New to View: Nov. 5 and Oct. 29
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 5, and have been
released on Tuesday, Oct. 29, unless otherwise noted:
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2019, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, action and violence, language, suggestive material
The lowdown: “Hobbs & Shaw” feels like a movie created from a recipe list.
You have the sparring good guys who continually hurl insults and act as if they hate each other, yet each always has the other’s backs in time of need.
Then, the villain with superior powers who has a back history with one of the heroes.
Finally, you have the estranged families of each of the protagonists who eventually come around, embrace and help their siblings.
“Hobbs & Shaw” is a cinematic erector set, created from familiar parts. And because it’s an offshoot of the “Fast & Furious” franchise (technically, the complete title is the awkward “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), the movie is filled with various vehicles doing things not advised in the owner’s manual and that, frankly, seem to defy the laws of physics.
And that also goes for the physical punishment Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw endure. The punches, kicks and body slams would bankrupt Medicare if they were hospitalized.
In actuality, the movie is a big-boy fantasy; a cinematic frat-boy wet dream in which two overgrown juveniles — supported by their ever-tiresome abusive repartee, continually highlight.
“Hobbs & Shaw” is fun but bloodless and rote. It adds nothing new to the genre. It is recycled cinema that, despite all its overblown set pieces, tries your patience and grows tedious — especially since the film runs more than two hours.
“Hobbs & Shaw” may lack charm, yet the what-the-hell, let’s-go-big-or-go-home vibe sucks you in no matter how hard you try to resist.
And the release is abetted by dynamite audio and video presentations that make the action — and the sound of the WWE-like fisticuffs — jump into your lap.
Critics enjoyed the movie, giving it a 67 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DVS and French and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 DVS; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include an alternate opening; deleted, alternate and extended scenes; a behind-the-scenes look at the on- and off-screen chemistry between Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs and Jason Stratham’s Shaw; a behind-the-scenes look at the progression of a fight scene from script to storyboard to filming; looks at Idris Elba’s villainous Brixton and Vanessa Kirby’s Hattie Shaw; a look at the Hobbs family tree; a peek at Helen Mirren’s mother Shaw; behind-the-scenes looks at the movie’s many cameos and the elevator sequence; a featurette on the movie’s stunt work; a discussion between Johnson and Roman Reigns; a look at Johnson’s grandfather; a featurette about Johnson and his French bulldog; and a commentary track.
The Kitchen (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2019, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: R, violence, language, sexual content
The lowdown: “The Kitchen” rests heavily on a premise that begins to falter rather quickly and, turns to gangland-genre clichés to sustain itself.
The movie, set in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen in 1978 and ’79, stars Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss, as the wives of a trio of low-level Irish mobsters.
After the FBI arrests the men, they must find a means to earn money, feed their families and survive.
One of the movie’s major drawbacks is how quickly the women devise and execute their plan to basically take over the Irish mob’s protection racket in the area.
It doesn’t help that director Andrea Berloff (screenwriter of “Straight Outta Compton”) portrays most of the mobsters as buffoonish, cliched “Goodfellas”-wanna-bes.
Berloff, who wrote the script based on a DC comic book series, cannot rachet up enough suspense to make us worry about the dangerous obstacles facing McCarthy’s Kathy, Haddish’s Ruby and Moss’ Claire in their gangland rise.
Part of that is because the women are badly drawn, each basically defined by their relationships with their husbands: Kathy and her husband have a seemingly normal and solid marriage with two kids; Ruby’s Irish husband constantly belittles and criticizes her, egged on by his nasty, foul-mouthed mother; and Claire’s husband physically abuses her.
The women are ill-defined, which makes any emotional investment in them difficult to attain.
“The Kitchen” is not a bad movie. It simply lacks the courage of its convictions. Berloff tries to have it both ways — fighting mightily to keep our sympathies vested in Kathy, Ruby and Claire, while darkening their characters.
