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September 7

Crazy Nights (aka Follie di notte)

(1978 -- Italy) Italian exploitation icon Joe D'Amato's outrageous and rarely seen 1978 "mondo" movie meltdown is one of the strangest snapshots of the disco era you'll ever see. The legendary and controversial performer Amanda Lear appears here as herself, singing her signature dance floor hit "Follow Me" while D'Amato's camera uses her as an entry point into the glamorous, eccentric, often depraved annals of Rome's after hours nightclub scene. But that's only scratching the surface. The film then meanders - in true "mondo" fashion - all over the world, filling the screen with strippers, sex and ritualistic absurdity, all set to the beat of Lear's sultry cabaret pop sound. Lear - who famously dated David Bowie, was the cover girl for many Roxy Music records and long served as Salvador Dali's lover and muse - was at the peak of her popularity when she signed on to the film. Originally pitched as a musical centered around her fame called "Follow Me," Lear believed the movie to be incomplete until - to her shock - it turned up in Italian theaters under the name "Follie di notte." Horrified to discover that she had been tricked into starring in a full-blown exploitation film, Lear sued the producers, one of many reasons the film has lapsed into virtual obscurity. This delirious and decidedly adult pseudo-documentary is presented in its fully uncut edit, remastered from the original negative. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Full Moon Features).

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Dangerous Assignment: The Complete Series

(1952) Three-disc set with all 39 episodes. U.S. Government Agent Steve Mitchell travels the globe investigating cases of espionage, sabotage and threats to National Security. Starring Brian Donlevy as the character he originated on NBC Radio and Herb Butterfield as “The Commissioner,” this set includes all 39 episodes of the action-packed TV series from the 1950s. Formats: DVD. (MPI Media Group).

Elstree 1976

(2015) In this fascinating documentary, go behind the scenes of one of the most iconic film series of all time: "Star Wars." The actors and extras who played aliens, stormtroopers, rebels and even Darth Vader in George Lucas's "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" reminisce about their time on set and how making the Sci-Fi classic affected their lives and careers, for better or for worse. Formats: Blu-ray. (Filmrise).

Escape From Area 51

(2020) Donna D'Errico, Chris Browning, Anouk Samuel. When a group of teenage conspiracy theorists try to raid the infamous military base, Area 51, in the Nevada desert, no one gets in - but someone gets out. Sheera (D'Errico), a sexy alien warrior, uses a power glitch to escape from captivity at Area 51. Her escape using a portal gun sets off an energy signature which attracts the attention of her arch-rival in space, Sklarr (Browning). Sheera must now elude an Area 51 scientist, as well as Sklarr, to rescue her fellow warrior and find her way back to her planet. Formats: DVD + CD, Blu-ray + CD. (Cleopatra Entertainment).

Frankie Drake Mysteries: The Complete Fourth Season

(2021) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes. Season Four opens with intrepid detectives Frankie Drake (Lauren Lee Smith) and Trudy Clarke (Chantel Riley) and their best gal pals, Mary Shaw (Rebecca Liddiard) and Flo Chakowitz (Sharron Matthews), traipsing through the woods on a scavenger hunt that quickly turns deadly. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (PBS Distribution).

The Gateway

(2021) Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, Frank Grillo, Bruce Dern, Taryn Manning, Mark Boone Junior, Keith David. Parker, a down-on-his-luck social worker, finds himself in over his head when he tries to protect his client from her recently paroled husband. Can Parker save the family from the violent threat of the maniacal drug dealer and his crew, desperate to reclaim their priceless stash at any cost? Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Lionsgate). Read more here.

Great White

(2021) Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano, Te Kohe Tuhaka. A blissful tourist trip turns into a nightmare for five passengers when their seaplane goes down near a shipwreck. Stranded miles from shore in an inflatable life raft, they find themselves in a desperate fight for survival as they try to make it to land before they either run out of supplies or are taken by a menacing pack of sharks lurking just beneath the surface. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: "The Making of Great White," behind-the-scenes photo gallery. (RLJE Films).

Harry & Snowman

(2015) Dutch immigrant Harry DeLeyer journeyed to the United States after World War II and developed a transformative relationship with a broken down Amish plow horse he rescued off a slaughter truck that was bound for the glue factory. Harry paid eighty dollars for the horse and named him Snowman. In less than two years, Harry & Snowman went on to win the triple crown of show jumping, beating the nation's top pedigree horses and wealthiest socialites. They became famous and traveled around the world together. Their chance meeting at a Pennsylvania horse auction saved them both and crafted a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Eighty-six year old Harry tells their Cinderella love story firsthand, as he continues to train on today's show jumping circuit. Formats: Blu-ray. (Filmrise).

Higher Ed

(2001) At the ripe age of 19, Ed Green (Pras) is a dismal failure. He has resigned himself to smoking and selling Marijuana for the psychotic local drug dealer Sadico, until Sadico's sister pins her pregnancy on Ed and Sadico vows to kill him. Hearing of this, Ed decides to skip town, unsure of where to go and hide. As a last act of desperation, Ed decides to enroll at a local University and hide out by taking classes and living on campus. Unfortunately, Ed is assigned dorm room 420, with roommate "Bud" Carter (Aries Spears). Bud quickly becomes a negative influence on Ed, who falls back into his old ways. But the Mexican Gang has picked up on Ed's trail, sending goons to register as students on the same campus to find him. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentary by director Jean-Claude LaMarre. (Lightyear Entertainment).

A Life at Stake Special Edition

(1955) Angela Lansbury, Keith Andes, Douglass Dumbrille, Claudia Barrett, Jane Darwell. In this lost independent production from the waning golden years of film noir, spoiled, young Doris Hillman (Lansbury) invites struggling architect Edward Shaw (Andes) to be her husband's partner in a lucrative real estate deal. However, when Edward becomes romantically involved with Doris, he learns that something deadly is going on. There's a life at stake … and it could be his own. 4K transfer from archival film elements. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: Commentary; "Hollywood Hitch-hikers: Inside the Filmmakers," an original production from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures; full-color booklet, "A Career at Stake: Angela Lansbury and the Last Days of the B Noir," by professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney. (The Film Detective/Cinedigm). Read more here.

