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Arnaud Desplechin's 'My Golden Days' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The critically-acclaimed French drama is planned for Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Magnolia will be releasing 'My Golden Days' on Blu-ray on July 12. MY GOLDEN DAYS is the story of Paul Dédalus (Almaric), an anthropologist preparing to leave Tajikistan. Reflecting on his life, he has a series of flashbacks starting from his childhood in Roubaix—his mother’s attacks of madness, his father’s alienating depression. He remembers a student trip to the USSR, where a clandestine mission led him to offer up his own identity for a young Russian, whom he considered a phantom twin for the remainder of his life. He remembers University life, and returning to his hometown to party with his sister and her best friend, his shifting circle of friends and their casual betrayals. And most of all he remembers Esther (César nominated newcomer Lou Roy-Lecollinet), the beautiful, rude, haughty soul and love of his life. No other details have been released at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'My Golden Days' linked from our Blu-ray Release schedule, where it is indexed under July 12.Posted Thu Jun 23, 2016 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
John Carney's 'Sing Street' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The critically-acclaimed dramedy is planned for Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay says 'Sing Street' will arrive on Blu-ray on July 26. SING STREET takes us back to 1980s Dublin seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy named Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who is looking for a break from a home strained by his parents' relationship and money troubles, while trying to adjust to his new inner-city public school where the kids are rough and the teachers are rougher. He finds a glimmer of hope in the mysterious, über-cool and beautiful Raphina (Lucy Boynton), and with the aim of winning her heart he invites her to star in his band's music videos. There's only one problem: he's not part of a band…yet. She agrees, and now Conor must deliver what he's promised - calling himself "Cosmo" and immersing himself in the vibrant rock music trends of the decade, he forms a band with a few lads, and the group pours their heart into writing lyrics and shooting videos. Inspired by writer/director John Carney's life and love for music, SING STREET shows us a world where music has the power to take us away from the turmoil of everyday life and transform us into something greater. SING STREET is "an irresistible, feel-good movie", Leonard Maltin. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include: Making Sing Street; Writer/Director John Carney and Adam Levine Talk Sing Street; and nine cast auditions. You can find the latest specs for 'Sing Street' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under July 26. Order the Blu-rayPosted Thu Jun 23, 2016 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Steven Soderbergh's 'The Knick: The Complete Second Season' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]Full details are in for the second season of the Cinemax drama scrubbing in for Blu-ray in August. [/teaser] As previously reported, HBO is preparing 'The Knick: The Complete Second Season' for Blu-ray on August 2. From executive producer Steven Soderbergh (who directed all ten episodes), and starring Clive Owen (in a Golden Globe-nominated performance) as brilliant surgeon John Thackery, the series pushes the boundaries of medicine, morality and race relations in 1900 at a downtown NYC hospital known as The Knick. The series has been hailed as "the most effectively, but modestly, stylish show on television" (Vanity Fair) and having "…what tamer period dramas lack: a spark of life and sense of danger" (Variety). In the second season, The Knick faces an upheaval, as Dr. John Thackery's absence (due to his hospitalization for cocaine addiction), a dearth of affluent patients, and financial missteps have led to the board's decision to shutter the hospital in favor of a new building uptown. In this world of corruption, invention and progress, everyone is searching for the new path that will help him or her survive. Whether it's a path toward justice, freedom, love or just plain survival, nothing comes easy. As relocation plans proceed, the gifted but under-appreciated Dr. Algernon Edwards jockeys to become Thackery's successor as chief of surgery, while fellow doctors, nurses, nuns and administrators grapple with challenges at work and in their private lives. Along with Owen, the series regulars include André Holland (Dr. Algernon Edwards), Eve Hewson (Lucy Elkins) and Juliet Rylance (Cornelia Robertson), Eric Johnson (Dr. Everett Gallinger), Michael Angarano (Dr. "Bertie" Chickering Jr.), Cara Seymour (Sister Harriet), Jeremy Bobb (Herman Barrow) and Chris Sullivan (Tom Cleary). The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: "The Knick Under Construction" – go on an exclusive walking tour of the most notable sets from The Knick with the man who envisioned them, Production Designer Howard Cummings. See the amazing detail that went into the creation of the Surgical Theater, Men's Ward, and the brand new Mt Sinai Operating theater; "Inside the Costume Shop" – costume designer Ellen Mirojnick is joined by actors André Holland (Dr. Algernon Edwards) and Juliet Rylance (Cornelia Robertson) backstage in her costume shop for fun, revealing conversations about how she went about creating their looks for the series; "Invitation to the Ball" – an extensive look at how director Steven Soderbergh and show creators Jack Amiel & Michael Begler went about creating the extravagant charity ball featured in Episode 7, from Steven's amazing long single tracking shot through the ball to the research that went into creating these memorable scenes in the series; "Inside the Body Shop" – four in-depth looks at the show's medical procedures including the eye-opening ocular surgical sequence, a bloody leg abscess, a brain surgery and a guts-and-all analysis of a heroin addicts autopsy; "Behind the Scenes" – five vignettes with cast and crew discussing the season's plotlines including eugenics, feminism, addiction, race relations and corruption; "Post-Ops" – ten inside the episode recaps; "Knicktoids" – get the real scoop behind many of the fascinating details seen in Season 2; and Audio Commentaries – three commentaries with cast and crew. Suggested list price for the 4-Disc Blu-ray is $34.98. You can find the latest specs for 'The Knick: The Complete Second Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 2. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Jun 22, 2016 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Fritz Lang's 'Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler' Headed for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1922 silent classic will be getting the high-definition treatment in August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Kino says 'Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler' will be available on Blu-ray on August 23. A truly legendary silent film, Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler had a major impact on the development of the crime thriller, building upon the work of the pioneering French film serialist Louis Feuillade (Les Vampires) and firmly establishing it as a significant film genre. This epic two-part tale was originally released as two separate films, respectively subtitled The Great Gambler and Inferno, and that format is reproduced here. The plot revolves around the pursuit of arch fiend Dr. Mabuse, a gambler, hypnotist, master of disguises and all-around criminal mastermind. Mabuse was the prototype for the sort of evil genius super-villains that would later become common in movies, whether it be in the James Bond pictures or in comic book adaptations like Superman and Batman. The film is dominated by the presence of Rudolf Klein-Rogge as Mabuse. A top German actor of the silent era, he is best known today for his performance as the mad scientist Rotwang in Lang's Metropolis. Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler contains many of the elements that were expected from the crime genre at the time, including characters who slip in and out of disguise, mind control, gambling clubs, exotic women, brutal henchmen and unexpected plot twists. Lang's directorial ability to handle such pulp material in a masterful fashion, while also using it as a way to examine the decadence of Germany in the 1920s, reaffirms his status as one of the true greats of the silent era. The 2-disc set will feature a new 2k restoration and supplements include: The Story Behind Dr. Mabuse," a 52-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film. You can find the latest specs for 'Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under August 23. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Jun 22, 2016 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
George McCowan's 'The Shape of Things to Come' Blu-ray Dated & Detailed[teaser]The H.G. Wells science fiction film starring Jack Palance is headed for Blu-ray in September. [/teaser] As previously reported, Blue Underground is working on 'The Shape of Things to Come' for Blu-ray, and now the date has been set for September 27. Planet Earth is a devastated wasteland, and what's left of humanity has colonized the Moon in domed cities. Humanity's continued survival depends on an anti-radiation drug only available on planet Delta Three, which has been taken over by Omus, a brilliant but mad mechanic who places no value on human life. Omus wants to come to the Moon to rule and intends to attack it by ramming robot-controlled spaceships into the domes. Dr. John Caball, his son Jason, Jason's friend, Kim, and a robot named Sparks embark on Caball's space battlecruiser on an unauthorized mission to Delta Three to stop Omus. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, lossless 5.1 and mono soundtracks, and supplements include: Jason's Journey - New interview with Star Nicholas Campbell; Symphonies In Space - New interview with Composer Paul Hoffert; French Trailer & TV Spot; and Poster, Still, & Pressbook Galleries. You can find the latest specs for 'The Shape of Things to Come' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 27. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Jun 22, 2016 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Kill Zone 2' Starring Tony Jaa Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The action-packed crime drama will be sentenced to Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Well Go USA has revealed 'Kill Zone 2' is headed for Blu-ray on July 19. When an undercover cop gets too close to revealing the mastermind of a drug syndicate, his cover is blown. Double-crossed and under a false identity, he's thrown into a Thai prison, where a guard discovers the inmate - claiming he's a cop - is a bone marrow match for his dying daughter ... and his warden may have an even deadlier operation hidden within the prison walls. Directed by Pou-Soi Cheang (Accident, Motorway), the film is a breakneck story of dirty cops, prison riots, and black market organ transplants, all brought together by a non-stop series of inventive, bone-crunching setpieces. Rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Kill Zone 2 was named a "Film of Merit" at the 2016 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards and Chung Chi Li (Ip Man: The Final Fight) won a Golden Horse at the 2016 Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Action Choreography. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: 3-Part Making-of Featurette and Deleted Scenes. You can find the latest specs for 'Kill Zone 2' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under July 19. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Jun 22, 2016 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Criterion's September 2016 Blu-ray Titles Now Available for Pre-Order![teaser]The distributor has revealed its upcoming slate of September releases, including the Coen Brothers' 'Blood Simple' and Mark Robson's 'Valley of the Dolls.' [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion is preparing 'Night Train to Munich,' 'The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum,' 'Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Reissue),' 'Blood Simple,' 'Cat People,' 'Dekalog,' 'Valley of the Dolls,' and 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' for Blu-ray throughout the month of September. 'Night Train to Munich' (September 6) - Night Train to Munich, from writers Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat and director Carol Reed, is a twisting, turning, cloak-and-dagger delight. Paced like an out-of-control locomotive, this gripping, occasionally comic confection takes viewers on a World War II–era journey from Prague to England to the Swiss Alps, as Nazis pursue a Czech scientist and his daughter (Margaret Lockwood), who are being aided by a debonair British undercover agent, played by Rex Harrison. This captivating adventure—which also featuresCasablanca’s Paul Henreid—mixes comedy, romance, and thrills with enough skill and cleverness to give the Master of Suspense himself pause. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Conversation from 2010 between film scholars Peter Evans and Bruce Babington about director Carol Reed, screenwriters Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, and the social and political climate in which Night Train to Munich was made; PLUS: An essay by film critic Philip Kemp. Order the Blu-ray 'The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum' (September 13) - This heartrending masterpiece by Kenji Mizoguchi about the give-and-take between life and art marked the director’s first use of the hypnotic long takes and eloquent camera movements that would come to define his films. The adopted son of legendary kabuki actor Kikunosuke (Shotaro Hanayagi), who is striving to achieve stardom by mastering female roles, turns to his infant brother’s wet nurse (Kakuko Mori) for support and affection—and she soon gives up everything for her beloved’s creative glory. Featuring fascinating glimpses behind the scenes of kabuki theater in the late nineteenth century,The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is a critique of the oppression of women and the sacrifices required of them, and the pinnacle of Mizoguchi’s early career. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Japanese mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New interview with critic Phillip Lopate about the evolution of director Kenji Mizoguchi’s style; PLUS: An essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew. Order the Blu-ray 'Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Reissue)' (September 13) - The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longest-running action series in Japanese history and created one of the screen’s great heroes: an itinerant blind masseur who also happens to be a lightning-fast swordsman. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy Shintaro Katsu became an instant superstar, lending a larger-than-life presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who lives staunchly by a code of honor and delivers justice in every town and village he enters. The films that feature him are variously pulse-pounding, hilarious, stirring, and completely off-the-wall. This deluxe set features the string of twenty-five Zatoichi films made between 1962 and 1973, collected in one package for the first time. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Japanese mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: The Blind Swordsman, a 1978 documentary about Zatoichi portrayer and filmmaker Shintaro Katsu, along with a new interview with its director, John Nathan; New interview with Asian-film critic Tony Rayns; Trailers; PLUS: A book featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien; synopses of the films by critic, novelist, and musician Chris D.; “The Tale of Zatoichi,” the original short story by Kan Shimozawa; and twenty-five new illustrations inspired by the films, by twenty-five different artists. Order the Blu-ray 'Blood Simple' (September 20) - Joel and Ethan Coen’s career-long darkly comic road trip through misfit America began with this razor-sharp, hard-boiled neonoir set somewhere in Texas, where a sleazy bar owner sets off a torrent of violence with one murderous thought. Actor M. Emmet Walsh looms over the proceedings as a slippery private eye with a yellow suit, a cowboy hat, and no moral compass, and Frances McDormand’s cunning debut performance set her on the road to stardom. The tight scripting and inventive style that have marked the Coens’ work for decades are all here in their first film, in which cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld abandons the black-and-white chiaroscuro of classic noir for neon signs and jukebox colors that combine with Carter Burwell’s haunting score to lurid and thrilling effect. Blending elements from pulp fiction and low-budget horror flicks, Blood Simplereinvented the film noir for a new generation, marking the arrival of a filmmaking ensemble that would transform the American independent cinema scene. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: New conversation between Sonnenfeld and the Coens about the film’s look, featuring Telestrator video illustrations; New conversation between author Dave Eggers and the Coens about the film’s production, from inception to release; New interviews with composer Carter Burwell, sound mixer Skip Lievsay, and actors Frances McDormand and M. Emmet Walsh; Trailers; PLUS: An essay by novelist and critic Nathaniel Rich. Order the Blu-ray 'Cat People' (September 20) - The first of the horror films producer Val Lewton made for RKO Pictures redefined the genre by leaving its most frightening terrors to its audience’s imagination. Simone Simon stars as a Serbian émigré in Manhattan who believes that, because of an ancient curse, any physical intimacy with the man she loves (Kent Smith) will turn her into a feline predator. Lewton, a consummate producer-auteur who oversaw every aspect of his projects, found an ideal director in Jacques Tourneur, a chiaroscuro stylist adept at keeping viewers off-kilter with startling compositions and psychological innuendo. Together, they eschewed the canned effects of earlier monster movies in favor of shocking with subtle shadows and creative audio cues. One of the studio’s most successful movies of the 1940s, Cat People raised the creature feature to new heights of sophistication and mystery. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary from 2005 featuring film historian Gregory Mank, with excerpts from an audio interview with actor Simone Simon; Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows, a 2008 feature-length documentary that explores the life and career of the legendary Hollywood producer; Interview with director Jacques Tourneur from 1977; New interview with cinematographer John Bailey about the look of the film; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien. Order the Blu-ray 'Dekalog' (September 27) - This masterwork by Krzysztof Kieslowski is one of the twentieth century’s greatest achievements in visual storytelling. Originally made for Polish television, Dekalog focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply personal and universally human. Using the Ten Commandments for thematic inspiration and an overarching structure, Dekalog’s ten hour-long films deftly grapple with complex moral and existential questions concerning life, death, love, hate, truth, and the passage of time. Shot by nine different cinematographers, with stirring music by Zbigniew Preisner and compelling performances from established and unknown actors alike, Dekalog arrestingly explores the unknowable forces that shape our lives. Also presented are the longer theatrical versions of Dekalog's fifth and sixth films: A Short Film About Killing and A Short Film About Love. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Polish mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New high-definition digital restorations of A Short Film About Killing and A Short Film About Love, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays; Selection of archival interviews with director Krzysztof Kieslowski, culled from footage from the 1987 production of Dekalog: Two, excerpts from the 1995 documentary A Short Film About “Dekalog,” and a 1990 audio recording from the National Film Theatre in London; New program on the visual rhyming of Dekalog by film studies professor Annette Insdorf; New and archival interviews with Dekalog cast and crew, including cowriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, thirteen actors, three cinematographers, editor Ewa Smal, and Kieslowski’s confidante Hanna Krall; Trailers; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay and film analyses by film scholar Paul Coates and excerpted reprints from Kieslowski on Kieslowski. Order the Blu-ray 'Valley of the Dolls' (September 27) - Cutthroat careerism, wild sex, and fierce female protagonists are all on offer in this adaptation of Jacqueline Susann’s sensational and wildly popular novel. Patty Duke, Barbara Parkins, and Sharon Tate star as three friends attempting to navigate the glamorous, pressurized world of big-time show business—the “valley” is not a place but a narcotized state of mind, and the “dolls” are the pills that rouse them in the morning and knock them out at night. Blending old-fashioned gloss with Madison Avenue grooviness, this slick look by director Mark Robson at the early days of sexual liberation and an entertainment industry coming apart was a giant box-office hit and has become an unforgettably campy time capsule of the 1960s. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English 3.0 LCR DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary from 2006 featuring actor Barbara Parkins and journalist Ted Casablanca; New interview with author Amy Fine Collins about author Jacqueline Susann and the film; New video essay by critic Kim Morgan; Footage of Marc Huestis Presents Sparkle Patty Sparkle!, a 2009 gala tribute to actor Patty Duke at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco; A World Premiere Voyage and Jacqueline Susann and “Valley of the Dolls,” two promotional films from 1967; Archival interviews; Trailers and TV spots; PLUS: An essay by film critic Glenn Kenny. Order the Blu-ray 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' (September 27) - In 1970, 20th Century-Fox, impressed by the visual zing "King of the Nudies" Russ Meyer brought to bargain-basement exploitation fare, handed the director a studio budget and the title to one of its biggest hits, Valley of the Dolls. With a satirical screenplay by Roger Ebert, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls follows three young female rockers going Hollywood in hell-bent sixties style under the spell of a flamboyant producer—whose decadent bashes showcase Meyer’s trademark libidinal exuberance. Transgressive and outrageous, this big-studio version of a debaucherous midnight movie is an addictively entertaining romp from one of the movies’ great outsider artists. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary from 2003 featuring screenwriter Roger Ebert; Audio commentary from 2006 featuring actors Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Harrison Page, John La Zar, and Erica Gavin; New interview with filmmaker John Waters; Archival interviews with writer, director, and producer Russ Meyer; Q&A about the film from 1992 featuring Meyer, Ebert, La Zar, Read, and actors David Gurian, Charles Napier, Michael Blodgett, and Edy Williams; Above, Beneath, and Beyond the Valley; Look On Up at the Bottom; The Best of Beyond; Sex, Drugs, Music and Murder; and Casey & Roxanne, five documentaries from 2006 about the making of the film, featuring the cast and crew; Trailers and TV spots; PLUS: An essay by film critic Glenn Kenny. Order the Blu-ray Suggested list price for each single disc Blu-ray is $39.95. Suggested list price for the 9-Disc 'Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman' box-set is $199.95, and suggested list price for the 4-Disc 'Dekalog' box-set is $99.95. 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 September.Posted Tue Jun 21, 2016 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Kieran Darcy-Smith's 'The Duel' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The western starring Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson is headed for Blu-ray this August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate will be releasing 'The Duel' on Blu-ray on August 23. A Texas Ranger (Liam Hemsworth) investigates a series of murders in a small town led by a charismatic preacher (Woody Harrelson). However, the routine undercover investigation soon turns personal for the Ranger who must solve the case before he loses everything to the mysterious town. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include an audio commentary with director Kieran Darcy-Smith and production designer Toby Corbett. You can find the latest specs for 'The Duel' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under August 23. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Jun 21, 2016 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Deon Taylor's 'Meet the Blacks' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]The comedy starring Mike Epps arrives on Blu-ray in August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate will be bringing 'Meet the Blacks' to Blu-ray on August 2. In a send-up of the hit franchise The Purge, Carl Black moves his family to Beverly Hills in hope of a better life, but their arrival coincides with the city’s annual purge, where all crime is legal for twelve hours. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: The Making of Meet the Blacks; "Hit the Gas" Music Video; Behind the Scenes of "Hit the Gas"; "Don't Hate Wiring!" Parody Commercial; and Outtakes. You can find the latest specs for 'Meet the Blacks' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under August 2. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Jun 21, 2016 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Mmmm...Brains: 'iZombie' Seasons 1&2 Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The first and second seasons of the comedy series will gorge on Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Archive will be releasing 'iZombie: The Complete First Season' and 'iZombie: The Complete Second Season' on Blu-ray on July 12. A medical student who becomes a zombie joins a Coroner's Office in order to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat so that she can maintain her humanity. But with every brain she eats, she also inherits its memories and must now solve the victim's death with help from the medical examiner and a police detective. Based on the DC/Vertigo comic series. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but each season has a suggested list price of $39.98. You can find the latest specs for 'iZombie: The Complete First Season' and 'iZombie: The Complete Second Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under July 12. Order the S1 Blu-ray Order the S2 Blu-rayPosted Tue Jun 21, 2016 at 06:00 AM PDT by:
