It’s New Release Tuesday! This week we’ve got new animation from Genndy Tartakovsky, a bunch of vintage titles from Kino, a classic Aussie biker movie, a new box set of films from a legendary DIY low-budget Wisconsin genre filmmaker, and lots more.
AGATHA AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDERS / CURSE OF ISHTAR / TRUTH OF MURDER (2018) (2 DISKS)
These films imagine what might have happened to the author Agatha Christie. (DVD)
ALPHA INCIDENT/DEMONS OF LUDLOW (1978)
THE ALPHA INCIDENT
A space probe returns from Mars carrying a deadly organism that could destroy all life on Earth! While being transported across country by train the micro-organism is accidentally released, resulting in the quarantine of an entire train station. Those trapped inside must wait for the government to find a cure while trying not to sleep, because that’s when the organism strikes!
THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW
The population of a small, quiet town prepares to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of its founding, but the town of Ludlow has a very dark past and when a piano arrives at auction, the ghosts its past return to seek retribution. (Part of WEIRD WISCONSIN: THE FILMS OF BILL REBANE — BLU-RAY)
AUGUST VIRGIN (2019)
Eva is about to turn 33 and her decision to stay in Madrid in August has become an act of faith. The days and nights arise as times for opportunities, and during the open-air summer celebrations Eva meets other people whom she tries to help, without realizing that she is actually helping herself. THE AUGUST VIRGIN is a diary-film: the intimate journey of a woman in search of revelations; a rather philosophical and somewhat mystical summer story which is fun and festive from start to finish. (DVD)
BEAST BEAST (2020)
In a quiet southern town, popular and charismatic theatre kid Krista finds herself increasingly drawn to Nito, the new student in her high school who catches her attention with his impressive skating videos. The two share an easy rapport and quickly grow close. Unbeknownst to her, their lives and that of her gun-loving neighbor, Adam, will soon become intertwined—until they reach a breaking point. Brimming with energy and style, Beast Beast captures what it means to come of age in an era marked by technology and social media, where violent clashes awaken dormant passions and teenagers are faced with growing up all too quickly. (DVD)
BLINDING OF ISAAC WOODARD (2021) (AMERICAN EXPERIENCE)
Discover the 1946 incident of racial violence by police against army sergeant Isaac Woodard. This event led to the racial awakening of President Harry Truman and set the stage for the landmark 1954 Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision, jumpstarting the civil rights movement. (DVD)
BLUE LAMP (1950)
An immensely popular British crime film, The Blue Lamp was scripted by ex-policeman T.E.B. Clarke (The Lavender Hill Mob) and directed by the great Basil Dearden (Dead of Night). This classic film noir concentrates on interrelated episodes in the lives of several London policemen. A veteran cop is murdered by small-time delinquents Tom Riley (Dirk Bogarde, The Mind Benders) and Spud (Patric Doonan, The Man in the White Suit). Rookie cop Andy Mitchell (Jimmy Hanley, Radio Cab Murder), who looked up to the veteran policeman as a father figure, embarks on a perilous search to bring his mentor’s killers to justice. Shot in a pioneering semi-documentary style by Gordon Dines (Pool of London), the film focuses on ordinary heroes and a new breed of young criminal, hardened by the war years, whose recklessness and violence contrasts with the discipline of the older criminal fraternity. Jack Warner (It Always Rains on Sunday) leads a great cast featuring Robert Flemyng (The Blood Beast Terror), Bernard Lee (Dr. No) and Peggy Evans (Calling Bulldog Drummond). (DVD and BLU-RAY)
BOOGIE (2021)
From acclaimed writer, producer and restaurateur Eddie Huang comes his directorial debut, Boogie, the coming-of-age story of Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a basketball phenom living in Queens, New York, who dreams of one day playing in the NBA. While his parents pressure him to focus on earning a scholarship to an elite college, Boogie must find a way to navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals and the burden of expectation. (DVD)
BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER (1999)
This whimsically edgy comedy, directed by Jamie Babbit, follows teenager Megan (Natasha Lyonne), whose suburban existence filled with friends, cheerleading, and all-American fun is upended when her straight-laced parents suspect she may be a lesbian. In a panic, they send her to True Directions, a “rehabilitation” camp run by the strict and prudish Mary (Cathy Moriarty), to mount an intervention led by counselor Mike (RuPaul Charles). Megan dutifully follows the program — until she develops feelings for another camper (Clea DuVall) in this timeless, satirical romantic-comedy about self-acceptance and love, also costarring Eddie Cibrian, Melanie Lynskey, and Michelle Williams. (BD-R)
THE COURIER (2020)
The Courier is a true-life spy thriller, the story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history. At the behest of the UK’s MI-6 and a CIA operative (Rachel Brosnahan), he forms a covert, dangerous partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze) in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation and defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis. (DVD and BLU-RAY_
EMBATTLED (2020)
Raised by an abusive father, Cash (Stephen Dorff) channels his aggression to become a World Champion MMA fighter. Now accustomed to wealth, adulation and global popularity, he faces a new challenge when his second son is born with Williams Syndrome. But this time, rather than stand and fight, he runs. While Cash continues to make his fortune in the ring, his eldest son Jett (Darren Mann) becomes the caregiver to his younger brother Quinn (Colin McKenna). When Jett decides to follow his father’s fighting footsteps and take to the fight game, he faces his past head on, embarking on a course inevitably pitting father versus son in a battle which, no matter the outcome, neither can win. (DVD)
FINAL STAND (2020)
At the height of WWII, 3,500 young cadets from two Podolsk military schools are sent with their commanding officers to hold up the last line of defense outside of Moscow. This gritty, harrowing film tells the true story of the cadets’ heroic stand in October, 1941. Sent to the Ilyinsky line of defense, cadets from the Podolsk infantry and artillery schools fight alongside units from the 43rd Army to hold back the German advance until reinforcements arrive. Hopelessly outnumbered, young men in their teens lay down their lives in a battle lasting almost two weeks to obstruct the far superior Nazi forces advancing towards Moscow. A thoughtful and intriguing war drama, The Final Stand ultimately tells a tale of love, heroism and true camaraderie in the face of tragic hardship. (DVD)
GAME, THE/TWISTER’S REVENGE! (1988)
THE GAME (aka THE COLD)
Three bored millionaires gather nine people at an old mansion to play “The Game” … if they can meet and conquer their fears and they’ll receive a million dollars in cash. But all is not as it seems!
TWISTER’S REVENGE
An action-comedy-smash-‘em-up in which three bumbling criminals repeatedly attempt to steal the artificial intelligence control system of Mr. Twister, a talking Monster Truck. (Part of WEIRD WISCONSIN: THE FILMS OF BILL REBANE — BLU-RAY)
GLORIAS, THE (2020)
The story of feminist icon Gloria Steinem’s itinerant childhood and its influence on her life as a writer, activist and organizer for women’s rights worldwide. (DVD)
GREEN MAN (1956)
An irreverent black comedy adapted by Frank Launder (The Lady Vanishes) and Sidney Gilliat (Night Train to Munich) from their play Meet a Body, The Green Man marked the directorial debut of camera operator Robert Day (Tarzan the Magnificent). A scintillating Alastair Sim (An Inspector Calls) plays Hawkins, a timid watchmaker with a part-time job―he is also a professional assassin who bumps off the people we love to hate. But when pompous MP Sir Gregory Upshott (Raymond Huntley, So Evil My Love) is the intended target, bungling vacuum cleaner salesman William Blake (George Cole, Cleopatra) always gets in the way. As the time of the assassination draws even closer and Hawkins tracks his victim to a dilapidated seaside hotel called The Green Man, the laughs and the tension steadily rise to a brilliant climax. A perfect companion piece to Alexander Mackendrick’s The Ladykillers, The Green Man is an enormously entertaining farce that dutifully ticks all the genre’s expected boxes (mistaken identities, compromising positions, much panicking and slamming of doors). Co-starring comedy legend Terry-Thomas (Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies). (DVD and BLU-RAY)
IN & OUT (1997)
Welcome to Greenleaf, a picture-postcard Indiana town where the high school is the proud focus of attention and “alternative lifestyle” means you bowl on alternate Tuesdays. But on the night of the Oscars. telecast, the town’s – and the world’s – center of attention is Greenleaf teacher Howard Brackett. A former student who’s now a superstar actor tells an audience of millions that Howard is gay. Poor Howard. He’s outted when he didn’t know he was in! Kevin Kline plays stunned Howard, scrambling to go forth with his wedding to devoted Emily (Joan Cusack) and doing his frantic best to assert his manliness. With clever dialogue, antic situations and a stellar cast that includes Matt Dillon, Tom Selleck, Debbie Reynolds and Bob Newhart, In & Out is out-and-out fun! (BLU-RAY)
MONSTER A-GO GO / INVASION FROM INNER EARTH (1973)
MONSTER A GO-GO!
