New to View: Oct. 1
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Oct. 1, unless otherwise noted:
Burn, Witch, Burn: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1962, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde), a successful college professor, learns that his wife, Tansy (Janet Blair), is a witch who has been casting spells to aid her husband’s ascent in academia.
A non-believer, he angrily makes her destroy all her charms and amulets. Soon after, a series of misfortunes begin to plague Taylor, who soon learns that a rival witch is the cause of his hard luck.
The movie, which features a screenplay by “Twilight Zone” veterans and authors Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont, relies more on atmosphere and suspense than special effects.
The Blu-ray features two versions of the film, the American release that features a prologue by voice actor Paul Frees, and the British original entitled “Night of the Eagle.”
The movie, which is comparable to the Val Lawton releases by RKO in the 1940s, earned an 80 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a commentary track by novelist-critic Tim Lucas, another by Matheson and an interview with Wyngarde.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: Sept. 24
Details: 2024, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, strong violence, language, sexual references
The lowdown: Miami cops Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are older, but still acting like bad boys in the latest edition to this action-filled franchise.
This time, they are out to clear the name of their late boss, Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano), of trumped-up charges of a lifetime of involvement in drug-related crimes.
The movie is more of the same, with lots of gunplay, explosions, chases and comic interactions between Smith and Lawrence. And, despite their aging, the two seem to be hardly impacted by their various bumps, bruises and beatings.
Still, the film managed to earn a 65 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, so the chemistry between its two stars does not seem to be dimming.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible; English, French and Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English and French 5.1 Dolby digital audio description tracks; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 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 tracks; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include outtakes and bloopers, deleted scenes, a featurette on the chemistry between Smith and Lawrenve, a featurette on producer Jerry Buckheimer, a behind-the-scenes look at the fight sequences and a “Partners in Crime” featurette.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Season 25 (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 10
Details: 2024, Universal Studios Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A three-disc set featuring all 13 episodes from the strike-shortened 25th season of this popular, long-running criminal procedural series.
Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her SVU squad, including Sgt. Odafin “Fin” Tutula (Ice-T), Dective Joe Velasco (Octavio Pisano), are aided by Assistant District Attorney Doninick “Sonny” Carisi (Peter Scavavino) and others to help solve cases involving a missing child, a male rape victim, Benson’s ongoing efforts to find kidnap victim Maddie Flynn, a criminal who targets guests staying in hostels and a wife who turns in her husband for having child pornography.
The cast also includes Kevin Kane and Detective Terry Bruno and Terry Serpico as Assistant NYPD Chief Thomas McGrath.
The set can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Young Sheldon: The Complete Series (DVD)
Release date: Sept. 24
Details: 2017-24, Studio Distribution Services-Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This prequel to “The Big Bang Theory” chronicles the formative years of Sheldon Cooper, a once-in-a-generation youngster with a giant intellect that is capable of grasping advanced math and science concepts.
Sheldon, played by Iain Armitage, lives in East Texas, where he is an outlier, being an atheist and having no interest in football.
The vulnerable, gifted and a bit naïve Sheldon, who marches to his own beat, faces the challenges of dealing with the world, while his family must find ways to deal with him.
The series is narrated by Jim Parsons, who played Sheldon in “Big Bang Theory,” begins in the late 1980s and takes Sheldon through the 1990s, with the show ending with Sheldon at 14, moving to California to begin his graduate studies at Caltech.
The 14-disc set includes all 141 episodes, plus extras.
Technical aspects: 1.33:1 (16×9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French (season one) and Spanish (season one) subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include six behind-the-scenes featurettes, including Easter eggs.
Body and Soul: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1947, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A gritty boxing drama starring John Garfield in an Academy Award-nominated performance as Charley Davis, a young prizefighter who would do anything for a shot at the title, including accepting help from a corrupt boxing syndicate.
When he has second thoughts, he battles to regain his self-respect and again climbs into the ring for a memorable climactic fight sequence, made for impressive by cinematographer James Lee Wong, who was pushed around the ring by an assistant on roller skates, thus adding a fluidity to the boxing scenes.
The cast also includes Lillli Palmer, Anne Revere, William Conrad, Hazel Brooks, Joseph Pevney, Lloyd Goff (Gough) and Canada Lee.
Robert Rossen was the director and the screenplay was by Abraham Polonsky. The film received a 92 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
As a side note, many of the cast members and filmmakers were targets of the infamous Hollywood blacklist of the late 1940s and early 1950s, including Garfield Polonsky, Revere, Lee and Gough, all accused of being members or of having ties to the Communist Party. The accusations against most of them were either false or tenuous.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by author-film historian Alan K. Rode is the main extra.
First Love (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, nudity, sexual content, language
The lowdown: William Katt (“Carrie”) and Susan Dey (“The Partridge Family”) star in this romantic drama about the excitement and pangs of young lovers experiencing the “first time.”
Katt’s Elgin is a college student who falls hard for Dey’s Caroline when he sees her own campus.
Elgin is a young man who equates sex with love, which is unlike the rest of the students at the college.
Elgin eventually is able to connect with Caroline and believes he is falling in love with her. He also believes — and hopes — she is slowly coming to love him as well.
What he does not know is that Caroline has another person in her life — a married man old enough to be her father.
After many arguments and reconciliations, Elgin decides to begin getting on with his life.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition,1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extra is a commentary track by Katt and film critic-author Lee Gambin.
Eric Clapton: Standing at the Crossroads (Blu-ray)
Release date: Sept. 10
Details: 2021, Dark Side Releasing-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Eric Clapton is considered by many as one of the most influential guitarists of all time.
In this documentary, originally produced a couple of decades ago, Clapton is interviewed in depth about his life and career.
And it is generously interspersed with excerpts from Clapton’s songs and performances — though mostly from the late 1980s and early ’90s. Still, watching Clapton perform — no matter the era — remains a treat.
The Blu-ray, which also features performers such as Keith Richards and John Mayall, Jack Bruce and The Yardbirds talking about Clapton can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; English Dolby digital stereo.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
The 4:30 Movie (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
All Kinds of Love (One Tree Entertainment)
Another Happy Day (Gravitas Ventures)
Borderline (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Conjuring the Cult (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Deadpool & Wolverine (Marvel Studios)
Lyvia’s House (Stonecutter Media)
Me, Myself & The Void (Echobend Pictures)
My Penguin Friend (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Only Murders in the Building: Season 4, Episode 6 (Hulu)
Treasure Trackers (Level 33 Entertainment)
The Wasp (Shout! Studios)
OCT. 2
American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez: Episode 4 (Hulu)
Bad Monkey: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
Midnight Family: Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
Slow Horses: Season 4, Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Tell Me Lies: Season 2, Episode 6 (Hulu)
Where’s Wanda: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
OCT. 3
Bel-Air: Season 3, Episode 9 (Peacock)
Hold Your Breath (Hulu)
House of Spoils (Prime Video)
Reasonable Doubt: Season 2, Episode 8 (Hulu)
OCT. 4
Curses! (Apple TV+)
How to Die Alone: Episode 7 (Hulu)
La Maison: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
Little Bites (RLJE Films-Shudder)
Pachinko: Season 2, Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
Psychosis (Buffalo 8)
V/H/S/Beyond (Shudder)
Things Will Be Different (Magnet Releasing)
The Wait (Apple TV+-Prime Video-Film Movement)
OCT. 7
Son of a Critch: Season 3 (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Coming next week: Kinds of Kindness
NCIS: Hawai’i: The Final Season
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.