From Warner Archive Collection releases of iconic favorites to romantic telefilms, there’s a little bit of everything available in this week’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases. Plan your upcoming free time accordingly, as you are going to want to check out each and every one of these titles!
Labor relations take on a whole new meaning in George Abbott and Stanley Donen’s filming of the hit Broadway musical, itself based on the 1953 novel “7 1/2 Cents,” with garment worker activist “Babe” Williams (Doris Day) and factory foreman Sid Sorokin (John Raitt) playing the enemies-turned-lovers. “Steam Heat,” “Hey There,” and “I’m Not at All in Love” are among the memorable Adler/Ross tunes enhanced by Bob Fosse’s choreography. With Carol Haney.
Madea (Tyler Perry), Joe (also Perry), Hattie (Patrice Lovey), and Bam (Cassi Davis) headed to Georgia for the family’s anniversary celebration of Vianne (Jen Harper) and Anthony (Derek Morgan). Well, Anthony just died in a motel bedroom from his side action…and you know who’s going to get stuck with the job of handling his appropriately dignified sendoff! Perry’s screen swan song for/as Madea–maybe–also stars Courtney Burrell, Ciera Payton, Kj Smith, David Otunga.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
In rural Spain on a commercial shoot, once-promising director Toby Grisoni (Adam Driver) larks over to the nearby town where he’d lensed a student film of “Don Quixote,” hoping to locate Javier (Jonathan Pryce), the local cobbler he cast as his lead. Toby finds the old man in the firm grip of the delusion that he’s actually Cervantes’ knight errant…and guiltily finds himself drawn into Javier’s eccentric toils. Terry Gilliam’s long-in-and-out-of-development opus co-stars Stellan Skarsgård, Olga Kurylenko.
Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren star in this cosmopolitan espionage thriller reminiscent of “Charade” and the James Bond films, as a language professor (Peck) hired to decipher a secret code must outwit paid assassins in an attempt to save the life of a Middle East prime minister. In the process, he must also decide if the beautiful woman (Loren) by his side is an ally or an enemy. With Alan Badel, Kieron Moore; Stanley Donen directs.
Fresh off a break-up, food journalist Emma Colvin (Lacey Chabert) was grateful for the business trip that brought her to Bruges. With a competition for Royal Chocolatier underway, she’s certain she has the skills to win–but local confectioner Luc Simon (Will Kemp), desperate to keep the family shop open, has his eyes on the prize. Count on these rivals winding up sweet on each other, in this Hallmark bonbon co-starring Brittany Bristow, Kevin Van Doorslaer, Guillaume Dolmans.
Airing for a single season on CBS, this well-received cop drama co-created by Carroll O’Connor starred Jack Palance as contemplative but tough widower Lt. Alex Bronkov, who balanced his care for his disabled daughter (Dina Ousley) with his special mandate from old friend Mayor Pete Santori (Joseph Mascolo) to weed out the corrupt elements in the fictional Southern California town of Ocean City. Henry Beckman, Tony King also starred. All 25 episodes of the series are included in a six-disc set.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season One
John Krasinski steps into the peril-prone shoes of Tom Clancy’s ex-Marine/ex-broker in this gripping suspense series that follows a young Jack Ryan from the days the CIA moved him from behind an analyst’s desk and into the field, as his case file of suspect business transactions puts him squarely in the crosshairs of the Yemeni terrorist Mousa Bin Suleiman (Ali Suliman). Abbie Cornish, Wendell Pierce, Dina Shihabi, John Hoogenakker also star. All eight episodes from the first season are included in a three-disc set.
Based on Victor Hugo’s novel, this legendary silent drama from director Paul Leni stars Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine, son of a 17th-century nobleman who rebelled against England’s King James II. Given to Gypsies who carved his mouth into a hideous, perpetual grin (which later inspired the look of Batman’s arch-enemy, the Joker), Gwynplaine grows up to become a clown in a traveling circus and falls in love with a blind woman. Mary Philbin, Olga Baclanova also star.
