New to View: Nov. 12

A cantor who lost his voice and his old grade-school music teacher get reacquainted in this dramedy that headlines the large selection of new releases in New to View at ReelBob.

The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 12, unless otherwise noted:
Between the Temples (DVD)
Details: 2024, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, language, sexual references
The lowdown: Jason Schwartzman stars as a cantor going through a crisis of faith in this comedy-drama co-starring Carol Kane.
Schwartzman’s Ben Gottlieb is mourning the accidental death of his wife and, because of that, is unable to sing. After one failed attempt he rushes out of the synagogue and lies down in the middle of the road to end it all.
Gottlieb, who is socially awkward, is taken to a bar by a friendly truck driver, where he gets drunk.
During all this, he becomes reacquainted with Carla Kessler, his childhood music teacher.
Soon he his tutoring her for the bat mitzvah her communist Russian parents denied her.
The tone of the movie sometimes shifts abruptly from sweetness and kindness to slapstick and bawdy humor.
Kane’s Carla, though, steals the movie, which received an 84 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
The DVD can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include a commentary track with director-co-writer Nathan Silver, Kane and Schwartzman.

Merchant Ivory: The Documentary (Blu-ray)
Details: 2023, Cohen Media Group
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: “A Room with a View,” “Howard’s End,” “Maurice” and “Remains of the Day” are just a few of the memorable movies produced by Ismail Merchant and directed by James Ivory.
This documentary examines their collaborations  as well as many of the artists featured in their films including Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Hugh Grant and Vanessa Redgrave.
When moviegoers saw the Merchant Ivory name associated with a title, they knew the films they were experiencing were a cut above the rest — fine production values, solid performances, solid writing and smart scripts — many based on well-known novels.
The feature is one that true movie aficionados will embrace and enjoy, as did critics who gave it a 94 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 SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Thompson, Bonham Carter, Grant, Redgrave and Hiroyuki Sanada; deleted scenes; conversations with Ivory and Stephen Soucy; Soucy’s introduction of Ivory at the New York Indian Film Festival; and featurette on the music of Merchant Ivory films.

Born on the Fourth of July: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1989, Shout! Select-Shout! Studios
Rated: R, language, disturbing images, violence
The lowdown: Tom Cruise gives a bravura performance as Ron Kovic, a gung-ho, patriotic young man who volunteers to serve during the Vietnam War.
Wounded and paralyzed from the mid-chest down, Kovic is embittered after seeing how veterans such as himself are treated. He slowly embraces activism and becomes an outspoken critic and activist of the war.
The movie, based on Kovic’s best-selling book, earned eight Academy Award nominations, including best actor for Cruise. Director Oliver Stone, who co-wrote the adaptation with Kovic, received a best director Oscar as did the film’s editing.
The cast also includes Willem Dafoe, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Berry, Caroline Kava and Frank Whaley. The movie, which garnered an 84 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, features a memorable score by John Williams.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include commentary tracks by Stone and film critic Matt Zoller Seitz on both discs and, on the Blu-ray disc, interviews with Stone, makeup effects artist Gordon J. Smith and associate producer Clayton Townsend and a music video with Edie Brickell and New Bohemians performing “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall.”

I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Release date: Nov. 5
Details: 1951-59, Paramount Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Lucille Ball had toiled in Hollywood for many years, most in secondary roles at RKO and MGM, supporting Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in “Follow the Fleet,” Katharine Hepburn and Rogers in “Stage Door,” the Marx Brothers in “Room Service.” She was among the ensemble cast in “Five Came Back,” co-starred with Henry Fonda in “The Big Street” and worked with Gene Kelly and Red Skelton in “DuBarry Was a Lady.”
Basically, she had supporting roles in “A” pictures and leads in “B” movies.
Her career changed in 1948 when she was cast as a wacky wife opposite Richard Denning in the radio series “My Favorite Husband,” which aired on CBS Radio. CBS executives asked her to develop the show into a television series. Ball agreed, but only if she could work with her husband, bandleader Desi Arnaz, whom she married in 1940.
The series, retitled “I Love Lucy,” became an instant hit. The series was one of the first to be shot on 35mm film, using multiple cameras.
This 33-disc set features all 194 episodes of the series, including the half-hour and, later one-hour episodes.
The series not only propelled Ball to national prominence, but demonstrated her talents as a producer and executive. “I Love Lucy” was a landmark series that influenced many sitcoms that followed.
In 2012 survey by ABC News and “People” magazine, “I Love Lucy” was voted best TV series of all time. And you can find it at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 4:3 full-screen picture; English and Spanish Dolby digital monaural (seasons 1 & 2) and English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural (seasons 3-9); English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include the original pilot episode, select original opening and closing credits, production notes, photo galleries, select “My Favorite Husband” radio episodes, flubs, commentary tracks on select episodes, select colorized episodes, vintage sponsor spots, original broadcast versions of select episodes, “I Love Lucy: The Movie,” Christmas rebroadcast footage, 1959 “Eye of CBS” segments and long-lost flashback scenes.

“Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXII” (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1951-57, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Another trio of crime features offering stories that look at the darker side of the human experience.
First up is “The Enforcer” (1951) starring Humphrey Bogart as Martin Ferguson, a district attorney who after years of investigations is ready to take Murder, Inc. boss Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloane) to trial.
Ferguson’s star witness is Mendoza’s lieutenant Joseph Rico (Ted de Corsia). Rico, however, falls to his death, forcing Ferguson to feverishly try to find another way to convict the mobster.
The cast also includes Zero Mostel, Michael Tolan, Roy Roberts, King Donovan and Bob Steele.
Legendary director Michael Curtiz was behind the camera for “The Scarlet Hour” (1956), in which salesman E.V. “Marsh” Marshall (Tom Tryon) is drawn into a caper by Pauline (Carol Ohmart), with whom he is having an affair, to steal a cache of jewels from a robbery crew, so they can run away together.
Pauline is married to Marshall’s boss, Ralph Nevins (James Gregory), who is growing increasingly suspicious of his wife.
As things usually go in such noir thrillers, plans go awry and people die. The cast also includes Jody Lawrence, E.G. Marshall, David Lewis, Elaine Stritch and Edward Binns.
“Plunder Road” (1957) is a heist drama in which five men carry out an elaborate plan to rob $10 million in gold bullion from a San Francisco-bound U.S. mint train on a dark, stormy night.
To confuse the police, the thieves divide the gold and place it on three trucks that go in three different directions.
Their foolproof plan isn’t as solid as they believe — which is the standard in such films.
The cast includes veteran Gene Raymond, Jeanne Cooper, Wayne Morris, Elisha Cook Jr. and Stafford Repp,
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture (“The Enforcer”), 1.85:1 widescreen picture (“The Scarlet Hour”) and 2.35:1 widescreen picture (“Plunder Road”); English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include commentary tracks by author-film historian Alan K. Rode on “The Enforcer” and “The Scarlet Hour” and by film historian Jeremy Arnold on “Plunder Road.”

Afraid (Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: Nov. 5
Details: 2024, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, sexual material, strong violence, language, thematic elements
The lowdown: A thriller that serves as a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence.
John Cho stars as Curtis who, with his family, is chosen to test a revolutionary new home device, a digital family assistant called AIA.
You can guess what happens down the road as this technological Frankenstein’s creature runs amok and begins taking over and begins to make sure that nothing — and no one — gets in the family’s way.
Instead of being a serious examination about the possible threats of AI, the film devolves into horror genre tropes that blunts its message.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English and French 5.1 Dolby digital audio description tracks; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a dark side of A1 featurette, an alternate ending, and deleted and extended scenes.

Roseland (Blu-ray)
Details: 1977, Cohen Film Collection
Rated: PG
The lowdown: The team of producer Ismail Merchant, screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and director James Ivory created this trio of romantic, bittersweet tales set in New York’s celebrated Roseland Ballroom.
“The Waltz” features Oscar-winner Teresa Wright as May, a widow who visits the ballroom to honor the memory of her late husband. She unexpectedly meets Stan (Lou Jacobi), who offers her an opportunity for happiness.
Christopher Walken stars as Russel, a gigolo, in “The Hustle.” Russel keeps company with three women, Marilyn (Geraldine Chaplin), Cleo (Helen Gallagher) and Pauline (Joan Copeland), but struggles to commit to any of them or change his lifestyle.
“The Peabody” features Lilia Skala as Rosa, a Viennese woman committed to winning a dance competition despite warnings that it could imperil her health, but also her relationship with her dance partner, Arthur (David Thomas).
The film is more melancholy than sad, complemented by a strong cast that keeps you interested.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English dual monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a conversation from the Quad with Ivory and Larry Kardish discussing the movie.

