Recent News

The latest news on all things 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Gear.
Lionsgate Drops New Walmart Blu-ray SteelBooks for Kickboxer, Little Monsters, and Shivers March 5th

Three previously released Blu-rays: Kickboxer, Little Monsters, and Shivers - will be available as collectible Blu-ray SteelBooks on March 5. The three titles are exclusive to Walmart.

Accompanied by his brother Kurt (Van Damme), American kickboxing champion Eric Sloane (Dennis Alexio) arrives in Thailand to defeat the Eastern warriors at their own sport. His opponent: ruthless fighter and Thai champion Tong Po. Tong not only defeats Eric, he paralyzes him for life. Crazed with anger, Kurt vows revenge. After a crash course in the ancient techniques of kickboxing from Thai master Xian Chow, Kurt challenges Tong. Their battle to the finish, born of lust, power, and revenge, will leave only one man standing.

Kickboxer - SteelBook
Kickboxer (SteelBook)
 


Little Monsters is the story of Brian, a sixth grader who’s recently moved to a new town and made friends with Maurice — the monster who lives under Brian’s bed! Maurice introduces Brian to the world of monsters, where junk food rules, adults aren’t allowed, and the fun and games never end. But when Brian’s brother is kidnapped, it’s time for Brian to get serious and fight the monsters on their turf in this zany cult favorite.

Little Monsters Vestron Video Collector's Series SteelBook
Little Monsters (Vestron Video Collector's Series) (SteelBook)
 

  • Audio Commentary with Jarret Gahan, Editor-In-Chief of cultofmonster.com
  • Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer David Newman
  • “Call Him Maurice” — An Interview with Actor Howie Mandel
  • “Beneath The Bed” — An Interview with Producer Andrew Licht
  • “Monsters Big & Small” — An Interview with Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short
  • Vintage Interviews with Actors Fred Savage, Ben Savage, Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short, and Director Richard Alan Greenberg
  • Behind-The-Scenes Footage
  • Vintage Footage: “Making Maurice” — Howie Mandel’s Makeup Transformation
  • Vintage EPK & VHS Promo
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Still Gallery

A cult favorite, Shivers is acclaimed filmmaker David Cronenberg’s (The Fly, Naked Lunch) controversial feature-length debut. When the residents of a luxury apartment complex outside Montreal are infiltrated by parasites and transformed into violent, sex-crazed maniacs, it’s up to Dr. Roger St. Luc to contain the outbreak from spreading to the city at large in a film that “scares and shocks us because it’s so cleverly made” (Roger Ebert).

Shivers - Vestron Video Collector's Series (SteelBook)
Shivers (Vestron Video Collector's Series) (SteelBook)
 

  • Audio Commentary with Writer-Director David Cronenberg
  • Audio Commentary with Co-Producer Don Carmody
  • “Mind Over Matter” — An Interview with Writer-Director David Cronenberg
  • “Good Night Nurse” — An Interview with Actress Lynn Lowry
  • “Outside and Within” — An Interview with Special Make-Up Effects Creator Joe Blasco
  • “Celebrating Cinépix” — An Interview with Greg Dunning • Archival 1998 David Cronenberg Interview
  • Still Gallery with Optional Archival Audio Interview with Executive Producer John Dunning
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • TV Spots
  • Radio Spots

Pre-orders for Kickboxer, Little Monsters, & Shiver are now live at Walmart.com - Happy Collecting

Paramount Plus' Lawmen: Bass Reeves Will Arrest Blu-ray on April 30

Paramount will be bringing the acclaimed limited series Lawmen: Bass Reeves starring Emmy Award nominee David Oyelowo to Blu-ray on April 30.

Revealing the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES follows the journey of Reeves (David Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as one of the first Black U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost of his beloved family.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
 

The 3-Disc Blu-ray set will include the following supplements:

  • A Breed Apart: Production Design with Wynn Thomas – Exclusive Interview (only available on Blu-ray & DVD)
  • Unbreakable: The Legend of Bass Reeves (only available on Blu-ray & DVD)
  • Behind the Story featurettes for all eight episodes
  • The Native American Nations
  • Behind the Battle of Pea Ridge
  • Building the World of LAWMEN: BASS REEVES
  • The Legend Behind the Badge
  • Meet The Characters:
    • Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo) 
    • Jennie Reeves (Lauren E. Banks) 
    • Sally Reeves (Demi Singleton) 
    • Billy Crow (Forrest Goodluck) 
    • Esau Pierce (Barry Pepper)      
    • George Reeves (Shea Whigham)      
    • Judge  Isaac Parker (Donald Sutherland)  
    • Sherrill Lynn (Dennis Quaid) 

Pre-orders for Lawmen: Bass Reeves are listed and here is the full press release:


Lawmen: Bass Reeves Arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on April 30

 

 

Experience the Action-Packed Original Limited Series Executive Produced by David Oyelowo, Chad Feehan and Taylor Sheridan

LOS ANGELES – February 12, 2024 – Paramount Home Entertainment today announced the hit series LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, executive produced by star David Oyelowo, series creator Chad Feehan (Ray Donovan) and Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone), arrives on April 30 on Blu-ray™and DVD. The original series about Bass Reeves (Oyelowo), the most legendary lawman in the Old West, was Paramount+’s most-watched global series premiere in 2023. LAWMEN: BASS REEVES will be released in a three-disc Blu-ray or DVD set that features all eight episodes and over two hours of bonus content, including all-new special features, a behind-the-scenes look at every episode and an exclusive interview with production designer, Wynn Thomas (Malcolm X, Hidden Figures, A Beautiful Mind). 

The phenomenal cast includes Emmy® Award nominee David Oyelowo (Silo, Selma), Lauren E. Banks (City on a Hill, Gaslit), Demi Singleton (King Richard, The Deliverance), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant, Cherry), Emmy® Award winner Barry Pepper (The Kennedys, 61), Grantham Coleman (Rustin, Bardo), Shea Whigham (Gaslit, Perry Mason), Oscar® recipient Donald Sutherland (Pride & Prejudice, Ad Astra) and Emmy® Award nominee3 Dennis Quaid (Goliath, The Special Relationship).

Created for television by executive producer, writer and showrunner Chad Feehan, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES also is executive produced by Oscar® nominee Taylor Sheridan, David Oyelowo, David C. Glasser, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin. The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution, outside of Paramount+ international markets.

SYNOPSIS

Revealing the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as one of the first Black U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost of his beloved family. 

SPECIAL FEATURES

  • A Breed Apart: Production Design with Wynn Thomas – Exclusive Interview (only available on Blu-ray & DVD)

  • Unbreakable: The Legend of Bass Reeves (only available on Blu-ray & DVD)

  • Behind the Story featurettes for all eight episodes

  • The Native American Nations

  • Behind the Battle of Pea Ridge

  • Building the World of LAWMEN: BASS REEVES

  • The Legend Behind the Badge

  • Meet The Characters

  • Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo) 

  • Jennie Reeves (Lauren E. Banks) 

  • Sally Reeves (Demi Singleton) 

  • Billy Crow (Forrest Goodluck) 

  • Esau Pierce (Barry Pepper)      

  • George Reeves (Shea Whigham)      

  • Judge  Isaac Parker (Donald Sutherland)  

  • Sherrill Lynn (Dennis Quaid) 

     

About Paramount Home Entertainment  

Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide.  The PHE division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television Studios, Paramount Players, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles.  PHE additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

LAWMEN: BASS REEVES

 

Street Date:

April 30, 2024 (Blu-ray™ and DVD) 

U.S. Rating:

Not Rated 

Canadian Rating:

14A – Violence, Language May Offend

Blu-ray™ Format:

Audio: English 5.1 Surround Dolby TrueHD

Subtitles: English SDH

DVD Format:

Audio: English 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital  

Subtitles: English SDH 

Run Time:

Approx. 6 Hours 

Yorgos Lanthimos' Oscar Nominated "Poor Things" Coming to Blu-ray March 12

Nominated for 11 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress for Emma Stone,

Yorgos Lanthimos' latest darkly comedic creation comes to Blu-ray on March 12th - a 4K Digital option on Feb 27th. 

 

In another frustrating and all-too-common occurrence for physical media collectors, the 4K release of Poor Things will be a digital-only release with only a 1080p option on disc. I guess considering a movie like Barbarian still doesn't have a disc release we should be somewhat grateful, but a film this visually exuberant demands the bigger better format. So it goes. 

Poor Things - Blu-ray

 


This one should be up for pre-order soon, but check out the press release below for all the gory details.

Happy Collecting! 


NOMINATED FOR 11 ACADEMY AWARDS®
INCLUDING BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR
& BEST ACTRESS EMMA STONE



Be The First To Watch At Home And Catch Up Before The Academy
Awards® When Searchlight Pictures’ Poor Things Arrives On Digital
February 27 And Blu-ray™ And DVD March 12

 
 
BURBANK, CA (February 12, 2024) – From acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, Searchlight Pictures’ award-winning Poor Things will be available from all major digital retailers including Prime Video, Apple TV and Vudu on February 27 and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD from March 12, with exclusive bonus content.

Winner of Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actress (Motion Picture Musical or Comedy) for Emma Stone at this year’s Golden Globe Awards®. It has been nominated for eleven Academy Awards® and eleven BAFTA Awards. Poor Things was also named one of the 10 best films of 2023 by both the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review. After taking the Lido by storm and winning the Golden Lion prize at Venice, the film continued to wow audiences also premiering at the Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and on the international circuit.

Described as “nonstop bonkers brilliance” (David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter) and featuring “a dazzling Emma Stone performance" (Radhika Seth, Vogue) this wildly imaginative and exhilarating film is Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes™ (92%) and is currently still delighting audiences in theatres across the country.

Film Synopsis
From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes this incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. Also starring Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael, “Poor Things” was written by Tony McNamara, based on the book by Alasdair Gray, and produced by Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone.

Bonus Features*
Featurettes
  • Possessing Beauty - The Making of Poor Things. Join Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, cast and crew in the making of this fantastical film. Explore the costumes, makeup and prosthetics in detail. Take a tour with Willem Dafoe and see how Godwin and Bella’s home mirrors and accommodates them both.
Deleted Things
  • Brothel Doctor
  • Alfie’s Chapter
  • Bella’s Notebook
* Bonus features vary by product and retailer

Cast
Emma Stone as Bella Baxter
Mark Ruffalo as Duncan Wedderburn
Willem Dafoe as Godwin Baxter
Ramy Youssef as Max McCandles
Christopher Abbot as Alfie Blessington
Suzy Bemba as Toinette
Jerrod Carmichael as Harry Astley
Kathryn Hunter as Swiney
Vicki Pepperdine as Mrs. Prim
Margaret Qualley as Felicity
Hanna Schygulla as Martha Von Kurtzroc
 
Directed by
Yorgos Lanthimos

Based Upon the novel by
Alasdair Gray
 
Screenplay by
Tony McNamara

Produced by
Ed Guiney p.g.a.
Andrew Lowe p.g.a.
Yorgos Lanthimos p.g.a.
Emma Stone p.g.a.

Product Specifications
Release Date
Digital: February 27
Physical: March 12
 
Product SKU
Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD
Physical: Blu-ray (Blu-ray + Digital Code) & DVD
 
Feature Run Time
Approx. 142 minutes
 
Rating
U.S. Rated R
* For strong and pervasive sexual content, graphic nudity, disturbing material, gore, and language.

Aspect Ratio
Digital: 1.66:1
Physical: 1.66:1
 
Disc Size
Blu-ray: 50GB
DVD: 8.5GB
 
U.S. Audio
Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA and 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio
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 & French Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital (some platforms)
 
U.S. Subtitles
Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish, French
DVD: English SDH, Spanish, French
Digital: English SDH, French, Spanish (some platforms)
The Ballad of the Empty Wallet - HDD's 4K UHD & Blu-ray Shopping Guide, Feb 11, 2024

 It's funny what a difference a single week makes. For 4K anyway, we go from a total drought to a well above average list. It's feast or famine I tell ya, and with the word Hunger in one of this week's releases, bring on the feast! This week could easily be a $500 week!

 Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 37 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of February 11th - February 17th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-

 Import Monday begins with a pair of titles. First from 101Films, look for Alligator. It comes in a fancy looking package and also includes a bonus blu-ray of Alligator II.

 And next from Arrow Video, a fat-pack release of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). Kino did an excellent domestic release, so if you're happy with that, probably no reason to import this. Note: Although a release date of the 12th, we had to update our link to Amazon US (with a 2/23 street date) because Amazon UK is showing sold out.

 If those didn't make your wallet tingle a bit, let's get ready to feel the burn with Domestic Tuesday releases.

 There are THREE new release titles this week. For movies, going with the higher rated one first (and probably better quality AV too... BD100/Dolby Vision), from LionsGate, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Available as a Standard Edition, an Amazon Exclusive Edition and a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook.

   

 

 And second, Disney/Marvel, 2023's The Marvels, which comes as a Standard Edition and a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook.

   

 

 Still in the new releases category, BBC Nature's Planet Earth III. This one still features David Attenborough behind the mic.

 

 It has been a short hop from there to here, Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 4 becomes available this week. Six more films from their film vault to tide us over a bit. Can we say Volume 5?

 

 We got Flashdance, we got Dirty Dancing, it's only inevitable we also get Footloose from Paramount. Also available as a SteelBook featuring an alternative cover art. Thanks, now I got Kenny Loggins stuck in my head.

   

 

 Universal has another batch of 4K upgrades to recent blu-ray releases. First, Harriet, based on the story of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. And second, Ticket to Paradise with George Clooney and Julia Roberts.

   

 

 Universal's final release of the week, (previously delayed from last year) Universal Classic Monsters: Limited Edition Collection. This one is limited to a quantity of 5500 and each one is individually numbered. I'm still trying to picture how this set will come, the photo shows a book and 8 loose discs.

 

 Shout! Factory brings us Willy's Wonderland, with what Bryan says is a great-looking video presentation. This one is also available as a general release (not Walmart exclusive) SteelBook.

   

 

 Friday import from Turbine Medien Group, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas gets a standard slipcover edition release.

 Next week's slate should be a bit gentler on our finances, a decent amount of releases, just not box sets. Get ready for Beverly Hills Cop III, Leviathan, Darkman, and a tad more!

 

Blu-ray releases-

 Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Marvels.

 The rest of the blu-ray category is a bit light this week.

 From LionsGate, Priscilla, an Elvis Presley story from the eyes of Priscilla Beaulieu.

 

 Criterion Collection this week has Eric Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons.

 Fear Is the Key debuts to blu-ray from Arrow Video. Crossing the Pacific, The Shaolin Plot also gets an Arrow Video Limited Edition.

 

 TV On Disc this week includes Boystown - The Complete Season 1, Flunk - Season 1, Flunk - Season 2, Flunk - Season 3, 'Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series'  and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - Season 1 [SteelBook].

 

 Anime highlights include One Piece: Season Thirteen - Voyage Five and Spy x Family Season 1 Part 2, which comes as a Standard Edition and as a Limited Edition.

 

 Boutique label Radiance Films has the thriller Goodbye & Amen.

 The Shout Select label has Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny with Jack Black.

 Honorable mentions from Kino Lorber, Blood on the Sun with James Cagney debuts to blu-ray this week, as does Let's Dance, a musical with Fred Astaire.

 

 

Notable announcements from last week:

 Paramount has revealed that Mean Girls (2004) will also be getting a special edition 4K, with a release date of April 30th.

 Universal pictures is adding more and more TV shows to blu-ray. Added are complete series for Suits, Heroes (2006-2016) and The Act.  I know I buy all the ones that I am remotely interested in, so should you!

 Up for order on Amazon is Warner Bros' 4K of The Departed. Exact date TBA.

 

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?



Arrrgh!! Renny Harlin's Cutthroat Island Sails for a Walmart Exclusive 4K UHD SteelBook April 2nd

Lionsgate is preparing the 1995 adventure comedy starring Geena Davis and Matthew Modine for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on April 2.

The release will also include a SteelBook and be exclusively available at Walmart stores.

Geena Davis and Matthew Modine deliver a tidal wave of nonstop action and adventure in this swashbuckling saga of ruthless pirates, buried treasure, and bloodthirsty betrayal.

Cutthroat Island - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
Cutthroat Island - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
 

The 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook Combo Pack will include a lossless 5.1 soundtrack and the following supplements:

4K UHD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • The Adventure of a Lifetime: Making Cutthroat Island
  • Charting the Course: Creating Cutthroat Island
  • Across the Bow: Editing Cutthroat Island
  • Summon Your Courage: Scoring Cutthroat Island
  • Ecce Pirate: A Short Film by Matthew Modine
  • Audio Commentary from Director Renny Harlin
  • Making of
  • Behind the Scenes
  • Storyboards
  • Interviews
  • Original Trailer

Pre-orders for Cutthroat Island - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive SteelBook should be on the horizon soon and here is the full press release:


4K UHD + Blu-ray™ + Digital Street Date: 4/2/24
4K UHD + Blu-ray™ + Digital SteelBook® SRP: $39.99
Available only at Walmart
 
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The course has been set for Cutthroat Island, arriving on SteelBook® April 2 exclusively at Walmart from Lionsgate. Prepare the weapons and summon the courage to return to this Geena Davis classic. This release of Cutthroat Island marks the first time the film is available on  4K UHD + Blu-rayTM + Digital SteelBook® for the suggested retail price of $39.99.
 
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Geena Davis and Matthew Modine deliver a tidal wave of nonstop action and adventure in this swashbuckling saga of ruthless pirates, buried treasure, and bloodthirsty betrayal.
 
CAST
Geena Davis                                       Thelma & Louise, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Fly
Matthew Modine                                 Full Metal Jacket, The Dark Knight Rises, TV’s “Stranger Things”
Frank Langella                                    Frost/Nixon, Robot & Frank, The Box
Maury Chaykin                                    My Cousin Vinny, Dances with Wolves, WarGames
Patrick Malahide                                 The World Is Not Enough, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Singing Detective
Stan Shaw                                          The Monster Squad, Daylight, Rising Sun
 
4K UHD SPECIAL FEATURES
  • The Adventure of a Lifetime: Making Cutthroat Island
  • Charting the Course: Creating Cutthroat Island
  • Across the Bow: Editing Cutthroat Island
  • Summon Your Courage: Scoring Cutthroat Island
  • Ecce Pirate: A Short Film by Matthew Modine
  • Audio Commentary from Director Renny Harlin
  • Making of
  • Behind the Scenes
  • Storyboards
  • Interviews
  • Original Trailer
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 1995
Title Copyright: © 1995 Cutthroat Productions L.P. Package Design and Summary: © 2024 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. CutThroat Island and Design is a trademark of CutThroat Distribution Inc.
Type:  Catalog Re-Release
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: French, German, English SDH
Run Time: 124 Minutes
4K UHD Format: 2160p Ultra High Definition 16x9 (2.35:1) Presentation
4K UHD Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio™, English 2.0 PCM Stereo, French and German 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioTM
Artist Information: Luke Preece
Lionsgate Hunts Down New 4K SteelBooks for First Blood & Rambo: Last Blood April 2nd

Fans who missed out on Lionsgate big SteelBook set of all five films (or any of the previous 4k UHD releases for that matter) can pick up the story from the beginning and the end with First Blood and Rambo: Last Blood on April 2nd exclusively available at Walmart

42 years ago Sylvester Stallone started an action-packed franchise centering on the wayward disenfranchised Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Five years ago, he effectively wrapped up John Rambo's journey with the decent but underwhelming Rambo: Last Blood. Now Lionsgate looks to be repurposing some discs and SteelBooks for new solo-film releases to start the fourth month of the year. If you didn't pick up the Best Buy SteelBook set, these individual versions look like the exact same SteelBooks only now with Lionsgate's standard plastic slipcover to give the case a little visual enhancement. And judging by the press releases for each set, we're getting the same discs as before. Now that's fine for First Blood, that's still a great disc, but I was really hoping we'd see the longer and better cut of Rambo: Last Blood finally make a disc appearance (and I don't mean the slightly longer German version). The much better-paced and longer Director's Cut appears to remain a streaming-only viewing option. We have reached out for verification on that point. So far, only First Blood is up for pre-order but we expect Last Blood to go up any time now. 

First Blood - Walmart 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook

 

4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

  • 4K AND BLU-RAY™ SPECIAL FEATURES:
    • Audio Commentary with Sylvester Stallone
    • Audio Commentary with Author David Morrell
  • BLU-RAY™ SPECIAL FEATURES:
    • Rambo Takes The ’80s, Part 1
    • Making Of First Blood
    • Alternative Ending
    • Outtakes
    • Deleted Scenes
    • Restoration Featurette
    • The Real ’Nam
    •  Forging Heroes
    • How To Become Rambo, Part 1 

4K UHD Format: 2160p Ultra High Definition • 16x9 (2.35:1) Presentation
4K UHD Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio™ • Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio™
Artist Information: SteelBook by Phantom City Creative, Slipcase by BOND

Rambo: Last Blood - Walmart 4K Ultra HD SteelBook 

  

4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Drawing Last Blood: Multipart Production Diary
  • From First Note to Last Blood: Music for the Massacres
  • Theatrical Trailer 

4K UHD Format: 2160p Ultra High Definition 16x9 (2.39:1) Presentation
4K UHD Audio: English Dolby Atmos • Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Audio
Artist Information: SteelBook by John Guydo, Slipcase by BOND

It's All 4K Love - February 2024 4K UHD Shopping Guide

Now that January is out of the way, we get ready to celebrate the shortest and one of the coldest months of the year with a lot of love for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. The format continues to build a nice robust catalog of new and old favorites. While the big studios are recovering from dealing with talent strikes, it's the independent labels that are delivering the biggest and best releases of the month. We've got some great catalog favorites and even an Uwe Boll film joins the format. This is also the month where we really see Walmart step up to the retailer-exclusive plate for SteelBook releases after Best Buy ditched physical media. So let's get to it and see what's jumping on our shelves this month. 

February 2024 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Shopping Guide 

February 6th - 4K UHD Releases 

    

February 13th - 4K UHD Releases 

     

      

     

    

 

 

February 20th - 4K UHD Releases 

     

     

       


   

February 26th - 4K UHD Releases 

 

February 27th - 4K UHD Releases 

    

     

   
 

   

That's all that's confirmed for the moment. It's possible more could get added to the slate or something could get bumped into later in the year. If/When that happens, we'll update our lists ASAP. Thanks for clicking our links, your preorders go a long way towards keeping our little show going. Happy Collecting!

A Momentary Lapse of Releases - HDD's 4K UHD & Blu-ray Shopping Guide, Feb 4, 2024

 Let's take this week to recharge our wallets a little bit. With just one Domestic 4K title and a handful of blu-rays, it's a momentary lapse of releases! Twenty points for the first one that gets the reference.

 Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 36 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of February 4th - February 10th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-

 For Domestic Tuesday this week, we get the 1971 Western McCabe & Mrs. Miller starring Warren Beatty and directed by Robert Altman, brought to us by Criterion.

 

 Thursday releases, a pair of standard editions from Turbine Medien Group out of Germany, The Deep House and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. They previously did media books for both titles, and neither title has gotten a 4K release in the US, see where this is going?

 Next week, watch out as we see a higher than average schedule. It's feast or famine I tell ya! The Marvels, Hunger Games, Footloose and a ton more!

 

Blu-ray releases-

 Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases? Turbine has The Deep House and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer for import.

 If you were a boutique label, this week would be a great week to sell sell sell! How about a horror that could easily be confused with a board game? Yeah, Candy Land would be that title.

 

 A relatively new label to the US, Radiance Films this week has the Japanese language drama The Sting of Death available to purchase.

 Weekly Anime highlights include Handyman Saitou in Another World - The Complete Season, Revenger - The Complete Season and Tears to Tiara - Complete Collection.

 

 Shout! Factory this week offers up the horror/thriller Funeral Home, as well as the sci-fi/thriller The Terminal Man: 50th Anniversary Edition. With Elon Musk in recent news behind a company offering neural implants, this one could become very real!

 

 If you have been following Jess (Jesús) Franco's career, you can check off another release with Voodoo Passion from Full Moon Features.

 In the blu-ray category next week, we see a slight uptick in titles available.

 The last couple of slow weeks I have shared a YouTube link or two. Have fun with this one.. if you like ABBA: Dancing Queen, it was remastered to 4K. So 70's! Mamma Mia anyone?

 

 

 

A decade forward and it's all about the hair, and the spandex. This one looks fantastic in 4K. Rick Astley!

 

Notable announcements from last week:

 Shout! Factory's various labels have announced their April slate of titles. So far we are looking at Rolling Thunder on 4K, and for blu-rays, Affliction, Blue Giant, Lost in Space (movie) and Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey. Winnie The Pooh was already released to a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook last October, so this is a general release. There are 4K options for Pooh overseas, Italy, France and Germany.

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?



Action Speaks Louder Than Words - Shop HDD's 4K UHD & Blu-ray Shopping Guide, Jan 28, 2024

 It's probably time to queue up that doom and gloom armageddon type music because this week could be very harmful to your wallets/credit card balances. Between 4K and blu-ray we have not seen a week this big in quite some time!

 Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 35 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of January 28th - February 3rd, as well as a look at announcements from last week.

 Oh, and the tagline above, that's actually for Silent Night.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-

 Import Monday begins with the 1971 Michael Caine crime/thriller Get Carter. Everything else that was slated for Monday got pushed back a couple of weeks.

 And moving on to Domestic Tuesday, let's begin with Silent Night - Walmart Exclusive SteelBook. If you want this one in 4K, Walmart is where you have to go as a standard edition 4K is currently not slated for release. I cannot confirm this yet but it appears this will be online only, which is a head-scratcher as this one would generate a lot of foot traffic.

 

 On to catalog titles, first from Severin Films for a trio of films, Bad Biology, Nightmare and The Psychic.

 

 From Kino Lorber this week, The Boogens and Scarlet Street.

 

 This week is the week to get your fix of Conan films from Arrow Video. The trio of skus include Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer and The Conan Chronicles. The Conan Chronicles shows a release date of February 20 on Amazon, but Arrow Video has indeed confirmed it still has a January 30th street date, and I did get a shipping confirmation from Arrow Video. My guess is Amazon will not get their stock until the 20th. With the B&N sale going on, Amazon appears to be matching the 50% off pricing, so pounce on this if you want it.

 

 MVD has their next Laservision Collection release this week with Cutting Class. Thus far this series of releases has been done quite well.

 

 From Vinegar Syndrome, general releases of D.A.R.Y.L.eXistenZ and The Prophecy I -II-III, and a store direct release of Freeway 1 & 2, which comes in a hard case. Collectors will generally opt for the direct store releases as they almost always contain nicer packaging, while the release on Amazon is a standard edition, often times no slipcovers or swag.

 Criterion this week offers up Trainspotting.

 

 Next week we get a chance to recharge wallets with just one title.

 

Blu-ray releases-

 Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include a lot,  Silent Night, Bad Biology, Nightmare, The Psychic, The Boogens, Scarlet Street, Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, The Conan Chronicles, Cutting Class and Trainspotting.

 New Eli Roth horror Thanksgiving comes to blu-ray this week, which, in my opinion, a huge missed opportunity for a 4K release. Sony doesn't usually do the double-dip game as much as Universal does when it comes to a blu-ray first, 4K next, so, best of luck on waiting for a 4K disc. Maybe a Turbine release in the future?

 TV on disc includes The Abbott and Costello Show: Season 2 and Monk: Season Three.

 

 Criterion blu-ray this week, Mudbound, a film based in the 40s along the Mississippi Delta.

 Warner Archive's January batch releases this week, they include Cabin in the Sky, A Day at the Races, Faithless, Joe's Apartment, The Prince and the Pauper (1937) and Rover Dangerfield.

 

 Anime highlights this week, Bocchi the Rock! - The Complete Season, The Case Study of Vanitas - Season 1 Part 2, Kurokami: The Animation, Lovely Complex, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: TV Series 1, Naruto Shippuden Set 2, Ningen Fushin Adventurers Who Dont Believe in Humanity Will Save the World and Sailor Moon Super S: Complete Fourth Season.

 

 From Arrow Video this week, Murphy's War featuring the 'iconic' actor Peter O'Toole.

 

 Next week in this category, another chance to recharge that wallet of yours.

 

Notable announcements from last week:

 Warner Bros has made it official, Wonka will be streeting to 4K and blu-ray on February 27.

 Michael Mann's Ferrari will be coming to blu-ray on March 12. A 4K release is coming to Italy, and with Michael Mann at the helm I have to wonder if a 4K double-dip will be coming to the US.

 Arrow Video has announced their April 2024 slate, for the US market they include Basket Case in 4K, with a shop exclusive option, and blu-rays of The Scarface Mob and The Tin Star. There are no 4K imports to mention in this batch.

 

4K Release Calendar

2K/BD Release Calendar

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?



Imprint Asia Announces Their First Wave of Blu-Ray Releases Coming March 2024

Australian distributor Via Vision launches their new sub-label [Imprint] Asia Launches and its first three titles.

Those collecting the ever-growing number of titles from Imprint know that if they're not the first to offer up a Blu-ray release, they drop some new special editions worth double dipping for. Now, with their Impritn Asia sub-label, they're kicking off a whole new line of Chinese and Japanese films. 

Lost in the Stars - Blu-ray

 

The 2023 Chinese blockbuster finally arrives on Blu-ray! A Hitchcockian crime mystery produced by Chen Sicheng, “one of the giants of contemporary Chinese Cinema” (Variety).

He Fei’s wife, Li Muzi, disappears during their anniversary trip. When she reappears, he insists that she is not his wife. He Fei turns to Chen Mai, a renowned international lawyer, for help. As Chen Mai’s investigation into this bizarre case progresses, more mysteries start to emerge…

Adapted from the 90’s Russian film ‘Trap For A Lonely Man’ and from the Robert Thomas stage play of the same name.

“The film is wickedly entertaining from start to finish, thanks to Rui Cui and Liu Xiang’s crafty directions who skilfully adopt the Hitchcockian style to navigate the labyrinthine storyline.” – Screen HK

1500 copies only.

Special Features & Technical Specs:

  • 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray 
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Audio Mandarin DTS HD 5.1 Surround + LPCM 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English & Chinese Simplified Subtitles
  • Original Aspect Ratio 2.39:1
  • Limited edition slipcase with unique artwork

The Sea is Watching - Blu-ray 

 

Worldwide first on Blu-ray!

Based on the final screenplay written by the legendary Akira Kurosawa, this Japanese romance is the story of a beautiful young geisha, who hides a samurai seeking refuge. Directed by Kei Kumai, winner of the Directors Guild Of Japan New Director’s Award, this beautiful picture stars Misa Shimizu and Masatoshi Nagase.

Set in a 19th-century brothel, a beautiful young geisha, O-shin, harbours a samurai seeking refuge. Falling in love with O-shin, the samurai hopes to cleanse her of the sins of her possession. But fate and fortune conspire to keep the lovers apart.

“Kurosawa’s script treads the delicate line between conventional morality and decency, as does much of his finest work.” – New York Times

1500 copies only.

Special Features & Technical Specs:

  • 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray 
  • Behind The Scenes Featurette
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Audio Japanese LPCM 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
  • Limited edition slipcase with unique artwork 

 

This action-packed revival of the classic Zatoichi series was directed, written, co-edited by and stars Takeshi Kitano (Battle Royale, Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence). 

In an empire ruled by fear, the people’s only hope is the ultimate weapon: Zatoichi. A blind, nomadic samurai whose sword has made him a hero and whose courage has made him a legend. Determined to help the desperate residents of a village, Zatoichi seeks justice through revenge.

The winner of the prestigious Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, Midnight Eye called it “pure cinematic magic”. 

1500 copies only.

Special Features & Technical Specs:

  • 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray 
  • NEW Audio Commentary by film historian and author Sean Redmond 
  • The Making Of The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi 
  • Crew Interviews
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Audio Japanese DTS HD 5.1 Surround + LPCM 2.0 Stereo
  • English Subtitles
  • Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
  • Limited edition slipcase with unique artwork

We hope to review these as soon as we get hands on. I've heard great things about Lost in the Stars and The Sea is Watching and The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi is a pulpy treat well worth revisiting! Those looking to nab all three, Imprint has a bundle deal that'll save you a few bucks. All three films are due to street March 27th

Imprint Asia March 2024 Bundle Pack

Reviews

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