By Harley Lond - 04/21/20 at 07:45 AM CT
FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
"Bad Boys For Life," "Ip Man 4: The Finale," "Like a Boss," "The Turning," "The Gentlemen," and "The Last Full Measure."
THIS WEEK'S BEST BETS:
Perhaps best remembered as Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol," Scottish character actor Alastair Sim became a leading star of British cinema after spending five years as a lecturer of elocution at the University of Edinburgh. One of the best-loved and most prolific actors in classic British comedy, Sim, who often appeared in multiple roles, starred in more than 50 films beginning in 1935 and was both critically acclaimed and unfailingly popular, regularly 
topping the cinema-goers popularity polls. This four-disc Blu-ray collection "Alastair Sim's School for Laughter
Shades of early Tarantino, Edgar Wright and Sam Raimi abound in "Why Don't You Just Die!
the mysterious captain Hendrick van der Zee (James Mason). There he meets American nightclub singer Pandora Reynolds (Ava Gardner), a beauty who men will kill and die for but who has never loved anyone. The stage is set for a swooning tale of ultimate love and sacrifice. This delirious drama reveals Lewin to be one of mid-century cinema's greatest stylists. It is also one of the finest achievements by cinematographer Jack Cardiff, legendary for his work with the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger ("The Red Shoes," "Black Narcissus," "A Matter of Life and Death") as well as such classics as "The African Queen" and "The Barefoot Contessa." On DVD, Blu-ray, Cohen Film Collection ... Czechoslovak New Wave iconoclast Juraj Herz’s terrifying, darkly comic vision of the horrors of totalitarian ideologies, "The Cremator
BUZZIN' THE 'B'S:
In "American Terrorist
" (2020), starring Peter Cambor, Lacey Dorn and Tarek Bishara, in the wake of the September 11th attacks, two brothers decide to take matters into their own hands. Embarking on a swath of vigilante justice, the two believe they have stopped a mass casualty event. But what if they were wrong? Where does the line between good and evil fall. From Indican Pictures ... “There have been enough post-holocaust nuclear winter films to constitute a genre,” says Time Out, “but there has never been anything quite like this.” Three decades after it first shattered audiences worldwide, the animated classic "When the Wind Blows
" (1986), about an elderly couple - voiced by John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft – attempting to survive the aftermath of a nuclear war returns. Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami ("Heavy Metal," "Battle Beyond the Stars"), adapted by Raymond Briggs from his acclaimed 
graphic novel, and featuring an original score by Roger Waters with the title song by David Bowie, experience what Rock! Shock! Pop! calls “A fascinating achievement in filmmaking, and one that remains timeless more than 30 years after its creation.” On DVD, Blu-ray, from Severin Kids ... Sun, sand, sex and all-night dancing at a beautiful island resort is the perfect graduation celebration for a group of young friends looking for one last taste of freedom before they go their separate ways in "Party Hard, Die Young
" (2018), starring Elisabeth Wabitsch, Michael Glantschnig, Valerie Huber and Ferdinand Seebacher. But the dancing and drinking comes to a halt when people start disappearing, and a masked murderer sends the ominous message ... this party will be their last. On Blu-ray, VOD, Digital, from RLJE Films ... "Carnival Magic
" (1981) horror film director Al Adamson’s ("Satan's Sadists," "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" and "The Naughty Stewardesses") first children’s movie, a delightful tale of alcoholism, domestic violence, a talking chimp with a brassiere fetish, vivisection, suicide, "The Freak-Out Girl" Regina Carrol – in her final performance – flaunting an array of skintight/low-cut outfits, and not a single role for children. Don Stewart and Joe Cirillo co-star in the infamous ‘80s oddity that has been hailed as “Possibly the worst kiddie movie ever made.” Scanned from the only surviving pre-print 35mm elements. Includes his last complete feature, the Sandra Dee starrer "Lost" that reveals Aldamson's bizarre kiddie matinee legacy. On Blu-ray; DVD due June 2 from Severin Films ... 
