By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 3, unless otherwise noted: Misbehaviour (Blu-ray) Details: 2020, Shout! Studios Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This movie dramatizes the disruption of the 1970 Miss World pageant by the Women’s Liberation Movement and the crowning of the pageant’s first woman of color. The movie, set mostly in London where the pageant is to be held, spotlights the misogyny and patriarchal attitudes of men and the women who decide to take a stand against them. Keira Knightley plays Sally, a single mom, who eventually gravitates to the movement. Jessica Buckley is Jo, one of the movement’s leaders, while Gugu Mbatha-Raw portrays Jennifer, one of the very few black contestants. The movie, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, is based on a screenplay is by two women, Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe. The movie also costars Greg Kinnear as Bob Hope and Rhys Ifans as the TV show’s producer. Kinnear portrays Hope as a sexist womanizer, whose wife, Dolores, portrayed by Lesley Manville, silently tolerates his actions. The movie garnered an 83 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include behind-the-scene featurettes and cast interviews.
The Mortal Storm (Blu-ray) Details: 1940, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: In the years before the United States’ entry into World War II, most of Hollywood’s studios were careful not to produce or release movies that would offend Nazi Germany, not for political reasons — but for economic considerations; the studios did not want their films banned from the lucrative German market. It is sadly ironic, since the heads of most of the major studios were former European Jews. There were exceptions, though. Warner Bros. 1939 feature, “Confessions of a Nazi Spy,” spotlighted the disruptive activities of Nazi agents and their American sympathizers in the United States, while MGM’s “The Mortal Storm” tells the story of Hitler’s rise and the growing brutal Nazi regime through the lens of a single German family, the Roths, who live a quiet and decent life in a small town in the German Alps. Viewed today, the movie is rather watered down, with a few of the main protagonists characterized as “non-Aryans rather than Jews. It also a bit distracting to see all-American boys James Stewart, Robert Young and Robert Stack portray Germans, with Young and Stack embracing the Nazi ideology. The film also stars Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, Irene Rich and Maria Ouspenskaya. The release is a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other Internet sellers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 4x3 (1.37:1) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subitles. Don’t miss: Extras include an MGM cartoon, “Peace on Earth,” and a short film, “Meet the Fleet.”
The Shepherd of the Hills (Blu-ray) Details: 1941, Kino Lorber Studio Classics Rated: Not rated The lowdown: One of John Wayne’s best roles after his breakout performance in 1939’s “Stagecoach,” was as hillbilly moonshiner Young Matt Mathews in this Henry Hathaway-directed production. It also was Wayne’s first movie in color. Wayne’s Mathews is a young man burdened by a family tragedy in boyhood and the need to avenge his mother’s abandonment by an uncaring father. The family is ruled by the stern matriarch, Granny Becky (the wonderful Marjorie Main). This small-knit community is alarmed by the arrival of a stranger, Daniel Howitt (Harry Carey), an older, quiet man with healing ways that slowly begins to alter the community. He befriends Matt’s girlfriend, Sammy Lane (Betty Field), who learns the secret of his healing powers as well as the curse of vengeance that holds Matt in its iron grip. The violent climax between Mathews and Howitt threatens to split the town and its residents. The film also features Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond and Marc Lawrence. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: A commentary track by film critic-author Simon Abrams is the major extra.
The Short History of the Long Road (Blu-ray) Release date: Oct. 27 Details: 2019, FilmRise Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A breakout performance by Sabrina Carpenter anchors this drama about a teenager who travels around the country with her father in a RV. They make ends meet by taking odd jobs here and there to earn money. However, teenage Nola’s life is upended, and she soon finds herself out on her own. Nola makes her way to Albuquerque, NM, to find the mother she never knew. But, after her motorhome breaks down, she forges an unlikely friendship with an auto body shop owner, played by Danny Trejo. Now, she must contemplate settling down in one place. Writer-director Ari Simon-Kennedy’s movie impressed critics, who gave the film a 91 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: A blooper reel is the main extra.
Daughters of Darkness (4K UHD + Blu-ray + CD) Release date: Oct. 27 Details: 1971, Blue Underground Rated: Not rated, nudity, sexual content, violence The lowdown: A newlywed couple stopping at a French hotel on their way to England meet a beautiful and ageless Countess Elizabeth Bathroy (Delphine Seyrig) and her young companion, Ilona (Andrea Rau). The two women seduce the couple, setting off a chain of violence and perversion. This 1970s vampire movie is part psychological, part erotic and part gore, with varying degrees of acting ability. Seyrig is the standout performer as the countess. The newlyweds are portrayed by John Karlen (best known for his role on TV’s “Cagney and Lacy”) and Danielle Ouimet. The set offers the movie on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, and also includes a CD with Francois de Roubaix’s score. Technical aspects: 4K UHD: 2160p Ultra HD resolution, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 1.0 DTS-HD and French 1.0 DTS-HD; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include three commentary tracks, a featurette on the movie’s locations, interviews with Ouimet and Rau, the alternate U.S. main titles and a booklet with an essay about the movie.
