From classic Hollywood to comic books, there are new releases for every taste making their physical media debuts this week. Take a look at the terrific new Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD titles that are now available!
Can’t Help Singing (1944)
Washington, D.C., the 1850s: Senator’s daughter Caroline Frost (Deanna Durbin) was miffed when her dad (Ray Collins) arranged the transfer of her less-than-worthy soldier boyfriend (David Bruce) to California. Willfully making her own way west to find him, will she be dissuaded in her quest by a charming cardsharp (Robert Paige)? Durbin’s only Technicolor musical co-stars Akim Tamiroff, Leonid Kinsky; Jerome Kern-Yip Harburg score includes “Any Moment Now,” “More and More,” and the title tune.
Because of Him (1946)
Waitress and would-be actress Kim Walker (Deanna Durbin) thought she’d get her shot at Broadway stardom when she duped veteran stage star John Sheridan (Charles Laughton) into signing a letter of introduction. The ruse gets her cast as Sheridan’s next leading lady–and leaves playwright Paul Taylor (Franchot Tone) fit to be tied when he finds out. Breezy, song-filled romantic comedy co-stars Helen Broderick, Donald Meek, Stanley Ridges.
Something in the Wind (1947)
Singing disc jockey Mary Collins (Deanna Durbin) was rudely confronted by blueblood Donald Read (John Dall), who mistakenly thought she was his late grandfather’s mistress–and wanted to know what kind of payoff she required. Her miffed decision to string him along until the last possible moment leads to all kinds of comic complications in this song-filled confection. Donald O’Connor, Helena Carter, Charles Winninger, Margaret Whycherly co-star.
For the Love of Mary (1948)
In her final film before retiring at the age of 27, Deanna Durbin plays Mary Peppertree, a White House telephone operator who gets help from her unseen chief executive boss and Supreme Court justices in straightening out her romantic problems. Edmond O’Brien, Jeffrey Lynn, and Don Taylor co-star as Mary’s suitors in this breezy musical-comedy. Songs include “Moonlight Bay,” “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Three years after director Zack Snyder had to step away from 2017’s “Justice League” in post-production, the studio heeded the online clamor from cast, crew, and fans for a version truer to his vision–and Snyder returned to helm a $70 million restoration project, offering extensive, newly-shot additional material along with previously excised footage for an epic-length director’s cut. The acclaimed result introduces new characters and plot points, as well as offering teases of DCEU movies to come.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Boarding the sleekly updated NCC-1701 starship, Admiral Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the rest of the Enterprise crew are reunited to stop an immense, destructive alien construct before it reaches Earth. “The human adventure is just beginning” in this epic relaunch of the ’60s TV sci-fi classic brought to the big screen by director Robert Wise. DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Persis Khambatta co-star; theatrical edition.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
A terraforming project code-named Genesis becomes the key to revenge for Kirk’s old nemesis–the genetically engineered Khan–who hatches a plot to get even with the admiral for marooning him 15 years earlier. The big-screen follow-up to the classic TV episode “Space Seed” also features the emotional (and permanent?) death of a crew member. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Kirstie Alley, and Ricardo Montalban star. This release includes both the theatrical edition and the director’s cut.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Kirk (William Shatner), McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and crew return to the Genesis Planet to learn the truth of Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) death, but a ruthless Klingon commander (Christopher Lloyd) wants the Genesis secrets. Exciting sci-fi adventure, directed by Nimoy, resolves whether or not the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one. With James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Robin Curtis, and Merritt Butrick.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
On their way home to face a host of criminal charges, the former Enterprise crew learns that a mysterious space probe is threatening Earth with certain destruction. Now, Kirk and company must travel back in time to the 1980s to bring a pair of humpback whales to the 23rd century in the hopes they’ll be able to communicate with the probe and save the planet. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy (who also directed), DeForest Kelley, Catherine Hicks star.
Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection
This collection features the original four Star Trek movies in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and digital.
You Should Have Left (2020)
Stalled screenwriter Theo Conroy (Kevin Bacon) thought it would help both creative block and fraying marriage to younger actress Susanna (Amanda Seyfried) if they packed off with their little daughter Ella (Avery Essex) for a lovely modern rental home in rural Wales. What seemed like charming quirks of the property, though, start bending the laws of physics–and the bizarre events that follow imperil their sanity, and perhaps their lives, in this chilling Blumhouse take on the Daniel Kehlmann novel.
State of the Union (1948)
Based on the hit Broadway play by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, this insightful Frank Capra political satire stars Spencer Tracy as Grant Matthews, a would-be presidential candidate and Katharine Hepburn as his estranged wife Mary, who agrees to pose as a loving spouse for the campaign. Mary comes to care again for Grant and tries to stop him from abandoning his ideals for the sake of politics. With Adolphe Menjou, Angela Lansbury, Van Johnson.
Young Sheldon: The Complete Fourth Season (2020)
The adventures of Sheldon Cooper when he was a boy? That’s what you get with CBS’s hit “The Big Bang Theory” spinoff/prequel, which looks back at the socially inept physicist when he was a 9-year-old prodigy (Iain Armitage) attending high school in late-‘80s East Texas, and presenting upbringing challenges for his protective mom (Zoe Perry) and football coach dad (Lance Barber). Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, and Annie Potts co-star, with narration from grown “Sheldon” Jim Parsons. 18 episodes on 2 discs.
Chicago P.D.: Season Eight (2020)
n this spin-off of “Chicago Fire,” two distinct groups of the Windy City’s finest law enforcement officials each battle a different level of criminal. While the uniformed beat cops take on the street-based crimes, the members of the Intelligence Unit deal with major offenses such as organized crime, drug trafficking, and kidnapping. Jason Beghe, Jon Seda, Sophia Bush, Jesse Lee Soffer, and Elias Koteas star. 16 episodes on 3 discs.
Bull: Season Five (2020)
Co-created by talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw, this CBS drama series is based on Dr. Phil’s days as a trial consultant. Dr. Jason Bull (Michael Weatherly) is a brilliant psychologist and the head of a consulting firm that uses a variety of scientific techniques in order to prepare their clients for trial, help build the best defense, select jurors, and more. Debuting in 2016, the show also stars Freddy Rodriguez, Geneva Carr, Christopher Jackson, Jaime Lee Kirchner, Annabelle Attanasio. 16 episodes on 4 discs.
Frankie Drake Mysteries: The Complete Fourth Season (2021)
Premiering in 2017, this Canadian mystery series is set in 1920s Toronto and focuses on female private detective Frankie Drake (Lauren Lee Smith). In an era and region where women working as private eyes was unheard of, Frankie and partner Trudy Clarke (Chantel Riley) tackle all manner of cases, including those involving murder, bootlegging, kidnapping, and more. Rebecca Liddiard, Sharron Matthews also star. 10 episodes on 3 discs.
Theater of Blood (1973)
Vincent Price camps it up in the role of his career, starring as Edward Lionheart, a hammy Shakespearean actor who is so angered after being passed over for a prestigious award that he commits suicide. Or does he? Having actually survived, Lionheart avenges himself upon the drama critics who snubbed him, killing them in gory murders based on the Bard’s plays! Rousing blend of horror and satire co-stars Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Robert Morley, and Milo O’Shea.
Great White (2021)
For South Pacific seaplane skippers Kaz (Katrina Bowden) and Charlie (Aaron Jakubenko), their ferrying of a party of three to a beautiful atoll turned grim when they found grisly evidence of a shark attack. Their agreed-upon aerial search for survivors turned grimmer still when an accident left them in a life raft 100 miles from shore…with a pair of hungry predators circling. Fact-inspired frightener also stars Tim Kano, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Tatjana Marjanovic.
Crazy Nights (1978)
This soft-core snapshot of the disco-era club scene–as experienced around the globe–follows androgynous singer/sensation of the day Amanda Lear to hot spots in Rome, Vegas, Paris, Tokyo, and more, with the patrons very ready to shed their inhibitions and polyester. Lear, who’d disavow her involvement in the project, performs “Follow Me” and “Enigma” in this controversial and hard-to-find opus from exploitation legend Joe D’Amato. AKA: “Follie Di Notte.”
Apocalypse ’45 (2020)
Utilizing restored, previously unseen, and stunningly graphic color footage from the National Archives–then combining it with audio effects and sobering narration from two dozen surviving World War II veterans–the final six months of combat in the Pacific, as well as the respective aftermaths of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, are presented in an unprecedentedly immersive and unforgettably haunting fashion.
The Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection
Ha-ha-ha-HA-have yourself a blast, as 25 classic animated adventures from Walter Lantz’s scarlet-crested scamp are ready for your pleasure. Twenty-five shorts–including “Woody Woodpecker” (1941), “The Hollywood Matador” (1942), “The Beach Nut” (1944), “Chew-Chew Baby” (1945), “Fair Weather Fiends” (1946), “Wet Blanket Policy” (1948), “Termites from Mars” (1952), and “The Bird Who Came to Dinner” (1961)–are collected here.
Together Together (2021)
Fortysomething, divorced app developer Matt (Ed Helms) still longed to become a dad–and to that end, he struck up a surrogacy contract with 26-year-old loner Anna (Patti Harrison). The bonds that build between the tentative strangers as they strive to matter-of-factly navigate their challenging circumstances are endearingly shown in Nikole Beckwith’s engaging untraditional family comedy; Rosalind Chao, Tig Notaro, Nora Dunn, Fred Melamed also star.
The Gateway (2021)
For burnt-out, hard-drinking St. Louis social worker Parker (Shea Whigham), the case file he opened on single mom Dahlia (Olivia Munn) and her young daughter (Taegen Burns) looked to shape up like any other. However, as he came to know the family–and learned that the child’s hardcase father got out of jail, and was ready to drag them back into his lifestyle–he’d overstep his bounds with shattering results. Intense thriller also stars Frank Grillo, Taryn Manning, Keith David, and Bruce Dern
Click here for a complete overview of all of this week’s new releases!