Posing some big questions
Sci-fi mind-bender ‘Annihilation’ is instant classic
It’s not only a movie that’s rich enough to support a number of interpretations, but it also packs a surprising emotional wallop. Natalie Portman stars as a biologist who volunteers for a dangerous mission which involves entering the Shimmer, a mysterious quarantine zone from which her husband (Oscar Isaac) recently emerged a changed man.
Stunning from start to finish, “Annihilation” works as a trippy actioner and as an art movie fearless enough to pose some big questions about the meaning of life. Extras: featurettes.
Also New to DVD
Red Sparrow (2018, Fox, R, $28): Jennifer Lawrence delivers a delicious star turn in this intoxicating thriller about a Russian ballerina (Jennifer Lawrence) who, after her dance career is derailed, is left with few options but to become a Sparrow, or a spy trained to use her sexuality to compromise foreign agents. Soon she’s plunged into a mission full of perilous encounters and whipsaw reversals. “Red Sparrow” generates a lot of suspense by continually keeping you guessing about who’s lying to whom. But what really sells the movie are the scenestealing turns by first-rate actors like Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons and, especially, Mary-Louise Parker. Extras: featurettes and commentary tracks. House of Evil (2018, Breaking Glass, unrated, $20): Despite borrowing a little too liberally from “Amityville Horror” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” this low-budget horror shocker still scores points thanks to its bizarre setting — a dilapidated country estate in 1970s Italy — and unique main characters, both of whom are artists. Watching a jittery photographer (Andrew Harwood Mills) and his paranoid painter wife (Lucy Drive) translate their fears about ghosts into their artwork gives the film an unusual flavor. Extras: none. Beyond The Hills (2012, Criterion, unrated, $30): Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”) is a true original. If you need proof, check out this astonishingly
unique treatise on the fine line between faith and fanaticism. It’s about a young woman (Cristina Flutur) who returns to Romania in hopes of persuading her former lover (Cosmina Stratan), now a nun, to accompany her back to Germany. Cue a strange, mesmerizing battle of wills between the visitor and the priest (Valeriu Andriuta) who runs the monastery. Part horror movie and part love story, “Beyond The Hills” is so rich and complex, it can spark conversations for days afterwards. Extras: featurettes. The Garden Of Allah (1936, Kino, unrated, $25): In this Moroccan-set adventure, Marlene Dietrich stars as a convent-reared loner who, following the death of her father, goes to the desert for rest and relaxation. But instead of tranquility, she finds romance with a mysterious stranger (Charles Boyer) who’s secretly a Trappist monk fleeing his responsibilities. The only pairing of Dietrich and Boyer has its moments as melodrama but, in the end, it is tripped up by poor pacing and a syrupy score. Extras: none. Images (1972, Arrow, unrated, $30): A companion piece of sorts to “That Cold Day in The Park,” this Robert Altman mind-bender observes an unstable children’s book author (Susannah York) as she descends into madness. It’s mostly set at an isolated cottage in rural Ireland where a guilt-ridden York imagines appearances by amorous neighbors and former lovers. Altman continually keeps you guessing about what is real and what is fantasy, at least until the jolting finale. While it fails to develop an emotional toehold, “Images” holds you in thrall with one compelling scene after another. Extras: featurettes and commentaries. Moon Child (1989, Cult Epics, unrated, $20): Beautifully restored for Blu-ray, this oddity from Spain’s Agusti Villaronga is one of the strangest fantasy films of the 1980s. The impossible-to-describe plot pivots on a boy (Lucia Bose) with supernatural powers who must navigate his way through religious prophecies, dastardly cults and cross-continental journeys. The imagery is magnificent and the bond between the youngster and two fellow misfits (Lisa Gerrard, Maribel Martin) grounds the movie in real emotions. Extras: featurette. The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles (2018, Universal, unrated, $15): It was ground zero for Beatlemania when the Fab Four stepped onto Ed Sullivan’s stage to make their U.S. TV debut. During 1964 and 1965, the lads appeared on four Sullivan programs, and sang 20 numbers, including “Yesterday,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Ticket To Ride.” This essential DVD, which runs 250 minutes, presents the four complete Beatles shows featuring Sullivan’s priceless introductions and appearances by other guest stars like Cilla Black and Cab Calloway. Extras: featurettes. Avatar - The Complete Series (2018, Paramount, unrated, $45): It’s the first time on Blu-ray for the epic saga of “The Last Airbender.” From the discovery of Avatar Aang to the frozen iceberg to the mastery of all four elements to the final showdown with the Fire Nation, this series delivers action and stunning animation. Extras: featurettes and commentaries.