Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you’ll know that the previous edition was among the busiest in months. As a result, the latest overview is comparatively quiet. But there are a couple of new releases, and plenty of notable older efforts. 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!
A CRIME STORY – This low-budget independent action picture involves a group of employees at a rundown Las Vegas old motel. The owners used to be trained killers, but quit after a teen was wounded during an assassination attempt, and they decided to help the innocent bystander instead of completing their job. Now on the straight-and-narrow, they discover that a powerful drug syndicate is trying to use their business site for a trafficking operation. The protagonists and their co-workers resolve to fight back and take down the villains. This picture is debuting on disc as a DVD-only release (and is also being made available on streaming services). So far, there has only been one professional review written for the title. This piece notes that while the movie doesn’t possess big production values, the cast is better than expected for this type of picture. It stars Thomas Ian Nicholas, Jeff Fahey, Mark Pellegrino, Jake Weber, William Forsythe and Nicky Whelan.
THE LOVE THAT REMAINS – A family going through a tough separation is the focus of this Icelandic foreign-language drama. Viewers see vignettes from a year in the life of the parents as their relationship crumbles and their kids accidentally end up caught in the middle. The film offers dramatic, strange and funny moments as everyone is uprooted and must make new beginnings under different circumstances. The movie won plenty of awards during its run and was rated one of 2025’s top five international movies by the US National Board of Review (alas, it didn’t end up earning an Oscar nomination). Critics were very impressed with the feature. One or two had difficulty deciphering the unique approach of cutting together varied moments over a year, finding it hard to unite them cohesively. But everyone else thought the film was excellent, presenting uncomfortable but authentic scenes of a divorce. They were also impressed that the movie maintained a sense of humor, and even hope, through the unpleasant events. This picture is being released on disc through Criterion, and the release includes a second picture, Joan of Arc (2025), which was also made by the director the same year. The cast includes Anders Mossing, Stephen Stephensen, Halldór Laxness Halldórsson, Þorgils Hlynsson and Ingvar Sigurdsson.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for something older, you have several great options. Falling Down (1993) is arriving on disc as both a “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD, and a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray only through Arrow Video. The plot involves a man who suffers a psychological breakdown while stuck in traffic in Los Angeles. He goes on the rampage through the streets, airing his issues violently and causing trouble wherever he goes. A cop nearing retirement sets out to stop him before he causes irreparable damage to the city, and those around him. It stars Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall. The movie holds up very well as it shows tensions rising among the citizens of a city during a hostile period.
The release boasts a 4K restoration of the original 35mm camera negative scanned by Warner Bros. and presented in Dolby Vision. It arrives with an archival audio commentary featuring director Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys, Batman Forever, Phone Booth), editor Paul Hirsch, screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith, L.A. Times writer Shawn Hubler, and actors Michael Douglas, Michael Paul Chan, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Frederic Forrest, as well as a new discussion with Smith, and composer James Newton Howard. You’ll also get a recently produced featurette examining the Los Angeles locations used in the film and what they look like today. There is also an archival interview with Douglas, a trailer and an image gallery. It also comes with a booklet with writing on the movie and a reversible sleeve featuring original artwork for the movie. Click on this link to read a detailed review of the release.
Radiance Films is presenting The Boxer (1977) on Blu-ray as a “Limited Edition” release. This Japanese title tells the story of a washed-up boxer whose brother is killed during a workplace accident. Furious, the ex-pugilist decides to beat up the man responsible, but realizes the young, slow-witted man isn’t worth the trouble. Desperate to become a boxer and earn the respect of those around him, the employee asks man to train him. This picture, which came on the heels of Rocky, earned attention for its gritty and dark approach to its subject. You’ll get a high-resolution image supplied by Toei Company, along with an interview with the score composter and an analysis from a film historian. Read a detailed review of the title by clicking on this link.
The distributor is also repressing a couple of titles that had previously sold out. You can once again purchase Japan Organized Crime Boss (1969) and The Betrayal (1966) on Blu-ray.
Celluloid Dreams is another outfit that is making genre films available as exclusives through their own official website. If you venture over, you can now pick up The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) as a “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. This Italian flick involves a psychopath who hunts down victims in Rome, incapacitates them, and makes them watch as he slices them up. The feature is noted for having three “Bond girls” in the cast (Claudia Auger, Barbara Bouchet and Rossella Falk).
Specs include a 4K restoration of the original camera negative (in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio), a film expert commentary, a talk with the director’s son, discussions and video essays with movie experts, archival interviews and a trailer. The international cut of the movie is presented on an accompanying Blu-ray from a restored 4K master, and a grindhouse version of the feature. A booklet and publicity photos are also included.
Cruel Story of Youth (1960) is arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo and a Blu-ray-only release from Criterion. This is a Japanese crime film about a teenage couple who try to entrap and extort from wealthy, amorous middle-aged men. It isn’t long before the dangers of their newfound profession begin to land them in peril. The picture is being given a 4K restoration and arrives with director Nagisa Oshima’s first movie A Town of Love and Hope (1959), as well as Tomorrow’s Sun (1959), a short from the filmmaker. A movie expert interview and a trailer is also on the release.
I’ll Remind You of Everything: The Films of Mike Mills is a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray box set containing the titles Beginners (2010), 20th Century Women (2016) (pictured to the left) and C’mon C’mon (2021). The set contains 4K digital masters of all titles supervised and approved by Mills, and presented in Dolby Vision. The director provides commentary tracks on all the pictures, and there is a new documentary on Mills included. A making-of is listed on each title, music videos, additional shorts by the moviemaker, and trailers. You’ll also get a booklet with writing on the three titles. A Blu-ray-only edition will also be available for purchase.
Kino Lorber is delivering Escape from Zahrain (1962) on Blu-ray. Yul Brynner plays the leader of a revolutionary group in the Arabian desert. Paramount Pictures supplied a 4K image restoration for this release, which additionally contains a film historian commentary and trailer.
The Maverick Queen (1956) is a western with Barbara Stanwyck as a saloonkeeper unafraid to go toe-to-toe with various outlaws. For this Blu-ray release, the original camera negative was given a new 4K restoration. A movie historian commentary is also provided.
And, ugh, if you are so inclined, you can pick up the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will (1935) on Blu-ray with a 2015 2K remaster. It comes with a short and a commentary from a film historian.
Additionally, you can purchase Will It Happen Again? (1948) an anti-Nazi feature) using footage from the previous title and adding footage from the Nuremberg trials to show the German leader’s true selves, autocratic and dictatorial monsters. The Blu-ray also includes a 1972 recut with more footage. The title was mastered in 2K and 4K from the original 35mm negatives and several 35mm prints, compiling the most complete versions of these controversial but powerful anti-Nazi propaganda films.
The Richard Edgan bank-robber picture The Day of the Wolves (1971) is appearing on Blu-ray from Leomark Studios. No extras are listed on the case.
It’s a busy edition for Powerhouse Films. The French crime/mystery anthology Full House (1952) is getting a US “Limited Edition” Blu-ray. You’ll get a 4K restoration from the original camera negative, a 1964 short on star Michel Simon, publicity materials and more.
Stavisky (1974) is another French feature, this time starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a swindler. This Blu-ray promises a 4K image restoration from the original negative, a 1982 interview with the director, a 1988 discussion with composer Stephen Sondheim, promo material and, apparently, more.
La Travestie (1988) aka The Transvestite is a French effort about a female lawyer who decides to become a man. Figures from her past turn against her as she tries to make a fresh start with a new life. Picture specs on this Blu-ray are identical to the previous two releases, which also contains a video essay, promotional and publicity materials, a script gallery, and an essay on the movie.
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Samuel Goldwyn Films is putting out a Blu-ray of Amazing Grace (2006). It’s a biopic of William Wilberforce, a man who, in 1797, endeavored to end the British transatlantic slave trade. Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rufus Sewell, Youssou N’Dour, Ciaran Hinds and Toby Jones star in this award-winning British period drama from Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist, Thunderheart, the Up documentary series). No word on whether or not the disc has bonus features.
Shout Factory is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray “Collector’s Edition” combo of Pleasantville (1998). It follows two modern day teens who are transported into a black and white 1950s sitcom. The pair befriend the characters from the show. The individuals learn about sex, art, protest and changes begin occurring within the show as everyone’s lives become more complicated and authentic. This movie wasn’t a hit when it was first released, but earned plenty of praise (and some award nominations), eventually becoming a cult film. I recall it being a good film too (although I haven’t seen it since its release). The movie stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, William H. Macy, J.T. Walsh, Reese Witherspoon and Paul Walker. You’ll get a 4K scan or the original camera negative approved by writer/director Gary Ross (who penned Big and Dave, and also served as writer/director on The Hunger Games) and presented in Dolby Vision, as well as a Ross commentary track, an isolated score with composer commentary, a new intro to the film and interview with Ross, a vintage featurette and trailer.
Unlawful Entry (1992) is also getting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo package. This thriller involves a husband and wife who experience a break-in. They receive assistance from a cop, who begins to invade their privacy and threaten them himself. The cast includes Kurt Russell, Madeleine Stowe and Ray Liotta. The disc promises a 4K scan of the interpositive presented in Dolby Vision, a commentary with director Jonathan Kaplan (Truck Turner, Heart Like a Wheel, The Accused, Brokedown Palace), a film expert commentary, a retrospective interview with Kaplan, discussions with the cinematographer, a music expert on the James Horner score, a making-of, and advertising materials.
Sony is releasing The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo. This is the famous take on the legend featuring stop-motion visual effects by Ray Harryhausen. The original 1.66:1 ratio camera negative has been given a 4K restoration and is presented in Dolby Vision. A Harryhausen documentary is included on the disc, along with a trailer. The accompanying Blu-ray contains more extras, like a remembrance of the movie, featurettes on Harryhausen, the score, a Harryhausen interview with John Landis, and more.
The recent Glen Powell/Sydney Sweeney romance Anyone But You (2023) is getting a 4K Ultra HD-only upgrade. Besides the new image, the disc features a new commentary with the director and stars, featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes and bloopers, marketing material and trailers.
And the internationally-produced documentary Why We Fight (2005) is being given a 20th Anniversary Blu-ray release. The movie examines the US military-industrial complex, how the government can mislead the public into a war, and the issues this raises for the future (which is now the present).
Universal Studios is giving one of their popular animated features an upgrade. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) is arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo. Besides the 4K image upgrade, presented in Dolby Vision, this release includes archival directors’ commentary, featurettes, shorts and basically everything that was on previous editions.
And finally, the live-action TV-movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009) is being rereleased on Blu-ray by Warner Bros. This is the first of two titles produced during this era, hoping to reinvigorate the live-action version of the famous cartoon series.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Below is a list of kid-friendly releases arriving on disc.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) (Universal Studios) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009 live-action TV-movie) (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray
ON THE TUBE!
And all the week’s TV-related titles can be found below.
Hallmark Channel 3-Movie Collection – Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane, Happy Holidays from Cherry Lane, Deck the Halls Cherry Lane (Hallmark) DVD
Masterpiece Mystery!: Grantchester: Season 11 (PBS) DVD
Murdoch Mysteries: Season 19 (Acorn) DVD
Ruby and the Well: Season 1 (BYUtv) DVD
