New to View: Sept. 10

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Sept. 10, unless otherwise noted:
All of Us Strangers (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Criterion Collection
Rated: R, sexual content, language, drug use
The lowdown: This sensitive exploration of gay love, loneliness, familial grief and healing features Andrew Scott as Adam, who lives a solitary life in a seemingly empty new high-rise.
Adam, a screenwriter, finds his life upended when he begins a passionate romance with Harry (Paul Mescal), his new and impulsive neighbor.
But Adam’s mind seems to be locked in the past as he finds himself drawn back to the suburban town where he grew up and his parents, played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, appear to be living just as they were on the day they died 30 years earlier.
Director Andrew Haigh, who adapted the novel by Taichi Yamada, brings a sensitivity and melancholy to a film the centers on dealing with loss and grief in order to get on with one’s life. The movie garnered a 96 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM audio descriptive track; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM audio descriptive track; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a conversation between Haigh and author-critic Michael Koresky, an interview with cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsey, a behind-the-scenes documentary and featurettes and an essay about the movie.

Tõtem (Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Janus Films-The Criterion Channel
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Mexican film flows through the perspective of Sol, a 7-year-old girl who are bustling around the family’s busy household preparing a surprise birthday party for Sol’s father, a terminally-ill father who is battling advanced cancer.
Sol, of course, hopes for her father’s eventual recovery.
The movie focuses on the preparations, including how the various family members are dealing — or not dealing — with the situation.
Despite, the undercurrent of death, the movie, directed by Lila Avilés, is a celebration of life that allows viewers to connect with Sol and other family members as they cope with a future that cannot be altered.
The movie impressed critics who gave it a 97 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is an interview with Avilés.

Knuckles: Season One (Blu-ray)
Details: 2024, Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This six-episode Paramount+ series — a spin-off from the “Sonic the Hedgehog” universe, centers on Knuckles, the Echidna warrior, who begins training a middle-aged police officer to become better and succeed in life.
The emphasis in the series, though, is on the Wade Whipple, the officer who Knuckles takes under his wing and begins to train for a bowling tournament.
The episodes feature a subplot in which Knuckles is pursued by a former agent of Dr. Robotnik.
The series works best when Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba, is on the screen. The cast also includes Adam Pally, Stockard Channing, Edi Patterson, Kid Cudi, Cary Elwes and Ben Schwartz.
The show is family friendly, so the kids should be able to enjoy it. And it can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a gag reel, a featurette on the cast, Knuckles impressions, a “This or That” featurette and a “Working with Knuckles” featurette.

Sorry/Not Sorry (DVD)
Details: 2023, Greenwich Entertainment-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Comedian Louis C.K. is the subject of this documentary that chronicles his public downfall after three women accused him of sexual misconduct as well as his return to performing.
The 90-minute movie includes interviews with the women spoke up, the “New York Times” journalists who broke the story and fellow comedians who share their views on Louis C.K. and the allegations.
The impact of cancel culture and the #MeToo movement’s legacy also are examined.
The hurt feelings of the women who were subjected to Louis C.K.’s behavior is poignantly captured by filmmakers Caroline Suh and Cara Mones. They also show how society often excuses and/or rewards the behavior of talented people — as if that gift gives them free rein to hurt others.
The movie garnered an 82 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.

My Love Affair with Marriage (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An animated feature told through a sharp feminist lens centering on Zelma who, since early childhood, is convinced through songs and fairy tales that love would solve all her problems as long as she abides by societal expectations of how a girl should act.
But as she grows older, something feels askew with this strait-laced concept of love. And the more Zelma tries to conform, the more her body resists.
The animation is simple and does not detract from the overall story, which centers on the female experience. And though set in Eastern Europe, the movie provides a global appeal that viewers will appreciate.
A warning: though an animated movie, the story is geared more for adults than children.
It’s a smart and insightful feature, that earned a 90 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 and 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH, French, Latvian and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: A speaker series featuring Singe Baumane, the movie’s director.

Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory (DVD & VOD)
Details: 2024, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: I was impressed with this documentary that I saw and reviewed last year.
It is a story of innovation created by necessity.
Filmmaker Justin Johnson’s “Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory” tells one such story — and it is one that hits close to home for the documentarian.
Johnson eases into the story by telling us about the background of his parents — Brian and Randi Johnson. The pair are described as the personification of opposites attracting. Randi, a nurse, is a bubbly, outgoing extrovert. Brian is a quiet, detailed-oriented introvert, who, from the beginning of their lives together, was always looking out for his wife.
The couple have lived in a modest home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where they raised five children. Brian and Randi are conservative Christian parents with a strong spiritual bond and faith.
The greatest challenge facing the family was Randi’s diagnosis of breast cancer. Brian felt powerless and ignored by the doctors who focused solely on Randi without any thought of looping him in on how he could help and support her.
After Randi had the cancerous breast removed, she and Brian began doing research on breast reconstruction. They found Dr. Roger Khouri, a plastic surgeon at Miami Medical Center, who had created a device that seemed non-evasive.
But when it came to nipple replacement, none of the available options satisfied Randi.
So, being a tinkerer, Brian, working in his basement, created a process to make a nipple that would look natural and fit the contours of a woman’s breast.
Later they founded Naturally Impressive, a nipple prosthesis mail-order company that they ran out of their home.
This pleasant and compassionate movie is more about faith and family than Brian’s invention. It is heartwarming viewing about ingenuity and, more importantly, love.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three (Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: July 23
Details: 2024, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, violence, language
The lowdown: Part three wraps up this DC Universe animated adaption of the epic 1985-86 comic book series.
The Anti-Monitor is finally revealed as he continues his war against the surviving Earths, which are struggling to survive in a pocket universe.
Still, many worlds are vaporized and many super heroes and villains — past and present who have joined the cause — are lost in the fight.
The main flaw with part three is the inconsistency with the animation,, which also was evident in the first two parts.
Overall, though DC fans will enjoy seeing their favorite heroes and villains uniting for a common cause.
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: Extras include “A Multiverse of Inspiration” and “John and John: Stewart and Constantine” featurettes.

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (DVD)
Details: 2023, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Poet-activist Nikki Giovanni is the subject of this very interesting documentary that examines her life and opinions as she nears 80.
The movie showcases Giovanni’s Afrofuturist-feminist philosophical views, her touching relationship with her family, her political outspokenness and her eloquent poetry.
Filmmakers Michelle Stephenson and Joe Brewster connect Giovanni’s life with the history of racism in America as well as looking ahead to more hopeful futures.
Giovanni’s story is not told in a traditional fashion that features many talking heads. Instead, it details how its subject is propelled by intellectual engagement and strong imagination in her constant search for emotional and political fulfillment in a world of marginalization and exclusion.
Giovanni gets to speak her mind and damn the consequences in a movie that is as complex as some of her writings.
The movie earned an impressive 97 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra consists of additional scenes.

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1982, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, language
The lowdown: The actor-comedian’s live performance features his experience of traveling to Africa, which inspired him to stop using the “n-word,” his early days of playing one-night stands in Mafia-owned clubs and strip joints and, most importantly, the recounting of the free-based crack-cocaine accident that nearly killed him.
Throughout it all, Pryor’s honesty and humor — even about himself — takes center stage. You laugh, but also respect Pryor for his self-reflection and poignancy.
Pryor, brutally self-reflective, is one reason he connected so well with audiences.
The movie can be found at www.moviezying.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English and Spanish subtitles.

