It’s another exciting week for new releases! This time around, classic hits mingle with contemporary blockbusters, TV season sets with box set collections! And together a tapestry of must-own titles for everyone is woven. Here are this week’s new DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD releases!
Jungle Cruise (2021)
In 1916, botanist Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) headed to the jungles of Brazil, seeking to prove that a legendary tree with miraculous healing properties was no mere myth. Chartering the steamboat of cranky captain Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), her party will find endless perils from sources natural and mystical, as well as a fanatical German noble (Jesse Plemons) racing them for the prize. Fun family adventure inspired by the venerable Disney theme park ride co-stars Jack Whitehall, Edgar Ramirez.
Candyman (2021)
Today, the Chicago projects once terrorized by an uncanny urban legend have long since been gentrified–and graphic artist/local product Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) now shared an upscale loft with his gallery runner girlfriend (Teyonah Parris). Starved for inspiration, he started looking into the Candyman myth…only to uncover buried trauma and something far, far worse. Sequel/reboot for the ’90s fear franchise co-stars Colman Domingo, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Vanessa A. Williams, and Tony Todd.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
A fascination with both religion and showmanship drove Minnesota teen Tammy Faye La Valley (Jessica Chastain) to marriage with minister Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) and into religious broadcasting, where their “PTL Club” became a televangelism staple of the ’70s and ’80s. She’d face a daunting task to rebuild life and reputation after Jim’s infidelities and financial fraud thereafter came to light. Michael Showalter’s earnest biopic co-stars Vincent D’Onofrio, Cherry Jones.
National Velvet (1944)
In the classic family drama that made her a star, Elizabeth Taylor is English farm girl Velvet Brown, who wins a seemingly untamable horse in the village lottery. With help from an ex-jockey (Mickey Rooney), Velvet sets out to train the steed and run him in the famed Grand National steeplechase race. With Donald Crisp, Angela Lansbury, and Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner Anne Revere.
Once Upon a Time in China: The Complete Films (Criterion Collection)
Six-disc set includes all five Once Upon a Time in China films.
This Is Us: The Complete Season 5 (2021)
When one of their triplets is stillborn, Caucasian couple Jack and Rebecca Pearson adopt an African-American baby born on the same day. Debuting in 2016, this acclaimed and offbeat NBC drama series jumps between past and present as it tells the moving story of the Pearsons and their children Randall, Kate, and Kevin over the course of many years. Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley star. All 18 episodes from the fifth season are included in this four-disc set.
Middle-Earth: 31 Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD)
Every one of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film in their theatrical and extended versions are included in this 31-disc set that also includes an incredible assortment of special features and collectible packaging.
Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948)
Oil heiress Jean Courtland (Gail Russell) was gravely approached by nightclub mentalist John Triton (Edward G. Robinson), her father’s onetime best friend. He declared that his abilities weren’t merely an act, and that he had foreseen her family’s wealth, her mother’s death in childbirth…and that she herself would die within the week. Long-sought chiller based on a Cornell Woolrich novel also stars John Lund, Virginia Bruce, William Demarest; John Farrow directs.
Caveat (2020)
Out of the hospital after an accident inducing partial memory loss, Isaac (Jonathan French) took the temp job dangled by onetime landlord Barrett (Ben Caplan) as companion to his troubled niece Olga (Leila Sykes) at her isolated home. Agreeing to be shackled in the house because of his charge’s paranoia, Isaac will find the odd surroundings, Olga’s bizarre behavior and the trickle of his returning recall combining for a descent into madness. Conor Dwane also stars.
National Lampoon’s Movie Madness (1982)
Such Hollywood genres as cop thrillers, soap opera melodramas, and inspirational biographies are spoofed in this trilogy of outrageous parodies. “Growing Yourself” follows a husband and father’s (Peter Riegert) strange self-improvement journey; see how a college grad (Ann Dusenberry) goes from stripper to margarine magnate, in “Success Wanters”; and two cops (Robby Benson, Richard Widmark) track a killer (Christopher Lloyd), in “Municipalians.” With Candy Clark, Diane Lane. AKA: “National Lampoon Goes to the Movies.”
Jingle Bell Bride (2020)
NYC wedding planner Jessica Perez (Julie Gonzalo) knew what a coup bringing off the Christmas Eve nuptials of pop diva Renee (Donna Benedicto) would be–so when the bride demanded the out-of-season “Jingle Bell” for her wedding flowers, she shrugged and flew to the one small Alaskan town that currently had them. Will be she as prepared to return once things start to blossom with handsome local florist Matt (Ronnie Rowe)? BJ Harrison, Lucia Walters, Lindsay Gibson co-star.
Breakheart Pass (1975)
In the 1870s, a train bound for a plague-stricken army fort bearing medicine and reinforcements stops to pick up a notorious outlaw (Charles Bronson) escorted by a marshal (Ben Johnson). Soon, the journey is tormented by hidden killers… Who’s responsible? The surprises never stop in this twist-laden, slam-bang western actioner. Charles Durning, Jill Ireland, Richard Crenna co-star; Alistair MacLean adapted his novel for the screen.
Fast & Furious: 9-Movie Collection
The first nine films in the Fast & Furious saga are included in this ten-disc set.
Our Ladies (2021)
It was 1996, and the choir girls from a Catholic school in the Highlands won the chance to represent at a competition in Edinburgh. Once in town, however, the rambunctious young women were far more interested in taking the opportunity to sneak off for a smoke, a drink, or a snog than practicing their harmonies. Audacious dramedy adapted from Alan Warner’s novel “The Sopranos” stars Tallulah Greive, Abigail Lawrie, Rona Morison, Sally Messham, Marli Siu.
Pose: The Complete Season 3 (2021)
The triumphs and tragedies that emerged from the interactions for habitués of Manhattan’s drag ball culture during the age of AIDS fueled Ryan Murphy’s acclaimed ensemble drama that aired on FX over 2018-2021. Constants included Mj Rodriguez as HIV-positive trans Blanca, Dominique Jackson as rival house mother Elektra, and Billy Porter as mentoring emcee Pray Tell; Indya Moore, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Angelica Ross also starred. 8 episodes on 2 discs.
Josie and the Pussycats (20th Anniversary Edition)(2001)
Hot newcomers Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), Melody (Tara Reid), and Val (Rosario Dawson) are three small-town musicians with big dreams but little future. Then fate gives the Pussycats the chance of a lifetime when and manager Wyatt (Alan Cumming) of MegaRecords signs them overnight to an awesome recording contract. Suddenly, Josie and the Pussycats are living life in the fast lane with sold out concerts, # 1 single, and global stardom. But it’s not a limousines and private jets. The Pussycats soon discover they’re being played like pawns in an evil plot by the record label’s maniacal CEO Fiona (Parker Posey) to control the youth of America. For it’s the 20th Anniversary, the story of the all-girl rock band that became a national sensation is on Blu-ray and packed with Special Features!
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
Languishing in the lockup of the garish Samurai Town, career criminal Hero (Nicolas Cage) has a shot at a pardon from The Governor (Bill Mosely) if he can invade neighboring, nuked-out Ghostland and rescue precious, abducted sex worker Bernice (Sofia Boutella). To make sure he stays on mission, our protagonist is fitted out with an explosives-laden suit that’ll blow if he deviates. Expectedly out-there English language bow for director Sion Sono co-stars Nick Cassavetes, Tak Sakaguchi.
The Far Country (1954)
Classic western saga from director Anthony Mann stars James Stewart as self-made cattleman Jeff Webster, who dreams of striking it rich in the Klondike gold rush. After moving his herd to Alaska, Webster soon finds trouble in the form of a crooked judge (John McIntire) and the reckless nature of his fellow prospectors. Will his yearn for money spell his downfall? Engaging Northern frontier adventure co-stars Walter Brennan, Ruth Roman, Corinne Calvet, Harry Morgan.
The Resort (2021)
As horror novelist Lex (Bianca Haase) was stuck for inspiration, her three buddies chipped in for a Hawaiian trip–specifically, to a small isle housing an abandoned tourist hotel legendarily haunted by an apparition called the “Half-Faced Girl.” Unfortunately, they’ll find out she’s no mere legend–and in this context, “Aloha” definitely means “Goodbye.” Sun-splashed shocker also stars Michael Vlamis, Michelle Randolph, Brock O’Hurn, Romualdo Castillo.
Megan Is Missing (2021)
Inspired by actual events, this powerful drama chronicles the disappearance of 14-year-old Megan Stewart. Three weeks after the teen vanished in January of 2007, her best friend did as well. Through dramatizations of video chats, webcam footage, home videos, and news reports, the pair’s true fate is revealed–providing insight into the dangers of modern technology along the way. Amber Perkins, Rachel Quinn, Dean Waite star.
Yakuza Princess (2021)
Having grown up orphaned within Sao Paulo’s Japanese community, Akemi (Masumi) made the stunning discovery that she was the blood heiress to half of her homeland’s legendary crime syndicate. Now, the other half wants to ensure she doesn’t live to claim her legacy–and she’ll have to rely on an amnesiac but skilled stranger (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) for their mutual survival. Adaptation of the Danilo Beyruth comic “Samurai Shiro” also stars Tsuyoshi Ihara, Kenny Leu, Eijiro Ozaki.
