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Home Video Releases For The Week of June 9, 2020The week of June 9th does not represent much by way of significance and with the number of releases this week, you will see what I mean when you look at the full list. Summer begins in the Northern hemispehere in just over a week, and if you read my speel for the week of May 26th you would see what the real significance is with regards to the movie industry. No trivia tidbits, no anecdotes to share, just, welcome to volume 3 of our Home Video releases calendar article. To anyone that has been waiting and wondering, Zavvi UK should finally be shipping their Exclusive SteelBook/Leather Cased verson of Frozen II this week. I had it on preorder for quite some time. Notable Releases This Week: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- Actually, there are no listed 4K Disc titles slated for this week, so, moving along to the next category. For 4K digital releases, there is one entry for the week, LionsGate brings us Think Like a Dog, a comedy about a boy and his dog, and how a science fair gone wrong creates a telepathic link with his dog. This release is getting a physical release this week, but it appears to be in 2K/HD Blu-ray disc only, see next section for details. As much as we wish that every release going forward gets a 4K physical disc, it is probably not very economically feasible HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- Sony Pictures Classics is bringing us the Oscar winning account of the story of Anne Frank, titled Anne Frank Remembered. The disc sounds like it is pretty inclusive on features. In the MOD category, they bring us Brian's Song released for the first time on Blu-ray. Kino Lorber is starting to release more box sets of various actors/directors and this week we see actress Deanna Durbin highlighted in the Deanna Durbin Collection I which features three of her films spanning from 1937-1941. Their next box set coming this week is Film Noir: The Dark Side of Ceinema III - which seems to be gathering a fan following. Western fans should be interested in Western Classics I, which compiles several known Westerns from the 1940s. BBC is bringing us the Twelfth Series of the recent Doctor Who incarnation, starring Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. This title was delayed from an earlier date. Universal Pictures brings us the Blu-ray of The Hunt, which was released in digital 2 weeks ago, and if you recall, was released as a Premium Rental previously (due to COVID-19) and, unlike their other efforts, did not fare well revenue-wise. IMDB lists it as a middle of the pack movie, and I might end up blind buying it. No spoilers please, but is it like JCVD's Hard Target or is it something else? I do find the cover art a bit hideous, sort of wish they stuck with the movie poster in this case with the pig on it, but looks like even the international releases copies the same choice of cover. The temporary cover featured the pig, shown at the top banner of this article. There was also an interesting movie poster featuring an actual hunting scene with wild animals and weapons driving into the ground to look like trees. See themoviedb.com to see what I mean. Lionsgate is releasing Think Like a Dog on Blu-ray as well as Digital HD on the same date. And another Lionsgate release that I do not recall it being in the theater, I'm sure it was, just a minor release, We Summon the Darkness. In the weekly Anime release schedule, FUNimation is bringing several Bungo Stray Dogs universe releases. This week they bring us Dead Apple, as well as Season Three of the series. Re: Zero is also getting another chapter released this week, this time titled Starting Life in Another World - Season One. Digital HD offerings this week, the aforementioned Think Like a Dog (noted above.) Notable announcements from last week: Arrow Video has officially entered the 4K market and has announced U.S. releases for Flash Gordon - 40th Anniversary Restored Edition, available in a Special Edition 4K, Standard Edition 4K as well as a new Blu-ray Special Edition. As you may recall, StudioCanal had announced a UK release to this movie with several different options as well. The Arrow release will contain fewer discs, but still purports to offer the most content for the buck. Some of the discs in the UK release probably did not get ported to the U.S. release due to licensing concerns, but that should not stop you from considering the Arrow release. Also announced from Arrow this week, Pitch Black, both as a 4K Special Edition and as a Blu-ray Special Edition. Both these releases from Arrow are scheduled for release on August 18th. The Standard Edition 4K for Flash Gordon has been listed for $19.99 most of the week, which, for an Arrow Video release is actually very reasonable, add to that it's a 4K and it's astounding! Warner Bros. has announced a new street date for The Goonies in 4K, and also will be offering an Exclusive Giftset. Do check it out. Final details have been announced for the 4K releases of The House By The Cemetery and The New York Ripper and the list of extras is quite extensive, do check it out! UPHE has added a 3D option for the upcoming release of Trolls World Tour. It appears to again be listed under their 'MOD' label. You ask why I state 'again' --- well, there have been a few other recent releases that they added a 3D option to as well, but those too were under the MOD label, and at a considerably higher street price. There's always the option to import the disc, but those that prefer a domestic release, this is certainly your option. Unlike previous MOD releases, this one appears to also include the digital code. And finally, for those waiting to see The Quest (Frog Dreaming) hit Blu-ray, the long delays seem to be over, it will see the light of day on August 11th. I have memories of this one way back when, when it hit HBO. Which titles interest you this week? Which ones are on your wish list? 4K Release Calendar 2K/BD Release Calendar --- ---Posted Sun Jun 7, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of June 2, 2020Summer is just a few weeks away from officially starting for the Northern Hemisphere and cabin fever is probably largely on our minds. Did you know that the earth's rotation around the sun is elliptical and that the point at which it passes the sun is actually on December 21st. That probably explains why Summers are more extreme down under. What do we do while the country tries to return to a normal state? How about watch a movie from the comforts of your home! Some of us have pretty elaborate setups for this activity, while others not quite so much. The important thing is that we enjoy the show and take something away from the experience. If you can detach from reality for a couple of hours and enjoy a great movie, your stressors will be subdued and a more relaxed you can emerge. Episode 2 of our weekly release update follows. In the delayed until further notice department, looks like Warner Bros. has delayed the 4K release for The Goonies, our current info shows the beginning of September, perhaps September 1st according to a major retailer that had that date posted, but then removed. Notable Releases This Week: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases- There are a few titles coming to 4K disc this week that are certainly worth your time. This week's biggest 4K disc release might be considered Parasite or Jaws, depends on your interests. Parasite, you've probably heard of it, and I am not referring to the well produced 3D release from 1982 that Kino has recently released. This one is a little more recent, it's from 2019, and it's won a couple of Academy Awards. It took the world by storm when it was shown, I personally had not seen it nor did I buy the Blu-ray as I was waiting for the inevitable 4K. Criterion is reportedly working on a special edition, but they have not touched the 4K disc market yet, so will it be 4K or HD? Also bear in mind though that it is a foreign language film so if subtitles are not your thing, you might be a little more excited about the next title listed here. Universal Pictures is releasing what's dubbed as a 45th Anniversary Edition of a rather memorable movie, Jaws which is alse reviewed at the link. Even if you've never seen the movie, unless you've lived under a rock or you're just 8 years old, you certainly know its premise and you've most certainly heard part of the score of this movie. A lesser (at the time) director named Steven Spielberg was at the helm of this one, as well as a few other lesser knowns as well, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss. Anyone that has seen this film has got their own stories to share. Share them below in the comments if you'd like. The standard edition has a fair share of supplements, both on the disc as well as physical. If you prefer a SteelBook, Best Buy is offering that as well with the same street date. Best Buy is also offering two other movies in a SteelBook package this week as well. Both these movies have already made it to 4K disc, but now you can get them as a SteelBook. They are Apollo 13 and Inception. Apollo 13 has just passed a milestone so it is quite appropriate to release this one. Before you ask and connect as to why there is a Universal and Warner reissue as a SteelBook in the same week, keep in mind that recently Universal and Warner has recently merged their home video distribution businesses. With physical media revenue on a decline, it makes sense to merge operations to save costs. There are no Digital 4K releases for this week. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- Although the 2K/HD field of releases for this week is quite extensive, in my opinion nothing stands out and screams major releases. But, there still are handful of notable releases that might merit a purchase. There are a handful of reissues for June 2nd, most of them are likely less expensive versions of existing releases, they appear to be void of the digital code and the DVD. They might not be less expensive than the previous releases as of this writing, but over time they will be. Severin Films is bringing us a rather extensive box set of Al Adamson's films, dubbed Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection. This collection contains 31 films on 14 discs and is sure to delight the B-movie horror fans in your household. Nearly a year later and Acorn Media is bringing Series 2 of the show Blood. Also with a Thursday release date, Detectorists, Series 2 and Series 3. After a short delay, RLJ Entertainment is releasing Creepshow: Season 1 on disc. This is an all new series based on the movies we've all come to love near and dear. Also added to this week's mix is a SteelBook release of One Cut of the Dead, and there is an English dub to boot. It's one of those comedy/horror movies and piques my interest. Not to be passed over, Shout! Factory has got several offerings this week. First, under their Shout Select label, Glengarry Glen Ross starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin & Ed Harris, perhaps you've heard of them? The premise of the movie is relatively unique, and in a time where so many plots are copied over and over again, I am certainly interested in this one. Hopefully we will have a review of that one shortly. Another Shout release this week is the Russian film The Blackout: Invasion Earth. It does appear this release will have an English language dub as well, but whether it is 5.1 or 2.0 is unknown at this time, and this appears to be an edited international version, not the 153 minute cut. Honestly, the 153 minute version might be pretty tedious, longer is not always better. Under the Scream Factory label, expect to see Witches in the Woods, a story about a modern day witch hunt. Under their anime label, which does not show "GKIDS" this go round comes Sound! Euphonium: The Movie as well as Tokyo Godfathers, do check them both out if you're an anime fan. Screen Media has an interesting release this week, the movie is titled Robert the Bruce and is a story, or say sequel to Braveheart, which follows the events afterwards and the fallacies of trying to win independence for Scotland. Paramount Home Entertainment has a couple of items of interest this week. Urban Cowboy (40th Aniversary Edition) makes it way to Blu-ray. Interesting that this is not a Paramount Presents title, and wow, I did not realize