New to View: Feb. 24
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Feb. 24, unless otherwise noted:
Iphigenia (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Greek movie is chronicling the story of King Agamemmon who, after mistakenly killing a sacred deer, is ordered to atone to the gods to guarantee his armies safe passage to Troy.
Agamemmon must make the ultimate sacrifice — the death of his daughter Iphigenia. The king is torn between his family and country. He also attempts to keep this dire ultimatum from his wife, Clytemnestra, while those around him await his final decision.
Those surrounding Agamemmon pressure him so the expeditionary force to Troy can sale. Complications arise with the arrival of Clytemnestra, who believes that Iphigenia, is to be married.
When she discovers the truth, she rages at her husband.
In the end, the king is helpless and, as the time for his daughter to die, the wind picks up, changes direction, which allow the Greek forces to sail toward Troy.
The fate of Iphigenia is surmised and never actually shown.
“Iphigenia,” directed by Michael Cacoyannis, is adapted from the tragedy by Euripides, features Irene Papas Clytemnestra, Tatiana Papamoschou as Iphigenia and Kostas Kazakos as Agamemmon.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; Greek LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include an interview with Greek film expert Dimitris Papanikolaou on Cacoyannis, an archival news conference with Cacoyannis, an archival news conference with Cacoyannis and Papas and a booklet about the movie.
Tarzan and His Mate (Blu-ray)
Details: 1934, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: The second of the six Johnny Weissmuller-Maureen O’Sullivan movies produced by MGM is the best of the bunch.
And, yes, fans of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book — such as me — are saddened that MGM drastically altered the character of Tarzan. And it is also uncomfortable — under our present social norms — to view the treatment of the Black “safari boys” and the native tribes who continually devise fiendish methods to kill their captives.
Yet, you can’t help but be entertained by the nonstop action as Tarzan battles all kinds of jungle animals, including a ferocious alligator and an angry rhino, to protect his Jane.
This is the restored version of the movie, featuring the semi-nude morning swim with Tarzan and Jane rollicking in a pristine lake.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com, where it can be ordered at https://moviezyng.com/products/tarzan-and-his-mate?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7 by using https://moviezyng.com?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7 or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 with side mattes (16:9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include two MGM shorts, “The Spectacle Maker” and “What Price Jazz.”
“The Japanese Godfather Trilogy” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977-78, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This epic crime saga, based on the true story, is set at the dawn of the 1970s when Japan is becoming a worldwide economic superpower and the Nakajima crime syndicate extends its tentacles across the country.
Politicians and corporations seek the organization’s favor to form strategic and very prosperous partnerships.
However the crime boss leaders disagree on tactics — especially whether to leave the old ways behind for the sake of money and respectability.
The trio of titles in the set are “Japan’s Don” (1977), which centers on the rise of a crime boss; “Japanese Godfather Ambition” (1977), centering on a continued violent turf war; and “Japanese Godfather: Conclusion” (1978), which deals with the aftermath of the events from the first two films.
The movies, directed by yakuza film specialist Sadao Nakajima, features a cast of well-known actors including Koji Tsuruta, Bunta Sugawara, Sonny Chiba and Toshiro Mifune.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include an archival interview with director Sadao Nakajima, an appreciation by filmmaker Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, an interview with scriptwriter Koji Takada and a booklet about the trilogy.
Stranger on the Third Floor (Blu-ray)
Details: 1940, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Peter Lorre “stars” in this 64-minute B-movie even though he has very little screen time.
The real leads are two little-known performers, John McGuire and Margaret Tallichet.
McGuire plays Michael Ward, a reporter, whose testimony helps convict a small-time crook, Joe Briggs (Elisha Cook Jr.), who is sentenced to die in the electric chair.
Tallichet portrays Jane, Ward’s girlfriend.
After Briggs is executed, Ward is accused of a second murder. He then realizes both crimes are the work of a sly stranger. He must find someone to believe him — or else.
Lorre, the real killer, acts very creepy, so much so that Jane sets out to find and expose him. Lorre’s performance, though short, makes the 64-minute feature very watchable.
Lorre is a wonderful and versatile actor, probably best known for his role as the child killer in Fritz Lang’s German classic, “M,” his portrayals of the Japanese detective Mr. Moto and his role as Joel Cairo in “The Maltese Falcon.”
Tallichet is more recognized as the wife of famed director William Wyler than for her acting roles.
The movie can be found at www.moviezyng.com, where it can be ordered at https://moviezyng.com/products/stranger-on-the-third-floor-1?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7 by using https://moviezyng.com?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7 or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 with side mattes (16:9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include three episodes of the radio series “Mystery of the Air” featuring Lorre and two cartoons “Ceiling Hero” and “Wacky Wildlife.”
