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Sixties generation

March 7

Christmas Bloody Christmas

(2022) Riley Dandy, Sam Delich, Abe Benrubi, Jeff Daniel Phillips. It’s Christmas Eve and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Dandy) just wants to get drunk and party, until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated. Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal and violence, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick himself. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: "Behind the Scenes of Christmas Bloody Christmas," "The SFX of Christmas Bloody Christmas," "The Cast of Christmas Bloody Christmas." (RLJE Films).

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Ghost Town

(2023) Owen Conway, Eva Hamilton, Becky Jo Harris, Robert Sprayberry. Supernatural Western set in 1877 Arizona, where a drifter takes a job as a barman. After a series of bizarre and horrifying deaths, he finds himself the target of suspicion. Desperate to escape the noose, he is soon at the center of a supernatural mystery that plagues this town. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Uncork’d Entertainment).

The House That Screamed

(1969 -- Spain) Spain's first major horror film production, "The House that Screamed" is a stylish gothic tale of tortured passions and bloody murder that bridges the bloody gap between "Psycho" and "Suspiria." Thérèse (Cristina Galbó) is the latest arrival at the boarding school for wayward girls run under the stern, authoritarian eye of Mme Fourneau (Lilli Palmer). As the newcomer becomes accustomed to the strict routines, the whip-hand hierarchies among the girls and their furtive extra-curricular methods of release from within the forbidding walls of institutional life, she learns that several of her fellow students have recently vanished mysteriously. Meanwhile, tensions grow within this isolated hothouse environment as Mme Fourneau's callow but curious 15-year-old son Louis (John Moulder-Brown) ignores his mother's strict orders not to get close to the "tainted" ladies under her ward. Directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador this landmark title in Spanish genre cinema has been restored to its director's original full-length vision for the first time. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Brand new audio commentary by critic Anna Bogutskaya; "This Boy’s Innocence," a previously unreleased interview with actor John Moulder-Brown; archive interview with Mary Maude, from the 2012 edition of the Festival of Fantastic Films; "All About My Mama," a brand new interview with Juan Tébar, author of the original story; "The Legacy of Terror," a brand new interview with the director's son, Alejandro Ibáñez; "Screaming the House Down," a brand new interview with Spanish horror expert Dr Antonio Lázaro-Reboll, discussing the history of the film and its director; alternative footage from the original Spanish theatrical version; original trailers, TV and radio spots; image gallery; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch; FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Shelagh Rowan-Legg and double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment). Read more here.

Let It Be Morning

(2023 -- Israel) Juna Suleiman, Salim Daw, Ehab Salami, Khalifa Natour, Izabel Ramadan. Israel’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, and an official selection at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Sami lives in Jerusalem with his wife and child, and an invitation to his brother’s wedding forces him to return to the Arab village where he grew up. After the wedding, with no warning or explanation, the village is put under military lockdown by Israeli soldiers and cut off from the outside world. Chaos rises overnight amongst those stuck within the walls. Director Eran Kolirin (The Band’s Visit) brings Sayed Kashua’s bestselling novel to life, exposing the absurdist world of Palestinian reality while highlighting human stories of being trapped in an unexpected situation. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Cohen Film Collection).

Mildred Pierce 4K UHD

(1945) Melodrama casts noirish shadows in this portrait of maternal sacrifice from Hollywood master Michael Curtiz. Joan Crawford’s iconic performance as Mildred, a single mother hell-bent on freeing her children from the stigma of economic hardship, solidified Crawford’s career comeback and gave the actor her only Oscar. But as Mildred pulls herself up by her bootstraps, first as an unflappable waitress and eventually as the well-heeled owner of a successful restaurant chain, the ingratitude of her materialistic firstborn (a diabolical Ann Blyth) becomes a venomous serpent’s tooth, setting in motion an endless cycle of desperate overtures and heartless recriminations. Recasting James M. Cain’s rich psychological novel as a murder mystery, this bitter cocktail of blind parental love and all-American ambition is both unremittingly hard-boiled and sumptuously emotional. Formats: 4K UHD, with 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features. Extras: Conversation with critics Molly Haskell and Robert Polito; excerpt from a 1970 episode of "The David Frost Show" featuring Crawford; "Joan Craw­ford: The Ultimate Movie Star," a 2002 feature-length documentary; Q&A with actor Ann Blyth from 2006, presented by filmmaker Marc Huestis and conducted by film historian Eddie Muller; segment from a 1969 episode of the "Today" show featuring "Mildred Pierce" novelist James M. Cain; trailer; an essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith. Read more here. (The Criterion Collection).

