By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, July 28, unless otherwise noted: James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, RLJE Films Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Writer-director James Cameron takes us on a cinematic journey looking at the history and evolution of science fiction films throughout the decades. This six-part series, which originally aired on AMC, features interviews with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Will Smith, Sigourney Weaver, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others. The episodes are loaded with clips from such seminal movies as “Independence Day,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” Cameron’s “Avatar” and “The Matrix,” as well as television shows such as “The Twilight Zone.” Fans of the genre will appreciate this series which, while not breaking any new ground about science fiction, is very enjoyable and appealing to view. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: The major extra consists of extended interviews with Spielberg, Nolan, Lucas, Scott, Schwarzenegger and Guillermo del Toro.
NCIS: The Seventeenth Season (DVD) Details: 2019-20, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This five-disc set includes all 20 episodes of this top-rated CBS’ series pandemic-shortened season. The major arc of the season centers on the search for the terrorist known as “Sahar” and the return of the presumed-dead Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) to aid in the hunt. Among the most emotional episodes of the season is one featuring guest star Christopher Lloyd as a dying veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor who wants to be buried with his shipmates on the USS Arizona. Working with Mark Harmon’s Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is Senior Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Wilmer Valderrama’s Special Agent Nick Torres, Emily Wickersham’s Special Agent Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop, Rocky Carroll’s NCIS Director Leon Vance, Diona Reasonover as forensics specialist Kasie Hines, Brian Dietzen as medical examiner James Palmer and David McCallum as former medical examiner Dr. “Ducky” Mallard. As always, “NCIS” strikes an entertaining balance between criminal procedure, action and character interplay. Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes look at the flashback, cold case episode, “Ephermera,” a discussion about the importance of the Pearl Harbor-USS Arizona episode, an overview of the 17th season and a featurette on the return of Ziva.
Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray) Details: 1975-79, Warner Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A 10-disc set that features all 59 episodes, plus the pilot movie, starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, the Amazonian princess, who leaves her secret island home to, first, battle Nazis during World War II and later fighting evil and villains in the 1970s. Lyle Waggoner costars as Steve Trevor in both iterations of the series, which began in 1975 on ABC and was set during WWII. Seasons two and three, which aired on CBS, were titled “The New Adventures of Wonder Woman,” with Carter and Waggoner playing Steve Trevor Jr. During these two seasons, Wonder Woman battled crooks, spies and, once in a while, aliens. Carter, of course, continued to portray Diana Prince, the guise she adopted when not Wonder Woman. Her bullet-deflecting bracelets, magic lasso and invisible plane are among Wonder Woman’s well-known accoutrements. Though lasting only three seasons, the series continually added or lost characters and fiddled with its overall tone. Still, it is enjoyable to watch and see how much the character has changed as now portrayed by Gal Gadot. Technical aspects: 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary on the pilot movie and a season three episode with Carter and others; a Wonder Woman retrospective featurette, a look at transposing the comic book character to television and a featurette on Wonder Woman as the ultimate feminist icon.
Hawaii Five-O: The Final Season (DVD) Details: 2019-20, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This five-disc set features the final 22 episodes of this long-running CBS series that updated the popular series of decades past starring Jack Lord. Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and Detective Sgt. Danny “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan), along with the rest of their team, battle kidnappers, assassins and other various sorts of villains, including pirates. They also have a final showdown with the Yakuza gangsters trying to take over the island, and share an adventures with Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) and Higgins (Perdita Weeks). It’s rousing action as McGarrett and the squad give you your final and exciting aloha. Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a gag reel, deleted and extended scenes on select episodes, a look at the “Magnum P.I.” crossover episode, a featurette on the last season and an interview with O’Loughlin.
Gundala (Blu-ray) Details: 2019, Well Go USA Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This Indonesian is an origin story about the making of a hero. A young orphan has spent his life on the streets trying to avoid attention. But when greed and violence begin to escalate in Jakarta, he soon discovers that he is the people’s hope to end this unrest and bring peace to the city. The movie is based on a classic Indonesian comic book character. The movie is loaded with enough action to satisfy any viewer and especially those familiar with the comic book series. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Indonesian and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a production vlog.
Thirteen Ghosts: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 2001, Scream Factory Rated: R, horror violence, gore, nudity, language The lowdown: This re-imagining of the 1960 William Castle haunted-house thriller ramps up the violence and gore in this tale of a family inheriting an all steel-and-glass house that is as deadly as it is elegant. What the family does not know is that the house contains 13 trapped spirits who want out and wreak as much havoc as possible in attempts to do so. The original movie was campy, while this remake is much more bloody. Tony Shalhoub heads the cast, which also includes Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Shannon Elizabeth, Rah Digga and Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham. Overall, the movie was savaged by critics, who did not give it a ghost of chance. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include interviews with Shannon Elizabeth, other cast members and producer Gilbert Adler, two commentary tracks, a featurette profiling the poltergeists and an electronic press kit.
Gordon of Ghost City (Blu-ray) Release date: May 12 Details: 1933, VCI Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This 1933 12-chapter serial was the first of four Western chapterplays starring Buck Jones. It also is one of his best. The plot includes cattle rustlers, a ghost town, a hidden mine and a mystery man who shoots at anyone entering the town. Jones plays Buck Gordon who is hired by a rancher to uncover who is rustling his herd. Along the way, Gordon helps a young woman and her prospector grandfather from having their gold mine stolen. This is an action-packed serial with some nifty cliffhangers. As always, Jones offers a solid and heroic performance. Madge Bellamy is the damsel in distress and the villainy is provided by the always-reliable Walter Miller. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: The major extra is liner notes by Toby Roan.
The Other Lamb (Blu-ray) Details: 2020, IFC Midnight Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Selah (Raffey Cassidy) was born into an all-female cult. It is the only life she knows. Like the other young women in the cult, the teenage Selah has lived an isolated life in a remote forest commune run by a controlling, messiah-like figure named Shepherd (Michiel Huisman). She knows nothing of the outside world. Selah life is thrown into turmoil by a series of nightmarish visions and disturbing revelations, causing her to begin questioning everything about her life, including her allegiance to Shepherd, who has a dark and dangerous side. The thriller, which received a 73 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is a haunting and primal story of adolescent awakening and revolt. The movie is somewhat heavy handed in its allegorical message, but nevertheless, makes an effective point. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Hiroshima (Blu-ray) Release date: July 14 Details: 1953, Arrow Academy Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This is an anti-war movie was produced by the Japan Teachers’ Union, following the mixed reception to its earlier feature, “Children of Hiroshima.” “Hiroshima” is difficult to watch; it is emotionally draining — and with good reason. Because of various issues — many of them political — the movie has been out of circulation in Japan since its original release. This version of the movie restores footage that was deleted when the film was released in the United States in 1955. The bulk of “Hiroshima” deals with the immediate after-effects of the Aug. 6, 1945, detonation of the first atomic bomb on the city. It combines documentary-style footage with human drama about suffering, endurance and survival. It is a disturbing movie that will shake you, as you are not spared the sight of burned bodies and survivors dealing with radiation poisoning. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include an archival interview with cast member Yumeji Tsukioka, a new video essay about the movie and a 2011 documentary that features interviews with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings who live in the United States.
Dead Dicks (Blu-ray) Details: 2019, Artsploitation Films Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This strange and disturbing horror feature is a bizarre movie that deals with death, resurrection and mental illness. Richie is a suicidal young man, but every time he kills himself, he discovers that he is still alive with a dead body of himself in his apartment. His sister, Becca, a nursing student, comes to his aid, but the bodies continue to pile up. The pair come to believe that a vagina-like opening in Richie’s bedroom may hold the key to the answers they are seeking. This movie is difficult viewing, but making it through the entire film will prove satisfying and worthwhile. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital. Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track, four video diaries and a short FX featurette.
The Phantom Rider (Blu-ray) Release date: May 26 Details: 1936, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This 15-chapter serial is the last starring vehicle Buck Jones made for Universal Pictures. It is an OK Western that is stretched a little thin. It contains a lot of chases on horseback and gunplay, but it is not a very lethal serial. Only a couple of people are killed off in the early chapters and from then on it is Buck and the bad guys exchanging shots. Jones plays Buck Grant an undercover ranger sent to clean up the outlaw situation in Hidden Valley. He downs an all-white outfit, creating the Phantom Rider who, simply by his appearance, terrorizes the outlaws. The outlaws want to particularly seize the ranch of Mary Grayson because of a hidden gold mine on her property. The serial contains a “mystery” outlaw leader aspect, but wise serial fans will recognize the voice of the head bandit from the outset. A lot of humor is interspersed among the action, most of which is because of Jones’ wisecracks and dry delivery. The serial features a very sharp and pristine visual restoration that makes watching it very enjoyable. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: The main extra is liner notes by film writer and historian Toby Roan.
Black Rainbow (Blu-ray) Release date: July 7 Details: 1989, Arrow Video Rated: R The lowdown: British writer-director Mike Hodges/ semi-supernatural, suspense thriller centers on Martha Travis (Rosanna Arquette), a con woman posing as a psychic, who travels around the American south with her alcoholic father, Walter (Jason Robards), peddling her supposed abilities to the small-town rubes. One night though, Martha intercepts mental images from a woman in the audience of her dead husband. The angry woman tells Martha that her husband is alive, but a few hours later, the man is found murdered. Now that Martha’s vision has become a reality, a hit man is stalking her. At the same time, Martha begins an affair with Gary (Tom Hulce), a small-town reporter who is skeptical about her newfound ability. The film is dark, a bit spooky, but entertaining, with a decent cast. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include an archival interview with Hodges, a commentary track, an archival making of featurette, archival interviews with Arquette, Robards and Hulce, behind-the-scenes featurettes and a booklet with writings about the movie.
First Snow (Blu-ray) Release date: June 30 Details: 2006, MVD Marquee Collection Rated: R, violence, language, sexuality The lowdown: Guy Pearce stars in this thriller a man whose life goes to pieces after a psychic tells him an ominous prediction. Slick salesman Jimmy Starks (Pearce) visits a fortune teller is a desolate town after his car breaks down. But the reading by the psychic, played by Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons, sends Starks’ life into a tailspin. Starks is told he is safe until the first snow. Because of the reading, Starks is obsessed with revisiting his past as a last chance to reverse the dire prediction. The film offers a sense of paranoia that is palatable. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a couple of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and interviews with Pearce, Simmons and costar Piper Perabo.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Home From Home: Chronicle of a Vision (DVD) (Corinth Films) Legacy of Lies (DVD & digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Orange Is the New Black: Season 7 (DVD & digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) You Should Have Left (DVD & digital) (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Bloodstone (Blu-ray) (Arrow Video, July 21) Life Is a Long Quiet River (Blu-ray) (Arrow Video, July 21) Zombie for Sale (Blu-ray) (Arrow Video, July 7)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Stockton on My Mind (HBO & HBO Max) The Bureau: Season 5, Episode 7 (Sundance Now, July 30) Idiomatic: Season 2 (Sundance Now, July 30) The Secrets She Keeps: Episode 3 (Sundance Now, July 30) Rebuilding Paradise (National Geographic, July 31) Summerland (IFC Films, July 31) The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 (Netflix, July 31) Defending Your Life (Sundance Now, Aug. 1) Her (Sundance Now, Aug. 1) Civil War (Acorn TV, Aug. 3) The Nest: Season Finale (Acorn TV, Aug. 3) Party Tricks (Acorn TV, Aug. 3)
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 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. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.