New to View: Oct. 22

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Oct. 22, unless otherwise noted:
Deadpool & Wolverine (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2024, Disney-Buena Vista-Marvel Studios
Rated: R, graphic and bloody violence, gore, strong language, sexual references
The lowdown: Wade Williams has put Deadpool behind him, but the always-jabbering and potty-mouthed superhero returns in this Marvel feature that again involves the now-familiar Time Variance Authority.
This time, Deadpool is called upon to save his universe, and to do so, he recruits another superhero — a variant of Wolverine.
Together this superhero odd couple must learn how to work together to prevent TVA official Mr. Paradox from using a new, diabolical machine to instantly erase all those Deadpool loves.
The movie is an irreverent action romp that is a fun-filled, bloody affair filled with Deadpool’s habit of breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience, a bunch of cameos by Marvel heroes from the past and a few other surprises.
The 128-minute feature flies by with very few dead spots. The chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman is infectious and droll. The cast also includes Matthew Macfadyen, Emma Corrin, Dafne Keen, Morena Baccarin, Jon Favreau, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum and Chris Evans.
The film, which received a 78 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, was directed by Shawn Levy and features a vibrant retro soundtrack, with music by Madonna, NSYNC, Avril Lavigne, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, Merilee Rush, The Goo Goo Dolls and the Platters.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include deleted scenes, a gag reel, a breakdown of the first fight in which Deadpool and Wolverine finally unite, a tribute to the late production designer Ray Chan, a featurette on the many cameos featured in the movie, a talk with Jackman who describes his return as Wolverine and his wearing of the iconic yellow-and-blue suit, a commentary track with Levy and Reynolds and another series of short “Fun Sacks.”

Twisters: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2024, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, intense action and danger, language, injury images
The lowdown: “Twisters” is not so much a sequel, but a reimagining of the 1996 blockbuster that starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as storm chasers who want to test new technology that may allow them to measure and predict tornadoes.
In this outing, directed by Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”), Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell star as rival storm chasers.
Edgar-Jones’ Kate, who stepped away years earlier because of a tragedy, is lured back into the field by her friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos).
Powell’s Tyler is a social media celebrity; a daredevil charmer who chases tornadoes and takes risks to gain clicks.
Kate and Tyler must eventually work together as storm season intensifies and a terrifying new phenomena threatens the residents of Oklahoma.
The movie’s production values, most notably the sound design, adds to the enjoyment and, depending on your home entertainment system, may make you grip your chair tighter and hold on.
Maura Tierney, Brandon Perea, Sasha Lane, Harry Haddon-Paton play supporting role in the film, which garnered a 75 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DVS, French 7.1 Dolby digital plus and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a featurette tracking the path of “Twisters” from its inception to production; a look at the use of practical and visual effects to create thrills, an on-set tour with Powell, a featurette with cast members and professional storm chasers track tornadoes in Oklahoma, a featurette on the custom vehicles used in the film and a commentary track with Chung.

Thanksgiving: Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: Oct. 15
Details: 2023, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, strong, bloody horror violence & gore, language, sexual material
The lowdown: So, we’ve had slasher films set during Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, April Fool’s Day and New Year’s Eve.
So why should Thanksgiving not get in on the ferocious fun. “Thanksgiving” centers on killings that begin a year after a Black Friday riot at a Plymouth, Massachusetts, store that killed a couple of people.
The killer, dubbed “John Carver,” kills several people involved with the deadly riot until his identity is revealed and hie is supposedly killed — for now.
The movie, directed by Eli Roth, earned an 84 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
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: Bonus materials include behind-the-scenes featurettes on the 4K disc and, on the Blu-ray disc, deleted and extended scenes, outtakes, a “Massachusetts Movies: Eli & Jeff’s Early Films” featurette, a behind-the-screams featurette, a commentary track with Eli Roth and Jeff Rendell and a gore galore featurette.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1920, Kino Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This silent classic from Germany is one of the most influential movies in cinematic history.
This 1920 post-World War I feature impacted filmgoers in around the world and propelled the German Expressionist film movement into history — inspiring filmmakers in Germany and other nations for years to come.
The nightmarish production was designed for the use of light, shadow and substances that were abstracted in its story of a demented doctor and a carnival sleepwalker who carry out a series of killings in a small community.
The movie’s 4K restoration was provided by the F.W. Murnau Stiftung, providing a new score by five-time Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal.
The movie stars Conrad Veidt, who fled Germany in the 1930s and was featured in villainous roles in such classic movies as “Casablanca” and “The Thief of Bagdad,” as the sleepwalking Cesare.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; German intertitles with optional English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; German intertitles with optional English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental features include a 2014 score on both discs; music by Paul D. Miller aka Dr. Spooky on the Blu-ray; a “Caligari: How Horror Came to the Cinema” featurette on the Blu-ray; a commentary by Beal on both discs; and an audio description for the vision impaired on both discs.

