Movies

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (Comedy, Drama, Family)

The beloved and best-selling classic that has impacted generations, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, July 11, from Lionsgate. The film is also now available on Digital.

In this long-awaited movie adaption of Judy Blume’s groundbreaking novel, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson, “Ant-Man and the Wasp”) is uprooted from her life in New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams, “Spotlight”), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates, “Misery”). A timeless coming-of-age story, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” sparkles with insightful humor while candidly exploring life’s biggest questions.

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” comes home with plenty of entertaining special features, including deleted scenes, a roundtable discussion, the film’s theatrical trailer and four behind-the-scenes featurettes: “Finally That Time: Marking ‘Margaret,’” “Are You There Margaret? It’s Me, Judy.,” “The Secret Crew Club: Margaret and Friends” and “Bringing the Period to Life: Designing ‘Margaret.’”

Book Club: The Next Chapter (Comedy)

Oscar winners Diane Keaton (“Annie Hall”), Jane Fonda (“Klute,” “Coming Home”) and Mary Steenburgen (“Melvin and Howard”) and Oscar nominee Candice Bergen (“Starting Over”) star in Focus Features’ “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” available for purchase on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, July 11, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The laugh-out-loud comedy is also now available to own on Digital and currently streaming on Peacock.

The highly anticipated sequel follows four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls’ trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

Bonus features on the release include three behind-the-scenes featurettes. “‘Book Club’: Back in Session” features the filmmakers and cast chatting about what made the first film such a success and the journey the main characters take in the sequel; “Still Stylish” focuses on how costume designer Stefano De Nardis (“Coco Chanel”) created each character’s style and how it melds with the actress portraying the part; and “The Women in Italy” covers how shooting the movie in Italy came to be and what it was like making a movie in Rome and Venice amongst actual tourists.

Day Zero (Action, Horror)

The edge-of-your-seat horror-thriller “Day Zero” lands on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, July 11, from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film is also now available on Digital.

After serving eight incident-free years in prison, a former elite soldier is released, finally free to reunite with his estranged wife and young daughter. However, he re-enters civilization only to discover that the outside world has been completely overtaken by a dangerous virus with terrifying effects on the human body. Chased by hordes of the undead, he races through the dangerous urban landscape in a final desperate attempt to redeem himself and rescue his family.

An official selection at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2022, “Day Zero” stars recently retired MMA fighter Brandon Vera (“BuyBust”), Pepe Herrera (“The Killer Bride”), MJ Lastimosa (“Damaso”), Joey Marquez (“On the Job 2: The Missing 8”) and Ricci Rivero (“Happy Times”). The film features a Filipino language track with optional English subtitles.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Action, Adventure, Comedy)

The galaxy’s favorite band of misfits are back for one final adventure in Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” now available to own on Digital. The film debuts on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, August 1.

In “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” our beloved band of misfits is looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt, “Jurassic World”), still reeling from a terrible loss, must rally his team and embark on a dicey, action-packed mission to defend the universe and protect Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper, “A Star is Born”). Meanwhile, a new, unpredictable force threatens to bring the Guardians down for good.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” features exclusive bonus content on Digital, 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, including eight deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel and a feature-length audio commentary by writer/director James Gunn. Two featurettes are also included. In “The Imperfect, Perfect Family,” viewers can relive the evolution of the Guardians as the tight knit “found family” recounts their best memories wrapping up the epic trilogy’s final film. Then, in “Creating Rocket Raccoon,” viewers can hear how Gunn brought Rocket to life and how personal the character is to him.

Knights of the Zodiac (Action, Adventure, Drama)

Based on the international anime sensation, “Knights of the Zodiac” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, July 11, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is also now available to own on Digital.

Seiya (Mackenyu, “Pacific Rim: Uprising”), a headstrong street teen, spends his time fighting for cash while he searches for his abducted sister. When one of his fights unwittingly taps into mystical powers he never knew he had, Seiya finds himself thrust into a world of warring saints, ancient magical training and a reincarnated goddess who needs his protection. If he’s to survive, he will need to embrace his destiny and sacrifice everything to take his rightful place among the Knights of the Zodiac.

Bonus materials on the release include deleted scenes, character vignettes, concept art and the behind-the-scenes featurette “On Set with the Stunt Team.”

Scream VI (Horror, Mystery, Thriller)

Ghostface is more terrifying than ever on a rampage in the Big Apple in “Scream VI,” arriving for purchase on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD as well as in a 4K Ultra HD SteelBook Tuesday, July 11, from Paramount Home Entertainment. The thriller is also now available on Digital and streaming on Paramount+.

No one is safe and everyone is a suspect in the smash-hit thriller, which follows the four survivors from the most recent Woodsboro Ghostface killings — Sam (Melissa Barrera, “In the Heights”), Tara (Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday”), Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown, “Yellowjackets”) and Chad (Mason Gooding, “Booksmart”) — after they’ve moved to New York City for a fresh start. Just as they begin to feel a sense of normalcy, they receive that infamous call. Ghostface is more brutal and relentless than ever and will stop at nothing to hunt them down.

Fans who buy the film on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital will have access to more than an hour of killer bonus content, including behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and crew discussing the wildly popular franchise and upping the ante in this latest installment. Featurettes include “Death Comes to the City,” “The Faces of Death,” “More Meta than Meta,” “Bloodbath at a Bodega,” “An Apartment to Die For,” “The Night Train to Terror” and “Theater of Blood.” Other extras include a filmmakers’ commentary track and a digital exclusive gag reel.

Front Row Features is giving away a copy of the zombie horror-thriller “Day Zero” on Blu-ray to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by July 17 with the title of your favorite zombie movie in the body of the email for your chance to win. Good luck!