Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Universal, is the latest film from the prolific writer-director whose first screenplay was for Sydney Pollack’s 1974 film The Yakuza. That was two years prior to his achieving screen immortality with his screenplay for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.

Schrader followed Taxi Driver with his screenplay for Brian De Palma’s Obsession, also released in 1976. Then with Blue Collar, Hardcore, and American Gigolo in quick succession from 1978 to 1980, he established his credentials as a director as well as a writer. Many more films would follow including 1980’s Raging Bull and 1988’s The Last Temptation of Christ, both directed by Scorsese. As both writer and director, his subsequent films included 1992’s Light Sleeper, 1997’s Affliction, and 2017’s First Reformed, for which he finally earned his first Oscar nominated for his screenplay.

What all of Schrader’s films have in common is that they are about lonely men. The Card Counter, which was produced by Scorsese, is no exception.

Oscar Isaac stars as former military interrogator who was involved in the torture of Iraqi prisoners of war during the U.S. involvement in that war. Photographed taking part in the torture, he was tried and sentenced to 8 years at Leavenworth. Now out of prison, he has become a talented gambler who succeeds due to his ability to count cards during tournaments at casinos and other venues. Into his life comes a young man whose father was also involved in the Iraqi tortures who committed suicide out of shame. The young man, played by Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One, has vague dreams of Isaac helping him get revenge on the former army colonel (Willem Dafoe) who trained Isaac and his father but got away with it because there were no photos of his involvement.

Joining Isaac and Sheridan as they go from tournament to tournament is Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip) in her first dramatic role as a game promotor.

Although the film has figured in a few Oscar precursors, primarily for Schrader’s screenplay and Isaac’s performance, the film may be one too many about torture and, like last year’s superior The Mauritanian, fail to make Oscar’s short list.

Alan Alda was still starring in and occasionally directing episodes of TV’s megahit M*A*S*H when he directed his first theatrical film, 1981’s The Four Seasons, now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

The episodic comedy follows three well-to-do couples during a year in which they vacation together, once in each season from Spring to Winter. Alda and Carol Burnett are one couple, Len Cariou and Sandy Dennis another, and Jack Weston and Rita Moreno yet another. Bess Armstrong joins the group as a replacement for Dennis following Cariou’s dumping of Dennis after the first trip. She comes back briefly during the third.

It’s basically just a charming trifle, but it was a box-office hit in its day and was nominated for Golden Globes for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy, and for the performances of Alda and Burnett. Commentary is provided by entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman.

Kino Lorber has also released an upgraded Blu-ray of Robert Altman’s 1973 film The Long Goodbye from a novel by Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep).

Given a brand new 4K transfer, the film, which many consider Altman’s best, has never looked better. Elliott Gould makes a terrific Philip Marlowe, the disheveled L.A. private eye who gets involved in murder and mayhem with Nina van Pallandt (American Gigolo), Sterling Hayden (The Killing), and Mark Rydell On Golden Pond).

Extras include commentary by film historian Tim Lucas and lots of archival footage including interviews with Altman and Gould.

Shout! Factory has released Blu-rays of 1968’s No Way to Treat a Lady and 1964’s Lady in a Cage, two Paramount films that have also been released in the format by Australia’s Imprint label. The transfers are from the same source material, but extras on both releases are different.

Shout! Factory’s release of Jack Smight’s No Way to Treat a Lady contains just one extra, a lively interview with film historian Kim Newman, who reminds us that the film was based on the serial killings of The Boston Strangler, which was the title of the 20th Century-Fox film of the same year with Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda.

No Way to Treat a Lady takes a more comedic approach with Rod Steiger as the serial killer and George Segal as the detective on the case. Lee Remick co-stars as a woman who has seen Steiger in one of his disguises which puts her in jeopardy when she becomes Segal’s girlfriend.

Shout! Factory’s release of Walter Grauman’s Lady in a Cage features of a film commentary with film historian David Del Valle and filmmaker David DeCoteau as well as an interview with the previously mentioned Kim Newman.

Lady in a Cage is a film with a notorious reputation that has not aged well.

Allegedly written for Joan Crawford in the wake of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Crawford passed on it and made Strait-Jacket instead. It was then offered to Olivia de Havilland who jumped at the chance. It would be her next to last over-the-title role on screen. Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte, in which she also replaced Crawford, would be her last.

De Havilland plays a wealthy middle-aged woman recovering from a broken hip for which she has had an elevator installed to take her from floor to floor in her house. Left alone by her son, who she believes has gone for the weekend but who has really left her for good, she becomes trapped in her elevator (or cage) when the power goes out. The house is then invaded by an alcoholic bum (Jeff Corey) who brings along his hustler girlfriend (Ann Sothern), after which the house is invaded again by a trio of thugs (James Caan, Jennifer Billingsley, and Rafael Campos). Gruesome crime and murder follow.

Sothern’s is the only likable character in it. When the producers balked at her murder in a pre-release screening, the scene was cut, leaving it to look like she was locked in a closet and forgotten, which is what many think should have happened to the film itself.

This week’s new Blu-ray releases include Weathering with You and Zeroes and Ones.