New streaming, on-demand highlights for February 12-19, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — It's a great week for movies at home (the theater situation isn't nearly as robust). Of the digital releases, I've only watched "The Iron Claw," which I love, and Pedro Almodóvar's short film "Strange Way of Life," that I have decidedly mixed feelings about. I've heard great things about "Monolith" and the Jean-Luc Godard documentary is of interest.

However, most of the action comes via this week's physical releases that includes "The Marvels," "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes," and "Priscilla." I'd recommend all three. Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla" isn't the easiest of films to watch as it explores the problematic relationship between Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu. Cailee Spaeny is fantastic as Priscilla. "The Marvels" is the best Marvel film in years and "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" is a solid prequel with its own story to be told.

There are also three noteworthy 4K UHD catalog titles. "Universal Classic Monsters: Limited Edition Collection 4K UHD," "Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4," and The Criterion Collection's "Eric Rohmer's Tales of the Four Seasons 4K UHD."

I love the packaging for the "Classic Monsters" as it takes a modern, pop art approach to its design. I've attended numerous monster themed exhibits and I’m always surprised how well these early horror films lend themselves to modern reinterpretation. The films hold up incredibly well. “Dracula” and “Bride of Frankenstein” are cornerstones of horror cinema.

"Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4" is the latest in the guaranteed-to-sell-out series that dives into the back catalog of Columbia Pictures to bring six beloved films to 4K for the first time. These sets are the gold standard of physical releases.

And The Criterion Collection is the gold standard for home video in general and their Eric Rohmer set is no exception.

The Iron Claw

Studio Synopsis: The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
Also Available: Blu-ray & DVD March 26, 2024

Air Force One Down

Studio Synopsis:On her first assignment aboard Air Force One, a rookie Secret Service agent faces the ultimate test when terrorists hijack the plane, intent on derailing a pivotal energy deal. With the president's life on the line and a global crisis at stake, her bravery and skills are pushed to the limit in a relentless battle that could change the course of history.

Alice in Terrorland

Studio Synopsis:Following the death of her parents in a house fire, Alice is sent to live with her grandmother at her remote estate 'Wonderland'. After falling ill, Alice falls into a waking, terror filled nightmare. Who can she trust and what is real?

The Crime is Mine

Studio Synopsis:Paris in the 1930s — a playground for industrial heirs and debonair architects, but the City of Lights does not shine evenly for all. Struggling actress Madeleine (Nadia Terezkiewicz) and her best friend Pauline (Rebecca Marder), an unemployed lawyer, live in a cramped flat and owe five months’ rent. Opportunity knocks after a lascivious theatrical producer who made an inappropriate advance towards Madeleine turns up dead. Madeleine stands trial for murder and ascends to decadent stardom, with Pauline serving as defense counsel and media circus ringmaster. A new life of fame, wealth, and tabloid celebrity awaits — until the truth comes out.

Destroy All Neighbors

Studio Synopsis:A struggling prog-rock musician finds himself in a living nightmare when he accidentally kills the neighbor from hell.

Double Blind

Studio Synopsis:After an experimental drug trial goes awry, the test subjects face a terrifying side effect: if you fall asleep you die. Trapped in an isolated facility, panic ensues as they try to escape and somehow stay awake.

Godard Cinema

Studio Synopsis:Jean-Luc Godard is synonymous with cinema. With the release of "Breathless" in 1960, he established himself overnight as a cinematic rebel and symbol for the era's progressive and anti-war youth. Sixty-two years and 140 films later, Godard is among the most renowned artists of all time, taught in every film school yet still shrouded in mystery. One of the founders of the French New Wave, political agitator, revolutionary misanthrope, film theorist and critic, the list of his descriptors goes on and on. "Godard Cinema" offers an opportunity for film lovers to look back at his career and the subjects and themes that obsessed him, while paying tribute to the ineffable essence of the most revered French director of all time.

Midnight Peepshow

Studio Synopsis:An unnamed Madame operates a peepshow offering patrons a tailor-made experience wrapped around their deepest desires, fears, and sins. But it is only a matter of time before you must pay the price for dabbling in the dark side of desire.

