New releases: ‘Raiders!’ chronicles the enduring enthusiasms of childhood

New on Blu-ray

“Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made” (Drafthouse Films DVD/Blu-ray combo pack, $34.95)

In the ’80s, a trio of Mississippi adolescents spent years on a quixotic quest to re-create every shot of the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on home video, despite limited resources and a cast that kept aging dramatically. The documentary “Raiders!” tells the story of that nearly decade-long shoot, and explains how the incomplete fan film was discovered and touted by prominent cinephiles, prompting the now-grown producers to reunite and finish their one remaining scene. “Raiders!” is more entertaining when it focuses on the creativity of kids, rather than their mundane adult lives (which are marked by personal troubles and conflicts that are never as compelling as they’re meant to be). But the footage from the actual DIY blockbuster tribute is incredibly charming; and on the whole, this is a sweet, inspiring doc about the enduring enthusiasms of childhood.

[Special features: Two commentary tracks, deleted scenes, and an extensive Q&A from the film’s premiere]

VOD

“Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World” (available Aug. 19)

Cult-favorite German New Wave director Werner Herzog has made another of his free-ranging essay-style documentaries: “Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World,” in which he contemplates the rise of artificial intelligence and the Internet with his typical combination of analytical remove and deeply human concern. Herzog and his team travel the globe, spending time with people who’ve had their lives transformed by technology — some for the better, and many not. Too often, the film takes its subjects’ anecdotes and opinions at face value; but the diversity of perspectives helps keep “Lo and Behold” from being some Luddite screed. The questions Herzog raises about privacy and the meaning of “thinking” are both provocative and pertinent.

TV set of the week

Journalist Diane Sawyer and director Mike Nichols at Sony Pictures Studios on June 10, 2010.

(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press )

“American Masters: Mike Nichols” (FilmRise, $19.95; Blu-ray, $29.95)

Filmmaker and improv comedy legend Elaine May does justice to her former partner Mike Nichols in a PBS “American Masters” episode combining one of Nichols’ final on-camera interviews with an impressive string of celebrity testimonials. In just under an hour, May covers how her friend evolved from being one of the sharpest observers of American life in the ’50s and ’60s to becoming a respected and award-winning director of theater and movies. Because he did his best work in collaboration with actors like Dustin Hoffman (in “The Graduate”) and Meryl Streep (in “Postcards From the Edge”), Nichols often didn’t get the credit he deserved as one of the great artists of American cinema, but May skillfully makes the connection between their groundbreaking comedy and his work behind a camera.

[Special features: Bonus interview footage]

From the archives

“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Collector’s Edition” (Shout! Select Blu-ray, $34.93)

The folks at Shout! Factory have launched a new imprint — Shout Select — to release features-packed special editions of movies that don’t fit into their other lines. The first two releases, out this week, are John Carpenter’s TV biopic “Elvis” (with Kurt Russell as The King) and the gloriously oddball 1984 sci-fi comedy “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.” The latter stars Peter Weller as a neurosurgeon/rock star/adventurer who leads a rugged team of colorful specialists on a mission to thwart an alien invasion led by a mad Italian scientist (played by a shamelessly scenery-chewing John Lithgow). “Buckaroo Banzai” was a flop in theaters, but while it found an audience on home video, it still isn’t hailed enough as a work of mad genius. An inspired jumble of pop-culture references and dry in-jokes — wrapped in some cool-looking ’80s clothes — this movie should be rediscovered by every new generation of nerds.

[Special features: Two commentary tracks, deleted scenes, a vintage featurette, and a new two-hour retrospective documentary]

Three more to see

“The Angry Birds Movie” (Sony DVD, $30.99; Blu-ray, $38.99; 4K/3D, $45.99; also available on VOD); “Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words” (Criterion DVD, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.95); “Our Last Tango” (Strand DVD, $27.99)