Movies

The Ambush (Action, Drama, War)

Based on a true story, the intense action drama “The Ambush” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 13, from Well Go USA Entertainment.

On the final patrol of their deployment, three UAE soldiers are ambushed by heavily armed militants, leaving them wounded, isolated and nearly out of ammunition. Upon receiving word of the attack, their commanding officer undertakes a daring, midnight-hour operation to free his men.

Directed by Pierre Morel (“Taken”), the Arabic film stars Marwan Abdulla Saleh, Khalifa Al Jassem, Mohammed Ahmed, Abdulla Saeed Bin Haider, Saeed Alharsh, Hassan Yousuf Alblooshi, Khalifa Albahri, Ghanim Nasser and Mansoor Alfeeli. Bonus features include an all-new English language track and the film’s trailer.

A Fish in the Bathtub (Comedy)

A new restoration of the 1998 Joan Micklin Silver (“Hester Street”) romantic comedy “A Fish in the Bathtub” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 13, from Cohen Film Collection.

In their first film appearance together, real-life husband and wife comedy team Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara star as a couple who have been driving each other crazy for 40 years. Retired and depressed, former shop owner Sam (Stiller) is getting on Molly’s (Meara) last nerve. When he refuses to move the pet carp he’s keeping in their bathroom, Molly leaves him and moves in with her son, Joel (Mark Ruffalo), who is dealing with marital problems of his own. The result is a laugh-out-loud comedy about the trials and tribulations of marriage and family life — and how to stay in love through it all.

Bonus features include the film’s original trailer, a re-release trailer and an onstage Q&A with director Silver and the movie’s co-writers.

On the Yard/A Walk on the Moon (Adventure, Drama)

Cohen Film Collection releases two newly restored and rarely seen films directed by Raphael D. Silver together on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 13: “On the Yard” and “A Walk on the Moon.”

In 1978’s “On the Yard,” Juleson (John Heard), a bookish con artist, fails to adjust to the intricate social order of the prison system after landing himself in a state penitentiary. Juleson’s independent way of thinking does little to impress his fellow inmates and runs him afoul of Chilly (Thomas Waites), the leader of one of the most powerful gangs in the prison. Facing a group of cold-blooded killers on his own, Juleson discovers firsthand what individualism can bring to a loner behind bars.

“A Walk on the Moon,” meanwhile, takes place during the summer of 1969. The Apollo 11 mission brought the first human to set foot on the moon and with it a renewed sense of optimism that anything is possible, while on a farm in upstate New York, Woodstock would become an icon of the power of the counterculture’s influence on America and the world. It’s against this backdrop that the story of an idealistic Peace Corps volunteer named Everett Jones (played by Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble regular Kevin Anderson) assigned to a remote Colombian village is set. When he arrives, he is confused by the cynical attitude of his predecessor (Terry Kinney, Steppenwolf co-founder) and the apathy the villagers seem to hold toward him. Featuring stunning color cinematography by Adam Greenberg (“Terminator,” “Ghost”), the 1987 film is both a tale of hubris and hope, as Jones attempts to bring his version of progress to the rural village.

The Roundup (Action, Comedy)

The sequel to the 2017 hit “The Outlaw,” “The Roundup” comes to Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 13, from Capelight Pictures.

South Korea: Geumcheon Police’s Major Crimes Unit is given a mission to repatriate a fugitive who fled to Vietnam. Beast cop Ma Seok-do (Don Lee) and Capt. Jeon Il-man (Choi Gwi-hwa) intuitively realize that there’s something wrong with the suspect’s willingness to turn himself in and uncover a series of crimes committed by a terrifying killer named Kang Hae-sang (Son Sukku). ​Detective Ma and his unit begin their investigation across two countries and follow the bloody breadcrumbs left behind by Kang.

“The Roundup” is presented in Korean with an English dub available.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters (Comedy, Drama)

Inspired by the best-selling book of the same name by Dr. Meg Meeker, “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” debuts on DVD and Digital Tuesday, Dec. 13, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

When a wealthy businessman learns of his daughter’s sudden engagement to a missionary, he embarks on a quest to keep her closer to home. But when his efforts go awry, he must reconsider what it means to be a strong father.

