New to View: March 26

A dark satire with Nicole Kidman and Joaquin Phoenix headlines the new releases at my New to View at ReelBob.

The following titles are being released on Tuesday, March 26, unless otherwise noted:
To Die For (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1995, The Criterion Collection
Rated: R, violence, sexual situations
The lowdown: Nicole Kidman heads the cast in this Gus Van Zant-directed biting satire on our obsession with television-mediated, true-crime-obsessed society.
Kidman portrays Suzanne Stone, a weather reporter at a small-town cable station, who dreams of being a big-time news anchor. Her perky demeanor masks a murderous heart and a ruthless quest for fame.
She ensnares a trio of disaffected teens, played by Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck and Alison Folland to kill her husband, Larry (Matt Dillon).
Van Sant uses shifting perspectives and faux-documentary interviews to this dark comedy, which also features Illeana Douglas, Wayne Knight, Dan Hedaya, Kurtwood Smith, Holland Taylor and co-screenwriter Buck Henry.
The movie earned a very respectable 89 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a commentary track with Van Sant, director of photography Eric Alan Edwards and editor Curtiss Clayton; deleted scenes; and an essay by film critic Jessica Kiang.

North Dallas Forty (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1979, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, language, violence, sexual content
The lowdown: Nick Nolte and Mac Davis star in this honest look at the brutal, bureaucratic and manipulative world of professional football.
The movie, is not one the NFL would endorse or embrace, as it deals with the toxic masculinity that permeates players and locker rooms.
Nolte is aging pass catcher Phil Elliott who, through the influence of Charlotte Caulder (Dayle Haddon), a woman with whom he has become involves, begins to see that there is more to life than football.
This puts him in conflict with the team’s management, including coaches B.A. Strothers (G.D. Spradlin) and Johnson (Charles Durning) and owner Conrad Hunter (Steve Forest) as well as Hunter’s brother, Emmett (Dabney Coleman).
Davis plays quarterback Seth Maxwell. The cast also includes Bo Svenson and John Matuszak.
The film, which garnered an 85 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is based on the book by former Dallas Cowboys player Peter Gent.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a commentary track by Daniel Kremer and Daniel Waters with the film’s director, Ted Kotcheff; a look back at the film with Kotcheff; a comparative analysis of Kotcheff’s vision and an introduction to the film by Kotcheff.

“Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XVIII” (Blu-ray)
Details: 1955, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: By the mid- and late 1950s, the post-World War II film noir movement was fading as an optimistic complacent mood had grown across the nation.
Still, there was enough interest in the genre that studios continued to produce some dark stories. This set contains “City of Shadows,” “Crashout” and “Finger Man,” a trio of 1955 releases.
“City of Shadows” stars Victor McLaglen, a 1935 Academy Award-winner for best actor as well as a member of the John Ford stock company, as Big Tim Channing, a small-time gangster who makes a living in the slot machine racket.
Channing strikes up a partnership with newsboy Don Mason to drive the competition out of business. When Mason reaches maturity, he studies the law and becomes an expert at finding loopholes to help Channing.
Mason’s attitude changes when he meets Fern, the sister of his college roommate, Roy, and he promises to work for the law.
The cast also features John Baer, Anthony Caruso, Richard Reeves, Kathleen Crowley and Frank Ferguson. The film was directed by William Witney, best known for his work on serials and Roy Rogers B-Westerns at Republic Pictures.
“Crashout” tells of six dangerous convicts who escape from prison and frantically try to evade an extensive manhunt.
The film features Arthur Kennedy, William Bendix, Luther Adler, William Talman, Gene Evans and Marshall Thompson, all under the direction of Lewis R. Foster. Gloria Talbot, Adam Williams and Beverly Michaels co-star.
Frank Lovejoy stars as a former convict in “Finger Man,” who is captured stealing a truck shipment. When he learns that his sister has become an addict after working for Dutch (Forest Tucker), a tough bootlegger, he accepts a deal to go undercover to nail Dutch and his mob.
The movie costars Peggie Castle and Timothy Carey.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.

The Contender (Blu-ray)
Details: 2000, Giant-Interactive-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, sexual content, language
The lowdown: Joan Allen stars as Sen. Laine Hanson, whom President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) nominates for vice president after the sitting v.p. dies in office.
Hanson soon becomes a political pawn as information and disinformation about her past begins to surface, placing her confirmation in jeopardy from powerful committee chairman Sen. Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman).
Allen and Bridges earned Academy Award nominations for their performances.
The movie, which costars Christian Slater, William Petersen, Sam Elliott, Philip Baker Hall and Saul Rubinek, and which was directed by Rod Lurie, can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English closed-captioned subtitles.

Born to Fly (Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A Chinese import centering on a talented young air force test pilot who, after an unforeseen threat arises in mid-air, is forced to test not only the capabilities of his top-secret aircraft, but also his own physical and psychological limits in order to survive.
The movie, at times, is simplistic and formulaic, mixing jingoism with aviator rivalries that will attract fans of the “Top Gun” films. It offers a rush of adrenaline and some aerial spectacle.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Mandarin 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English, traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles.

