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Takashi Miike's 'Dead or Alive Trilogy' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The crime flicks are coming to Blu-ray in March.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Arrow is preparing 'Dead or Alive Trilogy' for Blu-ray on March 14. Beginning with an explosive, six-minute montage of sex, drugs and violence, and ending with a phallus-headed battle robot taking flight, Takashi Miike's unforgettable Dead or Alive Trilogy features many of the director's most outrageous moments set alongside some of his most dramatically moving scenes. Made between 1999 and 2002, the Dead or Alive films cemented Miike's reputation overseas as one of the most provocative enfants terrible of Japanese cinema, yet also one of its most talented and innovative filmmakers. In Dead or Alive, tough gangster Ryuichi (Riki Takeuchi) and his ethnically Chinese gang make a play to take over the drug trade in Tokyo's Shinjuku district by massacring the competition. But he meets his match in detective Jojima (Show Aikawa), who will do everything to stop them. Dead or Alive 2: Birds casts Aikawa and Takeuchi together again, but as new characters, a pair of rival yakuza assassins who turn out to be childhood friends; after a botched hit, they flee together to the island where they grew up, and decide to devote their deadly skills to a more humanitarian cause. And in Dead or Alive: Final, Takeuchi and Aikawa are catapulted into a future Yokohama ruled by multilingual gangs and cyborg soldiers, where they once again butt heads in the action-packed and cyberpunk-tinged finale to the trilogy. Each of them unique in theme and tone, the Dead or Alive films showcase Miike at the peak of his strengths, creating three very distinct movies connected only by their two popular main actors, each film a separate yet superb example of crime drama, character study, and action filmmaking. The Blu-rays will feature 1080p video, uncompressed stereo soundtracks, and supplements will include: - New interview with actor Riki Takeuchi- New interview with actor Sho Aikawa- New interview with producer and screenwriter Toshiki Kimura- New audio commentary for Dead or Alive by Miike biographer Tom Mes- Archive interviews with cast and crew- Archive making-of featurettes for DOA2: Birds and DOA: Final- Original theatrical trailers for all three films- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Orlando Arocena- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the films by Kat Ellinger Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $49.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Dead or Alive Trilogy' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 14. Order the Blu-rayPosted Thu Dec 22, 2016 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
'Keeping up with the Joneses' Blu-ray & Ultra HD Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The comedy starring Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher, Zach Galifianakis, and Gal Gadot will go undercover on Blu-ray and Ultra Blu-ray in January.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'Keeping up with the Joneses' for Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray on January 17. Go deep undercover in this hilarious action-comedy with an all-star cast including Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher and Gal Gadot. An ordinary suburban couple finds it’s not easy keeping up with the Joneses — their impossibly attractive and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors — especially when they discover Mr. and Mrs. Jones are covert spies embroiled in international espionage. The Ultra HD Blu-ray will feature 2160p video and the Blu-ray will feature 1080p video. Both releases will feature a DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack and supplements will include: - Deleted Scenes – Four hilarious deleted scenes, plus the original opening- Spy Game – The stars reveal their roles in the car chases, love story and goofy bromance that melded into the perfect blend of ‘burbs and bullets- Keeping Up With Georgia – Go on location and see how Georgia doubled as the backdrop for both a sleepy, idyllic neighborhood and a stunt-filled setting for spycraft Suggested list price for each release is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Keeping up with the Joneses' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule and our Ultra HD Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 17. Order the Ultra HD Blu-ray Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Dec 21, 2016 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