Drag Me to Hell: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 2009, Scream Factory-Shout! Studios
Rated: PG-13 & unrated, horror violence, disturbing images, language
The lowdown: Sam Raimi co-wrote and directed this horror feature in which a young woman, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), who has a great job at a bank tries to impress her boss by denying an old woman’s request for an extension on her home loan.
In retaliation, the old woman places a curse of Christine, who now has three days to keep a dark spirit from stealing her soul, consigning her to an eternity of unthinkable torment.
This was Raimi’s return to the horror genre after his “Evil Dead” trilogy.
The movie, which earned an impressive 92 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, costars Justin Long as Christine’s boyfriend, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, Dileep Rao and Adrianna Barraza.
The three-disc set features the unrated and theatrical versions of the movie. Both have running times of 99 minutes.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles on both versions of the movie; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles on both versions of the movie.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials, featured on the Blu-ray discs, include a making of featurette, an extensive behind-the-scenes documentary featuring new and archival interviews with co-writer-producer Ivan Raimi, actors Lohman, Rao and Raver, director of photography Peter Deming, production designer Steve Saklad, artist Christian Cordella, make-up effects designer Greg Nicotero, editor Bob Murawski and composer Christopher Young; interviews with Lohman, Raver and Young; a production video diaries featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Sam Raimi, Lohman and Long; and vintage interviews.

Topkapi (Blu-ray)
Details: 1964, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Peter Ustinov won the second of his two best supporting actor Academy Awards for his performance in this comedy-adventure caper film.
Melina Mercouri (“Never on Sunday”) stars as Elizabeth Lipp, who recruits her former lover, Walter Harper (Maximilian Schell), in a scheme to heist a jewel-encrusted dagger, the pride of Istanbul’s Topkapi museum.
But the caper soon turned into a dizzying high-wire act when the bumbling fall guy, Arthur Simon Simpson (Ustinov), and other amateurs they have recruited to help get more than they bargained for.
The strong supporting cast also includes Robert Morley, Akim Tamiroff and Titos Vandos, all under the direction of Jules Dassin. The movie earned a 95 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian-writer Julie Kirgo and writer-filmmaker Peter Hankoff is the main bonus component.

Triumph of the Spirit (Blu-ray)
Details: 1989, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, violence
The lowdown: Willem Dafoe stars in this fact-based World War II drama as Jewish boxer Salamo Arouch who, when the Nazis conquer Greece, send Arouch and his family — as well as that of his girlfriend, Allegra (Wendy Gazelle), to Auschwitz.
When the Nazis learn of Arouch’s boxing prowess, they force him to participate in weekly matches, threatening his family if he refuses.
The conflicted Arouch fights well, despite knowing that each person he defeats will be killed.
Meanwhile, Allegra helps him as Arouch fights for extra rations that will help keep his father alive.
The movie, directed by Robert M. Young, costars Edward James Olmos, Robert Loggia and Costas Mandylor.
The brutality of the boxing matches, not to mention that of Auschwitz, is gut-wrenching and depressing.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian Manuela Lazic is the main extra.

Behind the Bucket: A Garrison Story (DVD)
Release date: Oct. 8
Details: 2023, MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A fun documentary filmed over two years that follows the 501^st Legion’s Midwest Garrison to find out why people say they are “Bad Guys Doing Good.”
These “Star Wars” costumers are, at heart, big kids who go above and beyond for those who not only love the “Star Wars” universe, but those who also need a little help. The garrison contributes to communities in special ways — dance lessons as “Weird Al” Yankovic concerts, covert assignments at Star Wars Celebration, visits to fund-raising events, hospitals and the planning of a small library event that drew more than 10,000 Star Wars fans from across the Midwest.
The movie makes you re-evaluate Stormtroopers through its good heart, humor and love and the idea that a bit of nerd can make life that much better.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo; English subtitles.

Classified (DVD)
Release date: Nov. 5
Details: 2024, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”) stars as CIIA hitman Evan Shaw who has been operating in the field for 20 years. He uses the “Help Wanted” section of newspapers to get his orders from the agency.
When his long-lost daughter, Kacey Walker, played by Abigail Breslin, now an analyst from Britain’s MI6, tracks him down, she delivers shocking news. His CIA boss, Kevin Angler (Tim Roth), has been dead for years and his division was shut down ages ago.
Together, they set out to discover whose orders he has been executing.
The movie is derivative and formulaic, with very few surprises. Eckhart and Roth are both wasted in this endeavor. You can find it at www.moviezyng.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.

Circus of Horrors (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1960, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Anton Diffring (“Where Eagles Dare,” “The Man Who Could Cheat Death”) stars as Schuler, a brilliant but deranged plastic surgeon who, wanted by the authorities in England, flees to France and changes his name.
He successfully operates on the child of a circus owner, played by Donald Pleasence, and is allowed to join the troupe.
The surgeon soon inherits the circus after the owner “dies.” Schuler expands the circus’ roster of performers with female criminals who has surgically enhanced. But if a girl tries to leave the circus, Schuler arranges fatal accidents, drawing morbid and curious crowds to performances hoping to see an “accident.”
Later, the circus returns to England where a detective sets out to discover the truth behind the tragedies as well as Schuler.
The movie was directed by Sidney Hayes (“Burn, Witch, Burn”), and costars Yvonne Monlaur (“Brides of Dracula”) and Erika Remberg.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian David Del Valle is featured on both discs.

Kid from Kwangtung (Blu-ray)
Details: 1982, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Humor permeates this Shaw Brothers Studio kung fu feature in which an evil martial arts master kills his teacher.
Two young students, realizing they are next on that evil master’s list, must put aside their differences to overcome him.
The movie is a combination of slapstick, supernatural silliness and jaw-dropping, gravity-defying fights. The film features tons of action.
Some kung fu genre lovers may have wished the movie had a more serious tone, but, overall, it is not bad.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese and English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.

The Invasion: Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 2007, Arrow Films
Rated: PG-13, violence, terror, disturbing images
The lowdown: This is the fourth adaptation of Jack Finney’s classic story, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
In this version, it is an alien virus rather than pods that are taking over the bodies of people.
Nicole Kidman stars as psychiatrist Carol Bennell (a homage to Kevin McCarthy’s Dr. Miles Bennell from the 1956 “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”).
After a space shuttle explodes while returning to Earth, the fragments bring an alien virus recodes human DNA.
Bennell, who has a practice in Washington, soon realizes that the behavior of some of her patients as well as her former husband have changed.
Working with Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) and researcher Dr. Stephen Galeano (Jeffrey Wright), they discover the epidemic affects people while they are sleeping. She also learns that her son, Ollie, who had chickenpox as a baby, is immune to the disease and may be the answer to save mankind.
The movie flopped critically and at the box office, though the idea of a virus instead of alien pods was an interesting touch.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with film critics Andrea Subisati and Alexandra West co-hosts of The Faculty of Horror podcast; a visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas; a visual essay examining the movie as a pandemic prophecy; and four archival featurettes from 2007.

Deadly Circuit (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1983, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Isabelle Adjani stars as Catherine, a femme fatale — a serial killer who lures rich men to their deaths.
Pursing her is Beauvoir, a detective known as “The Eye” (Michel Serrault), who is convinced that the killer is his long-lost daughter.
He follows her through Europe, hiding incriminating evidence and helping her elude the police as she continually changes identities and conducts her bloody murder spree.
Things change when Catherine falls in love with Ralph Forbes (Sami Frey), a blind artist. Beauvoir’s obsession grows even more extreme — and deadly.
This darkly comic, Euro-noir was nominated for five César Awards, including best actor for Serrault, best supporting actress for Stéphanie Audran and best cinematography.
The movie was based on Marc Behm’s novel, “Eye of the Beholder,” which was adapted in a 1999 American film starring Ashley Judd and Ewan McGregor that is inferior to this French offering.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; French 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track by film historian-filmmaker Daniel Kremer.

