By Bob Bloom
The following Blu-rays and DVDs are being released on Tuesday, Dec. 8: Ant-Man (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital HD) Details: 2015, Marvel-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, sci-fi action-violence, language The lowdown: Paul Rudd joins the Marvel universe as master thief Scott Lang who, under the tutelage of Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), dons the mantle of Ant-Man. Lang’s mission is to protect the secret of the Ant-Man suit from villains who want to exploit it for military purposes. Corey Stoll plays the bad guy, and Evangeline Lilly plays Pym’s daughter and Lang’s love interest. The film contains a wonderful mix of action, humor and special effects. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 descriptive audio track and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: The bonus offerings include a making of featurette, a look at the process of shrinking down to the macroverse, deleted and extended scenes, a featurette on the future of Pym Technologies, an interview with prisoner Scott Lang about the VistaCorp heist that led to his incarceration, a commentary track with director Peyton Reed and Rudd and a look at Marvel’s Phase Three on the Disney Movies Anywhere site.
Knock Knock (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet) Details: 2015, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rated: R, disturbing and violent behavior, sexual content, nudity, language The lowdown: No good deed goes unpunished — except in movies. Keanu Reeves plays a husband and father left alone for the weekend who helps two supposedly stranded young women who knock on his door for help. His actions result in seduction and a deadly cat-and-mouse game in this thriller directed by Eli Roth. Technical aspects: 2.40:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include deleted scenes with optional commentary, a making of featurette and a commentary track with Roth and others.
Under the Dome: Season 3 (Blu-ray) Details: 2015, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This four-disc set features the third season of life in the dome as the residents of Chester’s Mill remain cut off from the rest of the world. The townspeople continue to seek clues and answers about the purpose of the dome and its secrets. In the process, they discover more about each other — some of which they find is most unsettling. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16×9 picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital stereo surround; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include an overview of the third season, a behind-the-scenes look at the season as well as the season finale, a featurette on “the device,” an introduction to Indy the dog, a gag reel and extended and deleted scenes.
Hannibal: Season Three (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet) Details: 2015, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: In this third and final season, Hannibal has adopted a new identity while on the run in Europe with psychiatrist Bedelia Du Maurier. He may have a new name, but Hannibal has not abandoned his old habits. Meanwhile Will and Jack’s lives converge as both hunt the killer they want to catch and incarcerate. Mads Mikkelsen makes a creepy Hannibal, with support from Gillian Anderson as Du Maurier, Hugh Dancy as Will and Laurence Fishburne as Jack. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a look at reimagining “Red Dragon,” commentaries, various webisodes, a gag reel, deleted scenes and other behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Zoo: Season One (Blu-ray) Release date: Dec. 1 Details: 2015, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A four-disc set featuring all 13 first-season episodes of this summer series based on the novel by James Patterson. In the series, the hunted become the hunters, as animals, from Africa to Los Angeles, begin to attack people. Three people, a zoologist, a French intelligence agent and an activist blogger, begin to investigate and discover that it is more than animal instinct motivating the attacks. The series holds your interest, despite being a bit unsettling and scientifically questionable in spots. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and stereo; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: A behind-the-scenes look at creating the first season, a look at the virtual zoo, a gag reel, deleted and extended scenes and a couple of featurettes on the animals and the production of the episodes are among the major bonus offerings.
The Square Details: 2013, MVD Visual Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A documentary that follows the events in Egypt in 2011 when millions of Egyptians converged on Tahir Square to challenge the government and demand democracy for their nation. The feature looks at what happened after the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011 and the take over of the government by the Muslim Brotherhood, which tries to suppress resistance. The movie is a tribute to those who yearned and fought for democracy and are continuing to fight for their rights. Technical aspects: English and Arabic 5.1 Dolby Digital; English subtitles. Don’t miss: About 90 minutes of deleted scenes comprise the major bonus offering.
Women’s Prison Massacre (Blu-ray) Details: 1983, Shout! Factory Rated: Not rated, graphic violence, nudity The lowdown: A reporter, on the verge of breaking a big story about a corrupt politician, is framed and sent to a notorious women’s prison in this 1983 exploitation feature by Italian director Bruno Mattei. This is grindhouse cinema at its best, with sex, nudity, violence, sadism and everything else you’d expect from the genre — including a badly dubbed English soundtrack. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
I Love Lucy: The Complete Series Release date: Nov. 3 Details: 1951-60, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This 33-disc set contains all 194 episodes of this groundbreaking television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, her then-husband Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. The series remains a classic and one of the best-loved sitcoms in TV history. It is in perpetual reruns on some station somewhere in the country — and probably overseas as well. The set features the six seasons of the half-hour “I Love Lucy” as well as the three seasons of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” The episodes are loaded with guest stars from Harpo Marx to George “Superman” Reeves. Technical aspects: 4×3 full-screen picture; English Dolby Digital monaural; Spanish Dolby Digital monaural (seasons 7-9); English closed-captioned and Spanish subtitles (seasons 1-6). Don’t miss: Extras include the hours of bonus materials that were featured on the show’s individual season releases, including several behind-the-scenes looks at the series.
One Eyed Girl (Blu-ray) Details: 2014, Dark Sky Films Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A troubled psychiatrist joins a secret church after meeting a young woman who is a representative of the group. Once there, he meets the charismatic leader who indoctrinates him into the sect’s sometimes-strange rites. Later, the psychiatrist must make a choice after tragedies begin befalling various church members, including its leader. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2:35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby Digital; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a series of featurettes about the cast, music, production design and other aspects of the movie as well as a commentary track.
The Unauthorized Full House Story (DVD + Ultraviolet) Details: 2015, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Another behind-the-scenes look at a popular TV series, supposedly exposing the drama and trauma of this lighthearted family sitcom. The made-for-TV movie looks at the rise of the cast and the pressures of balancing their performing and personal lives. It’s all exploitation-like TV, but fans of “Full House” probably will appreciate all the inside dope the film offers. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH subtitles.
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest: The Complete Second Season Release date: Nov. 10 Details: 1996, Warner Home Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A three-disc set featuring all 26 episodes of the 1990s incarnation of Jonny Quest and Team Quest as they head back to their 1960s action-adventure roots. Jonny, Hadji, Jessie, Dr. Quest and Race travel the world as they battle Bigfoot, mummies, golems and other nefarious and dangerous adversaries in this animated series that is part of the Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection. The set is a video-on-demand DVD-R release from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.warnerarchive.com and other online sellers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4×3) full-screen picture; English Dolby Digital stereo.
The Secret Squirrel Show: The Complete Series Release date: Nov. 3 Details: 1965, Warner Home Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This animated series, from the Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection, jumped on the spy genre bandwagon to bring some animated fun and adventure to television. Secret Squirrel is ready to battle evildoers anywhere in the world, aided by Morocco Mole. Squirrel battles such villains as Yellow Pinkie, Hy Spy and Wiley Wolf. Sharing the billing with Secret Squirrel is Winsome Witch, who leaves levity in her wake. And, then there’s the show-biz crazy Squiddly Diddly, who works as a janitor while awaiting his big break. The set is a video-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.warnerarchive.com or other online dealers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4×3) full-screen picture; English Dolby Digital monaural.
Atom Ant: The Complete Series Release date: Oct. 6 Details: 1965, Warner Home Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection DVD-R features the animated adventures of Atom Ant, a superhero insect who, operating out of his private anthill, battles evil, especially Bug Fat Dynamo, Crankenshaft, M.D. and Ferocious Flea. The three-disc set features all 26 adventurous and funny episodes. The release is a video-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.warnerarchive.com or other online dealers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4×3 full-screen picture); English Dolby Digital monaural.
Galtar and the Golden Lance: The Complete Series Release date: Nov. 10 Details: 1985, Warner Home Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection set that takes viewers to a world ruled by sword and sorcery. This animated series was meant to cash in on the popularity with that genre during the mid- and late 1980s. The series follows the warrior Galtar, who seeks vengeance from Tormack, the tyrant who killed his parents. Galtar teams with others team up to battle Tormack. Aiding them is the Golden Lance, which splits into a pair of invincible swords. The set is a video-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.warnerarchive.com or other Internet retailers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4×3) full-screen picture; English Dolby Digital monaural.
Other Blu-rays and DVDs being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Emptying the Skies (Music Box Films) The Garbage Pail Kids Movie: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) (Scream Factory) One & Two (Blu-ray + DVD) (IFC Midnight-Shout! Factory) Desert Dancer (Fox Home Entertainment, Dec. 1)
FOR KIDS
Dora and Friends: The Complete First Season (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment)
Bob Bloom is a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. He reviews movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. He can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow Bloom on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. Movie reviews by Bloom also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.