Seems like old times — there’s six big theatrical releases making their way to DVD and Blu-ray this week — headed up by “Poor Things,” which walked away with four Oscars Sunday night at the 96th Academy Awards — including Emma Stone for Best Actress.

Poor Things

(2023) The incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. Vitals: Director: Yorgos Lanthimos. Stars: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbot, Suzy Bemba, Hanna Schygulla. CC, MPAA rating: R, 142 min., Comedy Drama, North American box office gross: $32.913 million, worldwide $99.613 million, Fox/Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Possessing Beauty – The Making of Poor Things”; deleted scenes. Read more here.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

(2023) Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction. Vitals: Director: James Wan. Stars: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Randall Park. CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 124 min., Action Adventure, North American box office gross: $114.191 million, worldwide $397.591 million, Warner. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Finding the Lost Kingdom”; “Aquaman: Worlds Above and Below?”; “It’s a Manta World”; “Necrus, The Lost Black City?”; “Escape from the Deserter World”; “Brawling at Kingfish’s Lair”; “Oh TOPO!?” Read more here.

Wish

(2023) In this animated musical-comedy, Asha, a sharp-witted idealist in the kingdom of Rosas, makes a powerful wish that’s answered by Star, a ball of boundless energy. Soon, Asha and Star must face a formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas—to save her community and prove that when one brave human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things happen. Vitals: Directors: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn. Stars: Voices of Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama. CC, MPAA rating: PG, 95 min., Animated Family, North American box office gross: $62.790 million, worldwide $209.814 million, Disney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Sing Along With the Movie,” ” Once Upon a Studio” featurette reunion of Beloved characters from Disney Animation’s 100 years; “100 Years in the Making” Inside story on the making of “Wish”; “WISH D-Classified” featurette; outtakes; deleted song; deleted scenes; song selection. Read more here.

Anyone But You

(2023) In this edgy comedy, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold – until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple. Vitals: Director: Will Gluck. Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Rachel Griffiths. CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Romantic Comedy, North American box office gross: $87.977 million, worldwide $207.580 million, Sony. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: “He Said She Said”; “Everyone Down Under”; outtakes & bloopers; deleted scenes; ASMR pickup lines; “Aussie Snacks.” Read more here.

Ferrari

(2023) Set during the summer of 1957, ex-racecar driver Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), is in crisis. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning for one son and the acknowledgement of another. He decides to counter his losses by rolling the dice on one race — 1,000 miles across Italy, the iconic Mille Miglia. Vitals: Director: Michael Mann. Stars: Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Patrick Dempsey. CC, MPAA rating: R, 130 min., Drama, North American box office gross: $18.550 million, worldwide $40.250 million, Decal Releasing. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Michael Mann: Building the World”; “Building Perfection”; “The Mile Miglia”; “Adam Driver on Enzo Ferrari”; “Penelope Cruz on Laura Ferrari.”

The Color Purple (2023)

Torn apart from her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) and her children, Celie (Fantasia Barrino in her major motion picture debut, reprising her 2005 role from Broadway) faces many hardships in her life, including an abusive husband simply called Mister (Colman Domingo). With the support of sultry singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson) and stand-her-ground stepdaughter Sofia (Danielle Brooks, Tony-nominated for the role on Broadway), Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood. Based on the novel by Alice Walker and based on the musical stage play, book (of the musical stage play) by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Vitals: Director: Blitz Bazawule. Stars: Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Halle Bailey, Ciara, H.E.R., David Alan Grier. CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 141 min., Drama Musical, North American box office gross: $59.3 million, worldwide $59.6 million, Warner. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Blu-ray extras: “Creating The Color Purple: A Bold New Take on the Beloved Classic”; “Hell Yes! The Iconic Characters of The Color Purple”; “In The Flow: Creating The Color Purple’s Biggest Musical Moments”; “A Story For Me: The Legacy of The Color Purple.” Read more here.