The Kung Fu Instructor (Blu-ray)
Details: 1979, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A kung fu feature inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” and Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars” that centers on a kung fu master hired to break the stalemate in a town divided by rival clans.
But the master, played by Ti Lung, cannot be bought and owes no one his loyalty.
The movie is more cynical than similar stories that stress codes of honor.
The martial arts action is very well done and is in line with other Shaw Brothers releases, with director Sun Chung using a Steadicam to help heighten the action.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin and English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.

Walker: The Complete Series (DVD)
Release date: Oct. 22
Details: 2021-24, Paramount Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A 17-disc set starring Jared Padalecki in this re-imaging of the popular CBS series starring Chuck Norris that aired from 1993 to 2001.
As in the original, Padalecki portrays Cordell Walker. In this reboot, Walker is a widower with two children who returns home to Austin after two years of undercover work.
His return is not smooth as he tries to reconnect with his family and new colleagues. He finds common ground with his new partner, Micki Ramirez (Lindsey Morgan), one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history.
He also begins to grow suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the death of his wife.
Over four seasons and 69 episodes, Walker worked to bring down bad guys and keep the peace in the Lone Star state.
The set can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other Internet sellers.
Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include deleted scenes, a gag reel, a “Walker: Tragic Hero” featurette and “The Edge of the Coin” featurette.

Night of the Blood Beast / Attack of the Giant Leeches: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1958-59, Film Masters
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A pair of schlocky horror movies on which Roger Corman served as executive producer, spotlighting his cheap, tasteless, but fun low-budget movies.
“Night of the Blood Beast” (1958) finds the body of a dead astronaut used as an incubator for an alien mutant.
The base that recovered the body is cut off from the outside world. The revival of the astronaut, the death of a scientist and the discovery of alien embryos inside the resurrected astronaut does not bode well for those trapped on the base nor for mankind in general.
The cast includes Michael Emmett as the astronaut, Ross Sturlin (wearing a modified version of the monster suit he wore in “Teenage Caveman”) as the alien creature, as well as Ed Nelson, Georgianna Carter, John Baer, Angela Greene and Tyler McVey.
Bernard Kowalski, who went on to be nominated for Emmy Awards for his television work, directed the movie.
Kowalski also directed “Attack of the Giant Leeches” (1959), which starred Yvette Vickers, the siren in “Attack of the 50-Foot Woman.” The creatures in this cheapie were very big bloodsuckers that were residing in a backwoods swamp and are responsible for the disappearances and deaths.
Vickers’ Liz Walker is knocked off early when she and her lover, Cal Moulton (Michael Emmett), are chased into the swamp by Liz’s angry husband, Dave (Bruno VeSota).
No one believes Dave Walker when he tells people what he saw and he is arrested for murder.
It is up to local game warden Steve Benton (Ken Clark) to uncover the truth and destroy the leeches, but not before a few more local yokels are killed.
And, once again, Sturlin dons a monster suit to portray one of the leeches.
It’s all popcorn-munching fun.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen and 1.37:1 full-screen picture for both films; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural and 2.0 Dolby digital monaural; English closed-captioned.
Don’t miss: Extras include an 8mm silent digest version of “Blood Beast”; commentary tracks by Tom Weaver and The Weaver Players for both movies; “Mystery Science Theater 3000” episodes featuring both movies; a featurette about Kowalski and his career; re-cut trailers for both movies; a film restoration comparison for “Blood Beast”; and a full-color booklet with essays by Weaver.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark: Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD)
Details: 1988, Arrow Films
Rated: PG
The lowdown: The horror-movie hostess is front and center in this comedy-horror spoof in which she has quit her job as a Los Angeles TV horror hostess.
Elvira receives the unexpected news that she is set to inherit part of her great aunt Morgana’s estate. Elvira travels to the small town of Fallwell, Massachusetts to claim her inheritance.
She receives a cold reception from the conservative locals upon arriving in Fallwell. Among those not welcoming her is her sinister uncle Vincent who, unbeknownst to Elvira, is an evil warlock secretly scheming to steal the old family spellbook for his own nefarious purposes.
Elvira prevails in the end in this campy and quirky feature brimming with double entendres.
Cassandra Peterson, who portrays the sassy and quick-witted Elvira, is having fun, as will you if your sense of humor isn’t buried six feet under.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an introduction to the film by director James Signorelli, a 2017 commentary track with Signorelli, a 2017 commentary track with Peter Lundquist, www.elviramistressofthedark.com webmaster and judge of the TV show “The Search for the Next Elvira,” and an archival commentary track with Peterson, co-star Edie McClurg and writer John Paragon; a making of featurette; a featurette on the creation of the pot monster; and a booklet about the movie.

