Movies

3 Days in Malay (Action, History, War)

The action-packed wartime adventure “3 Days in Malay” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Oct. 17, from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Inspired by historical events, “3 Days in Malay” follows a small group of dedicated soldiers who must defend an airfield for three days against the Japanese assault during the fight for Malay in WWII.

Directed by and starring Louis Mandylor (director of “Blindsided,” actor in “Hell Hath No Fury”), “3 Days in Malay” also stars Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (“Outlaw Johnny Black”), Peter Dobson (“Forrest Gump”), Ryan Francis (“Hook”), Randall J. Bacon (“Fast Vengeance”) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (“The A-Team”).

Douglas Fairbanks Double Feature: The Three Musketeers and The Iron Mask (Adventure, Action, Drama)

Fans of the legendary silent film actor Douglas Fairbanks can own new restorations of two of his most beloved films when “Douglas Fairbanks Double Feature: The Three Musketeers and The Iron Mask” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Oct. 17, from Cohen Film Collection.

The King of Hollywood stars in two action-packed spectacles featuring him in the role he was born to play: Alexandre Dumas’ D’Artagnan. In “The Three Musketeers,” audiences are introduced to the young D’Artagnan, a naïve and ambitious farm boy whose acrobatic swordsmanship earns him the respect of King Louis XIII’s elite regiment of guards, The Musketeers. Fairbanks reprises his role in “The Iron Mask,” which finds D’Artagnan and his fellow Musketeers under threat by the sinister Cardinal Richelieu and Count De Rochefort.

For the restoration of “The Three Musketeers,” a full frame 35MM fine grain positive was scanned at 4K. At the suggestion of Fairbanks scholar Jeffrey Vance, the scan was done at a historically appropriate 21 frames per second. Following this, more than 150 hours of digital clean-up was completed at 2K.

“The Iron Mask” was restored by Cohen Film Collection in association with Photoplay Productions. In 1999, Patrick Stanbury and Kevin Brownlow of Photoplay produced a photochemical restoration in association with the Museum of Modern Art and The Douris Corporation, using Fairbanks’ personal nitrate print. Picture restoration work was done at Cinema Arts, Inc. and Haghefilm, creating a new 35MM negative. The sound sequences were copied from original discs held at the Library of Congress and digitally restored at Cedar Audio in London. Further digital restoration of the analog restoration elements was carried out in 2017 on behalf of Cohen Film Collection at Roundabout Entertainment. The 35MM full aperture negative of the 1999 restoration was scanned at 4K, with more than 160 hours of digital clean-up completed at 2K.

Haunted Mansion (Comedy, Drama, Family)

Just in time for Halloween, viewers can add Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” to their movie collection, as the film materializes on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Oct. 17. It is also now available to own on Digital and is currently streaming on Disney+.

Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” tells the story of Gabbie (Rosario Dawson, “Ahsoka”), a single mom who discovers that the home she and her son share is haunted by irksome ghosts. Hoping to restore domestic tranquility, Gabbie recruits a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid the house of the supernatural squatters.

A nonstop blend of action, adventure and comedy featuring an all-star cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield (“Sorry to Bother You”), Tiffany Haddish (“Girls Trip”), Owen Wilson (“Loki”), Danny DeVito (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween”) and Jared Leto (“Requiem for a Dream”), “Haunted Mansion” was written by Katie Dippold (“Parks and Recreation”) and directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People”). The Digital, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD releases feature never-before-seen bonus content, including eight deleted scenes, a gag reel and two behind-the-scenes featurettes: “Making ‘Haunted Mansion’” and “999 Happy Haunts.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (Fantasy, Horror)

The gripping horror tale “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” sails onto Digital, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Oct. 17, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

A terrifying new addition to the Dracula legend, based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel, “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” chronicles the doomed journey of a merchant ship ferrying 50 mysterious wooden crates from Carpathia to London. As they set sail, the crew soon discovers they are not alone on board: at night they are stalked by a hidden passenger whose monstrous thirst for blood turns the trip into a harrowing nightmare of tension, terror and unfathomable evil.

Directed by Norwegian horror virtuoso André Øvredal (“Troll Hunter”), “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” features a talented cast including Corey Hawkins (“Blackkklansman”), Aisling Franciosi (“Game of Thrones”), Liam Cunningham (“Game of Thrones”), David Dastmalchian (“The Dark Knight”), Chris Walley (“1917”), Jon Jon Briones (“Ratched”), Stefan Kapicic (“Better Call Saul”), Martin Furuland (“The Last Kingdom”), Nikolai Nikolaeff (“Daredevil”), Woody Norman (“C’mon C’mon”) and Javier Botet (“It”). Bonus features on the release include an alternate opening with optional commentary by Øvredal and producer Bradley J. Fischer (“Suspiria”), eight deleted scenes with optional commentary by Øvredal and Fischer, a feature-length commentary by Øvredal and Fischer and three behind-the-scenes featurettes showcasing the making of the film: “From the Pits of Hell: Dracula Reimagined,” “Evil is Aboard: The Making of ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’” and “Dracula & The Digital Age.”

The Storms of Jeremy Thomas (Documentary)

A must-see for cineastes, “The Storms of Jeremy Thomas” is now available to own on Blu-ray and DVD from Cohen Media Group.

For decades, legendary film producer Jeremy Thomas has driven from England to the Cannes Film Festival. This time, he’s joined by acclaimed filmmaker Mark Cousins (“My Name is Alfred Hitchcock”).

On their intimate five-day road movie through rural France, they remember some of the most acclaimed and controversial films ever made: “The Last Emperor,” which won nine Oscars for Thomas when he was still in his 30s, including Best Picture; David Cronenberg’s “Crash” and its Cannes scandal; and Nicolas Roeg’s masterpiece of sexual obsession, “Bad Timing.” Thomas introduces viewers to his remarkable world of movie stars — Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, David Bowie — and daring international cinema, influenced by punk and counter-culture. The journey is intercut with acclaimed actors Tilda Swinton and Debra Winger, who give exclusive insights into the man and his work.

Illustrated with a dazzling range of film clips and rich in insights about creativity and survival, “The Storms of Jeremy Thomas” is a road movie portrait of France, a film school and — in the era of streaming and corporatization —a passionate call to arms for movies that get to the heart of life.

The Way We Were (Drama, Romance)

The timeless classic “The Way We Were” celebrates its 50th anniversary by debuting on 4K Ultra HD Tuesday, Oct. 17, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Screen legends Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl”) and Robert Redford (“All the President’s Men”) make movie magic as the captivating star-crossed lovers, Hubbell Gardiner and Katie Morosky. Theirs is a classic love story sparked by the attraction of opposites, played out against the backdrop of American life during times of foreign war, domestic prosperity and McCarthy-era paranoia in Hollywood.

The 4K Ultra HD release features both the original 118-minute theatrical version of “The Way We Were” and an all-new 123-minute extended cut of the film, restoring two important scenes where the love story and the political story come together. Both versions are remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative, with the 4K UHD disc also featuring Dolby Vision. Special features include the making-of documentary “Looking Back,” a director’s commentary track by Sydney Pollack (“Tootsie”) on the theatrical version of the film and the movie’s theatrical trailer.

TV Shows

The Crown: The Complete Fifth Season

Bring home the majesty of “The Crown: The Complete Fifth Season” when it debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Oct. 17, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Inspired by real events, the fictional dramatization tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign. It’s a new decade, and the royal family are facing what may be their biggest challenge yet: proving their continued relevance in 1990s Britain. As Diana and Charles wage a media war, cracks begin to splinter the royal foundation.

Special features on the release include three featurettes: “A Royal Transformation,” “War of the Waleses” and “Script to Screen.”

NCIS: Hawai’i Season Two (Action, Crime, Mystery)

The second season of CBS’ hit series “NCIS: Hawai’i” is now available to own on DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Season Two follows Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”) and team as they investigate even more high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the Aloha State itself. The season starts off with a bang after the team learns about a planned attack on RIMPAC (The Rim of the Pacific Exercises) in Oahu, the world’s largest International maritime warfare exercise.

“NCIS: Hawai’i Season Two” includes all 22 episodes from the second season on six discs, plus three crossover episodes from the “NCIS” universe: “NCIS” crossover episode “A Family Matter,” “NCIS” crossover episode “Too Many Cooks” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” crossover episode “A Long Time Coming.” Additional extras include deleted scenes and the featurettes “A Killer Crossover,” “Island Sounds” and “‘NCIS: Hawai’i’: A Look at Season Two.”

Rabbit Hole: Season One (Action, Drama, Thriller)

Kiefer Sutherland stars as master of espionage John Wier in “Rabbit Hole: Season One,” coming to DVD Tuesday, Oct. 17, from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Nothing is what it seems when John Weir, a master of deception in the world of corporate espionage, is framed for murder by powerful forces with the ability to influence and control populations. Weir finds himself in the midst of a battle over the preservation of democracy in a world at odds with misinformation, behavioral manipulation, the surveillance state and the interests that control these extraordinary powers.

“Rabbit Hole: Season One” features all eight episodes from the first season of the Paramount+ series as well as three behind-the-scenes featurettes: “Digging the ‘Rabbit Hole,’” “The Look of ‘Rabbit Hole’” and “Stunts.”

Calling all fans of war movies! Front Row Features is giving away a copy of “3 Days in Malay” on Blu-ray to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by Oct. 23 for your chance to win. Good luck!