New to View: Oct. 5

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Oct. 5, unless otherwise noted:
Space Jam: A New Legacy (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2021, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, cartoon violence, language
The lowdown: LeBron James stars in this live-action, animated feature that seems to be more about merchandising than basketball.
James and Dom (Cedric Joe), are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I. To get home, LeBron must lead Bugs and the rest of the Looney Tunes team to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions.
But can LeBron get the Tunes to perform as a team? The stakes are high as LeBron as the experience helps redefine LeBron’s relationship with his son.
LeBron James has some charm, while costar Don Cheadle seems to be having fun.
The problem is that the movie tries desperately to tap into the nostalgia of the original without finding a path of its own. Kids, however, will most likely enjoy the animated antics.
The movie disappointed critics, who gave it a 26 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos-TrueHD, English descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English SDH, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus components include deleted scenes and a series of behind-the-scenes and making of featurettes.

The Nevers: Season 1, Part 1 (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2021, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated, violence, sexual content
The lowdown: A two-disc set features the first six hourlong episodes of this HBO series set in 1896 Victorian England.
The series revolves around a group of women who, after a supernatural event, are among those women receiving abnormal abilities, which range from the wonderful to the fearful.
The women are led by Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly). They shelter and protect other gifted “orphans” against a male-dominated British establishment determined to eradicate them.
The series features solid acting, nifty special effects and a storyline that keeps you on edge.
The cast also includes Oliva Williams, James Norton, Tom Riley and Ben Chaplin.
I am obliged by FTC obligations to alert you that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of this Blu-ray I am reviewing and that the opinions I share — as always — are my own.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: More than two hours of bonus materials include portraits of several of the major characters, a look at the themes behind the series, a making of featurette, an introduction to the series and characters, “A New Age of Power” featurette, a behind-the-scenes look at various special effects and featurettes on the creations of the series, its villains, the film editor, VFX supervisor and director.

I Carry You With Me (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 21
Details: 2020, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, language, sexual situations, brief nudity
The lowdown: This is a melancholy love story; not just between two men, but a yearning for home.
The story spans decades, following the story of Iván and Gerardo, who meet as young men in Puebla, Mexico, and fall in love.
Iván (Armando Espitia), who works as a dishwasher, dreams of being a chef. Gerardo (Christian Vazquez) is a teacher who feels restless and unfulfilled.
Being gay in 1990s Mexico is dangerous; both men keep their sexual identity hidden from their families because of the shame it would bring their loved ones. Also, anti-gay sentiment runs high in a nation built on masculine machismo.
Iván, who has a young son, realizes his life is limited in Mexico, decides to cross into the United States, knowing that he is leaving behind the two people he loves the most, his son and Gerardo.
Most of “I Carry You with Me” is told in flashback as Iván looks back on his life and the choices he has made.
Director-writer Heidi Ewing details the isolation, loneliness and trauma of the immigration experience, and the toll it takes on Iván, even after Gerardo also crosses into the United States illegally to join his lover.
The movie is slow going; Ewing lingers too long during a few sequences, and her continual jumping back and forth in time becomes somewhat distracting. Plus, the film seems to be told in snatches, which leaves some gaps in the evolution of Iván and Gerardo.
“I Carry You with Me” is more an emotional journey with an irony not lost on the viewer.
The movie evokes many feelings — most notably admiration and sorrow — for those who fulfilled their aspirations and the heavy prices paid to achieve them.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Songs My Brothers Taught Me (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Academy Award-winning writer-director Chloé Zhao made her feature-film debut with this powerful and highly acclaimed story about contemporary life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Like her latter two films, “The Rider” and the Oscar-winning “Nomadland,” the movie looks at people on the margins of society.
This story explores the bonds between Johnny (John Reddy) and his younger sister, Jashaun (Jashaun St. John), who, both restless with their lives take separate paths to rediscover the meaning of home.
When their absentee father dies, Johnny feels compelled to leave for Los Angeles, while Jashaun remains steadfast to her community.
The movie received high praise from critics who awarded it a 93 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an interview with Zhao, deleted scenes and bloopers.

Night of the Animated Dead (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2021, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: R, bloody and gruesome zombie violence
The lowdown: Halloween comes early this year for fans of George A. Romero.
This animated retelling of his 1968 cult classic, “Night of the Living Dead,” follows the original closely.
The weakest aspect is the animation, which seems rather crude for a project with this much interest. It is flat and boring.
The voice talent, though, is solid. It features Josh Duhamel, Dulé Hill, Katee Sackhoff, Will Sasso and Nancy Travis.
The running time is 71 minutes, but about 10 of those minutes is devoted to credits. The production feels rushed.
But casual Romero may enjoy it, while devotees of the filmmaker may find it disappointing.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 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: A making of featurette is the major bonus component.

The Awakening (Blu-ray)
Details: 2011, Cohen Media Group
Rated: R, violence, sexual content, nudity
The lowdown: This supernatural drama is set in 1921 England, where the nation is still reeling from millions of deaths — on the battlefield in Europe and from influenza at home.
Arrogant and skeptical Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) has gained fame for exposing hoaxes and helping police nab con artists.
She is asked by Robert Mallory (Dominic West) to travel to a boarding school to investigate the death of a student, who supposedly was scared to death.
Cathcart is sure that logic and science can explain the tragedy. But, as in all such movies of this genre, she slowly learns that the truth is much more terrifying than she could ever imagine.
The cast, which also features Imelda Staunton, earned a 62 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include “A Time for Ghosts” featurette, deleted scenes, anatomy of a scene and anatomy of a scream featurettes, an interview with director Nick Murphy and behind-the-scenes featurette.