The Year: 2017. Humanity is facing new challenges and dangers as they have built settlements throughout the Solar System in their conquest of unknown lands during the Age of Neo Frontier Era. The Super GUTS team is a seven person fighting force, as intelligent as they are courageous. Their task; to investigate unusual phenomena and protect mankind from overwhelming danger.Without warning, the Martian settlement is attacked by a mysterious “Sphere” which transforms to an immense insect-like monster. The Super GUTS team springs into action, taking on the beast in a tough battle. During the fight, Agent Asuka is surrounded by a dazzling light and a new giant of light appears!
Among the Living (1941)
Back in his decaying Southern factory hometown for his father’s funeral, businessman John Raden (Albert Dekker) learned he received the whole estate, including the dilapidated family mansion. He also received the shocking news that his presumed dead, mentally impaired twin brother Paul (Dekker, again) had been kept a prisoner within–and was now very much on the loose. Moody, long-demanded early noir also stars Susan Hayward, Frances Farmer, Harry Carey.
Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks (1967)
One of the most popular shows in British TV history, this long-running, shoestring-budgeted sci-fi saga followed the exploits of “the Doctor,” a maverick scientist and adventurer who traversed space and time in the TARDIS, a high-tech craft disguised (well, stuck, actually) as a London police box. William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy starred as the various eccentric incarnations of the Doctor during the series’s initial 1963-1989 run.
The Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and Jamie’s search for the missing TARDIS leads them to the year 1866, where they meet new companion Victoria and attempt to foil the latest dastardly Dalek plot. This animated version of the largely missing 1967 story features the original audio and the surviving second episode in live-action.
Ragtime (1981)
Director Milos Foreman spun E.L. Doctorow’s semi-fictional novel of 1900s Americana into a richly detailed period piece, as the fates of the era’s famous and infamous intertwined with those of a well-off New Rochelle family, Harlem pianist Coalhouse Walker (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.), and Jewish immigrant Tateh (Mandy Patinkin). Exceptional ensemble cast also features Mary Steenburgen, Brad Dourif, Elizabeth McGovern, Debbie Allen, and–after a 20-year screen hiatus–James Cagney.
H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man: The Complete TV Series (1958)
H.G. Wells’ unseen protagonist came to the small screen in this British-made series that ran on CBS from 1958-60. Rendered invisible in a lab accident, scientist Peter Brady becomes a secret government agent while trying to find a way to reverse the effects. Lisa Daniely and Deborah Watling starred, with Johnny Scripps and Tim Turner “appearing” uncredited as Brady’s body and voice, respectively. 26 episodes on 3 discs.
Chato’s Land (1972)
Charles Bronson is at his steely best as Pardon Chato, a half-Apache who kills a white lawman in self-defense in a saloon argument, then finds himself being trailed by a posse headed by former Confederate officer Capt. Quincey Whitmore (Jack Palance). Chato manages to make his way back to his family, but when his pursuers catch up to him and his wife (Sonia Rangan) is brutally raped, he vows bloody revenge. James Whitmore, Simon Oakland, and Richard Basehart co-star.
Deported (1950)
Italian-born Vittorio Mario Sparducci (Jeff Chandler) is better known to U.S. law enforcement as gangster Vic Smith. When Smith is caught and sent packing back to Italy, he falls for sultry widow Countess Christine di Lorenzi (Märta Torén) and wastes no time resuming his criminal activities, becoming quickly mixed up in a nefarious black market operation. Claude Dauphin, Marina Berti, Richard Rober also star in this Euro-flavored film noir.
The Accused (1949)
Psychology professor Wilma Tuttle (Loretta Young) made the mistake of accepting a lift home from a boorish student (Douglas Dick)…and when he attempts to sexually assault her, she accidentally kills him in self-defense. Rigging the scene to look like an accident and leaving, she tries to go on with her life…but there’s the matter of the dogged investigating cop (Wendell Corey), as well as her growing mutual attraction with the dead boy’s guardian (Robert Cummings). Effective suspenser co-stars Sam Jaffe, Sara Allgood.
Some Came Running (1958)
While on a bender, washed-out writer and WWII vet Dave Hirsh (Frank Sinatra)–in the company of floozy Ginny Moorehead (Shirley MacLaine)–hopped a bus to his small Indiana home town. As he seeks to reconnect with family and fit back in, he finds that the idealized surface of the community covers a multitude of deceptions and lies, in Vincente Minnelli’s filming of the James Jones novel. Dean Martin, Arthur Kennedy, Martha Hyer also star.
Click here for a complete overview of all of this week’s new releases!