New to View: June 11
A fond documentary that is a tribute to the life and career of Gene Wilder headlines the wide variety of new releases featured in my New to View at ReelBob.
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, June 11, unless otherwise noted:
Remembering Gene Wilder (Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that pays tribute to the life and career of actor-writer-director Gene Wilder.
The movie traces Wilder’s career from his first collaboration with Mel Brooks in “The Producers” to his iconic role in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and his later collaborations with Richard Pryor.
The documentary includes clips, outtakes, home movies and narration from Wilder’s audiobook memoir. Also included are interviews with friends, costars and collaborators such as Brooks, Alan Alda, Carol Kane, Eric McCormack and Harry Connick Jr.
The film touches upon Wilder’s marriage to Gilda Radner and includes clips from some of his greatest hits, including “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Silver Streak” and “See No Evil, Hear No Evil.”
Wilder’s Milwaukee childhood is examined as the film includes still photograph footage of Wilder family, friends, costars and people who had influenced him.
The documentary is told in a straightforward, chronological order and sheds light on Wilder the man as well as the performer.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include additional interviews with Brooks, Kane, Connick Jr., Burton Gilliam, Ben Mankiewicz, Peter Ostrum, Karen Wilder and Alan Zweibel.
Glory: Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: June 4
Details: 1989, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, graphic violence, language, racism
The lowdown: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher star in this historical drama about the first all-Black volunteer company to fight in the Civil War.
Broderick portrays the idealistic Col. Robert Gould Shaw, a young man from Massachusetts who will lead the newly formed 54th Massachusetts infantry.
Shaw’s mission is not only to train these men — many of whom are former, uneducated slaves — but overcome to prejudice and skepticism of other Northern officers and soldiers.
Washington was awarded a best supporting actor Academy Award for his performance as a bitter ex-slave who finally finds a home and a purpose among his comrades. Freeman, Braugher and Elwes also provide strong supporting turns.
The movie, directed by Edward Zwick, garnered a 95 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible and English, French and Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with Zwick, Broderick and Freeman on the 4K Ultra HD disc, and, on the Blu-ray disc, a commentary with Zwick, deleted scenes with commentary, a virtual Civil War battlefield interactive map, a making of featurette, a “Voices of Glory” featurette and “The True Story of Glory Continues” documentary.
La Femme Nikita: Steelbook (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1990, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, violence, language, sexual content
The lowdown: Luc Besson wrote and directed this thriller about Nikita (Anne Parillaud), a street-tough young woman convicted of killing a police officer.
She is given a choice between being executed or training with a top-secret government agency to become an assassin. Choosing the latter, she is given new skills, a new identity and a new life by her sadistic mentor, Bob (Tchéky Karyo).
Nikita transforms into Josephine, a seductive and sophisticated beauty, who is also a brutally efficient killing machine.
The film is action-packed, exciting and stylish. The cast also includes Jean-Hughes Anglade, Jeanne Moreau, Jean Reno and Jean Bouse.
Parillaud’s performance is deadly and sympathetic.
The movie earned an 89 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; French and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2-Channel surround; English SDH, English and Spanish subtitles.
Wicked Little Letters (DVD)
Release date: June 4
Details: 2023, Sony Pictures Classics
Rated: R, language, sexual material
The lowdown: Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley star in this mystery comedy, set in a 1920s English seaside town, based on a true story.
Colman plays Edith Swan a deeply conservative woman and Buckley is Rose Gooding, her rowdy Irish migrant neighbor.
When Edith and fellow residents begin receiving wicked letters filled with unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime.
The letters create a national firestorm and a trial ensues. However, as the trial begins, the town’s women — led by police officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) — begin their own investigation and conclude that Rose may not be the culprit.
This hysterical feature is bolstered by the performances by Colman and Buckley. The movie earned an 80 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: “Frenemies,” “Trolling in the Twenties” and “True Story” are the featurettes that comprise the extras.
The Old Oak (Blu-ray)
Release date: June 4
Details: 2023, Zeitgeist Films-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Acclaimed director Ken Loach’s last film deals with loss, fear and the difficulty of finding hope.
The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a once-thriving mining village in northern England. It is the gathering spot for a community that has fallen on hard times.
Anger, resentment and a lack of hope is increasing throughout the village, but the pub and its proprietor, TJ, are a fond presence to the customers.
Tensions increase after a group of Syrian refugees move into the village, creating a rift fueled by prejudice between community members and its newest residents.
The formation of an unexpected friendship between TJ and Yara a young Syrian woman, creates new possibilities for the divided village.
The movie examines the cracks of a broken society with strong compassion and frank anger, anchored by solid performances by Dave Turner and Ebla Mari.
“The Old Oak,” which received an 81 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, provides a strong message of hope and heart.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Deleted scenes comprise the main bonus offering.
Bad Lieutenant (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: June 4
Details: 1992, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: NC-17, strong violence, sexual situations, strong language, drug use
The lowdown: Harvey Keitel gives one of his most memorable performances as a corrupt police lieutenant that spotlights the corruption of New York City in this brutal drama from director Abel Ferrara.
Keitel’s lieutenant is 20-year-veteran who also is a gambler, thief, junkie and killer.
The movie, with a screenplay by Zoe Lund and Ferrara, offers one of the bleakest looks at 1990s New York and one of the most disturbing since Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish.”
The lieutenant begins to re-evaluate his life while investigating the rape of a nun, who refuses to identify her assailants and tells the lieutenant that she has forgiven them.
“Bad Lieutenant” is a brutal movie that, despite its savagery, offers a glimpse of redemption.
Technical aspects: 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: Extras include a commentary track with Ferrara and cinematographer Ken Kelsch on both discs and, on the Blu-ray disc, an interview with Kelsch, a featurette on the movie’s locations and a retrospective documentary featuring cast and crew interviews.
The Sales Girl (DVD)
Details: 2021, Film Movement
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This delightful Mongolian feature centers on college coed Saruul who takes a temporary job as a clerk in a sex shop.
Saruul’s poker-faced indifference makes her the perfect foil for the shop’s clientele, who range from awkwardly sheepish and curious to outright perverse.
Katya, the shop’s flamboyant female owner, helps initiate Saruul’s journey into adulthood but taking her under the wing, teaching her the art of living and gently guiding her on the path of self-discovery.
This sexual coming-of-age story is a rumination on life and the pleasures people find along the way. And the film’s soundtrack adds to the enjoyment.
Technical aspects: 2.00:1 widescreen picture; Mongolian and Russian 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital;; English subtitles.
Yes, Madam! (Blu-ray)
Details: 1985, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock star in this martial arts thriller about a Hong Kong inspector and a Scotland Yard inspector who team up to investigate the murder of an agent from London’s Commercial Crime Bureau, who was killed because of the evidence he had collected against a Hong Kong crime syndicate.
The case begins with two petty thieves stealing items from the murdered agent, including his passport, which contained some vital microfilm.
The inspectors’ investigation leads them to the bumbling crooks and soon to a Triad leader who will stop at nothing to retrieve the microfilm.
The movie features an early performance by Yeoh, which shows her potential for stardom.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural and English (dubbed) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by Asian film expert Frank Djeng, a quick introduction to Rothrock, an interview with Rothrock, select scene commentaries with Djeng and Rothrock, an interview with Yeoh, a talk with actor Mang Hoi and a look at female body builders, including Rothrock.
Royal Warriors (Blu-ray)
Details: 1986, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Michelle Yeoh stars in this follow-up to “Yes, Madam!” She portrays Yip, a CID officer and marital arts expert who, along with a Japanese Interpol agent and an air security guard, thwart an attempted airplane hijacking.
On board was a mob prisoner being flown from Tokyo to Hong Kong. The mob and the hijacker are killed, which puts targets on the backs of the three law enforcement officers.
High-speed chases, a car bomb, the destruction of a nightclub are among the action sequences in this brutal thriller, which costars Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Wong and Ying Bai.
Yeoh offers another no-nonsense performance with some impressive martial arts sequences.
Fans of the genre will enjoy this action-packed thriller.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese and English (dubbed) 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; alternate Cantonese 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural and English (dubbed) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by Asian film expert Frank Djeng, missing aeroplane inserts and English “In the Line of Duty” titles comprise the extras.