This Week’s Best Bets

Arrow Video this week delivers a new 2K remaster from the original 35mm camera negative of
“The Shootist” (1976). Legendary director Don Siegel (“Dirty Harry”) directs the iconic John Wayne as an ageing gunfighter dying of cancer in his final screen appearance, a superb adaptation of Glendon Swarthout’s classic western novel, “The Shootist.” John Bernard Books is the stuff of legend, a renowned “shootist” whose reputation looms large. But it’s 1901, and like the old west, John is dying and a reputation like his draws trouble like an outhouse draws flies. As word spreads that the famous gunfighter is on his last legs, the vultures begin to gather; old enemies, the marshal, newspaper men, an undertaker, all eager to see him dead. Other men might die quietly in bed or take their own lives, but J. B. Books will choose his executioner and face down death with a pistol in each hand. With an outstanding cast that features not only Wayne, but James Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, Scatman Crothers, and John Carradine, “The Shootist” is an elegiac ode to a monumental screen presence and to the Western genre itself. On Blu-ray. Read more here … In “All That Money Can Buy (a.k.a. The Devil and Daniel Webster)” (1941), Jabez Stone is a hardworking farmer trying to make an honest living, but a streak of bad luck tempts him to do the unthinkable: bargain with the devil himself. In exchange for seven years of good fortune, Stone promises “Mr. Scratch” his soul. But when the troubled farmer begins to realize the error of his choice, he enlists the aid of the one man who might save him: the legendary orator and politician Daniel Webster. Directed with stylish flair by William Dieterle, “All That Money Can Buy” brings the classic short story by Stephen Vincent Bene´t to life with inspired visuals, an unforgettable, Oscar-winning score by Bernard Herrmann, and a truly diabolical performance from Walter Huston as the devil. On DVD, Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. From The Criterion Collection. Read more here.

Buzzin’ the ‘B’s:

Grindhouse Releasing presents one of the most shocking and demented thrillers of the 1970s, “Impulse” (1974), starring William Shatner as Matt Stone, a deranged gigolo who preys on rich women, unable to control his murderous psychosexual urges. Directed by legendary exploitation filmmaker William Grefé (“The Death Curse of Tartu”), and co-starring Jenifer Bishop (Al Adamson’s “The Female Bunch”), Ruth Roman (Hitchcock’s “Strangers On a Train”), Harold “Oddjob” Sakata (“Goldfinger”) and William Kerwin (Herschell Gordon Lewis’ “Blood Feast”), “Impulse” is being presented in a beautiful new master lovingly restored in 4K from rare archival 35mm film elements. On Blu-ray. Read more here.

Foreign Films:

In “One-Percent Warrior” (2023 — Japan), starring Tak Sakaguchi, Kohei Fukuyama, Kanon Narumi and Rumika Fukuda, a legendary, aging action film star is drawn into the real world of violence when feuding yakuza gangs infiltrate the set of his latest feature. Caught in the middle of a chaotic battle and increasing body count, will his martial arts training be enough to save him? On Blu-ray from Well Go USA … In “A Balance” (2021 — Japan), starring Kumi Takiuchi and Ken Mitsuishi, investigative filmmaker Yuko (Takiuchi) is putting together a piece about the bereaved families connected with a bullied schoolgirl’s suicide. Determined to shed light on the truth, Yuko’s uncompromising nature brings her in conflict with the conservative-minded management at her television network, but succeeds in getting her interview subjects to place their trust in her. Then Yuko discovers that her father, Masashi (Mitsuishi), who runs a test prep school, has made a grave error of judgment. The further she becomes involved in his mistake, the more she finds herself telling lie after lie. As unexpected developments occur, Yuko’s struggles with her conscience and her compromised perception of the truth force her to make life-altering decisions. The sophomore feature from Yujiro Harumoto, “A Balance” had it’s world premiere at the Pingyao International Film Festival where it won both the Roberto Rossellini Jury Award and the People’s Choice Award before also capturing the New Currents Award at the Busan International Film Festival. On DVD from Film Movement … In “Moja & Vesna” (2022 – Slovenia/Australia), starring Loti Kovacic, Gregor Bakovic, Mackenzie Mazur, Claudia Karvan and Flora Feldman, 10-year-old Moja lives with her grief-stricken Slovenian father Milos and pregnant 20-year-old sister Vesna in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. Unable to accept the reality of her mother’s sudden passing, Moja instead focuses on preparing for the baby while Vesna struggles to take responsibility as an expecting parent. Despite the growing strain in their relationship, Moja pushes on, hoping in vain that Vesna will eventually fill the mother-shaped hole in her life. It is not until Moja meets and befriends Miranda and her quirky daughter Danger that she begins to realize that brighter days lie ahead. Featuring a revelatory performance by Loti Kovacic and hailed as one of the best Australian features in recent memory, “Moja & Vesna” marks the debut of writer-director Sara Kern who adapted the film from her award-winning short “Vesna Goodbye.” On DVD from Indiepix Films.

Special Interest:

The documentary “Immediate Family” (2022) tracks the rise and collaborations of legendary session musicians Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Waddy Wachtel through the 1970s and onward, chronicling their illustrious partnerships and their formidable record of hit-making. Directed by Denny Tedesco, whose documentary “The Wrecking Crew” followed the first wave of studio musicians in the 60s, the film reveals the machinery behind the booming era of the singer-songwriter, when the talents of these four musicians were in furious demand. The foundations of their enduring friendship, formed on the road and in studios, is recalled with dynamite clarity — reminisced with fondness through intimate interviews with the guys themselves, as well as the memories of some of rock’s most iconic voices including Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Phil Collins, and more. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Magnolia Home Entertainment. Read more here … In June 2023, Russia destroyed the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine and committed an unprecedented ecocide. In response, French philosopher and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Lévy travelled to Ukraine to capture Ukraine’s deep humanity despite the dire conditions, and a civilian resilience and resistance unlike any other. In “Glory to the Heroes” (2023 — France), Lévy, along with his co-director Marc Roussel, spends the summer in eastern Ukraine recording for the world a passionate ode to Ukraine’s courage on the battlefield while also depicting the overwhelming sorrow sowed by Russia’s continuous attacks on civilians. On the ground during the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Lévy and Roussel embed with elite forces on the frontline. With unprecedented access, they capture the horrors of war, the hopefulness of the Ukrainian citizens and their optimism in the face of senseless destruction. Lévy has brought to the world a film that, now more than ever, is a painful reminder that this war is our war and it’s time for the West to urgently give Ukraine everything it needs to win. From Cohen Media Group … In “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” (2022), Fearless documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras’s career-long pursuit of truth and justice finds powerful expression in an epic story of art, activism, and survival. Made in collaboration with renowned artist Nan Goldin, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” entwines the mission of PAIN — an advocacy group she founded to raise awareness about the billionaire Sackler family’s integral role in the ongoing crisis of opioid overdoses — with an intimate journey through Goldin’s life, from her rebellious adolescence and immersion in New York City’s thriving underground arts scene to her personal experiences of addiction and the AIDS epidemic. Through it all, her indelible photographs and candid reflections on memory and trauma reveal her unyielding solidarity with marginalized communities that refuse to remain silent. On DVD, Blu-ray, with new high-definition digital master, approved by director Laura Poitras and artist Nan Goldin, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray. From The Criterion Collection. Read more here.

From TV to Disc:

“Rick and Morty: The Complete Seventh Season” (2023) is a single-disc with all 10 episodes. It’s season seven, and the possibilities are endless: what’s up with Jerry? EVIL Summer?! And will they ever go back to the high school?! Maybe not! But let’s find out! There’s probably less piss than last season. “Rick and Morty,” 100 years! Or at least until season 10! On DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray Steelbook, from Adult Swim/Warner.

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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.