The closer we get to October, the more studios and independent labels unleash the terrors of their horror archives! Arrow Video is the latest to deliver their slate of spooky tales on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Some of these have appeared on either side of the Atlantic already, but we get a couple of new releases of old favorites to devour!
Given the wonderfully messy world of international rights issues, Arrow's October 2024 slate of discs is a mix of titles that have been released on one side of the Atlantic or the other. But now they're going to be available in both parts of the world which is great (if you didn't already import some of these). But then we're also getting a couple of first-time heavy hitters for our collections. So let's get to it.
Trick 'r Treat - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition
Trick 'r Treat - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition
Website Exclusive
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition
Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment - Arrow Video Blu-ray Limited Edition
Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition
Website Exclusive
4-DISC ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
DISC 1 HELLRAISER
DISC 2 HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II
DISC 3 HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH
DISC 4 HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE
J-Horror Rising - Arrow Video Blu-ray Limited Edition
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
DISC ONE: SHIKOKU / ISOLA: MULTIPLE PERSONALITY GIRL
DISC TWO: INUGAMI / ST. JOHN'S WORT
DISC THREE: CARVED: THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN / PERSONA
DISC FOUR: NOROI: THE CURSE
Exorcist II: The Heretic - Arrow Video Blu-ray Limited Edition (UK)
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
DISC ONE - ORIGINAL PREMIERE VERSION
DISC TWO - INTERNATIONAL VERSION
The Exorcist III - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition (UK)
The Exorcist III - Arrow Video 4k UHD Limited Edition
Website Exclusive (UK)
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
DISC ONE - THEATRICAL CUT (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
DISC TWO - 'LEGION' DIRECTOR'S CUT (BLU-RAY)
Several of these discs look like they may have more extras to be announced soon so when we get that info we'll add it to our listings zip quick. If there are any release date changes or if a title gets canceled, obviously we'll update that info ASAP. Happy Collecting!
Universal is preparing to release The Bikeriders on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on August 13. The film will be available for streaming digitally exclusively on Peacock on August 9.
The film crime thriller Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes written and directed by Jeff Nichols ("Mud", "Take Shelter" stars including Emmy®, BAFTA®, and Tony Award® winner Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”, The Last Duel), Academy Award® nominee Austin Butler (Elvis, Dune: Part Two), Academy Award® nominee Tom Hardy (The Revenant, Dunkirk, Inception), plus Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook (Logan, The Predator), Mike Faist (Challengers, West Side Story), and Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”, "Triple 9").
THE BIKERIDERS captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals, led by the enigmatic Johnny (Hardy). Much like the country around it, the club begins to evolve, transforming from a gathering place for local outsiders into a dangerous underworld of violence, forcing Benny to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club.
The Bikeriders - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES TO OWN ONLY ON DIGITAL, 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAYTM & DVD:
FILMMAKERS
Cast: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Michael Faist, and Norman Reedus
Music Supervisors: Lauren Mikus and Bruce Gilbert
Music By: David Wingo
Costume Designer: Erin Benach
Film Editor: Julie Monroe, ACE
Production Designer: Chad Keith
Director of Photography: Adam Stone
Executive Producers: Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Sam Hanson, David Kern, and Fred Berger
Produced By: Sarah Green, p.g.a. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, p.g.a. and Arnon Milchan
Inspired by the Book “The Bikeriders” By: Danny Lyon
Written and Directed By: Jeff Nichols
TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K UHD:
Street Date: August 13, 2024
Selection Number: 191329267301 (US)
Layers: BD 100
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen
Rating: R for language throughout, violence, some drug use and brief sexuality
Subtitles: English SDH, Castilian Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French Canadian, French European, German, Italian, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, and Swedish
Languages/Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), Castilian Spanish (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature), French Canadian (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature), French European (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature), German (Dolby Atmos for Feature), Italian (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1), and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature)
Run Time: 01:55:48
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAYTM:
Street Date: August 13, 2024
Selection Number: 191329265673 (US)
Layers: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen
Rating: R for language throughout, violence, some drug use and brief sexuality
Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish
Languages/Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature), and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature)
Run Time: 01:55:48
Pre-orders for The Bikeriders are now live - Happy Collecting!
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!
Lionsgate is preparing a 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital combo pack of Taylor Sheridan's chilly 2016 crime thriller Wind River starring Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, and Jon Bernthal on September 10. The release will be a SteelBook exclusively available at Walmart stores.
From Taylor Sheridan, creator of “Yellowstone,” comes this chilling thriller set in Wyoming’s remote wilderness. After game tracker Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) discovers a murdered Native American girl’s frozen body on federal land, rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) is sent to lead the investigation. As the ghosts of Cory’s past return to haunt him, Jane’s attempt to treat the case as a homicide is thwarted, and the two soon realize that what unites them – bringing the girl’s killer to justice – isn’t an outcome sought by everyone in Wind River.
Wind River - 4K UHD Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
The 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook Combo Pack will include Dolby Atmos audio with the following supplements:
Pre-orders for Wind River - 4K UHD Walmart Exclusive SteelBook should be available soon and here is the full press release:
Wind River – written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, creator of the hit series “Yellowstone” – arrives September 10 on 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook® from Lionsgate, exclusively at Walmart.
4K + Blu-ray™ + Digital Steelbook® Street Date: 9/10/24
4K + Blu-ray™ + Digital Steelbook® SRP: $42.99
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Wind River – written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, creator of the hit series “Yellowstone” – arrives September 10 on 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook® from Lionsgate, exclusively at Walmart. The story of a murdered Native American girl whose body is found on federal land, Wind River explores the tensions that arise when a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen, “WandaVision,” “Love & Death”) is sent to lead the investigation, aided by a game tracker (Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker, “Mayor of Kingstown”) with a haunted past. The Wind River SteelBook® will be available on 4K UHD + Blu-ray™ + Digital for the suggested retail price of $42.99.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
From Taylor Sheridan, creator of “Yellowstone,” comes this chilling thriller set in Wyoming’s remote wilderness. After game tracker Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) discovers a murdered Native American girl’s frozen body on federal land, rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) is sent to lead the investigation. As the ghosts of Cory’s past return to haunt him, Jane’s attempt to treat the case as a homicide is thwarted, and the two soon realize that what unites them – bringing the girl’s killer to justice – isn’t an outcome sought by everyone in Wind River.
CAST
Jeremy Renner TV’s “Mayor of Kingstown,” Arrival, Mission Impossible franchise
Elizabeth Olsen TV’s “Love and Death” and “WandaVision,” Martha Marcy May Marlene
Jon Bernthal The Wolf of Wall Street, King Richard, The Accountant
SPECIAL FEATURES
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind-the-Scenes Video Gallery
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2016
Title Copyright: Wind River © 2016 Wind River Productions, LLC. Artwork & Supplementary Materials ®, TM & © 2024 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Catalog Re-Release
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: English, Spanish, English SDH
Language: English
Run Time: 107 minutes
BD Format: 2160p Ultra High Definition 16x9 (2.39:1) Presentation
BD Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
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?
Sony is set to release Brian De Palma's 1984 erotic crime thriller Body Double starring Craig Wasson, Deborah Shelton, Melanie Griffith, and Gregg Henry in a limited edition 4K UHD SteelBook on September 17.
Brian De Palma invites you to witness a seduction... a mystery... a murder. It’s BODY DOUBLE — a spine-tingling look at voyeurism and sexuality from the modern master of suspense. Jake Scully (Craig Wasson), an unemployed actor, is asked to house-sit at a luxurious hillside apartment. As a bonus, the home offers Jake a telescopic peek into the bedroom of Gloria Revelle (Deborah Shelton), who performs an arousing striptease. When Jake discovers another man is also spying on Gloria, he begins an obsessive surveillance of her. Soon a grisly murder leads him into the world of X-rated film where he meets adult film star Holly Body (Melanie Griffith), who is a key to the crime. De Palma has created a gripping adult thriller of eroticism and horror!
Body Double - Limited Edition 4K UHD SteelBook
The 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook Combo Pack will include a Dolby Vision presentation and Dolby Atmos audio with the following specs and supplements:
4K ULTRA HD DISC
BLU-RAY DISC™
CAST AND CREW
SPECS
Pre-orders aren't yet live, as soon as they are we'll update our listings ASAP!
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?
