Bruce Wayne: If you were to go into the past, you have no idea what the consequences would be.
Barry Allen: Bruce, I could fix things.
Bruce Wayne: You could also destroy everything.
This week we get busy with lots of releases in both the 4K and Blu-ray categories. More Chucky, the next Paramount Presents Label release, a 'Condor' movie, and more!
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 13 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of August 27th - September 2nd, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Import Monday has Arrow Video's take on Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits. No doubt what's on the actual disc is identical to Criterion's release, but we do get a slipcase and swag with this edition. I personally wish Criterion would do some of this.
The big domestic New Release this week is The Flash. Available in the usual assortment, a Standard Edition, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook and a Walmart Exclusive. And just like so many recent assortments, Target is absent from the 4K category.
We *might* also see Infinity Pool, a SteelBook release from Decal - Neon. We cannot validate this release as Amazon shows it as being unavailable, but here is a Best Buy link that shows it available to order, but they have no cover art, which is inconclusive.
For catalog titles we begin with a trio of titles from Universal, Battlestar Galactica: The Movie, available as a standard release and a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook release, and the 1998 biopic Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The third and newest title in the mix is Promising Young Woman.
Next, from Scream/Shout Factory, parts 4 - 7 of the Chucky (Child's Play) movies. Specs for these films are a potential mess, with only one of them listing Dolby Vision and only one of them, the blu-ray, not the 4K having Atmos sound. I get the feeling they all have Dolby Vision and 5.1 sound, multiple requests from Shout went unanswered. No doubt the inevitable reviews will clarify these specs. In sequential order, these films are Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky.
The Paramount Presents label this week has spine number 41 available, Hustle & Flow.
Pair of titles from Kino Lorber this week too, Staying Alive and Three Days of the Condor (aka 3 Days of the Condor).
Amazon is now listing this one as September 12th, but other sources (including Arrowvideo.com) still say 8/29, 2009 remake The Last House on the Left.
If you did not get 'em from Vinegar Syndrome's direct site, now you can get general releases for Gorgo and Terror at Tenkiller.
And lastly, a Wednesday release at that, The Legend of Boggy Creek. This one has been talked about for some time on Facebook and it looks like it is finally coming out.
Next week, two Universal "Vault" imports, Night of the Comet, Sleepy Hollow, The Princess Bride and more.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases includes The Flash available as a standard edition and a Target Exclusive. Also look for Staying Alive and Three Days of the Condor (aka 3 Days of the Condor) from Kino Lorber and The Last House on the Left (2009) from Arrow Video. For a Wednesday release, The Legend of Boggy Creek also gets a blu-ray release.
A new romcom from Sony Pictures with No Hard Feelings.
A little martial arts action from Arrow Video with New Fist of Fury.
MGM's catalog batch this week includes Crime & Punishment, Crime + Punishment in Suburbia, Mystery Date, Nobody's Fool (1986), Play Dirty and The Wild Party.
Anime highlights include A Couple of Cuckoos Season 1 Part 1, Cromartie High School, Re: Cutie Honey, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2, which is available as a standard edition and as a Limited Edition, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs and Shadows House Season 2.
From Criterion this week, a drama/romance titled Drylongso.
Warner Archive's August slate is also this week, titles include Father's Little Dividend, Gay Purr-ee, Little Women (1933), The Life of Emile Zola, Spinout and Wichita.
TV on disc this week, The Flash: The Ninth and Final Season and The Flash: The Complete Series.
Honorable Mention: Severin Films has a special interest box set titled The Sensual World of Black Emanuelle this week. If this is your type of collection, pounce immediately, it probably won't last long.
Next week, the U.S. has the Labor Day holiday, and there is a reprieve in this category, call it another chance to recharge your wallet.
Let's call this one a pleasant surprise, Disney has announced that they will be bringing a few of their Disney+ shows to blu-ray and 4K SteelBooks. Shows include Loki, The Mandalorian and Wandavision.
Universal will also be doing The Black Phone and Coacine Bear on 4K disc in September. Thank me for the latter, I bought the import.
