New streaming, on-demand highlights for February 5-11, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — It's a somewhat quiet week as we find ourselves living in the afterglow of the Grammys, with an eye on this weekend's Taylor Swift sightings at the Super Bowl. I'm told there might also be a football game. Ironically, the only time I've been to Allegiant Stadium was to see Swift’s Era Tour.

Or, if Swift and football are completely off your radar, you could always spend the afternoon with Jim Henson via the 4K transfers for “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.” The later comes with a healthy amount of David Bowie. Or maybe catchJodie Comer in “The End We Start From.”

Here’s a look at those options and a few more.

The End We Start From

Studio Synopsis: When an environmental crisis sees London submerged by flood waters, a young family is torn apart in the chaos. As a woman (Jodie Comer) and her newborn try and find their way home, the profound novelty of motherhood is brought into sharp focus in this intimate and poetic portrayal of family survival.

Labyrinth

Studio Synopsis: "Labyrinth," starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, was originally released in 1986. The film is an unforgettable fantasy adventure that follows Sarah Williams (Connelly) as she makes her way through the labyrinth of the Goblin King Jareth (Bowie) in search of her little brother Toby. A mainstay of the fantasy genre with its spectacular visual effects and ground-breaking animatronics, "Labyrinth" is of special interest to David Bowie fans worldwide as the film contains original songs written and recorded by Bowie especially for the film.

The Dark Crystal

Studio Synopsis: From the brilliant imagination of Jim Henson, this puppetry work of genius recounts the timeless tales of good versus evil, becoming a cult favorite around the world. Travel back in time to the faraway planet of Thra where evil Skeksis are in control and the Gelfling Jen, the last of his kind, is sent on a quest by the peaceful Mystics to find the missing shard that will restore balance and heal the world.

Thriller 40

Studio Synopsis: Forty years after the release of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, the best-selling album of all time worldwide, director Nelson George takes fans back in time to experience the making of the record-breaking album and the release of the accompanying short films that forever redefined the music video format. Featuring never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews, "Thriller 40" chronicles the creation of a pre-internet global phenomenon unlike anything before it or since. “Thriller” launched Michael Jackson into mega-stardom and to this day continues to influence all aspects of culture and entertainment including the worlds of music, dance, and fashion.

The Book of Harth

Studio Synopsis: As this decades-long odyssey ended, NYC filmmaker Pierre Guillet followed Harth over the last year of the project as he raced to get the final signatures to bring this massive undertaking to a close. "The Book of Harth" is a dissection of not just the art itself but the sacrifices made in the name of art that you won’t soon forget.
Also Available: DVD

Blu-ray & DVD Highlights

Peacock

Studio Synopsis: After violating the strict moral standards of The Foundation, the puritanical institution for young women in which she was raised, Anna Pohl (Tarryn Wyngaard) is sent to care for one of its founding members. An Apartheid-era theologian living out his days in paranoia on his isolated farm, Sarel Cilliers (Johan Botha) suffers from frightening visions and demonic hallucinations. Haunted by her own feelings of guilt, Anna slowly gets pulled into Sarel's terrifying world as she tries to unravel the mysteries behind this sinister place and its connection to the devastating secrets being hidden by The Foundation. An evocative and erotic South African gothic horror, "Peacock" explores the dark recesses of the Afrikaner psyche and its compromised past.

Waitress: The Musical

Studio Synopsis: "Waitress: The Musical" brings the Tony-nominated Broadway phenomenon to the big screen. Featuring composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles as Jenna Hunterson, a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When a baking contest in a nearby county offers her a chance at escape, Jenna fights to reclaim a long-forgotten part of herself. Through the support of her fellow waitresses and an unexpected romance, Jenna begins to find the courage to take a long-abandoned dream off the shelf. Waitress celebrates the power of friendship, dreams, the family we choose and the beauty of a well-baked pie.

The Criterion Collection: McCabe & Mrs. Miller 4K UHD

Studio Synopsis: This unorthodox dream western by Robert Altman may be the most radically beautiful film to come out of the New American Cinema. It stars Warren Beatty and Julie Christie as two newcomers to the raw Pacific Northwest mining town of Presbyterian Church, who join forces to provide the miners with a superior kind of whorehouse experience. The appearance of representatives for a powerful mining company with interests of its own, however, threatens to be the undoing of their plans. With its fascinating, flawed characters, evocative cinematography by the great Vilmos Zsigmond, innovative overlapping dialogue, and haunting use of Leonard Cohen songs, "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" brilliantly deglamorized and revitalized the most American of genres.

The Sting of Death (1990)

Studio Synopsis: In the aftermath of World War II, a writer’s love affair with another woman drives his wife mad with distrust. Realising his errors, he tries all he can to save her from literally losing her mind. Kohei Oguri’s haunting adaptation of the novel by Toshio Shimao is shot in a hyperreal style that is equal parts painterly and unflinching. Featuring striking set design, powerful lead performances and a vivid evocation of small-town life in postwar Japan, "The Sting of Death" won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival while stars Ittoku Kishibe and Keiko Matsuzaka won numerous awards for their performances. Radiance Films is proud to present this remarkable film on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.