Now in Theaters:
Tar (2022) (** ½) Director Todd Field’s first film in sixteen years proves to be the least of his three outings as director and that’s something of a surprise after his first two assured directorial ventures. The well-acted but dramatically inert tale of a symphony conductor (Cate Blanchett in a terrific performance) appears on the surface to have some interesting things to say about the current age in which we live but so much of the story’s developments are shown offscreen or not discussed at all that it becomes an endurance test after the film’s punishing 160 minute run time. Not entirely uninteresting but sadly underwhelming.
Cate Blanchett in Tar
The Return of Tanya Tucker (2022) (***) Kathlyn Horan directed and produced this moving documentary look at the country singer as she prepares to record her first album in 17 years.
New to Disc:
Warner Brothers:
A Christmas Story (1983), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) and Elf (2003) This trio of cinematic yuletide perennials are getting a 4K upgrade this week in new editions featuring sparkling new transfers while also retaining previously issued extras.
Another holiday themed release from the label this week is a new 4K presentation of Robert Zemeckis’ beloved Christmas film, The Polar Express (2004), which also includes archival extras from earlier editions.
Batman (2022) also gets a 4K release this week as well.
Paramount:
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) The monster summer box office smash from earlier in the year gets a physical disc release in both Blu Ray and 4K formats and includes nearly 90 minutes of bonus material. The film is also being paired in a separate release with the 1986 original.
Holiday Inn (1942) is another holiday film getting a 4K release this week in a new edition that retains previous extras in addition to the upgrade in picture.
Lionsgate:
The Arnold Schwarzengger starring adaptation of the Stephen King novella, The Running Man (1987), has been issued on 4K by the label along with a 4K double feature of the cult horror films, Evil Dead/Evil Dead 2 (1981, 1987).
Sony:
The label has issued a 4K upgrade of the sci fi adaptation, Starship Troopers (1997) coupled with the previously released extras.
Criterion:
In the Mood for Love (2000) Wong Kar-wai’s 1962 set tale of neighbors who romantically bond after discovering secrets about their spouses gets a 4K facelift this week as well in a new edition that ports over the previous extras from the label’s earlier Blu Ray edition.
Scream Factory:
Piranha (1978) Joe Dante’s celebrated horror comedy comes to disc this week sporting a new 4K transfer and retaining the archival extras from a previous edition released by the label.
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