A pair of forbidden romances highlight this week’s new DVD releases: Disney’s live-action retelling of their take on Beauty and the Beast, and a true story based on the King of Botswana and his British wife. Read on for details on those and a well-received HBO series, a psychological horror film, and few smaller releases from recent months.
This post-WWII historical drama from Denmark tells the true story of the German POWs who were conscripted by the Allied forces to clear their own land mines from the west coast of Denmark. Information on special features is currently unavailable.
David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike star in this fact-based drama about the international outcry that erupted after the king of Botswana married a British citizen. This release comes with a making-of featurette, a look at on-location filming in Botswana, and a look at the real-life story behind the film.
Jude Law and Diane Keaton star in Paolo Sorrentino’s HBO Limited series about an arrogant, power-hungry, newly elected American-born pope who stirs up controversy. The season set comes with brief interviews with the cast and crew for each episode, a making-of featurette, and a short interview with Jude Law.
Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in Disney’s live-action reimagining of the classic tale about a small-town farm girl who falls in love with the fearsome beast who has imprisoned her. It comes with a wealth of extras, including a table read, and extended making-of featurette, deleted scenes, an extended song, and more.
Dane DeHaan and Jason Isaacs star in Gore Verbinski’s psychological thriller about a young man who slowly loses his mind as he investigates his suspicions about a mysterious wellness spa. Special features include a pair of featurettes and a deleted scene.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Scoot McNairy star in this based-on-true-events drama about an air traffic controller whose grave error results in the death of another man’s family. It comes with a commentary track and interviews with director Elliott Lester and director of photography Pieter Vermeer.
Shirley MacLaine and Amanda Seyfried star in this comedy about an uptight former businesswoman who forms a bond with the young woman she enlists to write her biography. There are no special features listed.
Michelle Rodriguez stars in Walter Hill’s action thriller about a hitman who is betrayed and forced to undergo gender reassignment surgery against his will, and seeks vengeance for the act. No information on special features is available.
Emilia Clarke and Martin Csokas star in this period thriller about a nurse in 1950s Tuscany who becomes convinced the mute boy under her care is under the influence of a dark presence. No information on special features is currently available.
Lastly, from the Criterion Collection, we have a new Blu-ray release of Kenji Mizoguchi’s classic ghost story about two men in ancient Japan who seek fortune and glory but suffer tragic losses in the process. The new release comes with a 1975 Kaneto Shindo documentary on Mizoguchi, a 2005 appreciation of Ugetsu by Masahiro Shinoda, a 1992 interview with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa, and more.