The China Syndrome (Blu-ray)
Release date: Aug. 20
Details: 1979, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: PG, violence, language
The lowdown: In movies — as in life — timing is fortuitous.
When this thriller about a potential meltdown at a nuclear power plant in California was released, many skeptics believed it to be a far-fetched scenario.
Twelve days later, the meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania occurred, spurring a new interest in the movie as well as discussions about the safety of such plants.
“The China Syndrome” stars Jane Fonda as television reporter Kimberly Wells who, along with cameraman Richard Adams (Michael Douglas, who also was the movie’s producer), are sent on a routine assignment at a Los Angeles-area nuclear power plant.
During the visit, something goes wrong, triggering an accident that could have wiped out Southern California. Adams secretly recorded the incident on tape.
However, the TV station refuses to air the footage. Wells and Adams then turn to plant supervisor Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon) to expose the truth about the plant.
At first, Godell refuses, as the company — with millions of dollars at risk — pressure him and others to remain silent.
The breaking point for Godell comes when he discovers the company has been falsifying records, so he locks himself in the control room and, as Wells and Adams cover the story, company executives take extraordinary measures to silence Godell for good.
The movie, which garnered an 88 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes and received four Academy Award nominations, can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English SDH and English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include two documentaries with Fonda and Douglas about the movie and deleted scenes.

To Kill a Mastermind (Blu-ray)
Details: 1979, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Shaw Brothers feature deals with a spy, placed by authorities, to infiltrate the evil kung-fu masters of the Qi Sha clan, which terrorizes the land.
The leader of the syndicate is unknown, so the spy — to root him out — sows internal conflicts that create treachery and murder among the seven regional chiefs of the clan, thus forcing the leader to reveal himself.
The movie is more action oriented than mystery as the chiefs, suspicious of one another, begin killing each other off.
Martial arts fans will definitely enjoy this 99-minute feature as, at times, it is non-stop action.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition,, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Collector’s art cards are the main bonus component.

The Alaskans: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 3
Details: 1959-60, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Before he was The Saint, or taking over for Sean Connery as James Bond, Roger Moore spent time in TV Westerns on the Warner Bros. studio lot, appearing in 16 episodes of “Maverick” as Bret and Bart’s cousin Beau, and starring as Silky Harris, an adventurer searching for gold in “The Alaskans.”
Set in the Yukon of the 1890s, the series finds Harris, his friend Reno McKee (Jeff York) and showgirl Rocky Shaw (Dorothy Provine) push their luck in a search for gold.
The nine-disc set features all 36 episodes of action, greed, double crosses, music and some humor.
Guest stars included many familiar faces from the studio lot, including Troy Donahue, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Lee Van Cleef, Neil Hamilton, Alan Hale, Julie Adams and Werner Klemperer, who all made the rounds from series to series at Warner Bros.
The Blu-ray set can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 (16×9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.

The Strangers: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 2008, Scream Factory
Rated: R & unrated, violence, terror, language
The lowdown: Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star in this psychological thriller as a couple who are awakened at 4 a.m. by a knock and a haunting voice at the door of their remote getaway.
This is the beginning of a night of terror as three masked strangers invade their sanctuary.
The couple must go beyond what they believe are their capabilities to endure their captors’ torments if they want to survive.
The movie offers some genuinely frightening moments, but not enough to sustain the entire feature.
This three-disc set offers a trio of variations of the movie — the 91-minute unrated version on the 4K UHD and one of the Blu-ray discs and the 86-minute theatrical version on the other Blu-ray disc.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes, five behind-the-scenes featurettes and a featurette with writer-director Bryan Bertino about the making of the movie.

Super Friends: The Complete Collection (DVD)
Details: 1973, 1978, 1980-83, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This collection of various Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon shows featured characters from the DC Universe including “Super Friends” (1973) featuring Justice League members Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. This series, featuring 16 episodes, ran for one season.
“The All New Super Friends Hour” (1977) was spurred by the popularity of live TV series such as “Wonder Woman” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.” It again featured Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman and Aquaman, with the addition of the Wonder Twins and Gleek, the space monkey. Again, this was a one-season series consisting of 15 one-hour episodes, divided into four segments.
“Challenge of the Super Friends” (1978) was another 16-episode series featuring the same Justice League characters, plus the addition of The Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman, as well as such DC villains as Lex Luthor, Brainiac, the Riddler and Scarecrow.
Hanna-Barbera tried again with “The World’s Greatest Super Friends (1979), an eight-episode series that relied more on folklore and fairy tales for its plots. The usual array of Justice League members was featured as were such villains as Lex Luthor.
“Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show” (1984) was a newly formatted version of “The World’s Greatest Super Friends” that ran for a half-hour with two stories per episode, totaling 14 episodes in all. It featured the Justice League members, the Wonder Twins and Firestorm as well as such DC villains as Darkseid, Brainiac, Lex Luthor, Mirror Master and Mister Mxyzptlk.
The next season the show was retitled “The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians” (1985) in order to cash in on the Super Powers Collection line of toys. Again, we have Justice League members, including the introduction of Cyborg, combatting Darkseid, Brainiac, Lex Luthor, The Joker, The Penguin, Bizarro and Mister Mxyzptlk.
You have to give Hanna-Barbera credit for ingenuity for continually reshaping the package with the same characters.
The animation is standard, flat, Saturday morning TV fare, but fans who grew up watching these shows and reading DC comics of the era, will get a nostalgic twinge while watching all 92 episodes in this 21-disc set.
Technical aspects: 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English, French (select episodes) and Spanish (select 1.0 Dolby digital, English SDH, English, French (select episodes) and Spanish (select episodes) subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include lost episodes on the various series.

Two Weeks in September (Blu-ray)
Details: 1967, Kino Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Brigitte Bardot stars as Cecile, a fashion model who lives a peaceful life in France with her older husband, played by Jean Rochefort.
Cecile travels to London for a photo shoot, where she meets Vincent (Laurent Terzieff), a younger man with whom she falls in love and begins an affair.
Vincent, unlike Cecile’s husband, is a passionate man who brings some fire into Cecile’s life.
But when she returns to France — still torn between the two men — she is forced to make a choice that will change her life forever.
This is not Bardot’s best movie; it is a bit slow and dull, but she showcases her beauty and vulnerability.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track by film historian Adrian Martin.

Naughty Girl (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 3
Details: 1956, Kino Classics
The lowdown: Brigitte Bardot stars as the precocious daughter of a Parisian nightclub owner in this French romantic comedy.
When her father is accused of embezzlement and forced to flee Paris, he entrusts the care of his daughter to a playboy lounge singer, turning his life upside-down, after he discovers that his “baby” his boss described is a wild and carefree young woman — whose also very sexy.
Bardot gets a chance to show her dancing skills as she was a trained ballet dancer.
The movie was co-written by Bardot’s then-husband, Roger Vadim. It is an entertaining feature that highlights Bardot’s comic skills.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian Samm Deighan is the main extra.

Fatal Vision (Blu-ray)
Details: 1984, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This two-part, made-for-TV miniseries, centers on a crime that shocked the nation — the killing of the family of former army medical Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, who claimed that his wife and two daughters were slain by a band of hippies, while he survived because he was knocked unconscious.
At first, charges against were dropped after a military hearing against the respected doctor because of inconclusive evidence.
MacDonald’s in-laws, played by Karl Malden and Eva Marie Saint, are convinced of his guilt and begin a determined, 10-year campaign to re-open the case and get justice for their daughter and granddaughters.
The cast also includes Gary Cole as MacDonald, as well as Andy Griffith, Barry Newman, Mitchell Ryan, Scott Paulin, Wendy Schaal and Albert Salmi.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian-filmmaker Daniel Kremer is the main extra.

