New to View: July 21
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, July 21, unless otherwise noted:
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 1958, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: G
The lowdown: Growing up in a small, suburban Long Island town, we did not have a neighborhood movie theater. Instead, when my parents could afford it, we drove into New York City to see road show productions of such epics as “Lawrence of Arabia” (still one of my favorites), “How the West Was Won” and “Mutiny on the Bounty.”
My life changed about 1961 when a movie house finally opened within walking distance — a little less than a mile — from our neighborhood. For the next three of four years, this was my haunt as children matinees were screened every Saturday afternoon.
The first movie I saw at that theater was “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” and, honestly, it changed my life. It sparked an interest in movies and, especially, special effects.
Yes, I had seen “King Kong” several times on the “Million Dollar Movie” program that ran every night on WOR-TV. Despite its outstanding effects, nothing grabbed me as tightly as “7th Voyage.” Today, more than 60 years after first seeing it, “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” never grows tiring or stale.
That is because of stop-motion animation legend Ray Harryhausen who brought a cyclops, a dragon, the two-headed roc, a woman transformed into a snake and a skeleton brought to life to duel to the death with the heroic Sinbad.
This upgraded 4K ultra high definition reissue of the movie captures all of its wonders and makes viewing it again — or even for the first time — a transformative and entertaining experience.
Sinbad must sail to the mysterious island of Colossa to break a spell cast on his beloved princess by an evil magician. All the wonders and dangers of the island are brought to life through Harryhausen’s artistry. “Sinbad” and “Jason and the Argonauts” are my two favorite Harryhausen features. They are titles I can watch over and over and feel like a kid again.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include “The Harryhausen Chronicles” and “The Harryhausen Legacy” featurettes; a commentary track with Harryhausen and others; a “Remembering “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad’ ” featurette; a behind-the-scenes look at the movie; a featurette on the “This Is Dynamation special effects; an interview with Harryhausen by director John Landis; a featurette on the music of Bernard Herrmann; and a music video.
Michael (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: July 14
Details: 2026, Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, thematic material, violence, language, smoking
The lowdown: This biopic of Michael Jackson, directed by Antoine Fugua, features an extraordinary performance by Jaafar Jackson as well as creative and visually exciting musical sequences and cinematography.
However, the movie falls short on dealing with the King of Pop’s family life, especially the relationship with his abusive father, his personal struggles and other problems that dogged him throughout his life.
The one-dimensional character development also is lacking, which is disappointing since the movie features a solid supporting cast including Colman Domingo as the fierce Josphe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson and Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy.
The movie plays more like a greatest hits album than a comprehensive biopic. And while it is a celebration of Jackson’s showmanship, it falls short of presenting him as a complete person.
A majority of critics felt the same, as “Michael” earned a disappointing 38 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160 ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, English descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, English descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a making of featurette, a look “Behind the Gates of Hayvenhurst,” an “In the Mirror: Becoming Michael & Joe Time-lapses” featurette; a first look, becoming Michael and on the set featurettes and a “Before the Big Screen” featurette.
Obsession (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: July 14
Details: 2025, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, language, brief nudity
The lowdown: Bear (Michael Johnston), a hopeless romantic, breaks the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his heart’s desire, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), the girl of his dreams.
As the adage goes, “be careful what you wish for” as it may come true.
And that is the premise of this psychological-horror outing that marks writer-director Curry Barker’s debut behind the camera.
The film’s use of building tension and horror impressed critics, despite lagging somewhat in its middle portion.
“Obsession,” driven by Navarrette’s performance, is creepy, gruesome and troubling, with a few scenes that are totally shocking.
The moral of the story — if you are interested in someone, just come out and tell them, even if you crash and burn. It is safer and less lethal than the events in “Obsession.”
Critics praised the movie, giving it a 94 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.50:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.50:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DVS and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a commentary track with Barker and a behind-the-scenes featurette with Barker and cast members.
Normal (Blu-ray)
Release date: July 14
Details: 2026, Magnolia Home Entertainment
Rated: R, strong, bloody violence, language
The lowdown: New sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) takes a new job in the small and quaint Midwestern town of Normal, a post he expects to be a respite from his previous job, his marital woes and his recent injuries in the line of duty.
But a botched bank robbery shatters the peace, a sordid secret is exposed and, too late, the sheriff discovers that the town is anything but its namesake.
This violent action flick rests on the shoulders of Odenkirk, who is enjoyable to watch as the Everyman hero he portrayed in the “Nobody” movies. “Normal” is filled with hand-to-hand fights, gunbattles and humor.
The supporting cast of the movie, which garnered a 77 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, includes Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan and Reena Jolly.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette, a featurette with director Ben Wheatley, a featurette with Odenkirk and featurettes on screenwriter Derek Kolstad, Winkler and producer Marc Provissiero.
A Shriek in the Night (Blu-ray)
Details: 1933, Leomark Studios-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A low-budget whodunit starring Ginger Rogers (before she was paired at RKO with Fred Astaire) and Lyle Talbot as rival reporters investigating the murder of a wealthy man thrown from his upper-story apartment.
Rogers’ Patricia Morgan had been posing as a personal secretary for the very rich Mr. Harker when he is killed. She had been trying to learn his connection to a racketeer named Martini.
The back-and-forth antics of Rogers and Talbot is more engrossing than the murder mystery itself. And at 66 minutes, the movie’s pace is slow.
The supporting characters are your typical B-movie assortment: Purnell Pratt, as the no-nonsense police inspector; Arthur Hoyt as his dim-witted assistant; Maurice Black as Martini; Lillian Harmer as the always-scared maid; Louise Beavers as another maid; Harvey Clark as the building’s janitor; and Clarence Wilson as Morgan’s newspaper editor.
The film is rather quaint, but watchable because of a chance to see Rogers before she became a major star.
You can find the movie at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English monaural.
Falling Down (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1993, Arrow Films
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: A man known only as D-Fens (Michael Douglas) is have a really bad day in this exploration about urban frustrations.
D-Fens wants only to get home, and when his car breaks down on the freeway, he abandons it and sets off across the city on foot.
Along the way, however, his journey is impaired by increasingly everyday annoyances that eventually escalate into dangerous confrontations that leave a trail of violence in their aftermath.
Robert Duvall, plays Prendergast, a veteran police officer working his final shift before retirement, who hunts for the volatile D-Fens.
As the paths of these two very different men converge, the question of whether D-Fens is a victim of an oppressive society or a man displaying his true colors.
The movie, with its unforgettable views or rage, is uncomfortable and darkly funny. The cast also includes Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Tuesday Weld, Frederic Forrest, Lois Smith, Michael Paul Chan and Vondie Curtis-Hall.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, “Falling Down” earned a 76 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM and 4.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an archival commentary track with Schumacher, editor Paul Hirsch, screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith, “Los Angeles Times” writer Shawn Hubler and Douglas, Chan, Curtis-Hall and Forrest; new interviews with Smith and composer James Newton Howard; a featurette looking at the real-life Los Angeles sites used in the movie; an archival interview with Douglas; and a booklet about the movie.
Under California Stars (Blu-ray)
Details: 1948, Leomark Studios-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Roy Rogers’ horse, Trigger, is kidnapped in this action Western directed by William Witney who, after his return from World War II, took over handling Rogers’ movies, cutting back on the songs and adding more rugged action.
Andy Devine is Rogers’ comic sidekick during this outing and Jane Frazee is the female lead.
Rogers portrays a movie star whose horse is stolen. A ransom of $100,000 is demanded for Trigger’s return.
The cast also includes George Lloyd, Wade Crosby, child actor Michael Chapin and Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers.
Sloan Nibley, who wrote many of Rogers scripts in the postwar 1940s, also was co-writer on “Under California Stars,” which was filmed in color.|
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 monaural.
The Boxer: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A former boxing champion now down on his luck finds an opportunity for redemption by training a young fighter everyone believes is beyond hope.
Playwright-director Shuji Terayama accepted the assignment at the request of it star, Bunta Sugawara, who portrays the former champion.
The movie has the 1970s grittiness that the major studio, Toei, was known for, but Terayama permeates the feature with his characteristic carnival-like atmosphere and his consummate passion for sports.
The results are a boxing movie unlike any other and a unique entry into Terayama’s filmography. Unlike “Rocky,” “The Boxer” is not an underdog story. Rather, it is a downtrodden tale with a strong emotional undercurrent as the boxer’s mentee is a handicapped youth responsible for the job site death of the boxer’s brother.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an interview with composer J.A. Seaver, a visual essay by Tom Mes about the Toei studio and a booklet.
The Double: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1971, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An Italian feature in which Giovanni (Jean Sorel) is shot in an underground parking garage by a mysterious bearded man.
Gravely wounded and dying, his life flashes before his eyes, and through flashbacks we learn about him and what led to the moment of his assault.
Giovanni’s flirtatious wife, Lucia (Ewa Aulin), and the trouble her behavior creates, complications with the family business, Lucia’s relationship with a traveling hippie and her beautiful mother-in-law all factor into the attack.
The movie’s fevered editing continually returns to the site of the killing as Giovanni’s life turns on itself as the film explores masculinity, eroticism and the supernatural.
“The Double” is a sexy, metaphysical giallo story that fans of the genre will find interesting.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English (dubbed) Dolby digital monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary by Tiim Lucas, and an interview with director Romolo Guerrieri and Aulin, an appreciation by author Stephen Thrower, an Easter egg and a booklet.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Lupin the IIIrd (Blu-ray) (GKids-Shout! Studios)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
The Rebrand (Level 33 Entertainment)
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (Disney)
Trans-Europ-Express (Kino Film Collection)
JULY 22
A Shop for Killers: Season 2, Episodes 1 & 2 (Hulu)
Lucky: Episode 3 (Apple TV)
My Grandfather Charles Manson (Hulu)
Trying: Episode 3 (Apple TV)
JULY 23
A Mosquito in the Ear (Persimmon)
Strawberry Days (Viaplay)
JULY 24
Cape Fear: Episode 9 (Apple TV)
Close Your Eyes (Film Movement+)
Cruel Hands (Dark Sky Films)
The Dink (Apple TV)
Lars Shrike Walks the Night (Filmhub-Vortex)
Silo: Season 3, Episode 4 (Apple TV)
Sour Party (Starboard Entertainment)
Sugar: Season 2, Episode 6 (Apple TV)
JULY 27
Furious: Episodes 1-3 (Hulu)
Coming next week: The Devil Wears Prada 2
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs at 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 Twitter @ReelBobBloom, on Facebook at ReelBob.com 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.