Writer-director Peter Hyams’ “space western” OUTLAND (109 mins., 1981, R; Arrow) stars Sean Connery as a marshal assigned to a desolate mining colony on Io, one of Jupiter’s moons. There, he finds a surprising number of workers perishing in a number of apparent suicides – but after uncovering evidence, Connery determines that their deaths are caused by a lethal drug being smuggled into the station by corrupt company man Peter Boyle. Connery and Boyle end up butting heads when the marshal decides he’s not willing to play along with the latter’s schemes, leading to a number of sharp-shooters being brought in to knock off the intergalactic man of the peace.

Hyams’ original script pays obvious homage to “High Noon” and is certainly structured more like a western than a typical ‘80s sci-fi film. It does, however, look like a post-“Alien” piece, with the entire appearance of the film evoking the production design of Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic (Hyams confirms as much in Arrow’s new 4K UHD extras).

There are some logistical gaps in Hyams’ screenplay, and a fair amount of the dialogue is leaden, but Connery is both believable and sympathetic here, giving a finely tuned performance that encompasses the marshal’s steadfast pursuit of justice as well as empathetic scenes involving his wife and son, the former deciding that Io is no place to raise a kid on. Frances Sternhagen is excellent as the good doctor who grudgingly comes to Connery’s aid (she’s the only one who does), while James B. Sikking chips in an effective, if brief, supporting turn as Connery’s right hand man who’s also, unsurprisingly, on Boyle’s payroll.

Hyams generates a fair amount of suspense throughout – the countdown clock anticipating the arrival of a shuttle with the hired guns goes hand in hand with Jerry Goldsmith’s tense score in keeping first-time viewers engaged – and the film culminates in a satisfying, if expected, conclusion. “Outland” may not be a classic but it’s still entertaining and compelling, one of Hyams’ stronger works, and certainly one of Connery’s more memorable non-Bond vehicles.

Arrow brings “Outland” to 4K UHD (2.35) in a splendidly cinematic transfer with fine grain, a nice range of color and textured contrast that enhances the look of Hyams’ film and his visuals – which often didn’t translate well to home video and its standard-definition murkiness. The Dolby Vision HDR usage here really aids in that regard, with only a few shots of Connery in the dark here and there looking too dim, something inherent with Hyams’ visual style. Overall, though, the movie and Philip Harrison’s “Alien”-inspired production design manage to captivate even more in this format than ever before. This is an impressive looking physical production which looks gritty and “lived in” with a dated sense of future tech (beeping computers, recorded messages) that only adds to its appeal.

For sound, there are 2.0 PCM and 5.1 DTS MA options with the decided edge to the former. I’m not sure the source of these but they are quite different with the Dolby Stereo mix being a bit uncontrolled at times but also offering a wider dynamic range with some sound effects layered around the sound field (especially crowd noise) that are either dialed down or seemingly absent from the 5.1 track. That mix, which I believe is the same as heard on the previous Warner Blu-Ray, does have some surround activity but is much more restrained by comparison with most of the action contained to the front channels.

Several new interviews were produced for this release. A 50-minute conversation with Hyams encompasses much of his career though is disappointingly light on tasty production details beyond Stanley Kubrick – when Hyams was calling him for a “2010” blessing – asking how he put together the early shot of the miners walking off the shuttle elevator. A talk with cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt is also present along with an interview with VFX artist William Mesa. Additional video essays are produced by Josh Nelson and Howard S. Berger plus the trailer, still gallery, and some weirdly out of place new cover art totally at odds with the movie’s aesthetic.

RED PLANET 4K UHD (106 mins., 2000, PG-13; Arrow): The second “Let’s Go To Mars” movie from the year 2000, this more action-oriented effort stars Val Kilmer, Carrie-Ann Moss, Tom Sizemore, Benjamin Bratt, and Terence Stamp as members of a NASA team sent to the Red Planet to compile a study for possible colonization.

After Brian DePalma’s alternately (unintentionally) hilarious and earnestly optimistic “Mission to Mars” fared marginally at the box-office in the Spring of 2000 (counting Ennio Morricone’s fine score as one of its sole virtues), Warner Bros. decided to hold off releasing their equally expensive Mars flick until November, where it quickly became one of the costliest flops of the year.

