New to View: March 24

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, March 24, unless otherwise noted:
Cutter’s Way (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1981, Radiance Films
Rated: R, language, violence, sexual situations
The lowdown: Jeff Bridges and John Heard star in this California-noir drama, directed by Czech new-wave filmmaker Ivan Passer, about two friends, one of whom Richard Bone (Bridges) is suspected of murder, while the other, paranoid Vietnam veteran Alex Cutter (Heard), begins to suspect a conspiracy behind the killing.
Cutter sets his sights on oil tycoon J.J. Cord (Stephen Elliott) as being at the center of the intrigue.
“Cutter’s Way” captures the cynicism and corruption of the post-Vietnam, post-Watergate era, featuring wonderful performances by Bridges and Heard.
Unfortunately, because of studio politics, the movie was not promoted as it should have been, and only received recognition after positive reviews at a couple of film festivals.
The cast also includes Lisa Eichhorn and Ann Dusenberry. At Rotten Tomatoes, “Cutter’s Way” received a 92 percent fresh rating based on its 24 reviews.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus components include a featurette on the legacy of the film, with contributions from writers Megan Abbott, Jordan Harper and George Pelecanos; three archival commentaries — one by novelist Matthew Specktor, a second by film historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman and a third with assistant director Larry Franco and unit production manager Barrie Osborne; archival interviews with Eichorn, United Artists Classics executive Ira Deutchman, Passer, screenwriter Jeffrey Alan Fisken and producer Paul Gurian; an archival featurette on composer Jack Nitzsche; an archival audio introduction by Bridges; an archival video introduction by director Bertrand Tavenier; an isolated music track; and an 80-page booklet with writings about the movie and an archival interview with Passer.

The Choral (Blu-ray)
Release date: March 17
Details: 2025, Sony Pictures Classics-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, language, sexual content
The lowdown: Ralph Fiennes stars in this World War I-era drama set in a small English town that has lost most of its men to the army.
The choral committee is intent on forging ahead with new recruits. To do so, they engage a driven new choir master, Dr. Henry Guthrie (Fiennes), who recently has returned from a career in Germany.
As conscription papers start to arrive, the community discovers that the best response to the war is to make music together.
To perform, youngsters and teenagers are recruited. Despite their age, Guthrie is a stern, no-nonsense taskmaster who drives his young charges to achieve perfection.
Directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by Alan Bennett the cast also includes Roger Allanm, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms and Simon Russell Beale.
At Rotten Tomatoes, “The Choral” garnered a 67 percent fresh rating.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.00:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Looney Tunes Collector’s Vault: Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
Details: 1930-69, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This two-disc set spotlights more than 50 classic Warner Bros. cartoons from such directors as Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, Friz Freling, Robert McKimson and Frank Tashlin.
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Tweety and Sylvester, Porky Pig, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote all make appearances in this lively, animated set.
Among the cartoons are “A-Lad in His Lamp,” “Ain’t That Ducky,” “The Bird Came C.O.D.,” “Boston Quackie,” “Fastest with the Mostest,” “A Sheep in the Deep,” “Zoom at the Top,” “Bowery Bugs,” “Frigid Hare,” “To Beep or Not to Beep,” “Hyde and Hare,” “Odor of the Day,” “Scent-imental Over You,” “Stop! Look! And Hasten!” and “The Last Hungry Cat.”
Fans of Warner Bros. animated shorts definitely will enjoy this collection, which can be found at www.moviezyng.com and ordered at https://moviezyng.com?bg_ref=IynKWWRwB7.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16:9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include commentary tracks by animation experts on many of the cartoons.

Anaconda: Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + digital)
Release date: March 17
Details: 2025, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, violence, action, language, drug use, suggestive references
The lowdown: Paul Rudd and Jack Black star as Griff and Doug, friends since childhood, who always have dreamed of remaking their favorite movie — “Anaconda.”
A midlife crisis stirs them to act upon their dream, so they head deep into the Amazon to bring it to reality.
But reality almost bites them on their asses as an actual giant anaconda appears creating a nightmarish scenario in which they must fight for survival — and their lives.
It is possible that the movie they have dreamed of making could become the death of them.
The main problem with this “Anaconda” is that it plays it too safe — it is a good idea that executed as well as it should be.
The standout in the cast is Thandiwe Newton who turns in a solid comic performance. The cast also includes Steven Zahn and Daniela Melchoir.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English, French and Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English and French 5.1 Dolby digital audio description track; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include outtakes and bloopers, deleted and extended scenes, “A Ride into Chaos with Jack & Paull” featurette, a featurette on the cast, a profile of director Tom Gormican and a “Reinventing the Legend: ‘Anaconda’ ” featurette.

Zodiac Killer Project (Blu-ray)
Release date: March 17
Details: 2025, Music Box Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Years ago, filmmaker Charles Shackleton began a documentary on the Zodiac Killer. He never got to finish it.
This movie finds Shackleton reflecting on his project, as he probes and unravels the inner workings of true crime with deadpan humor and insight.
The movie examines the public’s fascination and obsession with serial killer stories.
Shackleton’s film deconstructs the genre with the sharp eye of a true-crime connoisseur.
The Zodiac Killer murdered at least five people in the San Francisco Bay area between December 1968 and October 1969. He attacked others in the vicinity of the city, killing two of them.
He mailed a series of letters to Bay Area newspapers, taking credit for the killings and revealing details known only to the police. His last letter was received by the “San Francisco Chronicle” in 1974, in which he claimed to have killed 37 people in total.
He was never caught and his identity remains in question.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a question-and-answer session with Shackleton at the movie’s Chicago premiere, a director’s uncommentary reel, a B-roll reel, a rejected Sundance meets the artist video, a camera test short film and Letterboxd videos about “Paint Drying.”

Red Sonja: Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1985, Arrow Video
Rated: PG-13, violence, language, sexual situations
The lowdown: Red Sonja, created in the early 1970s for Marvel Comics, was inspired by author Robert E. Howard’s Red Sonya of Rogatino, a warrior who often partnered with Howard’s Conan the Barbarian.
The movie was produced to hopefully cash in on the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Conan the Barbarian” and its less-successful sequel, “Conan the Destroyer.”
Brigitte Nielsen portrays Red Sonja with Schwarzenegger appearing as her ally, Lord Kalidor.
After her family is killed and her homeland destroyed by the evil Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman), Sonja is gifted with extraordinary strength and skill in battle by the goddess Scáthach.
Sonja, swearing vengeance, sets out to stop Gedren from using the Talisman, a mystical light-powered relic that created the world and all living things. Only women can use and touch the relic.
With the aid of Kalidor, and other allies, Gedren is killed and the Talisman is destroyed.
The cast also includes Paul Smith, Ernie Reyes, Jr. Ronald Lacey and Janet Agren.
“Red Sonja” did not fare as well as the “Conan” movies, mostly being criticized as being uninspired and miscast.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a commentary track by critics Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth, a second by comic book expert Dave Baxter; interviews with Reyes, Jr., action unit supervisor Vic Armstrong, Schwarzenegger stunt double Pietro Torrisi, stuntman Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, assistant production manager Stefano Spadoni, FX artist Domingo Luzcano discussing the work of Emilio Ruiz del Rio, make-up FX assistant Adriano Carboni and poster artist Renato Casaro; an archival featurette on Schwarzenegger’s career; an archival interview with assistant director Michel Ferry; a booklet, mini-poster and six postcard-sized reproduction art cards.

Cruel Tale of Bushido (Blu-ray)
Details: 1963, Eureka Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An interesting Japanese film in which actor Kinnosuke Nakamura plays seven generations of men belonging to the same family.
In the modern story, salaryman Susumu Ikura is shattered by his wife’s attempted suicide. In his grief, Susumu recalls the history of his family over the previous 350 years — tale after tale of men who have suffered, humiliated themselves and made many sacrifices in the name of bushido — the moral code of the samurai.
The movie, which won the Golden Bear at the 1963 Berlin Film Festival, is considered a classic of Japanese cinema with its uncompromising deconstruction of the often-used romanticized concept of bushido.
The cast also includes Eijiro Tono and Masayuki Muri, as well as a memorable score by composer Toshiro Mayuzumi.
Makoto Tsuboi’s black-and-white cinematography is another of the film’s assets.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an interview with film critic Tony Rayns, video essay on the movie and Japanese history by Jonathan Clements, author of “A Brief History of Japan” and a booklet with new writing about the movie.

Agitator (Blu-ray)
Details: 2001, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A yakuza is killed after violently assaulting a hostess on rival turf, providing the catalyst for a gang war between a number of factions seeking to gain power.
In this gangland drama, directed by Takashi Miike, the backroom stratagems of the senior figures in the yakuza, overseen by Mr. Kato (Hiroki Matsukata), are juxtaposed against the actions of the street-level mobsters as the factions head towards a violent showdown.
“Agitator” is rather restrained and low-key for a Miike feature with more emphasis on characters than actual violence. The movie is a study of loyalty, power and betrayal.
The Blu-ray features the theatrical version of the movie as well as the two-part, 200-minute extended version.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A new interview with Miike, a commentary by Tom Mes and a booklet comprise the extras.

The Dancing Hawk (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Polish film centers on Michael, the son a peasant, who rises through the ranks in post-war Polish society, climbing higher than anyone in his family ever had.
Moving to the city, he becomes part of a new socialist order. But in turning his back on his rural roots, does he also abandon what was once meaningful to him?
Michael’s willpower and persistence help him overcome the generational and class barriers that held others back. The cost to Michael was his happiness and tensions with his family.
Writer-director Grzegorz Królikiewicz’s feature was inspired by Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane,” as he crafts an affecting portrait of a changing country and the fate of an individual ruined by ambition.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; Polish LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an interview with critic Carmen Gray, two short films by cinematographer Zbigniew Rybczy and a booklet.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: Feb. 24
Details: 1983, Cult Epics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A student suffers a fainting spell in her school laboratory and, afterwards, begins to experience temporal leaps backward and forward in time.
These leaps, of course, disorient her as she relives moments time and time again, as days past return to present.
Tomoya Harada stars as Kazuko Yoshiyama, the 16-year-old lost in a sea of time. Her desperate pleas to exist in the present are finally answered.
The movie features solid special effects and musical cues as well as a story anchored in young love and longing.
Director Nobuhiko Obayashi’s film is slowly paced but reflects the filmmaker’s views on the poetic transcendence of love.
For comparison, check out the 2006 anime adaptation of the story.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition,, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track on both discs by Obayashi scholar Alex Pratt and, on the Blu-ray disc, a visual essay about Obayashi by Max Robinson, “Now and Then, Here and There: Onomichi: Part 2 — a visual essay by Pratt, a conversation and an interview with Obayashi, a music video and a reproduction 24-page Japanese booklet.