Seven Sinners (Blu-ray) Details: 1940, Kino Lorber Studio Classics Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This Tay Garnett-directed feature marked the first of three pairs between John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich — the other two being “The Spoilers” and “Pittsburgh.” In “Seven Sinners” Dietrich’s Bijou Blanche is saloon singer known to start trouble wherever she lands. She has been deported from just about every South Seas island on which she has performed. She now finds herself in Boni Komba, performing at the Seven Sinners Café, where she has convinced the owner that she will only break hearts and not cause problems that will wreck the joint. She soon charms Dan (Wayne), a handsome Navy officer, who falls for her. That angers a local gangster, Antro (Oscar Homolka), who begins to make trouble for Dan. This is a Universal Pictures B-programmer supporting an “A-list” cast that also includes Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, Billy Gilbert, Anna Lee, Mischa Auer, Samuel S. Hinds and Reginald Denny. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles. Don’t miss: A commentary track with film historian David Del Valle and author/screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner is the main bonus feature.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (Blu-ray) Release date: Oct. 13 Details: 2004, MVD Visual Entertainment Rated: R, violent and disturbing images, language The lowdown: Filmmaker Michael Moore’s provocative documentary looks at the role that money and oil played in the aftermath of the tragedy of 9/11, and how those interests led to the United States invading Iraq. Moore’s use of thought-provoking images mixed with his sardonic humor makes for compelling viewing. Because of the decisions made after Sept. 11, some American troops remain in the Mideast. Moore offers a scathing portrayal of the Bush administration’s actions and its culpability in pushing a false narrative to achieve its own agenda. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a look at the movie’s release, a study of the people of Iraq on the eve of the U.S. invasion, a deleted scene, a featurette that goes outside Abu Ghraib prison, eyewitness accounts on the attack from Iraqi citizens, a featurette on Arab-American comedians, President Bush’s Rose Garden press conference after the 9/11 Commission appearance, Condoleezza Rice’s 9/11 Commission testimony, an interview with Abdul Henderson and Lila Lipscomb at the movie’s Washington, D.C. premiere.
The Dog Doc (Blu-ray) Release date: Oct. 13 Details: 2019, FilmRise Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A documentary about Dr. Marty Goldstein and his colleagues in South Salem, NY, who practices integrative veterinary medicine, using holistic methods to once-hopeless animals. Goldstein combines conventional medical training and alternative therapies to improve the health of pets instead of simply treating an animal’s disease. The film shows the compassion and care that Goldstein takes with the animals he treats. It is a movie that pet lovers can embrace. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Deleted scenes comprise the main bonus option.
Navajo (DVD) Release date: Oct. 13 Details: 1952, MVD Visual Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A young Navajo boy known as “Son of the Hunter” is taken away to attend a white man’s boarding school in this feature written and directed by Norman Foster. The boy runs away, rejecting the American culture in favor of his Navajo heritage. The movie was filmed entirely on the Navajo Nation at the Canyon de Chelly. The cinematography by Virgil Miller was highly praised. Foster had much difficulty making the movie, including infighting among the various co-producers, harsh weather, rough terrain and a threatened ban by the Indian Service. The acting of a 7-year-old Navajo boy, Francis Kee Teller, who never had acted before, was one of the film’s highlights. The young boy earned a Golden Globe Special Award for his performance. Technical aspects: 4:3 full-screen picture; English language. Don’t miss: A commentary track with Teller, a photo essay on the Canyon de Chelly, a 1952 documentary, “Our Navajo Neighbors” and a look at the movie’s 1952 national publicity tour comprise the extras.
Lake Michigan Monster (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, Arrow Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This horror-comedy hybrid follows an eccentric sea captain and his crew of misfits who set out to kill a sea monster that lurks beneath Lake Michigan. The Ahab-like captain wants to avenge the death of his father by the creature and has enlisted a weapons expert, sonar whiz and former N.A.V.Y. officer to assist him. The movie, shot in black-and-white on a very small budget stars Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, who also wrote and directed the film, as the obsessive Captain Seafield. Most of the cast also helped out behind the camera, proving the true spirit of indie filmmaking. The movie is a fun tribute to the monster-creature features that Hollywood churned out for decades. The few critics who bothered to review the movie enjoyed it, giving it an 84 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include three commentary tracks, a look at the special effects, a short “music video” about the film’s theme music, interviews with Tews and costar Daniel Long at the Fantasia International Film Festival, talks with various cast members at the Beloit International Film Festival and “L.I.P.S..” a pilot for a proposed TV series by Tews and Mike Chelsik.
