In the USA, there is a major holiday this week, which is pretty much why there are fewer releases, both in the 4K category and the blu-ray category. What are some of your favorite films or TV shows with July 4th / Independence Day in them? Uncle Sam and Independence Day are some obvious ones. Stranger Things 3 also revolved around this holiday.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 5 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of July 2nd - July 8th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
There are no new release titles and no notable imports this week.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Jaws 2 debuts to 4K disc with a standard edition and a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook.
Paramount Pictures delivers The Truman Show, perhaps one of Jim Carrey's better known films besides Ace Ventura or The Mask.
Shout Factory upgrades another Universal Pictures film to 4K, this one coincidentally is titled, Upgrade.
In the double-dip category, Paramount offers two existing films, but as collectible SteelBooks, Mission: Impossible - III and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.
Next week, a semi-normal week, with two major titles, Sisu and Scream 6, plus another Criterion 4K, and several other upgrades too!
There are to blu-ray counterparts of the above titles this week. Actually, this entire category is nearly devoid of any activity.
On a busier week we might pass right over this one, but it has Dolph Lundgren in it and we have the space. An action movie titled Come Out Fighting from Screen Media.
Anime highlights include The Executioner and Her Way of Life Complete Collection, One Piece: Season Thirteen - Voyage One and Re:Cycle of the Penguindrum Movie Collection.
Crime/Drama from Arrow Video titled Fighting Back.
There is one added bonus this week. June's slate of Imprint Films releases is available on Amazon this Friday, here's what to look for:
With the Independence Day holiday this week in the US, last week's announcements were a bit slow. (Thus two UK companies with the biggest news)
Arrow Video has revealed their September releases. For the US and Canada, look for Borsalino, Carlito's Way 4K, The Prodigal Son and Ringu 4K. If you don't mind importing 4K titles (or getting them from Diabolik), Blood and Black Lace gets a 4K, and a bit of a surprise, The Psycho Collection (1960-1990) gets a 4K set as well. I personally doubt that Universal will be doing 4K discs if the 3 sequels of Psycho, so this might be the set to get.
Second Sight UK also has a couple of surprises for August, Crimes of the Future as a 4K Special Edition, and It Follows, as a 4K Special Edition too. We have also linked a standard edition release of the latter because there is no 4K disc option in the US.
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?
Peacock's hit mystery series from Rian Johnson with a 99% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and starring Natasha Lyonne is headed for a Blu-ray-on-demand release on September 12.
The star-studded mystery, directed by Rian Johnson (Knives Out), follows four-time Emmy® Nominee Natasha Lyonne’s "Charlie," who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.
POKER FACE: SEASON ONE features amazing guest performances from Academy Award® nominee Hong Chau (The Whale), Primetime Emmy® Award nominee Tim Meadows (“Saturday Night Live”), Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist), four-time Primetime Emmy® Award nominee Judith Light (“Transparent”), Academy Award® nominee Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don’t Cry), three-time Academy Award® nominee Nick Nolte (Warrior), three-time Primetime Emmy® Award nominee Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Create Together), two-time Primetime Emmy® Award nominee Ron Perlman (Beauty and the Beast), Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry), and Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) and more.
Poker Face: Season 1 - Blu-ray
The 3-Disc Blu-ray set will include DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks and there doesn't appear to be any supplements. Here is the full press release:
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This week offers a mixed bag of titles, which might be just what the doctor ordered. Fun fact, the sound of a fly has been used in all of the Evil Dead films, Evil Dead Rise actually opens with that sound.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 4 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of June 25th - July 1st, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Too late for press time last week, Turbine Media Group releases three 4K media books for The Deep House. Still, check it out. They have other 4K titles in the works as well, Black Phone and Renfield among others. Why Universal isn't doing them, I couldn't really say.
The new release this week is Evil Dead Rise from Warner Bros. There have been mixed reviews with this one. And if you want the shiny SteelBook, the USA has been snubbed again, seek overseas markets. There is a European SteelBook coming July 17th, as well as other editions elsewhere.
Catalog releases next. Got to thinking, what a missed opportunity. Waiting until this week to get Creepshow, especially when there is an episode titled "Father's Day." All he ever wanted was his cake! The episode I remember most is the one with the cockroaches, but I was rather young when I had seen this film. A little more comedy to the horror mix, also look for Motel Hell.
When you think of classic Chevy Chase, no doubt you think of National Lampoon's Vacation (or the sequels). This one is available as a standard edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. The US market was snubbed (again) for the Ultimate Collector's Edition, which releases on Import Monday.
From Arrow Video, Kevin Smith's Mallrats. Next, even though Universal recently did their release, Arrow Video's 'fat pack' edition of Waterworld is available this week as well. A higher bit rate and a different mix of special features.
Powerhouse Films' Indicator Series has Cold Eyes of Fear this week.
SteelBooks of the first two films of the franchise, Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible - II are available this week.
Standard Editions for Daughters of Darkness and Dead & Buried close out the category.
Next week a Jaws sequel, an 'Upgrade,' Truman Show, and more MI steels.
And like the 4K category, just past press time for last week's shopping guide, Turbine Media Group announced several media books for the film Harry and the Hendersons.
Blu-ray counterparts for the above category, one new release, one catalog release. Look for Evil Dead Rise from Warner Bros and Cold Eyes of Fear (Limited Edition) from Powerhouse Films.
Warner Archive has been focusing most of their releases to street on the same week each given month, their June slate this week includes Angel Face, Caged!, Dangerous When Wet, The Damned Don't Cry and The Old Man and the Sea. Land of the Pharaohs got moved to July 18th.
New bio/drama from Sony Pictures titled Big George Foreman. This man has touched several generations and the story itself sounds well worth a look.
TV on disc has just one title this week, Tales of the Walking Dead: The Complete First Season.
More Sandpiper Pictures releases with The Barefoot Contessa and The Secret of Santa Vittoria.
Anime highlights are not so high this week, look for just Skeleton Knight in Another World: The Complete Season in this category. Yes, there are other fine anime releases, but they do not fit the right criteria for this guide.
If you're not a Disney Movie Club Member and was forced to wait, Mickey & Friends: 10 Classic Shorts - Volume 2 is now available to general release.
Just a single sku from Criterion this week, but it is a collection of Italian films on 9-discs, Pasolini 101.
Let's talk special interest. With a drought of 3D discs, no doubt you might want to consider Prison Girls 3D from Kino Lorber.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released to 4K and blu-ray discs on August 1.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is coming to 4K disc on September 26.
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?
In case you have missed some of our recent disc announcements and additions to our release calendar, here are some of the highlights of the week.
Up first, Disney and Marvel Studios are preparing to release James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on August 1. In the meantime while we wait for those to hit stores, you can read our theatrical review here, and check out the trailer below:
Warner Brothers has announced a 50th anniversary edition of Enter the Dragon starring Bruce Lee on 4K UHD Blu-ray hitting stores on August 8. Likewise, Sony has also unveiled a 25th anniversary edition of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer for 4K UHD as well. That one will be available on September 28. Sorry Hookman, but you are no match for a dragon.
Paramount is getting ready to send a farewell to Star Trek: Picard - The Final Season on Blu-ray on September 5. The last season will also be available in a SteelBook as well as a collection of all three seasons will arrive on Blu-ray on the same day. Not only that though, it looks like ultimate fans of Jean-Luc Picard may want to hold off until October for Star Trek: Picard - The Legacy Collection - a limited, numbered set that will include Star Trek: The Next Generation's Complete Series, the four TNG films, and Star Trek: Picard Complete Series, PLUS loads of swag! Check out this spread:
And finally for our cult film enthusiasts, it's worth noting that a bunch of titles have been added to our release calendar. Mondo Macabro will be issuing standard Blu-ray releases for four titles - The Fear, Unquite Death / The Broken Mirror, Ravishing Dany / The Girl Can't Stop, and The Night of the Executioner on August 8. Severin is also set to release two films by Jess Franco - The Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle a.k.a. Emmanuelle Exposed and The Sexual Story of O, as well as Juan Piquer Simón's Journey to the Center of the Earth a.k.a. Where Time Began all on Blu-ray on August 29.