'House: Two Stories' Blu-ray Double Feature Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]The horror flick and its sequel are coming to Blu-ray in March.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Arrow is preparing 'House: Two Stories' for Blu-ray on March 21. Step inside, we've been expecting you! At long-last, Arrow Video is proud to present the first two installments of hit horror franchise House on Blu-ray for the first time! In the original House, William Katt (Carrie, The Man From Earth) stars as Roger Cobb, a horror novelist struggling to pen his next bestseller. When he inherits his aunt's creaky old mansion, Roger decides that he's found the ideal place in which to get some writing done. Unfortunately, the house's monstrous supernatural residents have other ideas... Meanwhile, House II: The Second Story sees young Jesse (Arye Gross) moving into an old family mansion where his parents were mysteriously murdered years before. Plans for turning the place into a party pad are soon thwarted by the appearance of Jesse's mummified great-great-grandfather, his mystical crystal skull and the zombie cowboy who'll stop at nothing to lay his hands on it! Specs have not been announced yet, but supplements will include: - The House Companion limited edition 60-page book featuring new writing on the entire House franchise by researcher Simon Barber, alongside a wealth of archive material - Audio commentary with director Steve Miner, producer Sean S. Cunningham, actor William Katt and screenwriter Ethan Wiley (House)- Ding Dong, You're Dead! The Making of House brand new documentary featuring interviews with Steve Miner, Sean S. Cunningham, Ethan Wiley, story creator Fred Dekker, stars William Katt, Kay Lenz, and George Wendt, composer Harry Manfredini, special make-up and creature effects artists Barney Burman, Brian Wade, James Belohovek, Shannon Shea, Kirk Thatcher, and Bill Sturgeon, special paintings artists Richard Hescox and William Stout, and stunt coordinator Kane Hodder (House)- Stills Gallery- Theatrical Trailers- Audio commentary with writer-director Ethan Wiley and producer Sean S. Cunningham (House II)- It's Getting Weirder! The Making of House II: The Second Story brand new documentary featuring interviews with Ethan Wiley, Sean S. Cunningham, stars Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Lar Park Lincoln, and Devin DeVasquez, composer Harry Manfredini, special make-up and creature effects artists Chris Walas, Mike Smithson, visual effects supervisor Hoyt Yeatman, and stunt coordinator Kane Hodder (House II) Suggested list price for the Limited Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray is $59.95. You can find the latest specs for 'House: Two Stories' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 21. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Dec 21, 2016 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Kino Readies New 2K Restorations of Four Buster Keaton Films for Blu-ray[teaser]Four newly restored Buster Keaton classics are heading to Blu-ray in February.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Kino is preparing 'The General/The Three Ages' for Blu-ray on February 7 and 'Steamboat Bill Jr./College' for Blu-ray on February 14. Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL is not simply one of the greatest silent comedies ever made, it is one of the greatest films of any era. In restaging the true story of one man's journey behind enemy lines to reclaim his captured locomotive during the Civil War, Keaton stages a series of complex chases, using lumbering trains as comedic props. Keaton's inventive mind is matched only by his physical athleticism, making THE GENERAL a truly breath-taking experience. Keaton's first foray into making feature films, THREE AGES is a parody of D.W. Griffith's Intolerance, dramatizing man's quest for love in three parallel settings a modern city, the Stone Age, and ancient Rome and loading each plotline with amazing stunts and hysterical sight gags. The Blu-ray will feature a new 2K restoration and supplements will include: - Orchestral score by Robert Israel- Orchestral score by Joe Hisaishi- Audio commentary by film historians Michael Schlesinger and Stan Taffel- Introduction by Orson Welles- Introduction by Gloria Swanson- Return of The General, a vintage short film on the restoration of the legendary locomotive/New 2K restoration by Lobster Films- Music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra- Music by Robert Israel- Vintage Alka-Seltzer commercial starring Buster Keaton- Candid Camera television segment starring Buster Keaton- Man's Genesis (1912) a prehistoric drama by D.W. Griffith, parodied in Three Ages Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.95. You can find the latest specs for 'The General/The Three Ages' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 7. Order the Blu-ray STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. was Buster Keaton's last independent silent comedy and also one of his finest. He stars as the effete son of a gruff riverboat captain (Ernest Torrence), who struggles to earn his father's respect (and the love of beautiful Marion Byron). But the film is best remembered for the climactic cyclone sequence a slapstick tour-de-force in which Keaton's comedic stunts are performed amid the full-scale destruction of an entire town. A stone-faced response to Harold Lloyd's The Freshman, COLLEGE follows a frail scholar as he tries to win the heart of a girl (Anne Cornwall) through athletics. Keaton used his own physical agility to brilliant comic effect, as his character suffers a series of crushing failures. But the greatest surprise comes at the end, when the scrawny intellectual finally releases the physical tiger within. The Blu-ray will feature a new 2K restoration and supplements will include: - Orchestral score by Timothy Brock- Organ score by Lee Erwin- Audio commentary by film historians Michael Schlesinger and Stan Taffel- Introduction by Serge Bromberg- Vintage Alka-Seltzer commercial starring Buster Keaton- Music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra- Organ score by John Muri- Audio commentary by Rob Farr- Tour of filming locations, by John Bengtson, author of Silent Echoes- Introduction by Serge Bromberg- Introduction by Lillian Gish- Run, Girl, Run, a 1928 collegiate comedy starring Carole Lombard- The Scribe (1966), Keaton's final on-screen performance Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Steamboat Bill Jr./College' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 14. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Dec 21, 2016 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Complete Season Three' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The third season of the Netflix series is planned for Blu-ray in February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Entertainment One is working on 'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Complete Season Three' for Blu-ray on February 7. Season Three features a returning ensemble cast including D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza González, Jesse Garcia, Madison Davenport, Brandon Soo Hoo, Emily Rios and Jake Busey. New cast joining the third season are: Ana de la Reguera ("Jane the Virgin", "Narcos") who will have a recurring role as Lord Venganza Verdugo, one of the seven remaining culebra Lords; Marko Zaror ("Machete Kills") as Zolo, an Aztec warrior trained in hell; Tom Savini ("Friday the 13th", "From Dusk Till Dawn") as Burt, a retired demon hunter who smokes more medical marijuana than he sells; Maurice Compte ("Breaking Bad", "Narcos") as Brasa, a mysterious Rasputin-like figure who takes on the Gecko brothers; and Nicky Whelan ("House of Lies", "The Wedding Ringer") whose character will be revealed during the season. No other details have been revealed at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Complete Season Three' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under February 7.Posted Wed Dec 21, 2016 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Nate Parker's 'The Birth of a Nation' Detailed for Blu-ray & Ultra HD Blu-ray[teaser]The historical drama will rise up on Blu-ray and Ultra Blu-ray in January.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'The Birth of a Nation (2016)' for Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray on January 10. Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities, against himself and his fellow slaves, Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom. The Ultra HD Blu-ray will feature 2160p video and the Blu-ray will feature 1080p video. Both releases will feature a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack and supplements will include: - Rise Up: The Legacy of Nat Turner Documentary- Feature Commentary by Director Nate Parker- Gallery- Deleted Scenes with Optional Director Commentary- The Birth of a Nation: The Making of a Movement- #AmeriCAN (Short Film) with Optional Director Commentary- "Free God" Spoken Word- Celebration of Independent Voices – Nate Parker- Shooting Script Suggested list price for each release is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Birth of a Nation (2016)' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule and our Ultra HD Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 10. Order the Ultra HD Blu-ray Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Dec 20, 2016 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
'xXx: 15th Anniversary Edition' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The action flick starring Vin Diesel is getting a remastered anniversary edition in January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony says 'xXx: 15th Anniversary Edition' will be available on Blu-ray on January 10. From Revolution Studios and Pictures, Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is a notorious underground thrill-seeker who, until now, has been deemed untouchable by the law. But when crack NSA Agent Gibbons convinces Cage to infiltrate a ruthless Russian crime ring, this new breed of secret agent (codename: XXX) takes down the enemies of justice with a vengeance in this high-octane, turbo-charged thrill-ride from the acclaimed director of The Fast and the Furious. The Blu-ray will feature a remastered 1080p transfer, lossless 5.1 audio, and supplements include: "Origins of A Renegade" Featurette (NEW); Deleted Scenes; 10 Featurettes; Audio Commentary; and Multiple Music Videos. You can find the latest specs for 'xXx: 15th Anniversary Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under January 10.Posted Tue Dec 20, 2016 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Poltergeist II: Collector's Edition' and 'Poltergeist III: Collector's Edition' Blu-ray Supplements Detailed[teaser]The supplements have now been finalized for both sequels available in stores this January. [/teaser] As previously reported, Scream Factory is preparing 'Poltergeist II: Collector's Edition' and 'Poltergeist III: Collector's Edition' for Blu-ray on January 24. Poltergeist II: The Other Side - The Freeling family settles into a new home following the annihilation of their former residence by terrifying visitors from the netherworld. But the spirits of the dead are still hell-bent on luring the family's clairvoyant daughter Carol Anne to "the other side"! 'Poltergeist II' supplements include: NEW Audio Commentary with writer/producer Michael Grais; NEW Audio Commentary with Poltergeist II webmaster David Furtney; NEW Robbie's Return – an interview with Oliver Robins; NEW The Spirit World – an interview with special effects designers Richard Edlund, Steve Johnson and Screaming Mad George; NEW Ghosts of Giger – a look at the contributions of artist H.R. Giger featuring rare photos and illustrations and an interviews with Giger's friend and agent Les Barany and special effects designer Steve Johnson, Richard Edlund and Screaming Mad George; Vintage Featurettes: They're Back: The Making of Poltergeist II, Monster Shop and Ghostmakers: The Magic of Poltergeist II; Theatrical Trailer; TV Spots; and Still Galleries (behind-the-scenes photos, stills, posters and script pages). Poltergeist III - They're back...again! And they're still looking for Carol Anne, who has been sent by her parents to live in a Chicago high rise with her aunt, uncle and cousin. Now Carol Anne must face demons more frightening than ever before, as they move from invading homes to taking over an entire skyscraper. 'Poltergeist III' will include: NEW Audio Commentary with director Gary Sherman; NEW Audio Commentary with Poltergeist III webmaster David Furtney; NEW High Spirits – an interview with screenwriter Brian Taggert; NEW Reflections – an interview with actress Nancy Allen; NEW Mirror Images – an interview with Special Effects Creator John Caglione, Jr.; Alternate Ending (subtitled); Theatrical Trailer; TV Spots; and Still Galleries (behind-the-scenes photos, stills, posters and script pages). Each release will feature a new 2K transfer; new slipcovers (guaranteed for three months after its original release date); and newly-commissioned front-facing artwork from artist Justin Osbourn (Lifeforce, The Fog, Child's Play). The reverse side of the wraps will showcase the original theatrical poster art. You can find the latest specs for 'Poltergeist II: Collector's Edition' and 'Poltergeist III: Collector's Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under January 24. Order the Blu-ray Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Dec 20, 2016 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Steven Seagal Has a 'Contract to Kill' this February[teaser]The action film is set to arrive on Blu-ray in February.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate is working on 'Contract to Kill' for Blu-ray on February 28. Action star Steven Seagal stars as a government enforcer investigating a terrorist plot that leads him and his team to Istanbul. There, they uncover an extremist plan to use drug-smuggling routes to bring deadly weapons — and leaders — into the U.S. To prevent an attack on America, Harmon must turn these two savage forces against one another before his time — and luck — runs out. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: The Making of Contract to Kill. You can find the latest specs for 'Contract to Kill' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under February 28. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Dec 20, 2016 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Criterion's March 2017 Blu-ray Titles Now Available for Pre-Order![teaser]The distributor has revealed its upcoming slate of March releases, including Michelangelo Antonioni's 'Blow-Up' and Hal Ashby's 'Being There.'[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion is preparing '45 Years,' 'Canoa: A Shameful Memory,' 'Being There,' 'Multiple Maniacs,' and 'Blow-Up' for Blu-ray throughout the month of March. '45 Years' (March 7) - In this exquisitely calibrated film, Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay perform a subtly off-kilter pas de deux as Kate and Geoff, an English couple who, on the eve of an anniversary celebration, find their long marriage shaken by the arrival of a letter to Geoff that unceremoniously collapses his past into their shared present. Director Andrew Haigh carries the tradition of British realist cinema to artful new heights in 45 Years, weaving the momentous into the mundane as the pair go about their daily lives, while the evocatively flat, wintry Norfolk landscape frames their struggle to maintain an increasingly untenable status quo. Loosely adapting a short story by David Constantine, Haigh shifts the focus from the slightly erratic Geoff to Kate, eliciting a remarkable, nuanced portrayal by Rampling of a woman’s gradual metamorphosis from unflappable wife to woman undone. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: - Audio commentary featuring Haigh and producer Tristan Goligher- New documentary featuring interviews with Haigh, Goligher, actors Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, editor Jonathan Alberts, and director of photography Lol Crawley- New interview with David Constantine, author of the short story on which the film is based- Trailer- PLUS: An essay by critic Ella Taylor Order the Blu-ray 'Canoa: A Shameful Memory' (March 14) - One of Mexico’s best-regarded works of political cinema, Canoa: A Shameful Memory reimagines a real-life incident that had occurred just eight years before its release, when a group of urban university employees on a hiking trip were viciously attacked by residents of the village of San Miguel de Canoa, who had been manipulated by a corrupt priest into believing the travelers were communist revolutionaries. Intercutting footage from a fictional documentary about the village with gruesome scenes of the crime itself, director Felipe Cazals produced a daring commentary on the climate of violence and repression in Mexico during that era, including the military’s infamous massacre of demonstrating students in Tlatelolco, Mexico City. With its gritty newsreel style, Canoa is a visceral expression of horror as well as an important historical document. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Spanish mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: - New introduction by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro- New conversation between filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and Cazals- Trailer- PLUS: An essay by critic Fernanda Solórzano Order the Blu-ray 'Being There' (March 21) - In one of his most finely tuned performances, Peter Sellers plays the pure-hearted Chance, a gardener forced out of moneyed seclusion and into the urban wilds of Washington, D.C., after the death of his employer. Shocked to discover that the real world doesn’t respond to the click of a remote, Chance stumbles haplessly into celebrity after being taken under the wing of a tycoon (Oscar winner Melvyn Douglas), who mistakes his new protégé’s mumbling about horticulture for sagacious pronouncements on life and politics, and whose wife targets Chance as the object of her desire. Adapted from a novel by Jerzy Kosinski, this hilarious, deeply melancholy satire marks the culmination a remarkable string of films by Hal Ashby in the 1970s, and serves as a carefully modulated examination of the ideals, anxieties, and media-fueled delusions that shaped American culture during that decade. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English uncompressed mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: - New documentary on the making of the film, featuring interviews with members of the production team- Excerpts from a 1980 American Film Institute seminar with director Hal Ashby- Author Jerzy Kosinski in a 1979 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show- Appearances from 1980 by actor Peter Sellers on NBC’s Today and The Don Lane Show- Promo reel featuring Sellers and Ashby- Trailer and TV spots- Deleted scene, outtakes, and an alternate ending- PLUS: An essay by critic Mark Harris Order the Blu-ray 'Multiple Maniacs' (March 21) - The gloriously grotesque second feature directed by John Waters is replete with all manner of depravity, from robbery to murder to one of cinema’s most memorably blasphemous moments. Made on a shoestring budget in Waters’ native Baltimore, with the filmmaker taking on nearly every technical task, this gleeful mockery of the peace-and-love ethos of its era features the Cavalcade of Perversion, a traveling show mounted by a troupe of misfits whose shocking proclivities are topped only by those of their leader: the glammer-than-glam, larger-than-life Divine, out for blood after discovering her lover’s affair. Starring Waters’ beloved regular cast the Dreamlanders (including David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Susan Lowe, George Figgs, and Cookie Mueller), Multiple Maniacs is an anarchic masterwork from an artist who has doggedly tested the limits of good taste for decades. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English uncompressed mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: - New audio commentary featuring Waters- New interviews with cast and crew members Pat Moran, Vincent Peranio, Mink Stole, Susan Lowe, and George Figgs- More!- PLUS: An essay by critic Linda Yablonsky Order the Blu-ray 'Blow-Up' (March 28) - In 1966, Michelangelo Antonioni transplanted his existentialist ennui to the streets of swinging London for this international sensation, the Italian filmmaker’s English-language debut. A countercultural masterpiece about the act of seeing and the art of image making, Blow-Up takes the form of a psychological mystery, starring David Hemmings as a fashion photographer who unknowingly captures a death on film after following two lovers in a park. Antonioni’s meticulous aesthetic control and intoxicating color palette breathe life into every frame, and the jazzy sounds of Herbie Hancock, a beautifully evasive performance by Vanessa Redgrave, and a cameo by the Yardbirds make the film a transporting time capsule from a bygone era. Blow-Up is a seductive immersion into creative passion, and a brilliant film by one of cinema’s greatest artists. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English uncompressed mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: - A new piece about director Michelangelo Antonioni’s artistic approach, featuring photography curators Walter Moser and Philippe Garner and art historian David Alan Mellor- Blow-up of “Blow-Up,” a new 52-minute documentary on the making of the film- Conversation from 2016 between Garner and actor Vanessa Redgrave- Archival interviews with Antonioni and actors David Hemmings and Jane Birkin- Trailers- PLUS: A book featuring an essay by film scholar David Forgacs and more Order the Blu-ray Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for all of the titles listed above linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed throughout March.Posted Mon Dec 19, 2016 at 01:00 PM PST by:
