Scarecrow
Uniting People With Film
New Releases for September 27!
New Release Tuesday! Thor, Chupacabra, Scorsese, the Munsters, and more!
BLOOD OF THE CHUPACABRAS / REVENGE OF THE CHUPACABRAS (2005)
BLOOD OF THE CHUPACABRA: A group of local townsfolk are led by a treasure hunter into a nearby mine in search of gold but encounter a vampiric Chupacabras monster. REVENGE OF THE CHUPACABRA: A detective in search of a missing college student is lured by a madman into the lair of the fabled Chupacabras monster. (BLU-RAY)
BULLET PROOF (2022)
CHESS OF THE WIND (1976) (CRITERION)
This rediscovered jewel of Iranian cinema has reemerged as one of the most astonishing works of the country’s prerevolutionary New Wave. A hypnotically stylized murder mystery awash in period atmosphere, Chess of the Wind unfolds inside a candlelit mansion, where a web of greed, violence, and betrayal ensnares potential heirs as they vie for control of their matriarch’s estate. Melding the influences of European modernism, gothic horror, and classical Persian art, Mohammad Reza Aslani crafts an exquisitely restrained mood piece that erupts into a subversive final act in which class conventions, gender roles, and time itself are upended with shocking ferocity. (BLU-RAY and DVD)
EVIL DEAD TRAP 2: HIDEKI (1991)
A female projectionist suddenly comes to the self-realization that she just in fact may be a serial killer responsible for brutally murdering everyone around her. (BLU-RAY)
FORGIVEN, THE (2021)
Speeding through the Moroccan desert to attend an old friend’s lavish weekend party, a wealthy London couple is involved in a tragic accident with a local boy. But when they attempt to cover up the incident, the boy’s father arrives seeking justice. (DVD)
FUGITIVE FROM THE PAST (1965)
Considered the magnum opus of the five decades-long career of Tomu Uchida (Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji, The Mad Fox), the epic crime drama A Fugitive from the Past was voted third in the prestigious Kinema Junpo magazine’s 1999 poll of the Top Japanese Films of the 20th Century.
In 1947, a freak typhoon sends a passenger ferry running between Hokkaido and mainland Japan plunging to the ocean depths, with hundreds of lives lost. During the chaos, three men are witnessed fleeing a burning pawnshop in the Hokkaido port town of Iwanai. The police suspect theft and arson, and when Detective Yumisaka (Junzaburo Ban) discovers the burned remains of a boat and the corpses of two men, he sets about tracking the shadowy third figure. Meanwhile, the mysterious Takichi Inukai (Rentaro Mikuni) takes shelter with a prostitute, Yae (Sachiko Hidari), a brief encounter that will come to define both of their lives. A decade later, long after the trail has gone cold, Yumisaka is called back by his successor Detective Ajimura (Ken Takakura) as two new dead bodies are found. (BLU-RAY)
HOT BOX (1972)
Four nurses working in the tropical Republic of San Rosario enter a hellish nightmare when they are kidnapped and delivered to a rebel army fighting a guerilla war against oppressive government forces. Tormented by every man that crosses their path, the four women must band together in the dense jungle in pursuit of a solitary goal: survival. (BLU-RAY)
HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE (2021)
17-year-old run-away Yui and 8-year-old Hiyori, who lost her family and her voice, have no place to go when they run into Kiwa, a strange old lady. She offers them a place to stay, in a slightly banged-up old house overlooking the sea, a Mayoiga.
Despite joining Kiwa on a whim, the two girls find comfort in Mayoiga, a legendary house, said to look after lost travelers, and the warm hospitality of Kiwa. Both girls’ damaged hearts begin to heal little by little. Until one day, a variety of strange beings which Kiwa calls “Fushigitto” begin popping up around the house.
A heartwarming yet bittersweet tale set in her native prefecture of Iwate by award-winning writer, Sachiko Kashiwaba. It’s a story about nostalgia, precious kinship, and a touch of magic. (BLU-RAY and DVD)
INNER LIFE OF MARTIN FROST (2007)
Internationally acclaimed novelist Paul Auster (“New York Trilogy”, “The Book of Illusions”, “Man in the Dark”) explores the art of writing in the darkly comical THE INNER LIFE OF MARTIN FROST. Having completed his fourth novel, Martin Frost accepts the invitation of friends to spend a few weeks in their vacant country house. On his first morning there, he awakes to find the beautiful and mysterious Claire Martin lying next to him. Intrigued by her presence, Martin finds himself compelled to write a new story. But as he progresses, he realises that his and Claire’s fate are bound up in the tale he is telling. Employing the wit and intelligence of his literary work, and featuring excellent performances by David Thewlis (THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS), Irene Jacob (THREE COLOURS: RED) and Michael Imperioli (THE SOPRANOS), Auster’s third film is both an intriguing mystery and a fascinating portrait of an artist and his muse. (BLU-RAY)
JASON’S LYRIC (1994)
A sizzling, all-star cast—including Allen Payne (CB4), Jada Pinkett Smith (Collateral), Bookeem Woodbine (The Rock), Eddie Griffin (Undercover Brother) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)—deliver fiery, heartfelt performances in this inner-city Romeo and Juliet story from the producer of New Jack City. Jason and Joshua are two brothers left fatherless by a family fight that spun out of control. Trying to make good and get off the slick ghetto streets of Houston, Jason (Payne) finds a source of inspiration in a beautiful and sexy girl named Lyric (Pinkett Smith), whose dreams of fleeing the city together give him hope for a better life. But when Joshua (Woodbine) turns to a life of crime and drugs, Jason finds he’s torn between his love for Lyric and his obligation to family. And as the time comes for Jason to leave, he finds that Joshua will stop at nothing to see that he stays…even if the fight to keep him rivals the one that killed their father. (BLU-RAY)
KALPANA (1948) (CRITERION)
The only film by the visionary dancer and choreographer Uday Shankar is a utopian dream of cultural renewal and a celebration of Indian dance in all its variety. Unfolding as an epic film within a film, Kalpana tells the story of a dancer (the director himself) who is determined to open a cultural center and breathe new life into India’s traditional artistic forms. Meanwhile, the visible adoration between him and his lead dancer arouses the jealousy of his enterprising companion. A riot of ecstatic imagery—including swirling surrealist dance spectacles—is interwoven with anticolonial, anticapitalist commentary, making for a radical, proto-Bollywood work that is one of the most influential films in Indian cinema. (BLU-RAY and DVD)
KUNG FU: SEASON 2 (2021)
It’s been six months since the explosive events of the season one finale, and we find Nicky (Olivia Liang) and the Shens in a great place: Nicky’s been using her kung fu skills to keep Chinatown safe, she and Henry (Eddie Liu) are only deeper in love with each other, and unlike season one, the Shen family are all in the know about Nicky’s extracurricular activities. Jin and Mei-Li (Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan) have righted the ship and Harmony Dumplings has seen an extraordinary recovery – the restaurant is doing better business than ever. Everything’s been great in Nicky’s life… that is, until the reemergence of Russell Tan (Kee Chan), and the surprise appearance of Nicky’s cousin, Mia (Vanessa Yao). (DVD)
LOST WORLD: COMPLETE SERIES (1999)
For those of us who like to escape the real world and dive into the realm of fantasy, THE LOST WORLD will certainly satisfy that desire. Based on the 1912 novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this outstanding new 12-disc DVD release of the complete 66-episode TV series (including the original 2-part Pilot), offers entry into an alternative universe, packed with action, adventure, and interesting characters – and their developing relationships.
First airing in 1999, the series details the adventures of a band of scientists and explorers, who set course from England in a hot air balloon to a remote area of the Amazon jungle in search of a fabled “lost world.”
Following a crash landing, the group discovers a mysterious plateau and a beautiful jungle woman named Veronica Layton, who has been living in the wilderness since her parents disappeared 11 years earlier, having vanished under mysterious circumstances.
The characters realize they are trapped in the lost world and battle against many hostile elements including a mysterious force which created this world. Together, they fight to survive against carnivorous dinosaurs, vicious Neanderthals, a race of lizard men, and other dangers as they search for a way to escape. (DVD)
MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN: SEASON 1 (2021)
From Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither. (DVD)
MUNA MOTO (1975) (CRITERION)
Dikongué-Pipa forged a new African cinematic language in Muna moto, a delicate, emotionally resonant love story. In a Cameroon village, the rigid customs governing courtship and marriage mean that a betrothed couple, though deeply in love, can be torn apart by the lack of a dowry and another man’s claiming the young woman—a rupture that sets the stage for a clash between a patriarchal society and a modern generation. Luminous black-and-white cinematography and stylistic flourishes yield images of haunting power in this potent depiction, told via flashback, of the challenges of postcolonialism and the devastating consequences of a community’s refusal to deviate from tradition. (BLU-RAY and DVD)
MUNSTERS, THE (2022) (COLLECTOR’S EDITION)
From writer/director Rob Zombie comes the strangest love story ever told. Lily is just your typical 150-year-old, lovelorn vampire looking for the man of her nightmares . . . that is until she lays eyes on Herman, a seven-foot-tall, green experiment with a heart of gold. It’s love at first shock as these two ghouls fall fangs over feet in this crazy Transylvanian romance. Unfortunately, it’s not all smooth sailing in the cemetery as Lily’s father The Count has other plans for his beloved daughter’s future, and they don’t involve her bumbling beau Herman. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll howl at the moon as The Munsters make their way to Mockingbird Lane! (BLU-RAY and DVD)
PREMAN: SILENT FURY (2022)
After his son witnesses a brutal murder by a notorious crime boss, a deaf Indonesian gangster is thrust into the fight of his life when he takes on his dangerous former allies—including a sociopathic assassin—in order to protect his child. (BLU-RAY and DVD)
PRISIONEROS DE LA TIERRA (1939) (CRITERION)
Shot on location in the jungle, this gut-punching work of social realism by Mario Soffici—one of classic Argentine cinema’s foremost directors—simmers with rage against worker oppression. Desperate men are entrapped into indentured labor on a yerba maté plantation under the brutal foreman Köhner—a situation made tenser by the fact that both Köhner and a worker named Podeley love Andrea, the sweet-spirited daughter of the camp’s doctor, and that eventually boils over into an explosive rebellion led by Podeley. The expressionistic cinematography of Pablo Tabernero feverishly evokes a place where suffocating heat, economic exploitation, and cruelty lead inexorably to madness and violence. (BLU-RAY and DVD)
SAMBIZANGA (1972) (CRITERION)
This revolutionary bombshell by Sarah Maldoror chronicles the awakening of Angola’s independence movement. Based on a true story, Sambizanga follows a young woman as she makes her way from the outskirts of Luanda toward the city’s center looking for her husband after his arrest by the Portuguese authorities—an incident that will ultimately help to ignite a national uprising. Featuring a cast of nonprofessionals—many of whom were themselves involved in anticolonial resistance—this landmark work of political cinema honors the essential roles of women, as well as the hardships they endure, in the global struggle for liberation (BLU-RAY and DVD)
SHALOM TAIWAN (2019)
The financial problems of a Jewish Community Center, in a small neighborhood in the city of Buenos Aires, are a nightmare for young Rabbi Aaron. Neither his industriousness nor optimism seem enough to repay the longstanding debt he owes. Threatened with the shutdown of his beloved Community Centre, Rabbi Aaron embarks on a humorous and heartwarming journey to the Far East to attract donations. The charismatic Fabian Rosenthal is compelling as the Chaplinesque Rabbi on a transformational quest in Taiwan. A delightful dramatic comedy! (DVD)
SOUND OF METAL (2019) (CRITERION)
In Sound of Metal, a tale of sound, fury, and self-discovery, Riz Ahmed delivers an intensely committed performance as the volatile Ruben, who has found new purpose as a drummer in a noise-metal duo, playing blistering live shows with his singer girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke). When Ruben suddenly loses much of his hearing, he is launched on a profound odyssey—through denial, anger, grief, and, gradually, acceptance—as he comes to understand what it means to live as a deaf person and to discover deafness as not a disability but a rich culture and community. Through stunningly immersive, Academy Award–winning sound design, director Darius Marder invites us to experience the world as Ruben does, capturing a sonic spectrum in which silence comes in a thousand shades. (DVD, BLU-RAY + 4KULTRAHD)
SUPERMAN & LOIS: SEASON 2 (2021)
Season 2 opens with the dust still settling in Smallville following the shocking outcome of the confrontation between Morgan Edge and Superman. With Smallville on the national map for the first time in the town’s history, Lois Lane faces fresh challenges in her latest journalistic endeavors. Their sons also find themselves dealing with change. Accepting he may never have powers, Jonathan forges a new path with a surprising mentor, while Jordan and Sarah Cushing deal with what the events of last year mean for their relationship. Her family is also in need of a fresh start as Kyle Cushing attempts to repair the damage to several relationships from recent events, while Lana weighs a difficult decision that could impact all of Smallville. Against all of this, General Lane finds his future in doubt for the first time in a long time, while The Stranger remains at large, and closer than ever to the Kent family. (DVD)
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunder finds the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – one of self-discovery. But his efforts are interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. (DVD, BLU-RAY + 4KULTRAHD)
TWO GIRLS ON THE STREET (1939) (CRITERION)
The maverick Hollywood stylist André de Toth sharpened his craft in his native Hungary, including making this chic, dynamic melodrama, studded with deco decor and jazzy musical interludes. Two upwardly mobile working women—one a musician in an all-girl band, the other a bricklayer—join forces in their attempts to make it in Budapest, supporting each other through changing fortunes, the advances of lecherous men, and the highs and heartbreaks of love. Kinetic camera work, brisk editing, and avant-garde imagery abound in this often strikingly modern ode to the power of working-class female solidarity. (BLU-RAY and DVD)
ULTRA CITY SMITHS (2021)
WARRIOR AND THE SORCERESS (1984)
Welcome to a distant world of exciting battles, exotic women, mystical secrets and evil wizards. Kain (David Carradine) is the last survivor of a mighty warrior tribe. Once an exalted warrior-priest, Kain now wanders the planet as a mercenary sword-for-hire. In one small village, he finds two vicious clans struggling for power. Kain becomes embroiled in the treachery, the battles, the mighty wizardry, and rampant debauchery. (BLU-RAY)
WISTING: SEASONS 2 & 3 (2019)
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