Jack and the Beanstalk (Blu-ray) Release date: Oct. 13 Details: 1952, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were well past their 1940s glory years at Universal Pictures when they starred in this crazy adaptation of the classic children’s fairy tale. Costello plays Jack, a babysitter, who falls asleep while his young charge is telling the Jack and the Beanstalk story. Jack dreams the story and includes all the people from his life in the tale. The movie owes a bow to “The Wizard of Oz,” with its opening and closing sequences in sepia tones while the fairy tale section is in color. This is not one of Abbott and Costello’s better efforts. Basically, only completists of their work may want to take a look at this offering. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural; English subtitles. Don’t miss: The main extra is the Abbott and Costello movie “Africa Screams.”
“Sci-Fi 4-Pack: The Galaxy One Collection” (DVD) Release date: Oct. 13 Details: 1979-81, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This two-disc set offers four science-fiction adventures from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The featured movies are: “Time Warp” (1981), starring Adam West in a story about an astronaut who comes home to his family to discover that he is invisible and it is one year in the future. The film costars the original live-action Superman, Kirk Alyn. In “Lifepod” (1981), an interstellar pleasure cruise becomes a nightmare when a computer takes control of the ship and orders an emergency evacuation. And, no, the computer is not named H.A.L. While the passengers are suspended in an overcrowded life pod, a battle of good vs. evil unfolds on the luxury ship. “Star Odyssey” (1979) sees Earth under attack by an intergalactic villain and his army of androids. This cheesy Italian import is another cheapie attempting to cash in on the “Star Wars” craze. Lastly is “Killing at Outpost Zeta” (1980) in which spaceships sent to a desolate, but strategic planet at the edge of the Milky Way galaxy have disappeared. A group of soldiers and scientists are sent to investigate. They find the bodies of the earlier crews and a group of aliens who appear as volcanic rock monsters. These are no “Forbidden Planet” nor “2001: A Space Odyssey,” but they are low-budget and entertaining B-features. Technical aspects: 1:33:1 (4:3) full-screen picture; English monaural; English subtitles.
“The Edgar Allan Poe Heart-Quaking Double Feature” (DVD) Release date: Oct. 13 Details: 1960, 1972, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This DVD features two adaptations of one of Poe’s most famous stories. “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1960) is a British release that centers on Edgar, who, jealous of his best friend, Carl, after Edgar’s girlfriend shows him too much attention. Edgar murders Carl and puts the corpse under the floor of his piano room. That night, as most people familiar with the story know, Edgar begins hearing strange sounds coming from under the floor. “Legend of Horror” (1972), adapted from the same story, deals with two escaped convicts, one who goes on a murder spree leading to similar results of buried bodies and strange noises. Technical aspects: 1.66:1 widescreen picture (“The Tell-Tale Heart”) and 1.85:1 widescreen picture (“Legend of Horror”); English monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Amigo Skate, Cuba (DVD & digital) (Indican Pictures) Antebellum (4K UHD + Blu-ray + digital & Blu-ray + DVD + digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Attack of the Demons (DVD & digital) (Dark Star Pictures) Blind (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment) Emily and the Magical Journey (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment) Kick-Ass (4K UHD + Blu-ray + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (Blu-ray & DVD) (Kino Lorber) They Reach (Blu-ray & DVD & VOD) (Uncork’d Entertainment) Me, My Dog & I (DVD) (Random Media, Oct. 20) Rescue Me (DVD) (Random Media, Oct. 20)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Acute Misfortune (Dark Star Pictures) Darkness in Tenement 45 (A Flying Woman Productions) Love in Dangerous Times (Dark Star Pictures) Middleton Christmas (Uncork’d Entertainment) Possessor Uncut (Well Go USA Entertainment) Operation Christmas Drop (www.netflix.com/OperationChristmasDrop) (Netflix, Nov. 5) Riviera: Season 3, Episode 1 (Sundance Now, Nov. 5) The Split: Season 2, Episode 6 (Sundance Now, Nov. 5) Cup of Cheer (Indican Pictures, Nov. 6) Kindred (IFC Midnight, Nov. 6) Mortal (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Nov. 6) After the Wave (Sundance Now, Nov. 9) Mystery Road: Series 2, Episode 6 (Acorn TV, Nov. 9) The Silence (Acorn TV, Nov. 9) The South Westerlies (Acorn TV, Nov. 9) Starlet (Sundance Now, Nov. 9) Transsiberian (Sundance Now, Nov. 9) What Maisie Knew (Sundance Now, Nov. 9)
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 at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.