New to View: June 2
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, June 2, unless otherwise noted:
Hoppers (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2026, Buena Vista-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, action danger, scary images, mild language
The lowdown: Mabel, a teenage animal lover, seizes an opportunity to use a new technology and “hop” her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver and communicate directly with various animals.
Along the way, she makes some amazing discoveries, befriends a charismatic beaver and must rally the animal kingdom to face a coming human threat.
The animated Pixar feature, directed by Daniel Chong, strikes a solid balance between its message of humanity’s impact on animals and the environment with slapstick humor and very funny action sequences.
“Hoppers’ ” ultimate message, that saving your neighborhood is an important as saving the world, will resonate with young and adult viewers alike.
The voice talent in “Hoppers” includes Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, Kathy Nijamy, Melissa Villaseñor and Ego Nwodim.
The movie earned an impressive 94 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 Dolby digital and 2.0 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a “Critter Diaries” featurette in which the Pixar team explores Yellowstone, study wildlife and find inspiration for the movie’s characters; a making of featurette; deleted scenes; a “Meet King George” scene breakdown; a “Beaverton Revealed” behind-the-scenes look that features Pixar film cameos, hidden references and fun, behind-the-scenes facts; and bloopers from the recording booth.
The Late Show (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 26
Details: 1977, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: PG, violence, language
The lowdown: Art Carney portrays aging private eye Ira Welles who has seen better days. He has a bum leg, an ulcer and wears a hearing aid.
But when Harry (Howard Duff), his former partner, shows up with a bullet in his stomach and dies, Wells vows to find the killer and avenge his friend’s death.
Welles soon becomes acquainted with Margo (Lily Tomlin), a quirky young woman who asks Welles to help find her missing cat, for which she originally had hired Harry.
Carney and Tomlin make a tantalizing odd couple, with his character’s grumpy disposition and straightforward sense of honor, and her Margo’s New Age ditziness.
Writer-director Robert Benton loads his script with film noirish-like dialogue that reaches back to 1940s movies starring Humphrey Bogart or Alan Ladd.
The cast also includes Bill Macy, Eugene Roche, Joanna Cassidy, John Considine and Ruth Nelson.
“The Late Show,” which can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers, earned a 95 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes on 40 reviews.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a “Dinah!” segment featuring Tomlin.
“Inspector Maigret Collection” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1958-63, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Famed French actor Jean Gabin stars as Georges Simenon’s legendary, pipe-smoking detective in a trio of mystery thrillers.
“Maigret Sets a Trap” centers on a happily married, wealthy and talented man who is killing women of the night — and Maigret wants to know why.
The film costars Annie Giradot and Lino Ventua.
Maigret is summoned by a countess (Valentine Tessier) to the Chateau de Saint-Fiacre in “Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case” (1959), where she shows him a letter she has received predicting the day on which she will die. She hopes Maigret can discover the identity of the secret ill-wisher and prevent her death. Michel Auclair and Paul Frankeur co-star.
“Maigret Sees Red” (1963), Gabin’s final appearance as the detective, deals with three men cruising Paris’s Pigalle district in a Chevrolet, shooting a bystander. Shortly after, the body is taken.
Maigret suspects a ring of American mobsters when the trail leads him to a bowling alley where Americans gather and a mysterious femme fatale named Lily (Francoise Fabian) works.
Mystery buffs will enjoy not only the movies, but the performance as Gabin as the brilliant inspector.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture (“Maigret Sets a Trap”) and 1.66:1 widescreen picture (“Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case” and “Maigret Sees Red”); French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include commentary tracks on all three movies.
Possessed (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 26
Details: 1931, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Between 1931 and 1940 Joan Crawford and Clark Gable costarred in eight features together.
“Possessed” was the third of those as well as the third of three movies in 1931 in which they were paired. Crawford portrays Marian Martin, an ambitious factory worker living with her mother in Erie, PA.
Marian is dissatisfied and is determined to find a better life. She leaves Erie for the bright lights of New York City where she meets wealthy divorced attorney Mark Whitney (Gable). Soon, Marian becomes Whitney’s mistress.
Over the next few years, Whitney tutors Marian in the arts and culture of his social circle. To avoid scandal and keeping people from discovering Marian is his kept woman, he introduces her as Mrs. Moreland, a rich divorcée living off her alimony.
Complications arise when Whitney decides to run for governor, and friends tell him that his relationship with “Mrs. Moreland” could jeopardize his chances of winning the election.
Things work out for the couple by the final fade-out as the lovers reconcile and Whitney proposes marriage.
“Possessed” was one of the many movies filmed during Crawford’s years at MGM in which she played working-class women who through grit, brains and determination betters herself and those she loves.
The movie can be found at www.moviezyng.com 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 a “Dogville” short comedy, “Love Tails of Morocco,” and a “Bosko the Doughboy” cartoon.
“Monogram Matinee: Volume 3” (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 26
Details: 1946, 1949, Warner Archive Collection-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A pair of Johnny Mack Brown B-Westerns produced during the latter part of his long career are featured on this Blu-ray.
In 1946’s “Under Arizona Skies,” Brown plays Dusty Smith, a friendly ranch hand, who must solve the mystery of why cattle is being stolen from the ranch.
He eventually confronts one of the rustlers, but is forced to kill him in self-defense, which lands Dusty in jail for murder. His play, Santa Fe Jones (Raymond Hatton, who teamed with Brown in several Westerns), comes to his rescue. The pair then secretly get on the trail of the rustlers.
Lambert Hillyer was behind the camera.
The movie costars Reno Blair and Smith Ballew and the Sons of the Sage.
Brown, using his own name, stars in “Range Justice,” this time aided by former Three Mesquiteers member Max Terhune (and his dummy, Elmer).
Johnny comes to the aid of ranch owner “Ma” Curtis (Sarah Padden), whose spread is under attack from villainous employees who plan to bilk her of her property.
But Johnny uses his brain and brawn to outwit them and bring them to justice. Riley Hill, Tristram Coffin, Fred Kohler Jr. and Kenne Duncan are among the costars.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (wide side mattes) (16:9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Other titles being released in the upcoming week include:
Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage-Fueled Karma (DVD & VOD) (S & R Films)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Fathers (One Tree Entertainment)
Not Suitable for Work: Episodes 1-3 (Hulu)
Premarital (Level 33 Entertainment)
Spacewoman (Havilland Digital-Tigerlily)
Strange Journey: The Making of Rocky Horror (Magenta Light Studios-Apple TV-Prime Video)
Super High Me (Magnolia Pictures)
JUNE 3
Criminal Record: Season 2, Episode 7 (Apple TV)
Maximum Please Guaranteed: Episode 4 (Apple TV)
Widow’s Bay: Episode 8 (Apple TV)
JUNE 4
Aimée & Jaguar (Kino Film Collection)
Black Sands: Season 2, Episodes 7 & 8 (Viaplay)
Bubble (Viaplay)
Drifter (Kino Film Collection)
JUNE 5
The Birthday Party (Quiver Distribution)
The Blue Diamond (Bloody Bites-Cineverse-Bloody Disgusting)
Cape Fear: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV)
CHUM (IFC)
Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams, the Video Album (Lightyear Entertainment)
Friar Alessandro, The Voice of Assisi (MVD Visual Entertainment)
Jefferson Starship: The Definitive Concert (Lightyear Entertainment)
Seven Snipers (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Signal One (Radial Entertainment-Shout! Studios)
Star City: Episode 3 (Apple TV)
Stevie Nicks: Live at Red Rock (Lightyear Entertainment)
Unconditional: Episode 6 (Apple TV)
The Year Before the War (IndiePix Unlimited)
Your Friends and Neighbors: Season 2, Episode 10 (Apple TV)
JUNE 8
Alice and Steve: Complete Season One: Episodes 1-6 (Hulu)
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.