New to View: June 20
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, June 20, unless otherwise noted:
Avatar: The Way of Water (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2022, Buena Vista-Disney-Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, sequences of strong violence, intense action, partial nudity, strong language
The lowdown: I did not enjoy “Avatar: The Way of Water.” I believe it sank under the narcissism of filmmaker James Cameron, who appeared more interested with impressing audiences with his technical acumen than telling an exciting story.
At more than three hours, the movie is an endurance test of expository dialogue, one-dimensional characters and a dearth of action sequences.
Cameron crams his production with big ideas about environmental and ecological harmony, family, responsibility, colonialism and imperialism, but comes up short in his delivery on these themes.
The movie returns to Pandora more than a decade after the events of the 2009 original, in which humans attempted to colonize the planet to mine the valuable mineral of unobtanium.
The humans are back on Pandora, and meaner than ever. That means a lot of CGI battles and explosions — none of which make any major impression.
As I said, I was disappointed with the movie, but I was in the minority since the film garnered a 76 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, 5.1 Dolby digital (Family Friendly) and 5.1 Spanish Dolby digital; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials in this two-disc set include a featurette on new characters, the challenges of performance capture above and below water, a featurette on Weta FX bringing Pandora to life, a look at the returning characters and look at returning characters.
Avatar: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2009, Buena Vista-Disney-Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, intense battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language, some smoking
The lowdown: Sam Worthington stars as ex-Marine Jake Sully in director James Cameron’s initial foray to the world of Pandora.
Humans are stripping the planet of its resources and battling the indigenous population, the Na’vi.
Sully is altered to resemble one of the Na’vi and sent to infiltrate and spy on them. He has a change of heart and joins their fight against the humans.
As in the sequel, Cameron’s technical magic overwhelms the story and its characters. Still, the film garnered an 82 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
The three-disc set features the film in 4K UHD and on Blu-ray, with bonus features included.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, 5.1 Dolby digital (Family Friendly), 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, 5.1 Dolby digital (Family Friendly) and 5.1 Spanish Dolby digital; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a memories from “Avatar” featurette that includes cast and filmmaker interviews; a look back at the film with cast members and filmmakers and its impact; a documentary with Cameron about the making of the movie; and 17 featurettes going behind-the-scenes on various aspects of the film.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2023, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Rated: R, violence,, language, brief drug content
The lowdown: Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Army Sgt. John Kinley who, after an ambush is saved by his interpreter, Ahmed (Dar Salim).
When Kinley later learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to the United States as promised, he must return to the war zone to repay his debt and retrieve Ahmed and his family before the Taliban hunts them down.
The movie is fictional, but it mirrors the fate of many Afghans who aided American forces during the war and were unable to escape the retribution of the Taliban.
The movie garnered an 83 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos-TrueHD and Dolby digital descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Power Up Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: June 13
Details: 2023, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, action, mild violence
The lowdown: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Fred Armisen are among the voice talent who contributed to the animated adaptation of the popular video game.
Pratt is Mario the brave brother with a lets-a go attitude. Day is the always anxious Luigi, who prefers not to go anywhere.
The movie opens with the brothers’ plumbing business struggling. Pretty soon, the brothers are in the midst of adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom, where characters familiar with the game reside, including the power-hungry villain, Bowser (Black).
Despite a few flaws, the 92-minute-long movie, which may be a tad overstimulating, will still engage very young viewers and perhaps older audience members who remember — and maybe continue — to play the game.
The movie received a 58 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, French 5.1 Dolby digital and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital plus; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, English DVS, French 5.1 Dolby digital and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital plus; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include featurettes about the cast members, the making of the movie and a guide on leadership from Taylor-Joy’s Princess Peach, an immersive video with bonus and power-up options that allow viewers to interact with on-screen graphics and a music video with Black’s Bowser serenading Princess Peach.
The Manchurian Candidate (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1962, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG-13, violence
The lowdown: John Frankenheimer directed and George Axelrod adapted author Richard Condon’s book, which has risen in acclaim as one of the best political thrillers in film history.
Yes, the Cold War plot seems somewhat outdated, but the movie’s impact seems to resonate more in today’s climate of political acrimony and cries of fake news.
