New to View: Sept. 17

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Sept. 17, unless otherwise noted:
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2019, Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, intense sequences of science fiction violence and action, language, disturbing images
The lowdown: The latest X-Men franchise movie, “Dark Phoenix,” is déjà vu all over again.
You feel as if you experienced this scenario before — an X-person goes rogue — then earns redemption in the last reel, and you’ve heard the same or similar dialogue in other X-Men features.
You know the drill: Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) tells a member of his team that he or she is stronger than he or she believes and has powers he or she has yet to either harness or control.
It seems the franchise is in a rut, simply offering variations on the same theme — that the person defines the powers, not vice-versa.
“Dark Phoenix” centers on a cosmic force that alters the personality and powers of Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) during a rescue mission in space. In many aspects, it’s a reworking of “X-Men: The Last Stand.”
This new development endangers her fellow X-Men and mankind. Not helping the situation is a slumming Jessica Chastain, as an alien in human guise, egging Grey on for her nefarious purposes.
“Dark Phoenix” moves at a decent pace. It’s simply unnecessary — like bringing a winter coat to a July picnic. It is a sad and depressing finale to this uneven series of movies.
The movie’s audio and visual transfers are first rate but cannot compensate for the story’s shortcomings.
A majority of critics believed as much, giving the film a 23 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 5.1 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a five-part making of documentary, deleted scenes, Beast explaining how to fly your jet in space and a commentary track.

The Good Fight: Season Three
Details: 2019, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This legal drama, a sequel to “The Good Wife,” airs on CBS All-Access, so this three-disc set, which contains all 10 third-season episodes, give those who do not subscribe to the screening service to watch the series.
The season’s episodes feature Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) trying to figure out whether — and how — you can resist a crazy administration without losing your own mind.
Other story arcs involve the rivalry between Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindo) and Liz Reddick-Lawrence (Audra McDonald), Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) balancing a baby and a new love and Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie) finding a new lawyer, Roland Blum (Michael Sheen), who is the epitome of corruption.
This is a smart series that covers a variety of topics that are relevant to today’s society.
Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include deleted scenes, a gag reel and an episode of “Star Trek: Discovery.”

“Noir Archive Volume 3: 1957-60 (9-Film Collection)” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1956-60, Kit Parker Films-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: By the late 1950s, the film noir movement was dying out, overshadowed by television and big-budget and splashy Technicolor, Cinemascope and VistaVision widescreen spectacles.
This set features some of the final features in this dark and disturbing genre, which focused on the seedier sides of life, pushing back at the sunny post-World War II optimism that fed the nation.
The movies in this set include “The Shadow in the Window” (1956) with Phil Carey, Betty Garrett and John Barrymore Jr.; “The Long Haul” (1957) with Victor Mature and Diana Dors; “Dope” (1957) with Mature, Anita Ekberg and Trevor Howard; “The Tijuana Story” (1957) with Rodolfo Acosta and James Darren; “She Played with Fire” (1957) with Jack Hawkins, Arlene Dahl and Dennis Price; “The Case Against Brooklyn” (1958) with Darren McGavin and Maggie Hayes; “The Lineup” (1958) with Eli Wallach, Robert Keith and Warner Anderson, directed by Don Siegel; “”The Crimson Kimono” with Victoria Shaw, James Shigeta and Glenn Corbett, directed by Samuel Fuller; and “Man on a String” (1960) with Ernest Borgnine, Kerwin Mathews and Colleen Dewhurst, directed by Andre DeToth.
Some of these movies, such as “Pickup Alley,” “The Long Haul” and “She Played with Fire” and joint American-British productions, which offer a different slant on the genre.
Devotees of the genre will enjoy these efforts, which feature very sharp audio and visual transfers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 and 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.