Women Talking

(2023) The women of an isolated religious colony reveal a shocking secret about the colony's men. For years, the men have occasionally drugged the women and then raped them. The truth comes out and the women talk about their situation, reconciling their reality with their faith. An adaptation of Miriam Toews’s internationally bestselling novel of the same name and inspired by true events. Vitals: Director: Sarah Polley. Stars: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Ben Whishaw, Frances McDormand. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 104 min., Drama, North American box office gross: $4.878 million, worldwide $6.533 million, Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Read more here

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March 14

Alice Darling

(2022) Anna Kendrick, Kaniehtiio Horn, Charlie Carrick, Wunmi Mosaku. Thriller about a woman pushed to the breaking point by her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Simon. While on vacation with two close girlfriends, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective. Slowly, she starts to fray the cords of codependency that bind her. But Simon’s vengeance is as inevitable as it is shattering – and, once unleashed, it tests Alice’s strength, her courage, and the bonds of her deep-rooted friendships. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate).

All Eyes Off Me

(2021 -- Israel) Elisheva Weil, Leib Levin, Yoav Hayt. Tel Aviv, today. At a party, an anxious girl named Danny is looking for Max, a recent casual fling, to share that she's pregnant with his child. Through the haze of drugs and promiscuity of the partygoers, Danny doesn't get far in her search. Meanwhile, Max is busy with his new girlfriend, Avishag. He attempts to realize her rough sexual fantasies but Avishag instead turns her attention to another burgeoning relationship with Dror, an older man she dog-sits for. In these three, loosely connected vignettes, director Hadas Ben Aroya's second feature film proves to be an atmospheric exploration of a self-possessed generation of young Israelis. Though beautiful, confident, and sexually liberated, the film addresses the physical limits of intimacy, questioning just how liberated these youths really are when faced with vulnerability. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Film Movement).

A Bag of Marbles

(2017 -- France) This is the true story of two young Jewish brothers in German occupied France who, with a mind-boggling mix of mischievousness, courage and ingenuity, were able to fend for themselves in order to survive the Nazi invasion and try bring their family back together. The heartwarming adaptation of Joseph Joffo’s memoir tells the story of two young Jewish boys, Joseph and Maurice, the sons of Roman, the local barber. At ages 10 and 12, the boys have so little understanding of the persecution of Jews that Joseph thinks nothing of swapping his yellow star for a bag of marbles. Despite their naiveté, Roman knows that their best chance to escape the Nazi roundup is to flee on their own to Vichy, France, where their older brothers Albert and Henri have found safe haven. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Omnibus Entertainment).

Blue Thermal

(2022 -- Japan) The long-awaited feature film adaptation of author and creator Kana Ozawa’s popular manga series which ran in Shinchosha’s Monthly Comic @Bunch Magazine for many years before being published in five book volumes. This artful and beautiful coming-of-age movie captures the tension and excitement of a young college student who joins the school's aviation club flying for the first time, as well as the beauty and exhilaration of the aerial scenery as seen from the pilot's seat. Arriving from Nagasaki with her wishful mantra is Tamaki Tsuru, who in high school could think only about volleyball. Things don’t begin well, however, when she looks for an extracurricular club to join and proceeds to immediately ding a glider at aviation club tryouts ending up having to work it off. She is initially disillusioned with campus life. Then Kuramochi, the club leader and glider pilot, takes Tamaki under his wing, and from the moment he takes her up for a flight in a glider, Tamaki becomes a captive of the vast beauty of the skies. The film's theme song "Blue Thermal" and the song "Beautiful Bird" are performed by the popular Japanese piano rock band SHE'S. Formats: Blu-ray, Digital. Extras: Interview with director Masaki Tachibana, character profiles. (Eleven Arts/Shout! Factory).

