By Harley Lond - 02/08/22 at 07:19 PM CT
FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
Encanto (2021) Animated family adventure tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal -- every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope. 
With new songs by award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. Vitals: Director: Jared Bush and Byron Howard. Stars: Voices of Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Valderrama. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 102 min., Animated Family, North American box office gross: $93.005 million, worldwide $222.505 million, Disney. Formats for Encanto: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Sing Along With the Movie;" "Familia Lo Es Todo" exploration of the lovable Madrigal family; "Discover Colombia"; "A Journey Through Music"; "Let’s Talk About Bruno" and how the song was created; "Our Casita" featurette on La Casa Madrigal; outtakes; "Journey to Colombia"; "An Introduction to Far From the Tree" Walt Disney Animation Studios short film; "Far From the Tree" short; deleted scenes; song selection. Read more here
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City 
(2021) Returning to the origins of the massively popular franchise, fan and filmmaker Johannes Roberts brings the games to life for a whole new generation of fans. Once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company's exodus left the city a wasteland ... with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night. Vitals: Director: Johannes Roberts. Stars: Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Neal McDonough, Robbie Amell, Donal Logue, Tom Hopper, Avan Jogia, Stephannie Hawkins. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Sci-Fi Horror, US box office gross: $16.937 million, worldwide $31.837 million, Screen Gems/Sony. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital.Extras: "Replicating the DNA," "Cops, Corpses and Chaos," "Zombies, Lickers and the Horrors of Resident Evil." Read more here
King Richard 
(2021) For Richard Williams (Will Smith), life has been a challenging game. He knows just how hard it is to get ahead, but he also has a feeling that his two daughters may become two of the most famous athletes in the world. It's not easy getting Venus and Serena started in tennis. It seems as though the insular and bigoted tennis courts might never accept two Black girls from Compton. But the one thing the sports world can't argue with is the immense talent showcased by these two prodigies. Vitals: Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green. Stars: Will Smith, Jon Bernthal, Tony Goldwyn, Dylan McDermott, Susie Abromeit, Erin Cummings, Noah Bean, Aunjanue Ellis, Sophia Bui, Saniyya Sidney. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 136 min., Sports Drama, North American box office gross: $14.681 million, worldwide $26.781 million, Warner. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Following the Plan - The Making of King Richard," "Becoming Richard," "Champions on Screen," deleted scenes. Read more here
After We Fell (2021) Just as Tessa makes the biggest decision of her life, everything changes. Revelations about her family, and then Hardin's, throw everything they knew before in doubt and makes their hard-won future together more difficult to claim. Third film in the series. Based on the novels by Anna Todd. Vitals: Director: Castille Landon. Stars: Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Louise Lombard. 2021, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Romance, US box office gross: $2.170 million, worldwide $21.781 million, Vertical Entertainment. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital.
THIS WEEK'S BEST BETS:
The cult classic "Surf Nazis Must Die!" (1987) has been newly restored in high definition. When an earthquake leaves the California coastline in ruins and reduces the beaches to a state of chaos, a group of neo-Nazis led by Adolf (Barry Brenner), the self-
proclaimed "Führer of the new beach," takes advantage of the resulting chaos by fighting off several rival surfer gangs to seize control of the sand. Meanwhile, an African American oil well worker named Leroy is killed by the Surf Nazis while jogging on the beach. Leroy's mother, "Mama" Washington (Gail Neely), devastated by the loss of her son, vows revenge. After arming herself with a handgun and grenades, she breaks out of her retirement home and exacts vengeance on the Surf Nazis. On Blu-ray from Troma Films ... A Broadway producer has the talent, the tunes, the theater, and everything else he needs to put on a show – except the dough ... in "Gold Diggers of 1933" (1933) Not to worry, say Ginger Rogers and the other leggy chorines decked out in giant coins. Everyone will soon be singing “We’re in the Money.” Soon after 42nd Street, the brothers Warner again kicked the Depression blues out the stage door and into a back alley. Mervyn Le Roy directs the snappy non-musical portions involving three wonderfully silly love matches (including Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler). And Busby Berkeley brings his peerless magic to the production numbers, his camera swooping and gliding to showstoppers that are naughty (“Pettin’ in the Park”), neon-lit (“The Shadow Waltz”) and soul-searing (“Remember My Forgotten Man”). Solid cinema gold. In a Blu-ray debut from Warner Archive ... "A Walk in the Sun: The Definitive Restoration" (1945): Lewis Milestone, Academy Award Best Director winner for "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) directs this compelling drama of American soldiers in combat during the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943. 
Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, and Norman Lloyd head a stellar ensemble cast comprising the lead platoon of Texas Division of the U.S. Fifth Army. This eclectic group of citizen-soldiers are thrust into a life-or-death mission to blow up an enemy bridge while attempting to capture a strategic farmhouse heavily garrisoned by German troops. The dilemma of the common soldier trudging to an unknown fate under a blazing Italian sun is captured by the different thoughts and personalities of a disparate group of men under arduous stress. Who will rise to the occasion or crumble under pressure? Robert Rossen's literate script dramatizes the narrative from the perspective of the infantryman whose mundane routine of service-related ennui is interspersed with heart-pulsing action amid the ever-present specter of sudden death. Once seen, it is never to be forgotten. The superb camera work by six-time Academy Award nominee Russell Harlan is supported by the titular ballad written by Millard Lampell and Earl Robinson and performed by renowned African-American operatic singer Kenneth Spencer. "A Walk in the Sun" was named as one of the year's top films by the National Board of Review, was nominated for Best Film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and was added to the National Film Registry in 2016 for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. Once seen, it is never to be forgotten. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Kit Parkr Films/MVD Visual ... Nothing is quite what it seems in "Paranoiac" (1963), a riveting, complex tale of greed, dementia and deceit from Hammer Films. Rescued from a suicide attempt by a man claiming to be her long-dead brother, a young heiress finds a new reason to live. But her relatives have doubts. They think “Tony” is an imposter who’s trying to get his hands on the family fortune. Everyone has their own secret reasons to suspect Tony, as well as their own designs on his vast inheritance - especially brother Simon, a magnetic but devastatingly cruel wretch who’ll stop at nothing to thwart the supposed pretender. Stars Janette Scott, Alexander Davion and Oliver Reed. In a new 2K scan from the interpositive. In a Blu-ray Collector's Edition from Scream Factory ... 
Federico Fellini had his biggest hit with "La dolce vita" (1960), his exquisite meditation on personal morality, wealth and fame, societal decay, and the perpetual search for meaning. Both a critique of the culture of stardom and a look at the darkness beneath the seductive lifestyles of Rome’s rich, the film follows a notorious celebrity journalist over one crazy week. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée, and Yvonne Furneaux, the film is lauded for its complicated and rich story wrapped in extravagant visuals that have become as iconic as the film itself. On Blu-ray, with a new introduction by Martin Scorsese, who shares his thoughts on the film and its indelible impact on cinema. From Paramount ... 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 ... 
A Roaring Twenties gangster saga that only the Coen brothers could concoct, "Miller's Crossing" (1990) marries the hard-boiled sensibility of classic noir fiction with the filmmakers’ trademark savory dialogue, colorful characters, and finely calibrated set pieces. Gabriel Byrne brings a wry gravitas to the role of Tom Reagan, the quick-thinking right-hand man to a powerful crime boss (Albert Finney), whose unflappable cool is tested when he begins offering his services to a rival outfit -- setting off a cascade of betrayals, reprisals, and increasingly berserk violence. The Hopperesque visuals of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, majestically elegiac score by Carter Burwell, and vivid supporting performances from John Turturro and Marcia Gay Harden come together in an intricately constructed slice of pulp perfection that crackles with sardonic wit while plumbing existential questions about free will and our own terrifying capacity for evil. On Blu-ray, with a 2K digital restoration, approved by director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, with new 5.1 surround soundtrack mix presented in DTS-HD Master Audio. From The Criterion Collection ... Directed by three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, the six-hour Disney+ docuseries "The Beatles: Get Back" (2021) takes audiences back in time to the band’s January 1969 recording sessions, which became a pivotal moment in music history. The docuseries showcases The Beatles’ creative 
process as they attempt to write 14 new songs in preparation for their first live concert in over two years. Faced with a nearly impossible deadline, the strong bonds of friendship shared by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are put to the test. The docuseries is compiled from nearly 60 hours of unseen footage shot over 21 days, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg in 1969, and from more than 150 hours of unheard audio, most of which has been locked in a vault for over half a century. Jackson is the only person in 50 years to have been given access to this Beatles treasure trove, all of which has now been brilliantly restored. What emerges is an unbelievably intimate portrait of The Beatles, showing how, with their backs against the wall, they could still rely on their friendship, good humor, and creative genius. While plans derail and relationships are put to the test, some of the world’s most iconic songs are composed and performed. The docuseries features – for the first time in its entirety - The Beatles’ last live performance as a group, the unforgettable rooftop concert on London’s Savile Row, as well as other songs and classic compositions featured on the band’s final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be. The three-part docuseries includes never-before-seen, restored footage. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Disney. Read more here.BUZZIN' THE 'B'S:
In "Ghost Riders" (1988), starring Bill Shaw, Jim Peters, Mike Ammons and Arland Bishop, revenge is a hearty meal for phantoms of the prairie. On a dark and haunting night, all that is visible by the campfire light is the breath of vicious lawmen. The local preacher and townspeople gather on a lonesome prairie as the lawless career of desperado Frank Clements is about to end. Just as the hangman’s noose tightens around his neck, the most feared outlaw of 1888 shouts a curse of revenge on the town preacher – a curse which will haunt the preacher’s family through generations. One hundred years later, unsuspecting of the events in 1888, the town is prospering. Frank Clements and his gang return from hell to seek revenge
against the preacher’s grandson and his family. The fight against the phantoms from the past proves futile, and they become unwilling victims of bloodthirsty outlaws. Weapons are defenseless against the phantom cowboys – you can’t kill what’s already dead. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Verdugo Entertainment/MVD Entertainment Group ... In "Apex" (2021), starring Neal McDonough, Bruce Willis, Lochlyn Munro, Megan Peta Hill and Trevor Gretzk, ex-cop Thomas Malone (Willis), serving a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, is offered a chance at freedom if he can survive a deadly game of Apex. Six hunters pay for the pleasure of hunting another human on a remote island, but once Malone arrives all hell breaks loose. Laying traps and playing mind games, Malone tries to turn the tables and fight for his life and his future. On DVD, Blu-ray, from RLJE Films ... In "Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop" (2021 -- UK), starring Nathalie Cox, Kelsey Grammer, Louise Bangay, Tara Fitzgerald and Steven Elder, for Miss Willoughby (Cox), orphaned as a child, raised by a family friend (Grammer), and skilled in strategy, literature, and martial arts, there's no case she can't solve. But even she is baffled when a longtime friend tells her that a ghost is haunting the bookstore she runs. Is someone playing a trick on the poor woman? Is it a hallucination? Or is something more sinister going on? From Lionsgate ... In the deadly wake of a viral outbreak, the human race is on the brink of extinction in "Live or Let Die" (2021 - Germany), starring Jan Bohlenschmidt, Manuel Urbaneck, Steven Mooers, Alona Hertha and Michael Valentin. Zombies walk the earth and hunt the living. Among the chaos, lone wolf Nick (Bohlenschmidt) discovers an old diary that contains a map indicating a sanctuary that might be his last chance at peace. Teaming up with another survivor, the reckless John (Urbaneck), Nick journeys through the ruins of society in search of refuge - but they quickly realize that even in a dead world, the ominous threats that walk amongst the living are every bit as terrifying as those posed by the dead. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Scream Factory. Read more here.FOREIGN FILMS:
"The Flag of Iron" (1980 - Hong Kong) is another cult classic from the Shaw Brothers Studio ... a quintessential Hong Kong tale of rivals, betrayal and family feuds. When the master of the Iron Flag clan is killed by a mysterious assassin known only as Spearman, it sets off an explosive chain of events which pits twobrothers against each other in an action-packed adventure of fist flying fury. Directed by Cheh Chang ("The One-Armed Swordsman," "Five Venoms"), this kinetic and highly influential Kung Fu picture mixes traditional storytelling with more modern presentation techniques, layering acrobatics, the use of exotic weaponry and quick as lightening fight sequences to produce a sure fire entertaining hit. On Blu-ray
from 88 Films ... "Gintama The Very Final" (2021 -- Japan) is the third and concluding action-packed film of the popular Gintama anime franchise, created by Hideaki Sorachi, based on the manga. The Earth is facing its darkest days, and the members of the Odd Jobs must come together to save it from this otherworldly menace. Old allies Gintoki, Takasugi, and Katsura strive their hardest for their own ideals, but standing in their way is someone with whom they share a sad history: Utsuro, an alternate personality of their former teacher and mentor Shoyo. Two versions: English voice cast and the original Japanese audio with English subtitles. In a Blu-ray/DVD Combo from Eleven Arts/Shout! Factory ... In "Hiruko the Goblin" (1990 - Japan), starring Kenji Sawada, Masaki Kudo, Megumi Ueno and Naoto Takenaka, Hieda is an eccentric archaeologist, disgraced among his peers for his theories on the supernatural. One day he receives a letter from his brother-in-law, Yabe, telling him of an ancient burial mound he has discovered in the grounds of the local high school, a discovery that might help prove Hieda’s theories to be true. When Hieda arrives at the school, which is now closed for summer vacation, he discovers that Yabe has gone missing, along with one of the school’s female pupils. Teaming up with Yabe’s son, Masao, Hieda searches for the ancient tomb, convinced that it might be the burial place of Hiruko, a fearsome demon from ancient legends. This was director Shinya Tsukamoto’s second feature film, after the surprise success of "Tetsuo: The Iron Man." Based on a Japanese manga series, the film is an astonishing melding of Lovecraftian cosmic terror, cyberpunk splatter and Spielberg-style adventure. In a brand new 2k restoration from the original negative; on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro ... In the deliciously twisted pop art extravaganza "The Laughing Woman" (1969 - Italy), starring Philippe Leroy, Dagmar Lassander, Lorensa Guerrieri and Varo Soleri, Lassander plays Maria, a woman employed in the press office of a large philanthropic organization run by the stern Dr Sayer. One Friday she visits his house to collect some journals. She accepts a drink from him and the next thing she knows she is chained to a metal frame in a room bathed in a sickly red light. Sayer tells her she is now his prisoner and he can do anything he likes with her – even kill her. What follows is an astonishing game of cat and mouse, as Maria uses all her skills to stay alive, while secretly exploring Sayer’s weaknesses. Brand new 4k transfer from film negative, digitally restored. On Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro ... In "School of Death" (1974 - Spain), starring Dean Selmier, Sandra Mozarowsky, Norma Kastel, Carlos Mendy and Victoria Vera, the outwardly respectable St. Elizabeth’s Refuge in Victorian London is a place where young orphans and other female waifs and strays are trained to be good servants, destined for employment in the houses of upstanding citizens. One by one the girls are sent out into the world, never to be seen again. One of the most rebellious students, Leonore, played by Spanish actress Sandra Mozarowsky, is determined to find out what happened to her friend Sylvia, who died after being sent to a rich man’s house one night. What she discovers is more horrifying and twisted than she could ever have imagined. First time ever on disc; new 4k transfer from film negative. On Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro ... In "Sukkubus" (1989 - West Germany), starring Peter Simonischek, Giovanni Früh, Andy Voß and Pamela Prati, a Swiss legend tells of three herdsmen who invoked the forces of evil and were punished terribly for their sacrilege. This film is based on a gruesome and ancient story, much retold by people who live in the Alps. In the summer three herdsmen, two adults and a young apprentice, take their cattle high up on the mountains where the pastures are richer. One day the boy finds a peculiar tree root shaped like a face. He brings it back to the hut and makes a kind of wig for it out of old straw. That night the two older men get drunk and, seeing the strange root, they decide to use it to make a life-sized female doll, using bits of old clothing, straw and wood. They baptize their creation with strong liquor and even offer it food. And then, to their shock, the doll comes to life in the form of a beautiful woman. And that’s where their nightmare really starts. Resisting their abuse of her body, the demonic doll hunts them down one by one and takes a terrible revenge. Brand new 4k transfer from film negative, digitally restored. From Mondo Macabro ... 
When the former member of a failing magical kung fu order threatens to destroy the remaining group's reputation through his loud mouth insults and defamatory behavior, an elite band of killers is dispatched to silence him forever in "Legendary Weapons of China" (1982 - Hong Kong). Though perhaps the golden age of martial cinema had come and gone, this late entry wuxia style film from The Shaw Brothers house of dreams was still able to pack a powerful punch. Written, directed and starring Chia-Liang Liu ("The Spiritual Boxer," "Spiritual Boxer II"), this gloriously fast-paced drama which entertainingly mixes swordplay with hand to hand combat in a fabulously furious rollicking adventure weaves its own special kind of magic. On Blu-ray from 88 Films.FOR THE FAMILY:
In the anime story "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish" (2020 - Japan), Tsuneo is a university student and Josee is a young girl who has rarely gone out of the house by herself due to her being unable to walk. The two meet when Tsuneo finds Josee's grandmother taking her out for a evening walk. With dreams of diving abroad, Tsuneo gets a job assisting Josee, whose art takes her far beyond her home. But when the tide turns against them, they push each other to places they never thought possible and inspire a love fit for a storybook. Includes original Japanese soundtrack by Evan Call. On DVD, Blu-ray, from Funimation.
SPECIAL INTEREST:
The documentary "Marionette Land" (2021) takes you behind the curtain of the Lancaster Marionette Theatre and its eccentric owner Robert Brock, who lives above the tiny theatre with his 85-year-old mother, Mary Lou. Brock has created his own world where he is in total control. He adapts and performs classic family shows like "Peter Pan" and "Thr Wizard of Oz" but at the age of 62 he decides to bring back his grown-up cabaret show, "Divas and Dames." The grown-up show features Brock dressing up and performing as Judy
Garland, Liza Minnelli, Carol Channing and other famous Hollywood stars of the past alongside a few marionettes. The film chronicles Brock's unique relationship with his mother and the revival of his grown-up show while trying to prepare for the puppet theatre's big 30th anniversary. But unforeseen circumstances threaten the charismatic puppeteer's plans. From MVD Visual. Read more here ... "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" (2021):In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary - part music film, part historical record - created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten - until now. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more. From Fox.FROM TV TO DISC:
"DC's Stargirl: The Complete Second Season" (2021) is a three-disc set with all 13 episodes. Series follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore and her stepfather Pat Dugan as she leads an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DC’s very first Super Hero team, the Justice Society of America. In the second season, Courtney and her friends take on one of the most frightening adversaries in DC’s mythology – the dark entity of corruption known as Eclipso. On DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, from Warner.
Check out other new DVD/Blu-ray releases, streaming films, and information and reviews at OnVideo.
