New to View: Dec. 26
Mostly catching up with a variety of fun and exciting releases from December. Check 'em all out at my New to View at ReelBob.
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Dec. 26, unless otherwise noted:
Last Man Standing (Blu-ray)
Details: 1996, Shout! Studios
Rated: R, strong language, sensuality, violence
The lowdown: Bruce Willis stars in the violent gangster saga that is another remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo,” which in turn was remade by Sergio Leone as “A Fistful of Dollars.
The source material for both, however, was writer Dashiell Hammett’s “The Red Harvest.”
In this Walter Hill-directed feature, Willis plays John Smith a mysterious stranger and gun for hire, who stops in a Texas ghost town where two rival gangs have basically driven away all the decent people.
He hires himself out to gang boss Fredo Strozzi (Ned Eisenberg), but also trades information to Strozzi’s rival, Doyle (David Patrick Kelly).
Smith learns of Doyle’s interest in the beautiful Felina (Karina Lombard) and uses that to his advantage to incite a bloody gang war between the two factions.
The only person who suspects what Smith is doing is Hickey (Christopher Walken), Doyle’s lieutenant.
As usual, Hill is masterful with the violent sequences, while the rest of the movie seems to languish.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Avatar: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Avatar: The Way of Water: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: Dec. 19
Details: 2009, 2022, Disney-Buena Vista
Rated: Not rated & PG-13, violent battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language, smoking
The lowdown: These latest re-releases of James Cameron’s adventures on the planet of Pandora, coveted by humans for its resources, are filled with various versions of the movie and hours of extras.
This new “Avatar” set includes theatrical special edition and collector’s extended cuts of the movie on both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs, while “Avatar: The Way of Water” set only features the theatrical version of the movie.
For all its flaws, Cameron’s movies are spectacular to look at, even if the stories and characterizations are not as developed as they should be.
The viewing experience on both sets are exceptional, especially if you are able to watch on a 4K UHD smart TV.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture (“Avatar”) and 1.85:1 widescreen picture (“Avatar: The Way of Water”); English Dolby Atmos (theatrical version), 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (special edition and collector’s extended cut), 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio (theatrical version) and family friendly 5.1 Dolby digital (theatrical version and special edition) and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture (“Avatar”) and 1.85:1 widescreen picture (“Avatar: The Way of Water”); English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio (theatrical version), family friendly 5.1 Dolby digital and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Hours of extras include behind-the-scene featurettes, deleted scenes, a featurette on stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, a look back at “Avatar,” a featurette on new characters in Pandora from “The Way of Water,” a look at the challenges filming Pandora’s waters and a featurette on bringing Pandora to life.
In total the bonus components total about 18 hours.
Monk: Season Two (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 19
Details: 2003-04, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This four-disc set features all 16 second-season episodes of this quirky series that stars Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, the brilliant, but defective, detective.
Monk uses his wisdom and wit to solve baffling crimes — when he is not compulsively using hand wipes. His methods may be considered unconventional, but Monk gets results.
He is aided by his loyal and very patient assistant, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), and members of the San Francisco police force, played by Ted Levine and Jason Gray Stanford,
Among the guest stars are Kathy Bates, Rosalind Chao, Gary Cole, Tim Curry, Lolita Davidovich, Glenne Headly, Jane Lynch, Sara Silverman, Danny Trejo, Rainn Wilson and John Turturro.
The series is not too serious, but enough mystery is offered to keep you invested.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Among the extras are a “The Minds Behind ‘Monk,’ ” featurette, Disher and Stottlemeyer character profile featurettes and a precinct tours featurette.
Tarzan, the Ape Man (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1932, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Edgar Rice Burroughs “Tarzan of the Apes” first appeared in 1912 in “The All-Story” magazine, was published in book form in 1914 and made his motion picture debut in 1918.
In 1931, MGM filmed “Trader Horn,” shooting much of the film on location in Africa. The studio had so much extra footage that executives decided to use it in a Tarzan movie.
For the role of Tarzan, the studio cast Olympic Gold Medalist Johnny Weissmuller. The athletic Weissmuller was not a trained actor, so MGM transformed the character from an articulate Englishman to an individual who can barely speak.
As he continued making movies — and his acting improved — Weissmuller eventually did get more dialogue.
“Tarzan, the Ape Man” features Maureen O’Sullivan as Jane Parker (in the books, her last name was Porter), C. Aubrey Smith as her father, James Parker, and Neil Hamilton as Harry Holt, his business partner.
The two form an expedition to find the fabled elephant burial ground where they expect to find enough ivory to make them millionaires. Jane convinces them to take her along.
After many dangers, they reach the jungle inhabited by Tarzan, who sweeps Jane off her feet. The two fall in love, are separated. Later Tarzan rescues Jane, her father and Holt from a tribe of pygmies.
Parker dies, Holt returns to civilization and Jane stays with Tarzan.
Fans of the Burroughs’ Tarzan novels were disappointed by MGM’s depiction of Tarzan. Still, the movie was exciting and spawned five sequels by MGM.
The new Blu-ray upgrade, which can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers, is very sharp and clean.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16x9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a documentary that looks at Tarzan on film and two classic cartoons.
The Man in the Iron Mask: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1998, Shout! Select
Rated: PG-13, violence, sensuality, nudity
The lowdown: Leonardo DiCaprio plays a dual role in this oft-filmed adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ sequel to “The Three Musketeers.”
DiCaprio plays the arrogant and cruel King Louis XIV and his twin brother, Philippe, whom the king imprisoned and hidden in an iron mask so no one knows his identity.
The cast also includes Gabriel Byrne as D’Artagan, Jeremy Irons as Aramis, John Malkovich as Athos and Gérard Depardieu as Porthos.
The movie, while looking good, is overstuffed with subplots that take away from the main storyline. Plus, the film is inconsistent — moving from adventure to tragedy to comedy.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track with writer-director Randall Wallace, interviews with producer Paul Hitchcock and production designer Anthony Pratt, a featurette about the musketeers, a director’s take featurette and an original behind-the-scenes featurette.
The Inspector Wears Skirts (Blu-ray)
Details: 1988, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A team of martial arts proficient female police officers prove themselves a match for any man as they tackle bad guys ranging from terrorists to jewel thieves.
The movie, directed by Jackie Chan, features Shaw Brothers regular Wai Yin-hung and American martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock.
Despite its sexist title and plot description, the film delivers exciting action sequences. And, like many of Chan’s movies, this film deftly mixes slapstick comedy with adrenaline-fueled action.
The film is akin to such action-comedies as “Police Academy” and “Rush Hour.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese and English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A “Girls with Skirts” featurette, a look at the movie’s role in the girls with guns genre, a booklet about the movie, a double-sided foldout poster, a commentary track by Frank Djeng, interviews with Rothrock and director Wellson Chin and English opening and closing titles for “Top Squad,” the English-language release title of the movie comprise the main bonus options.
Face/Off (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1997, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, bloody and graphic violence, language, sexual references
The lowdown: The plot of this movie is ludicrous and bonkers. It’s the stylish direction, though, of action icon John Woo that creates such an entertaining milieu that you almost forget how improbable the storyline is.
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are at their over-the-top best as, respectively, FBI agent Sean Archer and joyful, sadistic terrorist Castor Troy.
Archer tracks Troy to a plane, which crashes, severely injuring the terrorist. Archer knows that Troy has planted a bomb that will kill hundreds and needs to know its location.
Thus, he undergoes a futuristic surgical procedure that gives him Troy’s face so he can infiltrate the criminal’s world. What he does not know is that Troy has awakened and forced the doctor to give him Archer’s face.
Archer is beside himself when he learns that Troy, posing as Archer, is living with his family.
The near-hysteria antics of Travolta and Cage carry the movie as does Woo’s iconic ballet-like depictions of violence, which is abetted by this 4K ultra high definition upgrade.
The movie garnered a 93 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Three commentary tracks, one with Woo and writers Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, another with action film historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema and a third with Werb and Colleary, as well as seven deleted scenes, a making of featurette and a profile of Woo comprise the bonus materials.
Anna Christie (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1930, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: MGM’s advertising campaign for Greta Garbo’s first sound picture simply was two words “Garbo Talks!” And she did not disappoint. Her first line of spoken dialogue, “Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side. And don’t be stingy baby,” was memorable and hooked audiences.
“Anna Christie,” based on a play by Eugene O’Neill, is the main reason to see this story about a young woman returning to New York from Minnesota to live with her estranged father, who sent her to live with relatives.
Anna’s life was difficult. She is embittered, having spent a couple of years working in a brothel, and blaming her father for her misfortune.
Her life turns a page when she meets and falls in love with Matt Burke (Charles Bickford), a sailor. Feeling guilty, she is forced to reveal her dark past to Matt and her father, played by George F. Marion.
The Blu-ray also contains the German-language version of the movie, with a different cast and director, and that offers a different take on the source material. Supposedly, Garbo preferred this version to her English-language counterpart.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16x9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an “M-G-M Parade” TV series episode that looks at Garbo’s early career, a 1938 “Lux Radio Theater” broadcast of “Anna Christie” starring Joan Crawford and a 1930 Looney Tunes “The Booze Hangs High.”
Gentleman Jim (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1942, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Errol Flynn stars as the brash James J. “Gentleman Jim” Corbett, who revolutionized prizefighting in the late 19th century, in this colorful biopic.
Corbett utilizes his skills to rise from a simple bank clerk to world champion, defeating the great John L. Sullivan.
The movie, set against the backdrop of 1880s San Francisco, shows how the cocky Corbett used quick punches and footwork to elevate prizefighting from bare knuckles brawling to a sport of skill.
The supporting cast includes Alexis Smith as the love interest, Alan Hale, Jack Carson and Ward Bond in a touching performance as the aging Sullivan.
Raoul Walsh, who directed many Flynn movies, was behind the camera.
The Blu-ray is available at www.moviezyng.com or other online dealers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16x9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Some Warner Bros. cartoons and a “Lady Esther Screen Guild Playhouse” with Flynn and Smith comprise the extras.
The Ghost Station (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 19
Details: 2022, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A supernatural Korean import in which a reporter investigates suspicious accidents and deaths at a train station after being told about them by a station attendant friend.
The investigation eventually leads to an abandoned buried well hidden under the station, where they discover the horrifying secrets behind the events.
The movie falls into “The Grudge” style of revenge-ghost story subgenre. At 81 minutes, the movie is creepy, but not adding anything really new or original to the genre.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 enhanced widescreen picture; Korean 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Running Scared (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1986, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal star in this action-filled comic thriller. Hines and Crystal portray Ray and Danny a pair of wild and unorthodox Chicago police detectives.
They get results but face a new challenge from Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits), a drug dealer who is aiming to become the city’s first Spanish godfather.
They blow a delicate undercover operation while unusual methods they use in trying to apprehend Gonzales. Their superiors force Ray and Danny to take a vacation in Key West, where they discover the good life of beautiful women and warm weather.
The vacation convinces Ray and Danny to retire — but not before they put Gonzales behind bars.
The movie, directed by Peter Hyams, costars Steven Bauer, Darlanne Fluegel, Joe Pantaliano, Jon Gries and Danny Hedaya. It earned a 61 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with Hyams, a making of featurette, Crystal outtakes and selected electronic press kit scenes.
The Great Ziegfeld (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1936, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: William Powell stars as theatrical impresario Florenz Ziegfeld in this Academy Award-winning production that looks at the famed showman’s life and loves.
The movie features a very strong cast, including Luise Rainer as Anna Held, who won the first of two consecutive best actress Academy Awards for her performance, as Ziegfeld’s first wife; Myrna Loy as Billie Burke, his second wife; Frank Morgan, Fanny Brice, Ray Bolger, Virginia Bruce and Reginald Owen.
The movie features a score of beautiful women and some spectacular musical numbers as it traces the ups and downs of the showman’s career.
The Blu-ray, which features very sharp audio and video components, can be found at www.moviezying.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a “Ziegfeld on Film” featurette, a newsreel from the movie’s premiere, a vintage cartoon and a “Leo Is on the Air” radio promotional program.
That Girl: The Complete Series (DVD)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1966-71, FilmRise
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Marlo Thomas stars as Ann Marie in this charming television series about an aspiring actress who moves to New York City only to discover that it is not that easy to succeed.
To make ends meet, she takes many offbeat temp jobs between her many auditions.
Thomas comedic talents carried the show, as did the strong supporting cast, which included Ted Bessell as her supportive boyfriend, Dabney Coleman and Bonnie Scott as her across-the-hall neighbors and Rosemary DeCamp and Lew Parker as her parents.
By today’s sitcom standards, the series is rather tame and quaint, but the comedy still works.
The 17-disc DVD set can be found at www.moviezying.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English Dolby digital.
Madame Bovary (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1949, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Academy Award-winner Jennifer Jones stars as Gustave Flaubert’s tragic novel that scandalized 19th-century France.
In this glossy adaptation, directed by Vincente Minnelli, Jones’s Emma is married to small-town doctor Charles Bovary (Oscar-winner Van Heflin). Emma, though, is ruled by discontent. She is tired of her limited social status and longs for romance, glamour and possessions, instead of the mundane routine of motherhood and penny-pinching.
Her life changes when she catches the eye of a handsome aristocrat, beginning an affair that she believes will bring her happiness, but only results in tragedy.