The Key (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1983, Cult Epics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Tinto Brass wrote and directed this erotic feature about Nino (Frank Finlay), an art professor married to Teresa, a much younger woman.
Nino feels he can no longer satisfy Teresa, the way she desires. He records his sexual fantasies in a diary, including the secret wish to see his daughter’s fiancé, Laszlo (Franco Branciaroli), make love to Teresa.
Nino leaves the key to the drawer containing his diary out for his wife to find and read.
The movie is based on a Japanese novel, but the setting has been moved to 1940 Venice during World War II.
One of the highlights of “The Key” is a seductive score by the legendary Ennio Morricone.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English and Italian 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English and Italian 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track by Eugenio Ercolani and Marcus Stiglegger on both discs and, on the Blu-ray disc, an interview with Branciaroli, a look at the Venetian locations of the film, a special on Morricone and Brass, an isolated score by Morricone, an archival interview with Brass, outtakes and an illustrated booklet.

Sakuran (Blu-ray)
Details: 2006, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A historical drama focusing on Kiyoha (Anna Tsuchiya) who was sold into a brothel at a young age and put to training as a courtesan.
As Kiyoha’s rebellious attitude and celebrated beauty grows, it provokes the jealously of the other girls in the brothel.
The possibility of romance blooms, but can love provide a true possibility of escape for a young woman in Kiyoha’s situation in a refined sensual world where looks and deportment are everything?
“Sakuran,” which earned a 73 percent fresh rating on 11 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, is a colorful feast for the eyes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track by Josh Slater-Williams, an introduction by Amber T. and a booklet.

Poppy (DVD)
Details: 2021, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Libby Hunsdale portrays 19-year-old Poppy Simpson who refuses to be defined by Down syndrome and is determined to take charge of her own life in this charming movie from New Zealand.
Poppy’s ambition is to become an auto mechanic, but her dream is blocked by her protective brother who has reluctantly taken over the family’s repair shop business.
It is not until Poppy teams up with an old friend who needs his car fixed for an upcoming burnout competition that her plans finally get back on track.
The movie, directed by Linda Niccol, is based on her own short story. It’s an engaging, small story with a big loving heart and a solid performance by Hunsdale.
Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Don’t miss: A short film by Niccol is the main extra.

Helter Skelter (Blu-ray)
Details: 2012, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Lilico (Erika Sawajiri), a top model and fashion icon, is used to being the center of attention – the epicenter of her own universe in which everything is adjusted to her idea of perfection.
When she begins to suffer traumatic side effects from her repeated illegal cosmetic surgery sessions, she finds that fame comes at a high cost as she plunges into a nightmarish world where her sense of self-image and identity begin to crumble.
The movie is a body horror excursion based on a popular manga.
The movie is an assault on the viewers’ senses, directed by Mika Ninagawa.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with Tori Potenza and Amber T., interviews with Sawajiri and Ninagawa, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, a production site press conference, Japanese premiere stage greeting, an opening day stage greeting, a Taipei Film Festival introduction by Ninagawa and a booklet.

Other titles being released in the coming week include:
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
The Containment (Level 33 Entertainment)
Daredevil: Born Again: Season 2 (Disney+)
The Kinderhook Creature (Small Town Monsters)
Send Help (Fox Home Entertainment)
Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun (Sincere Pictures)
Youngblood (Well Go USA Entertainment)

MARCH 25
Imperfect Women: Episode 3 (Apple TV)
Pretty Lethal (Prime Video)
Shrinking: Season 3, Episode 9 (Apple TV)

MARCH 26
Double Stakes: Episode 2 (Viaplay)
Heroes (Viaplay)
Love Overboard (Hulu)

MARCH 27
After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home (IndiePix Unlimited}
The Chronology of Water (Apple TV)
For All Mankind: Season 5, Episode 1 (Apple TV)
His Brother (Film Movement+)
KPops (Aura Entertainment)
The Last Thing He Told Me: Season 2, Episode 6 (Apple TV)
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (Hulu)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2, Episode 5 (Apple TV)
The Mortuary Assistant (Shudder)
Nina Wu (Film Movement+)
Refuge (Saban Films)

MARCH 30
Mr. Burton (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
The Connors: Final Season (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Paradise: Season 2, Episode 8 (Hulu)
Robin Hood (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

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.