When it comes to getting great genre movies on Blu-ray and/or 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray - Turbine Media Group has been doing a bang-up job. Between Twister, The Hills Have Eyes, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Leatherface - among numerous other releases like Norther Exposure - Turbine has been cranking out some great content while also going the extra mile with bonus features, audio, picture quality, and unique packaging. After their already damned impressive An American Werewolf in London the German label is turning their attention towards the 1997 pseudo-sequel An American Werewolf in Paris - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. While not the greatest movie ever, I still have fond memories of checking it out in the theater and am looking forward to revisiting this furry fright flick.
The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray will sport Dolby Vision HDR (and HDR10), with German and English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio mixes. In addition, each media book has 24 pages with an essay (in German) by Christoph N. Kellerbach including photos and behind-the-scenes stills. Bonus features will include deleted scenes, an audio commentary with director Anthony Waller, and an alternate version of the film in SD with additional making-of content, music videos, and cast and crew interviews. This release is exclusive to Turbine's website so follow the shopping links in our listings - I've had no trouble importing their releases, every disc I've ordered has arrived quickly (for an overseas purchase) and in perfect shape.
Now not content with just one Media Book release - Turbine is cranking out three options for fans to choose from:
As soon as we get our hands on a copy we'll work it into our review rotation. Check out the full press release below:
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As the trailer above indicates, the festivities of this 50th Anniversary celebration kicks off with The Godfather returning to theaters for a limited engagement in Dolby Vision screens exclusively at AMC theaters across the country on February 25th, 2022. Click HERE for more info about showtimes.
Leave the Blu-ray, take the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Celebrating 50 years of the Corleone family on the silver screen, Paramount Pictures is bringing The Godfather Trilogy to 4K ultra HD Blu-ray on March 22 in a Standard Trilogy release and Limited Collector's Edition. The set will of course include The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and the recently re-edited and cumbersomely retitled Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. From the press release, it does not look like the original Theatrical Cut of The Godfather Part III is making it to the format. We've asked for clarification on that point and will update if that's any different.
We expect each film to be presented in full 4K with Dolby Vision HDR, the 5.1 audio tracks of previous releases, but as the press release now indicates, we'll also get the original Mono tracks for The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. In addition to legacy bonus features, a full slate of new extra materials will be coming exclusively to this set. So far we haven't seen any info about any kind of retailer exclusive but we'll keep you posted if that changes.
[UPDATE 1/14/22]
Alrighty, after a lot of back and forths and scouring the interwebs for final details to this confusing release announcement - here's EVERYTHING we now know will be included with BOTH the standard 4K and Limited Edition 4K collections coming March 22nd.
First: Both sets are going to be 5-Disc sets. There was some confusion when Zavvi dropped their listing of a 9-Disc set, but that appears to be a UK/EU exclusive release that includes the same 5 4K UHD discs we'll get here in the states with an additional 4 standard Blu-rays of the films.
- Each film will get Dolby Vision/HDR10 grading.
- Previously available 5.1 TrueHD audio + Newly restored Mono tracks for The Godfather and The Godfather Part 2
- We'll also get all THREE cuts of The Godfather Part III - how that breaks out is ONE disc for Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone and then another disc for The Godfather Part III Theatrical Cut and The Godfather Part III Director's Cut from 1991.
How that all breaks down is ONE Disc for The Godfather, ONE Disc for The Godfather Part II, TWO Discs for all three of the different cuts of The Godfather Part III with one final disc to cover all of the legacy bonus features that are listed in the press release below.
Now that very expensive Limited Edition is the same five discs as the standard 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set, but with a coffee table book and three art prints. Personally, I wish they offered the chronological television version of The Godfather Legacy featuring The Godfather and The Godfather Part II edited together as one long movie experience as a bonus. It's a pretty cool and very unique presentation of both films together. I've only ever seen it once on AMC and wish it was more widely available. Maybe next time. If anything new breaks or changes with this release, we'll update our listings and this article ASAP.
