The Ninth Strike Media home entertainment round-up
All releases w/c 18th May (and a couple of others)
|
|
Good morning,
So July at the earliest eh? God that means we've got at least another 8 of these to go. Maybe. Perhaps. Questions, questions, questions. You know when you start something and you can't escape? What witty comments can we think of for an additional two months? Will Normal People get less frustrating in Series 2? Will Michael Jordan and the Bulls win a second three-peat? Will the boss get a round of golf in with his Dad before his identical twins arrive?  Last week's newsletter can be found here
With Love,
Team Strike x
|
|
New VOD platform Birdbox.Film officially launches today. Read all about it at Variety here and stay tuned for a message from us about it.
We've launched a little Twitter straw poll on whether you anticipate UK cinemas will re-open come July. We hope so, but take part HERE and we'll report back results next week. Vue are gearing up for a July 4th startThe #MoviesTogether initiative, in partnership with us and the MyFilmClub app, has so far garnered over 9500 pledges to return to cinemas when they re-open, for which we thank you massively. More massively than anyone, ever. Best in the world. In fact we think it's a record. Pledge here www.moviestogether.org
Keep up to date with info on when cinemas are likely to re-open worldwide with this free document below from International Showtimes and Gruvi
Likely Cinema Re-openings Worldwide Google Doc
|
|
Key Dates From Us...
British apocalypse thriller EDGE OF EXTINCTION is out on Monday 18th, check out the info below.Check our the latest trailer for new doc SCREENED OUT here. Coming to Digital Download June 1st!Charming & uplifting coming-of-age story TO THE STARS will be coming to Digital Download on June 1st. Set in an Oklahoma town in the 60's, life gets shaken upon the arrival of an enigmatic new girl. You can check out the trailer hereKey Dates From Them...
|
|
| Back to your regularly scheduled programming... |
|
|
 |
Edge of Extinction
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Lightbulb Film Distribution
Trailer
Format: Digital
15 years after a global apocalypse, mankind is on the verge of extinction. Civilisation no longer exists, food is scarce and most eke out a living by stealing and killing. One man clings onto life in the desolate British countryside, where staying away from others has been key to his survival. But this self-imposed isolation comes to an abrupt end when he crosses paths with another group of survivors and faces an enemy far more savage than any of them could have imagined.
|
|
 |
Killer Instinct
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Blue Finch Film Releasing
Format: Digital
Trailer
Contact: Distributor / PR
In this darkly comedic home invasion thriller, a psychopathic widower comes to blows with the millennial renting his house.
|
|
 |
Funeral Parade of Roses
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: BFI
Trailer
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
Transgender actor Pîtâ gives an astonishing performance as Eddie, hostess at Bar Genet where she's ignited a violent love-triangle with reigning drag queen Leda for the attentions of club owner Gonda. One of Japan's leading experimental filmmakers, Matsumoto bends and distorts time, and freely mixes documentary interviews, Brechtian film-within-a-film asides, Oedipal premonitions of disaster, his own avant-garde shorts, and even on-screen cartoon balloons. Funeral Parade of Roses is a celebration of youth and subcultures, a condemnation of intolerance, and a one-of-kind cinematic experience. A Kaleidoscopic masterpiece, and one of the most subversive, intoxicating films of the 60s, released for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.
|
|
 |
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: BFI
Trailer
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
WOMEN MAKE FILM uses hundreds of clips from films directed by women to show how movies are made. Presented in thematic chapters, it looks at how a great opening shot is done, how to frame an image, how to introduce a character, how to film sex, dance and death, how work and love are portrayed in cinema, and how the genres such as comedy, melodrama and sci-fi work. Famous female directors are included, but so are scores of forgotten women from every period in film history and from five continents.
|
|
 |
Rebel in the Rye
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: The Movie Partnership
Trailer
Format: Digital
Contact: Distributor / PR
The story of the life and mind of the legendary author J.D. Salinger and the events that led to the birth of his iconic book The Catcher in the Rye.
|
|
 |
Portals
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Film Mode
Trailer
Format: Digital
Contact: Distributor / PR
Portals is a genre-bending anthology featuring three stories from four visionary filmmakers' as they examine the fallout of an alien invasion.
|
|
 |
1917 - The Real Story
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Trinity Creative Partnership
Format: DVD and Digital
Trailer
Contact: Distributor / PR
1917 was a pivotal year for both sides in the conduct of the First World War. Decisions made during that year were to have a profound impact on what happened the following year and the eventual outcome of the war. One of those events provides the backdrop for the incredibly successful movie by Sam Mendes, "1917". "1917" was a huge blockbuster success and was inspired by the director's great-grandfather. So how much was fiction and how much was fact? This documentary analyses the movie and looks at what elements are true and why 1917 was such a momentous year in World War II history.
|
|
 |
Ghost Killers v Bloody Mary
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Trinity Creative Partnership
Format: Digital
Contact: Distributor / PR
Four YouTubers with expertise in supernatural events are seeking recognition from the audience whilst solving the urban legend of the Bathroom Blonde Case. The spirit that haunts the schools' bathroom in Brazil.
|
|
 |
Terror in Resonance
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Trinity Creative Partnership
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
When a terrorist attack ravages Tokyo, a mysterious clue to the perpetrator's identity confounds the police, and paranoia spreads like wildfire. Contains the complete 11-episode series on Blu-ray with both the English dub and the original Japanese track with English subtitles. Presented in collector’s packaging.
|
|
 |
Macabre
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: 88 Films
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
Italian horror directed by Lamberto Bava. A year after her lover, Fred (Roberto Posse), is killed in a car accident, Jane Baker (Bernice Stegers) remains traumatised by his death and moves into a boarding house managed by a blind man named Robert (Stanko Molnar). Curious about her past, he begins to spy on Jane and is soon pulled into her macabre world.
|
|
 |
Maserati
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Studio Soho Distribution
Trailer
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
Documentary focusing on Italian luxury car manufacturer Maserati.
|
|
 |
The Devil's Honey
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: 88 Films
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
Talk about unsafe sex... When Horror maestro Lucio Fulci (Zombie Flesh Eaters, Aengima) turned his hand to an erotic thriller, the results were always going to be outrageous: a tale of revenge and S & M, The Devil's Honey makes Fifty Shades of Grey look positively vanilla.
Bret Halsey (A Cat in the Brain, Four Times That Night) plays a brilliant surgeon who, when distracted by personal problems, accidentally causes a patient to die in surgery. Determined to avenge this, the man's grief-crazed former lover kidnaps the doc and undertakes a very kinky type of vengeance – there's no safe word.
|
|
 |
The Truth
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Curzon Artificial Eye
Trailer
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche star in this French drama directed by Hirokazu Koreeda. After her mother, celebrated actress Fabienne (Deneuve), publishes her memoirs, Lumir (Binoche) travels to Paris to visit her, accompanied by her American husband, Hank (Ethan Hawke), and their young daughter. Back in her childhood home, Lumir's reunion with her mother leads to confrontations about the past and harsh truths being revealed.
|
|
 |
The Specialists
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Eureka Entertainment
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
From Sergio Corbucci, the legendary director of Django, Navajo Joe, The Great Silence, Companeros and The Mercenary comes The Specialists (Gli Specialisti, aka Drop Them or I ll Shoot) , a thrilling spaghetti western starring French music and film great Johnny Hallyday (The Man on the Train, Détective, Vengeance).
|
|
 |
Throw Down - The Masters of Cinema Series
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Eureka Entertainment
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
In this visually arresting action drama from acclaimed director Johnnie To (Mad Detective, Election), legendary Judo fighter Szeto Bo (Louis Koo; Flash Point, The Legend of Zu) unexpectedly gave up the sport and now lives the life of an alcoholic gambler who runs a pub. However, cocky Judo newcomer Tony (Aaron Kwok) wants to challenge him, while old foe Kong (Tony Leung Ka Fai, Ashes of Time) demands Szeto to finish the match that never took place, Soon Szeto s pub becomes the ultimate arena where the greatest Judo fighters challenge one another.