“Dark Night of the Scarecrows 1 & 2” double feature (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1981, 2021, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A two-disc set featuring the 1981 made-for-TV “Dark Night of the Scarecrow” and its 2021 sequel.
“Dark Night of the Scarecrow,” set in a small Southern town, deals with a mentally challenged man, Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake), who is best friends with a young local girl.
When the girl is attacked by a vicious dog, Bubba saves her. But the girl’s mother wrongly accuses him of killing her daughter.
Otis (Charles Durning), the local postman, who hates Bubba, recruits three friends and the four vigilantes begin to hunt for Bubba, finding him in an empty cornfield disguised as a scarecrow. The vigilantes execute Bubba.
After learning Bubba was innocent of attacking the girl, the four men are brought to trial but declared not guilty and are releases.
Soon after, the four are individually visited by a vision of a scarecrow and mysteriously killed one by one, but not by a scarecrow.
The sequel, alters the format, making the scarecrow the killer. The story is confusing and contrived and not up to the standards of the original.
The 4K Ultra HD upgrades make the films look better but does nothing to improve the quality of the sequel.
Technical aspects: 3840p ultra-high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture (“Dark Night of the Scarecrow”) and 1.85:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture (“Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2”); English 5.1 and 2.0 LPCM monaural (“Dark Night of the Scarecrow”) and English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital (“Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2”); English SDH and Spanish subtitles (“Dark Night of the Scarecrow”) and English SDH subtitles (“Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2”).
Don’t miss: Extras include a 2023 “Dark Night of the Scarecrow” triple fan commentary hosted by Heath Holland (Cereal Midnight podcaster) and featuring film historian Robert Kelly and TV-movie expert and podcaster Amanda Reyes; a “Dark Night of the Scarecrow” commentary with writer J.D. Feigelson and director Frank DeFelitta; and a commentary by Feigelson on “Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2”; a “Bubba Didn’t Do It: 30 Years of the Scarecrow” featurette with Daniel Griffith, a “Dark Night of the Scarecrow cast reunion question-and-answer session recorded at the 2011 Frightfest Film Festival; a 1981 CBS world premiere broadcast promo; and a 1985 CBS re-broadcast promo.

The Antichrist (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1974, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: This Italian horror outing tries to cash in on the popularity of “The Exorcist” by being more gross and violent.
The story centers on Ippolita, a beautiful young woman paralyzed since 12 by the trauma of a horrific accident in which her mother was killed. Doctors have determined her paralysis is psychosomatic.  To help her, a well-meaning psychologist places Ippolita under hypnosis, where she remembers a past life as a witch during the Inquisition.
Soon, she is possessed by the evil ancestor and regains the use of her legs. Unknowingly, she begins seducing and killing young men. Realizing what is happening, Ippolita’s father asks her brother, a Vatican cardinal, to perform an exorcism.
A second exorcism by a priest forces Ippolita to flee. She reaches the Colosseum, where she is felled by the sound of church bells. This gives the priest time to force her hands against an iron cross, expelling the demon within her.
The movie, 15 in the Kino Cult series, is not the best “Exorcist”-like knock-off, but it certainly is not the worst. The cast is a mixture of Italian performers and former Hollywood stalwarts such as Mel Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy and George Coulouris.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and English 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track by author-film historian Lee Gambin and film critic Sally Christie, a featurette with director-co-writer Alberto De Martino and composer Ennio Morricone as well as opening credits for “The Tempter,” the movie’s alternate title.

“Intensely Independent: The Micro-Budget Films of Blake Eckard” (DVD)
Details: 2011, 2017, Synapse Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This pair of movies by independent filmmaker Blake Eckard are gritty, ferocious and disturbing.
The first, “Bubba Moon Face” (2011), centers on a newborn dumped into the lab of Horton Bucks, who soon finds himself in the midst of a tangled web of familial evil.
The movie, shot over five days, creates an atmosphere of rural rot in which kindness and love are nearly nonexistent. The only light glows from Horton, which leads to a least-awful resolution to a very bleak situation.
“Coyote Kills for Fun” (2017) deals with a backwoods babysitter who agrees to help an abused mother of two escape her dangerous boyfriend. Danger rears its head when the brother of the boyfriend returns to the region with vengeance on his mind.
The movie was shot over a three-year period in Missouri, Montana and Los Angeles. Despite all these challenges, the film maintains a constant, nightmarish vision.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen; English 2.0 Dolby digital.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a liner notes booklet, a commentary track on “Bubba Moon Face” and an interview with indie legend Jon Jost.

