The following Blu-rays and DVDs are being released on Tuesday, Sept. 6, unless otherwise noted:
American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson (Blu-ray) Details: 2016, Fox Home Entertainment Rated: TV-MA The lowdown: This 10-episode miniseries, which covered one of the most notorious trials of the latter 20th century, captivated the nation and fomented much controversy and discussion about race and the judicial system in the United States. This three-disc set contains every moment of the series, which received 22 Emmy Award nominations. The series featured an outstanding cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark and Courtney B. Vance as defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. Others in the cast include John Travolta, David Schwimmer, Bruce Greenwood and Sterling Brown. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a featurette, “Past Imperfect: The Trial of the Century,” in which filmmakers, cast, crew and consultants reflect on the case and its impact, and “Facts of the Case: An Interactive Timeline,” in which viewers can share details of the case paired with clips from the episodes.
Money Monster (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet) Details: 2016, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, sexual situations, violence The lowdown: “Money Monster” is a thriller hiding behind a curtain of social critique on capitalism, the easy manipulation of money and the corruption that creates. It is a story of the transformation of the American dream into reality TV through shows that lure people into risking their life savings on a vision of earning quick riches. The movie, directed by Jodie Foster, stars George Clooney as a Jim Cramer-like host of a financial news show, and Julia Roberts as his producer. The drama centers on a young man who, following the advice of Clooney’s Lee Gates, invested in a company Gates was touting, then lost his entire savings when that company loses $800 million overnight. He invades the studio, takes Gates hostage and demands answers. The movie makes you think that under the mattress may be the safest and most secure place to keep your savings. Technical aspects: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English, French and Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 Dolby digital audio description track and Spanish and Thai 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, Cantonese, Chinese (simplified and traditional), French, Indonesian/Bahasa, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a featurette on Clooney, a look at the making of the film, an analysis of The Showdown scene, deleted scenes, a music video and a Dan the Automator (featuring Del the Funky Homosapien) featurette.
Now You See Me 2 (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet) Details: 2016, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, violence, language The lowdown: The first “Now You See Me” was an enjoyable romp, because it had a light-hearted, fun aspect to it — as well as some surprises. Unfortunately, there are no big surprises in “Now You See Me 2,” a disappointing sequel in which the Four Horsemen act more like a unit from a “Mission: Impossible” movie than a band of prestidigitators. The Horsemen reunite after a year of being underground, with Lizzie Caplan’s Lulu replacing Isla Fisher’s Henley. This time, the quartet is out to foil the illegal and unethical activities of a tech magnate. The problem is, the movie does not engage the audience as did the original. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD compatible, English 2.0 Dolby digital (optimized for late-night listening), English audio descriptive track and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English audio descriptive track; English SDH, English and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include featurettes on the ensemble cast, the making of the movie and bringing the magic to the screen as well as a commentary track.
Love & Friendship (Blu-ray) Details: 2016, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rated: PG, mature themes The lowdown: Writer-director Whit Stillman adapted the Jane Austen novella, “Lady Susan,” into a charming and fun vehicle for Kate Beckinsale. Beckinsale plays Lady Susan Vernon, a beautiful young widow, who visits her in-law’s estate while waiting for the gossip about her indiscretions to fade away. While at the estate, Lady Vernon decides to find a husband for herself as well as for her daughter, Frederica. With help from her old friend, Alicia (Chloe Sevigny), Lady Vernon attracts a trio of diverse suitors who severely complicate her life. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: A behind-the-scenes featurette is the major bonus attraction.
All the Way (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet) Details: 2016, HBO Home Entertainment Rated: TV-14, language, violence The lowdown: Bryan Cranston recreates his role from the Broadway stage of President Lyndon B. Johnson in this HBO movie that looks at Johnson’s first year in office after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. During this time, Johnson must deal with the escalation of the war in Vietnam abroad and, at home, battle for the passage of a landmark civil rights bill. The film features a strong supporting cast, including Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr., Melissa Leo as Lady Bird Johnson, Frank Langella and Bradley Whitford. Cranston’s bravura performance is the glue that holds the movie, but he is greatly aided by the script written by Robert Schenkkan, who adapted his own Tony Award-winning play. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS digital surround and Spanish 2.0 DTS digital surround; English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a featurette, “All the Way: A Walk Through History” and a look at Cranston’s transformation into President Johnson.
The Flash: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet) Details: 2015-16, Warner Home Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: I will start with the obligatory statement that “Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of this Blu-ray I reviewed on my site. The opinions I share are my own.” OK, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s take a look at the second season of this popular CW series based on the DC Comics superhero. This four-disc season two set features all 23 episodes as Barry Allen continues to protect Central City and its residents from the meta-humans who were created in the same explosion that gave Allen his super-speed powers. The main story arc of the season is the Singularity that remains swirling over the city, threatening residents with impending doom. That same Singularity also opened a gateway to a parallel universe where Barry Allen is an unstoppable super-villain known as Zoom. The set also features a crossover episode with “Arrow.” Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78;1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include behind-the-scenes looks at the special effects on select episodes, a many faces of Zoom and Chasing Flash featurettes, a “Journey of Kevin Smith” featurette, deleted scenes, a gag reel and a look at “The Flash” 2015 Comic-Con panel.
Genius (DVD + Ultraviolet) Details: 2016, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, mature themes, suggestive content The lowdown: A drama that covers the turbulent friendship between editor Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth) and author Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law). Perkins, who has published books by Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, must deal with the mercurial Wolfe whose latest novel is the closest to his heart. The movie costars Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney as the women in the lives of Perkins and Wolfe. Technical aspects: 2.39:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: A featurette on the genesis of the movie and another that looks at the post-World War I generation of writers.
Equals (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet) Details: 2016, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, mature themes, sensual content, partial nudity, disturbing images The lowdown: Another dystopian futuristic feature, this one dealing with a society in which feelings are considered a disease. Two young people, played by Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart, defy this credo of “The Collective,” which already has ended crime and violence by genetically eliminating emotions. However, Hoult’s Silas and Stewart’s Nia notice a continuing and growing attraction that leads to a forbidden relationship that soon blossoms into a passionate romance. As authorities become suspicious of the two, they must choose between returning to their society’s norm or attempting to escape. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: A trio of featurettes on “The Collective,” “Utopia” and being “Switched On” and a commentary track are the major supplemental offerings.
NCIS: The Thirteenth Season Release date: Aug. 23 Details: 2015-16, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Hanging over this popular series’ 13th season was the departure of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly). But Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the rest of his team, along with DiNozzo, continue to solve crimes as well as protect the nation from threats foreign and domestic. This six-disc set contains all 24 episodes as the NCIS team awaits new challenges, professional and personal. Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and Portuguese subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include deleted scenes, the second part of a crossover episode with “NCIS: New Orleans,” a look at the crossover episode, commentaries on several episodes, an overview of the season, a tribute to Weatherly’s DiNozzo, a peek at the celebration for the show’s 300th episode, a salute to the 50th anniversary of the real NCIS, a “Heroes Song” featurette and a “Boom” featurette.
Limitless: Season One (DVD + Ultraviolet) Details: 2015-16, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This six-disc set features all 22 first-season episodes of the CBS series inspired by the hit movie starring Bradley Cooper, who pops up in a couple of episodes. The series follows Brian Finch (Jake McDorman), an aimless New Yorker who is introduced by an old friend to a dangerous pill called NZT-48, which allows him to use 100 percent of his brain capacity. Brian’s new and extraordinary cognitive abilities come to the attention of the FBI who becomes the agency’s secret weapon while investigating what others see as unsolvable crimes. With the help of a team of FBI agents, Brian solves cases involving murder, treason, terrorism and human trafficking. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH and Portuguese subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a look at launching the series from the big screen to TV, a featurette on the show’s style, a gag reel, a “Brian Presents” featurette, another on “More of Who You Are” and a commentary track on the episode, “Headquarters!”
Road House: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1989, Shout! Factory Rated: R, graphic language, sexual content, nudity The lowdown: Patrick Swayze stars in this cult favorite as Dalton, the best cooler in the bar bouncer business. He takes a job to clean up the Double Deuce in the small town of Jasper, but it opposed by Ben Gazzara, as the big shot who owns most of the town and wants to add the club to his empire. The movie features some great fight scenes, cool banter and interesting, though stereotypical, characters. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras in this two-disc set include two commentary tracks, interviews with cast members and crew personnel and an archival interview with Swayze.
CSI: Cyber: The Final Season Details: 2015-16, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Academy Award-winner Patricia Arquette leads the FBI’s Cyber Crime Division, which investigates cases in the digital world. She is aided by former-“CSI” star D.B. Russell (Ted Danson), as well as Special Agent Elijah Mundo (James Van Der Beek), analyst Daniel Krumitz (Charley Koontz), and former hackers Brody Nelson (Shad Moss) and Raven Ramirez (Hayley Kiyoko). The five-disc set features the final 18 episodes of the series, which was canceled too soon as far as I am concerned. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a gag reel, deleted scenes, an overview of the season, a featurette on the guest appearance by Kelly Osbourne, another on Danson’s impact on the show, behind-the-scenes peeks at creating the sounds and look of the series and a “Hack My Ride” featurette.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown (Blu-ray) Snoopy, Come Home (Blu-ray) Details: 1969, 1972, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: G The lowdown: Charles M. Schulz’s memorial comic strip characters made their motion picture debuts — after several TV specials — in these two lovable and enjoyable features. In “A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” our young hero competes in the National Spelling Bee. Charlie Brown’s spirited beagle takes center stage in “Snoopy, Come Home,” in which the beloved pet goes missing, throwing Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang into a dither, as they set out to find him. The film marks the debut of Snoopy’s bird pal, Woodstock. The releases mark the first time these features are being released on Blu-ray. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 4:3 full-screen pictures; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Man in the Wilderness (Blu-ray) Release date: Aug. 16 Details: 1971, Warner Archive Collection Rated: GP, violence The lowdown: Richard Harris stars as mountain man Zachary Bass left for dead by his fur-trapping partners after being attacked and mauled by a bear. Bass survives and begins a 600-mile journey for revenge across the savage 1820s American wilderness. The movie costars John Huston as the leader of the expedition, who fears the return of Bass. If the movie’s plot sounds familiar, it is because this 104-minute adventure was expanded into the ponderous and showy “The Revenant,” for which Leonardo DiCaprio earned a Best Actor Academy Award earlier this year. The release is part of the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wbshop.com or other online sellers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master audio monaural; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Code Black: Season 1 (DVD + Ultraviolet) Release date: Aug. 9 Details: 2015-16, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This five-disc set features all 18 first-season episodes of the TV series, which is based on a highly-acclaimed documentary film. The setting is the emergency room at Angels Memorial Hospital, where Dr. Leanne Rorish (Marcia Gay Harden) leads a quartet of first-year residents through the grueling paces and life-and-death challenges of a big city emergency room. The rookie doctors learn to deal with the chaos, while also hoping to learn more about medicine and saving lives. Aiding them is head nurse Jesse Sallander (the wonderful Luis Guzman), known around the hospital as “Mama.” Fans of medical dramas will appreciate the pace of this series. Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Among the supplemental materials is a gag reel, deleted, alternate and extended scenes, a doctors’ notes featurette and featurettes on the crash course in medicine for the cast and a look at “The Faces of Angels.”
The Ones Below (Blu-ray) Details: 2016, Magnolia Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, sexual situations, nudity The lowdown: A psychological thriller about a young couple expecting their first child who becomes friends with the couple that moves into a downstairs apartment. Events go smoothly until an accident at a dinner party, which puts the new friends at odds, creating a mental reign of terror. The movie shows some influences of “Rosemary’s Baby” and other horror features. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include featurettes on the story, the cast and characters, creating a tense, cinematic moment and a look at breaking down a car stunt action sequence.
The Royal Road Details: 2015, Wolfe Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A documentary that offers a look at Junipero Serra’s Spanish colonization of California as well as the Mexican-American War. The movie, from filmmaker Jenni Olson, examines the pursuit of unavailable women, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, “Vertigo.” It does so against a 16mm backdrop of urban landscapes and a personal monologue that relates these diverse topics. Technical aspects: widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned. Don’t miss: Supplemental offerings include four short films by Olson and an interview with the filmmaker.
