Both 4K and blu-ray releases see quite an uptick this week. Not going to see it as a scorcher, but it's definitely a hot week.
Welcome to Volume 5 Episode 8 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of July 21st - July 27th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Oh the choices! New releases, catalog titles, there are a lot of 4K discs to ponder. No UK releases to post, so let's move on to domestic new releases first.
First, from the ever busy LionsGate, The Strangers: Chapter 1. This one also has a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook option as well.
In almost an echo, but from Universal Pictures, The Fall Guy, with the Walmart Exclusive SteelBook as well. This SteelBook is unusual as Universal has not been doing Walmart Exclusives as much, usually general release.
Paramount's TV side of things has Halo: Season Two, which, yup, also comes as a Limited Edition SteelBook. This time though, not a Walmart exclusive. Read a headline stating Season 2 would be the last season.
And the last new release title of the week, from Warner Bros and DC animation, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three. This one comes as a SteelBook, with no standard case release available.
Let's move on to catalog titles and Criterion Collection, which has a pair of releases. They have the Mandarin language drama/romance Farewell My Concubine. And if that's not enough for you, the comedy/romance Risky Business starring Tom Cruise.
A gaggle of Jaws sequel skus from Universal. First up, Jaws 3, which also comes as a Limited Edition SteelBook.
Then there is Jaws: The Revenge, which also comes with a Limited Edition SteelBook option.
And of course, there's the 3 sequels in one package with the Jaws: 3-Movie Collection.
Paramount has classic cinema this week, The Lady from Shanghai with Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles. You can thank me for this one, I bought the most recent Kino Lorber blu-ray release this year. SIGH.
Bumped from last week, still showing up as last week on Amazon, the two Kino Cult titles Cannibal Apocalypse and Nightmare Beach. The other two Kino titles slated for this week have moved to next.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Fall Guy, Halo: Season Two, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three, Farewell My Concubine and Risky Business.
Even if you exclude the reissues and very-special interest titles, this week is still quite busy for the blu-ray category.
Under the Janus Contemporaries label, this week look for Anselm.
Anime highlights include My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 - Crunchyroll Exclusive Complete Set, Oshi no Ko: Season 1 Collection SteelBook, Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon - Season 1 and Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion - The Complete Season.
If you can't get enough Nic Cage, RLJ/Shudder this week delivers the horror/thriller Arcadian.
And if you did not import the 4K a couple of weeks ago from StudioCanal, this week Universal has the blu-ray of Back to Black.
Under the MVD Marquee Collection line, The Linguini Incident with David Bowie and Rosanna Arquette.
Honorable Mention: From Eureka Entertainment, this week look for some kung fu action with The Double Crossers: Collector's Edition.
Next week, the flood gates are wide open for blu-ray releases.
The Criterion Collection has revealed their October 2024 slate. Do check it out.
Sony Pictures has announced that Columbia Classics: Volume 5 4K will be released on October 1st.
There were a lot of other single title announcements last week as well, just check out our release calendar for the latest listings.
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?
Summer is rapidly coming to a close, and this is when the studios and indie labels start rolling out the good stuff! I'm not talking about big studio films, I'm talking about Horror movies! Australia's Imprint Films is giving physical media collectors six great titles to import.
I truly love the end of summer. The weather starts to get a little cooler, the bustling big box office season starts to slow a little. Best of all, studios and indie labels start to announce their keepy late September and early October horror flick offerings to capitalize on the spooky season! Australia's Imprint Films keeps this trend alive in 2024 with six offerings fans will want to devour. We're getting a mix of big heavy hitters and a couple of cult classics on Blu-ray and one of the creepiest remakes on 4K UHD. So lets see what we'll be making shelf space for...
Disc One: 4K UHD
Disc Two: Blu-ray
Disc Three: Blu-ray
Disc One:
On October 21, 1994, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams hiked into Maryland’s Black Hills Forest to shoot a documentary film on the local legend, the Blair Witch. They were never heard from again. One year later, their footage was found, documenting the students’ five day journey through the Black Hills Forest and capturing the terrifying events that led to their disappearance.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Disc Two:
To cash in on all of the “real world” hype of the events in the first film, a man from Burkittsville, Maryland opens a “Blair Witch Hunt” tour, which shows patrons various locations from the original film. Four young college students decide to take the tour, which descends into a nightmare realm of murder, madness, and perception-bending supernatural horror.
Starring Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan.
Special Features & Technical Specs:
Hugh Grant stars alongside Peter Coyote, Emmanuelle Seigner and Kristin Scott Thomas in this shocking and steamy erotic thriller.
British couple Fiona and Nigel Dobson encounter a beautiful French woman while sailing to Istanbul en route to India. When Nigel develops an irresistible infatuation with the woman, her paraplegic American husband Oscar tells him the story of their steamy love affair.
Based on the French novel Lunes de fiel (Evil Angels) by Pascal Bruckner, featuring a score from Vangelis (Chariots Of Fire, Blade Runner).
“Polanski directs it without compromise or apology… you could hear a pin drop.” – Roger Ebert
Special Features and Technical Specs:
_________________________________________
Based on the stage play by Ariel Dorfman, this critically acclaimed mystery stars Sigourney Weaver on a quest for revenge.
Fifteen years ago, Paulina Escobar had her life shattered when she was taken prisoner and tortured by a sadistic doctor. Now, through a chance encounter, she may have found the man responsible for her nightmares… and tonight he’s going to pay. But how far will she go to get even?
Special Features and Technical Specs:
_________________________________________
Loosely based on Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s novel The Club Dumas, this cult neo-noir thriller stars Johnny Depp, Lena Olin, Frank Langella, and James Russo.
A rare book dealer who specialises in books on Satanism is hired to recover a 17th-century text with cryptic illustrations supposedly contributed by Lucifer himself. His investigation takes him to Europe, where bizarre deaths inspired by the book’s morbid illustrations befall all those who come into contact with it… except himself.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Disc One:
Disc Two:
_________________________________________
This documentary from director Marina Zenovich examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski’s sudden flight from the United States.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Or you can order all of them in one go!
All titles are up for pre-order and are due to start shipping around October 30th - Happy Collecting!
Cleopatra Entertainment's 2024 horror-comedy Cocaine Werewolf will arrive on Blu-ray and DVD on August 13th. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be plans for a 4K UHD Blu-ray yet.
The outrageously bloody B-movie recently completed a positive International Film Festival circuit and was sold out at movie theaters across the United States this summer. Given the success of Cocaine Bear, we can only assume we're due for any number of drug-infused classic monster creature features. That's it! Creature from the Smack Lagoon! Marry Shelly's Meth-Enstein! Bram Stoker's Crackula!
In the deep, shadowy woods of Pennsylvania, a low-budget film crew is blindsided by the arrival of a ravenous werewolf. When you mix this terrifying predator with cash, cocaine, and a cast of fresh-faced young actors, you get a chaotic, adrenaline-fueled disaster like no other.
From the legendary cult film director Mark Polonia, Cocaine Werewolf serves up an exhilarating blend of horror and comedy that will have you on the edge of your seat. This mind-blowing tale stars Brice Kennedy (Splatter Beach, Razorteeth), Jamie Morgan (Amityville Island, Return To Splatter Farm), Ken Van Sant (Bigfoot vs Zombies, Jurassic Prey), Titus Himmelberger (Cocaine Shark, Sharkenstein), Yolie Canales (Jurassic Shark 3, Amityville In Space), Jeff Kirkendall (Sharkula, Return To Splatter Farm) and Noyes Lawton (Jurassic Exorcist, Bride Of The Werewolf) and features a Goth-inspired soundtrack that includes The 69 Cats, Pink Fairies, Frontline Assembly, Switchblade Symphony, The Brains, Hollywood After Dark, and more. .
The Blu-ray includes stereo audio and the following supplements: Trailers, Slide Show, and a Blu-ray exclusive “Director’s Commentary” feature not available in any other formats!”
You can pre-order Cocaine Werewolf on Blu-ray right now!
It's here. Amazon Prime Day returns! As our finances take a deep breath awaiting the shock of our shopping spree, we get to enjoy some deep discounts on some big releases, smaller fan-favorites, and box sets galore.
Of course, this is an easy way for Amazon to clear out overstock, but we get to pick up some great deals in the process. For those who didn't jump on street dates and waited for the right deal to hit, there are plenty of great movies and TV series on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Hopefully, you've got some shelf space because some great releases are waiting to join your collection! Here's a quick list of some of the best deals we see for this Prime Day July 2024!
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K UHD - $59.99
Dune 2-Film Collection 4K UHD - $34.99
James Bond: The Daniel Craig 5-Film Collection 4K UHD - $34.99
Paramount Scares Vol 1 4K UHD - $74.49
Sony Pictures Classics 11-Film Collection 4K UHD - $121.99
Titanic 4K UHD Standard Edition - $17.99
Titanic 4K UHD Limited Edition - $83.49
Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Vol 1 4K UHD - $33.99
Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Vol 2 4K UHD - $34.99
Edge of Tomorrow 4K UHD - $10.99
Superman: 5-Film Collection 4K UHD - $64.99
Bullet Train 4K UHD SteelBook - $30.49
The Equalizer 3-Film Collection 4K UHD - $41.49
The Wizard of Oz 4K UHD - $10.99
Cliffhanger 4K UHD SteelBook - $21.49
American Hustle 4K UHD SteelBook - $28.01
Singing in the Rain 4K - $12.99
The Raid Redemption 4K UHD SteelBook - $28.01
The Super Mario Bros. 4K UHD SteelBook - $19.99
The Last Detail 4K UHD - $21.49
Bad Boys / Bad Boys 2 4K UHD - $22.99
To Kill A Mockingbird 4K UHD - $11.99
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story 4K UHD - $19.99
Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection 4K UHD - $99.99
The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series Blu-ray - $64.99
Psych: The Complete Collection Blu-ray - $75.99
Batman '66: The Complete Series (Standard Edition) Blu-ray - $34.99
Batman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray - $29.99
Supernatural: The Complete Series Blu-ray - $109.99
Farscape: The Complete Series Blu-ray - $125:49
Star Trek: The Original Series SteelBook Blu-ray - $44.49
DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Series Blu-ray - $59.99
The Wire: The Complete Series Blu-ray - $49.99
Space: 1999 The Complete Series Blu-ray - $62.49
WB 100th 25-Film Collection Vol 1 Awards Winners Blu-ray - $69.99
WB 100th 25-Film Collection Vol 2 Comedies, Dramas, Musicals Blu-ray - $69.99
WB 100th 25-Film Collection Vol 3 Fantasy, Action & Adventure Blu-ray - $69.99
Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30 Film Collection Blu-ray - $69.99
Showdown in Little Tokyo Blu-ray - $14.99
Nightmare on Elm Steet: 7-Film Collection Blu-ray - $19.99
Bill & Ted 3-Film Collection Blu-ray - $10.99
Mr. Nice Guy Extended Cut Blu-ray - $14.99
Chicago Blu-ray SteelBook - $9.99
Amelie Blu-ray SteelBook - $25.49
Shin Godzilla Blu-ray - $11.64
The Valley of Gwangi Blu-ray - $14.99
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III Blu-ray - $14.99
No Hard Feelings Blu-ray - $13.99
Shaw Brothers Classics Vol 1 Blu-ray - $117.49
Shaw Brothers Classics Vol 2 Blu-ray - $109.71
Shaw Brothers Classics Vol 3 Blu-ray - $120.49
Shaw Brothers Classics Vol 4 Blu-ray - $116.49
Chucky 7-Movie Collection Blu-ray - $24.49
One Crazy Summer Blu-ray - $13.49
Saw 10-Film Collection Blu-ray - $43.49
Angels with Dirty Faces Blu-ray - $14.49
King Kong (1933) Blu-ray - $14.99
Of course, there's a TON more stuff out there worth grabbing, but these were the big highlights that stood out. Hope your collection builds beautifully!
The Criterion Collection has revealed their October 2024 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray slate. This wave includes: I Walked with a Zombie / The Seventh Victim: Produced by Val Lewton, Masahiro Shinoda's Demon Pond, and Harmony Korine’s Gummo - all three on both 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray, plus G. W. Pabst's Pandora's Box only on Blu-ray.
On October 8, Criterion will be serving a pair of horrors: I Walked with a Zombie / The Seventh Victim: Produced by Val Lewton on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray.
Terror lives in the shadows in a pair of mesmerizingly moody horror milestones conjured from the imagination of Val Lewton, the visionary producer-auteur who turned our fears of the unseen and the unknown into haunting excursions into existential dread. As head of RKO’s B-horror-movie unit during the 1940s, Lewton, working with directors such as Jacques Tourneur and Mark Robson, brought a new sophistication to the genre by wringing chills not from conventional movie monsters but from brooding atmosphere, suggestion, and psychosexual unease. Suffused with ritual, mysticism, and the occult, the poetically hypnotic I Walked with a Zombie and the shockingly subversive The Seventh Victim are still-tantalizing dreams of death that dare to embrace the darkness.
I Walked with a Zombie
Producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur elevated the horror film to new heights of poetic abstraction with this entrancing journey into the realm between life and death. When she takes a job caring for a comatose woman on a Caribbean island, a young nurse (Frances Dee) finds herself plunged into a mysterious world where the ghosts of slavery haunt the present and witch doctors have the power to summon the living dead. Sugarcane swaying in a moonlit field, the hypnotic beat of voodoo drums, the relentless pull toward death—the otherworldly atmosphere of this bold reimagining of Jane Eyre is as close as studio-era Hollywood ever came to pure dream-state surrealism.
The Seventh Victim
“Death is good” is how producer Val Lewton summarized the message of his films, a credo that received its most explicit expression in this strikingly nihilistic shocker, the first film directed by regular Lewton editor Mark Robson. Kim Hunter makes her film debut as a young boarding-school student who, in search of her missing sister (proto-goth icon Jean Brooks), travels to New York’s bohemian Greenwich Village, where she uncovers a sinister shadow world of devil worshippers and murder. And what about that mysterious room furnished with nothing but a chair and a hangman’s noose? With its daring treatment of depression and queerness, The Seventh Victim has haunted the margins of cinema for decades, its radical bleakness undiminished by time.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Masahiro Shinoda's 1979 film Demon Pond will arrive on 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on October 15.
Demon Pond - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Japanese New Wave renegade Masahiro Shinoda transforms a classic Kabuki tale with his own extravagant visual style in this dimension-shattering folk-horror fantasia. When a lone traveler (Tsutomu Yamazaki) stumbles upon a remote, drought-stricken village, he finds himself engulfed in a whirlpool of myth, mystery, and magic: in a nearby pond reside spirits who hold the fate of the town’s inhabitants—including lovers Akira (Go Kato) and Yuri (Kabuki legend Tamasaburo Bando, who also plays the ethereal princess reigning over the water)—in their hands. Set to the swirling strains of electronic-music pioneer Isao Tomita’s synth score, Demon Pond blends theatrical artifice with cinematic surrealism for an aquatic-apocalyptic fable of human love and folly caught in the current of nature’s wrath.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
On the same date, German filmmaker G. W. Pabst's Pandora's Box starring Louise Brooks will be available only on Blu-ray.
Pandora's Box - The Criterion Collection
One of the masters of early German cinema, G. W. Pabst seemed to have an innate talent for discovering actresses. And perhaps none of his female stars shone brighter than Kansas native and onetime Ziegfeld girl Louise Brooks, whose legendary persona was defined by Pabst’s lurid, controversial melodrama Pandora’s Box. Sensationally modern, the film follows the downward spiral of the fiery, brash, yet innocent showgirl Lulu, whose sexual vivacity has a devastating effect on everyone around her. Daring and stylish, Pandora’s Box is one of silent cinema’s great masterworks and a testament to Brooks’s dazzling individuality.
BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
And last but certainly not least, Harmony Korine’s feature film debut Gummo (1997) is headed for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on October 22.
Gummo - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Harmony Korine’s debut feature is an audacious, lyrical evocation of America’s rural underbelly, and an elegy in the southern-gothic tradition of William Faulkner and William Eggleston. Shot in Korine’s native Nashville—standing in for the tornado-ravaged Xenia, Ohio—the rough-hewn film follows two young friends, Tummler and Solomon, as they ride around town, huffing glue and hunting stray cats, their every local encounter charged with vaudevillian anarchy as well as deep pathos. At once transgressive and empathetic, disturbing and undeniably beautiful, Gummo is a one-of-a-kind portrait of angelic and devilish souls caught in a cultural void, circumscribed by poverty and the depleted, alienated spiritual life of late-twentieth-century America.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
The Criterion Collection's October 2024 titles should be up for pre-order in the next week or so. Which ones will you be picking up?
As we approach mid-July, we continue to chug along with a constant flow of 4K releases. If blu-ray is your thing, you get a little bit of a break though. Don't forget, Amazon Prime Day is Tuesday the 16th and Wednesday the 17th.
Welcome to Volume 5 Episode 7 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of July 14th - July 20th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Import Monday begins with another great looking swag-filled StudioCanal release with Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974). It sure looks pretty, but it also looks like 80 bucks when you factor in shipping. Thus far though, any of these I have bought look wonderful!
Keeping with StudioCanal, they like their (Western) SteelBooks to be orange in color, this one being Soldier Blue. It actually works in this case and matches the color pallette of so many such films. The other one that comes to mind is Red Sun, which comes in September.
The U.S. already got theirs, now it's time for the UK to do so, talking about The Last Starfighter from Arrow Video.
Domestic Releases Tuesday is next....
Kino Lorber offers two titles this week, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and Brokeback Mountain. The two Kino Cult titles are bumped to next week.
Criterion Collection this week has the Japanese drama Perfect Days.
Shout Factory has just one offering this week, the horror sci-fi/thriller Phantoms.
Sony Pictures continues to woo us with SteelBooks, this time it's Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks. Saw a meme one day that made me chuckle -- if you ever board a vessel and Tom Hanks is the guy manning it, leave now, run like hell.
Single title from Paramount this week, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie - 20th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook.
Two more SteelBooks and a mega-collection. Warner Bros delivers Rocky V, Rocky Balboa and Rocky: Ultimate Knockout Collection. The latter includes corrected audio for Rocky I - IV. You are not left in the dark though if you bought the original discs, replacement discs can be requested by emailing [email protected]. Generally, if I bought it from Amazon, I state the reason for request, my info, and my Amazon order number.
For a Thursday release, Amazon U.S. has Scarface (1983) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray UK Limited Edition Vault Series SteelBook, which was released in the UK on July 8th. I tried really hard to collect this series of movies, but they were too limited in quantity and hard to get. Many of the early ones had a bunch of swag to go with them. The U.S. got the Essentials Collection releases which are nice by themselves, but not as fancy.
With a Friday release date, A24 Shop has The Zone of Interest.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases? For imports, and do keep in mind some may be region B locked, The Last Starfighter and Soldier Blue. For domestic releases, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Brokeback Mountain and Perfect Days. Friday would include A24's The Zone of Interest.
The rest of the category is a little bit light this week.
Anime highlights include Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out, Soul Eater - The Complete Series and Tomo-chan Is a Girl! - The Complete Season, which also comes as a Limited Edition.
Criterion Collection goes Portuguese crime drama with Black God, White Devil.
Kino Lorber has more TV on disc with Columbo: The Return (1989-2003) and Monk: Season Eight. With Monk, that closes out the series. The movie event recently seen on Peacock TV is also slated to be coming to blu-ray soon.
An interesting release from a label called Not Quite Reality, The Flock. Also available in a Collector's Edition. See... a small unknown label with several different cool looking options! That's how it is done people.
With a Wednesday release date, Umbrealla Entertainment a couple of skus that might interest you:
Last week we saw a lot of boutique onesie twosie announcements and reveals.
British label Second Sight is releasing Robert Harmon's 1986 film The Hitcher to 4K and 4K Limited Edition on September 30th.
Stardust is coming to 4K SteelBook on September 24th.
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?
Another week, another manageable selection of discs to choose from. Unlike the past couple of months, we get it nice and steady for much of the month!
Welcome to Volume 5 Episode 6 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of July 7th - July 13th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Import Monday this week, the UK gets Monkey Man as a 4K release. The US got theirs 2 weeks ago, so, we move on to Domestic Tuesday titles.
There are TWO new release titles this week, with TWO skus each.
From GKIDS and Hayao Miyazaki, animated feature The Boy and the Heron. This one also gets a Limited Edition SteelBook.
From LionsGate, the action/thriller Civil War. The second sku available is an Amazon Exclusive edition, which we cannot determine what is exclusive about it. I suspect it has a difference cover, but Amazon has thoroughly confused me here by posting both covers for the standard edition.
Also from LionsGate in the new(ish) category, 2023 action/crime/thriller Boy Kills World.
Warner Bros brings us the 1996 action/thriller Twister with Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. This one is also available as a SteelBook. As tornado films go, I have always found this one to be the most entertaining.
Shout! Factory brings us the Dolph Lundgren horror Dark Angel.
Unsure about having a 4K option in the beginning, but now most certain and delivered, MVD Laservision Collection has Ghoulies II this week.
Criterion Collection has French thriller Le Samourai this week.
Closing it out, previously delayed and now on track for a Tuesday release, Kino Lorber sends us the thriller Turbulence with Ray Liotta.
Delayed again (and probably for another 88 days), the 88 Films release The Project A Collection now has an October 15 street date.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include The Boy and the Heron, Civil War, Boy Kills World and Turbulence.
The new horror Tarot is available from Sony Pictures.
Anime highlights include BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt So I'll Max Out My Defense - Season 2, which is also available as a Limited Edition, One Piece: Season Thirteen - Voyage Eight, School-Live!: Complete Collection and Summoned to Another World for a Second Time - The Complete Season.
Universal gives us short notice for the drama/romance Challengers to be released this wek.
Sounding like an echo here, another zero notice release that probably should get a 4K, horror/thriller Abigail (2024). Currently the US blu-ray gets (an overused term) a 'Collector's Edition', while the UK gets a Blood Bath Edition. I doubt there's a difference.
Mill Creek has comedy/horror Deer Camp '86 this week.
Slowly but surely, we can fill the gaps in our Doctor Who collection, this week BBC offers us Doctor Who: Tom Baker - Complete Season Four.
More TV on disc with True Detective: Night Country (Season 4).
Barring any last second 88 (day) delay, both The Inspector Wears Skirts III and The Inspector Wears Skirts IV should be available this week from 88 Films.
Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, William Holden, that would be The Country Girl from Kino Lorber.
Honorable mention this week goes to Titanic: The Musical. I'm sure we know how this one ends.
Shout! Factory has revealed and announced their September slate. Titles (in no particular order) include The Stepfather 4K, The Strangers 4K, Doomsday 4K, The Boy 4K, The Amityville Horror (2005) 4K, Village Of The Damned (1995) 4K, as well as general releases of Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey [SteelBook], Creepshow 4K SteelBook, and a reissue of Dances with Wolves: Collector's Edition SteelBook.
The blu-ray was hard to find and sold out quickly, now Dark Star will be releasing The Farmer (1977) to 4K later this year.
More TV on disc later this year, Mill Creek will be releasing Bewitched: The Complete Series.
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?
After an amazing first season, Amazon didn't hesitate to bring Reacher back for Season Two. To whet our appetites for the third season of a really big guy punching people in the face, Paramount is bringing the second season of Reacher to Blu-ray on September 17. The 4K UHD Blu-ray will be another MOD.
Season two stars Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos, Ferdinand Kingsley, Domenick Lombardozzi and Robert Patrick.
REACHER IS BACK – and this time it’s personal. In the heart-pounding second season of REACHER, when members of Reacher’s (Alan Ritchson) old military unit start turning up dead, he’ll risk everything to get revenge.
Pulled from his drifter lifestyle, Reacher reunites with three of his former teammates turned chosen family to investigate, including Frances Neagley (Maria Sten); Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), a forensic accountant for whom Reacher has long had a soft spot; and fast-talking, switchblade-wielding family man David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos). Together, they begin to connect the dots in a mystery where the stakes get higher at every turn, and brings about questions of who has betrayed them—and who will die next. Using his inimitable blend of smarts and size, Reacher will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and protect the members of his unit. If there’s one thing Reacher and his team know for certain, it’s that you do not mess with the Special Investigators. This season, get ready for Reacher and the 110th to hit back hard.
Season 2 of REACHER also stars Ferdinand Kingsley, Domenick Lombardozzi and Robert Patrick..
4K UHD Blu-ray will be MOD we don't yet have picture art or pre-order listings yet, but we should soon.
Blu-ray preorders are up now, the 4K MOD edition should be up soon.
SEASON TWO ARRIVES SEPT 17 ON DVD, BLU-RAY & 4K UHD
Specifications:
Blu-ray™ Specifications:
Blu-ray: 2 Discs
Video: 1080p High Definition
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Audio Description; French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French
DVD Specifications:
DVD: 2 Discs
Video: Standard Definition
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Audio Description
Subtitles: English, English SDH
4K UHD Specifications:
4K UHD: 2 Discs
Video: 4K Ultra HD
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Audio Description
Subtitles: English, English SDH
U.S. Rating: Not Rated
Canadian Rating: 14A -Brutal Violence, Nudity
Total Episodic Run Time: 6:14:00
What a week last week was for disc buyers, agreed? This week ain't no slouch though. I can thank a large major retailer for keeping my impulse buying in check last week, they did not reset their new movies section in weeks, so I only ordered a couple online from a competitor. THANK YOU!
Welcome to Volume 5 Episode 5 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of June 30th - July 6th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
This week we begin Import Monday with Back to Black, the story of Amy Winehouse. Also available as a SteelBook. Universal Pictures in the US seems to be in a holding pattern on an actual street date --- will it even get a 4K here?
And on to Domestic Tuesday, nothing in the new release category, if you exclude the special reissues, it's a rather slowish week.
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary and available from Paramount Home Entertainment, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. The UK is (of course) getting a deluxe release of this in August.
Kino Lorber has a pair of releases this week that were street dated for early June, the ever great film Blown Away starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones, and Gene Hackman crime/thriller Narrow Margin. I got my shipping notice on these two, so they will be out for sure Tuesday.
List as "now available" last week from Unearthed Film, but listed as July 2nd everywhere else, The Guyver gets a 4K release that a lot of us are happy to see!
From the Criterion Collection this week, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
Anime in 4K, an Aniplex of America release and as a CrunchyRoll Store exclusive at that, look for Gurren Lagann The Movie - Childhood's End/The Lights in the Sky Are Stars.
Shout! Factory has a new 4K of Weird Al's UHF. Also, general release of a handful of SteelBooks that were formerly retailer exclusives. Natural Born Killers, Point Break and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story can now be had at many retailers that carry Shout! Factory releases.
Speaking of Exclusive SteelBooks, this week Walmart has Angel Has Fallen and The Meg as new edition releases. My double-dip for Angel Has Fallen was to import the Fallen trilogy from Germany. That probably means a domestic release is coming very soon.
Turbine Media this week offers us Pearl in several different mediabook variations:
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include (probably region B locked) Back to Black (UK Import), and domestic releases of Blown Away, The Guyver and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
For the rest of the blu-ray category, we really do see a light week and a chance to catch up from last week.
Anime highlights include Bungo Stray Dogs - Season Four, Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time [SteelBook], In Another World With My Smartphone - Season 2 and Vinland Saga - Season 2 Part 1.
Walmart SteelBook exclusives this week are Diary of the Dead and Escape Plan Triple Feature.
Mill Creek has a romance double feature of Evening/Once Around. These two titles had not been released to domestic blu-ray previously.
Shout Select this week has the Madonna film Who's That Girl. Thanks, now I cannot get that song out of my head.
Friday means lots of Aussie imports via Amazon US:
LionsGate and Bloody Disgusting has partnered with Walmart for a handful of Exclusive SteelBooks on August 20th. Do check it out!
Also from LionsGate, they have revealed that The Strangers: Chapter 1 will be available on blu-ray, 4K and DVD on July 23rd.
Arrow Video has revealed their September 2024 releases. Do check out our article.
The Warner Archive has also posted five titles for August. Read more about it here.
You may have seen recently a UK announcement for Tinto Brass' release of Caligula. Small label Unobstructed View has revealed they are releasing it to blu-ray and 4K in the US, with a tentative date of September 17th.
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?
The Warner Archive Collection has announced and detailed their next wave of Blu-rays shipping at the end of August. The titles in this batch include: Words and Music (1948), Three Little Words (1950), Black Belt Jones (1974), Boulevard Nights (1979), and the complete animated series of Top Cat (1960-61).
Words and Music (1948) - Warner Archive Collection
Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Betty Garrett, Janet Leigh, and a host of top musical performers headline M-G-M producer Arthur Freed’s extravagant biographical tribute to the prolific songwriting duo of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. In the early 1920s, the diminutive Hart (Rooney) teams up with Rodgers (Drake) to launch a successful 24-year music career, penning nearly 500 songs with him until Hart's death in 1943 at the age of 47. Rodgers marries his dream girl (Leigh) while Hart pines after Peggy (Garrett), eventually spiraling into depression and death after her rejection. June Allyson, Perry Como, Ann Sothern, Mel Tormé, Cyd Charisse, Judy Garland, and Lena Horne are just some of the singing sensations featured. This is the last movie in which Garland and Rooney appeared together. It also boasts the first full-length modern ballet piece in a Hollywood movie: Choreographed and danced by Gene Kelly, with Vera-Ellen as his partner, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" provides the show-stopping seven-minute finale to the film. Among the hit songs performed are " "Blue Moon," "Thou Swell” "Manhattan," "Johnny One Note," "I Wish I Were in Love Again," "Where or When," and "The Lady Is a Tramp."
The Blu-ray will feature a new 2024 1080p hd master from 4k scans of original nitrate technicolor negatives and supplements will include: Commentary by Film Historian Richard Barrios, Featurette :A Life in Words and Music, Unused musical sequences: You’re Nearer (Perry Como), Lover (Perry Como & M-G-M Orchestra and Chorus). Audio-only musical outtakes. Classic MGM cartoon: THE CAT THAT HATED PEOPLE, Classic MGM Short: GOING TO BLAZES!
Three Little Words (1950) - Warner Archive Collection
Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) always wanted to be a magician, but all it takes is a disastrous opening night to make his dreams go poof! So, Kalmar moves on and finds songwriting magic with collaborator Harry Ruby. The stage-and-screen songsmiths whose many tunes include Groucho Marx’s signature Hooray for Captain Spaulding receive a Hollywood hooray in this audience-favorite screen biopic featuring a hit parade and Kalmar and Ruby standards (including “(Nevertheless) I’m in Love with You”, “Who’s Sorry Now”, and the title tune). Astaire puts on his dancing shoes for dazzling duets with Vera-Ellen, and a tap solo. The film was a box-office smash and a wonderful showcase for the terpsichorean talents of Astaire and Vera-Ellen, and one of Red Skelton’s best screen performances, which gave him the opportunity for a more substantial acting role that did just rely on his trademark comic genius. The film also is highlighted by a star-turn by Debbie Reynolds who portrays boop-oop-a-doop sensation Helen Kane, performing “I Wanna Be Loved By You” to vocals provided by Miss Kane herself.
The Blu-ray will have a new 2024 1080p hd master from 4k scans of original nitrate technicolor negatives and bonus features include: THREE LITTLE WORDS: TWO SWELL GUYS, Classic M-G-M cartoon VENTRILOQUIST CAT, Classic M-G-M Fitzpatrick Traveltalks short ROAMING THROUGH MICHIGAN, Audio-only bonus PAULA STONE’S HOLLYWOOD USA RADIO PROMO, Original Theatrical Trailer.
Black Belt Jones (1974) - Warner Archive Collection
A former International Karate Champion, Jim Kelly made a blazing screen debut with Bruce Lee in the martial-arts landmark ENTER THE DRAGON. Now as Black Belt Jones, Kelly’s fiery fighting expertise rips the screen apart in his first solo star turn, featuring Scatman Crothers (The Shining) and sultry Glory Hendry (Live and Let Die). Pop Boyd (Crothers) owns a thriving karate school near downtown Los Angeles. Unfortunately, it sits on a piece of land upon which a local mob wants to build its own “civic center”. When the gangsters’ muscling of Pop leads to tragedy, Black Belt Jones steps forward to exact his individual brand of lightning-charged revenge. Filmmaker Robert Clouse, who showcased Lee in Enter the Dragon and Jackie Chan in The Big Brawl serves up masterful action sequences of which Kelly said “every move was choreographed like a ballet”. That unique blend of ballistic combat and colorful comic characters make Black Belt Jones light on its feet – and heavy on entertainment!
The release includes a new 2024 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative as well as the original theatrical trailer.
Boulevard Nights (1979) - Warner Archive Collection
You haven’t seen the true “colors” of vicious gang life in Los Angeles unless you’ve also seen Boulevard Nights. From Executive Producer Tony Bill (The Sting, Taxi Driver) comes this gritty drama that remains timely and powerful as when it first appeared in 1979. Said Bill: “Everything in this film is authentic. We’ve broken important new ground”. Today, the continuing problem of gang activity re-emphasizes the importance of this trailblazing film. It’s itsight into gang life remains vital. Boulevard Nights’ gang members are cholos from the city’s Mexican-American barrios, with the film taking a point of view of the gang kids themselves. Two of those kids are the Avila brothers. Raymond Avila (Richard Yniguez) is an ex-gang member trying to build a better life. Kid brother Chuco (Danny De La Paz) is a sullen low-rider, wasting his days with his angel-dusted gang. In spite of their differences, the brothers are bound by strong family ties. But those ties are violently tested when rivals challenge Chuco’s gang….and ignite a full-blown neighborhood war. In 2017 the film was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”
The Blu-ray will have a new 2024 1080p master from 4K Scan of the original camera negative and the original theatrical trailer.
Top Cat - The Complete Series (1960-61) - Warner Archive Collection
In the tradition of great screen conmen-one of the few with a visible tail- TOP CAT holds a top spot in the hearts of classic animation fans. The second of Hanna-Barbera’s prime-time network animated sitcoms, TOP CAT debuted on ABC television on Wednesday September 27, 1961. The series only ran for one season in prime-time, but continued to be popular through a mix of continued Saturday morning network reruns and syndication for more than three decades thereafter. Arnold Stang provided the voice of the smooth-talking New York City cat, known as T.C. to his gang of cohorts Benny the Ball, Choo Choo, Spook, The Brain and Fancy Fancy. These cats were always on the make toward a big score or swindle. And the bothersome – and ever exasperated- Office Dibble (voiced by legendary character actor Allen Jenkins) is relentlessly on Top Cat’s case (although always one step behind). This 4-disc Blu-ray set contains all 30 original episodes, newly remastered in 1080p HD from 4K scans off the original camera negatives, with the series offering top-shelf entertainment for fans. More than 60 years after it debuted, TOP CAT continues to be a comic delight of animated fun for audiences of all ages.
This release includes a new 2024 1080p HD masters from 4K scans of original camera negatives and the following supplements: Documentary: Back to Hoagy’s Alley: The Making of TOP CAT, Commentaries on episodes HAWAII, HERE WE COME, THE LATE T.C. and THE MISSING HEIR, STORYBOARD/FINISHED CARTOON SEQUENCE for THE MISSING HEIR; COOL CATS IN INTERVIEW ALLEY with archival interviews with members of the voice-cast including Arnold Stang, Marvin Kaplan, Leo de Lyon and Barry Blitzer, TOP CAT SING-ALONG, VINTAGE COMMERCIALS…and more!
The Warner Archive Collection Blu-rays listed above will be shipping on August 27. The pre-orders should be available soon.