Filled with brutal, no-holds-barred Judo fight scenes, Throw Down is director To s ultra-stylish homage to the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, and is an emotional tale of one man s determination to rediscover himself and win at all costs. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Throw Down in its UK debut from a 4K restoration.
|
|
 |
Destry Rides Again - The Criterion Collection
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Ent. Entertainment
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
Mild mannered Deputy sheriff, who doesn't wear guns, cleans up a bad town and wins the love of a gambling joint hostess.
|
|
 |
Mystery Men
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: 88 Films
Trailer
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
1990s US superhero comedy. Champion City's Mystery Men aspire to be the coolest superheroes around but are let down by their less than impressive powers: Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear) has an ego the size of a planet; Mr Furious (Ben Stiller) just gets angry at everything; the Blue Raja (Hank Azaria) throws forks; the Shoveler (William H. Macy) has a spade; the Spleen (Paul Reubens) emits gas; the Bowler (Janeane Garofalo) has a dangerous bowling ball; Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell) disappears, and the Sphinx (Wes Studi) spouts nonsensical enigmas. When Captain Amazing is kidnapped by supervillain Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), it is up to the bumbling heroes to save the day.
|
|
 |
Toys & Pets
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Spirit Entertainment
Trailer
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
FRIENDSHIP IS THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF ALL! Nathan and his band of toy sidekicks live happily in a teashop. When a robot from the future arrives, Nathan and the Time Bot go on magical animated adventure to rescue their friend May from evil rat Flash and find an all-knowing mystic to grant Nathan s special wish. They discover that teamwork, friendship, and a little luck are all they need to save the day!
|
|
 |
Secret Weapon
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: 4 Digital Media
Trailer
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
Based on a true story. In World War 2, the Soviet rocket launcher nicknamed "Katyusha", was kept in great secrecy. It had fantastic power but would be lethal in the wrong hands. Disaster strikes, however, when one of these unique killing machines is drowned during an unexpected retreat of the Russian troops. A special unit formed of ex-athletes is sent to rescue the secret weapon, to ensure the Germans can never find it - no matter what it takes.
|
|
 |
The Flavour of Green Tea Over Rice
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: BFI
Trailer
Format: Blu-Ray & DVD (Dual Format)
Contact: Distributor / PR
The Justice League has always been Earth's first and last defense, but with the imminent arrival of Darkseid and the horrors of war that will follow, everything is about to change! With time running out, the Justice League will need all of its members and their powers like never before. But even the world's most powerful Super Heroes, including new member John Constantine, may not be able to make a difference against Darkseid's legions. Witness the most shocking battle in the DC Universe, where survival itself is a victory.
|
|
 |
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Warner Bros. Home Ent.
Format: Blu-Ray & Digital
Contact: Distributor / PR
From filmmaker Mark Cousins (Story of Film: An Odyssey) comes his epic new documentary, Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema. Presented as a guide on how to make a film, it's presented in thematic chapters, using examples from 183 woman filmmakers from around the world. Includes narration from Tilda Swinton, Debra Winger, Sharmila Tagore, and Jane Fonda. This 5-disc set includes the full 14 hour version, divided into five separate parts and represents one of the most ambitious and in-depth documentaries ever made.
|
|
 |
Convoy
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Network Distributing
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
Clive Brook and John Clements star as naval officers at odds with one other in this thrilling drama from Ealing Studios that pits duty against love during wartime. The final film from rising star Pen Tennyson, killed a year later on active service, Convoy is presented here as a High Definition remaster from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Returning to port after a long and tiring tour of duty, Captain Armitage receives orders to take his warship and urgently escort a fleet of merchantmen safely to Britain. Reaching the convoy, Armitage realises that one ship is missing and amongst the refugees it is carrying is his ex-wife, Lucy.
|
|
 |
The Shining Special Edition
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Warner Bros. Home Ent.
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Kubrick Classic, this limited edition set includes: 4K UHD Extended Cut, Blu-ray Extended and Theatrical Cuts, Exclusive Booklet, Letter from Stanley Kubrick to Saul Bass, Saul Bass Early Design Illustrations, Behind-the-Scenes Imagery, and a Replica Theatrical Poster. 'Academy Award winner* Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall star in director Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's disturbing blockbuster horror novel.
Writer Jack Torrance (Nicholson), a former alcoholic, accepts a job as the writer caretaker for a hotel high in the Rocky Mountains, isolating him, his wife (Duvall) and their psychic young son until spring. But when the first blizzard blocks the only road out, the hotel's store energy from evil past deeds begins to drive Jack insane...and there may be no escape for his family in this haunting story of madness, memory and violence.
|
|
 |
Apollo 13 25th Anniversary
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
Nominated for nine Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, produced by Academy Award® winner Brian Grazer and directed by Academy Award® winner Ron Howard, Apollo 13 stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris in the inspiring and riveting story of the real-life space flight that gripped a nation and changed the world.
|
|
 |
The Green Man
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Studio Canal
Format: Blu-Ray
Contact: Distributor / PR
An irreverent black comedy adapted by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat from their play, Meet a Body, The Green Man marked the directorial debut of camera operator Robert Day. A scintillating Alastair Sim 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 the philandering MP Sir Gregory Upshott (Raymond Huntley) is the intended target, vacuum cleaner salesman William Blake (George Cole) and Hawkins' new neighbour Ann Vincent (Jill Adams) repeatedly get in the way. As the time of the assassination draws ever 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 Bigger Splash
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Fabulous Films
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
Director Jack Hazan and editor David Mingay (Rude Boy) had access to David Hockney and his circle from 1970 to 1973, a critical period for the internationally-acclaimed artist following the break-up of his relationship with Peter Schlesinger. As much an intimate study of love gone wrong as a portrait of an artist at work. A Bigger Splash chronicles the emotional ripples that separation casts on their coterie. With appearances by such art scene icons (and subjects of Hockney's work) as Celia Birtwell, Ossie Clark, Henry Geldzahler and Patrick Proctor, this ground-breaking film is presented here in a newly remastered version.
|
|
 |
Elvis 5 Movies Collection
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
Tune in with the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ with a curated collection of his finest movies. Includes performances of hit songs "Wooden Heart", "Shoppin Around", "Little Egypt", "Can't Help Falling In Love', "Rock-A-Hula Baby", "Bossa Nova Baby" and "Return To Sender".
Lightweight fun and soundtracks to get you on your feet, there is no better gift for Elvis superfans.
|
|
 |
Griff Off the Rails: Down Under
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: Spirit Entertainment
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
British comedian and travel enthusiast Griff Rhys Jones is boarding the trains of Australia to present a very modern look at the land down under.
In this six-part series, Griff will criss-cross the vast continent from the west coast to the east coast, north to south, from surf beaches to dusty outback, he’ll cover thousands of miles through the heart of this great land. In 2015, Griff took a very successful train journey through Africa. Now he’s going to immerse himself in modern Australia, unravel its pioneering history, delight in its indigenous culture, meet some of its more unique characters, and journey through its most isolated towns and spirited cities.
Along the way, Griff will discover the history of the railroads, the people that operate them and the communities that rely on them – because it’s the railways that made modern Australia.
|
|
 |
Killer Tattooist
Release Date: 18th May
Distributor: High Fliers Film
Format: DVD
Contact: Distributor / PR
Eva is an undercover cop, with the reputation of going too far to solve a case. On the hunt for a serial killer, who tattoos and skins his victims. Little does she know that Nathan is the serial killer she is hunting and getting close to him could result in her losing her life in ways more terrifying than she could imagine. Killer Tattooist is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that will chill you to the bone.
|
|
Other releases of note include
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai: Complete Series, Boruto - Naruto Next Generations: Set 3 , Radiant: Season One - Part Two, The Affair: Season 5, Murdoch Mysteries: Complete Series 13, Penance, WWE: Elimination Chamber 2020, Friday Night Dinner season 6, The Adventures Of Paddington - Paddington Finds A Pigeon & Other Episodes,, Ajin Season 1!
Happy watching!
|
|
|