PBS Kids: 15 Girl Power Adventures

(2021) Join the girls of PBS Kids for 15 stories all about confidence, courage and why it's cool to be unique. In "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum," the kids travel back in time and learn all about voting from Susan B. Anthony. Formats: DVD. (PBS Distribution).

The Return of Swamp Thing

(1989) Everyone's favorite muck-encrusted plant-man falls in love with Dr. Arcane's sexy daughter and must rescue her from her father's nefarious and murderous plans. Heather Locklear stars as the vegetarian plant-lover in this superhero comic book adaptation. Also starring Louis Jourdan, Dick Durock, and Sarah Douglas. With elaborate mutant creatures designed by the legendary Carl Fullerton. With new 2K high-definition transfer and original 2.0 and 5.1 stereo audio. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentary from director Jim Wynorski, composer Chuck Cirino and editor Leslie Rosenthal; commentary from Wynorski; interview with Wynorski; interview with Rosenthal; interview with Cirino; interview with Lightyear Entertainment executive Arnie Holland; original theatrical trailer; promotional TV clips; TV spots; Greenpeace public service announcements; 1989 promo reel. (Lightyear Entertainment).

Seal Team: Season Four

(2020-21) Five-disc set with all 16 episodes of the military drama that follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions our country can ask of them. Formats: DVD. (CBS/Paramount).

SLAXX

(2021) Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani, Stephen Bogaert. A possessed pair of jeans is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company’s flagship store, the killer jeans proceed to wreak carnage on staff who are locked in overnight to set up the new collection. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: "The Story Behind SLAXX," "The Pants Are Alive," "Producing a Killer Pants Movie," "Call In The Death Consultant," "Casting SLAXX," behind-the-scenes photo gallery. (RLJE Films). Read more here.

The Soul of the Midnight Special

(2021) Ten-disc set with 130 live uncut performances from Burt Sugarman’s 90-minute program The Midnight Special, which began on NBC February 2, 1973 and ran until May 1, 1981 and followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Artists include Earth, Wind & Fire, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Al Green, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Spinners, The Stylistics, Bill Withers, and many more. Includes a bonus DVD: "The Midnight Special Presents Marvin Gaye In Concert From The Atlantic Stadium," a rare, historic live concert performance filmed exclusively for "The Midnight Special" in 1974. Formats: DVD. Extras: 18 bonus interviews with top soul stars in the collection, 40-page collector’s booklet with photos and stories about the stars. (Time Life). Read more here.

Young Sheldon: The Complete Fourth Season

(2020-21) Two-disc set with all 18 episodes. The adventure continues with Sheldon Cooper (from "The Big Bang Theory") as the young genius grows up. For young Sheldon Cooper, being a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science isn't always helpful in East Texas. And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him. Now as Sheldon graduates high school and embarks on his college career, a whole new chapter begins. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Cooped Up With the Coopers" featurette. (Warner).

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 this $70 million restoration project, offering extensive, newly-shot additional material along with previously excised footage for an epic-length director’s cut. In this sequel to 2016's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) recruit fellow heroes Aquaman (Jason Momoa), the Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and a resurrected Superman (Henry Cavill) to prevent alien soldier Steppenwolf (a motion-captured Ciarán Hinds) from using three powerful and ancient devices called Mother Boxes to reshape the Earth. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo. (Warner). Read more here.

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September 14

Alone in the Dark BLU-RAY DEBUT

(1982) Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Donald Pleasence, Dwight Schultz. At a secluded mental institution, electricity fuels the asylum's hi-tech security system that keeps the nearby neighborhoods safe from menaces like Frank Hawkes (Palance) and "Preacher" (Landau). Dr. Bain (Pleasence) maintains strict order while a new doctor, Dan Potter (Schultz), arrives in town with his family. But the inmates don't take kindly to Potter’s presence and believe he has killed off their former therapist. Suddenly, a power outage leaves the town in chaos ... and now the maniacs are free to roam the streets and hunt down the man they believe has invaded their lives. New 2K scan of the interpositive. Extras: New "Out of the Dark" interview with director and co-writer Jack Sholder; new "Mother Choppers: The Sic F*cks Remember Alone in the Dark"; new "Sites in the Dark: The Locations of Alone in the Dark"; new commentary with genre film critic Justin Kerswell and film historian Amanda Reyes; commentary with director Jack Sholder; "Bunky Lives!" interview with actress Carol Levy; "Still F*cking Sick -- Catching up with the The Sic F*cks"; theatrical trailer; TV spot; radio spots; still gallery. (Scream Factory).

Black Widow

(2021) Natasha Romanoff – aka Black Widow – confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz is Melina. The first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Vitals: Director: Cate Shortland. Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, Ray Winstone, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt. 2019, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 133 min., Action Adventure, US box office gross: $154.825 million, worldwide $314.925 million, Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: Bloopers, nine deleted scenes, filmmaker introduction featurette, "Sisters Gonna Work It Out" featurette, "Go Big If You’re Going Home" featurette. Read more here.

The Boss Baby: Family Business

(2021) In the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar-nominated "The Boss Baby" (2017), the Templeton brothers -- Tim and his Boss Baby little bro Ted -- have become adults and drifted away from each other. Enter new boss baby Tina with a cutting-edge approach and can-do attitude that is determined to bring them together again ... and inspire a new family business. Vitals: Director: Tom McGrath. Stars: Voices of Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Amy Sedaris, Ariana Greenblatt, Jeff Goldblum, Eva Longoria, James McGrath, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 107 min., Animated Family, US box office gross: $56.519 million, worldwide $92.445 million, DreamWorks/Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: New original animated short “Precious Templeton: A Pony Tale”; gag reel; deleted scene; "Never Grow Up: The Big Babies Behind The Boss Baby: Family Business" behind-the-lens featurette; “Together We Stand Lyric Video"; "Roll Call" featurette on the voices behind the babies; "Creative Experiment Lab – Schools in Session!" on how to become a scientist in your own home (Potato Power, Volcano to Go, Plastic Fantastic); "Boss Baby Art Class: How to Draw"; commentary with director/exec. producer Tom McGrath, producer Jeff Hermann and production designer Raymond Zibach. Read more here.

