With just a little over a week until Christmas, there’s still time to get gifts for everyone on your list. And who wouldn’t love some of these Blu-rays and DVDs that are now available?
Downton Abbey (2019)
The opulent saga of the Crawley clan and their retainers picks up in 1927 in this anticipated big-screen follow-up to the era’s most acclaimed British TV drama, with the occupants of Downton Abbey bracing for a visit from King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James). Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Jim Carter, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Penelope Wilton, Joanne Froggatt lead the brace of returning series regulars; show creator Julian Fellowes scripts.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
In the fifth (and, purportedly, final) chapter in the saga of John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, who also co-wrote), the grizzled former Green Beret and Vietnam veteran is living a quiet life on an Arizona horse ranch. But that won’t last long, as Rambo must square off against the members of a vicious Mexican drug cartel who’ve abducted the granddaughter (Yvette Monreal) of an old friend (Adriana Barraza). Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta also star.
Ad Astra (2019)
Brad Pitt stars as Maj. Roy McBride, an astronaut whose father, the legendary H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), disappeared years earlier during a space journey to locate intelligent alien life. When it looks as though Clifford’s mission may have created dangerous power surges that could destroy humanity, Roy embarks on a daring quest to find his father and save mankind. Set in the not-too-distant future, this exciting sci-fi actioner co-stars Liv Tyler, Ruth Negga, and Donald Sutherland.
Abominable (2019)
Restless Shanghai teenager Yi (voiced by Chloe Bennett) had an unusual encounter on her apartment rooftop–with an amiable (and magical) Yeti who’d escaped the naturalists (Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson) who wanted to display him. Naming the critter “Everest,” she and her friends resolved to escort him all the way home to the Himalayas, while trying to elude the determined pursuit of his former captors. Thrilling animated opus co-stars the voices of Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai.
Stephen King’s Silver Bullet
(Collector’s Edition)(1985)
Based on the Stephen King novella “Cycle of the Werewolf,” this intense chiller concerns a small town with a hairy problem. When the residents of the community of Tarker’s Mill, Maine, become terrorized by a werewolf, a paralytic boy (Corey Haim), his older sister (Megan Follows), and their uncle (Gary Busey) are forced to try to stop the beast at all costs. Everett McGill, Robin Groves, and Terry O’Quinn also star.
The Amy Fisher Story (aka The Long Island Lolita) (1991)
In 1991, Long Island teenager Amy Fisher (Drew Barrymore) brought her damaged car to the auto body shop of the much older Joey Buttafuoco (Tony Denison). The flirtations led to an illicit affair which stunningly culminated when Fisher drove to Joey’s home and shot his unsuspecting wife, Mary Jo (Laurie Paton). Second of three of-the moment telefilm chronicles concerning the “Long Island Lolita” also stars Harley Jane Kozak, Tom Mason, Ken Pogue, Linda Darlow.
The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection: Volume 6: 1978
Think pink with that star of screens both big and small, the Pink Panther, with an animated potpourri of crazy capers in which the felicitous feline always gets the upper paw. First created by DePatie-Freleng for the opening title sequence of the 1964 film comedy, the colorful cat slinked on to Saturday morning TV in 1969. Includes “Pinkologist,” “Pink Press,” “Pink in the Drink,” “Pink Bananas,” “Pinktails for Two,” “Pink Z-Z-Z,” “Star Pink,” “Pink Breakfast,” “Pink Quackers,” “Toro Pink,” “String Along in Pink,” “Pink in the Woods,” “Pink Pull,” “Spark Plug Pink,” “Doctor Pink,” “Pink Suds,” and “Supermarket Pink.”
To the Devil…A Daughter (1976)
From Hammer Films comes an exercise in terror, based on the novel by Dennis Wheatley. Christopher Lee stars as heretical priest Michael Rayner, who has an unholy plan to turn young nun Catherine Beddows (Nastassia Kinski) into Satan’s Earthly servant when she turns 18. Now, it’s up to occult expert and writer John Verney (Richard Widmark) to stop Rayner and save Catherine. With Denholm Elliott, Honor Blackman.
Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019)
It was holiday season 1983, and Tony Oliverio (Skyler Gisondo) thought it would turn out merry when his buddy’s girl introduced him to her friend Beth (Madison Iseman). He crossed his fingers that she’d still stick around after being invited to break the Christmas Eve fast with his large and raucous clan. Engaging farce co-stars Joe Pantoliano, Ray Abruzzo, Lynn Cohen, Paul Ben-Victor, Addison Timlin, Andrew Schulz, Jessica Darrow; writer-director Robert Tinnell adapted his graphic novel for the screen.
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Loosely based on the Poe story, this eerie and expressionistic horror piece stars Bela Lugosi as the mad Dr. Mirakle, whose Paris sideshow is a front for his bizarre experiments. It seems the doc has been kidnapping beautiful young women and injecting them with blood from his pet gorilla in an effort to turn one of the lucky ladies into the beast’s unwilling mate. Sidney Fox, Bert Roach, Leon Ames co-star.
Look Who’s Talking (30th Anniversary)(1989)
Accountant Mollie Jensen (Kirstie Alley) wound up pregnant from an affair with a married client (George Segal), and opted to become a single mom after he left his wife…for someone else. Her baby Mikey (a sidesplitting voiceover by Bruce Willis) has plenty of thoughts on her post-natal search for the ideal dad, and roots for James Ubriacco (John Travolta), the doting cabbie who helped deliver him. Amy Heckerling’s hit comedy co-stars Olympia Dukakis, Abe Vigoda, Twink Caplan.
Click here for an overview of all of this week’s new releases!