Yet “Red Planet” is still pretty entertaining, all things considered. Director Antony Hoffman apparently had his hands full working with feuding co-stars Kilmer and Sizemore (who reportedly didn’t want to be in the same shots with one another), not to mention a rewrite prone script (credited to Chuck “Darkman” Pfarrer and Jonathan Lemkin). But as a B-grade sci-fi adventure, “Red Planet” has some neat special effects, a fairly exciting second hour, and a fun conclusion. Graeme Revell’s effective score, mixing operatic choruses with synths and weird instrumentation, also helps out, even as the movie leaps from one episodic problem to the next for our protagonists. “Robinson Crusoe on Mars” this isn’t, but it’s not that bad, either.

The movie’s visuals have been enhanced on 4K UHD in a new Dolby Vision HDR transfer from Arrow preserving the movie’s 2.39 aspect ratio and its previous 5.1 DTS MA mix. Interviews are much more on the technical rather than creative end, including conversations with VFX supervisor Jeffrey Okun and suits/helmet designer Steve Johnson. There are also deleted scenes (several of which include Stamp’s mostly-excised role, with others that clarify the movie’s mishandled flashback sequences) and the trailer, notes from Mark Altman, and a “visual retrospective” from podcaster Heath Holland.

If you survived “Mission to Mars” and still are up for another trip into outer-space, “Red Planet” manages to touch upon the existential, quasi-religious overtones of the DePalma mess without turning into an outer-space treatise on “It’s a Small World (err, Universe) After All.” Script issues aside, this is a surprisingly entertaining ride given its bad box-office rep and a welcome UHD upgrade from Arrow.

THE MASK 4K UHD (101 mins., 1994, PG-13; Arrow): A box-office hit from Jim Carrey’s box-office apex receives a lovely Dolby Vision HDR remaster from Arrow and New Line.

Director Chuck Russell’s 1994 adaptation of the Dark Horse comics character “The Mask” is a movie rich with inventive visual effects and gags, parlaying Carrey’s manic energy perfectly into its fantasy tale of a mysterious mask that gives whoever wears it super-powers and a wild, crazy personality to match.

The ILM special effects were dazzling for their time and the picture remains a blast to watch, mainly because the movie deftly balances its technical elements with Carrey’s energy, resulting in a splendid combination of comedy and comic book adventure – presaging the genre’s later rise in the decade and smartly tapping into Carrey’s appeal and special comic talent. The supporting cast, from Cameron Diaz’s debut performance to Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck and Richard Jeni, adds to the fun, while Randy Edelman’s score is another asset.

Arrow’s 4K UHD sports a new restoration of the OCN (1.85) supervised by Russell with Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos mix to go along with 5.1 and 2.0 DTS MA offerings. Archive commentaries include Russell and the director along with various crew and New Line personnel, while new interviews include Russell, creators/writers Mark Verheiden, Mike Richardson and Mike Werb; VFX supervisor Scott Squires; editor Arthur Coburn; choreographer Jerry Evans with previously unseen rehearsal footage; actress Amy Yasbeck; and a visual essay on Milo the dog by critic Elizabeth Purchell. Ample archival featurettes are also on-hand plus deleted scenes, the trailer, an image gallery, Arrow’s customary hardbound package and booklet notes by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas that seems disappointed that the movie was a comedy and not more accurate to its harder-edged, quasi-horror comic book roots.

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Warner Archive New Releases

Warner Archive, along with Hammer, performed a miraculous restoration of the original Hammer classic THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (83 mins., 1957), the movie that catapulted the company into international success and launched a long line of Frankenstein films.

First available on Blu-Ray five years ago, this 1957 Peter Cushing-Christopher Lee fan favorite never looked better than this spectacular 4K remaster, blowing away a UK format release from years back that looks like it was derived from an old, battered and worn print. There are no such issues here, with Warner’s detailed, richly colored transfer appearing in no less than three (!) aspect ratios: 1.37, 1.66 and 1.85, the film seeming better framed at 1.37 or 1.66 depending on the viewer’s preference.

