A QUIET PLACE PART II. (DVD Artwork). ©Paramount.
By ANGELA DAWSON
Front Row Features
Movies
A Quiet Place Part II (Sci-fi/Thriller)
Hailed by critics and audiences alike, John Krasinski’s follow up thriller “A Quiet Place: Part II,” arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday July 27, from Paramount Home Entertainment. The film also is available now on Digital platforms.
Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
The “A Quiet Place: Part II” 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray and Digital releases boast exclusive special features that take viewers deeper into the world originated in the global smash hit “A Quiet Place.” Follow Krasinski on the set of the new film as he details the cast and crew’s incredible work in a video Director’s Diary; uncover the secrets of the monstrous invaders; dig into the two-film character arc of daughter Regan; watch a breakdown of the unforgettable marina scene; and delve into the extraordinary visual effects and sound design.
The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Discs also boast a Dolby Atmos soundtrack remixed specifically for the home to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead, and the 4K Ultra HD disc features Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR), which delivers greater brightness and contrast, as well as a fuller palette of rich colors.
Fans can experience the whole Abbott family saga with the 2-Movie Collection, available to buy exclusively on Digital or Blu-ray with bonus content on both films.
The Birthday Cake (Crime drama)
Shiloh Fernandez (“Jericho,” “United States of Tara”), Lorraine Bracco (“The Sopranos,” “Goodfellas”), Val Kilmer (“Top Gun,” “The Doors”) and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars,” Moulin Rouge!”) star in “The Birthday Cake,” arriving on Blu-ray Tuesday July 27, from Screen Media.
On the 10th anniversary of his father’s mysterious death, Gio (Fernandez) brings a birthday cake prepared by his mother Sofia (Bracco) to a memorial celebration hosted by his uncle, Angelo (Kilmer), a Brooklyn mafia boss. Gio’s life begins to change as he pieces together what really happened to his father all those years ago, coming face-to-face with a kind of violence he has been trying to avoid his whole life.
The film is directed by Jimmy Giannopoulos, who co-wrote the screenplay with Diomedes Raul Bermudez and Shiloh Fernandez.
“The Birthday Cake” will be available on Blu-ray for the suggested retail price (SRP) of $29.98 and on DVD for $24.98 (SRP).
Joey & Ella: A Kangaroo Tail (Family/Adventure)
The family-friendly adventure film “Joey & Ella: A Kangaroo Tail” arrives on DVD and Digital Tuesday July 27, from Lionsgate.
Two bumbling jewel thieves lose the mysterious Mazinski Diamond. The jewel, as it turns out, has been pocketed by a baby circus kangaroo that escapes to a nearby barn and is found by Ella, a lonely teen who names the critter Joey. But the magical gem causes Joey to grow quickly and gain the power of speech. Soon the thieves, the police and Joey’s owners are all hunting for the mischievous roo and the alien crystal. If Ella and new boyfriend Luke want to get Joey to safety in time, they better get hoppin’.
Midnight in the Switchgrass (Crime drama)
Bruce Willis (“Die Hard” franchise) and Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”) and Emile Hirsch (“Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood”) star in the intense crime thriller “Midnight in the Switchgrass” arriving on DVD Tuesday July 27, from Lionsgate.
While in Florida investigating another case, FBI agents Helter (Willis) and Lombardo (Fox) cross paths with state cop Crawford (Hirsch), who’s investigating a string of female murders that appear to be related. Lombardo and Crawford team up for an undercover sting, but it goes horribly wrong, plunging Lombardo into grave danger and pitting Crawford against a serial killer in a twisted game of cat and mouse. Lukas Haas (“Inception”) and Colson Baker a.k.a. Machine Gun Kelly (“Bird Box”) Caitlin Carmichael and Sistine Stallone also star in this gritty crime drama.
The film is directed by Randall Emmett from a screenplay by Alan Horsnail.
The New Deal for Artists (Documentary)
Corinth Films will release the vital, digitally remastered 1981 documentary “The New Deal for Artists,” Tuesday July 27.
In the 1930s, amidst the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established a New Deal aimed to put Americans back to work. His plan included an innovative and lively public arts program that would support and employ artists across every medium.
Released to commemorate the film’s 40th anniversary, the DVD/Digital release features exclusive extras including a 12-page collectible book with two new essays from noted film critics Armond White from the “National Review” and Ed Rampell, author of “Progressive Hollywood: A People’s Film History of the United States.”
The documentary is narrated by Orson Welles and features a who’s who of 20th century luminaries including Studs Terkel, John Houseman, Norman Lloyd, Arthur Rothstein, Howard Da Silva, James Brooks, Nelson Algre and more.
The DVD/Digital of “The New Deal for Artists” is available for $24.95 (SRP).
V.C. Andrews’ Landry Family 4-Movie Series (Drama)
It’s time to return to the Louisiana bayou when the “V.C. Andrews’ Landry Family 4-Movie Series” arrives on DVD July 2, from Lionsgate.
Based on Andrews’ best-selling novels, this film collection stars Raechelle Banno (“Pandora,” “In Your Dreams”), Crystal Fox (“Big Little Lies,” “The Haves and the Have Nots”), Primetime Emmy winner Gil Bellows (“Temple Grandin”), Daytime Emmy winner Lauralee Bell (“The Young and the Restless”), Ty Wood (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” “Riverdale”) and Sam Duke (“Parallel Minds,” “A Gentleman”).
Adapted from the prolific author’s books, the movie series follows the story of Ruby Landry as she digs deeper into the roots of her mysterious family tree. Raised by her grandmother in the Louisiana bayou, Ruby gets caught up in a web of dark secrets and betrayal over the course of four Lifetime Original movies— “Ruby,” “Pearl in the Mist,” “All That Glitters” and “Hidden Jewel.”
The “V.C. Andrews’ Landry Family 4-Movie Series” DVD will be available for $19.98 (SRP).
TV Shows
American Gods: Season Three (Fantasy drama)
Based on the massively popular novel by Neil Gaiman, one of the most-talked-about fantasy drama series “American Gods: Season Three” arrives on Blu-ray + Digital and DVD July 27 from Lionsgate.
Starring Ricky Whittle (“The 100,” “Hollyoaks”), Golden Globe winner and Primetime Emmy nominee Ian McShane (“Deadwood”), Emily Browning (“Sucker Punch,” “Sleeping Beauty”), Pablo Schreiber (TV’s “Orange Is the New Black,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “13 Hours”), and Crispin Glover (“Back to the Future,” “Alice in Wonderland”).
In Season Three, dangerous secrets intensify the inevitable war building between the Old Gods of mythology and the New Gods of technology. When Shadow Moon discovers that his boss, Mr. Wednesday, is not only one of the Old Gods but is also his father, Shadow attempts to break away and find his own path. Guided on this spiritual journey by the gods of his black ancestors, the Orishas, Shadow puts down roots in the idyllic, snowy town of Lakeside, Wisconsin, but this small town holds dark and bloody secrets that force him to accept his destiny. Rather than facing a choice between divinity or humanity, Shadow must now decide just what kind of god he wants to be.
Special features include “Meet the new gods of Season Three,” “Road to Epiphany: The Season Three Journey” and “Five Questions for the Cast.”
“American Gods: Season Three” Blu-ray and DVD will be available for $34.97 (SRP) and $34.98 (SRP), respectively.
Keeping Faith: Series 3 (Drama)
In the final season of the British series “Keeping Faith,” is available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning Tuesday July 27, from Acorn.
In this captivating Welsh drama starring Eve Myles (“Torchwood,” “Broadchurch”), Faith and Evan’s divorce descends into a custody battle, while her new love, Steve, tries to stay out of trouble but is drawn back to crime. And as Faith contends with one of the most complicated legal cases of her career, her mother (Celia Imrie, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”) suddenly arrives, threatening to expose long-buried secrets.
The series previously premiered on Acorn TV. It will be available ion Blu-ray and DVD in a two-disc package for $39.99 (SRP).
