New to View: Oct. 19: Update

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Oct. 19, unless otherwise noted:
Old (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2021, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, language, disturbing images, partial nudity, bloody violence, suggestive content
The lowdown: A group of tourists at a too-good-to-be-true resort are encouraged to spend the day at a secluded beach.
Nearly from the outset, strange things begin to happen to people — especially the children in the group.
You can guess what happens to them by the title, which should have been emblazoned in neon lights.
Everything about “Old” is silly. The adults continually run around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to figure out what is going on, while people go through various metamorphoses — adults grow older, youngsters mature into teenagers then adults themselves.
I don’t believe revealing any of this is a spoiler, since Shyamalan titled the movie “Old.”
Throughout, the writer-director leads you down a path, dropping various hints about something hidden in the rocks or the cave that enclose the beach.
The actual payoff, which you will have to see to believe, is lame and as pedestrian as the movie itself.
Perhaps, Shyamalan is getting too old and should retire to a beach to rethink his career.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 DVS, French 5.1 Dolby digital 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 options include deleted scenes and featurettes on what Shyamalan’s two daughters contributed to the movie, Shyamalan talking about the challenges of filming on a beach, the search for the perfect beach on which to film and cast members Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Thomasin McKenzie and Alex Wolff discuss the emotional night of filming that brought them closer.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (DVD)
Release date: Oct. 12
Details: 2021, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, language
The lowdown: A documentary that looks at the life and travels of Anthony Bourdain, a chef, writer and adventurer, whose boundless curiosity inspired and entertained millions.
The movie is a behind-the-scenes look at how Bourdain transformed himself into a world-famous cultural icon.
Using Bourdain’s own words, filmmaker Morgan Neville, details how Bourdain impacted the world.
The movie only touches on subjects such as mental illness and addiction, not delving too deeply into Bourdain’s 2018 suicide or the reasons behind it.
Still, the movie is a celebration of Bourdain’s life, not an investigation into the whys and wherefores of his death.
A vast majority of critics also believed that, awarding the movie a 91 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and French subtitles.

The Incredible Shrinking Man (Blu-ray)
Details: 1957, The Criterion Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This science-fiction feature, directed by Jack Arnold, has grown in appreciation over the years as one of the better sci-fi offerings of the 1950s.
The film is more than standard sci-fi fare as it examines some existential questions, such as: What is an individual’s place in the universe? And is being a man based on height and appearance?
The movie, adapted by Richard Matheson from his novel, tells the story of Scott Carey (Grant Williams) who, months after being exposed to a strange radioactive cloud, begins to shrink.
As Carey finds himself continually getting smaller and smaller, he questions his place in a world of giants as well as his role as a husband and provider.
Unbelievably, the executives at Universal Pictures wanted to change the ending to a happy one, with scientists finding a last-minute cure and returning Carey to his normal size. But director Arnold was adamant that the film’s finale end as it is shown, with Carey’s voiceover as he shrinks out of sight, saying, “To God, there is no zero.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include a commentary track with genre-film historian-author Tom Weaver and horror-music expert David Schecter, a look at the movie’s special effects with effects experts Craig Barron and Ben Burtt, a conversation about the movie between filmmaker Joe Dante and comedian Dana Gould, a featurette about Arnold, a 2016 interview with Matheson’s son, Richard Christian, a 1983 interview with Arnold, two 8mm Castle Film cutdown versions of the movie, a “Lost Music of ‘The Incredible Shrinking Man’ ” featurette and a trailer and teaser narrated by Orson Welles.

Injustice (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2021, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: R, bloody violence
The lowdown: In this newest animated offering from the DC Universe, The Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane, beginning a chain reaction of tragic events that sets the Man of Steel on a course to enforce world peace — at any cost.
Superman begins a reign of tyranny that can only be stopped by his longtime friend and ally, Batman.
The schism also splinters the Justice League, with members choosing sides as the former allies wage a deadly war for world freedom.
The movie is based on a graphic novel and video game and is another look into an alternate DC world.
Technical aspects: 4K UHD: 2160p 4K Ultra HD, 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; Blu-ray: 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: Extras include a featurette on the making of the movie and two cartoons from the DC Vault.

Ratcatcher: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1999, The Criterion Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Director Lynne Ramsay’s acclaimed feature debut is a haunting movie of a troubled childhood in Glasgow, Scotland.
The movie is set in the mid-1970s, during Scotland’s national garbage strike.
The focus of the film is an adolescent boy who is struggling to reconcile his dreams and his guilt with his harsh surroundings.
Ramsay adeptly contrasts the urban decay around her young protagonist with a more hopeful interior landscape of perseverance that is raw and poetic.
The movie garnered an 87 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Ramsay from 2001 and 2002, a 2020 interview with cinematographer Alwin Küchler, three short films by Ramsay and essays about the movie.

