Movies

Dumb Money (Biography, Comedy, Drama)

Bank on humor when “Dumb Money” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 12, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The comedy is also now available to own on Digital.

“Dumb Money” is the ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (yes, the mall video game store) into the world’s hottest company. In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano, “The Batman”), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich — until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

Special features on the release include a filmmaker commentary track, deleted scenes and the featurettes “Fat Cats vs. The Roaring Kitty” and “Diamond Hand Ensemble.”

Mercy Road (Thriller)

The mystery-thriller “Mercy Road” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 12, from Well Go USA Entertainment.

After committing an impulsive, vicious crime while searching for his missing daughter, a frantic father (Luke Bracey, “Elvis”) goes on the run from law enforcement and soon begins receiving chilling calls from an unknown entity claiming to know her whereabouts. As he faithfully follows the caller’s increasingly unhinged instructions, he is driven perilously close to the edge of sanity while discovering exactly how far he is willing to go to save his child.

Directed by John Curran (“Chappaquiddick”), “Mercy Road” also stars Toby Jones (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), Susie Porter (“Cargo”) and Huw Higginson (“The Nightingale”). The film features both English and Spanish language tracks.

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (Animation, Action, Adventure)

The exciting and inspiring new adventure “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” arrives for families to enjoy on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 12, from Paramount Home Entertainment. The film is also now available to own on Digital and is streaming on Paramount+.

When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty Pups! But they face their mightiest challenge yet when the pups’ archrival Humdinger (voiced by Ron Pardo, “History Bites”) breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance (voiced by Taraji P. Henson, “Hidden Figures”), a mad scientist, to steal the superpowers for themselves. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it’s too late.

The Digital, Blu-ray and DVD releases of “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” include fun-filled bonus content, including the featurette “PAW-Somely Powerful Pups” that takes a look at the team’s amazing superpowers, all-new super-suits and upgraded vehicles with none other than Skye (voiced by McKenna Grace, “The Haunting of Hill House”) herself. Additionally, viewers can go inside the voiceover booth with “A Totally PAW-Some Cast” to hear from the actors who voice their favorite characters.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Animation, Action, Adventure)

Shell-ebrate the holidays with the action-packed hit “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” arriving on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 12, from Paramount Home Entertainment. The film is also now available to own on Digital and is streaming on Paramount+.

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

The 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray releases of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” include more than 40 minutes of bonus content so fans can delve deeper into the making of the hilarious movie. Viewers can meet the young new voice cast as they explore the “teen” in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in “Meet the Teens Behind TMNT,” then go behind the scenes with the all-star voice cast, including Ice Cube (“Ride Along”), with “The Mutant Uprising.” Viewers can also explore the film’s unique animation style with the featurette “New York, New York: The Visual World of ‘Mutant Mayhem,’” plus learn to draw the leader of the Ninja Turtles, Leonardo.

The Terror (Horror, Thriller)

Showcasing the director’s spooky gothic side and his more whimsical side, the duality of Roger Corman is on display with the 60th anniversary edition of “The Terror,” debuting as a special edition double feature on Blu-ray and DVD with “The Little Shop of Horrors” Tuesday, Dec. 12, from Film Masters.

In “The Terror,” featuring an all-new HD restoration from 35mm archival elements, an 18th century French lieutenant in Napoleon’s army encounters the ghostly apparition of a young woman (Sandra Knight, “Frankenstein’s Daughter”). Curiosity leads Lt. Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”) to the castle of Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff, “The Bride of Frankenstein”), where he notices a painting of the baron’s late wife Ilsa, who looks identical to the ghostly woman. Determined to unravel the castle’s mystery, Duvalier learns that the baron has many terrifying secrets. Though officially credited to Corman, “The Terror” had a total of five collaborative directors, including Nicholson, Monte Hellman and Francis Ford Coppola.

Also featured on the release is a newly restored HD version of “The Little Shop of Horrors,” the insane story of Seymour (Jonathan Haze, “Not of This Earth”), a lonely florist, and his hungry plant, Audrey, for whom he goes to great lengths to ensure that his green friend is fed and happy. With a cast that also includes Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles and a very young Jack Nicholson as a scene-stealing dental patient with a high threshold for pain, Corman and screenwriter Charles Griffith give audiences a comic horror masterpiece for the ages. The film is so enduring that it inspired a Broadway musical, which led to a remake of the film that was nominated for two Academy Awards.

Both films are presented with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Discs are region free and include English SDH.  Audio is DTS-HD/Dolby AC3s. Special features include a commentary track on “The Terror” with C. Courtney Joyner and Dr. Steve Haberman; a commentary track for “The Little Shop of Horrors” with author Justin Humphreys and the film’s star, Jonathan Haze; an essay by Joyner on the Karloff/Poe connection, “Boris Karloff and the Long Shadow of Poe;” the companion essay “Faster! Faster!” penned by Mark McGee; part two of the Ballyhoo Motion Pictures featurette “Hollywood Intruders: The Filmgroup Story;” a visual essay by Howard S. Berger and Kevin Marr (The Flying Maciste Brothers) that provides a fresh look at “The Terror,” “Ghosts in the Machine: Art & Artifice in Roger Corman’s Celluloid Castle;” and recut trailers made from restored film elements.

There’s Something in the Barn (Comedy, Fantasy, Horror)

Get ready for fun, festive frights when horror and holidays collide in “There’s Something in the Barn,” now available on Digital from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

In the holiday horror comedy, Bill (Martin Starr, “Silicon Valley”) moves his American wife Carol (Amrita Acharia, “Game of Thrones”) and children Nora (Zoe Winter-Hansen, “The 12th Man”) and Lucas (newcomer Townes Bunner) to Norway where he’s inherited a family estate. While Bill dreams of turning the adjourning barn into a bed and breakfast, his family struggles to adapt to Scandinavian life. Lucas discovers a mischievous barn elf from ancient folklore living in the barn with a set of rules the family must follow. When Bill dismisses Lucas’s warnings and fails to follow sacred holiday traditions, the elf plots to get rid of the American intruders at any cost.

TV Shows

Ancient Aliens: Season 18 (Documentary, History, Sci-Fi)

Uncover new UFO communications and revisit past season explorations of extraterrestrial life with History’s “Ancient Aliens: Season 18,” now available on DVD from Lionsgate.

Did intelligent beings from outer space visit Earth thousands of years ago? Are we closer than ever to understanding the strange phenomena in our skies? Are ancient artifacts actually evidence of extraterrestrial visitations across the globe? The 18th season of “Ancient Aliens” includes a mix of new episodes with fascinating subjects — from an early-1900s prophet in Kentucky and new theories about Greek gods to the next generation of modern-day UFO hunters — along with Top 10 episodes exploring unexplained structures, mysterious devices, flying crafts and remote locations bursting with titillating intrigue.

Produced by Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (“Resident Alien”) and narrated by Robert Clotworthy (“Red Notice”), this two-disc, 10-episode collection further explores the question of what lies beyond.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 (Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi)

Go where no season of “Star Trek” has ever gone before with “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2,” now available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Paramount Home Entertainment.

In Season Two of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), confronts increasingly dangerous stakes, explores uncharted territories and embarks on personal journeys that continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies. Facing friends and enemies both new and familiar, their adventures unfold in surprising ways never seen on any “Star Trek” series.

The four-disc DVD, four-disc Blu-ray and three-disc 4K UHD collections feature all 10 thrilling episodes from season 2 of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” including a special crossover event with “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and the first ever “Star Trek” musical episode, plus more than 2 hours of special features. Viewers can go behind the scenes of the Paramount+ series by watching the featurettes “Producing Props,” “The Costumes Closet,” “The Gorn,” “Singing in Space” and “Exploring New Worlds,” as well as watch deleted, extended and alternate scenes, including an alternate take of the Klingon song from episode nine, “Subspace Rhapsody.”

For the ultimate “Star Trek” fan, Blu-ray and 4K UHD limited edition SteelBooks of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2” are also available for purchase that include a “Subspace Rhapsody” poster. The 4K UHD SteelBook release includes a set of four exclusive character magnets, too, that lets fans customize the key art with their favorite character.

Star Wars The Mandalorian: The Complete First Season (Action, Adventure, Fantasy)

Bring home The Child when Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars The Mandalorian: The Complete First Season” debuts as a collector’s edition 4K UHD or Blu-ray SteelBook Tuesday, Dec. 12, from The Walt Disney Company.

After the fall of the Galactic Empire, lawlessness has spread throughout the galaxy. A lone gunfighter makes his way through the outer reaches, earning his keep as a bounty hunter.

The two-disc set not only features all eight episodes from the Disney+ series’ first season, but also three collectible concept art cards and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. Viewers can uncover the Imperial designs adapted for the series and meet new villains as the Empire’s threat persists in “Remnants of the Empire,” as well as listen to creator/writer Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), writer/director Dave Filoni (“Ahsoka”) and crew members from the series highlight the craftsmanship behind Grogu, the Mandalorian’s arsenal and the show’s practical effects and digital wizardry in “Forging the Covert: Part One.”

Star Wars The Mandalorian: The Complete Second Season (Action, Adventure, Fantasy)

The journey continues in Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars The Mandalorian: The Complete Second Season,” available as a collector’s edition 4K UHD or Blu-ray SteelBook Tuesday, Dec. 12, from The Walt Disney Company.

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”) and the Child face enemies and rally allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.

The two-disc set not only features all eight episodes from the Disney+ series’ second season, but also three collectible concept art cards and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. Creator Jon Favreau, writer/director Dave Filoni and crew members talk about the New Republic’s evolution and aesthetic in this story-rich period of the “Star Wars” timeline in “Designing in the New Republic,” while talented artists reveal their inspiration and the designs of the warriors and their weaponry as the legend of Mandalore expands in “Forging the Covert: Part Two.”

‘Tis the season for giving, which is why Front Row Features is giving away a copy of “Mercy Road” on Blu-ray to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by Dec. 18 for your chance to win. Good luck!