Catch the Bullet

(2021) Jay Pickett, Gattlin Griffith, Mason McNulty, Cody Jones, Callder Griffith, Peter Facinelli, Tom Skerritt. Britt MacMasters (Pickett), a U.S. Marshal, returns from a mission to find his father (Skerritt) wounded and his son, Chad, kidnapped by the outlaw Jed Blake. Hot on their trail, Britt forms a posse with a gunslinging deputy and a stoic Pawnee tracker. But both Jed and Britt tread dangerously close to the Red Desert’s Sioux territory, which poses a menace far greater than either can imagine. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate). Read more here.

Censor

(2021) Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley, Nicholas Burns. Enid (Algar), a film censor, takes pride in her meticulous work, guarding unsuspecting audiences against the deleterious effects of watching the gore-filled decapitations and eye-gouging she pores over. Her sense of duty to protect is amplified by guilt over her inability to recall details of the long-ago disappearance of her sister, recently declared dead in absentia. When Enid is assigned to review a disturbing film from the archive that echoes her hazy childhood memories, she begins to unravel how this eerie work might be tied to her past. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Enid’s Story," "Censors & The Video Nasty," "Sound Design of Censor," "Design Elements of Censor." (Magnolia Home Entertainment/Magnet Label). Read more here.

Crazy Fist

(2021 -- China) Steve Yoo, Wang Wei, Collin Chou, Xiaoming Huang, Wei Zha. After an opponent dies mid-match, a prominent MMA champion swears never to fight again, instead retiring to run his family’s international business. But when his best friend dies under suspicious circumstances during another tournament, he has no choice but to step back in the ring to help uncover the truth. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Well Go USA).

Dead Pigs

(2018 -- China) Vivian Wu, Yang Haoyu, Li Meng, Mason Lee, David Rysdahl. Based on remarkable true events, this is a bitingly humorous social satire about the trials and tribulations connecting a disparate group of characters in the midst of a baffling nationwide mystery. Shifting between Shanghai and the neighboring provincial town of Jiaxing, the film centers on >the intersecting stories of five characters, whose loose connections begin to fatefully Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Film Movement).

Eli Roth’s History of Horror Season 2

(2021) Award-winning horror film director, writer, producer and actor Eli Roth further explores the dark power and wicked fun of scary movies, the craft that went into making them and the ways that horror films reflect the anxieties of their times. Covering horror themes including Houses of Hell, Monsters, Witches and Chilling Children, Season 2 features interviews with Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino, Bill Hader, Greg Nicotero, Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen, Slash, Rob Zombie and more. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: "CGI vs Practical Effects," "The Chilling Children of Horror," "Seeing Classics in Theaters." (RLJE Films).

The Fan

(1982 -- Germany) Désirée Nosbusch, Bodo Steiger, Simone Brahmann, Jonas Vischer. Teenager Simone appears to be like any other young pop fan. But soon her fixation on a band's lead singer, R, takes over her life. Simone walks out of school, breaks off with her friends and parents and somehow finds herself waiting for her idol as he appears on a TV show. When she sees him in the flesh she is speechless; he reaches out to touch her. Overcome with emotion, Simone faints; with that first touch, R's fate is sealed. Simone discovers the carefully styled world of which R is just another product, and she plans the ultimate sacrifice of her god on the altar of her madness, a ceremony as exalted and romantic as it is horribly wonderful. Uncut. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Interview with writer-director Echart Schmidt, production notes. (Mondo Macabro).

The Human Factor

(2021) With unprecedented access to the foremost American negotiators, this documentary is the behind-the-scenes story from the last 25 years of how the United States came within reach of pulling of­ the impossible — securing peace between Israel and its neighbors. Today, the need to learn from past mistakes couldn’t be more urgent. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Sony).

The Influencer

(2021) Kasia Szarek, Shantell Yasmine Abeydeera. Social media satire thriller. Abbie Rose is a popular social-media influencer known for her lifestyle, fashion and makeup videos. One night she signs a coveted contract with Nutrocon, a notorious cosmetic company known to pollute, test on animals and treat female workers unfairly. Immediately, she’s taken down and tied up in her home by a group of masked activists. Overnight, they force Abbie through the filming of a video, advertising a mysterious new makeup kit. As the hacker’s plan unfolds, we learn the real reason for their visit and as Abbie’s facade fades we learn more about the lies she’s been living. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Breaking Glass Pictures) Read more here.

Magnum P.I.: Season Three

(2020-21) Five-disc set with all 16 episodes of the remake of the 1980 series. Here, Magnum is an ex-Navy SEAL who returns from Afghanistan and uses his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii. He lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business. The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins, a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI:6 agent whose second job is to keep Magnum in line. Formats: DVD. (CBS/Paramount).

Mare of Easttown: An HBO Original Limited Series

(2021) Two-disc set with all seven episodes. Both a critical and ratings hit, "Mare of Easttown" is one of only two series in HBO’s history to enjoy week over week growth culminating in a finale episode that was watched by nearly 3 million viewers, setting a record. Kate Winslet stars as Mare Sheehan, a respected small-town Pennsylvania detective investigating a local murder while also balancing her own personal life, which is rapidly falling apart around her. Also stars Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, Evan Peters, Guy Pearce. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Invitation to the Set," "Mare of Easttown: A Closer Look," "Welcome to Easttown," "Making Mare of Easttown." (Warner).

Mona Lisa

(1986) The brilliant breakthrough film by writer-director Neil Jordan journeys into the dark heart of the London underworld to weave a gripping, noir-infused love story. Bob Hoskins received a multitude of honors -- including an Oscar nomination -- for his touchingly vulnerable, not-so-tough-guy portrayal of George, recently released from prison and hired by a sinister mob boss (Michael Caine) to chauffeur call girl Simone (Cathy Tyson, in a celebrated performance) between high-paying clients. George’s fascination with the elegant, enigmatic Simone leads him on a dangerous quest through the city’s underbelly, where love is a weakness to be exploited and betrayed. Jordan’s colorful dialogue and eye for evocatively surreal details lend a dreamlike sheen to" Mona Lisa," an unconventionally romantic tale of damaged people searching for tenderness in an unforgiving world. Formats: Blu-ray, with 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Neil Jordan and director of photography Roger Pratt, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras: Audio commentary from 1997 featuring Jordan and actor Bob Hoskins; new conversation with Jordan and actor Cathy Tyson, moderated by critic Ryan Gilbey; interviews from 2015 with screenwriter David Leland and producer Stephen Woolley; interview with Jordan and Hoskins from the 1986 Cannes Film Festival; an essay by Gilbey. (The Criterion Collection).

The Shawshank Redemption

(1994) Director: Frank Darabont; Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler. Based on Stephen King’s novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.” The inspiring drama tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Robbins), a prominent banker unjustly convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment at Maine’s Shawshank Prison. He is befriended by longtime convict Red (Freeman) who’s been in long enough to know the ropes and helps him cope with the frightening realities of prison life. As the two men grow closer, so does the sense of hope that can truly set them free. Formats: 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary by Frank Darabont; "Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at The Shawshank Redemption"; "Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature"; "The SharkTank Redemption"; five stills galleries; "Bogs Takes a Fall" storyboards; "New Fish Arrive" storyboards. (Warner). Read more here.

Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou

(2021) Do real werewolves exist? In the American south legends tell of encounters with a creature that stalks the swamps and bayous. A creature who was here long before the immigrants who settled the region. An ancient evil called the Rougarou. Legends tell of a cannibal tribe of shapeshifters who retreated deep into the forests where they slowly lost touch with their humanity. A tribe who went on to become something far darker: skinwalkers. Now, nearly 400 years since the legend of the Rougarou first began to circulate, people are encountering the creature once again. Small Town Monsters and director Seth Breedlove peel back the curtain on this unheralded beast in their latest documentary. (1091 Pictures). Read more here.

Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo Meets Courage The Cowardly Dog

(2021) Two of animation’s most lovable canines team up in a brand-new, full-length animated family film. Comedy is unleashed when Scooby-Doo, your favorite mystery-solving mutt, teams up for the first time with Courage the Cowardly Dog. The canine colleagues sniff out a strange object in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas, the backwoods hometown of Courage and his owners, Eustace and Muriel Bagge. Soon, the mysterious discovery puts them on the trail of a giant cicada monster and her wacky winged warriors. Fred, Velma, Daphne and Shaggy know that this job is too big for a flyswatter. They’ll need the help of the doggy duo to piece together the puzzle. Can Scooby and Courage overcome their jitters and defeat the insect army before the whole world bugs out? Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: Three bonus episodes. (Warner).

Zola

(2021) Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, Ari’el Stachel. Based on the viral 148-tweet Twitter thread from Detroit waitress A’Ziah “Zola” King about her wild road trip to Florida. Zola is seduced into a weekend of partying in Florida, and her trip turns into a wild saga involving a pimp, an idiot boyfriend, and Tampa’s finest strip clubs. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary with writer-director Janicza Bravo and editor Joi McMillon, “Y’all Wanna Hear a Story: Making Zola” featurette, deleted scenes. (Lionsgate).

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September 21

Batwoman: The Complete Second Season

(2021) All 18 episodes. At the end of the first season, Crows Commander Kane (Dougray Scott) has declared war on Batwoman, forcing everyone around them to choose sides. Season two kicks off with a major game-changer that alters Gotham City and The Bat Team forever. A new hero emerges from the shadows. Relatable, messy, loyal, and a little goofy, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) couldn’t be more different than the woman who wore the Batsuit before her, billionaire Kate Kane. But she discovers that it’s not the suit that makes Ryan Wilder powerful, it’s the woman inside of it who finds her destiny in changing Gotham City for good. Formats: Four-disc DVD, three-disc Blu-ray + Digital Code. Extras: Deleted scenes, gag reel, "Villains Analyzed," "Never Alone: Heroes and Allies." (Warner).

Biography: WWE Legends, Volume 1

(2019-20) The ultimate ringside seat to the men behind the most iconic characters in WWE history. The documentaries are helmed by some of the industry’s foremost directors and top storytellers, and feature WWE executives and Superstars. Learn about the tragedies, triumphs, and meteoric rise to fame of WWE giants “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and “Booker T.” Formats: Two-disc DVD. (Lionsgate).

Biography: WWE Legends, Volume 2

(2019-20) This collection pulls back the curtain on the twists, turns, and triumphs on the paths to fame and icon status for these WWE Legends. Helmed by some of the industry’s top directors and storytellers, these programs reveal that there is more than meets the eye in the over-the-top athleticism and alter-ego swagger of Shawn Michaels, Ultimate Warrior, Mick Foley, and Bret “Hitman” Hart. Formats: Two-disc DVD. (Lionsgate).

Black Magic Live: Stripped

(2021) Journey behind the scenes of Las Vegas’ only black male revue show and uncover the often complicated lives of its male strippers with this no-holds-barred documentary. Through the eyes of owner Eurika Pratts and CEO Jean-Claude LaMarre, and its all-black staff and cast, explore the challenges, struggles and growing pains the show and its core group of dancers have overcome during their four successful years on the Strip. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: (Lightyear). Read more here.

Boys From County Hell

(2021) Jack Rowan, Nigel O’Neill, Louisa Harland, Michael Hough, Fra Fee, John Lynch. Strange events unfold in Six Mile Hill when construction on a new road disrupts the ancient burial ground of Abhartach, a legendary Irish vampire said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s famed “Dracula.” Deadly and sinister forces terrorize the construction crew, and they're forced to fight to survive the night, while exposing the true horror that resides in the town’s local myth. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: Filmmaker commentary, "Boys From County Hell" short film, storyboards, "The Making of Boys From County Hell," behind-the-scenes photo gallery. (RLJE Films).

Breakdown BLU-RAY DEBUT

(1997) Featuring a director-approved remaster from a new 4K film scan, presented in a limited-edition with collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of the film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments. Kurt Russell is Jeff Taylor, headed toward a new life in California with his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan). When their car dies on a remote highway, a seemingly helpful trucker (J.T. Walsh) offers Amy a ride to the local diner while Jeff waits with the car. Then Jeff discovers his vehicle was deliberately tampered with, and by the time he gets to the next town, his worst fears are about to come true. Extras: Commentary by director Jonathan Mostow and Kurt Russell; "Filmmaker Focus: Director Jonathan Mostow on Breakdown"; "Victory Is Hers - Kathleen Quinlan on Breakdown"; "A Brilliant Partnership - Martha De Laurentiis on Breakdown"; alternate opening; isolated score; theatrical trailers. (Paramount Presents).

The Center: Gibbons and Guardians

(2021) Documentary is the charming and sometimes funny, sometimes startling story of The Gibbon Conservation Center in Santa Clarita, California (just north of Los Angeles) and features interviews with a number of the leading women who tirelessly champion these charming apes globally including Dr. Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace and The Gibbon Conservation Center’s director Gabriella Skollar. The film is a riveting cinematic documentary that follows the unexpected dramas at a remote nonprofit wildlife center in the California desert, weaving together the lives of endangered gibbons alongside those who care for them. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Gravitas Ventures).

A Clockwork Orange

(1971) Director: Stanley Kubrick; Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke, Adrienne Corri. The film created quite a controversy for its violence and sex when first released; it was banned in several British towns and even was cited as a factor in several manslaughter cases and protests over the film began to spread -- including outside Kubrick's home. In early 1973 Kubrick asked Warners to pull the film from the British cinemas, and it was never to be seen in that country until after his death in 1999. In an England of the future, Alex (McDowell) and his "Droogs" spend their nights getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on "a little of the old ultraviolence," while jauntily warbling "Singin' in the Rain." After he's jailed for bludgeoning the Cat Lady to death, Alex submits to a behavior modification technique to earn his freedom; he's conditioned to abhor violence. Returned to the world defenseless, Alex becomes the victim of his prior victims. Formats: 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital. Extras: Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Nick Redman, "Still Tickin': The Return of Clockwork Orange" [2000 Channel 4 Documentary], "Great Bolshy Yarblockos! Making A Clockwork Orange," "Turning Like Clockwork," "Malcolm McDowell Looks Back," "O Lucky Malcolm!" (Warner). Read more here.

Coronavirus Conspiracy

(2021) Joseph D. Reitman, John Lehr, Kimberley Crossman, Larry Layfield. When a mysterious virus causes the world to halt, an economist thinks he has found the answer in a link between animals, a renowned zookeeper and a secret cabal. As he sets out to find answers alongside his crazy sidekicks, the economist kidnaps the retired zookeeper amidst the COVID-19 lockdown to try to unlock the grand mystery and discover who is truly at fault. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Indican Pictures).

Cruella

(2021) New live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinema's most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. “Cruella,” which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute. But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella. Vitals: Director: Craig Gillespie. Stars: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Joel Fry. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 134 min., Crime Comedy, US box office gross: $85.872 million, worldwide $221.972 million, Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: Bloopers; two deleted scenes; “The Two Emmas” featurette about the two lead actresses and how they prepared for their roles; “The Sidekick Angle” featurette; “Cruella Couture” behind-the-scenes look at some of the most fashionable moments in the movie; “The World of Cruella” exploration of the city locations and elaborate sets of Cruella; “New Dogs … Old Tricks” look at the animal actors of the film; “Cruella 101” look at Easter eggs hidden in the film and connections to other movies. Read more here.

The Equalizer: Season One

(2021) All 10 episodes of this reimagining of the classic series that follows Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah), an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption. Formats: DVD. (CBS/Paramount).

The Evil Next Door

(2021 -- Sweden) Dilan Gwyn, Linus Wahlgren, Eddie Eriksson Dominguez. New to her stepmom role, Shirin moves into a duplex with her partner, Frederik, and his son, Lucas. The new home feels like the right place to start becoming a family. But, when Frederik leaves for work and Lucas begins talking to an imaginary friend next door, strange things are heard from the other, uninhabited side. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Magnolia Home Entertainment/Magnet Label).

F9: The Fast Saga

(2021) The ninth chapter in the Fast & Furious Saga, which has endured for two decades and has earned more than $5 billion around the world. Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat forces Dom to confront the sins of his past to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob. Vitals: Director: Justin Lin. Stars: Vin Diesel, John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 143 min., Action, US box office gross: $171.034 million, worldwide $661.357 million, Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital. Read more here.

God of War II

(2020 -- China) Charles Lin, Yuxi Liu. Years after escaping, Lü Bu has no memory of his hellish early life as a test subject for a ruthless imperial sorceress. Now, he is feared across the land as the conquering general under warlord Dong Zhuo, for whom he has blazed a trail of victories on the battlefield. But when a woman arrives at the palace claiming to be his long-lost love, the facade begins to fade, and he begins to realize that his closest allies may yet be his most dangerous foes. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Well Go USA).

Hardball BLU-RAY DEBUT

(2001) Keanu Reeves, Diana Lane, John Hawkes, D.B. Sweeney, Michael B. Jordan. Follows Conor O’Neill (Reeves), a down-on-his-luck gambler in debt to dangerous loan sharks. Desperate for cash, Conor reluctantly takes a job coaching a youth baseball team. The “team” turns out to be a ragtag group of tough-talking kids from Chicago’s inner city. Secretly, Conor plans to desert the team after he wins a big bet. But the stakes are higher than Conor imagined: the kids need someone to believe in. As Conor wrestles with his past, the kids start to teach him some lessons that will forever change his future -- that responsibility and trust must be earned and hope can appear in the most unlikely places. Extras: Commentary by director Brian Robbins and writer John Gatins; "The Making of Hardball"; deleted scenes; music video “Hardball” by Lil’ Bow Wow, Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Zane and Sammie; interstitials; theatrical trailer. (Paramount).

I Carry You With Me (Te Llevo Conmigo)

(2020 -- Mexico) Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz. A love story spanning decades is sparked by a chance encounter between two men in provincial Mexico. Based on a true story, ambition and societal pressure propel an aspiring chef to leave his soulmate and make the treacherous journey to New York, where life will never be the same. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, Digital. (Sony).

Lady of the Manor

(2021) Melanie Lynskey, Judy Greer, Justin Long, Luis Guzmán, Ryan Phillippe. Past and present collide in this supernatural buddy comedy when stoner-slacker Hannah (Lynskey) is hired to portray Lady Wadsworth (Greer), a Southern belle who died in 1875, in a tour at Wadsworth Manor. Hannah, a hot mess, figures she can fake it —until the ghost of Lady Wadsworth appears. Lady Wadsworth tells Hannah it’s time to change her wild ways — and she’ll haunt her until she does. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: Audio commentary with writers-directors Christian Long and Justin Long, "A Fart-Warming Tale of Friendship & Vengeance: Making Lady of the Manor," outtakes, deleted scenes. (Lionsgate). Read more here.

Last Call

(2021) Jeremy Piven, Taryn Manning, Zach McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, Bruce Dern. A local success story and real estate developer, Mick (Piven), returns home to his offbeat blue collar Irish neighborhood in the shadows of Philadelphia for a funeral and is obligated to stay to ensure his parents’ ailing family business gets back on course. Amidst all of this, he grows closer to his childhood crush (Manning) who is also back in town, while enduring the constant ridicule from his old hometown crew. As Mick begins to reconnect with the neighborhood he grew up in, he finds himself at a crossroads when forced to either raze or resurrect the family bar. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).

Love & Basketball

(2000) Sparks fly both on and off the court in this groundbreaking feature debut by writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood, which elevated the coming-of-age romance by giving honest expression to the challenges female athletes face in a world that doesn’t see them as equal. Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps make for one of the most iconic screen couples of the 2000s as the basketball-obsessed next-door neighbors who find love over flirtatious pickup games, fall apart under the strain of high-pressure college hoops and families, and drift in and out of each other’s lives as they pursue their twin aspirations of playing professionally. Aided by stellar supporting performances and an eclectic R&B soundtrack, "Love & Basketball" captures the intoxicating passions, heartbreaking setbacks, and sky-high ambitions that mark a young woman’s journey to the top of her game and to lasting love. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restoration, supervised by director Gina Prince-Bythewood, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras: Audio commentary from 2000 featuring Prince-Bythewood and actor Sanaa Lathan; "Playing for Your Heart," a new making-of documentary featuring Prince-Bythewood, Lathan, actors Omar Epps and Alfre Woodard, Reggie Rock Bythewood, and basketball adviser Colleen Matsuhara; "Editing Love & Basketball,” a new program featuring Bythewood and editor Terilyn A. Shropshire; new conversation on the film’s impact among Prince-Bythewood, founding WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes, and writer-producer-actor Lena Waithe; audition tape excerpts and six deleted scenes; three short films by Prince-Bythewood: "Stitches" (1991), "Progress" (1997), and "Bowl of Pork" (1997), with a new introduction by Prince-Bythewood; trailer; an essay by author Roxane Gay. (The Criterion Collection).

Nuclear Nightmares

(1980) From the late science writer Nigel Calder comes this visually frightening examination of the world's Cold War era nuclear weapon infrastructure. Host Peter Ustinov utilizes his wit and charm to narrate for the viewer how the US command and control system functions in both training and in the event of an actual retaliatory nuclear strike, and the chilling means by which airpower, nuclear submarines and underground ICBM launch pads are employed to ensure absolute vengeance on the aggressor. Throughout the film, Ustinov colorfully illustrates several scenarios of what might happen if the missiles are unleashed and so commences "the war that must never happen." Although the world's political climate has mellowed since the Cold War era, this documentary takes viewers back in time to gain a perspective on what it was like to live under a very real nuclear threat. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Corinth Films).

The Power

(2021 -- UK) Rose Williams, Charlie Carrick, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Emma Rigby, Shakira Rahman. 1974: a young nurse is forced to work the night shift in a crumbling hospital as striking miners switch off the power across Britain. But inside the walls lurks a terrifying presence that threatens to consume her and everyone around her. Formats: DVD. (RLJE Films).

Sophie Jones

(2021) Inspired by true experiences of grief, girlhood, and growing up, Jessie Barr’s film provides a stirring portrait of a sixteen year old. Stunned by the untimely death of her mother and struggling with the myriad challenges of teendom, Sophie (played with striking immediacy by the director’s cousin Jessica Barr) tries everything she can to feel something again, while holding herself together, in this sensitive, acutely realized, and utterly relatable coming-of-age story. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: Commentary by director Jessie Barr, Jessie Barr in Conversation with ensemble cast, "Secrets of Sophie Jones" behind-the-scenes featurette, "In Process": Q&A with Jessie Barr and executive producer Nicole Holofcener, theatrical trailer. (Oscilloscope Laboratories).

Throw Down

(2004) One of the most personal films by the prolific Hong Kong auteur Johnnie To is a thrilling love letter to both the cinema of Akira Kurosawa and the art and philosophy of judo. Amid the neon-drenched nightclubs and gambling dens of Hong Kong’s nocturnal underworld, the fates of three wandering souls -- a former judo champion now barely scraping by as an alcoholic bar owner (Louis Koo), a young fighter (Aaron Kwok) intent on challenging him, and a singer (Cherrie Ying) chasing dreams of stardom -— collide in an operatic explosion of human pain, ambition, perseverance, and redemption. Paying offbeat homage to Kurosawa’s debut feature, "Sanshiro Sugata," To scrambles wild comedy, flights of lyrical surrealism, and rousing martial-arts action into what is ultimately a disarmingly touching ode to the healing power of friendship. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras: Interview from 2004 with director Johnnie To; new interviews with co-screenwriter Yau Nai-hoi, composer Peter Kam, and film scholars David Bordwell and Caroline Guo; short making-of documentary from 2004 featuring To and actors Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok, Cherrie Ying, and Tony Leung Ka-fai; trailer; an essay by film critic Sean Gilman. (The Criterion Collection).

The Vigil BLU-RAY DEBUT

(2019) Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman. Supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn’s Borough Park. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov (Davis) reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante to take on the responsibility of an overnight shomer — fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member. Shortly after arriving at the departed’s dilapidated house to sit in vigil, Yakov begins to realize that something is very, very wrong. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (IFC/Shout! Factory).

Violation

(2020 -- Canada) Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli, Jesse LaVercombe. A troubled woman on the edge of divorce returns home to her younger sister after years apart. But when her sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge. Formats: Blu-ray. (RLJE Films).

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September 28

Blithe Spirit

(2020) Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, Judi Dench, Leslie Mann. Best-selling crime novelist Charles (Stevens) suffers from terrible writer’s block and is struggling to finish his first screenplay. His picture-perfect new wife Ruth (Fisher) is doing her best to keep him focused so they can fulfill her dream of leaving London for Hollywood. Charles’ quest for inspiration leads him to invite the eccentric mystic Madame Acarti (Dench) to perform a seance in his home. He gets more than he bargained for when Madame Acarti inadvertently summons the spirit of his first wife: the brilliant and fiery Elvira (Mann). Based on the play by Noel Coward. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (IFC/Shout! Factory).

Blood Conscious

(2021) Oghenero Gbaje, DeShawn White, Lenny Thomas, Lori Hammel, Nick Damici. A vacationing family turns the tables on a mass shooter who claims to be fighting demonic forces. Kevin, his older sister, Brittney, and her fiance, Tony, arrive at their parents' lakeside cabin expecting a leisurely weekend getaway. But their holiday turns into a trip from hell as they enter the scene of a mass shooting where their parents and neighbors have all been murdered. They pin down the shotgun-wielding murderer and lock him in the cellar, but as darkness falls, Kevin begins to entertain the man's ravings about possessed campers and demons in the woods. Formats: DVD. (Dark Sky Films).

Crazy About You

(2019 -- Australia) Angus McLaren, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, John Cleese. Dumped by his girlfriend and sponsored by media scoundrel Brian King, desolate Jake walks all-but-naked up Western Australia's coast for charity, in the hope his gesture will win back Jasmine, until he meets mesmerizing backpacker Valerie. Formats: DVD. (Well Go USA).

The Damned

(1969 -- Italy) The most savagely subversive film by the iconoclastic auteur Luchino Visconti employs the mechanics of deliriously stylized melodrama to portray Nazism’s total corruption of the soul. In the wake of Hitler’s ascent to power, the wealthy industrialist von Essenbeck family and their associates -- including the scheming social climber Friedrich (Dirk Bogarde), the incestuous matriarch Sophie (Ingrid Thulin), and the perversely cruel heir Martin (Helmut Berger, memorably donning Dietrich-like drag in his breakthrough role) -- descend into a self-destructive spiral of decadence, greed, perversion, and all-consuming hatred as they vie for power, over the family business and over one another. The heightened performances and Visconti’s luridly expressionistic use of Technicolor conjure a garish world of decaying opulence in which one family’s downfall comes to stand for the moral rot of a nation. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, with new 2K digital restoration by the Cineteca di Bologna and Institut Lumière, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras: Alternate Italian-language soundtrack; interview from 1970 with director Luchino Visconti about the film; archival interviews with actors Helmut Berger, Ingrid Thulin, and Charlotte Rampling; "Visconti: Man of Two Worlds," a 1969 behind-the-scenes documentary; new interview with scholar Stefano Albertini about the sexual politics of the film; an essay by scholar D. A. Miller. (The Criterion Collection).

First Date

(2021) Tyson Brown, Shelby Duclos. Mike, a shy teenager, finally summons the courage to ask out his badass neighbor, Kelsey, only to realize he’s missing a key element for a successful date — the car. Panicked and low on cash, Mike is conned into buying a beat up ‘65 Chrysler based on a shady online ad. His plan to win over Kelsey soon turns into a surreal misadventure when they are inexplicably targeted by a pair of cops, a criminal gang and a vengeful cat lady. A night fueled by desire, bullets and burning rubber makes any other first date seem like a walk in the park. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Magnolia Home Entertainment/Magnet Label).

The Forever Purge

(2021) The old rules of the Purge are broken as members of an underground movement, no longer satisfied with the annual night of anarchy and murder, decide to overtake America through an unending campaign of mayhem and massacre. No one is safe. On the morning after the Purge, a masked gang of killers attacks a wealthy Texas ranching family and their workers. Exposed by daylight, the two groups are forced to band together and fight back as the country spirals into chaos and the United States begins to disintegrate around them. Vitals: Director: Everardo Valerio Gout. Stars: Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Cassidy Freeman, Leven Rambin, Josh Lucas, Will Patton. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Horror Action, US box office gross: $44.357 million, worldwide $73.866 million, Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: Alternate storyboard opening, deleted scene, "Collapsing the System: Behind the Forever Purge," "Creeptastic Wardrobe," theatrical trailer. Read more here.

Melvin Van Peebles: Four Films

Director, writer, composer, actor, and one-man creative revolutionary Melvin Van Peebles jolted American independent cinema to new life with his explosive stylistic energy and unfiltered expression of Black consciousness. Though he undeniably altered the course of film history with the anarchic "Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song" (1971), that pop-culture bombshell is just one piece of a remarkably varied career that has also encompassed forays into European art cinema ("The Story of a Three Day Pass," 1967), mainstream Hollywood comedy ("Watermelon Man," 1970), and Broadway musicals ("Don’t Play Us Cheap," 1972). Each facet of Van Peebles’s renegade genius is on display in this collection of four films, a tribute to a transformative artist whose caustic social observation, radical formal innovation, and uncompromising vision established a new cinematic model for Black creative independence. Also included in the set is "Baadasssss!," a chronicle of the production of Sweet Sweetback made by Van Peebles’s son Mario Van Peebles -— and starring the younger Van Peebles as Melvin. Formats: Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restorations of all four films, approved by filmmaker Mario Van Peebles, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks for "The Story of a Three Day Pass," "Watermelon Man," and "Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song" and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack for "Don’t Play Us Cheap." Extras: "Baadasssss!," a 2003 fictional feature film based on director Melvin Van Peebles’s diaries from the making of "Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song," directed by and starring his son Mario Van Peebles, with commentary by father and son; new conversations between Mario Van Peebles and film critic Elvis Mitchell, producer Warrington Hudlin and critic and filmmaker Nelson George, and scholars Gerald R. Butters Jr., Novotny Lawrence, and Amy Abugo Ongiri; audio commentary by Melvin Van Peebles from 1997 on "Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song"; three early short films directed by Melvin Van Peebles; "How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)," a 2005 documentary on Van Peebles’s life and career; "The Story Behind “Baadasssss!: The Birth of Black Cinema," a 2004 featurette; "Melvin Van Peebles: The Real Deal," a 2002 interview with the director on the making of "Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song"; episodes of Black Journal from 1968, 1971, and 1972, on "The Story of a Three Day Pass," "Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song," and "Don’t Play Us Cheap"; interview from 1971 with Van Peebles on Detroit Tubeworks; French television interview from 1968 with Van Peebles and actors Harry Baird and Nicole Berger on the set of "The Story of a Three Day Pass"; excerpts from a 2004 interview with Van Peebles for the Directors Guild of America Visual History Program; introductions to all four films by Van Peebles; trailers; a 64-page book featuring writing on the films, including an introduction by film scholar Racquel J. Gates. (The Criterion Collection).

Seven Days ... Seven Nights (Moderato Cantabile)

(1960 -- France) Director: Peter Brook; Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Pascale de Boysson, Jean Deschamps, Didier Haudepin, Colette Regis. Screen legends Jeanne Moreau and Jean-Paul Belmondo star in this mesmerizing drama from the brilliant mind of Marguerite Duras ("Hiroshima Mon Amour," "India Song"). Moreau, who won the award for Best Actress at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, is Anne Desbarèdes, a wealthy, bored housewife who believes she has witnessed a murder in a quayside bistro. Rushing to the scene of the crime, she strikes up a conversation with Chauvin (Belmondo), an employee of her husband who also saw the crime. The troubled woman continues to return to the café, increasingly identifying herself with the murder victim and becoming obsessed with Chauvin. Director Peter Brook ("Lord of the Flies," "Marat/Sade") and cinematographer Armand Thirard ("The Wages of Fear," "Diabolique") create repetitive patterns of sound and image that reflect Anne’s frustration with the “moderato cantabile” nature of her life and the absence of true passion that draws her inexorably to the café and Chauvin. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: Audio commentary by filmmaker/historian Daniel Kremer, trailers. (Kino Lorber Studio Classics).

Twist

(2021) Raff Law, Michael Caine, Sophie Simnett, Lena Headey. Inspired by Charles Dickens’s iconic novel "Oliver Twist," this crime-thriller set in contemporary London follows the journey of Twist (Law), a gifted graffiti artist trying to find his way after the loss of his mother. Lured into a street gang headed by the paternal Fagin (Caine), Twist is attracted to the lifestyle — and to Red (Simnett), an alluring member of Fagin’s crew. But when an art theft goes wrong, Twist’s moral code is tested as he’s caught between Fagin, the police, and a loose-cannon enforcer (Headey). Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital. Extras: "The Artful Dodger: Twist’s Underworld" featurette. (Lionsgate).

The Ultimate Richard Pryor Collection: Uncensored

Thirteen-disc set, packed with more than 26 hours of raw, uncensored Pryor. Raw, sometimes shocking and always thrilling, Pryor -- a once-in-a-generation innovator -- pushed the envelope and was almost single-hand responsible for the comedy evolution that continues to this day. He won an Emmy, five Grammys, was the recipient of the very first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (1998) and in 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him #1 on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time. This set includes: All four of Pryor’s full-length concert films – "Live & Smokin," "Live in Concert," "Live on the Sunset Strip," and "Here and Now"; Pryor’s 1977 NBC TV Special and all four controversial episodes of "The Richard Pryor Show," featuring Robin Williams, Sandra Bernhard, Tim Reid, Marsha Warfield, and more; Pryor’s most memorable TV appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Dick Cavett Show," and" The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson"; the feature film, "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling," written, produced, and directed by Pryor; never-before-released footage from Pryor's infamous first film, "Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales," lost since 1968; exclusive footage of Pryor's final performances and a tribute event at The Comedy Store; two acclaimed documentary films – "Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic" and "I Am Richard Pryor"; a no-holds-barred interview with Pryor’s widow, Jennifer Lee Pryor; collector's booklet with personal photos, diary entries, tour notes and more. Formats: DVD. (Time Life). 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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September 13, 2021
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