Monolith

Studio Synopsis:While trying to salvage her career, a disgraced journalist begins investigating a strange conspiracy theory. But as the trail leads uncomfortably close to home, she is left to grapple with the lies at the heart of her own story.

Strange Way of Life

Studio Synopsis:A man rides a horse across the desert that separates him from Bitter Creek. He comes to visit Sheriff Jake. Twenty-five years earlier, both the sheriff and Silva, the rancher who rides out to meet him, worked together as hired gunmen. Silva visits him with the excuse of reuniting with his friend from his youth, and they do indeed celebrate their meeting, but the next morning Sheriff Jake tells him that the reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their old friendship....

Total Trust

Studio Synopsis: Adocumentary about surveillance technology and censorship that follows the stories of people in China who have been monitored. A warning for democracies, it sounds an alarm about the increasing worldwide use of surveillance tools.

21 Positions

Studio Synopsis:Julia and Mateo are a young couple, who live close to nature on the coast of Cádiz, sustaining their minimalist lifestyle by sharing their most intimate moments on the uncensored social network OnlyFans. Despite fulfilling the sexual fantasies of their paying viewers, the two lovers struggle to keep their passion for each other alive when the pressures to perform in front of the camera become too much for them to bear.

Blu-ray & DVD

Universal Classic Monsters: Limited Edition Collection 4K UHD

Studio Description:Exclusive to Amazon, this limited collection consists of book-style packaging with rare photos, bios, trivia, and original cover art by renowned artist Tristan Eaton. With eight classic films exploring the origins of the beloved Universal Monsters, each film has been digitally restored from high resolution film elements for the ultimate classic monster experience all in one exclusive collectible book.
Includes: "Dracula" (1931), "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Mummy" (1932), "The Invisible Man" (1933), "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), "The Wolf Man" (1941), "Phantom of the Opera" (1941), and "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954).

Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4

Studio Description:The six films in the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4 are only available on 4K Ultra HD disc within this special limited edition collector’s set. Included with the collection is a gorgeous hardbound 80-page book, featuring in-depth sections about the making of each film within the set via six all-new incisive essays from renowned writers and journalists, plus rare photos from deep within the Columbia Pictures archives. The set also includes hours of special features across the films, including both newly created behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries and never-before-seen archival materials, plus the entirety of the 1986 “Starman” TV series, exclusively debuting in high definition!
Includes:"His Girl Friday," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "Kramer Vs. Kramer," "Starman," "Sleepless in Seattle," and "Punch Drunk Love."

The Marvels

Studio Synopsis:Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as "The Marvels."

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Studio Synopsis:"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

Footloose 4K UHD

Studio Synopsis: "Footloose" jumps with spirit, dazzling dance numbers and an electrifying musical score. It portrays the timeless struggle between innocent pleasure and rigid morality, when city-boy Ren McCormick (Kevin Bacon) finds himself in an uptight Midwestern town where dancing has been banned. Ren revolts with best friend Willard (Chris Penn) and the minister's daughter (Lori Singer).

Priscilla

Studio Synopsis:When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend. Through Priscilla's eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla's long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame.

A Creature Was Stirring

Studio Synopsis:Faith (Chrissy Metz) keeps her troubled teenage daughter on a tightly controlled but illicit pill regimen in order to ward off a terrifying affliction. But after a Christmas burglary, their dark family secret may finally be exposed.

Eric Rohmer's Tales of the Four Seasons 4K UHD

Studio Description: The seasons may change, but the follies of the heart are constant in this ineffably lovely quartet of films by Eric Rohmer, one of cinema's most perceptive chroniclers of the pangs and perils of romance. Set throughout France, "Tales of the Four Seasons" is a cycle to stand alongside the director's two earlier acclaimed film series, "Six Moral Tales" and "Comedies and Proverbs." By turns comic and melancholic, breezy and richly philosophical, these bittersweet tales of love, longing, and the inevitable misunderstandings that shape human relationships probe the most complex of emotions with the utmost grace.
Includes:"A Tale of Springtime," "A Tale of Winter," "A Tale of Summer," and "A Tale of Autumn."