Despite a decent body count, “The Kitchen” is a crime thriller that mostly shoots blanks. A majority of critics thought so, as well, giving the movie a 22 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English descriptive audio and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes and a couple of featurettes on the making of the movie and a behind-the-scenes at the film.
The Art of Racing in the Rain (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2019, Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, thematic material
The lowdown: This family-friendly feature is narrated by Enzo, a dog belonging to race-car driver Denny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia), his wife, Eve (Amanda Seyfried) and their daughter, Zoe.
Enzo, voiced by Kevin Costner, waxes philosophically on life, friendship, family and unconditional love as he keenly and wittily observes the ups and downs of the Swift family.
The movie, based on the best-selling novel by Garth Stein, is cliched and mawkish, despite some humorous moments.
Critics were unimpressed, awarding the movie a 43 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 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 options include an Enzo cam featurette, a commentary track and several behind-the-scenes and making of featurettes.
Ophelia (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, IFC Films-Shout! Factory
Rated: PG-13, violence, bloody images, sensuality, thematic material
The lowdown: You may believe you know Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” but you’d be surprised at how it looks from the perspective of Ophelia, the prince of Denmark’s erstwhile love and one of the Bard’s most tragic characters.
Basically, you’ll need a new set of Cliff Notes when you watch director Claire McCarthy’s “Ophelia.” Based on the novel by Lisa Klein, and adapted by Semi Chellas, the film turns all that is rotten in Denmark into a tale of female empowerment.
Daisy Ridley portrays Ophelia as a quick-witted young woman rather than as the helpless pawn Shakespeare created.
This Ophelia is no Wonder Woman nor Black Widow, but neither is she a fragile creature who seems to fall apart as adversity swells around her and her prince.
Ophelia knows who is doing what to whom and where the bodies are buried.
Chellas’ script hints at “Hamlet,” lifting snippets of dialogue from the play and — in general — being faithful to the original.
But the movie diverges at times, as it shows familiar Shakespearean situations from a different point of view and reinterprets some well-known confrontations.
Ridley displays the determination and nerve she brings to her Rey in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy.
This “Ophelia” is definitely not a tale told by an idiot. It is a serious endeavor that puts a new — perhaps, contemporary — spin on one of the world’s best-known works.
It’s a thoughtful project that pays homage to its source and breathes refreshing new life into a character who no longer seems so pitiful.
Critics were almost divided on the movie, giving it a 59 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include deleted scenes and cast and crew interviews.
Mike Wallace Is Here
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 2019, Magnolia Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, mature thematic material, violent images, language, smoking
The lowdown: A documentary that looks at the life and career of Mike Wallace, the reporter who asked the tough questions, practiced “gotcha” journalism and helped, through his work on “Night Beat” and, especially, “60 Minutes” helped redefine what viewers came to expect from journalists.
The movie spans Wallace’s entire career, from his struggling days in early television, where he performed in dramas, served as a pitchman for various products and, finally, found his niche as an interviewer who did not shy away from asking the tough questions.
The documentary is candid about Wallace’s troubled personal life as well as some of the on-air challenges he faced.
Whether interviewing Barbra Streisand, Bette Davis, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini or ambushing some scam artist, Wallace never backed away from getting into an interviewee’s face to get answers.
Critics were impressed by the documentary, giving it a 94 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned.
David Crosby: Remember My Name (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 22
Details: 2019, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, language, drug material, nudity
The lowdown: As a singer-songwriter-musician, David Crosby is a living legend. As a person, he is a piece of crap.
That is not my opinion, but his own assessment as he talks about his life and career in this documentary.
The movie features a reminiscing Crosby, as he revisits many of old haunts, interspersed with home movies, concert footage and interviews — recent and archival — with musicians who worked and performed with Crosby over the last 50-plus years, including Jackson Browne, The Byrds’ frontman Roger McGuinn, and Graham Nash and Neil Young of Crosby Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
From everyone who talks about Crosby — including himself — you realize that he has a masochistic streak and is his own worst enemy.
