Welcome back to the latest episode of Slipped Discs, where I give you a head’s up on what nerdy stuff is available to come home with you, because I still believe in physical media!
Once more, all this information comes from Blu-Ray.com, but they list everything that will be in the stores, whereas I shall provide you with what I feel is the interesting genre fare.
March continues to be pretty slim when it comes to the pickings, so let’s get into this.
Beauty and the Beast (Animated & Live Action) The animated gist: “In a quaint French village during the late 18th century, Belle, a bright and beautiful young woman, finds escape from her ordinary life, and the advances of a boorish suitor, Gaston, by reading books. Meanwhile, off in a castle in the distance, a cruel young prince is cast under the spell of an enchantress who turns him into a tormented beast, while transforming his servants into animated household objects. In order to remove the curse, the Beast must discover a true love who will return his affection before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. When Belle’s inventor father stumbles upon the Beast’s castle and is taken prisoner, Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father’s place. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast’s exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.” Live action gist: “Disney’s live-action version of their animated classic of the same name.” So Blu-Ray.com seems to have either an over-abundance, or a complete dearth when it comes to the gist department. Wild. Either way, you know these movies, and probably love both, love one and tolerate one, or love one and hate the other, based on what I’ve seen online.
Either way, both are getting released in new 4K editions, the obligatory Best Buy exclusive Steelbook, and a Walmart exclusive with a disk of new extras.
The Ten Commandments (1923 & 1956) Do you really need the gist? Ok: “The life of Moses and his leading of the Israelites to the Promised Land.” I find this release interesting as it contains both the original, and the remake, both by legendary director Cecil B. DeMille. The original is fascinating, though usually only sought out by die hard fans of silent cinema. The remake, however, is a legitimate classic of old Hollywood. It helped define the term “Epic” in regards to movies; it is one of the movies that cemented Chuck Heston as a legend; it gave us Yul Brynner’s dry delivery of the line “Moses, Moses, Moses…” which lives in my head forever; and if you are wondering why I’m including it here, well Edward G. Robinson as an ancient Egyptian is the definition of something being a fantasy. Seriously, though, it’s a really good movie, and if you’ve not seen it, you should check it out. Sadly, this is only a Blu release, and doesn’t seem to be getting the 4K treatment, which it really deserves.
Charlie’s Angels (2019) The gist: “Reboot of the 2000 action comedy based on the 1970’s TV series.” Another movie that I feel was unfairly maligned when it was released. It was fun, light, had cool action sequences, and Patrick Steward obviously having a grand time with the Bosley part. In fact, all of the cast were great, especially Kristen Stewart (yes, you read that right), and I had a good time with it. I remain hopeful that it will find its audience at home, and that we get a sequel. Pick it up on Blu or 4K.
Spies in Disguise The gist: “Lance and Walter. One is a super cool and charming spy, and the other invents the super cool gadgets Lance uses. When an event happens, they must learn to rely on each other like never before in order to save the world.” Yeah, the CGI flick where Will Smith is turned into a pigeon by Tom Holland. I didn’t see it, but I hear that it was ok. It gets the standard Blu, 4K and the Best Buy Steelbook treatment.
Bug (1975) The gist: “Legendary horror writer-producer-director William Castle presents a creeping, crawling film nightmare that will have you screaming and squirming with fright! A massive earth tremor opens a deep crevasse in the California desert, releasing a bizarre, fiery, deadly breed of foot-long cockroaches. With their numbers multiplying and the death toll mounting, obsessive entomologist Bradford Dillman desperately seeks a way to eliminate the seemingly indestructible critters before they spread clear across the country… and beyond!” Another cheesy horror “classic” by B-Movie legend William Castle, brought to us by the fine folks at Scream Factory. I had to share this just for that poster, with the foot long, flaming cockroach! Ewww!!!
Other titles of note: A Quiet Place (Mondo Exclusive Steelbook Blu/4K set), Inseminoid (1981), Luz (2018), The Assent
So, yeah, once more there’s not a lot coming out this week. This means you can save up for next week, or pick up anything you missed that came out earlier. Either way, let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!