By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Oct. 2, unless otherwise noted: The Landing Details: 2017: Random Media Rated: Not rated The lowdown: On the eve of the release of “First Man,” comes the release of “The Landing,” a faux documentary that looks at the tragedy of coverup of the 1973 Apollo 18 mission. The movie is set 25 years after the mission’s catastrophe that left two of the three crew members dead and which marked the end of the nation’s moon missions. The film is a blend of perceived fact and fiction that demonstrates how easy it is to fool the American public. Apollo 18, after a successful moon mission, suffered a computer error that forced its commander, Bo Cunningham, to take the controls and fly the spacecraft to an emergency landing in the remote Taklamakan Desert in western China. It would be 36 hours before NASA located the spacecraft, by which time Cunningham was the only survivor. The inquiry that followed examined the astronauts time in the desert and the mystery surrounding the events in the region. The movie is a fun view that will thrill conspiracy theorists — who believe the Apollo 11 moon landing was staged on a movie sound stage — to no end. Technical aspects: 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English language track.
9-1-1: The Complete First Season Release date: Sept. 25 Details: 2018, Fox Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A three-disc set featuring all 10 first-season episodes of this procedural series that follow the high-pressure jobs of police officers, firefighters and paramedics who face the most difficult and dangerous situations that are required to save lives and protect people. The series, which stars Angela Bassett, Peter Krause and Connie Britton is high drama mixed with thrills. The second season of the series has started, so this is a fine way to get caught up with these brave individuals. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
The 12th Man (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, Shout! Factory-IFC Midnight Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This World War II drama is based on a true story about a Norwegian resistance fighter fleeing from the Gestapo. In 1943, Jan Baalsrud and 11 of his comrades undertake an anti-Nazi sabotage mission that fails, with Baalsrud being the sole survivor. On the run from the Gestapo, Baalsrud forges through the snowbound Arctic reaches of Scandanavia, always one step ahead of his pursuers. The chase stretches for months, forcing Baalsrud to take extreme measures to survive. The movie is a tribute to one man’s courage and will to live, as well as those unsung heroes who helped him along the way. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; Norwegian and German plus English dubbed 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
La Familia Details: 2018, Film Movement Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A Venezuelan drama about a single father and his 12-year-old son and their struggles to survive. The father, Andres, works multiple odd jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over the heads of himself and his son, Pedro. But when Pedro accidentally fatally injures another boy during an altercation, Andres realizes the danger facing the two and flees with his son. The tragic events serve the purpose of creating a stronger bond between father and son than had ever existed previously. The movie was the first Venezuelan feature to compete at Cannes Critics’ Week. Technical aspects: 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Spanish 5.1 surround sound and 2.0 stereo; English subtitles. Don’t miss: “Les Miserables,” a short film about a trio of police officers behaving badly who realize they are being watched.
Afraid Details: 2018, Well Go USA Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A couple goes on a romantic getaway to a cabin the woods, only to discover that they are being watched by the cabin’s voyeuristic owner. You’d think after all these recent horror films in which something terrible happens to people who slip away to cabins in remote areas, they would learn to stay home. Unfortunately, that is not the case in this movie. Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official Fifth Season Details: 1966-67, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Sitcoms such as this one, “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Petticoat Junction,” while derided and sneered at by “sophisticated” people on both coasts, nonetheless were hits in what are now known as “the flyover states.” These shows appealed to a vast majority of viewers, as their ratings can attest. This four-disc set features all 30 half-hour episodes about the Clampett family who, after striking oil, moved to posh Beverly Hills, California, much to the consternation of their neighbors — and the joy of banker Drysdale, who loved handling all their money. Buddy Ebsen, a fine character actor who began as a dancer with his sister in vaudeville, anchored the show, supported by Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas and Max Baer Jr. Technical aspects: 4:3 full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural; English SDH subtitles.
“Joseph W. Sarno Retrospective Series” (Blu-ray) Details: 1964-74, Film Movement Classics-Film Media-Something Weird Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Three sexploitation features by director-screenwriter Joseph W. Sarno are featured in this set. The titles are: “Sin the Suburbs” (1964), “Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures” 1964” and “Confessions of a Young American Housewife” (1974). Sex is the theme that links this trio, whether its swapping partners, secret affairs or using sex to advance careers. The movies are favorites of this genre, where Sarno is considered a pioneer filmmaker. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English stereo. Don’t miss: Extras include commentary tracks on “Sin the Suburbs” and “Confessions of a Young American Housewife” and deleted scenes on “Housewife.”
The Love Boat: Season Four, Volumes One & Two Details: 1980-81, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Two four-disc collections featuring all 28 fourth-season episodes of this frothy TV series about the crew and guests who take cruises aboard the Pacific Princess. Gavin MacLeod’s Capt. Stubing takes care of the ship and its crew, which includes his daughter, Vicki (Jill Whelan), Doc (Bernie Kopell), Gopher (Fred Grandy), bartender Isaac (Ted Lange) and cruise director Julie (Lauren Tewes). The plots are basically the same: A couple or an individual comes aboard with a romantic dilemma and by the end of the cruise everyone is living happily ever after. Among the season’s guest stars are Debbie Reynolds, Tom Hanks and David Cassidy. Technical aspects: 4:3 full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural. English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Promos on every episode are the main extras.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Born Racer (DVD + digital) (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) A Dangerous Idea (DVD + VOD) (Passion River) Death Race: Beyond Anarchy (Blu-ray & DVD & VOD (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Feral (Scream Factory-IFC Midnight) Molly (Blu-ray) (Artsploitation) No Postage Necessary (Blu-ray) (Two Roads Picture Co.)
FOR KIDS Top Wing (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment) Power Rangers: Super Sentai: Chojin Sentai Jetman: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory, Sept. 25)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD 3 Years in Pakistan: The Erik Aude Story (Gravitas Ventures) Ant-Man and the Wasp (Marvel Studios-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (digital + VOD) Death Kiss (Uncork’d Entertainment) Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) My Pet Dinosaur (Uncork’d Entertainment) 800 Words: Season 3, Part 2, Episode 8 (Acorn TV, Oct. 3) Heavy Trip (Doppleganger Releasing-Blood Disgusting, Oct. 5) A Place to Call Home: Season 6, the Final Chapter, Episode 7 (Acorn TV, Oct. 8) Random Acts of Flyness (HBO Home Entertainment, Oct. 8) Sword of Honour (Acorn TV, Oct. 8) Vintage Roads: Great and Small (Acorn TV, Oct. 8)
Coming next week: Skyscraper
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.