Has it really been 25 years since the vengeful hit-and-run victim continued their killing spree? Apparently it has, and to celebrate Sony is bringing I Still Know What You Did Last Summer to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and an all-new director's commentary featuring Danny Cannon on September 26.
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Brandy, and Mekhi Phifer star in the screamer sequel to the blood-chilling box office hit, I Know What You Did Last Summer. Remember Ben Willis? He's the fisherman who killed the boy who was driving the car when it went off the road in the fatal accident that killed his daughter Sara... he's the man in the slicker with a hook in his hand ready to exact bloody justice... well, he's back. It's hard to forget a man who refuses to die.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital Combo Pack will include a new transfer in Dolby Vision approved by director Danny Cannon, an all-new Dolby Atmos, and a newly recorded director's commentary as well as the previously released features.
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS
4K ULTRA HD DISC
BLU-RAY DISC
Theatrical Trailer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer will be available on 4K UHD Blu-ray on September 26. Check out the full press release:
THE THRILLING SEQUEL DEBUTS ON 4K ULTRA HD™ IN CELEBRATION OF ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 26TH WITH AN ALL-NEW DIRECTOR COMMENTARY
SYNOPSIS
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Brandy, and Mekhi Phifer star in the screamer sequel to the blood-chilling box office hit, I Know What You Did Last Summer. Remember Ben Willis? He's the fisherman who killed the boy who was driving the car when it went off the road in the fatal accident that killed his daughter Sara... he's the man in the slicker with a hook in his hand ready to exact bloody justice... well, he's back. It's hard to forget a man who refuses to die.
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS
4K ULTRA HD DISC
• Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Danny Cannon
• All-new Dolby Atmos audio + 5.1
• Special Features:
o NEW: Commentary with Director Danny Cannon
o He Still Knows What You Did: An Interview with Muse Watson
BLU-RAY DISC
• Feature presented in high definition
• 5.1 audio
• Special Features:
o Making-of Featurette
o Music Video: “How Do I Deal” Performed by Jennifer Love Hewitt
o Theatrical Trailer
CAST AND CREW
Directed By: Danny Cannon
Produced by: Neal H. Moritz, Erik Feig, Stokely Chaffin, William S. Beasley
Written By: Trey Callaway
Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Brandy, Mekhi Phifer, Muse Watson, Bill Cobbs, Matthew Settle
SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 100 Mins.
Rating: R for intense terror violence and gore, strong language and some drug use
4K UHD Feature Picture: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 2.39:1
4K UHD Feature Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible) | English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Blu-ray™: 1080p High Definition / 1.85:1 • Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Mastered in High Definition • Color • Some of the information in the above listing may not apply to Special Features.
DVD: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Color • Some of the information in the above listing may not apply to Special Features.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Twitter: @SonyPicsHomeEnt
Instagram: @SonyPicturesHomeEntertainment
Facebook: facebook.com/SonyPicturesHomeEntertainment
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sonypictures
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
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James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy comes to an epic finale on home video when it arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on August 1. The film arrives at digital retailers on July 7.
Read our review for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 here.
In Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits is looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from a terrible loss, must rally his team and embark on a dicey, action-packed mission to defend the universe and protect Rocket. Meanwhile, a new, unpredictable force threatens to bring the Guardians down for good. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is written and directed by James Gunn.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Blu-ray
The 4K UHD Blu-ray will include a Dolby Atmos soundtrack while the Blu-ray will have a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack.
Here are the bonus features:
Featurettes:
The Imperfect, Perfect Family - View the evolution of the Guardians through the cast and crew’s passion for each other and the entire franchise. Join this tight knit “found family” as they leave behind a legacy and recount their best memories wrapping up this epic trilogy’s final film.
Creating Rocket Raccoon - Director James Gunn talks about bringing Rocket to life and how personal the character is to him. Uncover BTS footage, the research and development of the visual effects process, and the inspiration for Rocket through conversations with cast and crew.
Deleted Scenes:
A Bit Much - Adam Warlock explains to Ayesha what he plans to do with the Guardians.
A Lending Hand - Peter lends a hand to an injured humanimal on Counter-Earth and shows he means no harm.
