New to View: Nov. 11

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 11, unless otherwise noted:
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2025, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, suggestive material, smoking and thematic elements
The lowdown: I sadly admit that I could not relate this franchise, either as a TV series or its movies. Perhaps it is because I had been a working stiff for more than 40 years.
However, I can appreciate those who embraced the characters and their various challenges.
In “The Grand Finale,” the Crawley family enter the 1930s, with Mary finding herself at the center of a public scandal while the family faces financial difficulties — after all, it was the time of the Great Depression and even the British aristocracy was impacted.
Meanwhile, the entire household must grapple with the threat of social disgrace, which finds the Crawleys embracing change as the staff prepares for a new chapter led by the family’s next generation.
The movie earned a 91 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, French 7.1 Dolby digital plus and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 DVS; French 7.1 Dolby digital plus and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a discussion with cast members and filmmakers on how the changing times helped lay the groundwork for the characters as well as optimism for audiences and fans; a featurette on the London season, a traditional period of prestigious events in British high society; a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to create historical authenticity; a featurette with cast members and filmmakers expressing their heartfelt gratitude for the fans support and love of the franchise; a featurette with star Hugh Bonneville and the cast enjoying a high-tea celebration of the franchise; and a commentary track with director Simon Curtis and actor Elizabeth McGovern.

Freakier Friday (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2025, Buena Vista-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, thematic elements, rude humor, language, suggestive references
The lowdown: Twenty-plus years since Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan exchanged bodies, it has again — except this time more complications ensue.
The family dynamics of Curtis’ Tess and Lohan’s Anna have changed. Anna has a daughter and a soon-to-be stepdaughter.
The movie is driven by the chemistry between Curtis and Lohan. It also is heavy on nostalgia and its fun tone.
However, it is predictable, even with an additional body swap.
The cast also includes Sophia Hammons, Julia Butters, Rosalind Chao and Mark Harmon.
Despite a few shortcomings, the movie did garner a 74 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; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a making of featurette, a discussion with Curtis and Lohan reflecting on their original movie, a look at the hidden nods to the original in its sequel, deleted scenes and a “Baby” lyric video.

“Laurel and Hardy: The Definitive Restorations: Volume 2” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1929-35, Kit Parker Films-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This two-disc set features eight Laurel and Hardy shorts sourced and restored from the original 35mm archival elements.
My bias will show here, as I am big fan of Stan and Ollie, have grown up watching their shorts and feature-length movies on television.
The shorts in this set include “Men O’ War” (1929), in which the boys portray sailors enjoying a day at the park, which devolves into a waterlogged melee; “The Perfect Day” (1929) is one of my favorites. It is a hilarious study in frustration as Stan, Ollie, their wives and gouty Uncle Ed (the great Edgar Kennedy) are trying to go on a Sunday morning picnic, but several obstacles, including their Model T, continually create delays.
“Blotto” (1930) finds bachelor Ollie and henpecked married Stan sneaking out for an evening at a nightclub. Unbeknownst to them, Mrs. Laurel (Anita Garvin), had substituted tea spiked with various spices for the liquor bottle hidden in their home. This, of course, was during Prohibition.
The joy is watching Laurel and Hardy believe they are getting drunk and bursting into spasms of riotous laughter — only to be quickly sobered by the sight of Mrs. Laurel at a nearby table with a shotgun.
“Brats” (1930) is a bonus newly-discovered silent version of the movie in which Laurel and Hardy do double-duty as their adult selves and their small children, with mayhem ensuing in both generations.
In “Another Fine Mess” (1930) Stan and Ollie are vagrants chased by cops. They take refuge in the basement of a mansion whose owner is out of the country. To avoid arrest Ollie is forced to masquerade as the mansion’s owner while Stan must pose as both the butler and the maid.
“Dirty Work” (1933) has the boys as chimney sweeps who must contend with a mad scientist. In “Going Bye-Bye” Stan and Ollie do their civic duty by testifying against vicious criminal Walter Long who threatens to get even with the pair when he escapes from prison.
“Them Thar Hills” (1934) has Stan and Ollie going to the mountains for rest and relaxation in an effort to help cure his gout. Told to drink plenty of water, they stumble upon a well that contains illegal booze, creating some comic moments with Mae Busch and Charlie Hall as fellow campers.
“Tit for Tat” (1935) is a sequel with Busch and Hall owning a grocery store that is next door to Stan and Ollie’s new electrical supply store. Of course, the antagonism from the first short carries over here.
Overall, the restorations on these shorts are very good with only a few minor missteps because of the age of the source materials.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.32:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include commentary tracks on the shorts; “Galaxy of Stars,” a 1936 promotional MGM film that includes Laurel and Hardy; a 1952 interview with Laurel and Hardy aboard the Queen Mary; a 1954 episode of “This Is Your Life” with Laurel and Hardy”; an early 1960s interview with Hal Roach; and an informative booklet with background information on the set.

The Master of Ballantrae (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 28
Details: 1953, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
The lowdown: Errol Flynn was past his swashbuckling prime when he starred in this starred in this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story of gallantry.
Flynn portrays Jamie Durisdeer who leaves Ballantrae Castle to fight with Bonnie Prince Charles, while his brother stays behind to appease the British to save the family’s estate.
After the Scottish army is defeated, Durisdeer and his new friend, Irish mercenary Col. Francis Burke (Roger Livesay), return to Durisdeer’s home, where he is betrayed by his brother and makes a narrow escape.
The wounded Durisdeer is taken by Burke aboard a ship they believe headed to France, but instead they are sailing for the Caribbean.
The revenge-fueled Durisdeer rises in the ranks of the pirate crew, later returning home to settle accounts with his brother.
Flynn, at 44, looks older than his years. He life of carousing has taken its toll, but the actor still shows some sparks of his younger self.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (26×9 enhanced) with side mattes; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Two classic cartoons, “Bully for Bugs” and “Plop Goes the Weasel,” comprise the extras.