Arrow Video's November slate will include 3 skus of Barbarella (including 4K)(traditional art for me on that one), Tremors 2 4K and a 6-disc box set titled Inside the Mind of Coffin Joe.
Delighted to see Pokémon XY Mega 3-Movie Collection coming to blu-ray October 17th. This closes the gap on these films not available in the US. Diancie & the Cocoon of Destruction only recently became available in Germany.
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?
Own the entire AMC hit series The Walking Dead in one Blu-ray box set hitting stores just in time for Halloween on October 17. There will also be a DVD set that will be exclusive to Walmart.
After sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes awakens from a coma in an abandoned hospital, he’s immediately thrust into a life-or-death struggle in an apocalyptic, walker-ravaged world. This complete collection of the Primetime Emmy® Award-winning series, based on Robert Kirkman’s acclaimed comic book, follows Rick and his band of survivors – Daryl, Morgan, Maggie, Carol, Michonne, Glenn, and more – as they struggle to survive their bleak new reality where the living pose as much of a threat as the hungry, roaming undead. From Alexandria and its promise of a better life to Negan’s ruthless Saviors to the Commonwealth’s corruption, every harrowing, suspenseful moment is here. But hope never dies, for as Rick defiantly puts it, "We’re the ones who live.”
The Walking Dead: The Complete Collection
The Blu-ray + Digital set includes all 11 seasons on 54 discs and this set features artwork by Clio Award-winning artist Oliver Barrett.
Pre-orders for The Walking Dead: The Complete Collection on Blu-ray (with a suggested list price of $209.97) are live and here is the full press release:
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Criterion Collection has announced their next three Janus Contemporaries Blu-ray releases coming in November: Hlynur Pálmason's Godland, two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Tori and Lokita, and The Eight Mountains directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch. All three titles will be available on November 21.
Godland - Janus Contemporaries
The struggle between the strictures of religion and humankind’s brute animal nature plays out amid the beautifully forbidding landscapes of remote Iceland in this stunning psychological epic from director Hlynur Pálmason. In the late nineteenth century, Danish priest Lucas (Elliott Crosset Hove) makes the perilous trek to Iceland’s southeastern coast with the intention of establishing a church. There, the arrogant man of God finds his resolve tested as he confronts the harsh terrain, temptations of the flesh, and the reality of being an intruder in an unforgiving land. What unfolds is a transfixing journey into the heart of colonial darkness—one that’s attuned to both the majesty and the terrifying power of the natural world.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tori and Lokita - Janus Contemporaries
From two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne comes the story of seventeen-year-old Lokita and twelve-year-old Tori, two immigrants to Belgium—from Cameroon and Benin, respectively—whose siblinglike bond is the only resource they can depend on in their struggle for survival on the margins of European society. The pair work as performers in a cheap trattoria, dealing drugs on the side, while balancing the demands of an indifferent bureaucracy. When Lokita is held captive in a marijuana grow house, events spiral out of control. Winner of the Seventh-Fifth Anniversary Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, the latest humanist drama from the Dardenne brothers is a heart-stopping thriller that casts an unflinching eye on the trials of the young and dispossessed.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The Eight Mountains - Janus Contemporaries
An epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains is a cinematic experience as intimate as it is monumental. Adapting an award-winning novel by Paolo Cognetti, Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch portray, through observant detail and stunning landscape photography, the profound relationship between Pietro (Luca Marinelli) and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi), who first meet as children in an Alpine village. Years later, the estranged friends reunite, after the passing of Pietro’s father (Filippo Timi), in order to realize his dream of rebuilding a ruined cabin on a mountain slope. This emotional project, and their subsequent explorations of the mountains, create a strong bond between the two—yet individual dreams, and the demands of society, ultimately drive them to pursue irrevocably divergent paths.
SPECIAL FEATURES
We will update these listings as soon as the preorder links become available and all three titles will be available on Blu-ray on November 21.
It has been a relatively quiet week, but there have been a few announcements and a bunch of new titles posted to our release calendar over the past little while. Be sure to check that out, but we've included some of the highlights here.