Both sets are now up for pre-order on Amazon - but don't let that price for the Limited Collector's Edition give you sticker shock. That's pretty darn high so I doubt it's with any kind of sale price included. As always your preorders through our affiliate links are very much appreciated, they go a long way towards keeping our little operation up and running.
For more information, we've included the press release below:
Paramount Pictures Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of
Francis Ford Coppola’s Cinematic Masterpiece
Experience the Acclaimed Classic
in Theatres and on Home Entertainment Platforms
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – January 13, 2022 — In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award®-winning* masterwork The Godfather, Paramount Pictures announced today that the film will have a limited theatrical release in Dolby Vision beginning February 25, 2022 exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres in the U.S., as well as in international territories around the world. All three films in the epic trilogy have been meticulously restored under the direction of Coppola and will be made available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever on March 22, 2022.
“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Francis Ford Coppola. “With this 50th anniversary tribute, I’m especially proud Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is included, as it captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy. It’s also gratifying to celebrate this milestone with Paramount alongside the wonderful fans who’ve loved it for decades, younger generations who still find it relevant today, and those who will discover it for the first time.”
Coppola’s masterful film adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel chronicles the rise and fall of the Corleone family and the film trilogy is rightfully viewed as one of the greatest in cinematic history. In preparation for the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope undertook a painstaking restoration of all three films over the course of three years.
Every effort was made to create the finest possible presentation for today’s audiences who can watch the films using technology that has advanced dramatically since 2007 when the last restoration was completed by eminent film historian and preservationist Robert Harris. Using that work as a blueprint, the team spent thousands of hours to ensure that every frame was evaluated to create the most pristine presentation while remaining true to the original look and feel of the films.
The monumental effort included the following:
“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts. It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”
Newly restored and remastered in Dolby Vision, all three films in the landmark trilogy will be released together with HDR-10 on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™ for the first time ever. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set will include The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and Coppola’s recently re-edited version of the final film, Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The disc set includes legacy commentaries by Coppola, as well as access to Digital copies of The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.
In addition to the widely available 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set, a 4K Ultra HD Limited Collector’s Edition will also be released in deluxe packaging and includes a hardcover coffee table book featuring stunning photographs, as well as portrait art prints on archival paper. Both 4K Ultra HD sets include new bonus content including an introduction to The Godfather by Coppola, a featurette about the preservation process, photos by acclaimed photographer Steve Schapiro, home movie footage, and comparisons of the new restoration to earlier versions of the films. A full list of new and legacy bonus content follows:
NEW BONUS CONTENT:
· Introduction to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola
· Full Circle: Preserving The Godfather—Paramount Pictures archivists detail the incredible restoration process with archival footage showing the evolution of the film through various home entertainment incarnations as picture and audio technologies make quantum leaps over the decades.
· Capturing the Corleones: Through the Lens of Photographer Steve Schapiro— In this reflective and frank discussion, special photographer Steve Schapiro shares his unique perspective and cherished memories as a witness to the making of this seminal film. Commentary on curated archival images makes for a fascinating, never-before-seen addition to the production’s history.
· The Godfather: Home Movies— An assortment of 8mm home movie footage shot in 1971 offers a candid glimpse into the production of The Godfather. Shot on location at the Norton family estate on Staten Island’s Emerson Hill, this is the first time it’s been made available to the public.
· Restoration Comparisons— Before and after highlights showcase extensive picture quality improvements to The Godfather.