The Bodyguard (Blu-ray) Details: 2016, Well Go USA Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Sammo Hung stars as a retired special agent living in a quiet village on the Russian-Chinese border. He befriends a young girl whose father has disappeared. The father owed money to the mob. Hung’s Ding uses the skills he learned in his job to go after the mobsters and save both the father and the girl. The film is loaded with action that will not disappoint genre fans. Technical aspects: 16:9 widescreen picture; Cantonese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: A making of featurette is the main bonus option.
Therapy for a Vampire Details: 2016, Music Box Films Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A droll comedy set in 1930 Vienna about a vampire, Count von Kozsnom who after 500 years of marriage to the vain countess, Elsa, seeks out Dr. Sigmund Freud to talk about his loss of thirst for life. Freud recommends that the count commission a portrait of the countess. The count gives the job to his able assistant, Viktor, who is a talented painter. The count finds a new meaning for life after spying Lucy, Viktor’s girlfriend. He is convinced she is the reincarnation of his one true love. This sets off a farcical chain reaction of false identities, misplaced passion and a renewal of the eternal battle of the sexes. Technical aspects: 1.85:1 widescreen picture; German 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles. Don’t miss: A making of featurette and outtakes comprise the major bonus offerings.
Moby Dick (DVD-R) Release date: Aug. 23 Details: 1930, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This early sound film, starring John Barrymore, is a very loose adaptation of Herman Melville’s classic novel. It was the second time in four years that Barrymore had portrayed Ahab, having done so in the 1926 silent, “The Sea Beast,” another nontraditional version on the book. In this 1930 feature, Barrymore’s Ahab is a love-struck sailor enamored with the daughter, played by Joan Bennett, of a New Bedford parson. The romance is cut short when, after Ahab loses his leg to the Great White Whale, his jealous brother tells him that his marriage is off. A bitter Ahab becomes the embittered captain of his own vessel and with a shanghaied crew sets out to hunt Moby Dick and gain his revenge. Since the film is a mere 78 minutes, you know most of Melville has been excised except for basically Ahab and the whale. The release is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wbshop.com or other online retailers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
Tale of Tales (Blu-ray) Details: 2015, Shout! Factory Rated: R, sexual content, nudity, violence, bloody and disturbing images The lowdown: An anthology feature that offers three stories of magic and the supernatural by 17th-century folklorist Giambattista Basile. The movie relates the strange events in the lives of three kings, played by John C. Reilly, Toby Jones and Vincent Cassel. The plots deal with using unusual means in order to conceive a child, an odd marriage coupled with a bizarre obsession and a shocking love story. The movie costars Salma Hayek as Reilly’s queen. Technical aspects: 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: A making of featurette is the major bonus offering.
James A. Fitzpatrick Traveltalks: Volume 2 (DVD-R) Release date: Aug. 23 Details: 1932-45, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This three-disc set features 60 shorts as host James A. Fitzpatrick takes moviegoers around the nation and the world, introducing them to places and people they would not ordinarily meet. These Technicolor treasures make stops in Peru, Sweden, Budapest, India, South Africa, the Grand Canyon, Australia, Madeira, Cairo, Maryland, West Point, Ontario, Mexico, Honolulu and Venezuela. When air travel was limited and going far places by train could take a few days, these cinematic shorts were vicarious vacations as well as educational outlets for many moviegoers. The release is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wbshop.com or other online sellers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
Other Blu-rays and DVDs being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
The Dead Room (Blu-ray) (IFC Midnight-Scream Factory)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD and STREAMING Being Charlie (Anchor Bay Entertainment-Starz Digital) The Evil Gene (Uncork’d Entertainment)
Honey 3 (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) My Many Sons (Well Go USA Entertainment) Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) The Wailing (Well Go USA Entertainment) Beau Brummel — This Charming Fellow (Acorn TV, Sept. 9) X-Men: Apocalypse (Fox Home Entertainment, Sept. 9)
Boomer’s: Series 1 (Acorn TV, Sept. 12) Janet King: Series 2, Episode 4 (Acorn TV, Sept. 12) The Secret Agent (Acorn, TV, Sept. 12)
Coming next week:
Captain America: Civil War The Conjuring 2
Bob Bloom is a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. He reviews movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. He can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow Bloom on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. Movie reviews by Bloom also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.