A funny, heartfelt movie that explores the widely relatable challenges and joys of parenting and faith, “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” follows a parent who is desperately trying to hold on to his daughter, but learns to trust in God with her future instead of controlling her narrative. Both set of couples in the film, respectively playing Steve and Connie (Bart Johnson and Robyn Lively) and Carlos and Bella (David Barrera and Maria Canals-Barrera), are also married in real life. Just like their characters, they are raising children of their own, resulting in an on-screen dynamic that feels authentic and meaningful.

The Woman King (Action, Drama, History)

Inspired by true events, “The Woman King” comes to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 13, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The remarkable, action-packed film tells the story of an all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Follow General Nanisca (Oscar winner Viola Davis, “Fences”) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.

“The Woman King” comes loaded with extras for viewers to enjoy, including a filmmakers’ commentary, Thuso Mbedu Auditions and two featurettes: “Representation Matters” and “Storytellers.” The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital releases also include a “Woman/Warrior” featurette and “A Caterpillar’s Destruction: Viola Davis On Set.”

TV Shows

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: Ultimate Christmas Collection (Comedy, Drama, Family)

“The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: Ultimate Christmas Collection” is now available as a 70^th anniversary DVD set from MPI Media Group.

For a record-breaking 14 seasons and 435 episodes, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” aired on ABC-TV from 1952 through 1966, becoming one of the most cherished cultural touchstones of the 20^th century. The gentle humor of the prolific and popular sitcom was brought to the screen by the real-life Nelson family: Ozzie and wife Harriet with their sons David and Rick, all portraying themselves in a trend-setting blend of fact-meets-fiction comedy decades before “Seinfeld” and other semi-reality-based shows.

“The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” comedically chronicled the daily lives of the Nelson family as David and Ricky grew up before millions of weekly viewers. For the very first time, in association with the Nelson family, the entire series has been digitally restored with complete episodes from the original film negatives for superior picture quality.

“The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: Ultimate Christmas Collection” contains 14 full and fun-filled holiday themed episodes from throughout the series on two discs, plus Rick’s performance of “The Christmas Song,” “The Ozzie & Harriet Christmas Special” reunion from the 1980s and other seasonal treats.

Reacher: Season One (Action, Crime, Drama)

Season one of the new hit series “Reacher” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 13, from Paramount Home Entertainment. Already renewed by Prime Video for a second season, the series stars Alan Ritchson (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”) as Lee Child’s iconic military police officer.

“Reacher” follows Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator who has just recently entered civilian life. Reacher is a drifter, carrying no phone and the barest of essentials as he travels the country and explores the nation he once served. When Reacher arrives in the small town of Margrave, Georgia, he finds a community grappling with its first homicide in 20 years. The cops immediately arrest him and eyewitnesses claim to place Reacher at the scene of the crime. While he works to prove his innocence, a deep-seated conspiracy begins to emerge, one that will require Reacher’s keen mind and hard-hitting fists to deal with. One thing above all is for sure: they picked the wrong guy to take the fall.

“Reacher: Season One” will be available as a 3-Disc Blu-ray or 3-Disc DVD set, with a 4K Ultra HD set manufactured on demand. Each set includes all eight episodes from the inaugural season as well as 30 minutes of bonus content. Viewers can not only go behind the scenes of the show’s first season to explore its plotlines, character development and production process with “Realizing ‘Reacher,’” but also take a look at the success of the show and the Jack Reacher novels with “Novelistic.”

South Park: Post COVID (Animation, Comedy)

Two original “South Park” events debut on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 13, with the arrival of “South Park: Post COVID” from Paramount Home Entertainment.  The Blu-ray and DVD releases include both “South Park: Post COVID” and “South Park: The Return of COVID,” which originally premiered exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada.

What happened to the children who lived through the Pandemic? Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny survived but will never be the same “Post COVID.” If Stan, Kyle and Cartman could just work together, they could go back in time to make sure COVID never happened and save Kenny’s life. In “The Return of COVID,” traveling back to the past seems to be the easy answer — until they meet Victor Chaos.

Calling all action fans! Front Row Features is giving away a copy of “The Ambush” on Blu-ray to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by Dec. 19 for your chance to win. Good luck!