The Golden Lotus (Blu-ray)
Details: 1974, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A tale of passion and murder from the Shaw Brothers studios focuses on a man who woos a beautiful woman who already is married.
However, their desires are so strong that they kill the woman’s husband, expecting to life happily together.
But life does not go as planned for the adulterer and adulteress, who do not get to share a life after the crime.
The film is more sordid and boorish than erotic, unlike the classic literary work on which it is based.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Four collectable art cards are the main extras.

Blue Desert (DVD)
Details: 2013, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A futuristic sci-fi movie from Brazil centering on a young man, living in a future seemingly devoid of memory in which humanity has lost its purpose, is guided by dreams and intuitions to begin a search for the meaning of life and existence.
Symbols and revelations guide him on a path toward enlightenment. Along the way, he encounters a prophet-like painter of the desert and a beautiful young woman whom he comes to realize is his soulmate.
The movie was filmed in Brasilia against the architecture of futurist Oscar Niemeyer as well as the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Director-co-screenwriter Eder Santos creates a dreamy feature that looks at new age spirituality and its connection to the physical world.
Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; Portuguese 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.

Zoltan … Hound of Dracula (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: This 16^th title in the Kino Cult series is a real dog — literally. It also was released under the title “Dracula’s Dog,” but it probably did not sound scary enough to attract moviegoers.
The story begins when the Russian army unearths the Romanian vault of Dracula, accidentally unleashing his human slave, Veidt (Reggie Nadler), and the vampire’s hellhound Zoltan.
With their master dead, Veidt and Zoltan head to Los Angeles to find Dracula’s last living descendant, Michael Drake (Michael Pataki) , an ordinary family man.
Also on the trail is Inspector Branco (José Ferrer), an international vampire hunter. Drake and Branco team up to destroy Veidt, Zoltan and the devil dog’s pack of blood-crazed canines before “man’s best friend” becomes man’s worst enemy.
The film is vicious fun with serviceable special effects.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track with film historians Lee Gambin and John Harrison.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
The Grab (DVD & VOD) (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
Wind River (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Wineville (DVD) (Dark Star Pictures)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
A Halloween Feast (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Dead Teenagers (Cranked Up)
Despicable Me 4 (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
End of Summer (Viaplay)
Happy Campers (Grasshopper Film)
I Feel Fine (Amazon)
Lost in the Shuffle (Animal Mother Films)
The Mob (Well Go USA)
On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Ancients (Small Town Monsters)
Only Murders in the Building: Season 4, Episode 3 (Hulu)
Underground (Kino Lorber)
SEPT. 11
Bad Monkey: Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Slow Horses: Season 4, Episode 2 (Apple TV+)
Tell Me Lies: Season 2, Episode 3 (Hulu)
Women in Blue (Las Azules): Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
SEPT. 12
Bel-Air: Season 3, Episode 6 (Peacock)
Emily in Paris: Season 4, Part 2 (www.netflix.com/emilyinparis) (Netflix)
My 20^th Century (Kino Film Collection)
Reasonable Doubt: Season 2, Episode 5 (Hulu)
Wittgenstein (Kino Film Collection)
SEPT. 13
A Place Called Dignity (Film Movement Plus)
Booger (Dark Sky Films)
Guy Manley: Super Spy (Level 33 Entertainment)
Here After (Paramount Pictures)
How to Die Alone: Episodes 1-4 (Hulu)
Lies We Tell (Quiver Distribution)
The Old Man: Season 2, Episode 1 (Hulu)
Pachinko: Season 2, Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
Winner (Vertical Entertainment)
The Zombie Wedding (Weekly World News Studios)
SEPT. 16
Heels: Season 2 (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

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