New to View: Sept. 24

By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Sept. 24, unless otherwise noted: Yesterday (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2019, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, suggestive content, language The lowdown: A delightful and imaginative premise that is sustained through the finale will make you believe in “Yesterday.” The plot is simple: An unsuccessful musician injured in an accident awakens to discover that no one has ever heard of The Beatles — the band never existed — and that he is the only person who remembers their songs. The Fab Four’s music merely serves as a backdrop to a story that — comically — examines the traps — and trappings — of celebrity. “Yesterday” succeeds because the movie — cowritten by Richard Curtis (“Love Actually,” “Notting Hill” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”) and directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “Trainspotting” and “127 Hours”) — defies expectations. The movie does not travel the path of least resistance. It does not offer easy or cliched resolutions. A major factor for “Yesterday’s” appeal rests on the performance of Himish Patel. He basks in his newfound fame, but, privately, he feels like a fraud and uncomfortable in his own skin. Patel’s Jack is more interested in sharing the music of the Beatles with the world than using it to gain riches. Curtis and Boyle are not reproachful of riches and fame; the moral of their story is that for a fulfilling life — all you need is love. A majority of critics agreed, awarding the movie a 63 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 DVS and French and Spanish 7.1 Dolby digital plus; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 DVS; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include an alternate ending, deleted scenes, featurettes on Ed Sheeran and Kate McKinnon, Patel performing at Abbey Road Studios, a featurette on Boyle and Curtis, a featurette on Patel learning all the Beatles songs, a behind-the-scenes look at the relationship between Patel’s Jack and Lily James’ Ellie, a commentary track and a conversation with Curtis and Sheeran.

Shaft (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2019, Warner Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, violence, sexual content, nudity, drug material The lowdown: The newest version of “Shaft” will make you dizzy as it swings back and forth between action thriller and profane family comedy. The movie, which features three generations of John Shafts, tries very hard to maintain any interest in its characters — and only partially succeeds. The movie’s main protagonist is JJ, aka John Shaft Jr., a cyber security analyst with the FBI, who also has a degree from MIT. As a toddler, his mother, Maya (Regina Hall), and JJ left Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) after a deadly ambush in which the two were caught in the crossfire. In the two-plus decades since that incident, JJ has not seen nor heard from his father, except for annual packages containing birthday gifts ­— most of which his mother deemed inappropriate for a young boy. When JJ tries to uncover the truth about the supposed overdose death of his best friend, he reluctantly turns to his father for assistance. JJ may have brains, but he lacks the street smarts and instinct of his father. A lot of time is wasted showing JJ and Shaft continually bickering; it basically serves as filler for a weak storyline that could have been covered in an hour, instead of the 120 minutes it takes the film to unfold. The movie expends a lot of energy offering evidence of Shaft’s misogyny and dinosaur-like attitude about computers and millennials. “Shaft’s” main problem is that it is neither fish nor fowl; the action and comedy fail to mesh, with the laughs basically bringing the movie to a halt. That Jackson’s Shaft is so politically incorrect makes you cringe more than laugh. “Shaft” is disposable cinema, a forgettable outing that is neither nostalgic nor progressive. It simply runs its routine course than fades from view — and memory. The appearance in the final reel of Richard Roundtree as the eldest Shaft adds a whiff of nostalgia for the fun days of Blaxploitation cinema, but that coin is spent too quickly. A majority of critics agreed, giving the movie a 32 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos TrueHD, English 5.1 descriptive audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital, descriptive audio and Spanish; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette, a three-part look at the “Shaft” legacy, deleted scenes and a gag reel.

Holocaust (Blu-ray) Details: 1978, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This miniseries accomplished two important points: It renewed interest in the Holocaust, silencing many of the deniers who continued to claim it was a manufactured conspiracy; and it helped introduce Meryl Streep to a worldwide audience, putting her on the radar of many filmmakers. Prior to “Holocaust,” Streep’s most visible role was that of a small supporting part in the Jane Fonda-Vanessa Redgrave drama, “Julia.” After the airing of this miniseries, she appeared on the big screen in the Academy Award-winning movie, “The Deer Hunter,” for which she was nominated for best supporting actress. “Holocaust” covered the early 1930s to 1945 and followed the rise of Nazism in Germany. The four-part series follows two families — the Jewish Weiss family and the German Dorfs. Forty years after its initial airing, it remains a powerful testament to the barbarism that gripped Germany during that era. The all-star cast also included Michael Moriarty, James Woods, David Warner, Fritz Weaver, Rosemary Harris, Tovah Feldshuh, Ian Holm and Joseph Bottoms. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.