The core of the movie rests on Frank Sinatra’s Major Bennett Marco whose nightmares about an incident during the Korean War is keeping him awake nights.
He dreams of a ladies’ garden club party, but can’t piece it all together. Marco seeks the help of a fellow platoon member, Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), who was awarded the Medal of Honor for supposedly saving his men during an action.
Events begin to unfold, leading to twists and tragedies.
The film features a chilling performance by Angela Lansbury as Shaw’s mother, Mrs. Iselin, the wife of a bombastic United States senator, John Yerkes Iselin.
This is a movie you can watch time after time and continue to enjoy and appreciate, as did critics who awarded it a 97 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options, all on the Blu-ray disc, include an archival commentary track with Frankenheimer, interviews with Sinatra, Frankenheimer, Axelrod, Lansbury and filmmaker William Friedkin and two outtakes.
The Servant: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1963, The Criterion Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Dirk Bogarde and James Fox star in this drama about class, power and sexuality directed by blacklisted Hollywood director Joseph Losey.
Fox plays a dissolute member of the upper crust who finds the seemingly perfect manservant in Bogarde’s Barrett to oversee his new London digs.
As the movie, written by Harold Pinter, progresses, the traditional social hierarchies begin to gradually and disturbingly shift.
The film, which earned a 90 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is a story of psychosexual menace and a study of corruption.
Bogarde’s performance is mesmerizing and sly.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a featurette on Losey’s directorial style, an interview with Losey, an archival interview with Pinter and interviews with Bogarde, Fox and costars Sarah Miles and Wendy Craig as well as a leaflet with an essay about the movie.
King Solomon’s Mines (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 30
Details: 1950, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This adaptation of the H. Rider Haggard’s classic 1885 novel is one of the best adventure movies of the 1950s.
Stewart Granger, in a role originally offered to Errol Flynn, stars as intrepid hunter and explorer Allan Quartermain, who is hired by Deborah Kerr’s Elizabeth Curtis to lead an expedition into an unexplored region of Africa to hopefully locate her husband, who went missing.
Her husband was seeking the fabled, lost diamond mines of King Solomon.
Quartermain, reluctant at first, finally agrees to lead the safari, with Curtis and her brother, John Goode (Richard Carlson), in tow.
The movie, co-directed by Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton, was filmed in Africa. It garnered a 92 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
You can purchase this Blu-ray release at www.moviezying.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16×9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: A vintage MGM behind-the-scenes short film, “Jungle Safari,” is the main extra.
Ronin (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1998, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, strong violence, language
The lowdown: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natasha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgaard and Sean Bean head the cast in this thriller from director John Frankenheimer about a group of covert mercenaries who, with the Cold War ended, now work for the highest bidder.
The ”Ronin,” as these operatives are known, are brought together in France by a mysterious client for a seemingly routine mission — steal a top-secret briefcase.
The task grows more complicated as competition appears also wanting the briefcase.
To complete the job, these “Ronin” must learn to trust each other.
The film, which also features Jonathan Pryce and Michael Lonsdale, garnered a 70 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras features a commentary track by Frankenheimer on both discs and, on the Blu-ray disc, an interview with cinematographer Robert Fraisse, a behind-the-scenes look in the cutting room with editor Tony Gibbs, a look at the movie’s musical score with composer Elia Cmiral, a featurette on the driving in the movie with stunt-car coordinator Jean-Claude Lagniez, an interview with McElhone, Venice Film Festival interviews with De Niro, McElhone and Reno, a featurette on the making of the movie and an alternate ending.
Queen Christina (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 30
Details: 1933, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Greta Garbo gave one of her most memorable performances in this historical drama about the 17th century queen of Sweden who was fiercely devoted to her country and led it during the Thirty Years’ War, though continually advocating for peace.
Christina became queen at age 6, after her father, King Gustavus Adolphus, is killed in battle. The queen who is dedicated to governing with justice and education, has no time for marriage, and continually rejects various suitors proposed by here counselors.
One day, fed up with the restrictions of the palace, the disguised Christina sneaks out and ends up in the same tavern as Antonio (John Gilbert), a Spanish envoy on his way to Stockholm. The two talk, become friends and wind up sharing a room when none is available for Antonio.