Io Capitano (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 28
Details: 2023, Cohen Media Group-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This best international language Academy Award nominee follows the odyssey of a teenage boy and his cousin as they choose to leave Senegal for a better life in Europe.
Throughout the journey the a series of challenges are faced, including the harsh realities of the desert, Libyan detention centers and the risks of the open sea.
The movie filmed over 13 weeks with a cast of non-professional actors examines the intricacies and contradictions of the human experience.
The dreams and ambitions of the main characters evolve into a simple struggle to survive as their spirits keep them on the track to seeking a rewarding life far from home.
The movie, which garnered a 96 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is a sometimes harsh, other times inspirational. It is a tribute and exploration of the power of resilience and the balance between hopes and the harsh realities of the world around you.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Wolof and French 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a question-and-answer session with director Matteo Garrone, actors Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall and collaborating writer Mamadou Kouassi.
Mute Witness: Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1995, Arrow Video
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: A mute makeup artist working on a slasher movie being filmed in Moscow, finds herself locked in the large building being used as a studio.
Hearing noises, she comes downstairs and sees two men making a porno movie that quickly becomes a snuff film.
She tries to inform the police, but she has no evidence to corroborate her claim.
The thriller, with Hitchcockian overtones, involves a knotted web of intrigue including the Russian mafia, the KGB and a mysterious crime boss known as “The Kingpin.”
The identity of “The Kingpin,” a one-scene cameo, is a delightful surprise.
The movie is effective in building tension, which contributed to its 83 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include location scouting footage; footage of “The Kingpin” character filmed a decade prior to the rest of the movie; a visual essay looking at the film-within-a-film; an original snuff movie presentation produced to interest investors and distributors, featuring interviews with director Anthony Waller and other members of the creative team; a visual essay examining the movie and its relationship with snuff films; a commentary track by Waller; a commentary with production designer Matthias Kammemeier and composer Wilbert Hirsch, moderated by critic Lee Gambin; and a booklet with writing about the movie.
The Valiant Ones (Blu-ray)
Details: 1975, Eureka Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This action-packed historical feature is best known as the last true wuxia film directed by famed Taiwanese filmmaker King Hu, best known for his many wuxia movies.
The story is set during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor when China’s coastal regions have come under attack by wokou — Japanese pirates under the leadership of the ferocious Hakatatsu (Sammo Hung).
To combat the threat, the emperor orders a trusted general, Zhu Wan (Tu Kuang-chi), to assemble a group of skilled warriors to find and destroy the pirates.
Under the command of Gen. Yu Dayou (Roy Chiao) the band of soldiers — including husband-and-wife sword fighters Wu Ji-yuan (Wing Bai) and Wu Ruo-shi (Feng Hsu) — set out to draw Hakatatsu and his followers into a series of spectacular showdowns.
The movie, inspired by historical events drawn from Chinese history, is short on exposition, character development and romance, but large on action and swordplay.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin LPCM; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include 2003 archival interviews with Feng Hsu and Roger Garcia of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society; a 2016 interview with actor Ng Ming-choi and a new interview with Ng Ming-choi; a new interview with stuntman Billy Chan; a video essay by David Caims; an interview with critic and Asian film expert Tony Rayns; a commentary track with Asian film expert Frank Djeng; and a booklet about the movie.
Don’t Look at Me That Way (DVD)
Details: 2015, IndiePix Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An unusual love triangle is at the center of this German-Mongolian coproduction.
Iva, a single mother living in an apartment building, is struggling to balance her job, university studies and raising her 5-year-old when she meets the exotic Hedi, who also lives in the building.
The two develop a friendship, which quickly turns into a passionate affair. But when Hedi, who also is attracted to men, inserts herself into Iva’s relationship with her father. This creates boundaries being crossed that lead to a taboo love triangle with destructive consequences.
Hedi is played by Uisenma Borchu, who made her directorial debut with this movie. The movie is, at times, surreal and experimental in nature.
Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; German 2.0 Dolby digital stereo; English subtitles.
Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (Blu-ray + DVD)
Details: 2023, Shout! Studios-Toei Animation
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: In 2012, 10 years have passed since the adventure in the Digital World.
Daisuke Motomiya is now 20, and he and the rest of the DigiDestined seem to be changing little by little in terms of appearance and lifestyle.
Then, one day, a giant Digitama suddenly appears in the sky over Tokyo Tower. Daisuke and the others meet a mysterious young man, Lui Ohwada, who tells them that he is the first ever DigiDestined in the world.
This new movie is based on the original TV sequel from the popular Digimon franchise.
Fans of the original series will not be disappointed with this feature the includes Japanese and English dubbed audio tracks.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; DVD: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen; Japanese and English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an introduction to the movie by director Tomohisa Taguchi, a Digimon card — Digimon Liberator promotional pack, which includes randomized wrapped cards and a random card from the Digimon card game deck commemorating the upcoming Digimon Liberator webcomic.
Edge of Everything (DVD)
Details: 2023, Lightyear Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Abby is a 14-year-old girl on the cusp on 15, whose life is rapidly changing. She feels alone in the world after the death of her mother.
Abby is forced to move in with her father and his much younger girlfriend.
Feeling angry and lonely, Abby strikes up a dangerous friendship with the carefree and rebellious Caroline, all the while exploring new personas, drugs and sexual experiences as part of her path to find her place in life.
This coming-of-age story offers an uncompromising portrait of teen-age peer pressure and young toxic masculinity.
The performance of Sierra McCormick as Abby helps ground the production.
Technical aspects: 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English closed captioned.
Queen Tut (DVD & VOD)
Details: 2023, Cinephobia Releasing
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: After the death of his mother, 17-year-old Nabil (Ryan Ali) moves from Egypt to Toronto to live with his traditionally-minded father.
Nabil, a closeted, aspiring drag queen, soon meets Malibu (Alexandra Billings), who is on a crusade to protect her drag queen nightclub-gay haven, Mandy’s, from demolition.
With the help of Nabil, they rally the gay community to help fight for the survival of the bar.
The dramedy’s topics include family, connection and friendship.
The film is bolstered by Billings’ dynamic performance.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital.
Don’t miss: Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette that includes cast and crew interviews, a deleted scene, and lyric and karaoke videos.
Nude for Satan (DVD)
Details: 1974, Redemption
Rated: Not rated, nudity, sexual content, violence, bloody images
The lowdown: A very confounding Italian gothic feature long on sex and nudity and short on plot and cohesiveness.
While driving through the countryside, Dr. Benson finds a crashed car with a young woman hanging out of it. Benson puts the girl in his car and takes her to the nearest residence — a castle — for help.
Once there, he is greeted by a woman who looks exactly like his injured patient. They are invited inside, and from there things just get stranger and stranger — including the appearance of a giant spider (a very bad special effect) — and other mysterious goings-on.
The film is heavy into S&M with whippings of nude women and lesbian sex, but even those diversions can’t improve the movie’s confusing story.
Technical aspects: 2.35:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby digital stereo.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
The Animal Kingdom (Blu-ray & DVD & VOD) (Magnet Releasing-Magnolia Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Monkey Man (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Traces of Glory: The Musical Journey of Idaho (Good Deed Entertainment)
JUNE 12
Acapulco: Season 3, Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
The Big Door Prize: Season 2, Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
Dark Matter: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors (Netflix)
Presumed Innocent: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
Trying: Season 4, Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
JUNE 13
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer (Hulu)
Skin Deep (Kino Film Collection)
Slam (Kino Film Collection)
JUNE 14
The Big Cigar: Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Cocoon (Film Movement Plus)
Love’s Whirlpool (Omnibus Entertainment-Film Movement Plus)
Monkey Man (Peacock-Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Peanuts: Camp Snoopy (Apple TV+)
Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment)
Reverse the Curse (Vertical Entertainment)
Ride (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Ultraman: Rising (Netflix)
JUNE 15
I Kissed a Boy (Hulu)
JUNE 17
Cult Massacre — One Day in Jonestown (Hulu-National Geographic)
Coming next week: NCIS: Sydney: Season One
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.