The major announcement this week is that Disney is prepping 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray SteelBooks for a handful of their more popular streaming shows. They include Loki (Season 1) on September 26, WandaVision: The Complete Series on November 28, and The Mandalorian (Seasons 1 & 2) on December 12. Read all about it here.
On October 3, 20th Century Fox Studios will be releasing the latest film in the Predator franchise, Prey, on both 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray. There will also be a Best Buy Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook.
Universal has set the animated film Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken for a Blu-ray release on September 26 with digital hitting August 29. The Blu-ray will include over an hour of bonus content.
Lionsgate is dropping a very sleek looking John Wick: Chapters 1-4 Blu-ray box set on October 17. There doesn't seem to be a 4K release...yet.
Also better late than never we suppose, but Universal has finally decided to give the sci-fi horror film M3GAN a 4K UHD Blu-ray release. Best Buy will have a 4K SteelBook as well. Be on the lookout for those on October 10.
Have you been down to South Park lately? If not, Paramount will be delivering six brand new episodes to Blu-ray when the show's 26th season hits hi-def on September 12. Not only that, Paramount is also giving 4K upgrades to the classic comedies Scrooged and Trading Places on November 7.
Sony has set an October 17th release date for the fifth season of The Crown on Blu-ray. Special features include: A Royal Transformation, War of the Waleses, and Script to Screen. Pre-orders are now available here.
The Criterion Collection has revealed three new titles in their Janice Contemporaries Blu-ray library. They are Hlynur Pálmason's Godland, two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Tori and Lokita, and The Eight Mountains directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch. These will hit stores on November 21 (full details here).
And before we head of for the weekend, we have added The Wicker Man 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from Lionsgate to our release calendar. Pre-orders aren't activated yet, but the release will include Dolby Vision and what looks to be exquisite packaging.
Until next time...take care and enjoy what you can of this crazy summer!
Get all four films in the John Wick franchise starring Keanu Reeves in a slick Blu-ray boxed set on October 17. No word on a 4K UHD Blu-ray set, however.
In this stylish, electrifying action series, legendary hit man John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is forced back into the underground world of assassins, where he embarks on a ruthless quest for revenge and redemption. This complete collection of John Wick films features four art cards, along with seven pieces of interchangeable cover art. In John Wick, young thugs push John into a merciless rampage, while a blood oath sends him to Rome in John Wick: Chapter 2. John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum sees an army of assassins hoping to collect the $14 million bounty on John’s head, and in John Wick: Chapter 4, a powerful enemy with global alliances emerges, turning John’s old friends into new foes.
The Blu-ray + DVD + Digital package will most likely include Dolby Atmos soundtracks as with the previous releases.
BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURE:
JOHN WICK:
• Audio Commentary by Filmmakers Chad Stahelski and David Leitch
• Don't F*#% With John Wick (approx 16 mins.)
• Calling In The Cavalry (approx 13 mins.)
• Destiny of a Collective (approx 6 mins.)
• Assassin's Code (approx 5 mins.)
• Red Circle (approx 7 mins.)
• NYC Noir (approx 6 mins.)
• Theatrical Trailer
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2
• Audio Commentary by Keanu Reeves and Director Chad Stahelski (feature length)
• Deleted Scenes
• RetroWick: Exploring the Unexpected Success John Wick
• Training John Wick
• WICK-vizzed
• Friends, Confidantes: The Keanu/Chad Partnership
• As Above, So Below: The Underworld of John Wick
• Car Fu Ride-Along
• Chamber Check: Evolution Of A Fight Scene (10 mins.)
• Wick’s Toolbox
• Kill Count
• Dog Wick Short
• Theatrical Trailer
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 — PARABELLUM
• Parabellum: Legacy of the High Table (10:52)
• Excommunicado (9:59)
• Check Your Sights (9:49)
• Saddle Up Wick (5:06)
• Bikes, Blades, Bridges, and Bits (7 mins.)
• Continental in the Desert (10:10)
• Dog Fu (7:55)
• House of Transparency (7:04)
• Shot by Shot (8:49)
• Theatrical Trailer #1 (2:18)
• Theatrical Trailer #2 (2:31)
• John Wick Hex Game Trailer (1:02)
• Behind the Scenes of John Wick Hex (6:52)
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
• Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin (6 mins.)