Madame Secretary: Season 5 Details: 2018-19, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Events are changing for Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) in the fifth season of this popular CBS political drama. In between dealing with various crises around the world, McCord decides — at the urging of President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine) — to run for president. McCord must weigh the impact of her decision on her husband, CIA operative Henry McCord (Tim Daly), and their three children. The highlight of the five-disc set, which features all 20 fifth-season episodes, is a meeting between McCord and former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Deleted scenes comprise the major extras.|

The Major and the Minor (Blu-ray) Details: 1942, Arrow Academy Rated: Not rated The lowdown: The premise of this comedy shouldn’t hold water — a working girl, played by Ginger Rogers, disguises herself as a 12-year-old girl to save on train fare — but, thanks to a sharp script by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, it does. The film marks Wilder’s directorial debut. The comedy costars Ray Milland as the Army officer who must reluctantly take charge of Rogers, bringing her to his military school. The cast also includes Rita Johnson, Robert Benchley, Diana Lynn, Frankie Thomas Jr., Charles Smith and Norma Varden. If the plot sounds familiar to some of you keen movie buffs, that’s because it was remade a decade later as the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis vehicle, “You’re Never Too Young,” with Lewis in the Rogers role. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental offerings include a radio adaptation of the movie with Rogers and Milland, an archival interview with Milland, an appreciation by film critic Neil Sinyard and a commentary track with film critic Adrian Martin.

Find Me Guilty (Blu-ray) Release date: Sept. 17 Details: 2006, MVD Marquee Collection Rated: R, sexual content, language, drug use The lowdown: Writer-director Sidney Lumet and action star Vin Diesel are not names you would connote for a cinematic collaboration. But, here it is; Lumet behind the camera and Diesel starring in this courtroom comedy — based on a true story — about mobster Jackie Dee DiNorscio, who is one of 20 members of the Lucchese crime family arrested by police. DiNorscio is offered a plea deal if he testifies against his own. But DiNorscio, who has ideas of his own, refuses. He decides to defend himself at his trial and, in doing so, proceeds to turn the courtroom on its head. Supporting Diesel are Peter Dinklage, Linus Roache, Ron Silver, Annabella Sciorra and Alex Rocco. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: The major bonus offering is an interview with Lumet.

Elementary: The Final Season Release date: Sept. 17 Details: 2019, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A three-disc set containing the final 13 episodes of this series that imagines Sherlock Holmes solving cases in contemporary times. Jonny Lee Miller is Holmes and Lucy Liu is Dr. Joan Watson in the modern reinterpretation of the Great Detective. Holmes has left New York for London after confessing to a murder that he did not commit — a deed undertaken to protect Watson, who follows him across the Atlantic. In London, the duo begin helping Scotland Yard solve puzzling crimes, including dueling with billionaire tech wizard Odin Reichenbach. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a featurette with cast and crew discussing the final season, deleted scenes, a gag reel and a conversation with the series creator and writers about the show and its impact on them.

John Carpenter’s Vampires: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1998, Scream Factory Rated: R, graphic vampire violence and gore, language, sexual content The lowdown: This reimagining of the vampire myth stars James Woods as Jack Crow, the leader of Team Crow, a ruthless group of mercenary vampire hunters. When Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), the master vampire, decimates all but one member of Crow’s team, Crow and the survivor, Montoya (Daniel Baldwin), redouble their efforts to track and kill the vampire and his horde. To do so, they have taken a hostage, a prostitute played by Sheryl Lee, who has a psychic link to the vampire. They use her to track Valek who, for the past 600 years, has been searching for the Berziers Cross, which can give Valek and the other vampires the power to walk the world in daylight. The movie is more action than horror feature, with Woods, who gives an over-the-top performance, utilizing some cool vampire-killing weapons. The film also features some wonderful special effects. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Among the bonus materials are interviews with Carpenter, Woods, Griffith, cast member Tim Guinee, producer Sandy King Carpenter, cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe and makeup effects artist Greg Nicotero, an original making of featurette, an isolated score and a commentary track with Carpenter.