Cuckoo (Blu-ray)
Details: 2024, Decal Releasing
Rated: R, violence, bloody images, language, brief drug use
The lowdown: A horror-thriller in which 17-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) leaves the United States to live with her father, Luis (Marton Csokas), who has moved to the German Alps with his new family.
Shortly after her arrival, strange events unfold, including the disturbing interest of Luis’s boss, Herr König (Dan Stevens), who seems to take a strange interest in Gretchen’s half-sister, Alma (Mila Lieu), who is mute.
As the movie progresses, things get stranger and stranger, including several female guests vomiting and Alma suffering seizures triggered by a reverberating shriek.
Also in play is a mysterious hooded woman. It turns out the mystery woman is a member of a near-human species that relies on brood parasitism to survive. It also turns out that Alma is one of them.
Eventually, everything is sorted out and Gretchen and Alma flee the resort.
The movie, written and directed by Tilman Singer, earned a 77 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 English descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include  making of featurette and video diaries featurettes, on-set interviews with Schafer, costume designer Frauke Firl and production designer Dario Mendez Acosta and deleted scenes.

The Hitcher (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1986, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, graphic violence, grisly images, language
The lowdown: “Hitcher” is definitely the movie that will dissuade you from ever picking up hitchhikers.
Rutger Hauer (“Blade Runner”) is memorable as John Ryder, a hitchhiker given a ride by Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell), an unsuspecting good Samaritan, who is delivering a car from Chicago to San Diego.
Trouble begins almost immediately when Ryder threatens Jim with a switchblade and, for the next 90-plus minutes makes his life a living hell. Ryder kills several people, causes accidents and manages to implicate Jim as the killer.
It is interesting that Ryder is not given a back story — he is simply evil personified.
The cast, which also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh Jeffrey DeMunn, is a tension-filled ride, directed by Robert Harmon, that will have you checking your rearview mirror while on the road.
The film, which can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers, earned a respectable 65 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo surround; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with Harmon and writer Eric Red and an interview with Harmon.

Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment: Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1987-66, Arrow Video
Rated: R, graphic violence
The lowdown: A four-disc set featuring “Hellraiser” (1987) and its three sequels, “Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), “Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth” (1992) and “Hellraiser IV: Bloodline” (1996).
Like a majority of horror franchises, the movies began going downhill after the initial feature.
The series did, though, introduce a new frightening villain, Pinhead, who was the character who united the movies.
“Hellraiser,” based on a story by horror master Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed, centers on Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman), an immoral pervert always on the lookout for new thrills and experiences.
When he gains possession of a small, carved wooden cube, all hell breaks loose.
Opening the box, unleashes Pinhead and his Cenobites, unpleasant creatures from a parallel dimension who basically tear Frank apart.
Later, for reasons unknown, Frank’s brother, Larry (Andrew Robinson), his wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), and daughter, Kristy (Ashley Laurence), move into Frank’s house. When Larry cuts his hand and blood seeps beneath the floorboard, it begins Frank’s resurrection.
Frank, of course, is upset that Julia has hooked up with Larry. He firmly persuades her to bring him victims to help him return to normal.
The film is gruesome and open-ended leaving opportunities for its sequels. It did, however, earn a 70 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
“Hellbound: Hellraiser II” features the return of Julia, Kristy, Frank and Pinhead. A new character is Doctor Channard (Kenneth Cranham) who is treating Kristy., Unknown to the young woman, Channard for years has been searching for a door to Hell. Why? Well, we all need hobbies.
Anyway, the story is somewhat muddled but does go into more detail about the origins of the Cenobites. Kristy, Julia and Channard all take a trip to Hell; Kristy to rescue her father, the other two just for the hell of it. The movie received a 53 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
In “Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth,” Pinhead takes center stage. We learn his backstory — he used to be a British air force pilot — and how his soul is sealed in a column along with the puzzle cube.
To escape, Pinhead influences a playboy who bought the column for decoration in his nightclub, to lure victims near the column so he can obtain their blood.
Later, the newly freed Pinhead seeks to destroy the cube so he does not have to return to Hell. He is thwarted by a female journalist thus another sequel is planted. This movie continues the series downhill slide, earning a 38 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
We finally arrive at “Hellraiser IV” Bloodline,” in which an ancestor of the man who created the cube that opens the portal seeks to destroy it.
Part of the movie takes place on a space station in 2127, where Dr. Merchant, the descendant of the cube’s creator, wants to close the gates to Hell forever. The movie also details how Merchant’s ancestors tried to destroy the cube but failed. This film earned a paltry 25 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a 200-page hardback book with writing by Barker archivists Phil and Sarah Stokes; commentary tracks on all four movies by genre historian and “Hellraiser” unit publicist Stephen Jones and author-film critic Kim Newman; a commentary track with Barker; another with Barker and Laurence, moderated by Peter Atkins; a 60-minute discussion about “Hellraiser” and the work of Barker; an “Unboxing Hellraiser” visual essay that celebrates the Lament Configuration; a discussion celebrating the queerness of “Hellraiser” and the importance of Barker as a gay writer; a visual essay that looks at body horror in Barker’s work; newly discovered interviews with Barker, Robinson, Higgins, Laurence and effects artist Bob Keen; archival interviews with Chapman and Bradley; a featurette on the abandoned score by the group Coil; draft screenplays; a 1987 electronic press kit; interviews on “Hellbound” with director Tony Randel, writer Peter Atkins and Laurence; a commentary with Randel and Atkins; an appreciation about the movie, the franchise and the work of Barker; an appreciation of composer Christopher Young’s scores for the first two movies; an archival on-set interview with Barker; behind-the-scenes footage and on-set cast and crew interviews for “Hellbound”; interviews with Chapman and Bradley about the return of their characters; archival interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others; an alternate unrated version of “Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth”; an archival commentary track with Atkins; a second archival commentary with director Anthony Hickox and Bradley;  archival interviews with actor Paula Marshall, Hickox and Bradley; a commentary on “Hellraiser IV” with Atkins joining Jones and Newman; a featurette exploring the Cenobites connection to goth, fetish cultures and BDSM; a newly discovered workprint of the movie with insights how it was changed in post-production; an archival documentary on the evolution of the series and its legacy; an Easter egg; and an appreciation of the literary works of Barker.

Broken Oath: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Eureka Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Martial arts icon Angela Mao stars in this action-packed feature about as angry and aggressive young orphan raised as a Buddhist in a Shaolin temple after her mother dies giving birth to her in prison.
Because she is so consumed with rage, the monks expel her from the temple. Mao’s Lotus Lin decides to exact revenge on the four men who killed her father and sent her mother to jail.
The revenge story is nothing out of the ordinary, but Mao’s kung fu skills are the true star here. She also uses scorpion venom to help eliminate her enemies.
The movie is one of her best and will please her fans as well as those who enjoy martial arts features.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include two commentary tracks, one with East Asian film expert Frank Djeng, the other with action film experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema; an interview with actor Bruce Leung; a new appreciation by film writer Patrick Macias; and a booklet about the movie.