Throughout the movie Crosby describes himself as a person with “big ego, no brains,” “a wacko” and “difficult.” He also has been called insufferable and self-destructive.
Crosby is frank about his addiction to heroin and cocaine and the women who became addicted in his company. He makes no excuses for his behavior, which is refreshing.
He shares his regrets about the men and women he treated badly and hurt throughout his life.
Strangely, while you may not regard Crosby as a decent person, you respect his candor and are touched by his vulnerability as he opens up to filmmaker Cameron Crowe, who produced the movie.
Crosby’s true confessions sprinkled throughout “Remember My Name” proves he is as human as the rest of us. And it’s a comforting feeling, knowing that wealth and fame cannot obscure a host of sins.
Most of all, though, the movie serves as a showcase for Crosby’s remarkable talent, which neither a hedonistic early life, drugs or age can diminish or conquer.
“David Crosby: Remember My Name” is a testament not so much to perseverance, but to the healing and redemptive power of music.
Critics believed so as well, giving the film a 92 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby digital audio description track; English SDH, English and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include deleted and extended scenes, extended interviews and a question-and-answer session with Crosby and Crowe at the Asbury Park Film Festival.
Matewan (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1987, The Criterion Collection
Rated: PG-13, adult situations, violence, language
The lowdown: Writer-director John Sayles’ historical drama tells the true story set in a 1920 West Virginia coal town where the local miners gather to form a union.
When the miners go on strike, Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper), a union organizer, arrives to help them as well as unite all the workers — no matter their race.
The coal company uses violence to try deterring the miners.
The movie makes a plea for justice and fair play — causes that continue to echo in today’s society.
Besides Cooper, who made his movie debut, the film features James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, David Strathairn, Will Oldham, Kevin Tighe and Sayles.
Cinematographer Haskell Wexler received an Academy Award nomination for his superb and atmospheric work.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a 2013 commentary track with Sayles and Wexler, two new documentaries about the making of the movie, an interview with composer Mason Daring, a short documentary on the impact that the production of the film had on West Virginia, a featurette on the movie’s production design and an essay about the movie.
Good Omens (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, BBC Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This two-disc set focuses on an angel and demon who have been on the Earth for more than 6,000 years. Both have grown fond of the planet, its people and, against all odds, each other.
But all that may be coming to an end, because the Anitchrist has arrive, which means the end of times for Earth.
Aziraphale, the fussy angel, played by Michael Sheen, and Crowley, the fun-loving demon, portrayed by David Tennant, join forces to save the world by finding the 11-year-old Antichrist and his pet dog and thwart the coming Apocalypse.
This is a witty series, based on a novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Among the guest stars are Nick Offerman, Michael McKean, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jon Hamm.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Spanish 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Loads of extras, including a look at the page-to-screen adaptation, looks at Aziraphale and Crowley’s worlds, deleted scenes, a bookshop tour, concept art and costume design galleries, a Queen music compilation, a VFX reel, a look at the series’ characters, a featurette on the show’s world and commentaries on all episodes.
The Devil Rides Out (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1968, Scream Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This supernatural thriller is, in my opinion, one of the best releases from Hammer Film. It also affords Christopher Lee one of his few heroic characters.
Lee plays the Duc de Richleau, who has been entrusted with the care of his deceased friend’s son, Simon Aron.
When the Duc discovers that Simon has been seduced into joining a satanic cult, which is led by the cold-blooded Mocata (Charles Gray), he does what he can to save him before Mocata can make Simon one of the Devil’s disciples.
The Duc, with the help of some friends, rescues Simon, but Mocata is determined to get him back and uses all of his black magic — including summoning the Angel of Death — to destroy the Duc and his allies.