The movie costars Louis Jourdan, Christopher Kent, Gene Lockhart and James Mason as Flaubert, who narrates the movie.
The cinematography, especially the ballroom sequence, and Miklos Rozsa’s memorable score, complement the solid acting.
The Blu-ray, from the Warner Archive Collection, can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16x9 enhanced) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: An MGM short, “Some of the Best,” and a cartoon comprise the extras.
De-Lovely (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 5
Details: 2004, MGM
Rated: PG-13, sexual content
The lowdown: While “De-Lovely” has its flaws, it is truer to the life of Cole Porter than the sanitized 1946 biopic “Night and Day,” in which Porter’s homosexuality was totally ignored.
Cary Grant played Porter in “Night and Day,” while Kevin Kline portrays the composer in “De-Lovely.”
The movie uses a framing device of staging a musical production of Porter’s life, allowing the songwriter to reflect on his life and career.
The film does not shy away from Porter’s complicated life — his marriage to his wife and muse, Linda (Ashley Judd), and his various affairs with men.
Its main drawback is that it spends too much time focusing on Porter’s personal life that his music is almost an afterthought. Among the songs featured in the movie are “Night and Day,” “Anything Goes” and “De-Lovely.”
The movie includes cameos by Elvis Costello, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall and Alanis Morissette, performing some of Porter’s songs.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
House of Long Shadows (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1983, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG
The lowdown: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine are featured in this new adaptation of the oft-filmed, “Seven Keys to Baldpate,” which originated as a play by George M. Cohan, and was turned into a novel by Earl Derr Biggers, creator of Charlie Chan.
In this version, Desi Arnaz Jr. plays a young novelist who spends a night at Baldpate Manor to win a bet that he can write a best-selling thriller in 24 hours. However, he gets more than he bargained for.
It seems the grizzly Grisbane family arrives to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a ghoulish family secret. And on the menu for their dinner party is murder.
This is a classic Old Dark House feature with lightning, thunder, a rain storm and all sorts of things that go bump in the night.
This tongue-in-cheek thriller also features Richard Todd, Sheila Keith and Julie Peasgood, with a screenplay by Michael Armstrong and direction by Pete Walker.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include two commentary tracks, one with Walker and author Derek Pykett and the other with film historian David Del Valle; a documentary on the making of the movie; and an interview with Walker.
Suspect Zero (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 2004, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, language, violence, nudity
The lowdown: A tepid psychological suspense-thriller in which tortured FBI agent Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart) is assigned to investigate a series of strange murders.
His investigation leads to the enigmatic Benjamin O’Ryan (Ben Kingsley), who was trained in a secret government program enabling elite agents to telepathically get into the minds of killers.
O’Ryan is hunting down what he has labeled the ultimate serial killer and manifestation of evil — Suspect Zero.
Mackelway, reunited with his former partner, Fran Kulok (Carrie-Anne Moss), must figure out if O’Ryan’s ability to identify with the killers has turned him into the same type of monster that he is trying to bring to justice.
The movie is more concerned with creating atmosphere than building tension or suspense. The 4K Ultra HD upgrade makes the movie somewhat passable to watch.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Both discs feature commentary tracks with director E. Elias Merhige, while the Blu-ray disc offers a four-part featurette on various aspects of the movie, a remote viewing demonstration and an alternate ending.
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Blu-ray 3D)
Release date: Dec. 12
Details: 1983, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Another variant on the invisible man premise stars Steve Guttenberg as Sam Cooper, a minor State Department worker in Washington, D.C., who becomes the object of an intensive chase when a dying secret agent hands him a vial containing a top-secret formula that can render a person invisible.
To keep a head of Soviet spies, American counterspies, various thugs and the police — who believe Sam killed the agent — he drinks the formula.
Sam also must contend with his estranged fiancé who he left standing at the alter when all this commotion began.
To clear his name, Sam must find the mysterious “Ruckelman.”
The movie costars Jeffrey Tambor, Art Hindle, Lisa Langlois and William Forsythe.
The Blu-ray includes the 2-D, BD3D Polarized and Anaglyphic (Red/Cyan) 3-D versions of the movie.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a commentary track and a pair of Anaglyphic 3-D glasses.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Butcher’s Crossing (Blu-ray) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Pig Killer (Breaking Glass Pictures)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Rose (Game Theory Films)
DEC. 29
21 Positions (Omnibus Entertainment)
For All Mankind: Season 4, Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
Slow Horses: Season 3, Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
COMING NEXT WEEK: The Holdovers
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for 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 and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.