From the Big Screen:

Five Nights at Freddy’s

(2023) A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and, during his first night on the job, he realizes that the night shift won’t be so easy to get through: he finds the place is haunted by murderous animatronics. Recently fired and desperate for work so that he can keep custody of his little sister, Mike (Josh Hutcherson) agrees to take a position as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant: Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. But Mike soon discovers that nothing at Freddy’s is what it seems. Mike’s nights at Freddy’s will lead him into unexplainable encounters with the supernatural and drag him into the black heart of an unspeakable nightmare. Based on the iconic indie horror game. Vitals: Director: Emma Tammi. Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson, Matthew Lillard.
CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 110 min., Horror, North American box office gross: $133.1 million, worldwide $272.4 million, Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Five Nights at Freddy’s: From Game to Big Screen”; “Killer Animatronics; “Five Nights in Three Dimensions.” Read more here

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

(2023) After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them. Vitals: Directors: Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears. Stars: Voices of Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu. CC, MPAA rating: PG, 99 min., Animated Action, North American box office gross: $118.068 million, worldwide $179.168 million, Paramount. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, VOD, Digital. Extras: “TEENage Mutant Ninja Turtles” featurette (for the first time the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are voiced by actual teenagers); “The Mutant Uprising”; “New York, New York: The Visual World of Mutant Mayhem”; “Learn to Draw Leo.” Read more here

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie

(2023) When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! But they face their mightiest challenge yet when the pups’ archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a mad scientist, to steal the superpowers for themselves. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it’s too late.Vitals: Director: Cal Brunker. Stars: Voices of Dan Duran, Kristen Bell, James Marsden, Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery, Ron Pardo, Lil Rel Howery. CC, MPAA rating: PG, 88 min., Animated Family, North American box office gross: $65.231 million, worldwide $195.631 million, Paramount. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, VOD, Digital.

The Creator

(2023) Set 15 years after a nuclear detonation in Los Angeles and a war against artificial intelligence. Amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua (John David Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war — and humankind. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory, only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child. Vitals: Director: Gareth Edwards. Stars: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Allison Janney. CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 133 min., Science Fiction, North American box office gross: $40.098 million, worldwide $101.780 million, Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “True Love: Making The Creator” featurette. Read more here

Dumb Money

(2023) The ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (yes, the mall video game store) into the world’s hottest company. In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich – until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down. Vitals: Director: Craig Gillespie. Stars: Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen. CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Comedy Drama, North American box office gross: $13.925 million, worldwide $20.212 million, Sony. Formats: DVD + Digital Code, Blu-ray + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Fat Cats vs. The Roaring Kitty”; “Diamond Hand Ensemble”; “Join the Cast & Discover the Insane True Story!”; deleted scenes; filmmaker commentary. Read more here

This Week’s Best Bets:

The duality of Roger Corman is on display, showcasing his spooky gothic side with “The Terror 60th Anniversary Edition” (1963) — marking the 60th anniversary of its release this year — and his more whimsical side with “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960) in this double-feature, special-edition, two-disc, collector’s set, on Blu-ray and DVD. In The Terror — with an all-new HD restoration from 35mm archival elements — an 18th century French Lieutenant in Napoleon’s army encounters the ghostly apparition of a young woman (Sandra Knight). Curiosity leads Lt. Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson) to the castle of Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff), where he notices a painting of the Baron’s late wife Ilsa, who looks identical to the ghostly woman. Determined to unravel the castle’s mystery, Duvalier learns that the Baron has many terrifying secrets. Though officially credited to Corman, “The Terror” had a total of five collaborative directors, including Nicholson, Monte Hellman and Francis Ford Coppola. In a newly restored HD version, “The Little Shop of Horrors” is the insane story of Seymour (Jonathan Haze), a lonely florist, and his hungry plant, Audrey, for whom he goes to great lengths to ensure that his green friend is fed and happy. With a cast that also includes Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles and a very young Jack Nicholson as a scene-stealing dental patient with a high threshold for pain, Corman and screenwriter Charles Griffith give us a comic horror masterpiece for the ages. A film so enduring that it inspired a Broadway musical, which led to a remake of the film that was nominated for two Oscars. See the original that started it all. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Film Masters … In 1979, fresh from directing bare knuckle boxing movie “Hard Times” and supercool crime thriller “The Driver,” Walter Hill delivered his third stone cold classic in a row: “The Warriors” (1979), a slam-bang, visually kinetic action movie that mixed a heightened comic-book sensibility with a timeless tale from ancient Greece and set them loose in the streets of modern America. In New York the gangs outnumber the cops by 5-1. Together, they could rule the city. Gang-leader Cyrus has a dream to do just that and calls a summit. The gangs of New York gather in their thousands, Cyrus takes the stage. From somewhere in the crowd a shot rings out and Cyrus falls down dead. In the chaos that follows, a small gang from Coney Island – the Warriors – are blamed. Now everyone is out to get them. On foot, in enemy territory, can they make it through the night to get back across the city to the safety of home turf? For all you boppers out there, for all you street people with an ear for the action … the iconic cult classic is back in a brand new 4K restoration approved by director Walter Hill. Can you dig it? Two-disc Blu-ray limited edition and two-disc 4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray limited edition; exclusive new 4K remasters of both the Theatrical Cut and the 2005 Alternate Version of the film sourced from the original camera negative, supervised by Arrow Films and approved by director Walter Hill. 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of both versions of the film. Theatrical Cut presented in original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the first time on home video. Original uncompressed mono, plus stereo 2.0 and Dolby Atmos audio options for the Theatrical Cut, plus stereo 2.0 and DTS-HD MA 5.1 for the 2005 Alternate Version. From Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment. Read more here … “Savage Guns: Four Classic Westerns Volume 3 (Limited Edition)” features four of the Italian western’s hardest, cruelest, bloodiest classics erupt from the screen in this feature-packed box set. Maniacal outlaws thirsting for blood! Corrupt capitalists profiting from the suffering of the common folk! Desperate people pushed to violent revenge! The Italian western has never been grittier than in this quartet of later-period cult classics, in which the trademark cynicism of the genre escalates into the radical pessimism of the late 1960s-early 1970s world. In Paolo Bianchini’s “I Want Him Dead,” American actor Craig Hill stars as an ex-Confederate soldier who vows revenge after his sister is raped and murdered, in so doing setting him on a collision course with a dastardly plot to disrupt peace talks between the North and South. Next, in Edoardo Mulargia’s “El Puro,” western icon Robert Woods gives arguably his greatest performance as a legendary gunfighter forced to emerge from hiding after the bounty hunters on his tail murder the tender-hearted barmaid who offered him a new life. Then, in Mario Camus’ “Wrath of the Wind,” genre superstar Terence Hill shows his darker side as an assassin who finds his conscience when he and his brother are hired by a ruthless landholder to kill the leaders of a growing labor movement. Finally, Fabio Testi and Tomas Milian star in Lucio Fulci’s “Four of the Apocalypse,” in which a quartet of misfits go from sharing the same jail cell to embarking on a savage odyssey that will lead to torture, rape and cannibalism. Preyed upon by a ruthless bandit, the foursome fight for their lives – until the time comes for revenge. Featuring dazzling High Definition restorations and a wealth of brand new bonus materials produced specially for this release. High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all four films. 2K restorations of all four films from the original 35mm camera negatives, with “El Puro” newly restored by Arrow Films for this release. Italian and English front and end titles on all four films. Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks on all four films. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment. Read more here … A classic tale is reborn through the inspired imagination of cinematic dream-weaver Guillermo del Toro, directing “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio” (2022) alongside Mark Gustafson. Realized through boundary-pushing, breathtakingly intricate stop-motion animation, this dark rendering of the fable of the puppet boy and his maker—which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature—daringly transfers the story to Fascist Italy, where the irrepressible Pinocchio gradually learns what it means to be human through his experiences of war, death, and sacrifice. Featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, and Christoph Waltz, this Pinocchio imbues the oft-told tale with a bold new resonance about living with courage and compassion. On DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo. 4K digital master, supervised by directors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, with Dolby Atmos on the 4K UHD disc and the Blu-ray. In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features. Read more here. From The Criterion Collection … In “The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse,” Everyday life becomes an adventure in the wide-eyed fables and fantasies of Albert Lamorisse. Balancing imaginative whimsy with documentary-like authenticity, his beloved short films “Bim, the Little Donkey” (1951); “White Mane” (1953); and the Academy Award–winning “The Red Balloon” (1956) find unforgettable emotional, spiritual, and moral resonance in the realms of children and animals, while his captivating but now rarely seen features “Stowaway in the Sky” (1960) and “Circus Angel” (1965) exult in the glories of two of his greatest loves: nature and flight. With their astonishing cinematography and purity of spirit, these five enchanting works invite viewers of all ages to experience the wonder, mystery, and poignancy of the world anew. On DVD, Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restorations of “The Red Balloon” and “White Mane” and new 2K digital restorations of “Bim, the Little Donkey,” “Stowaway in the Sky” and “Circus Angel,” with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays. U.S. English-language version of “Bim, the Little Donkey.” Read more here. From The Criterion Collection.

Buzzin’ the ‘B’s:

In “Mercy Road” (2023), starring Luke Bracey, Toby Jones, Susie Porter and Huw Higginson, after committing an impulsive, vicious crime while searching for his missing daughter, a frantic father (Bracey) goes on the run from law enforcement and soon begins receiving chilling calls from an unknown entity claiming to know her whereabouts. As he faithfully follows the caller’s increasingly unhinged instructions, he is driven perilously close to the edge of sanity while discovering exactly how far he is willing to go to save his child. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Well Go USA … In this celebratory story of a young woman in Brooklyn, “The Persian Version” (2023), starring Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Bijan Daneshmand, Bella Warda, Tom Byrne and Kamand Shafieisabet, Leila (Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while challenging the labels society projects upon her. When her boisterous family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila keeps her “real” life separate from her family life. But when her secret is revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother. (Sony). Read more here … In “Family Game” (2023 — French Canada), starring Guillaume Cyr, Pierre-Paul Alain, Karine Vanasse, Jason Cavalier and Ted Pluviose, the Arsenaults are illegal poachers, selling wild meat out of the back of the family-owned garage. Older son Adam wants to get out of the criminal enterprise and run the business clean, but his plans change when Anthony – his more criminally inclined younger brother – returns to town from prison. From Dark Star Pictures. Read more here

Foreign:

In “The Inspector Wears Skirts (AKA Top Squad)” (1988 — Hong Kong), starring Sibelle Hu, Cynthia Rothroc and Shui-Fan Fung, Madame Wu (Hu) has been assigned to the Hong Kong Police Academy to train female Banshee Squad Members, right next door to the all-male Tiger Squad lead by Inspector Kan (Shui-Fan Fung). After internal conflicts and courting mishaps, the squad members are ordered to band together to round up a gang of thieves, but nothing goes as planned. From executive producer, Raymond Chow comes this rambunctious action-comedy that was produced and choreographed by the legendary Jackie Chan and lensed by superstar Andy Lau. Remastered from the original camera negative and packed with bonus material. 2K remaster from the original camera negative.On Blu-ray from 88 Films/MVD Entertainment …“The Blue Jean Monster” (1991 — Hong Kong) is a 1991 Hong Kong horror-comedy film directed by Ivan Lai. The movie is about a police officer named Joe who has a happy life with his pregnant wife. One day he gets a In tip that a bank is about to be robbed and rushes to it but is killed. Then the strangest thing happen, Joe becomes a vampire when a black cat jumps on his body and is hit by lightning. Can Joe take revenge on his killers? 2K remaster from the original camera negative. On Blu-ray from 88 Films/MVD Entertainment … The seven Ramsay brothers, sons of the radio manufacturer Fatehchand U. Ramsay, were India’s biggest producers of horror movies. The family was the Indian equivalent of the UK’s Hammer Films. They were active between 1972 and 1994 and produced 25 films, the vast majority of them in the horror genre, although they also worked on thrillers and even a children’s film, which also included a monster of sorts – a huge friendly Yeti. The “Bollywood Horror Collection” box set is the first collection of their films to be released on Blu-ray and is packed with extra features, and interviews with cast and crew along with an 80 page full color book written by Indian film expert Tim Paxton. Films Includes: “Aatma/The Ghost” (2006), “Purana Mandir – The Haunted Temple” (1984), “Purani Haveli – The Monster Walks” (1989), “Tahkhana – The Dungeon” (1989), “Veerana – Vengeance of the Vampire” (1988), “Bandh Darwaza/Bride of the Vampire” (1990). Brand new 2k restoration from original negatives. On Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro … “The Long Arm of the Law I & I” (1988 – Hong Kong) are presented together in one dynamite package. Directed by Johnny Mak and his brother, Michael Mak respectively, these two movies are packed full of Hong Kong-style action sequences, thrills, and spills, and provide an explosive prelude to what would eventually become a quadrilogy of martial arts thrillers. New 2K restorations of both films in 1:85:1 aspect ratio. On Blu-ray from 88 Films/MVD Entertainment.

Special Interest:

In “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” (2023), starring Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Richard Aaron Anderson, Rainn Wilson, Julianne Nicholson, Toby Huss, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Will Forte, Patton Oswalt, Jack Black, Josh Groban and Seth Green, Radcliffe is “Weird” Al Yankovic in the unexaggerated true story about the greatest musician of our time. From a conventional upbringing where playing the accordion was a sin, Al rebelled and made his dream of changing the words to world-renowned songs come true. An instant success and sex symbol, Al lives an excessive lifestyle and pursues an infamous romance that nearly destroys him. With Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson, and an A-list cast of thousands their agents won’t let us reveal. On DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, from Universal.

From TV to Disc:

“Shaun The Sheep: The Complete Series” is a seven-disc boxed set with all 170 episodes, marking the first-time seasons 5 and 6 of the series are available to own. It also includes “Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas,” a half-hour holiday special which follows Shaun, Timmy and the Flock – as well as some new characters – in a mischief-filled festive caper, and over an hour of bonus material with “Mossy Bottom Shorts,” “Championsheeps,” and the Shaun-tastic special, “Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas.” Catch Shaun, Bitzer, the Farmer, and the rest of the Flock in countless sheepish shenanigans and outrageous behavior as they navigate life at Mossy Bottom Farm. “Shaun the Sheep” is an award-winning series (Annecy Cristal, BAFTA, International Emmy Awards) recognized the world over for its slapstick humor, distinctive look and strong, quirky characters. First appearing in Nick Park’s 1995 Academy Award-winning “Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave,” Shaun then went on to star in his own series and several movies. Now fans can bring home the fun and joy of Shaun and his farmyard family in this complete collection with all six seasons, shorts and specials, just in time for the holidays. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Shout! Studios.

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.