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Home Video Releases For The Week of July 28, 2020Where has the time gone? This week is last week of July, and for some of us, that means Summer will stick around for about another month. When I lived out West though, it was just another ordinary week, Summer never really ended until around the last week of November. Around Thanksgiving or so was when I could harvest the oranges from the tree in my front yard, assuming that the grackles didn't get to them. Welcome to Episode 10 of our weekly Home Video Releases page, a wrap up of noteable releases for the week. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- 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.Posted Sun Jul 26, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
‘Roman Holiday’ Restoration Makes Blu-ray Debut At LastRoman 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 HERERead 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 PremierePosted Tue Jul 21, 2020 at 05:00 AM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of July 21, 2020Rather hot weather for much of the U.S. coming into this week. Participation poll: What is your home theater experience like? I like the room to be dark and comfortable (temperature and seating), as well as any background noise silenced, surround system at a decent volume. Even tick tick of a clock takes away from my personal experience. Welcome to episode 9 of Home Video Releases. Lastly, remember if you purchase a title via one of our links, it helps this site continue to bring you news and reviews. There are a couple of gems this week, read on... 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- This week there are several 4K disc releases available. 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. --- --- ---Posted Sun Jul 19, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Jason Stalks Blu-ray October 13th - Scream Factory Friday The 13th Collection Deluxe EditionWe'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 EditionThere's a lot to unpack here so I'll let you all just read the press release: LOS ANGELES, Calif. – In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the original and groundbreaking 1980 film Friday the 13th, Scream Factory™, the fan-driven entertainment brand devoted to all things horror, has announced the Friday the 13th Collection (Deluxe Edition), to be released on Tuesday, October 13th, 2020. The 16-disc set is the definitive Blu-ray™ collection of one of the most influential horror franchises ever created and includes all 12 original films from Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema. It also includes NEW and existing extras, a NEW collectible rigid slipcover with newly-commissioned art, a NEW 40-pg collectible essay booklet with archival still photography, and NEW 4K film transfers for Parts 1-4, with Part 3 in its original 3D presentation. Additionally, each film comes with a dedicated Blu-ray™ case featuring original theatrical artwork. A list of bonus features is below, with additional new extras to be announced at a later date. The 12 films included in this must-own set are Friday the 13th (1980), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985), Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988), Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993), Jason X (2001), Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and Friday the 13th (Remake) (2009). Customers purchasing the Friday The 13th Collection (Deluxe Edition) on Shoutfactory.com will receive an exclusive, limited edition 36" x 24" lithograph featuring new artwork from artist Devon Whitehead, and an exclusive, limited edition 24” x 36” Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary poster featuring new artwork from artist Joel Robinson, while supplies last. The Friday the 13th Collection (Deluxe Edition) is limited to 13,000 pieces and is available for pre-order now. FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) (2-Discs) · NEW 4K scan of the original camera negative (theatrical cut and unrated cut) · Audio Commentary by director Sean S. Cunningham, screenwriter Victor Miller and more (unrated cut) · Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th · The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham · A Friday the 13th Reunion · Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1 · Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set) · TV Spots (New to the Set) · U.S. Radio Spots (New to the Set) · U.K. Radio Spot (New to the Set) · U. S. Theatrical Trailer · International Theatrical Trailer (New to the Set) FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 · NEW 4K scan of the original camera negative · Amy Steel podcast interview · Inside Crystal Lake Memories: The Book · Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions · Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 2 · Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set) · Radio Spots (New to the Set) · TV Spots (New to the Set) · Theatrical Trailer FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 · NEW 4K scan from the original film elements · In 2D and a new 3D version · Audio Commentary with actors Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka, Richard Brooker and Dana Kimmell · Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror · Legacy of the Mask · Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular · Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3 · Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set) · TV Spots (New to the Set) · Radio Spots (New to the Set) · Theatrical Trailer FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER · NEW 4K scan from the original camera negative · Audio Commentary by director Joe Zito, screenwriter Barney Cohen and editor Joel Goodman · Audio Commentary by fans/filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch · Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 4 · Slashed Scenes with audio commentary by director Joseph Zito · Jason's Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter · The Lost Ending · The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part I · Jimmy's Dead Dance Moves · Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set) · TV Spot (New to the Set) · Radio Spots (New to the Set) · Theatrical Trailer FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING · NEW Audio Commentary with Melanie Kinnaman, Deborah Voorhees and Tiffany Helm · Audio Commentary by director/co-screenwriter Danny Steinmann, actors John Shepherd and Shavar Ross · Audio Commentary by fans/filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch (New to the Set) · Lost Tales of Camp Blood – Part 5 · The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part II · New Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th Part V · Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set) · TV Spots (New to the Set) · Theatrical Trailer FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES · NEW Audio Commentary with Thom Mathews, Vinny Gustaferro, Kerry Noonan, Cynthia Kania and CJ Graham · Audio Commentary with writer/director Tom McLoughlin · Audio Commentary With writer/director Tom McLoughlin, actor Vincent Guastaferro and editor Bruce Green · Audio Commentary by fans/filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch (New to the Set) · Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 6 · The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part III · Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th: Part VI · Meeting Mr. Voorhees · Slashed Scenes · Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set) · TV Spots (New to the Set) · Theatrical Trailer FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD · Audio Commentary with director John Carl Buechler and actor Kane Hodder · Audio Commentary with director John Carl Buechler and actors Lar Park Lincoln and Kane Hodder · Jason's Destroyer: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VII · Mind Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis · Makeover by Maddy: Need A Little Touch-Up Work, My A** · Slashed Scenes with introduction · Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to Set) · Theatrical Trailer · TV Spot (New to Set) FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN · Audio Commentary with director Rob Hedden · Audio Commentary with actors Scott Reeves, Jensen Daggett and Kane Hodder · New York Has A New Problem: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VIII – Jason Takes Manhattan · Slashed Scenes · Gag Reel · Theatrical Trailer · TV Spots (New to Set) JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (2-discs) · NEW 2K scan of the original film elements (Theatrical Version) · NEW 2K scan of the original film elements with HD inserts (Unrated Version) · NEW interviews with Sean Cunningham, Noel Cunningham, Adam Marcus, Kane Hodder · NEW Audio Commentary with Adam Marcus and author Peter Bracke · Audio Commentary with director Adam Marcus and screenwriter Dean Lorey · Additional TV footage with NEW optional Audio Commentary with director Adam Marcus and author Peter Bracke · Electronic Press Kit (New to the Set) · Theatrical Trailer · TV Spots (New to the Set) JASON X · NEW audio commentary with Kane Hodder, writer Todd Farmer and Peter Bracke · NEW interviews with Sean Cunningham, Noel Cunningham, Kane Hodder, Kristi Angus and Todd Farmer · Audio Commentary with director Jim Isaac, writer Todd Farmer and producer Noel Cunningham · The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees – a documentary on the history of Jason · By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X - Making-of/production documentary · Electronic Press Kit (New to the Set) · Theatrical Trailer · TV Spot (New to the Set) FREDDY VS. JASON · Audio Commentary by director Ronny Yu, actors Robert Englund and Ken Kirzinger · 21 Deleted/Alternate Scenes, Including the Original Opening and Ending with optional commentary by director Ronny Yu and executive producer Douglas Curtis · Behind-the-Scenes Coverage of the Film's Development - including Screenwriting, Set Design, Makeup, Stunts and Principal Photography · Visual Effects Exploration · My Summer Vacation: A Visit to Camp Hackenslash · Pre-fight press conference at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas · Original Theatrical Trailer · TV Spots · Music Video: Ill Nino "How Can I Live" FRIDAY THE 13th (2009) · Includes the Theatrical Cut and the Special Extended Version · Hacking Back/Slashing Forward - remembering the groundbreaking original movie · Terror Trivia Track with Picture-In-Picture with comments from the cast and crew · The Rebirth of Jason Voorhees – a look at the making of · Additional Slashed Scenes · The Best 7 Kills BONUS DISC 1: · NEW interview with composer Harry Manfredini · NEW location featurette on Parts 1 & 2 · The Friday the 13th Chronicles – an 8-part featurette · Secrets Galore Behind the Gore – a 3-part featurette · Crystal Lake Victims Tell All! · Tales from the Cutting Room Floor · FRIDAY THE 13th artifacts and Collectibles · Jason Forever – Q & A with Ari Lehman, Warrington Gillette, C.J. Graham and Kane Hodder · And more to come… BONUS DISC 2: · Scream Queens: Horror Heroines Exposed (2014) – including interviews with Adrienne King and Melanie Kinnaman (78 minutes) · Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (2013) – including interviews with Corey Feldman and John Carl Buechler (75 minutes)Trailer Reel – all 12 trailers in a row · Friday the 13th (2009) TV Spots · Friday the 13th (2009) Electronic Press Kit · And more to come…Posted Mon Jul 13, 2020 at 10:25 AM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of July 14, 2020Happy Week of July 14th! You may ask yourselves why I am so jovial, and honestly, I could not tell you. Maybe it has just been a good week overall - Welcome to Episode 8 of the week in home video releases. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- 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. --- --- ---Posted Sun Jul 12, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Rest In Peace Ennio Morricone – Legendary Composer Dead at 91 Years OldWhatever awaits us in the next life just got an incredible soundtrack. Oscar-winning legendary composer Ennio Morricone died today in Rome at 91 years old after what is being reported as complications from a broken leg from a fall. The Italian maestro lent his unique skills and compositions to over 500 television and film projects. Perhaps best remembered for his contributions to Sergio Leone’s westerns, Morricone was an adept composer seamlessly moving between genres from action gangster films like The Untouchables to horror science fiction like The Thing to sweeping period epics like The Mission. 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 WesternsWith 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 ThingIt’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 EightAs 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 HeavenTerrence 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 UntouchablesAlright, 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 MissionRoland 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 JoeBurt 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. MalenaThis 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?Posted Mon Jul 6, 2020 at 07:35 AM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of July 7, 2020Many of us in the U.S. are just coming out of a pandemic holiday weekend, getting back to work and anxious to see what this week brings us for home video releases. OK, maybe not at the top of our minds, but to those of us that watch Tuesdays for new releases, we still do look forward to it. Prior to a couple of days ago, this week's titles were all Tuesday releases, but at the last second, a Friday release has been added, which breaks the regular release pattern. Fridays are usually reserved to the music and arts releases, other days of the week are what I call confused agenda releases. Welcome to Episode 7 of the Home Video Releases articles. Discussing the pandemic and how our holiday weekend went, even just citing facts, country by country, state by state statistics, etc would no doubt turn into a shouting match that would then turn into a heated politics war, so I am not even going to go there. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- 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? --- --- --- ---Posted Sun Jul 5, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of June 30, 2020The year is nearly half over. For some of us, where has the time gone, while others might say, when is this year going to end. I guess I see the year both ways, depending on the topic du jour. In the United States, Independence Day weekend is approaching, tourist season would normally be in full swing, and campgrounds would be at capacity. Welcome to Episode 6 of our Home Video releases calendar feature article. As far as video releases this week, it is similar to last week in that there are not major titles being released this week, but there are enough different ones that everyone should find something that interests them. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- There are no 4K disc releases slated for this week. There are no 4K digital releases slated for this week. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- Where we lack in 4K releases, this week brings us more title choices than last week. 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? --- --- --- ---Posted Sun Jun 28, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of June 23, 2020To all fathers and father figures across the world, Happy Father's Day. Also, depending on where you live, you are now officially in Summer, or Winter. Last week I had asked you which hit film Molly Ringwald had starred in just a year before Pretty in Pink, the answer would be The Breakfast Club. That film has been released a couple of times on Blu-ray, most recently including a Criterion Collection version and a 30th Anniversary edition. Perhaps at the time The Breakfast Club was not considered an instant hit, but as the years went on, just about every John Hughes film became that, a hit. Hell, let's admit it, he had the midas touch. (And for bonus points, Ringwald was in the belated hit, Sixteen Candles just the year before that!) Welcome to Episode 5 of our Home Video releases calendar feature article. This week brings a handful of gems, but it is not by a longshot considered a major title release week. At the very bottom of this article I had stumbled across a Russian movie with a 3-headed dragon on the cover art, it is not a new release, Amazon Prime video calls it Dobrinya and the Dragon . It sort of reminds me of Quest For Camelot which never got a Blu-ray release yet. Any thoughts on what this title is and the availability? If you click the link on the cover art there is an ebay seller, but it is out of stock. Oh, the link to the toys is found here. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- There are no actual 4K disc releases this week, maybe. Eagle Rock Entertainment has announced that Inxs: Live Baby Live is coming out this week in 4K with a Friday street date, but no purchase links have materialized as of yet. The regular HD release however does have a purchase link. In the 4K digital realm though, you can now purchase to own, rather than rent, Trolls World Tour. This film is also available to purchase in Digital HD as well. This film did quite well as a premium rental, which some are now calling a 'virtual theater' experience. Years from now people might ask WTH this means. In short, it is how the studios are bringing us new movies at home, as the theaters are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At a price of approximately $20 per 48 hour rental, it might make sense to parties of 2 or more. This release date also means the physical release is just 2 weeks away. Again, keep in mind that the digital purchase might not be available until the actual street date, it's just something funky with Amazon's listings. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- Anthony Quinn fans will see Caravans, a title brought to you by the Kino Lorber Studio Classics Collection. Now for another Anthony, Anthony Hopkins, Kino is bringing us The Road to Wellville, clearly a film I have never seen, but based on the list of the all-star cast, maybe I should have! Arrow Video brings us Dream Demon. I have not seen this film, but have blind bought a couple of Arrow titles and have been overall pleased with the presentation. This one sounds interesting to me. Warner Archive is streeting a couple of titles this week, Hans Christian Andersen and House of Wax 3D. The latter title should have a review hopefully by NOW, check out the link. I'm curious to know if it is simply a reissue in different packaging. Also from Warner Archive, the 2019 TV series Pennyworth: The Complete First Season. I do not watch a lot of current TV programs, but the premise of this show is that Alfred, before he became Bruce Wayne's butler and personal friend, is trying to cope with life after his years as an SAS officer. Please, by all means, share your comments about the show if you've seen it. I am trying to picture Alfred as an agent, anything is possible. Criterion Collection has a slow week this week, their offering is Portrait of a Lady on Fire. They're also releasing Tokyo Olympiad this week as well. This week's Anime offerings... FUNimation is releasing Essentials Complete Series sets for multiple series. If you missed any of them the first time around, get them now at a lower price and with a digital copy. Also expect to see Fairy gone: Season One Part One. With the way this series is going to be split, you can probably bet that Part Two will also have a Premium Box set offering as well. I am still waiting to see the completion of Monster Hunter Stories: Ride on, they've left me hanging after 4 parts. The 4th release didn't have a slip cover either, FUNimation, are you listening? More on the anime front, Sentai Filmworks is releasing Re:STAGE! Dream Days and also Real Girl, but as a Premium Box Set. I've recently looked at the going price for some of the Sentai premium box sets, and let's just say there are those out there asking over $1200 for a $60 set on some of these. If they can get it, more power to them. Paramount is releasing the twenty-third season of South Park. Am glad to see them keep chugging along. I would be buying The Simpsons if Fox, now Disney, were releasing them on Blu-ray. Thank You Paramount for continuing the legacy. As mentioned above, music fans can get Inxs: Live Baby Live, which has a Friday street date. It is a 1991 concert so it is a show by the original band. Depeche Mode has a more recent release, this one is titled Spirits in the Forest, again, a Friday release date, this one is a 4-disc set. Finally in the new releases oddity category, a random title with a Friday release date that appears to be a region-free import, this one's titled Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters - described as a definitive retrospective documentary about Ghostbusters. No U.S. release has been announced, this one might be worth a look for GB fans. If this were to ever see a U.S. release, you would almost expect Shout Factory to pick it up. For digital HD releases, the above mentioned Trolls World Tour is all that's being offered new for this week. Notable announcements from last week: Shout factory has announced two Anime/Animation titles. First under the GKIDS banner, Children of the Sea slated for September 1st. Hey, laugh it up, I'm sure you're picturing a mermaid advertising tuna right now. Next, Season One of the Netflix series B: The Beginning, slated for October 6th. Available as a Blu-ray DVD Combo and as an 'Ultimate Collection' that drops the DVDs, but adds an audio cd and some swag. Order Links will be updated as they become available. Criterion has announced their September slate of titles, they include; Beau Travail, Brute Force, Christ Stopped at Eboli, The Elephant Man, The Naked City and lastly, Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, No. 3. They always manage to come up with an assortment of titles, hopefully something for everyone. The previous Martin Scorsese collection dates back 3 years. And now, it's time for my opinion. When I saw this list, I was pretty excited to see The Elephant Man announced, with the same cover art as the UK release in April to boot. Previously it had been available as just an import if you wanted the Blu-ray. Now Criterion is bringing it to the U.S., but NOT as a 4K presentation. This action of course prompted me to visit Amazon UK and order the 4K release there. Criterion's release is no doubt sourced from the same restored master that StudioCanal is using for their 4K release across the pond, so why not hop on the 4K bandwagon? Is Criterion the last hold out? I would love to hear from them, but no matter what, perhaps they could have held off on this release? If you don't have a 4K set up and do not want to mess around with importing or region code issues, the Criterion release is certainly the one to get. Order Links will be updated as they become available. Warner Bros. has officially announced the details and specs for Scoob! which will be available as a 4K Combo Pack, Blu-ray, Digital 4K and lastly Digital HD. Again, keep in mind that preorders for either digital format are not available yet, if you follow the links you will be offered the premium rental instead. That's fine if you want to watch it now, but be aware that this will not permanently add the title to your library. I find it odd, and disparaging that they are not offering Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K disc this go round, but rather, HDR10+. This is no doubt part of their home video merger with Universal Pictures. Universal has been using HDR10+ on some of their past releases. This annoys me just a bit though as again, Dolby Vision is a STANDARD theater format. I liken this action to saying that you refuse to pay the license fee for Dolby Digital, but will be introducing your own version of compressed multi-channel capable audio. Also from Warner, the next batch of Warner Archive titles have been announced. The titles are: Clara's Heart, Final Space: The Complete First and Second Season, Girl Crazy, Michael, Million Dollar Mermaid, Pat and Mike, Pride and Prejudice (1940) and Without Love. As always, an interesting mix of titles. Arrow Academy will be releasing its first 4K disc in September, a foreign film titled Cinema Paradiso (1988). This release makes the 3rd movie that the Arrow company is bringing us in 4K. The previously announced titles being Flash Fordon and Pitch Black. 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? --- --- ---Posted Mon Jun 22, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of June 16, 2020The previous couple of weeks have been pretty interesting for release announcements. I am pretty excited about a couple of them and have already locked my preorders in for them. Although Flash Gordon is not at the top of my list of must have movies, I still decided to order that in 4K, as well as Pitch Black in 4K. The Goonies 4K Giftset is interesting, but I'm not sure that I want to get such an unusual set for a movie that I was only moderately excited about. Some of us are probably getting very antsy with not being able to go to a movie theater or eating establishment if we are living in your average state in the U.S. I'm in the latter group - either to a favorite steak house, burger joint or even to get my fill of fried clams, but as much as I want to see things return to normal, I still feel personal safety is more important. Entertainment at home is my preferred venue, but to some, nothing takes the place of a huge screen with speakers everywhere. There are no major releases this week, but there still should be a few listed this week to satisfy your need for a new purchase. Welcome to Episode 4 of our Home Video releases calendar feature article. Notable Releases This Week: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- No actual *new* titles are being released in 4K this week, but there are some great films being offered for the first time ever in this format, I am referring to the Columbia Classics Collection I. I don't know which one I am excited the most about in this collection, this is just such a good collection. It includes Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / Lawrence of Arabia / Dr. Strangelove / Gandhi / A League of Their Own / Jerry Maguire. It's an interesting mix that makes you wonder how they arrived at this selection of titles. As this is a Collection I, it leaves the door open for a collection II, III and so on. We are doing our best to review all of the titles in the Columbia Classics collection, and as of today, the titles we have so far released, they have never looked better! Check out our 4K Reviews page for the latest. A couple of reissues this week in the 4K format. First, two different SteelBooks, Braveheart and Gladiator. I get the feeling that in 50 years from now that these titles will get reissues, in whatever the prevailing format is then for the umpteenth time. They're excellent films, but exactly how many times do you plan on buying each of these in each format you purchase for? If you're among the few that hasn't already bought these films in 4K, there's also a Double Feature release here as well. There are no 4K Digital releases for this week. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- Criterion is sure to satiate Buster Keaton fans, this week we see The Cameraman being released on Blu-ray. In other classics, Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations is also due this week from Kit Parker Films. This set has 511 minutes of meterial, do check it out. What would a week be without a handful of anime releases. Sentai is releasing Domestic Girlfriend (Do take note a Premium Box is coming this Summer). Also coming this week from Sentai, a Premium Box set for Mysteria Friends - Complete Collection. You have to respect Sentai Filmworks. Mysteria Friends came out a couple of months ago as a standard edition set, but at the time, Sentai did notify us that they were working on a Premium Box set. They have made such indications on other titles as well. We all love to double-dip, don't we? FUNimation is rereleasing Tales of Zestiria the X- The Complete Series as an "Essentials" release. Most recent history releases for FUNimation titles also include a digital code, which unlocks the title in your FUNimation digital locker. Also releasing this week, YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World, parts One and Two. Just in case you somehow missed the boat on getting Friday the 13th on Blu-ray, Paramount is releasing it this week in a SteelBook case option. There have been multiple offerings of this movie over the years, but maybe this is the one cover you want in your collection. With a 40 year Anniversary edition, I would hope to see a 4K offering, but that could still be years away. If you're ready for the next Paramount Presents label release, this week they are releasing Pretty in Pink. Trivia: What did Molly Ringwald do just a year earlier that was a pretty major release? I will answer this next week, hey no cheating, OK? The Guy Pearce Thriller First Snow is finally getting a Blu-ray release this week, after being delayed a time or two. Shout! Factory has several notable offerings this week. Under the Scream Factory label, The Hills Run Red. Also this week they are releasing the Universal Horror Collection: Volume 5 featuring 4 Universal Studios classic horror films. Under their Shout Select label, the Western/Thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones, The Missing would have been released this week but got pushed back to July 14th. I guess after several years of delays, we will eventually see this one. It really is getting more within reach. Warner Bros. has got a slow week this week, but if you like the Lego series of animated features, this week they're releasing Lego DC: Shazam! - Magic and Monsters. In the LOL category (hey, maybe it is a good film???) - The 8th installment of the Sniper film series, titled Sniper: Assassin's End comes to Blu-ray this week. Wiki lists all of them here. Apparently if you want the complete collection (this is to say, til they come out with a Sniper 9) you can only get it on DVD, and it is a Walmart exclusive to boot. There are no Digital HD release for this week. Notable announcements from last week: Shout Factory has announced most of their September 2020 titles. Notable titles that I can remember are Event Horizon, coming in a Collector's Edition, and The TV Set starring David Duchovny & Sigourney Weaver and The Masque of the Red Death (1964). Also being distributed by Shout! Factory under the GKIDS label, they are finally releasing Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises. They've released multiple Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli films in the past. And as you may recall, Disney previously had owned the rights to these films, and at the time, their releases were pretty solid, but did have a couple of issues on some of them. GKIDS seemed to have corrected most of the issues and has offered new transfers as well. Mill Creek has announced their September slate. The next installment of the Ultraman series, titled Ultraman Ginga/Ultraman Ginga S Series + Movie/Ultra Fight Victory, the John Travolta bomb Battlefield Earth, which has managed to gain its own following, the blu-ray debut of the animated version of The King and I from 1999, and a comedy double feature of Big Bully / Wrongfully Accused. I think I would like Wrongfully Accused, I've liked most of Nielsen's films, and this sounds like a satire homage to The Fugitive, and lastly, another Sigourney Weaver release announced this week, Snow White: A Tale of Terror. I have the DVD of the animated release The King and I, a Blu-ray release is certainly welcome. The release of the classic film in 4K would be nice, but at this time, we are not seeing the Disney company releasing catalog titles on 4K, and although this is a Fox title, it seems doubtful it will see the light of day any time soon. Kino Lorber has announced the next batch of August titles as well. A lot of special interest titles that I do not personally know. There are some familiar names in the batch, but again, I apologize for not really knowing what they are. I do like how they approach multiple genres and areas of interest, they've got something for everyone. The titles in the announcement follow, keep in mind that many of them do not have pre-order links yet, do check out the Blu-ray release calendar for more info. All I Desire, Backlash, The Balcony, Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint, Breezy, The Eagle and the Hawk, Hell Bent, Lucky Grandma, Raid on Rommel, The Red Ball Express, She Shoulda Said 'No'! / The Devil's Sleep, The Sign of the Cross, Soldier Blue, Sonja: The White Swan, There's Always Tomorrow, Those Who Deserve to Die, Wake Island. For 4K Disc announcements, the Robert Downey Jr films Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows will be coming on Sep. 1. Final specs still subject to change. In case you were curious as to why, the 3rd movie in this series is currently in production, so what better time to release the first two, except maybe a week before theatrical release of the 3rd movie that is? Also from Warner Bros. we've found out about the upcoming 4K disc release for Beetlejuice. Just like The Goonies, Beetlejuice appears to be coming as a standard 4K package and as an Deluxe Giftset, along with most likely a SteelBook from Best Buy. Best guess is that both of those titles will come out the same day, September 1st. Synapse Films has also announced The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue in a handsome SteelBook package. This is not a repackage of the Blue Underground 2009 release. There are a lot of extras included and the audio and video have been given new masters. And lastly, Arrow's 4K pre-order of Pitch Black has been hovering at $19.99 for the pre-order for much of the week. If you're a fan of this movie, this price seems pretty much a steal, all things considered. 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? --- --- --- ---Posted Sun Jun 14, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by:
