New to View: Feb. 13
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Feb. 13, unless otherwise noted:
The Marvels (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2023, Disney-Buena Vista-Marvel
Rated: PG-13, science fiction action and violence, language
The lowdown: “The Marvels” dashes toward absurdity, stops at the edge, leans over, then — smartly — steps back without tumbling into the abyss.
How else describes a movie that features a planet whose inhabitants act like the cast of a Bollywood spectacle, complete with dancing and singing, including the song “Memories” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats”?
This latest Marvel Cinematic Universe feature tries to offer a balance between its goofiness and expected superhero tropes. Sometimes it succeeds; at other junctures, it strikes out.
The movie, though, is more about the relationship between its trio of main characters, with the storyline being a secondary consideration.
The interactions between Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) make up the driving force that keeps us engaged.
The three are tossed together when the movie’s villain, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), a Kree warrior, unearths an ancient and legendary artifact. The relic’s power causes Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Monica to swap places whenever they use their light-based powers.
The movie’s real superheroes are editors Catrin Hedström and Evan Schiff, whose intercutting between the three characters as they jump through time is seamless, exciting and, often, funny.
“The Marvels,” at 105 minutes, moves along nicely with very few dead spots. It is an enjoyable outing — not among the best in the Marvel franchise and definitely not among the worst.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes look with cast and crew members, a gag reel, on-set fun with Larson, Vellani and Parris, deleted scenes and a commentary track.
Blood on the Sun (Blu-ray)
Details: 1945, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: James Cagney stars as an American newspaper man working in 1930s Tokyo, who finds himself in possession of the so-called Tanaka Memorial, a supposed Japanese plan for world domination.
As history has revealed, the plan was an anti-Japanese hoax that was mentioned in many American movies made during World War II. “Blood on the Sun” was released in April 1945, just a few days before Hitler’s suicide and the end of the war in Europe.
It would be another four months before the war in the Pacific came to an end.
In “Blood on the Sun,” Cagney’s Nick Condon is seeking a way to warn the outside world of Japan’s intentions. He must deal with murder, political intrigue and betrayal.
The movie also spotlights Cagney’s newfound abilities at judo, which he performed in the film.
The film costars Sylvia Sidney, Robert Armstrong, Porter Hall, John Emery, Wallace Ford, Rosemary DeCamp and Rhys Williams.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track with film historian-writer Julie Kirgo and writer-filmmaker Peter Hankoff.
Waitress: The Musical (Blu-ray)
Release date: Feb. 6
Details: 2023, Decal Releasing-Bleecker Street
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This musical adaptation of Adrienne Shelly’s acclaimed 2007 movie stars composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles as Jenna Hunterson, a waitress and pie-maker extraordinaire who is stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage.
She enters a baking contest in a nearby county, which she sees as an avenue to escape her dreary existence.
With the help of her fellow waitresses and an unexpected new romance, Jenna begins a long-delayed journey to discover her true self and fulfill her dreams.
The movie, which can be ordered at www.movizyng.com or other online sellers, garnered a 100 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.00:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Madame DuBarry (Blu-ray)
Details: 1919, Kino Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Ernst Lubitsch directed this German silent film starring Pola Negri as Jeanne Bécu, Countess of Barry, who rises from lowly seamstress in 18th century France, to become the mistress of King Louis XV, portrayed by Emil Jannings.
It is DuBarry’s affair with the king that brings her near the shadow of the guillotine.
Though Lubitsch was mostly associated with sexually suggestive romantic comedies, “Madame DuBarry” was one of many historical epics the director made in Germany before coming to the United States.
The movie is filled with gigantic sets that Lubitsch filled with thousands of extras. Yet his understanding of human nature kept the personal drama from being lost by the movie’s spectacle.
The film, titled “Passion” in the United States, features a musical score performed by the Brauschweig State Orchestraunder. The movie also is color tinted.
Negri’s performance is one of the highlights of this sweeping drama.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; French and German intertitles; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian Joseph McBride, author of “How Did Lubitsch Do It,? Is the main extra.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Details: 1964-69, Paramount Home Entertainment-CBS Blu-ray
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: With the success of “The Andy Griffith Show,” CBS began programming series that appealed to rural audiences — “Petticoat Junction,” “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Green Acres” to name a few.
And to capitalize on the popularity of “Andy Griffith” and one of its most appealing characters — the network aired “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”
The set that follows the mishaps and misadventures of the most unlikely recruit in the history of the Marine Corps is making its Blu-ray debut, with this set that features the entire series, with Jim Nabors’ Gomer and his exasperated superior, Sergeant Carter, played by Frank Sutton. It can be purchased at www.moviezyng,con or other Internet sellers.
All 150 episodes, the first 30 in black-and-white, the remainder in color, are included in this 20-disc set.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 4:3 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include the pilot episode from “The Andy Griffith Show,” vintage sales presentation clip and commentary tracks on several episodes.
Back to the Drive-In (DVD)
Release date: Feb. 6
Details: 2022, Uncork’d Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: During the pandemic, drive-ins had a resurgence, since they were a safe place to go with everyone sitting in their own vehicles to watch a movie.
But since then, the boom for these outdoor venues has again waned.
Filmmaker April Wright’s follow-up to her 2013 documentary, “Going Attractions: The Definitive History of the American Drive-In Movie,” focuses on 11 drive-ins in various parts of the country.
She interviews owners and operators, who candidly discuss the ups and downs of the drive-in experience.
What Wright discovers is that for the majority of these people drive-ins are more than a business — they are a labor of love.
The movie, which received a 93 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, can be purchased at www.moviezying.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital.
Let’s Dance (Blu-ray)
Details: 1950, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton costar in this musical about a war widow with a young son who goes against the wishes of her snobbish Boston mother-in-law and returns to show business, teaming with Astaire, her former partner.
Since the musical was produced by Paramount Pictures, Hutton’s home studio, the focus of the movie is on her, though Astaire does get some memorable dance moments, especially a solo where he dances on, under and in a piano.
And instead of his usual top hat, Astaire wears dusty cowboy duds. It is not his most memorable musical, but it’s still Astaire and he remains magical even in lesser vehicles.
Hutton is her usual firecracker self, performing with the exuberance her fans have come to expect.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by author-film historian Lee Gambin is the main extra.
Under the Fig Trees (DVD)
Details: 2021, Film Movement
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A group of workers toil under a hot summer sun in a fig orchard in Tunisia in this acclaimed foreign import.
When possible, the youngest of the women steal some precious moments of rest away from the watchful eyes of the foreman.
Meanwhile, the elders, tasked with the careful job of packing the tender fruit, watch them and remember. They joke, argue, gossip and flirt, all the while painting an unhurried but entrancing portrait of daily life, in which class and circumstance do not allow for personal freedoms but where sisterhood serves as a quiet act or resistance.
This is an excellent, naturalistic and gentle character-driven movie that is complemented by its solid cast.
The movie received a 100 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Arabic 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
A Creature Was Stirring (Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: R, violence, bloody images, drug content, sexual references, language
The lowdown: Chrissy Metz (“This Is Us”) heads the cast of this supernatural thriller as Faith, who keeps her troubled daughter, played by Annalise Basso, on a tightly controlled regimen of experimental drugs, which are the only means to fend off a mysterious and terrifying affliction.
But after two burglars attempt to rob the home on Christmas, they stumble upon a long-kept family secret that has horrifying consequences.
The special effects are decent, but the movie’s weak ending basically sinks all that came before.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39: 1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Man-Eater of Kumaon (Blu-ray)
Details: 1948, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An American doctor-turned-hunter in India wounds a tiger in the paw. The slowed animal has trouble hunting fast prey so he turns to a slower animal — humans.
The doctor, who had lost his wife and given up his practice, is finally convinced that he now must hunt the tiger and kill it before it kills any more people.