• Train Like a Killer (6 mins.)
• Making A Killing (6 mins.)
• The Psychology of a Killer (4 mins.)
• The Blind Leading the Fight (9 mins.)
• Suit Up / Shoot Up (6 mins.)
• Packing a Punch (5 mins.)
• One Killer Shot (3 mins.)
• Killing at the Speed of Traffic (10 mins.)
• A Shot in the Dark (6 mins.)
• In Honor of the Dead (5 mins.)
• Theatrical Trailer 1 (2:39)
• Theatrical Trailer 2 (1:30)
Pre-orders for John Wick: Chapters 1-4 should be available soon and suggested retail price is $44.99. Here is the full press release:
|
|
|
|
|
All six episodes of the 26th season of the Emmy Award-winning South Park will arrive on Blu-ray. UPDATE: Release Date 11/07.
The boys are back as South Park returns with its 26th season! Join Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny as they learn the wonders of Japanese toilets, grapple with latest developments in A.I. technology, re-open an iconic Colorado restaurant, and meet a couple who feel the need to share the importance of their Privacy with the world. For them, it’s all part of growing up in South Park!
South Park: The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season
The Blu-ray will include a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack and English SDH subtitles. There doesn't appear to be any supplements. Pre-orders for South Park: The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season on Blu-ray are up now at Amazon and here is the full press release:
Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman Return for More Grade School Misadventures
Street Date: September 12, 2023 (UPDATE: Release Date 11/07)
Description: School is back in session when SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE TWENTY-SIXTH SEASON arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD September 12, 2023, from Paramount Home Entertainment. The newest season of the Emmy® Award-winning animated series includes six brand-new episodes featuring your favorite South Park residents.
The boys are back as South Park returns with its 26th season! Join Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny as they learn the wonders of Japanese toilets, grapple with latest developments in A.I. technology, re-open an iconic Colorado restaurant, and meet a couple who feel the need to share the importance of their Privacy with the world. For them, it’s all part of growing up in South Park!
SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE TWENTY-SIXTH SEASON stars creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Mona Marshall (“Blue Exorcist”), April Stewart (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) and Jennifer Howell (“Bob’s Burgers”).
Specifications: Widescreen Format
English 5.1 Dolby Digital (DVD Only)
English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD (Blu-ray Only)
English SDH Subtitles
U.S. Rating: Not Rated
Canadian Rating: 14A – Crude Content, Coarse Language
Run Time: 2 hours, 9 minutes
Is there such a thing as returning to normal with disc releases? Probably not, but compared to last week the 4K category has grown by leaps and bounds. This week we see a black comedy (without a Wayans brother at the helm), Jack Skellington gets a 4K update, Antonio Banderas' best known character, and more.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 12 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of August 20th - August 26th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Leading the week with a catalog upgrade, because, it has grown such a following and we are leading the guide with it. From Disney, The Nightmare Before Christmas gets a Standard Edition and a "Disney 100" style Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook.
Shout Factory brings us Hackers, which is available as a Collector's Edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. As a collector, I am perplexed at the lack of a slipcover on the "Collector's Edition".
From Sony Pictures, The Legend of Zorro gets a 4K upgrade. Good to see the sequels also get the 4K upgrade treatment.
Arrow Video offers up nostalgic 1985 with Weird Science.
Closing out the catalog title category, barring any delays, the 'Indicator Series' releases for The Night of the Hunted and The Rape of the Vampire release on Tuesday as well.
Out of sequence, I know, new release last this week, from Lionsgate we have comedy/horror titled The Blackening, which comes available as a Standard Edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook.
Next week, a Time Bandits import (with swag), Chucky 4-7, Battlestar and more!
Blu-ray counterparts of the above releases include The Blackening from LionsGate and the pair of Indicator Series titles, The Night of the Hunted and The Rape of the Vampire.
The rest of this category is pretty barren. As always though, here are the highlights:
A rather random catalog title from Sony Pictures with 1981's American Pop, an 'animated trek across the musical landscape of the 20th century'.
