By Bob Bloom Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many distributors have closed their warehouses and are not releasing 4K UHD, Blu-ray or DVD titles. Instead, they are offering digital releases of many titles at Movies Anywhere, Amazon and other sites. The following titles are being released on Tuesday, April 21, unless otherwise noted: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Details: 2020, Warner Home Entertainment Rated: R, strong and bloody violence, language, sexual situations, drug material The lowdown: One thing is sure: the DC cinematic universe does much better lately with its female characters than its male superheroes. “Birds of Prey” brings back Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn as kookily deranged as in “Suicide Squad.” Here, she becomes involved with narcissistic bad guy Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) and his deadly search for a diamond worth millions and the young pickpocket, Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), who filched it. Harley crosses paths with a powerful group of women, including Mafia princess Helena Bertinelli turned assassin Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), singer Dinah Lance, alias Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), before they all band together to save Cassandra and take down Sionis and his criminal empire. A female empowerment vibe runs through the entire film, which was directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson. The film is filled with over-the-top performances, especially by Robbie and McGregor. Despite all the violence, the film has an absurdist air and bizarre tone that keeps the proceedings rather light. Critics got the joke, giving the movie a 78 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos TrueHD, English descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus features include an option to view the movie with Harley-ized sequences, facts and Easter eggs, a gag reel, a look at the creation and making of the movie, a behind-the-scenes look at the film’s fashions, a featurette on Bruce the hyena, a look at the production design, a featurette on McGregor’s Roman Sionis, alias Black Mask and “A Love, Skate Relationship” featurette.
The Photograph (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2020, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, sexual content, language The lowdown: Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield star in this romantic drama about a young woman whose famed photographer-mother has died, leaving her with some pictures and several unanswered questions. Rae’s Mae begins a journey to discover more about her mother and her own past. Mae finds a letter and some photos during her search. She also begins a romance with a journalist, Michael (Stansfield). “The Photograph” makes for a nice date-night movie during a time most of us should stay indoors. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS and French and Spanish 5.1 DTS digital surround; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English DVS;; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a look at the making of the movie, a “Culture in Film” featurette and a look at the movie through photographs.
The Great Escape: Special Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1963, The Criterion Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: “The Great Escape” is a classic war movie with a fantastic cast that you never tire of watching, despite knowing the outcome. This epic movie, based on true events, follows the planning, execution and aftermath of a large group of allied POWs from a German camp. Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Donald Pleasance and David McCallum head up the massive cast, which features a memorable score by Elmer Bernstein. One of the movie’s highlights, of course, is McQueen’s motorcycle riding. John Sturges directed from a screenplay by James Clavell and W.R. Burnett, based on a book by Paul Brickhill. “The Great Escape” is the film that rocketed McQueen’s status to superstar level. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include two commentary tracks, one from 1991 with Sturges and Bernstein, the other from 2003 with Garner, Coburn and Pleasance; an interview with critic Michael Sragow; a four-part documentary from 2001 about the real escape from the Stalag Luft III that includes interviews with POWs held there; a 2001 program on the Army Air Forces pilot who was the inspiration for McQueen’s character; and a 1993 “Return to ‘The Great Escape’ ” program featuring interviews with Coburn, Garner, McCallum and actor Jud Taylor; and an essay about the movie.
Gretel and Hansel (Blu-ray + digital) Release date: May 5 Details: 2020, Warner Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, disturbing images, drug material, thematic elements The lowdown: This is a 21st-century take on the old Brothers Grimm Hansel and Gretel fairy tale, with echoes of Robert Eggers’ “The Witch.” Gretel (Sophia Lillis) takes her young brother, Hansel (Samuel Leakey) into the dark woods seeking food and work. They stumble upon an old house where an older woman, Holda (Alice Krige), resides. She takes the two in, but strange and horrific visions soon dominate Gretel’s mind. The movie offers some spooky moments but drags at times. A majority of critics enjoyed the film, awarding it a 66 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.65:1 and 1.55:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English descriptive audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a series of illustrations that capture the cinematography and reimagining of the fairy tale.
Blood on the Moon (Blu-ray) Release date: April 28 Details: 1948, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Robert Mitchum stars in this Western as gunman Jim Garry who, riding into a Texas town, soon finds himself caught in a confrontation between homesteaders and cattle ranchers. Garry accepts a job from Tate Riling (Robert Preston), an old friend from their days as mercenaries. Garry soon discovers that Riling has been manipulating the trouble between rancher John Lufton (Tom Tully) and the settlers to make off Lufton’s cattle. The dilemma tests Garry’s resolve as he must weigh is conscience against his greed. Making the situation tougher he finds himself falling in love with Lufton’s daughter, Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes). The finale rushes toward a showdown between Garry and Riling, from which only one will emerge. The cast also includes Walter Brennan, Phyllis Thaxter and Frank Faylen, with Robert Wise directing the proceedings. The release is offered by the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online retailers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
The Curse of the Werewolf: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Release date: April 21 Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Having reinvigorated the horror genre with its versions of Frankenstein and Dracula, Hammer Films next took on the werewolf myth. The movie is a quite good Gothic tale set in Spain. The film builds suspense as it progresses. And it is aided by a fine performance by a young Oliver Reed who went on to bigger and better features such as “Oliver!”, “Women in Love,” “The Three Musketeers,” “The Four Musketeers” and “Gladiator.” Reed portrays Leon, who was born on Christmas Day after his mother, a mute servant girl, had been raped by a bestial madman. From the outset, you know something is amiss with Leon as, at his christening, the holy water begins to boil. Leon is adopted by Don Alfredo, who looks after him. All his young life, Leon has been fighting the dark force within him. It especially becomes strong when the moon is full. It is then Leon loses control and becomes a killer. This is one of the better early Hammer features, offering more atmosphere than bloody images. It was directed by Terence Fisher, who helmed several of the early Hammer efforts. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette that includes interviews with cast and crew members, a commentary track, a profile of makeup artist Roy Ashton and a featurette, “Lycanthrophy: The Beast in All of Us.”
Fist of Fear, Touch of Death: 40th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1980, The Film Detective Rated: R, violence, language The lowdown: After the death of martial arts star Bruce Lee, a subgenre of film entitled Bruceploitation emerged, in which clips and outtakes from earlier film’s starring Lee were used to attract audiences to other movies — sometimes passing them off as unreleased films Lee made before his death. The circumstances surrounding Lee’s early passing is one of the themes of this pseudo-documentary. The movie also examines who is worth of taking Lee’s throne as the king of karate, even though Lee’s style of fighting incorporated aspects from other martial arts disciplines. The movie claims it was restored from the original 35mm negative, but it video and audio appear somewhat grainy and muffled. The cast features Fred Williamson and Ron Van Clief as well as Academy Award-nominee Adolph Caesar as the documentary’s host-interviewer. The movie will only appeal to the most die-hard Lee fans. Others will find it rather amateurish and silly. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby digital. Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Williamson, Van Clief, director Matthew Mallinson, producer Terry Levene and scriptwriter Ron Harvey.
Rachel and the Stranger (Blu-ray) Release date: April 28 Details: 1948, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Loretta Young, William Holden and Robert Mitchum star in this historical drama about backwoodsman Big Davey Harvey (Holden), who in the 1820s, “buys” and marries Rachel (Young), a bondswoman, to care and educate his motherless son. Neither of the Harveys show Rachel much consideration until Jim Fairways (Mitchum), a guitar-playing hunter, shows a romantic interest in the woman. Of course, a jealous rivalry develops between Harvey and Fairways. The feud is put on hold when the Harvey homestead is raided by hostile Shawnee Indians. Only after the raid is repelled does Rachel follow her heart. The release is a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online retailers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Sweet Bird of Youth (Blu-ray) Release date: April 28 Details: 1962, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Writer-director Richard Brooks adapted this Tennessee Williams play about sex, money, hypocrisy and emotional blackmail. The film version has been toned down from Williams’ play, eliminating the castration of a main character toward the finale. The movie stars Paul Newman at his most glamourous as Chance Wayne, a young man dreams of movie fame. Wayne hooks up with down-on her luck, drug-and-booze addled star Alexandra Del Lago (Geraldine Page), who agrees to take Wayne to Hollywood with her. On the way, they stop in Wayne’s Gulf Coast hometown, which stirs much turmoil, since Wayne was driven out after impregnating Heavenly Finley (Shirley Knight), the daughter of local bigwig Boss Finley (Ed Begley). Finley recruits his son, Tom (Rip Torn), to recruit some of his friends and beat the crap out of Chance. Begley won a best supporting actor Academy Award, while Page and Knight were nominated for Oscars. The release is part of the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other Internet sellers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus options include Page and Torn screen tests and a making of featurette.
D-Day: Normandy 1944: 75th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) Release date: May 5 Details: 2014, Shout! Factory Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Within a month, the nation will again be celebrating the June 6, 1944, operation that began on the beaches of Normandy, France. D-Day was a massive and daring undertaking, the largest Allied operation of World War II, and it spelled the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany. This 100-minute IMAX feature, narrated by Tom Brokaw, looks at various aspects of the invasion, including the preparation, strategy, the science and technology involved as wee as the brave men who carried it out. The movie is educational and a tribute to the men who sacrificed their lives to again make the world free from tyranny. Technical aspects: 4K UHD: 2160p, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and stereo; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and stereo; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Brokaw, director Pascal Vuong and historical advisor Peter Herrly, and behind the scenes at Normandy and sand animation featurettes.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: A Nun’s Curse (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment) Cry for the Bad Man (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment) Evil Little Things (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment) Fairytale (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) Lazy Susan (Blu-ray & DVD) (Shout! Studios) Narcos: Mexico: Season 1 (DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Rev (DVD & digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Shameless: The Complete Tenth Season (DVD) (Warner Home Entertainment) The Traitor (Blu-ray & DVD & digital & VOD) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Weird Fiction (DVD & VOD) (Wild Eye Releasing)
FOR KIDS Howl’s Moving Castle: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) (Shout! Factory-GKids) Ponyo: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) (Shout! Factory-GKids)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Biggie & Tupac (Sundance Now) The Invisible Man (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Red Rover (Indiecan Entertainment) Samurai Marathon (Well Go USA Entertainment) The Wrong Missy (Netflix, May 13) Bad Mothers: Episode 2 (Sundance Now, May 14) Sanctuary: Episode 4 (Sundance Now, May 14) Proximity (Shout! Studios, May 15) American Trial: The Eric Garner Story (Passion River, May 18) Dead Still (Acorn TV, May 18) Twin Life (Sundance Now, May 18)
Coming next week: The Way Back
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 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. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.