LEGACY BONUS CONTENT:
o The Godfather vs. The Godfather: Part II
o Cannoli
o Riffing on the Riffing
o Clemenza
· The Family Tree
· Crime Organization Chart
· Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album
· 2008 Credits
· Behind the Scenes
o A Look Inside
o On Location
o Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook
o Music of The Godfather
§ Nino Rota
§ Carmine Coppola
o Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
o Gordon Willis on Cinematography
o Storyboards – The Godfather: Part II
o Storyboards – The Godfather: Part III
o The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971
· Additional Scenes
· Galleries
· Trailers
· Acclaim & Response
· Additional Material
· The Filmmakers
· The Godfather: Part III—newly remastered and restored versions of the original theatrical cut and Coppola’s 1991 cut (note: these are exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD Collections)
Newly restored and remastered versions of The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone will also be available together on Blu-ray™ with access to Digital copies and the new and legacy bonus content detailed above.
In looking at upcoming releases, this is probably the slowest I have seen it in a very long time. Pre-orders on Amazon currently occupy 13 pages, not too long ago there were 30 pages worth. But hey, it's 1st quarter, so at the moment, no reason for alarm. Your best course of action is to continue to buy discs that you want to keep the medium alive. Just like any business, if you still got the demand, you make the product.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 34 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
Considering it is January, this week is uncharacteristically (I think I made up a word) huge for 4K disc releases. New releases first:
The 2021 Sci-Fi epic Dune arrives as both a standard edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. Hope my SteelBook arrives intact because preorders are sold out as procuring a replacement could get expensive. A sequel has been green-lit so expect more greatness in the future.
What's touted as part of the 'new trilogy,' Halloween Kills also gets a double release, a standard edition and a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. This release also includes an alternate ending.
On to back catalog titles, first from Paramount, 1992 action/drama Juice, available as a standard edition and as a wide-release SteelBook edition.
Finally, from Kino, The Great Escape gets a 4K disc release. Previously, Criterion had released a 4K scan blu-ray edition.
Blu-ray releases-
Just like every week, let's get the blu-ray counterparts done first.
Dune gets a standard release, a Walmart Exclusive release and a 3-D release. It would be nice if the Walmart Exclusive were a 4K combo, that's a handsome package in its own way. I feel that that is Walmart's decision, not Warner Bros.
Halloween Kills also gets a standard blu-ray release via Universal Pictures.
Anime highlights include A3! Season Autumn & Winter, El-Hazard: The Alternative World Collection, Heaven's Lost Property The Movie: Eternally My Master and Strike Witches: Road to Berlin Season 3.
Criterion Collectors look for The Celebration this week.
Kino Lorber brings us war film The 7th Dawn starring William Holden. Burt Reynolds 'safe cracker' film Breakin In gets a nod as well. Not done with Reynolds yet, Impasse also gets a disc release. I've never seen Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine in the same film, but Kino shows us they were in Gambit. Partner label Scorpion Releasing delivers Dario Argento's The Card Player.
Friday releases? All Arts/Opera.
Notable announcements from last week:
We did expect it to be a dead week last week, but we do in fact have some buzz.
Warner Bros. has slated a domestic release for The Green Mile on February 22nd. See our news story here for the details. Looks like if you don't need the digital streaming code then the Zavvi Exclusive version is the ultimate experience.
Kino also added details for their 4K release of The Apartment, March 8th specifically. It will be 4K SDR, but you can still bet it is going to look stunning. There will also be a blu-ray release as well.
Paramount Pictures has a handful of catalog titles recently added for February - April, more will probably be added this week as well. In no particular order look for Hey Arnold! The Movie, In Dreams, Nick of Time, Intersection, Orange County, Soapdish, The Rugrats Trilogy Movie Collection, EuroTrip (Unrated Editrion) and Let It Ride. The next Paramount Presents release will be Ordinary People on March 29th.
From Peter Jackson and via the Disney label, The Beatles: Get Back gets a 3-disc blu-ray collector's edition on February 8th.
We have also got order links up for all the various skus for Disney's Encanto. With a release date of February 8th, a standard blu-ray release will be overshadowed by a multitude of 4K skus that include a standard edition, Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, Target Exclusive Lithograph Art Edition as well as a Walmart Exclusive that includes a pin.
