New to View: April 21
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, April 21, unless otherwise noted:
“Creepy Creatures Double Feature” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1963, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A pair of low-budget, schlocky horror movies are on display for movie aficionados who enjoy these bottom-of-the barrel creature features.
“The Slime People” deals with an invasion of Los Angeles by subterranean monsters. The city is evacuated, leaving only a handful of people — a TV sportscaster, a science professor, two glamorous young women, a bashful Marine and a crazy author — to fight for survival.
This is definitely a guilty pleasure feature — one of those so bad, it is fun features.
The monsters, who must have a modicum of intelligence, use a device to erect a fog dome around the city. Still, the movie is kind of shoddy at times.
The cast features such veterans as Robert Hutton (who also directed), Les Tremayne and Robert Burton, as well as Susan Hart and Judee Morton.
The second feature, “The Crawling Hand,” finds an alien life force invading a manned rocket returning from the moon. It possesses the astronaut, maintaining control of his disembodied hand after a crash landing, and then imposes its will on a local medical student.
More veteran actors, including Kent Taylor, Richard Arlen, Alan Hale Jr., Arline Judge, Tristram Coffin and Syd Saylor, are joined by Rod Lauren, Peter Breck and Allison Hayes.
Fans of bad sci-fi-monster movies will get a kick out of this dud.
One of the fun aspects of both movies is the professionalism of the cast members, who take their job seriously.
Technical aspect: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture (“The Slime People) and 1.85:1 widescreen picture (“The Crawling Hand”); English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track on “The Slime People” by film historian-author Tom Weaver; a commentary on “The Crawling Hand” by Rob Kelly, artist, reviewer, podcaster and film buff; a featurette exploring ’50s and ’60s sci-fi and creature features; a conversation with Susan Hart; and a classic drive-in sci-fi poster gallery.
House Calls (Blu-ray)
Details: 1978, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG, thematic elements
The lowdown: Walter Matthau plays Charley, a surgeon and recent widower, who decides to become a modern-day Casanova, jumping from one meaningless fling to another.
All that changes, however, when he meets Ann (Glenda Jackson), a recent divorcée. The two end up on a rollercoaster romance that deals with commitment and other complications.
Charley, not wanting to give up his new lifestyle, agrees with date Ann exclusively for two weeks before he must decide whether or not to commit. He is in love with her, but …
This is a rom-com so obstacles always create roadblocks toward true love.
The supporting cast includes Richard Benjamin, Art Carney and Candice Azzara.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by entertainment journalists/authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry is the main bonus component.
The Forbidden City (Blu-ray)
Details: 2025, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An action flick set in Rome in which two strangers, Mei, who arrives in the city to find her missing sister, and Marcello, who is desperate to find his father, team up to battle their way through the Roman underworld to reach their objectives.
The movie is well paced, featuring some solid martial-arts action.
Its lead actors Enrico Borello and Yaxi Liu, are strong and the story does not lag.
The cultural elements writer-director Gabriele Mainetti brings to the feature is another strong suit that helps propel the film.
Beside the martial arts sequences, the movie also features a touching romantic subplot.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Italian and Mandarin 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English and French subtitles.
The Eye: Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 2002, Arrow Video
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: One of the most famous horror films to come out of Hong Kong tells the story of Wong Kar Mun (Angelica Lee), a blind musician who has her eyesight restored after a cornea transplant.
At first, she is elated, enjoying the sights of the world around her. But her wonder slowly turns to fear as scary and strange visions intrude on her newfound sight. Wong confides in her psychiatrist, Dr. Wah (Lawrence Chou), who believes her body is simply adapting to her new corneas.
But that skepticism is quickly shattered when they realize Wong’s visions foreshadow death.
Wong discovers the identity of her donor, Dr. Ling, an eye doctor with a dark and tragic past, which included her psychic abilities and the isolation from her fellow villagers — including her mother — and her eventual suicide.
“The Eye” dispenses with blood and gore, relying on mood to create frightening sequences and dread.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include an interview with the film’s producer Peter Ho-Sun Chan, a new visual essay by critic-horror specialist Heather Wixson; an archival making of featurette with filmmaker and cast interviews; an archival featurette on directors Danny and Oxide Pang; and a booklet with essays about the movie.
Stone Cold (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1991, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, strong violence, language, sensuality
The lowdown: Former NFL star Brian Bosworth stars as Joe Huff, an Alabama police officer forced by the FBI to go undercover in a violent Mississippi biker gang.
Huff, adopting the name John Stone, poses as an outlaw biker to win the trust of the sociopathic and fiendish Chains (Lance Henriksen), leader of The Brotherhood, and his right-hand psychopath, Ice (William Forsythe). Winning them over, Stone soon discovers that the bikers have a much larger agenda than simply causing havoc — they are planning a paramilitary assault on the state capitol, where one of their men has been sentenced to execution.
Stone, always under suspicion by Ice — who finally is killed in a motorcycle chase — is finally exposed by Chains, but manages to escape.
Eventually, Stone finds himself a one-man army taking on the gang, winning the day, but not before Chains kills the state supreme court justices, the prosecutor, a government agent and a few other people.
The movie is a popcorn-munching, mindless action flick overloaded with violence that will please fans of movie mayhem.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include, on both discs, a commentary track with action film historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema and a scene-specific commentary with director Craig R. Baxley. The Blu-ray features interviews with Bosworth, Henriksen, Forsythe and cast members Arabella Holzbog and Sam McMurray, TV spots, a VHS release ad and trailer and theatrical trailers.
House of Cards (Blu-ray)
Details: 1969, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: G
The lowdown: In this suspense thriller George Peppard stars as American boxer Reno Davis who, while in Paris, stumbles upon an international fascist conspiracy after he is hired by mysterious widow Anne de Villemont (Inger Stevens) to look after her 8-year-old son.
The movie is burdened by an unrealistic and far-fetched plot that is difficult to take seriously.
Too much violence also is a deterrent, despite the appearance of Orson Welles in a small part, which he probably did for the money to put toward one of his projects.
Stevens, an underrated performer is very good, while Peppard is a little too Bond-like in his dealings with the henchmen of the villain of the piece.
The score by Francis Lai is one of the movie’s attributes. John Guillermin was behind the camera.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian-screenwriter Gary Gerani is the main extra.
Confessions of a Police Captain (Blu-ray)
Details: 1971, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Martin Balsam stars in this Italian production set in Palermo, Sicily. Balsam portrays veteran police captain Bonavia, who orders the release of a criminally insane inmate — then watches him set out to kill a local construction magnate.
When the plan backfires, Bonavia faces the scrutiny of Traini (Franco Nero), a young and idealistic district attorney. The movie turns into a battle of wills and wits between the cynical Bonavia and the principled Traini.
The police drama is angry and anti-establishment with strong performances by both its leads.
It is abetted by an innovative score by Riz Ortolani.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English (dubbed) LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include interviews with Nero, actor Michele Gammino, editor Antonio Siciliano and a booklet.
Jimpa (Blu-ray)
Details: 2025, Kino Lorber
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: Academy Award-winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) stars as Hannah, a filmmaker who takes her trans nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to Amsterdam visit their gay grandfather (John Lithgow) — lovingly known as “Jimpa.”
When Frances makes it known he wants to stay with Jimpa for a year abroad, it means Hannah must reconsider her beliefs about parenting, and the stories she has long told about her family.
The movie, though overly ambitious, deftly chronicles the complexities between family and found family. It is a moving feature that shows friction between family members without drifting into angry confrontations. The story highlights the vulnerability of its characters in an honest manner.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include cast and crew interviews and deleted scenes.
Watch Me Sleep (DVD)
Details: 2023, Wild Eye Releasing
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Sean, grieving over the death of his mother, installs a coffin-cam to keep vigil over her. It’s his way of trying to stay connected to her.
Sean, a recovering alcoholic, is a mess because as a child he was abused by his mother.
The adage “be careful what you wish for” seems apt here as terror ensues as the video feed captures movement — scratching, shifting and the sound of something pushing from the inside.
When the grave itself, starts to respond, Sean realizes too late that what he has been watching is watching him back, awakening a presence that was never meant to be seen and is eager to claw its way into our world.
The movie explores the haunting consequences of refusing to let go. The premise of “Watch Me Sleep” unfolds as a very slow descent into madness.
Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English Dolby digital stereo; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: An image gallery is the main extra.
Romancing in Thin Air (Blu-ray)
Details: 2012, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Michael, a movie star icon, sinks into depression after being publicly dumped at the altar by his former fiancée.
In the aftermath, Michael goes on a drunken spree. He is found in a mountain forest, lost and barely responsive by Sue, who runs the local guesthouse and is still grieving the loss of her husband, who mysteriously disappeared in the woods several years prior.
As Sue slowly nurses Michael back to health, the pair learn more about their shared pasts. Soon, the begin a journey to find catharsis in each other.
The film relies heavily on flashbacks to tell its story and moves slowly. The scenery is beautiful and the chemistry between the two leads adds to the enjoyment.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track by Hong Kong film expert Dylan Cheung, an interview with screenwriter Ryker Chan, a visual essay on director Johnnie To’s romantic melodramas by Sean Gilman, a making of feature, behind-the-scenes footage and a booklet.
The Second Twin (Blu-ray)
Details: 1966, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This stylish French tale of murder and passion centers on middle-aged lawyer Pierre (Robert Hossein) becomes infatuated with Nathalie (Michèle Mercier), who dances in a discotheque to pay her way through medical school.
The lovestruck Pierre, however, is married and can’t bring himself to leave his wife.
When Nathalie’s rich suitor is killed, Pierre becomes the prime suspect.
The ending has a twist that keen observers can see coming from a mile away.
Hossein and Mercier, who worked together before, are solid, the story not so much.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The lone extra is a commentary track by film critic-author Simon Abrams.
The House of Seven Corpses (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1973, Kino Lorber-Kino Cult #47
Rated: PG
The lowdown: Veteran performers John Ireland, Faith Domergue and John Carradine head the cast in this satanic thriller in which a film crew is shooting a horror movie at a crumbling mansion, once home to a secret sect of occultists.
When the actors speak incantations from the “Bardo Thodol,” also known as “The Tibetan Book of the Dead,” strange events begin to impact the production, obscuring the lines between reality and nightmare.
Despite the problems, stubborn director Eric Hartman (Ireland), defiantly continues to shoot, bullying his leading lady, Gayle (Domerque), Anne (Carole Wells), his young starlet, and the estate’s creepy caretaker, Edgar Price (Carradine).
As filming goes on, the dead climb from the graves at a nearby cemetery.
This is a fun, schlocky horror outing that relies more on atmosphere, music and sound effects rather than blood and gore.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track by author-film historian David Del Valle with producer-director David DeCoteau; a commentary by associate producer Gary Kent; an archival interview with Carradine; and “Demon Dave & Joe’s ‘Savage Tracks’ Vol. 5” featuring Randy Cognata.
The Ugly: Limited Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1996, Unearthed Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Simon, a disturbed young serial killer, is confined to a mental institution, where he is tormented by cruel orderlies and his own demons, including “The Ugly,” which coerces him to kill.
Now, at his request, a psychologist, Dr. Karen Schumaker, arrives at the facility to discover if Simon is fit to be released back into society.
As the very scary secrets in Simon’s mind are revealed, no one, including Schumaker, will be safe by the horrors about to be unleashed.
Throughout the movie, Simon draws the psychologist — and the viewers — into his mind as he tells of his crimes.
The performances of Paolo Rotondo as Simon and Rebecca Hobbs as Schumaker keep the plot moving as Simon tells her of his abusive and bullied past.
This New Zealand-made feature, which marked the directorial debut of Scott Reynolds, includes some solid makeup effects by the Weta Workshop technicians, is making its North American debut on Blu-ray.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.77:1 widescreen picture; English 4.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH and English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary with Rotondo and Hobbs, moderated by Nathanial Thompson, an isolated score track; a 1997 radio interview with Reynolds; two short films, “The Minute” (1992) and “No Rules” (1994); and a collectable booklet.
Vampire Time Travelers (Blu-ray)
Details: 1998, Visual Vengeance-Wild Eye Releasing
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: A self-aware horror spoof in which a group of college girls pledging a sorority, stumble into a hallucinatory mix of low-budget, butt-biting vampires, unexplained time jumps and increasingly ridiculous supernatural situations.
The movie easily could have been a typical ’90s sexy romp, but, instead, it mutates into a kinetic horror satire, stacking crude jokes, fast-paced editing and chaotic genre detours at a mile-a-minute pace that plays less like a conventional shot-on-video vampire film and more like a live-action, do-it-yourself funhouse feature spiraling out of control.
This shot-on-video horror film has a unique following.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English stereo, English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary by director Les Sekely; interviews with Sekely, performers JJ Rodgers, Angelia Scott, director of photography Dennis Devine and assistant director Steve Jarvis; a short film, “Not So Grim Reaper”; a bonus movie, “I Know What You Did in English Class” (2000); an “English Class” commentary and interview by Sekely; “English Class” interviews with cinematographer Russ Lindsay, director of photography Dennis Devine, production assistant Steve Jarvis and actor Russell Towne; and a folded mini-poster.
Saurians: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1994, Visual Vengeance
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: A Super-8 grassroots-produced movie in which a routine construction blast shakes a sleepy town. A group of locals discover that the explosion has awakened two dinosaurs from a centuries-long sleep.
The creatures begin to run amok in the local woods, creating destruction and terror in their wake.
“Saurians,” written and directed by Mark Polonia, is fast paced, and features some semi-decent special effects. On the flip side, the movie was shot silent and the dialogue dubbed, which leads to some odd line readings.
Consider “Saurians,” a home-made answer to “Jurassic Park,” only with a limited budget — if any — for the dinosaur sequences.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English (dubbed) audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a commentary track by Polonia, moderated by the Visual Vengeance crew; a making of featurette; a visit to movie locations; interviews with cast member Todd Carpenter and filmmaker Kevin Lindenmuth; stop-motion outtakes; Super 8 raw footage; an alternate, never-released Rae Don home video version of “Saurians”; a commentary track by Polonia on the Rae Don version; a 2004 feature film, “The Dinosaur Chronicles”; a commentary track by Polonia on “The Dinosaur Chronicles”; a making of “Dinosaur Chronicles” featurette; and a folded mini-poster.
Other titles being released in the upcoming week include:
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Blu-ray & DVD) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Abbott Elementary: The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Basic Psych (Filmhub)
The Etruscan Smile (Lightyear Entertainment)
Goldstone (Lightyear Entertainment)
I Live Here Now (Utopia)
ITCH! (ShineHouse)
Late Shift (Music Box Films)
APRIL 22
Criminal Record: Season 2, Episode 1 (Apple TV)
Imperfect Women: Episode 7 (Apple TV)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles: Episode 4 (Apple TV)
The Testaments: Episode 5 (Hulu)
We Are Guardians (Apple TV-Prime Video-Tubi)
APRIL 23
Between Us (Viaplay)
The Big Switch (Kino Film Collection)
Dangerous Truth: Episode 5 & 6 (Viaplay)
Die Screaming, Marianne (Kino Film Collection)
Double Stakes: Episode 6 (Viaplay)
APRIL 24
For All Mankind: Season 5, Episode 5 (Apple TV)
Dirty Hands (Saban Films)
Dolly (Shudder)
Homeless (Prime Video)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2, Episode 9 (Apple TV)
My Brother the Minotaur (Apple TV)
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl (Hulu)
Pretty Ugly: The Story of the Lunachicks (Giant Pictures)
The Wolf and the Lamb (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Your Friends and Neighbors: Season 2, Episode 4 (Apple TV)
APRIL 26
The Million Dollar Bet (Persimmon)
APRIL 27
Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord: Episodes 7 & 8 (Disney+)
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.