Arrow Video this week has Unman, Wittering and Zigo, a drama/thriller.
LionsGate this week offers something other than an action/thriller with a comedy titled You Hurt My Feelings.
If you did not import the Imprint release, this week Kino has you covered with Pretty Baby.
Another animated music film, but this time Warner Bros, look for Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar.
Four films on four discs from Criterion with Bo Widerberg’s New Swedish Cinema.
A minimalist week for Anime, Ranking of Kings Season 1 Part 2, which is available as a Standard Edition and Limited Edition, and Reincarnated as a Sword: Complete Collection.
Worthy Mention: Shout Factory releases the thriller Coma (1978), Michael Crichton does the adaptation of a book instead of the other way around, someone adapting his book.
Next week we do get a significant increase in titles in this category.
The Criterion Collection has announced their November line up. Do check it out!
Kino Lorber has finalized the details for Red Dragon 4K and Cujo 4K / blu-ray releases. They are scheduled to arrive on October 24th. They have also announced a new product line titled "Kino Cult" with three titles already slated. The debut titles are Lorna the Exorcist, Alien Outlaw and The Dark Power and they all release on October 24th.
Universal will be releasing M3GAN to 4K disc on October 10th. Before we get overly excited though, it does look like they are adding Atmos sound, but only including HDR10. Meanwhile the streaming version has Dolby Vision AND HDR10+. Still, we gain something. There is also a good chance (rumor) that The Black Phone will be out in October. Turbine Media is also releasing The Black Phone in Germany on October 5th. Will Scream Factory do them with Dolby Vision and more extras?
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?
Paramount is getting ready to send a farewell to Star Trek: Picard - The Final Season on Blu-ray on September 5. The last season will also be available in a SteelBook as well as a collection of all three seasons hitting stores on Blu-ray on the same day.
In the epic, thrilling conclusion of Star Trek: Picard, a desperate message from a long-lost friend draws Starfleet legend Admiral Jean-Luc Picard into the most daring mission of his life, forcing him to recruit allies spanning generations old and new. This final adventure sets him on a collision course with the legacy of his past and explosive, new revelations that will alter the fate of the Federation forever.
Star Trek: Picard – The Final Season Special Features:
Includes exclusive-to-home-entertainment special features including never-before-seen footage and audio commentary on select episodes from the show creators and cast. Get a galactic view of the creative vision behind the show and the rebuilding of Enterprise-D. This release also features deleted scenes and a Q&A panel with cast and crew.
Ultimate Trekkies may want to hold off until October, however, for Star Trek: Picard - The Legacy Collection - a limited, numbered set that will include Star Trek: The Next Generation's Complete Series, the four TNG films, and Star Trek: Picard Complete Series, PLUS loads of swag! Check out this spread:
Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection
All of these packages that include the final season of Picard will be available on September 5. Here is the full press release:
|
|
|
|
The fourth feature film in the animated Hotel Transylvania franchise, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital formats.
When Van Helsing’s mysterious invention, the “Monsterfication Ray," goes haywire, Drac and his monster pals are all transformed into humans, and Johnny becomes a monster! In their new mismatched bodies, Drac, stripped of his powers, and an exuberant Johnny, loving life as a monster, must team up and race across the globe to find a cure before it’s too late, and before they drive each other crazy.
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
The Blu-ray + Digital Combo Pack includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack and supplements include:
DIGITAL, BLU-RAY™, AND DVD
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital and here is the full press release:
AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL, BLU-RAY™ & DVD AUGUST 15
A DVD MULTI-FEATURE INCLUDING ALL FILMS WITHIN THE FRANCHISE WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE
SYNOPSIS
When Van Helsing’s mysterious invention, the “Monsterfication Ray," goes haywire, Drac and his monster pals are all transformed into humans, and Johnny becomes a monster! In their new mismatched bodies, Drac, stripped of his powers, and an exuberant Johnny, loving life as a monster, must team up and race across the globe to find a cure before it’s too late, and before they drive each other crazy.
Multi-feature:
Join Drac, Mavis, and all of your favorite monsters for fun and adventure in their lavish five-stake resort, on the high seas, and as they are transformed into humans. This 4-film family-friendly monster franchise bundles hilarious comedy and exciting adventure.