The queen and the envoy begin a romance that leads to tragedy and Christina’s abdication.
This is a very good MGM production, which belies the myths about Gilbert’s acting difficulties in the sound era. The movie features a strong supporting cast, including Lewis Stone — who seems to have appeared in mostly every movie MGM produced, Reginald Owen, Ian Keith, C. Aubrey Smith, C. Montague Shaw, David Torrence and Gustav von Seyffertitz.
The release can be found at www.moviezying.com or other retail sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16×9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: An episode of the “MGM Parade” television series about Garbo’s career is the major bonus component.
“Mr. Wong Collection” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1938-40, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: The character of gentleman Chinese-American detective James Lee Wong was created by Hugh Wiley and his stories appeared in Colliers magazine.
The popularity of 20th Century Fox series of movies featuring the fictional detective Charlie Chan, led to Poverty Row-studio Monogram Pictures acquiring the rights to the Wong character.
Fortuitously, Monogram was able to sign Boris Karloff to play Wong. At the time, the market for horror films was dwindling and film roles for drying up for Karloff.
Monogram struck it lucky because in 1938, when a theater played a double feature of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein,” it ignited a resurgence in horror films, putting Karloff back in business at Universal Pictures, where in between Wong movies, he was featured in “Son of Frankenstein,” “Black Friday” and “Tower of London.”
The disc here contains five Wong movies with Karloff — “Mr. Wong, Detective” (1938), “The Mystery of Mr. Wong” (1939), “Mr. Wong in Chinatown” (1939), “The Fatal Hour” (1940) and “Doomed to Die” (1940).
The other cast regular was veteran actor Grant Withers as police homicide Captain Street and Marjorie Reynolds as newspaper reporter — and Street’s sometimes girlfriend — Bobbie Logan.
The films ran about 70 minutes, with baffling murders that, like Chan, Wong was able to solve.
The movies, of course, feature some racially insensitive comments, but that should not deter you from checking out the set and enjoying the movies. It is the performance of Karloff, who never plays down to his character or the script, that makes these movies worth viewing.
A cast of B-movie regulars fleshed out these movies, including Evelyn Brent, Lucien Privel, William Gould, Lotus Long, Hooper Atchley, William Royle, James Flavin, Charles Trowbridge, Guy Usher and Henry Brandon.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track on “Mr. Wong, Detective” by film historians Tom Weaver and Larry Blamire is the main bonus component.
The Draughtman’s Contract: 40th Anniversary 4K Restoration (Blu-ray)
Release date: June 13
Details: 1982, Zeitgeist Films-Kino Lorber
Rated: R, sexual situations, violence
The lowdown: Peter Greenaway is a singular filmmaker whose works are influenced by Renaissance, Baroque and Flemish paintings.
You need to pay close attention to his films, as everything he puts on screen — no matter how miniscule — has a purpose.
This is especially true in “The Draughtman’s Contract,” which is set in late-17th-century England. The movie is an erotic and witty country house murder mystery that made Greenaway a name to be reckoned with in cinema circles.
Mr. Neville (Anthony Higgins), a young, arrogant draughtman is hired by Mrs. Herbert (Janet Suzman) to sketch her husband’s property while he is away. His price is a fee, room and board plus one sexual favor for each of his 12 drawings.
As Neville becomes more entrenched in the devious schemings at the estate, curious details emerge in his drawings that may reveal a murder.
The film garnered a 97 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes and led to more intriguing and acclaimed films from Greenaway.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a video introduction and commentary by Greenaway, four deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage and on-set interviews, an interview with composer Michael Nyman and four short films by Greenaway.
The Boy with Green Hair (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 30
Details: 1948, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Dean Stockwell had a long career in film and on television, beginning as a child actor at MGM in the mid-1940s, appearing in such films as “The Valley of Decision,” “Anchors Away,” “Song of the Thin Man” and “Gentleman’s Agreement.”
As an adult, he appeared in such films as “Air Force One,” “Blue Velvet” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” On television, he costarred in “Quantum Leap” and the updated “Battlestar Galactica” reboot.
At RKO in 1948, he played Peter, the title role in “The Boy with Green Hair.” Peter is an orphan; his parents were killed in Europe doing relief work.
