New to View: April 28
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, April 28, unless otherwise noted:
“Adventure Calls!: Karl May at CCC” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1964-68, Eureka Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Karl May was a popular German writer associated with Western stories — that nation’s answer to Louis L’Amour.
Early attempts to adapt his novels for movies were not so successful until the 1960s when seven of his works were produced by Artur Brauner at CCC Film, all starring former Tarzan Lex Barker and directed by such veteran filmmakers as Robert Siodmak, Hugo Fregonese, Franz Josef Gottlieb and Harold Reinl.
Two of the seven movies in this four-disc set feature May’s most beloved characters, Old Shatterhand and the Apache chief Winnetou, who appear in “Old Shatterhand” (1964) and “Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death (1968).” The first movie finds the pair stopping a plot to start a war between Native Americans and white settlers, while the second deals with a scheme to steal gold from the U.S. Army.
Three titles, “The Shoot (1964)” “Through Wild Kurdistan” (1965) and Kingdom of the Silver Lion” (1965), focus on May’s adventurer Kara Ben Nemsi (played by Barker) as he travels through the Balkans and the Middle East.
The final two movies, “The Treasure of the Aztecs” (1965) and “The Pyramid of the Sun God” (1965), follow the exploits of Dr. Karl Sternau (Barker again) as he negotiates politics and a hunt for gold in war-torn Mexico.
These European-shot adventure films are entertaining offering scenic locales that helped pave the way for Sergio Leone’s popular spaghetti Westerns.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; German and English (dubbed, on select titles) audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include new introductions to each film by Sir Christopher Frayling, author of “Spaghetti Westerns: Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone; commentaries on “Old Shatterhand” and “The Treasure of the Aztecs” by film historian David Kalat; “Heroes on Horseback” is an interview with producer Alice Brauner, managing director of CCC Film and daughter of Arthur Brauner; “Prodigal Son,” a new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on the life and career of Robert Siodmak; archival making of documentary on “Old Shatterhand” and Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death”; archival making of documentary on “The Shoot”; archival featurette on “Old Shatterhand” actress Daliah Lavi; an archival interview with Berhard Schmid, co-editor and contributor to “Karl-May-Verlag”; an archival restoration featurette; archival news footage; and a 60-page booklet featuring writings about May, a profile of Barker and an essay on Old Shatterhand and Winnetou.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + digital)
Release date: April 21
Details: 2026, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, strong bloody violence, gore, nudity, language, brief drug us
The lowdown: A sequel that expands on the world, turning it on its head, created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland.
Ralph Fiennes reprises his role as Dr. Kelson from “28 Years Later,” finding himself in a shocking new relationship with consequences that could change the world.
The life of Alfie Williams’ Spike, also returning from the previous movie, becomes a nightmare he cannot escape, after his encounter with Satan worshipper “Sir Lord” Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), also returning from “28 Years Later.”
In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival as the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.
Changes are happening as Samson, an infected, who slowly begins to regain his humanity after becoming addicted to morphine.
Meanwhile Crystal and his group of Fingers terrorize the countryside, killing several people.
In the end, Spike and Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman), whose real name is Kellie, leave the Bone Temple to find other dangers lying in wait.
The movie garnered a 92 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible), English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English and French 5.1 Dolby digital audio description track; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track by director Nia DaCosta, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes and bloopers.
Send Help (4K UItra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: April 21
Details: 2026, Walt Disney Studios-Buena Vista-20th Century Fox
Rated: R, strong bloody violence, language
The lowdown: Sam Raimi directed this dark comedy-horror feature starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien as corporate work colleagues.
McAdams’ Linda Liddle, despite being a corporate strategist, is socially awkward and downtrodden, losing a promised promotion from O’Brien’s Bradley Preston, the son of her former boss.
When on a business trip with Preston and others, their plane suffers engine failure when flying into a storm. Liddle and Preston are the only survivors. She is adept at wilderness skills and he is hopeless.
The rest of the movie deals with a shift in the balance of power, with Liddle taking control and Preston continually trying to undermine her.
