Beverly Hills Cop 4K UHD Blu-ray

Coming to America 4K UHD Blu-ray

Coming to America 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook

Trading Places (Paramount Presents)

The Golden Child (Paramount Presents)

This week offers a couple of 4K disc releases, available in different SKUs. Let's get to it. Stanley Kubrick fans are up first --- Full Metal Jacket debuts on 4K disc this week, as a standard ediion, a Best Buy SteelBook edition, and lastly as part of a three pack, Stanley Kubrick 3 Film Collection, which also includes 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining. It probably was hard to predict there would be a 3-movie collection, so most of us are likely going to get Full Metal Jacket this week as we already own the other two. And the other 4K disc title this week, Whiplash, available as a standard edition and as a Best Buy SteelBook edition.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

There are no Digital HD releases for this week.

As far as physical disc releases, Paramount dominates the listings with 40+ releases. It should be obvious they have acquired the distribution rights to Miramax titles, and oh boy, the flood gates have opened. On a positive note though, if you held off on some of them, the street price for a lot of them is around $10, considerably less than the $20-25 price they were selling for under previous distributorships. You also get to skip paying $80 in the secondary market for a catalog release, so this week could be considered a win:win. Just look for the (reissue) in the title names and you've found the Miramax releases (of course there's ALWAYS an exception, this week it's the Ghostbusters reissue.) Under the Paramont label that is new this week though, Most Wanted, another one of those movies that skipped the theaters due to the COVID pandemic, priced to sell.

Criterion Collectors look for Christ Stopped at Eboli this week.

From Warner Bros, DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Fifth Season. I've not been following this series, but to see a fifth season tells me I should. Also from Warner, Rick and Morty: Season 4, available in a standard edition and a SteelBook release.

What's a week without anime in some shape or form? FUNimation brings us Dr. Stone: Season One, Part One. Also Part Two of Season One for the series Fairy gone. I seriously thought there would be a deluxe edition in here somewhere, it's FUNimation's style. Discotek's Jungle De Ikou comes out this week. Sentai brings us Wasteful Days of High School Girls: Complete Collection. And closing out the Anime highlights for the week, Shout Factory GKIDS brings us The Wind Rises. I seriously thought GKIDS had released all of the Studio Ghibli titles that Disney previously did already, did not look hard enough to realize this one was missed.

LionsGate is releasing Red Shoes and Seven Dwarfs on Blu-ray, a different take on the Snow White story. I got to mention this because those "Dove Approved" releases are hit and miss with Blu-ray releases. For a live action release, The Secret: Dare To Dream, probably another release that skipped the theaters due to current events. The plot sounds like one of those feel good movies.

The reissued release of The Vincent Price Collection comes to you from Scream/Shout Factory, this one has had a delay or two as well. This one is a perfect example of how petty the home video market can be sometimes, this reissue had to revise its extras due to licensing rights. Like it's going to be a huge deal if a behind the scenes featurette or deleted scene is so sacred that a reissue cannot contain it. This release is still quite extensive so don't let the new package scare you away.

For Friday releases, this week is above average for that as well. There are five releases in the arts category, and three different versions of The Rolling Stones: Steel Wheels Live.

Notable announcements from last week:

Delayed for the second time, Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Making a guess here, probably due to reduced manufacturing capacity related delays.

Warner Archive has announced that Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series will hit retailers on October 13th. I don't ever recall "and Dino Boy" being in the title of the series, no matter, it's the same series many of us watched in our childhoods.

FUNimation has announced their December releases. I see a few maybes in there, but nothing really jumps out at me. Azur Lane and the next volume of Dr. STONE are on my list. Also, Akira is getting a 4K disc release on 12/22. Also the next two SteelBook releases of Dragon Ball Z are coming as well in December.

Another Studio Ghibli title I had thought was released by GKIDS/Shout Factory already, but not, From Up on Poppy Hill. OK, seriously, are all the Disney releases now out or announced from GKIDS?

When we had our forums running, there was a thread on HD DVD titles not yet released on Blu-ray, I think Popeye was on it, well, now it's got a street date of Dec 1.

Criterion has announced their December titles as well, and guess what, they're releasing another BD/HD title that was announced to get a 4K release overseas, I'm referring to Cronenberg's Crash (1996) which actually never made it to Blu-ray. Again, Criterion, please, why are you not offering 4K releases? Practically every studio on the planet except you are now offering these. The other titles announced for December are Amores Perros, Mouchette and Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes by William Greaves.

Lastly on the announcements front, Vinegar Syndrome has announced its October slate, which are all due 10/27, which I must note, includes a 4K disc release, Dial Code Santa Claus.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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? I possibly have half of the Miramax titles on order, I never did get em back then. I will likely be picking up Full Metal Jacket 4K, just not sure of which release(leaning towards standard release.) Anime titles, the Dr. Stone, Fairy gone, Jungle De Ikou, KITE Liberator, Wasteful Days & The Wind Rises releases interest me, the latter is on order. Rick & Morty also could be an impulse buy, alas, which version? I like the SteelBook look better. Red Shoes & 7 Dwarfs could also be an impulse buy as well.

I guess I will get the reissue out of the way first. Although a reissue, it's a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook and available at a lower price point, so if you've been on the fence solely for price, this might be your sweet spot. First up, Goodfellas, known to me as one of the more modern mob movies that set a bar for others to meet or beat. Delayed two weeks to 9/29, Mad Max: Fury Road, which I am not a fan of this cover art at all. There have been a fair amount of recent SteelBooks with an overly orange cover art, I guess it is to match the red standard editions or something.

The remainder of the 4K releases this week debut on 4K disc for the first time. Alphabetically, they are 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Hocus Pocus (Standard Edition or Best Buy SteelBook) and Home Alone (Standard Edition or Best Buy SteelBook). The latter two were announced before the Covid pandemic and pre-date the rumored news of Disney no longer producing 4K discs of catalog releases so this point going forward I am watching Disney's actions to see if their rebuttal to the news holds water. Also keep in mind that Disney and Amazon's dispute is in its third year so we have provided Best Buy links if you are wanting to pre-order the standard editions. If you don't mind a sort of 'meh' cover art, Best Buy is also offering a SteelBook for 21 Jump Street / 22 Jump Street.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

There are no standalone digital releases this week. A handful of day and date releases with the disc versions are available though.

For disc releases there are a few noteworthy titles.

Criterion Collection brings us one title, Beau Travail. A semi-recent French film based on Herman Melville's Billy Budd.

Warner Archive has bundled 4 previous film noir releases into one package for this week, titled 4-Film Collection: Film Noir which includes Gun Crazy / Murder, My Sweet / Out of the Past / The Set-up. John Wayne's Flying Leathernecks gets its Blu-ray debut as well.

Kino Lorber is offering a handful of titles this week, Bob Hope fans will be happy to see The Cat and the Canary and The Ghost Breakers.

LionsGate's Vestron Video offerings present us with two releases this week, Little Monsters and Shivers. These two are priced to sell, hopefully this low-price model fares better than the $30 MSRP seen on previous Vestron releases and enough people buy these, so we can continue to go deeper into the Vestron library.

Would a week go by without anime releases? This week is not a big week, but Sentai Filmworks brings Bodacious Space Pirates: Complete Collection to Blu-ray Disc.  Also from Sentai this week, Z/X Code Reunion: Complete Collection, if only it had an English dub. FUNimation's general release of Cowboy Bebop: The Complete Series SteelBook streets this week. Shout Factory's GKIDS line has two versions of Weathering With You this week, a standard edition and a SteelBook edition. A 4K four-disc Collector's Set loaded with extras and swag is coming November 17th, so choose wisely.

Shout Factory's 'Shout Select' line brings us The TV Set this week. Most everything that Duchovny has been in has done fairly well, for Shout to invest in making this a Select title probably reinforces that statement.

Season Five of Outlander will be available this week as a standard edition and as a collector's edition. Sony has been pretty consistent with the dual offerings on this series, that's a nice touch.

Under the Paramount Presents label, Roman Holiday debuts this week in a 'Highly Recommended" release, follow the link, read our review, buy a copy for yourself. The only thing that would make this release better is if it was offered on a 4K disc, but don't let that detract you from a well produced HD release. Paramount also has a couple of budget priced titles this week, currently $9.99, they are Barefoot in the Park, The Phantom, Private Parts, The Sons of Katie Elder, Timeline, The Two Jakes, Uncommon Valor and Vampire in Brooklyn. These wallet friendly releases have a commonality in that they've got star power but maybe not that star's best movies, I would say they're certainly worth the $10 price tag.

There are a hanful of Friday releases, all special interest. Do take a look in case this means you.

Notable announcements from last week:

Mill Creek's September 15th titles got pushed to October 6th.

Scream Factory (Shout! Factory) has given a pre-lim announcement that they will be bringing us John Carpenter's They Live to 4K disc this fall. This a great news for those that held out importing it. Maybe they can secure the rights to the rest of the Carpenter 4K releases, or the originating studio will make an announcement soon. Back in 2018 StudioCanal had released Escape From New York, Prince of Darkness, The Fog and They Live,  which were released as collectable digipaks and SteelBook editions. At the time you could buy them for around $45, now they're reselling for over $200.

Also, LionsGate,  has officially announced (with a pre-order page) Total Recall (1990) in 4K. This is the same new transfer that StudioCanal is releasing in the UK. This promises to be quite the set, and the price is nice as well. Check out or recent news story on the topic.

Sentai Filmworks has announced their November titles, they are Assassins Pride: Complete Collection, The Garden of Words (SteelBook), Granbelm: Complete Collection, Hayate the Combat Butler: Ultimate Collection, Locke the Superman and Val X Love: Complete Collection.

RLJ Entertainment has added a 4K release for The Tax Collector, this one will be a SteelBook.

Universal has announced a 4K disc release for The Croods, slated for November 17th.

A Standard Edition and a Best Buy SteelBook have been announced for V For Vendetta. Also from Warner Bros/HBO, the series Chernobyl will be getting a 4K disc release on December 1st.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

I've got Hocus Pocus 4K (both releases) on order, Home Alone SteelBook on order, and the SteelBook of GoodFellas on order as well. I also am picking up both Vestron releases as well. Wishlist items include Bodacious Space Pirates, Roman Holiday, The TV Set and a majority of the Paramount value priced releases. If next week were not such a huge wallet buster week I probably would have already had the Paramount releases on order. The Z/X Code Reunion would also be on order if there were an English dub, maybe next time. As far as Weathering With You, I have the 4K set on order for November so I will pass on this week's versions.

For 4K disc releases though, there are a few choices this week. For animated titles, we see the 1995 version of Ghost in the Shell. Available as a standard edition and a Best Buy SteelBook. If you've known me over the years, I am sort of a critic on cover art, and each version seems to have their own merit here, personally I opted for the Best Buy edition but every time I look at the choices, I still feel a bit undecided on which one I like or hate. The SteelBook reminds me of a Mondo edition in that it has a slip cover that reveals something different underneath. This one is priced to sell in either edition. Next, a Superman animated title named Man of Tomorrow. This one is available as a standard release or as a Best Buy Exclusive, which the latter includes an exclusive collectable figure.

And now for live action titles. In case you missed this year's release of Invisible Man (2020), it is now available as a Best Buy SteelBook. Personally not a fan of this cover, but maybe you are, if so, enjoy. It appears to have a lower MSRP than the standard edition does, so there's that. And lastly in the live action 4K category, the Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection. I'm sure many of you are probably looking forward to Psycho, Rear Window or Vertigo, but my favorite is The Birds. Thus far, we have seen some incredible 4K discs of classic films, hopefully this set continues with the trend. Best Buy is also offering a 4K SteelBook of just Psycho.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

There are no digital HD releases slated for this week.