The Grand Tour

(1991) A widowed innkeeper battles a band of disaster-groupies from the future with explosive results. Ben Wilson (Jeff Daniels) and his daughter (Ariana Richards) buy an old Victorian mansion and begin renovations with plans to open up an inn. Their first guests are a strange and mysterious covey of tourists led by the eccentric Madame Lovine (Marilyn Lightstone). In an emotionally charged and suspenseful race against time, Ben must battle the seductive time bandits as well as his own personal demons in an attempt to save his daughter and the town from total destruction. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Unearthed Classics/MVD Entertainment).

Junk Head

(2017 -- Japan) In the future, humans try to escape global destruction by moving underground in this award winning stop-motion animated film by Takehide Hori. Mankind can no longer reproduce because of gene manipulation aimed at making life longer. The clones ruling the bottomless underworld may have become fertile. Parton is selected to go on a mission through a subterranean labyrinth crawling with monsters to secure humanity's future. Formats: DVD. (Synergetic Distribution/MVD Entertainment).

Last Hurrah for Chivalry

(1979 -- Hong Kong) Before he became known as the master of the bullet-riddled heroic tragedy, John Woo sharpened his trademark themes and kinetic action choreography with this whirlwind wuxia spectacle. Unaware they are caught in a deadly game of deception, a pair of rambunctious swordsmen (Wai Pak and Damian Lau) join forces to help a nobleman (Lau Kong) in his quest for vengeance. Paying thrilling homage to his mentor, martial-arts innovator Chang Cheh, Woo delivers both bravura swordplay set pieces and a bloodstained interrogation of the meaning of brotherhood and honor in a world in which loyalty is bought and sold. Formats: Blu-ray, with 2K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio and uncompressed monaural soundtracks. Alternate English-dubbed tracks. Extras: Audio interview with director John Woo; new interview with Grady Hendrix, author of "These Fists Break Bricks"; trailer; an essay by scholar Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park. Read more here. (The Criterion Collection).

A Man Called Otto

(2023) Based on the comical and moving # 1 New York Times bestseller, the film tells the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grumpy widower who is very set in his ways. When a lively young family moves in next door, he meets his match in quick-witted and very pregnant Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that will turn his world upside-down. A remake of the fantastic original film adaptation of the novel "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman (2015 Swedish film "A Man Called Ove" directed by Hannes Holm). Vitals: Director: Marc Forster. Stars: Tom Hanks, Rachel Keller, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Cameron Britton, Mack Bayda. 2023, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 126 min., Comedy Drama, US box office gross: $62.802 million, worldwide $106.202 million, Sony. Formats: DVD + Digital Code, Blu-ray + Digital Code, VOD, Digital.

Mike Judge’s Beavis & Butt-Head Season 1

(2022) Three-disc set with all 12 episodes from the latest series, and includes the Paramount +’s original movie, "Beavis & Butt-Head Do the Universe." Nearing their 30th anniversary, Beavis & Butt-Head, America’s favorite culture critics, are back. They now have more than just music videos to make fun of – reality TV, the internet, and Mixed Martial Arts will all be crossing their TV screen. Brought back by creator Mike Judge, Beavis and Butt-Head are dumber than ever. In the movie "Beavis & Butt-Head Do the Universe," Beavis and Butt-Head go on a Space Shuttle mission in 1998, fall into a black hole, and reemerge on Earth in 2022, where they are pursued by the NSA, the Governor of Texas, and a highly-intelligent version of themselves from a parallel universe. Formats: DVD. (Paramount).

Phenomena [4K Ultra HD]