Now Warner’s restoration comes to 4K UHD, packed with Dolby Vision transfers of those three aspect ratio versions, mono and newly remixed 5.1 sound (I’d stick to the former), and a slew of fresh extras to go along with a treasure trove of previously-released goodies. The net result is a must-have for Golden Age horror buffs.

All-new to this three-disc package are commentaries by Kim Newman, Barry Forshaw and Stephen Jones (on the 1.66 version) and Heidi Honeycutt and Toby Roan (1.85 version). Brand-new featurettes include “Beside the Seaside,” a near hour-long look at Peter Cushing’s career with Wayne Kinsey and actress Madeline Smith; make-up intensive “Recreating the Creature”; ”A Fitting Vocation” and “Topped and Tailed,” both paying tribute to costume designer Molly Arbuthnot; “Good or Tuesday,” a doc on Hammer writer Jimmy Sangster; ”Painting With Fine Brushes,” which profiles cinematographer Jack Asher; “A Gothic Tribute to Frankenstein” with writer Stephen Volk examining Mary Shelley’s original novel; an extensive image gallery; a restoration featurette; an alternative eyeball sequence; and restored UK trailers and UK censor cards.

Carried over from Warner Archive’s earlier Blu-Ray are its informative commentary from Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr and featurettes “The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film,” “Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition,” “Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher,” and “Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror.”

A SUMMER PLACE Blu-Ray (130 mins., 1959): The Maine coast seemed to be a ripe spot for ‘50s and ‘60s soap operas, as evidenced by the big box-office returns for not just Fox’s “Peyton Place” but this late ‘50s Warner Bros. hit which brought Max Steiner’s classic theme into the public consciousness of the day. His tune also endured far longer than the movie itself, which is a glossy but dated affair involving teens Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee, plus their respective, dysfunctional family units, which lead to their own affairs. Surely this was all plenty controversial for its day (and apparently was), but these days there’s not a lot happening in “A Summer Place” that’s going to muster a lot of appeal for contemporary viewers unless they’re there for Steiner’s score or the Monterey locales (standing in for Maine) shot by the great Harry Stradling. Warner Archive’s lovely Blu-Ray (1.85, 2.0 DTS MA mono) boasts another 4K restored transfer, the trailer and a bonus Bugs Bunny toon.

RAFFERTY AND THE GOLD DUST TWINS Blu-Ray (91 mins., 1975, R): Hum-drum “’70s drama” with a down-on-his-luck, disaffected former marine (Alan Arkin) getting an injection of life from a pair of drifters – veteran Mac (Sally Kellerman) and young “Frisbee” (Mackenzie Phillips) – who convince him to go on a road trip to New Orleans. John Kaye’s script feels “unconventional” in a conventional ‘70s milieu, meaning the characters receive the most attention while the project, under Dick Richards’ direction, rarely strays off a flat emotional range. It ends in a predictably “indifferent” ending, similar to “Cinderella Liberty” and other films of this type, though at least the performances are strong and the anamorphic cinematography (2.39) is superbly rendered here on Blu-Ray, with the trailer included as the disc’s sole extra.

THE BEGGAR’S OPERA Blu-Ray (94 mins., 1953): John Gay’s comic operetta, written in 1728 (!), was brought to the screen by director Peter Brook and writer Christopher Fry as a Laurence Olivier vehicle that delightfully evokes the Restoration, citing William Hogarth’s art as an inspiration for its sets and vivid Technicolor hues. Olivier was no tunesmith but nevertheless competently delivers some of Gay’s ballads as a jailed highwayman recalling his exploits; it’s all beautifully presented in a Warner Archive restoration (1.37, 2.0 DTS MA mono) now available on Blu-Ray with a pair of vintage WB cartoons from the era.

I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES Blu-Ray (109 mins., 1955): Cinemascope trappings are the main draw to this Warner remake of the Humphrey Bogart favorite “High Sierra,” with Jack Palance playing an ex-con whose latest heist goes bust after his small-time gang (Lee Marvin and Earl Holliman) fails to support him. Palance’s efforts at reform are noble, at least, and include him paying for a handicapped girl’s operation, leading a local dancer (Shelley Winters) to come to his side once things head south. Stuart Hessler helmed this well-cast and good-looking movie that doesn’t compare with its predecessor, moving slowly through its near two-hour run time. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (2.55) offers a glorious transfer and stereo soundtrack supporting David Buttolph’s work; the trailer and a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon are also on-hand.

More Warner Archive Thrills: Another remake, THE RACKET (89 mins., 1951) serves up an adaptation of a stage play Howard Hughes initially brought to the screen in the late ‘20s. Hughes was also behind this RKO reworking featuring a police detective (Robert Mitchum) and gangster (Robert Ryan) at opposite sides of the law but working from an old-school playbook that’s out of step with the times – for both of them. John Cromwell helmed this reunion of Ryan and Mitchum from “Crossfire,” presented here in a sensational new 4K scan (1.37, 2.0 DTS MA mono) with the trailer and a commentary by TCM host Eddie Muller…THE BEAST OF THE CITY (86 mins., 1932) offers pre-Code fans a superb remastering of this Jean Harlow vehicle with the star as a mobster’s moll who finds herself on the wrong side of a determined cop (Walter Huston) who’s trying to knock over her racketeer boss. Bullets fly and there’s a downer ending in this MGM production, preserved in a new Blu-Ray restoration by Warner Archive (1.37, 2.0 DTS MA mono) with two bonus cartoons…Errol Flynn may have been out of his swashbuckling heyday by the time he starred in Warner’s adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE (89 mins., 1953), but despite mixed reviews, this is still an agreeable adventure shot in Scotland, Cornwall and Sicily by the great Jack Cardiff. Warner’s beautiful 1080p (1.37, 2.0 DTS MA mono) transfer is lush and a pair of vintage cartoons are also included.

THE NEWSROOM: Complete Series Blu-Ray (2013-15; Warner/HBO): Mixing incisive, intelligent dialogue with occasional trips onto creator Aaron Sorkin’s soapbox, “The Newsroom” is a typical concoction from the talented writer, following the lives of on and off-air personnel at a fictitious network, where its tart anchor (Jeff Daniels) spars with new producer Emily Mortimer while the off-air staff (including Alison Pill, Olivia Munn and Dev Patel) try and produce the best newscast in spite of various obstacles. Sam Waterston, in a virtual reprise of his “Law & Order” role, essays the sage news division boss who helps them put it all together in a show that’s constantly watchable, yet often smug and pretentious at the same time.

Eventually, Sorkin introduces elements involving an Edward Snowden-esque source who provides documents that both bolsters – and threatens – ACN’s future as they attempt to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world. Ultimately, Sorkin devotees who warmed to Sorkin’s “West Wing” among his other endeavors are most likely to be satisfied with it. This Complete Series box sports all three seasons with deleted scenes, Inside the Episode interviews and featurettes, a commentary on the series finale with Sorkin and producer Alan Poul, and 1080p (1.78) AVC encoded transfers and 5.1 DTS MA soundtracks.

Also available on Blu-Ray in a sprawling box-set from Warner is Larry David’s CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (2000-24), which needs little introduction for HBO viewers. This improvised comedy series smash for creator/star David receives a full-on Complete Series Blu-Ray package in two oversized clamshell cases, the set containing its entire run from 2000 to scattered years up until 2024.

David is joined by Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, JB Smoove, Susie Essman and the late Richard Lewis with big guest stars appearing throughout; it’s high-caliber writing and laughs well worth checking out in HBO’s definitive Blu-Ray presentation (1.33 for Seasons 1-7, 1.78 from thereafter; 2.0 or 5.1 DTS MA). All its respective-season extra features are on-hand including a gag reel, featurettes and more; additional extras include “A Seinfeld Moment on Curb: Interview with Larry David & The Seinfeld Cast”; a behind-the-scenes segment on the final scene; and “Larry Favorite Episodes” segment.

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Also New & Noteworthy

CODA 4K UHD (111 mins., 2020, PG-13; Apple): The underdog Best Picture winner of 2021 may be one of the least-seen of all Oscar winners since it had no major theatrical release due to COVID and being an Apple streaming exclusive. Kudos to Apple, at least, for finally getting this wonderful character drama out on disc — a moving story of a hard-working high schooler (Emilia Jones) on the North Shore of Boston, the hearing daughter of deaf parents, whose singing could open doors to a bright future, should she muster up enough independence. The performances are marvelous, as are the flavorful Massachusetts settings, in Sian Heder’s film — a remake of “La Famille Belier,” a 2014 French picture which earned similar acclaim in its native country. Apple’s no-frills 4K UHD (1.85) looks terrific with Dolby Vision HDR and 5.1 DTS MA audio, and sign-language segments appropriately subtitled when needed.

SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (95 mins., 1976; 88 Films): Notoriously controversial Italian exploitation film, produced in the wake of “Ilsa” and other “Nazi-spolitation” films, finds a group of prisoners being subjected to torturous sadism at the hands of the vile “Colonel von Kleiben.” Audiences were grossed out – which was the point – by Sergio Garrone’s picture, which is new on 4K UHD (1.85, mono) from 88 Films featuring its original uncut version, in an English dub or Italian with newly translated subtitles. Supplements include a commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti plus interviews with Garrone, editor Eugenio Alabiso, cinematographer Maurizio Centini, and music historian Pierpaolo DeSanctis. The Italian credits, trailer, and a reversible sleeve with new and original poster art adorn this Dolby Vision HDR-presentation which is recommended strictly for devotees of this genre.

THE X TRILOGY: X (105 mins., 2022, R), PEARL (102 mins., 2022, R), MAXXINE (103 mins., 2024, R; A24): Ti West’s thriller trilogy receives a three-disc Collector’s Edition box set release from A24 complete with exclusive extras.

After putting star Mia Goth through the paces of a dual role in both “X” and “Pearl,” West settled in for “Maxxine,” the conclusion of his cult series that finds Goth returning as Maxine Minx, now in Holllywood and successful in her attempts at landing a big role in a new movie. Trouble, of course, soon follows, threatening Maxine’s attempts to go straight and leave her sordid, killing ways behind (apparently) in a movie West fans should enjoy but is likely to be brushed aside by anyone else. A more star-laden cast pops up here than its predecessors, including Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon.

A24’s special Collector’s edition sports a 64-page booklet with concept art, photos and more, plus over 90 minutes of Making Of featurettes and brand-new crew commentaries on each of the three films, all in an exclusive “long box” package.

LAUREL & HARDY The Definitive Restorations Vol. 2 Blu-Ray (Kit Parker/MVD): More freshly-remastered presentations of Laurel and Hardy’s defining comedies are on-tap in Kit Parker’s two-disc Blu-Ray. Like their first volume, this package offers transfers sourced from original 35mm archival elements, this time for L&H faves “Men O’War” (1929), “Perfect Day” (1929), “Blotto” (1930), “Another Fine Mess” (1930), “Dirty Work” (1933), “Going Bye-Bye!” (1934), “Them Thar Hills” (1934) and “Tit For Tat” (1935). For extras, there are previously “lost” silent versions of “Brat” and “Blotto” with scores by Andrew Earle Simpson; a 1937 reissue version of “Perfect Day”; and alternate versions of “Blotto” and “Another Fine Mess” with voice-and-effects tracks only. Even a 1954 “This Is Your Life” has been found from a 35mm Kinescope negative plus a 1960s Hal Roach backlot interview and trailers, commentaries, a full-color booklet with promo information and more!

ARCANE League of Legends – Season 2 4K UHD Steelbook (357 mins., 2025; GKids): Highly acclaimed animated series based on “League of Legends” wraps up with the conflict between the Pilotover and Zaun factions bubbling over to war, and the Hextech a questionable way out with both facing the threat of the vile Noxus. Riot Games and Fortiche Productions’ Netflix series earned big kudos from genre fans for their faithful and highly entertaining adaptation, with the UHD’s Dolby Vision HDR transfer and Dolby Atmos sound making for a dazzling disc presentation courtesy of GKids. The limited-edition, deluxe Steelbook includes flawless audio/video and an ample number of extras, including “Inside the Writers’ Room” featurettes, artist breakdowns, music videos, other behind-the-scenes segments, storyboards and an art gallery.

THE NAKED GUN Blu-Ray (85 mins., 2025, PG-13; Paramount): Watching this busted resurrection of the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker classic in theaters last summer was a depressing experience: I was sitting in a sold out crowd but maybe two, possibly three people were routinely laughing in the back row and that was it. The girl two seats over to me was asleep. The guy next to her never laughed at all, which plays into the fact that few under the age of 40-50 would even know what film noir even is (was there any reason why this picture was still set in that genre to begin with?).

As for me, I laughed a couple of times…but not much. Outside of a line about Bill Cosby I was pretty much doing nothing but sitting stonefaced and wondering what was served up at the critics junket that resulted in the barrage of positive Tomato-meter reviews this film inexplicably received (the audience score on that site is significantly less enthusiastic).

Conceptually the new “Naked Gun” is a bust. It’s not funny enough, or paced quickly enough, to register. It doesn’t really understand that the ZAZ movies’ modern equivalent is a “Family Guy” episode (ironic since that show’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, is a producer here) and something that needs to be played with a high level of energy in order for it to work. This “Gun” plays too much of it straight — with Liam Neeson’s Frank Drebin, Jr. mostly acting like a clown with mostly straight supporting players opposite him. The result is a film that isn’t played broadly enough for it to establish any tangible comedic momentum.

More over, instead of getting jokes packed in every frame like the original movies, we get intermittent stabs at humor, creating a weird vibe where much of what you’re seeing isn’t supposed to be taken seriously — but isn’t funny either. This is less a balls-out comedy like ZAZ’s movies than it is a (pretty lame) spoof mainly played straight with a silly lead character running through it, which is far less satisfying and makes the film-noir setting odd to begin with. Why wasn’t this a broader action satire (Neeson’s own career output could’ve been grist for the mill) or a story that, at least, could’ve satirized a wider group of characters than Danny Huston’s Elon-like entrepreneur? Where is the pop-culture ribbing that the world of 2025 deserves?

It’s hard to understand but it’s a road director Akiva Schaffer mostly didn’t travel here. “The Naked Gun,” the original, grilled all kinds of things — but did so in a way where those topical references whirl by so quickly they don’t stop the movie dead when you come across them today. Don’t get the joke? Here’s another one that works. And another.

Schaffer throws in some brief “shout outs” to the movies and “Police Squad” that, given the stylistic difference and drastic reduction in humor here, don’t even feel like they belong — just like Lorne Balfe’s lousy score, which apparently was supposed to be funny since it’s played so straight. It sounds more appropriate to a horror movie at times, fitting for the comedic horror show it accompanies.

Paramount’s Blu-Ray (2.39, Dolby Atmos) includes a run of deleted scenes, featurettes and a Digital HD code.

Also from the “We Didn’t Need to Resurrect This Comedy” Department is SPINAL TAP II (84 mins., 2025, R; Bleecker Street), a very belated follow-up to the ’80s rock-umentary parody that finds Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer getting the band back together for a problematic reunion. Rob Reiner also returned to helm this sequel which played in mostly empty theaters (even IMAX auditoriums!) this past August, though there are a few jokes (and cameos) that land. Bleecker Street’s no-frills Blu-Ray (1.85, 5.1 DTS MA) is out next week)…You may not know it from the premise and marketing, but director Colin Minihan’s COYOTES (92 mins., 2025, R; Decal) throws in some black comedy with its premise of a Hollywood Hills family (led by Justin Long and Kate Bosworth) who have to deal during a wildfire with some very hungry coyotes. Sadly, the execution is clumsy in a film that also wants to toss social commentary into its formulaic plot to negligible effect. Decal’s Blu-Ray (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA) is available November 25th with a featurette.

FAMILIAR TOUCH Blu-Ray (92 mins., 2024; Music Box): Kathleen Chalfant gives a terrific performance in this sensitive drama about a retired chef (Chalfant) who’s unceremoniously moved into assisted living where she eventually adapts to its day-to-day life and care workers (Carolyn Michelle, Andy McQueen). Sarah Friedland wrote and directed “Familiar Touch” which is finely executed and never overstated, and anchored by Chalfant’s lead turn accordingly. Music Box’s Blu-Ray (1.66, 5.1 DTS MA) includes a number of extras including a Q&A with Chalfant, interview with Friedland, roundtable cast discussion, behind-the-scenes material and the trailer.

NEXT TIME: More of the latest releases! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers everyone!