By ANGELA DAWSON

Front Row Features

Movies

Best Picture Essentials: 10-Movie Collection (Compilation)

Just in time for awards season! Revisit 10 of the most celebrated films in cinema history, together for the first time, in the “Best Picture Essentials: 10-Movie Collection,” arriving on Blu-ray Tuesday March 23, from Paramount Home Entertainment.

A must-own set for film fans and ideal entertainment in preparation for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, the collection includes an array of landmark films, each of which earned the prestigious Best Picture Oscar.

The films are 1927’s “Wings,” 1964’s “My Fair Lady,” 1972’s “The Godfather,”1983’s “Terms of Endearment,” 1994’s “Forrest Gump,” 1996’s “The English Patient,” 1997’s “Titanic,” 1999’s “American Beauty,” 2000’s “Gladiator” and 2007’s “No Country for Old Men.”

These films feature star-making and award-winning performances from actors including Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Javier Bardem, and others.

Breaking News in Yuba County (Comedy)

The dark comedy “Breaking News in Yuba County” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on March 23.

Directed by Tate Taylor (“The Girl on the Train,” “The Help”) and written by Amanda Idoko, “Breaking News in Yuba County” stars Academy Award winner Allison Janney (“I, Tonya”), Mila Kunis (“Bad Moms”), Regina Hall (“The Hate You Give”), Juliette Lewis (“Ma”), Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Wanda Sykes (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Ellen Barkin (“Ocean’s Thirteen”), Jimmi Simpson (“The Invention of Lying”), Matthew Modine (“Stranger Things”), Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale), Bridget Everett (“PATTI CAKE$”), Clifton Collins Jr. (“Westworld”) and Keong Sim (​“Olympus Has Fallen”).

After her husband vanishes, Sue Buttons (Janney), an underappreciated suburban wife, gets a taste of being a local celebrity as she embarks on a city-wide search in Yuba County to find him. In an effort to prolong her newfound fame, she stumbles into hilarious hijinks as her world turns upside down, dodging a wannabe mobster (Awkwafina), a relentless local police officer (Hall), her half-sister (Kunis) a local news reporter desperate for a story, and her husband’s deadbeat brother (Simpson), who all set out to uncover the truth behind the disappearance.

The Blu-ray disc features the film in hi-definition and the DVD features the film in standard definition. Both versions feature a Digital version of the film. The Blu-ray + Digital edition will be available for the suggested retail price (SRP) of $35.99 and the DVD +Digital is will be available for $28.98 (SRP).

“Breaking News in Yuba County” is available now digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

Cosmoball (Sci-fi)

Life on earth is desolate after a brutal intergalactic war, brightened only by a dangerous, high-flying sport … but no one knows that at each match, four gifted humans are fighting furiously to ensure the survival of humankind in the action-packed, sci-fi thriller “Cosmoball,” coming to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Tuesday March 23, from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Top-notch visual effects result in a breathtaking, family-friendly sci-fi film from director Dzhanik Fayziev (“The Turkish Gambit,” “August Eighth”). Cosmoball” stars Evgeniy Mironov (“Spacewalk,” “The Lenin Factor”), Evgeniy Romantsov (“Petropolis,” “Nu”), Viktoriya Agalakova (“The Bride,” “Mermaid: The Lake of the Dead”), Maria Lisovaya (“Guests”) and newcomer Ivan Ivanovich in the post-apocalyptic superhero space opera.

This Russian sci-fi thriller place after an intergalactic battle that destroys Earth’s moon and causes worldwide devastation, leaving the human race desolate and clinging to survival. The film follows four athletes with the rare ability to teleport, which makes them the only humans capable of playing “cosmoball,” a dangerous sport requiring unimaginable speed, reflexes, and courage. While the rest of the world religiously scans the sky to catch the high-flying tournaments, no one suspects that with each match, they are actually witnessing four young humans fighting furiously to ensure the survival of humankind.

The Blu-ray edition of “Cosmoball” will be available for $29.98 (SRP) and the DVD edition will be available for $24.98 (SRP).

Gattaca (Sci-fi)

The beloved science-fiction classic “Gattaca” debuts on 4K Ultra UD in a limited edition Steelbook packaging Tuesday March 23, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin and Jude Law star in this engrossing sci-fi thriller about an all-too-human man who dares to defy a system obsessed with genetic perfection. Hawke stars as Vincent, an “In-Valid” who assumes the identity of a member of the genetic elite to pursue his goal of traveling into space with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation. However, a week before his mission, a murder marks Vincent as a suspect. With a relentless investigator in pursuit and the colleague he has fallen in love with beginning to suspect his deception, Vincent’s dreams steadily unravel.

The sci-fi thriller is newly remastered from the original camera negative and includes special bonus materials including deleted cedes a featurette called “Welcome to Gattaca” and a blooper reel.

Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the 1997 film received an Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration for Jan Roelfs and Nancy Nye.

The “Gattaca” limited edition Steelbook includes the film in 4K Ultra HD, plus the Blue-ray and Digital Code.

Hero Dog: The Journey Home (Children/Family)

A thrilling family-friendly adventure where man’s best friend comes to the rescue, “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” will debut on Digital, On Demand, and on DVD Tuesday March 23, from Lionsgate.

Natasha Henstridge (“Species”) is a family adventure that shows how one animal’s courage can inspire us all. Crossing a lake by boat to return to his family, Royce (Steve Byers, “Shadowhunters”), who is blind, is stranded when the boat’s captain suddenly falls ill. To find help, Royce enlists Chinook, a brave malamute, to serve as his seeing-eye dog as they navigate the wilderness. Chinook must protect Royce from treacherous rapids, jagged rocks, and savage mountain lions on their long, heroic journey of survival.

An inspiring story of a blind man finding the hope and strength to survive, “Hero Dog: The Journey Home “was awarded the Dove Seal of Approval for All Ages. Bonus features include cast interviews, an interview with guest director Erin Pitt and the trailer gallery.

The “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” DVD will be available for the suggested retail price (SRP) of $14.98.

The Interrogation (Historic Drama)

Bear witness to pure evil in a captivating drama based on the autobiography of notorious Auschwitz camp commandant Rudolf Hoss in “The Interrogation, available Tuesday March 23, from Corinth Films.

Israeli director Erez Pery helms this fascinating drama about Hoss, which recreates the final interrogation of the infamous Nazi before his execution, and is based on his autobiography, “the Commandant of Auschwitz.”

In 1946, Hoss was discovered by British troops in Gottrupel, Germany, disguised as a gardener after his whereabouts were divulged by his wife, believing that the betrayal would result in their son’s safety. Shortly afterward, the notorious commandant was taken to the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and later handed over to the Supreme National Tribunal in Poland, which sentenced him to death by hanging.

While imprisoned and awaiting trial, he was interrogated at length to extract a perfect confession. The interrogator—Albert Piotrowski, a young, successful investigative judge, who also happened to be fluent in German. With the language barrier erased, and a level of comfort attained, their chilling encounter brings to shocking life the horrifying, yet normalized, Auschwitz routines, and the banalization of evil that shook the world to its core.

“The Interrogation” is in German and Polish with English subtitles.

World of Wong Kar Wai (Compilation)

A seven-disc Blu-ray collection of films by Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai arrives in a box set Tuesday March 23, from Criterion Collection.

With his lush and sensual visuals, pitch-perfect soundtracks, and soulful romanticism, Wong Kar Wai has established himself as one of the defining auteurs of our time. The collection celebrates his swoon-worthy cinema with the most comprehensive box set of his work ever released, including new 4K digital restorations of his acclaimed feature films “As Tears Go By,” “Days of Being Wild,” “Chungking Express,” “Fallen Angels,” “Happy Together,” “In the Mood for Love” and “2046.”

