New to View: July 29

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, July 29, unless otherwise noted:
Thunderbolts*: *The New Avengers (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2025, Marvel Studios
Rated: PG-13, violence, language thematic elements, suggestive material, drug references
The lowdown: Marvel introduces a new, and rather unconventional, team of antiheroes brought together by the wily Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to undertake a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest pieces of their pasts.
This group — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, John Walker and Bob — can either tear themselves apart or work together to find redemption.
Bob, it seems, was one of Fontaine’s volunteer in her Sentry program. Now his destructive alter ego, Void, is creating havoc must be stopped as he is engulfing New York City in supernatural darkness.
The movie earned a respectable 88 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
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 options include deleted scenes, a featurette on assembling the team, a look at the movie’s various locations, a behind-the-scenes look at Lewis Pullman who portrays, Bob, Sentry and The Void, a gag reel and a commentary track with director Jake Schreier.

The Phoenician Scheme (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2025, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, violence, bloody images, sexual material, nude images, smoking
The lowdown: Wes Anderson’s latest is a byzantine black comedy starring Benicio del Toro as arms dealer and industrialist Anatole “Zsa-zsa” Korda who, after surviving an assassination attempt, has a revelation and is determined to mend his ways.
His first step is repairing his relationship with his daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), whom he sent to a convent when she was 5. He asks her to leave the church and take over his business.
Korda is a wanted man around the world, and governments want to stop his unethical business practices, His latest scheme is a risky proposition to overhaul the infrastructure of Phoenicia using slave labor.
Excalibur, a government agent, devise to drive up the price of building materials in an attempt to bankrupt Korda.
In the end, all of Korda’s personal and business challenges are settled and he gains contentment.
The all-star ensemble features Michael Cena as Bjørn, Korda’s assistant, as well as Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amarlic, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe and F. Murray Abraham.
The film earned a 78 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.47:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.47:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DVS and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette that looks at the cast, the airplane, the character Marseille Bob’s nightclub and Zsa-zsa’s world.

Algiers: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1938, Film Masters Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Charles Boyer and, in her American film debut, Hedy Lamarr star in this exotic romantic drama set in the Casbah section of Algiers.
Boyer portrays Pepe le Moko an infamous thief who, after his last big heist, escaped from France to Algeria, where he hides out in the Casbah, becoming the de facto leader in the “native quarter” of the city.
French authorities, who have arrived to arrest Pepe, are met with unfazed local law enforcement, led by Joseph Calleia’s Inspector Slimane, who are taking a slower approach to apprehend the criminal.
As time passes, Pepe is beginning to feel more and more trapped in his stronghold, especially after he meets the beautiful Gaby (Lamarr), a French tourist.
“Algiers” soon becomes more of a love triangle story with Ines (Sigrid Gurie), Pepe’s Algerian mistress, becoming jealous of his infatuation with and love for Gaby.
The movie is a virtual shot-by-shot remake of the 1937 French film, “Pepe le Moko,” that starred Jean Gabin.
Boyer was not happy with the “Algiers” because of the manner in which it was filmed as well as Lamarr’s lack of acting experience.
Boyer’s character, though, was the inspiration for the Warner Bros. cartoon character, Pepe le Pew.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track by film historians Karie Bible and Roy Windham.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman: The Complete Collection (DVD)
Release date: May 13
Details: 1959-60, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: As a youngster I enjoyed “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends” because of some of the other segments included in the show. I really looked forward to two of them — “Fractured Fairy Tales,” which was narrated by the comic character actor Edward Everett Horton, and “Mr. Peabody’s Improbable History,” in which Mr. Peabody, the world’s smartest dog, and his boy, Sherman, traveled through time fixing errors in history.
The DVD features all 91 episodes, and over the course of those segments, Mr. Peabody and Sherman interacted with such historical figures as Ben Franklin, the Wright Brothers, Annie Oakley, Marco Polo, Richard the Lionhearted, William Tecumseh Sherman, Confucius, Paul Revere, Kit Carson, Christopher Columbus, Jim Bowie, Napoleon, Henry the Eighth and Cleopatra.
The pair traveled in Peabody’s invention, the WABAC machine, to get a closer view of history. The seven-plus hours of episodes are witty and even a bit educational.
The DVD can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital monaural.

Little Buddha (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: July 22
Details: 1993, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci (“The Last Emperor”) directed this earnest movie about Tibetan monks from a monastery in Bhutan undertaking a search for a child who is the rebirth of a great Buddhist teacher, Lama Dorje.
The monks, led by Lama Norbu, believe they have found a candidate in Seattle, a young boy named Jesse Conrad. The monks come to visit Jesse, who is fascinated by them.
But his parents Dean, an architect, and Lisa, a teacher, are conflicted as Norbu wants to take Jesse back with him to Bhutan to be tested.
After one of his close friends commits suicide, Dean has a change of heart and decides to travel to Bhutan with his son. In Nepal, they find two other children, Raju and Gita, who also are candidates.
The film then shifts to centuries before when in Lumbini, Nepal, a prince called Siddhartha forsakes his comfortable and protected life, beginning a journey to solve the dilemma of universal suffering.
As he progresses, he learns truths about the nature of life, consciousness and reality. He ultimately battles a Mara, a demon representing the go. Siddhartha finally succeeds in realizing the illusionary nature of his own ego, thus attaining enlightenment and becoming the Buddha.
Returning to the present, it is discovered that all three children are rebirths of Lama Dorje. Lama Norbu, seeing his work completed, dies. Later, the children distribute his ashes.
The film is slowly paced, but interesting, earning a 64 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The cast features Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha, Chris Isaak as Dean, Bridget Fonda as Lisa and Alex Wiesendanger as Jesse.
The disc features Bertolucci’s 140-minute international cut of the movie, which preserves the director’s original vision of the film.
Technical aspects: 4K; 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.00:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.00:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary by film critic Bilge Ebiri on both discs and, on the Blu-ray disc, an archival interviews with Bertolucci and producer Jeremy Thomas and an archival making of documentary.

The Blood of Fu Manchu (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
The Castle of Fu Manchu (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1968, 1969, Blue Underground
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Sax Rohmer’s Dr. Fu Manchu made his debut in a 1913 novel. Since then, the character has appeared in many films, on television radio, in comic books and comic strips.
Fu Manchu made his screen debut in a 1923 British film; his first appearance in an American film was 1929’s The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu, in which he was portrayed by future Charlie Chan Warner Oland, who also played Fu Manchu in “The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu” (1930) and “Daughter of the Dragon” (1931).
Others who have portrayed Fu Manchu include Boris Karloff, Henry Brandon, Peter Sellers and, most fittingly, Christopher Lee, who has portrayed other fiendish characters such as Dracula, the Mummy and Frankenstein’s creature.
Lee portrayed Fu Manchu five times; the two movies here are the last two in which he starred.
“The Blood of Fu Manchu” finds Fu and his daughter, Lin Tang, in a hidden lair deep within the South American jungle.
There, they have developed a very potent ancient poison, with which they infect 10 women.
The poison is so powerful that one kiss brings instant death and will lead to a global plague.
Fu Manchu’s longtime nemesis, Sir Nayland Smith (played by Richard Greene) must discover an antidote and stop the doctor’s mad quest to rule the world.
The film costars Shirley Eaton (“Goldfinger”) and Maria Rohm (“Venus in Furs”). Jesse Franco was the director of the movie, which is restored from the original camera negative, complete with additional scenes of nudity and violence.
In “The Castle of Fu Manchu,” the super-villain, along with his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (now played by Tsai Chin), creates a fiendish new chemical that will turn the seas into a giant block of ice.
Again, Smith (again played by Greene) sets out to thwart his arch-enemy but is himself trapped.
Franco again directs as well as playing a secret agent trying to help Smith.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Both sets contain commentary tracks by film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, as well as interviews with Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, Lee, Chin and Stephen Thrower, author of “Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco.” An interview with Eaton also is included with “The Blood of Fu Manchu.” Both sets also include RiffTrax editions of the movies.

Billy Madison (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1995, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG-13, language, crude humor
The lowdown: Adam Sandler portrays Billy Madison, heir to the Madison Hotel millions. He’s an overgrown child whose two passions are booze and women.
His life has been a 10-year-old party since leaving high school, much to the chagrin of his father, Brian Madison (Darren McGavin). Brian tells his worthless son that he plans to turn over his Fortune 500 company to vice president (and weasel) Eric Gordon (Bradley Whitford).
To prevent that and gain his father’s respect, Billy makes the bet of his life; he will go back to school — grades 1 through 12 in 24 weeks. The results, of course, are funny, as Billy works to save the family fortune, thwart Gordon and win the love of his teacher, Veronica Vaughn (Bridgette Wilson).
The movie also features Chris Farley, Steve Buscemi and Norm Macdonald.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include commentary tracks on both discs by author-filmmaker Bryan Connolly and “Billy Gilmore Podcast” host Wilson Smith as well as one by the film’s director Tamra Davis. The Blu-ray disc also features outtakes and deleted scenes.

The Trouble with Jessica (DVD)
Release date: July 22
Details: 2023, Music Box Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A black comedy about a couple, Sarah (Shirley Henderson) and Tom (Alan Tyduk), who, on the brink of losing everything, has finally, at the last minute, found a rich buyer for their stylish London home.
Sarah and Tom are having a send-off dinner with old friends Richard (Rufus Sewell) and Beth (Olivia Williams).
The pair bring along a surprise guest, the group’s complicated school friend Jessica (Indira Varma).
Things go well until a seemingly trivial argument at dinner. Soon after, Jessica excuses herself only to be found minutes later having hung herself in the back garden.
Talk about a deal breaker!
With the home sale in jeopardy, the group must work together to resolve this fatal inconvenience as secrets are revealed and past grievances see the light of day.
The film offers some unexpected twists and surprises that will keep you interested.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at the production.

Hiding Out (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1987, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG-13, language, violence
The lowdown: It’s back to high school for Jon Cryer in this comedy about a young stockbroker, Andrew Morenski (Cryer), who has been selling fake bonds for the mob.
When his mob contact is put on trial, the gangsters, wanting to eliminate all loose ends, send goons to kill Morenski.
With hit men on his trail, Morenski changes his name to Max Hauser, gets a new punk haircut and hides out in a high school.
Unfortunately, Max cannot keep a low profile — the sensible thing to do — as he takes his most obnoxious teachers to task, and quickly becomes the toast of the school. He even lands a beautiful girlfriend, Ryan Campbell (Annabeth Gish), and is elected class president.
Soon, a hit man discovers the subterfuge and all heck breaks loose for Andrew/Max and the high school.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include commentary tracks on both discs with director Bob Giraldi, moderated by Black Mansions Film producer Heather Buckley, a second with film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson and a third with film historian Jarret Gohan. The Blu-ray disc includes interviews with Cryer and Gish.

Melinda (Blu-ray)
Details: 1972, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: This Blaxploitation feature is notable for the debut of future “Enter the Dragon” costar Jim Kelly.
The story centers of the murder of Melinda Lewis (Vonetta McGee), whose body is found in the Los Angeles apartment of smooth-talking disc jockey Frankie J. Parker (Calvin Lockhart), who turns detective to clear his name and find the real killer.
It seems every junkie, dealer and thug in Los Angeles is chasing Parker, who soon learns that Melinda was the ex-mistress of a Chicago mobster and had evidence the gangster wants back.
Lockhart gets help from a jealous former girlfriend, played by Rosalind Cash, and a karate master from the neighborhood, played by Kelly.
Lockhart starts searching for the mob boss to clear himself and avenge Melinda.
The Blu-ray can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.

Curdled (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1996, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, violence, gore, language
The lowdown: A comic thriller starring William Baldwin as a seductive mass murderer who meets his match when he chances upon Gabriela (Angela Jones), assigned to clean up one of his crime scenes.
When the killer discovers Gabriela has found a crucial piece of evidence linking him to the killing, he begins to pursue her.
He soon learns that Gabriela shares his ominous interest with murder. “Curdled” features unexpected twists, solid performances and a shocking finale.
The supporting cast includes Lois Chiles, Barry Corbin and Kelly Preston, all under the direction of Red Braddock.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include commentary tracks on both discs by Jones, Braddock and co-writer John Maass; one by film historian-author Dwayne Epstein; and a 2004 commentary with Braddock and Maass. The Blu-ray disc includes a new interview with Jones, an introduction and final words by executive producer Quentin Tarantino, a behind-the-scenes featurette, two short-film versions of “Curdled,” deleted scenes, television playback pieces and Danza Macabra rehearsals.

The Tundra Within Me (DVD)
Details: 2023, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Lena, a young woman who has lived in Oslo for many years, moves back to Sapmi in northern Norway with her young son to explore the women of her native Sami culture in an art project.
While doing her research, Lena falls in love with Mahtte, a reindeer herder, whose mother disapproves of the relationship.
As decisions she made in the past return to haunt her, Lena struggles to discover whether their different lifestyles can ever be compatible.
The movie is an exploration of love, heritage and resilience. Director Sara Margrethe Oskal’s movie gives us a view of a culture that we know little about.
Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; Sami, Norwegian 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.

Mondo Keyhole: The Psychotronica Collection #2 (Blu-ray)
Details: 1966, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This is the second release in VCI’s new Psychotronica Collection of films.
The movie centers on a serial rapist in Los Angeles who loves his attacks on women, but you have to decide whether they are real or merely fantasies of a disturbed mind.
Meanwhile the rapist’s heroin-using wife, try as she might, cannot get him into bed for sex.
The movie, which features some S&M fantasies, was written by Jack Hill, who also co-directed with John Lamb. The cast is headed by Nick Moriarty and Adele Rein.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental features include a new commentary track with film historian, podcaster and artist Rob Kelly and an archival commentary with Hill and Elijah Drenner

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Angel’s Tide (Crazed House Entertainment)
The Life of Chuck (Neon)
Pet Investigators (Shout! Studios-Shout! Kids)

JULY 30
Acapulco: Season 4, Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
The Buccaneers: Season 2, Episode 7 (Apple TV+)

JULY 31
Hussy (Kino Film Collection)

AUG. 1
An Open Door: Temple Grandin (Good Deed Entertainment)
The Bad Visitor 2 (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Battle Rap in the Trenches 2 (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Chief of War: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
Delegation (Greenwich Entertainment)
Foundation: Season 3, Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
The Lizzie Borden Game (Breaking Glass Pictures)
River of Blood (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Rude in Love (Film Movement Plus)
Smoke: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
Stillwater: Season 4 (Apple TV+)

AUG. 4
King of the Hill: Season 14 (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 X @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.