New to View: March 12
A highly-acclaimed Oscar-nominated film starring Emma Stone headlines the very big selection of new releases in my latest New to View at ReelBob.
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, March 12, unless otherwise noted:
Poor Things (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2023, Searchlight Pictures-Buena Vista-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: R, sexual content, nudity, disturbing material, gore, language
The lowdown: Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Lobster,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”) directed this imaginative and invigorating “Frankenstein”-like tale starring Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), an unorthodox scientist.
Under his protection, Bella is eager to learn. But she also is hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, so she runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slimy and debauched lawyer.
The two travel across several continents and, as they do, Bella — who is free of the prejudices of her time — matures in her purpose to be a symbol of equality and liberation.
The weird and entertaining feature, which received 11 Academy Award nominations including best picture, best actress for Stone, best supporting actor for Ruffalo, best director for Lanthimos and Tony McNamara for best adapted screenplay, was praised by critics who awarded it a 92 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a making of featurette and deleted scenes.
Wish (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2023, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment-Buena Vista
Rated: PG, thematic elements, mild action
The lowdown: A Disney animated musical fantasy that deals with Asha, a smart and idealistic young woman in the kingdom of Rosas, who makes a powerful wish that is answered by Star, a ball of limitless energy.
Soon, however, Asha and Star must save her community from King Magnifico, the ruler of Rosas, who wants the power for himself.
“Wish” seems cliched, recycling themes for earlier Disney features with characters who feel more like fairy-tale retreads than original personalities.
Even the vocal talents of Ariana DeBose as Asha, Chris Pine as Magnifico as well as Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber and Natasha Rothwell can’t heighten the movie’s appeal.
Critics believed so as well, giving the film a tepid 48 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.55:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.55:1 widescreen picture; English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a short celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Disney studio, a featurette on other Disney movies sprinkled throughout the film, a featurette on the making of the movie, deleted scenes, a deleted song, a go-directly-to-your-favorite-song option and outtakes.
Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice: Vol. 3 (Blu-ray)
Details: 1930-64, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: What’s up, doc? I’ll tell ya, bub. Another collection of 25 Warner Bros. cartoons highlighting some Merrie Melodies as well as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety & Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn and the Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote.
This is the Blu-ray debut for all of these animated shorts. The titles include “War and Pieces” (1964) as Wile E. Coyote again makes futile attempts to capture his speedy nemesis; “Elmer’s Pet Rabbit” (1941) featuring Bugs and Elmer Fudd, “Of Rice and Hen” (1953) with Foghorn Leghorn, “Cinderella Meets Fella” (1938) with Egghead and directed by Tex Avery and the Merrie Melodies musical shorts “Honeymoon Hotel” (1934) and “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1937).
Other cartoons in the set include “A Feud There Was” (1938), “Riff Raff Daffy” (1948), “The Sheepish Wolf” (1942), “Sheep Ahoy” (1954), “There Auto Be a Law” (1953) and “Tugboat Granny” (1956) with Tweety and Sylvester.
Besides Avery, directors include Chuck Jones, Friz Freling and Robert McKimson.
The Blu-ray can be ordered online at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (16x9 enhanced) full-screen picture with side mattes; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural and Spanish Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
The Shootist (Blu-ray)
Details: 1976, Arrow Video
Rated: PG, violence, language
The lowdown: John Wayne ended his 50-plus, 184-movie career with a bang, going out in a blaze of glory in this story of an aging, dying gunfighter in early 20th-century Nevada.
Wayne’s J.B. Books rents a room at the boarding house of widow Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son, Gillom (Ron Howard).
Books had tried to keep his identity secret, but when he is discovered, he is confronted by several people with various motives, including an ambitious newspaper man and a former girlfriend, all looking to profit from Books’ fame or notoriety.
Not wanting to die a slow, painful death, Books devises a plan to go out the way he lived — by the gun.
Knowing this was Wayne’s final movie and that he was indeed, dying of cancer, makes this feature even more poignant.
Wayne gives one of his most touching performances, aided by Bacall, Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone, Harry Morgan, Hugh O’Brian, Scatman Crothers and John Carradine.
The film, which garnered an 83 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is a moving tribute to a cinematic icon.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an archival featurette on Wayne and the making of the movie, a visual essay by film critic David Caims, an interview with Western author C. Courtney Joyner, an appreciation of Elmer Bernstein’s score, a visual essay about Wayne by filmmaker-critic Scout Tafoya and a commentary track by filmmaker-critic Howard S. Berger.
Aliens: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 1986, Fox Home Entertainment-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment-Buena Vista
Rated: R, creature violence, language
The lowdown: James Cameron directed this highly-acclaimed sequel in which Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley who, rescued after floating in space for 57 years, is coerced into returning to planet LV-436 with a detachment of Colonial Marines to check on colonists who established a base on the planet.
Upon arrival, they discover a young girl who is the lone survivor at the outpost.
The movie is an adrenaline rush with mostly non-stop action and a kick-ass supporting cast including Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser and young Carrie Henn as Newt, who brings out Ripley’s motherly and mama-bear protective instincts.
The three-disc set features the theatrical and special editions of the movie, with the special edition featuring an additional 17 minutes of footage.
“Aliens” is a science-fiction masterpiece that earned a 98 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 4.1 Dolby digital (theatrical version), 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 4.1 Dolby digital (theatrical version), 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; Blu-ray; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a commentary track with Cameron and cast and crew members, an introduction on the special edition by Cameron, isolated scores by James Horner of both the theatrical and composer’s original, direct access to new/additional scenes from the special edition, an inspiration and design of the movie featurette, a making of featurette and pre- and post-production stills and footage.
The Lion in Winter (Blu-ray)
Release date: March 5
Details: 1968, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG
The lowdown: This razor-sharp historical drama is a joy to watch as two performing giants — Peter O’Toole as England’s King Henry II and Katharine Hepburn as his imprisoned wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine — trade jabs, recriminations and regrets as they battle over the future of the realm and which of their three sons will inherit the throne.
At times, the movie feels like a medieval version of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.”
The verbal sparring is razor sharp with Henry and Eleanor both landing hurtful punches.
The stellar cast also includes a young Anthony Hopkins as eldest son, Richard, John Castle as middle son, Geoffrey and Nigel Terry as the youngest, John. Also featured is Timothy Dalton as King Philip of France and Jane Merrow as Alais, the French princess who is a pawn in the family squabble.
James Goldman adapted his stage play for the screen, which was brought to vivid life by director Anthony Harvey. The film is complemented by a strong John Barry score.
The movie garnered a strong 91 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track with Harvey and an interview with sound recordist Simon Kaye comprise the extras.
The Abyss: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 1989, Fox Home Entertainment-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment-Buena Vista
Rated: PG-13, language, action
The lowdown: James Cameron wrote and directed this blend of science fiction, fantasy, Cold War submarine thriller and romance that features stunning underwater sequences and special effects.
Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn head the cast in which an oil rig crew, led by Harris’ Bud Brigman, is recruited to join a team of Navy SEALS, led by Biehn’s Lt. Coffey, to find a submarine that mysteriously sank and rescue its crew.
Mastrantonio’s Lindsey Brigman, a petroleum engineer and Bud Brigman’s former wife, also is drafted for the recovery operation.
At 25,000 feet below the ocean’s surface they find a mysterious entity that has the potential to change the world — or destroy it.
The three-disc set features the 139-minute theatrical and 171-minute special edition versions of the movie, which garnered an 89 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital (theatrical version); English SDH, French and Spanish (theatrical version) subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital (theatrical version); English SDH, French and Spanish (theatrical version) subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a conversation with Cameron, a “Legacy of ‘The Abyss’ ” featurette, a making of featurette, archival extras and stills and videos, including the shooting script, original treatment and storyboards.
Fear and Desire (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: Feb. 27
Details: 1953, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This existential war drama was Stanley Kubrick’s feature-film directorial debut — and it shows.
It is rough and uneven, but spotlights Kubrick’s future potential as a filmmaker.
The movie is set during a fictitious war in an unidentified country. Four soldiers who survive a plane crash revive and find themselves in a forest behind enemy lines.
Having no idea where they are, the blindly begin heading in the direction they believe will take them to their own lines. Along the way, they attack an isolated cabin occupied by enemy soldiers, then capture a peasant woman who is later tormented by the young soldier assigned to guard her.
Just as the soldiers are about to gain their freedom,, they discover an outpost of enemy officers. They must decide whether to sneak past them or stage a violent confrontation.
The set includes the 70-minute premiere cut of the film as well as the 62-minute theatrical release.
The cast includes Frank Silvera, Kenneth Harp, Paul Mazursky, Stephen Coit and Virginia Leith.
The movie, which garnered a 72 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, was restored from materials preserved by the Library of Congress.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray; 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras on both discs include two commentary tracks — one by film historian Eddy Von Mueller on the 70-minute version and the other by film historian-screenwriter Gary Gerani on the 62-minute cut. Other bonus materials include three short films by Kubrick, also restored by the Library of Congress — “Flying Padre” (1951), “Day of the Fight” (1951) and “The Seafarers” (1953).
Quigley Down Under (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1990, Shout! Studios
Rated: PG-13, graphic violence, language, nudity
The lowdown: Tom Selleck stars as Matthew Quigley, an American rifleman who arrives in Australia thinking he has been hired to kill off wild dogs.
Learning instead that powerful landowner Elliot Marston (a slimy Alan Rickman) has hired him to kill Aborigines, Quigley is angered and, after beating Marston, is overpowered and dumped in the outback by Marston’s ranch hands.
Surviving, Quigley plots revenge. The movie follows a standard Western trail, only one set Down Under instead of the old West.
The movie, though lacking in imagination or originality, is still fun and entertaining. The main distraction is Laura San Giacomo, as a crazy American woman stranded in Australia.
Rickman makes the most of his brutal portrayal, relishing in his fast-draw, six-gun prowess.
Even though the movie offers some wonderful scenery and moves quickly, it only garnered a 55 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 stereo; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include an interview with San Giacomo, a look at Quigley’s Sharps rifle and a “The Rebirth of a Western” featurette.
True Lies: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 1994, Fox Home Entertainment-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment-Buena Vista
Rated: R, violence, action, language
The lowdown: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis star in this action-adventure-romantic comedy feature in which Schwarzenegger plays Harry Tasker, a top spy for the ultra-secret Omega Sector.
But to his wife, Helen, and their daughter, Dana (Eliza Dushku), he is a dull computer salesman.
The movie, directed by James Cameron, is a nice blend that allows Schwarzenegger to display his action chops and comic timing and gives Curtis a chance to some deadpan drollery as well as some sexy moves.
The film moves between stopping some international terrorists from detonating a nuclear device on American soil and the marital problems of Harry and Helen.
Along for the ride is Tom Arnold as Tasker’s helper and a very funny Bill Paxton as a used car salesman who masquerades as a secret agent in a futile attempt to attract women.
The movie earned a 71 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital descriptive audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a look back at the movie and a featurette with behind-the-scenes script, artwork and marketing displays.
A Fistful of Dynamite (a k a Duck, You Sucker!) (Blu-ray)
Release date: March 5
Details: 1971, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG
The lowdown: Rod Steiger and James Coburn star in filmmaker Sergio Leone’s final spaghetti Western, set in 1913 revolutionary Mexico.
Steiger is bandit Juan Miranda, a peasant-turned-revolutionary, while Coburn is John Mallory, an Irish revolutionary explosives expert who has fled to Mexico.
When Miranda first encounters Mallory, he recruits him to help fulfill his dream — rob the impregnable Mesa Verde National Bank. The caper leads them into a trap in which they become involved in the revolution and must fight with the forces of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.
At 157 minutes, the movie meanders, but remains enjoyable because of the performances by Steiger and Colburn, abetted by another great score by Ennio Morricone. The movie garnered a 92 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include two commentary tracks, one with filmmaker Alex Cox, the other with film historian Sir Christopher Frayling; a “Trailers From Hell” episode; featurettes about the myths of the Mexican revolution, remembrances by co-screenwriter Sergio Donati, “Once Upon a Time in Italy” from the Autry exhibition, sorting out the various versions of the movie, a look at the restoration and location comparisons.
The President’s Analyst (Blu-ray)
Details: 1967, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A wacky political satire in which James Coburn stars as psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Schaefer who is recruited by government officials to keep the president of the United States — who is dealing with a full plate of issues, such as the national debt, trying to maintain world peace and dessert choices at state dinners — on an even keel.
While is helping keep the president balanced, Schaefer’s life is upended as governments from all over the world are targeting him either to force him to divulge the secrets the president has shared with him or silence him for the very same reason.
The movie costars Godfrey Cambridge, as a spy aiding Schaefer, and William Daniels, Will Geer, Severn Darden, Joan Delaney, Pat Harrington Jr., Joan Darling and Eduard Franz.
The movie earned a respectable 77 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Two commentary tracks, one with film historian-writer Julio Kirgo and writer-filmmaker Peter Hankoff, and the other with novelist-critic Tim Lucas, comprise the bonus options.
One-Percent Warrior (Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Japanese feature centers on an aging action star who, after his fast, samurai-style fighting approach turns filmmakers off, decides to make his own film.
His choice of location, though, causes problems since it is turf claimed by feuding yakuza gangs, including Japan’s deadliest martial arts assassin.
The action star, caught in the middle of a bloody battle with a rising body count, tries to use his martial arts training in save himself and others. But will he be able to stop the carnage?
Tak Sakaguchi as the action star gives the film the heft it needs to succeed, especially among fans of the martial arts genre.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 (enhanced) widescreen picture; Japanese and English (dubbed) DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette is the main extra.
The 355 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: March 5
Details: 2022, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: PG-13, bloody, action violence, language, suggestive material
The lowdown: “The 355” is a series of spy-action cliches that tries to make a female-power statement by grouping five women from various agencies uniting against a common foe.
Admirable, except that the story is nothing but formulaic situations used dozens of times before in dozens of films. The movie is so predictable that, from the outset, you are two or three steps ahead of the game.
The centerpiece of “The 355” is one of those multi-algorithms devices that, in the wrong hands, can cause worldwide havoc and destruction — it’s something ripped from the James Bond playbook.
Sent to retrieve the dingus is CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) and her partner, Nick (Sebastian Stan). When their operation goes fatally wrong, Mace turns to an old friend, former MI6 agent and computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o) for help.
Also joining the fun is Diane Kruger as a German operative, Penelope Cruz as a Colombian psychologist-intelligence agent and Bingbing Fan as a Chinese agent.
If the scriptwriters had been more imaginative this could have been the launch of an interesting action franchise. Instead, the film offers most formulaic situations and stereotypical characters.
The film can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos; English SDH and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English 2.0 Dolby digital DVS; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scene looks at the chases through Paris and action sequences, a look at reconstructing Marrakesh, VFX breakdowns and a “Chaos in the City of Dreams” featurette comprise the bonus materials.
What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears? (DVD)
Details: 2023, Freestyle Digital Media-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: I have a personal connection to Blood, Sweat & Tears. “You Made Me So Very Happy” was played often on the radio when my future wife and I started dating and it was the first song we danced to at our wedding reception.
So, when I saw the title of this documentary, I was most intrigued to find out about it.
The group performed at Woodstock and won multiple Grammy awards.
Then, BS&T became embroiled in a political hornet’s nest because they performed behind the Iron Curtain in which they held concerts in Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland. The tour was sponsored by the State Department.
This put the band on the radar of the Nixon White House, and placed BS&T in the crossfire of a polarized United States, with many rock fans, who were disapproving of the government because of the Vietnam War, criticizing the band for allowing the government to co-opt it.
The movie features archival footage of the band as well as interviews with band members David Clayton Thomas, Bobby Colomby, Steve Katz and Fred Lipsius and music industry personalities such as Clive Davis.
It can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other Internet retailers.
Technical aspects: 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.
A Balance (DVD)
Details: 2020, Film Movement
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Yuko, a documentary filmmaker, is working on a project about the bereaved families connected to a bullied schoolgirl’s suicide.
The uncompromising Yuko is set on exposing the truth about the tragedy. Her determination creates conflict with the conservative management at her television network. It also helps succeed in gaining the trust of her interview subjects.
Masashi, who runs a test prep school, has made a grave error in judgment. The further Yuko becomes involved in his mistake, the more she finds herself telling lie after lie.
An unexpected development occurs, compelling Yuko to struggle with her conscience and her compromised perception of the truth, which forces her to make life-altering decisions.
This morality tale opens a window into Japan’s culture of shame as well as a look at the press and its impact on public perception.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island (DVD)
Details: 2022, First Run Features-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that looks at the determined women who fought back against the nuclear industry after the 1979 meltdown at the Three Mille Island nuclear facility in Pennsylvania.
The movie, narrated by Jane Fonda — whose thriller, “The China Syndrome,” hit theaters 12 days before the accident — looks at four homemakers who took their community’s case against the plant operator all the way to the Supreme Court.
The movie also sheds light on a radical new health study — that still is in process — that may expose the truth about the meltdown.
For decades,, the nuclear industry has downplayed the extent of meltdown and covered up the criminal actions that may be associated with the event.
The movie may shed light on that claim.
Technical aspects: widescreen picture; English Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Death Rides a Horse (Blu-ray)
Release date: March 5
Details: 1967, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, Western violence
The lowdown: Lee Van Cleef and John Phillip Law star in this spaghetti Western story of revenge.
Law’s Bill seeks the bandits who, during a $200,000 robbery, massacred his family 15 years earlier.
Van Cleef is Ryan, who was imprisoned after the bandits framed him for the murders.
The two join forces on the four men — all now in position of power — who committed the robbery and killings.
The movie is basically a Sergio Leone knock off directed by Giulio Petroni.
Van Cleef, who died in 1989, was a familiar heavy in Western movies and television shows, appearing in such movies as “High Noon,” “The Lawless Breed,” “Ten Waned Men” and “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” as well as episodes of “The Lone Ranger,” “Tales of Wells Fargo,” “Lawman,” “Wagon Train,” “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” “Maverick” and “Cheyenne.”
His second career in European Westerns began when he appeared in Sergio Leone’s “For a Few Dollars More” as well as Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English and Italian 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by filmmaker Alex Cox is the main extra.
The Whip and the Body (Blu-ray)
Details: 1963, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Mario Bava directed this gothic horror tale steeped in sadomasochism starring Christopher Lee as Kurt Menliff, the sadistic son of a wealthy count, who returns to his family castle.
He is not greeted with open arms by his family, their servants and Nevenka (Daliah Lavi), his former lover and partner in S&M foreplay — including being lashed — who has married Menliff’s brother, Christian.
The next afternoon Kurt Menliff meets Nevenka riding alone along the beach. He whips the masochistic woman, and then they make love.
That night Kurt is fatally stabbed, but his death fails to bring any peace to the castle’s residents as his spirit supposedly returns to torment those who remain in the castle.
Lee considered this one of his best European movies. The film earned a 71 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie features Italian and English dubbed audio tracks, with another actor dubbing Lee’s dialogue.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track with novelist-critic Tim Lucas is the major extra.
Here’s Flash Casey (DVD)
Release date: March 5
Details: 1938, Film Masters-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A short, 56-minute Poverty Row B-movie about Flash Casey, who worked his way through college by taking pictures.
His dream is to get a job as a newspaper photographer. And when he does, he immediately finds himself in trouble for taking a picture of the son of the paper’s owner kissing a French dancer.
Flash submits the picture to the paper’s city editor who gives hm a job so he can suppress the photo. Flash’s job is to assist Wade, the paper’s regular photographer, who takes credit for pictures Flash shoots.
A lot happens in less than an hour: Flash romances the paper’s society editor-sob sister, gangsters use photos for blackmail and a murder is committed.
The cast features Eric Linden as Flash, Boots Mallory as society editor Kay Lanning as well as Cully Richards, Holmes Herbert, Joseph Crehan and Harry Harvey.
The movie can be found online at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Glory to the Heroes (DVD)
Details: 2023, Cohen Media Group-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: French philosopher and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Levy returns to Ukraine shortly after Russia destroyed the Kakhovka dam in the southern part of the country, creating an ecocide and humanitarian disaster.
Levy, along with co-director Marc Roussel, concentrates on the resilience, resistance and deep humanity of the Ukrainian people even in the most brutal and dire conditions.
Levy and Roussel spend the summer in Ukraine detailing the courage of the Ukrainian people despite the sorrow and destruction sowed by Russia’s relentless attacks,, including those on civilians.
The directors also embed with soldiers on the front lines,, where they capture the horrors of war as well as the hopefulness and optimism of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians alike.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; French, Ukrainian and English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo; English subtitles.
“Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XVII” (Blu-ray)
Release date: Feb. 27
Details: 1953-56, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Another trio of features that explores the shadowy sides of people and their souls.
The set includes “Vice Squad” (1953), “Black Tuesday” (1954) and “Nightmare” (1956). All three movies star Edward G. Robinson.
In “Vice Squad,” Robinson is a police detective captain who is dealing with the hunt for the killers of a police officer as well as trying to prevent a bank robbery. The movie costars Paulette Goddard, K.T. Stevens, Porter Hall, Edward Binns, Adam Williams, Barry Kelley and Lee Van Cleef.
“Black Tuesday” features Robinson as a killer who escapes from prison and takes hostages in a deadly confrontation with police.
The hard-hitting noir film costars Peter Graves, Jean Parker, Milburn Stone, Jack Kelly and Warren Stevens.
“Nightmare” finds Robinson’s police officer helping his brother-in-law who has a very convincing dream in which he murders a man. The script features some implausible situations, but still holds up as a decent mystery.
It costars Kevin McCarthy as Robinson’s younger brother-in-law, and Barry Atwater, Virginia Christine, Connie Russell and Rhys Williams.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture (“Vice Squad,” “Black Tuesday”) and 1.85:1 widescreen picture (“Nightmare”); English Dolby digital monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Film historian-screenwriter Gary Gerani provides a commentary track on “Vice Squad” and “Black Tuesday,” while professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney offers commentary on “Nightmare.”
The Long Riders (Blu-ray)
Release date: March 5
Details: 1980, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, violence, language, sexual content
The lowdown: Walter Hill directed this version of the Old West story of the James-Younger gang that has been told and retold many times on film.
The difference here is that Hill cast real-life actual brothers, who also happen to be actors, to portray the outlaws.
James Keach plays Jesse James while his brother, Stacy is Frank James; David Carradine portrays Cole Younger with his brothers, Keith and Robert as Jim and Bob Younger, while Dennis and Randy Quaid are Ed and Clell Miller and Christopher and Nicholas Guest play Charlie and Bob Ford.
In the years after the Civil War, the gang begins robbing banks, stagecoaches and trains. The railroad company hires the Pinkerton Detective Agency to hunt down the outlaws and, after a few Pinkertons are killed in a gun battle, a war of sorts erupts between the gang and the Pinkertons.
It comes to a head when the gang decides to rob a supposed fat bank in Northfield, Minnesota, where the Pinkertons have set a trap to capture or kill the outlaws.
The cast also includes Pamela Reed, Harry Carey Jr. and James Remar.
The movie garnered an 81 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include interviews with Keith and Robert Carradine, Stacy and James Keach, Randy Quaid,, Nicholas Quaid, Hill, composer Ry Cooder and producer Tim Zinnemann; a making of featurette; a breakdown of the Northfield Minnesota raid sequence; and a look at Hill’s use of slow motion and how it was inspired by Sam Peckinpaugh.
Bombs Over Burma (DVD)
Release date: March 5
Details: 1942, Film Masters-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Anna May Wong stars as a Chinese school teacher who is recruited to spy for her government to discover who is tipping off the Japanese about supply convoys to aid her people.
At 65 minutes, you’d think the film would move at a rapid pace, especially for a wartime drama. Plus, it is directed by B-movie legend Joseph H. Lewis, a master film editor whose camera angles and cutting are exceptional.
The dialogue-heavy film simply crawls along with the script not giving Wong much to do.
Another inconvenience is that the movie comes with subtitles that cannot be removed and some of the night sequences are too dark.
As a fan of Wong, I was let down by this feature, which can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English Dolby digital; English closed-captioned subtitles.
Punto Rojo (Blu-ray)
Details: 2021, MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An Argentine thriller that begins with Diego, a crook and hooligan, sitting in his car in the middle of nowhere participating in a quiz show about “Racing Club,” one of Argentina’s greatest soccer club.
Suddenly, a man falls from the sky and into his windshield. Just as quickly, a very tough female secret agent arrives to confront Diego about the dangerous con man keeping a dark secret who happens to be kidnapped and stashed in the trunk of his car.
Before long, all hell breaks loose, including the nearby crash of a cargo plane.
And that is just the start of this fast-paced, 80-minute feature from writer-director Nic Loreti. The movie is loaded with fights and gun battles.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Spanish and English (dubbed) LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extra is “Pinball,” a short film by Loreti.
Impulse (Blu-ray)
Details: 1974, Grindhouse Releasing
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This exploitation movie starring William Shatner in a near-embarrassing, over-the-top performance as Matt Stone, a deranged gigolo who preys on rich women, gets their fortunes than kills them.
This is one of those so-bad-it’s-almost good features — the operative word being almost.
Stone’s next target is a widow, whose teenage daughter, from the outset, becomes suspicious of Stone and his motives.
The movie also features veteran actress Ruth Roman, “Goldfinger” bad guy Harold Sakata and Jenifer Bishop. It was directed by exploitation filmmaker William Grefé (“The Death Curse of Tartu”).
This is a movie you have to see to believe.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English and French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Two bonus features, “The Devil’s Sisters” and “The Godmothers,” an alternate French soundtrack, hours of extras from Grefé’s cinematic vault, a commentary by Grefé, a 2022 interview with Shatner, an in-depth interview with Grefé and interviews with producer-make-up artist Doug Hobart and art director Roger Carlton Sherman comprise the extras.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Bad Hombres (DVD) (Screen Media)
Immediate Family (Blu-ray & DVD & VOD) (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
The Shamrock Spitfire (DVD & digital & VOD) (ShineHouse Group)
The Shining (Blu-ray) (Scream Factory)
Suzume (Blu-ray) (Crunchyroll, LLC)
MARCH 15
Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2 (Blu-ray & DVD & digital & VOD) (Small Town Monsters)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Household Saints (Kino Lorber)
Night Swim (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island (First Run Features-Amazon-Apple TV+)
Sesame Street Mecha Builders (Sesame Street Workshop-Shout! Factory)
Silver Haze (Dark Star Pictures)
MARCH 13
Constellation: Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
The New Look: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
MARCH 14
Frida (Amazon Prime)
T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets (Kino Film Collection)
Viva (Kino Film Collection)
MARCH 15
The Animal Kingdom (Magnet Releasing)
The Bloody Hundredth (Apple TV+)
Children of the Mist (Film Movement Plus)
The Complete Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
Escape (Saban Films)
Jezabel (Film Movement Plus)
Manhunt: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
Masters of the Air: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy: Season 2, Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
Stopmotion (IFC Films-Shudder)
The Throwback (Myriad Pictures)
Yuni (Film Movement Plus)
MARCH 16
The Dynasty: The New England Patriots: Episode 7 (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.