The beautifully illustrated deluxe package also contains an extended version of Wong’s 2004 short film “The Hand,” a new Q&A with the director, archival interviews, three making-of documentaries, deleted scenes and alternate endings, a new essay by critic John Powers, six collectible art prints, and more.

TV Shows

Austin City Limits Country (Music)

“Austin City Limits Country” brings together five decades of country’s greatest artists in a 10-disc box set available on DVD, from Time Life.

Music legends including Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Marty Robbins and Buck Owens to superstars like Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, and Randy Travis plus today’s greats including Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves and Brad Paisley are all included.

“Austin City Limits” is the longest-running music show in television history, and since the beginning it has held a special connection to country music. Beloved by artists and fans alike, the TV show is known for authentic music presented in live and uncut performances. This collection has been hand-selected from over 40 years of “Austin City Limits” archives to find the greatest country performances.

“Austin City Limits Country” includes once-in-a-lifetime collaborations like Sheryl Crow and Kris Kristofferson singing “Me and Bobby McGee” and Emmylou Harris singing “Crazy” along with Willie Nelson who wrote the song.

In all, 164 live, uncut performances from 1974 to 2018 featuring country legends and superstars performing their biggest hits including Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain,” Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning,” Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s In New England,” Vince Gill’s “Whenever You Come Around,” Alan Jackson’s “Livin’ On Love” and Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying.” Fans also will see favorite collaborations including Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson performing “Crazy,” Vince Gill and Patty Loveless singing “After the Fire Is Gone,” and Sheryl Crow and Kris Kristofferson performing “Me and Bobby McGee.”

Other classics include Roger Miller singing “Old Friends” with Willie Nelson, Vince Gill singing “Amie” with Pure Prairie League, and Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens performing “Streets of Bakersfield.”

Interviews with the stars including Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban and more.

A bonus DVD, “The Austin City Limits” 1974 pilot episode featuring a complete Willie Nelson concert, is included as well as a full-color memory book.

The 10-disc DVD box set is available at TimeLife.com for $119.96 (SRP). A special deluxe edition featuring 291 performances on 20 discs is available for $239.92 (SRP).

The Undoing (Crime Drama)

“The Undoing,” an HBO limited series, is coming to Blu-ray & DVD Tuesday March 23, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, the limited series is directed by Academy Award and Emmy-winning director Susanne Bier and is created by David E. Kelley, who also serves as showrunner.

The limited series’ incredible cast includes Emmy and Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Nicole Kidman (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) and Emmy nominee and Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winner Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”), Edgar Ramirez (Emmy nominee for “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace” and “Carlos”), Noah Jupe (“Honey Boy,” “A Quiet Place 2”), Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”), Noma Dumezweni (“Black Earth Rising”), Sofie Gråbøl (HBO’s “Gentleman Jack,” “Fortitude”), Matilda De Angelis, Ismael Cruz Córdova (“Berlin Station”) and Donald Sutherland (Emmy winner for “Citizen X”).

In the six-episode limited series, Grace (Kidman) and Jonathan Fraser (Grant), who are living the only lives they ever wanted for themselves. Overnight, a chasm opens in their lives: a violent death and a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and her family.

Bonus features includes a Kidman and Grant introduction, a featurette on creating “The Undoing” and “’The Undoing’ Revelations.”

“The Undoing” will be available for $24.98 SRP ($29.98 in Canada) for the DVD and $29.98 SRP ($39.99 in Canada) for the Blu-ray which includes a Digital Copy (US Only). It is also available to own on Digital via purchase from all major digital retailers. The limited series is based on the 2014 novel, “You Should Have Known” by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

Front Row Features is giving away a copy of the family-friendly sci-fi action film “Cosmoball” on Blu-ray to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by March 29 for your chance to win. Good luck!