Whatcha gonna do? You’re gonna check out these DVD and Blu-ray new releases, that’s what. Headlined by the latest installment in the Bad Boys saga, this week’s new offerings spans from the 1920s to today. The result? An enthralling bunch of titles that you’ll want to check out ASAP!
Bad Boys for Life (2020)
The longtime partnership of veteran Miami cops Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is about to come to its end as Burnett eyes retirement. But they’ll have to team up for one final assignment in order to deal with the wife (Kate del Castillo) and son (Jacob Scipio) of a dead drug cartel leader who’ve targeted Lowrey for revenge. Typically fun and flashy third entry in the popular action series also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Theresa Randle, and Joe Pantoliano.
Bad Boys (1995)/Bad Boys II (2003)/Bad Boys for Life (2020)
All three of the films in the Bad Boys franchise are included in this two-disc set.
The Gentlemen (2020)
As self-made Yank expatriate druglord Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) prepped to sell off his London cannabis empire to an Oklahoma billionaire (Jeremy Strong), the deal sparked riotous conflicts between gang factions who wanted in…and set a sleazy PI (Hugh Grant) out on a cleverly veiled shakedown of Mickey’s right-hand man (Charlie Hunnam). Guy Ritchie’s back-to-basics underworld action-comedy also stars Michelle Dockery, Henry Golding, Colin Farrell, Eddie Marsan.
Rachel and the Stranger (1948)
The need for homestead help brought widowed backwoodsman David Harvey (William Holden) to acquire bonded servant Rachel (Loretta Young)–and propriety required that he marry her–but neither he nor his still-grieving son (Gary Gray) would regard her as anything but property. That stood to change as an old acquaintance, Indian scout Jim Fairways (Robert Mitchum), came to visit…and showed her proper appreciation. Enduring frontier romance also stars Tom Tully, Sarah Haden.
Connecting Rooms (1970)
In a shabby London boarding house, Wanda Fleming (Bette Davis)–a classically-trained cellist now busking for change–finds a tentative bond forming with neighbor James Wallraven (Michael Redgrave), a schoolmaster turned janitor. Their future might be compromised when Wanda’s grasping folksinger mentee (Alexis Kanner) looks to blackmail James over the reasons for his fall from grace. Tender sunset-years drama also stars Kay Walsh, Leo Genn, Olga Georges-Picot, Richard Wyler.
China Beach: The Complete Series
This acclaimed 1988-91 ABC drama depicted the harsh realities of the Vietnam War as seen primarily through the eyes of the women working at a U.S. Army evac hospital/USO facility in the South Vietnam coastal city of Da Nang. The cast included Dana Delany as nurse Lt. Colleen McMurphy, Nan Woods as Red Cross volunteer Cherry White, Chloe Webb as singer Laurette Barber, and Marg Helgenberger as hooker “K.C.” Koloski. All 62 episodes from the series are included in a 19-disc set.
Love Among the Ruins (1975)
Wonderful performances from Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier spark this charming made-for-TV romantic comedy set in 1911 London. Sued for breach of promise by her fiancé, an aging stage actress (Hepburn) hires a well-regarded barrister (Olivier), with whom she had a brief affair decades earlier. The problem is he’s still carrying a torch for her, and she swears she doesn’t even remember him. With Colin Blakely, Richard Pearson, Joan Sims.
Woman Times Seven (1967)
Seven men, one woman…but wow, what a woman! This racy comedy from director Vittorio De Sica (“The Bicycle Thief”) stars Shirley MacLaine as seven very different adulterous women. Through a series of vignettes, MacLaine portrays such cheating characters as a widow, a revenge-seeking wife, and a suicidal spouse. With Peter Sellers, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Elsa Martinelli, and Rossano Brazzi.
King Creole (1958)
One of Elvis Presley’s finer acting roles came in this drama based on a novel by Harold Robbins. Elvis plays Danny Fisher, a high school dropout who takes a job at a New Orleans nightclub owned by gangster Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau). When Danny’s talent as a singer gets him hired at another joint, Fields wants him back–and he might not take “no” for an answer. With Carolyn Jones, Dolores Hart, Vic Morrow; songs include “Hard-Headed Woman,” “Crawfish,” and the title tune.
Secret Ceremony (1968)
Prostitute Leonora (Elizabeth Taylor), whose life derailed after the death of her daughter, made the fortuitous acquaintance of the waiflike and wealthy Cenci (Mia Farrow), directionless since the loss of her mother. As Leonora moves into Cenci’s opulent home, the growing bond between the damaged souls might face a fatal challenges when Cenci’s thuggish stepfather (Robert Mitchum) enters the picture. Joseph Losey’s disquieting opus co-stars Peggy Ashcroft, Pamela Brown.
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
Strikingly photographed romantic fantasy starring Ava Gardner as Pandora Reynolds, an cold-hearted nightclub singer whose affections are desired by three different men: her current fiancé (Nigel Patrick), her former lover (Mario Cabré), and the ghostly Dutch ship captain (James Mason), condemned to sail the seven seas until he finds a woman willing to die for him. Harold Warrender, Sheila Sim also star; directed by Albert Lewin (“The Picture of Dorian Gray”).
The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927)
When her father is killed by revolutionaries in a Crimean town following the 1917 Bolshevik uprising, a young French woman returns to Paris to work at her uncle’s detective agency. When her Russian lover, who was responsible for her father’s death, finds her, Jeanne must decide where her feelings lie in this innovative German drama from director G.W. Pabst. Edith Jehanne, Udo Henning star.
Like a Boss (2020)
Longtime besties Mia Carter (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel Paige (Rose Byrne) realized the dream of running a trendy cosmetics hub in Manhattan–and also got to realize a half-million in debt. When industry powerhouse Claire Luna (Salma Hayek) swooped in with a cash infusion, it seemed too good to be true–and as she sinks her claws into the business, they face a comic catfight to keep what’s theirs. Fashionable farce co-stars Jennifer Coolidge, Billy Porter, Ari Graynor, Natasha Rothwell, Karan Soni.
Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)
Controversial, emotionally charged drama stars Marlon Brando as Weldon Penderton, a latently gay army major stationed in 1948 Georgia and unhappily married to the shrewish Leonora (Elizabeth Taylor). While Leonora has an affair with one of Weldon’s fellow officers (Brian Keith), he finds himself drawn to a young non-com (Robert Forster). Julie Harris also stars in director John Huston’s powerful adaptation of the Carson McCullers novel. Two-disc special edition includes a version with Huston’s approved gold saturation of the cinematography.
When the Wind Blows (1986)
In rural Britain, an aging couple (voiced by John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft) matter-of-factly brace for an anticipated nuclear conflict between the Americans and Soviets, but soon learn that their quaint notions of warfare aren’t equal to a grim reality. Unique, sobering animated drama, adapted from Raymond Briggs’ graphic novel, features a soundtrack by Roger Waters, David Bowie, Squeeze, and Genesis.
Human Capital (2019)
Who had a fatal late-night hit-and-run with a bicyclist and drove off? You’ll learn as you follow the intersecting arcs of teen Shannon (Maya Hawke) as she breaks up with closeted boyfriend Jamie (Fred Hechinger); her cash-strapped realtor dad (Liev Schreiber), as he desperately tries to buy in with Jamie’s hedge fund honcho father (Peter Sarsgaard); and Jamie’s unhappy mom (Maris Tomei), on a path to infidelity. Second filming of the Stephen Amidon novel co-stars Alex Wolff, Betty Gabriel
The Turning (2020)
In the mid-’90s, Kate Mandell (Mackenzie Davis) felt that the best of her limited options was a nanny’s position at an isolated country estate. As she comes to know her orphaned and patently disturbed young charges Miles (Finn Wolfhard) and Flora (Brooklynn Prince), she’ll learn to her sorrow that the manor’s secrets were best left alone. Unnerving latter-day read on “The Turn of the Screw” also stars Barbara Marten, Denna Thomsen, Niall Greig Fulton, and Joely Richardson.
The Cremator (Criterion Collection)(1969)
In the late 1930s, the owner of a Prague crematorium takes great pride in his work, believing his services hasten the liberation of departed souls. As the Nazi shadow falls over Czechoslovakia, the cremator’s expertise becomes a valued commodity, one that the morbid artisan becomes ready to exploit through a warped distillation of his Buddhist beliefs. Visually striking, grimly humorous film stars Rudolf Hrusinsky, Vlasta Chramostova.
The Last Full Measure (2020)
In the late ‘90s, Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) opened a Medal of Honor request regarding William Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), a USAF PJ who died saving 60 fellow soldiers in a 1966 Vietnam rescue mission. As he interviewed surviving comrades, Huffman became determined to push the commendation through–and reveal why it’d been denied for decades. Christopher Plummer, Diane Ladd, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, and–in his screen farewell–Peter Fonda co-star.
Click here for a complete rundown of all of this week’s new releases!