Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalogue titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you\u2019re watching.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n PICK OF THE WEEK: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World<\/em><\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>A commercial disappointment upon its 2003 release, Ridley Scott\u2019s adaptation of Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey\u2013Maturin series has since become of the most revered titles in all of Dad Cinema, so Disney\u2019s new 4K release should find plenty<\/em> of willing buyers. And it\u2019s a contemporary classic for a reason; it\u2019s the kind of brainy yet expansive, nuanced yet spectacular literary epic that was once a cornerstone of the industry, and we\u2019re lesser for its loss. Captain Aubrey has become one of Russell Crowe\u2019s signature roles, a splendid vehicle for his unique mixture of brawn and soul, while Paul Bettany is spot-on as his right-hand man, and the picture looks and sounds better than ever in this first-rate 4K presentation. (Includes deleted scenes and trivia track.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n ON HULU<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n True History of the Kelly Gang<\/em><\/strong><\/a>:<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>Justin Kurzel\u2019s dramatization of the life and times of notorious Australian outlaw Ned Kelly \u2013 a folk hero whose outsized legend passed down from one generation to the next, with new fictions grafted on in every iteration \u2013 wisely apes that folk-tale quality, dazzling us with his flashy camera choreography, filling his frames with colorful personalities and operatic exaggerations, the better to distract us as he quietly loads the film with subtextual indictments<\/a> of toxic masculinity and nihilistic criminality<\/a>. George MacKay comes up a touch short in the lead, but the supporting cast lifts him up; of particular note are Nicholas Hoult as the shockingly amoral villain of the piece, and Russell Crowe, channeling Orson Welles channeling Falstaff, as the affable fellow who takes young Ned under his wing and teaches him to ruthlessly rob. True History<\/em> gives you the manic exhilaration of the best crime movies, but at a cost \u2013 its closing scenes burn it all down with unexpected force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ON BLU-RAY \/ DVD \/ VOD:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Legend of Ochi<\/em><\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>A24 isn\u2019t a big presence in the family movie space \u2014 it\u2019s hard to blame them, what with the dual domination of Disney and Illumination \u2014 but this fantasy adventure from first-time writer\/director Isaiah Saxon is well within the label\u2019s throwback spirit. Saxon is working less in the mold of contemporary family filmmaking than that of \u201880s films like The Dark Crystal, Return to Oz, <\/em>and The NeverEnding Story<\/em>, movies that weren\u2019t afraid to sprinkle a bit of darkness into their narratives. (Its title creature is a practical puppet, and an incredible one<\/a>, so mark that up as a win as well.) The vibes of the quaint little village at the story\u2019s center are immaculate, leading lady Helena Zengel is charismatic without straining for sympathy, and Willem Dafoe is so perfect for her dad, you wonder if they could\u2019ve even made the damn thing had passed on the role. (Includes audio commentary, deleted scene, and featurette.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n ON 4K:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cairo Station<\/em><\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Egyptian director Youssef Chahine joins the Criterion Collection with his 1958 cause c\u00e9l\u00e8bres, set entirely at the train station dubbed \u201cthe heart of the capital\u201d by Madbouli (Hassan el Baroudi), the kindly newsagent who sees and hears all. In the opening scenes, Chahine seems to have created something of a slice-of-life workplace comedy, observing the normies, weirdos, and in-betweens that both make their living at the Cairo Station or pass through it on their way to their real lives. But when Madbouli takes pity on the drifter Qinawi (played by the director himself) and gives him a job, things take a decidedly more sinister turn. The result feels both geographically specific and altogether universal, just as its characters are simultaneously of their moment and distressingly of ours<\/a>. (Includes documentaries, new and archival interviews, and essay by Joseph Fahim.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n