American astronaut Frank Douglas returns to earth as a ten-foot-tall radioactive humanoid monster! Independent filmmaker Bill Rebane’s first attempt at a feature film began life as Terror At Halfday but was abandoned when funds ran dry. It was then bought by legendary exploitation pioneer Herschell Gordon Lewis who shot extra footage, added a voice over and released it to drive-ins as MONSTER A GO-GO! Rebane himself called it “the worst film ever made”, but it’ll still give you the wim-wams!
INVASION FROM INNER EARTH
In the Canadian wilderness a group of pilots listen to reports of planes crashing, cars stalling and a deadly plague gripping the planet. As it becomes clear that the Earth is amidst an invasion, they barricade themselves in a cabin in the woods and wait for impending doom. (Part of WEIRD WISCONSIN: THE FILMS OF BILL REBANE — BLU-RAY)
PRIMAL: SEASON 1 (2019)
Eat, or be eaten! Kill, or be killed! Get into survival mode with Adult Swim’s #1 prehistoric animated series with the release of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The critically acclaimed series displays a perfect 100% rating by critics & 99% by audience on Rotten Tomatoes, and recently won 3 Juried Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Animation. Travel back in time and binge on all 10 fascinating episodes from the first season and go behind the scenes with interviews from the incredible talent from this wordless series. (DVD and BLU-RAY)
RAT RACE (2001)
In an ensemble film about easy money, greed, manipulation and bad driving, a Las Vegas casino tycoon entertains his wealthiest high rollers — a group that will bet on anything — by pitting six ordinary people against each other in a wild dash for $2 million jammed into a locker hundreds of miles away. The tycoon and his wealthy friends monitor each racer’s every move to keep track of their favorites. The only rule in this race is that there are no rules. (BLU-RAY)
ROCKS IN MY POCKETS (2014)
“Rocks In My Pockets” is a story of mystery and redemption. The film is based on true events involving five women of Signe Baumane’s family, including herself, and their battles with depression and suicide. It raises questions of how much family genetics determine who we are and if it is possible to outsmart one’s own DNA. The film is packed with visual metaphors, surreal images and a twisted sense of humor. It is an animated tale full of art, women, strange daring stories, Latvian accents, history, nature, adventure and more. (DVD)
SAINT, THE (1997)
A rich and sophisticated criminal, who is also a master of disguises, falls for a pretty young scientist whose life is in terrible danger. She has discovered the key to a Russian billionaire’s overwhelming ambition–to crown himself the first Czar of the new Russian Empire–and he will stop at nothing to neutralize the danger that she represents. (BLU-RAY)
SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD (2021)
In the Summer of 1987, four friends, reeling from the sudden break-up of the iconic British band The Smiths, embark on a night out of partying to mourn their musical loss. At the same time, an impassioned Smiths fan takes a local radio DJ hostage at gunpoint and forces him to play nothing but Smiths tracks. With the radio station playing as the soundtrack to their night, the friends go on a wild journey of self-discovery that will transform them forever. Featuring an incredible soundtrack – including 20 songs from The Smiths – Shoplifters of the World is a glorious ode to the craziness of the ’80s and the power of music to change people’s lives. (DVD)
STEPFORD WIVES (2004)
A woman moves into a neighborhood where a group of husbands have transformed their wives into robots designed to cater to them. Remake of the 1975 feature. (BLU-RAY)
STONE (1974)
Sandy Harbutt’s seminal bikie movie, Stone, packed out drive-ins around the country in the early 1970s with its potent mix of sex, drugs, rock’n’roll and unbridled horsepower… and in the process helped kickstart the Ozploitation explosion. Ken Shorter (Sunday Too Far Away) is Stone, an undercover cop who infiltrates an outlaw motorcycle gang to investigate a series of grisly killings. He is thrown into the world of the Gravediggers – alienated Nam Vets who live in a fortress by the sea and have their own law, their own satanic religion, their own bevy of bikie chicks (including Rebecca Gilling, Return To Eden, in her film debut) and a nasty habit of getting into violent and bloody gang battles. Includes a bunch of new extras bunch of extras including a feature length documentary and an interview with Tarantino talking about the movie. (BLU-RAY)
STRAY (2020)
The world of Zeytin, a stray dog living life on the streets of Istanbul. (DVD)
SWEET REQUIEM (2018)
Dolkar, a 26-year-old exile Tibetan, lives in Delhi. 18 years ago, she escaped from Tibet with her father, making a perilous trek across the Himalayas that ended in tragedy. Dolkar has suppressed all recollection of that traumatic incident. But when she unexpectedly encounters Gompo, the guide who abandoned them during their journey, memories of her escape are reignited and she is propelled on an obsessive search for retribution and closure. Flashbacks of her desperate journey with a small group through a harsh and desolate Himalayan terrain punctuate her growing predicament in the present as she follows Gompo through the claustrophobic alleys of the Tibetan refugee colony in Delhi. The two stories moving in tandem, both determined by a series of fateful choices, reach their conclusion as Dolkar and Gompo finally confront each other. (DVD)
TRACKDOWN (1976)
A rancher’s sister (Karen Lamm; Thunderbolt and Lightfoot) with big dreams runs away from her Montana home to Los Angeles. However, she is soon abducted and sold to a pimp in a slavery ring and taken in by one of his hookers (Anne Archer; Fatal Attraction, Hero at Large, Green Ice). Her brother, Jim Calhoun (Jim Mitchum, Blackout, Maniac!, Moon Runners) comes to the city to find her, and when the police is not helpful, Jim gets help from a social worker (Cathy Lee Crosby; The Dark, Coach, TV’s That’s Incredible) and a street kid (Erik Estrada, TV’s CHiPs, Lightblast, The New Centurions) . They take the law into their own hands in this exciting 1976 action classic directed by Richard T. Heffron (I, the Jury)! (BLU-RAY)
WHO DONE IT? (1956)
Comedy legend Benny Hill (The Italian Job) stars as Hugo Dill, an inept ice rink attendant, amateur detective and extremely clumsy master of disguise. When Hugo stumbles into an international espionage plot, he’s thrown into a crazy case of mistaken identity, murderous spies, a bumbling romance with a beautiful strongwoman (Belinda Lee, It Happened in ’43) and a top-secret machine that can control the world’s weather. David Kossoff (The Mouse That Roared) co-stars in this Ealing Studios slapstick hit directed by the great Basil Dearden (Dead of Night, The Mind Benders) and written by T.E.B. Clarke (The Lavender Hill Mob). (BLU-RAY)
WHO IS BILL REBANE? (2021)
A retrospective documentary about the legendary Wisconsin indie filmmaker. (Part of WEIRD WISCONSIN: THE FILMS OF BILL REBANE — BLU-RAY)
WORLD TO COME (2020)
In this powerful 19th century romance set in the American Northeast, Abigail (Katherine Waterston), a farmer’s wife, and her new neighbor Tallie (Academy Award Nominee Vanessa Kirby) find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. A grieving Abigail tends to her withdrawn husband Dyer (Casey Affleck) as free spirit Tallie bristles at the jealous control of her husband Finney (Christopher Abbott). Together, their intimacy begins to fill a void in each other’s lives they never knew existed. (DVD)
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