Good Burger 2 (Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Paramount Pictures-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: It has been more than 25 years since we visited Dexter Reed (Kenan Thompson) and cashier Ed (Kel Mitchell) at Good Burger.
The pair are joined by new employees as Ed and Dexter are on a mission to save the entire fast-food industry.
The story touches on the impact of automation as well as employment conditions.
The movie is a bit over the top, with a plot that does not work as well as it should. The cast includes Lil Rel Howery and Jillian Bell, with cameos by Mark Cuban, Pete Davidson, Rob Gronkowski, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Bowen Yang, Chrissy Teigen, Zoe Saldana, George Clinton, Al Roker and Mikey Day.
The story has Dexter returning to his old job at Good Burger after another of his many inventions fails.
The film can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include an extended sequence of bloopers, a “Comfort Food Classic” featurette, a behind-the‑scenes with Kenan and Kel featurette, a “MEAT the Employees” featurette, a question‑and‑answer session with the new crew, an employee training video and a recap of “Good Burger.”

The Inspector Wears Skirts 2 (Blu‑ray)
Details: 1989, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Sibelle Hu returns as Madame Wu in this action‑packed sequel that finds four new women joining the Banshee Squad in the Hong Kong Police Academy, where they are trained by Wu.
The new members clash with the current squad members, but come together when they — and the members of the Tiger Squad — unite to battle a group of terrorists.
The film features some superb action sequences, mixing humor and martial arts. Most the action occurs in the second part of the movie.
Still, genre fans will enjoy the movie that does not take itself too seriously.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese and English (dubbed) 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews stuntmen Mars, Go Shut Fung and director Wellson Chin and a commentary track with Frank Djeng.

Paint Your Wagon (4K Ultra HD + Blu‑ray)
Details: 1969, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG‑13, thematic material
The lowdown: Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe created some classic musicals — “My Fair Lady,” “Brigadoon” and “Camelot” immediately come to mind.
“Paint Your Wagon” debuted on Broadway in 1951 and reached the big screen in 1969 under the director of Joshua Logan. The show had some memorial songs, including “They Call the Wind Maria” and “I Talk to the Trees.”
The movie’s storyline differs in part from the stage show, but many aspects are similar.
What is strange is the casting. The leads are played by Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, neither being known for their vocal abilities.
The cast also includes Jean Seberg and Harve Presnell, who has the best song in the film, “They Call the Wind Maria.”
Others in the cast include Ray Walston, Alan Baxter and Ben Baker.
A majority of critics were unimpressed with the film, awarding it a 37 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra‑high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu‑ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with Marvin biographer Dwayne Epstein, screenwriter‑author C. Courtney Joyner and film historian and “True West Magazine” contributor Henry Parke.

Polar Rescue (Blu‑ray)
Details: 2022, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Donnie Yen plays a distraught father in this drama about a search‑and‑rescue mission for a missing 8‑year-old boy.
The boy is the son of Yen’s character. The boy had run away after being punished by his father for misbehaving. The boy is lost in a mountain wilderness during a brutal snowstorm.
Local police and a search team take part in the response to find the child.
The movie is a departure from Yen’s usual action movies. It is abetted by some solid cinematography of the snowy terrain. The movie is also known as “Come Back Home.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Mandarin 5.1 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English subtitles.

“The Bounty Hunter Trilogy” (Blu‑ray)
Details: 1969‑72, Radiance Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Tomisabura Wakayama, the star of the “Lone Wolf and Cub” samurai series, portrays Doctor — and spy‑for-hire Shikoro Ichibei in a trio of films that are a samurai blending of James Bond and spaghetti Western.
In “Killer’s Mission” (1969), Ichibei is hired to prevent the sale of firearms to a hostile Shogun.
“The Fort of Death” (1969) finds Ichibei protecting a village of farmers from a ruthless nobleman.
The final film in the set, “Eight Men to Kill” (1972) has Ichibei hired to recover a cache of gold stolen from the government’s mind. He is aided in this mission by a band of fellow spies, Ronin and female ninjas. Plus, he uses an array of gadgets that would turn Bond green with envy.
Fans of Wakayama and the “Lone Wolf and Cub” films will find these features just as exciting and action-packed.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track on “Killer’s Mission,” an interview with director Shighiro Ozawa expert Akihito Ito about the filmmaker, a visual essay by Eiichi Kudo by Japanese cinema expert Robin Gatto and a booklet with writing by samurai film expert Alan Silver, an obituary on Kudo and interview with Ozawa after his retirement from filmmaking.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Ancient Empires (DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The Crime Is Mine (Blu‑ray & DVD) (Music Box Films)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Early Bird (Good Deed Entertainment)
Easter Bloody Easter (Gravitas Ventures)
Fear and Desire (Kino Lorber)
Golden Years (Music Bos Films)
The Heart Stays (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
Power Pup (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Tig Notaro: Hello Again (Amazon Prime)
The Whip and the Body (Kino Lorber)
MARCH 27
Constellation: Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
The New Look: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
Palm Royale: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
MARCH 28
Eden and After (Kino Film Collection)
Hold Me Tight (Kino Film Collection)
We Were the Lucky Ones: Episodes 1-3 (Hulu)
MARCH 29
Against All Enemies (Mighty Pictures)
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (Apple TV+)
Californie (Film Movement Plus)
The Completely Made‑Up Adventures of Dick Turpin: Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Hotel (Film Movement)
Lisa Frankenstein (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Listener (Vertical Entertainment)
Lourdes (Film Movement)
Lovely Rita (Film Movement)
Manhunt: Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
The Murder of Grace Millane (Brainstorm Media)
The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy: Season 2, Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Steve! (martin) (Apple TV+)
MARCH 30
The Dynasty: The New England Patriots: Episode 9 (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.