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 already hitting a home run with their release of The Shawshank Redemption on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Warner Bros. returns to their catalog to deliver the equally beloved The Green Mile. Nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Sound, The Green Mile is the film even Stephen King calls the "most faithful" adaptation of his writing. Hell, when it hit theaters it made the 18-year-old me weep like I just saw The Land Before Time for the first time. Depending on how much you love this film, you have a few different options. A standard release, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, and if you feel like importing it, a Zavvi Exclusive Deluxe SteelBook.
In terms of A/V presentation, we're looking at HDR10 - no word on Dolby Vision yet, and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. The bonus features selection is pretty much everything that's already been released since the days of DVD without any new additions in that arena. Hopefully, if this does well enough the powers that be who own Darabont's The Mist will give us an upgrade to 4K as well.
Here's the full press release from Warner Brothers for The Green Mile on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray:
THE GREEN MILE
COMES TO 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYTM COMBO PACK AND DIGITAL FROM
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AMERICAN CLASSIC WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION WITH
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR)
Own it 2/22/22 on 4K Ultra HD and Digital
Burbank, Calif., January 5, 2022 – The Green Mile, which received four Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Clarke Duncan, Best Sound and Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on 2/22/22, it was announced today by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Released in 1999, the critically-acclaimed The Green Mile was directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and is based on Stephen King's 1996 novel of the same name.
The film stars Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump), Academy Award® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (Armageddon), David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graeme Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, and Harry Dean Stanton.
The film was written and directed by Darabont, based on “The Green Mile” by Stephen King, and produced by Darabont and David Valdes. Mr. Darabont is one of only six filmmakers in history with the unique distinction of having his first two feature films receive nominations for the Best Picture Academy Award: 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption and 1999’s The Green Mile.
Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
The Green Mile will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $24.99 ERP and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc with the feature film and special features. Fans can also own The Green Mile in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on 2/22/22.
About the Film:
Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this emotional film about miracles and the power of redemption stars Tom Hanks as prison guard Paul Edgecomb. When John Coffey (Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man, is brought to death row, Edgecomb and his fellow guards discover something very unusual about him. Convicted for the sadistic murder of two young girls, but behaving almost like a child himself, Coffey seems to have a supernatural gift of healing living things. Expectations are turned upside down and the guards’ sense of humanity is awakened in this adaptation of Stephen Kings compelling novel.
Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Elements
The Green Mile Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On 2/22/22, The Green Mile 4K UHD will be available to own for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on favorite devices from select digital retailers and will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
BASICS
PRODUCT
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Standard Street Date: 2/22/22
EST Street Date: 2/22/22
Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
Run Time: 189 Min.
Rated: R
THE CREDITS
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
Welcome to 2022 (officially). Are we looking forward to anything specific this year (movies or otherwise)? There's another recent story about The Abyss getting a new 4K scan, with a wishful disc release coming sometime sooner than later, which we kind of alluded to in August. At this point every time every time I read such a story I'm like 'yeah yeah yeah, blah blah blah,' we've had our hopes up so many times before.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 33 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
Another slow week on the 4K disc front, but that's to be expected.
In an odd Sunday release date, Disney brings us Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. We've already reviewed it, do take a look. Overseas the entire collection is available in 4K, so we can bet the remaining films will get there eventually in the U.S..
And from Shout! Factory/GKIDS, Weathering With You gets a simpler more basic release this go round. If the disc is the same as the previous release, it is region A locked to boot. What were they thinking to lock this disc?
Blu-ray releases-
For blu-ray, we actually have more titles this week than next, albeit many are from small indie houses, which is quite OK.
From 20th Century Studios (Disney) comes horror film Antlers. Already looking like it's hard to find.
Screen Media (maybe) releases Black Friday, the horror / comedy with Bruce Campbell.
RLJ/Image entertainment releases The Djinn. The trailer made it look pretty good, then again, don't most of them? Though, another cool looking cover that's a victim of the Rotten Tomatoes logo.
Weekly anime highlights include Canaan (Season 1) Complete Collection, My Next Life as a Villainess, All Routes Lead to Doom! (Season 1) Complete Collection and One Piece: Season Eleven - Voyage Six.
Y'all didn't think we would go a week without a LionsGate release did ya? In the thriller category, Zeroes and Ones starring Ethan Hawk.
Honorable Mentions: Kino Lorber digs deep for a big of film-noir starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster, titled All My Sons. Also this week from Kino, Alfred Hitchcock's Rich and Strange.
There are no Friday releases this week.
Notable announcements from last week:
Warner Archive's next batch of titles has been revealed. The titles are Edge of Darkness (1943), Gold Diggers of 1933 and The Three Musketeers (1948). Look for them late January and in to February. Also from Warner Bros., the 2021 Will Smith film King Richard will be released both on blu-ray and 4K combos on February 8th.
Warner Bros. overseas is prepping The Green Mile as a Zavvi Exclusive deluxe 4K SteelBook giftset, with a March 7th street date. Will the (rumored) 2/22 release for the U.S. also include a deluxe giftset like that one? Warner Bros has done U.S. giftsets before for 4K releases before but they did not look so inclusive.
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?
Normally studios and boutique labels start to take a little bit of a break in the new year. They've spent all of October, November, and December crushing the market with major new releases and fan favorites - often straining the supply chain and their quality-control teams. The SOP in the past was to treat January as a bit of a dump month to take a break, maybe drop a couple of nuggets but nothing too exciting. 2022 seems to be playing the game a bit differently. Not only are boutique labels throwing some great hits but the majors have a few big new releases and favorites lined up. While one of the big anticipated releases of the month is already a dud, that doesn't mean the rest of January is doomed. At least we hope not!
That just about does it for 2022's opening salvo for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases. The supply chain issues that were such a headache for collectors (and us to get reviews done on time) don't seem to be a problem anymore. Hopefully, it stays that way and we don't see such dramatic scheduling changes for releases like we did the last few months. As of right now - there aren't any foreign import titles we're aiming to cover, but if that changes we'll churn out a review as soon as we get eyes on the disc.
As always, thanks again for reading and placing your pre-orders. They really do go a long way towards keeping our little operation rolling.
Happy New Year!
As we close out the year, we hope you've had a good 2021 overall, despite some of the issues that are out there, including a stressful pandemic. What will 2022 bring from a home video perspective? Very hard to say, but as long as we continue to purchase the discs we want, so far it looks like it could be a promising year. I bought in to the Vinegar Syndrome subscription for 2022 and so far their line up has a few excellent titles in the works. With other labels on board with 4K, I look forward to seeing where it takes us.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 32 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
There is one, single solitary release this week. It is the week between Christmas and New Years day so that is kind of expected.
Discotek offers up Robot Carnival this week. It probably is the best this collection of animated films has ever looked. We reached out to Discotek about the specs of this title because they indicated 'region A' locked, which sounds like an error, but they had not responded. There are several other previously released 4K titles out there that are region-locked. So if you're looking at importing, verify first or make sure your player has region-free BD capability (which is how a 4K region lock is enforced apparently).
Blu-ray releases-
Just like the 4K category, the blu-ray category is just as slow.
Under the Shout! Factory label, action film Castle Falls starring Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins.
20th Century Studios releases The French Dispatch this week, a comedy/drama with a few names we should be familiar with.
Twilight Time movies has transformed a little bit, previously you could only buy direct from them or SAE. SAE bought out the label and distributed them exclusively going forward. This week however they are offering a few titles via Amazon. They are Messalina, The Man from Hong Kong, Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye and Venom aka The Legend Of Spider Forest.
For Anime, Goblin Slayer: Season One (SteelBook) gets a general release - it was previously a Best Buy Exclusive. Also from Discotek, Samurai Troopers: The Complete Collection.
If you've watched Arrow Video's release of Shawscope Volume One get pushed back multiple times, the wait *might* be over. At press time, it is indeed on track to come out Tuesday. The Shaw Brothers set up their own brand of movies in the 1970s that still hold up today.
Notable announcements from last week:
Mill Creek Entertainment will be releasing Magnum PI: The Complete TV Series (1980-1988) on Blu-ray, with an ETA of March 22nd.
FUNimation's March slate of anime releases have been added to the release calendar. With the exception of Dr. Stone Season 2, I am unfamiliar with the titles, but I'm sure anime fans will see a few others they know.
Eastern Promises will be getting a 4K disc release from Kino Lorber on March 22nd as well.
It looks like March might be the month to start feeling 4K wallet fatigue with all the titles one must get to keep up!
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?
Ever since Season 3 Episode 21 of Mystery Science Theater 3000 where Joel and the Bots riffed Santa Conquers the Martians, the Patrick Swayze Christmas has become the best way to celebrate the festive but usually very stressful holiday season. It spreads holiday cheer while sparing people the drama of sticking to classic traditions. But for those who somehow missed that magical host segment, how do you spread such an important form of holiday cheer? It turns out there are three important rules to follow.
Crow T. Robot (with lyrics by Mike Nelson) created an iconic Christmas carol based on the 1989 classic Road House. In the film, there is an important scene where Swayze's world-famous bouncer Dalton takes the job to clean up The Double Deuce and he addresses the current employees. After firing the troublemakers, he gives it to them straight laying out his three rules. These three rules are essential for having a truly successful Patrick Swayze Christmas and a happy holiday season.
The holidays are always chaotic. Trying to bring everyone together is stressful enough without select family members bringing those extra delights. You have to be prepared. If your aunt only brings an already opened bag of potato chips as her only dish to pass - have green bean casserole on standby. If your younger cousin shows up uninvited with his new girlfriend - have extra folding chairs. If your uncle starts saying what he thinks about the current administration at everyone in earshot - subscribe to ESPN+ so you can keep his brain distracted and mouth closed.
If someone brings non-alcoholic beer, homemade fruitcake, or fat-free eggnog - take it outside. You don't need to put that out on the table. Chances are whoever brought it is dumping it on you because they don't want it. If you're lucky, neighborhood stray cats will drink the eggnog, squirrels will eat the fruit cake, and you can use the non-alcoholic beer to water the tulips you planted earlier in the fall.
If your grandpa says he thinks the turkey is dry, be nice. If your grandma says she never wanted kids and your mother or father were accidents, be nice. Whatever happens, be nice. But there are limits. When your mother says Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie - politely correct her by turning it on with the volume cranked all the way up to nicely remind her. But when your sister's bratty pre-teen kid tells you the knockoff brand television they got cheap on a Black Friday deal is better than your top-of-the-line properly calibrated 70" 4K UHD HDR television with full Atmos/DTS:X sound system, you don't have to stand there and take that crap. But be as nice about it as you possibly can.
While these three rules are essential, a customary viewing of Road House is highly recommended. Now that the Shout Select Collector's Edition is out of print, if you don't have a DVD or Blu-ray on hand, you can stream Road House with your Amazon Prime membership.
If you can't watch Road House for your Patrick Swayze Christmas - appropriate alternate titles include:
To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar 
And of course, no Patrick Swayze Christmas is complete without a festive recital of the classic carol. So these are the lyrics to (Let's Have) A Patrick Swayze Christmas from MST3K:
LET'S HAVE A PATRICK SWAYZE CHRISTMAS
(Lyrics by Michael J. Nelson)
Open up your heart and let the Patrick Swayze Christmas in.
We'll gather at the Roadhouse with our next of kin.
And Santa can be our regular Saturday night thing.
We'll decorate our barstools and gather round and sing.
Oh, let's have a Patrick Swayze Christmas this year!
Or we'll tear your throat out and kick you in the ear!
It's my way or the highway, this Christmas at my ba-ha-haar.
I'll have to smash your kneecaps if you bastards touch my car!
I got the word that Santa has been stealing from the till.
I think that that right jolly old elf better make out his will, ohh,
Oh, let's have a Patrick Swayze Christmas, one and all.
And this can be the haziest...
This can be the laziest...
This can be the Swayziest
Christmas of them aaallllllllll!
On behalf of everyone at High-Def Digest - I want to thank everyone for dropping by, reading our reviews and news, and occasionally sharing your thoughts with us. It's been a crazy year what with insurrections, pandemics, vaccines, third, fourth, and fifth waves, Squid Game, varients, and HBO Max. It's been a heck of a year and insanely stressful times for all of us. I hope you found the humor in this little piece and had a good time with it - maybe even cracked a smile or had a nice laugh or two. With all the love we can muster, we want everyone to have a safe and festive holiday and an equally safe New Year. Hopefully, 2022 not only brings some sense of "normal" to the world but also some kickass new movies to see in the theater along with some long-awaited fan-favorite titles on Blu-ray and/or 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray... looking at you The Abyss.
Be good out there - and thanks again!
The Christmas holiday is THIS Saturday and the first day of Winter for the Northern Hemisphere is Tuesday, it certainly doesn't mean nothing is going on in the world of movie releases. We do expect this week and next to be slow weeks for new title announcements, so episodes 32 and 33 will likely have very little content.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 31 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
The release that gets the most attention this week is Daniel Craig's last film as Agent 007, this one is titled No Time To Die. Available in several options, the Standard Edition, the Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, and the Limited Edition Giftset. Unless you got your orders in early, you will likely be getting the standard edition, or seeking the third party market. Will the rest of the catalog get a 4K upgrade, knowing that Amazon now owns the MGM library? I hope so, but have my doubts. Walmart had an early release for this movie, Friday December 17th.
And from Warner Bros, The Many Saints of Newark, a movie based on The Sopranos universe.
Blu-ray releases-
Moving on to blu-ray releases, a bit slower than last week, but still a few to pick from. Getting to the HD counterparts first, both No Time to Die and The Many Saints of Newark get blu-ray releases. I hope retailers and studios read this, No Time to Die also get Target Exclusive and Walmart Exclusive releases, with what I consider much better cover art, but as a 4K consumer, I feel slightly dissed by this decision to not make them 4K exclusives.
From Universal Pictures, the 2021 drama Blue Bayou.
From Sony, the TV series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness - Season One gets a blu-ray release.
When was the last time you remembered a week without a LionsGate action release? This week look for Fortress, a film that has Bruce Willis opposite of Chad Michael Murray.
Arrow video might be releasing Giallo Essentials (Yellow Edition) this week, but again, supply chain issues are plaguing them especially hard, don't be surprised to see this in a few weeks.
Weekly anime highlights this week include A3! Season Spring & Summer, Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, High School of the Dead: Complete Collection [SteelBook], Princess Tutu: Complete Collection [SteelBook] and Project A-Ko.
The Shout! Collector's Edition label brings us The Vampire Lovers.
Honorable Mention: The Film Detective is releasing a handsome looking set titled The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection. It covers multiple Sherlock Holmes movies from the 1930s.
Notable announcements from last week:
If you have been following the release calendar, you will notice we have decided to move Hotel Transylvania: Transformania to the 'postponed' category. The studio never officially announced this title, it was Amazon that had it listed for 12/21. I would expect a January 11th or 18th release myself.
I was looking forward to enjoying Jack Frost 2 on blu-ray from MVD in time for Christmas, but that title has been delayed yet again, this time to January 11th. It's not really a Christmas movie, but I've always associated it in the same category as Silent Night, Deadly Night. Jack Frost is also slated for the same day (previously released by Vinegar Syndrome.)
Disney's Encanto has gets a street date of February 8th and comes with the usual slew of skus. A blu-ray edition, 4K Standard, Best Buy Exclusive 4K SteelBook and the Target Exclusive 4K Edition.
The Criterion Collection has announced their March titles, which include a couple of 4K releases. The titles are Adoption, The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Last Waltz (both blu-ray and 4K/blu-ray combo editions), Le Cercle Rouge - 4K/Blu-ray Combo and Love Jones.
Shout Factory will be releasing The Sword and the Sorcerer on 4K/blu-ray combo on March 15th. If I am not mistaken this was stuck on an Anchor Bay DVD, it never made it to blu-ray. Also coming in 2022, they have secured the rights to release The Core as part of their Shout Select line.
Arrow Video has revealed their March 2022 titles. The titles are An American Werewolf in London - Limited Edition 4K, Come Drink With Me, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - 4K, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - 4K [Zavvi Exclusive SteelBook], RoboCop - Limited Edition 4K, RoboCop - 4K [Limited Edition SteelBook] and To Sleep So As To Dream.
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?
Marvel's latest new addition to the MCU from Oscar-winner Chloeì Zhao arrives on digital January 12th with Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases dropping on February 15th, 2022.
Standing as the lowest-rated MCU film to date, Chloeì Zhao's sprawling action science-fiction epic The Eternals extends the scope of the MCU with a new cast of powerful characters. Starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie - the film might have worked better as a Disney+ series than a feature film with so many new characters scrambling to get enough relevant screentime. I personally enjoyed it even though there were some very long and slow parts that probably could have been trimmed out and not be missed in the least.
Fans of the film will get three purchasing options, a standard SDR Blu-ray, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and of course Best Buy will be dropping their own exclusive 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook.
In keeping with Disney's tradition for their physical releases, we expect the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray to only offer HDR10 where the streaming release will have Dolby Vision HDR. The 4K will come with Atmos - hopefully it's a powerful mix and not neutered. The standard Blu-ray will sport a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track.
Read the full press release below for all of the details:
“THIS IS MARVEL STUDIOS AT ITS MAGNIFICENT BEST”
– Josh Wilding, Comic Book Movie
Introducing an Exciting All-New Team of Super Heroes
to the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel Studios’ Eternals Defends Humanity on Digital January 12
and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD February 15
LOS ANGELES, CA (December 16, 2021) – Marvel Studios’ Eternals debuts on all major digital platforms January 12 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on February 15. Marvel fans can enjoy never-before-seen bonus material including four deleted scenes and a gag reel.
Film Synopsis
Marvel Studios’ Eternals follows a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again.
The outstanding ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie.
Bonus Features*
*bonus features vary by product and retailer
Cast
Gemma Chan as Sersi
Richard Madden as Ikaris
Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
Lia McHugh as Sprite
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
Barry Keoghan as Druig
Don Lee as Gilgamesh
Kit Harington as Dane Whitman
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Angelina Jolie as Thena
Directed by
Chloeì Zhao
Produced by
Kevin Feige, p.g.a.
Nate Moore, p.g.a.
Executive Producers
Louis D’Esposito
Victoria Alonso
Kevin de la Noy
Screenplay by
Chloé Zhao
and Chloé Zhao
& Patrick Burleigh
and Ryan Firpo
& Kaz Firpo
Screen Story by
Ryan Firpo
& Matthew K. Firpo
Music by
Ramin Djawadi
Product Specifications
Street Date
Digital: January 12
Physical: February 15
Product SKUs
Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD
Physical: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + Digital Code) & DVD
Feature Run Time
Approx. 157 minutes
Rating
U.S. Rated PG-13
Bonus material not rated
Aspect Ratio
Digital: 2.39
Physical: 2.39:1
U.S. Audio
4K Ultra HD: English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA and 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD: English Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio Language Tracks
Digital: English Dolby Atmos (UHD only, some platforms), English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital (some platforms)
U.S. Subtitles
4K Ultra HD: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
DVD: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Digital: English SDH, Spanish, French (some platforms)