With a deadline looming, single mom/YA novelist Jenna Turner (Amanda Righetti) knew that this summer’s vacation to the Outer Banks with her kids (Reagan Shumate, Luke Loveless) was going to have to be a working one. The bad situation was made worse by the adjoining cabin’s occupant–free-spirited surfer Lucas McKinnon (Peter Porte). Her youngsters, however, were far more charmed by the new neighbor, and she’ll find the happy ending writing itself in this ingratiating Hallmark entry.
By August 1969, Hollywood actress Sharon Tate (Hilary Duff) had been troubled for a year with chilling premonitions of her own demise. While good friends Abigail Folger (Lydia Hearst), Wojciech Frykowski (Pawel Szajda) and Jay Sebring (Jonathan Bennett) start to question her sanity, the uncanny warnings won’t serve to prevent their imminent fate at the hands of the Manson Family. Controversial speculative shocker also stars Tyler Johnson, Ryan Cargill, Fivel Stewart, and Ben Mellish as Charles Manson.
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
You heard right–the Dark Knight squares off against the Heroes in a Half Shell in this feature-length animated opus, as Leo, Don, Mike, and Raph track Shredder across the dimensions to Gotham City, to discover their nemesis has struck an unholy alliance with Ra’s al Ghul! Can Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and the TMNT stop them from mutating Arkham’s deadliest and letting them on a rampage? Adaptation of the 2015 DC/IDW cross-over features the voices of Troy Baker, Darren Criss, Kyle Mooney, Rachel Bloom.
Lush historical drama stars Katharine Hepburn as Mary Queen of Scots, who defies her British cousin Elizabeth I (Florence Eldridge) by taking the Earl of Bothwell (Fredric March) as her second husband. When the earl leaves Scotland on an emergency, Mary is betrayed by her peers and sent to prison. She’s given a death sentence, but Elizabeth offers her a chance to live if she signs away her right to the throne. Douglas Walton, John Carradine also star; John Ford directs.
Broadway theatergoers were stunned when a performer collapsed and died mid-performance…with his body vanishing in the confusion. Five years later, a producer (Bert Roach) obsessed with the mystery decides to mount a revival of the show–same cast, same crew, same theater–but the bizarre accidents that follow may not allow all to see opening night. Moody effort, Paul Leni’s final film, also stars Laura La Plante, Montagu Love, John Boles, Margaret Livingston.
Fast-paced drama stars Paul Newman as Frank Capua, a hot-shot race car driver vying to make his dreams of winning the Indianapolis 500 a reality. Driven by his determination to achieve victory at all costs, he begins losing his wife (Joanne Woodward) to his bitterest rival (Robert Wagner) and finds his relationship with his stepson (Richard Thomas) growing strained. Can he right himself both on and off the track? Effort that jump-started its star’s personal passion for motor sports co-stars Clu Gulager.
Divorced, fiftysomething insurance adjuster Gloria Bell (Julianne Moore) found ever less to talk about by the day with her grown kids (Michael Cera, Caren Pistorius), and so filled her time with evenings at L.A.’s mature single dance clubs. Though finally clicking with gently nerdy theme-park owner Arnold (John Turturro), is the romance made for the long haul? Director Sebastián Lelio’s remake of his 2013 Chilean comedy-drama “Gloria” co-stars Brad Garrett, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Alanna Ubach, Sean Astin.
A lifelong and long-suffering Washington Senators fan makes a deal with the devilish Mr. Applegate (Ray Walston) and is transformed into young slugger Joe Hardy (Tab Hunter), ready to lead his club to the pennant, in this hit adaptation of the Broadway musical comedy from George Abbott (who co-directed with Stanley Donen). Gwen Verdon is Lola, Applegate’s sultry sidekick; look for choreographer Bob Fosse as a mambo dancer. The score includes “Heart,” “Whatever Lola Wants.”
Click here for a complete overview of all of this week’s new releases.