Douglas Sirk (1898-1987) left Hollywood in 1959 just as his career was beginning to be reassessed by French critics, who like their American counterparts, had pretty much taken him for granted during his long career. Long acclaimed in retrospect for his 1950s melodramas, Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind, and Imitation of Life in particular, Cohen Media Group has released a Blu-ray upgrade of Two Films by Douglas Sirk shedding fresh light on two of his films from the 1940s.

A comedy of manners, 1946’s A Scandal in Paris is loosely based on the life of Francois-Eugene Vidocq who spent the first 30 years of his life in Napoleonic Era France as a master criminal before reforming and becoming the father of modern criminology as well as the head of the first known private detective agency.

Although lighter than Sirk’s future films, the seeds of melodrama are here, particularly in the film’s last scenes. George Sanders, that master of 1940s sophistication, plays Vidocq with seemingly effortless panache, ably assisted by Carole Landis, Signe Hasso, Akim Tamiroff, Gene Lockhart, and others.

Commentary is provided by film critic Wade Major.

A gripping film noir, 1947’s Lured gives us Lucille Ball at her dramatic peak as a showgirl who goes undercover to trap the serial killer responsible for her friend’s death. Sirk surrounds her with a top-notch supporting cast including George Sanders as the prime suspect, Charles Coburn as Lucy’s Scotland Yard handler, Cedric Hardwicke as Sanders’ solicitor, George Zucco as Lucy’s police protector, and Boris Karloff as an insane window dresser.

Film commentary is provided by film historian Jeremy Arnold.

Shout! Factory has released a Blu-ray edition of Frank LaLoggia’s 1988 film Lady in White in three versions: the director’s cut with commentary, the expanded director’s cut, and the theatrical release.

One of the most unique of all horror films, this is an excellent pre-Halloween release for older children and teenagers. Set in 1962, the film tells the tale of a 10-year-old boy who is menaced by a serial killer whose crimes go back years. The titled character is the mother of one of the earlier victims.

Lukas Haas (Witness) is excellent in the lead and he receives fine support from Alex Rocco as his father, Len Cariou as his father’s friend, and Katherine Helmond in the title role.

The TV anthology series American Horror Story seems to have run out of steam with its fifth iteration titled American Horror Story: Hotel.

Set in a seedy Los Angeles hotel, it’s more camp than horror with only motherly Kathy Bates and cross-dressing Denis O’Hare as the hotel managers, and Wes Bentley as an L.A. detective and Chloe Sevigny as his physician wife giving any semblance of real-life flesh-and-blood characterizations. The rest of the cast can’t seem to keep a straight face for more than two minutes. Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Matt Bomer, Finn Wittrock, Angela Bassett, Cheyenne Jackson, Mare Winningham, and Lady Gaga are among the culprits.

American Horror Story: Hotel is available on both Blu-ray and standard DVD.

Much better is the BBC series Ripper Street, which now streams on Amazon. Ripper Street – Season 4, consisting of seven engrossing episodes, has just been released on both Blu-ray and standard DVD.

The series continues the adventures of two British detectives (Matthew Macfayden, Jerome Flynn) and their partner, an American-born surgeon and pathologist (Adam Rothenberg) as they traverse 1890s Whitechapel in the aftermath of Jack the Ripper. It’s now 1897 and the streets are meaner than ever. Children, who are major characters in many of the episodes, are just as apt to end up dead as their elders, but many others survive against the odds. In this season, one major character is hanged but survives and another ends up presumed dead in the final minutes of the final episode. What will happen next?

Season five, the series’ final one, begins on Amazon streaming on October 12th.

It’s unusual for a mystery series to release a Blu-ray and standard DVD edition of a special episode, but Canada’s Murdoch Mysteries has been doing the unusual for going on ten years now.

Murdoch Mysteries: A Very Murdoch Christmas features series regulars Yanick Bisson as turn-of-the-twentieth-century’s Montreal Detective William Murdoch, Thomas Craig as Inspector Breckenreid, Helene Joy as Dr. Ogden, and Jonny Harris as Constable Crabtree in a holiday mystery. It’s an easy one to guess the outcome of, but that doesn’t spoil the fun in getting there. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll enjoy it.

If you’ve been waiting for a single Blu-ray set of the three films that comprise both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, wait no more. New Line has released Middle-Earth Theatrical Collection featuring a no-frills collection of all six films at a reasonable price.

Shout Select has released Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection on Blu-ray featuring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winer in both Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey with loads of extras.

Scheduled to be released on October 4th, the 80th anniversary Blu-ray edition of Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town has been delayed with no new street date given.

This week’s new releases include The Legend of Tarzan and the Criterion Collection’s new and improved release of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood.