New to View: Nov. 25
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 25, unless otherwise noted:
The Roses (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2025, Searchlight Pictures
Rated: R, language, sexual content, drug content
The lowdown: Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star in this reimagining of 1989’s “The War of the Roses.” They portray Theo and Ivy Rose, who seem to be the perfect couple. They have successful careers, a loving marriage and great kids.
Beneath that façade, however, a conflict is brewing. Theo’s career is declining, while Ivy’s ambitions are ascending. This ignites a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment.
Much of the fun in this dark comedy is watching Colman and Cumberbatch exchange taunts and insults, even though at times they are ill-served by a script that goes overboard.
A droll sense of British humor permeates the proceedings in this Jay Roach-directed movie.
The supporting cast includes Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon and Allison Janney.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 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 a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Roses’ home, featurettes with cast members discussing the making of the movie and the comedic talent who bring the film’s sharp dialogue to life and series of bloopers.
The Island Closest to Heaven (Blu-ray)
Details: 1984, Cult Epics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Bookish teen-ager Mari (Tomoyo Harada) acts to fulfill her late father’s dream by going to “the island closest to heaven,” the archipelago of New Caledonia.
She visits its indigo waters in search of the mythic locale her father told her about so often.
Taking in the site of the island, Mari journeys off the beaten path. She befriends a host of friendly local residents, including Taro (Ryoichi Takayanagi), to Yuichi, a footloose tour guide.
During her time on the island, Mari learns more about herself and about life. In the end, Mari begins to truly understand where the real island closest to heaven can be found.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 2.0 LPCM monaural and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track by film critic Derek Smith, a visual essay about director Nobuhiko Obayashi and executive producer Haruki Kadokawa, a featurette about Harada and a making of featurette.
Riefenstahl (Blu-ray)
Release date: Nov. 18
Details: 2024, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s legacy is a complex one. Because of her films, “Triumph of the Will” and “Olympia,” she is a considered a Nazi propagandist because of the fascist aesthetics in her movies — perfectly-staged body worship and the celebration of all that is “superior” and victorious, while projecting contempt for the imperfect and weak.
Riefenstahl first broke into the German film industry as an actress. After World War II she spent decades denying any association with Nazi ideology and claiming she had no knowledge of the Holocaust.
One of questions this documentary asks is how did she become the Third Reich’s preeminent filmmaker if she was simply a hired employee?
“Riefenstahl” uses private movies, photos, recordings and letters, uncovering pieces of her biography and placing them in an extended historical context.
After the war, she remained unapologetic, managing to control and shape her legacy in personal documents, she mourns her “murdered ideals.”
At the same time, her work would experience a renaissance for its masterful technical skill.
In today’s world where fascism is rising, fake news is gaining ground and political imagery is growing in importance.
The documentary, written and directed by Andres Veiel, earned a 97 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and shows that Riefenstahl is more relevant than ever.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English and German 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Soul of a Nation (DVD)
Release date: Nov. 18
Details: 2025, Kino Lorber-Greenwich Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Because of the war in Gaza, the perception of Israel has shifted. Once considered a nation besieged by hostile neighbors, the country — founded after the Holocaust — is now seen as going too far to protect itself from terrorist aggression.
The deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have helped change the world’s attitude about the country.
This documentary provides an unfiltered look at Israel’s most perilous chapter in recent history — a period defined by internal divisions and external threats.
The film draws on insights from Novel laureates, Muslim leaders, peace activists and other prominent people to help dismantle preconceived notions about one of the world’s most scrutinized nations. “Soul of a Nation” delivers an unfiltered look at Israel, its people and the gigantic challenges that will impact lives for generations to come.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Grass / Chang (Blu-ray)
Release date: Nov. 18
Details: 1925, 1927, Milestone Cinematheque-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Filmmakers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack are best known for their classic “King Kong.
But years earlier they traveled to Persia and Siam for to shoot a pair of documentaries — “Grass” (1925) and “Chang” (1927).
“Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life” finds the filmmakers working with part-time spy Marguerite Harrison to chronicle the adventure, danger, drama and determination of the treacherous seasonal migration of the Bakhtiari who must brave the raging Karun River to find better pastures for their herds.
As far as they knew, Cooper, Schoedsack and Harrison were the first Westerners to make the migration with the Bakhtiari.
“Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness” is set in what is now northern Thailand. Chang, the Thai word for elephant, focuses on Kru, a poor farmer and his family, as he struggles daily for survival in the jungle. Kru battles leopards, tigers and a herd of elephants, all of which pose a constant threat to his livelihood.
Cooper and Schoedsack tried to capture as much real life as possible, but they often had to re-stage events that had not been properly captured on film.
You see tigers, leopards and bears killed and a stampeding elephant destroying Kru’s house.
Both movies are silent, but feature original scores, with the one for “Grass” performed by Malcolm Dalglish and students of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Some sequences in the films are color tinted.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English intertitles and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo.
Don’t miss: Extras include on “Chang” a color test and commentary track by film historian Rudy Behlmer; “Grass” features an audio interview of Cooper by Behlmer and an alternate score.
Airport: The Complete 4-Film Collection (4K Ultra HD)
Release date: Nov. 18
Details: 1970-79, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: G, PG
The lowdown: “Airport” launched the series on a high note, earning 10 Academy Award nominations with Helen Hayes winning a best supporting actress Oscar.
Arthur Hailey’s novel created the blueprint for the disaster movie subgenre that other movies — “The Poseidon Adventure,” “The Towering Inferno” and “Earthquake,” to name a few — copied.
Hire an all-star cast, put them in very perilous situations and see who comes out alive.
“Airport” was successful enough to spawn a trio of sequels — “Airport 1975,” “Airport ’77” and “The Concorde: Airport ’79” — each, little by little, slowly descending to cliches and mediocrity.
The casts were the drawing card — Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton, Jacqueline Bissett and George Kennedy in the original. Charlton Heston, Karen Black, Gloria Swanson, Helen Reddy, Dana Andrews, Susan Clark and Kenney in the first sequel. Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Olivia de Havilland and Kennedy in “Airport ’77” and Alain Delon, Robert Wagner, Charo, Eddie Albert and Cicely Tyson in “The Concorde.”
As the movies declined, so did the casts, I guess.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture (“Airport,” “Airport 1975,” “Airport ’77”) and 1.85:1 widescreen picture (The Concorde: Airport ’79”); English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Special features include commentary tracks on each movie and a booklet about the franchise.
I’m George Lucas: A Connor Ratliff Story: 2-Disc Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Release date: Nov. 18
Details: 2024, Kino Lorber
The lowdown: For 10 years, comedian Connor Ratliff has been as filmmaker George Lucas in his comedy act, “The George Lucas Talk Show.”
Co-hosted by actor Griffin Newman and featuring many A-list guest stars, the show allows Ratliff to praise as well as poke fun at the vast world of Lucas, including “Star Wars.”
Connor, though, is beginning to question if the show should continue because of its ongoing stress with little financial career gain.
The movie explores the mysteries of Ratliff’s inner self in this portrait of an artist and his own feelings of history, value and legacy.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: An extensive array of bonus features including about 30 (yes, 30!) commentary tracks, deleted scenes, extended interviews, an Alamo Drafthouse introduction and Alamo Drafthouse question-and-answer session with comedian Paul Scheer, a 2019 Star Wars Day full show, a booklet with a message from the movie’s director and digital access to hours of additional bonus offerings.
Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1991, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated, sexual content
The lowdown: A softcore erotic drama in which a young woman, Sarah (Kristine Rose), has to act as the executor for the will of her former lover, Lionel Durrington (James Jackson).
To ensure that the heir is honorable and worthy, Sarah must work her way through all of them to decide who will inherit the fortune. You can probably imagine some of the methods she uses to test the family members.
As Sarah meets — and sleeps — with each one, she uncovers dark family secrets.
The movie will not disappoint fans of this particular genre.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English and Italian 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English and Italian 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SHD subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a commentary track with Italian cinema experts Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti, interviews with dubbing director Mark Thompson Ashworth, composer Piero Montanari and music historian Pierpaolo De Sanctis and Italian opening and closing credits.
Other titles being released next week include:
Gabby’s Dollhouse (Blu-ray & DVD) (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
All’s Fair: Episode 6 (Hulu)
The Best You Can (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Caterpillar (Good Deed Entertainment)
The Day of the Dolphin (Kino Film Collection)
Naked Acts (Kino Film Collection)
The Old Woman with the Knife (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Rufus (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Vanguard: Episode 3 (Viaplay)
Wildcat (Aura Entertainment)
NOV. 26
Down Cemetery Road: Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Jingle Bell Heist (Netflix)
Loot: Season 3, Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
Palm Royale: Season 2, Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age (Apple TV+)
Stranger Things: Season 5 (Netflix)
WondLa: Season 3 (Apple TV+)
NOV. 27
A Life’s Worth: Episode 6 (Viaplay)
NOV. 28
The Colors of the Mountain (Film Movement+)
Family Guy Holiday Special (Hulu)
Fancy Dance (Film Movement Classics)
Grand Prix of Europe (Viva Kids)
The Last Frontier: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)
The Nipple Talk: Episode 4 (Film Movement+)
Obsessed With Light (Film Movement+)
Pluribus: Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Shall We Dance? (Film Movement Classics)
Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t (Film Movement Classics)
DEC. 1
Troll 2 (Netflix)
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.