Drax's Analogies and Metaphors - Drax gives Peter some interesting life analogies and metaphors.
The Perfect Society - The High Evolutionary reveals his mission to perfect the universe.
The Search for 89P13 - Behemoth brings not-so-good news to The High Evolutionary.
Annoyed Peter - Peter gets annoyed while altering the shield.
A Burning Escape - Peter runs back to grab his music player before escaping a blazing inferno on the Arête.
Knowhere After the Battle - The High Evolutionary is brought back to Knowhere and locked up while Kraglin recruits Adam Warlock.
Audio Commentary - Watch the film with audio commentary by director James Gunn.
Gag Reel - Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Pre-orders aren't available quite yet for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, nor have we seen any retailer-exclusives pop up yet, but they should be coming shortly. Here is the full press release:
“A BRILLIANT END TO A BRILLIANT TRILOGY”
– Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Get ready for one last ride with the galaxy’s most beloved band of unlikely heroes! Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
is available to buy only at Digital retailers on July 7 and arrives
on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on August 1.
BURBANK, CA (June 22, 2023) – The galaxy's favorite band of misfits are back for one final adventure, and it may be their most dangerous yet. James Gunn’s epic conclusion to the Guardians trilogy is “full of heart, humor, and action” (Ross Bonaime, Collider) and “an absolute must-see” (Molly Freeman, Screen Rant). Raising the stakes to new levels, the team must protect one of their own from a mysterious new villain in a thrilling adventure full of the spectacle, humor and heart that fans have come to expect. And of course, an awesome soundtrack! Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives at Digital retailers on July 7 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on August 1. Fans can add the film to their collection and access exclusive bonus content including deleted scenes, a gag reel and audio commentary by James Gunn.
Film Synopsis
In Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits is looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from a terrible loss, must rally his team and embark on a dicey, action-packed mission to defend the universe and protect Rocket. Meanwhile, a new, unpredictable force threatens to bring the Guardians down for good. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is written and directed by James Gunn.
Bonus Features*
FEATURETTES
DELETED SCENES
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GAG REEL
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
Cast
Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/ Star-Lord
Zoë Saldaña as Gamora
Dave Bautista as Drax
Karen Gillan as Nebula
Pom Klementieff as Mantis
Vin Diesel as Groot
Bradley Cooper as Rocket
Sean Gunn as Kraglin
Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary
Will Poulter as Adam Warlock
Maria Bakalova as Cosmo
Linda Cardellini as Lylla
Nathan Fillion as Master Karja
Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord
Directed by
James Gunn
Produced by
Kevin Feige, p.g.a.
Executive Producers
Louis D’Esposito
Victoria Alonso
Nikolas Korda
Sara Smith
Simon Hatt
Screenplay by
James Gunn
Product Specifications
U.S. and Canada Street Date
Digital: July 7, 2023
Physical: August 1, 2023
Product SKUs
Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD
Physical: Cinematic Universe Edition (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + Digital Code) & DVD
Feature Run Time
Approx. 149 minutes
Rating
U.S.: Rated PG-13
Canada: Rated PG
Aspect Ratio
Digital: Dynamic (1.85:1 and 2.35:1)
Physical: Dynamic (1.85:1 and 2.35:1)
U.S. Audio
4K: English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 Dolby Digital 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 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD: English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 2.0 Dolby Digital 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)
Canada Audio
4K: English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 Dolby Digital 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 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD: English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 2.0 Dolby Digital 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: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
DVD: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Digital: English SDH, French, Spanish (some platforms)
Canada Subtitles
4K: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
DVD: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Digital: English SDH, French, Spanish (some platforms)
Bruce Lee's martial arts masterpiece and final completed film Enter the Dragon directed by Robert Clouse will be getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on August 8.
Bruce Lee explodes onto the screen in the film that rocketed him to international superstardom, Enter The Dragon. Lee plays a martial arts expert determined to take down the ruthless gang leader, Han, who was responsible for the death of his sister. Recruited by an intelligence agency, he poses a student and attends a tournament at a remote island fortress. His goal is to gather evidence that will prove Han’s involvement with drug trafficking and prostitution. With one man focused on crime and the other bent on revenge, the two engage in the now-classic fight-to-the-death finish. They both enter a mirrored maze and deadly battle. Only one will exit.
