New to View: Dec. 20

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Dec. 20, unless otherwise noted:
The Banshees of Inisherin (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution-Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rated: R, violent content, language, brief graphic nudity
The lowdown: The lifelong friendship between two men living on the island of Inisherin off the coast of Ireland ends abruptly, leading to pain, recriminations, violence and darker tragedy.
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reteam with their “In Bruges” writer-director Martin McDonagh (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) for this dark story with comic overtones about the events that follow after Colm (Gleeson) abruptly ends his association with Pádraic (Farrell) without any explanation.
Pádraic is befuddled, lost and hurt, looking for an explanation for Colm’s decision. The more he pesters Colm, the more violent consequences ensue.
The movie is a memorable meditation on mortality that offers no easy answers nor solutions.
The film, which earned an impressive 97 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, features strong supporting performances by Barry Keoghan as a young friend of Pádraic’s and Kerry Condon as Pádraic’s sister, Siobhán.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 descriptive audio track; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus content includes a creating the movie featurette and deleted scenes.

House of the Dragon: The Complete First Season: Limited Edition Collectible Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2022, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Not rated: violence, sexual content, nudity
The lowdown: This prequel to “Game of Thrones” is set 200 years before the events in that series.
The focus is on the reign of House Targaryen, which is ruling the Seven Kingdoms. Even so, there is unrest as a civil war is brewing within its own house.
Matters only accelerate when King Viserys (Paddy Considine) seemingly upends tradition by proclaiming his daughter, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), his heir.
Events change when the widowed Viserys marries Rhaenyra’s best friend, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and bears Viserys a son.
Besides the usual violence, the 10-episode series is loaded with intrigue, most perpetrated by Alicent’s father, Otto Hightower, who is Hand of the King, and is plotting to usurp Rhaenyra and place Alicent’s son on the Iron Throne.
The cast also includes Matt Smith (“The Crown”) as Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of Viserys, uncle to Rhaenyra and her future husband.
There’s a lot to digest in the first season of this series. But you have plenty of time to review it all, since the second season reportedly won’t be airing until sometime in 2024.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 2.00:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos-TrueHD and French, German and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English and German SDH and French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 200:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos-TrueHD and French, German and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English and German SDH; French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include “Welcome to Westeros,” “Returning to the Seven Kingdoms,” “A New Reign,” “Returning to Westeros” and “Height of the Empire” featurettes; a “Before the Dance: An Illustrated History with George R.R. Martin” featurette; a look at the various noble houses and familiar locations; and an introduction to all the major characters.

Call Jane (Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: Dec. 13
Details: 2022, Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Rated: R, language, brief drug use
The lowdown: Considering the Supreme Court decision of a few months ago, this movie — directed by Phyllis Nagy, who received an Academy Award nomination for her screenplay adaptation of “Carol” — could not be more timely.
The movie set in 1968 in Chicago, centers on Joy (Elizabeth Banks), a suburban housewife living the all-American dream with her husband and daughter.
Her idyllic world is shattered when her life-threatening pregnancy forces her to go outside an unresponsive medical establishment for help.
Joy is steered toward the “Janes,” an underground network providing the only available alternative to pregnant women in distress.
The group is led by Virginia (Sigourney Weaver) and Gwen (Wunni Mosaku), who not only help save Joy’s life, but change it in a most profound way.
Joy is so inspired by Virginia and Gwen’s commitment that she joins their movement to help others as she was aided.
The movie takes some dramatic licenses and is not as compelling as the documentary, “The Janes.” Still, it is a positive experience that earned an 82 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes, a making of featurette and a commentary track.

“Cinema’s First Nasty Women” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1898-1926, Kino Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This four-disc set examines the impact of women filmmakers and performers in the early, silent years of the industry.
The set features 99 movies from around the world. The movies cover a variety of genre, including comedy, farce, Westerns, melodramas and adventure thrillers.
More importantly, they also look at feminist protest, slapstick rebellion and suggestive gender play as women in these movies organize labor strikes, explode out of chimneys, electrocute a police force and assume various identities.
The films come from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Denmark and Sweden. Many of the movies dismantle traditional gender norms and sexual constraints.
This is 875-minute set is one that fans of early cinema will embrace and use as an educational resource as well as for entertainment.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include video introductions from the curators of this series, 11 more introductions to movies and performers, commentaries on selected films and a 116-page booklet with essays, interviews, photos and detailed film notes.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1974, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Walter Matthau heads the cast of this thriller in which four men — Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo and Earl Hindman — hijack a New York City subway train, threatening to kill one hostage per minute unless their demands for ransom are met.
Matthau portrays transit chief Lt. Garber, who must use his wits to outmaneuver Shaw’s Mr. Blue, leader of the gang. The cast also includes Jerry Stiller, James Broderick, Julius Harris and Dick O’Neill.
The movie, directed by Joseph Sargent, is a suspenseful and exciting feature that keeps you engrossed to the final frame of film. The film received an impressive 100 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include two commentary tracks, a vintage making of featurette, interviews with Elizondo, film editor Gerald B. Greenberg and composer David Shire.

The Loneliest Boy in the World (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: R, violent content, language
The lowdown: Once upon a time, a sheltered loner named Oliver is tasked with making new friends after the unexpected and devastating death of his mother.
The unsocialized Oliver decides that literally digging up a few people would be his best move.
When he awakens the next day, he finds that his newly acquired friends have mysteriously come to life overnight.
This predicament launches living and living dead into a series of misadventures as they try to keep their secret from neighbors, bullies, classmates and social workers.
The film is satiric and charming, with dark humor that will amuse viewers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: A behind-the-scenes featurette is the main extra.

Maigret: Season One (Blu-ray)
Details: 1960-61, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Rupert Davies stars as Georges Simenon’s famous French detective in this three-disc set that features 13 episodes highlighting Commissaire Jules Maigret’s investigative panache.
Davies’ performance was praised by Simenon, who called him “the perfect Maigret.”
During this first season of this BBC series, Maigret follows clues to solve murders and other felonies.
Though shot mainly in studio, several exteriors were shot in Paris, adding to the show’s authenticity.
Most of the episodes were based on Simenon’s novels or short stories.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.

The Last Bookshop of the World (DVD)
Details: 2017, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Four Europeans from different cultures and fields of art begin a journey to find a remote place to establish the world’s last bookshop.
Along the way, they discuss the power of literature and reveal how certain classics have profoundly changed them.
The documentary-drama hybrid highlights the almost-lost purpose of books and asks important questions about reading and its importance to individuals and civilization as a whole.
Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; Spanish, French, German and Finnish 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales (DVD & VOD) (Fork Films)
Paradise City (Blu-ray + digital & DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Tár (Blu-ray & DVD & digital) (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Brainwashed (Kino Lorber)
Maigret: Season 1 (Kino Lorber)
The Super 8 Years (Amazon-Kino Now)
Welcome to Chippendales: Episode 6 (Hulu)
DEC. 21
Echo 3: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
Emily in Paris: Season 3 (www.netflix.com/emilyinparis) (Netflix)
DEC. 22
The Inspection (A24)
DEC. 23
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (www.netflix.com/GlassOnion) (Netflix)
The Mosquito Coast: Season 2, Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
Mythic Quest: Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
Slow Horses: Season 2, Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Strange New World (Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution)
Dec. 25
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse (Apple TV+)

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.