary filmmaker Olivia Lichtenstein’s Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don't Know Me will be heading to the home entertainment marketplace on Aug. 23 as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings.

Teddy Pendergrass was at the top of his career and then came the night of March 18, 1982.  He was involved in a car crash in Philadelphia that left him a quadriplegic and paralyzed from the chest down.   It was, however, not the end of his career and filmmaker Lichtenstein chronicles that, and more, in her look at the life of this five-time Grammy nominee and five-time Platinum and three-time Gold recording artist.   

The Live Aid concert was his return to the limelight after three years of recovery from the near-fatal accident.   After Live Aid he would go on to record six additional albums, including the 1988 release of the Gold-certified “Joy,” which yielded two top ten R&B chart toppers, “Joy” (no. 1) and “2 A.M. (no. 3).

Filmmaker Olivia Lichtenstein examines Pendergrass’ early life, his breakthrough with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, his solo-career management by the legendary Shep Gordon (who actually staged female-only venues to promote Pendergrass’ sexual allure) and even the dark side … his first manager and love interest, Taaz Lang, was murdered execution style (the crime has never been solved). 

The film blends vintage performances with a no-nonsense storyline that highlight both the good and bad in Pendergrass’ amazing life and career.

Icarus Films Tabs July 2 For The Domestic DVD Debut Of Paraguayan Filmmaker Marcelo Martinessi’s The Heiresses

Icarus Films will be teaming up with France’s premiere film production and distribution company, Distrib Films, on July 2 for the domestic DVD debut of Paraguayan filmmaker Marcelo Martinessi’s award winning and internationally acclaimed film, The Heiresses.

Martinessi’s tale of a relationship between two women — who are essentially stuck in time — opened the Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February of 2018 and captured the Silver Bear for Ana Brun’s performance as Best Actress and Marcelo Martinessi won for Best Director (his first feature film).  

An extended film festival tour — reaching all corners of the world — followed for an entire year, with Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director awards piling up along the way.   During that period, Distrib Films picked up The Heiresses for domestic theatrical distribution, which includes the home entertainment arena through the Icarus Films agreement.

The ARR works out to 165 days and domestic box office receipts recorded during the film’s brief arthouse run were $72,505 (just 6 screens at its widest point).

Chela (Ana Brun) and Chiquita (Margarita Irun) are a lesbian couple who have lived together in Paraguay’s capital of Asunción for going on three decades.   They are in many ways, polar opposites … Chela is an introspective artist, while Chiquita is a free spirit, and therein lies the problem.   It seems that Chiquita’s “free spirit” nature has earned her some prison time and to make ends meet during her absence, Chela has been selling off the furniture and other heirlooms. 

What makes Martinessi’s The Heiresses an interesting look at culture in South America is not the relationship between Chela and Chiquita, but the imperative that their “upper class” status be maintained … or at the least the appearances of that status.   

Their home may be a little spare about now, but at least Chela has a domestic — the illusion of class and status within the community must be observed.

Meanwhile, Chiquita seems to fit right in at prison, while Chela has a difficult time adjusting, but she is soon distracted by both an impromptu business opportunity and the allure of a younger woman by the name of Angy (Ana Ivanova).

The Heiresses is presented in Spanish with English subtitles.

Arrow Video's 4K Film Restoration For Writer/Director John Hughes' Weird Science Arrives On Blu-ray On July 23

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new 4K restoration (from the original camera negative) of writer/director John Hughes’ summer of 1985 high school nerd fantasy comedy, Weird Science, ready for Blu-ray release on July 23.

Wedged between The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this fantasy comedy from Hughes, although a theatrical hit, has never achieved the iconic status of the aforementioned films that proceeded and followed it — or Sixteen Candles, for that matter.

All four films have similar themes … high school, nerds, outcasts and an the underlying sexual angst of those formative years.   Weird Science doesn’t go for the more insightful (subtle) story-telling aspects of its three brethren, which Hughes was very good at, but instead is an all out fantasy tale about two high school nerds — Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) — who know that their romantic lives will be unfilled and so they create their own “wonder woman.”   The results are nothing short of amazing!!

The filming was done on closed sets to tamp down speculation as to what the film was about (three weeks of location shooting in the Chicago and then to Universal Studios for closed-set filming and post production).    

The production itself actually got off to a rocky start when the original Lisa walked off the set after two days and had be replaced at the last minute with Kelly LeBrock (who had made her film debut in the Gene Wilder comedy, The Woman in Red, the previous summer).

In addition to the fantasy elements of two high school nerds creating the perfect woman (god-like with her powers as it turns out), the film has a cast that makes it a fun watch … you have the likes of Bill Paxton (as Wyatt’s bullying older brother), Robert Downey, Jr. (in a very early role) and Michael Berry from The Hills Have Eyes.

As to bonus goodies, there are two viewing options.   The first is the original theatrical cut (clocking in at 94 minutes) and an extended cut, which features an additional three minutes of restored footage.  

Additionally, there are new-prepared video sessions with special makeup creator Craig Reardon (seven Emmy nominations for his work, including wins for The X Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), composer Ira Newborn, casting director Jackie Burch and support actor John Kapelos (as Dino), plus a vintage documentary titled It’s Alive: Resurrecting Weird Science.

Wolfe Selects July 30 For The Domestic DVD Debut Of Writer/Director Alvaro Delgado Aparicio’s Retablo

Wolfe announced this past week that Peruvian filmmaker Alvaro Delgado Aparicio’s internationally acclaimed film, Retablo, will be making its domestic DVD debut on July 30.

For a first-time filmmaker, especially from a country not known for its filmmaking output, Retablo is blessed with solid production values (cinematography by Mario Bassino, editing by Eric Williams and a music score by Harry Escott) and excellent performances from a cast of largely unknowns.

In the remote mountainous regions of Peru (filmed in and around Ayacucho — over 9,000 feet) we are introduced to Noé (Amiel Cayo), an artisan known for his “Retablos” — wooden picture boxes depicting family, religious or other important events.   His 14-year old son, Segundo (Junior Béjar Roca in his film debut) has been his apprentice and has developed the skills that will serve him well as he grows into an adult.

It is the job of the Retablo craftsman to witness events — a wedding for example — capture the essence of the story and then build a small, but elaborate “shadow box” (filmmaker Alvaro Delgado Aparicio’s description) that depicts a certain moment in time.   Noé and his son travel throughout the countryside (often difficult as result of the terrain) to obtain commissions for the Retablos that he will create and then deliver to his patrons.   He is renown for his work.

It is on one of these trips that Segundo witnesses something that tears his world apart. 

Can he ever regain the awe and respect for his father?   And what of his footsteps?   A career tossed aside in disgust?   

Once this family “secret” is out, Segundo’s mother, Anatolia (Magaly Solier — The Milk of Sorrow, Amador), is able to approach her son in a new light.   In a beautiful structure sequence, Anatolia lays it on the line to the sullen Segundo and explains to him that his father has devoted his entire life to the schooling of his son so that he will not be a peasant — a man without future — but a gifted craftsman; an artisan with standing.   You can see in Segundo’s face and body language the transition from anger to understanding … a magnificent moment captured on screen between a mother (who too has devoted her life as a wife and mother in ways that have been outside of a traditional relationship) and son.

Filmmaker Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio uses the Retablo as a metaphor for the growth, understanding and final acceptance by the son.   A first glance of a Retablo shows the superficial trappings of an event, but upon deeper reflection, the subtle layers of the “shadow box” and its details are revealed.   So too is the events of life … even those events that come as a shock to the soul.

Retablo is presented in Spanish with English subtitles.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Picks June 18 For The Home Entertainment Rollout Of Director Jordan Peele’s Us

June 18, jot it down … that’s the street date that Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has assigned for the three-SKU home entertainment launch of director Jordan Peele’s blockbuster horror tale, Us.

The ARR of Us works out to a swift-to-market 88 days and domestic box office receipts were a stellar 172.9 million.

As to home entertainment packaged media selections, Universal will be giving consumers the choice between Combo Pack editions for both the 4K Ultra HD (with Blu-ray) and Blu-ray (with DVD) formats, plus there will be a stand-alone DVD viewing option.

As to bonus features for this puzzle-book horror tale, there are a half-dozen deleted scenes, outtakes, a trio of “Scene Explorations,” an extended version of the dance sequence from the film titled, “As Above, So Below: Grand Pas de Deux,” and five featurettes — “The Duality of Us,” “The Monsters Within Us,” “Tethered Together: Making Us Twice,” “Redefining a Genre: Jordan Peele's Brand of Horror” and “Becoming Red.”