THE FOLLOWING WAS WRITTEN BY MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE ALONSO DURALDE. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM HERE.
WHAT’S NEW ON 4K/BLU/DVD IN MAY: WUTHERING HEIGHTS, HEARTS OF DARKNESS, COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN, AND MORE!
NEW RELEASE WALL
The Bride! / “Wuthering Heights” (both WBD): Spring of 2025, Warner Bros. was all about leading men in multiple roles, with Mickey 17, The Alto Knights, and Sinners being released in succession. For 2026, the theme was apparently unleashing women directors onto classic literature (also written by women). Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights”earned its quotation marks by being the auteur’s wildly horny take on the Emily Brontë original; ditto The Bride! and its exclamation point, as Maggie Gyllenhaal kicked out the jams in her gangster-musical mashup version of The Bride of Frankenstein. Love or hate these movies, they certainly weren’t shy about hitting for the back fences.
Also available:
Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century): James Cameron has made the same movie three times now, but at least this one offers the site of Oona Chaplin (daughter of Geraldine, grand-daughter of Charlie) as a fiery (in every sense of the word) alien.
Biosphere (IFC Films): Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass are the last humans on earth – how will they save mankind?
Charli XCX: Alone Together. (Greenwich): While quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic, the British superstar musician reached out to her online fans to help her produce an album.
Dreams (Greenwich): Michel Franco takes another blistering look at the class struggle, with wealthy benefactor Jessica Chastain supporting but ultimately exploiting talented Mexican dancer Isaac Hernández.
Goat (Sony Animation): A goat dreams of being the GOAT in this animated basketball comedy.
Heel (Magnolia): Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough play an unhinged couple who go to extreme measures to “reform” a young criminal.
I Can Only Imagine 2 (Lionsgate): This follow-up to the faith-based hit movie about a popular single explores the difficulties of following up a hit.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24): For my money, Rose Byrne deserved the Oscar for her performance as an increasingly distraught wife and mother coping with an ailing child, a flooded apartment, and mounting anxiety.
K-Pops! (Decal): Anderson.Paak stars as a washed-up musician who seeks redemption by turning his estranged son into a K-pop star.
The Napa Boys (Magnolia): Lots of big names in comedy turn up in this wine-country road trip.
Nirvanna the Band, the Show, the Movie (Neon Decal): The hilarious Canadian TV show gets the big-screen treatment, complete with time travel and ambitious visual effects.
Peter Hujar’s Day (Criterion Premieres): Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall recreate an interview with the underground photographer in this minimalist but powerful drama from director Ira Sachs; Criterion also releases a new Blu-ray of Sachs’ 1996 queer drama The Delta this month.
Reminders of Him (Universal): Another adaptation of best-seller Colleen Hoover, this one about a young woman (Maika Monroe) seeking redemption and a relationship with her estranged daughter in the wake of family tragedy.
Sentimental Value (The Criterion Collection): Joachim Trier examines generations of art and trauma in a family of filmmakers and actors; all four lead cast members – Elle Fanning, Renata Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Stellan Skarsgård – earned Oscar nominations.
Sirāt(Neon Decal): Both propulsive and harrowing, this acclaimed Spanish import plays like a rave-influenced take on The Wages of Fear.
The Snowman (KL Studio Classics): 4K debut of a film best known for its “Mr. Policeman I Gave You All the Clues” memes, now getting another shot since it’s an adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole detective novels that are currently popular on Netflix.
Twinless (Lionsgate): James Sweeney’s sophomore feature cemented his status as an indie director and actor while also demonstrating that Dylan O’Brien is far more than just a pretty face. (Heated Rivalry fans should keep an eye peeled for a standout appearance from François Arnaud.)
Worldbreaker (Decal): Milla Jovovich and Luke Evans star in Brad Anderson’s dystopic sci-fi tale of survival.
Youngblood (Well Go USA): Blair Underwood and Ashton James star in a remake of the 1986 Rob Lowe hockey coming-of-age saga.
NEW INDIE
Anything That Moves (Vinegar Syndrome Pictures): Part erotic thriller and part murder mystery, this sexy whodunnit follows two sex workers who might be closer to a serial killer than they think.
Girl Internet Show: The Kati Kelli Mixtape (AGFA): Jane Schoenbrun and Jordan Wippell curate a collection of internet shorts by the late outsider artist.
Mr. K (Music Box Selects): Crispin Glover stars in Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab’s surrealist nightmare, as the titular character in a remote hotel who discovers that there’s no way out.
Pools (Circle Collective): There’s more than a bit of The Swimmer to this drama about a young woman (Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme) going on a pool-hopping jaunt through her small college town in the hopes of getting her life back together.
