Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. This edition is jam-packed with Hollywood blockbusters, award-winning independents, and just about everything in between. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR – After his career goes down the tubes, a man takes a job as a paleontologist performing for kids at an amusement park. But when strange accidents begin occurring around the grounds, he and a security guard learn the shocking truth… an invisible raptor is on the loose and hungry. The pair try to get people to believe them, but realize their best bet is trying to stop the prehistoric beast themselves. Reaction to the independent comedy was very good. About one-quarter of reviewers complained that the movie relied on juvenile jokes and was overextended, tiring them out. Still, the majority wrote that the film delivered plenty of enjoyable silliness and spoofed elements of dinosaur movies extremely well. They thought it would leave most viewers with a big smile on their face. It stars Mike Capes, Sean Astin, Sandy Martin, David Shackelford, Caitlin McHugh and Richard Riehle.
JOAN BAEZ: I AM A NOISE – Legendary singer Joan Baez is the subject of this documentary. After 60-years as a famous performer and activist, the figure goes over her entire life and career. She shares her struggles with anxiety, her relationship with Bob Dylan, as well as other private details. Baez opens up about everything and tries to summarize her life’s work, successes and failings. The press gave this picture very high marks. One or two voices thought that the film was a very general overview that was too in awe of its subject to delve into more complicated aspects of her life. But all others called it an excellent tribute to an incredible performer that provided a clearer look into her thoughts, as well as the incredible things she managed to accomplish. The film mixes new interview material featuring Beaz with archival footage of her life.
JUROR #2 – The latest directorial effort from Clint Eastwood is this drama about a married man and soon-to-be father who is recruited to serve as a juror in a high-profile murder trial. After the proceedings begin, he realizes that he actually may have been involved. The lead struggles with what to do, and starts to wonder if he should say nothing or attempt to sway jurors to free the individual being charged. This picture was very well received by reviewers. A tiny number commented that some of the plot twists and finale were hard to believe and ruined the end product. Everyone else thought that while the script occasionally stretched credibility, it dealt with interesting themes. They also noted that the cast were phenomenal and that the movie was tense and interesting throughout. The cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Kiefer Sutherland, Zoey Deutch, Adrienna C. Moore and Leslie Bibb.
OH, CANADA – A documentary crew contacts an aging filmmaker to recount his life. He shares his story as a young American man in the late 1960s, fleeing from the draft, leaving his home state and making a new beginning in Canada. As he begins sharing personal secrets, the crew wonder if elements of his film work are fusing together with the real tale and attempt to discern truth from fantasy. Figures from his past reappear to confirm or deny his story. This independent drama from Paul Schrader (Affliction, Auto Focus, First Reformed) earned more positive notices than negative ones. Roughly one-third of write-ups wrote that the story switched its focus at a late point, and that this change was jarring and took them out of the drama. However, most found the occasionally contradictory memories and approach to depicting them fascinating and called the movie a personal, ambitious and engaging effort about more than one would initially think. Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Jacob Elordi, Victoria Hill and Michael Imperioli headline the feature.
THE PRICE OF DEATH – This independent western produced in Spain tells the tale of a gambler-turned-bounty-hunter. He is assigned with transporting a wanted fugitive and thief to his hanging in a town a great distance away. The trip seems normal until a second ruthless murderer and his gang appear, looking to kidnap the crook and have him show them the location of his stolen loot. The protagonist and his captive end up fighting for survival in a harsh and unforgiving mountain pass. Despite being filmed in Spain, the movie is English-language. Right now, no critics have seen the picture, so there are currently no reviews for it. The cast includes Chrispian Belfrage, Aaron Stielstra, Ken Lucky, Danny Garcia and Al Mathews (whom the press notes state appeared in the 1986 film Aliens and passed away after his part was filmed).
A REAL PAIN – Two cousins with wildly divergent personalities reunite in Warsaw, Poland on a tour visiting Holocaust sites and the home of their recently deceased grandmother. One is tightly wound and anxiety-prone, while the other is a go-with-the-flow type with a big personality. The more outgoing one begins to take control of the group’s trip, which raises the ire of his cousin. As the journey continues, more is revealed about the pair’s relationship and their personal issues. This comedy/drama received a great deal of raves and has been nominated for two Academy Awards (for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor). One or two found some of the humor forced and were not moved by the story. But almost everyone else commented that the approach was original and writing sharp, the leads phenomenal, and noted that the movie depicted a troubled relationship between family members in a darkly funny yet relatable way. It stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Kurt Egyiawan and Jennifer Grey (from the 1980s hit Dirty Dancing).