The movie stars Wendell Corey as the doctor and Sabu and Joanne (Joy) Page as the Indian couple who help him gain a new perspective on life and his responsibility to his fellow man.
Sabu, of course, was famous for the films he made as a boy and teenager — “Elephant Boy,” “The Drum,” “The Thief of Bagdad and “The Jungle Book.”
The movie, which runs a brisk 79 minutes, also features Morris Carnovsky and Ted Hecht, and was directed by Byron Haskin (“War of the Worlds,” “The Naked Jungle”).
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track with film historian David Del Valle and film historian-producer Dan Marino, son of the NFL legend.
The Shaolin Plot: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Arrow Video
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Sammo Hung reunites with director Huang Feng for this martial arts thriller about the evil Prince Daglen (Hong Kong heavy Chan Sing), who is very determined to complete his comprehensive collection of Chinese martial arts manuals and mastering each form against his opponents.
The prince has just two manuals to obtain, so he sends his most dangerous henchman, a renegade monk, played by Hung, who is armed with two golden cymbals acting as flying guillotines to steal the manual of Wu-Tang.
To steal the sacred text of Shaolin, however, Daglen must infiltrate the temple himself. This sets the stage for a battle between Daglen, his minions and the surviving Wu-Tang student, Little Tiger, as well as a lethal duo of Shaolin warrior monks.
The film will definitely satisfy fans of the genre.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin and English (dubbed) DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include two commentary tracks, one with action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema and the other with martial arts film experts Frank Djeng & Michael Worth, alternate English credits and a booklet with essays about the movie.
Fear Is the Key: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1972, Arrow Video
Rated: PG, violence
The lowdown: A man whose family was killed in an airplane crash becomes a criminal in an elaborate plot to get even with those he holds responsible for the tragedy.
Barry Newman stars as John Talbot who gets himself arrested, escapes and takes Sarah Ruthven (Suzy Kendall) the daughter of an oil magnet, along with him.
This crime thriller is loaded with twists and turns as Talbot’s motives eventually become clear.
The cast also includes Dolph Sweet, John Vernon, a young Ben Kingsley, with hair, who would not make another movie until he starred in “Gandhi” a decade later, and Ray McAnally.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental offerings include an archival interview with associate producer Gavrik Losey, an appreciation of the score by composer Roy Budd, an archival featurette on the making of the movie, a commentary track, a visual essay about the movie and a booklet with an essay about the film.
Alaska Seas (Blu-ray)
Details: 1954, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Robert Ryan and Brian Keith star in this adventure story set in the seas off Alaska.
Ryan portrays Matt Kelly, who is hired by his old friend Jim Kimmerly (Keith), to head the local salmon fishermen who have formed a canning co-operative.
The fishermen fight to keep a ruthless gang of fishing-trap robbers at bay. Kelly, because he is short on cash and morals, aims to join up with raiders as well as steal Kimmerly’s fiancée, Nicky (Jan Sterling).
The movie, a loose remake of the 1938 Henry Fonda-George Raft feature “Spawn of the North” also stars Gene Barry and Timothy Carey, all under the direction of Jerry Hopper.
At 77 minutes, the film movies at a lively pace.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian David Del Valle and film historian-archivist Stan Shaffer is the main extra.
Peacock (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A South African production in which Anna Pohl, a young member of a strict moral, puritanical institution named The Foundation, is sent to care for one of its founding members after violating the institution’s standards.
The elderly man, Sarel Cilliers, in an Apartheid-era theologian living out his final days in paranoia on his isolated farm. Cilliers is wracked with frightening visions and demonic hallucinations.
Anna, haunted by her own feelings of guilt, slowly is pulled into Cilliers very scary world as she tries to discover the mysteries linked to Cilliers and his farm and its connection to the secrets hidden by The Foundation.
The movie is an erotic and psychosexual thriller the looks at the dark recesses of the Afrikaner psyche through the conventions of gothic horror.
