10 NEW TO NETFLIX“About Time““The Founder““How to Train Your Dragon““Magic Mike XXL““The Nice Guys““Parasite““Queen & Slim““Sing““Spencer““Two Lovers“13 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD“Cronos” (Criterion)One of the best directors of his generation made his debut over three decades ago with this stunning reimagination of vampire storytelling, a perfect film to revisit as Guillermo del Toro puts the finishing touches on his version of “Frankenstein.” Starring Federico Luppi and Ron Perlman, this 1992 horror film entered the Criterion Collection years ago but only received the upgrade to 4K this month, courtesy of a digital restoration overseen by GdT himself. Sadly, there aren’t any new special features, but the imported ones are worth the purchase, including an audio commentary from one of the most eloquent writer/directors, and a 1987 short film by the filmmaker called “Geometria.” You also need to see “Welcome to Bleak House,” a tour of Del Toro’s office that spotlights his incredible personal collection of memorabilia.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesNew 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Guillermo del Toro, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrackOne 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special featuresOptional original Spanish-language voice-over introductionTwo audio commentaries, one featuring del Toro, the other producers Arthur H. Gorson and Bertha Navarro and coproducer Alejandro SpringallGeometria, an unreleased 1987 short horror film by del Toro, finished in 2010, alongside an interview with the directorWelcome to Bleak House, a tour by del Toro of his home office, featuring his personal collectionsInterviews with del Toro, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, and actors Ron Perlman and Federico LuppiStills gallery captioned by del ToroTrailerPLUS: An essay by film critic Maitland McDonagh and excerpts from del Toro’s notes for the film“Crossing Delancey” (Criterion)The great Joan Micklin Silver directed this adaptation of the Susan Sandler play of the same name, a movie that earned the underrated Amy Irving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy. Irving stars alongside Peter Riegert in a film that might not immediately seem like an obvious fit for Criterion but I love it when they dig a little deeper, especially if it allows for greater representation within the catalog. Thay also dug up an interview with Silver from 1988 and commissioned a new program about the making of the film that reunites Irving, Riegert, and Sandler, four decades after her play hit the stage.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesNew 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by cinematographer Theo van de Sande, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrackOne 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special featuresNew program on the making of the film featuring actors Amy Irving and Peter Riegert and screenwriter Susan SandlerAudio interview from 1988 with director Joan Micklin SilverTrailerEnglish subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingPLUS: An essay by critic Rachel Syme“Drugstore Cowboy” (Criterion)People often point to 1989 as a turning point in American cinema with films like “sex, lies, and videotape” and “Do the Right Thing” shifting the market in new directions. Gus Van Sant’s riveting breakthrough should be a part of that conversation. Matt Dillon and Kelly Lynch star in an adaptation of the autobiographical novel of the same name by James Fogle, a story of hustling to maintain a bone-deep addiction. They play part of a group of people who build their lives around drugs, committing crimes to afford more. It’s a gritty, stunning piece of work that has been remastered in 4K for the first time, in a restoration overseen by Van Sant and the D.P. Robert Yeoman. Criterion also imports previously available features like a commentary with Van Sant and Dilon, and a making-of featurette. The only new features are recent interviews with Yeoman and Lynch. (And that cool new cover art.)Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesNew 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Gus Van Sant and director of photography Robert Yeoman, with uncompressed stereo soundtrackOne 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special featuresAudio commentary featuring Van Sant and actor Matt DillonThe Making of “Drugstore Cowboy,” featuring interviews with Van Sant and members of the cast and crewNew interviews with Yeoman and actor Kelly LynchDeleted scenesTrailerEnglish subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingPLUS: An essay by author and screenwriter Jon Raymond“Here“No one misses the Robert Zemeckis of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s as much as I do. After his foray into mo-cap filmmaking, he seemed to return to at least something interesting with the strong dramatic outings of “Flight” and “Allied,” but it’s been dire recently, especially the abysmal “Welcome to Marwen.” The story around “Here” has been fascinating in that it’s developed radically different opinions, even on this site: Peter hated it, Scout loved it. I’m in the middle, but closer to Pete. There are some interesting scenes in this formal experiment, but the de-aging CGI looks atrocious, and the script is so cloying and manipulative that it sometimes plays more as a parody of melodrama than anything honest itself. However, some people I admire truly love it, so see it for yourself and see if you’re one too.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesHow We Got HereDeleted Scenes“Heretic“One of the best horror films in a very good for the genre was last year’s “Heretic,” a dissection of faith and madness that uses more than jump scares to get under your skin. Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East are excellent as a pair of Mormon missionaries who find themselves captives of a man (Hugh Grant) who puts them through a series of tests regarding their faith. The script by directors Bryan Woods and Scott Beck is one of my favorites of 2024, a challenging analysis of what it means to believe (or not believe) in a higher power. The filmmakers also deftly lean into the sense of menace that has always been just under the surface of Grant’s on-screen persona, resulting in one of his career-best performances. A24 continues to release Blu-rays exclusively to their online store, giving them elaborate, well-designed packages that fit the collector’s brand of the studio. This one is a little slimmer than some recent outings but does contain a sharp commentary and collectible postcards.Buy it here Special FeaturesCommentary with writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan WoodsMaking-of FeaturetteSix Collectible Postcards“Juror #2“Warner Bros. has treated Clint Eastwood’s latest film shamefully. One of the most influential living filmmakers, and one who has made WB an absolute fortune, saw his 2024 film buried with an incredibly small theatrical release before being shuffled off to Max and now released on Blu-ray in a bare-bones edition. Shameful. It’s especially shocking given it’s one of Clint’s best late-period films, a well-made legal thriller about a man (Nicholas Hoult, who had a killer 2024) who discovers that he’s sitting on a jury for a crime he may have actually committed himself. Yes, some of it stretches credulity, but it’s a tightly directed piece of work with strong performances throughout, and interesting ideas about our justice system and morality. Maybe it was too complicated for the current regime making baffling choices at WB. Note: if you’re wondering where the special features list is below, there are none. Sigh.Buy it here“King Lear” (Criterion)There are several Godard films in the Criterion Collection, but this is actually the first time that they’ve released his 1987 English-language debut. It’s a fascinating chapter in film history in that it started life with a script by Norman Mailer, but Godard tossed that out and the final script credit is co-written by Peter Sellars and Tom Luddy. Of course, the two creative voices intertwining here are Godard’s and William Shakespeare, even if the French master doesn’t really use much of the original text. He’s more interested in unpacking themes of King Lear through the medium that he transformed forever. “King Lear” is a tough film to analyze, which means that the essay by the brilliant Richard Brody, and the interviews that include him, Sellars, and Molly Ringwald are essential companions to its appreciation.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesNew 2K digital restoration, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrackAudio recording of the 1987 Cannes Film Festival press conference, featuring director Jean-Luc GodardNew interviews with Richard Brody, author of Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard, and actors Molly Ringwald and Peter SellarsEnglish subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingPLUS: An essay by Brody“Kraven the Hunter“How bad a year was it for the Sony superhero machine that this misfire might have been the best of their three movies? “Madame Web” was so bad that it turned into a meme, and almost everyone was disappointed by “Venom: The Last Dance.” By the time “Kraven the Hunter” rolled around, almost everyone greeted it with a shrug. I have to say that I was less bored than a lot of recent superhero movies, in large part because of what the supporting cast brought to it, especially Russell Crowe and Alessandro Nivola (although they’re balanced by a truly horrible performance from Ariana DeBose). It’s one of those superhero flicks that does too little by trying to do too much with a long origin first act and then a cadre of characters who never really gel. And yet, it’s almost a high point for a company that continues to struggle with the kind of movie that has made its competition billions.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesDeleted & Extended ScenesBecoming KravenBeast Mode: The Stunts of the HuntOuttakes & BloopersKraven’s First Hunt: The DirectionAllies & Antagonists: The Killer Cast“Last Summer“Catherine Breillat once rocked the international arthouse world with films like “Romance,” “Fat Girl,” and “Anatomy of Hell.” She disappeared for a decade after the disappointing “Abuse of Weakness,” returning to Cannes in Summer 2023 with a typical-for-her discomfiting drama about an older woman and a younger man in the strong “Last Summer,” a reminder of her directorial skill with character. Léa Drucker plays a successful attorney who starts a steamy affair with her 17-year-old stepson, played by Samuel Kircher. It’s a good fit for Janus Contemporaries, a relatively new branch of Criterion that spotlights recent critical darlings from around the world.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesMeet the Filmmakers, a new interview with director Catherine BreillatTrailer“Nosferatu”One of the most stunning box office stories of the last year was the success of Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” which made over $175 million worldwide, a shocking figure for a period piece horror flick. Part of it was the excellent advertising, but great reviews and word of mouth alsohelped make this into a smash hit. Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp, and Nicholas Hoult star in a film that I’m more mixed on than some, but I do truly admire its attention to detail, something for which Eggers is being increasingly well-known. It looks incredible, even at home on Blu-ray, and the Universal release is packed with bonus material, including a commentary from the eloquent Eggers, deleted scenes, and several informative special features.