Support Your Local Sheriff (Blu-ray)
Details: 1969, Kino Lorber
Rated: G
The lowdown: James Garner stars in this comedy-Western, directed by Burt Kennedy, as easy-going opportunist Jason McCullough, who takes the job of sheriff in a small town to earn enough money to help him reach Australia.
Instead, he stumbles onto a killing in which one of the sons of the dreaded Danby clan is jailed, and reforms the town drunk, making him his deputy.
The movie is rife with humor, with Garner adapting the laidback approach he took to his role of Bret Maverick in the classic TV series.
The film costars Jack Elam as Jake, McCullough’s deputy; Walter Brennan as head of the Danby family; Bruce Dern, Gene Evans and Dick Peabody as his sons; Harry Morgan and Henry Jones as the town’s leading citizens; and Joan Hackett as Morgan’s lustful daughter.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extra is an informative commentary track by filmmaker-film historian Michael Schlesinger.

Support Your Local Gunfighter (Blu-ray)
Details: 1971, Kino Lorber
Rated: G
The lowdown: James Garner and director Burt Kennedy reteam for a second comedy Western, similar in tone to “Support Your Local Sheriff.”
In “Gunfighter,” Garner plays gigolo-con man Latigo Smith, who arrives in a mining town to see a doctor — he wants the tattooed name of his ex-fiancé removed from his chest.
While waiting for the doctor to sober up, he overhears mining baron Taylor Baton (Harry Morgan) say he is looking to hire notorious gunman Swifty Morgan to eradicate the competition.
Smith sees a chance to make some money. He finds reprobate cowhand Jug May (Jack Elam) and passes him off as Morgan.
Collecting the money for delivering the fake Morgan, Smith is ready to leave town, but Baton’s suspicious daughter, Patience (Suzanne Pleshette), has other ideas.
Complicating matters is the arrival of the real Swifty Morgan (Chuck Connors). Smith must now figure out how to save Jug’s life, stop the mining feud and win the favor of Patience.
The resemblance to the earlier film is abetted by the use of Elam, Morgan, Henry Jones and Gene Evans from that movie.
They are joined by Connors and such veterans as Joan Blondell, Marie Windsor, Dub Taylor, John Dehner, Kathleen Freeman and Dick Curtis — who was a Columbia Pictures mainstay in serials and B-Westerns in the 1930s and ‘40s.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Two deleted scenes and a commentary track by filmmaker-film historian Michael Schlesinger comprise the bonus materials.

Kung Fu League (Blu-ray + DVD)
Details: 2018, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A comic book artist is blocked by his manager from pursuing the girl he loves.
To help him, the artist summons four legendary kung fu masters to teach him the highest level of martial arts so he can defeat those blocking his path to true happiness.
The movie mixes action and comedy and features Vincent Zhao, Danny Chan, Andy On and Dennis To.
Fans of the genre will enjoy this offbeat feature.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Mandarin Dolby digital; English subtitles.

In the Aisles
Details: 2019, Music Box Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A slice-of-life German feature about a group of night-shift coworkers stars Frank Rogowski (“Transit”) as Christian, the new hire, who soon after starting his job begins a flirtation with co-worker Marion (Sandra Huller, “Toni Erdmann”).
But when Marion takes sick leave, it upends Christian’s world and he is tempted to revert to the bad habits of his dark past.
The film is a bittersweet look at the connections people make as well as celebrating the pride they take in their work.
The movie, which had a limited release in this country, nevertheless impressed critics who saw it, giving the movie an 88 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 1.66:1 widescreen picture; German 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an interview with Rogowski, a press conference from the Berlin premiere of the movie and a profile on Rogowski.

The Hills Have Eyes: Part 2: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1985, Arrow Video
Rated: R, graphic violence, language, disturbing images
The lowdown: Wes Craven directed this sequel to his 1977 feature.
In this movie, a motocross team on their way to test a new super-fuel head out into the desert.
The group is led by Rachel who, unknown to the others, is a survivor of a cannibal clan who menaced the Carter family several years earlier.
The group decides to take an ill-advised shortcut. Unfortunately, this drives them directly into the path of Rachel’s demented cannibal family, which includes the dangerous Pluto and a giant bloodthirsty newcomer called The Reaper.
The movie is not as serious as its predecessor, offering more fun action-horror thrills.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a making of featurette, a commentary track, six postcards, a fold-out poster and a 40-page booklet about the film.