In the end, Preston gets his just desserts, while Liddle becomes a celebrity.
The movie earned a 93 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio and French and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 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.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include bloopers, deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at constructing the boar hunt, a featurette with McAdams and O’Brien detailing their filming experience, a look at McAdams use of costumes and makeup to help create Liddle’s look, a featurette on McAdams learning survival skills, a look at Danny Elfman creating the score and a commentary track with Raimi and producer Zainab Azizi.
Task: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)
Release date: April 21
Details: 2025, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment-HBO-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Mark Ruffalo stars in this seven-episode crime series that aired on HBO in which Ruffalo’s FBI agent, Tom Brandis, is put in charge of a task force investigating a series of violent robberies against trap houses run by the Dark Hearts, an outlaw motorcycle gang.
Ruffalo’s Brandis is a former priest returning to duty after a family tragedy. The members of his team include state trooper Lizzie Stover, Chester city detective Aleah Clinton and Delaware County detective Anthony Grasso.
It turns out the robberies are being committed by Robbie Prendergast and his friend, Cliff Boward, who use their jobs as waste collectors to plan the robberies. They also seem to have help from someone inside the motorcycle gang.
Events escalate when a robbery goes wrong and three members of the Dark Hearts as well as a friend of Prendergast and Boward are killed in a shootout.
Over the course of the episodes, betrayal, double crosses and more killings occur before Brandis and his team resolve the case.
“Task” can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online dealers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.00:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: A “Task Unmasked” on all episodes and a “Philly Slang” featurette are the main extras.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: April 21
Details: 2025, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, violence, language, grisly images, sexual content
The lowdown: Sam Rockwell stars as a man claiming to be from the future who recruits an unlikely group of diner patrons to join him on a quest to save humanity from the perils of social media mental clutter and the impending AI apocalypse.
This sci-fi social satire makes you think about the impact — and possible dangers — of growing technology and society.
Rockwell’s The Man From the Future has tried numerous times before to prevent these future events — and always failing.
He hopes this attempt will succeed. You will have to watch the movie, which garnered an 82 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, to see if he succeeds.
The cast also includes Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazzie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, Juno Temple and Riccardo Drayton, all under the direction of Gore Verbinski.
The movie can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 DVS; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main supplemental option is a making of featurette.
Our Town (Blu-ray)
Release date: April 14
Details: 1940, Film Masters-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Thornton Wilder’s play is considered a classic; a simple story about the everyday people who populate the small town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire.
The play debuted in 1938 and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
The film adaptation, released in 1940, featured William Holden and Martha Scott as the young protagonists, George Gibbs and Emily Webb, who eventually fall in love and marry.
The major alterations between stage and screen involve the addition of scenery — no was used in the stage version — and a significant change to a character from the third act of the play.
Nothing exciting occurs in this leisurely-paced movie, which is more about the day-to-day lives of the townsfolk.
I will not divulge the changes in the movie’s finale, so I suggest you first read the play, then watch the movie.
Besides Holden and Scott, the cast includes Frank Craven, reprising his role as the stage manager from the play; Fay Bainter, Beulah Bondi, Thomas Mitchell,, Guy Kibbee, Stuart Erwin and Tim Davis.
Sam Wood directed with Wilder, Craven and Harry Chandlee adapting the play for the screen. A musical score by Aaron Copland adds to the pleasure.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Captains Courageous (Blu-ray)
Details: 1937, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: G
The lowdown: Spencer Tracy won the first of his consecutive best actor Academy Awards for his portrayal of Manuel, a Portuguese fisherman, in this poignant adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic.
Freddie Bartholomew is Harvey, the spoiled 12-year-old son of a millionaire who, after falling overboard while bound for Europe with his father (Melvyn Douglas), is rescued by a New England fishing schooner and placed in the hands of Manuel, who transforms the boy by teaching him human values by putting him to work, slowly changing Harvey from an entitled brat into a gallant and brave apprentice.
Victor Fleming directed the movie, which also features Lionel Barrymore as Disko, the schooner’s captain; Mickey Rooney as Dan, his son; as well as John Carradine and Charley Grapevine. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie received a 94 percent fresh rating.
The Blu-ray can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16:9 enhanced) full-screen, with side mattes, picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include an MGM cartoon, “Wayward Pups”; a Robert Benchley short, “How to Start Your Day”; and a “Captains Courageous” radio promo.
Hold That Ghost (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1941, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: With the release of “Buck Privates” on Jan. 31, 1941, the comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello soared in popularity.
“Hold That Ghost” was the third of four films, the team made for Universal Pictures in that year.
Chuck Murray (Abbott) and Ferdinand Jones (Costello) come into an inheritance — an abandoned roadhouse formerly belonging to a “rubbed out” gangster.
The roadhouse supposedly is the hiding place for the late gangster’s illicit loot. When Chuck and Ferdy arrive to claim the “inheritance,” mayhem ensues. People are mysteriously killed, lights go on and off, walls go in and out, candles move on their own and moans and shrieks are heard.
Ghosts seem to run amok in the duo’s first horror-comedy, with more coming later in their career.
The movie also features Richard Carlson, Evelyn Ankers, Joan Davis, Mischa Auer, Marc Lawrence, with musical numbers from Ted Lewis and The Andrew Sisters.
The movie is considered one of Abbott and Costello’s best and funniest features.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Two commentary tracks, one by author-film historian Alan K. Rode, the other by film historian Samm Deighan, comprise the extras.
“Famous Studios Champion Collection” (Blu-ray)
Release date: April 21
Details: 1943-50, ClassicFlix
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A cartoon compilation featuring 18 animated shorts from Famous Studios, the reorganized arm of Paramount Pictures’ animation department.
The selections in this set include such popular characters as Little Lulu, Blackie Sheep and Wolfie, Baby Huey, Little Audrey, Herman the Mouse and Casper the Friendly Ghost.
The cartoons, which look wonderful, include such titles as “No Mutton Fer Nuttin’ ” (1943), “The Henpecked Rooster” and “Suddenly It’s Spring!” (1944), “A Lamb in a Jam” and “The Friendly Ghost” (1945), “Sheep Shape,” “Sudden Fried Chicken” and “Bargain Counter Attack” (1946), “Much Ado About Mutton” and “A Bout with a Trout” (1947), “There’s Good Boos To-Night,” “Butterscotch and Soda” and “Readin’, ‘Ritin’, and Rhythemetic” (1948), “Hep Cat Symphony,” “A Haunting We Will Go,” “Campus Capers” and “Our Funny Finny Friends” (1949) and “Quack-a-Doodle-Doo” (1950).
The shorts were restored from 4K scans of the original studio materials, and feature snappy music and solid Technicolor.
The set will enhance any animation lovers collection.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
20,000 Years in Sing Sing (Blu-ray)
Details: 1932, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Two young actors, Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis, on the cusp of legendary film careers costar for the only time in this prison drama directed by the great and versatile Michael Curtiz.
Tracy plays Tommy Connors, is sentenced to 30 years in Sing Sing for robbery and assault. The cocky Connors is sure his connections will be able to get him special treatment, but his associate, Joe Finn (Louis Calhern), is unable to bribe tough, honest, but fair, warden Paul Long (Arthur Byron) to give Connors special treatment.
After immediately getting into trouble, Connors is confined to his cell during which he begins to change his attitude. Soon, as the warden, predicted, Connors is willing to contribute to work on the rock pile.
Connors decides to forgo an escape plan because it is planned for a Saturday — a day he considers unlucky. The escape is foiled, but not without fatalities.
Meanwhile, Connors’s girlfriend, Fay Wilson (Davis), visits him regularly. On one of those meetings, she confides that she is getting close to Finn to encourage him to help Connors. The inmate tells his Fay that her visits are providing Finn a reason to simply keep him in jail.
Later Connors learns that Fay was seriously injured in a car accident and may not live. The warden gives him a 24-hour leave to see her, promising to return.
When Connors sees Fay, he learns Finn was responsible for her injuries. Taking a gun from a drawer, Connors plans to shoot Finn, but Fay persuades him to give it to her.
When Finn appears, he and Connors begin to fight and Fay shoot Finn. Connors flees, taking the gun, while Fay slips $5,000 Finn was going to give her for exonerating him about the accident, into her boyfriend’s pocket.
Before he dies, Finn names Connors as his killer. This gets the warden in hot water, especially since Connors has not yet return.
He soon returns and is arrested for the killing of Finn. He is found guilty and sentenced to death, despite Fay’s protestations that she shot Finn.
Connors comforts her before being taken to death row and his date with the electric chair.
“20,000 Years in Sing Sing” displays the talents of two exceptional performances who are destined for greater things.
The Blu-ray can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition 1.37:1 (16:9 enhanced), side mattes, full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include two Warner Bros. shorts, “20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang” and “That Goes Double and two classic Warner Bros. cartoons, “Crosby, Columbo and Vallee” and “The Queen Was in the Parlor.”
Arrowsmith (Blu-ray)
Details: 1931, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Ronald Colman and Helen Hayes star in this adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ 1925 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which tells the story of idealistic small-town doctor and research scientist Martin Arrowsmith who relocates to the West Indies.
There, his determination to end an bubonic plague epidemic sets off a tragic chain of events that force him to come to terms with his career and personal life.
To stem the plague, Arrowsmith abandons scientific protocol for his untested serum and uses it to stem the plague outbreak.
“Arrowsmith,” directed by John Ford, was produced by Samuel Goldwyn. The script by Sidney Howard makes significant changes from the book,
The supporting cast includes Richard Bennett, Clarence Brooks, Alec B. Francis, Claude King, Bert Roach, Myrna Loy and Russell Hopton.
One of the pleasures of “Arrowsmith” is listening to Colman. He has a voice made for movies.
“Arrowsmith” can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16:9 enhanced). with side mattes, full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a 1937 “Lux Radio Theater” adaptation starring Spencer Tracy and Fay Wray.
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (Blu-ray)
Details: 1934, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Despite its lurid-sounding title, this drama, starring Claude Rains after his breakout role in “The Invisible Man,” is a political drama in which he portrays pacificist Paul Verin who writes anti-war editorials.
To earn money, he allows politician Henri Dumont (Lionel Atwill) to take credit for his work in the broadsheet he publishes. When Dumont’s political aspirations bring him closer to the very people Verin condemns in his writings, the politician tries to convince Verin to soften his rhetoric.
When Verin refuses, Dumont betrays him and uses his influence to have Verin sent to the front during World War I and canceling his leave. Hearing a rumor that Dumont was responsible and also is spending time with his wife, the infuriated Verin returns to Paris, finding Dumont trying to force himself on Verin’s wife, Adele (Joan Bennett).
In a rage, he kills the politician with his bayonet.
The movie is told in flashback by Verin, who is carrying a satchel, to his lawyer-friend Fernand de Marnay (Henry O’Neill). When Adele arrives at de Marnay with the police, the lawyer is confident he can win an acquittal for Verin.
An unofficial remake of “The Man Who Reclaimed His Head” was produced in 1945 as an “Inner Sanctum” thriller titled “Strange Confession” and starring Lon Chaney Jr.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Commentary tracks, one by film historian David Del Valle and the other by film historian Troy Howarth, comprise the bonus options.
Crack-Up (Blu-ray)
Details: 1946, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Pat O’Brien stars in this noir feature set in the world of art.
O’Brien portrays art critic George Steele who goes into a mental tailspin after being injured in a train wreck. Because of his condition,, he is fired from his job.
Steele’s perceptions change after he learns that there was no train accident.
The crux of the movie deals with art forgeries, perpetrated by super-rich snobs who scheme to replace masterpieces with convincing replicas.
O’Brien, though a bit too old for his role, does yeoman’s work as the critic trying to unravel the so-called crash and all the other strange incidents that are happening around him.
