New Releases for June 11 2024

ENTER THE DRAG DRAGON (2023)

Get ready to go on a Drag-Fu odyssey, filled with face-crunching action, corset-busting comedy, gut-munching horror, soul-touching musical numbers. You've never experienced anything like Enter the Drag Dragon! A brand new Drag-fu, action, comedy, horror musical from the people you brought you "Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter", "Harry Knuckles" & "Smash Cut".

Crunch is a part-time amateur detective, and a full-time Drag Queen. His lifelong best friend is Jaws, a roller- skating entrepreneur and fast-food delivery girl. The oddball pair has been through a lot over their lives, but are as close as siblings. They are no strangers to fast times, adventure, and action. They spend their days working hard, and their nights watching chop-socky kung fu flicks in the abandoned movie theatre they've lived in since childhood, along with their childhood guardian, Fast Buck. Most of Crunch and Jaws' earnings go to Buck, to help him make ends meet, keep their stomachs full of popcorn and a roof over their heads. However, when Crunch takes it upon himself to solve his biggest case yet and track down a stolen panting that might reveal the truth of the mythical treasure of the of the Aztec Mummy, he discovers that he has much more to fear than the supposed undead army that guards the legendary loot. He soon finds himself over his head dealing with corrupt cops, zombies, dangerous mobsters, a lost puppy, ninjas, a budding romance, and ghosts. With mounting obstacles, Crunch realizes that he can't handle this one on his own, and must team up with Jaws and Buck if he wants to survive, let alone solve this case! Don't miss this first ever Drag-Fu Odyssey. (DVD and BLU-RAY)

STOPMOTION (2023)

Ella Blake, a stop-motion animator struggling to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother, embarks upon the creation of a film that becomes the battleground for her sanity. As Ella's mind starts to fracture, the characters in her project take on a life of their own. (BLU-RAY and DVD)

MUTE WITNESS (1995) (LIMITED EDITION)

Director Anthony Waller (The Piper, An American Werewolf in Paris) combines cat-and-mouse suspense with classic intrigue in Mute Witness, an updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller in which the only witness to a brutal crime can neither speak nor cry out in terror.

Billy Hughes (Marina Sudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film. Having borne witness to their victim's final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as "The Reaper".

Filmed on location in Moscow and co-starring Fay Ripley (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein) and Evan Richards (Society), Mute Witness is an unpredictable, nerve-shreddingly tense viewing experience. Now fully restored in 4K and presented alongside a host of new and recently unearthed bonus materials, there has never been a better opportunity to discover – or rediscover – this gem of 90s thriller cinema. (BLU-RAY)

THE VALIANT ONES (1975)

The Valiant Ones is perhaps the last true wuxia film directed by celebrated Taiwanese filmmaker King Hu, an undisputed master of the genre. Shot back-to-back with The Fate of Lee Khan (but not released until two years later), it stands as a worthy follow-up to his earlier works Come Drink with Me, Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen.

During the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (Chao Lei), China's coastal regions have come under attack by wokou – Japanese pirates under the leadership of the infamous Hakatatsu (Sammo Hung). To combat this threat, the Emperor tasks a trusted general, Zhu Wan (Tu Kuang-chi), with assembling a group of skilled warriors to find and eliminate the pirates. Under the command of General Yu Dayou (Roy Chiao), the band of soldiers – including husband-and-wife sword-fighters Wu Ji-yuan (Wing Bai) and Wu Ruo-shi (Feng Hsu) – set out to draw Hakatatsu, his ally Xu Dong (Han Ying-chieh) and their pirate clan into a series of spectacular showdowns.

Inspired by historical events and featuring several storied figures drawn from Chinese history, The Valiant Ones is a standout wuxia film produced during the dying days of the genre, as audience tastes were shifting towards more grounded kung fu cinema. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on 4K Blu-ray from a 4K restoration. (BLU-RAY)

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM (2023)

In an extraordinary world where mutations in human genetics cause people to transform into hybrid creatures, François (Roman Duris) does everything he can to save his wife, who is affected by this mysterious condition. As some of the creatures disappear into a nearby forest, François embarks with Emile (Paul Kircher), their 16-year-old son, on a quest to find her with help from a local police officer (Adèle Exarchopoulos). From acclaimed director Thomas Cailley, the film world premiered as the opening night selection of Cannes Un Certain Regard. (DVD and BLU-RAY)