New streaming, on-demand highlights April 29 - May 5, 2025
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — I haven't watched any of this week's digital releases. I will, however, look to fit in "Alienoid: Return to the Future," "Blue Giant," "Enter the Clones of Bruce" (ahead of Severin's Bruceploitation box set release in June) and "Remembering Gene Wilder."
Things are a little bit more mainstream when it comes to this week’s Blu-ray and DVD releases as “Madame Web” (a Spider-Verse story not actually connected to any known Spider-Man timeline), 2024 and 2004’s “Mean Girls” in pink plastic packaging; the Ocean’s Trilogy in 4K; SteelBook 4K releases for Disney+’s “Andor,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Moon Knight” and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier;” and a bevy of horror and exploitation releases including 4K releases of “Basket Case” and Michael Soavi’s “The Church” and quite a few other catalog titles make their way into your favorite retailer’s shelves.
The Absence of Eden
Studio Synopsis: The Absence of Eden takes place at the border between the United States and Mexico – a hellish landscape inhabited by coyotes, armed officers, desperate immigrants, and refugees. When Esmee (Saldaña), a young woman working as a private dancer in Mexico, is forced to commit a violent act of self-defense that results in the death of a cartel member, she flees her homeland for sanctuary in the United States. Guided by a ruthless Coyote and a group of undocumented immigrants, she befriends a young mother and her daughter along the way. Before crossing the border, the mother is taken from the group, and Esmee promises to protect her daughter and help them reunite again in America, touching off an interlocking story about people struggling to survive on America’s border with Mexico.
Alienoid: Return to the Future
Studio Synopsis: After locating the Divine Blade, a shaman and a modern-day woman race through time to battle a powerful alien commander intent on destroying mankind in ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE, Part II of Choi Dong-hoon's epic sci-fi action series.
Blue Giant
Studio Synopsis: Dai Miyamoto's life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. A former high school basketball player, Dai picks up a saxophone and begins practicing day and night, determined to become one of the greatest of all time. He leaves his sleepy hometown for the bustling nightclubs of Tokyo, but soon finds the life of a professional musician is not for the faint of heart. His passion eventually wins over the cocky but talented pianist Yukinori, and after Dai convinces his friend Shunji to learn the drums, they launch a new jazz trio whose rough sound contains a raw energy that quickly wins attention from local audiences. But what does it take to truly be great?
Also Available On: Blu-ray
Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg
Studio Synopsis: CATCHING FIRE: THE STORY OF ANITA PALLENBERG is about a woman who was at many points in her life a newspaper headline: Anita Pallenberg was a “rock n’ roll goddess,” a “voodoo priestess,” and an “evil seductress.” She was accused of trying to break up the Rolling Stones, among other things. But those who loved her considered her an exciting cultural force, and a loving mother – and innocent of the accusations. Never-seen-before home movies and family photographs explore life with the Rolling Stones and tell a bittersweet tale of both triumph and heartbreak. From Barbarella to the Swiss Alps, and the Lower East Side to London, Anita Pallenberg was a creative force ahead of her time.
Chief of Station
Studio Synopsis: After learning the untimely death of his wife was not accidental, a former CIA Station Chief (Aaron Eckhart) is forced back into the espionage underworld, teaming up with an adversary to unravel a conspiracy that challenges everything he thought he knew.
Enter the Clones of Bruce
Studio Synopsis: Experience the untold story of "Enter The Clones Of Bruce," a captivating documentary that delves into the fascinating world of "Bruceploitation" - a phenomenon that emerged after the untimely demise of the martial arts legend, Bruce Lee. Director David Gregory, known for his award-winning documentaries Lost Soul and Blood & Flesh, takes us on an action-packed journey through the '70s, where Hong Kong studios churned out countless unauthorized biopics, sequels, prequels, and spin-offs featuring Lee lookalikes.
Femme
Studio Synopsis: Jules’ life and career as a drag queen is destroyed by a homophobic attack. But when he re-encounters his attacker, the deeply-closeted Preston, in a gay sauna, he is presented with a chance to exact revenge. Unrecognizable out of his wig and make-up, Jules infiltrates Preston’s life, and in doing so, discovers power in a different kind of drag.
The Long Game
Studio Synopsis: The Long Game is a beautiful, inspirational true story about five young Mexican-American caddies in 1957 who, barred from playing on the courses where they caddied, decided to build their own golf course in the South Texas desert and ultimately won the state championship with the help of their superintendent-turned-coach. Starring Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, and Cheech Marin.
Remembering Gene Wilder
Studio Synopsis: This loving tribute to Gene Wilder celebrates his life and legacy as the comic genius behind an extraordinary string of film roles. Comprised of a bevy of touching and hilarious clips, never-before-seen home movies, and interviews with a roster of brilliant friends and collaborators, this heartfelt documentary shines a light on an essential performer, writer, director, and all-around mensch.
They Shot the Piano Player
Studio Synopsis: It's 2010 and Jeff Harris, a journalist from New York, has just published a piece in The New Yorker on the 50 years of Bossa Nova. Jessica, an enthusiastic editor who is captivated by the article, suggests that he write a book about this influential musical movement that revolutionized music in Brazil and around the world during the early 1960s. While researching his new project, Jeff stumbles upon a pianist previously unknown to him: Tenório Jr. He begins to investigate and discovers that the pianist has not produced or recorded any music for over thirty years. He assumes that he must've died the way most of the musicians did back in the 70s: drugs or an accident while on tour He travels to Rio de Janeiro to continue his research on Bossa Nova where he meets musicians of all generations, from the survivors of the Bossa Nova era to the younger talents who continue to shape its legacy. But the story of Tenório Jr. constantly intertwines with his journey. He discovers that Tenório disappeared in Buenos Aires during a tour on which he accompanied the great musical poet Vinicius de Moraes, and that Tenório was tortured and killed, and his body never found. He was 35 years old and was at that time one of the most brilliant instrumentalists of Brazilian music. The mystery surrounding Tenório's tragic fate and the quality of his music eventually seduces Jeff. He continues to work on his book on Bossa Nova, but the story of Tenório does not leave him for a moment. Most of the musicians he meets and interviews were acquaintances, friends, and admirers of Tenório. The oblivion enveloping Tenório's story has not managed to erase him from the memory of those who knew him.
Blu-ray & DVD Highlights
Madame Web
Studio Synopsis: "Meanwhile, in another universe.” In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures...if they can all survive a deadly present.
Available: 4K UHD, 4K UHD SteelBook, Blu-ray, DVD
Mean Girls (2024)
Studio Synopsis: From the comedic mind of Tina Fey comes a new twist on the modern classic, MEAN GIRLS. New student Cady Heron is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called “The Plastics,” ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George. After making a secret alliance with the school's outcasts to take Regina down, Cady must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school.
Mean Girls (2004) 20th Anniversary 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: After living in Africa with her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) must brave the wilds of high school where she is taken under the wing of the popular girls, The Plastics, led by the cool and cruel Regina George (Rachel McAdams). What follows is a treasure trove of sharp, witty humor that defined a generation, inspired a hit Broadway musical, and popularized countless catchphrases. Co-Starring and written by Tina Fey, and featuring Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, and Amy Poehler, Mean Girls is nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon and an iconic classic.
Ordinary Angels
Studio Synopsis: Based on a remarkable true story, Ordinary Angels centers on Sharon (Hilary Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small- town Kentucky who discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With Ed's youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and moves mountains to do it. What unfolds is an inspiring tale of faith, everyday miracles, and ordinary angels.
The Promised Land
Studio Synopsis: In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) – a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero -- sets out to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow. He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and intense as these two men.
Andor: The Complete First Season 4K UHD SteelBook
Studio Synopsis: Explore a new perspective from theStar Warsgalaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception, and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
Also Available: Blu-ray
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Complete First Season 4K UHD SteelBook
Studio Synopsis: Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier. The pair, who came together in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, team up on a global adventure that tests their abilities — and patience.
Also Available: Blu-ray
Moon Knight: The First Complete Season 4K UHD SteelBook
Studio Synopsis: When Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a mild-mannered gift shop employee, becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life, he discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.
Also Available: Blu-ray
Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series 4K UHD SteelBook
Studio Synopsis: Obi-Wan Kenobi begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.
Also Available: Blu-ray
Lawman: Bass Reeves
Studio Synopsis: From Executive Producers Taylor Sheridan and David Oyelowo comes the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West: Bass Reeves. Lawmen: Bass Reeves, follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family.
Basket Case (1982) 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: Duane Bradley is a pretty ordinary guy. His formerly conjoined twin Belial, on the other hand, is a deformed, fleshy lump whom he carries around in a wicker basket. Arriving in the Big Apple and taking up a room at the seedy Hotel Broslin, the pair set about hunting down and butchering the surgeons responsible for their separation. But tensions flare up when Duane starts spending time with a pretty blonde secretary, and Belial’s homicidal tendencies reach bloody new extremes.
The Church (1989) 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: In a gothic cathedral built on the mass grave of a Teutonic purge, an ancient discovery by the new librarian will release an unholy maelstrom of madness, violence and demonic vengeance.
Dogfight (1991): The Criterion Collection
Studio Synopsis: An ineffably bittersweet portrait of youth in the 1960s, Nancy Savoca’s funny, sensitive tale of love and war etches two vividly alive characters: aspiring San Francisco folk singer Rose (Lili Taylor) and hotheaded, Vietnam-bound marine Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix), who meet on the occasion of a cruelly misogynistic party where men compete to bring the most unattractive dates they can find. But what begins as a night to forget unexpectedly develops into something far more meaningful. Featuring music by folk legends Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger, Dogfight captures the miracle of human connection while gracefully subverting ideas surrounding machismo, patriotic duty, and the very meaning of America itself.
Hot Spur (1968)
Studio Synopsis: Having struck gold with shockumentaries like ECCO and MONDO BIZARRO, producer Bob Cresse and writer/director Lee Frost applied their distinctive sleaze aesthetic to a revenge western they advertised as “91 minutes of Freudian fury!” It would soon redefine the ‘roughie,’ be named one of the Top Ten Movies of 1969 by conservative publication National Review, and become one of the most notorious exploitation films in history.
Lola
Studio Synopsis: The year is 1941, and brilliant UK sisters Thomasina (Emma Appleton of THE KILLING KIND) and Martha (Stefanie Martini of PRIME SUSPECT 1973) have created a device that intercepts broadcasts from the future. Besides revealing the coming glories of rock & roll, the invention – which they call ‘Lola’ – also allows them to alter the course of World War II. But will their unmaking of history provoke a lifetime of shocking consequences?
Ocean's Trilogy 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: Ocean’s Eleven kicks off the fun with a daring Las Vegas heist. The team doubles down and goes global to glamorous European locales in Ocean’s Twelve. And Ocean’s Thirteen has the group reuniting in Vegas for a dazzling scheme of payback against a backstabbing casino kingpin.
The Scavengers (1969)
Studio Synopsis: When a renegade Confederate detachment invades a frontier town, they’ll spark a rampage of sadism, racism, violation and vengeance that still has the power to shock audiences more than half a century later.
The Sect (1991) 4K UHD
Studio Synopsis: As a global satanic cabal grows in ferocity, an unwitting young schoolteacher (Kelly Curtis – sister of Jamie Lee – in her sole genre role) is chosen to deliver the ultimate evil.
The Shape of Night (1964)
Studio Synopsis: A young woman from the countryside (Miyuki Kuwano of Oshima’s Cruel Story of Youth) falls in love with a handsome hoodlum (Mikijiro Hira, Sword of the Beast), who pushes her into a life of prostitution. When his sleazy superiors catch sight of her, she finds herself trapped inside the gaudy maze of city nightlife.
Signature Move
Studio Synopsis: In Chicago, Zaynab (Fawzia Mirza) is a thirty-something American-Pakistani lawyer who lives with and cares for her recently widowed, TV-obsessed mother (legendary Indian actress Shabana Azmi). Alma (Sari Sanchez) is a free-spirited Mexican-American bookshop owner. After meeting in a bar, the two quickly fall into bed with each other and embark on a romancebut problems aren’t far behind. Zaynab’s traditional mother still expects her daughter to marry a man, while Alma finds herself reluctant to get involved with the closeted Zaynab, leaving them at odds despite their strong attraction for each other. And then there’s Zaynab’s latest interest: training in Lucha-style wrestling with a former pro grappler!
The Tin Star (1957)
Studio Synopsis: When veteran bounty hunter Morg Hickman (Henry Fonda, My Darling Clementine) rolls into town, he finds the population paralyzed by fear. The local sheriff has been killed, leaving the inexperienced Ben Owens (Anthony Perkins, Psycho) to fill the void with the hope of securing a permanent position. Morg discovers that the newly appointed young sheriff is having difficulty facing the provocations of a notorious bully, Bart Bogardus (Neville Brand, Riot in Cell Block 11). Morg, a former sheriff, takes it upon himself to teach Owens how to assert himself and maintain order.
True Love (1989)
Studio Synopsis: The 1989 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner that helped jumpstart the ‘90s indie movement, Nancy Savoca’s True Love is a seminal work of Italian-American cinema. A humorous yet unflinching look at the realities of love and marriage, the film follows Michael (Ron Eldard, Black Hawk Down) and Donna (Annabella Sciorra, TV's The Sopranos), a young couple preparing for their wedding in an Italian enclave of the Bronx. Through revealing moments in dive bars, pizzerias, and living rooms, the film offers a nuanced meditation on marriage in a world heavily driven by gender norms.