New streaming, on-demand highlights May 6-12, 2024
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — It's a great week for digital releases as "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," and "Abigail" jump from theaters onto your streaming retailer of choice. I prefer "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" to "Afterlife" in that it returns to New York City (which played a major role in the atmosphere of the original films). It also introduces some new ideas that I find incredibly interesting. I also enjoyed "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" as it sees director Guy Ritchie return to form. What the film lacks in tension it makes up for with humor and action. I'm decidedly mixed on "Abigail." It needed to decide if it was comedic or serious. You can be both, but this horror film wasn't smart enough to rise to that level. In the end, it isn't scary or funny enough.
Blu-ray and DVD is headlined by catalog releases. I've included the six I'd recommend giving a look. "The Crow" is a guilty pleasure, "One from the Heart" is an aquired taste, and I'd need to revisit "Night Falls on Manhattan," but "High Noon," "Stop Making Sense" and the Yasujiro Ozu double feature of "A Story of Floating Weeds" and "Floating Weeds" all qualify as classics.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Synopsis: In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who've developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Abigail
Synopsis: Radio Silence, the filmmakers behind the horror hits Ready or Not, Scream (2022) and Scream VI, bring a brash and bloodthirsty new vision of vampires with Abigail. A heist team is hired by a mysterious fixer to kidnap the daughter of a powerful underworld figure. They must guard the 12-year-old ballerina for one night to net a $50 million ransom. As the captors start to dwindle one by one, they discover to their mounting terror that they're locked inside an isolated mansion with no ordinary little girl.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Synopsis: Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE is an action-comedy that tells the story of the first-ever special forces organization formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming. The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly “ungentlemanly” fighting techniques. Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare.
Bosco
Synopsis: In 2006 over two million Americans were incarcerated but only one managed to escape a federal maximum-security wing while under 24-hour surveillance - Quawntay “Bosco” Adams. For the chance to be at his first child’s birth, he planned an ingenious escape with the help of a lonely Missouri woman that he meets by replying to a personal ad.
La Chimera
Synopsis: Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina. In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera.
Housekeeping for Beginners
Synopsis: HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS explores the universal truths of family, encompassing both the bonds we inherit and those we create. The narrative revolves around Dita, who, despite never aspiring to be a mother, finds herself compelled to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters—Mia, a tiny troublemaker, and Vanesa, a rebellious teenager. As their individual wills clash, a heartwarming story unfolds about an unlikely family's struggle to stay together.
Indigo Girls: It's Only Life After All
Synopsis: With forty years of making music as the iconic folk-rock band Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have made their mark as musicians, songwriters, and dedicated activists. They have represented radical self-acceptance to many, leading multiple generations of fans to say, “the Indigo Girls saved my life.” Still, Amy and Emily battled misogyny, homophobia, and a harsh cultural climate chastising them for not fitting into a female pop star mold. With joy, humor, and heart-warming earnestness, Sundance award-winning director Alexandria Bombach brings us into a contemporary conversation with Amy and Emily—alongside decades of the band’s home movies and intimate present-day verité.
Kim's Video
Synopsis: Physical media reigns supreme in KIM’S VIDEO, an elegiac tribute to the iconic video store in New York City that inspired a generation of cinephiles before it mysteriously closed its doors and sent its legendary film archive to a small and slightly dubious Sicilian village for “safekeeping.” But what starts as an homage to cinema quickly becomes a rescue mission to ensure the eternal preservation of the beloved video collection.
The Last Stop in Yuma County
Synopsis: While awaiting the next fuel truck at a middle-of-nowhere Arizona rest stop, a traveling young knife salesman is thrust into a high-stakes hostage situation by the arrival of two similarly stranded bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty—or cold, hard steel—to protect their bloodstained, ill-begotten fortune.
Mondo New York
Synopsis: A young woman wanders around Manhattan and stumbles across a number of strange characters and settings that represent the "underground" life in New York City in the 1980's including stand-up comedy in Central Park, a prostitution auction, a voodoo ceremony, an S&M club and a diverse mix of very interesting performance artists.
Red vs. Blue: Restoration
Syopsis: When the universe's greatest villain returns in a terrifying new form, old adversaries, the Reds and Blues of Blood Gulch, will have to set aside their differences to save the galaxy one last time.
Blu-ray & DVD Highlights
The Crow: 30th Anniversary Edition 4K UHD
Synopsis: The modern-gothic original that entranced audiences and critics alike, THE CROW tells the tale of a young musician brutally murdered alongside his beloved fiancée, only to be risen from the grave by a mysterious crow. Seeking revenge, he battles a criminal underground that must answer for its crimes. Adapted from the comic book saga of the same name, this action-packed thriller from director Alex Proyas (DARK CITY) features hypnotic style, dazzling visuals, and a soulful performance by the late Brandon Lee.
High Noon (1952)
Synopsis: Screen legend Gary Cooper (Vera Cruz) won the 1952 Oscar for Best Actor in this classic tale of an aging lawman who stands alone to defend a town of righteous cowards in one of the greatest showdowns in the history of cinema. The movie also marks the first starring role for a beautiful young actress who went on to become one of Hollywood’s most beloved icons—Grace Kelly (The Country Girl).
Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)
Synopsis: Sean Casey (Andy Garcia) is an assistant district attorney and a rising star in the New York City legal system. He is forced into a tough position when his ambitious boss, seeking re-election, asks Sean to prosecute a drug dealer caught by two NYPD detectives under controversial circumstances - one of whom happens to be Sean's father (Ian Holm). As Sean gets closer to the truth in the case, what he uncovers may break his faith in the legal system, threaten his promising career and tear his family apart.
One from the Heart (1982) 4K UHD
Synopsis: One from the Heart: Reprise is a spectacular 4K restoration and reimag ining of the 1982 cult classic from Francis Ford Coppola. Six minutes of footage have been added to replace the original negative, previously thought to be destroyed, resulting in a brand-new Reprise version, approved by Coppola himself. One from the Heart: Reprise tells the story of a Las Vegas couple (Teri Garr, Frederic Forrest) whose break-up on the Fourth of July leads them both to a night on the Strip in pursuit of their romantic fantasies (Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski). But in this town of gamblers and dreamers, should they bet it all on dreams, or give true love another roll of the dice? Featuring breathtaking design, show-stopping set pieces, the stunning photography of Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor) and accompanied by the wonderful Oscar-nominated music of the one and only Tom Waits, this neon explosion of color, sound, and innovation is a cinematic valentine for all movie lovers.
Stop Making Sense (1984) 4K UHD
Synopsis: The greatest concert film of all time, Stop Making Sense brings to the screen Talking Heads at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 1983: David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison, alongside an ecstatic ensemble of supporting musicians, capturing the iconic band at their exhilarating best. Directed by Academy Award Winner Jonathan Demme and newly restored to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
A Story of Floating Weeds (1934) / Floating Weeds (1959)
Synopsis: In 1959, Yasujiro Ozu remade his 1934 silent classic A Story of Floating Weeds in color with celebrated cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Setting his later version in a seaside location, Ozu otherwise preserves the details of his elegantly simple plot wherein an aging actor returns to a small town with his troupe and reunites with his former lover and their son, a scenario that enrages his current mistress and results in heartbreak for all. Together, the films offer a unique glimpse into the evolution of one of cinema's greatest directors. A Story of Floating Weeds finds Ozu in the midst of developing his mode of expression; Floating Weeds reveals his distinct style at its pinnacle. In each, the director captures the joy and sadness of everyday life.