By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 6, unless otherwise noted: Incredibles 2 (Blu-ray + DVD +digital) Details: 2018, Pixar-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG, mild language, action sequences The lowdown: Fourteen years after the release of the original animated feature, the Parrs are back on the scene. In this sequel, Helen Parr a k a Elastigirl, is recruited to lead a campaign to bring Supers back. That leaves husband, Bob a k a Mr. Incredible, home to take care of the kids, Violet, Dash and baby Jack-Jack, whose superpowers are about to be revealed. The emergence of a new villain forces the family to reach out to old friend Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), so they can work as a team to thwart the evildoer’s plan. The movie received high praise from critics, who gave it a 94 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital, English 2.0 descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include deleted scenes, a collection of mini-documentaries about the movie’s heroic and villainous characters, a music video about the making of the movie, profile of director Brad Bird, a behind-the-scenes look at the creating the world of the movie, the short film “Bao,” a featurette on making the food-fantasy “Bao,” a look at the parents who work at Pixar, a commentary track, outtakes and stories and character theme songs, vintage toy commercial TV spots and a toolkit montage.
BlacKkKlansman (Blu-ray + digital) Details: 2018, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, violence, sexual situations The lowdown: The story of black undercover detective Ron Stallworth of the Colorado Springs Police Department and his investigation of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan allows director Spike Lee to unleash his anger about the political and cultural situation in 2018 America by masking it in a story of an investigation to shed light on the dark and hateful deeds of a group that — at least to the outside world — is trying to soften and politicize its image. The film’s political and racist rhetoric resound so loudly today that it forces you to remember that this story is set nearly 45 years in the past. Underneath it all, “BlacKkKlansman” simmers with Lee’s sense of morality and righteous indignation about the treatment of black people in the United States. The parallels to today’s climate are undeniable. Critics believed so as well, giving the movie a 95 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 7.1 TrueHD, French 7.1 Dolby digital plus and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: The major extra is a featurette about the making of the film and working with Lee.
Christopher Robin (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2018, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG, action The lowdown: This family-oriented movie stars Ewan McGregor as the adult Christopher Robin who has forgotten how to have some. His childhood friends from the Hundred Acre Wood — Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl — venture into the real world to rediscover the playful boy inside the man. Kids will really enjoy this feature, while some movie lovers may be tempted to compare it to last year’s darker “Goodbye Christopher Robin.” Just keep in mind, one this new movie is a fantasy, while the other was meant as a dramatic biopic. “Christopher Robin,” though, did charm a majority of critics who gave it a 72 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: A featurette on how the “Stuffies” were brought to life, a look at the details that made the animal characters seem real, a featurette on the various voices of Pooh and a featurette on Walt Disney’s affection for Winnie the Pooh.
Teen Titans Go! to the Movies (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Release date: Oct. 30 Details: 2018, Warner Home Video Rated: PG, action and humor The lowdown: This delightful animated, kid-friendly feature is a witty satire about superheroes, the movies and seeking the spotlight. It seems that every superhero on the planet is getting his — or her — own movie. And the Teen Titans want are fretting about being left behind. Team leader Robin is determined to change all that, so he and his pals head to Hollywood where, with a few wild ideas and musical numbers, they try to hit the big time. But when super villain Slade misdirects them in order to achieve his own plan of to conquer the Earth, things really begin to fall apart for the Teen Titans. They must regroup and work as a team to defeat Slade, save the planet and, of course, get their own movie. The lighthearted feature charmed critics who gave it a 91 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles: DVD: 1.85:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby digital and English 5.1 descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a music video, a sing-along, a look at the goings-on at the red carpet, deleted scenes, a “WB Lot Shenanigans” featurette, a song not in the movie, a “Teen Titans Go! Translated” featurette and storyboard animatics.
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Details: 2018, Kino Lorber Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A documentary that tells the scandalous story of Scotty Bowers, an ex-Marine who wound up in Hollywood after World War II. Bowers, who ran a gas station near the major studios, became a confidant, aide-de-camp and lover — male and female — to many of the stars of that era. He used his gas station as a rendezvous where he would hook up his friends to actors and actresses who had to hide their true sexual identities for fear of, not only police raids at gay bars, but losing their careers. Bowers helped satisfy the sexual desires of Hollywood icons, straight and gay, for decades. The movie presents details about Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Lana Turner, Cary Grant and Ava Gardner, among others. This is a film that will cater to those who enjoy tell-all, and “Hollywood Babylon”-type books about stars from the movie industry’s Golden Age. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital surround; English closed-captioned.
Charmed: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) Release date: Oct. 30 Details: 1998-99, CBS Home Entertainment-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano star as the Halliwell sisters in the first season of this supernatural TV series who fight the forces of darkness and evil. The multidisc set features all 22 first-season episodes as the sisters learn to use their newly-discovered abilities while coping with the all the usual problems and pitfalls associated with being twentysomethings. I noticed talk on some websites about whether or not the series contains the originally aired songs. Since I never watched the series, I am, unfortunately, not able to help with that dilemma. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 picture; English Dolby digital surround and French stereo; English SDH and French subtitles.
Dracula A.D. 1972 (Blu-ray) Release date: Oct. 23 Details: 1972, Warner Archive Collection Rated: PG, violence The lowdown: Resurrecting Christopher Lee’s Dracula in the swinging, psychedelic-era London of the early 1970s was Hammer’s attempts at adding some life and contemporary imagery to the series. The good news is that Lee and Peter Cushing as a descent of vampire-fighter Dr. Van Helsing go about their business as if they were still in the 19th century. The contrast between the traditional horror and modern London milieus is jarring, and, to be honest, Lee and Cushing come off far better than the younger performers who are trying to act as cool hipsters. 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 online dealers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio and English 2.0 monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Midaq Alley (Blu-ray) Details: 1995, Film Movement Classics Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A Mexican movie that explores the intersecting lives of people living in a specific Mexico City neighborhood. Among those we see are a cantina owner; a family man who gives into his homosexual cravings; the man’s son who wants to go to America; a spinster who yearns for a husband; and a barber whose romance ends after she is coerced into debauchery. The most prominent cast member is Salma Hayek. The movie is based on a novel by Nobel Prize laureate Naguib Mafouz. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Spanish Dolby digital; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include behind-the-scenes footage and an essay about the movie that includes introductions by Hayek and director Jorge Fons.
The Last Ride (DVD-R) Release date: Oct. 23 Details: 1944, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This Warner Bros. programmer, directed by the prolific D. Ross Lederman, centers on a bootleg-rubber racket that already has caused some lives because of counterfeit tires. The movie uses the wartime rationing of rubber that makes finding new tires a rare commodity as a jumping off point for gangsters to sell unsuspecting fakes of premium “Bluestone” tires to the unwary. Ambitious cop Pat Harrigan (Richard Travis) gets the job of busting the racket and bringing those behind it to justice. And, as is common in B-movies of this sort, Harrigan’s brother, Mike (Charles Lang), is among the racketeers. While the brothers play cat-and-mouse — and vie for the love of their foster sister, Kitty Kelly (an up-and-coming Eleanor Parker) — a sinister secret that bonds both brothers threatens them. The movie is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online sellers. Technical aspects: 1.37: (4x3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
Getting Grace Details: 2018, Random Media Rated: PG-13, suggestive material, thematic elements The lowdown: A teenage girl dying of cancer crashes a funeral home to find out what will happen to her after she dies. There, she meets an awkward funeral director and begins to teach him how to enjoy and celebrate life. Daniel Roebuck, who plays the funeral director, also helmed this movie, which costars newcomer Madelyn Dundon as Grace. Technical aspects: 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby digital; English closed-captioned. Don’t miss: Extras include a deleted scene, a making of featurette, a look at the film’s charity premieres and a commentary track.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: La Boyita (Film Movement) Breaking Brooklyn (DVD + digital + VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) The Grand Son (Uncork’d Entertainment) Krampus Origins (DVD + digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment) The Little Witch (DVD + VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) Loss Prevention (Blu-ray + DVD + VOD) (ThoughtFly Films) My Pet Dinosaur (Uncork’d Entertainment) Sheryl Crow — Live at the Capitol Theater (Blu-ray) (MVD Visual Entertainment, Nov. 9)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Blindspotting (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Home Video) Dog Days (Fox Home Entertainment) The Heretics (Uncork’d Entertainment) Life Feels Good (Under the Milky Way) Mail Order Monster (Filmmode Entertainment) The Miseducation of Cameron Post (FilmRise) The Reckoning: Hollywood’s Worst Kept Secret (Vertical Entertainment) Red vs. Blue: The Shisno Paradox (Rooster Teeth-Cinedigm) River Runs Red (Cinedigm, Nov. 9) Time Freak (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Nov. 9) Welcome to the Men’s Club (Leomark Studios, Nov. 9) Flight of the Conchords: Live in London (HBO Home Entertainment, Nov. 12) The Heart Guy: Series 3 (Acorn TV, Nov. 12) The Trench (Acorn TV, Nov. 12) Wire in the Blood: Series 6, The Final Season (Acorn TV, Nov. 12)
I am a 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.