The Beast Within (Blu-ray)
Details: 2024, Well Go USA
Rated: R, violent content, language
The lowdown: Kit Harrington (“Game of Thrones”) heads the cast in this supernatural feature about Willow (Caolinn Springall), a 10-year-old girl who, after a series of strange events, begins to question her family’s isolated life in a fortified compound.
Her curiosity swells to the point that one night she follows her parents on one of their secret journeys into the deep forest, where she witnesses her father’s transformation into a werewolf.
The film, told from Willow’s perspective, is filled with metaphors and symbolism that lift it above the usual run-of-the-mill creature feature.
The cast also includes Harrington’s “Game of Throne” cast mate James Cosmo as well as Ashleigh Cummings.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.

Creature with the Blue Hand / Web of the Spider: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1967, 1970, Film Masters
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A double feature spotlighting two European films starring Klaus Kinski.
In “Creature with the Blue Hand,” based on a novel by Edgar Wallace, Kinski portrays an escaped mental patient who may be responsible for a series of killings.
Kinski has a dual role as identical twins, which was re-edited with additional sequences and re-released as “The Bloody Dead,” which also is included in this two-disc set.
Fans of Kinski will enjoy his turn in this mystery-thriller in which a killer uses an iron blue hand with retractable knives to kill his victims.
In “Web of the Spider” (1970), Kinski portrays Edgar Allan Poe in this haunted house thriller that features Anthony Franciosa.
Franciosa portrays journalist Alan Foster who is assured by Poe that all his horror stories are not fantasy. To prove his point, Poe challenges Foster to spend All Soul’s Eve at the mansion of Lord Thomas Blackwood. Foster is warned that no one who has accepted the challenge has ever returned.
Foster soon learns that he is not alone, as the mansion is filled with strange people, including Blackwood’s sister, her lover, a murderer and a doctor who writes book about metaphysical medicine.
To his dismay, Foster learns his companions are not who they seem to be. His escape proves unsuccessful thus Poe wins the wager.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture (“Creature with the Blue Hand”) and 2.35:1 widescreen picture (“Web of the Spider”); English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural and 2.0 Dolby digital monaural; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include an archival commentary track on “The Bloody Dead” with producer-director Sam Sherman; commentaries on “Creature” and “Web” with authors and film historians Stephen Jones and Kim Newman; two documentaries from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures — “A Man of Mystery: Inside the World of Edgar Wallace” and “Klaus Krimis: Inside the Rialto Film Adaptations”; and a booklet with essays about the movies.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Borderlands (4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray & DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Despiser (Blu-ray) (Visual Vengeance-Wild Eye Releasing)
Eldritch USA (Blu-ray & DVD) (One Tree Entertainment)
Kung Fu Rascals (Blu-ray) (Visual Vengeance-Wild Eye Releasing)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Alien Country (Apple TV+ & Prime Video)
Classified (Saban Films-Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
DAAAAAALI! (Music Box Films)
Food and Country (Greenwich Entertainment)
Fright (Kino Lorber)
Ghost Game (Dread)
Only Murders in the Building: Season 4, Episode 9 (Hulu)
OCT. 23
American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez: Episode 7 (Hulu)
Midnight Family: Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Shrinking: Season 2, Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
Where’s Wanda: Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
OCT. 24
Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (Kino Film Collection)
The Golem (Kino Film Collection)
Secrets (Viaplay)
OCT. 25
All You Need Is Blood (Level 33 Entertainment)
Before: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
Cracked (Film Movement Plus)
Con Job (Amazon)
Disclaimer: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
Frankie Freako (Shout! Studios)
Hangdog (Good Deed Entertainment)
La Maison: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (Disney+ & Hulu)
Scarygirl (Shout! Studios)
Seire (Film Movement Plus)
OCT. 28
The House From … (Amazon Prime)

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.