The Spoilers (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 10
Details: 1942, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Rex Beach’s sprawling Alaskan gold rush adventure, “The Spoilers,” has been adapted into film at least seven times.
This 1942 version from Universal Pictures stars Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott.
Wayne plays prospector Roy Glennister, who is swindled out of his claim by smooth-talking official Alexander McNamara (Scott). Glennister turns for help to saloon singer Cherry Malotte (Dietrich).
The film, directed by Ray Enright and produced by Frank Lloyd, is action-packed with a great brawl between Wayne’s Glennister and Scott’s McNamara (or at least their stuntmen).
The cast also includes Harry Carey, Richard Barthelmess, Margaret Livingston, silent-screen star William Farnum, Samuel S. Hinds and George Cleveland.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: An animated image gallery and a commentary track with film historian Toby Roan are the major supplemental components.

Pittsburgh (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 10
Details: 1942, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Six months after the release of “The Spoilers,” Universal Pictures reunited the stars of that film — Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott — in this romantic adventure in which coal-mining pals Pittsburgh Markham (Wayne) and Cash Evans (Scott) compete for the affection of Josie Winters (Dietrich).
To win her, both men climb to the top of their profession, becoming rich and successful. But greed, as it usually does, tears them apart.
The outbreak of World War II reunites the estranged friends, who put aside their differences in the name of patriotism.
Because of the cast — and the plot — the movie has echoes of “The Spoilers.”
The supporting cast includes Thomas Gomez, Frank Craven, Louise Albritton, Samuel S. Hinds and Shemp Howard.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: An animated image gallery is the major extra.

Teddy Pendergrass — If You Don’t Know Me (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 13
Details: 2018, MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Teddy Pendergrass was on a course for superstardom before a 1982 auto accident left him paralyzed at age 31.
Pendergrass was the first male African-American artist to record five consecutive platinum albums. After his accident, he made a triumphant return at Live Aid.
The documentary features interviews with family members and colleagues, archival footage and a soul-filled soundtrack.
The movie is a story of triumph and dedication.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; English Dolby digital.
Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes, dance sequences and interviews with his widow and his musicians.

The Case of Hana & Alice (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, Shout! Factory-GKids
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An anime feature about Alice, who transfers to a new middle school, where she hears an urban legend about a student who disappeared the previous year and is suspected of having been killed by classmates.
Alice also discovers she lives next door to that student’s former home, which is suspected of being haunted and is now occupied by a reclusive classmate named Hana.
Together, they decide to investigate the “murder case.” They quickly learn, however, that a lack of detective skills is a hindrance to their plan.
The movie, despite what seems a dark premise, is actually a wonderful story of female friendship and the excitement of everyday teenage life.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.77:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Interviews with voice actors Yu Aoi and Anne Suzuki, a film completion press conference, a film premiere stage greeting, an interview with director Shunji Iwai and a message from animator Makoto Shinkai comprise the bonus selections.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
A Champion Heart (Monarch Home Entertainment)
The Baylock Residence (DVD & VOD) (Wild Eye Releasing)
Cassandro The Exotico! (Film Movement)
Chicago Cab (Liberation Hall)
Clownado (DVD & VOD) (Wild Eye Releasing)
Danger God (Wild Eye Releasing)
Intimacy (IndiePix Films)
The Kids Table (Beyond the Porch)
Mock & Roll (Soundview)
Tattoo of Revenge (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures)
The VelociPastor (Blu-ray) (Wild Eye Releasing)
Who Saw Her Die? (Blu-ray) (Arrow Video)
MOMO: The Missouri Monster (DVD & VOD) (Small Town Monsters, Sept. 20)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
A Young Man with High Potential (Artsploitation Films)
Annabelle Comes Home (Warner Home Entertainment)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Ambition (digital download & VOD) (Shout! Studios-Unique Features, Sept. 20)
Running with the Devil (digital download & VOD) (Quiver Distribution, Sept. 20)
My Life Is Murder: Episodes 9 & 10 (Acorn TV, Sept. 23)
The Time of Our Lives, Series 1 (Acorn TV, Sept. 23)

Coming next week: Yesterday

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 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. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.