Directed by legendary horror filmmaker Terence Fisher ("Horror of Dracula," "The Curse Of Frankenstein"), this Hammer horror classic, "The Curse of the Werewolf
" (1961), stars Clifford Evans ("The Kiss of the Vampire"), Oliver Reed ("Gladiator"), Yvonne Romain ("The Last of Sheila"), and Catherine Feller ("The Little World of Don Camillo"). The atmospheric tale of terror stars Reed as the orphan of a maniacal beggar and a mute girl. From his birth to young manhood, he discovers a horrible secret. Try as he may, the cursed man is unable to deny the dark force within him. When the moon is full, he becomes an uncontrollable, seemingly unstoppable killer incapable of distinguishing between friend and foe. Spectacular makeup effects and beautifully photographed 19th-century European locales heighten the suspense of this classic tale of horror. In a new 4K scan of the original film elements in a collector's edition. On Blu-ray from Scream Factory.FOREIGN:
"Tigers Are Not Afraid
" (2017 -- Mexico), starring Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López, Ianis Guerrero and Rodrigo Corte, is a haunting horror fairytale set against the backdrop of Mexico’s devastating drug wars, the film follows a group of orphaned children who are unexpectedly given three magical wishes. As they run from the cartel that murdered their parents and the ghosts that haunt them, they must decide how to use this special gift to save their own lives and the people they love. On DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Steelbook, from RLJE Films.SPECIAL INTEREST:
"Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson
" (2010): "Horror Film Director Found Slain, Buried Under Floor," screamed the 1995 headlines read around the world. But the truth behind the wild life of Al Adamson -- including the production of such low budget 
classics as "Satan's Sadists," "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" and "The Naughty Stewardesses" -- and his grisly death reveals perhaps the most bizarre career in Hollywood history. Told through over 40 first-person recollections from friends, family, colleagues and historians -- plus rare clips and archival interviews with Adamson himself -- this documentary is the award-winning chronicle of bikers, go-go dancers, porn stars, aging actors, freak-out girls, Charles Manson, Colonel Sanders, alien conspiracies and homicidal contractors.On Blu-ray; DVD due June 2, from Severin Films ... "Delta Zoo
" (2019 -- Lithuania): In the 1990s, every boy around the world -- even amidst cultural embargoes -- was glued to VHS karate action films and dreamt of being a super hero. On March 11, 1990, a year before the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union, Lithuania 
became the first Soviet republic to declare itself independent. Reacting to Soviet aggression, the newly re-established Lithuanian Army Command decided to create the first-ever national crack commando unit and gave a selective group of young men the chance to be the "Mambos" of their country as members of a top-secret Special Forces Unit aimed at countering Soviet aggression. Most members were given an animal nickname -- Spider, Horse, Whale, Crab -- hence the unit was known as the Zoo. And from parachute jumps and hand-to-hand combat training to securing the GB building in Vilnius, at the beginning of the end of the USSR, this playful documentary from filmmaker Andrius Lekavicius uses first-person interviews, cleverly stylized animation, archival footage and original music to tell the hidden story of the first-ever Lithuanian Special Forces: a courageous, impassioned, and youthful endeavor against the powers that once were. From IndiePix Films.FROM TV TO DISC:
"Infinity Train: Book One" (2019) is a single disc with all 10 of the episodes of Cartoon Network’s mysterious and critically acclaimed series. Join Tulip on a mind-bending journey aboard the mysterious Infinity Train, alongside her companions Atticus, the canine king of Corginia, and One-One, a robot with dueling personalities. With puzzles and perils awaiting them in every car, and the relentless Steward on their trail, will Tulip ever find a way off the train and return home? From Warner ... "Looking For Alaska" (2019) is a three-disc set with all eight episodes. Based on author John Green’s (“The Fault In Our Stars”) award-winning first novel of the same name, the film is a moving story of friendship, love and loss and follows Miles “Pudge” Halter (Charlie Plummer) who is searching for a deeper perspective on life and decides to enroll at the boarding school Culver Creek Academy. He finds a loyal group of friends and falls in love with Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth). After an unexpected tragedy, the close group of friends tries to cope with everything they’ve been through and find some answers along the way. From Paramount.
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