From the Big Screen:

The 355

(2022) When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild-card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) joins forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz) on a lethal mission to retrieve it. The unlikely team must also stay one step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), who is tracking their every move as the action rockets across the globe. Vitals: Director: Simon Kinberg. Stars: Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Binbing Fan, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Édgar Ramirez, Sebastian Stan. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 122 min., Action Thriller, North American box office gross: $14.5 million, worldwide $28.6 million, Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: Deleted scenes; “Chasing Through Paris” behind-the-scenes featurette on the first day of shooting and how the choreographed chase sequence through the Parisian arcade set the tone for the entire production; “Action That Hurts” behind-the-scenes look at the stunts featured in the film’s centerpiece action sequence; “Reconstructing Marrakesh” Moroccan set featurette; “Chaos at the City of Dreams” in which the cast and filmmakers deconstruct the film’s final set piece; VFX breakdowns. Read more here

The King’s Man

(2021) Set during WWI, this prequel tells the exhilarating origin story of Kingsman, the world’s very first independent intelligence agency. As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions across the globe, one man must race against time to stop them. Vitals: Director: Matthew Vaughn. Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: R, 131 min., Action, North American box office gross: $31.514, million, worldwide $105.403 million, Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital, VOD, Digital. Extras: “The King’s Man: The Great Game Begins” six-part documentary; “No Man’s Land” featurette that explores the creative process behind the harrowing knife battle sequence in several stages: rehearsals, storyboards, interviews and on-set footage, culminating with the atmospheric VFX; “Remembrance and Finding Purpose” featurette on the amazing organizations The Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes, two U.K.-based resources for recovery, well-being and employment for military veterans. Read more here

House of Gucci

(2021)Inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. When Patrizia Reggiani, (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately…murder. Vitals: Director: Ridley Scott. Stars: Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Lady Gaga, Jeremy Irons, Madalina Ghenea, Jack Huston, Salma Hayek. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: R, 157 min., Drama, US box office gross: $50.129 million, worldwide $127.583 million, MGM/Universal. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “The Rise of the House of Gucci: Making Of,” “The Lady of the House,” “Styling House of Gucci.” Read more here

American Underdog

(2021) Based on the Book “All Things Possible” by Kurt Warner and Michael Silver, the film tells the inspirational true story of Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi), who went from a stockboy at a grocery store to a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback. Vitals: Director: The Erwin Brothers. Stars: Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin, Dennis Quaid, Adam Baldwin, Bruce McGill, Ser’Darius Blain. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 112 min., Sports Drama, US box office gross: $18.807 million, worldwide $18.807 million, Lionsgate. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Read more here

This Week’s Best Bets:

One of the preeminent works of the Hong Kong New Wave, “Boat People” (1982 — Hong Kong) is a shattering look at the circumstances that drove hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees to flee their homeland in the wake of the Vietnam War, told through images of haunting, unforgettable power. Three years after the Communist takeover, a Japanese photojournalist (George Lam) travels to Vietnam to document the country’s seemingly triumphant rebirth. When he befriends a teenage girl (Season Ma) and her destitute family, however, he begins to discover what the government doesn’t want him to see: the brutal, often shocking reality of life in a country where political repression and poverty have forced many to resort to desperate measures in order to survive. Transcending polemic, renowned director Ann Hui takes a deeply humanistic approach to a harrowing and urgent subject with searing contemporary resonance. On DVD, Blu-ray, with a new, restored 4K digital transfer, approved by director Ann Hui, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. From The Criterion Collection … Steve Railsback (famed for his unhinged performance as Charles Manson in 1976’s TV mini-series “Helter Skelter”) is at his sinister best as a troubled Vietnam Vet in “Deadly Games” (1982), a tale of madness, murder and adultery from writer-director Scott Mansfied. A masked maniac with a penchant for a horror-themed board game is playing his own twisted game with the women of a small American town. Each time the dice is rolled, another victim meets a grisly end. Returning home to mourn the death of her murdered sister, Keegan (Jo Ann Harris) befriends local cop Roger and oddball cinema projectionist Billy (Railsback) – but soon finds herself in the killer’s sights. Originally entitled “Who Fell Asleep,” “Deadly Games” is an intriguing early ’80s slasher oddity which benefits from focusing as much on the development of its female-led cast as it does on its scenes of stalking and slashing. Available for the first time ever on disc, Arrow Video presents this long-overlooked creepy gem in a brand new restoration from the recently-unearthed camera negative. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video. Read more here … “Delta Space Mission” (1984 — Romania) is best described as an early 80s Eastern European space-prog album high on sugary breakfast cereal, Heavy Metal magazine, Hanna-Barbera cartoons and 8-bit arcade games like Galaxian and Asteroids — all of these elements will give you some idea of the otherworldly weirdness of this Romanian animated sci-fi film. In the year 3084, Alma, a Modigliani-esque alien journalist with blue-green skin, boards a state-of-the-art spacecraft named Delta whose highly advanced computer brain develops a mad teenage crush on her with disastrous results. An incredibly strange and strangely beautiful work of galactic eye candy, the film defies all rules of perspective and logic, like M.C. Escher and Moebius teaming up on a Romanian Saturday morning cartoon. New 4K restoration from the original 35mm picture and sound elements by the Arhiva Nationala de Filme – Cinemateca Romana / National Film Archive – Romanian Cinematheque and the Centrul National al Cinematografiei / Romanian Film Centre (CNC). On DVD, Blu-ray, Deaf Crocodile Film … “Lies and Deceit: Five Films By Claude Chabrol”: Too often overlooked and undervalued, Claude Chabrol was the first of the Cahiers du Cinema critics to release a feature film and would be among the most prolific. The sneaky anarchist of the French New Wave, he embraced genre as a means off lifting the lid on human nature. Nothing is sacred and nothing is certain in the films of Claude Chabrol. Anything can be corrupted, and usually will be. Featuring “Cop Au Vin (Poulet au vinaigre)” (1985), “Inspector Lavardin” (1986), “Madame Bovary” (1991), “Betty” (1992) and “Torment (L’enfer)” (1994) this inaugural five-disc collection of Claude Chabrol on Blu-ray brings together a wealth of passionate contributors and archival extras to shed fresh light on the films and the filmmaker. Dark, witty, ruthless, mischievous: if you’ve never seen Chabrol before, you’re in for a treat. If you have, they’ve never looked better. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video. Read more here … In 1930, director Lewis Milestone won an Academy Award for his eloquent anti-war masterpiece, “All Quiet on the Western Front.” But with “Edge of Darkness” (1943), made in 1943 during the dark days of the German blitzkrieg, Milestone displays no such pacifist sentiments. Indeed, this remarkable drama, set in a small Norwegian village, pays tribute to the heroic spirit of common people taking up arms against the Nazi invaders. Errol Flynn delivers a fine, understated performance as a common fisherman who leads the town’s resistance efforts, while Ann Sheridan’s strong character reflects the strength of all womankind. And featured in the superb ensemble cast are Walter Huston, Ruth Gordon, and Judith Anderson. Ibn a Blu-ray debut from Warner Archive … In “Dancing Pirate” (1936), Charles Collins stars as a dance teacher from Boston who is tricked into joining a band of pirates, leading him to be fitted for a noose in California. Compared to “Douglas Fairbanks in his most acrobatic days,” Collins catches a break when the mayor’s daughter (Steffi Duna) demands the hanging be postponed until he teaches her to waltz. “Dancing Pirate” earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Dance Direction and was billed as “the first dancing musical in 100% new Technicolor.” The film features many familiar faces from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Frank Morgan as the mayor and Rita Hayworth in an early performance as a specialty dancer. This special edition release features a dazzling new restoration from rare, original, 35mm archival material, with a brand new 4K scan. On DVD, Blu-ray, from The Film Detective/Cinedigm.

Buzzin’ the ‘B’s:

In “Fallen” (2021), starring Andrea Zirio, Ortensia Fioravanti, Fabio Tarditi and Daniel McVicar, Father Abraham was ready to save the world from an evil menace using exorcism — until tragedy struck. Years later, he lives on a remote farm with his daughter, haunted by the faces of those he saved and those he could not. After finding a pale humanoid creature lurking in the woods one night, he shoots and cremates the monster. But all too soon he discovers that the beast was not alone, and that his troubles have only just begun. From Lionsgate … It lives 50 feet beneath the city. It’s 36 feet long. It weighs 2,000 pounds… and it’s about to break out. From director Lewis Teague (“Cujo,” “Cat’s Eye”) and screenwriter John Sayles (“Piranha,” “The Howling”) comes “Alligator” (1980), an unstoppable thriller with bite starring Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Dean Jagger and Henry Silva. After returning from their Florida vacation, the Kendal family decides their pet baby alligator is too much to take care of and they flush him down the toilet. At the same time, Slade Laboratories is conducting secret experiments with animals and disposing of them in the sewer. The baby alligator, fending for itself, must feed on anything it can … including the dead animals. Now, 12 years later, when several murders happen in the city of Chicago, David Madison (Forster) is put on the case to find out who … or what … is killing people. New 4K scan from the original camera negative. Three-disc set with both the theatrical and TV versions. In a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory. Read more here … In “Shattered” (2021), starring Cameron Monaghan, Frank Grillo, Lilly Krug, Sasha Luss and John Malkovich, after lonely tech millionaire Chris (Monaghan) encounters charming, sexy Sky (Krug), passion grows between them — and when he’s injured, she quickly steps in as his nurse. But Sky’s odd behavior makes Chris suspect that she has more sinister intentions, especially when Sky’s roommate is found dead from mysterious causes. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Lionsgate.

On the Indie Front:

When a disillusioned New Yorker’s father dies, he goes home to Cape Cod and prepares the house for sale while sharing it with his father’s temperamental live-in boyfriend in “Give or Take” (2020), starring Norbert Leo Butz, Jamie Effros, Joanne Tucker and Cheri Oteri. Grieving, they circle each other, butt heads, and negotiate how to remember the man they both loved, and the significance of what he left behind. From Breaking Glass Pictures … Spirit Lake is unusually deep. No diver has ever managed to find the bottom, though many have tried. When Dr. Amelia Brooks disappears during a deep-water dive, her three daughters travel home to settle her affairs in “The Midnight Swim” (2014), starring Aleksa Palladino, Lindsay Burdge, Jennifer Lafleur and Ross Patridge. They find themselves unable to let go of their mother and become drawn into the mysteries of the lake. On Blu-ray, from Yellow Veil Pictures. Read more here.

Foreign Films:

In “Golden Voices” (2019 — Israel), starring Maria Belkin and Vladimir Friedman, Raya and Victor built a shared career as the Soviet Union’s most beloved film dubbers, translating the work of Federico Fellini and Stanley Kubrick into Russian over the decades. With the collapse of the USSR in 1990, the Jewish couple immigrates to Israel, but find that opportunities for first-rate vocal performances are few and far between. Raya answers a help wanted ad searching for women with “pleasant voices” and finds herself catering to a lonely Russian community as a phone-sex operator, while Victor falls in with a band of black market film pirates from the VHS underground. A charming comedy about disrupting old dynamics, starting anew, and rediscovering yourself in the most unexpected places. From Music Box Films. Read more here … In “Hard Hit” (2022 — South Korea), VIP bank manager Sung-Gyu drives his daughter and son to school one morning. Along the way, a phone rings from the glove-box. It’s an anonymous caller claiming there’s a bomb under Sung-gyu’s seat and if anyone exits the car, it will explode unless Sung-gyu can pay a ransom. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Capelight Pictures. Read more here.

From TV to Disc:

“Attack on Titan Final Season Part 1” (2020-21) is a six-disc set with 10 episodes. After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction. In a Blu-ray/DVD Combo, from Funimation.

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.