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesNOSFERATU: A MODERN MASTERPIECEBREATHING LIFE INTO A DREAMBECOMING COUNT ORLOKCAPTURING THE MOODRECREATING 1838DRESSING THE PARTTHE END IS JUST THE BEGINNINGDELETED SCENESFEATURE COMMENTARY WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR ROBERT EGGERS“Punch-Drunk Love” (Criterion)Paul Thomas Anderson gets a lot of attention for his epic dramas, but this comparatively small dramedy has always been one of my favorites of his works, and it’s a phenomenal fit for Criterion. PTA oversaw a 4K digital restoration of this beautiful story about a man (Adam Sandler, doing career-best work) who falls deeply in love in a way that shatters his insulated, anxiety-filled world. It’s a gorgeous character study with great performances (PSH!) and fantastic direction, a total shift in gear after Anderson made “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia.” Those two films really put PTA on the map, but this was the one for me that truly revealed his range and how special he was going to be. The release is packed with features, including the excellent “Blossoms & Blood” and an interview with Jon Brion, the composer of one of my favorite scores of its era.Buy it hereSpecial Features4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Paul Thomas Anderson, with Dolby Atmos soundtrackOne 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special featuresBlossoms & Blood, a short piece by Anderson featuring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson, with music by Jon BrionInterview with BrionBehind-the-scenes footage of a recording session for the film’s soundtrackConversation between curators Michael Connor and Lia Gangitano about the art of Jeremy BlakeAdditional artwork by BlakeCannes Film Festival press conferenceNBC News interview with David Phillips, the “pudding guy”ScopitonesDeleted scenesMattress Man commercialTrailersEnglish subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingPLUS: An essay by filmmaker, author, and artist Miranda July“A Real Pain“I can still remember the premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s soon-to-be Oscar winner at Sundance 2024, over a year ago. It felt special, a movie that tapped into something about the human condition that cinema hadn’t really explored. I went into great detail about what I love about one of my ten best films of 2024 in my review, so click through to that, and then add “A Real Pain” to your collection. It deserves space in how you display your love for the cinematic form.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesBeautiful Fate: Making A Real Pain – Take a tour through the heart and history of Poland while going behind the scenes of A Real Pain. Explore the themes of family and connection with Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Experience all the humor and humanity that brought this story to life.“Wicked“I love it when a studio goes big with their biggest releases. The truth is that fans of “Wicked” would have bought a bare-bones edition of this blockbuster film and not complained too loudly. But Universal pulled out all the stops with this physical edition, including two commentaries, deleted scenes, and even a full sing along version of the film! As for “Wicked,” it’s a movie that I have mixed feelings about, wondering about some of the production choices, but also admiring so much the value brought to it by the commitment of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera, who are both simply perfect for these parts. Like the rest of the world, I’m curious to see if Jon M. Chu sticks the landing with the second half of this story, and this loaded release will only help build anticipation for that one even more.Buy it hereSpecial FeaturesDOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILMDOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACKSING ALONG – ALTERNATE FEATURE-LENGTH VERSION – Rejoicify, it’s your turn to sing your way through Oz! Sing-along to all of your favorite Wicked songs as you join Elphaba and Glinda on their magical journey.DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENESPfannee & ShenShen Meet Glinda – Reunited at Shiz University, Glinda, Pfannee, and ShenShen recall their past by performing a twirling routine together.Shiz Gazette Introduces Fiyero – Excitement spreads across Shiz as word gets out that Prince Fiyero is on his way.Toss Toss – Glinda teaches Elphaba the art of Toss Toss, with mixed results.Elphaba & Fiyero in the Forest – The relationship between Elphaba and Fiyero takes a turn as they come to care for a lost lion cub.Elphaba’s Promise – Elphaba makes a pledge to Glinda that they both hope will strengthen their friendship.Train Platform Farewell – Glinda, Madame Morrible, and Governor Thropp gather to send Elphaba off to Emerald City.Boq & Elphaba Talk – Elphaba challenges Boq to face the truth about his feelings for Nessa Rose, but she has difficulty doing the same when it comes to Fiyero.Train Ride to Emerald City- Glinda and Elphaba expand their world by taking a luxurious train ride to Emerald City.In the Emerald City – The bustling streets of Emerald City take Glinda and Elphaba one step closer to finally meeting the Wizard.Palace Monkeys Chase – Elphaba and Glinda race through a maddening maze of winged monkeys determined to take them down.MAKING WICKED – Return to Oz for a fantastic behind-the-scenes journey with this expansive look inside the characters, choreography, and creativity that make up the movie’s unforgettable world.WELCOME TO SHIZ – Unlimited imagination, couture fashion, and spectacular production design come together at Shiz University, providing a place for performers and viewers to be fully immersed in the fantasy. Designed from details in L. Frank Baum’s books, the uniforms, clever contraptions, and circular sets create a sprawling campus where magic feels like an everyday occurrence.A WICKED LEGACY –Take delight in the cast and filmmakers sharing personal memories of their first encounters with the original Broadway production, and how those lasting connections created emotional experiences while making the movie. Also highlighted are the iconic cameos that pay tribute to the cultural phenomenon that became one of the most popular musicals of all time.THE WONDERFUL WIZARD – Follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City for an in-depth look at the infamous Wizard of Oz. Inside the palace’s throne room, the Wizard himself, Jeff Goldblum, pulls back the curtain to peer at his character’s magic and mechanics with senior special effects technician Christopher Clarke, who details how the Wizard’s massive robotic head comes to life.FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JON M. CHUFEATURE COMMENTARY WITH STARS CYNTHIA ERIVO AND ARIANA GRANDE