Enter the Dragon - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The United States Library of Congress preserved Enter the Dragon in The National Film Registry in 2004 as a "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" film. Also, Bruce Lee was selected as one of Time Magazine's "100 most influential people of the century" in 1999.
This release includes the Theatrical Version of the film as well as the Special Edition which includes three additional minutes of footage - both in 4K HDR on separate discs. Digital copies are also included. The following previously released features are included:
Suggested retail price is only $24.99 so order your copy today and here is the full press release:
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Burbank, Calif., June 20, 2023 – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, the iconic martial arts film Enter the Dragon will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital this August.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1973 release, on August 8 Enter the Dragon will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. Enter the Dragon is considered one of the most influential action films of all time and is credited with bringing interest in the Asian martial arts genre to mainstream Western cinema.
The Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc includes both the theatrical version of the film and the Special Edition of the film which features three additional minutes of footage.
Directed by Robert Clouse, Enter the Dragon stars Bruce Lee in his final completed film role. Lee is widely regarded as one of the most influential martial artists of all time and was a pop culture icon of the 20th century. In addition to Lee, the film also stars John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kein, and introduces Jim Kelly. It was written by Michael Allin and produced by Fred Weintraub, Paul Heller, and Raymond Chow with a score by honorary Academy Award recipient Lalo Schifrin.
In 2004, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In 1999, Bruce Lee was listed in Time magazine’s “100 most influential people of the century.”
Enter the Dragon will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc for $24.99 ERP and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version of the feature film in 4K with HDR, the Special Edition version of the film in 4K with HDR, and a Digital download of both versions of the film. Fans can also own Enter the Dragon in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on August 8.
About the Film
Bruce Lee explodes onto the screen in the film that rocketed him to international superstardom, Enter The Dragon. Lee plays a martial arts expert determined to take down the ruthless gang leader, Han, who was responsible for the death of his sister. Recruited by an intelligence agency, he poses a student and attends a tournament at a remote island fortress. His goal is to gather evidence that will prove Han’s involvement with drug trafficking and prostitution. With one man focused on crime and the other bent on revenge, the two engage in the now-classic fight-to-the-death finish. They both enter a mirrored maze and deadly battle. Only one will exit.
Enter the Dragon Ultra HD Blu-ray disc and Digital the following previously released special features:
BASICS
PRODUCT ERP
Enter the Dragon Ultra HD $24.99
Enter the Dragon Theatrical Version
Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
Theatrical Version Run Time: 99 minutes
Rating: R for martial arts violence and brief nudity
Physical Street Date: 8/8/23
Digital Street Date: 8/8/23
Enter the Dragon Special Edition
Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Mandarin-PRC, Spanish, French
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
Run Time: 102 minutes
Rating: R for martial arts violence and brief nudity
Physical Street Date: 8/8/23
Digital Street Date: 8/8/23
Choose Your Avatar! At least that is what people in targeted campaigns on Facebook have been seeing. When I see it, I yell the 4K BD100 with Dolby Vision, but it's probably the answer they are looking for. If you are a 4K buyer, this week Avatar is gonna cost you around $70, if you are a little more hardcore collector of physical media, more like $200. Yes, there are a few other good catalog titles to ponder as well. Until the discs are in my hand though, Avatar is still just a mirage to me. I have seen pictures of The Way of Water in store backrooms already and my 3D copy has shipped, but not quite yet on the 4K SteelBook though.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 3 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of June 18th - June 24th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Which 4K discs are you getting this week and which SKUS of the Avatar films are they?
The original Avatar (2009) is up as a first time to 4K disc. Hard to believe it goes way back to 2009.
Avatar: The Way of Water is probably the reason we get the original film to 4K. The Way of Water is available as a standard edition, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook edition, a Target Exclusive, and last but not least, a Walmart Exclusive. See the Blu-ray category for a pleasant surprise, a 3D edition as well.
