This week sees some important catalog releases, including a selection of 4K-restored films from Hungarian director Miklós Jancsó, 4Ks of more Universal Alfred Hitchcock movies (and individual 4Ks of the first three Jurassic Parks), and Criterion’s release of Joseph Losey’s Holocaust drama Mr. Klein. But also there’s Dog. Dog is the directorial debut of Channing Tatum and his creative partner/screenwriter Reid Carolin and it confirms that they’ve developed a strong artistic sensibility whether or not Soderbergh is shooting their material, it has Magic Mike XXL‘s road trip and parade of goofy-but-lovable faces (one of the most endearing tangents involves Kevin Nash and Jane Adams as husband-and-wife pot growers) and the first Magic Mike‘s melancholy look at people (and dogs) who fall through the cracks of the American system. This isn’t really the goofy dogsitting comedy suggested by the trailer, nor the jingoistic rah-rah slop suggested by the Tatum character being a former troop. I want to avoid overselling it as a critique of the American military (perhaps the subplot about the dog’s White Dog combat training merits more attention than one scene), but its ambivalence on the subject is one of many things that makes it quite touching, especially with Tatum at the center giving a soulful-meathead performance as good as any of his previous ones. I didn’t realize just how much I loved Tatum’s earnest goofiness on-screen until he stopped making movies for four years, this performance (and this movie) is a reminder to never take him for granted again.

The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Vol 2 4K (Saboteur / Shadow of a Doubt / The Trouble with Harry / Marnie / Family Plot) (Universal)
The Beta Test (IFC)
The Carey Treatment (Warner Archive Collection)
Cursed (Shout Factory)
Dog (Warner)
The Ghost and the Darkness (Shout Factory)
Jurassic Park 4K (Universal)
Jurassic Park III 4K (Universal)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park 4K (Universal)
The Mechanic (Scorpion)
Miklós Jancsó Collection (The Round-Up/The Red and the White/The Confrontation/Winter Wind/Red Psalm/Electra, My Love) (Kino)
Mr. Klein (Criterion)
Pushing Hands (Film Movement)
Two for the Money (Shout Factory)
Uncharted (Sony)