that this movie has turned that old. How old does that make me? Ahem, moving on.... Also for those Trekkies that are always hungry for more, this title baffles me as to what it really is, but the title is called Star Trek: Short Treks. I can read the synopsis, but is this show just an edit of Discovery? Hopefully I didn't insult anyone by askig if it is 'just' an edit. HBO Home Video via Warner Bros. will finally be releasing Watchmen: An HBO Limited Series to Blu-ray this week as well. It is another title that was reslated earlier in the year. If you fancy the SteelBook Edition, Best Buy has that to offer as well. Best Buy is also offering a SteelBook of Flash Gordon, but unless you missed the announcement of StudioCanal's upcoming release which is a 4K deluxe release, and a 2K/BD release will be available too, you might want to hold off on this SteelBook offering. Our friends as Kino Lorber have a handful of titles this week as well. Again, I will be honest with you, I am terrible when it comes to determining which of these are truly gems and which ones are very niche-like and have a limited audience. Their offerings for the week are: Beanpole, Let's Kill Uncle, The Queen, Tesnota, They Came From Beyond Space. I am familiar with some of William Castle's work, and he's the man behind the camera in Let's Kill Uncle. Finally, what's a week without more Anime titles. The week is dominated by FUNimation releases, one Sentai Filmworks release, one Right Stuf release, and the aforementioned Shout/GKIDS releases. I am eyeballing Demon Lord, Retry! - The Complete Series as this appears to be that series' first appearance on Blu-ray in North America. Is it related to the Demon Lord Dante universe? Probably not, but the premise still interests me. There are no digital HD releases for this week. Notable announcements from last week: Universal Pictures has just announced the upcoming release of Spartacus (1960) coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. With a previous 4K remaster, this one was inevitable, and very exciting news for classic cinema of this nature! I have already got the Columbia Classics Volume I 4K collection on pre-order, which includes several great classics as well. Many of us might wish that the Columbia Classics set were broke up into individual releases, which might be inevitable in the future, but it is still a great collection for the price. FUNimation has just announced their titles for August, including the next chapter in the Cardcaptor series, as well as the final season of the long running series Fairy Tail. Second Sight has announced a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release for George Romero's cult classic Dawn of the Dead (1978) in a special limited "fat pack" edition. As of press time, there is no offical news of a U.S. release. As this is a 4K disc, there should be no concerns for region coding, but any enclosed Blu-ray discs might be of concern. Most of the Second Sight Blu-ray based movies I have imported in the past have been region free. Which titles interest you this week? Which ones are on your wish list, whether to buy on a slow week or to wait for the right price before you pounce? 4K Release Calendar 2K/BD Release Calendar --- --- ---- ---Posted Sun May 31, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Inside the Mind of Robert Englund and Freddy KruegerAn accomplished stage actor, Shakespearian thespian, avid surfer, and jack-of-all-trades filmmaker all describe the iconic actor Robert Englund, although most would know him as the boogeyman himself Freddy Krueger. Englund shows no signs of slowing down at age 72 with three new projects on the way and a notion of wearing the finger knives once again as his most notable character to date. His latest project is the hilarious Adult Swim animated show JJ Villard's Fairy Tales that takes Grimm's Fairy Tales and Disney stories and turns them into twisted horror remakes with a treasure trove of horror movie legends, including Englund himself. With a punk-rock animation style and some truly debaucherous visuals and dialogue, this new series is bound for the label - cult-classic. Sitting down with the legendary horror maestro for a good amount of time, there was a wide variety of topics that were discussed. Englund's start in the entertainment business provided a hearty laugh on losing his virginity and his first role on stage. The works of Shakespeare, including a talk about the similarities between Freddy Krueger and Iago from Othello, along with stepping into the director's chair in 976-EVIL is focused on. Additionally, we cover a fun range of topics that dive into his hobby of surfing, collecting Hollywood memorabilia and foreign movie posters, favorite scenes from films, and his love for Bobby Hill in the hit animated series King of the Hill. Englund even transforms into Freddy Krueger himself to answer a few questions, including some hidden easter eggs in Nightmare on Elm Street in this candid and entertaining talk. In addition to the Adult Swim series, Englund can be found as host/narrator on the Travel Channel in the new show True Terror with Robert Englund. Enjoy the entertaining talk below. Movies You Forgot Robert Englund Was In: A Star Is Born (1976) Dead & Buried C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud The Adventures of Ford FairlanePosted Thu May 28, 2020 at 02:58 PM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of May 26, 2020Memorial Day, defined. From timeanddate.com and is summarized as, "Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season." That latter part of the sentence would also traditionally mean that the Movie Summer Season has begun and you would see some of the largest blockbusters timed accordingly. I still remember outings on either Memorial Day or Independence Day (U.S./July 4th) weekends , or those in between and seeing memorable movies like Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Men in Black, Independence Day, The Patriot (Mel Gibson), Armageddon (guilty pleasure of mine), some major Disney or Pixar animated release. There were a few firsts for me during these Summer outings as well --- first DLP projected movie (Dinosaur-2000), first DTS digital sound movie (Jurassic Park---huuuge at that time.) Under current times of course, the Summer Movie season is entirely in limbo. Major releases are being pushed back, some studios are trying something new out of necessity, offering what are called 'Premium Rentals,' which are identical to digital rentals of movies which some of us take advantage of already, but at a higher price due to the nature of the content. In this case, a movie that has not been released yet, that would normally be shown in a traditional movie theater. Premium Rentals are typically selling for around $20, which when you think about it, is not a bad deal if you plan on sharing the cost with at least one other person. Most premium rentals are good for 48 hours from the time you hit PLAY, so if you watch it as a family now, you can watch it later again as a family or as I would like to do, by myself so that I can enjoy it without all the distractions. Maybe it is a great movie that deserves a second viewing, or maybe you want to watch it again to get a better understanding. If you're like me, when I go to a theater, my bladder is the size of a walnut, but at home, there's no limits! Try watching a 90 minute movie at the theater and I try to hold it, then at the 80 minute mark, cannot hold it any longer. But at home, watch an entire trilogy and no pause button needed! Why me!? Coming out of the Memorial Day holiday weekend for many of us across the globe, you might think it's going to be a pretty slow week for Home Media Releases, but if you held to that belief, you would not be entirely accurate. Welcome to Episode 1 of what I hope to be weekly updates on what's coming out on home video on a given week, as well as letting you get a peek at what some of the major announcements are for the calendar week leading up to it. New releases for Memorial Day week, announcements made during the previous week, got it? I'm not a 'Classic Movie' expert by any means, but I am an average movie connoisseur with an above average taste for the experience. I want my releases in the best format possible, but I do respect those that prefer digital releases instead. Actually, if you ever saw a photo of the room I keep my discs in, you can see the predicament I am in as I find more ways to not run out of room. Notable Releases This Week: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- The Deer Hunter starring Robert De Niro and a winner of 5 Academy Awards. Interestingly enough, this title was picked up by Shout! Factory, and not released by Universal Studios, and released under their flagship label dubbed Shout Select. When I had originally seen this film years ago when I had the DVD, I really had no clue as to what was going on. As the years have passed and repeated viewings have occurred I have a slightly better understanding and appreciation for this film. Meanwhile, Blue Underground is bringing us a pair of titles that seemed inevitable as their previous 3-disc editions were sourced from a 4K remaster. Needless to say, I am still delighted to see another company adopting the 4K Disc format. I can tell you that honestly I do not recall seeing either film, they are Maniac and Zombie, with the latter having a current fresh review. If you're familiar with these releases, thus far it sounds like the upgrade is worth it. The Invisible Man starring Elisabeth Moss completes the list of 4K Disc offering this week. This film did well for Universal despite the Covid Pandemic. It was released in the Premium Rental format, production cost just a mere $7 Million to produce, made just over $64 Million in the U.S. market, and $123 Million worldwide. If you prefer the HD version on Blu-ray, you can purchase it HERE. There are no Digital 4K releases for this week. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- The Shout! Factory/Select label has a few notable releases this week. Delayed a time or two, looks like Before the Devil Knows You're Dead will finally see our disc players. Famed film maker Sidney Lumet, starring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as well as Ethan Hawke, summarized a heist gone wrong, this one comes to us via the Shout Select label. Also coming this week is a Collector's Edition of Escape From L.A. starring a much younger Kurt Russell. It has been some time since I had seen this film, honestly this film wasn't memorable to me, but as the years pass, a repeat viewing might change my mind on this one as well. To this day, I get the Esacpe From NY and LA films mixed up. A Midnight Clear starring Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Ethan Hawke, Gary Sinise might interest you. Again, as a Shout Select label release, this one might be worth your time as they go all out on these releases. Criterion has a couple of titles worth looking at. I personally have little knowledge of any of them this week, but it certainly does not take from their worthiness. The titles are Husbands, Scorsese Shorts, and Wildlife. Speaking of Martin Scorsese, he also stars in a film titled Once Were Brother: Robbie Robertson and the Band which is being release by Magnolia Pictures. Arrow Video is releasing several titles this week. They are worth a look if you have enjoyed previous offerings by them. Blood Tide, Solid Metal Nightmares, White Fire and The Woman. Solid Metal Nightmares is a collection of ten films by renowned director Shinya Tsukamoto. Paramount Pictures is offering several titles this week as well via their MOD label. Each studio has their own MOD label, typically these labels are selected movies released in smaller batches with a slightly higher price point and typically also do not include a digital copy code. Warner Archive is probably the best known 'MOD' label. MOD had originally meant "Manufactured On Demand" and actually meant they were burnt discs (BD-R) but that is not the case with these major releases. Keep in mind these titles might never see the light of day otherwise so if there's a film that interests you, do support their efforts. Paramount MOD is offering these titles this week: Angela's Ashes, Funeral in Berlin, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. There are multiple special interest titles from Gravitas Ventures this week, which most always are produced on BD-R discs. This release format means that HD titles previously unavailable can be produced on demand on BD-R discs. The only downfall is that some players do not like these discs. Most of the major disc players can handle them, last I checked, the jackets were labeled that they did not play on certain game systems. Anime fans will also see a handful of releases this week. Offerings from Discotek, FUNimation and Sentai Filmworks are on the Release Calendar. Do keep in mind that if you click this link a week after the article is posted that the current list is no longer 'current.' This week the Anime title that interest me was KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!: The Complete First Season + OVA which is being offered for the first time in the U.S.. There are a few other titles that mildly interest me but that is to be determined. For digital offerings this week, we have just one. Another Premium Rental being made available to purchase. The Hunt, which I had not seen but I most likely will buy it in 2 weeks. To me it sounds like a modern version of Hard Target, minus some of the JCVD cliches. Nothing wrong with JCVD, I rather enjoy his cliches! As with any recent release, I wish they would release it in 4K! But that is a rant you can look forward to in 2 weeks. Notable announcements from last week: Universal Pictures has announced an official street date for Trolls: World Tour to be July 7th for disc and June 23rd for Digital. UPHE did quite well on this movie as a Premium Rental. We of course have the listings, do look ahead on the release calendar, there are several options available, both as 4K and 2K/HD disc and digital releases. Note that the Digital links are still showing as rentals only so give it another week or two to get the pre-order in. Warner Archive also announced their June 2020 releases. The titles are Cannery Row, House of Wax 3D (Double Feature), Romance on the High Seas, Strike Up the Band and Pennyworth: The Complete First Season. They are listed under our Release Calendar and pre-order links will be available as they get listed. Paramount has released the final details for one of their Paramount Presents line release for Ghost starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore & Whoopi Goldberg. Which titles interest you this week? Which ones are on your wish list, whether to buy on a slow week or to wait for the right price before you pounce? 4K Release Calendar 2K/HD Release Calendar ----- ---- ----Posted Sun May 24, 2020 at 12:59 PM PDT by: -
Justice League: The Snyder Cut Coming to HBO MAX - No, Really! Not A Joke!#ReleaseTheSnyderCut Wins the Day for an Unspecified 2021 Release Date Given all of the free publicity Zach Snyder has been giving Warner Broths with hinted tidbits about his original cut of Justice League - it was only a matter of time before WB made it official. With Warner Brothers launching their HBO MAX streaming service - they need something to build the hype and this will certainly get some DC fans' mouths watering! Even I have to admit after the Bizarr-O world hodgepodge that was the Snyder/Whedon cut we got in theaters - I'm hopeful and optimistic that this will be something more than lipstick on a pig. I hope to see something of Richard Donner's Superman 2 level of improvement - but we'll see in about a year. Until then - more speculation and rumor with cryptic reveals from Snyder! Yay! Below is the full press release from Warner Brothers. LOS ANGELES – May 20, 2020 – After global passionate fan calls to action and the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that it will exclusively world premiere Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of the Warner Bros. Pictures/DC feature film Justice League in 2021. Snyder surprised fans with the news this morning during a live online commentary of his film Man of Steel with Henry Cavill. #ReleaseTheSnyderCut first became a passionate rallying social media cry among fans in 2017 and has not let up. From countless press articles and hundreds of thousands of social media mentions, it became a powerful global movement among cinephiles and comic book fans. “I want to thank HBO Max and Warner Brothers for this brave gesture of supporting artists and allowing their true visions to be realized. Also a special thank you to all of those involved in the SnyderCut movement for making this a reality,” said Snyder. “Since I got here 14 months ago, the chant to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has been a daily drumbeat in our offices and inboxes. Well, the fans have asked, and we are thrilled to finally deliver. At the end of the day, it really is all about them and we are beyond excited to be able to release Zack’s ultimate vision for this film in 2021. This could never have happened if it weren’t for the hard work and combined efforts of the teams at HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer. “When Zack and Debbie shared the extraordinary vision of where Zack wanted to take Justice League, my team and our counterparts at Warner Bros. took it as a mission to solve the many issues that stood in the way,” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max, President, TNT, TBS and truTV. “Thanks to the partnership at Warner Bros. and the relentless pursuit of the entire WarnerMax team we are able to deliver this incredibly exciting moment for Zack, the fans and HBO Max.” “Thanks to the efforts of a lot people, we’re excited to bring fans this highly anticipated version of Justice League,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “This feels like the right time to share Zack’s story, and HBO Max is the perfect platform for it. We’re glad the creative planets aligned, allowing us to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.” In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions. The Justice League screenplay is by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film’s producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Jim Rowe, Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto, and Chris Terrio.Posted Wed May 20, 2020 at 11:14 AM PDT by: -
First Impressions of the New Paramount Presents Catalog LabelParamount highlights fan favorites and true classics with their new Paramount Presents limited edition label. Paramount - as with many studios - have been somewhat lax or at the very least inconsistent with their back catalog of titles. Old favorites that have long deserved a true and proper Blu-ray release sat by the wayside while some films enjoy a new special edition practically every other year. The studio aims to fix that with their new Paramount Presents label dedicated to issuing new editions of fan favorites but also dig up those old classics and give them the Blu-ray release they've long deserved - all sourced from new or recent 4K transfers! To add a little extra prestige to the mix, each disc in this new collection will have a spine number - so if you're a fastidious collector that doesn't like gaps or hates an incomplete numerical presence on a shelf - you might be in trouble! April 21st saw the release of the first three inaugural titles of the Paramount Presents label - Fatal Attraction, King Creole, and To Catch A Thief. Each Blu-ray was sourced from a 4K transfer, housed in a snazzy looking clear case with interior photos when you open the case, and the cardboard slipcover opens up to reveal the original poster artwork for the film. With the black numbered spines these are certainly classy releases for a pair of fan favorites and a new to Blu-ray release. You can take a look at the individual reviews in the links below: Read our review of Paramount Presents Fatal Attraction Read our review of Paramount Presents King Creole Read our review of Paramount Presents To Catch A Thief What I liked about the Paramount Presents releases so far: Showing Some Catalog LoveAs I mentioned at the outset, older titles are often sidelined in favor of new releases, franchise collections, or the perceived idea that no one wants to buy old movies anymore. While Fatal Attraction and To Catch A Thief already had great Blu-ray releases, it's nice to see Paramount is willing to give them an upgrade. Fatal Attraction certainly gets a visual boost while To Catch A Thief - which already looked great - enjoys a new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio mix that serves the film nicely. The big win for this launch is King Creole which amazingly enough was never released on Blu-ray until now. The Range of TitlesFrom Hitchcock to Tom Cruise, Paramount is offering collectors a nice variety of titles. You get classics musicals and thrillers with action films, dramas, and comedies. If we get more 70s thrillers like The Parallax View, Black Sunday, the original theatrical cut of The Warriors - or hell even The Keep - this will be a promising label for the studio and something for fans to invest in. Commitment To Quality Transfers Older titles - namely anything that wasn't made in the 21st Century - tend to get shoved down the priority ladder when it comes to gaining quality restorations and transfers. When boutique labels like Twilight Time or Kino Lorber's Studio Classics were launched, studios licensed titles as a "come as they are" without much care for restorations. On that front, it's nice to see that Paramount is giving each of these releases the best they've got. Classy Artwork and PackagingWhile not traditionally a make it or break it point for me, I like how Paramount approached the packaging. The key cover art for these titles offer some modern updates that aren't garish or hideously ugly while in line with the covers we've seen since the VHS days. The gatefold cover revealing the original poster art is a cool feature that reminds me of the old MGM/United Artists DVD slipcovers. What I want to see from Paramount Presents releases: More deep catalog titles that haven't been released beforeLooking at the release slate announced for Paramount Presents (including the three now available), only two titles have never been released on Blu-ray before - King Creole and Pretty In Pink. That's only two out of the first eight titles. Granted 25% isn't terrible, but there are a few others I'd like to see make the collection before another release of Airplane! or Ghost. Why no 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray support?While I appreciate making sure each title in the collection is sourced from a 4K transfer, why not an actual 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray too? This is especially frustrating for titles like Fatal Attraction that is available to stream in 4K UHD with Dolby Vision. If not on disc at least maybe include a digital copy slip? This is especially odd since Days of Thunder will be getting a 4K disc release separate from this collection - why not combine efforts? All archival bonus features need to be availableWhile Fatal Attraction got a new bonus feature in addition to the archival materials, To Catch A Thief is missing the bulk of the bonus features that were available on the 2012 disc. Again, it's great that there is a focus on providing a quality transfer, but if that doesn't take up the bulk of a BD-50 disc, then there shouldn't be any reason to not include all of the bonus features. A promising start to a new catalog-focused label With the first round of Paramount Presents titles, this is a solid start. I hadn't picked up Fatal Attraction or To Catch A Thief so I was happy to add these to my collection. I wasn't much of an Elvis as an actor fan, I'd only seen a couple that didn't really impress me but King Creole proved to be a nice surprise. It was far better than I'd expected and it showed Elvis' range plus it's a gorgeous looking black and white classic that hadn't been available on Blu-ray before now. With an upcoming slate that includes Pretty in Pink, Airplane!, Ghost, and Flashdance - it's an exciting slate for sure. Hopefully, we'll get a few more first-time releases, but with the commitment to quality transfers, it's a firm foundation for a studio prestige label. Hopefully Paramount will support actual 4K UHD discs in this collection in addition to these Blu-ray, but for now, it's nice to see a studio commit to supporting the back catalog. Preorder Paramount Presents Airplane! Preorder Paramount Presents Pretty In Pink Preorder Paramount Presents Flashdance Preorder Paramount Presents Days of ThunderParamount Presents Ghost is not up for pre-order yet - due Summer 2020Posted Sun May 3, 2020 at 06:47 AM PDT by: -
Criterion Collection Prepping Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits for July 14th releaseOn July 14th, The Criterion Collection will be releasing Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits on a 7-disc Blu-ray set. In the early 1970s, a kung-fu dynamo named Bruce Lee side-kicked his way onto the screen and straight into pop-culture immortality. With his magnetic screen presence, tightly coiled intensity, and superhuman martial-arts prowess, Lee was an icon who conquered both Hong Kong and Hollywood cinema, and transformed the art of the action film in the process. This collection brings together the five films that define the Lee legend: furiously exciting fist-fliers propelled by his innovative choreography, unique martial-arts philosophy, and whirlwind fighting style. Though he completed only a handful of films while at the peak of his stardom before his untimely death at age thirty-two, Lee left behind a monumental legacy as both a consummate entertainer and a supremely disciplined artist who made Hong Kong action cinema a sensation the world over. Bruce Lee’s return to the Hong Kong film industry after a decade in America proved to be his big breakthrough, launching him to superstardom and setting a new standard for kung-fu heroics. In The Big Boss, he commands the screen with his gravitas and explosive physicality in the role of a Chinese immigrant working at a Thai ice factory and sworn to an oath of nonviolence. When he discovers that the factory’s ruthless higher-ups are running a secret heroin ring and offing their own workers, his commitment to pacifism is put to the test. With his undeniable charisma and fluid, lightning-fast martial-arts style, Lee is a revelation, blazing across the screen with a speed and power the likes of which had never been seen before. FIST OF FURY - Bruce Lee is at his most awe-inspiringly ferocious in this blistering follow-up to his star-making turn in The Big Boss, which turned out to be an even greater success than its predecessor. Set in 1910s Shanghai, Fist of Fury casts Lee as a martial-arts student who, after his revered master is murdered by a rival dojo of Japanese imperialists, sets out to defend the honor of both his school and the Chinese people, with his fatal fists as his weapon of choice. Elevating Lee to a hero of near folkloric proportions, this historical revenge fantasy blends its stunning action set pieces with a strong anticolonialist statement and a potent dose of the fierce cultural pride that the actor embodied. THE WAY OF THE DRAGON - After the back-to-back triumphs of The Big Boss and Fist of Fury, Bruce Lee was given the chance to write, produce, and direct his third outing as a martial-arts superstar. He used the opportunity to add a touch of goofily entertaining comedy to the typically action-driven proceedings in The Way of the Dragon, which finds him playing a rigorously trained martial artist who travels from Hong Kong to Rome to help his cousin, whose restaurant is being threatened by a gang of thugs. Reaching new heights of physical virtuosity, Lee unleashes an astonishing display of nunchuck-swinging, fly-kicking mayhem, all culminating in one of his most breathtaking fights: an epic gladiatorial death match with Chuck Norris in the Roman Colosseum. ENTER THE DRAGON - At the height of his stardom in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee was called to Hollywood to make the film that, perhaps more than any other, defines his legacy. His electrifying fighting style and the deeply personal philosophy that guided it received their fullest expression yet in this thrilling tale of a Shaolin fighter who goes undercover to infiltrate a treacherous island presided over by a renegade monk turned diabolical criminal mastermind. Released just days after Lee’s tragic death, Enter the Dragon went on to become his greatest international success and one of the most influential action movies ever made, with its famed hall-of-mirrors finale bringing together the physical and intellectual dimensions of his artistry in one dazzling set piece. GAME OF DEATH - Released five years after Bruce Lee’s death, this eccentrically entertaining kung-fu curio combines footage from an unfinished project directed by and starring Lee with original material shot by Enter the Dragon director Robert Clouse to create an entirely new work that testifies to the actor’s enduring place in the pop-culture imagination. Using stand-ins, doubles, and archival footage to compensate for Lee’s absence, Game of Death follows a martial-arts movie star who, when he is threatened by a cutthroat crime syndicate intent on controlling his career, must take his skills from the soundstage to the streets. It all builds to an exhilarating climax that is pure Lee: a tour de force of martial-arts mastery in which the legend himself, clad in an iconic yellow jumpsuit, fights his way up a multilevel pagoda, with the towering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among his formidable opponents. Follow the "Discs Mentioned" link for a full list of supplements.Posted Mon Apr 13, 2020 at 11:22 AM PDT by: -
Watch the latest Hollywood releases from the comforts of home.The mere mention of Coronavirus, or COVID-19 instills fear among many. Binge watching on Netflix or checking out the latest on Disney+ are certainly solid entertainment options, but what if you want to see the most current movie entertainment. Whether your local movie theater is closed or you opt to minimize your appearances in public during the current public health crisis, you can still see some of the latest movies that Hollywood has to offer. Disney Pixar is offering what is called an "In-Theater Purchase" of their latest animated feature Onward. Once you purchase this one, it remains in your library indefinitely. While on the other hand, Universal Studios is offering a 48-hour "In-Theater Rental" of several of their latest, including Emma., The Hunt, and The Invisible Man(2020). These titles remain accessible in your library for a period of 48-Hours. Some studios are choosing to delay street dates on their theatrical releases, but if they choose to, this release venue might be an option on additional titles as well should the current situation linger. Follow the links below for product info and links to make your purchase.Posted Sat Mar 21, 2020 at 08:16 AM PDT by: -
