By ANGELA DAWSON

Front Row Features

Movies

Downton Abbey: A New Era (Drama)

It’s time to return to Downton in “Downtown Abbey: A New Era,” available to own on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday July 5, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The Collector’s Edition arrives just in time for a summer movie night in with exclusive and exciting featurettes to give fans a more in-depth look behind the scenes with fan-favorite stars.

The motion picture will also be available in a Limited Edition Gift Set, featuring the Blu-ray disc, DVD and Digital code, presented in exclusive packaging along with vintage-style postcards, a photo book and a collectible “Downton Abbey” branded stainless steel tea strainer with a velvet bag. Available only while supplies last, this special offering is the must-own gift for any “Downton Abbey” fan or to add to your own collection.

The much-anticipated cinematic return of “Downton Abbey,” which follows the hit television series, follows the Crawleys and their staff as they welcome a movie crew and their glamorous stars to Downton for the filming of a new silent movie, while other members of the family go on a grand adventure to a villa in the south of France to uncover a mystery about the Dowager Countess and her past.

With a screenplay by Julian Fellowes and starring the original cast alongside exciting new additions, the movie sequel is packed full of exuberant moments, excitement and humor, tears of joy and sadness and new beginnings for all your favorite characters. The romantic and nostalgic film is also available to stream now on Peacock.

Directed by Simon Curtis, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” stars Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nichol, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton.

Among the many bonus features, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” on home entertainment includes the featurette, “A Legendary Character,” a look back at the legendary character that is the Dowager Countess of Grantham and see why Maggie Smith was born to play the role, a feature commentary with director Curtis and “Spill the Tea,” a featurette in which stars Carmichael and Leech reveal what life was like on set, and more.

With the purchase of “Downton Abbey: A New Era” on disc or digital, fans are eligible to earn points towards digital movies via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. Members can redeem their points for digital movies, swag and more.

Edge of Tomorrow (Sci-fi Thriller)

“Edge of Tomorrow” will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital Tuesday July 5, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Directed by Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”), “Edge of Tomorrow” stars Oscar nominee Tom Cruise (the “Mission Impossible” films, “Top Gun: Maverick”) and Emily Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “The Adjustment Bureau”).
The Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ sci-fi thriller was written by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, and is based on the novel entitled “All You Need is Kill,” by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. “Edge of Tomorrow” was the first motion picture to be shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden.

Supporting Cruise and Blunt is an international cast that includes Bill Paxton (“Aliens,” “Big Love”), Brendan Gleeson (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”), Noah Taylor (“Lawless”), Kick Gurry (“Tangle”), Dragomir Mrsic (“Snabba Cash II”), Charlotte Riley (“World Without End”), Jonas Armstrong (“Robin Hood”), Franz Drameh (“Attack the Block”), Masayoshi Haneda (“Emperor”) and Tony Way (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”).

In the film, an alien race, undefeatable by any existing military unit, has launched a relentless attack on Earth, and Major William Cage (Cruise) finds himself dropped into a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage is thrown into a time loop, forced to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again and again. Training alongside Rita Vrataski (Blunt), his skills slowly evolve, and each battle moves them a step closer to defeating the enemy.  ​

The Ultra HD Blu-ray includes the following featurettes: “Operation Downfall—Adrenaline Cut,” “Storming the Beach,” “Weapons of the Future” deleted scenes, and more.

“Edge of Tomorrow” on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack will be available for $24.99 (SRP)and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR and a Digital download of the film. Fans can also own the film in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning July 5.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (Action Adventure)

The mind-bending action-adventure “Everything Everywhere All At Once” arrives on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, Blu-ray + Digital, and DVD Tuesday July 5, from A24 and Lionsgate.

The film stars Michelle Yeoh as an unlikely hero who must channel newfound powers to fight fearsome dangers from the multiverse. As Evelyn Wang, Yeoh is a flustered immigrant mother, who is contacted from a parallel universe and told that only she can save the world. The unlikely hero must learn to channel her newfound powers and fight through the splintering timelines of the multiverse to save her home, her family, and herself in this big-hearted and irreverent adventure. The film also stars Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The film is directed and written by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the writing-directing duo collectively known as the Daniels (“Swiss Army Man”).

Bonus features include an audio commentary with Kwan and Scheinert, an “Almost Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ featurette, a “Putting Everything on a Bagel: Cooking up the Multiverse” featurette, deleted scenes with optional audio commentary, outtakes, and more.

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” will be available for the suggested retail price (SRP) of $42.99 (SRP) for the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, $39.99 (SRP) for the Blu-ray + Digital, and $29.96 (SRP) for the DVD.

H.P. Lovecraft’s Witch House (Sci-fi Horror)

From Horror Wasteland Pictures International, releasing for the first time on digital, On Demand and DVD Tuesday July 5, “H.P Lovecraft’s Witch House.”

Graduate student Alice Gilman (Portia Chellelynn, “Hematic Web”) is running from an abusive past. She seeks refuge in the infamous Hannah house; a historic home with an ominous past. Determined to prove the possibility of alternate dimensions, she unknowingly unlocks a gateway to unimaginable horror. Facing a series of bizarre and violent events, Alice is plagued by nightmarish dreams of these evil entities. Trapped between the fourth dimension and reality, the diabolical truth is revealed as Alice fights for her sanity and her very soul.

Based on the Lovecraft’s short story “The Dreams in the Witch House,” “H.P. Lovecraft’s Witch House” blurs the boundaries between reality, dreams .and the beyond.

Easley and Ken Wallace scripted the pic, which was shot in Indiana’s Historical Hannah House which is said to be haunted.

Monstrous (Comedy Horror)

“Monstrous” scares up on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday July 5, from Screen Media.

A terrifying new horror awaits Laura (Christina Ricci, “Yellowjackets,” “Matrix Resurrections”) and her seven-year-old son Cody when they flee her abusive ex-husband and try to settle into a new life in an idyllic and remote lakeside farmhouse. Still traumatized, their physical and mental well-being are pushed to the limit as their fragile existence is threatened.

Starring alongside Ricci is Colleen Camp(“Sliver,” “Die Hard with a Vengeance”), Santino Bernard(“8-Bit Christmas,” “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”), Don Balderamos(“Suburbicon,” “Castle”) and Nick Vallelonga (“Green Book,” “The Many Saints of Newark”)

“Monstrous” is directed by Chris Sivertson (“I Know Who Killed Me,” “All Cheerleaders Die”), the film was written by Carol Chrest (“The Prophet’s Game”).

“Monstrous” will be available on Blu-ray for $29.98 (SRP) and on DVD for $24.98 (SRP).

Okja (Action Horror)

Master genre exploder Bong Joon Ho swirls pathos, dark satire, action, and horror into an exhilarating 21^st century fairy tale with “Okja,” arriving Tuesday July 5 in a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Combo, Blu-ray and two-disc DVD editions, from Criterion.

An all-star cast including Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, and Jake Gyllenhaal is led by An Seo Hyun as Mija, a South Korean girl growing up on an Edenic mountainside with her grandfather and best friend: Okja, a giant, empathetic “superpig” created as part of a secret GMO experiment. When Okja is abruptly torn away from her, Mija embarks on a perilous rescue mission that places her at the center of a sinister corporate conspiracy. While Bong’s trademark set pieces dazzle, Okja’s beating heart is the connection between a girl and her superpig, made all the more poignant by the brilliant special effects that bring the animal star to life.

Extras include the 4K digital master, approved by Bong, with Dolby Atmos sound on the Blu-ray and 4K UHD editions. The 4K UHD edition includes one 4K UHD disc of the film which is presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features. Another special feature is a new conversation between Bong and producer Dooho Choi, new interviews with actors Hyunhort and Byun Heebong, new interviews with members of the crew about the film’s cinematography, visual effects, and costume and production design, short programs including a director’s video diary, featuring Bong as well as Dano, Gyllenhaal, Swinton and Yeun; and more.

The 4K UHD + Blu-ray Combo edition of “Okja” will be available for $49.95 (SRP), the Blu-ray edition will be available for $39.95 (SRP) and the DVD will be available for $29.95 (SRP).

Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis (Anime)

Tennis prodigy Ryoma Echizen and his friends will grand slam your heart in a brand new adventure, “Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis,” which will be available in a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack as well as digitally Tuesday July 5, from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory

The new action-packed CG anime movie adventure is based on the blockbuster Japanese sports manga series and its sequels created by renowned manga author Takeshi Konomi, with 60 million copies sold over 22 years, the film is the first CG anime movie from this popular franchise.

Featuring an all-new storyline with music and lyrics by Konomi and directed by Hiroshi Koujina (“City Hunter,” “The Vampire Dies in No Time”), the movie makes its long-awaited North American home entertainment debut following a nationwide theatrical release.

Inspired by his tennis champion father, Ryoma is determined to train in the U.S., after winning a championship in Japan. He runs into his classmate Sakuno right as she gets into trouble with street gangs, and Ryoma accepts a tennis match against the villains to save her. During the intense battle on the court, the shock of two tennis balls ramming into one another disrupts the follow of time, and Ryoma and Sakuno suddenly are transported back into the past, decades before, when Ryoma’s father challenged his last match at a championship in the U.S.

The Blu-ray + DVD combo pack boasts a thrilling movie presentation (featuring English audio and Japanese audio with English subtitles) with special bonus content. This is the full-length alternative cut of the movie that includes different scenes featuring Hyotei team captain Keigo Atobe and Shitenhoji team captain Kuranosuke Shiraishi.

The Virgin Suicides (Dramedy)

The Criterion edition of “The Virgin Suicides” arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack Tuesday July 5.

With this debut feature (released theatrically in 1999), Sofia Coppola explored the aesthetics of femininity while illuminating the interior lives of young women. An adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides’ highly acclaimed first novel, “The Virgin Suicides” conjures an ineffable melancholy of teenage longing and ennui in its story of the suicides of the five Lisbon sisters, stifled by the rules of their overprotective, religious parents—as told through the collective memory of a group of men who were boys at the time and still yearn to understand what happened.

Evoking its 1970’s suburban setting through ethereal cinematography by Ed Lachman and an atmospheric score by Air, “The Virgin Suicides” features a memorable performance by Kirsten Dunst. The dramedy has secured a place for its director in the landscape of American independent cinema and has become a coming-of-age touchstone.

Bonus material includes a new 4K digital restoration, approved by Coppola and supervised by Lachman, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD master audio soundtrack; a new interviews with Coppola, Lachman, actors Dunst and Josh Hartnett, novelist Eugenides, and writer and actor Tavi Gevinson; a “Making of ‘The Virgin Suicides’,” a 1998 documentary directed by Eleanor Coppola and featuring Sofia Coppola; Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola (Sofia’s parents); actors Dunst, Hartnett, Scott Glenn, Kathleen Turnerand James Woods; Eugenides; and others; and more.

“The Virgin Suicides” Criterion Combo edition will be available for $49.95 (SRP).

Zero Contact (Sci-fi Thriller)

“Zero Contact” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday July 5, from Lionsgate.

Starring Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”), this high-tech thriller chillingly reimagines our isolated, virtual world. Hopkins plays Finley Hart, the eccentric genius behind a global data-mining program. Upon his death, five remote agents—including Finley’s son—are contacted by a mysterious A.I. entity to reactivate the initiative, which may enable time travel. As sinister events occur at each of the agents’ homes, they must decide whether entering their passwords will save the world, or destroy it.

“Zero Contact” is directed by Rick Dugdale from a screenplay by Cam Cannon. In addition to Hopkins, the cast includes Chris Brochu and Aleks Paunovic. The film will be available on Blu-ray for $21.99 (SRP) and on DVD for $19.98 (SRP).

It’s tea and movie time! Front Row Features is giving away the Blu-ray edition of the hit period drama “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” to two lucky readers. To enter the contest, all you have to do is email your name and express your interest in “Downton Abbey: A New Era” to frontrowfeatures@gmail.com by June 14. Winners will be notified June 15. Cheers!