Residency (Factory 25): The logline says it all: “During a winter-long residency in Brooklyn, ten obsessive female artists succumb to the darkness of their creative fascinations.”
NEW INTERNATIONAL
Bushido (Film Movement): Masachika Ichimura (13 Assassins) stars as a samurai who falls from grace into poverty.
The Mohican (Distrib Films): A Corsican shepherd becomes the target of mobsters when he refuses to sell them his land.
My Sunshine (Film Movement): An unlikely duo of young ice skaters become professionally and personally enmeshed in this Japanese import.
White River (Film Movement): A wife’s domestic routine is upended when she and her husband become involved with a sexy young waiter.
NEW DOCUMENTARY
Hearts of Darkness (Lionsgate): Subtitled “The Art of Eleanor Coppola,” this handsome steelbox set features the 4K debut of Coppola’s brilliant documentary about the backstage mayhem and madness involved with the making of her husband’s epic Apocalypse Now. But that’s just the beginning, as the collection also includes Eleanor’s rarely-seen short films, along with the behind-the-scenes footage she shot on the sets of The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and Hearts of Darkness itself. Add to that a lush photo book including archival Coppola family photographs, and you’ve a must for any library dedicated to the art of filmmaking.
Also available:
After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home(IndiePix): Follows the journey of Ukrainian children kidnapped during the Russian war and their traumas and triumphs in readjusting to life back home.
A Body to Live In (Altered Innocence): An intimate and unsparing look into the life of Fakir Musafar, a body-modification fetishist who helped make tattoos and piercing part of everyday American life.
Dr. Cliff: Worldwide Vet (IndiePix): A Canadian veterinarian and his daughter travel the globe to help animals in need.
Soul to Soul (Liberation Hall): This 1971 documentary captures the concert held to celebrate the 14th anniversary of Ghanian independence, with an all-star line-up featuring Roberta Flack, The Staple Singers, Ike & Tina Turner, Santana, and more.
NEW GRINDHOUSE
The Black Belly of the Tarantula (Celluloid Dreams): This 1971 Italian giallo murder mystery (masseuses, tarantulas, drugs, and blackmail, among other selling points) with an all-star cast — Giancarlo Giannini, Barbara Bouchet, and Barbara Bach — is considered among the best of that genre ever made. From filmmaker Paolo Cavara, with music from Ennio Morricone.
Also available:
10 to Midnight (KL Studio Classics): 4K restoration of this Charles Bronson-starring neo-noir Cannon Films joint from 1983.
Aatma: The Ghost (Mondo Macabro): Deepak Ramsay-directed 2006 Indian horror about a vengeful ghost out to possess an enemy’s wife.
The Angry River / The Himalayan / The Invincible Eight (all 88 Films): Three new releases spotlighting the talents of martial-arts goddess Angela Mao.
The Base/The Base 2: Guilty as Charged (KL Studio Classics): Military action involving drug smuggling and hunting human beings for sport, so these films don’t exactly have saluting the troops on their minds.
Blood Bitch Baby (Bloodsick): Countess Bathory is still hanging out in modern-day here-and-now and she’s luring a young woman into giving birth to Satan’s baby. From the director of Shark Exorcist.
Born a Ninja/Commando the Ninja (Visual Vengeance): A double feature of shot-on-video late 80s ninja action chaos, with all the aesthetic elegance that description conjures.
Bunny Yeager’s Nude Camera/Nude Las Vegas (Kino Cult): Two documentaries showcasing pin-up model-turned-photographer Bunny Yeager’s career as a portraitist of young unclothed women.
Cradle of Fear (Unearthed): Extra gory 2001 Britishslaughter jam about a child murderer who finds a way to keep killing even while locked up.
Fungicide (Visual Vengeance): The best/worst zero-budget-dumb-vibes-mushroom-puppet-samurai-decapitation film of the new century, from the director of Suburban Sasquatch.
G.I. Samurai (Arrow): What happens when modern soldiers slip 400 years back to the time horseback warriors? Lots of tank and gun battle, of course, in this wild time travel action movie starring the legendary Sonny Chiba.
Ginger Snaps (Lionsgate): Canadian teen goths get more than they bargained for — like werewolfism — when bitten by an unknown animal in this coming-of-age classic.
Hyperspace: 3D Director’s Cut (KL Studio Classics): Also known as Gremloids, this sci-fi comedic Star Wars parody stars Chris Elliott and Paula Poundstone, so make of that what you will.
Island of the Doomed (Mondo Macabro): This 1967 Spanish mystery plays like a gory Hammer horror set in a botanical garden.
The Lustful Turk/The Joys of Jezebel (Something Weird/Distribpix): Resurrected — but never actually erect — 60s softcore, from producer David F. Friedman, preserved for adult cinema history, as it should be.
Macabre (Vinegar Syndrome): Bernice Stegers stars as woman in a gothic mansion losing her grip on reality in this 1980 near-giallo doom spiral.
Mystics in Bali (Mondo Macabro): First Blu-ray release of this legendary Asian-horror cult favorite.
Queen of Black Magic (Mondo Macabro): If last month’s Severin box set left you hungering for more of Indonesian horror diva Suzzanna, here’s another of her chilling faves.
Rolls Royce Baby (Delirium): Spanish actress Lina Romay plays a very assertive woman with a strong sexual appetite who rides around in a chauffeured Rolls Royce looking for erotic conquests in this 1975 Swiss sexploitation film.
Roman Porno Reboot Collection Vol. 1 (Film Movement): The many kinks of Japan are explored in this artful 4-disc set or erotic dissidence from Vinegar Syndrome. Titles includeAntiporno, Aroused by Gymnopedies, Dawn of the Felines, Wet Woman in the Wind, White Lily.
The Screaming (Visual Vengeance): Jeff Leroy (Creepies, Rat Scratch Fever) delivers underground madness about a New Age murder-religion, complete with stop-motion creatures you weren’t expecting when you joined that cult.
Tahkhana: The Dungeon/Purani Haveli: The Monster Wakes (Mondo Macabro): An unusual Hindi horror double bill, connected by cast and gothic mood, minus the usual comic subplots.
Terror Train (KL Studio Classics): Post-Halloween Jamie Lee Curtis gets on a train with some students, and a maniac slashes them all to ribbons. A classic, of course, now in 4K.
The Yeti (Well Go USA): In this practical effects-heavy neo-monster movie, a billionaire adventurer disappears in Alaska. When the rescuers go after him, the Yeti finds them, and the snow turns red.
NEW CLASSIC
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (Cinématographe): One of the highlights of director Robert Altman’s “filmed plays” period of the 1980s, he crafted this comedy-drama for the stage before shooting it with the same cast on a set that accentuates the show’s claustrophobia. Sandy Dennis, Cher, and Kathy Bates are among the old friends gathering in a dusty Texas town for a reunion of the Disciples of James Dean, and no one is ready for the surprise appearance of Karen Black as a mysterious stranger who’s more connected to the Disciples than is immediately apparent. Cher’s work in the stage show and the film marked the moment when she began being taken seriously as an actress, and the movie’s dark humor and queer subtext remain captivating. This 4K debut features a commentary track from Corpses, Fools and Monsters author Willow Catelyn Maclay and Caden Mark Gardner, plus a new appreciation video from filmmaker Isabel Sandoval. (And speaking of great plays on film, get your pre-order in for Cinématographe’s upcoming release of The Boys in the Band, featuring an essay by yours truly.)
Also available:
Aesthetics of a Bullet (Radiance): A street war gets caught up in Yakuza war in this 1973 art film that many call a precursor to Taxi Driver.
Bend of the River (KL Studio Classics): James Stewart and Rock Hudson star in this acclaimed Anthony Mann Western.
Blue Thunder (Arrow): John Badham’s prescient thriller about militarized cops, starring Roy Scheider and Warren Oates, makes its 4K debut.
Body Heat (The Criterion Collection): Kathleen Turner was just 26 years old when she played the ferocious femme fatale who outwits besotted lawyer William Hurt in Lawrence Kasdan’s sexy, sweat-soaked thriller.
Brit Noir Collection I (KL Studio Classics): A collection of vintage thrillers from across the pond, including Cage of Gold, The Ringer, and The Frightened City.
Conversation Piece (Raro): Burt Lancaster plays an elderly academic whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of vulgar new tenants at his stately palazzo in one of Luchino Visconti’s final films.
The Da Vinci Code (Sony): 4K steelbook celebrates the 20th anniversary of the airport-novel thriller that made it impossible for me to get anywhere near the Louvre when I visited Paris in 2006.
Dark Horse (Brainstorm Media): Jordan Geller, Selma Blair, and Christopher Walken star in Todd Solondz’ offbeat romantic comedy.
Death of a Gunfighter (KL Studio Classics): Legendary in film circles as the first film attributed to fictional director “Allen Smithee” – after Don Siegel and Robert Totten had their names removed – this oater nonetheless features performances from the likes of Richard Widmark, Lena Horne, and Carroll O’Connor.