Billions: Season Four Details: 2019, Showtime Entertainment-CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: In the fourth season of this Showtime drama, former adversaries Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), as well as Wendy Rhoades (Maggie Siff), the chief counselor to each, form an uneasy alliance. Their aim is to wipe out all of their rivals. But greed and ambition are stubborn traits that are hard to break. This four-disc set features all 12 episodes. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include “Pick a Fight,” “ “Billions’ ” references and “Inside Fight Night” featurettes and a behind-the-scenes look at the script to screen process.

Fear No Evil (Blu-ray) Details: 1981, Scream Factory Rated: R, graphic violence, language The lowdown: A horror-thriller with religious overtones in which three archangels are appointed by God to battle Lucifer, who has assumed human guise. Archangel Raphael, in the form of Father Damon, kills Lucifer, but knows he will somehow return. Archangel Mikhail knows that sooner or later the Devil will reappear, which he does 18 years later in the form of a brilliant by shy schoolboy named Andrew. On his 18th birthday, Andrew becomes aware of his malevolent nature. Mikhail allies with Gabrielle to once again defeat Lucifer and send him back to Hell. The movie is an odd mixture of high school-bullying clichés and heaven vs. hell showdown, barely succeeding at either. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with star Stefan Arngrim and interviews with Arngrim and special effects artist John Eggert.

The First King (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 2019, Well Go USA Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This Italian-made feature tells the story of brothers Romulus and Remus and the conflict that leads one of them to become the founder of Rome. This well-known fable is filled with betrayal and blood as only one brother can rule what would become the greatest empire in the ancient world. Sword-and-sandal fans will enjoy this genre feature. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 enhanced widescreen picture; Latin and English (dubbed) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; DVD: 16:9 enhanced widescreen picture; Latin and English (dubbed) 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles. Don’t miss: A making of featurette is the major bonus option.

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am Release date: Sept. 17 Details: Magnolia Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, disturbing images, mature themes The lowdown: A documentary that looks at the life and works of one of the nation’s best authors, covering her life from her childhood in Lorain, Ohio, to her interactions with Muhammed Ali and Angela Davis to her private writing room. Using Morrison’s life, the film looks at race, history, the nation and the human condition as displayed through Morrison’s writings. Among those interviewed are Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez and Oprah Winfrey. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes, portraits by director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and a photo gallery.

Madness in the Method Details: 2019, Cinedigm Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Jason Mewes, best known as the foul-mouthed and fast-talking, stoner Jay, pal to Kevin Smith’s Sillent Bob, goes behind the camera and stars in this strange excursion in which Mewes seeks to change his image. Upon receiving advice from Smith, Mewes tracks down a secret acting method acting book to reinvent himself as a serious actor. The movie is very self-indulgent and a bit too scattershot, thus watering down Mewes’ premise. Technical aspects: Widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and closed captioned subtitles.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: All Male, All Nude: Johnsons (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) Anna (Blu-ray + digital & DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment Awake (Blu-ray & DVD) (Cinedigm) The Black String (DVD & digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Drive Me Home (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) Hypnosis to Be Happy (IndiePix Films) In the Aftermath (Blu-ray) (Arrow Video) Seeds (DVD & VOD) (Dark Star Pictures) Sleeping Beauty: Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray + digital) (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) The Tracker (Blu-ray + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

FOR KIDS JoJo Siwa: Sweet Celebrations (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment, Sept. 17)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Empathy, Inc. (Dark Sky Pictures) 10 Minutes Gone (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Sept. 27) Prey (Cinedigm-Blumhouse, Sept. 27) Back Home (Acorn TV, Sept. 30) The Lilac Bus (Acorn TV, Sept. 30) Mount Pleasant, Series 1 (Acorn TV, Sept. 30)

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.