New to View: March 21
A horror feature about the dangers of A.I. headlines the short list of new releases for home viewing in New to View at ReelBob.
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, March 21, unless otherwise noted:
M3GAN: Unrated Edition (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2022, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated & PG-13, violence, terror sequences, language, suggestive reference
The lowdown: Technology, be it in the form of some evil corporate magnate or artificial intelligence gone rogue, seems to be the new boogeyman of cinema.
“M3GAN” fits into the latter category. The story is about a lifelike doll that is a wonder of A.I. She is programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s best ally.
The doll was designed by Gemma (Allison Williams), a brilliant roboticist. M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as it plays the roles of friend, teacher, playmate and protector.
When Gemma becomes the unexpected caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady, she decides to pair the girl with her M3GAN prototype.
Of course, that decision leads to very bad consequences.
The set features the theatrical and unrated versions of the film.
The movie, which was praised for its deft mix of horror and satire, earned a 93 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 DVS, French 5.1 DTS digital surround and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital plus; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 DVS; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a behind-the-scenes featurette on the creation of the movie, a featurette on bringing M3GAN to life and a look at how some of the stunts and gory deaths were accomplished.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season One (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, CBS Home Entertainment-Paramount Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A two-disc set featuring all 10 first-season episodes of this “Star Trek” franchise series based on the years that Capt. Christopher Pike manned the center seat of the “U.S.S. Enterprise.”
The series, set a decade before Capt. James T. Kirk manned the helm of the “Enterprise,” follows Pike and his crew, which included Rebecca Romjin as Number One, Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.
Unlike “Star Trek: Discovery,” which, like “Strange New Worlds” airs on Paramount+, each episode is a self-contained story.
An interesting aspect of the series is the awareness of Pike, played by Anson Mount, of his ill-fated future, which was featured in a first-season episode of the original “Star Trek.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at the production design of the many worlds visited in the episodes, a featurette on the storylines and characters, a gag reel and a commentary track on the pilot episode.
Legend of Gatotkaca (Blu-ray)
Details: 2022, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An Indonesian action-thriller about Yuda, a young man who witnessed the murder of his best friend by a masked assassin with superpowers.
Yuda stumbles upon a secret prophecy that has been hidden for decades by powerful people.
The young man soon unlocks dormant abilities of his own, discovering that he is no ordinary college kid, but a descendant of the legendary Gatotkaca, and the possible key to winning an upcoming battle against an ancient evil.
The movie offers some big action sequences that will entice fans of the superhero genre.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Indonesian and English (dubbed) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
The Headmistress (DVD & VOD) (Indican Pictures)
Like Me (DVD) (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Joyride (DVD & VOD) (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
Seriously Red (Blu-ray + digital & DVD & VOD (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
The Belle Starr Story (Kino Lorber)
Gotham: The Rise and Fall of New York (Gravitas Ventures)
Kubrick by Kubrick (Level 33 Entertainment)
Nostalgia (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Tomorrow’s Hope (Passion River Films)
MARCH 22
Ted Lasso: Season 3, Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
Waco: American Apocalypse (www.netflix.com/WacoAmericanApocalypse) (Netflix)
Wu Tang: An American Saga: Season 3, Episode 8 (Hulu)
MARCH 23
The Night Agent (Netflix)
Timescape (XYZ Films)
MARCH 24
Dear Edward: Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
Extrapolations: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
Followers (Terror Films)
Hello Tomorrow!: Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
Infinite Sea (Amazon Prime)
Knock at the Cabin (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Liaison: Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Refuge (Shout! Studios)
Sadness and Joy in the Life of Giraffes (IndiePix Unlimited)
Shrinking: Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
Truth Be Told: Season 3, Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
Up Here (Hulu)
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.