The cast also includes Herbert Marshall, Claire Trevor, Ray Collins and Wallace Ford.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online dealers.
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: The main extra is a “Crime Does Not Pay” short entitled “Purity Squad.
Throw Momma from the Train (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1987, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG-13, violence, language
The lowdown: Danny DeVito (who also directed) and Billy Crystal costar in this comedy about momma’s boy Owen (DeVito) who is dominated by his fierce mother, scarily played by Anne Ramsey.
Owens friend Larry (Crystal), a writing teacher, has his own problems: his ex-wife stole his novel and made it a bestseller. The two fantasize about “eliminating” each other’s problems. But can they — and will they — actually go through with their crazy scheme.
The movie, a black comedy spoof of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train,” also features Kim Greist, Kate Mulgrew, Branford Marsalis, Rob Reiner and Bruno Kirby.
The film earned a 64 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with Hats Off Entertainment’s Joe Ramoni on both discs and, on the Blu-ray disc, an interview with cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, four deleted scenes and a trio of featurettes — “Crafting a Dark Comedy,” “Why Do You Hate Your Mother?” and “The Night Was … .”
Innerspace: Limited Edition (4K UHD & Blu-ray)
Details: 1987, Arrow Video
Rated: PG, violence, language
The lowdown: Dennis Quaid and Martin Short headline the cast of the sci-fi spoof of 1966’s “Fantastic Voyage,” in which a team is injected into a scientist to save his life.
In this version, directed by Joe Dante, Quaid plays hot-shot pilot Tuck Pendleton, who volunteers for an experimental miniaturization program.
Events go awry when henchmen of a rival scientific organization attack the laboratory to seize the experiment.
One of the wounded scientists escapes with the syringe holding Pendleton who, after a chase, is injected into hypochondriac grocery clerk Jack Putter (Short).
At first, Putter thinks he is going crazy, but eventually he and Pendleton are on the same team and, with the help of ace reporter Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan), begin a search for the stolen tech that will restore Pendleton to his normal state.
The supporting cast includes Kevin McCarthy, Fiona Lewis and Henry Gibson. Dante’s movie earned a respectable 81 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and English 4.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and English 4.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track by film critic Drew McWeeny; an archival commentary track by Dante, producer Michael Finnell, visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and cast members Kevin McCarthy and Robert Picardo; a behind-the-scenes featurette with Dante; a behind-the-scenes at ILM with Muran; continuity and behind-the-scenes Polaroids; and a booklet with essays about the movie.
So Young, So Lovely, So Vicious (Blu-ray)
Details: 1975, Raro-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: In this erotic-charged Italian drama, teenager Angela is unhappy about Irene, her father’s choice for his new wife.
Angela does everything she can to destroy their relationship. The teen is aided by her boyfriend, Sandro, who helps her dig deep into Irene’s past, where she discovers traits of mental abuse.
It seems Irene had been traumatized by a failed lesbian relationship and has latched onto Angela’s father as a lifeline to preserve her sanity.
To weaken her, Angela seduces her stepmother in an attempt to blackmail her, but ends up falling in love.
Tragedy strikes when Sandro intervenes, pushing Irene over the edge.
Manipulation and mind games are at the root of this sex drama, which ends in tragedy.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track by “Wild, Wild Podcast” hosts Adrian Smith and Rod Barnett.
Soldier (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1998, Arrow Video
Rated: R, violence
The lowdown: Kurt Russell stars in this futuristic sci-fi adventure.
Russell portrays Sgt. Todd 3465, a veteran in a very long line of soldiers raised from birth to become ruthless and efficient killing machines.
When the hard-lined Col. Mekum (Jason Isaacs) introduces a new line of stronger, genetically engineered fighters, Todd is judged obsolete and confined to the waste disposal planet Arcadia 234.
Todd is taken in by a group of colonists and, over time, the former soldier reconnects with his buried humanity, gaining the acceptance and friendship of the settlers.
But when Mekum unleashes his new enhanced squad on the planet, led by the formidable Caine 607 (Jason Scott Lee), Todd must reawaken the warrior within to protect his newly-adopted community.
Despite some solid special effects and action sequences, the movie is derivative, cliched and formulaic. Russell, who hardly speaks throughout, gives a strong performance that, unfortunately, cannot overcome the film’s deficits.
The cast also includes Connie Nielsen, Sean Pertwee and Gary Busey, all under the direction of Paul W.S. Anderson.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include an archival commentary track by Anderson, Isaacs and co-producer Jeremy Bolt; interviews with cast member James Black, assistant director Dennis Maguire, associate producer Fred Fontana and production designer David L. Snyder; a behind-the-scenes look with visual effects supervisor Craig Barron on how the special effects were created; a behind-the-scenes featurette with Barron, visual effects supervisor Van Ling and miniature supervisor Michael Joyce on the creation of the movie’s weapons; an interview with Danny Stewart, author of “Soldier: From Script to Screen”; a new retrospective about the movie with film historian Heath Holland; on-set interviews with cast members and filmmakers; an archival electronic press kit; and a collector’s booklet.
Desperate Teenage Lovedolls (Blu-ray)
Release date: April 17
Details: 1984-86, We Got Power Films-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A Blu-ray featuring a pair of underground Super-8 cult films, “Desperate Teenage Lovedolls” (1984) and “Lovedolls Superstar” (1986).
The movies center on the Lovedolls, a fictitious all-girls band, and were produced on micro-budgets with cast members from the Los Angeles punk scene. The films were shot guerrilla style in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Venice.
The films were compared to “This Is Spinal Tap,” but on a more do-it-yourself vibe with a definite tongue-in-cheek attitude.
The behind-the-camera crew and cast were comprised of disaffected kids without many resources.
The sequel, “Lovedolls Superstar,” featured parodies of rock and pop culture in jabs at Brews Springstien and the “Billy Jack” craze.
Fans of underground cult will find these movies a fun time capsule.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, full-screen picture; English 5.1 and stereo audio.
Don’t miss: Extras include a “Desperate Teenage Lovedolls” 40th anniversary question-and-answer panel with director David Markay and actors Jennifeer Schwartz, Steven McDonald and Tracey Lea; a look at “Lovedolls Superstar” at American Cinematheque in Hollywood; commentary tracks with Markay, producer Jordan Schwartz and actors Jeffrey McDonald, Steven McDonald and Jennifer Schwartz; a Redd Kross “Ballad of a Lovedoll” music video; deleted scenes and alternate takes; and a making of featurette.
Other titles being released during the upcoming week include:
Dust Bunny (4K Ultra HD + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
From the Beyond: High Strangeness in the Bennington Triangle (DVD & digital) (Small Town Monsters)
Moneyball (4K Ultra HD + digital) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Didn’t Die (Level 33 Entertainment)
Hoppers (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment-Pixar)
Odyssey (Cineverse)
Skywatched (Breaking Glass Pictures)
The Step Daddy (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
APRIL 29
Criminal Record: Season 2, Episode 2 (Apple TV)
Imperfect Women: Episode 8 (Apple TV)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles: Episode 5 (Apple TV)
The Testaments: Episode 6 (Hulu)
Widow’s Bay: Episode 1 & 2 (Apple TV)
APRIL 30
Double Stakes: Episode 7 (Viaplay)
Man on Fire: Episodes 1-7 (Netflix)
Vision from the Life of Hildegard von Bingen (Kino Film Collection)
MAY 1
For All Mankind: Season 5, Episode 6 (Apple TV)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2, Episode 10 (Apple TV)
Paying for It (Film Movement+)
Salt Along the Tongue (Yellow Veil Pictures)
Sister & Sister (Film Movement+)
Traitors (Film Movement+)
Your Friends and Neighbors: Season 2, Episode 5 (Apple TV)
MAY 4
Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord: Episodes 9 & 10 (Disney+)
Xenophobes (Prime Video)
Coming next week: It: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season (4K Ultra HD)
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.