Managing to maintain a level of bombast for nearly three solid hours, Christopher Nolan’s cinematic endurance test – aka THE ODYSSEY – asks a lot of its audience.

For example, how many flat, lifeless line readings from Matt Damon’s Odysseus can one reasonably accept (particularly his already classic “10 years on this f—–ng beach”)? How many surprisingly barren, smallish looking sets can one believe are reasonably supposed to convey the majesty of Troy and Ithaca? How much of Anne Hathaway’s painfully brittle Penelope can one take before you’d expect her would-be suitors to sail away for another port? And as for the virtual stunt casting of rapper Travis Scott and, more over, Elliot Page as “Greece’s greatest soldier,” that out-there, inclusionary pandering to tick Oscar diversity initiatives comes across as ludicrous.

Coming into “The Odyssey,” obviously Nolan managed to establish his name as a brand for “cinema done the right way,” and/or a tonic for adult audiences who want something more than Hollywood’s regular diet of brainless IP rehashes. Yet despite its pedigree, “The Odyssey” is not really that serious a film. At least, not any more serious than other cinematic sojourns into Greek mythology that came before it – with its anachronistic components and hot young cast (the oldest man here is John Leguizamo, and he’s wearing old age make-up), Nolan has served up a very contemporary epic with a commercial cast designed to appeal to “the kids” (who will undoubtedly, for example, recognize Spider-Man and The Punisher on-screen) while the film nerds will seek out overpriced IMAX shows accordingly simply because of Nolan’s name.

Despite the commercial potency, it’s a movie filled with shortcomings, from some painful lines to bland set-pieces and indifferent performances, most notably Damon, whose Odysseus spends his post-Troy battles losing his crew in a number of run-ins with supernatural components. Yet for the most part, Damon’s affectation comes off as one-note and staid throughout, like he’d have been more moved had a Dunkin showed up on the horizon. Hathaway has her difficulty working off an unappealing turn as Penelope, while Robert Pattinson hams up the villainy hoping to get his hands on her “Princess Diaries.” Zendaya is around too (RuPaul was apparently too busy) to chip in a frowny-face head shake, but it’s really only her real-life webslinging husband, Tom Holland, who emerges here unscathed in a fine turn as Odysseus’ son Telemachus.

Embracing uniformly American accents, Nolan has clearly opted to forgo a classical Greek adaptation of its source and instead fashion a modern pop epic with “The Odyssey,” which starts off slow before picking up steam in its second half. To his credit, Nolan hasn’t entirely eschewed fantasy elements from the R rated picture either, but the film could’ve further embraced those moments and delivered something more memorable than the brief encounters with the supernatural that Odysseus and company encounter. Specifically, run-ins with the Cyclops and Sirens should be unforgettable; here, they’re so plainly rendered they’re instantly forgotten.

From a design standpoint the film, despite being heavily touted for its IMAX filming, is also a disappointment. The big assault on Troy looks like it was shot at a renaissance fair with a bunch of torches lit up outside a basic, barren wall – there’s no sense of scale or scope at all, and this claustrophobic feel, despite the picture’s widescreen dimensions, makes for a huge let down.

So too is the score – a throbbing affair by Ludwig Goransson that feels like a pastiche of Vangelis, Jan Hammer, Hans Zimmer, a broken alarm clock, and weird jazz. In fact, despite Nolan blabbering about the lack of an orchestra for this score (because they didn’t have one back then, of course), the score is still heavily electronic in places and uses a bizarre, pseudo “jazz theme” for Penelope that’s painful to behold. Years ago something like this would’ve been tossed out and replaced – in 2026 it’s likely going to become the odds-on Oscar favorite.