Now for disc releases though, there are a few to choose from. This week is sort of a 'low' week for September, which is OK.

Criterion Collection is releasing the Burt Lancaster film Brute Force this week. Also from Criterion this week, The Naked City. I have no insight on either, sorry.

In another pandemic skipped the theaters release, LionsGate brings us The Big Ugly this week. It has star power and the synopsis is generic enough that it could be a fair movie. As I've said in the past though, don't look for an Oscar from a film of this calibre. Also from LionsGate this week, maybe an afterthought, maybe a good movie? Anyway, they're releasing First Cow on disc this week. This one sounds like a comedy, but is listed as a drama, interesting, no? First Cow was released on 4K digital already, but no 4K disc is in sight. Just when you thought that was it for LionsGate this week, they're also releasing Retaliation, described as a 'taut thriller.'

Warner Archive releases Bad Education on Tuesday, starring a couple of people you have probably heard of, do check it out. The series Prodigal Son sounds like it could be interesting, The Complete First Season streets this week.

From the Warner label, Superman: Man of Tomorrow gets a standard BD release, and also this week, Supergirl: The Complete Fifth Season. I actually got tuned into Supergirl at one of my many boring nights in a hotel room as I was away from home doing some job training during the day shifts.

Kino's got a couple of releases this week as well. One highlight that might interest you is the Cary Grant Collection which offers three of his films in one box set. Stay tuned for a review. Also from Kino this week, the previously delayed Peter Cushing as Dr. Who movies, Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks' - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D..

Surprisingly slow week for Anime releases (my wallet thanks thee.) Sentai Filmwork is releasing Diabolik Lovers: Complete Collection this week. I had only been starting to buy anime regularly in the past 12 months, it's quite a connected system, the videos, the swag, the books, even the cosplay stuff available out there, and the convention scenes.

Again, I do not normally mention a DVD release unless there's no alternative. I'm referring to the hit animated everything Pokémon. In this case, it appears that Viz entertainment did not sell enough Blu-ray copies of Season 21 to merit a Season 22 release. How I wish I was in Japan right now, where DVDs have pretty much been stopped altogether. Everyone has an HDTV or a 4K TV, so why the low-rez discs? The first 18 episodes come out this week of Season 22, dubbed Pokémon Sun and Moon Ultra Legends: The Last Grand Trial.

There are a couple of Friday releases, which are most often times Concert or Arts themed. In this case, one is music and three are arts related. Most interesting cover art for Ekman: Eskapist which features the Royal Swedish Ballet.

Notable announcements from last week:

To me, the biggest announcement of the week is that Paramount has announced that they are releasing the entire TV series Mission: Impossible on Blu-ray on November 17th. The Amazon pre-order price is no doubt temporary, as I have already seen it for less elsewhere, so stay tuned.

Sentai Filmworks has also listed their November releases, and we have them here too. This go round, most of them do not have English dubs available. They are Granbelm: Complete Collection, Hayate the Combat Butler: Ultimate Collection, The Garden of Words (SteelBook), Val X Love: Complete Collection, Assassins Pride: Complete Collection, Locke the Superman.

Showtime Networks has announced Penny Dreadful: City of Angels - Season One for release on September 29th. I never got thru the original series but I will some day, did not realize there was another series in the works.

Sony also listed something that caught my attention, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, slated for October 13th. The trailer had me interested, can't wait to check this one out. IMDB ratings did not fare it too well, but there is a trailer there for you to watch.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

For myself, of course I want more in my 4K library, overall though it's a pretty slow week. Already on order, Ghost in the Shell Best Buy version. The Alfred Hitchcock Collection is very high on my want list, might be ordered by the time you read this. Probably saying the same about the Superman 4K release, likely the standard edition. Standard wishlist, Diabolik Lovers Collection. I'm weighing my options on the Pokémon release. I've emailed Viz about the continuation of Blu-ray releases, maybe they will wait til the whole season is ready, maybe I will find an import with English langauge.

As you probably had read last week, September could be considered a pretty expensive month. Although Matthew's article mostly covered 4K wallet busters, regular HD/2K has a lot to offer this month as well. I know if I buy every title I want to this month, it literally could add up to a grand.

Unsure if there has been a production issue or a delay, but I still am awaiting my Gamera Collection (Arrow Video) from Amazon, Amazon has actually delisted it, showing unavailable.

Welcome to Episode 15 of our weekly take on what's hot or worthy for home video releases.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases-

There are no 4K digital releases slated for this week.

For 4K releases, there are a handful, and some of them have choices as to which one to get. First let's cover the single sku releases. From Arrow Video, the sci-fi/horror Vin Diesel flick Pitch Black. Early reviews thus far have been favorable for this release, our review should be live by the time you read this. Next, the Robert Downey Jr versions of Sherlock Holmes. The first movie Sherlock Holmes, and the sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I seem to recall from reviewers that the Sherlock Holmes movies were love or hate flicks, mostly hate.

And now for the multi-sku releases.

First up is Beetlejuice. There are a lot of people pretty excited to see this one coming, and it is available in 3 different SKUs. A standard 4K release, a Deluxe Giftset 4K release, and a Best Buy 4K SteelBook release. Do you buy the one you really love, but then have to buy the standard release to keep that one in mint condition? Do you buy two, keeping one back and enjoying the other? Do you simply buy the one you want and no worry about any of that? The Deluxe Giftset's selling point is it's a Handbook For the Recently Deceased edition, which includes special packaging and some swag. 

And the next of the multi-SKU releases, The Goonies. This one also has three different skus, similar to Beetlejuice. And they are the standard 4K release, the deluxe giftset 4K release and the Best Buy 4K SteelBook.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

There are no digital HD releases for this week.

Shout Factory highlights of the week. Foreign film Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest. This one is dubbed in English, but the original Russian language track also remains in case you're curious about the native track or trying to learn Russian. The GKIDS label this week offers the animated feature Children of the Sea. Having seen the manga, but not having read it, I am going to go in this one blind, it looks interesting.

Universal is releasing the Steve Carell comedy/drama Irresistible this week. It's another movie that woud have been in theaters but was put on hold due to the pandemic shutdown. I had never really connected Carell til I had watched him on the Netflix series Space Force, which I enjoyed the first season, looking back I see he's voiced a couple of animated films I have seen. He's also played in a few other movies, so he is a significant player in the field.

Another movie that fell victim to the theater closures, LionsGate is bringing us Rogue, an action film starring Megan Fox. The plot doesn't sound like anything entirely new, but it might have enough variations in it to be an enjoyable flick, so long as you're not looking for Oscar material here.

A piece of the Warner Archive's next batch of titles comes out this week, Young Sheldon: The Complete Third Season. I personally could never understand the draw to The Big Bang Theory, maybe it's one of those shows I might check out someday on a streaming service, starting with episode one so as to get some background on it.

In the anime category, there are a bunch of first time releases that might interest you, I will be picking a few up myself for sure.  Aside from the above mentioned GKIDS release, from FUNimation this week, Africa Salaryman which gives me a Zootopia sort of vibe. Also from FUNimation,  Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest: Season 1, available as a standard edition and as a limited edition, and A Certain Scientific Accelerator: The Complete Series, and before you ask, yes it is based on the similarly named series, A Certain Scientific Railgun. Radiant: Season 2 - Part 1 also streets this week. Sentai brings us The Demon Girl Next Door - Complete Collection.

There are two titles announced with Friday street dates, and both are concert/music releases. Just last week we listed the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels concert, in three different skus. This week, their Goats Head Soup gets a Deluxe Edition release.

Notable announcements from last week:

Kino just announced Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Collection, which includes both seasons of the TV show as well as the movie. I consider this pretty big news and look forward to the release. Also from Kino, a title I have been waiting for, Amazon Women on the Moon, coming November 10th. Something about that one makes me smile every time I watch it. Play Misty For Me is getting the Kino treatment, with a street date of November 10th, and this one is loaded with extras.

Order links for the upcoming November Criterion titles mentioned in last week's article are now available. A couple of these titles might have to end up in my collection, sooner than later.

There is a newcomer in the field of releasing blu-ray discs, the company's name is Cauldron Films. In their debut, they've announced two movies, Abrakadabra and American Rickshaw. Do check them out, hopefully you've got an interest in one or both of them and do the right thing by placing a preorder.

Mill Creek has announced two collections for November 17th, Hammer Films - Ultimate Collection and Rita Hayworth - Ultimate Collection. I know there are some Hammer films currently available, just not to this extent.

Arrow UK has just revealed 4K discs coming for the 1996 Cronenberg film Crash as well as the 1990 film King of New York starring Christopher Walken and many other big names. There is no definite U.S. release announced, rights to films vary from country to country, but one can hope and expect that Arrow is actively seeking the rights to a U.S. distribution.

Finally, early listings have appeared on Amazon for "Best of" decades collections from Warner Bros. They span 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. Look for them under PENDING on our release calendar. I expect a couple more to be added as well in the next few days. If I had to guess, I would say late November or early December.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

Where do I begin? I probably want all the 4K titles this week, probably the exclusive giftset for Beetlejuice, with the rest of the titles to be the standard editions. My copy of The Demon Girl Next Door has already arrived. I have on order Arifureta, the box set to keep and the standard edition to use and enjoy, also on order, A Certain Scientific Accelerator. Children of the Sea is high on my list as well. Also on order, I took a chance with Rogue, and on the wishlist is Irresistible, Terrified and Z.

Remember, supporting the studios on disc purchases is more important now more than ever. With physical media dropping in sales double digits year after year, showing your support by buying is the best way you can combat decisions from the studios on not offering a physical release. Purchasing from our links also helps us to bring you news and reviews every week. Your support is greatly appreciated. Not sure what you want to buy today? Click the Amazon logo below and shop til you drop!

For physical releases, Blue Underground is providing two Lucio Fulci titles this week. The House by the Cemetery and The New York Ripper. Both offerings appear to be loaded with features and the previous Blu-ray offerings were fantastic, so if you're fans of either, a purchase is merited!

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

There are no digital HD title releases for this week. For disc releases, the quantity of titles streeting this week is quite large.

If you opt for this week's 4K titles, know that Severin Films has more Lucio Fulci, this being Aenigma, Demonia & a documentary about him titled Fulci For Fake.

Warner Bros. is offering a couple of titles this week, a general release of Deep Blue Sea 3 streets this week (just in case you missed it at Walmart this past month.) It's probably not a top notch movie, but I want to mention that the available assets for this movie are in 4K, but the home release is only 2K. I would suspect Germany would get a 4K release if anywhere, there are a ton of shark movies available there. Also from Warner, DC's The Flash: The Complete Sixth Season.

Followers of the TV series Endeavour can purchase season seven this week.

There are a handful of titles from Kino Lorber this week, no doubt some great classics, for which I have never seen, and our staff writer David Krauss will enamour us with some great reviews as the days and weeks pass. The title I do remember seeing from this week's batch is more recent, titled Hollywoodland. It's not a solid "A" title, but I liked it.

Just announced not long ago and streeting this week and considered a 'sleeper hit,' The King of Staten Island. The audio format is still unclear for this title, but I doubt it is Dolby Digital, let alone 2.0 as the sell sheets say.

For Anime titles, there are course plenty to pick from. Discotek Media releases titles once a month, and this week is the week for theirs, do have a look. You've seen me mentioning how Sentai Premium titles seem to be a good investment, this week they're offering Domestic Girlfrind: Complete Collection in such a package. Under the Shout Factory/GKIDS label, you can get the SteelBooks for Kiki's Delivery Service and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind this week.

Also from Shout Factory this week, Tales From the Darkside: The Movie. Check out our review, buy the movie! Look this week for Universal Horror Collection: Volume 6 as well. A lot of those movies would be lost if it were not for the likes of companies like Shout Factory, Kino Lorber, Criterion, Severin, Vinegar Syndrome, etc.

A Friday release that's probably worth your time, S&M2: Metallica and San Francisco Symphony. When the original S&M came out, it was quite a breakthrough. It's been done multiple times before, but every time I have seen a hard rock/metal band team up with an orchestra, it's quite a treat. How many of you remember Guns 'n Roses' November Rain music video?

Notable announcements from last week:

Delayed: Arrow Video's The Comic has been pushed to September 8. Also from Arrow, another delay for Cinema Paradiso, both the Blu-ray and 4K Discs have been pushed back to November 24.

The Criterion release of Parasite has been delayed until October 27, which is a rairity for Criterion (to have a delayed title).

Warner Archive has finalized their titles for the next 6 weeks, they are Bad Education, Flying Leathernecks, Kentucky Kernels, Genesis II / Planet Earth (Double Feature), Prodigal Son: Season One & Young Sheldon: Season Three. There is also a reissue of the That's Entertainment collection coming out as well.

Kino Lorber's biggest announcement of the week is they're bringing us Mad Max (1979) on November 24th. Semi-exciting news, right? Okaaaayyy. What if I also told you that they're also bringing it to you in 4K with HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR? Extras and other details are not known yet, but the 4K specific page is right here.

Criterion Collection has also announced their November titles. They include Essential Fellini, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Girlfriends, The Irishman and lastly, Moonstruck. I had misspoken and said I only knew one of these titles. I should have said I had only *seen* one of these titles (Moonstruck) but I am familiar with The Irishman. And now for a little Criterion rant... one of the selling points of these titles is that they're from a 4K Remaster. With that being said, again, why are we not seeing these titles in a 4K disc release option. If anything, at least the ones that make sense to make a 4K disc. When The Elephant Man was restored and released overseas in 4K, Criterion announces said title, but not as a 4K disc release. The labor involved was already done so it was just a matter getting the proper rights to do so. I love Criterion's work, but come on folks, it's time to join the bandwagon. When I reached out to Shout Factory about Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure getting a 4K disc in the UK, they responded that they did not have the rights to a 4K disc release in the USA, but they were certainly interested in pursuing such avenues.

Carrying over the same rant, the next Paramount Presents release has just been announced and is coming on October 20th, I'm referring to the 1999 release of The Haunting. Remastered in 4K is another selling point to this release, and maybe this film is not 4K disc worthy, but when there are not many releases from week to week of 4K discs, it might be worth taking a chance, viewers are hungry for more titles! Days of Thunder and Airplane! should have most certainly had Paramount Presents 4K disc releases, the former title had a 4K day and day release, but it was barebones and not Paramount Presents.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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? For me, I'm definitely interested in Tales From the Darkside and the Metallica S&M2 releases. The ole' wishlist, House By the Cemetery 4K, NY Ripper 4K, The Flash Season 6, Human Lost The Movie, Hollywoodland, Pet Girl Sakurasou and the Domestic Girlfriend Premium set. I already got Deep Blue Sea 3 from Walmart last month.

This past week a fair amount of news has been coming out of the studios regarding business direction. The one that got me to most is that Disney is focusing more in its Disney + platform, and as a result, they will be slowing down or stopping altogether with live-action catalog titles coming to 4K disc. This fall we see Hocus Pocus and Home Alone getting 4K disc releases, but nothing else past that. I do encourage you to read the article at The Bits. I have already done my part and sent feedback to Disney. If you do so, remember to be respectful. How many people exactly do they need to devote to Disney+ development? How many people are needed to continue to produce discs? How does a $6 a month subscription service make more sense than $28-30 disc sale? Yeah, it's a numbers game, but still, of that $6 monthly fee, what is the cost involved? A $27 disc could result in $6+ in profit alone. An unnamed source at Disney has responded with an official, but rather flatulent statement, ""There are no plans to discontinue releases in a particular format. We evaluate each release on a case by case basis and pursue the best strategy to bring our content into consumer homes across platforms that meet a variety of demands.""  I personally believe the respondent did a great job NOT saying specifically what their 4K disc plans are, thus, talking out their behind, and just like that, their answer stinks.

Also, Warner Media has entered a restructuring phase and is currently laying off 600 people. What does this mean for physical media? Hopefully it's just a response to their deal with Universal to distribute discs, and nothing more. Do read that one too if you got a moment. Meanwhile Warner Bros has responded with "we're not going anywhere" which is a better response to any rumors.

Purchasing your favorite movies is the best way to show the studios that you are still out there and are hungry for more. This site has evolved over the years from being primarily physical disc, to now where digital options are being offered as well. Each format has its pros and cons so we are not here to tell you what you should do to build up your collection. Lastly, if you do make a purchase, please remember to do so from our product links, it also helps us continue to provide you news, title info and reviews even during these uneasy times.

Sorry to make the intro so long, but one last thing of importance. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment wants your input on the next batch of 4K releases, including Columbia Classics Volume 2.  Read our news story here.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases-

There are no digital releases slated for this week.

As far as physical disc releases, this week, barring any last minute issues should be the week that Arrow Video releases the recently restored (by StudioCanal) presentation for Flash Gordon! Available as a standard movie release with minimal extras, and a Two-Disc 'fat pack' edition with an extra disc loaded with bonus material and some swag as well. I've opted for the latter as you probably have surmised.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

There are no digital releases slated for this week.

Just like last week, there are a bunch of physical titles coming out, here are some of the highlights.

DC Universe's Batwoman: The Complete First Season arrives this week from Warner Bros. Also another DC universe title, Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons should be released this week barring any delays.

A Criterion Collection Fan? The Comfort of Strangers debuts this week, as well as Town Bloody Hall.

How many of you remember the movie Clara's Heart, starring Whoopi Goldberg? Warner Archive releases this title this week on Blu-ray.

In the anime category, there are of course multiple titles from several vendors. Beyond the Boundary - The Complete Series is getting a SteelBook release this week. Just like so many other Sentai releases, this one is likely to be priced quite high in the secondary market in a few years. Another SteelBook with a 2 month Best Buy exclusive window releases this week, Your Name. If you want to wait for the general Amazon release, that's your choice of course, but if you want it now, do click the provided link.

A Dog's Courage might be out this week. Another title that was delayed a time or three as well.

Arrow Video makes our headlines again, this time with the release of Flash Gordon (Restored Edition) as a standard edition Blu-ray set, and just like the 4K offering, a 'fat pack' 2-disc edition. Also this week from arrow, Gamera: The Complete Collection. Check out the details on this one, they've been recently updated, and I never knew there was so much Gamera! As mentioned last week, the Arrow release for Pitch Black 4K was pushed back to September, but the standard Blu-ray is still on schedule (allegedly.)

LionsGate is releasing AMC's The Terror: Infamy - Season Two this week on Blu-ray. Has AMC had an recent shows that are terrible? (Don't answer that)

You will almost never see me plug a DVD release, my preferred format is Blu-ray, even if the show was never produced in HD, releasing SD on BD looks a lot better than SD on DVD, the codecs and bit rate look much better on Blu-ray. Any how, this week look for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles to be issued on DVD again. To those that have bought this series as it has progressed over the years, the sets got to be quite expensive. If you have a partial set, it's very very expensive to fill in the gaps. I have provided a Best Buy link as it would appear Amazon is not currently offering it for sale. I could certainly hope some day that Viz decides to release each season on Blu-ray in some form. I did buy the Indigo League (Season One) and season Twenty-One on Blu-ray.

Notable announcements from last week:

Delayed: Code Red's Conquest has been delayed again, this time to September 29th. The last time it was delayed it actually disappeared altogether.

Day the World Ended has disappeared from pre-order pages and from Shout's own store site, but other sites seem to list it as November 10th. Usually they're (Shout) good at communicating such delays, but not so much this time.

Additional Miramax reissues have been added to last week's list, and they too have a street date of September 22nd. The titles are Adventureland, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Chicago, The Crow, Cop Land: Collector's Edition, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Ella Enchanted, From Dusk Till Dawn, Gangs of New York, Good Will Hunting, Halloween 3-Movie Collection, Hero, Kill Bill: 2-Movie Collection, Kill Bill: Volume 1, Kill Bill: Volume 2, Mimic: 3-Movie Collection, No Country for Old Men, The Others, The Prophecy: The Complete Collection, Pulp Fiction, Scary Movie Collection, Scream: 3-Movie Collection, Serendipity, She's All That.

Kino has revealed details and street date for DeepStar Six. October 13h is the date, and details are aplenty, just click on the link for more information.

Another 4K title was announced at the end of the week, V for Vendetta. The one provided at the link is the Amazon Exclusive Giftset, stay tuned for a standard edition and no doubt a Best Buy SteelBook. When I first viewed this movie, I did not know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by it.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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? I should expect a ship notice any day now for Flash Gordon 4K (Arrow) 'fat pack', Beyond the Boundary SteelBook has already shipped, Your Name SteelBook should ship by the time this article goes live.  I do need the Pokémon release mentioned above to fill in a gap, usually these reissue complete sets go for $30, perhaps this one is larger than most. I broke down and also ordered the Gamera Collection. Wishlist contains Ensemble Stars Part 1 and Open 24 Hours. The two DC Universe titles might be in my collection at some point - sometimes Best Buy has some crazy deals (that Amazon sometimes matches) so I am watching.

For 4K offerings this week, if you have opted to import Flash Gordon, it should ship on Monday. Also shipping on the import release schedule is the 4K restoration of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, also done by StudioCanal.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

Digital:

There is a single digital offering this week, The King of Staten Island.  The street date for this movie was just announced, the physical release will be available August 25. All resolutions are selling at the same price, which is boggling, 4K, 2K, SD, same price, say what?

Physical:

Disc offerings this week are aplenty. Here's a run down of some of the highlights...

From Sony, followers of the TV show Blacklist can expect Season Seven this week.

Handful of offerings this week for anime, as there always is. Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card is getting a complete series set this week, instead of a split set that was previously offered. InuYasha Set 2 is coming out this week, Set 1 came out not too long ago.

SteelBook collectors might be insterested in Casper this week at Best Buy. It wasn't a horrible movie, but the only way I am going to buy it again is if it was a 4K release.

Criterion Collection brings us The Complete Films of Agnès Varda - Criterion Collection. Sorry, I'm not familiar with these, but with Criterion doing this release, it's sure to be thorough.

While Kino has got a handful of titles this week, the ones I remember the most from the 80's are Date With an Angel and The Quest, the latter having been in limbo for awhile, but is finally getting released. The trailer for Lucky Grandma is quite amusing, Kino releases this disc this week as well.

Shout Factory is releasing the previously delayed Phantom of the Opera (1962) this week. I'm used to the Robert Englund version, but just like so many other movies that have been remade multiple times, everyone has their favorite version.

Eureka - The Complete Series does appear to finally be coming out this week. I had this on preorder since the early announcement days, but it was delayed a time or two it seems. Mill Creek has been doing a so/so job on their TV releases. A lot of them would never see the light of day on Blu-ray so I'm thankful they're still releasing titles, I think their lacking is with video bit rates.

On the subject of TV shows, Warner Archive is releasing Final Space: The Complete First & Second season this week. Not a TV show, but back to movies, remember when John Travolta played the role of an angel? Michael debuts on Blu-ray this week.

This year's drama/romance The High Note comes out this week from UPHE.

Recent action movie I Am Vengenace: Retaliation comes out this week from LionsGate.

I've come to dig some of the IFC and Shudder films coming to disc lately, this week we see The Wretched coming from the IFC label.

Notable announcements from last week:

Delayed: Pitch Black 4K was coming out next week, according to Amazon it's now September 1st. The Blu-ray is still on schedule, subject to change of course. I'm still waiting for the Flash Gordon delay even though it's due this next week. I did get an email from Amazon indicating an unknown delivery date, which to me translates to a delay. I guess when it gets here, it will get here, and I'm sure I will enjoy it.

Normally I do not make much mention of title reissues, but this is one of those exceptions. Towards then end of 2019 Paramount acquired a large stake in the Miramax company. The fruits of these labors is now coming to bear. Paramount has distribution rights to their home video releases, and come September 22, there are a bunch of reissue releases. This might not seem like a big deal, but a lot of their releases have been out of print for quite some time, the secondary market has been asking for upwards of $80 for some of the titles that are in the September release slate, and Paramount is asking a mere $14.99 MSRP for these titles. The title list includes Bad Santa, Bridget Jones's Diary, The Brothers Grimm, Children of the Corn Series: 4-Movie Collection, Dracula: Double Feature, Extract, Extract / The Switch (Double Feature), The Faculty, Finding Neverland, Jackie Brown, Hellraiser Series: 4-Movie Collection, Kevin Smith: 3-Movie Collection, Shall We Dance?, Sin City, Spy Kids: Triple Feature & The Switch. Do check these out under the release calandar, September 22. Previously both Disney and LionsGate had the rights to release their titles at various points in time.

For 4K announcements, Warner has announced 300 for October 6th, and Sony has announced the Resident Evil collection for November 3rd.

Naruto fans will probably look forward to Naruto Triple Feature - SteelBook Collector's Edition, which includes Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow / Legend of the Stone of Gelel / Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. This set is also available as a standard release.

RLJ Entertainment continues to announce its release titles, including multiple Shudder Originals, the one non-Shudder title that caught my attention though is The American West: Season 1. I've been waiting for this one actually, I thought it was a well produced show when it debuted. I do not watch much broadcast TV, so the current state of the show as best as I can tell is it is still being produced.

Arrow continues to add more titles to their October slate. The one I most recognize is The Last Starfighter. This could probably be a decent 4K release but it's not so much mainstream, so I would likely be happy with a standard 2K/BD release. Add the Arrow Video treatment, it should be a well produced disc. Still, I'd be open to a 4K disc.

The Last Kingdom: Season Four also has an announced date of October 6th. I thought the cover art for the UK releases were better for this series, I'm just saying!

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

Myself, for anime I did not buy the individual CardCaptor releases, so do I want the single release this week or do I want the previous offerings? As a person that likes slip covers, it's a tough choice as the single release does not have one. I have the InuYasha #2 on order, and as I've mentioned, The Wretched is a wishlist/strong maybe.

From entertaining the troops in the Pacific during WWII to a brief cameo in Toy Story 4, Carl Reiner's entertainment legacy spans decades. He was that rare multifaceted entertainer who was just as comfortable in front of the camera as well as behind, be it as a director, writer or producer. When looking back at his career, we find a man who never achieved the level of fame or notoriety as those he felt privileged to have worked with, the sort of celebrityhood we'd expect given the wealth of memorable films and TV sitcoms he has left behind. But neither did he seek the stardom nor publicity. Mr. Reiner truly was that unique, genuine talent who simply wanted to share his gift and make people laugh.

For many contemporary audiences, Carl Reiner is not a well-known name or hardly rises to the level of acclaim as Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, George Clooney, Bette Midler and so many others fortunate enough to have known the legendary comedian personally. Nevertheless, his impact on comedy and the entertainment industry is immeasurable and can be felt everywhere. As an actor, he usually played supporting roles, but his performances always stood out and his presence always brightened every scene. Mr. Reiner is a true legend and he will be dearly missed, and so, we celebrate his legacy by revisiting some of our personal favorites from his oeuvre. 

The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Complete Series 

After coming to prominence working on Sid Caesar's variety shows Your Show of Shows and Ceasar's Hour, Carl Reiner began working on a sitcom loosely based on his experiences as a writer for those aforementioned shows while trying to raise a family. Originally titled Head of the Family with Reiner as the star, Reiner reworked his pilot script with Dick Van Dyke in the lead and co-starring Mary Tyler Moore. With Reiner playing Alan Brady, the host of a variety show and Van Dyke's boss, the sitcom was a smash hit for CBS and is today considered a TV classic that still delivers the laughs and heartwarming smiles. 

Where's Poppa? 

After the show ended in 1966, Reiner tried his hand at film directing, but Hollywood success didn't come as easily with one box-office fail after another. Of his first three directorial efforts, Where's Poppa? has actually garnered a well-respected cult following, and it's for good reason. It features an absolutely delightful and hilariously memorable performance by Ruth Gordon as the most embarrassing mother ever. More importantly, Reiner demonstrated a talent for telling a witty tale with an unobtrusive camera and excellent timing, trusting his cast to sell the silly premise of a son struggling with a moral quandary. 

The Jerk: 40th Anniversary Edition 

A few years later, Reiner went on to co-write and direct Steve Martin to box-office success and A-list stardom in the cult comedy favorite about a naïve dolt on a personal, self-discovery journey. Admittedly, the movie is rather stupid, and for some contemporary viewers, it may be a challenge to see the humor or fuss. But the moronic absurdity is precisely what makes it hilarious because the daffy nonsense is surprisingly clever and Steve Martin sells it with deadpan seriousness. The premise of a white man too dense to realize he was adopted by a black family is more than enough to see this beloved comedy immediately.

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

A few years later, Reiner and Martin reunited for another absurd comedy about another hapless oaf drifts through a world he doesn't belong. Only this time, the two comedians go further into complete absurdity by inserting Martin into vintage 1940s noir films. As a private eye hired to investigate the murder of noted scientist, Martin's hysterical performance flawlessly interacting with a laundry list of legendary actors of classic film noir is the movie's most memorable comedic achievement. It's a bizarre, quirky parody, but as the saying goes ("Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."), this beloved cult comedy has to be the most lovingly heartfelt homage to the bygone-popularity of the pulp detective genre. 

The Man with Two Brains 

Another Reiner-Martin team-up introduced audiences to a Martin at his most weird, wacky and absolutely bonkers, playing a renowned neurosurgeon who created a brain transplant procedure he called "cranial screw-top." How could any movie-lover possibly go wrong in a strangely ludicrous romantic tale of a well-intentioned doctor who literally falls in love with a brain in a vat named Anne (voiced by Sissy Spacek), which was placed there by a mad scientist played by David Warner. All the while, he's fighting for his life from his scheming, murderous wife Dolores (Kathleen Turner). The movie demands to be watched for the tagline alone: "HEALTH WARNING: Watching This Movie May Cause Severe Brain Damage!" 

Fatal Instinct

Ten years after not letting Steve Martin wear plaid, Carl Reiner returned to lampooning the film noir genre in this ridiculously dumb but much too fun to watch comedy. With Armand Assante as a lawyer who moonlights as a police detective, which means he also defends the same criminals he arrests, the jokes practically write themselves. But if we're going to be honest, the movie is pretty bad, and I would never argue it's an underrated gem. Still, it has its moments and comes with enough chuckles for a lazy Sunday afternoon watch. Besides, seeing Sean Young and Sherilyn Fenn intentionally overacting is worth the price alone.   

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

At the height of the Cold War, Norman Jewison directed Reiner in this cult black comedy classic about a Russian submarine accidentally grounding off the coast of a small New England island. Reiner is terrific as Walt Whittaker, a loving father and husband to Eva Marie Saint, and he plays opposite a hysterically wonderful Alan Arkin in his feature-film debut. Looking back at the film, it was rather bold of Jewison and crew to make light of a very serious and terrifying fear many Americans were experiencing at the time, and some of the political sentiments underlining the plot and characters are also somewhat prophetic. 

Ocean's Trilogy Collection 

There is absolutely no way of talking about Carl Reiner without also mentioning Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's movies. It's near sacrilege not to point out his stupendously memorable performance as the always-scene-stealing con man Saul Bloom. It may be a supporting role and arguably, a bit part amongst a large ensemble cast with a majority of the attention favoring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. But Reiner, nonetheless, stands out, which speaks volumes of his comedic talent. His Saul is proof "There are no small parts, only small actors," and in Ocean's, Reiner is a huge star.

Here are other memorable Carl Reiner features deserving of HD releases:

For actual substance in the 4K disc realm, we get a Best Buy exclusive SteelBook release of a movie that's already out, The Town. I once made the mistake of thinking this one was The Village. Oh Well, Shyamalan movies have always had a unique and confusing to me (sometimes) flair. It would appear that this one, as with a few other Warner Bros titles carries a lower retail price. Also this week, apparently it was delayed, the 4K Best Buy SteelBook for Inception.

There are no digital 4K titles slated for this week.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

As far as physical disc HD (Blu-ray) releases this week, it is a rather slow week.

Kino Lorber is pushing forward on its "collections" releases. This week we see the Audie Murphy Collection, Carole Lombard Collection I & the Tony Curtis Collection. Thus far these 'collections' have been a good value.

The weekly obligatory fill of anime titles worth mentioning.... FUNimation has Astra: Lost in Space, which having not seen the series, I wonder if this is an anime take on the popular classic TV show Lost in Space, which also had a reboot series and movie. Those following the series Fairy Tail, Part 23, the Final Season is releasing this week. As far as I know, Part 24, coming in October is the final release of the series.

Sentai has Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II Complete Collection coming this week. The first collection has a deluxe edition where third party sellers are asking for >$1000.00. Whoa.

Not sure if this merits a mention, but MPI media is releasing Coma, both as a standard disc and a SteelBook edition. Generally speaking a company will not offer two editions if the feature is terrible, but I guess it is possible.

Dispatches From Elsewhere Season 1 is brought to you by RLJ entertainment. I do not watch a lot of regular TV, this being an AMC series, was it a hit or not? Your thoughts?

Doctor Who fans looking to complete their classic series collections, the Tom Baker Season Three set comes out this week. I feel as though Doctor Who is much like music, being that, the music most people think is the best is generally and commonly the music they listened to during their teen years. I remember Tom Baker the most. Although I do follow some of the other doctors, Tom Baker is still my favorite.

HBO, via Warner Bros is releasing His Dark Materials: Season One this week. As I do not have HBO, I'm not sure what to think about it. This series is based on The Golden Compass lore, so I am pretty sure that unless they totally blow it, I will like it. I've seen two different covers for this one making two different domestic releases, oddly enough the edition withOUT the digital code costs $7 more. Zavvi had a SteelBook release for this one too, if they didn't want £10 for shipping, I probably would want it.  Why they rose shipping so high is beyond me, I highly doubt it was to package the movies better. Some of the assets available for this series are available in 4K, so I wonder if this is another decision to not release the set in 4K.

A Friday release this week titled Fantashmphony - previously delayed. We often take movie soundtracks for granted, but if you pay attention to the minute details, there is a lot of music and effects and without that, movies and TV shows are pretty bland. This disc covers many popular titles, and is worth checking out.

There are no digital releases slated for this week.

Notable announcements from last week:

Perhaps the biggest announcement from last week is the 4K box set release of the Back to the Future trilogy. I've lost count how many times I have personally bought these movies. The original BTTF was gold when it came out, and it is one of those movies I have watched multiple multiple times. We have an article on this release, and there are multiple SKUs available to order. I usually opt for the SteelBook of any release, unless of course the cover art is hideous. This go round Best Buy is releasing a pretty classy set. They are releasing another Blu-ray editon of this as well, but like Matthew says in the article, most of us interested are going 4K on this. The original Back to the Future was also known as one of the first VHS tapes to have Macrovision employed. I guess I took it for granted, I had a Panasonic AG-1240 VHS machine, so when my circle of friends talked about how it was impossible to make a copy, it never clicked to me why they could not. Back then VHS tapes for $100+ for new releases, so it made sense to want to make a personal copy.

More details for Ghost in the Shell (1995) have emerged as well, along with a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, which in my opinion has a much better cover art than the standard release.

RLJ Entertainment contines to keep announcing Shudder Originals. The Pale Door might sound like a Western version of From Dust Til Dawn. It's got a cover art I rather like, hopefully the street date will be less than $20.

Sony and Best Buy have added a SteelBook option for the 4K release of District 9, I generally loathe cover arts with too much red, but this one is appropriate to the film.

Discotek announced their first release of Lupin III movies to 4K, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.

Paramount has also added a couple of more catalog titles to their budget-friendly line (around $10 each.) Notably, Uncommon Valor is one of the title's they've added that I will most likely purchase. All of their movies in this line release on September 15th.

Sony has also added a couple of catalog titles for September release as well. Whether they're considered Sony MOD titles or Sony Pictures Classics, take your pick, either way they're limited run release titles that typically do not include a digital code. As fans of physical media, that should not bother us too much. If I'm vegging on my bed watching TV though, sometimes the digital stream is a convenience. These titles release on Septemebr 22nd.

Kino continues to build on their October release list. They have officially announced an October 27 release for High Plains Drifter. Those demanding 4K releases of some of these Western films should know that Kino had full intention of releasing them, but when they tried to do so, they determined the quality of the product was going to suffer based on the elements they had available to them. This does not write off a future 4K release, but for the time being, this is the best available.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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? I've got His Dark Materials (with digital) on order. As I do not currently own The Town in 4K, the SteelBook might merit a purchase. The Sentai release of Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon Volume 2 is a wish list item, I guess I missed the boat on the first set. There's a 0% chance I will get that for $1000. Of course my copy of Flash Gordon (4K Import) would have shipped this week as well, maybe it was meant to be to give me more time to ponder on the domestice release.

For a time, it seemed like Olivia de Havilland might live forever...and through her gallery of indelible performances in an array of classic films, she will. The gallant, gracious, and beloved star of such wonderful films as Gone with the Wind, The Heiress, and The Adventures of Robin Hood died July 25 at her home in Paris at the grand old age of 104. Along with screen legend Kirk Douglas, who also passed away this year at age 103, she was the last gleaming light and surviving giant of Hollywood's storied Golden Age, a two-time Best Actress Oscar winner and five-time nominee whose boundless talent and breathtaking beauty enlivened more than 60 movies over the course of an enviable career that spanned half a century.

De Havilland was born in Tokyo to British parents, but became an American icon. She made her film debut in 1935 at age 19 and became an instant star. De Havilland made eight pictures with the dashing Errol Flynn between 1935 and 1941, portrayed Melanie Hamilton Wilkes to great acclaim in Gone with the Wind in 1939, and over the next several decades co-starred with such accomplished actors as James Cagney, Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Henry Fonda, Montgomery Clift, Richard Burton, and Ray Milland.

In 1943, she won a historic legal victory, effectively freeing actors from being forced to make up time spent on suspension at the end of their contracts. The "De Havilland Law," which forever changed the Hollywood studio system, is still in effect today and stands as arguably the actress's greatest contribution to her industry. Gossip-mongers had a field day over her decades-long feud with her equally famous sister Joan Fontaine, but the regal, refined De Havilland always rose above such tabloid fodder, and as her Golden Age compatriots began to pass away one by one over the past 30 years, she became the enduring ambassador and grande dame of a bygone era defined by glamor, myth, and magic.

De Havilland always will be ranked as one of cinema's greatest actresses, and her portrayals of strong, vibrant, dimensional women resonate with truth and remain timeless. The following list contains 10 films in chronological order that best represent her talent and versatility and stand as shining examples of the beauty, strength, elegance, grit, vivacity, and warmth that define Olivia De Havilland, a woman every movie fan will forever hold in high regard and deeply miss.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - Of all the movies in which she co-starred with Errol Flynn, this quintessential swashbuckler directed by Michael Curtiz earns the highest marks. De Havilland is a vision of loveliness as the fresh-faced Maid Marian. Her role is largely ornamental, but in glorious three-strip Technicolor, who cares?

Gone with the Wind (1939) - Melanie Hamilton Wilkes may be a Plain Jane by Hollywood glamor standards, but her inner beauty and enviable strength - and De Havilland's marvelous portrayal - make her a luminous presence in David O. Selznick's sweeping adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's saga of the Old South. As the patient, adoring wife of Leslie Howard's noble yet weak Ashley and devoted friend to Vivien Leigh's selfish Scarlett O'Hara, De Havilland proved she was an actress to be reckoned with and much more than a pretty face. She also garnered a well-deserved supporting Oscar nomination, but (rightfully) lost to her castmate Hattie McDaniel.

Hold Back the Dawn (1941) - De Havilland received her first Best Actress Oscar nomination (and lost to her sister) for this literate, nuanced romantic drama about an unscrupulous Romanian expatriate (Charles Boyer) who manipulates a naive American schoolteacher (De Havilland) into marriage so he can obtain entry into the U.S. Directed by Mitchell Leisen and written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, Hold the Back Dawn is an underrated gem filled with emotion and substance. It's also surprisingly timely, given the tensions swirling about U.S. immigration issues today.

The Dark Mirror (1946) - Playing twins is both a challenge and a hoot for many actresses, and De Havilland makes the most of her chance in this noirish Freudian murder mystery that received an Oscar nomination for its original story. Directed by Robert Siodmak (The Spiral Staircase) and written by Nunnally Johnson (The Three Faces of Eve), the film showcases De Havilland's versatility and builds to a stunning climax.

To Each His Own (1946) - Though it's all too easy to dismiss this story of unrequited mother love as shameless soap opera, De Havilland's measured, heart-wrenching portrayal diffuses the melodrama and lends authenticity to the tale of a woman who gives up her illegitimate son and becomes a shadowy figure on the periphery of his life. To Each His Own was De Havilland's first film following a two-year period of inactivity resulting from an industry backlash after her historic court victory, and she justly earned her first Best Actress Oscar for her bravura performance. Amazingly, To Each His Own has never been released on Blu-ray; hopefully, Paramount will right that wrong soon.

The Snake Pit (1948) - De Havilland nabbed another Oscar nod for her riveting, highly believable portrayal of a mentally disturbed woman who must endure harrowing treatments and painful therapy sessions during her turbulent stay in a state psychiatric hospital. Director Anatole Litvak's drama was one of a series of social issue films in the late 1940s that tackled taboo topics with sensitivity and insight.

The Heiress (1949) - Arguably De Havilland's crowning achievement, director William Wyler's impeccable adaptation of Henry James' portrait of a painfully shy, sheltered, insecure, impressionable, yet very rich young woman who's dominated by her cold, disparaging father (Ralph Richardson) and courted by a handsome suitor with questionable motives won the star her second Best Actress Oscar. De Havilland is tender, tragic, and ultimately chilling in an understated, tour de force performance that's just as powerful today as it surely was 70 years ago.

My Cousin Rachel (1952) - Is she or isn't she? This brooding, atmospheric adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's gothic novel casts De Havilland as an English lord's mysterious widow who might be both a greedy opportunist and ruthless murderess. A young Richard Burton co-stars as the dead lord's impetuous heir, who's either the love of Rachel's life or her next victim. De Havilland doesn't give away much in a fascinating performance that will keep you guessing...even after the movie ends.

Light in the Piazza (1962) - De Havilland gives an empathetic performance as the concerned mother of a mentally challenged young woman (Yvette Mimieux) who falls in love with a dashing Italian (George Hamilton) while vacatoning in Florence. Director Guy Green's delicate drama, which was adapted into a successful Broadway musical in 2005, features gorgeous Italian locations and addresses important issues. Hopefully, along with To Each His Own, it will see a Blu-ray release in the not-too-distant future.

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) - Guilty pleasures don't get much guiltier (or provoke more pleasure) than this captivating bit of Grand Guignol melodrama that casts De Havilland as the duplicitous cousin of a deranged woman (Bette Davis) who's haunted by the brutal murder of her lover 35 years ago. De Havilland rarely played bitches, but she's a humdinger of one here, and recites every deliciously nasty line with relish. Packed with plot twists and scenery-chewing performances galore, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte is a ghoulishly good thriller that elevates camp to high art.

This week in 4K disc releases, just another reissue of the Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook for Wonder Woman (2017). No doubt another plug for the upcoming Wonder Woman movie, dubbed Wonder Woman 1984, or WW84 for short,  currently on schedule for an October 2nd release. You can read about it HERE.

There are no 4K digital releases scheduled for this week.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

Kino Lorber has a handful of offerings this week. Many of them I do not recognize, but that does not detract from the great work they are doing. There are a few titles in the next few months from them I would like to own, and I eagerly await the release of Amazon Women on the Moon.

If you've ever wondered what the first on-screen adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea looked like, they're releasing the very first version that I know of, from 1916. This of course would be a silent film, with music playing. Lorenzo's Oil also comes out this week, I do admire Nick Nolte, and this was a decent film in my book. A Joe Pesci movie also debuts on Blu-ray this week, The Public Eye. I like a lot of the movies he is in, and enjoy his potty mouth antics, can I expect more of the same on this one? Hopefully our staff does a review on this one. Another great 80's flick this week from Kino is The River.

This week's random title release, Samuel Goldwyn Films releases Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. This Disney/Touchstone owned title went out of print a long time ago and the prices went through the roof on the secondary market. This is the only film that I can think of that the dialog is in the Mayan language.

The Shout Factory label brings a few titles this week. I still have my laserdisc somewhere of Graveyard Shift. IMDB viewers didn't rate this one too high, but I remember enjoying it way back when. Roman Polanski's The Tenant gets released this week after a delay, as does Thirteen Ghosts, which also had an earlier street date that got pushed to this week.

Warner Bros brings us The Outsider: The First Season this week. I do not have HBO so I cannot attest to the strength of this series, many of their shows are worthy to watch, they're less likely to cancel a show without resolution or solid conclusion. Speaking of WW84, Warner is releasing the classic 70's TV series Wonder Woman on Blu-ray this week as well. This is a bit of a rarity as TV studios do not seem to release enough of their shows on high-def disc, hell, sometimes the DVDs they release are pixelated messes that look worse than an old VHS tape being played on a 75 inch screen. The audio on this series is slated as Dolby Digital Mono, which is what we got for the Batman TV series as well, and that sounded fine for what it was. Hopefully the bit rate will be a bit higher to compensate. If you're curious of the pixelate mess I refer to, try viewing this screen grab at full screen, you might have to save it to your computer first.

RLJ Entertainment is releasing James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction. Any time I see Cameron's name on another project, the question of True Lies and The Abyss always comes up. There's always finger pointing on where the hold up is, and with Disney acquiring Fox now, where does this leave those releases?

For Anime this week, Discotek is set to release their July titles. They are Case Closed TV Special: Episode One, Demon City Shinjuku, Galaxy Express 999: The TV Series Collection 02 - Layover, Love Hina Again & Medabots: Season Two.

Sentai is releasing the Limited Edition to Revue Starlight. You've probably read these comments from me before, some of these Limited Edition anime box sets get priced into insane figures as the years go by. A $100 set could go as high as $1500. The trick is to figure out which ones.

There are a couple of off-Tuesday releases this week that I would not doubt are actual Tuesday releases, just that Amazon has it listed wrong. On Friday, Arrow is set to release Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz (Collector's Set). For a Wednesday release, Slave of the Cannibal God comes out from Code Red.

DELAYED TITLES - Flicker Alley's The City Without Jews has been pushed to August 25th. 

A lone Digital release this week, Deep Blue Sea 3 which debuts in direct to video format. I never got around to watching the 2nd movie, is this one a desperate cash grab or is it any good? We shall see.

Notable announcements from last week:

In the delayed category, Shout! Factory has announced that Event Horizon (Collector's Edition) has been delayed until January 5, 2021. Most likely related to COVID and production. Shout Factory has also announced that a 4K Collector's Edition of Weathering With You will be arriving two months after the blu-ray set, which will be November 17th. I certainly appreciate the forewarning, double-dips are a bit annoying, and this 4K set promises to have exclusive content.

Shout Factory though has also announced a 4K release for Weathering With You, but it will be streeting two months later than the HD release. That's OK with me, I was mildly interested in the title anyways

Paramount/CBS has announced Star Trek: Picard - Season One in a SteelBook package as well, and there is a street date of October 6th for both editions. I don't play the cut the $120 cable and then sign up for $120 in streaming services, CBS All Access might have a lot to offer but at some point I personally have to draw a line.

Warner Bros has released early details of a Bugs Bunny Collection coming to Blu-ray. Although I doubt we will see the "War Time Bugs" cartoon any time soon, this collection still promises to bring back a lot of great episodes. There has also been an announcement of the classic animated series The Flintstones too. Keep em coming Warner!

Paramount is bringing a handful of catalog titles on September 15th, these titles debuting on Blu-ray and with a price of under $10, I ask you, why not? Unless of course you loathe these titles, <g>. I myself might be in for Timeline as well as The Phantom. I did enjoy Private Parts back in the day, do I care enough about the Howard Stern story now in 2020? I have not heard any of his broadcasts on Sirius radio, I'm sure without the FCC rules his show is more amusing, I just have never had a desire to subscribe to radio.

Flash Gordon (UK Import) has been delayed a bit. Our own staff writer/editor Matthew Hartman has received a 4K proof copy from StudioCanal, and the review he has done on it shows it is certainly worthy of owning. I still have the 5-disc set on order from the UK, but I'm torn on canceling that and getting with the Collector's Set that Arrow is offering here domestically instead. Do read the article here.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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? Remember, we ask that you purchase your movies via our links, doing so allows us to continue to bring you news and reviews. We really do appreciate it.

Myself this week? Already on order from Amazon, Wonder Woman TV Series, Outsider Season One. Already received, Revue Starlight Limited Edition box set, Love Hina Again. Titles of interest but not ordered yet, Thirteen Ghosts, Apocalypto, Demon City Shinjuku, Galaxy Express Layover, The River.

Roman Holiday, the classic 1953 romantic comedy that won Audrey Hepburn a Best Actress Oscar, has been spectacularly restored and will finally make its Blu-ray debut in a limited collector's edition on September 15 as part of the Paramount Presents line. Directed by two-time Oscar winner William Wyler and co-starring Gregory Peck, this charming Cinderella-in-reverse tale, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, follows the adventures of a rebellious princess who goes undercover as a commoner so she can enjoy the simple pleasures of Rome. Yet little does she know her handsome male tour guide is really a journalist who hopes to get the scoop of the century.

Andrea Kalas, Paramount's Senior Vice President of Archives, and film historian Leonard Maltin shared details about the 4K restoration, which was completed back in 2015, during a recent Zoom press briefing. Because the original nitrate negative of Roman Holiday no longer exists, Paramount used the best existing sources - a 35 mm dupe negative and fine grain print - for this restoration.

Roman Holiday was shot on location in Rome, and problems in the Italian film laboratory during the movie's production reportedly compromised the original film elements. According to Kalas, issues like over-handling of the negative and primitive, careless splicing techniques plagued the film over the years and made its eventual deterioration almost inevitable. The original negative's fragile nature eventually spurred the production of a dupe negative, which had to be blown up a few thousandths of an inch to cover all the splice tape that previously had been applied to the original negative to hold it together.

Thanks to the miracles of digital technology, the film has been meticulously repaired, cleaned, and restored to its original splendor without compromising its artistic integrity. The original mono track also has been restored and appropriately corrected. (Elements to upmix the soundtrack to 5.1 do not exist.) Below are a few capture frames from the film that illustrate the video restoration.

This new Blu-ray edition also marks the first time a home video release of Roman Holiday will feature Dalton Trumbo's screenplay and original story credits on both the film itself and its packaging. Trumbo was blacklisted by the film industry after refusing to comply with demands from the House UnAmerican Activities Committee but continued to surreptitiously work on many productions - without screen credit, of course - for years. Writer Ian McLellan Hunter fronted for Trumbo on Roman Holiday, which won an Oscar for Trumbo's original story. In 1993, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at last presented that Oscar to Trumbo's widow, but it wasn't until 2011 that the Writer's Guild of America restored his name to the film itself. Now those credits will be etched onto home video versions of Roman Holiday forevermore. 

The limited-edition Blu-ray release of Roman Holiday will be presented in collectible packaging that includes a fold-out image of the film's re-release theatrical poster and "an interior spread with key movie moments." In addition to previously released featurettes, the Blu-ray will include an all-new "Filmmaker Focus" with Maltin, as well as access to a digital copy of the film.

Video excerpts of the comments made by Maltin and Kalas at the press briefing, including some restoration comparison clips, can be viewed in the video below:

Kalas also confirmed during the press briefing that A Place in the Sun, another Paramount classic that has been long overdue for a Blu-ray release, has received the same type of meticulous restoration as Roman Holiday, and will be released on Blu-ray in the U.S. sometime in the future. The 1951 adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's classic novel An American Tragedy won six Oscars, including Best Director for George Stevens, and stars Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shelley Winters is also on deck for a future release. Kalas mentioned that producer George Stevens, Jr. was involved in the restoration...more evidence of Paramount's commitment to quality as the studio continues to restore and preserve its catalog of classic films.

Pre-order Your Copy of Roman Holiday HERE

Read the full press release below

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – The treasured and enduring classic ROMAN HOLIDAY debuts on Blu-ray for the first time ever as part of the Paramount Presents line on September 15, 2020 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

The exquisite Audrey Hepburn lights up the screen in her first starring role opposite the charismatic Gregory Peck in this funny, beautiful, and intoxicating romantic comedy.  Ranked as the #4 greatest love story of all time by the American Film Institute, ROMAN HOLIDAY earned 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Actress for Hepburn, Best Costume Design for legendary designer Edith Head, and Best Writing for Dalton Trumbo. 

About the Film

Director William Wyler’s 1953 fairy tale was one of Hollywood’s first on-location motion pictures and memorably captures the bustling streets and iconic sites of Rome.  ROMAN HOLIDAY expresses the exhilaration of joyously breaking free as the lead character escapes her royal obligations against the backdrop of post-war Europe embracing long-awaited peace.

Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo was blacklisted for refusing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee and his name was not included in the film’s original credits.  In 1992 the Board of Governors of the Academy voted to finally credit Trumbo for the “Story Writing” Oscar and his widow received a statuette in 1993.  In 2011, the WGA restored Trumbo’s name to the screenwriting credits.  This is the first physical home entertainment release to correctly credit Dalton Trumbo with both the screenplay and story by credits both on packaging and the film itself.

About the Restoration

The original negative was processed at a local film lab in Rome and was unfortunately badly scratched and damaged.  The film had to be pieced back together, but the splices were so weak due to the damage that extensive amounts of tape had to be used to allow the negative to make it through a printing machine.  Because of the fragile state of the negative, a Dupe Negative was made and then blown up a few thousandths of an inch to cover all the splice tape that held the original negative together.

In anticipation of this new Blu-ray release, the film was digitally restored using the Dupe Negative and a Fine Grain element to capture the best possible image.  Every frame was reviewed, and the film received extensive clean up to remove thousands of scratches, bits of dirt, and other damage.  Because audio elements to properly up-mix to 5.1 do not exist, the original mono track was remastered, and minor anomalies were corrected.  The result is a film returned to its original vibrancy and beauty that remains true to director William Wyler’s vision. 

About the Release

The limited-edition Paramount Presents Blu-ray Disc™ is presented in collectible packaging that includes a foldout image of the film’s theatrical re-release poster, and an interior spread with key movie moments.  Newly remastered from a 4K film transfer, the ROMAN HOLIDAY Blu-ray also includes a new Filmmaker Focus with film historian Leonard Maltin, access to a Digital copy of the film, as well as previously released featurettes on Academy Award®-winner Audrey Hepburn, Edith Head’s Oscar®-winning* costumes, the blacklisting of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, and much more.

Bonus Features:

-          Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on Roman Holiday            

-          Behind the Gates: Costumes

-          Rome with a Princess

-          Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years 

-          Dalton Trumbo: From A-List to Blacklist 

-          Paramount in the '50s: Remembering Audrey

-          Theatrical Trailers

-          Four Photo Galleries:  Production, The Movie, Publicity, The Premiere  

First in the new title category, Scoob! This movie was recently in the Premium Rental category, I did not expect to see it til at least September, but here it is, being released this week.

More recent movies being released this week, Midsommar is getting a 4K debut as an A24 shop exclusive, with a Monday street date. When you follow the link, it will default to the Blu-ray. It was announced just a week or so ago and the shop immediately said Sold Out, but does offer a sign up list as it will be replenished. Not sure why LionsGate chose not to release this as a 4K disc, but I'm sure they have got their reasons. Also this week, another LionsGate title, John Wick is getting a general release of the current trilogy. Before this, these movies were available individually, and as a Best Buy and a Walmart Exclusive. The way the third movie ended, you can bet they will continue to churn these out every couple of years.

For the catalog titles category, Spartacus debuts in the 4K disc format this week. Available in a standard edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook release. Classic Cinema thus far has looked astonishingly fantastic in the 4K disc format, I look forward to this release. 

For digital 4K releases this week, Scoob! is getting a same day release as the disc release. It is unusual for this to happen, usually they come 2 or 3 weeks earlier. Amazon's link appears to be unavailable for the 4K release, not a problem though, we've provided a link to Fandango Now. Remember that when you connect all your accounts across Movies Anywhere, your library will populate across every linked platform as well.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

Paramount is bringing us Airplane! under its Paramount Presents label. This one is also available in a SteelBook too, although it is unclear if it is the same offering or not. Also on the Paramount Presents label this week, Ghost. Again, if Paramount is listening, I personally would be buying more of these releases if they were on an actual 4K disc. I like the premium offering idea, and thus far I've bought two of these releases, but I would buy more of these 4K remasters were offered on a 4K disc. I like collecting, and the spine numbers make me want to, but it's a hard sell when they could be 4K.

From the standard Paramount label and as promised in last week's article, the SteelBook release of Clueless hits stores this week.

This week there are a handful of Kino titles with some common themes. The Ali Baba theme, pirates and the era of WWII/Third Reich. Ali Baba theme,  Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Arabian Nights and Son of Ali Baba. For pirates, Against All Flags, Buccaneer's Girl, and lastly, World in His Arms. For the WWII era, Colonel Redl, Confidence and Mephisto,  Also, unrelated, but connected to the WWII theme, Shout Factory is releasing Resistance this week.

Warner Bros is bringing us Castle Rock Season Two. I personally am a bit disappointed as I bought the first season on 4K disc. I'm sure it was a careful business decision but still, I wish the 4K trend continued. Also from Warner Bros. this week, the Blu-ray release of Scoob! .

Midsommar is also getting a Deluxe Release on Blu-ray as well. Just follow the link in the 4K release section above.

Universal has a relatively lazy week, except for Spartacus 4K, their releases are reissues of already exiting titles.

Anime releases each week? Yeah, there are some. If you've been outpriced from the Patlabor Mobile Police series, it again is being offered this week from Sentai. Previous releases have seen the prices skyrocket. Million Arthur: The Complete Series is also out this week.

As for Friday releases this week, they are all in the arts category. I don't generally follow this genre too much. A Royal Ballet feature, two operas, a Plácido Domingo commemoration and an opera about the Orpheus and Eurydice. I had seen the Royal Ballet's Nutcracker a couple of years ago and thought it was one of the best renditions I had seen, it was a massive production with a lot of talent. Plácido Domingo's 50 years is an amazing feat, and Orpheus and Eurydice looks like it could be a huge show as well. If only the wallet was bottomless.

Notable announcements from last week:

The title announcement machine is in full swing even though it is Summer (Summer is often slow for home video announcements.)

Shout Factory has a couple of SteelBooks that mike pique your interest. Pumpkinhead and Motel Hell. Both of these were done well from Shout previously. I've lost count how many times I've bought Pumpkinhead over the years in various formats. I would like to see all the cheesy sequels on Blu-ray someday as well, I think only number 2 and 3 are available. Shout's biggest title announcement is for their upcoming Friday the 13th Megaset, titled Friday the 13th Collection Deluxe Edition. It's quite an extensive set that I am most undoubtedly purchasing. If you've got concerns about an eventual 4K release, I will tell you the odds of 4K are really pretty slim. If they do release it, it will likely only be the first movie, don't forget we are talking about Paramount, a company that doesn't cherish their catalog titles as well as they should. You can also see our news story about Friday the 13th.

From Shout Select comes Adaptation.. This one was previously released by Image Entertainment.  For animated, under the Shout label (NOT GKids) expect to see The Wonderland coming as well. All of these titles are to be released in October.

Mill Creek has posted their October slate as well. Ultraman R/B The Movie: The Crystal of Bond!, Ultraman R/B Series + The Crystal of Bond Movie, The Pledge, Imaginary Crimes / Silent Fall (Double Feature), and Diabolique / Incognito / The In Crowd (Triple Feature). All of these titles are slated for October 13th.

Universal has slated The Alfred Hitchcock Classics - 4K Collection for September 8th. Details and specs have been added, expect to see an order link very soon. Universal looks to be releasing or reissuing a handful of titles in September, but perhaps their biggest reissues of note are the 10-Movie collections. They are: Blumhouse of Horrors: 10-Movie Collection, DreamWorks 10-Movie Collection, Focus Features 10-Movie Spotlight Collection & Illumination Presents: 10-Movie Collection.The 10-movie mega sets are obviously catered to people that don't already own these, and are offered in a nice compact package.

Sony Pictures is bringing 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street to 4K on September 15th. Order Links coming soon, one would expect the same SteelBooks at Best Buy as well, TBD.

Criterion Collection has announced its next batch which span September 29th - October. Honestly, I have no idea what any of these are, but every time I see a review of a Criterion title, the story is almost always rated 5/5 and the AV presentation top notch, and of course the extras are also something to talk about. The titles are Claudine, The Gunfighter, The Hit, Pierrot le fou (reissue) and lastly, the 2019 hit Parasite. I know I sound like a broken record, but correct me if I'm wrong, Parasite did get a 4K disc release, so why are we going an HD release again? I sure wish Criterion would hop on to the 4K disc bandwagon. By the time you read this, I will have gone to Barnes & Noble to see what I can get for the semi-annual Criterion Collection sale. I am looking for War of the Worlds, then anything else is impulse.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

Slow week for me. I will likely pick up Scoob! in 4K at the local Walmart. I have Spartacus SteelBook on order at Best Buy. I might get the standard release as well, to leave the SteelBook intact. I am interested in the Misdommar 4K release, when the email comes in I have a decision to make. For regular HD Blu-ray discs, Castle Rock Season 2 maybe, and maybe the anime release of How clumsy you are Miss Ueno. If Airplane! were a 4K disc release I would also be all over that, but for the time being, it is on a wish list.

---

---

---

We'd heard rumblings of a new Friday the 13th set for some time now without confirmation of who will be or when it will be released. Well, Scream Factory cleared things up today with their announcement of this massive 16-disc collection! Parts 1-4 will enjoy new 4K restorations, Part 3 will finally be available in proper 3-D Blu-ray. Jason Goes To Hell gets both the Theatrical and Unrated with new 2K scans. Pre-orders are not yet live, but they should be soon.

Friday the 13th Collection Deluxe Edition

There's a lot to unpack here so I'll let you all just read the press release:

This week there is a single 4K disc release, but it is minor. It was released on May 5th as a standard 4K, but the Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook got delayed. I am talking about Bloodshot. I have not seen it so I cannot tell you if there's anything to this movie or if it is living on Vin Diesel's name.

There are no 4K digital releases this week.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

Mill Creek is releasing the previously delayed 12 Monkeys - The Complete Series this week. This series is a spinoff of a movie by the same title, prior to this, each season was available individually.

Criterion's biggest release this week would be Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits. This set appears to be just as inclusive as their previous Godzilla Collection released last October and certainly a welcome addition to fans of the late and great Bruce Lee.

Ironically, Well Go USA is releasing their own Kung Fu movie this week, titled Enter the Fat Dragon. The trailer of this one is pretty good, I would probably get it as a random title and probably would enjoy it. Great timing on this one folks.

Paramount is releasing a 25th Anniversary Edition to the movie Clueless. If you wait til next week, it's coming in a SteelBook as well. It is likely the same disc as the previous releases, if you've already got the movie, you might want to wait for a review to be sure.

A pair of animated titles from Warner this week that might interest you. Legion of Superheroes: The Complete Series, a series that ended in 2008, and the next LEGO DC series, this one titled Shazam! Magic and Monsters. The latter title was released a month ago, but that one included a figurine, this one does not, so it should eventually be had for a lower price.

Under their Warner Archive label, the 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice is released this week. This one has been remade a couple of times, as they say, mimicry is the strongest form of flattery.

Universal Pictures brings us the final season of The Magicians. Also available in case you haven't been keeping up, the complete series is available as well.

Notable from Kino this week, volume IV of the series Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema.

The Shout Factory label doesn't disappoint with the release of The Kiss of the Vampire this week. Our review says this one is Highly Recommended. After what seemed like 38 delays, Ron Howard directed, all-star cast film The Missing finally sees light of day, under the Shout Select label. I'm pretty excited to own this one actually.

In Anime news, fans of the Boruto series will get part 6 of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations from Viz Media. Also look for InuYasha: Set 1 this week as well, I've got this one on preorder myself, as well as Set 2 coming soon.

FUNimation has a few releases this week. Highlights include a SteelBook release of Cowboy Bebop: The Complete Series. The general release of this SteelBook will follow in September after Best Buy has a 2 month exclusive window. I had never bought this series so I am getting this in the SteelBook package. Two other titles this week that interest me is Kochoki - The Complete Series and The Ones Within - The Complete Series. With all the anime titles released every week, it is a bit difficult weeding through the ones you will like, but at some point one becomes pretty good at determining this through various resources.

Sentai & Discotek have a few titles this week as well, check out the release calendar for details.

There are no late week titles this week, which are usually Concert or Arts releases.

There are no digital releases this week.

Notable announcements from last week:

A handful of announcements for the week. Kino added a few more titles for September. The one I remember most is Variety, slated for September 29th. Maybe it was a late night HBO binge, I don't recall. Order links coming soon.

HBO & Warner Bros Entertainment have announced Game Of Thrones: The Complete Series coming to 4K this November. The series will be presented in Dolby Vision HDR as well as Dolby Atmos audio. The set promises to be all inclusive, with over 15 hours of bonus material. Two purchase options will be available, a standard box set, and also a Best Buy Exclsusive SteelBook set. I actually like the looks of both of these.  The Best Buy set looks very similar to the Batman movie collection they did a little bit ago, which turned out to be quite fragile. Hopefully they will ship these out with care.

RLJ Entertainment is continuing to announce and release Shudder Originals, this week's announcements include Z, Blood Quantum and Terrified.

In import news, StudioCanal has announced the 4K disc release of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. I reached out to Shout Factory to see what their thoughts, and although their attention was drawn to this release, they have indicated that they currently do not hold distribution rights to the 4K release of this movie. That could change soon, or we could see an announcemen from Arrow Video in coming days. If you opt to import it, remember the 4K disc is not region locked, the Blu-ray remains a different story.

Closing out this week's article, Criterion's biannual sale at Barnes & Noble is live, both in the stores as well as online. My desire list is pretty short, I do want War of the Worlds. If my list doesn't grow to meet the free shipping threshold, chances are that Amazon will still offer this title within a dollar or two.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

I've got the 12 Monkeys set on order, Kochoki, Tokyo Gore Police as well as the Cowboy Bebop SteelBook. I'm interested in the Bruce Lee Greatest Hits Collection, but not enough to pre-order it.

---

---

---

Growing up the way I did with the father I had, The Good The Bad and The Ugly theme was just as recognizable to me as the opening of any Star Wars film. Once I got my own CD player in my room, I quickly stole my father’s copy of Leone’s seminal score and would listen to it every night before bed. Long about the time where Tuco was being beaten to the tune “The Story of a Soldier” is when I’d drift off to sleep only to be woken up by the beautiful “The Ecstasy of Gold.” Later Yo-Yo Ma would collaborate with Morricone to craft Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone – a collection of the composer's greatest tunes beautifully orchestrated for  Yo-Yo Ma’s cello – if you’ve never heard it check it out.  

To this day whenever I’m watching a classic catalog title I’ve never seen and I hear some of those familiar note progressions I instantly get excited. Seeing his name in the opening credits elevates nearly every movie he lent his talents to. That doesn’t mean every movie to feature his music was amazing – I still have issues with The Hateful Eight but I love that brooding score that also incorporated cut music cues from John Carpenter’s The Thing soundtrack. It’s often a struggle for me to pick just one iconic score from his oeuvre, but his Spaghetti Western scores are stalwarts in my collection. I once paid far too much to acquire an out-of-print release of his Navajo Joe only for it to get a deluxe re-release at a quarter the price. Such is life.

Essential Ennio Morricone

The Sergio Leone Westerns
With Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Once Upon A Time in the West and Fistful of Dynamite – they’re all iconic pieces of music for these seminal westerns. It’s nearly impossible to choose one over the other so this collection from Kino Lorber Studio Classics is the best way to enjoy all of these great movies and Ennio’s music.

John Carpenter’s The Thing
It’s shocking to me that 38 years ago this now-classic science fiction horror film wasn’t only a titanic flop at the box office but Ennio Morricone’s hypnotic and brooding score was nominated for Worst Musical Score at the 1983 Razzie Awards! Granted, it’s the least “Morricone” sounding of Morricone’s music but just as The Thing wouldn’t be the same without the incredible Rob Bottin creature effects, it wouldn’t be the same without the music.

The Hateful Eight
As I said earlier I don’t particularly like this film – least of all in it’s truncated theatrical version – Morricone hit it out of the park with the score. I can watch the movie because the score is terrific. Just 11 years prior Morricone had been recognized with an Honorary Oscar – only for him to finally and justifiably win one for this film.

Days of Heaven
Terrence Malick has always brought a lyrical fluid visual quality to his films that lend naturally to whatever composer happens to be working with him. Such is the case with Ennio’s work here. It’s a sweeping piece and unlike anything he composed for the Italian Westerns. It’s romantic and grand – “The Harvest” is a particularly beautiful piece I often listen to while I work. 

The Untouchables
Alright, things don’t get much more badass and “Morricone” than this film’s opening track “The Strength of the Righteous” – that jazzy dissonant piano with steady snare, it gets the hairs standing on the back of your neck right out of the gate. Then you get the “Al Capone” suite that almost comically depicts his opulence with a full orchestra. The “Death Theme” also hits hard when two essential characters are murdered in the film. It’s just a great score that fits the film beautifully.

The Mission
Roland Joffé’s adventure drama demanded an epic score and Morricone delivered. It’s sweeping in its majesty conveying the scope of the film filling each scene with romantic overtures and leaning into the necessary action beats. “Gabriel’s Oboe” is a particular favorite piece of mine.

Navajo Joe
Burt Reynolds may have absolutely hated working on this film calling it one of the worst movies he was in – but I love it! It’s an action-fueled western that has a delightful pulp quality that only Sergio Corbucci could deliver to the screen. Capping it off is another engaging score from Morricone. That theme whenever Joe caps off one of the bad guys is glorious and beautifully used by Tarantino for Kill Bill.

Malena
This 2000 romantic comedy is delightful as it captures the excitement of a young man falling for an older woman. Plus it features Monica Bellucci in the lead and what better way to highlight her beauty than this wonderful piece of music? It’s not an action score. It’s not an epic. It’s simple and delightful and probably his most playful composition. The jangly guitar and strings are familiar and signature Morricone, but everything is just pure whimsy and a delightful listen. Sadly, this has yet to get a Blu-ray release here in the states, but it’s worth seeking out just for the music.

Obviously, it’s impossible to quantify a career as expansive as Ennio Morricone. Working up until the day of his injury, the iconic composer showed no signs of slowing down. He leaves behind an incredible library of music that can be enjoyed over and over again. Everyone has a favorite Morricone score – what’s yours?

This week we see just one 4K disc release, that would be Trolls World Tour, available as a standard 4K release, a Best Buy exclusive 4K SteelBook release, a standard Blu-ray disc release, a Target Exclusive gallery book edition, a 3D release and lastly, a 2-film Trolls/Trolls World Tour 2-movie collection on Blu-ray. I find it odd that the Target gallery book edition is a 2K/HD release, and not 4K. This film was one of the first of many deemed as a 'Premium Rental' release, or as some studios are calling it now, a 'virtual theater experience.' To anyone reading this in 2020, they know exactly what this means, but to someone reading it in 10 or 20+ years from now, they need a translation. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing during a time when this was supposed to be released in theaters, Universal Pictures made a gamble to release this as a digital streaming rental, a rental that bared a $20 price tag. When you think about it though, if a party of 2 were to go to the cinema, it would probably surpass that $20 price tag.

There are no 4K digital release this week. You would have purchased Trolls World Tour two weeks ago.

HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-

Already mentioned above, the biggest release of the week might be considered Trolls World Tour.

This week from Arrow Video, Black Rainbow, a supernatural chiller that was delayed from a couple of weeks ago. Arrow has a couple of other titles this week, all in the Foreign Film category.

Kino Lorber is releasing several titles this week, under both the Kino Lorber Studio Classics banner as well as the Scorpion Releasing label, check the release calendar for a full listing. Peter Cushing fans can purchase The Flesh and the Fiends. How many of us remember the sci-fi comedy Spaced Invaders? Well, Kino is bringing it to us this week on Blu-ray.

If you've been waiting for Season 13, err, Series 13 as the Brits call it of Murdoch Mysteries, Acorn media brings it to you this week.

Highlights from the Shout Factory label include Proximity, an alien abduction story. There are a couple of other titles as well, take a look at the release calendar.

Criterion Collection's big release of this week is H.G. Wells' classic film, War of the Worlds. A couple of weeks ago we were treated to the modern remake in 4K, starring Tom Cruise, now it is time to purchase the original that started it all. Remember hearing about the original radio broadcast of the War of the Worlds?  You still have to wonder if that broadcast were new to us today how we as a public would react. I still remember the TV series from the 80's as well, I would love to see that released in HD. Maybe the original studio (Paramount) would care to weigh in on this? It could have been one of those shows made on tape, not on film, but we've seen some good upconverts and Blu-ray has better picture quality than DVD any way.

A week doesn't go by without anime titles being released. I will skip most of the 'Essentials' releases and reissues here as usual and bring you the highlights.

FUNimation is giving us Cop Craft - The Complete Series. Also from FUNimation, a series titled How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? There are five 'Essentials' releases this week specifically to the Shakugan series, both TV seasons and movies. If you bought these as they came out originally, you would have spent likely well over $300, now it's time to get them for half that price, but of course without slip covers.

Also, Sentai Filmworks brings us Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time the Complete Collection, as well as Uta no Prince-Sama: Maji LOVE Kingdom.

There are no digital HD releases this week.

Notable announcements from last week:

Arrow Video has announced a couple of more titles, and their special form of treatment will be given to the Kevin Smith Comedy/Romance Mallrats. It's funny, those born today or in recent years will never really understand what it was like to hang around a mall on a Saturday. When I was growing up, a trip to the mall involved a day of arcade play at 'Aladdin's Castle' and  burger, fries and home-made soda at 'Dering Ice Cream.' What's funnier though is the CD Audio disc was still kind of brand new, so you would often times look at what's current and new for Vinyl, and flash forward to nowadays, we are seeing what's current and new on vinyl. What's next, VHS? Don't answer that!

Previously, it was revealed that Beetlejuice was getting a 4K release, along with a giftset release. A SteelBook has been added to the mix as well. I'm not so sure I like the cover art, maybe it would grow on me or look better in person, not judging here! Also announced from Warner, Stargirl: The Complete First Season, set for September 29, order info coming soon. They certainly have an extensive DC universe on TV. I'm sure there are a few that we'd love to see that hasn't been made yet.

Big news from Sony Pictures to announce, the 2014 drama Whiplash is making its debut to 4K disc on September 22. It will be available as a standard 4K combo pack and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. Again, I'm not entirely sure about that cover either. The previous Blu-ray SteelBook was sort of blah as well. Actually, this SteelBook is making the Beetlejuice SteelBook more palatable.

The Disney company has two catalog titles also debuting in the 4K disc format in September as well. First, Hocus Pocus, and just like other catalog titles in this thread, available as a standard 4K combo pack as well as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. I really do like the cover art on the latter, I've already got the preoorder in. The next announced title coming to 4K is Home Alone. And, you guessed it, a standard 4K combo pack and a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook edition as well. Cover art for the SteelBook has not been revealed yet. My reaction to seeing Home Alone coming to 4K is positive, in that Disney is actually touching a catalog title from the Fox library. The prices on both of these titles is also pretty reasonable as well for Disney titles. Links to both of these movies go to Best Buy as the Amazon and Disney feud seems to have no end in sight. Whichever one you decide on, it is much appreciated if you make a purchase via one of our links.

LionsGate has been pretty slow on their releases of the Vestron Video Collector's Series, but I would not mention it unless I had some news for you. They've announced a pair of titles, the Horror/Sci-Fi movie Shivers (1975), and Little Monsters (1989). I was actually reminded of Little Monsters when another movie by the same title was released on Blu-ray in January of this year.

If you've been following Shudder Originals, the next one announced is Satan's Slaves. With an August 4th street date, Order info coming soon.

For Anime announcements, Discotek has announced their September 29th slate, they are: Case Closed: Zero the Enforcer, Galaxy Express 999: The TV Series Collection 03 - Terminus, and Wicked City.

And finally this week, fans of Ari Aster's hit Midsommar should be delighted to see that it is being offered in 4K as a Collector's Edition Director's Cut. Although it is not being released by LionsGate, A24 shop has it listed. As of this post the pre-order is unavailable, but you can sign up for email alerts as to when it will be in stock again. When you follow the link, the shop will default to the Blu-ray Collector's Edition. Make sure you switch to the 4K if that is what you are seeking. Maybe LionsGate will eventually pick this up for a general mass release.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

---

---

---

---

What's Mel Gibson up to these days? He has a role in the 2020 movie Force of Nature, and LionsGate is bringing it to you. Next from LionsGate, Four Kids and It. When I was trying to figure out what this movie was about, it turns out there are many movies with "it." It's a family movie with a furry creature, not a horror, I know you were thinking of Pennywise for a monent. Michael Caine and Russell Brand are listed 3rd and 4th on the cover artm I think you've heard of them.

Warner Archive has a couple of titles this week. First though, it looks like a last minute switcheroo happened with Cannery Row. It was slated to release on June 30th, but was quietly released on June 9th.

Severin Films is releasing The Complete Lenzi/Baker Giallo Collection this week after a delay. I am not familiar with this set, but I have been pleased with the Severin titles that interest me that I have purchased in the past. Fans waiting for this collection should snatch it up.

Fans of Django should rejoice that the Django + Texas Adios set is finally coming this week from Arrow. This one was tied up for quite some time in legal limbo. This one is being offered in a loaded 2-disc Limited Edition, as well as an identical release, but in a SteelBook.

The musical Hair (1979) is getting the Olive Signature treatment. Releases from Olive have been rather scarce lately, it is good to see they're still releasing discs.

Miss Fisher fans can now buy the movie Crypt of Tears this week from Acorn Media.

Kino Lorber has about a half dozen releases this week, I've selected two. Check out the release calendar for the full listing. First, Ten Little Indians, based on an Agatha Christie novel. I remember this one when it was a new movie, and I was entertained by it enough to merit a mention today. Jim Belushi fans should also be happy to see Wild Palms being released this week as well. It is a TV mini-series from my early life and is, in my opinion, underrated on IMDB.

For anime fans, there's most always a release every week worth looking at. Sentai Filmworks is releasing After the Rain: Complete Collection. Titles like this are worth mentioning as many of their releases do not feature an English dub. I myself have trouble appreciating what's going on on the screen if I am focused on reading subtitles. Famous for their Premium Box sets that increase in valud over time, cannot say for sure if this one will, but Run With the Wind: Complete Series is being offered as one this week.

Discotek often times releases all their offerings in a single week. This week we see Astroganger: The Complete Series which is an SD on BD offering. When shows are not available in HD, I am still most appreciative that they are offering it on Blu-ray. Imagine entire seasons of TV shows on one single disc, with better picture clarity than if it were released as a DVD set instead. Part 2 of City Hunter: Season 1 arrives this week too. Next from Discotek, Crusher Joe: The Movie. The next Lupin the 3rd movie, titled Goodbye Partner is also coming this week. Ninja Scroll: The Series closes out the titles for the month from Discotek.

FUNimation is offering Black Clover: Season 2 Part 5 as a regular offering, as well as a set that includes an art book. Also this week, Midnight Occult Civil Servants: The Complete Series as well as several of the usual 'Essentials' releases.

A final note, the Laurel & Hardy: Definitive Restorations was delayed 2 weeks, from the 16th. You should be able to purchase that this week.

For digital releases, Warner Bros. has quietly pushed out Scoob! this week. Oddly enough though, the 4K digital is reading as "not available in your area." Where do they think my area is anyway?

Notable announcements from last week:

Warner Bros has announced Young Sheldon: The Complete Third Season via the Warner Archive. While not like going to find this on the cheap side, on a positive note, at least they're still releasing TV programs on physical media. Warner Bros also has a street date for the physical releases of Scoob! Available as a 4K Combo Pack and a Blu-ray Combo Pack on July 21.

Samuel Goldwyn Films has announced a release of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, which means you no longer have to pay an ebay scalper $60 for this film. The previous release was over 13 years ago.

FUNimation has announced their September titles. Along with the usual glut of Essentials Releases, highlights of the regular releases are: Fire Force: Season One Part Two which is available as a standard edition and a limited edition release, Fairy gone: Seaone One Part Two, Arifureta: From Commonplace to Worlds Strongest: Season 1 available as a standard release and a limited edition, A Certain Scientific Accelerator: The Complete Series and lastly, Africa Salaryman: The Complete Series.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?

---

---

---

---