Peter winds up living with Gramp (Pat O’Brien), a kindly soul, who loves the boy. Peter does not know that his parents are dead. Waking up the day after learning that he is an orphan, his hair has turned green.
The small-minded townspeople, as well as other children, begin ridiculing Peter, who runs away.
He ends up in a secluded spot in the woods, where he encounters a group of children who, like him, are war orphans. They tell him his green hair can make a difference and he must speak out for other war orphans, reminding people about the tragic cost of war.
The upset townspeople pressure Gramp to have Peter shave his head so his hair will grow back normally. Instead, Peter returns to the woods to seek the other orphans.
There, he is chased by boys from his school who attempt to cut his hair. Later, Peter allows the town barber to shave his head.
Wearing a baseball cap, Peter returns home with Gramp, who reads him a letter written by the boy’s father. The letter gives Peter a new purpose and he vows to continue preaching against war.
The movie, which costars Robert Ryan and Barbara Hale, also features such child actors as Dwayne Hickman, Eilene Janssen and Johnny Calkins. It was directed by Joseph Losey, who was blacklisted in the 1950s, moving to Europe where he continued making movies. The film earned an 82 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
This Blu-ray release can be found at www.moviezying.com or other Internet sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16×9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The vintage short subject, “A Very Important Person,” is the main extra.
Rin Tin Tin: Clash of the Wolves / Where the North Begins (Blu-ray)
Details: 1923, 1925, Kino Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: As the story goes, the original Rin Tin Tin was rescued from a World War I battlefield by American soldier Lee Duncan, who, after the war, took Rinty back to the United States.
Duncan eventually moved to Los Angeles where, after training Rin Tin Tin, was finally successful in finding him film work.
Rinty became very popular in the 1920s, making a series of silent films for Warner Bros., then a struggling and fledging studio, and launching the career of screenwriter — and later producer and 20th Century Fox studio head — Darryl F. Zanuck.
This set features a pair of the German shepherd’s films, “Clash of the Wolves” (1925) and “Where the North Begins” (1923).
In “Clash of the Wolves,” Rin Tin Tin stars as Lobo, the leader of a pack of wolves hunted by authorities. Through an act of kindness, prospector Dave Weston (Charles Farrell), earns Lobo’s trust. When a claim jumper tries to murder Weston, Lobo saves his new friend’s life.
The movie was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2004.
“Where the North Begins” was Rin Tin Tin’s first starring role. Like many of the dog’s starring roles, it is a story of friendship and survival set in the snowy mountains of Canada. And, as in several of his movies, Rin Tin Tin plays a wolf — or sometimes a wolf-dog hybrid.
Rinty plays a German Shepherd who, as a puppy, was adopted by a wolf pack. He later becomes friends with a French fur trapper. An evil trading post manager wants to get rid of the trapper so he can steal his girl, but everything is set right with the help of Rin Tin Tin.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English intertitles; musical scores with both movies.
Don’t miss: Film historian Anthony Slide provides a commentary track on “Clash of the Wolves.”
Creepshow: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1982, Scream Factory
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Best-selling author Stephen King and filmmaker George A. Romero teamed up for this anthology horror film inspired by classic 1950s horror comics.
The movie blends scares and comedies in its five tales, featuring Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye, Vivica Lindsfors and E.G. Marshall.
The movie, which also highlights the makeup magic of Tom Savini, features more laughs than scares as it embraces the macabre vision of the E.C. Comics of the era. The movie is meant more as a homage to that time than a gross-out horror project.
The film earned a respectable 65 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include three commentary tracks on both discs and, on the Blu-ray disc, a roundtable discussion with actors John Amplas, Tom Atkins and Marty Schiff and Savini; an interview with costume designer Barbara Anderson about the film’s comic book look; an interview with animator Rick Catizone; a look at the movie’s restoration; an interview with sound re-recordist Chris Jenkins; a look at the movie’s posters; a featurette on the film’s props and collectibles; a featurette on the locations; audio interviews; deleted scenes; and vintage making of featurettes.
“The Game Trilogy” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1978-79, Arrow Video
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This trio of Japanese crime features launched actor Yusaku Matsuda into stardom as he portrayed hitman Shohei Narumi in a trio of Toei film company’s features — “The Most Dangerous Game” (1978), “The Killing Game” (1978) and “The Execution Game” (1979).
Narumi is hired in “The Most Dangerous Game” by a company bidding for a very rich government air defense contract to eliminate the competition. In “The Killing Game,” Narumi finds himself in the middle of a bloody yakuza gang war. His violent past also catches up with him in the guise of two beautiful women still bearing emotional scars from their encounters with him.
“The Execution Game” finds Narumi falling for a mysterious saloon singer who may or may not be part of the shadowy underworld organization as the rival hitmen he was hired to kill.
This is the first time these films have been released outside of Japan.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, anamorphic widescreen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include commentary tracks on the three movies, a look back at the life and career of Matsuda, an interview with the screenwriter of “The Execution Game,” an interview with director Toru Murakawa and an illustrated booklet with essays about the films.
Rodeo (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, Music Box Films
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: A drama in which, Julie, a young, hot-tempered and independent gearhead, has the ability for scamming used motorbikes from men who underestimate her knowledge.
Julie is obsessed with the high-speed world of urban “rodeos” — illegal gatherings where riders show off their bikes and display their talents with daring stunts.
Her participation in this world sparks a chance meeting with a group of volatile gang of ultra-masculine riders. As Julie runs her cons on the gang’s behalf and runs errands for their jailed leader, Domino, she finds a connection with Domino’s sheltered wife,, Ophélie.
Soon, Julie is involved in the ultimate heist, a risky move that puts a target on her back and makes it difficult for her to know whom she can trust.
The fierce character study received an 83 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include an interview with the film’s director, a filmmaker discussion, extra dirt bike footage, a music video, a short film and an isolated music and sound design featurette.
Red Sun (Blu-ray)
Details: 1970, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This provocative German film’s main conceit is that a group of young men execute men with whom they have been involved.
One of the movie’s drawbacks is that is does not fully exploit its main premise.
In the movie, Thomas travels from Hamburg to Munich, where he meets Peggy, a former girlfriend. Since he has no place to stay, she takes him to her place, which she shares with three other young women.
The movie is a bit odd and doesn’t fully reach its possibilities.
It’s digital transfer is beautiful and nuanced.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.67:1 widescreen picture; German 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track, a visual essay about the film, a look at German film history beginning in the 1960s and a booklet with essays about the movie.
Sublime (DVD)
Details: 2022, Cinephobia Releasing-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Argentinian coming-of-age story is a sensitive and tender drama about 16-year-old Manuel, who plays in a band with his best friends. He begins to realize he has sexual feelings for his best friend, Felipe, whom he has known since childhood.
Fearful that the feelings are one-sided, Manuel retreats into himself. He eventually begins to lash out;, which forces him to confront his feelings.
This LGBTQ+ feature, garnered an 83 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a commentary track with director Mariano Biaisin and actor Martín Miller, a making of featurette and three music videos.
“Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in Three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1968-75, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A three-disc set featuring a trio of Italian crime dramas starring Franco Nero.
The movies are: “The Day of the Owl” (1968), “The Case Is Closed, Forget It” (1971) and “How to Kill a Judge” (1975).
In “Day of the Owl,” Nero plays a police chief who, while investigating the death of a construction worker, must contend with corrupt officials and a ruthless mafia boss, played by Lee J. Cobb.
Nero is jailed for a misdemeanor in “The Case Is Closed, Forget It.” While incarcerated he sees how the mafia controls everything in the prison.
Nero portrays a filmmaker in “How to Kill a Judge.” His latest work is about a judge corrupted by the mafia and who later is found murdered. The real judge on whom the character is based seizes the footage but is later killed in the same manner as his cinematic counterpart.
The filmmaker, feeling responsible, begins his own investigation, as more people are killed. The movie is filled with twists as the filmmaker tries to reach the source of the conspiracy.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English (dubbed) LPCM monaural; English SDH and English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Nero, costar Claudia Cardinale, writer Ugo Pirro, production manager Lucio Trentini and author Alberto Pezzotta; a featurette on “The Day of the Owl” and its place in the Italian crime film genre; a look at the career of Lee J. Cobb; an archival documentary on the making of “The Case Is Closed, Forget It”; a video essay on the director of the three films, Damiano Damiani; a video essay on “How to Kill a Judge”; and a booklet with essays on the genre.