The Screaming Woman (Blu-ray)
Details: 1972, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This made-for-TV movie, starring two-time Academy Award-winner Olivia de Havilland, is based on a short story by Ray Bradbury.
De Havilland portrays a wealthy former mental patient who returns to her estate to rest and recuperate. Walking around her property one day, she hears the screams of a woman coming from under the ground.
Of course, her family does not believe her. They see the incident as a way to declare her unfit and take control of her money.
Jack Smight, who directed dozens of feature films, made-for-TV movies and episodic television shows, was behind the camera, leading a supporting cast that included Ed Nelson, Walter Pidgeon, Joseph Cotton, Charles Drake, Laraine Stephens and Lonny Chapman.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track is the main extra.

Scream, Pretty Peggy (Blu-ray)
Details: 1973, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Screen legend Bette Davis stars in this suspense-tinged made-for-TV movie that will remind you of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”
Peggy (Sian Barbara Allen), an inspiring artist and college student, takes a housekeeping job at a mansion where sculptor, Jeffrey (Ted Bessell), lives with his elderly mother, Mrs. Elliott (Davis).
Things begin to go weird when Peggy discovers a third resident, Jeffrey’s insane sister, who lives in an apartment above the garage.
Despite warnings, Peggy feels sorry for the girl and decides to befriend her, leading to a shocking finale that is kind of telegraphed ahead of time.
The movie was directed by Gordon Hessler, whose credits include “The Oblong Box, “Cry of the Banshee” and “Scream and Scream Again.”
One of the script’s writers was Jimmy Sangster, best known for such early Hammer releases as “The Curse of Frankenstein,” “Horror of Dracula,” “The Mummy” and “The Brides of Dracula.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track is the main bonus option.

The Victim (Blu-ray)
Details: 1972, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Elizabeth Montgomery could use some magic to help her escape a dire predicament in this made-for-TV movie.
Montgomery as Kate, a well-to-do San Francisco resident, who travels to the remote home of her sister, Susan.
Only Susan is not there. And to make matters worse, a bad storm is raging.
Point in fact, Kate’s sister has been killed.
This suspense thriller costars Eileen Heckart, Sue Ane Langdon and George Maharis.
Who killed Kate’s sister and does he, she or them, want to do away with Kate as well.
You’ll have to check out this title to find out.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track is the main extra.

Not Going Quietly (DVD)
Details: 2021, Greenwich Entertainment-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This inspirational documentary chronicles the battle being fought by Ady Barkin, a 32-year-old progressive whose life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with ALS.
He came to the public’s attention after a confrontation with Sen. Jeff Flake on an airplane went viral. His newfound fame allowed him and a crew of activists to ignite a political movement called “Be a Hero.”
The movement’s members began barnstorming the country and empowered people to confront their elected officials, telling them emotional, personal stories as they demand healthcare justice.
Barkin holds interviews with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, among others.
Because of his work, Politico called him the “Most Powerful Activist in America.” Barkin realizes that collective action and speaking truth to power offers some hope for not only his family, but millions of others.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and closed-captioned subtitles.

Playing Frisbee in North Korea (DVD)
Details: 2018, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that looks at life inside North Korea. It was made by Savanna Washington, the first African American, female filmmaker to shoot in that nation.
The documentary features North Korean refugees, longtime aid workers, scholars and experts about the country. The film also provides a real, on-the-ground perspective of the lives, struggles and humanity of the people living and working in that isolated “Hermit Kingdom.”
The film tries to explore the psyches of the nation’s regular people. Are they simply puppets of the government or everyday folks trying to eke out a living as best they can under very dire circumstances — including chronic malnutrition, deprivation and total government domination.
Washington discovers the answers are complex. Despite their hardships, the people of North Korea are proud of their country and have a fierce loyalty — some may say religious fervor — for the Kim family, which has ruled the nation for decades.
The movie is fascinating, offer a look at a nation that we really don’t know that much about.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
The Amityville Moon (DVD & digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Elvira’s Haunted Hills (Blu-ray) (Scream Factory)
Fried Barry (Blu-ray & DVD & digital & VOD) (RLJE Films)
Heaven (DVD) (Virgil Films-Kino Lorber)
The Mutation (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment)
The Old Ways (Blu-ray & DVD & digital) (Dark Star Pictures)
Saving Sloane (DVD & digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The Universality of It All (DVD) (IndiePix Films)
Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman (DVD & VOD) (Dark Star Pictures, Oct. 8)

FOR KIDS
Little Vampire (Blu-ray + DVD) (Shout! Factory Kids)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Escape the Undertaker (Netflix)
The Night House (Searchlight Pictures)
Old (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Show (Shout! Studios)
Sunset on the River Styx (Indican Pictures)
Bad Sport (www.netflix.com/BadSport) (Netflix, Oct. 6)
There’s Someone Inside Your House (Netflix, Oct. 6)
A Tale Dark & Grimm (Netflix, Oct. 8)
Acapulco (Apple TV+, Oct. 8)
American Insurrection (Saban Films-Paramount, Oct. 8)
Detention (Dekanalog, Oct. 8)
Jacinta (Hulu, Oct. 8)
Madres (Blumhouse-Amazon Prime, Oct. 8)
The Manor (Blumhouse-Amazon Prime, Oct. 8)
Pretty Smart (www.netflix.com/PrettySmart) (Netflix, Oct. 8)
The Secret of Sinchanee (Vertical Entertainment, Oct. 8)
Survive the Game (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Oct. 8)
Vengeance Is Mine (Vertical Entertainment, Oct. 8)
The Baby-Sitters Club: Season 2 (www.netflix.com/thebaby-sittersclub) (Netflix, Oct. 11)

Coming next week: Free Guy

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.