New Releases for May 7 2024

SHE IS CONANN (2023)

In a barbaric fantasy sci-fi trip through time, sword-and-sorcery mythology is bent, fractured, and gender-swapped by master visionary Bertrand Mandico in his third feature epic. Six lives, six eras, and six deaths mark Conann's poetic journey through different incarnations and lesbian loves. Guiding Conann through her many epic lives is Elina Löwensohn (Amateur, Let the Corpses Tan) as Rainer, a Cerberus of many otherworldly dimensions whose paparazzi camera sees all. The perversity of The Wild Boys and the hero's journey of After Blue (Dirty Paradise) come together in this even greater handmade homage as Mandico ropes in influences as lush as Fellini Satyricon, The Night Porter, The Hunger, and Fassbinder's entire oeuvre to craft a moving portrait of a warrior trying to find her place while outside of space, time, and meaning. (DVD and BLU-RAY)

NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN (1996)

In a career that includes Oscar-nominated masterpieces such as Serpico, Prince of the City and The Verdict, director Sidney Lumet has cross-examined the fine line between those who enforce the law and those who exploit it, both in the courtroom and on the streets. Adapting a novel by former NYPD officer Robert Daley (Year of the Dragon), Lumet once again exposes the corrupt underbelly of the city that never sleeps in Night Falls on Manhattan.

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. (BLU-RAY)

MOM N POP: THE INDIE VIDEO STORE BOOM OF THE 80S/90S (2022)

Take a nostalgic trip back in time to the hallowed halls of your favorite rental shops with MOM N’ POP: THE INDIE VIDEO STORE BOOM OF THE ‘80s / ‘90s, a wistful new documentary chronicling the meteoric rise and gradual fall of the independently-owned neighborhood video store. Tucked within strip malls, tanning salons, gas stations, and grocery stores around the country, the mom and pop video store became the Mecca for budding film and video game fanatics to satiate their burgeoning media obsessions. Hear video store owners and employees, as well as filmmakers, podcasters, and collectors discuss the eccentricities of the regional video spots that left an indelible imprint on their lives forever.

Featuring interviews with media personalities James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd), Ming Chen (Comic Book Men), and “Weird” Paul Petroskey (Will Work for Views), indie / SOV filmmaking luminaries including Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger), Tim Ritter (Truth or Dare?), Gary P. Cohen (Video Violence), Joel D. Wynkoop (Lost Faith), and Brad Sykes (Camp Blood), plus profiles on indispensable, still functioning video stores like VisArt Video, Orbit DVD, & Videotheque, MOM N’ POP: THE INDIE VIDEO STORE BOOM OF THE ‘80s / ‘90s is quintessential viewing for anyone who cherished their local independent video store and utilized it as a communal rendezvous for connecting with other like minded film aficionados. (BLU-RAY)

THE CHURCH (1989)

For his second feature film - and first full collaboration with co-writer/producer/mentor Dario Argento - writer/director Michele Soavi unleashes a "mind-blowing" (Bloody Disgusting), "breathtaking" (Slant) "masterwork" (DVD Drive-In), now in UHD for the first time ever: In a Gothic cathedral built on the mass grave of a Teutonic purge, an ancient discovery by the new librarian will release an unholy maelstrom of madness, violence and demonic vengeance. Tomas Arana (THE SECT), Feodor Chaliapin (INFERNO), Hugh Quarshie (NIGHTBREED), Barbara Cupisti (CEMETERY MAN) and Asia Argento co-star in this Italian horror milestone co-written by Franco Ferrini (PHENOMENA), with a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the original negative and over 3 hours of Special Features - including new interviews with Soavi and Argento. (4K ULTRA HD and BLU-RAY)

TRENQUE LAUQUEN (2022)

The search for a missing woman unspools in two unexpectedly interconnected parts in Laura Citarella's playful new feature. The missing woman is Laura (Laura Paredes), a biologist cataloging plant species in and around the Argentinean city of Trenque Lauquen. The men searching for her: Rafael, her boyfriend, and Ezequiel, a coworker who has come to mean more to her in recent days. But in order to uncover the truth of Laura's disappearance, a profusion of mysteries must be explored. There's the question of love letters hidden in books in the local library, the discovery of a new species of flower, and then there's the mysterious being, rumored to be haunting the lake at the center of town. (DVD)