A Radiant Girl (DVD)
Details: 2022, Film Movement
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This drama, set in 1942 Paris, centers on Irene, a 19-year-old aspiring actress without a care in the world.
Her family watches as Irene discovers new friends, new love and a passion for the theater.
But a shadow hangs over Irene and her family as time in running out for them in the Nazi-occupied city.
The movie, directed by famed French actress Sandrine Kiberlain, details the dangers of complacency in the face of fascism as well as moments of beauty that are possible even under the most dire circumstances.
This French feature garnered an 81 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2.35:1 widescreen picture; French 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A short film about a family rift during a road trip is the main extra.
Tales From the Gimli Hospital Redux (Blu-ray)
Details: 1988, Zeitgeist Films-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This short — 64 minutes — black-and-white movie is strange, to say the least.
It is set during a smallpox epidemic at the turn of century in the village of Gimli. The movie is very non-linear and dreamlike, exploring jealousy and madness instilled in two men sharing a hospital room.
The characters seem to lack logic and motivation, which may lead many viewers to feel frustrated. But for those who enjoy oddball features, they may find “Tales From the Gimli Hospital” appealing.
This version is a 2022 4K remastering of the film, which made its debut at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. At Rotten Tomatoes, the movie received a 75 percent fresh rating.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A new commentary by director Guy Maddin and a 2000 short film by Maddin comprise the extras.
Wartime Girls: The Complete Second Season (DVD)
Details: 2018, Menemsha Films-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A three-disc set featuring all 13 second-season episodes of this Polish television series.
Three young Polish women, Ewa, Irka and Marysia, continue their fight against the Nazi occupation of their country during World War II.
The tension in the series comes, not only from the dangers, facing the women, but from their different backgrounds and social standings.
Devotees of wartime programs in which resistance fighters battle overwhelming odds will enjoy the series.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; Polish and German 2.0 Dolby digital stereo; English subtitles.
I Am T-Rex (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A Chinese feature in which a power-hungry dinosaur from outside Green Valley launches a surprise attack on the king of the dinosaurs.
A young T-Rex, the king’s son, escapes and begins to train his body, vowing never to return until he is the biggest and bravest dinosaur in the land.
When he reaches is goal, he returns to challenge the evil dinosaur and restore peace to the valley.
The movie feels as if it was inspired by “The Lion King” as well as current global geo-political tensions.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Mandarin and English (dubbed) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English, Chinese and Mandarin subtitles.
ParaGold (DVD)
Details: 2021, First Run Features-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that follows four Paralympic equestrian hopefuls as they battle for a spot on the 2020 U.S. Paralympic Dressage team.
Para Dressage is the highest expression of horse training for athletes with a physical disability, and it is conducted under the same rules as Olympic-level Dressage.
With the athletes classified according to their level of disability, the horse must perform at a walk, trot and canter, and all tests are ridden from memory and follow a prescribed pattern of precise movements.
The movie looks at Roxy Trunnell, Rebecca Hart, David Botana and Sydney Collier as they work to qualify for and hopefully win gold in the 2020 games in Tokyo.
Each rider is determined, and the bonds they have with their horses propel them to reach their full potential.
Technical aspects: Widescreen picture; English Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Criminal Minds: Evolution: Season 16 (Blu-ray & DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Whisper of the Heart (Blu-ray & DVD) (Capelight Pictures)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Rin Tin Tin: Clash of the Wolves / Where the North Begins (Kino Now)
How I Met Your Father: Season 2, Part B, Episode 5 (Hulu)
Other People’s Children (Music Box Films)
Somewhere in Queens (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Surrounded (MGM)
Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux (Amazon-Kino Now)
JUNE 21
The Clearing: Episode 6 (Hulu)
Platonic: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
JUNE 22
The Bear: Season 2 (Hulu)
JUNE 23
Carpool Karaoke: The Series: Season 5 (Apple TV+)
The Country Club (Good Deed Entertainment)
The Crowded Room: Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
I’ll Show You Mine (Fusion Entertainment)
Maximum Truth (Momentum Pictures)
The Perfect Find (Netflix)
Silo: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
Swagger: Season 2, Episode 1 (Apple TV+)
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.