Everyday life on farm, factory floor
New on Blu-ray
The Biggest Little Farm Universal DVD, $22.98; Blu-ray, $24.98; also available on VOD
Most documentaries that deal with the struggles of modern farming or the ongoing sustainability of our food supply paint a bleak picture for humanity’s future, warning about the dangers of climate change and global agricultural conglomerates. “The Biggest Little Farm” sounds a more optimistic note. The doc tells the story of John and Molly Chester, who turned an unpromising plot of land in Ventura County into a viable farm, thanks to extensive research, a can-do spirit, and a lot of trial and error. Directed by John (an accomplished TV director and farmer), “The Biggest Little Farm” combines bucolic images of rural living with some fascinating, practical details about how to raise thriving plants and animals.
VOD
American Factory Available Wednesday on Netflix
The documentary “American Factory” covers what happened when a Chinese glass-making company moved into an abandoned General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio. What seemed at first like a much-needed economic boost for an underemployed blue-collar region instead became a study in how the philosophies of business and labor differ dramatically between China and the United States. Filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert deal with a serious, highly relevant subject — the past, present and future of the global economy — by focusing on real people’s everyday lives, making a movie that’s illuminating and occasionally even funny.
TV set of the week
The Walking Dead: The Complete Ninth Season Lionsgate DVD, $70.98; Blu-ray, $80.99 popular shows included a big jump forward in time, shocking farewells to several major characters and the introduction of one of the series’ most terrifying villains yet: a near-feral cult leader named Alpha (well-played by Samantha Morton). As always, the real drama in “The Walking Dead” has less to do with the encroaching hordes of flesh-eating zombies and is more about the human survivors trying to overcome lingering mistrust and their inequitable distribution of resources. Special features: Deleted scenes and featurettes
From the archives
The Harder They Come: Collector’s Edition Shout Select Blu-ray, $39.97
For a lot of music lovers and filmgoers, director Perry Henzell’s tuneful 1972 crime picture “The Harder They Come” was their first prolonged exposure to Jamaican music and culture. Jimmy Cliff stars as a reggae singer who moves from the country to the big city to pursue his dreams, only to be driven by circumstance — and by the corrupt local record business — to a life of drug dealing and violence. The new “The Harder They Come” Blu-ray edition features a 4K transfer that beautifully captures Henzell’s vivid images of island life, giving one of the classic low-budget midnight movies of the early ’70s the prestige treatment it deserves. Special features: Extensive featurettes, vintage interviews, a commentary track, a retrospective documentary, and a rarely seen Henzell feature film
Three more to see
Brightburn Sony DVD, $30.99; Blu-ray, $34.99; 4K, $38.99; also available on VOD A Dog’s Journey Universal DVD, $22.37; Blu-ray, $27.35; also available on VOD Sweet Charity KL Studio Classics Blu-ray, $39.95