Despite all of that – and an unnecessarily prolonged opening hour – “The Odyssey” still manages to mildly entertain, at least through most of its second half. Nolan punches the right buttons in concluding the film, like a kid who has finished his book report on Homer and just decides to riff on “the good stuff.” In fact, Nolan takes a page out of Damon’s past filmography by having Odysseus unleash his special set of skills on the bad guys in a wild assault on the senses. As people near me started clapping as Jason Bourne…oh sorry, Odysseus…went all nuclear for the final 45 minutes and killed nearly everyone, you could just feel the box-office receipts staying afloat for the rest of the summer. (**, 172 mins., R)

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Warner Archive New Releases

One the few theatrical pursuits of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry that only die-hard movie buffs remember today, the “Great Bird of the Galaxy”’s utterly bizarre and irresistibly entertaining 1970 black-comic thriller/high school sex comedy PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW (91 mins., 1971, R) has at last been released on Blu-Ray courtesy of the Warner Archive. With a cast comprised of Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, Telly Savalas, Roddy McDowall, James Doohan, Joy Bang and an endless succession of attractive young ladies, how can you go wrong?

In Roddenberry’s screenplay (based on a novel by Francis Pollini), cheerleaders are being murdered at a southern California high school, wrapping up awkward virgin (and football team manager) John David Carson in the investigation. There aren’t a lot of suspects to go around either, since it’s pretty obvious which seemingly “all-American” coach (Hudson) harbors a few dark secrets. Thankfully, Telly Savalas’ pre-Kojak detective is on the case, leaving most of director Roger Vadim’s film to be devoted to Carson’s attempts to deal with his sexual awkwardness, emotions stirred up by his gorgeous female classmates and the arrival of new teacher Dickinson on campus.

With that cast and story line, “Pretty Maids” is most certainly a cult movie if there ever was one. It’s surprising, then, that the movie’s earliest video release came in the form of an MGM/UA VHS tape back in the ‘90s. There was no laserdisc edition, nothing else – just the occasional airing on Cinemax until Warner Archive’s initial release on DVD in 2010, one that’s now been surpassed by a more impressive, remastered 1080p (1.85, mono) Blu-Ray edition.

The movie is a time capsule of its period, from Lalo Schifrin’s bouncy score to the Mike Curb-produced theme song — performed by the Osmonds! “Mod” era fashions, topless nudity, the bizarre presence of Scotty and the Squire of Gothos as Savalas’ investigative team, some big laughs and a quick pace make “Pretty Maids” a one-of-a-kind picture that would match up on a neat double-bill with another black-comic high school thriller of its era: the memorable Anthony Perkins-Tuesday Weld vehicle “Pretty Poison.”

“Pretty Maids” is a bit all over the place as you might anticipate from the Roddenberry-Vadim collaboration, but it’s undeniably fun, managing to work as an unusual coming-of-age piece, thriller and a snapshot of its era all at once. It’s long been one of my favorite “guilty pleasures” and comes strongly recommended for anyone who finds the subject matter or the cast remotely interesting. Groovy, baby!

START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME Blu-Ray (90 mins., 1970, PG; Warner Archive): Sometimes confused as being associated with Mel Brooks’ output, this zany comic confection about twin brothers (Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland) mixed up during the French Revolution actually hails from the prolific TV producing tandem of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin. Yorkin also helmed this ribald effort — written by Fred Freeman and Lawrence J. Cohen — which features ample sight gags and memorable lines, but also plays thin, without any dramatic stakes sustaining its 90 minute run time. Aficionados of Wilder and Sutherland should have a good time, at least for a single viewing, with Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.85, mono) featuring a marvelous 4K transfer and mono sound, the movie offering French locales and a particularly amusing Orson Welles cameo.

LAST SUMMER Blu-Ray (97 mins., 1969, R; Warner Archive): Controversial, much-discussed but little-seen late ’60s teen drama adapted Evan Hunter’s novel about four disaffected Fire Island teenagers (Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas, Bruce Davison and Cathy Burns) in a film from director Frank Perry and his then-wife Eleanor, who scripted. The duo were responsible for a number of superb films made during the era including “The Swimmer” and “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” and their penchant for realism and uncompromising, at-times off-putting lead characters resulted here in a film that wasn’t just shocking for its time (resulting in an early “X” rating, trimmed by a few seconds for an “R”) but one that Warner hasn’t circulated since a VHS release over 30 years ago. Adventurous cinephiles for that reason may want to check out Warner Archive’s restored Blu-Ray (1.85, mono) but casual viewers are advised to proceed with some caution due to the sensitive subject matter — this is an uncomfortable and disturbing picture that’s very difficult to stomach at times. Extra features include commentary by Larry Karazewski and Justin Bozung; a 2026 post-screening Q&A with the former along with Hershey and Davison; another post-screening Q&A from last year featuring Karazewski and Thomas; a deleted scene; a vintage Allied Artists promo reel; and the trailer.

A truly lost film, LETTY LYNTON (84 mins., 1932; Warner Archive) wasn’t just your typical MGM drama from the pre-Code era – even though it sounds like one. Joan Crawford plays the title role – a woman trying to navigate through the stifling social confines of the 1930s by getting out of an affair with Nils Asther’s South American playboy. Letty heads to New York and meets an earnest young American (Robert Montgomery) but can’t, ultimately, outrun her past in a stylish MGM picture which ended up going out of circulation for decades after a subsequent lawsuit deemed that the movie veered too close to a 1930 play.

Now resurrected for the first time in a superb new Warner Archive Blu-Ray, “Letty Lynton” is the kind of pre-Code melodrama Crawford was renowned for, and viewers who enjoy the genre are sure to find it entertaining. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.33, mono) includes a documentary on Irving Thalberg and several audio-only Joan Crawford radio appearances from 1938-39.

Another Pre-Code affair, LILLY TURNER (65 mins., 1933), finds Ruth Chatterton as a woman who “knows how to pick ’em”: first she marries an abusive carnival performer, then decides to try a drunk on for size after her vows fall apart. Eventually, the right guy (George Brent) comes along, but not before “Lilly Turner” also nets the attention of a psychotic performer in a dated but fascinating early ’30s melodrama. The trailer, classic WB short “Mushrooms” and ‘toon “Bosko’s Picture Show” are included in the new Archive Blu-Ray (1.37, mono)…Pre-Code buffs may also appreciate THE KEYHOLE (70 mins., 1933), the story of an insurance investigator (George Brent) who’s hired by the older husband of Kay Francis to dig up dirt on her — but the duo fall in love instead, even though she’s not just married, but also not entirely divorced from her first husband! Yes, things were complicated back then, but director Michael Curtiz still spins a compelling drama out of this soapy material, with Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37, mono) sporting two classic cartoons from the WB and Popeye genres and the trailer.

THE SISTERS Blu-Ray (98 mins., 1938): Episodic and compelling Warner Bros. melodrama from Myron Brining’s novel charts the life of a Montana woman (Bette Davis) and her sisters (Anita Louise, Jane Bryan), highlighted by Davis’ marriage to dashing Errol Flynn — which results in him leaving town. Undaunted, Davis holds her head high as she moves to San Francisco, helping the women’s movement while suffering through the Bay Area’s 1906 nightmare earthquake. Max Steiner scored this fast-moving Anatole Litvak-helmed Warner release, preserved here in yet another strong 1080p (1.37, mono) transfer with a blooper reel; Warner short; Lux Radio Theater broadcast with Irene Dunne and David Niven in the Davis/Flynn roles; and the trailer.

RANDOM HARVEST Blu-Ray (126 mins., 1942): One of the gems among this month’s new Archive releases is “Random Harvest,” a top-flight MGM production that adapted another of “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” author James Hilton’s novels. Under the direction of Mervyn LeRoy, this is an effective romantic drama wherein industrialist and WWI survivor Ronald Colman returns home as an amnesiac who doesn’t recognize his wife (and secretary) Greer Garson. It plays out in a well-acted, glossy manner that generated numerous Oscar nominations and near universal acclaim; Warner Archive’s 4K-remastered Blu-Ray (1.37, mono) sports two vintage MGM shorts and a 1944 Lux Radio Theater version with the stars plus the trailer.

NIGHT AND DAY Blu-Ray (128 mins., 1946): Cary Grant essays Cole Porter in this typical (for its time) Hollywood biopic which manufactures more fiction than fact as it paints a portrait of Porter’s life as one of the 20^th century’s top song composers. But between the Technicolor hues, here restored in 4K from the movie’s original negative, and a zesty soundtrack with nearly two dozen Porter hits and stars like Monty Woolley and Mary Martin playing themselves in recreations of their respective Broadway performances, “Night and Day” is still a guilty-pleasure favorite. A classic WB cartoon, two shorts and the trailer are included (1.37, mono).

