(2023) Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Spider-Verse saga (2018). After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Vitals: Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson. Stars: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali, Oscar Isaac.
CC, MPAA rating: PG, 140 min., Animated Action Adventure, North American box office gross: $379.2 million, worldwide $682.9 million, Sony.Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital.
Extras: Commentary; featurettes; "Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs"; deleted scene.
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This Week's Digital Releases
September 5
Daliland: In 1973, a young gallery assistant goes on a wild adventure behind the scenes as he helps the aging genius Salvador Dali prepare for a big show in New York. (VOD only)
Master Gardener: Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) is the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens, as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate as to pandering to his employer, Mrs. Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver). When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya as a new apprentice, dark secrets from a buried violent past threaten them all. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & date)
Thirst: Insomnia spreads in a small town, causing fear and panic. As the situation becomes dire, two couples find salvation on an abandoned ranch until nefarious characters descend upon the land, claiming it as their own, and chaos ensues. (Digital only)
September 8
8 Found Dead: Two couples take a weekend getaway in the middle of the desert, only to discover that their airbnb is already occupied. It's a long and bloody night told from four points-of-view. (VOD only)
Black Circle
(2018 -- Sweden) Christina Lindberg, Felice Jankell, Erica Midfjall, Hanna Asp, Inger Nilsson. Two sisters, Celeste and Isa, fall under the terrifying spell of a mysterious vinyl record from the 1970s. Used to help with stress and bring the listener to a state of calming self-hypnosis, the recording has the unfortunate side-effect of manifesting a doppelganger of the listener into our world. This "double" then grows stronger by the day to copy and take over the life of the person who played the vinyl. Seeking the help of the woman who originally created the recording, hypnotist Lena Carlsson (Christina Lindberg), Celeste and Isa try to banish the doppelgangers back to their own world before their lives are lost forever. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Original motion picture soundtrack on included Compact Disc; audio commentary with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano; original teaser trailer; "Don’t Open Your Eyes" original short film; interview with Adrian Garcia Bogliano and Christina Lindberg; "Inside Black Circle" behind-the-scenes featurette; still gallery. Read more here (Synapse Films).
Borsalino [Limited Edition]
(1970 -- France) Two years before "The Godfather" and three years before "The Sting," there was "Borsalino," a wildly entertaining period-set gangster movie that brought together two icons of French cinema, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon. In 1930 Marseille, small-time gangster Roch Siffredi (Delon) is released from prison and finds his former girlfriend Lola (Catherine Rouvel) has moved on and is now with Francois Capella (Belmondo), another petty crook. Initially at odds, the two men form a partnership that will see them rise through the ranks of organized crime in Marseille. But how far will they go in their pursuit of power and what price will they be forced to pay? Directed by Jacques Deray ("La Piscine"), written by Jean-Claude Carriere ("Belle Du Jour"), with a score by French Jazz pianist Claude Bolling, and costumes by Jacques Fonteray ("Barbarella"), "Borsalino" is a gallic gangster classic! Formats: Blu-ray. Extras:Read more here. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
Goodbye Monster
(2022 -- China) After disobeying orders and using an untested idea to defeat the Dark Spirit, a promising young doctor accidentally destroys his island and is banished from Kunlun Hospital, forbidden from ever practicing medicine again. But when a young boy comes to him for healing, he may have one more chance to redeem himself—and restore his home. Anime action/adventure with a new English dub. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, Digital. (Well Go USA).
Master Gardener
(2023) Director: Paul Schrader; Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell. Narvel Roth (Edgerton) is the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens. He is as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate, to pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (Weaver). When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya (Swindell) as a new apprentice, chaos enters Narvel’s spartan existence, unlocking dark secrets from a buried violent past that threaten them all. Directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Schrader, based on his original screenplay. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Read more here (Magnolia Pictures).
NCIS: Los Angeles – The Final Season
(2022-23) Six-disc set with all 21 episodes. In the final season, amidst the happy news about Callen and Anna’s engagement, Hetty Lange is still on a dangerous mission and will need the help of the NCIS team to save her. The NCIS team must also focus on dangers both at home and abroad, with a bombing at a military combat drone facility and shocking news about the fighting overseas. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: NCIS Crossover Episode, “Too Many Cooks”; NCIS: Hawaii Crossover Episode, “Deep Fake”; "A Killer Crossover" featurette; "One Last Snapshot: The Final Season of NCIS: Los Angeles" featurette; "To Old Friends and New Beginnings" featurette; deleted scenes. (Paramount).
The Princess Bride
(1987) A high-spirited adventure that pits true love against inconceivable odds, "The Princess Bride" has charmed legions of fans with its irreverent gags, eccentric ensemble, and dazzling swordplay. A kid (Fred Savage), home sick from school, grudgingly allows his grandfather (Peter Falk) to read him a dusty storybook -- which is how we meet the innocent Buttercup (Robin Wright, in her breakout role), about to marry the nefarious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) though her heart belongs to Westley (Cary Elwes). The wedding plans are interrupted, however, by a mysterious pirate, a vengeful Spaniard, and a good-natured giant, in a tale full of swashbuckling, romance, and outrageously hilarious spoofery. Directed by Rob Reiner from an endlessly quotable script by William Goldman, "The Princess Bride" reigns as a fairy-tale classic. Formats: 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features. Extras:Read more here. (The Criterion Collection).
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
(2023) Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali, Oscar Isaac. Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary; featurettes; "Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs"; deleted scene. (Sony).
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Star Trek: Picard – The Final Season
(2022) In the conclusion of "Star Trek: Picard," a desperate message from a long-lost friend draws Starfleet legend Admiral Jean-Luc Picard into the most daring mission of his life, forcing him to recruit allies spanning generations old and new. This final adventure sets him on a collision course with the legacy of his past and explosive, new revelations that will alter the fate of the Federation forever. Also available: "Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Series" with all three seasons of the hit show and over 7 hours of special features. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: "The Gang’s All Here" featurette; "The Making of the Last Generation" featurette; commentary on select episodes; deleted scenes; gag reel; "Rebuilding the Enterprise-D" featurette; "Villainous Vadic" featurette; "Picard: The Final Season" Q&A. (Paramount).