On to other films now, Paramount brings us Tom Cruise day with both a great classic The Firm, and well-known fantasy film, Vanilla Sky. Hard to resist not buying both.
Keeping with releasing films in pairs, Kino Lorber brings us The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and Ronin. Makes me wonder if The Manchurian Candidate (2004) will follow as Paramount has done the remakes on two other films so far where Kino Lorber did the original ones.
Next week, a National Lampoon classic, Creepshow gets the 4K upgrade, Mallrats, Waterworld by Arrow Video and more.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above titles, Avatar: The Way of Water from 20th Century Studios, with what I consider a better cover art than the 4K version, and Ronin gets a Kino Lorber edition as well.
Avatar: The Way of Water also gets a 3D blu-ray edition.
Super slow week for anime, look for Aoashi - Season 1 Part 2 and Haikyu!! To The Top (Season 4) Premium Box Set.
New Guy Ritchie action/thriller The Covenant comes to us via Warner Bros. No 4K in the states on this one.
Catalog releases from MGM, Best Seller, City of Ghosts (2002), Diary of a Hitman, Golden Gate and Stormy Monday.
Another short-notice release from Universal, the 2023 action/comedy Polite Society. (Most likely a not available at Walmart release, again. Not sure what determines if a new Uni release will be available there).
Pair of Criterion Collection releases Medicine for Melancholy, a "lo-fi" drama/romance, and The Servant, a film of the drama category.
TV on disc this week includes just Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 16. I would certainly buy seasons 1-15 if they offered it!
Arrow Video has Japanese action/thriller The Game Trilogy.
Honorable Mention (?) - Dinosaurs are always hot, this week Well Go USA has I Am T-Rex. It looks worth a gander in my book.
Warner Archive's next batch, Cowboys & Aliens 4K as well as Kill Bill 4K and Kill Bill 2 4K, check out the news story here.
Roman Holiday is getting a 4K release on August 15th. Hustle & Flow is getting a 'Paramount Presents' 4K release on August 29th. How about a 'Paramount Presents' 4K of Roman Holiday? Feel like Days of Thunder again!
Criterion Collection's September slate includes FOUR 4K titles, including The Princess Bride! That leaves the 4K restoration of La Bamba available as a blu-ray only, but hey even so, I might have to buy every title in September. Goodbye wallet, it's been nice knowing you.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
The Criterion Collection's September release slate includes 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray upgrades of Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride and Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout, Luis Valdez's La Bamba on Blu-ray, and Orson Welles' The Trial and Brett Morgen's Moonage Daydream - both on Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray.
Nicholas Roeg's 1971 adventure-drama Walkabout set in the Australian outback will arrive on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on September 12.
Walkabout - Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
A young sister and brother are abandoned in the harsh Australian outback and must learn to cope in the natural world, without their usual comforts, in this hypnotic masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg. Along the way, they meet an Aboriginal youth on his walkabout, a rite of passage in which adolescent boys are initiated into manhood by journeying into the wilderness alone. Walkabout is a thrilling adventure as well as a provocative rumination on time and civilization.
Hitting both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on September 18 is Orson Welles' 1962 classic The Trial starring Anthony Perkins.
The Trial - Criterion Collection - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
A feverishly inspired take on Franz Kafka’s novel, Orson Welles’s The Trial casts Anthony Perkins as the bewildered office drone Josef K., whose arrest for an unspecified crime plunges him into a menacing bureaucratic labyrinth of guilt, corruption, and paranoia. Exiled from Hollywood and creatively unchained, Welles poured his ire at the studio system, McCarthyism, and all forms of totalitarian oppression into this cinematic statement—one of his boldest and most personal, and the film that he himself considered his greatest. Dizzying camera angles, expressionistic lighting, increasingly surreal locations—Welles unleashed the full force of his visual brilliance to convey the nightmarish disorientation of a world gone mad.
The only Blu-ray-only release of the bunch this month is the Ritchie Valens biopic starring Lou Diamond Phillips, La Bamba, arriving September 25.