The Mask (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1994, Arrow Video
Rated: PG-13, action comedy, violence, language
The lowdown: Jim Carrey was appearing in the sketch comedy series “In Living Color” and had just concluded filming “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” when he was cast as hapless bank teller Stanley Ipkiss in this superhero slapstick film based on a concept in Dark Horse Comics.
In the bank, Ipkiss meets Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz, in her movie debut), a singer at the Coco Bongo nightclub.
After Ipkiss’ loaner car breaks down on a harbor’s bridge, he attempts a water rescue of what he believes is a person. Instead, he finds a wooden mask. Returning to his apartment, he dons the mask, transforming into a green-faced trickster known as “The Mask,” who can alter himself and his surroundings at will.
Stanley then goes on a comical rampage, getting even with his tormentors — including his landlady and the mechanics who gave him the faulty car.
The movie, which garnered an 80 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is driven by Carrey’s maniacal performance.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an archival commentary track with director Chuck Russell; another wit Russell, New Line co-chairman Bob Shaye, screenwriter Mike Werb, associate producer Mike Richardson, producer Bob Engelman ILM VFX supervisor Scott Squires, animation supervisor Tom Bertino and cinematographer John R. Leonetti; new interviews with Russell, Richardson, Werb, story writer Mark Verheiden, Squires, editor Arthur Corbin, cast member Amy Yasbeck and choreographer Jerry Evans (with rehearsal footage); a video essay on Milo the dog; archival featurettes including an introduction to Diaz, one centering on cartoon logic, a “What Makes Fido Run” and a making of look at the movie; deleted scenes; and a collector’s booklet.

7 Sins (DVD)
Details: 2020, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A horror anthology that reimagines the seven deadly sins through the unorthodox visions of some of cinema’s boldest underground filmmakers.
The movie may upset you with its tales of gore, depravity, shock and sorrow.
Each short is named after a sin: “Anger” focuses on a jogger who barely contained rage explodes. “Envy” follows a couple lured into a tragic erotic encounter. “Sloth” deals with self-harm. “Pride” looks at religious repression and fractured identity. “Lust” examines a disturbing A.I. relationship. “Gluttony” explores the influence of grindhouse cannibal movies. Finally, “Greed” is a disturbing tale of sex work, debit and damnation.
The movie, overall, is a shocking meditation on why, as people, we fail.
Technical aspects: 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital.

Prisoner of War (Blu-ray)
Details: 2025, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: R, strong violence, language
The lowdown: Well-known martial artist Scott Adkins stars in this World War II drama as British SAS officer James Wright who is captured by the Japanese and held in a Philippine POW camp.
Before the prisoners begin the infamous Bataan Death March, Wright and his fellow POWs are forced to compete in brutal death matches for the entertainment of their Japanese captors.
Adkins is the linchpin that holds the movie together, giving a solid performance with excellent physicality.
Surprise, the movie is not very historically accurate, but thankfully, it also is not politically correct.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and French subtitles.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Caught Stealing (Blu-ray & DVD) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Luc Besson 9-Movie Collection (1983-2005) (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
SuperClaus (DVD & digital) (Radial Entertainment-Shout! Studios)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
300 Letters (Cinephobia Releasing)
All’s Fair: Episode 4 (Hulu)
Beyond the Gaze: Julie Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue (Tribeca Films)
Chad Powers: Episode 8 (Hulu)
Deathstalker (Radial Entertainment-Shout! Studios)
Loosey (Headliners Productions)
Out of the Nest (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Sex Diva (Diva Futura) (Breaking Glass Pictures)
The Siege of Ape Canyon (Small Town Monsters)
Strangers in a Car Park (One Tree Entertainment)
Under the Stars (Aura Entertainment)
Wired for Chaos (Lightyear Entertainment)

NOV. 12
A Merry Little Ex-Mas (Netflix)
Down Cemetery Road: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
Freakier Friday (Disney+)
Loot: Season 3, Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
The Morning Show: Season 4, Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
Murdaugh: Death in the Family: Episode 7 (Hulu)
Palm Royale: Season 2, Episode 1 (Apple TV+)
Playdate (Prime Video)

NOV. 13
A Life’s Worth: Episode 4 (Viaplay)
Holy Cow (Kino Film Collection)
Last Samurai Standing (Netflix)
Meaning of Life: Season 2, Episodes 5-8 (Viaplay)
Reasonable Doubt: Season 3, Episode 10 (Hulu)
The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives: Season 3 (Hulu)

NOV. 14
Are We Good? (Utopia)
Bull Run (Vertical Entertainment)
Bunny (Vertical Entertainment)
Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple TV+)
Heaven (Lightyear Entertainment)
In Your Dreams (Netflix)
The Last Frontier: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
LEGO Marvel Avengers: Strange Tails (Disney+)
Murder at the Embassy (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The Night Belongs to Lovers (Film Movement+)
The Nipple Talk: Episode 2 (Film Movement+)
Nouvelle Vogue (Netflix)
The Old Man and the Land (Film Movement+)
The Perfect Gamble (Saban Films)
Pluribus: Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
Tatsumi (Omnibus Entertainment)

NOV. 17
American Skyjacker (Pegalo Pictures)

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, on Facebook at ReelBob and on Bluesky at @bobbloom1948@bsky.social or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.