New to View: July 4

On a day the United States celebrates its independence, a compelling documentary looks at an ally whose people are fighting to maintain their freedom. See it in New to View at ReelBob.

The following titles are being released on Tuesday, July 4, unless otherwise noted:
Slava Ukraini (DVD)
Details: 2023, Cohen Media Group-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: French filmmaker-philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy takes his camera to the war in Ukraine about a year after it had begun.
Levy’s war diary made during the second half of 2022 takes viewers to the heart of the conflict. From Kharkiv in the Donbass to Kherson in the aftermath of the city’s liberation from Russian forces, Levy’s documentary bears witness to the deadly toll of war through testimonies of soldiers, chronicles of the front and the memories and views of civilians who collectively share with us the struggles and sacrifices of the Ukrainian people.
Levy should be commended for going where few people with cameras would dare venture.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English, French, Ukrainian 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main bonus feature is a question-and-answer session with Levy at the Quad Cinema in New York City.

In the Company of Rose (DVD)
Details: 2023, Greenwich Entertainment-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Tony Award-winning playwright and director James Lapine (“Into the Woods”) chronicles his friendship with Rose Styron, widow of American novelist William Styron (“Sophie’s Choice”).
Rose shares her story and struggles of her complex life as a poet, journalist, life partner to Styron, her human rights activism and her friendship with, among others, the Kennedys, the Clintons, James Baldwin, Carly Simon, Leonard Bernstein, Meryl Streep and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
The documentary is more about name-dropping and Rose Styron’s many friends. It’s a study of how to make a relationship work, especially with a partner with a very creative bent.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.

Fighting Back (Blu-ray)
Details: 1982, Arrow Video
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Tom Skerritt (“Alien,” “Steel Magnolias” stars Philadelphia store owner John D’Angelo is this street vigilante, “Death Wish”-like drama.
D'Angelo’s growing anger with the crime in his neighborhood boils over when his wife, Lisa (Patti LuPone), and his elderly mother are victims of violent attacks.
D'Angelo organizes a team of local residents to operate a neighborhood patrol. But when members of the group resort to vigilante tactics, the line between protection and personal vendetta becomes blurred, leading to more violence and corruption, as well as accusations of racism.
The cast also includes Michael Sarrazin, Yaphet Kotto and David Rasche.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include interviews with director Lewis Teague and camera operator Danielle Nannuzzi and a collector’s booklet.

Star Pilot (2+5 Missione Hydra) (Blu-ray)
Details: 1966, RaroVideo-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A cheesy Italian science-fiction space opera about aliens from the constellation Hydra who crash land on the island of Sardinia.
The aliens take a scientist, his daughter, several technicians and a pair of spies hostage to use them to repair their spaceship’s damaged engine.
With their engine repaired, the aliens take off for their home planet, bringing along the Earthlings.
As you’d expect, the humans are not happy and attempt a mutiny so they can return home. Their actions, though, send the craft hurtling through infinite space.
The movie was re-released in 1977 to cash in on the “Star Wars” craze and was dubbed into English. But with its very low-budget special effects, it did not attract much attention.
The set contains the original 91-minute Italian feature and the 86-minute English-language version.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; Italian 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo and English (dubbed); English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by author-film historian David Del Valle is the main bonus feature.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Tales From the Apocalypse (DVD & dig) (Uncork’d Entertainment)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Aliens Uncovered (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Bad Girl Boogey (Dark Star Pictures)
How I Met Your Father: Season 2, Part B, Episode 7 (Hulu)
Shin Ultraman (Cleopatra Entertainment)
Slava Ukraini (Cohen Media Group-Kino Now)
Warhorse One (Well Go USA Entertainment)
JULY 5
The Clearing: Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future (Kino Now)
Hijack: Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
Platonic: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
Wham! (Netflix)
JULY 6
Call Her King (BET+)
JULY 7
The Ashley Madison Project (Hulu)
Biosphere (IFC Films)
The Crowded Room: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
The Crusades (VMI Releasing)
Dead Man’s Hand (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Duck & Goose: Season 2 ­(Apple TV+)
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 (Marvel Studios-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
The Out-Laws (Netflix)
Swagger: Season 2, Episode 3 (Apple TV+)

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.