New digital and streaming release highlights for the week of March 13-19, 2023
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — I'm running a bit behind this week. No sympathy required or suggests; I was kicking around Disneyland and Universal Studios with my niece and nephews. Seeing "The World of Color: One" without winds blowing everything sideways made for a more coherent experience (even if we were eating desert and cheese in a downpoor). I did get a peek at Super Mario World at Universal, but it was so overcrowded that I can't say that I actually experienced it (there was a four-hour wait to get on the Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride and the Toadstool Cafe wasn't accepting reservations). I did enjoy waving a wand and the hot and frozen Butterbeer.
This week's digital releases are headlined by "Cocaine Bear," which still haven't seen, but fully expect to enjoy. I'd also like to point out that you can now own Wong Kar-wai's glorious 2001 film "In the Mood for Love" on digital.
This week also sees the release of Tom Hank's "A Man Called Otto" and the Academy Award-winning "The Whale" on physical formats. "The Last Hurrah for Chivalry," an early John Woo film, is also available from the Criterion Collection. Hong Kong action fans will also be excited to know that there is a new Blu-ray release for Jet Li's "The Legend of of Fong Sai Yuk" and its sequel. Shout! Factory's 4K release of "Streets of Fire" has been getting rave reviews.
All of that and more...
Digital to Own
Cocaine Bear
Studio Synopsis: Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner's plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild dark comedy finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow ... and blood.
Back to the Drive In
Studio Synopsis: "Back to the Drive-In" takes viewers behind the scenes to visit eleven unique family-owned drive-ins across the country – including L.A.’s Mission Tiki, the Field of Dreams Drive-In, and the Wellfleet in Cape Cod – to experience their passion and determination to keep their theaters alive. It's a story of human resilience.
Full Time
Studio Synopsis: Julie (Laure Calamy) can't catch a break. For a single mother raising two children in the suburbs of Paris but working in the city, the commuter train is a lifeline – and it's suddenly been severed during the latest transit strike. Without the train, Julie can't get to her job as the head maid at a five-star hotel–or to the interview for a better job she has lined up. Out of desperation, Julie turns to neighbors and her own gutsy resourcefulness to commute into the city for work, barely making it back in time to pick up her kids before dinner. Worse yet: it's only Monday. Julie is at her breaking point and soon finds herself bending the rules to stay afloat in a ruthless society as her responsibilities pile up.
In the Mood for Love
Studio Synopsis: Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-Wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and Su Li-Zhen (Maggie Cheung Man Yuk) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite-until a discovery about their spouses creates an intimate bond between them.
Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special
Studio Synopsis: As Harley goes to obsessive lengths to ensure that her first Valentine’s Day with Ivy is the best ever, Bane’s efforts to impress an unexpected date go horribly awry. Meanwhile, after an unfortunate online dating encounter, Clayface engages in some self-love.
Unwelcome
Studio Synopsis: A couple escapes their urban nightmare to the tranquility of rural Ireland only to hear stories of mysterious beings who live in the gnarled, ancient wood at the foot of their new garden. As warned by their new neighbors, in Irish lore the Redcaps will come when called to help souls in dire need of rescue, but it's crucial to remember that there is always a dear price to pay for their aid.
Lost Highway
Studio Synopsis: A set of video tapes, each more disturbing than the last, arrive at the home of a musician and his wife. The musician is convicted of murder. One day, guards arrive at his cell to discover another man in his place. Transformation, mysterious characters with undefined ill intents, and moody undercurrents of unsettling terror. "Lost Highway" is Lynch at his best — impossible to describe.
Blu-ray & DVD
A Man Called Otto
Studio Synopsis: Based on the # 1 New York Times bestseller, "A Man Called Otto" tells the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grump who no longer sees purpose in his life following the loss of his wife. Otto is ready to end it all, but his plans are interrupted when a lively young family moves in next door, and he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol. She challenges him to see life differently, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world around.
The Whale
Studio Synopsis: A reclusive English teacher, living alone in the wake of a tragedy, attempts to reconnect with his teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption in filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's transcendent, emotional epic. Nominated for three Academy Awards and featuring a career-defining performance from Brendan Fraser, "The Whale" is a deeply moving story of heartache, empathy, and grace.
The Last Hurrah for Chivalry
Studio Synopsis: Before he became known as the master of the bullet-riddled heroic tragedy, John Woo sharpened his trademark themes and kinetic action choreography with this whirlwind wuxia spectacle. Unaware they are caught in a deadly game of deception, a pair of rambunctious swordsmen (Wai Pak and Damian Lau) join forces to help a nobleman (Lau Kong) in his quest for vengeance. Paying thrilling homage to his mentor, martial-arts innovator Chang Cheh, Woo delivers both bravura swordplay set pieces and a bloodstained interrogation of the meaning of brotherhood and honor in a world in which loyalty is bought and sold.
The Walking Dead: The Complete Eleventh Season
Studio Synopsis: In the epic final season of "The Walking Dead," Daryl and Maggie embark on a risky mission with Negan to root out the shadowy Reapers while Eugene and Ezekiel make contact with the sprawling Commonwealth. To secure aid for Alexandria – their goal – they must assimilatea tough ask for people who've seen no end of deceit, betrayal, and loss. Stunned by the Commonwealth's resources, the group slowly adjusts to their new home, but they can't ignore what lurks beneath its seemingly civilized surface. Soon, threats abound, loyalties are tested, and shocking fates await. But the fight for the future, threatened by an ever-growing population of walkers, means the walking dead will live on
Glorious
Studio Synopsis: A heartbroken man finds himself trapped in a bathroom with a strange voice who says he may be the only hope in stopping a terrible event.
Razorback
Studio Synopsis: Somewhere in the Australian Outback, there is a creature that can rip a man in half and destroy a house in seconds: Razorback, a giant freak of nature that's nine-hundred pounds of tusk and muscle which terrorizes an isolated community as violent and primitive as itself.
Alice Darling
Studio Synopsis: Anna Kendrick is Alice in this taut thriller about a woman pushed to the breaking point by her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Simon. While on vacation with two close girlfriends, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective. Slowly, she starts to fray the cords of codependency that bind her. But Simon's vengeance is as inevitable as it is shattering - and, once unleashed, it tests Alice's strength, her courage, and the bonds of her deep-rooted friendships.
Secret Defense
Studio Synopsis: When a brilliant scientist (Sandrine Bonnaire) discovers that her father did not die accidentally but was murdered by a family friend, she swears vengeance. However, she soon finds herself deeply embroiled in a mystery of lust and intrigue. And when she discovers the truth about her father, it threatens to shake her very foundations in this fascinating thriller.
Streets of Fire 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: Amid a brooding rock & roll landscape, the Bombers motorcycle gang, led by the vicious Raven Shaddock (Willem Dafoe, John Wick), kidnap diva Ellen Aim (Diane Lane, Man of Steel). Her hope for rescue lies with unlikely heroes: soldier of fortune Tom Cody (Michael Paré, Bad Moon) and his sidekick, the two-fisted beer-guzzling McCoy (Amy Madigan, The Dark Half). Joined by Ellen's manager, Billy Fish (Rick Moranis, Ghostbusters), the trio plunges headfirst into a world of rain-splattered streets, hot cars, and deadly assassins.
A Bag of Marbles
Studio Synopsis: The heartwarming adaptation of Joseph Joffo’s enduring memoir tells the true story of two young Jewish brothers in German occupied France who, with a mind-boggling mix of mischievousness, courage and ingenuity, were forced to fend for themselves in order to survive the enemy invasion and try bring their family back together.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Studio Synopsis: Descendants of the Red Ribbon Army’s sinister leaders have renewed their quest for world domination. As their two ultrapowerful androids seek their own brand of justice against Earth’s heroes, Piccolo and Gohan must push their powers to new limits!
Blue Thermal
Studio Synopsis: The long-awaited feature film adaptation of author and creator Kana Ozawa’s popular manga series which ran in Shinchosha’s Monthly Comic @Bunch Magazine for many years before being published in five book volumes. This artful and beautiful coming-of-age movie captures the tension and excitement of a young college student who joins the school's aviation club flying for the first time, as well as the beauty and exhilaration of the aerial scenery as seen from the pilot's seat.
The Prince of Egypt 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: An epic adventure that captivated movie audiences the world over in this familiar tale of two brothers- one born of royal blood, one an orphan with a secret past. As one becomes the ruler of a powerful empire and the other the chosen leader of his people, their final confrontation will forever change the world.
The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2
Studio Synopsis: Jet Li stars as a carefree young martial arts expert who gets involved with a government official's daughter just as he discovers his family is part of a rebel resistance movement. While his fighting ability and charm made him a local champion, his epic battle for freedom would make him a legendary hero.
Phenomena 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: The young Jennifer Corvino (played by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Connelly, in one of her first film roles) is sent to a private Swiss academy for girls where a vicious killer is on the loose, brutally murdering students. Jennifer is a “gifted” girl with the strange ability to communicate with insects, and Dr. McGregor (Donald Pleasence, John Carpenter’s "Halloween" series, "Escape from New York") enlists her to help locate the killer. Jennifer finds herself in a bizarre murder plot with maggots, mutants, and razor-wielding chimpanzee mayhem! Can she uncover the killer’s identity before becoming a victim herself?
The Core 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: Academy Award winner Hilary Swank leads an all-star cast in this electrifying journey that puts you in the middle of the most spectacular film adventure. Geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart) has made a terrifying discovery: the Earth’s inner core has stopped rotating. Now the planet’s electromagnetic field is deteriorating and within months, Earth will be destroyed. One hope exists: to send Keyes and an elite team of scientists in a subterranean vessel to the center of the Earth. As mankind’s fate hangs in the balance, the scientists and the ship’s crew must do the unthinkable – detonate a nuclear device to reactivate the Earth’s core.