RILEY – A high school senior and football star, who has been working hard to hide the fact that he is gay, decides to finally come out to his peers and the school just before the end of the school year. As the film progresses, he attempts to find himself and, a little confused, tries various ways to meet people and explore his sexuality. The film captures this tumultuous period as the lead also faces the judgment of others. This drama did well with reviewers who saw it, and won awards at independent film festivals over the past couple of years. The notices mention that the coming-of-age feature sensitively handles its subject matter and feels very authentic. They noted that audiences would definitely feel for the protagonist and his challenges. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It features Jake Holley and Colin McCalla.
V/H/S/ BEYOND – The latest edition of this long-running, independent found-footage horror series introduces viewers to five new shorts and a wraparound involving a UFO investigation. Truth be told, all of the segments involve otherworldly monsters and beings doing their worst to hapless individuals (who happen to be holding cameras). This picture debuted on the Shudder streaming site and is now debuting on disc. The critical reception for the movie was quite positive. A small number stated that while the creatures and subject matter featured in the movie wasn’t routine, the twists and stories did feel familiar and the tales were unmemorable. Still, everyone else thought this sequel was better-than-anticipated and maximized its potential to the fullest extent, delivering plenty of chilling moments and excellent special effects. The cast includes Trevor Dow, Mitch Horowitz, Thom Hallum, James C. Burns, Jolena Andersen and Tyler Andrews.
WEREWOLVES – This horror action movie is set in a world where, one night a year, a large portion of the population turn into vicious, rampaging werewolves. 12 months after the first outbreak scientists try to cure the condition, but fail as the supermoon event occurs again. A well-armed man does his best to protect those he loves from being torn to pieces. Response to this chiller was very mixed, evenly splitting reviewers. Half thought that while the premise was entertainingly silly, the deadly serious tone didn’t work and the final product lacked cleverness and felt like a dull and repetitive knock-off of The Purge series. The same number found themselves chuckling at the campiness on display, liked the werewolf transformations and thought the picture would entertain horror enthusiasts. Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, James Michael Cummings, Lou Diamond Phillips and Kamdynn Gary headline the movie.
WICKED – Based on The Wizard of Oz, the 2003 hit musical gets an elaborate film adaptation (or, at least, the first half of the show does) in this massive box office smash. Focused on Elphaba Thorpe, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, viewers see the outsider escort her sister to university and unexpectedly get enrolled in the school by the Dean. She suffers nasty treatment because of her green skin and uncovers a dark conspiracy in the process. The film was well-liked and earned ten Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture). A handful of critics thought that the movie was unnecessarily padded-out and draggy as a result. However, the vast majority called the film visually spectacular and a great adaptation of the stage show. They thought the cast were exceptional and that audiences would adore the feature. The movie is available in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set, a 4k Ultra HD and Blu-ray Walmart exclusive Steelbook and standalone Blu-ray. It stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for more, you can find some great older titles receiving big upgrades. The recent horror hit Terrifier (2024) came out only a few weeks ago, but is now being given a “Limited Edition” Collector’s Box Set 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. This Amazon exclusive comes with all the bells and whistles of previous versions, but also soap (I guess it makes sense if you’ve seen the movie), a mini-mask, a barf bag, pin, polaroid photo reproductions, a holiday ornament and more.
Criterion is delivering the fantastic Adam Sandler film Punch-Drunk Love (2002) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. It’s a hard one to sum up, but the story follows a lonely, troubled novelty supplier with a hot temper. In between efforts to buy as much pudding as he can from the supermarket, he finds himself out of his comfort zone when he falls for an eccentric English woman. This picture was previously released by Sony Pictures in 4K, but you had to purchase a very expensive box with multiple titles to get it.
Besides the upgraded picture quality, extras in this package include a piece on stars Sandler and Emily Watson, a discussion with composer Jon Brion, footage from the scoring sessions, a talk with the artwork used in the movie, as well as additional pieces that weren’t as prominently featured. There is also footage from the Cannes premiere, an interview with the real man who inspired the pudding subplot, a set of “scopitones” with footage from the movie, deleted scenes, a hilarious “Mattress Man” commercial, trailers, and a booklet with essays on the film.
Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954) is a drive-in B-movie about a mutant creature that rises from the ocean and attacks an American vacationing in Mexico. This is a “Special Edition” Blu-ray from Film Masters that boasts a 4K restoration from the original camera negative, a film expert commentary, an interview with a historian about special effects man Bob Baker. There is also an archival interview with producer Roger Corman, a trailer, a recut trailer, a slideshow of photos and illustrated booklet with essays on the movie.
Kino is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release of The Sacrifice (1986). This is a Russian effort from Andrei Tarkovsky (Solaris, Stalker) about a family celebrating a birthday. They discover that World War III has broken out. The patriarch of the family tries to make a deal with spiritual forces, promises to give up everything he values in life in order to save his child and house. It comes with a film historian commentary, an interview, theatrical trailers; and the documentary Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988).