Force: Five (Blu-ray)
Details: 1981, MVD Rewind Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: “Force: Five,” co-written and directed by Robert Clouse, who helmed Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon,” basically follows the same martial arts-action-adventure scenario as the earlier film.
“Force: Five,” a highly specialized team of martial arts experts, is tasked by the government to infiltrate the remote island fortress of a powerful and dangerous cult, led by Rev. Rhee (Bong Soo Han), a charismatic and manipulative figure who holds sway over his disciples, uncover his secrets and rescue the daughter of a U.S. senator before she is indoctrinated.
Each of the martial arts team has a unique skill, from unarmed street fighting and karate to high-impact kickboxing.
The movie stars Joe Lewis as team leader Jim Martin, as well as Sonny Barnes, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Richard Norton, Bob Schott and Pam Huntington.
The cast also features Amanda Wyss as the senator’s daughter.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include archival interviews with Lewis and Urquidez, an archival fight sequence with Urquidez and a mini-poster.
The Black Six: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1973, Film Masters-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A Blaxploitation movie in which a Vietnam veteran and his war buddies hit the road on their motorcycles to get justice for the murder of the younger brother by a white supremist biker gang.
The movie is standard fare for the genre, but is interesting for it cast choices — including NFL legends Mean Joe Greene, Gene Washington, Lem Barney, Carl Eller, Mercury Morris and Willie Lanier as well as baseball great Maury Wills.
The catalyst for the killing is a romance between a black teenage youth and a white girl, with her racist, biker brother strenuously objecting to the relationship. They beat the teen to death using chains.
Most of the characters — black and white — are stereotypical.
The movie will appeal to fans of Blaxploitation and biker genre movies.
“The Black Six” can be found at www.moviezyng.com, where it can be ordered at https://moviezyng.com/5etogw by using https://moviezyng.com?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7 or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English closed captioned.
Don’t miss: The main extras are a commentary track by film historian Robert Kelly and author-podcaster Daniel Budnik and liner notes by Don Stradley.
A Bucket of Blood / The Little Shop of Horrors: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1959-60, Gemini Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: As a filmmaker Roger Corman was known for his ability to stretch a dollar so it seemed like $100.
And Corman’s talent for getting the upmost from sets and locales are on display in the two movies here.
“A Bucket of Blood” (1959) stars Corman perennial performer Dick Miller as Walter Paisley, a lowly and clumsy busboy at a coffee shop who dreams of being an artist and, by accident, discovers his inner artistic genius.
The movie, while supposedly a horror feature, is mostly played for laughs.
Paisley’s sculptors seem so lifelike — and you can guess why.
“Feed me,” is the cry of Audrey Junior, a strange plant found and nurtured by flower shop worker Seymour Krelborn (Jonathan Haze), in another Corman quickie — filmed in two days at a cost of about $27,000 on sets reutilized from “A Bucket of Blood.”
To keep Audrey Junior alive, Seymour must nourish it with what it needs — human blood.
This comedy-horror hybrid is 73 minutes of gasps and laughs, with a great cameo by Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient.
The movie was transformed into a stage musical and then a successful film adaptation.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com, where it can be ordered at https://moviezyng.com/products/a-bucket-of-blood-the-little-shop-of-horrors-collectors-edition?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7 by using https://moviezyng.com?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7 or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 (“A Bucket of Blood”) and 1.78:1 (“The Little Shop of Horrors”) widescreen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
Don’t miss: The main extras are low-res VHS versions of both movies and a Corman trailer reel.
Duel to the Death (Blu-ray)
Details: 1983, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Every decade China and Japan send their greatest swordsman to settle an age-old ritual duel.
This year representing the nations are Japanese ninja master Hashimoto and China’s champion Ching Wan.
The rivals has grown to respect each other. So, when renegade ninjas raid the Shaolin Temple to steal a forbidden kung fu manual, the two warriors are forced into a deadly conspiracy that threatens to turn their sacred duel into an all-out war.
The movie, though bloody, features solid cinematography, special effects and fight sequences as well as decent acting.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese and English (dubbed) LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with Asian film expert Frank Djeng, interviews with actor Eddy Ko and scriptwriter Manfred Wong, archival interviews with actors Tsui Sui-Keung and Flora Cheung, a wireworks featurette and alternate English credits.
Date with a Vampire (Blu-ray)
Details: 2000, Visual Vengeance
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Violet (Lori Thomas) is a vampire who hungers for sexual pleasure as well as blood.
By night, she prowls through the city, luring men and women into her trap of lust and murder.
Her latest unsuspecting victim is Chuck (Robin Macklin), a lonely young man she meets in a smoky bar and entices into her orbit with a mixture of charm, sensuality and mystery.
What begins as a flirtation soon becomes a hypnotic seduction — leading Chuck directly into her bed and trapped in her world of erotic indulgence and eternal hunger.
This 59-minute feature, directed by Jeffrey Arsenault, was shot on video, capturing a time when softcore erotica and horror overlapped on video store shelves.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary by Arsenault; interviews with Arsenault, screenwriter Kevin J. Lindenmuth, cast members Cynthia Polakovich and Joe Zaso and location manager Nathan Thompson; a “Date with a Vampire” memories featurette; Buckingham Manor location video with Thompson; a 2002 bonus movie “Blood Craving”; a “Blood Craving” commentary by Arsenault; an interview about the movie with Arsenault; a folded mini-poster; and various After Midnight Entertainment and Visual Vengeance trailers.
She Shoots Straight (Blu-ray)
Details: 1990, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: When a deadly raid on a Vietnamese gang goes wrong, the Huang family — an elite clan of police officers — is devastated by tragedy.
Police inspector Mina has just married her supervisor, Tsung Pao, who comes from a family of dedicated police officers. Her new sisters-in-law, including Huang Chai-Ling, are jealous that Mina outranks them.
The murder of Tsung Pao, brings his once-divided sisters and Mina, together to unleash a ruthless, high-impact quest for justice.
The cast of this Hong Kong action feature also includes Sammo Hung.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese LPCM monaural and Cantonese stereo; English (dubbed) monaural and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng, an interview with scriptwriter Yuen Kai-Chi and alternate English credits.
Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs: The Totally Animated Adventures Series: 2-DVD Set (DVD)
Details: 2008-09, MVD Rewind Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: The series, based on Mel Brooks’ 1987 movie, follows the further adventures of characters from the space-opera spoof.
Yogurt, President Skroob, Lone Starr, Barf, Princess Vespa and the dorky Dark Helmet all are included in the interstellar insanity.
The two-disc set features the two-part pilot episode plus 13 additional hilarious stories.
Returning from the original cast are Brooks as Yogurt and Skroob, Daphna Zuniga as Vespa and Joan Rivers as Dot Matrix.
Others in the cast include Tino Insana as Barf and Rino Romano as Lone Starr.
The episodes continually spoof other movies and feature a good amount of sex jokes.
Technical aspects: 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a teaser trailer for “Spaceballs 2,” scheduled for release in 2027, and a mini-poster.
The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell (Blu-ray)
Details: 2025, MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A musician, police officer, rodeo bull rider and punk rock entertainer. These are just some of the lives of Bill Bartell.
But who was he really? This documentary looks at the charming trickster who connected the dots between the Germs, Yoko Ono, KISS and Kurt Cobain.
Filmmaker David Markey unravels thee layers of Bartell’s eccentric world, detailing how a disenfranchised suburban kid insinuated himself into the inner circles of rock ‘n’ roll.
He was audacious, and that quality left an unforgettable — and often invisible — mark on culture, which only deepened the mystery of who he was and the secrets he took with him when his life came to s sad and unexpected end.
The movie includes insights from Bartell’s family and friends, which helps to understand the man.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 widescreen picture; English 2.0 stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes and a question-and-answer session.
Other titles being released in the coming week include:
Man Finds Tape (Blue-ray & DVD & VOD) (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Aliens Uncovered: Invasion 2 (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Anacoreta (Filmhub)
In Cold Light (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Mother and the Bear (Dekanalog)
The Pressure 2 (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Rescue at Donji (Well Go USA)
Skywatcher (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Tell Me Lies: Season 3, Episode 8 (Hulu)
Young Mothers (Music Box Films)
FEB. 25
The Bluff (Prime Video)
Drops of God: Season 2, Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Hijack: Season 2, Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
Shrinking: Season 3, Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
FEB. 26
American Runestone: Season 2 (Viaplay)
FEB. 27
Bring the Law (Level 33 Entertainment)
Bye Bye Brazil (Film Movement)
The Last Thing He Told Me: Season 2, Episode 2 (Apple TV+)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2, Episode 1 (Apple TV+)
My Armenian Phantoms (Film Movement+)
Noseeums (Quiver Distribution)
Paul McCartney: Man on the Run (Prime Video)
Smother (Prime Video-IndiePix Unlimited)
Tehran: Season 3, Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
MARCH 2
Paradise: Season 2, Episode 4 (Hulu)
Coming next week: Merrily We Roll Along
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.