New to View: July 23
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, July 23, unless otherwise noted:
The Fall Guy: Extended Cut (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2024, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, action, violence, drug content, language
The lowdown: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt ignite the screen in this adaptation of the 1980s TV series that starred Lee Majors as Colt Seavers, a stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter.
The movie features Gosling as Seavers who, after breaking his back in a stunt gone wrong, abandons his career.
Blunt portrays Jody Moreno, Gosling’s former girlfriend, a former camerawoman who is directing her first feature.
About 18 months after his accident, Seavers is asked to return as stunt double for action star, Tom Ryder (Aaron-Taylor Johnson), whom he had doubled in many pictures.
Seavers travels to Sydney, Australia, where he learns that Moreno is still angry with him for their breakup and that she never requested him for the picture.
Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddington, “Ted Lasso”), the movie’s producer, then asks Seavers to find Ryder, who has disappeared.
After many false leads, Seavers unravels everything, reunites with Moreno and the villains get their just desserts.
Majors and is “Fall Guy” costar Heather Thomas make cameo appearances.
The set features the theatrical and extended cuts, which features an additional 20 minutes, of the movie.
The film, directed by David Leitch (“Deadpool 2,” “Atomic Blonde”), received an 82 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and French and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital plus; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture, English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DVS and French and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital plus; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a gag reel; alternate takes; a “Stunts on Stunts: Breaking Down the Action” featurette; a making of featurette; a commentary track with Leitch and producer Kelly McCormick; looks at a cannon-roll crash that breaks a Guinness World Record and at choregraphing a nightclub bottle-breaking battle; a profile of stunt double Ben Jenkins, a featurette on creating “Metalstorm,” the movie-within-the-movie; and a look at professional parkour athlete Bob Reese recreating stunts from the movie.
Farewell My Concubine (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1993, The Criterion Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Director Chen Kaige’s historical drama-romance spans 50 years of 20th-century China.
The story follows aspiring actors Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) as they emerge from a childhood of brutal training to become Beijing opera stars.
In the story, life imitates art as it mirrors Dieyi’s unrequited love for Xiaolou. It also follows the nation’s changing political climate, which engulfs the two in their personal tragedies of jealousy and betrayal.
“Farewell My Concubine” was the first Chinese film to win the coveted Palme d’Or.
The movie, which earned a 90 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is a must-see experience with formidable performances and striking cinematography, abetted by a new 4K digital restoration.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras, featured on the Blu-ray disc, include a conversation between Chinese cultural studies scholar Michael Berry and film producer Janet Yang; a 2003 documentary on the making of the movie, a 1993 interview of Kaige by Charlie Rose and an essay about the movie.
Tarot (Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: July 9
Details: 2024, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, horror violence, terror, bloody images, language, drug content
The lowdown: A horror film in which a group of friends violate the sacred rule of Tarot readings — never use someone else’s deck.
Of course, unbeknownst to the friends, they unleash an unspeakable terror trapped within the cursed cards.
One by one, the friends come face to face with fate, ending up in a race against death to escape the future the cards foretold.
Basically, it is the same premise used in “Final Destination,” only with Tarot cards. The characters are thinly drawn and the script is predictable.
Horror fans, however, may enjoy the creative ways some characters meet their demise.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English and French 5.1 Dolby digital audio description track; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a making of featurette, outtakes and “Circle of Friends” featurette.
HALO: Season Two (Blu-ray)
Details: 2024, Paramount Pictures
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: In the second season of this Paramount+ series, the Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and his elite team of Spartans begin an epic journey to find the Halo and ensure humanity’s survival after the Covenant threatens mankind’s greatest stronghold.
The four-disc set features all eight episodes as Master Chief and his Spartans continually battle the Covenant in this futuristic sci-fi series that features various subplots and political machinations involving various characters.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.00:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English audio description and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include declassified episodes, a look at the return of the Silver Team, a featurette on bringing the 26th century to life, a “Kiki’s Favorite Set: The Condor” featurette, a behind-the-scenes visit to Luma Pictures, a look at building a Covenant warship, a making the fall of Reach featurette, a look at the House of Soren, a featurette on writing for the show’s second season and a look at the season’s bigger and better props.
Captain Phillips: Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: July 16
Details: 2013, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, violence, bloody images, intense sequences of menace, substance abuse
The lowdown: Tom Hanks stars in this riveting drama based on a true story — the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates.
The film focuses on the interplay between Hanks’ Capt. Richard Phillips and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Bankhead Abdi), who takes him hostage. A cat-and-mouse game ensues as Phillips looks to protect his crew and make sure everyone returns home alive.
Driving the movie is Hanks performance as an everyman coping with a situation that is above his head as well as newcomer Abdi, in his first acting performance, who displays both menace and humanity.
The movie, which received six Academy Award nominations, including best picture and best supporting actor for Abdi, garnered a 93 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track with director Paul Greengrass and an in-depth making of featurette.
The Strangers — Chapter 1 (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2024, Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Rated: R, horror violence, language, drug use
The lowdown: A young couple must spend the night in a remote cabin after their car breaks down in an eerie small town.
Soon after, they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy — and no apparent motive.
The movie, directed by Renny Harlin, is the first in a trilogy of films.
This entry is generic and adds nothing new to the slasher genre, except, perhaps, less blood and more psychological terror. But even at 91 minutes, the movie seems to drag in spots.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a commentary track, a making of featurette and a look at the visual design.
Girl on the Bridge (Blu-ray)
Details: 1999, Kino Classics
Rated: R, sexuality
The lowdown: Another gem from director Patrice Leconte, about two down-on-their-luck people who find each other.
The movie opens with Adele (Vanessa Paradis) on a bridge in Paris leaning over the Seine. Before she can do anything rash, a stranger, Gabor (Daniel Auteuil) appears.
He is a fading performer — a knife thrower — who needs an assistant. She accepts and becomes the target for his act. He flings knives at Adele all across Europe as their platonic relationship slowly shifts into love with each death-defying performance.
Despite challenges, the two do realize that they need each other. The movie received an 88 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A short film by Leconte and a commentary track by film critic Manuela Lazic comprise the extras.
“Beast Fighter” (Blu-ray)
Release date: June 25
Details: 1975, 1977, Eureka Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Sonny Chiba demonstrates his martial arts skills in this two-disc set featuring “Karate Bullfighter” (1975) and “Karate Bearfighter” (1977).
In both movies, Chiba portrays Mas Oyama, the real-life karate master who trained Chiba.
“Karate Bullfighter” (aka “Champion of Death”) (1975) finds Oyama crashing a karate tournament and defeating all who challenge him. Hs victory into the world of karate comes with unforeseen consequences and soon he is fighting for his life.
In “Karate Bear Fighter” (1977), Chiba’s Oyama is expelled from the karate community for refusing to pull his punches. With nowhere else to turn, he takes a job as a bodyguard to a yakuza member.
Oyama’s battle with a bear is a letdown, since it is a man in a bearskin suit.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Japanese and English (dubbed) 2.0 LPCM monaural (“Karate Bullfighter) and Japanese 2.0 LPCM monaural (“Karate Bearfighter”); English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A video essay about martial arts and commentary tracks on both films by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema and a booklet with writings about the movies.
The Crippled Masters: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1979, Film Masters
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This martial arts flick is definitely not for the PC crowd — as its title suggests.
The story centers on two martial artists, one whose arms were cut off and the other whose loses his legs when acid is poured on them.
Both were betrayed by the same master and — after some conflict — both are trained by a mysterious Old Man so they can avenge themselves.
After much kung fu action, the two men defeat their evil, former master.
The movie’s stars, Jackie Conn and Frankie Shun, are actual handicapped martial artists.
Is the film in bad taste? That is something you need to judge for yourself. But it is different from many other martial arts movies that have focused on blind or one-armed heroes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio monaural and 2.0 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track with Will Sloan and Justin Decloux of The Important Cinema Club; “Kings of Kung Fu: Releasing the Legends,” a documentary from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures; liner notes for a full-color booklet; an archival collection of martial arts film trailers; a before and after look at the movie’s restoration; and an original raw scan of the film.
The Linguini Incident: Director’s Cut (Blu-ray)
Details: 1991, MVD Rewind Collection-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: R, language, sexual situations
The lowdown: Rosanna Arquette and David Bowie star in this quirky comedy as a waitress and bartender at a hip New York restaurant who both face problems.
Arquette’s Lucy needs cash and Bowie’s Monte needs to get married very soon to stay in the country. Along with another waitress, Viv (Eszter Balint), who also is Lucy’s roommate, they decide to rob the establishment to solve their financial problems.
The problem is not none of them qualify as master criminals — Lucy is a wannabe escape artist afraid to perform in public, Monte is a compulsive liar and Viv designs special bras.
The movie’s energy compensates for the lack of successful humor. It also features a strong supporting cast that includes Andre Gregory, Buck Henry, Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin, Viveca Lindfors and Maura Tierney.
The Blu-ray features two cuts of the film — the director’s and theatrical versions.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include an introduction to the movie by co-writer-director Richard Shepard; a commentary track with Shepard; a second commentary track with Shepard, Arquette, Balint, co-producer Sarah Jackson and co-screenwriter Tamar Brodt, moderated by “Cereal Midnight’s” Heath Holland; a making of featurette; and a booklet with essays.
The Double Crossers (Blu-ray)
Details: 1976, Eureka Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A revenge story in which, after the murder of his father, police Detective Lung (Shin Il-ryong) learns that his parents were involved in a smuggling ring — and his father was killed by its boss, a criminal, calling himself Wang, now living in Hong Kong.
Lung, determined to avenge his father’s death, resigns from the police force, to achieve his own brand of justice.
He teams up with a smuggler who was once a close friend and partner to his parents, heads to Hong Kong and begins to set up a trap for Wang.
Two Blu-ray offers the original theatrical cut and export version of the movie, which also features Sammo Hung. The movie’s martial arts action is solid, which will please any fan of the genre.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin and English (dubbed) LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Commentaries by Asian film expert Frank Djeng on the Hong Kong theatrical version and action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema on the export version and a booklet with writing about the movie are the main bonus content.
Cannibal Apocalypse (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1980, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: John Saxon stars in this gorefest of a feature which is another metaphor for the mental and physical injuries suffered by troops who fought in the Vietnam War.
Saxon portrays Norman Hopper, a Vietnam vet living a quiet domestic life in Atlanta. His peacefulness is shattered by the return of his war buddy, Charlie (Giovanni Lombardo Radice), who rekindles scary flashbacks of flesh eating and bloodshed in the war-torn jungles.
Charlie is on the run after taking a bite out of an unwilling victim. He begs Norman to help him get out of town with another veteran, Tom (Tony King).
Soon, these cannibals are fighting for their lives and spreading the deadly contagion before heading into the sewers for a gut-wrenching finale.
This bloody Italian horror film, which was heavily censored in many countries, is presented in its unrated and uncut version.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with novelist and critic Tim Lucas, an interview with King, a documentary about the film with cast members and filmmakers, an alternate U.S. opening title sequence and a video tour of filming locations.
The Miracle Fighters (Blu-ray)
Release date: June 25
Details: 1982, Eureka Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A strange martial arts movie with more comedy than usual. It is a story of Taoist magic set during the Quing dynasty.
During this time, marriage between Manchu and Han people are outlawed. When the emperor learns that high-ranking official Kao Hsiung (Eddy Ko) has taken a Han wife, Kao is told all will be forgiven if he kills her.
When he refuses, Kao is marked for death by the powerful and evil Sorcerer Bat who, with Kao present, kills his wife.
Kao flees, kidnapping the Crown Prince during his escape. Soon, however, the prince dies and Kao is forced to replace him with another young boy.
Years later, the now-adult boy finds himself pursued by the Sorcerer Bat and turns to two bickering Taoist priests who he hopes can protect him with their magic.
This weird outing also features a character known as Clown in the Jar. Yet, despite all the craziness, the movie works in a straightforward manner with some solid kung fu action. The Blu-ray offers export and theatrical versions of the movie.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese and English (dubbed) 2.0 LPCM; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include two commentary tracks, one with Asian film expert Frank Djeng on the theatrical version and action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema on the export version; and a booklet with writing about the movie.
Nightmare Beach (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1989, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, graphic and gory violence
The lowdown: John Saxon and Michael Parks head the cast of this slasher movie, also known as “Welcome to Spring Break,” in which a helmeted killer on a motorcycle is slaughtering young coeds all over the beaches of South Florida during spring break.
As the body count continues to rise, Miami detective Strycher (Saxon) conspires with other city officials to cover up the murder. The killer’s motorcycle is rigged to electrocute its victims.
The identity of the mystery killer can be easy to figure out if you have watched enough of these movies.
The cast also includes Nicolas de Toth, Sarah Buxton, Lance LeGault and Rawley Valverde. Originally Italian horror filmmaker Umberto Lenzi, was supposed to direct, but after clashing with the producer, co-story-co-screenwriter Harry Kirkpatrick took over behind the camera.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English and Italian 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track with film historian Samm Deighan and an interview with the film’s composer Claudio Smonetti comprise the extras.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Dress My Tour (Hulu)
Girl on the Bridge (Kino Film Collection)
The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith (Kino Film Collection)
Midnight Taxi (Little Nipper Production)
JULY 24
Land of Women: Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Presumed Innocent: Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
Sunny: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
Time Bandits: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
JULY 25
Bob le Flambeur (Prime Video-Kino Film Collection)
Port of Shadows (Prime Video-Kino Film Collection)
JULY 26
Lady in the Lake: Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
The Last Breath (RLJE Films)
Sleep No More: The Director’s Cut (Iris Indie International)
Starve Acre (Brainstorm Media)
Stay With Us (Film Movement)
Swan Song (Amazon Prime-Apple TV+-Greenwich Entertainment)
JULY 29
Futurama: Season 12 (Hulu)
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.