D.O.A./Borderline (VCI Entertainment): Double feature of noir classics, with several video essays for each title.
Explorers (Vinegar Syndrome Ultra): 40th anniversary reissue of the Joe Dante kids-and-aliens comedy that featured the screen debut of young Ethan Hawke.
Fresh Kill (The Criterion Collection): Sarita Choudhury stars in Shu Lea Cheang’s challenging and prescient cyberpunk saga.
The Front (Sony): Woody Allen made one of his rare appearances in another director’s film in Martin Ritt’s tale of blacklisted writers during the McCarthy Red-Scare years; 4K debut.
Girls (Cult Epics): Anne Parillaud (La Femme Nikita) stars in a coming-of-age comedy from Just Jaeckin (Emmanuelle) about a trio of young women, fresh out of high school and ready to party.
The Great Outdoors (KL Studio Classics): The Dan Aykroyd/John Candy campout comedy, now in 4K.
Harry and the Hendersons (KL Studio Classics): 4K debut of the Amblin comedy about an average family and the adorable Sasquatch they adopt.
Hi, Mom! (Radiance): First 4K release of the early (1970) Brian De Palma comedy, starring Robert De Niro as a Vietnam who explores voyeurism before getting involved in radical theater.
A Kiss Before Dying (KL Studio Classics): Matt Dillon and Sean Young star in the remake of the noir classic.
The Late Show (Warner Archive): Lily Tomlin has lost her cat and turns to aging detective Art Carney for help in this acclaimed dramatic comedy.
Lenny (The Criterion Collection): Dustin Hoffman and the recently-departed Valerie Perrine scored Oscar nominations as, respectively, pioneering stand-up comic Lenny Bruce and his exotic-dancer wife Honey Harlow in Bob Fosse’s gritty biopic.
My Name Ain’t Suzie (Kani): Angie Chen’s tale of a woman making her way through mid-century Hong Kong rebukes colonizer notions of sexuality and gender.
Night World (KL Studio Classics): Pre-Code tale of goings-on at a nightclub features a supporting turn by Boris Karloff and a Busby Berkeley–choreographed dance number.
Nightwatch (Vinegar Syndrome): Danish director Ole Bornedal remade his thriller for American audiences with an all-star cast led by Ewan McGregor, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Patricia Arquette, Lauren Graham, and Brad Dourif.
Phantom Beirut (Several Futures): A soldier returns to Lebanon in the late 1980s after being presumed a casualty of war.
PusherTrilogy (Magnet): New 4K release of the three films that put Nicolas Winding Refn on the map.
Rambo: Complete Collection (Lionsgate): All the Rambos, all in one place.
Rider on the Rain (KL Studio Classics): New 4K of René Clement’s 1970 thriller starring Charles Bronson as a US military man hunting an escaped sex criminal in France.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Arrow): Kevin Costner’s accent-free Robin of Locksley, now in 4K and just in time for whatever Hugh Jackman is about to do with this character.
The Rubber Gun (CIP): Allan Moyle made his directorial debut with this look at a Quebecois drug dealer and his increasingly endangered circle of intimates.
Speed Racer (WBD): New 4K of the Wachowski’s eyeball-popping live-action take on the legendary anime series.
Stray Dog (The Criterion Collection): Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 cop drama, starring Toshiro Mifune as a rookie searching for a stolen gun, now in 4K.
Swashbuckler (KL Studio Classics): Robert Shaw, James Earl Jones, and Geneviève Bujold star in this divisive pirate saga.
Talk Radio (KL Studio Classics): Eric Bogosian’s one-man show becomes an electrifying screen paranoid thriller under Oliver Stone’s direction.
Tiefland (Kino Classics): Leni Riefenstahl’s tale of Spanish land barons versus shepherds was shot in 1932, finally completed in 1954, and now makes its 4K debut.
Top Gun (Paramount): Return to the danger zone for this action hit’s 40th anniversary in a stunning new 4K.
NEW TV
I Love Lucy: Complete Series (75th Anniversary Edition) (Paramount): 194 episodes on 33 discs – this is the whole enchilada, celebrating a landmark series that helped set the standard for American television comedy. (This release is on DVD, but fret not – there’s a Blu-ray box set coming out in July.)
Also available:
Fallout: Season Two (Amazon MGM): The acclaimed adaptation of the video game returns for another season.
It: Welcome to Derry– The Complete First Season (HBO/WBD): Pennywise has a backstory, wouldn’t you know, explored in this HBO Max series.
Ultraman: Towards the Future/Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero Complete Series Combo (Mill Creek): More kaiju excitement featuring the world’s favorite giant robot.