La Bamba - Criterion Collection
The brief but incandescent life of rock-and-roll trailblazer Ritchie Valens is immortalized in this enthralling biopic from another Mexican American icon, Luis Valdez, the father of Chicano cinema. With sweetness and swagger, Lou Diamond Phillips embodies the 1950s California teenager who, forged by his fiercely supportive mother (Rosanna DeSoto) and rebellious brother (Esai Morales), rises from his farm-working roots to chart-topping fame in the early days of rock—until one fateful night that haunts music history. Propelled by a hip-shaking soundtrack featuring Los Lobos and Carlos Santana, La Bamba captures the electric vitality of an artist who bridged cultures to create his own American dream.
Also on September 25, Rob Reiner's classic fantasy film The Princess Bride will be getting an upgrade to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.
The Princess Bride - Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
A high-spirited adventure that pits true love against inconceivable odds, The Princess Bride has charmed legions of fans with its irreverent gags, eccentric ensemble, and dazzling swordplay. A kid (Fred Savage), home sick from school, grudgingly allows his grandfather (Peter Falk) to read him a dusty storybook—which is how we meet the innocent Buttercup (Robin Wright, in her breakout role), about to marry the nefarious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) though her heart belongs to Westley (Cary Elwes). The wedding plans are interrupted, however, by a mysterious pirate, a vengeful Spaniard, and a good-natured giant, in a tale full of swashbuckling, romance, and outrageously hilarious spoofery. Directed by Rob Reiner from an endlessly quotable script by William Goldman, The Princess Bride reigns as a fairy-tale classic.
And finally, arriving on both formats September 25 (Blu-ray here) is Brett Morgen's music documentary Moonage Daydream - on the legendary David Bowie.
Moonage Daydream - Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
An ecstatic voyage through the creative and spiritual universe of David Bowie, Moonage Daydream is a fittingly unclassifiable tribute to the shape-shifting rock iconoclast and his singular sound and vision. Exploding the conventions of the music documentary, director Brett Morgen remixes dazzling, never-before-seen footage of the artist throughout his career, reveling in his otherworldly presence while revealing the restless philosophical inquiry that guided his myriad metamorphoses. Graced with soulful narration by Bowie, this immersive audiovisual head rush transmits the essence of a phenomenon that cannot be explained—only experienced.
Sam Peckinpah's 1977 World War II classic Cross of Iron starring James Coburn, James Mason, and David Warner has received a new 4K restoration with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook, Blu-ray, and DVD available on July 31.
Based on the novel by Willi Heinrich, Sam Peckinpah’s (THE WILD BUNCH) only war film is an intense and uncompromising affair that brilliantly reflects both the futility of conflict and the director’s fascination with individuals confronted by events beyond their control.
A World War II tale told from the German perspective, CROSS OF IRON follows a platoon of German soldiers in Russia when the German Wehrmacht forces had been decimated and the Germans were retreating along the Russian front. Rolf Steiner (James Coburn) is a German corporal and recipient of the Iron Cross who has grown disenchanted with Hitler’s war machine. When Captain Stransky (Maximilian Schell) assumes charge, the pair are thrown into immediate conflict, the autocratic but ultimately cowardly Stransky coveting the loyalty and honour Steiner commands.
Evocatively shot by John Coquillon (BILLY THE KID) in sombre tones, the superlative lead performances are matched by David Warner and James Mason as war-weary senior officers. Viewed as one of Peckinpah’s most powerful works, it’s an unflinching vision of the Second World War.
Cross of Iron has been described by Orson Welles as "one of the greatest anti-war films ever made" and co-stars Maximilian Schell and Senta Berger. Studiocanal has given the 1977 classic based on the book by Will Heinrich a new 4K restoration and will also be available on DVD and digital on the same date.
Cross of Iron (Studiocanal) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]
![Cross of Iron (Studiocanal) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]](https://cdn2.highdefdigest.com/media/2023/06/14/660/119050/cross-of-iron-studiocanal-vintage-classics-4kuhd-steelbook.png)
4K UHD Steelbook, Blu-Ray & DVD Extras
133 mins approx (UHD / Blu-Ray) / 128 mins approx (DVD)
English Language/ Cert: 18 / Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired
Now up for pre-order - no word on audio or HDR grade (if any) yet but we've made inquiries and we'll update as soon as we know more.
