From the Big Screen:

Eternals

(2021) Marvel adventure follows a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again. Vitals: Director: Chloe´ Zhao. Stars: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 157 min., Action, North American box office gross: $163.613 million, worldwide $399.794 million, Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary by Chloé Zhao, Stephane Ceretti, Mårten Larsson; “Immortalized” behind-the-scenes documentary; “Walks of Life” cast featurette; gag reel; deleted scenes. Read more here

This Week’s Best Bets:

Gene Kelly stars as the swashbuckling young French nobleman D’Artagnan who, possessing nothing more than his title, travels to Paris to join The Three Musketeers in “The Three Musketeers” (1948). D’Artagnan no sooner arrives in the capital, than he insults Athos (Van Heflin), Porthos (Gig Young) and Aramis (Robert Coote), the most feared of the musketeers. Challenged to a duel by each, D’Artagnan earns their respect with his courage, if not by his fighting prowess. But his courage, skill and wit are quickly needed to help the musketeers thwart a plot by the powerful Prime Minister Richelieu (Vincent Price) to overthrow King Louis XIII (Frank Morgan), save Queen Anne (Angela Lansbury) and win the heart of Lady de Winter (Lana Turner). This all-star frolic was a boxoffice hit as MGM and director George Sidney pulled out the stops to bring together its finest talents, and now it’s been restored and remastered for its Blu-ray debut. From Warner Archive … Golden-age Hollywood’s humanist master Leo McCarey brings his graceful touch and relaxed naturalism to the sublime romance “Love Affair” (1939), one of cinema’s most intoxicating tear-wringers. Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer are chic strangers who meet and fall in love aboard an ocean liner bound for New York. Though they are both involved with other people, they make a pact to reconnect six months later at the top of the Empire State Building — until the hand of fate throws their star-crossed affair tragically off course. Swooning passion and gentle comedy coexist in perfect harmony in the exquisitely tender film (nominated for six Oscars), a story so timeless that it has been remade by multiple filmmakers over the years — including McCarey himself, who updated it as the equally beloved “An Affair to Remember.” On DVD, Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restoration by The Museum of Modern Art and Lobster Films, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. From The Criterion Collection.

From TV to Disc:

“Heels: The Complete First Season” (2021) is a two-disc set with all eight episodes. There are two sides to the pro wrestling character coin: “faces” and “heels” — heroes vs villains. “Heels” is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals, Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) and Ace Space (Alexander Ludwig), war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, someone must play the good guy (Ludwig) and someone must play their nemesis, the heel (Amell). But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind. From Lionsgate … “Legacies: Season Three” (2021) is a three-disc set with all 20 episodes. Set in The Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted, “Legacies” tells the story of a new generation of supernatural students as they learn what it means to be special in a world that wouldn’t understand their gifts. In season two, Hope Mikaelson reunited with her former Headmaster, Alaric Saltzman. Working together, Hope and Dr. Saltzman ultimately rejoined The Salvatore School to lead their Super Squad of powerful vampires, witches and werewolves into battle against a dizzying horde of fantastic and deadly monsters. As season three begins, Hope has risked everything to pull her friends back from the brink of a monstrous prophecy that threatened to doom them all. But when a heartbreaking loss shatters her whole world, Hope will be forced to fight fate itself. From Warner Archive.

Buzzin’ the ‘B’s:

In “Settlers” (2021), starring Sofia Boutella, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Brooklynn Prince, Jonny Lee Miller and Nell Tiger Free, humankind’s earliest settlers on the Martian frontier, llsa (Boutella) and Reza (Miller), inhabit a desolate farmstead with their child Remmy. They work the land and shield their daughter from the dangers of the harsh surroundings. When hostile intruders threaten to expel them from the compound the family is forced to fight to survive in this science-fiction thrill ride. On DVD, Blu-ray, from RLJE Films … Matt Dillon stars in “Liar’s Moon” (1982), a tender tale of love’s first promise … and its enduring strength. Dillon plays Jack Duncan, an athletic, hardworking boy from the small town of Noble, Texas. Jack is happy just enjoying himself with the local boys, until he meets Ginny Peterson (Cindy Fisher), the town’s wealthiest young lady. Despite their obviously different backgrounds, Jack and Ginny fall desperately in love. Even though their parents have forbidden them to meet, Jack and Ginny sneak out, and finally elope, hoping to find happiness far from their hometown. But theirs is a love that falls prey to the sins of their elders – as the intrigue of two families reaches out an angry hand to its innocent victim in this touching, tragic story of youth, love and hope. Co-stars Hoyt Axton, Yvonne DeCarlo, Susan Tyrrell, Richard Moll and Broderick Crawford. Released theatrically by Crown International Pictures and originally on home video by Vestron Video, the film has been unavailable for decades. In a Blu-ray debut from MVD Rewind … When a suburban housewife discovers that her husband has become a zombie with an appetite for human flesh, she must decide whether to stay in the marriage or wade into the dating pool in “Zombae (aka ZBurbs)” (2017), starring Ian Alda, Marieh Delfino, Gina Hecht, Gabe Greenspan and Clint Carmichael. As she dips her toe in, she soon finds that the men out there are even worse than her zombie husband. With a little help from her best friend, she decides to make it work – no matter what. From Indican Pictures … In “Wolf” (2021), starring George MacKay, Lily-Rose Depp, Paddy Considine and Terry Notary, Jacob, a man who believes he is a wolf trapped in a human body, is sent to a clinic by his family where he is forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of “curative” therapies at the hands of The Zookeeper. Jacob’s only solace is the enigmatic wildcat with whom he roams the hospital in the dead of night. The two form an improbable friendship that develops into infatuation. From Universal.

Foreign Films:

In the debut directorial feature by actor Joe Odagiri, “They Say Nothing Stays the Same” (2019 — Japan) follows an old ferryman in a remote Meiji-era community. His life is a peaceful, cyclical existence, given meaning by the essential role he plays in transporting people, livestock and goods across the water, connecting villages and lives. When news arrives that a bridge is being built, it’s clear that his services will no longer be needed. Meanwhile, his life will be equally transformed by the appearance of a mysterious young woman whom he saves from drowning. Shot by star cinematographer Christopher Doyle and featuring an array of cameos from Japan’s top stars, “They Say Nothing Stays the Same” is a refreshingly old-fashioned work of classical cinema, its formal qualities mirroring its thematic concern with those fondly remembered traditions sacrificed in the name of progress.
From Film Movement … In “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” (2021 — Romania), starring Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia, Olimpia Malai, Nicodim Ungureanu and Alexandru Potocean, Emi (Pascariu), a high school teacher, finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex tape she filmed with her husband is leaked on the internet. Forced to meet the parents demanding her dismissal at an emergency community meeting, Emi refuses to surrender to their pressure. The Romanian pandemic-era satire widens its focus from the bustling streets of Bucharest, where Emi navigates countless slice-of-life mini-dramas and judging eyes, to a jarring essay-like montage recounting Romania’s complicated history. Director Radu Jude delivers an incendiary mix of unconventional form, irreverent humor, and scathing commentary on hypocrisy and prejudice in society. From Magnolia Home Entertainment. Read more here … In “Seobok: Project Clone” (2021 — South Korea), starring Gong Yoo, Park Bo Gum, and Jo Woo Jin, a former special agent is called in for a secret mission: safely escort the world’s first human clone, whose body may hold the key to defeating death itself. But as the enemy closes in, the pair is forced to make an impossible choice. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Well Go USA.

Special Interest:

The Documentary “Julia” (2021) brings to life the legendary cookbook author and television superstar who changed the way Americans think about food, television, and even about women. Using never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and cutting-edge, food cinematography, the film traces Julia Child’s 12 year struggle to create and publish the revolutionary “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” (1961). which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date, and her rapid ascent to become the country’s most unlikely television star. It’s the empowering story of a woman who found her purpose – and her fame – at 50, and took America along on the whole delicious journey. From Sony. 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.