Hello and welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. This is another jam-packed edition with all kinds of major and notable features in a wide variety of genres. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a few days, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
ABSOLUTION – An aging gangster and ex-con discovers that after years of using his fists in confrontations, he has an untreatable neurodegenerative disease. Realizing he has little time left, the lead decides to contact his estranged daughter and grandson in order to repair their relationship. The protagonist also plots one final, dangerous job to try and help his family live a better life. Reaction from the press for this crime drama was split. Almost half commented that the thriller was heavy-handed and didn’t offer anything that audiences hadn’t seen a hundred times before. Almost the same number, along with a few more, liked that the story was more thoughtful and downcast than other pictures of its ilk and appreciated the lead performance. It stars Liam Neeson, Ron Perlman, Yolanda Ross, Frankie Shaw and Daniel Diemer.
APARTMENT 7A – An aspiring dancer arrives in New York, only to suffer a debilitating accident during an audition. Defeated, she unexpectedly runs into an elderly couple who say they’re sympathetic to her troubles and offer a free apartment. Thrilled, she agrees, but soon finds her new neighbors a little, well, creepy. The dancer also begins having terrifying visions of a pregnancy. If you haven’t guessed by now, this movie is a prequel to the classic Rosemary’s Baby. It premiered on the Paramount+ site and is now arriving on disc. The feature received more negative notices than positive ones. A small number liked the performance of the lead actress and complemented the feature’s attempts to tackle current issues. But the majority complained that the film was a flavorless reworking of a classic that didn’t offer anything new or exciting to the concept. The cast includes Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Jim Sturgess, Kevin McNally and Marli Su.
THE APPRENTICE – This biopic is set in the 1970s and focuses on young businessman Donald Trump. The man befriends and becomes captivated by notorious lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn. The elder mentors the power-hungry young man on how to use nefarious tactics to succeed in New York. But when the main character decides to forge out for himself with various real estate development plans, he begins to accrue major business debts. Overall, the press gave this drama high marks. About one-fifth of reviews did state that the film didn’t pack as hard a punch as it could have or reveal any new insight about its subject. Yet most called the cast excellent and thought it was a good character study about how greed and ambition has ultimately led its main character down a dark and corrupt path. It features Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova and Martin Donovan.
CONCLAVE – This thriller begins with the passing of the Pope. A cardinal is immediately tasked with bringing Catholic Church’s leaders from around the world together. The group is sequestered in the Vatican to elect someone to the throne. Numerous parties make their case to be voted in as new Pope, while the cardinal learns more strange details about the final days of their previous leader. Tensions rise as secrets are revealed and they attempt to come to a resolution. Reaction was very positive towards this feature. A few write-ups described the film as a silly thriller that didn’t feel authentic or delve deeply into its interesting concept. However, all others appreciated the work of the cast and thought the movie was stylish and entertaining as it dealt with politics within the Catholic Church. Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Bryan F. O’Byrne, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini and Carlos Diehz headline the film.
EVIL DOES NOT EXIST – A tiny alpine village somewhere outside Tokyo is home to a man and his daughter. They live by a forest and collect natural ingredients for a local restaurant. As outsiders begin to see the area as a possible destination for tourism and a “glamping” vacation spot, the leads are asked to escort businessmen to the area to assess the site. The father becomes increasingly concerned about the impact of their proposal and ponders what to do about it. Reviewers generally raved about this Japanese foreign-language drama from the director of recent Best International Feature Film Oscar winner Drive My Car. A small number found the movie slow-going and disliked the finale. Everyone else was impressed by the atmosphere and unique tone of the feature, stating that it effectively sold its ecological message without hammering it over the heads of viewers. It stars Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa and Ryuji Kosaka.
GHOSTS OF RED RIDGE – Set in a dying Gold Rush town in 1876, this western tells the story of a sheriff dealing with a past trauma and feeling sad for the downtrodden residents. When a gang of angry outlaws arrive wanting to take revenge on the area for also leaving them impoverished and desperate, the lawman is forced to rise to the occasion and take them down. This independent, low-budget effort appears to be debuting on disc and streaming sites. No major press reviews have appeared, but there are a couple of online write-ups available. One states that despite the minimal budget, the film provides a few unique moments as characters deal with ghosts of the past. Another states the movie is disappointing, failing to deliver any surprises, thrills or drama. The cast includes Owen Williams, Trent Culkin, Griffin Wad and Mercedes Peterson.
HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN – The Dark Horse Comics character Hellboy first debuted on the big screen 20 years ago courtesy of director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water). This is a reboot of the character from another filmmaker that begins in the 1950s with the title character employed at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. He and his partner follow the trail of a mysterious entity terrorizing locals with nightmarish visions. The latest attempt to rebrand the character did not go over well with critics. Slightly more than one-third stated that the film was accurate to the source material and delivered enough chills and action to earn it a recommendation. But the consensus on the movie was that it lacked thrills and excitement. They thought it looked cheap, choppy and was hard to follow, becoming dull and dreary as it lurched forward. It features Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Leah McNamara, Joseph Marcell and Martin Bassindale.
JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX – This sequel to the 2019 Oscar-winner (for Best Actor and Original Score) Joker sees the popular DC villain incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital. He is eventually put on trial for his crimes from the previous film. Bored, he begins to imagine the legal proceedings as musical numbers. The Joker also takes note of a superfan who wants to get to know him better. This big budgeted follow-up was a commercial flop. It didn’t impress reviewers either. One-third of them called the movie bold, clever and original, stating that it subverted expectations and asked questions about obsessive fandom. However, most were put off by the tone, stating that the film seemed determined to annoy viewers and didn’t have much of note to say. They also suggested there was little chemistry between the leads. Multiple editions of the film will be available, including a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook, a 4K Ultra HD-only edition, and a standalone Blu-ray. Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener headline the picture.
OMNI LOOP – A quantum physicist studying time travel wants the ability to go and repair her own personal relationships. The protagonist finds a way, but ends up in a loop which only allows her to repeat the same week in her life over and over again. After visiting a doctor, the physicist also discovers she has a black hole growing inside her body. She tells a gifted student about her problem, and the youngster tries to figure out how to save her. This independent science-fiction/comedy/drama earned solid notices. A handful of reviewers did take issue with the second half, noting that the story became repetitive and was also blunt in delivering its message. Still, everyone else thought the two leads were a great onscreen pair and that the movie presented a unique take on time travel that was bittersweet and moving. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Mary-Louise Parker, Ayo Edebiri and Carlos Jacott.
PIECE BY PIECE – Hugely popular musician Pharrell Williams shares his life story in this documentary. Told entirely through animation, all of the individuals are LEGO figures. Viewers see the artist’s childhood, the way he sees music, and those who inspired him. Then, the picture shows how he broke into the music industry and depicts stories of him creating hit songs with various collaborators. The press generally enjoyed the picture. A small segment believed that the movie was too self-congratulatory and simply jumped from hit to hit, failing to give much insight into the artist’s process. However, the majority liked the unconventional way that this documentary was put together. They admired the look of the film and claimed that the end result was effective and surprisingly inspirational. Besides Williams, the voice cast includes Morgan Neville, Kendrick Lamar, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Busta Rhymes and many more. You can read a full review of this movie here.
SLEEP – This horror/dark comedy from South Korea is about a recently married wife. After getting pregnant, she begins hearing weird noises from the other side of the bed. The woman soon learns that her new husband has a horrible sleepwalking condition in which he acts out unpredictably. Worried that he may harm himself, her or their unborn baby, she goes about trying to cure the condition with science, and then spiritualists. Critics gave this foreign-language film high marks. One or two took issue with the shifting tone and thought the story ultimately went in a formulaic direction. Yet, the vast majority thought it was extremely well written and effective. They stated that the relatable concept pulled them in and that the movie became creepier and creepier as it progressed, delivering a memorable finale. It features Jung Yu-Mi and Lee Sun-Kyun.
TERRIFIER 3 – The graphic low-budget independent slasher Terrifier shocked horror fans in 2016. A 2022 sequel received a theatrical release and developed an even bigger following. So much so that the third movie in the series became a box office smash, earning almost $90 million worldwide against a $2 million dollar budget. The plot follows a supernatural killer named Art the Clown. This follow-up takes place 5 years after part two during Christmas, as the antagonist and a possessed individual hunt down the survivor of the previous entry. They also violently slaughter any individual they encounter along the way. This sequel fared better than previous installments with reviewers. One-quarter said there was no one in the film to relate to, and that the nonsensical, over-the-top murder set pieces were dopey instead of scary. Still, the majority stated that this follow-up was yet another improvement on its predecessor. They called it memorably depraved and found the slaughter scenes creatively captured and darkly humorous. The title can be purchased as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack, a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook, a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray box set, and as a Blu-ray only release. David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam and Samantha Scaffidi headline the movie.