(1985) From Italian master of the macabre Dario Argento one of his most beautifully designed horror films - now remastered in 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Vision in a two-disc set. The young Jennifer Corvino, played by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Connelly, is sent to a private Swiss academy for girls where a vicious killer is on the loose. Jennifer has the unique ability to telepathically communicate with insects and an entomologist, Dr. John McGregor (Donald Pleasence, enlists her help in locating the murderer. As the mystery unfolds, they find themselves in a bizarre murder plot with maggots, telepathic insects and a razor-wielding chimpanzee. Can Jennifer uncover the killer's identity before becoming a victim herself? Phenomena features a fantastic soundtrack from progressive-rock gods Goblin, British heavy metal masters Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Andi Sex Gang, Bill Wyman and Simon Boswell. Dalila Di Lazarro ("Andy Warhol's Frankenstein"), Daria Nicolodi ("Tenebrae"), Patrick Bauchau ("Clear and Present Danger") and Fiore Argento ("Demons") also star in this truly unique, gory and unsettling thriller. New 4K restorations of all three versions of "Phenomena," including the original Italian version (116 mins.), the International cut (110 mins.), and the U.S. “Creepers” cut (83 mins.) Formats: 4K Ultra HD. Extras: U.S. theatrical trailer and radio spots for "Creepers"; original Italian and international theatrical trailers; audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of "Murder by Design: The Unsane Cinema of Dario Argento" (on Italian Version); audio commentary on the international version by Argento scholar and author Derek Botelho and film historian, journalist and radio/television commentator David Del Valle; "Of Flies and Maggots," a feature-length 2017 documentary produced by Arrow Films, including interviews with co-writer/producer/director Dario Argento, actors Fiore Argento, Davide Marotta, Daria Nicolodi and others; "The Three Sarcophagi," a visual essay by Arrow Films producer Michael Mackenzie comparing the different cuts of "Phenomena"; “Jennifer” music video, directed by Dario Argento; slipcover/o-card with beautiful artwork from artist Nick Charge; reversible cover with original Italian PHENOMENA art. (Synapse Films/MVD Entertainment). Read more here.

Secret Defense

(1997 -- France) Jacques Rivette; Sandrine Bonnaire, Jerzy Radziwilowicz, Gregoire Colin, Francoise Fabian. When a brilliant scientist (Bonnaire) discovers that her father did not die accidentally but was murdered by a family friend, she swears vengeance. However, she soon finds herself deeply embroiled in a mystery of lust and intrigue. And when she discovers the truth about her father, it threatens to shake her very foundations in this fascinating thriller. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: Commentary by director emeritus, New York Film Festival & Professor of Film and Media Studies, Columbia University Richard Peña. (Cohen Film Collection).

Texas Chainsaw Mascara

(2022) A group of New Yorkers take a road trip to Texas, intent on seeing the locations of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They never make it. Their car breaks down and they trust a local woman to lead them toward help. Their northern attitudes anger the wrong people, and a series of gruesome events follow. Formats: Blu-ray. (Grimoire of Exalted Deeds/MVD Entertainment).

The Walking Dead” Season 11

(2021-22) Six-disc set with all 24 episodes. In the epic final season of “The Walking Dead,” Daryl and Maggie embark on a risky mission with Negan to root out the shadowy Reapers while Eugene and Ezekiel make contact with the sprawling Commonwealth. To secure aid for Alexandria – their goal – they must assimilate ... a tough ask for people who’ve seen no end of deceit, betrayal, and loss. Stunned by the Commonwealth’s resources, the group slowly adjusts to their new home, but they can’t ignore what lurks beneath its seemingly civilized surface. Soon, threats abound, loyalties are tested, and shocking fates await. But the fight for the future, threatened by an ever-growing population of walkers, means the walking dead will live on. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code.(Lionsgate).

The Whale

(2023) A reclusive morbidly obese English teacher, living alone in the wake of a tragedy, attempts to reconnect with his teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption in filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's transcendent, emotional epic. Nominated for three Academy Awards and featuring a career-defining performance from Brendan Fraser, "The Whale" is a deeply moving story of heartache, empathy, and grace. Vitals: Director: Darren Aronofsky. Stars: Brendan Fraser,Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton. 2023, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Drama, US box office gross: $16.619 million, worldwide $24,387 million, A24 Films. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Read more here

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March 21

Babylon

(2022) Follows an ambitious cast of characters — The Silent Film Superstar (Brad Pitt), the Young Starlet (Margot Robbie), the Production Executive (Diego Calva), the Musical Sensation (Jovan Adepo) and the Alluring Powerhouse Performer (Li Jun Li) — who are striving to stay on top of the raucous, 1920s Hollywood scene -- an era of unbridled decadence and depravity -- and maintain their relevance at a time when the industry is moving on to the next best thing. Vitals: Director: Damien Chazelle. Stars: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart. 2022, CC, MPAA rating: R, 189 min., Comedy Drama, North American box office gross: $15.351 million, worldwide $56.351 million, Paramount. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: "A Panoramic Canvas Called Babylon"; "The Costumes of Babylon"; "Scoring Babylon"; deleted & extended scenes. Read more here

The Headmistress

(2023) Katherine Bellantone, Ayden Skye, Tom Dacey Carr, DeChantel Kosmatka, Hunter O'Harrow. A debt-ridden teacher gets a lucky break when she inherits an abandoned lakefront inn. She takes a group of potential buyers to visit the property where the unfortunate investors discover a dark, sinister secret that threatens them all. A malignant supernatural force is determined to keep them there foreve. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Indiecan Pictures). Read more here

Inland Empire

(2006) “Strange, what love does.” The role of a lifetime, a Hollywood mystery, a woman in trouble ... David Lynch’s first digitally shot feature makes visionary use of the medium to weave a vast meditation on the enigmas of time, identity, and cinema itself. Featuring a tour de force performance from Laura Dern as an actor on the edge, this labyrinthine Dream Factory nightmare tumbles down an endless series of unfathomably interconnected rabbit holes as it takes viewers on a hallucinatory odyssey into the deepest realms of the unconscious mind. Formats: Blu-ray, with new HD digital master, made from the 4K restoration supervised by director David Lynch, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio and uncompressed stereo soundtracks, newly remastered by Lynch and original rerecording mixers Dean Hurley and Ron Eng. Extras: Two films from 2007, "LYNCH (one)" and "LYNCH2," by blackANDwhite, the makers of "David Lynch: The Art Life"; new conversation between actors Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan; "More Things That Happened," 75 minutes of extra scenes; "Ballerina," a 2007 short film by Lynch; reading by Lynch of excerpts from "Room to Dream," his 2018 book with critic Kristine McKenna; trailer; excerpts from Richard A. Barney’s book "David Lynch: Interviews." Read more here. (The Criterion Collection).

Joyride

(2022) Charlie Reid, Olivia Colman. Fleeing from his father, 12-year-old Mully steals a taxi and is shocked to find a stranger in the back seat with a baby. Joy has decided to give her child away to a friend, and Mully is on the run from his debt-ridden dad. And so, two lovable rogues go on a wild journey across Ireland, gradually finding the friendship and love they never knew they needed in each other. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Read more here (Magnolia Home Entertainment).

Legend of Gatotakaca

(2022 -- Indonesia) Rizky Nazar, Yasmin Napper, Edward Akbar, Sigi Wimala, Yayan Ruhian. After witnessing the shocking murder of his best friend by a masked assassin with terrifying superpowers, Yuda stumbles upon a secret prophecy long concealed by powerful people. After unlocking dormant abilities of his own, Yuda discovers that he -- an ordinary college kid with no belief in the old legends -- may very well be the key to winning the upcoming battle against an ancient evil. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Well Go USA).

M3GAN

(2023) M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma, M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. As Gemma faces pressure at work from her boss to deliver a finished version of M3GAN, she suddenly becomes the unprepared caretaker of her newly orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady. Gemma decides to pair the M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems -- a decision that will have unimaginable consequences. Vitals: Director: Gerard Johnstone. Stars: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng. 2023, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 131 min., Sci Fi Horror, North American box office gross: $92.106 million, worldwide $167.313 million, Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: "A New Vision of Horror," "Bringing Life to M3GAN," "Getting Hacked." Read more here

Seriously Red

(2022) Krew Boylan, Daniel Webber, Celeste Barber, Thomas Campbell, Todd Lasance, Jean Kittson, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne. Red (Boylan) lost her job as a real estate agent, but there’s something no one can take away from her: her dream of becoming the world’s greatest Dolly Parton impersonator! After her act attracts the attentions of an amorous Elvis impersonator (Byrne) and a powerful booking agent (Cannavale), Red is catapulted into the top tier of copycat acts, becoming the onstage and romantic partner of the top Kenny Rogers impersonator. But when Red’s life as an imitator starts to feel false, she discovers true happiness comes when you’re being the best version of yourself. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Copy, VOD. Extras: Commentary with director Gracie Otto. (Lionsgate). Read more here

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season One

(2022) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes of the series based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Featuring fan-favorites from "Star Trek: Discovery: Season Two" – Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock – the series follows the crew in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD. Extras: Cast and crew interviews, gag reel, deleted scenes, more. (Paramount).

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T-Shirts for Adults and Kids (Totes, Cups Too)

March 28

Adalynn

(2023) Sydney Carvill, Wade Baker, Janet Carter. In order to keep herself and her newborn baby alive, a mother must fight to overcome postpartum depression, grief, inner demons, sinister impulses, and an unseen tormentor until her husband can return home from his business trip to help her. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Summer Hill Films). Read more here

Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham

(2023) Inspired by the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Richard Pace and Troy Nixey, this animated feature is a 1920s-based tale that finds explorer Bruce Wayne accidentally unleashing an ancient evil, expediting his return to Gotham City after a two-decade hiatus. The logic/science-driven Batman must battle Lovecraftian supernatural forces threatening the sheer existence of Gotham, along the way being aided and confronted by reimagined versions of his well-known allies and enemies, including Green Arrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, James Gordon and Bruce’s beloved wards. Formats: Blu-ray + Digital, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital, Digital. Extras: "Batman: Shadows of Gotham," commentary. (Warner).

Black Sunday

(1977) Throughout the 1970s, a wave of daring disaster movies gripped cinemagoers with their combination of bravura spectacle and "ripped from the headlines" plotlines. Among these, John Frankenheimer's "Black Sunday" endures to this day as among the cream of the crop. Robert Shaw ("Jaws," "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three") stars as Major Kabakov, an Israeli agent attempting to avert a terrorist atrocity on US soil. The weapon: a blimp laced with explosives and piloted by Michael Lander (Bruce Dern), a troubled Vietnam vet driven to strike back against the nation he believes has betrayed him. The target: the Orange Bowl stadium, Miami. What follows is a nail-biting race against time culminating in a spectacular aerial climax that will determine the fate of 80,000 spectators. Adapted from the best-selling debut novel by Thomas Harris ("The Silence of the Lambs") and featuring virtuoso performances by a cast headlined by Dern, Shaw and Marthe Keller ("Marathon Man"), "Black Sunday" is a nerve-shredding, best-in-class suspense thriller from a filmmaker at the top of his game. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Brand new audio commentary by film scholar Josh Nelson; "It Could Be Tomorrow" brand new visual essay by critic Sergio Angelini, exploring the film’s adaptation and production, and its place within the pantheon of 70s terrorism thrillers; "The Directors: John Frankenheimer" hour-long portrait of the director from 2003, including interviews with Frankenheimer, Kirk Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Roy Scheider, Rod Steiger and others; image gallery; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain; FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment). Read more here.

Chilly Scenes of Winter

(1979) The trailblazing Joan Micklin Silver -— one of only five women to direct a film for a Hollywood studio in the 1970s -— digs fearlessly into the psychology of a thorny relationship in this anti–romantic comedy, based on Ann Beattie’s best-selling novel, about lovelorn civil servant Charles (John Heard) and his married-but-separated coworker Laura (Mary Beth Hurt). Months after their affair has ended, Charles is haunted by memories as he desperately attempts to rekindle a love that perhaps never was. Switching deftly between past and present, Micklin Silver guides this piercing deconstruction of male wish-fulfillment fantasy beyond standard movie-romance tropes into something more complicated and cuttingly truthful. Formats: Blu-ray, with new, restored 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras: New program featuring producers Griffin Dunne, Mark Metcalf, and Amy Robinson; documentary from 1983 by Katja Raganelli about director Joan Micklin Silver; excerpts of a 2005 interview with Micklin Silver; original ending of the film, cut by Micklin Silver for its rerelease in 1982; trailer; an essay by scholar Shonni Enelow. Read more here. (The Criterion Collection).

Code of the Assassins

(2022 -- China) William Feng, Jun Hu, Gina Jin, Qingxiang Wang. In this wuxia fantasy action-adventure, a distinguished young assassin, trained by the best, receives his first assignment for a secret society of assassins. Failing to complete his mission, he becomes a fugitive hunted by the government, shadowy figures and rival assassin groups. With his weaponized mechanical hand, he must survive double crosses, gadget-arsenal armed killers and clashing factions to find a secret treasure map and get to the bottom of the huge conspiracy he finds himself tangled in.. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Well Go USA).

