Scars Of War: Vietnam 4-Movie Collection On Blu-ray From Mill Creek Entertainment On May 04

Mill Creek Entertainment has selected May 4 as the street date for the double-disc, four-film Blu-ray collection titled Scars of War: Vietnam 4-Movie Collection.

Leading off the action is auteur filmmaker Brian De Palma’s 1989 film adaptation of Daniel Lang’s book, Casualties of War, which itself was an expansion of his 1969 New Yorker magazine story about a 1966 incident in which four soldiers raped and murdered a Vietnamese woman and one of their fellow platoon members felt he had to expose their crime.  

When the book was published in 1969, a studio bidding war ensued and Warner Bros. ended up with the rights, but after a year of pre-production work the project was ultimately dropped by the studio.   Years past and De Palma became involved with the project, but it wasn’t until the runaway success of The Untouchables in 1987 that the resources, and star-power, were finally available for him to push forward with the project.  

Think about it, 20-years from start to finish, and there was still more drama in getting the film produced.   Because of The Untouchables, Paramount agreed to green light the film, but that too fell apart.

Enter Dawn Steel, former Paramount Studio head, who brought the project to Columbia Pictures … three studios, 20-years and finally it was ready to roll.  Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox would star as the real-life characters of the incident (names were changed), with unknown American-Vietnamese Thuy Thu Le cast as the victim, Oanh.

Other cast members include John C. Reilly in his first film role, John Leguizamo, also just starting out in his film career and Don Harvey, who had worked with De Palma on The Untouchables.

The other three films included in the Scars of War: Vietnam 4-Movie Collection Blu-ray release from Mill Creek Entertainment on May 4 are director Alan Parker’s 1984 film adaptation of the William Wharton novel, Birdy (with Matthew Modine, Nicolas Cage and John Harkins), director Louis Malle’s 1985 film release of Alamo Bay (teaming Ed Harris with Amy Madigan, with Ho Nguyen as Dinh) and Michael Douglas stars in one of his early film roles (1971), director Anthony Newley’s Summertree.

 

 

 

 

Icarus Films Prepares The Domestic DVD Debut Of New Wave Director Philippe Garrel's The Salt Of Tear For Release On Apr. 27

Icarus Films will be joining forces with France’s premiere film production and distribution company, Distrib Films, on Apr. 27 for the domestic DVD debut for French filmmaker Philippe Garrel’s The Salt of Tears.

The French New Wave still lives strong in Garrel’s award-winning works.  For cinephiles it is hard to believe that he has been at this since 1964 … where did the time go?   Garrel was just 16-years old when he wrote his first script, the youngest of the French New Wave, with his mentors being none other than François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.

Twice he has won at the Cannes Film Festival for his works — Lover for a Day (L'amant d'un Jour) and Liberté, la Nuit — plus the film festival circuit knows him well over the years … he has endured.

With The Salt of Tears, Garrel delivers a story of encounters and love affairs that is filmed in glorious black and white.   His film opened at the Berlin International Film Festival in the days just prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and would have certainly expanded to other venues in the weeks and months that followed, but that didn’t happen.

Icarus Films has scored a major coup with the domestic DVD debut of Garrel’s latest … his fans know his work well, from his early days — Marie for Memory, The Virgin's Bed and The Inner Scar to his more contemporary films — In the Shadow of Women, Lover for a Day and Jealousy.   They will not be disappointed with The Salt of Tears.

On the surface it seems like a simple tale of a young man, Luc (Logann Antuofermo in his film debut), is an apprentice furniture maker who travels to Paris in an effort to expand his horizons.   There he meets a beautiful young woman by the name of Djemila (Oulaya Amamra — Divines, Farewell to the Night, French Touch: Girls of Summer) and falls in love.

He returns home after this encounter and takes up with an old friend, Geneviève (Louise Chevillotte — Lover for a Day, The World After Us), and sees her in a different light and falls in love with her as well.

His skills as a craftsman improve and he finds an opportunity for a dream job back in Paris and there he encounters yet a third woman, Betsy (Souheila Yacoub — Climax, Les Affamés) … will he also fall in love with her, and if so, will it last?

The Salt of Tears is presented in French with English subtitles.

 

 

 

Wolfe Sets Writer/Director Harry Macqueen's Supernova For Blu-ray And DVD Release On May 18 • Director Ali LeRoi's Obituary Of Tunde Johnson On May 11

Wolfe announced this past week that writer/director Harry Macqueen’s award winning-drama, Supernova, starring Oscar-winner Colin Firth (Best Actor, The King’s Speech) and three-time Emmy-winner, Stanley Tucci, will be available as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings on May 18.

Macqueen’s heartfelt story about the life-long relationship between Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci) opened on the European film festival circuit in the fall of last year and then found theatrical venues domestically beginning in January of this year.  

For the record, the ARR comes in at 109 days and box office receipts were $237,632, which is quite impressive for this UK-produced import with few theatres these days available for exhibition. 

Sam and Tusker have been in a two-decade relationship and decide to enjoy time together in beat-up campervan while touring England’s picturesque Lake District (northwester area of the country), stopping in along the way to visit family and old friends.  

The trip is not without its purpose — beyond just the joy of a vacation — it seems that Tusker has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and this trip is a way for Sam to say goodbye; to spend his last few moments with his dear friend who has already started to slip away.

Make no mistake, despite the beauty of this road trip and the strong acting performances of these two great professionals, Supernova is a full-box of Kleenex weeper.   Old memories are shared with friends along the way, and there are the lighter moments, but to watch someone you love fade to nothing right before your eyes is painful, road trip and laughs aside.

Bonus features for Supernova, which is certainly one of the best films of 2020, include a making-of featurette.

In other release news from Wolfe this past week, May 11 will mark the DVD debut of director Ali LeRoi’s thought-provoking drama, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson.
His given name is Babatunde Adesola Johnson (Steven Silver — as Marcus in the 13 Reasons Why television series), but he prefers Tunde.   He is a Nigerian-American teenager, of wealth and privilege … his father (Sammi Rotibi — Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Django Unchained) is a famous artist, who is always quick to offer his son advice.   Tunde has it all, nice home, an equally nice car and he goes to an upper-crust private school.

Things get set in motion when Tunde gets pulled over late one night and things quickly go south.   He is shot … and is suddenly jolted awake in his bed.   He is destined to relive — or is it re-die? — the same moment over and over again.   He’s caught in a time-loop.

What LeRoi, working with Stanley Kalu’s first script, has constructed is not so much a “sci-fi” tale of someone caught in a Groundhog Day event, but rather the “loop” has the effect of following Tunde through various aspects of his all-too-perfect life.   In this manner, the drama of being gay, of being in a relationship, of being black and of dealing with privileged kids with little moral standing doesn’t become tedious.   Instead, at moments of conflict and dire altercations, Tunde’s life re-sets … he learns as he goes.

The Obituary of Tunde Johnson is social commentary.   Being gay, among people who are supposed to be accepting, but are more subtle in their biases; being black, but not from “the hood,” where people smile, acknowledge your standing and still manage to knife you in the back.   And of parents, and the police and so much more.   On DVD from Wolfe this coming May 11.

 

 

 

 

 

Discovery Of Art Series Heads To DVD From Bayview Entertainment On May 25

With travel possibly opening up this summer and people off to visit museums and other attractions that have been shuttered for months, Bayview Entertainment will be profiling three famous artists on May 25 to get art fans warmed up for destination discoveries.   Lined for DVD release are: Discovery of Art: Kurt Schwitters, Discovery of Art: Maxfield Parrish and Discovery of Art: Michelangelo.

First up, painter, sculptor and architect, plus his creative process also extended to poetry and stage plays, is German artist Kur Schwitters, who had double-lucky experience of fleeing the Nazis, not once, but twice — first to Norway before the war, where he was “repatriated” when Germany invaded Norway in 1940, he then fled on a Norwegian patrol boat to Scotland.   He is noted for his “Merz” process.  

The DVD from Bayview Entertainment highlights the exhibition of his works at the George Pompidou Museum.

Next up is American painter and illustrator, Maxfield Parrish, who specialized in landscapes … and became quite well known for his numerous magazine covers and illustrations that appeared in books between 1897 and 1910.   The National Museum of American Illustration in Newport, Rhode Island has the largest collection of his work.   Bayview’s DVD release of Discovery of Art: Maxfield Parrish gives you a real feel for the scope of Parrish’s work.

Finally, no trip to Europe — especially the Louvre Museum in Paris or the famed Sistine Chapel — would be complete without at least a glimpse of the works of Michelangelo.   The DVD from Bayview, Discovery of Art: Michelangelo, gives the viewer a broad overview of his work … and really whets ones’ appetite for travel and viewing the works of these famous artists.

 

 

 

 

Wild Eye Releasing Picks May 11 For The DVD Debut Of Writer/Director Dustin Ferguson's Apex Predators

Summer is coming, the beaches will be jammed … and we all know what lurks out there, just beneath the surface, waiting, waiting, waiting to eat.  

Wild Eye Releasing, with sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has this season’s reminder ready on May 11 with the DVD debut of writer/director Dustin Ferguson’s Apex Predators.

Sure, you are sitting there thinking, “Oh really, another shark movie,” but wait, when see scream queen Brinke Stevens (The Slumber Party Massacre, Repligator, Bitten: Victoria's Shadow, Hell Asylum, The Naked Monster, Die Sister, Die! … and many, many more screen delights) as the film’s star, just put aside those knee-jerk reactions and settle in because you know this shark encounter is going to have a bite!

Here, she plays Dr. Rebecca Mattei, a marine biologist, who has been called in to investigate a series of suspected shark attacks that have left the local beach strewn with the remains of sweet young things.   Her partner, Doctor Eliane Ripley, is played by rising scream queen Vida Ghaffari (Holy Terror, Meathook Massacre: The Final Chapter, Ebola Rex Versus Murder Hornets) … so that’s a double-dose of scream queens!!

Right in the middle of this hunting ground is the planned opening of a new resort run by Robert Clouse Williamson (Mel Novak — Game of Death, An Eye for an Eye, An Hour to Kill, Nemesis 5: The New Model), who doesn’t want to hear about closing beaches and keeping crowds away from his resort.   But, the investigation of the attacks soon leads to the suspicion that there is more than one shark responsible for all of the carnage.

Apex Predators on DVD from Wild Eye Releasing on May 11.   We can tell you this much, there is a twist in the telling of this horror tale as the sharks you encounter have been up to something that may change the balance of power when it comes to going to the beach!  Come for the scream queens, stay for lunch!!

 

 

 

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Looks To May 11 For The 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack Debut Of Justice Society: World War II

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has tabbed May 11 as the debut date for director Jeff Wamester’s new animated super heroes feature film, Justice Society: World War II.

This will be a three-SKU selection of home entertainment packaged media products, including a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack plus a stand-alone Blu-ray edition.

Bonus goodies include the newly-minted animated short film titled Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!, a trio of featurettes — “Adventures in Storytelling: Justice Society: World War II,” “Look Back: Justice League vs. Teen Titans” and “Look Back: Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” — and two bonus episodes from the the DC Vault … Justice League: Legends, Part One and Justice League: Legends, Part Two.

In other release news this past week from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Apr. 13 marks the Blu-ray debut of director Michael Curtiz’s 1932 horror tale, Doctor X, teaming Fay Wray with Lionel Atwill in this early Technicolor production.

Doctor X began a series of films for Fay Wray that all seemed to click and still stick with us today.   The films in succession were: Doctor X (August of 1932), The Most Dangerous Game (September of 1932), The Vampire Bat (January of 1933, again with Lionel Atwell), Mystery of the Wax Museum (February of 1933, also with Lionel Atwell) and culminating with the April of 1933 film classic, King Kong.   That is quite an impressive run of films in just a nine-month period.

This film was made using the original 2-strip Technicolor process (technology advanced) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is presenting this new 4K restoration, from the last surviving nitrate print, in both the original Technicolor presentation as well as the alternate black and white version.

Bonus features include two commentary options, the first is a vintage track featuring UCLA Film and Television Archive’s Scott MacQueen, and the second is a newly-prepared commentary option with author and film historian Alan K. Rode (“Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film,” “Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy”). 

Additionally, there is the newly-prepared documentary titled Monsters and Mayhem: The Horror Films of Michael Curtiz, plus a before-and-after film restoration featurette.

 

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Tabs May 11 For The 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack Launch Of Shrek: 20th Anniversary Edition

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment announced this past week that the 20^th Anniversary of Shrek will be celebrated on May 11 with a three-SKU home entertainment packaged media promotion, which includes Shrek’s debut as a 4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack release.

The Shrek: 20^th Anniversary Edition will also be available as stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray product offerings.

As to bonus goodies, all three release SKUs include commentary with filmmakers Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, who are joined by producer Aron Warner (who won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature), deleted scenes, music videos, the featurettes titled “Spotlight on Donkey” and “Secrets of Shrek,” plus the short film titled “Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party.”

Exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray releases are nine additional short films, plus five episodes from The Adventures of Puss in Boots.