TRANSFORMERS ONE – The popular Hasbro toy line gets a movie reboot in this animated action/adventure that tells the origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron. Working in the mines of the planet Cybertron, the two friendly, sentient robots aspire to live above ground like others residing on the surface. The leads uncover a dark conspiracy about their leader and ultimately process the information differently, leading to a break in their friendship. Notices were very good for this feature. In fact, they were the best the entire franchise has ever received. A small number wasn’t sure if the film was for adults or children and couldn’t help but feel it was just a toy advertisement. Everyone else was impressed, stating that the film was well-paced, delivering impressive action and zippy dialogue between the characters that made the story seem heartfelt. You can pick this title up in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo or a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook pack. The voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Buscemi and Jon Hamm. Read a full review of the movie by clicking this link.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
It’s also a busy week for upgrades of some older films. Arrow Video is releasing Demolition Man (1993) as a “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD and separately as a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray. The movie stars Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes as a tough cop and psychotic criminal who are cryogenically frozen. When the killer awakens in a violence-free future, he takes advantage of the situation and causes chaos. The policeman is then unfrozen to help deal with the situation. There’s big action and a strong satirical element to this picture as it tackles social themes in an amusing way. The supporting cast of future stars includes Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, Denis Leary, Rob Schneider and a very brief appearance by a young Jack Black. Want to know more about this release? Click here to read all about the disc!
Radiance Films is presenting Yokohama BJ Blues (1981) on Blu-ray. It’s a neo-noir Japanese title that is loose remake of Robert Altman’s 1973 film The Long Goodbye, following a struggling blues singer turned private eye investigating an unusual case. Besides a high-definition digital transfer of the movie, extras include interviews with a cast member, the screenwriter, an authority on the film’s director, and a trailer. The box features a booklet and sleeve designs based on the original poster. This edition is limited to 3000 copies. A FULL REVIEW OF THIS DISC WILL APPEAR ON THE SITE SHORTLY.
The horror picture The Mean One (2022) is arriving on Blu-ray from Cineverse as a “Collector’s Edition” Steelbook. It tells the story of a Grinch-like monster going on a murderous rampage during Christmas. It comes with a director and producer commentary track, a making-of and deleted scenes.
Eastern Condors (1987) is a high-velocity Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao action picture. It’s about convicts being sent on a suicide mission during the Vietnam war. Criterion is delivering the film on Blu-ray with a 2K master taken from the original camera negative. There are two cuts of the movie that have received this treatment. Extras include several archival interviews with Hung in which he talks about his early career, his work on this picture, the inspiration for Eastern Condors, a tie-in live performance from the 1987 Miss Hong Kong Pageant and multiple trailers.
Immaculate (2024) was put out on disc earlier this year, but Decal Releasing is now releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack of the title. One assumes that all bonus features will be identical.
If you appreciate anime, Discotek Media is presenting Digimon: Digital Monsters – The Movies 1 – 3 (1999-2000) on Blu-ray.
Film Masters is making Ginger in the Morning (1974) available on Blu-ray. The comedy stars Sissy Spacek as a free-spirited hitchhiker who falls for an older man. The disc contains a 4K restoration of the movie from the original camera negative, as well as an interview with co-star Monte Markham, a historian commentary track and a trailer.
Kino is presenting the John Barrymore silent movie The Beloved Rogue (1927) on Blu-ray. It involves a French swashbuckler in trouble with the law. The disc includes a movie expert commentary and an archived introduction by Orson Welles.
The undersea chiller Below (2002) is arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack and a standalone Blu-ray from the distributor. This title from writer/director David Twohy (the Pitch Black/Riddick series) follows the crew of a US submarine during WWII who encounter supernatural beings. The cast includes Matthew Davis, Bruce Greenwood, Olvia Williams and Zach Galifianakis. You’ll get a 4K picture restoration from the original negative, an audio commentary with the director and several cast members, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes (including an alternate ending) and a trailer.
The Claim (2000) is a period drama about an obsessed man who tries to trade his wife and infant for a gold claim. This feature stars Wes Bentley, Mila Jovovich, Sarah Polley and Natassja Kinski. The Blu-ray comes with a movie expert commentary and trailer.
The Kirk Douglas/Mitzi Gaynor rom-com For Love or Money (1963) is also arriving on Blu-ray with a film historian commentary and two trailers for the picture.
Stir of Echoes (1999) is a solid supernatural thriller starring Kevin Bacon as a man who starts having ghostly visions of a murder. He must use these newfound skills to solve the crime. It kind of got lost in the shuffle due to it being released a few weeks after The Sixth Sense, a smash hit with similar elements. This movie is arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Amazon exclusive Steelbook. It comes with a writer/director commentary and a featurette on parapsychology.
Sandpiper Pictures is releasing several Blu-rays this week. Their discs rarely include bonuses, but at least you can now pick up several out-of-print titles on the format once again. They include The Ballad of Josie (1967), Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) and the Ralph Bakshi animated feature, Heavy Traffic (1973). You can also pick up the Doug McClure adventure film The Land That Time Forgot (1974), the Nick Nolte period crime film Mulholland Falls (1996), and the well-regarded mob feature The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) featuring Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke and Daryl Hannah.
The cult drama River’s Edge (1986) with Crispin Glover and Keanu Reeves (in a dramatic role) is also appearing on Blu-ray. And for slasher sequel fans, Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989) can now be purchased on Blu-ray
Shout! Factory is presenting the fun Robert Rodriguez sci-fi/horror picture The Faculty (1998) in a “Collector’s Edition” 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package. The story involves alien parasites taking over the staff of a high school. When others in town become controlled too, only the uninfected teens can save the day. This title features an all-star cast. The set comes with a 4K image restoration from the original camera negative approved by Rodriguez, an interview with make-up effects artist Greg Nicotero, and a discussion with the production designer.
If historical epics are more to your liking, you can also pick up a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray “Collector’s Edition” of Far and Away (1992). Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman arrive in America and race for a plot of land in this feature. This release contains a 4K transfer of the 35mm interpositive approved by the cinematographer, as well as a new feature-length retrospective look at the movie, featuring interviews with most of the crew. A photo gallery and trailer are also included.
The Blu-ray box set Golden Harvest Volume 2: Shining Stars contains 8 martial arts features from the noted Hong Kong studio. You’ll get Beach of the War Gods (1973), When Taekwondo Strikes (1973), The Skyhawk (1974), Slaughter in San Francisco (1974) aka Yellow-Faced Tiger, The Shaolin Boxer (1974), Legacy of Rage (1986), The Master (1992) and Hitman (1998). The movies contain appearances by the likes of Chuck Norris (as a bad guy!), Brandon Lee and Jet Li. All of the titles include a ton of bonus material like commentary tracks, interviews, publicity materials and more.
And the distributor is also giving a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade to one of last year’s best movies. The Holdovers (2023) is set in the 1970s. Paul Giamatti plays a troubled prep school teacher who is forced to babysit wealthy students whose parents aren’t taking them home for Christmas. It was nominated for several Oscars and Da’Vine Joy Randolph took the prize for Best Supporting Actress. This “Collector’s Edition” presents the film in 4K Ultra HD and the set includes production featurettes, deleted scenes and an alternate ending.
Sony Pictures is releasing Oscar-nominated Cary Grant rom-com The Talk of the Town (1942) on Blu-ray.
Finally, Warner Archive is presenting several catalog titles on Blu-ray this week. They include the Fred Williamson action/crime picture Black Eye (1974), as well as the Cary Grant comedy Mr. Lucky (1943), Nora Prentiss (1947), The Spanish Man (1945) and The Tall Target (1951).
The famous John Ford western The Searchers (1956) with John Wayne is also appearing from Warner Archive as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set or a standalone Blu-ray only. It features the star as an ex-soldier searching the west for his missing niece. This set contains an archival commentary track with director and movie expert Peter Bogdanovich, as well as archived bonus material from previous editions.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
This is a bit of a slow week for kids. And be warned, the title listed below is rated PG and includes some characters being, well, eliminated from the story during the climax.
Transformers One (Paramount Pictures) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, or 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook
ON THE TUBE!
Here is a list of the TV-related releases.
Agatha Christie: Marple: Series 1-3 (Via Vision) Blu-ray
SEAL Team: The Complete Series (Paramount) DVD
SEAL Team: The Final Season (Paramount) DVD
Seinfeld: The Complete Series (Sony Pictures) 4K Ultra HD or Blu-ray
Severance: Season 1 (Fifth Season) Blu-ray
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: Season 2 (RLJ Entertainment) Blu-ray