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Blu-Ray Spotlight: ‘Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis’ (Our Friends)

Eagles of Death Metal
Directed by Colin Hanks, Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) centers on the band’s return to Paris in February 2016, three months after the attack at Bataclan Theatre. The 84-minute documentary is a candid look at how the group, obviously still reeling from the tragedy, united to put music and their fans (and family) at the forefront.

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Blu-ray Pick: ‘The Moderns’ (Keith Carradine, Linda Fiorentino)

"The Moderns" - Shout! Factory
I went to Paris as a kid with my folks and vowed to return to the City of Lights. That dream has yet to come to fruition and the closest thing I’ve come to returning is via reading A Moveable Feast and watching Before Sunset over and over again. Shout Select’s Blu-ray of The Moderns also did the trick, and having not seen an Alan Rudolph film in years (Afterglow, Trixie), it was time well spent.

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Blu-ray Pick: 5 Reasons To Love ‘Freebie and the Bean’

Freebie and the Bean - James Caan, Alan Arkin (Warner Archive)
Warner Archive continues to dig gems out of its vault. Freebie and the Bean, a Grade-A buddy cop flick starring Alan Arkin and James Caan, is a prime example. If you’re a fan of 48 Hrs. or Lethal Weapon, please give this film (which btw is beloved by Quentin Tarantino, Stanley Kubrick and Edgar Wright) a shot. Five reasons to love this flick is below!!

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Blu-ray Pick: ‘Miss Hokusai’ Spotlights the Bold, Talented Daughter of a Famous Japanese Painter

MIss Hokusai
Miss Hokusai, now out on DVD and Blu-ray, is a film that is notable as much for its own meta-history as it is for the story depicted within. From Production I.G., the anime studio responsible for the beloved Ghost in the Shell series, and award-winning director Keiichi Hara, Miss Hokusai presents the true story of the prolific Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (also known as Tetsuzo) and his lesser known but just as talented daughter O-Ei. Though the film doesn’t adhere to any sort of traditional plot structure – which can make the pacing feel rather slow and disjointed – it offers compelling character portraits of a historical figure who rightfully deserve a larger spotlight.

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Blu-ray Pick: Gael García Bernal Publicizes the Migrant Experience in Jonás Cuarón’s ‘Desierto’

The best kinds of movies provide emotional context to the thorniest political, ideological and philosophical issues that plague us as a species. Now available on DVD and Blu-ray, Desierto, Jonás Cuarón’s Spanish-language feature, tackles one of the most topical concerns of the current United States administration: illegal immigration. By laying out the issue in narrative form, Cuarón adds a relatable, human face to a contentious concept, and delivers a thriller of a cat-and-mouse chase along the way.

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Blu-ray Pick: Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton Deliver Powerhouse Performances in ‘Loving’

Loving

For such a groundbreaking story, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, now available on DVD and Blu-ray, is notable for its silence. Although the quiet solemnity of a sparse script served Nichols well in the case of his other 2016 critical darling, Midnight Special, the historic Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision invalidating laws that prohibited interracial marriage may have required a bit more dramatic build-up. Fortunately, Loving’s two lead actors – Ruth Negga, nominated for an Academy Award for this role, and the chameleon-like Joel Edgerton – elevate the movie through their characters by tenderly tapping into the steady strength that defines their humanity.

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Blu-Ray Pick: Rachel Weisz Must Prove the Truth of the Holocaust in ‘Denial’

Rachel Weisz - Denial
The truth is a touchy topic nowadays, which is why Denial – now available on Blu-ray and DVD via Bleecker Street and Entertainment One – packs such a strong punch. Directed by Mick Jackson, Denial describes the 1996 libel suit brought by Holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall) against American Holocaust studies professor Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz), and is based on Lipstadt’s own account of the trial.

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Blu-ray Pick: Johnny Simmons, Ethan Hawke Power Baseball Tale ‘The Phenom’

ThePhenomDVD

Now available on Blu-ray and DVD via RLJ Entertainment, The Phenom is a baseball movie that refreshingly breaks convention by not focusing on the sport itself. Instead , this subtly and evocatively rendered drama is a character study of the highest order, focusing on the little details that pushes talented and unassuming pitcher Hopper (Johnny Simmons) in a ton of different directions.

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