From the Big Screen:

A Haunting in Venice

(2023) Agatha Christie-based film is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets. Vitals: Director: Kenneth Branagh. Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, Michelle Yeoh. CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 103 min., Mystery, North American box office gross: $40.908 million, worldwide $112.898 million, Fox. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Read more here

This Week’s Best Bets:

Slip out of your spacesuit and into something more comfortable: It’s time to join “Barbarella “ (1968) on a series of cosmic adventures in this Dino De Laurentiis production directed by Roger Vadim (“And God Created Woman”) and starring Jane Fonda as the intergalactic glamour puss created by comic book artist Jean-Claude Forest. It’s the year 40,000AD. When evil scientist Durand Durand (Milo O’Shea) creates a deadly weapon with the potential to cause mass devastation, the President of Earth dispatches Barbarella (Fonda) to hunt him down. Crash-landing in an icy wilderness somewhere within the Tau Ceti planetary system, Barbarella is rescued by Mark Hand (Ugo Tognazzi, “La Cage Aux Folles”) and guided by the blind angel Pygar (John Phillip Law, “Danger: Diabolik)” to Durand’s lair in Sogo, a city of corruption and debauchery, where an encounter with the Great Tyrant Black Queen (Anita Pallenberg, “Performance”) and her minions throws her mission into jeopardy. With an all-star cast including David Hemmings and Marcel Marceau, and glorious retro-futuristic costumes and art design dripping with 60s psychedelia, “Barbarella” defined an era and has never looked better than this brand new 4K restoration, with an HDR/Dolby Vision color grade so rich it can be seen from space, loaded with never-before-seen bonus features. Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films. Limited Edition two-disc Blu-ray set and a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo set.With a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tula Lotay; double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tula Lotay; six double-sided collector’s postcards; illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anne Billson, Paul Gravett, Véronique Bergen and Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, and select archival material; second disc of bonus material. From Arrow Video US/MVD Entertainment. Read more here … In “Le combat dans l’ile” (1962 — France), Clement (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is a wealthy son of an industrialist who lives a secret life as a right-wing terrorist. Double-crossed following an assassination attempt, he flees to the countryside with his wife, Anne (Romy Schneider), where they stay with his childhood friend, Paul (Henri Serre). Clement plots his revenge but Anne falls for Paul and a love triangle is just one of many complications in this multi-layered discovery from the French New Wave. With the support of producer Louis Malle, Alain Cavalier directed his debut, a noirish drama beautifully shot by cinematographer Pierre Lhomme (“Army of Shadows”). While echoing the political turmoil of the 1960s, the film probes bourgeois values and the relationship between sex and violence, acting as a precursor to “The Conformist” and demonstrating the influence of Chabrol. 2K Restoration from the original camera negative. On Blu-ray from Radiance/MVD Entertainment … In “Blackhat” (2015) Michael Mann (“Thief,” “Collateral”), the acclaimed auteur celebrated for his action panache and commitment to cinematic realism, turns his hand to depicting the high-stakes world of global cybercrime in this contemporary, ripped-from-the-headlines twist on the espionage thriller. Chris Hemsworth stars as Nick Hathaway, a gifted hacker currently serving a lengthy prison sentence. When a Hong Kong nuclear plant goes into meltdown after its security is penetrated, Chinese army cybersecurity captain Chen Dawai (Leehom Wang) offers his old college roommate a deal: Help identify and apprehend the culprit in exchange for his freedom. What follows is a frenetic, globe trotting race against time to avert disaster, fraught with hidden agendas and ever-shifting loyalties. Praised for its unusually accurate portrayal of cybersecurity, “Blackhat” boasts an impressive international cast, including Tang Wei, Viola Davis and Yorick van Wageningen, and showcases one of cinema’s finest filmmakers bringing the skills he honed during a long and storied career to bear on a distinctly 21st-century phenomenon. In a two-disc Blu-ray set and a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo set from Arrow Video US/MVD Entertainment. Read more here … The worms have turned. Six years after “Tremors” first tunnelled its way into audiences’ affections, the original creative team returned for an equally edge-of-your-seat sequel — “Tremors 2: Aftershocks” (1996) – that would pave the way for a long-running franchise by adding some new twists to everyone’s favorite slimy subterranean slitherers! Earl Bassett (Fred Ward)’s celebrity after defeating the Graboid attack against the town of Perfection has proved short-lived, until he’s recruited by a Mexican oil company whose workers have found more than they bargained for under the soil. With the help of a scientist (Helen Shaver) and a new sidekick (Christopher Gartin) – not to mention the return of his gun-toting survivalist pal Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) – Earl is about to learn the Graboids have evolved and are deadlier than ever. Reprising the same mix of nail-biting horror and rib-tickling humor that made the original film so beloved, “Tremors 2: Aftershocks” is back in a brand new 4K restoration that makes this creature feature pop like never before. A Limited Edition on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD releases. From Arrow Video US/MVD Entertainment. Read more here.

Buzzin’ the ‘B’s:

Considered a “lost” Linnea Quigley movie, “Scream Queen” (2002) now enjoys its first ever wide release on home video. Horror star Malicia Tombs (Quigley, herself a Scream Queen) mysteriously dies after leaving the set of her latest, now unfinished, low budget shot-on-video shocker. Soon, an unseen masked killer is chopping and hacking his/her way through the cast and crew as punishment for Tomb’s death – leaving a bloody trail of revenge. This super obscurity was shot in 1998 by indie horror stalwart Brad Sykes, and finally finished in 2002. The film is not only a solid 1990s Shot-on-Video slasher that borrows from the Italian Giallo sub-genre, but also takes swift jabs at the US independent horror movie scene of the time. New director-approved 480p SD master presented on Blu-ray from original tape elements. Formats: Blu-ray. From Visual Vengeance … “The Wrong Door” (1990) is an obscure regional horror thriller from the late 1980s video store era featuring a brand new 2K transfer from the original Super 8 elements. Ted Farrell has lived for mysteries and drama his whole life. While a college student he proves to be a sound designer with a knack for audio thrillers – but his life is about to imitate his art. Fate places him at the doorstep of a beautiful young woman who will soon end up murdered and in his car with no explanation. His night and his sanity quickly spiral out of control as he races to avoid becoming the next victim of the killer on the loose. On Blu-ray from Visual Vengeance.

On the Indie Front:

In “Fremont” (2022), starring Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White and Gregg Turkington, Donya, a former Afghan translator for the U.S. government, lives alone in Fremont, California. When she’s promoted to writing the fortunes at her job at a fortune cookie factory in the city, Donya’s loneliness and longing drive her to send a message out in a cookie, unsure where it may lead. Tenderly sculpted and lyrically shot in black-and-white, Babak Jalali’s film is a wry, deadpan vision of the universal longing for home. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Music Box Films.

Foreign Films:

Cultural icon, anti-establishment statement, sadistic lord of carnival horror. With his long fingernails, top hat and cape, Coffin Joe was the creation of Brazilian filmmaker José Mojica Marins, who wrote, directed and starred in a series of outrageous movies from 1964 to 2008. Newly restored from the best available elements and packed with extras, “Inside the Mind Of Coffin Joe [Limited Edition]” (1964-2008 — Brazil) is a love letter to one of the great iconoclasts of horror who forged his films in the face of military dictatorship and religious censorship to become Brazil’s national Boogeyman. Six-disc Blu-ray set with brand new 4K restorations of all his films: “At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul,” “This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse/The Strange World of Coffin Joe,” “The Awakening Of The Beast/The End of Man,” “When The Gods Fall Asleep/The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures,” “Hellish Flesh/Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind,” “Embodiment of Evil.” From Arrow Video US/MVD Entertainment). Read more here … In “Eye for an Eye: The Blind Swordsman” (2022 — China), starring Xie Miao, Gao Yi, Zhang Haosen, Gao Weiman and Xiang Hao, after stumbling into the aftermath of a brutal attack that resulted in an innocent man’s murder, a highly trained and exceptionally deadly swordsman temporarily sets aside life as a bounty hunter to investigate. As the truth behind the tragedy comes to light, the former killer-for-hire decides to hunt down his prey for an entirely different reason: rage. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Well Go USA.

From TV to Disc:

“Ancient Aliens: Season 18” (2023) contains all 10 episodes. Did intelligent beings from outer space visit Earth thousands of years ago? Are we closer than ever to understanding the strange phenomena in our skies? Are ancient artifacts actually evidence of extraterrestrial visitations across the globe? This season of “Ancient Aliens” includes a mix of new episodes with fascinating subjects — from an early-1900s prophet in Kentucky and new theories about Greek gods to the next generation of modern-day UFO hunters — along with Top Ten episodes exploring unexplained structures, mysterious devices and flying crafts, and remote locations bursting with titillating intrigue. From Lionsgate … “Riverdale: The Complete Series” (2017-23) is a 29-disc set with the entire six seasons. Enter a place where everything is perfect but nothing is as it seems. Welcome to Riverdale, a subversive take on small-town life based on the characters from Archie Comics. A shocking murder reveals a community bubbling over with secrets and scandals, but all-American teen Archie Andrews is deeply committed to protecting his town. To help him navigate the troubled times, he relies on girl-next-door Betty Cooper, who is far more daring and driven than she appears, as well as Veronica Lodge, whose life takes a dramatic turn with her father’s sudden imprisonment. And finally there’s Archie’s best friend Jughead Jones, a neo-beatnik trying to make sense of his enigmatic town. Together they weather family conflicts, corruption, rocky relationships, a parallel universe and a trip back to the 1950s! Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but danger lurks in the shadows in this addictive reimagining of an American classic. From Warner … “The Sandman: The Complete First Season” (2022) is a three-disc set with 11 episodes. Series follows Morpheus, also known as Dream, who is captured in an occult ritual in 1916 by Roderick Burgess. Imprisoned for 106 years, Morpheus escapes only to return to his home, The Dreaming, to find his nightmares have also found their way out. Join the adventures of Morpheus as he sets out to stop the forces of evil destroying The Dream from Warner.

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.