Icarus Films Sets Mar. 16 As The Domestic DVD Release Date For Director Jezabel Marques' Sol • Markie In Milwaukee On Mar. 09

Icarus Films will be teaming up with France’s leading film producer and distributor, Distrib Films, on Mar. 16 for the domestic DVD debut of director Jézabel Marques’ bittersweet comedy of deception, Sol.

Solange Corthis (Chantal Lauby — The Gilded Cage, Serial (Bad) Weddings, Leave Your Hands on My Hips) has been living for years in Buenos Aires as a tango dancer by the same of Sol.   She has gained fame, but there is a loss in her life that grows each day … to the point that she must return to Paris to fix it!

So, what is eating at her?   What is so important that she would give up her fame, her career, one that she has devoted her life to … to the exclusion of everything else? 

She has a lover as well, Jacques (Serge Bagdassarian — Midnight in Paris), but as the days go by, she finds that his companionship and her career are not enough.  So off she goes.

We learn that Sol abandoned her own son and family in favor of her dancing career.   Her son married, had a son of his own and has now all but disappeared from the scene (perhaps it is a family thing).   But her grandson, Jo (Giovanni Pucci), is now seven-years old and she knows of him and his mother, Eva (Camille Chamoux — Trainee Day, Family Heist, Love is Dead), who live in Paris.  

It is a simple plan, fly to Paris, go to her estranged step-daughter’s home and reintroduce herself into the life of her grandson.   And then everything will be wonderful.   The only problem is, Sol panics and instead of saying “I’m Jo’s grandmother,” she tells Eva that she is, instead, visiting Paris and is interested in renting the next-door apartment.   Moves in and wings it from there.  

Didn’t Sir Walter Scott nail Sol’s dilemma with his verse, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive” … Sol certainly has weaved herself a mighty tangled web.   The question is, how long can she keep the deception up?

Sol is in French with English subtitles.

In other release news from Icarus Films this past week, Mar. 9 marks the DVD debut of documentary filmmaker Matt Kliegman’s odd, but true tale, Markie in Milwaukee.

Markie Wenzel is a hulk of a man, coming in at seven feet in height.   Married, with three kids.   He is also a minister at the local Baptist church.   And then one day, Markie decided that he wanted to live his life as a woman.  

Kliegman, working with ten years of cinema verité footage has assembled a compelling look at the life of a tortured individual.   We hook up with Markie in 2013, see where he/her is at — a seven-foot-tall TSA agent (seems almost comical) — jumps back to 2008 (the beginning) and then comes forward in time as Markie has had second thoughts and is trying oh so very hard to re-connect with his family and all that he/she has lost.

Markie in Milwaukee is a painful, poignant story … all the more so because it is true.

Bonus features include a Q&A session with filmmaker Matt Kliegman.

 

 

 

 

Cinema Libre Targets Mar. 23 As The DVD Debut Date For Documentary Filmmaker David Freid's Tell My Story

Cinema Libre announced this past week that Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker David Freid’s Tell My Story will be making its DVD debut on Mar. 23.

This is a “message” film … a sad story; a wake-up call.   Jason Reid and his wife were on vacation in Puerto Vallarta in the spring of 2018.   A time to relax, enjoy the moment, but that all changed in a heartbeat when the phone call came … their son Ryan, just 14-years old, was dead.

No parent wants to out-live their children, but in Reid’s case, it wasn’t that his son was dying of a disease or was an accident victim, but rather, he took his own life; a suicide.   Sure, maybe the signs were there.   But, Ryan was a teenager, in Reid’s own words, he has four teenagers, they get moody, silent, strange … they are teenagers.   You think nothing of the moods, the silence, until the day when it comes into your life and changes everything.

The note was found, and Ryan’s tortured world was an eye-opener to his father.  Ryan wasn’t alone in taking his own life; suicide by teenagers and young adults accounts for more fatalities among this age group than pneumonia, influenza, cancer, heart disease, AIDS, chronic birth defects, stroke and lung disease combined.   3,700 attempts per day on average; 4,600 die each year (CDC).   Stunning!

Jason Reid decided to share his story, his pain, and in doing so, perhaps, just perhaps, give other parents an insight; an understanding into what might be right in front of them.   To do this, he teamed up with documentary filmmaker David Freid (Guns Found Here, True Colors, High Chaparral) and Freid’s long-time collaborating cameraman Andrew Pfeifer to document Jason and his son Ryan’s story.   Included are interviews with health professionals.

Tell My Story, on DVD from Cinema Libre on Mar. 23, is effective, educational, heartbreaking and, yet, hopeful.  A call to reach out, connect, listen … especially in these times of isolation. 

Bonus features include extended interviews.

 

 

 

'Til Death: The Complete Series On DVD From Mill Creek Entertainment On Apr. 20

Mill Creek Entertainment has tabbed Apr. 20 as the street date for ‘Til Death: The Complete Series, starring Brad Garrett (three-time Emmy winner for Best Supporting Actor in the series Everyone Loves Raymond) and Joely Fisher (as Paige Clark in the Ellen television series) as the long-married Starks who have their ups and downs … but it always remains funny no matter what life throws their way.

Included in this eight-disc DVD collection are all 81 episodes from the series, which ran from 2006 though 2010 (shortened by seven episodes not produced during “the writer’s strike” of 2007).   This complete series from Mill Creek Entertainment includes Digital Copy.

The series has fun with the arrival of the “new couple” next door, the Woodcocks, played by Kat Foster and Eddie Kaye Thomas, who are just starting out (first two seasons), and then later with the Starks’ daughter, Ally (played by Lindsey Broad and Kate Micucci), and her husband, Doug (Timm Sharp).

There is also quite a bit of time devoted to Eddie’s Big Brother mentee, Kenny (played J.B. Smoove, who, as is the case with Brad Garrett, has done extensive work as a voice actor).

 

 

 

 

 

MVD Entertainment Group Bestows Rewind Collection Status On The Blu-ray Release Of Director John Stewart's Action U.S.A. On May 11

There is a new entry in MVD Entertainment Group’s popular “Rewind Collection” series coming to Blu-ray on May 11, director John Stewart’s 1989 homage to all-things stunts … and that would be his Action U.S.A. thriller. 

John Stewart is a veteran stuntman and stunt coordinator, or should we say “stunt choreographer!!”   His films range from horror to action to comedy, using his talents to make “things happen” in such films as Munchies, Zombie High, Phantasm II, Creepozoids and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

In 1989, he teamed up with screenwriter David Reskin (Skinheads, Click: The Calendar Girl Killer, Dark Future, etc.) to construct a film whose story line would be built around a series of spectacular stunts … a showcase of Stewart’s skills.   The pair accomplished exactly what they set out to do. 

There is a reason why this is the perfect addition to MVD’s “Rewind Collection,” because like writer/director H.B. Halicki’s 1974 “gimmick” film, Gone in 60 Seconds (a super-indie-hit), Stewart’s Action U.S.A. has aged well with time, becoming something of a cult showcase in “this is how it is done” sub-genre of action films.

The film opens with bad boy Billy Ray (Rod Shaft) and his girlfriend, Carman (Barri Murphy — Armed for Action, Time Tracers) tooling around town (filmed in and around Waco, Texas) in his slicker-than-slick Corvette.  The pair end up at his place for a little in-the-sack action, but this is interrupted by a pair of thugs who want what Billy Ray has, and it is not Carman, but a stash of diamonds that he has stolen from his boss, Frankie Navarro (played by none other than Cameron Mitchell).

This is an excuse for Stewart to set up a 15 to 20-minute stunt-action series of events, which, sadly Billy Ray does not survive.   The lovely Carman does and ends up in the hands of FBI agents Osborn (Gregory Scott Cummins — as Detective Moore in the popular Bosch series, plus such films as Cliffhanger, Last of the Dogmen, Switchback, etc.) and McKinnon (William Hubbard Knight), who want to use her to build their case against Navarro and his operation.

It is, however, Navarro who goes on the offensive as he dispatches the assassin known as Drago (Ross Hagen — The Mini-Skirt Mob, Speedway, The Devil's 8, The Organization, etc.) to tie up loose ends.   This is, of course, just an excuse for Stewart and Reskin to set up a series of stunt chases and action sequences that constantly put Osborn, McKinnon and their “witness,” Carman, in harm’s way!!

Bonus features include commentary with director John Stewart, actor Gregory Scott Cummins, cinematographer Thomas Callaway … the commentary is hosted by fellow filmmaker Steve Latshaw (Vampire Trailer Park, Jack-O, Death Mask, etc.).  Plus, there is a video session with Stewart and the featurette titled “Action U.S.A. Behind the Scenes.”

 

 

 

 

Bayview Entertainment Gets Fit With Two DVD Releases Featuring Jennifer Galardi On Apr. 6

Bayview Entertainment says it is time to get fit.   Spring is coming, you’ve been laying around watching television and doing next to nothing for months as a result of the pandemic … but spring is coming, so let’s go, get up, get moving and get back into shape.

And there is none better to get you moving and motivated than fitness coach, nutritionist and author, Jennifer Galardi, who is a certified weight-loss expert with over 25 years of experience.   Bayview has not one, but two DVDs from here that will get you ready for fitness and a healthier lifestyle on Apr. 6.

We begin with Barre Break Thru Workout with Jennifer Galardi, which features a healthy blend of cardio, toning and “lengthening” exercises.   This is a three-phase workout that features a “warm-up,” followed by a Barre Cardio fat-burning workout and then Garardi wraps up the session with a “Tone and Strengthen, Stretch and Lengthen” series of targeted workout moves.

Also heading home on DVD on Apr. 6 from Bayview Entertainment is Flowetry Yoga with Jennifer Galardi.   Here she combines yoga with rhythmic movements to tone your entire body, again with a special focus on stretching.

This fitness DVD can be customized to fit your personal needs by blending five different segments — “Chair Series,” “Core Series,” “Warrior Series,” “Flowetry” (rhythm and dance) and “Stretch and Center Series.”   There is also a “Tutorial,” which is a step-by-step guide to Jennifer Galardi’s key poses in this “Flowetry Yoga” workout program … beginner to advanced!!

 

 

 

4K Ultra HD Edition Of Director Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko Heads Home On Apr. 27

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new 4K film restoration of director Richard Kelly’s 2001 mixed-genre gem, Donnie Darko, will be makings its 4K Ultra HD debut on Apr. 27 as a double-disc product offering.

Because Donnie Darko’s (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) 28-day adventure is so strange; so bizarre, those that expressed some distribution interest in this wholly independent production after seeing it at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2021, got locked into cable and direct to video avenues.   It took visionary filmmaker Christopher Nolan and his wife, Emma Thomas, to rescue Kelly’s film and get it into theatres — along with input on fine-tuning the final product.

If not for this, Donnie Darko might have just been a film festival curiosity and not the landmark film that it has become in the decade since its initial release.

As to the 4K Ultra HD edition that Arrow Video will be releasing on Apr. 27, the double-disc presentation includes both the original theatrical cut and the 2004 “director’s cut” (clocking in at an extra 21 minutes) … both are new 4K restorations from the original camera negatives (supervised by filmmaker Richard Kelly and cinematographer Steven Poster).

As to bonus goodies, the theatrical cut features two commentary options, one featuring Richard Kelly and Donnie Darko himself, Jake Gyllenhaal, and the second teaming Richard Kelly, producer Sean McKittrick and cast members Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, Beth Grant, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Katharine Ross and James Duval.

Additionally, there is director Daniel Griffith’s 2016 feature-length documentary titled Deus ex Machina: The Philosophy of Donnie Darko and Richard Kelly’s 1996 short film titled The Goodbye Place … and some 20 deleted and/or alternate scenes (with commentary by Kelly).

Bonus features included with the “director’s cut” disc include a commentary option with director Richard Kelly and fellow filmmaker Kevin Smith, the “Donnie Darko Production Diary,” archived interviews with cast, producing and crew members and three vintage featurettes — “They Made Me Do It,” “They Made Me Do It Too” and “#1 Fan: A Darkomentary.”

 

 

 

Vinegar Syndrome Readies Three Film Restorations For Release As Blu-ray Product Offerings On Feb. 23

Vinegar Syndrome announced a short window for its next film restoration release package.   Three new Blu-ray product offerings will be ready for genre fans to enjoy on Feb. 23.

Leading the quick-turn-around selection is Italian giallo, action and horror filmmaker Umberto Lenzi’s (aka: Humphrey Humbert; aka: Harry Kirkpatrick) 1989 serial killer flick, Hitcher in the Dark , starring Joe Balogh (Monstrosity, Black Demons) as a serial killer on wheels — he has a motorhome and cruises the Virginia Beach area looking for victims.   

This is a new 4K film restoration from the original 35mm camera negative.

The opening sequence sets the tone as Mark (Joe Balogh) picks up a lovely young thing, chats it up with her and then slashes her throat, takes a few snapshots to memorialize the kill and then dumps the body for the critters to munch on.  Nice guy.

Things change however, when the next victim, Daniela (Josie Bissett — perhaps best known as Jane from the Melrose Place television series), reminds him of his mother (there is a bit of a backstory about how this well-off kid saw mommy walk out on the family).   He decides to toy with her for a while … and Daniela does her best to keep him interested to buy time for her desperate boyfriend, Kevin (Jason Saucier), to find her and rescue her.  

Of course, things don’t go well, for either the boyfriend, or, ultimately Daniela, but a twist ending sees an eventual end to Mark’s road-rage killing spree … and a slice of revenge.

Bonus features include commentary by Diabolique Magazine’s Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger, plus a vintage video session with filmmaker Umberto Lenzi.

Also on the Feb. 23 release calendar from Vinegar Syndrome are director Robert Vincent’s 1995 horror tale, The Fear (4K restoration from the original 35MM negative … commentary from Vincent and a feature-length documentary titled Face to Face with The Fear) and Forgotten Gialli: Volume 3, featuring three Italian-language giallo flicks — Autopsy, Murder Mansion and Crazy Desires of a Murderer.