Spaghetti Western Classics is a two-disc, 4K Ultra HD set also arriving from Kino. It contains Kill Them All and Come Back Alone (1968) and The Hellbenders (1967). The picture upgrades are from 2020 Studio Canal SDR masters. There are two cuts of the first title and film historian commentaries on both films, as well as trailers.
The Ken Russell film Whore (1991) is also arriving on Blu-ray. Teresa Russell plays a Los Angeles based prostitute dealing with horrific challenges in her profession. It comes with a critic commentary track, an interview with the screenwriter, a video comparison of alternate versions and a trailer.
The Joan Jett documentary Bad Reputation (2018) is getting a Blu-ray rerelease from Magnolia Pictures.
Rising Sun Media is presenting a Blu-ray of the Hungarian World War II movie, The Shepherd (2019), which follows an antisocial farmer who finds a wounded Jewish woman in a nearby forest and attempts to hide her and nurse her back to health.
Shout! Factory is delivering the Blu-ray set, A Chinese Odyssey: Parts 1 & 2. Also known as A Chinese Odyssey: Part One – Pandora’s Box and A Chinese Odyssey: Part 2 – Cinderella, both period/fantasy movies were released the same year and star Stephen Chow as an outlaw who learns he is the reincarnation of a legendary hero. He attempts to change his ways and take on various supernatural villains. Bonuses include an interview with a Chow authority, a talk with a Hong Kong movie expert, a film historian audio commentary on both features, two interviews with the director, a featurette on these titles as cult films, an interview with the cinematographer, publicity materials and more.
Sick (2022) is also getting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo release. Set during COVID-19, it’s about two friends who quarantine at a remote family estate and become threatened by strange messages. The film is being given a 4K presentation from the original elements and includes a cast commentary, a director and cinematographer commentary and a film critic commentary. New cast and crew interviews are also included with this release.
Uncork’d Entertainment is presenting a Blu-ray of the independent horror film The Dinner Party (2020), which follows a young writer and his wife being invited to a lavish celebration with potential investors in the lead’s new play. The couple soon find that things are not as they seem. A behind-the-scenes featurette and trailers are listed as extras on the disc.
If you enjoy the work of the Marx Brothers, you’ll be happy to know that a “Restored Edition” Blu-ray set called The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection is now available for purchase from Universal Pictures. It comes with the comedy classics The Cocoanuts (1929), Animal Crackers (1930), Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932) and Duck Soup (1933). Hopefully, the “restored” note means the picture quality has been upgraded. The original set included a feature-length overview of the career of the entertainers and a few archived interviews as well, so one assumes they’re here as well.
Finally, Warner Bros. is making a Walmart exclusive “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook available of the Wesley Snipes Marvel action picture Blade (1998). This fun flick introduced the vampire superhero to audiences. Besides the sharper image, it comes with a cast and crew audio commentary, numerous featurettes on the production and a trailer.
The Shining (1980) is also receiving a Walmart exclusive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook. Based on the Stephen King novel, Jack Nicholson stars as a writer who slowly loses his mind while taking care of a Colorado resort over the winter. This means big trouble for his family who are trapped with him. Besides seeing the Stanley Kubrick classic with a better-than-ever image quality, this release has a commentary by a film historian and Steadicam inventor/operator Garrett Brown. Vivian Kubrick’s making-of documentary is featured with her commentary. Three featurettes are also listed as being on the disc.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Looking for something for the kids? Below is a list of a few options for you.
LEGO DC 11-Film Collection (Warner Bros.) DVD
Rubble & Crew: On the Job! (Paramount/Nickelodeon) DVD
The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Collection (theatrical cartoons from 1950s and beyond) (Universal Pictures) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And you can find all the TV-related releases here.
Bewitched: The Complete Series (Mill Creek Entertainment) Blu-ray
Gossip Girl: The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) DVD
Hallmark 9-Movie Love Love Collection: A Valentine’s Match, Welcome to Valentine, Very, Very Valentine, My Secret Valentine and More… (Hallmark) DVD
NOVA: Decoding the Universe (PBS) DVD
Quantum Leap: The Complete Series (2022 – 2024 series) (Universal Pictures) Blu-ray
Quantum Leap: Season 2 (2022 – 2024 series) (Universal Pictures) Blu-ray
Regular Show: The Complete Series (Cartoon Network) DVD
Rubble & Crew: On the Job! (Paramount/Nickelodeon) DVD
Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Collection: Seasons 1 – 5 (Universal) DVD
Twin Peaks: From Z to A – All Three Seasons (Pilot and Episode 8 in 4K Ultra HD) Complete 3 Seasons, Fire Walk with Me and over 20 Hours of Special Features (Paramount Pictures) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray
The Wayans Bros.: The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) DVD