The movie, one of Lee’s personal favorites, is based on Dennis Wheatley’s novel, “The Devil Rides Out.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include two commentary tracks, a featurette with author Kim Newman’s recollections of the movie, a featurette with author-film historian Jonathan Riby reflecting on the movie, a making of featurette, a look at Wheatley at Hammer and an episode of the “World of Hammer” TV series.
The Swan Princess: 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1994, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: G
The lowdown: This popular animated feature gets a reissue for its 25th anniversary.
The movie, based on the classic fairy tale, “Swan Lake,” tells of Odette, a beautiful princess, who is transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer.
She is held captive in an enchanted lake where she befriends Jean-Bob the frog, Speedy the turtle and Puffin the bird.
The only way to break the spell and return the princess to her original self is through a vow of everlasting love.
Among the movie’s vocal talents are Jack Palance, John Cleese, Steven Wright and Sandy Duncan.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a featurette looking back at 25 years of the movie, an original making of featurette and three sing-alongs.
Days of Wine and Roses (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 22
Details: 1962, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Two very likable and capable actors — Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick — star in Blake Edwards harrowing and powerful adaptation of J.P. Miller’s heartbreaking teleplay.
Lemmon plays a San Francisco public-relations executive whose “social” drinking continues in his off hours. Remick is his wife, who begins hitting the bottle to keep up with him.
Soon, their good life turns sour as drinking becomes more and more of an obsession for both.
Both performers received Academy Award nominations. In all, the movie received five nods, winning an Oscar for Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s original song.
More than 45 years after its release, “Days of Wine and Roses” remains a strong and timeless social drama.
The release is a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online vendors.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary by Edwards and an archival interview with Lemmon.
Kundun (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1997, Kino Lorber
Rated: PG-13, violent images
The lowdown: Martin Scorsese directed this feature about Tibet’s 14th Dalai Lama and his struggle to lead his nation when it was beset by outside forces, most notably China.
This is a very spiritual movie, beautifully photographed by Roger Deakins, who earned an Academy Award nomination, chronicling the life of the Dalai Lama from a young man, detailing how he matures in wisdom, as well as age.
The movie features a memorable score by Philip Glass, which was nominated for an Oscar, and a strong screenplay by Melissa Mathison.
“Kundun,” which is being released in a two-disc set, along with Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” and “Silence” are considered an unofficial trilogy that examine crises of faith.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese and English DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track; interviews with Scorsese, Mathison and Glass; a documentary on the making of the movie; an interview with Michael Henry Wilson, the documentary’s director; a “Compassion in Exile” documentary; an EPK extra with cast and crew members; and a booklet with an essay about the movie.
Snow Falling on Cedars: Collection Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1999, Shout! Select
Rated: PG-13, disturbing images, language, sensuality
The lowdown: An all-star cast, including Ethan Hawke, Max von Sydow, James Cromwell, Sam Shepard and Richard Jenkins, star in this middling adaptation of David Guterson’s novel about a small community of San Pedro in the Pacific Northwest that is rocked by a murder and the subsequent trial of the suspect.
Hawke portrays Ishmael Chambers, the local reporter covering the trial, who becomes emotionally involved when he learns his former lover is linked to the case.
He begins investigating the killing and uncovers secrets and clues that lead to a startling revelation.
The movie received mixed reviews from critics — some who believed it moody, others thought it slow.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a look back at the movie that includes interviews with director Scott Hicks Guterson, cinematographer Robert Richardson and composer James Newton Howard; deleted scenes; a featurette on the filming location; and a commentary track.
The Fearless Vampire Killers (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 22
Details: 1967, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Roman Polanski directed and co-stars in this horror spoof about a bumbling vampire obsessive professor (Jack MacGowan) who, with his equally inept assistant, Alfred (Polanski), travel to Transylvania to destroy the evil Count Von Krolock and his cronies.
The movie is a lively satire on the vampire genre and touches on all the expected tropes of such a movie.
The cast also includes Ferdy Mayne as Von Krolock and Polanski’s future wife, the tragic Sharon Tate, as the daughter of the local innkeeper who helps the pair.
The release is a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: An archival making of featurette is the major bonus component.
Jirga (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 2019, Lightyear Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated, violence
The lowdown: This drama, written and directed by Benjamin Gilmour, centers on the impact of war on soldiers and civilians alike.
A former Australian soldier, played by Sam Smith, returns to the Afghanistan village where he accidentally shot a civilian. The soldier considers himself a war criminal and, seeking forgiveness, puts his life in the hands of the Jirga, the village justice system.
The movie was shot on location in Afghanistan and used some non-actors, including former members of the Taliban.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English and Pashto 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extra is a behind-the-scenes interview with Gilmour.
“Ringu Collection”: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1998-2000, Arrow Video
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A three-disc set featuring the four horror-supernatural thrillers that launched the J-horror craze in the West.
The set contains “Ringu,” “Ringu 2,” the origin story “Ringu O” and “Rasen” (“The Spiral”). All deal with the urban legend about a cursed videotape that, if watched, will cause the viewer to die within a week.
The series begins with “Ringu” (1998), in which a journalist, who was the aunt of one of the victims, begins investigating the legend. “Ringu 2” (1999) finds a young woman probing the death of her boyfriend and learning about Sadako, a disturbed girl supposedly haunting the videotape. “Ringu O” (2000) is set 30 years before the events in the original movies, explaining how the girl in the videotape became a deadly and vengeful spirit.
“Rasan” (“The Spiral”) (1998) finds a pathologist, finding a cryptic note in the stomach of one of the victims from “Ringu,” leading to more horror and death.
Fans of the movies will definitely enjoy this set.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include “Sadako’s video; deleted scenes from “Ringu O”; “The Psychology of Fear,” that includes an archival interview with author Koji Suzuki; an archival behind-the-scenes featurette on “Ringu O”; a video essay on the J-horror phenomenon; a look at the career of director Hideo Nakata; commentaries on “Ringu” and “Ringu O”; “The Ringu Legacy,” a series of interviews with critics and filmmakers about their memories of the movies and their impact; and a featurette on the evolution of the “Ringu” series.
Man of a Thousand Faces (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1957, Arrow Academy
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This biopic of silent film character actor Lon Chaney, whose skill with make-up earned him the nickname “Man of a Thousand Faces,” is rather pedestrian.
James Cagney stars as Chaney and gives his usual strong performance. But, at the time the movie was produced, Cagney was in his late 50s and too old for the characterization.
The movie is basically a showcase for Bud Westmore recreations of Chaney’s original makeups for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Like most film star biopics, the movie mixes fact and fiction and never delves too deeply into the life of Chaney, whose parents were deaf mutes, thus his success at pantomime.
The movie costars Dorothy Malone as Chaney’s first wife, Cleva, and Jane Greer as his second wife, Hazel. Roger Smith portrays Chaney’s son, Creighton, who later was billed in movies as Lon Chaney Jr.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a commentary track, a look at Chaney and his legacy and a booklet with an essay about the movie.
From Beyond the Grave (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 22
Details: 1974, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: PG, violence
The lowdown: Another horror anthology from Amicus Productions that features a strong British cast, headed by Peter Cushing as the owner of a sinister and strange antique shop who, using the various items in his shop, metes out justice and retribution to those who try to scam him.
This feature is not as good as “Tales From the Crypt” or “Vault of Horror,” but that actors, who include Ian Bannen, Diana Dors, Ian Carmichael, Margaret Leighton, Donald Pleasance, David Warner, Nyree Dawn Porter, Leslie-Anne Down and Ian Ogilvy, make it a worthwhile viewing experience.
The four tales that comprise the movie — “The Gatecrasher,” “An Act of Kindness,” “The Elemental” and “The Door” are rather lightweight.
The release is a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other Internet sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (4K UHD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: Oct. 22
Details: 2019, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, fantasy action and violence, blood images
The lowdown: In this newest animated outing from the DC Universe, Wonder Woman, must help a troubled young woman being recruited by the evil Villainy, Inc., whose members have targeted Wonder Woman’s paradise home, Themyscira, for invasion.
The feature also details the origins of Wonder Woman from her rescuing of fighter pilot Steve Trevor to her traveling to America.
The voice cast includes Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman and Kimberly Brooks as The Cheetah.
To utilize the 4K disc, you must have a 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR, an ultra HD Blu-ray player and a high-speed HDMI (category 2) cable.
Technical aspects: 4K UHD: 2180 UHD; 1.78 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a “DC Showcase” animated short, “Death,” which was inspired by Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman”; a featurette on The Cheetah; a look at the next DC Universe movie, “Superman: Red Sun”; and two bonus cartoons from the DC Vault.
Our Hospitality (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 15
Details: 1923, Kino Lorber
Rating: Not rated
The lowdown: Buster Keaton’s “Our Hospitality” mixes slapstick, thrills and a bit of drama.
Keaton stars as Willie McKay, who travels westward to claim his inheritance.
Unfortunately, it turns out to be a rundown shack. Making matters worse, the love of Willie’s life, played by his real-life wife, Natalie Talmadge, is the daughter of the man with whom Willie’s family has been feuding for years.
Keaton’s inventiveness include a primitive steam engine, a dam explosion and a thriller waterfall rescue.
Keaton co-directed the movie with John G. Blystone.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; Music 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a commentary track; a 1947 French short film, “Un duel a mort” (“A Duel to the Death”, starring Keaton; “The Iron Mule,” a 1925 short film starring Al St. John; a presentation of “Our Hospitality” by Serge Bromberg; a booklet with an essay about the movie; and a documentary on recording Robert Israel’s score for the movie.
An American Werewolf in London: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1981, Arrow Video
Rated: R, graphic violence, language, disturbing images, nudity
The lowdown: Director John Landis’ horror-comedy featured — for its time — eye-popping special effects showing star David Naughton’s transformation into the creature of the title.
Naughton and his friend, played by Griffin Dunne, are attacked on the moors while visiting England. Dunne is killed, but Naughton survives — and now bears the curse of the werewolf.
The movie followed Landis’ “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “The Blues Brothers,” and, like its predecessors, was successful at the box office.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a booklet about the movie.
The Blob: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1988, Scream Factory
Rated: R, violence, language, adult situations
The lowdown: Director Chuck Russell’s remake of the 1958 cult favorite that helped launch the career of Steve McQueen benefits from advances in special effects that make the goo monster more menacing.
This remake replaces the innocent-teen conventions of the 1950s with a more cynical and anti-government views. Kevin Dillon, brother of Matt, takes on the McQueen role.
Even likable characters get absorbed by the extraterrestrial and malignant life form.
Also, because of the available technology, what was only hinted at in the original could be shown on-screen, including a few gruesome deaths.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include three commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes footage, an isolated score track, interviews with Russell, production designer Craig Stearns, special effects artists Chris Gilman and Tony Gardner, cinematographer Mark Irwin, mechanical designer Mark Setrakian, Blob mechanic Peter Abrahamson and actors Ricky Paul Goldin, Donovan Leitch, Bill Moseley, Jeffrey DeMunn and Candy Clark.
Ambition (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, Scream Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A thriller that centers on a Jude, a driven and intense young musician who is preparing for the biggest and most important performance of her life.
In her world, the stakes for a successful audition can be fatal, and many of Jude’s competitors begin dying in strange ways.
Jude, noticing a pattern, becomes frightened. And the deeper she goes, the more she realizes that her final showdown will challenge her survival and sanity.
The movie, directed by Bob Shaye, features a young cast of mostly unknowns, which limit its potential.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Two Evil Eyes: 3-Disc Limited Edition (Blu-ray + CD)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1990, Blue Underground
Rated: Not rated, violence
The lowdown: Filmmakers George Romero and Dario Argento direct a pair of horror outings inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Romero offers “The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar,” in which a conniving wife, played by Adrienne Barbeau, and her lover use a hypnotic trance to steal a fortune from her dying husband.
The pair, of course, get their comeuppance from beyond the grave.
Argento’s contribution is “The Black Cat,” in which Harvey Keitel plays a deranged crime scene photographer driven to madness and murder by his girlfriend’s pet feline.
Of course, the tables are turned in the finale, as the cat gets the final meow.
The casts of stories also include E.G. Marshall, Martin Balsam, Sally Kirkland, Ramy Zada, John Amos, Kim Hunter and Madeleine Potter.
Pino Donaggio contributes a memorable score to the proceedings.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and French 1.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: A plethora of bonus materials including a commentary track, archival interviews with Argento and Romero, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the work of make-up effects supervisor Tom Savini, a tour of Savini’s home, archival and new interviews with Barbeau, Zada, Potter, Donaggio, co-writer Franco Ferrini, assistant director Luigi Cozzi, special make-up assistant Everett Burrell and costume designer Barbara Anderson.
Also included is a CD with the movie’s soundtrack and a booklet with an essay about the movie.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated, include:
Humble Pie — Life & Times of Steve Marriott (Blu-ray + DVD + CD) (Cleopatra Entertainment, Nov. 8)
Apprentice to Murder (Blu-ray) (Arrow Films)
Bare Knuckle Brawler (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Blood Myth (DVD & digital) (High Octane Pictures)
Devil’s Junction: Handy Dandy’s Revenge (DVD & VOD) (Midnight Releasing)
Ellipse (DVD & digital) (Bland Productions)
Eminence Hill (DVD & VOD) (Uncork’d Entertainment)
Holiday Hell (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment)
Marla (DVD & digital) (High Octane Pictures)
Papi Chulo (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Prey (Cinedigm-Blumhouse)
Universal Soldier (Blu-ray & digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
10 Minutes Gone (Blu-ray + digital & DVD + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Oct. 29)
Copa 181 (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures, Oct. 29)
Country Christmas Album (Monarch Home Entertainment, Oct. 29)
Door in the Woods (DVD & digital) (Wild Eye Releasing, Oct. 29)
Luce (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Oct. 29)
Mehsampur (IndiePix Films, Oct. 29)
FOR KIDS
Snow White and the Secret Prince (Shout! Kids)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Oct. 29)
The Angry Bird Movie 2 (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Oct. 29)
The Art of Racing in the Rain (Fox Home Entertainment, Oct. 29)
Arsenio Hall: Smart & Classy (Netflix, Oct. 29)
Good Boys (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Oct. 29)
Doc Martin: Series 9, Episodes 6 & 7 (Acorn TV, Oct. 31 & Nov. 7)
The Competition (Sundance Now, Nov. 1)
Unspeakable: Episodes 6 & 7 (Sundance Now, Nov. 1 & 8)
Mount Pleasant: Series 1 & 2 (Acorn TV, Nov. 4)
Slings & Arrows: Season 1 (Acorn TV, Nov. 4)
Ice Blue (Uncork’d Entertainment)
Man Made (Journeyman Pictures, Nov. 7)
No One Saw a Thing: Episode 5 (Sundance Now, Nov. 7)
Acceleration (Cinedigm) (VOD, Nov. 8 & DVD, Nov. 9)
Danger Close (Saban Films, Nov. 8)
Bloody Marie (Uncork’d Entertainment, Nov. 11)
The Good Karma Hospital, Series 3 (Acorn TV, Nov. 11)
Holiday Hell (VOD) (Uncork’d Entertainment, Nov. 11)
Our Boys (HBO Home Entertainment, Nov. 11)
White Teeth (Acorn TV, Nov. 11)
Coming next week: Good Boys
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.