Corridor of Mirrors (Blu-ray)
Details: 1948, Cohen Film Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This strange British psychological drama stars Eric Portman as an artist obsessed with the Renaissance era.
He surrounds himself with artwork and other artifacts from the period.
He also believes that he and his lover, Mifanwy Conway (Edana Romney, who also cowrote the movie), are reincarnations of the lovers in a centuries-old painting.
The movie works hard to be some sort of romantic fantasy, but fails to really grab you.
The film is notable as the directorial debut of Terence Young, who went on to direct three early James Bond movies — “Dr. No,” “From Russia with Love” and “Thunderball.”
The movie, an awkward combination of film noir, fantasy, romance and thriller, also features an early screen appearance by Christopher Lee.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.

On Broadway (DVD)
Details: 2019, Kino Lorber-Storyville Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: After about 18 months of going dark, the lights of Broadway are returning as shows resume performances.
This documentary features several performers who discuss the last time the Great White Way returned from the brink of disaster.
It also details how the current revival is helping save and bolster New York City through innovative work, a greater emphasis on inclusion and the uneasy balance between art and commerce.
Among those discussing much of this is Hugh Jackman, Christine Baranski, playwright August Wilson, James Corden, Ian McKellen, Alec Baldwin, Viola Davis and John Lithgow.
The movie also goes behind the scenes of some of Broadway’s most iconic shows, including “A Chorus Line” and “Hamilton” and features archived clips of performances by Bernadette Peters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mandy Patinkin, James Earl Jones and Patti Lupone.
Devotees of live performances should enjoy this film. It does not delve deeply into the world of live theater, but it offers enough to satisfy theatergoers.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental offerings include “Give My Regards to Broadway,” a 2020 short documentary featuring interviews with Lithgow, Baranski, Brian Stokes Mitchell and others.

Come September (Blu-ray)
Details: 1961, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Rock Hudson and Gina Lollabrigida star in this romantic comedy set on the Italian Riviera.
Hudson portrays wealthy and successful New York businessman Robert L. Talbot who, every September, visits his Italian villa for some R&R and to romance his girlfriend, Lisa Helena Fellini (Lollabrigida).
But when he arrives unannounced in July, he finds that his luxurious home has become a hotel.
To make matters worse, the current guest list includes several young American girls with persistent young men pining after them.
To regain his sanity, girlfriend and privacy, Talbot devises a scheme of his own.
The movie’s costars, Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee, met on this picture and later married 10 days after filming wrapped.
Robert Mulligan, who later directed “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Same Time, Next Year,” “Up the Down Staircase,” “Love with the Proper Stranger” and “Summer of ’42” helmed this souffle.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track is the major extra.

Summertime (Blu-ray)
Details: 2020, Kino Lorber-Good Deed Entertainment
Rated: R, language, sexual references
The lowdown: The intersecting lives of 27 young spoken-word poets intersect over one day in Los Angeles.
Director Carlos López Estrada’s vision began as a poetry showcase where performers from across the city recited their personal texts about themselves.
The project was further developed around their individual poems and then integrated into a more unified, narrative experiment — part contemporary musical and part sociological art.
The movie looks at themes of identity and community through the works of its ensemble.
“Summertime” plays like a love letter to the City of Angels.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette, a question-and-answer session with Estrada, a commentary track and a couple of behind-the-scenes options comprise the bonus offerings.

Demons I & II: Special Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1985-86, Synapse Films
Rated: Not rated, bloody and gory violence
The lowdown: Dario Argento produced these two cult-favorite Italian splatter movies, which were directed by Lamberto Bava.
In “Demons” (1985), a masked man offers tickets to a horror movie sneak preview, which is being held at the mysterious Metropol cinema.
When a patron is scratched by one of the props displayed in the lobby, she transforms into a flesh-ripping demon. One by one, audience members mutate into horrible and deadly creatures who want to destroy the world.
In 1986’s “Demon II,” the deadly apocalypse continues. A televised horror movie is the undoing for the residents of a luxury, high-rise apartment building.
Demons are unleashed through a television screen at a young girl’s birthday party. Soon more and more residents are infected and transformed into blood-thirsty demons.
Amidst all of this, a young couple fight to survive and escape.
The set features two versions of “Demons I,” the original cut in English and Italian and a shorter U.S. version featuring alternate dubbing and sound effects.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English and Italian 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH and English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras on “Demons I” include a “Splatter Stunt Rock” featurette; a “Dario’s Demon Days” featurette; “Defining an Era in Music” featurette; a commentary track with Bava and others; a visual essay on Argento; a commentary track and a reproduction of the original movie ticket for “Demons I.” “Demons II” includes a special birthday party invitation; a visual essay on the space and technology in both movies; a featurette with Bava about the sequel and how it came about; an interview with composer Simon Boswell; an interview with Sergio Stivaletti on creating the creature carnage; a commentary track and other behind-the-scenes looks at the movies.

Deadly Friend: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 12
Details: 1986, Scream Factory
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Wes Craven directed this horror outing about a lonely teenage genius who is a specialist in brain research.
He has two very good friends, the robot he created and the pretty girl next door.
When a tragedy strikes, he does what he can to save them both, by pushing technology beyond the known boundaries into a new, unchartered and terrifying realm.
The young man soon discovers that he has created his own rampaging monster, and now he must do what is necessary to either control or destroy it.
The film stars Matthew Labyorteaux as Paul, the young genius, and Kristy Swanson, as the girl.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Swanson, writer Bruce Joel Rubin, composer Charles Bernstein and special makeup effects artist Lance Anderson.

Change of Habit (Blu-ray)
Details: 1969, Kino Lorber
Rated: G
The lowdown: In his final Hollywood feature, Elvis Presley gets more serious than he had in his earlier pieces of fluff.
In “Change of Habit,” he plays Dr. John Carpenter, who runs an inner-city clinic. He is assigned three women medical social workers to help him.
What the doctor doesn’t know is that the women are nuns — played by Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara McNair and Jane Elliot.
And just because he wears a stethoscope, doesn’t mean Presley’s Dr. Carpenter can’t warble a few tunes, especially as he tries to woo Moore’s Sister Michelle. (Yes, the nuns work at the clinic in civilian attire).
As their relationship slowly grows, Michelle must decide to follow her heart or stay true to her vows.
The cast also includes Ed Asner, Ruth McDevitt and Richard Carlson.
The movie is basically for die-hard Elvis fans. Others will probably find it far-fetched.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track is the major extra.

The Hills Have Eyes: Limited Edition (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Arrow Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A family takes an ill-advised detour on their way to California in this classic and disturbing horror feature from Wes Craven.
They are stranded when their camper van breaks down in the middle of the desert. Worse, they find themselves at the mercy of a group of cannibals who live in the surrounding hills.
To survive, the family must fight back with whatever means necessary.
The movie, which earned a 65 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, features some humorous moments that relieve some of the horror elements.
The film is a dark, survival odyssey that is never dull.
Technical aspects: 2160p 4K Ultra HD, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include outtakes, an interview with composer Don Peake, an alternate ending, an interview with actor Martin Speer, three commentary tracks, a making of documentary that features interviews with Craven, filmmakers and cast members and a booklet with observations about the movie.

“Yokai Monsters Collection: Limited Edition” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1968-2005, Arrow Films
Rated: PG-13, violence
The lowdown: A three-disc set featuring four movies based on Japanese folklore with yokai — ghosts and monsters from ancient myths and legends brought to life.
The first movie in the series, “100 Monsters” (1968), deals with a greedy landowner’s attempts to tear down a local shrine and other houses to build a brothel.
A cleansing ritual is botched, leading to the release of various yokai who scare the landowner and his supporters to death or drive them insane.
In the second movie, “Spook Warfare” (1968), an evil Babylonian vampire is inadvertently awaken by treasure hunters. He kills them, then flies to Japan, where he encounters a samurai whom he kills, then drinks his blood.
The vampire takes the form of the samurai, but his further actions arouse a good spirit living in a pond.
That spirit, finding the vampire too strong for him, goes to the woods to seek out other yokai to help him defeat the vampire.
The third movie in the original trilogy, “Along with Ghosts” (1969), finds the yokai roused to defend a young girl on the run from deadly yakuza. The yokai become involved because the girl’s grandfather was killed on sacred ground.
The fourth movie in the set, “The Great Yokai War” (2005), is a very loose remake of “Spook Warfare.” It was directed by Takashi Miike, who made “Audition,” “Blade of the Immortal” and “First Love.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture (“100 Monsters”, “Spook Warfare” and “Along with Ghosts”) and 2.39:1 widescreen picture (“The Great Yokai War”); Japanese LPCM monaural (“100 Monsters,” “Spook Warfare” and “Along with Ghosts”) and Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (“The Great Yokai War”); English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a documentary about Ryunosuki Kamiki, featured in “The Great Yokai War”; a look at the promotional press conference to announce the filming of “The Great Yokai War” as well as its premiere in Tokyo; a World Yokai Conference in which Miike was a featured speaker; two short films about further adventures of the yokai; two short movies about the kappa character in the movie; a documentary offering a primer to Western audiences about yokai; postcards, a collector’s book; and new artwork.

Coppelia (Blu-ray + DVD)
Details: 2021, Shout! Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This dance-inspired fairy tale tells the story of Swan who, when everyone in town falls under the spell of cosmetic surgeon Doctor Coppelius, acts to save her sweetheart Franz, before his heart can be used to spark life into Coppelia — the “perfect” robot-woman Coppelius has created.
The movie features ballet star-author-activist Michaela DePrince as well as a cast of international dance stars, including Daniel Camargo, Vito Mazzeo, Darcey Bussell, Irek Mukhamedov, Sasah Mukhamedov and Igone de Jongh.
This opulent production features fantastic, cutting-edge animation, which place dancers in an animated world.
The film may have more appeal for dance aficionados than regular moviegoers, but it is an interesting vision.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; DVD: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and cast and filmmaker interviews.

Final Set (DVD)
Details: 2020, Film Movement
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Thomas, a veteran tennis player is the focus of this drama.
He was once a rising prodigy but struggles with disappointment and setbacks over his long and lackluster career have taken their toll, as have his declining skills and physical ailments.
Despite that, Thomas, at 37, plans to play in the French Open, despite the advice of his wife and mother to retire.
He has success in the qualifying rounds, but as he advances the competition becomes stiffer as do the battles with his own demons.
He finally faces an up-and-coming star who reminds him of his younger self.
The tennis sequences are exciting and well shot, as is the editing. The film is poignant and intense.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; French 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a question-and-answer session with star Alex Lutz and writer-director Quentin Reynaud.

Savior for Sale: Da Vinci’s Lost Masterpiece? (DVD)
Details: 2021, Greenwich Entertainment-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that deals with sale of the painting “Salvator Mundi” (“The Savior of the World”), which sold for $450 million at Christie’s in 2017.
The work, after its discovery, was attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. But controversy has surrounded the painting for years.
The movie delves into the secrets of the art world, its global scope and looks at the influence one painting can exert on personal and geopolitical interests.
Whether the painting is a da Vinci, or a clever scam is something you, the viewer, can ascertain yourself.
Technical aspects: 1.77:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned and English subtitles.

Live at Mister Kelly’s (DVD)
Details: 2021, Kino Lorber-Virgil Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary focusing on this Chicago club that launched such superstars as Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler and Steve Martin.
The club’s owners, George and Oscar Marienthal, destroyed color and gender barriers to spotlight unknown and controversial voices in the 1950s, ’60 and ’70s.
With the club now long gone, director-screenwriter Theodore Bogosian and George Marienthal’s son, David, begin an odyssey to collect memories of the club before they are lost by interviewing such performers as Bob Newhart, Lanie Kazan, Dick Gregory, the Smothers Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Tim Reid and Ramsey Lewis.
The movie combines interviews with live footage, photos and songs that recapture an era where one venue served as a proving ground for talent.
Technical aspects: 16:9 picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Badland Doves (DVD) (Green Apple Entertainment)
Country Legends: Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner & Friends (DVD) (MPI Media Group)
Fear PHarm 2 (DVD & digital) (Indican Pictures)
Needle in a Timestack (Blu-ray & DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
No Man of God (Blu-ray & DVD) (RLJE Films)
Ouija Japan (Blu-ray & digital & streaming (Leomark Studios)
The Weasel’s Tale (DVD & TVOD) (Outsider Pictures)
Whitetail (DVD & digital & VOD) (Alpha Whiskey Entertainment)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
30 Bikes: The Story of Homestead Bicycles (1091 Pictures)
American Rackets (Shout! Studios)
Escape From Mogadishu (Well Go USA)
Freeland (Dark Star Pictures)
Mandibles (Magnet Releasing)
Runt (1091 Pictures)
Smoke & Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini (Wild Eye Releasing)
The Soul of a Farmer (Apple TV+, iTunes & Vimeo)
Dopestick: Episode 4 (Hulu, Oct. 20)
Night Teeth (www.netflix.com/NighTeeth) (Netflix, Oct. 20)
Broadcast Signal Intrusion (Dark Sky Pictures, Oct. 22)
Invasion: Episodes 1-3 (Apple TV+, Oct. 22)
Malignant (Warner Home Entertainment, Oct. 22)
No Future (Gravitas Ventures, Oct. 22)
The Subject (Gravitas Ventures, Oct. 22)
Warning (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Oct. 22)
Surge (FilmRise, Oct. 25)
Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Sept. 21)

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.