It's probably time to queue up that doom and gloom armageddon type music because this week could be very harmful to your wallets/credit card balances. Between 4K and blu-ray we have not seen a week this big in quite some time!
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 35 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of January 28th - February 3rd, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Oh, and the tagline above, that's actually for Silent Night.
Import Monday begins with the 1971 Michael Caine crime/thriller Get Carter. Everything else that was slated for Monday got pushed back a couple of weeks.
And moving on to Domestic Tuesday, let's begin with Silent Night - Walmart Exclusive SteelBook. If you want this one in 4K, Walmart is where you have to go as a standard edition 4K is currently not slated for release. I cannot confirm this yet but it appears this will be online only, which is a head-scratcher as this one would generate a lot of foot traffic.
On to catalog titles, first from Severin Films for a trio of films, Bad Biology, Nightmare and The Psychic.
From Kino Lorber this week, The Boogens and Scarlet Street.
This week is the week to get your fix of Conan films from Arrow Video. The trio of skus include Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer and The Conan Chronicles. The Conan Chronicles shows a release date of February 20 on Amazon, but Arrow Video has indeed confirmed it still has a January 30th street date, and I did get a shipping confirmation from Arrow Video. My guess is Amazon will not get their stock until the 20th. With the B&N sale going on, Amazon appears to be matching the 50% off pricing, so pounce on this if you want it.
MVD has their next Laservision Collection release this week with Cutting Class. Thus far this series of releases has been done quite well.
From Vinegar Syndrome, general releases of D.A.R.Y.L., eXistenZ and The Prophecy I -II-III, and a store direct release of Freeway 1 & 2, which comes in a hard case. Collectors will generally opt for the direct store releases as they almost always contain nicer packaging, while the release on Amazon is a standard edition, often times no slipcovers or swag.
Criterion this week offers up Trainspotting.
Next week we get a chance to recharge wallets with just one title.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include a lot, Silent Night, Bad Biology, Nightmare, The Psychic, The Boogens, Scarlet Street, Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, The Conan Chronicles, Cutting Class and Trainspotting.
New Eli Roth horror Thanksgiving comes to blu-ray this week, which, in my opinion, a huge missed opportunity for a 4K release. Sony doesn't usually do the double-dip game as much as Universal does when it comes to a blu-ray first, 4K next, so, best of luck on waiting for a 4K disc. Maybe a Turbine release in the future?
TV on disc includes The Abbott and Costello Show: Season 2 and Monk: Season Three.
Criterion blu-ray this week, Mudbound, a film based in the 40s along the Mississippi Delta.
Warner Archive's January batch releases this week, they include Cabin in the Sky, A Day at the Races, Faithless, Joe's Apartment, The Prince and the Pauper (1937) and Rover Dangerfield.
Anime highlights this week, Bocchi the Rock! - The Complete Season, The Case Study of Vanitas - Season 1 Part 2, Kurokami: The Animation, Lovely Complex, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: TV Series 1, Naruto Shippuden Set 2, Ningen Fushin Adventurers Who Dont Believe in Humanity Will Save the World and Sailor Moon Super S: Complete Fourth Season.
From Arrow Video this week, Murphy's War featuring the 'iconic' actor Peter O'Toole.
Next week in this category, another chance to recharge that wallet of yours.
Warner Bros has made it official, Wonka will be streeting to 4K and blu-ray on February 27.
Michael Mann's Ferrari will be coming to blu-ray on March 12. A 4K release is coming to Italy, and with Michael Mann at the helm I have to wonder if a 4K double-dip will be coming to the US.
Arrow Video has announced their April 2024 slate, for the US market they include Basket Case in 4K, with a shop exclusive option, and blu-rays of The Scarface Mob and The Tin Star. There are no 4K imports to mention in this batch.
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?
Australian distributor Via Vision launches their new sub-label [Imprint] Asia Launches and its first three titles.
Those collecting the ever-growing number of titles from Imprint know that if they're not the first to offer up a Blu-ray release, they drop some new special editions worth double dipping for. Now, with their Impritn Asia sub-label, they're kicking off a whole new line of Chinese and Japanese films.
The 2023 Chinese blockbuster finally arrives on Blu-ray! A Hitchcockian crime mystery produced by Chen Sicheng, “one of the giants of contemporary Chinese Cinema” (Variety).
He Fei’s wife, Li Muzi, disappears during their anniversary trip. When she reappears, he insists that she is not his wife. He Fei turns to Chen Mai, a renowned international lawyer, for help. As Chen Mai’s investigation into this bizarre case progresses, more mysteries start to emerge…
Adapted from the 90’s Russian film ‘Trap For A Lonely Man’ and from the Robert Thomas stage play of the same name.
“The film is wickedly entertaining from start to finish, thanks to Rui Cui and Liu Xiang’s crafty directions who skilfully adopt the Hitchcockian style to navigate the labyrinthine storyline.” – Screen HK
1500 copies only.
Special Features & Technical Specs:
Worldwide first on Blu-ray!
Based on the final screenplay written by the legendary Akira Kurosawa, this Japanese romance is the story of a beautiful young geisha, who hides a samurai seeking refuge. Directed by Kei Kumai, winner of the Directors Guild Of Japan New Director’s Award, this beautiful picture stars Misa Shimizu and Masatoshi Nagase.
Set in a 19th-century brothel, a beautiful young geisha, O-shin, harbours a samurai seeking refuge. Falling in love with O-shin, the samurai hopes to cleanse her of the sins of her possession. But fate and fortune conspire to keep the lovers apart.
“Kurosawa’s script treads the delicate line between conventional morality and decency, as does much of his finest work.” – New York Times
1500 copies only.
Special Features & Technical Specs:
This action-packed revival of the classic Zatoichi series was directed, written, co-edited by and stars Takeshi Kitano (Battle Royale, Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence).
In an empire ruled by fear, the people’s only hope is the ultimate weapon: Zatoichi. A blind, nomadic samurai whose sword has made him a hero and whose courage has made him a legend. Determined to help the desperate residents of a village, Zatoichi seeks justice through revenge.
The winner of the prestigious Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, Midnight Eye called it “pure cinematic magic”.
1500 copies only.
Special Features & Technical Specs:
We hope to review these as soon as we get hands on. I've heard great things about Lost in the Stars and The Sea is Watching and The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi is a pulpy treat well worth revisiting! Those looking to nab all three, Imprint has a bundle deal that'll save you a few bucks. All three films are due to street March 27th
Warner Brothers' imaginative Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel - Wonka - starring Timothée Chalamet is headed for 4K UHD Blu-ray (with a Walmart exclusive 4K Blu-ray SteelBook) and Blu-ray on February 27. You can get an early taste of the film on Premium Digital on January 30.
Armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, young chocolatier Willy Wonka manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time.
Wonka - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
“Wonka” Premium Digital Ownership, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:
Premium Digital Ownership: January 30, 2024
4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: February 27, 2024
4K Languages: English, Canadian French, Latin Spanish
4K Subtitles: English SDH, Canadian French, Parisian French, Latin Spanish
BD Languages: English, Canadian French, Latin Spanish
BD Subtitles: English SDH, Canadian French, Parisian French, Latin Spanish
DVD Languages: English, Canadian French, Latin Spanish
DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Canadian French, Parisian French, Latin Spanish
Running Time: 116 minutes
Rating: PG for some violence, mild language and thematic elements
DVD: DLBY/DGTL
Blu-ray: ATMOS TrueHD
Pre-orders for Wonka are now live.
Lionsgate and A24's dark comedy starring Nicolas Cage will be entering the high-definition home video dreamscape on February 27 in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack.
Pre-order yours today.
Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Pail is forced to navigate his newfound stardom, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli and producer Ari Aster.
The Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Combo Pack will include a lossless 5.1 soundtrack and the following supplements:
Pre-orders for Dream Scenario are up and here is the full press release:
|
|
|
|
We've honestly lost count of how many times we've been asked "When will these be up for preorder?"
Well - now's your chance! Walmart appears to be the only retailer, but we expect that to change soon.
After weeks of waiting, the day to finally preorder these three films on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray has come! Aliens, The Abyss, and True Lies are ready for pre-order at Walmart. We understand the delay was partly due to the UK certifications for The Abyss (that release in the UK has been canceled now over the rat scene) and then replication to be well underway to meet the demand for three high-profile titles. While it was a great thing to see a high-profile title like Oppenheimer completely sell out on 4K during the holidays, it's also bad because that means sure-thing sales are getting lost to the gray market and resellers inflating the prices. I can picture Disney/20th Century trying to find that stock-on-hand sweet spot. We also have not heard of any retailer-exclusive or deluxe packaging options for any of these films. Yet. As soon as we have hands on, we'll get reviews up ASAP, but for now you can gander at the artwork, check out a couple of bonus features clips, and get those pre-orders in. March 12th is still the targeted release date
Aliens
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultimate Collector's Edition
The Abyss
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultimate Collector's Edition
True Lies
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultimate Collector's Edition
Obviously any changes to the release plan or if any special deluxe packaging crops up we'll update that info ASAP. Happy Collecting!
Lionsgate presents filmmaker John Woo's (A Better Tomorrow, Red Cliff, Face/Off) R-rated action-thriller Silent Night starring a vengeful Joel Kinnaman on Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook on January 30.
From legendary director John Woo and the producer of John Wick comes this gritty revenge tale of a tormented father who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang’s crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he makes vengeance his life’s mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son’s death. Full of Woo’s signature style, Silent Night redefines the action genre with visceral, thrill-a-minute storytelling.
Silent Night - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
A Dolby Atmos soundtrack is on both the 4K UHD Blu-ray and the Blu-ray and bonus materials include:
Pre-orders for Silent Night are currently live. Included below is the full press release:
|
|
|
|
Michael Mann's latest film Ferrari stars Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, and Shailene Woodley and will be available on Blu-ray on March 12. The film parks on Premiums Digital tomorrow.
Ferrari is set in the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle of Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari is in crisis. Bankruptcy threatens the factory he and his wife, Laura built from nothing ten years earlier. Their volatile marriage has been battered by the loss of their son, Dino a year earlier. Ferrari struggles to acknowledge his son Piero with Lina Lardi. Meanwhile, his drivers’ passion to win pushes them to the edge as they launch into the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.
The Blu-ray will feature behind-the-scenes extras, including “The Mille Miglia” and “Building Perfection” which explores the historic race and cars behind Ferrari, as well as in-depth interviews with the award-winning cast and crew. So far no word on a domestic 4K release.
Pre-orders for Ferrari are live
Things sure slowed down over the holiday season, but as we return to normal we have a steady stream of new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray titles coming your way. In case you missed anything as of late, here is a healthy dose of what has been announced recently.
First up, the Criterion Collection has announced their April 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases. They are: Picnic at Hanging Rock - 4K, La haine - 4K, Dogfight, Werckmeister Harmonies - 4K as well as a Blu-ray edition, and I Am Cuba - 4K also on Blu-ray. Alexandre O. Philippe’s David Lynch documentary Lynch/Oz will also be joining Criterion's Janus Contemporaries series on March 19. Pre-order your favorites now.
Powerhouse Films has revealed more upcoming 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases in their Indicator Series lineup. The titles include The Nude Vampire - 4K and Blu-ray, The Demoniacs - 4K and Blu-ray, The Bat Woman, The Panther Woman, and Santo vs. the Riders of Terror.
Scream Factory will release a special edition Blu-ray of the horror cult classic Funeral Home on February 6. And the following week they will have a 4K Collector's Edition of Willy's Wonderland starring Nicolas Cage in stores on February 13 - which will also come in a Steelbook.
Warner Brothers is set to release Steven Soderbergh's star-studded Contagion (2011) on 4K UHD Blu-ray on February 27. Also Blitz Bazawule's drama/musical The Color Purple (2023) as well as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are both coming to 4K & Blu-ray on March 12th.
Disney's latest animated film Wish will be arriving on Blu-ray and 4K Walmart SteelBook on March 12. You can read all about that coverage in our previous article here.Likewise, The Marvels from Disney and Marvel Studios will be hitting 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on February 13.
Eli Roth's hit slasher Thanksgiving is due for a home video release at the end of the month. Note that at this time, it seems like only a Blu-ray release is planned for now with no 4K yet.
Lionsgate will bring Sofia Coppola's Priscilla to Blu-ray February 13. Plus on March 5, the hugely popular SAW horror franchise is getting a mega boxed set - SAW 10-Film Collection 20th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray.
And last but certainly not least, Warner Archive announced their latest Blu-ray slate which includes the classic western Colt .45: The Complete Series and Hanna-Barbera's Superstars 10: The Complete Film Collection. The 10 films include: Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats, Yogi's Great Escape, Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears, Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose, Rockin' with Judy Jetson, The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound, Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers, Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf, and Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School also available separately.
As always, be sure to keep an eye on our release calendars as more and more home video goodies are added all the time.
Just one more week until January's wallet-buster, with February just around the corner! Have you stocked up on Arrow Video titles with the B&N sale in full swing?
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 34 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of January 21st - January 27th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
This week is like a sandwich, imports on both ends and domestic releases in the middle.
For UK Import Monday, first from Arrow Video, their fat-pack for the 1976 horror Carrie.
Next, Second Sight offers up their limited edition release of High Tension. If you want to save a few bucks and opt for the movie-only (no-swag) release, that's an option too. Don't assume these Second SIght titles will get a US release, some of them have thus far not gotten such a release. (Babadook, It Follows, and more)
Domestic Tuesday's new release this week is DC Animated Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One, which comes in a SteelBook package.
And Kino Lorber brings us 1990's comedy Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Import Friday brings us Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary from Umbrella Entertainment. Their web site offered a couple of swaggy sets as well if you wanted the maximum experience.
Next week offers a lot more, with three Conan skus, Trainspotting, Silent Night, a couple of Severin titles, Vinegar Syndrome, and more.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases? Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One from Warner Bros and (see below) Super Mario Bros from Umbrella Entertainment.
The rest of the category is a bit slow this week, and just like the 4K section, next week is going to be huge.
Anime highlights include By the Grace of the Gods - Season 2, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Set 8 - Stone Ocean Part 1, RahXephon Complete Collection,
From Criterion this week, Chantal Akerman Masterpieces, 1968–1978.
Shout Factory has Jennifer 8 with Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman this week, and Stephen King's Thinner.
TV on disc this week from Paramount, Special Ops: Lioness: Season One.
Import Friday consists of Umbrella Entertainment titles:
Warner Bros. has announced that The Color Purple (2023) 4K and blu-ray editions will arrive March 12th.
Criterion Collection's April slate has been announced. Do check out Tom's News Story for more info.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be release to 4K and blu-ray on March 12th as well.
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?
Warner Brothers has dated and detailed James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom starring Jason Momoa as the titular hero for 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on March 12. Walmart will also be offering a 4K UHD SteelBook, and there will be a 2-Film Blu-ray Collection as well.
Director James Wan and Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa—along with Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Kidman—return in the sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time: "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father's death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman's family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - Blu-ray
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Walmart Exclusive SteelBbook
Bonus features will include:
Pre-orders are now live - Happy Collecting!
