MAY THE ( NEW) FORCE BE WITH YOU AT HOME
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Disney/ Buena Vista, $ 29.95; Blu- ray, $ 39.99 Available now on VOD
Given that the seventh “Star Wars” chapter has made $ 2 billion worldwide, pretty much everybody who wants to see it probably already has. But it’s in watching movies over and over at home that blockbusters become enduring classics. The new “Star Wars” stands a good chance to be genuinely beloved for generations. Unlike other recent franchise-starters that just string ticket- buyers along, director J. J. Abrams’ sequel is a fully satisfying f ilm in and of itself, introducing engaging new characters — skilled scavenger Rey ( Daisy Ridley), ex- stormtrooper Finn ( John Boyega), ace pilot Poe Dameron ( Oscar Isaac), conflicted super- villain Kylo Ren ( Adam Driver), and cute lil’ robot BB- 8 — and putting them in an eventful story that pulls from the best of George Lucas’ original creation. The f irst DVD and Blu- ray of the new series starts well too, with comprehensive behind- the- scenes featurettes and deleted scenes.
The Hallow Shout! Factory, $ 14.98; Blu- ray, $ 22.97 Available on VOD Tuesday
Writer- director Corin Hardy’s feature debut is a backwoods monster movie that sets itself apart from other B- horror pictures with its strong performances and imaginative creatures. Joseph Mawle plays a scientist who moves to the remote Irish wilderness with his wife and infant son, where they’re plagued by an ancient evil. Bojana Novakovic plays the wife, who becomes the hero of the story when her husband starts to lose his mind. “The Hallow” builds slowly, but once everything goes haywire in the woods the movie ramps up quickly, as Hardy pays homage to an array of horror classics, from “Alien” to “Gremlins” to “The Evil Dead.” The DVD and Bluray add a Hardy commentary track and a healthy assortment of featurettes.
Losing Ground
Milestone, $ 34.95; Blu- ray, $ 39.95
Filmmaker Kathleen Collins died in 1988, just when American independent cinema was starting to be ready for her kind of talent. An African American dramatist, telling vivid stories about the black intelligentsia, Collins really only got to make one substantial feature: 1982’ s “Losing Ground,” about a philosophy professor and her painter husband going through a crisis in their marriage during a summer in the country. Beautifully observed — and rarely seen — “Losing Ground” has been digitally remastered by Collins’ daughter and made available from at Milestone on a DVD and Blu- ray that includes the writer- director’s earlier, shorter works, plus extensive interviews and a commentary track. The set is a poignant look at what might have been.
Dangerous Men
Drafthouse Blu- ray, $ 34.95
it’s good” midnight movie sub- genre has been booming lately with long- discarded trash like “Miami Connection” and “Roar” joining the more recent likes of “The Room” and “Birdemic.” The archivists’ latest mind- blowing find is 2005’ s “Dangerous Men,” a revenge thriller that Iranian filmmaker John Rad spent 26 years making. At the end of a long, piecemeal shoot, Rad was left with a crazy- quilt of a B- movie, stitching together trends and fashions from the ’ 80s to the ’ 90s. His f ilm is utterly nonsensical, but it’s hard not to admire the director’s passion and commitment, evident in every mismatched, poorly acted scene. The “Dangerous Men” DVD/ Bluray combo pack comes with a commentary track and featurettes.
And…
Banshee The Complete Third Season
HBO, $ 26.95; Blu- ray, $ 34.98
Cherry Tree MPI/ Dark Sky, $ 24.98; Blu- ray, $ 29.98
The Expanse
Season One
Universal, $ 39.98; Blu- ray, $ 49.98
Mojave Lionsgate, $ 19.98; Blu- ray, $ 24.99 Available on VOD Tuesday