New to View: Aug. 11
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Aug. 11, unless otherwise noted:
New York, New York (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, MVD Marquee Collection-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: PG & R, violence, language
The lowdown: Martin Scorsese’s musical drama, set in the days following the end of World War II is a dark MGM-like stylized musical blended with a psychological drama that, at times, is dark and disturbing.
Robert De Niro portrays Jimmy Doyle, an independent and temperamental saxophonist, who has a volatile personality that seeps into anger and violence.
Liza Minnelli is Francine Evans, an ambitious and talented singer.
Their romance is a mixture of intense chemistry and deep conflict, mostly because of their personal ambitions. The movie’s biggest flaw is that the two genres never completely mesh — making for a somewhat disjointed narrative, with erratic pacing.
The two disc-set features the 166-minute expanded cut on the 4K UHD disc and 136-minute international version of “New York, New York” on the Blu-ray disc.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround and 2.0 LPCM stereo; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround and 2.0 LPCM stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include, on the 4K disc, an introduction to the expanded cut by Scorsese and a commentary track by Scorsese and film critic Carrie Rickey and, on the Blu-ray disc, the two-part “New York, New York” stories, Minnelli talking about the movie, alternate takes, deleted scenes and a commentary on selected scenes by director of photography László Kovács.
“Elementary Cinema: The Early Films of Sherlock Holmes” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1912-54, Film Masters
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: From 1900 through today, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has been a mainstay on movie and television screens.
Several actors — young, old and youthful — have portrayed the famous detective; even some animals have gotten into the act.
This Blu-ray offers examples of Holmes on screen between 1900 and 1928. The featured titles are four short films — “Sherlock Holmes Baffled” (1900), “Copper Beeches” (1912), “Cousins of Sherlocko” (1913) and “A Black Sherlock Holmes” (1918), both cut and uncut versions.
Also offered are two cartoons — “Slick Sleuths” (1926),, with Mutt and Jeff, and “Sure Luck Holmes” (1928) with Felix the Cat.
An episode of the 1950s Sherlock Holmes television series starring Ronald Howard, “The Case of the Blind Man’s Bluff” from 1954 also is included as is a radio broadcast recreation of “Sherlock Holmes and the Blue Carbuncle” from Redfield Arts Audio.
The Blu-ray should be of interest to any Holmes regular — or irregular — as it offers some cinematic efforts that probably few fans have seen.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a booklet with any essay, “Holmes B.B.R. (Before Basil Rathbone)” by Richard Heft.
Manon 70 (Blu-ray)
Details: 1968, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, sexual situations, language
The lowdown: Catherine Deneuve stars in this updated adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s 18th-century novel updated through the lens of 1960s materialism and sexual liberation.
While Deneuve’s Manon loves Sami Frey’s Des Grieux, she still takes many lovers to satisfy her need for luxury. The movie, directed by Jean Aurel, navigates the conflict between desire and morality.
The international cast includes Elsa Martinelli, Jean-Claude Brialy and Robert Webber.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; French DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger and Travis Woods is the main extra.
Death Warrant: Collector’s Edition (4K UItra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1990, MVD Rewind Collection
Rated: R, strong violence, sexuality, language
The lowdown: Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Louis Burke, an undercover police officer, in this action-thriller set in a brutal maximum-security prison.
Burke is planted in the prison to investigate a string of mysterious inmate deaths. Burke soon discovers a deadly conspiracy involving corrupt officials and a lethal organ-harvesting operation using inmates as unwilling donors.
As Burke digs deeper, he must navigate the violent prison arena, contend with ruthless guards as well as an old nemesis — the Sandman — a psychotic killer Burke had put away.
With time running out, Burke must use his wits and martial arts skills to survive, expose the truth and bring justice to the perpetrators of the murderous scheme.
Supporting Van Damme are Robert Guillaume, Cynthia Gibb, George Dickerson, Patrick Kilpatrick and Art LaFleur.
And while the storyline is rather implausible, it is the action sequences with Van Damme that are the main draw.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM stereo; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary by director Dean Sarafian on both discs and a mini-poster on the 4K UHD disc and, on the Blu-ray disc, interviews with Kilpatrick, LaFleur and Gibb.
Seven Snipers (Blu-ray)
Details: 2026, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: R, graphic violence, bloody images, language
The lowdown: Radha Mitchell stars as a retired sniper who lives a quiet life with her daughter, Anja (Annabel Wolfe), in the remote Australian countryside.
The Dragon (Tim Roth), a ruthless warlord from her past, shatters the family’s peace returning for retribution.
Mitchell’s Voodoo Child, calling in her old crew, prepares to defend her family in this action-thriller directed by Sandra Sciberras.
The movie’s premise is interesting, and despite some suspenseful moments and tension, falls flat because of plot holes, weak character development, tactical implausibility, predictable plotting and uneven pacing.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 (enhanced) widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and French subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday and in the upcoming week include:
Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe (Blu-ray & DVD & digital) (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Mooch (DVD & digital) (Freestyle Digital Media)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Borgo (Kino Film Collection)
Coroner to the Stars (Antenna)
Harbinger (Miracle Media)
Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Minions and Monsters (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Our Hero, Balthazar (WG Pictures-Radial Entertainment)
AUG. 12
A Shop for Killers: Season 2, Episode 5 (Hulu)
Lucky: Episode 6 (Apple TV)
Ted Lasso: Season 4, Episode 2 (Apple TV)
Trying: Episode 6 (Apple TV)
AUG. 13
Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear (Hulu)
AUG. 14
A Beautiful Distraction (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Ain’t No Luv (Breaking Glass Pictures)
At the Bench (Film Movement+)
Bad Lucky Goat (Film Movement+)
City of Honor 2: Choices (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Do Us Part (Level 33 Entertainment)
The Easy Kind (Big Mouth Productions-Persimmon)
Feed (Saban Films)
The Legend of Juan José Mundo (Persimmon)
Hellcat (Shudder)
If These Walls Could Rock (Bungalow Media Entertainment)
My Sunshine (Film Movement+)
Night of the Felines (Omnibus Entertainment-Film Movement+)
Silo: Season 3, Episode 7) (Apple TV)
AUG. 16
Jesus I Was Evil (Breaking Glass Pictures)
AUG. 17
Furious: Episode 6 (Hulu)
Futurama: Season 14, Episode 4 (Hulu)
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.