Several restored classics, a stirring romance starring Issa Rae, a collection of Martin Scorsese's early shorts, and a tribute to Chuck Berry are now available on DVD/Blu-ray.

FEATURE FILMS

Dance, Girl, Dance. 89 min. Dorothy Arzner, Criterion Collection. 1940.
DVD UPC 715515246316. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 715515246217. $39.99. DRAMA
Two dancers—an ingénue (Maureen O’Hara) hoping to make it as a ballerina and a burlesque artist (Lucille Ball) with classical pretensions—become rivals in this rare Hollywood studio-system movie made by a woman.

 

The Great Escape. 172 min. John Sturges, Criterion Collection. 1963. DVD UPC 715515245913. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 715515245814. $39.95. DRAMA
Steve McQueen headlines an all-star cast playing POWs hellbent on breaking out of a Nazi camp by digging a series of tunnels. Restored in 4K, the epic action flick boasts a catchy Elmer Bernstein score and a motorbike-escape set-piece for the ages.

Husbands. 144 min. John Cassavetes, Criterion Collection. 1970. DVD UPC 715515246118. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 715515246118. $39.99. Rated: PG-13. DRAMA
Three middle-aged men (Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk, and John Cassavetes) fall into a midlife crisis after attending the funeral of a mutual friend. Womanizing, drinking, and gambling—reliving their pre-marriage lives—help them cope with mortality.

Ordinary Love. 92 min. Lisa Barros D’Sa & Glenn Leyburn, Universal. 2019. DVD UPC 191329126974. $22.99. Rated: R. DRAMA
Long-married Joan (Lesley Manville) and Tom (Liam Neeson) find their enduring love tested when Joan is diagnosed with breast cancer. During a year of treatment and recovery, the couple discover how to cope with a measure of humor and grace.

The Photograph. 106 min. Stella Meghie, Universal. 2020. DVD UPC 191329135174. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 191329135181. $34.99. Rated: PG-13. DRAMA
Uncovering an old family photo leads a woman (Issa Rae) to learn the secrets in her estranged mom’s past while sparking a romance with an investigative journalist (Lakeith Stanfield) in this generation-spanning love story.

Scorsese Shorts. b/w & color. 135 min. Martin Scorsese, Criterion Collection.
1963-78. DVD UPC 715515246514. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 715515246415. $39.99. DRAMA
Five early short films by “Marty” include home movies with his parents, a look at a flamboyant storyteller, a comment on U.S. involvement in Vietnam, plus NYU student films dealing with Italian-American culture and the director’s hometown.

The Traitor (a.k.a. Il traditore). 150 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. Marco Bellocchio, Sony. 2019. DVD UPC 043396567610. $25.99. Rated: R. DRAMA
An early 1980s turf battle between Sicilian mafia clans over the heroin trade leaves one prominent mob boss (Tommaso Buscetta) with several dead family members, causing him to break the code of silence and spill his guts to the law.

DOCUMENTARIES

Chuck Berry: The Original King of Rock & Roll. 98 min. Jon Brewer, MVD Visual.
2018. DVD UPC 760137342595. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 760137342687. $24.99. DOCUMENTARY
An appreciation of the iconic rocker—with a little help from his friends including John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards, and Steve Van Zandt, to name just a few.

Tea with the Dames. 84 min. Roger Michell, IFC Films. 2018. Blu-ray UPC 030306201597. $24.99. DOCUMENTARY
Actresses Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith reminisce on their 50-plus-year friendship, careers that started in the theater before moving to film, and industry gossip during a laidback afternoon in the English countryside.

Women Make Film: A New Road Movie through Cinema. 840 min. Mark Cousins, Cohen Media Group. 2018. Blu-ray UPC 191329139646. $34.99. DOCUMENTARY
Spanning 13 decades and more than 50 countries, female filmmakers discuss their contributions to cinema in this lengthy and sprawling guided tour, which includes clips from hundreds of movies and addresses technical as well as aesthetic issues.