Facets of Love (Blu-ray)
Details: 1973, 88 Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A Ming Dynasty brothel is the centerpiece of this historical drama set in Shanghai in the early 20^th century.
The stories within the brothel deal with its devious owners, the unhappy innocents who have been tricked into working there and the entitled men who visit for pleasure.
The movie is more erotic than the martial arts movies usually offered by the Shaw Brothers studio. One interesting note is a small, early appearance by Jackie Chan.
This is a sumptuous and decadent feature that will entice fans of such titles as “Erotic Ghost Story,” “Sex and Zen” and “Flower & Snake.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.

Last Shadow at First Light (DVD)
Details: 2023, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Ami, a 16-year-old girl, haunted by recurring apparitions, travels from Shanghai to Japan in search of her mother who went missing during a cataclysmic tsunami.
In Tokyo, she meets Isamu, her cynical taxi-driving uncle, who becomes her reluctant custodian and guide through the devastated landscape as well as her family’s dark past.
The 2011 Tohoku tsunami serves as the backdrop for a story that the scars of the event and the different forms of coping with the trauma of the past.
Technical aspects: 1.85:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Japanese 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles.

Baby Blood (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 29
Details: 1990, Kino Lorber
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: A French horror movie about a ravenous parasite from the dawn of creation that has been surviving for centuries in search of the one thing it needs — to be born human.
When the creature slithers inside a pregnant circus performer, it demands gallons of fresh blood to grow stronger. This sets the reluctant expectant mother and her chatty mutant fetus on a cross-country killing spree.
The release is the uncut and uncensored version of the movie that is overloaded with over-the-top gore, blood and flesh, which almost makes the film blackly comical.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; French and English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; French and English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track by film historian Lee Gambin and film critic Jarret Gahan.

Silent Bite (Blu-ray)
Details: 2024, Cleopatra Entertainment
Rated: Unrated
The lowdown: It’s Christmas Eve and a gang of bank robbers take shelter in a motel after their heist.
What they don’t know is that they are not the most dangerous individuals taking refuge on a cold night.
Vampires also are on the premises making it a naughty night for the crooks, but a nice one for a holiday feast for the undead.
This is another film in a string of holiday horror features such as “Krampus,” “Jack Frost,” “Black Christmas” and “Silent Night, Deadly Night.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; English audio.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Dance First (Blu-ray & DVD & VOD) (Magnolia Home Entertainment)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Bangkok Dog (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Devon (Cineverse)
Heartland Harmony (One Tree Entertainment)
Hussy (Apple TV+)
Let’s Start a Cult (Dark Sky Films)
The Tai Chi Master (Well Go USA Entertainment)
underdog (Amazon Prime-Apple TV+)
NOV. 13
American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez: Episode 10 (Hulu)
Bad Sisters: Season 2, Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
Midnight Family: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
Shrinking: Season 2, Episode 6 (Apple TV+)
Where’s Wanda: Episode 8 (Apple TV+)
You Would Do It Too (Tú También lo Harías): Episode 4 (Apple TV+)
NOV. 14
Speaking of Murder (Kino Film Collection)
Witness in the City (Kino Film Collection)
NOV. 15
Before: Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Cobra Kai: Season 6, Part 2 (www.netflix.com/CobraKai) (Netflix)
Disclaimer: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
Get Fast (Well Go USA Entertainment)
It's All Country (Hulu)
La Maison: Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
Palisiada (Film Movement+)
Silo: Season 2, Episode 1 (Apple TV+)
Tito, Margot and Me (IndiePix Unlimited)
The World According to Allee Willis (Magnolia Pictures)

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.