Director Jaco Minnaar creates some genuine scary moments that does not detract from the interesting plot.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Afrikaans 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
OSS 117: Five Film Collection (Blu-ray)
Release date: Feb. 6
Details: 1963-68, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, alias OSS 117, first appeared in the 1957 movie “OSS 117 Is Not Dead.”
After the success of the initial James Bond film, “Dr. No,” OSS 117 was brought back to cash in on the secret agent-spy craze created by 007.
This three-disc set features five movies detailing the further adventures of OSS 117. The first two, “OSS 117 Is Unleashed” (1963) and “OSS 117: Panic in Bangkok” (1964) starred Kerwin Mathews (“The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, “Jack the Giant Killer,” “The Three Worlds of Gulliver”) as the suave secret agent.
He was replaced by Frederick Stafford (“Topaz”) took over the role in 1965’s “OSS 117: Mission for a Killer” and 1966’s “OSS 117: Mission to Tokyo.”
The fifth film in the set, “OSS 117: Double Agent” (1968) found John Gavin in the role.
Among the featured costars in these films are Pier Angeli, Curt Jurgens, Luciana Paluzzi and George Eastman.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture (“OSS 117 Is Unleashed”) and 2.35:1 widescreen picture for the other four movies; French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
The Canterville Ghost (DVD)
Details: 2023, Shout! Studios
Rated: PG, thematic elements, danger, violence
The lowdown: An animated adaptation of the 1887 short story by Oscar Wilde that is no closer to the original than the better-known 1944 live-action screen adaptation by MGM that was given a World War II theme.
The Otis family from America moves into Canterville Chase in England that is haunted by a 300-year-old ghost Sir Simon de Canterville.
Teenager Virginia Otis is unhappy and wants to return to New York. She befriends Sir Simon and together they start plotting to get her family back to the Big Apple.
When Virginia learns that Sir Simon has been cursed and is bound to the estate, she joins her new neighbor, the Duke of Cheshire, to break the curse.
The movie’s animation is so-so as is the story, which is abetted by some humor and the talented vocal cast, which includes Stephen Fry as Sir Simon, Emily Carey and Virginia and Freddie Highmore as the Duke. Also contributing are Hugh Laurie, Toby Jones and Imelda Staunton.
Technical aspects: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Fortunes of War (DVD & dig & VOD) (ShineHouse)
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (4K + BD + dig & BD + DVD & dig) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Midnight Peepshow (DVD & dig) (Dark Star Pictures)
Willie’s Wonderland: Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) (Scream Factory)
FEB. 15
Lie With Me (DVD & VOD) (Cinephobia Releasing)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Air Force One Down (Republic Pictures-Paramount Pictures)
The Crime Is Mine (Music Box Films)
Death and Other Details: Episode 6 (Hulu)
Godard Cinema and Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars (Kino Lorber)
I Love You More (Tilia Entertainment)
Jurassic Triangle (Uncork’d Entertainment)
Lie With Me (Kino Now)
Madame DuBarry (Kino Now)
The Space Race (Disney+-Hulu)
FEB. 14
Criminal Record: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
The New Look: Episodes 1-3 (Apple TV+)
FEB. 15
Kamikaze Hearts (Amazon-Kino Film Collection)
Neptune Frost (Amazon-Kino Film Collection)
FEB. 16
Afterlov (Film Movement Plus)
Babai (Film Movement Plus)
Bleeding Love (Vertical Entertainment)
The Dynasty: New England Patriots: Episodes 1-3 (Apple TV+)
Godless (Film Movement Plus)
The Hobby (Documentary+)
Imperfect (Global Digital Releasing)
The Legionnaire (Film Movement Plus)
Life & Beth: Season Two (Hulu)
Lights Out (Quiver Distribution)
Masters of the Air: Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Meteors (Film Movement Plus)
Monolith (Well Go USA Entertainment)
No Way Up (RLJE Films)
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (Apple TV+)
Summer Survivors (Film Movement Plus)
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.