*OnVideo’s week begins with “New Release” Tuesdays

This Week’s Highlighted Release:

Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in “High and Low” (1963), the highly influential domestic drama and police procedural from director Akira Kurosawa. Adapting Ed McBain’s detective novel King’s Ransom, Kurosawa moves effortlessly from compelling race-against-time thriller to exacting social commentary, creating a diabolical treatise on class and contemporary Japanese society. On 4K UHD + Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restoration, with 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features. Extras: Read more here. From The Criterion Collection.

Buzzin’ the B’s:

“Ice Road: Vengeance” (2025) is the latest adventure for the aging (73-years-old) action-star Liam Neeson. In this sequel, Mike travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mt. Everest. When Mike and his mountain guide encounter mercenaries on a tour bus, they are forced to fight to save themselves, the passengers, and the local villagers’ homeland. Co-stars Fan Bingbing, Bernard Curry, Geoff Morrell. On DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. from Vertical Entertainment. Read more here.

Foreign Films:

“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” (2006 – Japan) is an anime that follows a high-school girl named Makoto who acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own. Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards through time to avoid the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience – from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can’t be reversed. “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is a beloved early film from Mamoru Hosoda, the Academy Award-nominated director behind “BELLE,” “Wolf Children,” “Summer Wars” and more. Hosoda weaves together the timeless, breathtaking visuals for which he is known with a tender-hearted story of a girl navigating first love, time travel, and the perilous choices that come with both. On Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Steelbook, VOD, Digital from GKIDS/Shout! Studios. Read more here. … A local landowner’s daughter is possessed by the spirit of a dead witch and becomes a bloodsucking seductress. On the next moonless night, she will be used in a hideous ritual to raise the evil witch from her tomb. “Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire” (1985 — India) is one of the most popular horror films made by the Ramsay Brothers. It was also one of their most controversial. Its sexually charged theme of a female vampire seeking out and seducing her male victims before draining them of their blood was a shocker by mid-80s Bollywood standards and the film’s release was delayed by censorship problems for a number of years. The film’s female lead, Jasmin, became a sensation but she disappeared following the film’s premier and was never seen again on screen. Her whereabouts remain a mystery to this day. Brand new 4k transfer from film negative, digitally restored. On Blui-ray from Mondo Macabro … Movie mogul Haruki Kadokawa changed the landscape of Japanese cinema for good when he introduced the concept of the blockbuster to the country with “Proof of the Man” (1977 — Japan), a gripping crime drama featuring an all-star cast. When mixed-raced Johnny Hayward (Flower Travellin’ Band vocalist Joe Yamanaka) heads from his Harlem home to Tokyo, he becomes the victim of a brutal stabbing in the elevator of a plush hotel hosting a catwalk show by elite fashion designer Kyoko (Mariko Okada). That same night, Kyoko’s son with her powerful politician husband Yohei (Toshiro Mifune) is involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident and flees the country. Suspecting the incidents may be linked, Detective Munesue (Yusaku Matsuda) heads to New York to investigate Johnny’s background. Here he is partnered with local detective Ken Shuftan (George Kennedy), whose own links to Japan dredge up painful memories from Munesue’s childhood. Adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Seiichi Morimura by director Junya Sato and screenwriter Zenzo Matsuyama, and shot on location in Japan and New York by veteran cinematographer Shinsaku Himeda, “Proof of the Man” is a compelling exploration of racial identity and the trauma of the postwar occupation period framed in the form of a whodunnit. Arrow Video is proud to present the film for the very first time outside Japan for the home-video market in a brand new transfer sourced from a new 4K restoration by Kadokawa. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment. Read more here.

From TV to Disc:

Celebrate the beloved television legacy of “Little House on the Prairie” with this complete nine-season set — released on Blu-ray for the very first time. In “Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Series” (1974-1983) follow the heartwarming journey of Charles Ingalls and his family, from their arrival in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, through all the wondrous, challenging, and joyful moments of their extraordinary frontier life during the 1880s. Uncut and remastered with vividly restored picture and sound. Stars Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, Melissa Sue Anderson, Sidney Greenbush, Rachel Lindsay Greenbush, Scottie Macgregor, Richard Bull. From Lionsgate … </a Based on Robert B. Parker’s iconic detective novels and in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the American crime drama series, “Spenser: For Hire” fans can once again experience every gripping > moment with the release of all 65 episodes in one box in “Spenser: For Hire: The Complete Series” (1985 – 1988). In the shadows of Boston, Spenser (Robert Urich), a former cop with a poet’s soul and a fighter’s fists, solves crimes in his own uniquely stylish way. A true Renaissance man, he faces danger head-on, backed by his formidable ally Hawk (Avery Brooks) and contacts inside the police department. While he’s unstoppable on the streets, his love life stalls as his longtime love (Barbara Stock) refuses to marry a man whose life is a constant dance with death. On DVD from Warner.

From the Big Screen:

Jurassic Park Rebirth

(2025) A covert extraction team races to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility where dinosaurs too deadly for the original Jurassic Park were left behind. Their mission: collect DNA from three colossal creatures to unlock a drug with huge benefits for humanity. In a terrain populated by perils, they will make a shocking discovery that has been hidden for years. Vitals: Director: Gareth Edwards. Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein. CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 133 min., Action Thriller, Theatrical release date: July 2, 2025, North American box office gross: $326.9 million, worldwide $800.4 million, Streaming date: August 5, 2025, Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code Limited Edition Steelbook, VOD, Digital. Extras: Alternate opening; deleted scenes; “Jurassic World Rebirth: Hatching a New Era” featurette with “The World Evolves,” “Off The Deep End,” “Trekking Through Thailand,” “Rex in the Rapids,” “Don’t Look Down” and”Mini-Mart Mayhem”; gag reel; “Meet Dolores”; “Munched: Becoming Dino Food”; “A Day at Skywalker Sound”;” Hunting for Easter Eggs”; feature commentary with director Gareth Edwards, production designer James Clyne, and first assistant director Jack Ravenscroft; feature commentary with Edwards, editor Jabez Olssen, and visual effects supervisor David Vickery. Read more here.

Elio

(2025) Alien-obsessed Elio Solís suddenly has a close encounter of the intergalactic kind. After trying everything to contact extraterrestrials, Elio is thrilled when they not only respond, but beam him up to their cosmic “Communiverse”. Imagine his surprise when other planetary powers-that-be assume he is the leader of Earth! Elio’s experience in the Communiverse not only expands his horizons but teaches him how important it is to build connections with loved ones back on Earth. Vitals: Directors: Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi. Stars: Voices of Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett. CC, MPAA rating: PG, 98 min., Animated Family SciFi, Theatrical release date: June 20, 2025, North American box office gross: $72.9 million, worldwide $150.7 million, Streaming date: August 19, 2025, Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Inside the Communiverse: The World and Characters of Elio”; “Out of This World: An Astro Q&A”; “Astronomic Art Class: Ooooo and Glordon”; extraterrestrial Easter Eggs and fun facts; gag reel; deleted scenes. Read more here.

Ballerina: From the World of John Wick

(2025) Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and Verified Hot with a 93%* Popcornmeter audience rating, “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” brings fans back to the high-octane, non-stop action franchise. The next chapter from the World of John Wick follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Eve seeks revenge for her father’s death, and finds herself crossing paths with John Wick himself (Keanu Reeves). Vitals: Director: Len Wiseman. Stars: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves. CC, MPAA rating: R, 124 min., Action Thriller, Theatrical release date: June 6, 2025, North American box office gross: $53.3 million, worldwide $103.0 million, Streaming date: July 1, 2025, Lionsgate. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code Steelbook, VOD, Digital. Extras: “The Making of Ballerina “; “Building A Frozen Underworld”; “The Art of Action”; deleted and extended scenes. Read more here.

Materialists

(2025) A young New York City matchmaker’s lucrative business gets complicated as she finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex. The filmmaterialists=box marks Celine Song’s second feature following “Past Lives” (2023), and continues her exploration of intimacy, identity, and modern relationships. Vitals: Director: Celine Song. Stars: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Zoë Winters, Marin Ireland, Louisa Jacobson, Pedro Pascal. CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Comedy, Theatrical release date: June 13, 2025, North American box office gross: $32.5 million, worldwide $42.2 million, Streaming date: July 22, 2025, A24. Formats: Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Read more here.

Clown in a Cornfield

(2025) Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father (Aaron Abrams) have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play. Vitals: Director: Eli Craig. Stars: Katie Douglas, Carson MacCormac, Aaron Abrams, Will Sasso, Kevin Durand. CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Horror Comedy, Theatrical release date: May 11, North American box office gross: $7.3 million, worldwide $12.4 million, Streaming date: June 10, RLJE Films. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Steelbook, VOD, Digital. Steelbook Extras: Filmmaker commentary, limited-edition magnets featuring a “Pop Out” Frendo and his weapons.

The Surfer

(2025) When a man returns to his beachside hometown in Australia, many years since building a life for himself in the U.S., he is humiliated in front of his teenage son by a local gang of surfers who claim strict ownership over the secluded beach. Wounded, he decides to remain at the beach, declaring war against those in control of the bay. But as the conflict escalates, the stakes spin wildly out of control, taking him to the edge of his sanity. Vitals: Director: Lorcan Finnega. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Finn Little, Nic Cassim, Alexander Bertrand, Rahel Romahn, Miranda Tapsell, Justin Rosniak, Charlotte Maggi. CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Thriller, Theatrical release date: May 2, 2025, North American box office gross: $1.3 million, worldwide $2.1 million, Streaming date: June 6, Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code was released July 15. Read more here.

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All DVDs and Blu-rays are screened on a reference system consisting of an 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.