BONUS MATERIALS
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA
DIGITAL, BLU-RAY™, AND DVD
• A Hotel Transylvania Mini-Movie: Monster Pets
• Monster Mash-Up: Making Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
• Selena vs. Andy: A Hotel Transyl-Trivia Quiz
• “Love Is Not Hard to Find” by YEИDRY – Lyric Video
• Filmmaker Commentary
• And More!
Multi-feature:
DVD AND DIGITAL
• Goodnight Mr. Foot – Short Film
• Hotel Transylvania Puppy! – Short Film
• A Hotel Transylvania Mini-Movie: Monster Pets
• Monster Mash-Up: Making Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
• Selena vs. Andy: A Hotel Transyl-Trivia Quiz
• “Love Is Not Hard to Find” by YEИDRY – Lyric Video
• “Problem” Music Video by Becky G Featuring will.i.am
• “I’m In Love With A Monster” Music Video by Fifth Harmony
• Deleted Scenes, Behind the Scenes, Filmmaker Commentary and More!
Blu-ray™ and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+. Visit MoviesAnywhere.com for terms and conditions.
CAST AND CREW
Directed By: Derek Drymon, Jennifer Kluska
Story By: Genndy Tartakovsky
Screenplay By: Amos Vernon & Nunzio Randazzo and Genndy Tartakovsky
Produced By: Alice Dewey Goldstone
Executive Producers: Genndy Tartakovsky, Michelle Murdocca, Selena Gomez
Cast: Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Brian Hull, Fran Drescher
SPECS
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA
Run Time: Approx. 88 Mins.
Rating: PG: Some Action and Rude Humor Including Cartoon Nudity
Blu-ray™: 1080p High Definition / 1.85:1 • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English & French (Doublé au Québec) – Audio Description Tracks 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Mastered in High Definition • Color
DVD: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English & French (Doublé au Québec) – Audio Description Tracks Dolby Surround • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Color
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Twitter: @SonyPictures
Instagram: @SonyPictures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonyPictures/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sonypictures
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html
William Friedkin, director of such classics as The Exorcist, The Boys in the Band, The French Connection, and modern treats like Bug and Killer Joe will be celebrated on the classic movie channel this fall.
For those of you with a TCM subscription, the venerable film channel will be hosting a two-night tribute to the late filmmaker. As we await the release of Friedkin's final film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, fans will be able to enjoy airings of some of his classics including The French Connection, The Exorcist as well as the TCM premiere of the excellent documentary, Friedkin Uncut. The films will be spread out over two nights, September 14th and November 26th.
Here's a look at the schedule:
TCM Remembers William Friedkin Part 1 – Thursday, September 14
TCM Remembers William Friedkin Part 2 – Sunday, November 26
This selection is clearly a greatest hits list of his early work but the man made some great films all the way into the mid-2010s, with the likes of Bug and Killer Joe - but I imagine those latter two would be tough shows for the uninitiated. Between The French Connection and The Boys in the Band it will be interesting to see which version of those we'll get to enjoy on the landmark movie channel. The French Connection famously (or rather infamously at this point) was edited to excise some potentially offensive language while The Boys in the Band was one that endured Friedkin's troubling color-correcting when it came to disc leaving it looking overly purple and awkward. This press release also doesn't state which version of The Exorcist we'll be seeing so we'll just have to tune in to find out!
[UPDATE 9/9/2023]
After reaching out to TCM we've learned that this upcoming screening of The French Connection at 8:00 PM on September 14th is in fact going to be the full uncensored original version of the film and not the controversial re-edit that removed the usage of a particular racial slur that actually gave some essential character background to Popeye Doyle.
As for The Exorcist airing on November 26th at 10:00 pm, this will be the Theatrical Cut - so get excited for the leaner bleaker cut of the classic horror film!
It's not like we don't already own these and can watch them whenever we want, but it's there's something special about catching TCM's presentations of these classics - I know I love their intros and wish more of that kind of content would make it to some Blu-ray releases' bonus features.
For those interested, here's the full press release:
|
|||||||||
|
