The following article was written by my friend and colleague Alonso Duralde. You can learn more about him HERE.
What’s New on DVD/Blu/4K in May: Jonathan Demme, Bob Marley, Dune Part: Two and More!
NEW RELEASE WALL
Stop Making Sense (A24): Forty years later, this electrifying collaboration between Talking Heads and director Jonathan Demme remains one of the great concert films ever made, and its remastered IMAX reissue was one of the most joyous cinematic events of 2023. Now that 4K restoration makes it to physical media with a Deluxe Collector’s Edition featuring extras fans will burn down the house to get: an extended cut (restoring the songs “Cities” and “Big Business/I Zimbra”), a 64-page booklet with never-before-seen photos and a foreword by Jerry Harrison, David Byrne’s rehearsal footage, a 25-minute making-of doc, and more.
Also available:
The American Society of Magical Negroes(Universal Pictures Home Entertainment): This satirical comedy about Black supporting characters in mainstream cinema and television premiered at Sundance.
Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount Home Entertainment): Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami) stars as the reggae legend in this approved-by-the-estate biopic.
Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros. Discovery): Ride the worms (and the political intrigue) in the comfort of your own home.
Imaginary (Lionsgate): Not to be confused with IF, this Blumhouse horror film offers up fantastical creatures that are less friendly than they are spooky.
Knox Goes Away (Lionsgate): Fifteen years after his directorial debut, in which he also played a hit man, Michael Keaton returns to the director’s chair to play another hired killer. Some guys just have a type.
Red Right Hand (Magnolia Home Entertainment): Orlando Bloom tries to leave a life of crime and violence behind, but they just keep dragging him back in.
Sasquatch Sunset (Decal Bleecker): Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg are among a quartet of Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) making their way through the wilderness over the course of a year in this oddly poignant and funny indie.
The Tiger’s Apprentice (Paramount Home Entertainment): This animated martial-arts superhero saga features an all-star voice cast, including Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Bowen Yang, and Greta Lee.
NEW INDIE
Queen Tut (Cinephobia Releasing): Following the death of his mother, Egyptian teen Nabal (Ryan Ali) moves from Cairo to Toronto, where he blossoms into drag superstar Queen Tut under the tutelage of his trans drag mother Malibu (the legendary Alexandra Billings). It’s a globe-trotting coming-of-age tale about underground communities and the families we create.
Also available:
Club Zero (Film Movement): Mia Wasikowska gets way more than she bargained for when she becomes a teacher at an elite private school.
Quantum Cowboys (Factory 25): Lily Gladstone stars in this complex animated film about art and time travel and the complex interplay of memories and history.
Vacation! (Factory 25): Zach Clark’s dark comedy follows a quartet of female friends on a boozy beach holiday that takes an unexpectedly sinister turn.
NEW INTERNATIONAL
Anatomy of a Fall (The Criterion Collection): Justine Triet’s Oscar- and Palme d’Or–winning mystery and courtroom drama doesn’t offer easy answers – audiences are still debating the characters’ guilt or innocence – but the film offers a rich array of delights, from an exploration into the intricacies of a difficult marriage to the stunning, award-winning lead performance from the brilliant Sandra Hüller. It’s a film that leads to fascinating discussions, and one whose attention to detail rewards multiple viewings.
Also available:
Alam (Film Movement): This timely coming-of-age drama focuses on a group of Palestinian teenagers living in Israel.
Amore Mio (Distrib/Icarus): A widow and her sister flee their lives for a road trip across France that becomes a journey of self-discovery.
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (Well Go USA Entertainment): The Gods intervene with human affairs and send down a champion to take down a brutal tyrant in this award-winning Chinese fantasy.
Egoist (Strand Releasing): You likely missed one of 2024’s best releases so far during its brief theatrical run: A gay Japanese businessman who has successfully divorced himself from his unhappy past learns to appreciate family when he falls for his younger personal trainer in this powerful and beautiful drama.
The Fragile King (IndiePix Films): The men of the King family come to know and understand each other following the death of the matriarch in this South African road-trip drama.
Io Capitano (Cohen Media Group): This Oscar-nominated saga follows two young Senegalese men as they set out on a harrowing journey to Italy in search of a better life.
Noryang: Deadly Sea (Well Go USA Entertainment): Kim Han-min’s nautical trilogy concludes with an epic recreation of a legendary 16th century Korean naval battle.
Pandemonium (Arrow): French writer-director Quarxx follows two men as they realize they are dead and must navigate the hereafter.
She Is Conann (Altered Innocence): Bertrand Mandico’s wildly imaginative gender-flipped sword-and-sorcery fantasy features a powerful warrior searching for love and meaning as she makes her way through multiple lives.
NEW DOCUMENTARY
Arthur Dong’s Asian-American Stories and Arthur Dong’s LGBTQ Stories (both Kino Classics): Two box sets spotlight the work of one of this generation’s most essential documentary filmmakers. Bringing his experiences as a queer Asian-American filmmaker and historian to his work, Arthur Dong has created some of the most influential and impactful non-fiction films about both communities – including Forbidden City USA and Coming Out Under Fire, among many others — captured here in a pair of collections that belong in every library devoted to the multiple facets of the American experience.
Also available:
All That Breathes (Janus Contemporaries): Two brothers in Delhi fight an uphill battle to save a species of bird known as the Black Kite from extinction.
The Eichmann Trial (Virgil Films): An extensive look at the 1961 trial that many mark as a pivotal moment in widespread understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust.
Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn (Mercury Studios): Felix Mendelssohn’s sister, an accomplished musician and composer in her own right, takes the spotlight in this celebration of her life and work.
The French (Metrograph Pictures): Director William Klein (Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?) got a rare opportunity to bring cameras backstage to the 1982 French Open in this acclaimed tennis doc whose recent reissue was presented by Wes Anderson.
On the Adamant (Kino Lorber): This film takes viewers aboard an unusual floating structure in the middle of the Seine where caregivers work with psychiatric patients.
One Hand Don’t Clap (Kino Lorber): A new 4K restoration of this vibrant exploration of the global calypso-music scene.
Queen of the Deuce (Greenwich Entertainment): Meet the lesbian Jewish grandma who became one of the most powerful businesswomen and entrepreneurs of the infamous 42nd Street world of pornography.
U.K. Subs: The Last Will and Testament of U.K. Subs (Cleopatra Entertainment): Punk legends the U.K. Subs play a 70-minute London set featuring their most popular hits.
Uncropped (Greenwich Entertainment): A celebration not only of legendary photographer James Hamilton but also of the print-media environment of the 1960s to the 1990s that allowed him to thrive.
NEW GRINDHOUSE
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (Severin): While A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 is often the go-to when discussing queer-inclusive horror of the 1980s, this brilliantly bizarre tale has steadily built a cult following over the decades since its original release. Susan Tyrell gives an all-timer performance as a woman obsessed with her orphaned nephew (Jimmy McNichol), ready to commit murder or worse to keep him under her roof. There’s a gay subplot that is handled not only tastefully but also without hysteria, making it a very rare and forward-thinking film of its era. This new UHD release features multiple new commentaries and interviews.
Also available:
Amelia’s Children (Magnet): A man’s search for his biological family leads to some monstrous revelations; co-stars Brigette Lundy-Paine (I Saw the TV Glow).
Back from the Dead (KL Studio Classics): Talk about the ex you can’t leave behind: a widower’s second wife is possessed by the spirit of his first in this 1957 chiller.
Bettie Page Double Feature (Kino Cult): This collection features a pair of features starring the pin-up legend, Teaserama and Varietease.
Big Man on Campus (KL Studio Classics): UCLA’s got a hunchback in the bell tower in this 1980s horror-comedy.
Cemetery Man (Severin Films): Rupert Everett can see dead people – and kill them when they turn into zombies – in Italo-horror fave.
The Devil’s Honey (Severin): Lucio Fulci gets kinky in this S&M-themed erotic saga, now restored in 4K from the original negative.
Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf (Mondo Macabro): I mean, between that title and the presence of horror icon Paul Naschy as the titular lycanthrope, it’s all right there.
The Gate (Lionsgate): Steelbook release of the 1980s cult fave that legendarily nearly tied with the much-pricier Ishtar on their opening weekend.
The Great Alligator (Severin): This Italian creature-feature, making its 4K debut, co-stars Barbara Bach and Mel Ferrer.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Scream Factory): The kreepy kult favorite returns, now in 4K.
The Lair of the White Worm (Lionsgate): Ken Russell deftly mixes hilarity, horror, and campy sexuality in this luridly baroque adaptation – a loose, loose adaptation – of the Bram Stoker story.
Orphan (Scream Factory): Darkly funny, over-the-top, and featuring one of the great twists in contemporary horror, Orphan gets a collector’s-edition release featuring a new 2K scan and four brand-new commentary tracks.
The Perfect Weapon (KL Studio Classics): While it’s hard to think of martial-arts star Jeff Speakman without thinking of comedian Kevin Pollak (“Stop with the kicking!”), this is Speakman at his ass-kicking apex.
Republic Pictures Horror Collection (KL Studio Classics): A quartet of chillers from the legendary low-budget studio: The Lady and the Monster, The Phantom Speaks, The Catman of Paris, and Valley of the Zombies.
Revenge of the Ninja (KL Studio Classics): Shô Kosugi stars in one of the films that was a cornerstone for Cannon Films’ legendary reign in the 1980s.
Sci-Fi Chillers Collection (KL Studio Classics): Pop the popcorn, dim the lights, and settle in for The Unknown Terror, The Colossus of New York, and Destination Inner Space.
Shinobi (Radiance): This trio of influential samurai films – which set the tone for all subsequent screen portrayals of ninjas – gets its first Blu-ray release outside of Japan.
We Go On (Lightyear): A wealthy man seeks the answers regarding life after death, only to regret having asked the questions.
NEW CLASSIC
Crimson Peak (Arrow): Unleasing Guillermo del Toro onto the gothic romance was a match made in cinematic heaven. You’ve got your gloriously sinister house, your resourceful innocent (Mia Wasikowska), a wicked sister-in-law (Jessica Chastain), and the results are over-the-top bliss, now in 4K in a gorgeous new edition that includes a director’s commentary, deleted scenes, and much more.
Also available:
American Hustle (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment): Consensus has been divided on this David O. Russell ’70s saga (now available as a 4K steelbook), but I for one continue to call a microwave “the science oven” the way Jennifer Lawrence does here.
American Sniper (Warner Bros. Discovery): Speaking of Bradley Cooper, here’s a 4K of his starring turn (opposite one of the fakest fake babies ever) in Clint Eastwood’s docudrama.
Bushman (The Milestone Cinematheque): This long-unavailable, Cassavetes-influenced 1968 indie about a Nigerian immigrant in San Francisco rises anew in a 4K restoration.
The Crow (Paramount Home Entertainment): Celebrate the 30th anniversary of this haunting cult favorite, now in 4K.
Cry-Baby (KL Studio Classics): Let’s 4K all of the John Waters movies, I say, now that we have an ultra-hi-def version of the Pope of Trash’s paean to ’50s delinquent movies.
Daisy Miller (KL Studio Classics): Like so many of the films of Peter Bogdanovich that were ignored or excoriated at the time of their release, this Henry James adaptation has gained admirers and an overall reevaluation in recent years, and this new Blu-ray will no doubt boost its critical rehabilitation.
Director Spotlight: Sydney Pollack (Mill Creek Entertainment): Granted, Castle Keep and Bobby Deerfield probably aren’t at the top of anyone’s list of favorite Pollack movies, but completists will relish this Blu-ray double feature.
Fletch and Fletch Lives (both KL Studio Classics) Chevy Chase and director Michael Ritchie’s take on the Gregory MacDonald investigative journalist yielded one of the 1980s’ most beloved comedies. The sequel falls short of that, as sequels often do; what really completes the set is Jon Hamm’s brilliant and underseen turn in Confess, Fletch.
Girlfight (The Criterion Collection): Karyn Kusama and Michelle Rodriguez’s respective debut film gets a beautiful new edition from the folks at Criterion.
The Lawyer (KL Studio Classics): Barry Newman is the titular advocate in Sidney J. Furie’s legal drama; this new Blu-ray includes commentary from noted Furie expert Daniel Kremer.
Narc (Arrow): Joe Carnahan’s gritty crime drama, starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta, makes its 4K debut.
Night Falls on Manhattan (Arrow): Andy Garcia stars in Sidney Lumet’s late-era crime thriller; the knockout supporting cast includes Lena Olin, Richard Dreyfuss, Ian Holm, James Gandolfini, and Bobby Canavale.
Once Upon a Time in the West (Paramount Home Entertainment): Sergio Leone’s haunting, thrilling Western epic, now in 4K.
One from the Heart: Reprise (Lionsgate): If you don’t have a 4K system, be forewarned: only the UHD disc contains Francis Ford Coppola’s new edit of his ambitious musical as well as the new extras, with the Blu-ray disc featuring only the theatrical cut and extras from previous home-video releases.
Peeping Tom (The Criterion Collection): The movie that started the slasher genre (and nearly ended director Michael Powell’s career) gets a new 4K reissue.
Philo Vance Collection (KL Studio Classics): William Powell’s dapper detective solves The Canary Murder Case, The Greene Murder Case, and The Benson Murder Case.
Secret Beyond the Door (KL Studio Classics): Joan Bennett feels trapped inside her new husband’s sprawling mansion in this noir classic from Fritz Lang.
Slam (Kino Lorber): A new restoration of Marc Levin’s Sundance and Cannes prize-winner about a prisoner who sets himself free with the power of poetry.
A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu (The Criterion Collection): Ozu remade his silent 1934 classic a quarter of a century later, adding color and sound to the heartbreaking story of an actor and his loves; the two versions make a fascinating study in contrast in examining one of cinema’s greatest artists.
Three Revolutionary Films by Ousmane Sembène(The Criterion Collection): A celebration of the legendary Senegalese director, including his revolutionary Emitaï, the satirical Xala, and the controversial epic Ceddo.
Vitagraph Comedies (Kino Classics): This three-disc set features hilarious shorts from the dawn of cinema (1907-1922).
NEW TV
The Killing: The Complete Series (MHz): Features the complete run (2007-2012) of the bleakly suspenseful Danish procedural.
Monk: Season Six and Monk: Season Seven (both KL Studio Classics): Because sometimes you have an itch that can be scratched only by watching Tony Shalhoub solve crimes.
