The following Blu-rays and DVDs are being released on Tuesday, May 10, unless otherwise noted:
Where to Invade Next (Blu-ray) Details: 2015, Anchor Bay Entertainment Rated: R, language, nudity, violent images, drug use The lowdown: Michael Moore’s latest feature is not so much a documentary as a travelogue in which Moore spans the globe to demonstrate how some nations have adopted and conduct programs that benefit their citizens, as compared to the United States, where such systems are too costly or limited. The fact that Moore cherry-picks — ignoring problems that some of these countries face and freedoms denied their citizens — does not appear to concern the filmmaker. Despite these oversights, “Where to Invade Next” is not as strident or preachy as previous Moore movies. The film has a jaunty and playful lightness that makes it appealing and palatable. What Moore is basically doing is highlighting problems and issues facing the United States and finding solutions is some very unlikely places. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
The Boy (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet) Details: 2016, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, mature themes, violence and terror The lowdown: A horror feature about an American woman who takes a job as a nanny in a remote English village. Upon arriving at her position, she discovers that her 8-year-old charge is in reality a life-size doll that the family treats like a real boy to compensate for the son they lost 20 years earlier. Things go fine until the nanny violates one of the many strict rules handed down by her employers. Thus begins a series of disturbing events that make the nanny believe the doll actually is alive. The movie offers some jolts, but, overall, is simply a routine horror outing. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.
Manson’s Lost Girls (DVD + Ultraviolet) Details: 2015, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This Lifetime made-for-TV movie tells the story of Charles Manson and his horrific crimes from the point of view of the young girls who were drawn to him and did his every bidding — including murder. The film shows how Manson manipulated these naïve girls, going from love to burglary and ultimately a killing spree that shocked the nation. The feature does show that these women had culpability and were not merely Manson’s puppets. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
In a Lonely Place: Special Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1950, The Criterion Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Humphrey Bogart stars in this dark thriller directed by Nicholas Ray as a gifted, but on-the-skids screenwriter with a volatile temper, who becomes the prime suspect in a Hollywood murder. Gloria Grahame plays his troubled neighbor who is the only person who can provide an alibi for his whereabouts at the time of the killing. This emotionally charged film noir feature centers on two people battling demons — their own and each others. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a 1975 documentary about Ray, a commentary track with film scholar Dana Polan, an interview with Grahame biographer Vincent Curcio, a 2002 featurette with filmmaker Curtis Hanson, a 1948 radio adaptation of author Dorothy B. Hughes’ novel and an essay about the movie.
You’ll Like My Mother (Blu-ray) Details: 1972, Scream Factory Rated: PG The lowdown: Patty Duke stars in this thriller about a pregnant woman who, after the death of her husband in Vietnam, makes her way to Minnesota to meet his family for the first time. She does not receive the warm, in-law greeting she expected. The movie has some tense moments, but overall it does not add up to much, despite a strong supporting cast that includes Rosemary Murphy, Richard Thomas and Golden Globe-nominee Sian Barbara Allen. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Interviews with Thomas and Allen comprise the major bonus features.
Blondie of the Follies (DVD-R) Release date: April 26 Details: 1932, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Marion Davies stars in this MGM comedy with Robert Montgomery and Jimmy Durante. Davies’ Blondie becomes star-struck by her showbiz pal, Lottie (Billie Dove) and joins the follies. Blondie falls in love with Lottie’s boyfriend, Larry (Montgomery), which creates a rift between the pals. The movie mixes humor and heartbreak, and even contains a scene in which Davies and Durante parody Greta Garbo and John Barrymore from “Grand Hotel.” Today, Davies is better known as the longtime mistress of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Davies is lampooned as the weak-singing Susan Kane in "Citizen Kane,” but that is a disservice to this talented performer. She was an adept comedian in silent and early sound movies who gave up the screen to spend more time with Hearst. This release is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered at www.wbshop.com or other online retailers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
The Untouchables: The Complete Series Details: 1959-63, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A 31-disc set containing all 119 episodes — most of which are fictional — about Eliot Ness and his band and they first take down Al Capone, then fight gangsters in Chicago and other places around the country in the early 1930s. Robert Stack plays Ness as a no-nonsense touch enforcer who despises criminals and will go to the limits of the law — and sometimes beyond — to get them behind bars. A majority of the episodes portrayed real-life gangsters, but in fictitious circumstances, some of whom Ness never even encountered. No matter, the series was meant to entertain, which it did, aided by the staccato narration by newscaster Walter Winchell, which added an air of authenticity to the proceedings. Technical aspects: 4x3 full-screen picture; English and Spanish Dolby digital monaural (seasons 1-3) and English Dolby digital monaural (season 4); English closed-captioned, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles (seasons 1-3) and English SDH subtitles (season 4). Don’t miss: An episode of “The Lucy Show” entitled “Lucy the Gun Moll” is the sole bonus offering.
A Yank at Oxford (DVD-R) Release date: April 26 Details: 1938, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This is one of several films that MGM produced in England prior to the outbreak of World War II. Robert Taylor “crossed the pond” to star in this collegiate comedy as a cocky American athlete whose boasts earn him few friends, but plenty of enemies. The film’s major attraction is a young Vivien Leigh, a year before she headed off to Hollywood to win the part of a tempestuous Southern belle in “Gone With the Wind.” “A Yank at Oxford” also features Maureen O’Sullivan, Lionel Barrymore and Edward Gwenn. This is a made-on-demand DVD-R release from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wbshop.com or other online retailers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
Song of Russia (DVD-R) Release date: April 26 Details: 1944, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Handsome Robert Taylor plays an American conductor who, while in Russia, meets a young pianist — played by Susan Peters — who wins his heart. The two marry, but when World War II erupts, she leaves her husband’s tour when Germany invades her homeland. She returns to her father’s farm to fight the Nazis. But soon, her village is under martial law. Not knowing her fate, Taylor begins a dangerous journey to find his wife. At the time, Russia was a U.S. ally in the fight against Hitler and the Nazis. But when the Cold War erupted, the film was later condemned as pro-Soviet propaganda. The release is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wbshop.com or other online DVD dealers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
Beauty and the Beast: The Third Season Details: 2015, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: In the third season of this CW series, police detective “Cat” Chandler (Kristin Kreuk) and veteran soldier Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan) discover that true love can be bumpy and dangerous. They discover and secret plot to create super soldiers that is quickly claiming innocent lives, forcing the pair to use their wedding to unmask a dark and powerful killer. The four-disc set features all 13 episodes of this re-imagining of the popular 1980s series. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo surround; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: A featurette on a day in the writers’ room, a review of the season, a gag reel and deleted scenes make up the bonus materials.
Other Blu-rays and DVDs being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Newhart: The Complete Fifth Season (Shout! Factory)
FOR KIDS Alpha and Omega: Dino Digs (DVD + Ultraviolet) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Bubble Guppies: Fun on the Farm (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS The Horde (Gravitas Ventures, May 6) Pride + Prejudice + Zombies (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Risen (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Kung Fu Panda 3 (DreamWorks-Fox Home Entertainment, May 13) Girls: The Complete Fifth Season (HBO Home Entertainment, May 16) Shrek & Shrek 4-Movie Collection (DreamWorks-Fox Home Entertainment, May 16)
Bob Bloom is a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. He reviews movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. He can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow Bloom on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. Movie reviews by Bloom also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.