The High-Def Digest Forums Are No More - They Have Ceased To Be"E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-FORUMS!!"Due to a slew of factors - namely costs to make the forums compliant with new privacy regulations on top of dwindling activity - the High-Def Digest forums are no more. While we hate to see them go, this enables our little website to maintain a measure of profitability so we can pay our writers and website admin team whilst providing you fine folks with new disc reviews, news updates (as best we can), and the occasional funny bit of fan reflection. Currently, the "Forums" button is in our navigation headers and footers but that too will soon be disappearing. What to do if you want to commentate? There's the good news. Each disc review and news post has a Disqus comment section where you're able to freely comment (so long as it's civil) and share your opinion about said film. Truthfully the HDD Forums accounted for a very small fraction of our daily traffic activity while we saw an impressive amount of activity in the Disqus section. If you have any questions you can comment below! And certainly reach out to us here: https://www.highdefdigest.com/forms/feedbackThanks again for being awesome readers and great online friends, Best - The High-Def Digest TeamPosted Mon Mar 16, 2020 at 06:28 AM PDT by: -
The Outsider: The Complete First Season - Blu-ray/DVD on June 9HBO’s Smash Hit Based on the Best-Selling Novel by the Award-Winning Author, Stephen King THE OUTSIDER: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Unravel the Mystery on Blu-rayTM and DVD June 9, 2020 BURBANK, CA (March 9, 2020) – Believe the unbelievable! Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release the murder crime mystery series The Outsider: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and DVD on June 9, 2020 and is priced to own at $29.99 SRP ($34.99 in Canada) for the DVD and $39.99 SRP ($44.99 in Canada) for the Blu-ray which includes a Digital Copy (US Only). The Outsider: The Complete First Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from all major digital retailers today. In addition to all 10 exhilarating episodes from season one, Outsider: The Complete First Season features over 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes bonus content including the all-new featurette “EL CUCO. THE BABA YAGA. THE OUTSIDER.” In this never-before-seen featurette you can dive deep into the real-world origins and supernatural abilities of the being at the center of The Outsider with compelling insights from the creators and cast Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Outsider is a new drama series that follows a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a local boy. When 11-year-old Frankie Peterson’s body is found mutilated in the Georgia woods, police detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) sets out to investigate – with eyewitnesses and physical evidence pointing to Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman), a popular high school teacher, Little League coach, doting husband and father. While the case appears ironclad, Ralph is baffled by the emergence of contradictory evidence that places his suspect in a neighboring city at the time of the murder. The mysterious set of circumstances surrounding this horrifying crime leads Ralph, a seasoned cop still grieving the recent death of his own son, to bring in unorthodox private investigator Holly Gibney (Cynthia Erivo), whose uncanny abilities he hopes will help explain the unexplainable. “The Outsider is not just for Stephen King fans, as there is something for everyone in this captivating series,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “The series has mesmerized audiences through its incredibly talented actors, thrilling plot twists, and true to life themes of grief and trauma, which will keep you glued to the screen until its electrifying climax.” The incredible cast of The Outsider: The Complete First Season includes Emmy®- and Golden Globe nominee Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline,” “Ready Player One”), Tony Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Cynthia Erivo (“The Color Purple,” “Harriet”), Bill Camp (Emmy®-nominee for “The Night Of”), Mare Winningham (Oscar® nominee for “Georgia”), Paddy Considine (HBO’s upcoming “The Third Day”), Julianne Nicholson (HBO’s upcoming “Mare of Easttown”), Yul Vázquez (“Divorce”), Jeremy Bobb (CINEMAX’s “The Knick”) and Marc Menchaca (“The Sinner”), with Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman (“Ozark,” “Arrested Development”) as Terry Maitland. The Outsider is produced by Mendelsohn and executive producer Bateman (who also directs the first two episodes). The series is written for television by Richard Price (The Wire, The Night Of), who also serves as Executive Producer. Executive producers include Andrew Bernstein, Marty Bowen for Temple Hill Entertainment, Jack Bender, Michael Costigan for Aggregate Films, and Dennis Lehane (episodes 105-110). The series is produced by Bateman’s Aggregrate Films and Temple Hill Entertainment in association with Civic Center Media. BONUS FEATURES EL CUCO. THE BABA YAGA. THE OUTSIDER – All New Featurette Invitation to Set Stephen King and The Outsider Jason Bateman and The Outsider Adapting The Outsider Analyzing Holly Gibney The Outsider: Inside Episodes 1-10 10 ONE-HOUR EPISODES Fish in a Barrel Roanoke Dark Uncle Que Viene el Coco Tear-Drinker The One About The Yiddish Vampire In the Pines, In the Pines Foxhead Tigers and Bears Must/Can't BASICS Street Date: June 9, 2020 BD and DVD Presented in 16x9 widescreen format Running Time: Feature: Approx. 600 min Enhanced Content: Approx. 40 min BLU-RAY Price: $39.99 SRP ($44.99 in Canada) 3 BD-50s Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English BD Subtitles – English, French About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.Posted Wed Mar 11, 2020 at 11:06 AM PDT by:
