From the Big Screen:

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

The world’s most lethal odd couple – bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) – are back on another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius’s even more volatile wife, the infamous international con artist Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek). As Bryce is driven over the edge by his two most dangerous protectees, the trio get in over their heads in a global plot and soon find that they are all that stand between Europe and a vengeful and powerful madman (Antonio Banderas). Joining in the fun and deadly mayhem is Morgan Freeman as … well, you’ll have to see. Vitals: Director: Patrick Hughes. Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, and Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo, Caroline Goodall, Rebecca Front, Gabriella Wright, Alice McMillan, Kristofer Kamiyasu, Tom Hopper, Blake Ritson, Richard E. Grant. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Action Comedy, US box office gross: $33.409 million, worldwide $55.265 million, Lionsgate. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital. “Ryan, Sam, Salma: One F’d Up Family” featurette, “Gone Soft: The New Michael Bryce” featurette, “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: #stuntlife” featurette, “On the Set of Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” featurette, Gag reel, theatrical trailers. Read more here.

This Week’s Best Bets:

The holy grail “Original Cast Album: ‘Company'” (1970) for both documentary and theater aficionados offers a tantalizingly rare glimpse behind the Broadway curtain. In 1970, right after the triumphant premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking concept musical “Company”, the renowned composer and lyricist, his director Harold Prince, the show’s stars, and a large pit orchestra all went into a Manhattan recording studio as part of a time-honored Broadway tradition: the recording of the original cast album. What ensued was a marathon session in which, with the pressures of posterity and the coolly exacting Sondheim’s perfectionism hanging over them, all involved pushed themselves to the limit — including theater legend Elaine Stritch, who fought anxiety and exhaustion to record her iconic rendition of “The Ladies Who Lunch.” With thrilling immediacy, legendary filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker offers an up-close view of the larger-than-life personalities, frayed-nerve energy, and explosive creative intensity that go into capturing the magic of live performance. On DVD, Blu-ray, with new, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by Chris Hegedus and Nate Pennebaker, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. From The Criterion Collection.

From TV to Disc:

“A Discovery of Witches Season 2” (2021) is a two-disc set with all 10 episodes of the series based on the “All Souls” trilogy by Deborah Harkness. After narrowly escaping the Congregation of vampires, witches, and daemons, Diana and Matthew are hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London. Here, they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. On DVD, Blu-ray, from RLJE Films … “NCIS: The Eighteenth Season” (2020-21) is a four-disc set with all 18 episodes of the series originally conceived as a spinoff of the American legal drama “JAG.” “NCIS” has evolved into a major television franchise spread across three different series. Following a fictional team of special agents known as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the show combines elements of police procedural dramas with military drama to create incredibly engaging episodes. From CBS/Paramount.

Buzzin’ the ‘B’s:

In “Notorious Nick” (2021), starring Cody Christian, Barry Livingston, Kevin Pollak and Elisabeth Röhm, even though he was born with a partial left arm, Nick Newell (Christian) dreams of being a fighter. After wrestling in high school, Nick becomes a fierce competitor when his best friend, Abi, introduces him to mixed martial arts. Suddenly, a tragedy provides Nick with an unexpected opportunity, but to succeed he must commit to becoming the fighter he always hoped to be. From Lionsgate. Read more here … In “Fast Vengeance” (2021), starring D.Y. Sao, Natalie Burn, Bai Ling, DMX and Jeff Fahey, upon hearing of his brother’s death, Shen returns to his old stomping grounds to find the men responsible and take justice into his own hands. He learns that a biker named Cobra and his ferocious gang, The Midnight Squad, were the ones responsible … but to get anywhere close to them, he must enter the dark, turbulent realm of underground motorcycle racing. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Shout! Studios. Read more here … In the fantasy adventure “The Water Man” (2021), starring David Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina and Maria Bello, Gunner (Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them. On DVD, Blu-ray, from RLJE Films … “After the End” (2021), starring Alex Frnka, Justin Hall and Dot-Marie Jones, is a suspenseful story of life after a viral pandemic. After years on his own in a post-pandemic Oklahoma, a 17 year-old doomsday prepper meets a pregnant girl who brings companionship, but also the danger of a gun-wielding group of survivors hellbent on building a new world. From Shout! Studios. Read more here … When Mia, a social media star, becomes the target of an online terror campaign in “Shook” (2021), starring Daisye Tutor, Emily Goss, Nicola Posener, Mythica Series and Octavius J. Johnson, she’s forced to solve a series of games to prevent people she cares about from getting murdered. But is it real? Or is it just a game at her expense? From RLJE Films … The actioner “Riders of Justice” (2021), starring Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Andrea Heick Gadeberg, follows recently-deployed Markus (Mikkelsen), who is forced to return home to care for his teenage daughter after his wife is killed in a tragic train accident. But, when a survivor of the wrecked train surfaces claiming foul play, Markus begins to suspect his wife was murdered and embarks on a mission to find those responsible. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Magnolia Home Entertainment … In “Stay Out of the Attic” (2020), starring Ryan Francis, Morgan Alexandria, Bryce Fernelius and Michael Flynn, a diverse group of ex-cons-turned-professional-movers are convinced by their creepy client to pull an all-nighter for a generous pay bump. It turns out their client is a Nazi surgeon, and his living experiments are rotting in the attic. As the night progresses and rooms are cleared, they slowly uncover the horrors that exist inside his old Victorian mansion. Together, they must find a way to escape the house of horrors. On DVD, Blu-ray, from RLJE Films … “Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat” (2019), starring David Carradine, Bruce Campbell, Maxwell Caulfield, Morgan Brittany, M. Emmet Walsh and John Ireland makes its Blu-ray debut this week. The road to Purgatory is paved with good intentions, and Count Mardulak (Carradine) wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s seeking atonement for centuries of human carnage, which is why he’s instructed Purgatory’s vampire residents to slather on SPF 100 sunblock, pursue daytime activities … and drink only synthetic blood. But some vampires don’t agree with Mardulak — they want the real thing — and if that means wooden bullets flying in a vampire civil war, so be it, in this wild horror-comedy. From Vestron Video Collector’s Series/Lionsgate … In “Rogue Hostage” (2021), starring Tyrese Gibson, John Malkovich, Michael Jai White, Chris Backus and Holly Taylor, single father and former Marine Kyle Snowden (Gibson) must save his daughter and other hostages from a dangerous criminal who has trapped them inside a neighborhood store owned by Kyle’s polarizing stepfather, Congressman Sam Nelson (Malkovich). On DVD, Blu-ray, from Lionsgate.

Foreign Films:

Set in present day Ghana, “Nakom” (2017 — Ghana), starring Jacob Ayanaba, follows Iddrisu, a talented medical student who is summoned home by his sister after their father’s sudden death. Iddrisu reluctantly returns home to the village of Nakom, buries his father and temporarily assumes the head of the impoverished household and farm, inheriting not only the delicate task of planting a successful crop but also a debt left by the deceased patriarch that could destroy the family. Attempting to maintain part of his studies from the confines of a small hut, Iddrisu becomes increasingly frustrated with the incessant physical and emotional needs of those around him, the demanding toil of the land and lack of rain. From Corinth Films … In “Little Q” (2019 — China), starring Simon Yam, Little Q, a yellow lab with a curious birthmark, is training to become a guide dog for the blind. When his training is complete, Little Q is sent to help Lee Bo Ting, a famous, recently blinded chef. Irritable and bitter, Bo Ting is at first reluctant to rely on Little Q and even tries to drive him away several times. But through his loyalty, Little Q eventually teaches Bo Ting how to trust again, opening him up to a new life of wonderful possibilities. On Blu-ray from Well Go USA … In “Midnight Diner” (2019 — China), starring Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Deng Chao, Eddie Peng and Vision Wei, a small, counter-only restaurant, open daily from midnight to 7, is lovingly helmed by its mysterious owner and chef, a quiet enigma who provides no menu yet can make any dish the customer desires. Year after year, people flock from far and wide to the mysterious Midnight Diner to share their stories, savor delicious home cooking, and finally, to leave refreshed, feeling equally full and ready for their next adventure. On Blu-ray from Well Go USA.

Special Interest:

Do you remember sharing your feelings with someone through a “mix tape?” “Analog Love: The (Long Lost) Art of the Mixtape “ (2021) is a joyful look at why this ritual of communication through music still continues to be so meaningful. The insights of Henry Rollins, Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Kim Shattuck (The Muffs), Jennifer Finch (L7), Jimmy Urine (Mindless Self Indulgence), Chantal Claret, Jude “Rude Jude” Angelini, Zernell Gillie (Grimy!), Monalisa Murray, Christian James Hand (The Session) and many more, get to the bottom of the long-lost art of the mix tape. On Blu-ray from Passion River. Read more here.

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.