Knockabout

(1979 -- Hong Kong) Having established himself as Hong Kong's premier action choreographer throughout the 1970s, Sammo Hung ended the decade by directing a non-stop assault of kung fu classics for Golden Harvest, starting with the brutal "Iron-Fisted Monk." But it would be his 1979 directorial effort that would finally give his Peking Opera brother-in-arms, acrobatic ace Yuen Biao, his first chance at leading man status. Brothers and partners-in-crime, Yipao (Biao) and Taipao (Leung Kar-Yan), have made an up-and-down career out of being hustlers, conning everyone from bank tellers to casino dealers. One day, they push their luck with the wrong man, martial arts master Chia Wu Dao (legendary Shaw Brothers fight choreographer Lau Kar-Wing), but convince him to reluctantly become their teacher in hand-to-hand combat. But upon learning Chia's dangerous true nature, Yipao turns to another master: a portly blinking beggar (Hung) trained in the ways of the monkey fist. Will this new skill defeat Chia's secret snake style? Combining Hung's hard-hitting choreography with the Mo Lei Tau style of humor that was increasing in popularity at the time, "Knockabout" is a thrill-a-minute action spectacular that would pave the way for later masterpieces such as Hung and Biao's subsequent collaboration, the Wing Chun tour-de-force "The Prodigal Son." 2K restorations from the original elements by Fortune Star of both the original HK Theatrical Cut and the shorter Export Cut. Original lossless Cantonese and Mandarin mono audio for the HK Theatrical Cut, plus lossless English mono for both cuts. Two choices of English dubbed audio for the HK Theatrical Cut: the original export dub mono and the newer 5.1 dub created for international DVD presentations. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Read more here. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment)

Missing

(2023) When her mother (Nia Long) disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June's (Storm Reid) search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it's too late. But as she digs deeper, her digital sleuthing raises more questions than answers ... and when June unravels secrets about her mom, she discovers that she never really knew her at all. Vitals: Director: Nick Johnson, Will Merrick. Stars: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Daniel Henney, Nia Long. CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 111 min., Mystery, North American box office gross: $32.401 million, worldwide $45.001 million, Sony. Formats: DVD + Digital, Blu-ray + Digital, VOD, Digital.

Plane

s(2023) Pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island – only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When most of the passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI. In order to rescue the passengers, Torrance will need Gaspare’s help, and will learn there’s more to Gaspare than meets the eye. Vitals: Director: Jean-François Richet. Stars: Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Daniella Pineda, Paul Ben-Victor, Tony Goldwyn. 2023, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Action Thriller, US box office gross: $31.931 million, worldwide $48.604 million, Lionsgate. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: "This Is Your Captain," "Plane Clothes," "Brace for Turbulence." Read more here

The Son

(2022) Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, Anthony Hopkins. Peter (Jackman) finds his already hectic life upended when his ex-wife (Dern) appears to discuss their teenage son, Nicholas (McGrath), who has been missing school for months and is deeply troubled. Peter strives to take care of Nicholas as he would have wanted his own father (Hopkins) to have taken care of him, but the rigors of raising a new son with Beth (Kirby) and a new position at work makes him lose sight of how to hold onto Nicholas. The film is a compelling cautionary tale from director Florian Zeller ("The Father") about a family struggling to reunite after falling apart. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Bringing The Son to the Screen." (Sony). Read more here

The Weapon

(2023) Tony Schiena, AnnaLynne McCord, Sean Patrick Flanery, Jack Kesy, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bruce Dern. Schiena is Dallas, a one-man killing machine on a mysterious rampage. His attacks on biker gangs and meth labs anger the Vegas mob boss who’s holding Dallas’s girlfriend hostage. But who is Dallas working for? Even torture won’t make him talk…and he won’t stop until justice is served. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate). Read more here

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All listings are based on information from the home video studios. Some release dates may change and titles may come out after a specified date (with no announcement from the studio). Additionally, some titles may be released with little or no advance announcement. And since all DVDs are priced at sell-through and are available for substantial discounts at both online and brick-and-mortar stores, we only list suggested retail prices for some special editions, box sets and collections.

All DVDs are screened on a reference system consisting of a Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio, a Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center), and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer.

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March 25, 2023
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