In collaboration with The Great Guidance, the team at 3-D Film Archive have masterfully and lovingly restored 1953’s ultra-low-budget classic B-Movie Robot Monster to its full 3-D glory - and it’s amazing! Shot on location in Bronson Canyon on a budget of around $16,000 dollars over four days, Phil Tucker’s creation may be one of the silliest films ever made but it was a box office smash and proof that some amazing 3-D photography could be achieved with very very little. I was among one of the fortunate few Hu-Mans to get to see the great and powerful Ro-Man as he was meant to be seen on the big screen.
On May 17th, a gathering of my fellow 3-D enthusiasts caught a double-feature screening of Abbott and Costello’s Jack and the Beanstalk and Robot Monster at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University campus hosted by 3-D Film Archive’s Bob Furmanek and Greg Kitnz. The evening opened with Jack and the Beanstalk which was a marvelous restoration effort (see our Blu-ray review) and it was quite something to see it projected in front of an audience. Before I’d only seen the film at home and I thought it was entertaining, but the humor and child-like fun are best experienced with an audience.
But the main attraction of the night was most certainly Robot Monster. After years of neglect at the hands of a recently departed rights holder, Bob and Greg and the rest of the 3-D Film Archive team were finally able to restore this three-dimensional gem and the results were amazing. Prior to this viewing I’d only been able to experience Robot Monster in 3-D on a terrible Anaglyph tape. On top of the generally bad Anapglyph work, large segments were flat without any dimension at all. Up to that point, the best visual experience I’ve had with the film was thanks to the hilarious spin on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
This restoration was a treat as soon as I popped on my Dolby Cinema 3D Glasses! As anyone out there collecting 3-D Film Archive’s wide range of classic three-dimensional films knows well, Bob Furmanek, Greg Kintz, and the rest of the restoration team are miracle workers. They can take something as abused and neglected as Revenge of the Shogun Women and restore it to something grand. After an amazingly successful Kickstarter campaign, Robot Monster is another amazing achievement. Apparently sourced from the best print elements available, the film has never looked this good in many, many decades. It may be one damned goofy movie but you can now fully appreciate the wide range of techniques and visual tricks Phil Tucker and his crew accomplished in very little shooting time with barely two months of post-production.
Watching George Barrows march around in a hundred-pound gorilla suit in the middle of a hot California summer is one thing, but it’s striking to see it in properly restored 3-D! And thankfully I wasn’t the only one there having a blast. Surveying the audience, everyone there looked and sounded like they were enjoying every goofy minute! I was grateful my calendar suddenly opened up and I could afford the time to trek the three hours into Buckeye territory because it was worth catching both of these films on the big screen with a Hu-Man audience but on July 25th you can bring Ro-Man home!
3-D Film Archive has teamed up with Bay View Entertainment to distribute Robot Monster on Blu-ray July 25th and it's now up for pre-order! The release will come with a standard digital 3-D perfect for your still-surviving 3-D Television or your awesome home theater projector. Now if you don’t have a 3-D TV or projector, a Red/Blue Anaglyph 3D version will be included so you can experience this film as it was meant to be seen on any home theater setup! 2D will be available too, but honestly, 3D is where it’s at. And more big-screen showings are on the way! Keep an eye on 3-D Film Archive’s Facebook Page or if you were a Kickstarter backer, tickets for future screenings will be going up for pre-order soon. We don’t have exact dates, times. or locations but when we do you can make sure we’ll let you all know so you secure your seat to the best show in town!
For an extra bit of fun, if you live in or near Pasadena, California and plan on going to Monsterpaluza, you can meet little Johnny himself! Actor Gregory Moffett will be in attendance signing autographs and taking your Robot Monster Blu-ray orders!
You Must! The Great Guidance Commands It! It Is Part Of The Plan!
The comedy/drama based on the novel by Judy Blume starring Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson and Kathy Bates arrives on Digital on June 6 and on demand June 27. The Blu-ray is scheduled to hit stores on July 11.
In this long-awaited movie adaption of Judy Blume’s classic, groundbreaking novel, eleven-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates). A timeless coming-of-age story, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret sparkles with insightful humor while candidly exploring life’s biggest questions.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. - Blu-ray
The Blu-ray includes a Dolby Atmos soundtrack and the following supplements:
Pre-order your Blu-ray now and check out the full press release:
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SANTA MONICA, CA (May 2, 2023) – The beloved and best-selling classic that has impacted generations, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. arrives on Digital June 6, On Demand June 27, and on Blu-ray™ + DVD + Digital Combo and DVD July 11 from Lionsgate. Abby Ryder Fortson (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Forever My Girl) is joined by a remarkable all-star cast, including Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Mean Girls), Benny Safdie (Licorice Pizza, Good Time), and Kathy Bates (TV’s “American Horror Story,” Misery). Written for the screen and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen), Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. will be available for the suggested retail prices of $39.99 for Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Combo, and $29.96 for DVD.
In this long-awaited movie adaption of Judy Blume’s classic, groundbreaking novel, eleven-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates). A timeless coming-of-age story, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret sparkles with insightful humor while candidly exploring life’s biggest questions.
Written for the Screen and Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig. Based on the Book by Judy Blume. Produced by James L. Brooks, p.g.a., Julie Ansell, p.g.a., Richard Sakai, Kelly Fremon Craig, p.g.a., Judy Blume, Amy Lorraine Brooks, Aldric La’auli Porter. Executive Producer Jonathan McCoy.
BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:
CAST:
Rachel McAdams The Notebook, Mean Girls
Abby Ryder Fortson Ant-Man and the Wasp, Forever My Girl
Elle Graham TV’s “Secrets of Sulphur Springs”
Benny Safdie Licorice Pizza, Good Time
and Kathy Bates TV’s “American Horror Story,” Misery
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2022
Title Copyright: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. © 2023, Artwork & Supplementary Materials ®, ™ & © 2023 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Type: New Release
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material involving sexual education and some suggestive material
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Feature Run Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: Spanish, French, English SDH
Blu-ray™ Format: 1080p High Definition 16x9 (1.85:1) Presentation
Blu-ray Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Audio
DVD Format: 16x9 (1.85:1) Presentation
DVD Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Audio, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Audio
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The action-horror comedy co-starring Nicholas Hoult as the titular RENFIELD will sink its teeth into Blu-ray on June 6.
Read our film review for RENFIELD here.
Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss: Dracula (Nicolas Cage). For centuries, Renfield has slavishly served Dracula by procuring his master’s prey and doing his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, Renfield is ready to look for a new life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness, if only he can figure out how to end the toxic, co-dependent relationship...
Looks like no 4K release here, but the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack and several supplements:
Pre-orders are already available and here is the full press release:
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Universal City, California, May 30, 2023 – Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage stars as Dracula in the side-splitting, action-packed new cult classic, RENFIELD, available to own on Digital, Blu-rayTM and DVD June 6, 2023 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Soaked with bloody fun and overflowing with toxic relationships, RENFIELD comes home in a Dracula Sucks Edition with 60 minutes of darkly humorous and captivating never-before-seen bonus content, including deleted scenes and featurettes that dives deeper into the cutting-edge comedy and the secrets behind turning a classic tale into a modern monster movie.
“Super fun from start to finish” (Buzzfeed), RENFIELD features an immortal cast alongside Cage including Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men franchise), Awkwafina (The Farewell, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings), Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation”, “House of Lies”), Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, iGilbert), Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog, “House of Saddam”), and Brandon Scott Jones (“Ghosts”, “The Good Place”). Directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) and written by Ryan Ridley (“Rick & Morty”, “Community”) from a story by Robert Kirkman (“The Walking Dead”, “Invincible”), the edgy horror comedy is produced by Skybound Entertainment and Giant Wildcat.
Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss: Dracula (Nicolas Cage). For centuries, Renfield has slavishly served Dracula by procuring his master’s prey and doing his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, Renfield is ready to look for a new life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness, if only he can figure out how to end the toxic, co-dependent relationship...
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES ON DIGITAL, BLU-RAYTM & DVD:
FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Nicolas Cage
Music By: Marco Beltrami
Costume Designer: Lisa Lovaas
Editors: Zene Baker ACE, Ryan Folsey, Giancarlo Ganziano
Production Designer: Alec Hammond
Director of Photography: Mitchell Amundsen
Executive Producers: Todd Lewis
Produced By: Chris McKay, Samantha Nisenboim, Bryan Furst, Sean Furst, Robert Kirkman, David Alpert
Alpert p.g.a.
Screen Story By: Robert Kirkman
Screenplay By: Ryan Ridley
Directed By: Chris McKay
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAYTM:
Street Date: June 6, 2023 (US)
Selection Number: 1000827192 (US)
Layers: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen
Rating: R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use
Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian and Latin American Spanish
Languages/Sound: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (DTS Digital Surround 5.1) and Latin American Spanish (DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1)
Run Time: 01:33:27
TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:
Street Date: June 6, 2023 (US)
Selection Number: 1000827193 (US)
Layers: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use
Subtitles: English SDH, Complex Mandarin, French Canadian, Korean and Latin American Spanish
Languages/Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1) and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 01:33:33
Sony's latest horror film based on the files of Father Gabriele Amorth is set to purge Blu-ray from its demons on June 13.
Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe; 2000, Best Actor, Gladiator), The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.
The Blu-ray + Digital package will include a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack and supplements include:
● Introducing Father Amorth
● What Possessed You?
Curiously, there isn't a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release pegged yet, but we'll keep an eye out on the import markets just in case. Order your copy today and here is the full press release:
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Run Time: Approx. 103 Mins.
Rating: R: Violent content, language, sexual references, and some nudity
Blu-ray™: 1080p High Definition / 2.39:1 • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English - Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Mastered in High Definition • Color • Some of the information in the above listing may not apply to Special Features.
DVD: 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English - Audio Description Track 2-Channel Surround • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Some of the information in the above listing may not apply to Special Features.
Ah yes, what it feels like to go broke. 65, D&D, Violet Evergarden, Criterion, Arrow Video all beckoning. A relatively busy 4K Tuesday and a pretty large blu-ray slate too. Thieves with honor that are not Robin Hood, hmmmmm.
Welcome to Volume 3 Episode 52 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of May 28th - June 3rd, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
New releases first. We have moved the Cocaine Bear 4K UK import to 'Postponed' as it still seems unavailable to order, despite having a Monday release date. So, on to domestic Tuesday releases.
From Sony Pictures, 65 with Adam Driver. The premise gives me a bit of a Planet of the Apes vibe, but having never seen it, I'm probably wrong.
Next, from Paramount, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, available as a standard edition and as a SteelBook edition. This film is not your father's D&D film, but each have their own merits.
Closing out new releases, a genre that doesn't frequent the 4K charts, Violet Evergarden: The Movie, which is available as a standard edition and a limited edition.
Pair of horror/thriller release from Scream Factory with The Haunting and Wes Craven's The People Under The Stairs.
From Arrow Video, The Last Starfighter debuts to 4K disc. Memories of playing the video game on the Atari computer come out for this one.
Classic Film-Noir The Night of the Hunter comes to us via Kino Lorber.
'Paramount Presents' release The Nutty Professor (1963) also dons a 4K disc this week. Oh that Jerry Lewis!
Severin Films also plays the 4K game this week with Drowning by Numbers.
Thelma & Louise gets the Criterion Collection treatment this week.
If you purchase direct from their site, Vinegar Syndrome's releases of A Blade in the Dark and Showgirls come out this week. If you prefer to wait for a different merchant, it's probably going to be two months.
In the double-dip category, Sony Pictures follows their standard playbook and upgrades Cliffhanger from HDR10 to Dolby Vision, with a SteelBook instead of a regular case. And Paramount releases another mega-set, Transformers Limited Edition 6-Movie Collection [SteelBook], no doubt to tie in with the latest upcoming Tranformers Beast Wars film.
Just for reference, next week has a bunch of double-dipping, but we do get another Criterion Collection release and the anticipated Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above releases: Sony releases 65, Paramount releases Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, anime Violet Evergarden: The Movie from Crunchyroll, Thelma & Louise from Criterion and Drowning by Numbers from Severin.
From the Warner Archive Collection, The Boy with Green Hair, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear, King Solomon's Mines (1950), Looney Tunes Collector's Choice: Volume 1 and Queen Christina.
A 2023 drama from Warner Bros titled A Good Person.
Severin Films releases Danza Macabra Vol. One: The Italian Gothic Collection, a rather handsome looking box set if I do say so myself.
Anime highlights include Requiem of the Rose King - Part 2, Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy and A Wind Named Amnesia.
New drama/thriller from Universal titled Inside, which stars Willem Dafoe. Or how about a biography drama about Donna Summer titled Spinning Gold?
Collectors of Kino Lorber's Film-Noir box sets should be looking for Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XIV this week.
One word: AVATAR - all other news is very small by comparision. Avatar is finally getting a 4K release and Avatar: The Way of Water is getting 4K, blu-ray and 3D blu-ray releases on June 20th. Don't forget all the retailer exclusives as well. Check out the news story here!
Universal will be releasing Les Misérables (2012) and Battlestar Galactica: The Movie to 4K disc July 11. Jaws 2 will be available on July 4th, if you want the SteelBook/giftset this time though, you have to import it.
Rio Bravo and East of Eden will both be available on 4K disc from Warner Bros on July 18.
Arrow Video's August titles include Unman, Wittering and Zigo, New Fist of Fury, The Last House on the Left 4K and Weird Science 4K. The UK will also see Time Bandits on 4K, but the Criterion release is coming June 13th. The UK release has a little bit of swag if that is more appealing to you.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
James Cameron's sci-fi fantasy adventures Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water are finally coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs on June 20th. After following the advanced Streeming-only release structure similar to last year's mega-hit Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water will finally come to disc with new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, AND Blu-ray 3D - with retailer exclusives to boot! There's a lot to dig into for each of these releases, but at the start - it's nice to see some effort from Disney in this regard.
Read Bryan's Theatrical Review - Read Matthew's 4K Streaming Review
Now that is A LOT of Avatar to digest! So on top of the remastered original Avatar getting its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray debut, the sequel charges onto disc with multiple editions and retailer exclusives. Of the retailer exclusives, I'd be into that Best Buy SteelBook if it was actually accurate to the movie with Jake sporting his machine gun and NOT a stupid spear, so I'm giving Walmart the edge on the exclusives. Target once again shows their cards for not really caring about Physical Media with what is basically the standard 4K package... with a decal you can stick on your phone, tablet, or water bottle apparently! Whoohooo! (sarcasm)
Now for the best and most important details - the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray will finally see Disney/20th Century Studios release a BD-100 disc. Our press assets didn't list HDR grade, but I'm assuming they'd simply opt for HDR10 only. Atmos will be included along with an extra Blu-ray disc set for Bonus Features. The standard Blu-ray will only offer DTS-HD MA 5.1 but wildly enough the Blu-ray 3D disc will include DTS-HD 7.1 audio - it's not Atmos, but hey, it's better than the standard Blu-ray! Sadly there doesn't appear to be a 4K UHD + 3D Blu-ray combo pack available, at least here in the states. Other territories like Japan might offer that, they've been the one carrying the Disney 3D torch the last few years with their combo releases, so we'll keep our eyes out for that.
These aren't yet up for pre-order yet - but we expect them to start popping soon and when they wdo we'll update our listings so you can secure those orders ASAP.
Here's the full press release and spec sheet:
4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY™ 3D, BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL
PRODUCT AND SPECS FACT SHEET
Product Specifications
Street Date
Digital: March 28
Physical: June 20
Product SKUs
Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD
Physical: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + Digital Code), & DVD
Feature Run Time
Approx. 192 minutes
Rating
U.S. Rated PG-13
**For sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity, and some strong language
Aspect Ratio
Digital: 1.85
Physical: 1.85:1
Disc Size
4K UHD: 100GB
Blu-ray 3D: 50GB
Blu-ray: 50GB
DVD: 8.5GB
Bit Rate Actuals
4K UHD: 45 ABR
Blu-ray 3D: 29.5 ABR
Blu-ray: 23.3 ABR
DVD: 4 ABR
U.S. Audio
Digital: English 5.1/2.0, English Atmos (for some platforms), English 7.1 (for some platforms), English AD, French (for some platforms), Spanish (for some platforms)
Physical:
4K UHD: English 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital
3D Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA , English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA , English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
U.S. Subtitles
Digital: English SDH, French (for some platforms), Spanish (some platforms)
Physical: English SDH, French, Spanish
Bonus Features*
Inside Pandora's Box (A series of featurettes on the challenges facing cast and crew as filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema)
Building the World of Pandora – James Cameron and a team of talented artists combine years of research with their design skills to build the world of Pandora with new characters, creatures, indigenous clans, underwater environments and the take-no-prisoners hard-tech world of the RDA.
Capturing Pandora – James Cameron’s approach to performance capture has the cast performing in a volume rigged with infrared cameras to capture their movement, and head rig cameras to capture emotion on their faces with only the boundaries of imagination to limit them.
The Undersea World of Pandora – Co-production designer Dylan Cole and his team conceive of the marine creatures required for Avatar: The Way of Water while James Cameron and his stunt team devise extraordinary means to bring those creatures to life in a performance capture tank.
The Challenges of Pandora's Waters – James Cameron tackles the “non-trivial challenge” of performance capture above and below the water’s surface, utilizing a wave machine and current generator to reproduce ocean conditions, and underwater vehicles to replicate creature movement.
Pandora’s Returning Characters – James Cameron reunites with his returning cast – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Together they discuss the amazing evolution of their characters in Avatar: The Way of Water.
Pandora’s Next Generation – Meet the talented young newcomers who have been cast as the next generation of Na’vi and follow them through the adventure of making Avatar: The Way of Water.
Spider's Web – James Cameron introduced the human character of Spider into the fabric of Pandora – thus creating a host of technological challenges on set…and an incredible journey for the young actor, Jack Champion.
Becoming Na’vi – The Avatar cast is immersed in the culture of the indigenous Na’vi, living off the land in the Hawaiian rainforest and training in a multitude of disciplines in preparation for their roles.
The Reef People of Pandora – In true James Cameron-style, the Metkayina reef clan has been developed with great attention to detail, bearing unique evolutionary traits and a culture – with new dwellings, new clothes and different way of life – all a result of living off the ocean.
Bringing Pandora to Life – Once James Cameron completes his virtual production process, every sequence is turned over to Wētā FX to bring Pandora to life – with unprecedented advancements in facial performance, environments and making CG water look real.
The RDA Returns to Pandora – Co-production designer Ben Procter and his team present an armada of new vehicles and human technologies that the RDA brings to Pandora – in concept design and with practical builds.
The New Characters of Pandora – Meet the important new characters of the Avatar saga played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell and Jemaine Clement.
The Sounds of Pandora – Hear how James Cameron worked with composer Simon Franglen to create the distinctive music of The Way of Water while building on James Horner’s brilliant score for Avatar, and learn how Chris Boyes created the immersive sounds of Pandora.
New Zealand – Pandora’s Home – The production of the Avatar sequels is so thoroughly ensconced in New Zealand that James Cameron considers The Way of Water a “New Zealand film.” Hear reflections from the cast and crew, including the remarkable New Zealand crew, on making the film.
More from Pandora's Box (Additional featurettes that highlight special teams within the production)
Casting – Discover the screen tests that won the talented young cast their roles in Avatar: The Way of Water.
Stunts – The Avatar stunt team isn’t just creating breathtaking action, they’re driving the story. From racing underwater on ilus, flying the skies on ikrans, to maneuvering RDA speed boats, the stunt team leaves you breathless and wanting more.
The Lab – Explore the Lightstorm Lab, the backbone of virtual production for the Avatar films. Comprised of specialized teams, the Lab builds & supports every aspect of the production – environments, motion edit, Kabuki, sequence, post-viz and software development.
The Troupe – Avatar’s Troupe is the Swiss Army Knife of acting, while playing dozens of roles on set, in the performance capture volume and on live-action sets, they bring life to Na’vi clans and RDA Recoms. They also play Na’vi-scale puppets on the live-action sets.
Marketing Materials & Music Video (Marketing materials used to build audience awareness of the film)
Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) Music Video – Multi-Grammy-winning, music superstar, The Weeknd, performs his emotionally packed end title song in the official music video for the smash hit “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).”
Theatrical Trailers 1 & 2 – Avatar: The Way of Water used two theatrical trailers to engage the audience. The first was a teaser trailer released 7 months before the film. The second was a standard trailer that premiered 5 weeks before the film’s release.
English Family Audio Track – 5.1 Dolby Digital
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
From the 'fury' of the gods to the latest Creed, or maybe even an import, I think this week has at least one movie for everyone.
Welcome to Volume 3 Episode 51 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of May 21st - May 27th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
The week begins with Import Monday and Arrow Video's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Limited Edition). If I were to take one for the team and order it, it would most certainly be a guarantee that Criterion Collection would announce the domestic 4K of this within 5 minutes of my shipping notice. I just have that kind of effect on the home video market.
Domestic Tuesday New Releases are dominated by Warner Bros and they start with Creed III, which is available as a standard edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook.
The sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods has three options to ponder, the standard edition, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook with a pretty bad-ass cover art, and a Walmart Exclusive that has some pretty tight imagery as well. Still missing from the 4K exclusives field as you have probably noticed is Target, they apparently have decided to take a step backwards and support the previous format.
Catalog titles: From Scream Factory, Brotherhood Of The Wolf.
Double-dips of sort, Crank gets a new SteelBook @ Best Buy and The Running Man gets a standard case release.
Next week looks like it's going to sting just a little bit, there are 16 skus domestically including the latest D&D movie, Adam Driver in '65,' some anime, and a few catalog titles get a 4K upgrade.
As we do every week, let's get the fresh blu-ray counterparts for any of the above titles listed first. Creed III gets a single release as well as a 3-film collection, almost an echo, Shazam! Fury of the Gods gets a single release, a Target Exclusive blu-ray edition that I would have considered if it was a 4K, and a 2-film collection is also an option.
The rest of the category is a bit slow though. I guess it's to save a bit of dough in preparation for next week.
From Vertical Entertainment, thriller Last Sentinel.
Anime highlights include DATE A LIVE IV - The Complete Season, Majestic Prince: The Complete Series and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs - Season 1.
Criterion Collection has drama/fantasy Petite Maman this week.
TV on disc this week has one title, Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Complete Series.
Honorable mention: Fans of the original film should recognize it, V/H/S/99 comes out this week via RLJ/Shudder Originals.
Although there were a handful of announcements, they have been onesie twosie sort of announcements, and may not have a wide appeal, so we will keep this section brief this week.
Criterion Collection's August Slate has been announced, do check it out.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
August's Criterion Collection titles include Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (4K Ultra HD Blu-ray), as well as Blu-ray editions of Wayne Wang's Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, Bo Widerberg's New Swedish Cinema - a boxed set of four poetic and political films, and finally Cauleen Smith's Drylongso.
Starting off the month on August 8 is a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams.
Unfolding in a series of eight mythic vignettes, this late work by Akira Kurosawa was inspired by the beloved director’s own nighttime visions, along with stories from Japanese folklore. In a visually sumptuous journey through the master’s imagination, tales of childlike wonder give way to apocalyptic apparitions: a young boy stumbles on a fox wedding in a forest; a soldier confronts the ghosts of the war dead; a power-plant meltdown smothers a seaside landscape in radioactive fumes. Interspersed with reflections on the redemptive power of creation, including a richly textured tribute to Vincent van Gogh (who is played by Martin Scorsese), Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams is both a showcase for its maker’s artistry at its most unbridled and a deeply personal lament for a world at the mercy of human ignorance.
1990 • 120 minutes • Color • 2.0 surround • In Japanese with English subtitles • 1.85:1 aspect ratio
4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• 4K digital restoration, supervised by cinematographer Shoji Ueda, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring film scholar Stephen Prince
• Feature-length documentary from 1990 shot on set and directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi
• Interviews with production manager Teruyo Nogami and assistant director Takashi Koizumi
• Documentary from 2011 by director Akira Kurosawa’s longtime translator Catherine Cadou, featuring interviews with filmmakers Bernardo Bertolucci, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Martin Scorsese, Hayao Miyazaki, and others
• Trailer
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri and Kurosawa’s script for a never-filmed ninth dream, introduced by Nogami
Up next on August 15 is Wayne Wang's Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart.
Wayne Wang’s follow-up to his watershed indie Chan Is Missing is a family portrait that gracefully combines the director’s signature gentle humanism and eye for poignant detail. Offering another fresh perspective on San Francisco’s Chinese American community, Wang takes a bittersweet look at the generational pas de deux between an aging immigrant widow and her devoted daughter, torn between filial duty and her own desires. Soulfully performed by an ensemble including real-life mother and daughter Kim and Laureen Chew and Victor Wong, the Yasujiro Ozu–inspired Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart is as lovingly made as the home-cooked cuisine it celebrates.
1985 • 84 minutes • Color • Monaural • In English and Cantonese with English subtitles • 1.78:1 aspect ratio
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• High-definition digital master of a new director’s cut, supervised by director Wayne Wang, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• New conversation between Wang and filmmaker and film scholar Arthur Dong
• Interview from 2004 with actor Laureen Chew
• English subtitle translation and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by scholar Brian Hu
Bo Widerberg’s New Swedish Cinema - a collection of four films from the Swedish auteur arrives on August 22.
Driven by a desire to forge a socially conscious Swedish cinema—one that broke with the inward-looking psychodrama of Ingmar Bergman to give dynamic expression to the everyday experiences of working-class Swedes—writer Bo Widerberg turned to filmmaking in the early 1960s, realizing his ambition in politically committed yet poetic works that merge social-realist themes with a refined, often breathtakingly beautiful visual sensibility. Dramatizing the struggles of ordinary people fighting to chart their own destiny, these four acclaimed, popular, and pivotal films from Widerberg’s most prolific period live and breathe with a rare vitality—and helped launch a new Swedish cinema.
FOUR-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New restorations, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
• New introduction to director Bo Widerberg by filmmaker Ruben Östlund
• New interviews with actor Tommy Berggren and cinematographer Jörgen Persson
• The Boy and the Kite (1962), a short film by Widerberg and Jan Troell, with an introduction by Troell
• Swedish television interviews with Widerberg from the 1960s
• Behind-the-scenes footage from the making of Elvira Madigan
• PLUS: An essay by film historian Peter Cowie and excerpts by Widerberg from his 1962 book Vision in Swedish Film
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THE BABY CARRIAGE 1963 • 95 minutes • Black & White • Monaural • In Swedish with English subtitles • 1.33:1 aspect ratio
Infused with a jazzy, nouvelle vague–inspired energy, Bo Widerberg’s feature debut has the freshness of youth. Building on his manifesto’s call for a socially relevant Swedish cinema, the writer turned director offers a vivid portrait of a young factory worker (Inger Taube) finding her way toward independence as she weathers unexpected pregnancy, learns hard lessons from relationships with two very different men, and leaves behind the only home she has ever known. Abetted by fellow filmmaker Jan Troell’s coolly beautiful monochrome cinematography, Widerberg takes a bold first step in his mission to create a cinema that is both engaged and engaging.
RAVEN’S END 1963 • 100 minutes • Black & White • Monaural • In Swedish with English subtitles • 1.37:1 aspect ratio
A period piece that forgoes nostalgia in favor of a stark examination of working-class struggle, Bo Widerberg’s second feature unfolds in 1936 in the director’s hometown of Malmö. It’s there, in the poor district of Raven’s End, that young Anders (Widerberg’s regular collaborator Tommy Berggren) chases his dream of becoming a writer while growing increasingly disillusioned with the dead-end world that surrounds him: an alcoholic father, a toiling mother, and the ominous specter of Nazism. Delivering a bracing jolt of kitchen-sink realism to Swedish cinema, Widerberg paints an unsparing portrait of youthful idealism bumping up against economic despair.
ELVIRA MADIGAN 1967 • 90 minutes • Color • Monaural • In Swedish with English subtitles • 1.66:1 aspect ratio
Bo Widerberg reached new heights of visual lyricism with this sublime retelling of a real-life nineteenth-century romantic tragedy. Bound by their all-consuming desire, a young circus tightrope walker (Pia Degermark, winner of the Cannes Best Actress prize) and a lieutenant (Tommy Berggren) with a wife and children forsake everything to be together and escape to the countryside—only to see their lovers’ idyll gradually give way to poverty and desperation. With its painterly, sun-dappled images and indelible use of Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 21, this 1960s art-house sensation is the most ravishing expression of Widerberg’s recurring theme of the tension between individual freedom and social responsibility.
ÅDALEN 31 1969 • 114 minutes • Color • Monaural • In Swedish with English subtitles • 2.39:1 aspect ratio
One of Bo Widerberg’s most explicitly political works imbues the true story of a 1931 labor strike with a powerful contemporary resonance. In the industrial district of Ådalen, in the north of Sweden, a peaceful demonstration takes a tragic turn, leading to a historic general strike. Amid these events, the teenage Kjell (Peter Schildt) experiences sacrifice and strife, love and loss, and the consequences of this shocking violence. Working once again with Elvira Madigan cinematographer Jörgen Persson—who captures shimmering, light-filled images in graceful widescreen—Widerberg entwines a stirring portrait of resistance with an intimate coming-of-age journey for a vision of history that feels vibrantly, urgently alive. |
And finally on August 29 is the Blu-ray debut of Cauleen Smith's Drylongso.
A rediscovered treasure of 1990s DIY filmmaking, Cauleen Smith’s Drylongso embeds an incisive look at racial injustice within a lovingly handmade buddy movie/murder mystery/romance. Alarmed by the rate at which the young Black men around her are dying, brash Oakland art student Pica (Toby Smith) attempts to preserve their existence in Polaroid snapshots, along the way forging a friendship with a woman in an abusive relationship (April Barnett) and experiencing love, heartbreak, and the everyday threat of violence. Capturing the vibrant community spirit of Oakland in the nineties, Smith crafts both a rare cinematic celebration of Black female creativity and a moving elegy for a generation of lost African American men.
1998 • 81 minutes • Color • Monaural • 1.33:1 aspect ratio
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Cauleen Smith, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• New conversation between Smith and film scholar Michael B. Gillespie
• Short films by Smith, including Chronicles of a Lying Spirit by Kelly Gabron, Songs for Earth & Folk, Lessons in Semaphore, Egungun (Ancestor Can’t Find Me), Remote Viewing, and Suffolk, with a new introduction by Smith
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film scholar Yasmina Price
Pre-Orders should be available soon!
Happy Mother's Day... or as some calendars say, Mothers Day. Whichever is correct, hope you have a good one.
With a trio of Ant-Man releases, it's ant season all around, both on the small screen and on my kitchen counters, plus Guy Ritchie's Operation Fortune, Star Trek, as well as a remake of a classic, and a classic, and that's just the 4K category.
Welcome to Volume 3 Episode 50 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of May 14th - May 20th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
The 4K category is ramping up after a few weeks of calm, the next peak will be May 30th. There are no notable Monday imports so let's roll with domestic Tuesday.
From the MCU and Disney, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, with three options to pick from. We can choose from a standard edition, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook and lastly a Walmart Exclusive. Standard Disney Disclaimer: Run time >2 hours, BD66 disc with HDR10 on the disc and Dolby Vision on the streaming version only.
New Guy Ritchie film Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, starring Jason Statham, an action comedy at that.
If you waited for the 4K, that is great, but if you did not preorder, you might be out of luck. I'm referring to the SteelBook release of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Season One. A standard edition is coming next month though, and there's always the possibility of other retailers (NOT Amazon) having it in stock.
Paramount Pictures gives us the 2003 version of The Italian Job. Kino Lorber did the original 1969 release back in January. Also from Paramount, a non-SteelBook/standard release for Shooter.
And closing out the category, Kino Lorber brings us the original 1974 release of The Longest Yard. Does this mean Paramount will flop when Kino flips and give us the remake in 4 months?
Next week looks similar to this, with just different titles. A trio of Shazam releases, Creed III, and a few classics.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above titles, Disney releases Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, LionsGate releases Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and Kino Lorber offers up The Longest Yard (1974).
New comedy from LionsGate with Moving On.
Currently on track for Tuesday, Hong Kong action films In the Line of Duty: I - IV from 88 Films.
Anime Highlights include Aharen-san wa Hakarenai: The Complete Season, The Dawn of the Witch: The Complete Season and The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody: The Complete Season.
TV on disc this week has only one title, Walker: Season Two.
From MVD's Rewind Collection, L.A. Wars.
New Wave Thriller from Criterion Collection titled Targets.
Warner Bros. has Max Fleischer's Superman this week. There have been reports though that this release might have some issues, so do proceed with caution.
Shout! Factory is bringing us The Magic Flute (2023).
Honorable Mention: The IP Man Universe gets another film from Well Go USA with Young Ip Man: Crisis Time.
Next week in the blu-ray categry it's all but a trickle.
Warner Bros has announced plans for National Lampoon's Vacation to 4K disc, with a street date of June 27. Again, absent from the US market is the Collector's Edition, you need to shop the UK market for that.
Kino Lorber has revealed that To Live and Die in L.A. is coming to blu-ray and 4K disc on July 18th.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
The first announced titles include Jerzy Skolimowski's Cannes Jury Prize winner and Academy Award nominee EO, Jafar Panahi's No Bears, Louis Garrel's The Innocent, Hlynur Pálmason's Godland, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Tori and Lokita, and Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch's The Eight Mountains.
The Criterion Collection and Janus Films' Janus Contemporaries home video library will feature first-run theatrical films on Blu-ray and DVD following their streaming premieres on The Criterion Channel.
As the premier U.S. distributor of international art house cinema, Janus is widely known for some of the greatest movies of all-time -- from legends such as Chantal Akerman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Ingmar Bergman, Jean Cocteau, the Coen brothers, Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, David Lynch, Yasujiro Ozu, Satyajit Ray, Ousmane Sembène, François Truffaut, Melvin Van Peebles, Agnès Varda, Wim Wenders, and Wong Kar.
"It's an exciting moment for Janus Films," said Peter Becker, president of Criterion and a partner in Janus Films. "With a more robust first-run lineup than it has had since the 1960s and powerful partnerships with theatrical specialists Sideshow and the Criterion Channel streaming service, Janus is uniquely well positioned to bring the best films from around the world to theaters and homes across North America. The launch of Janus Contemporaries completes that picture."
Janus Contemporaries Blu-ray titles will retail for $29.95 and DVDs will have a MSRP of $24.95 and it has been revealed that these titles will include new interviews from The Criterion Channel's Meet the Filmmakers series.
More to follow soon as autumn approaches, but you can check out the the full press release: in the meantime below:
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