Earlier crooning of the Operatic kind can be found in ROSE MARIE (113 mins., 1936), the smash MGM filming of the Herbert Stothart-Rudolf Friml Broadway hit. When Canadian society girl Jeanette MacDonald’s brother is wounded after a prison escape, she heads into the wilderness – and into the arms of Canadian Mountie Nelson Eddy – in order to track him down. Jimmy Stewart essays MacDonald’s fugitive sibling in this tuneful affair sporting the immortal “Indian Love Call.” Ample extras include five vintage audio-only radio shows, the trailer, an MGM short and classic cartoon (1.37 B&W, mono).

Stothart also scored THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO (138 mins., 1944), one of the perennial WWII dramatizations which recounts the execution of America’s initial attack on Japan. Dalton Trumbo scripted and Mervyn LeRoy helmed this all-star affair with Spencer Tracy playing U.S. pilot Jimmy Doolittle, and Van Johnson, Robert Mitchum and Robert Walker all in support of a film that had the blessing of the U.S. military. Amazingly the special effects in the movie not only won an Oscar but would be recycled in numerous other war movies in the years following; it’s meat-and-potatoes stuff for its time, captured brilliantly by Warner Archive here with a new remaster (1.37 B&W, mono) and extras including two WWII shorts, the Tom & Jerry cartoon “Mouse Trouble” and the trailer.

STRANGE CARGO Blu-Ray (113 mins., 1940): Eighth (!) and final pairing of stars Clark Gable and Joan Crawford eschews formula for an interesting parable involving the escape of eight Devil’s Island prisoners — with Crawford soon in tow. En route through the jungle to an unknown destination, they are both guided and seemingly judged by a Christ-like figure (Ian Hunter). Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas and Albert Dekker lead the superb cast through one of producer Joseph Mankiewicz’s strangest efforts, preserved on Blu-Ray (1.37, mono) with an archival Gable/Crawford featurette, MGM cartoon and “Our Gang” short, plus the trailer.

COME LIVE WITH ME Blu-Ray (86 mins., 1941): Breezy, still “topical” romantic comedy has an Austrian political refugee (Hedy Lamarr) about to be deported back to the Nazis when writer Jimmy Stewart comes to the rescue, offering to marry her for convenience initially before it becomes the proverbial “more.” The formula would quickly become well-worn but it’s still pretty fresh in Clarence Brown’s well-reviewed 1941 MGM production, debuting this week on Blu-Ray with a 1080p (1.37 B&W, mono) transfer, two classic shorts, an MGM cartoon, and the trailer.

COLT .45 Blu-Ray (74 mins., 1950): Plenty of action and violence (for 1950) abound in Warner’s no-nonsense western about a gunsmith (Randolph Scott) hawking the first rapid-fire Colt .45 pistol. When it falls into the hands of villain Zachary Scott, our hero has to track him down in order to clear his name in a western that received only marginal reviews but became a certified box-office smash nevertheless. Cartoon and comedy shorts are the extras in the Warner Archive remastered Blu-Ray (1.37, mono).

Hanna-Barbera vintage fun is on-tap for fans in the Complete Series of DASTARDLY AND MUTTLEY IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (459 mins., 1969-70). After breaking out from Hanna-Barbera’s fan-favorite “Wacky Races” series, the villainous duo try to “stop that pigeon” with WWI planes and ample slapstick in all 17 episodes of the fairly short-lived, but well-remembered, Saturday morning series. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.33, 2.0) includes sparkling new HD transfers from the original negatives, commentaries on two episodes and a pair of featurettes.

One of Hollywood’s most lavish Shakespeare takes – especially of the Golden Age variety – A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (143 mins., 1935) is a playful film adaptation of producer Max Reinhardt’s Hollywood Bowl production. Utilizing Warner’s deep bench of contract players at the time – with stars like Jimmy Cagney, Dick Powell, Olivia de Havilland, Joe E. Brown, Victor Jory and a young Mickey Rooney among them – Reinhardt’s picture offers a pageant-like take on the Bard with fantasy elements and the lush Felix Mendelssohn score adapted by the great Erich Wolfgang Korngold supporting it all. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37, mono) works off the restored, longer version of the picture with Overture and Exit Music plus ample extras. These include commentary by Scott MacQueen; a vintage featurette, musical short; de Havilland’s screen tests for “Danton”; and the trailer.

Not regarded as one of Judy Garland’s best vehicles, PRESENTING LILY MARS (104 mins., 1943) is still an agreeable enough musical with small-town Judy trying to charm Broadway producer Van Heflin from her small Indiana town all the way to Broadway. Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby’s orchestras offer a rousing finale – and the musical numbers are generally strong – but the supporting material in this Norman Taurog-helmed adaptation of Booth Tarkington’s novel is weaker than usual, especially for a glossy MGM production of its era. Audio-only outtakes and a Lux Radio Theater broadcast are on-hand plus an MGM short and Tex Avery cartoon in Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37, mono).

MACAO Blu-Ray (81 mins., 1952): Unremarkable film-noir from RKO finds Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell and William Bendix off the south coast of China in a tale of a gangsters and struggling anti-heroes from director Josef Von Sternberg. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray includes a 1080p (1.37, mono) transfer with commentary by Eddie Muller and co-writer Stanley Rubin; Robert Osbourne’s TCM “Private Screenings” with Mitchum and Russell; and the trailer.

CRIME WAVE Blu-Ray (84 mins., 1954): Short but pungent programmer finds ex-con Gene Nelson going straight when San Quentin goons show up (including the future Charles Bronson, Charles Buchinsky), trying to lure him back into a bank heist. Real L.A. locations are a major plus in this generally well-received, low-budget effort from director Andre DeToth. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37, mono) sports commentary by Eddie Muller and genre favorite author James Ellroy; a retrospective featurette; and a classic WB short and cartoon.

BONNIE SCOTLAND Blu-Ray (81 mins., 1935): Laurel & Hardy head off to Scotland believing they’re inheriting the former’s estate of his grandfather, only to end up enlisting in the British Army and promptly sent off to India. Laurel & Hardy fans typically rank this as a middling outing among their theatrical features with solid comic routines but too much plot getting in the way of the fun. Commentary from Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann is included in the Archive Blu-Ray (1.37, mono) along with L&H excerpts from MGM movies “Hollywood Party” and “Pick a Star” plus the trailer.

Finally, fans of author C.S. Forester’s adventures of CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER (117 mins., 1950) will want to check out this full-color MGM production with Gregory Peck commandeering the title role; it was one of his favorites, and the movie itself provides glossy, seafaring escapism under the veteran hand of director Raoul Walsh. A Bugs Bunny parody and classic WB short are included alongside the Lux Radio Theater broadcast featuring Peck and co-star Virginia Mayo and the original trailer in Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37, mono).

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Also New & Noteworthy

THE DRAMA 4K UHD (106 mins., 2026, R; A24): Zendaya and Robert Pattinson deliver excellent, convincing performances as a Boston couple, about to be married, who find out the “bad thing” about their partner’s past is, well, really bad. Without divulging spoilers, writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s film offers an uncomfortable viewing experience where, to a certain extent, some of its components are meant to provide an increasing amount of comic, as opposed to outright, tension – yet the movie’s central theme is so serious it’s hard to accept any of it, even as a black comedy. What remains compelling are the performances with both Zendaya and Pattinson providing solid turns opposite difficult material.

A24’S UHD (1.85) includes Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision HDR; commentary with costume designer Katina Danabassis, production designer Zosia Mackenzie, and co-editor Joshua Raymond Lee; a Making Of featurette; wardrobe and camera tests; additional featurettes and six collectible postcards.

THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (88 mins., 1959; Sony): The first of special effects master Ray Harryhausen’s ‘50s “Saturday Matinee” adventures to generate a 4K UHD release, “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” was the first of three Harryhausen fantasies featuring the title hero. This one, usually looked at as the best of the lot, features Kerwin Mathews as the heroic sailor who takes on a series of memorable Harryhausen creations in a splendid adventure, directed by Harryhausen surrogate Nathan Juran with an emphasis on action and tight pacing. Bernard Herrmann’s superlative score, of course, is yet another big plus in the film, which Sony has remastered in a 4K UHD (1.85) with Dolby Vision HDR. Crisp details can be gathered through the fine grain while the color pallet appears wider and with more depth than previous transfers; the assorted optical FX Harryhausen used still result in some variation between sequences, of course, but it’s generally a nice upgrade all the way around.

Special features include archival goodies including “The Harryhausen Chronicles” documentary, commentary with Harryhausen and crew, featurettes, John Landis’ interview with Harryhausen and a Digital HD code. The mono original audio has been preserved also, though I much preferred the sensational 5.1 DTS MA remix with proper stereo dimensions provided for Herrmann’s classic score.

ANYONE BUT YOU 4K UHD (103 mins., 2023, R; Sony): It’s been a while since something that wasn’t a horror movie or an IP-driven sequel/remake struck it big at the box-office – but folks looking for something, anything, a little different back in 2023 turned Will Gluck’s R-rated and tepidly reviewed “Anyone But You” into an unlikely success. Much of it is due to the chemistry between stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, he of “Top Gun: Maverick” success, and she parlaying off assorted HBO series roles – together, they convincingly render a would-be couple who break up after a first date, only to end up both traveling to the same Australian “destination wedding.” Gluck, who helmed “Easy A,” is better here at cultivating laughs than romance, but the breezy tone and settings keep the material from growing stale in spite of its cliched elements, and the two stars look great together. Commentary from Sweeney, Powell and Gluck, deleted scenes, featurettes, outtakes and bloopers are all included in Sony’s newly (and belatedly) released 4K UHD (1.85, Dolby Vision HDR/Dolby Atmos) along with a Digital HD copy.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL Blu-Ray (89 mins., 2024, R; Lionsgate): Pamela Anderson effectively “de-glams” in this effective indie from director Gia Coppola and writer Katie Gerstein, playing an aging Vegas showgirl whose time on the strip is coming to an end. Anderson received justifiable praise for her believable, low-key turn with Kiernan Shipka, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista providing able support. While offering few surprises, this is a likeable picture with a lead protagonist worth pulling for. Lionsgate’s Blu-Ray (2.39, 5.1 DTS MA) includes a featurette, an interview with Anderson and Curtis, and a Digital HD code.

THE OFFICE – The Complete Series: Extended Superfan Episodes Blu-Ray (aprx. 101 hours, 2005-13; Universal): All 200+ episodes of NBC’s “The Office” are back on Blu-Ray, and in brand-new, re-edited episodes that include previously deleted footage. These bits and pieces of discarded material have been reinstated by creator Greg Daniels and his team, resulting in an enjoyable new way to run through this already classic modern comedy for fans, and a fine alternative viewing option for newcomers — especially since the price is fetching (well under $100) for the entire series. Universal’s Blu-Ray (1.78, 5.1 DTS MA) box is now available featuring, in total, over 25 hours of bonus material restored to the series as a whole.

’80s VHS Retro Blu-Rays from Alliance: Two new entries in Alliance’s popular Blu-Ray catalog series are available this month.

Premiering on Blu-Ray is the entertaining, CineTel Films police thriller RELENTLESS (92 mins., 1989, R), which bounced off a mediocre theatrical run to become a big hit on home video — resulting in the production of no less than three (direct-to-video) sequels within the next five years!

In “Relentless,” Judd Nelson sought to break out of his “Brat Pack” stereotype by playing an unstable wacko who, rejected by the LAPD, opts to take down those who barred him from joining the force. Leo Rossi and Robert Loggia are the detectives hot on his trail in William Lustig’s 1989 thriller, which sports a co-starring role by Meg Foster, a solid ’80s action score by Jay Chattaway, and a fairly tense “B” atmosphere that pulp fans should enjoy.

While Rossi returned for all the sequels, the original “Relentless” is by far the best of the bunch, and hits Blu-Ray for the first time with a respectable Sony-licensed 1080p (1.78, 2.0 DTS MA stereo) transfer.

Director Blake Edwards reunited with one of the stars — Dudley Moore — from one of his biggest hits — “10” — for the 1984 Columbia comedy MICKI & MAUDE (118 mins., PG-13), which failed to muster the same sorts of box-office receipts (though still performed better than much of Edwards’ ’80s output).

Moore plays a TV reporter who gets his workaholic wife (Ann Reinking) pregnant at the same time his fling with a cellist (Amy Irving) results in her likewise expecting a child. Moore’s character runs between his relationships, culminating in a suitably frenzied comic climax which, regrettably, underscores how flabby and saccharine much of the rest of the picture is.

Edwards’ trademark widescreen lensing is on-hand in this attractive Alliance Blu-Ray (2.40, 2.0 DTS MA stereo), though the film wasn’t scored by Edwards’ usual associate Henry Mancini. Instead, Michel Legrand’s syrupy original song “Something New in My Life,” written with Alan and Marilyn Bergman, is the primary musical motivator here, performed by Stephen Bishop over the end credits and arranged throughout Lee Holdridge’s underscore (including an instrumental main title).

DEEP WATER Blu-Ray (106 mins., 2026, R; Magenta Light Studios): Director Renny Harlin’s second swim with sharks is not nearly as much fun as his first, the mid-summer hit “Deep Blue Sea” from some 27 years ago (seriously?). This workmanlike effort finds a downed flight over the Pacific having to contend with marauding sharks — this includes pilots Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley, who try and keep their fragmented group of survivors afloat and alive. The script is pretty bland but this production from Gene Simmons (yes, that Gene Simmons) manages to be mildly entertaining due to Harlin’s pacing and efficient set-pieces, obviously delivered on a modest stage here but still worth a look for genre fans. Magenta Light’s no-frills Blu-Ray (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA) is now available.

THE CHRISTOPHERS Blu-Ray (100 mins., 2026, R; Neon): The latest from Steven Soderbergh finds an art forger (Michaela Coel) infiltrating the world of a reclusive artist (Ian McKellen) on behalf of his estranged children, who believe their father’s unfinished works will net them a future inheritance. Soderbergh receives strong performances from the two leads but there’s something a little icy and detached about the picture, which is still worth seeing in spite of its unevenness. Neon’s Blu-Ray (1.85, Dolby Atmos) includes a talk with writer Ed Solomon and Charlie Kaufman plus the trailer.

NCIS: TONY & ZIVA Season 1 DVD (aprx. 7 hours, 2025; CBS): Spinoff from the long-running CBS series finds fan-favorite NCIS agents Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) living in Paris and raising their young daughter when the group is forced to go on the run, traveling through Europe in an effort to keep their fragile relationship and family together. Deleted scenes, a gag reel, and several featurettes are included in CBS’ DVD (16:9, 5.1), featuring the series’ first season.

IS GOD IS Blu-Ray (99 mins., 2026, R; MGM/Alliance): A pair of twin sisters (Kara Young, Mallori Johnson), both disfigured in a fire, find their long-lost mother (Vivica A. Fox) returning from a believed grave, in time to tell them their father (Myketi Williamson) is the one actually responsible for their problems – and their mother’s ailments. Aleshea Harris adapted her stage play and directed this character drama which is ripe with big emotions and a fiery climax, as well as capable performances. Alliance’s Blu-Ray (2.39, 5.1 DTS MA) is available on July 28^th.

STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR Blu-Ray (89 mins., 2025; Magenta Light/Alliance): New documentary charts the decades-long cult classic legacy of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” through a unique lens: director Linus O’Brien, who profiles his father Richard O’Brien’s work on the show, from its genesis and life as a stage show before eventually becoming a cult classic film. Highly worthwhile for “Rocky Horror” fans, Magenta Light’s Blu-Ray (1.85, 5.1 DTS MA) is now available.

NEXT TIME: Kino Lorber’s latest and much more! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers!