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Wilson Yip's 'Ip Man 3' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The action-packed film starring Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson will arrive on Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Well Go USA will be bringing 'Ip Man 3' to Blu-ray on April 19. Donnie Yen (upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2) ignites the screen in a return to the role that made him an icon - as Ip Man, the real-life Wing Chun grandmaster who mentored Bruce Lee. In this explosive third installment of the blockbuster martial arts series, when a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer (Mike Tyson) make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand. Fists will fly as some of the most incredible fight scenes ever filmed play out on the big screen in this soon-to-be genre classic. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Ip Man 3' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 19.Posted Thu Jan 21, 2016 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Jonathan Demme Presents Made in Texas' Now Available on Blu-ray[teaser]The collection featuring six short films is now available on Blu-ray. [/teaser] University of Texas Press has released 'Jonathan Demme Presents Made in Texas' on Blu-ray. JONATHAN DEMME PRESENTS: MADE IN TEXAS represents a coming together of Austin’s punk/new wave music and avant-garde film community in the late 70s and early 80s. Culminating in a synergetic explosion of music and film, the reverberations are still being felt today. This unique atmosphere cultivated a collective of independent, maverick filmmakers, including Richard Linklater, Robert Rodriguez and a dozen other directors, and later influencing newer talents such as Jay and Mark Duplass, Wes Anderson, and Jeff Nichols. The MADE IN TEXAS short films evidenced a robust regional independent cinema at a time when that concept was just coming into being. In 1981 while visiting Austin, Jonathan Demme viewed a number of these films. That October, he screened six of them at the Collective for Living Cinema in NYC to great acclaim. A few years later, after seeing SPEED OF LIGHT and INVASION OF THE ALUMINUM PEOPLE, Richard Linklater was inspired to pack up and begin his film career in Austin. Under the guidance of Louis Black, six films from Austin’s early indie scene are restored and presented together as a package for the first time since Jonathan Demme introduced them at the Collective for Living Cinema in October 1981. Made in Texas will premiere at SXSW Film 2015 and show at festivals across the United States and Canada. This DVD and Blu-ray includes exciting extras, such as photographs from the productions, punk posters from Austin’s thriving music scene, archival paper materials, and much more. "The really startling thing, though, given the chance to view several top notch Austin-made films in the course of my brief trip there was the exciting discovery of the epic fusion between Austin film and Austin music." -Jonathan Demme. "David Boone's Invasion of the Aluminum People…[is] a video/film/music/jump cut glaze by this tyro Godard who seems to be sired by Godard out of Don Siegel. Quite impressive (and infinitely slicker) is Brian Hansen's… Speed of Light, a New Wave melodrama that's as good looking as Written on the Wind." -Carrie Rickey, the Village Voice. The Blu-ray/DVD combo includes: Special Introduction by Louis Black, Richard Linklater and Jonathan Demme from the 2015 SXSW Premiere; 2015 SXSW Post-screening Q&A with Louis Black, Jonathan Demme, Mark Rance and the MADE IN TEXAS filmmakers; and a booklet featuring a foreword and program notes by Louis Black, a 1982 essay by Jonathan Demme and archival images from the MADE IN TEXAS collection. You can find the latest specs for 'Jonathan Demme Presents Made in Texas' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under January 14. Order the Blu-rayPosted Thu Jan 21, 2016 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Vidal Raski's 'The Sinful Dwarf' Headed for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1973 "Dwarfsploitation" film is getting a limited collector's Blu-ray release this February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Severin says 'The Sinful Dwarf: Limited Collector's Edition' will hit on Blu-ray on February 23. For a VERY limited time only Severin Films will make available 3000 copies of The Sinful Dwarf on Blu-ray. The disc will include two versions of the film, plus bonus feature film from its infamous producers, the ultra-rare, The Blue Balloon, scanned at 2k, plus a host of other exclusive extras. Upon its restored DVD release in 2009, it was hailed as "deliciously sordid" (Mr. Skin), "the stuff of lewd legend" (PopMatters) and "a masterpiece of depravity" (Cinefantastique Online). But was there any possible way "the most amazing dirty dwarf movie ever made" (Mondo Digital) could be even more amazingly filthy? Severin Films is now unconscionably proud to present both the hard and soft versions of The Sinful Dwarf along with all-new extras including a nightmare-inducing hardcore short starring former kiddie-show host and pint-sized pervert Torben Bille himself. Experience "the mother of all Dwarfsploitation films" (The Daily Grindhouse) like never before, remastered from materials recently seized in a Roskilde vice raid! Specs have yet to be revealed, but the Blu-ray will include: THE DWARF – Strong International Version; THE ABDUCTED BRIDE – Alternate US Release Version; The Harry Novak Story – Featurette On The Sultan Of Sexploitation With American Grindhouse Director Elijah Drenner; THE BLUE BALLOON – 1973 Feature Film, Never Before Released On Any Home Video Format; THE HOTTEST SHOW IN TOWN – Excerpt From Torben Bille Sex Film; The Search For Torben – Featurette On Effort To Find Cast/Crew From THE SINFUL DWARF; The Severin Controversy – Featurette On The Lasting Effects Of THE SINFUL DWARF; Trailers, TV Spot, Radio Spot; and Newly commissioned cover art by Wes Benscotter. You can find the latest specs for 'The Sinful Dwarf: Limited Collector's Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under February 23. Order the Blu-rayPosted Thu Jan 21, 2016 at 04:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Gear Deal Spotlight: Up to 67% off Soundbars![teaser]Amazon is offering big discounts on select audio systems! [/teaser] As part of the online retailer's ongoing deals, Amazon is running a special sale on select soundbars and sound bases from Pyle, AXESS, Yamaha, and Sony. Pyle PSBV200BT 300 Watt Bluetooth Soundbar - Currently $105 (67% off). Pyle PSBV600BT Sound Base Bluetooth Tabletop TV Soundbar - Currently $90 (40% off). AXESS SBBT1206 AXESS 38-Inch Slim Bluetooth 2.1 Sound Bar - Currently $62 (38% off). Yamaha SRT-1000 TV Surround Sound System - Currently $350 (30% off). Pyle PSBV250BT Audio Level Bluetooth Stereo SoundBar - Currently $75 (25% off). Sony HTNT3 450W Hi-Res Sound Bar - Currently $598 (25% off). These deals will only be active for a limited time while supplies last. Make sure to stay tuned to High-Def Digest for more sales and special promotions!Posted Wed Jan 20, 2016 at 04:00 PM PST by: -
Criterion's April Blu-ray Titles Now Available for Pre-Order![teaser]The distributor has revealed its upcoming slate of April releases, including David Lean's 'Brief Encounter' and Howard Hawks' 'Only Angels Have Wings.' [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion is preparing 'Only Angels Have Wings,' 'A Whit Stillman Trilogy: Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco,' 'Barcelona,' 'Phoenix,' 'The Kennedy Films of Robert Drew & Associates,' and 'Brief Encounter' for Blu-ray throughout the month of April. 'Only Angels Have Wings' (April 12) - Electrified by the verbal wit and visual craftsmanship of the great Howard Hawks, Only Angels Have Wings stars Jean Arthur as a traveling entertainer who gets more than she bargained for during a stopover in a South American port town. There she meets a handsome yet aloof daredevil pilot, played by Cary Grant, who runs an airmail company, staring down death while servicing towns in treacherous mountain terrain. Both attracted to and repelled by his romantic sense of danger, she decides to stay on, despite his protestations. This masterful and mysterious adventure, featuring Oscar-nominated special effects, high-wire aerial photography, and Rita Hayworth in a small but breakout role, explores Hawks’s recurring themes of masculine codes and the strong-willed women who question them. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English uncompressed mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio excerpts from a 1972 conversation between filmmakers Howard Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich; New interview with film critic David Thomson; Howard Hawks and His Aviation Movies, a new program featuring film scholars Craig Barron and Ben Burtt; Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the film from 1939, starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Richard Barthelmess, and Thomas Mitchell, and hosted by director Cecil B. DeMille; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Sragow. Order the Blu-ray 'A Whit Stillman Trilogy: Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco' (April 19) - Over the course of the 1990s, writer-director Whit Stillman made a trilogy of films about the acid tongues and broken hearts of some haplessly erudite young Americans in New York and abroad. Set in the eighties, these films would trace the arc of that decade, led by Stillman’s Oscar-nominated debut,Metropolitan, which introduced moviegoers to a strange, endangered species of privileged New Yorker dubbed the "urban haute bourgeoisie." Chronologically, the tale continues with The Last Days of Disco, in which, with an earnest wink, Stillman mourns the close of New York’s nightclub era via the story of two young party-going women juggling day jobs in book publishing. Finally, Barcelona plunks down a pair of love-starved upper-class men in a foreign city riddled with anti-American sentiment. At once effervescent and melancholy, these are comedies about the ends of eras, social change as seen through the eyes of reluctant, unflaggingly sardonic romantics. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed mono soundtrack on 'Metropolitan,' a DTS-HD MA 2.0 surround soundtrack on 'Barcelona,' and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack on 'The Last Days of Disco.' Supplements will include: Audio commentary on Metropolitan featuring Stillman, actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols, and editor Christopher Tellefsen; audio commentary on The Last Days of Disco featuring Stillman, Eigeman, and actor Chloë Sevigny; audio commentary on Barcelona featuring Stillman, Eigeman, and Nichols; Rare outtakes and alternate casting scenes from Metropolitan, with commentary by Stillman; deleted scenes from The Last Days of Disco, with commentary by Stillman, Eigeman, and Sevigny; deleted scenes and alternate ending from Barcelona, with commentary by Stillman, Eigeman, and Nichols; New video essay about the trilogy by film critic Farran Smith Nehme; Featurettes about the making of The Last Days of Disco and Barcelona; Today show interview with Stillman from 1994; Episode of The Dick Cavett Show from 1991 with Stillman; Audio recording of Stillman reading a chapter from his book The Last Days of Disco, with Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards; Stills gallery for The Last Days of Disco, with captions by Stillman; Trailers for all three films; PLUS: Essays by author Luc Sante, novelist David Schickler, and film scholar Haden Guest. Order the Blu-ray 'Barcelona' (April 19) - Whit Stillman followed his delightful indie breakthrough Metropolitan with another clever and garrulous comedy of manners, this one with a darker edge. A pair of preppy yet constitutionally mismatched American cousins—a salesman and a navy officer—argue about romance and politics while working in the beautiful Spanish city of the film’s title. Set during the eighties,Barcelona explores topics both heady (American exceptionalism, Cold War foreign policy) and hilarious (the ins and outs of international dating, the proper shaving method) while remaining a constantly witty delight, featuring a sharp young cast that includes Taylor Nichols, Chris Eigeman, and Mira Sorvino. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary from 2002 featuring Stillman and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols; New video essay by film critic Farran Smith Nehme about the trilogy made up of Metropolitan, Barcelona, and The Last Days of Disco; The Making of “Barcelona,” a short documentary from 1994 featuring behind-the-scenes footage and on-set interviews with Stillman and cast members; Deleted scenes and alternate ending, with commentary by Stillman, Eigeman, and Nichols; Segment from a 1994 episode of the Today show featuring Stillman; Episode of The Dick Cavett Show from 1991 with Stillman; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by film scholar Haden Guest. Order the Blu-ray 'Phoenix' (April 26) - This evocative and haunting drama, set in a rubble-strewn Berlin in 1945, is like no other film about post–World War II Jewish identity. After surviving Auschwitz, a former cabaret singer (Nina Hoss, in a dazzling, multilayered performance), her face disfigured and reconstructed, returns to her war-ravaged hometown to seek out the gentile husband who may or may not have betrayed her to the Nazis. Without recognizing her, he enlists her to play his wife in a bizarre hall-of-shattered-mirrors story that’s as richly metaphorical as it is preposterously engrossing. Revenge film or tale of romantic reconciliation? One doesn’t know until the superb closing scene of this marvel from Christian Petzold, perhaps the most important figure in contemporary German cinema. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a German DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: New conversation between director Christian Petzold and actor Nina Hoss; New interview with cinematographer Hans Fromm; New documentary featuring on-set interviews from 2013 with Petzold, Hoss, actors Nina Kunzendorf and Ronald Zehrfeld, and production designer Kade Gruber; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Koresky. Order the Blu-ray 'The Kennedy Films of Robert Drew & Associates' (April 26) - Seeking to invigorate the American documentary format, which he felt was rote and uninspired, Robert Drew brought the style and vibrancy he had fostered as a Life magazine correspondent to filmmaking in the late fifties. He did this by assembling an amazing team—including such eventual nonfiction luminaries as Richard Leacock, D. A. Pennebaker, and Albert Maysles—that would transform documentary cinema. In 1960, the group was granted direct access to John F. Kennedy, filming him on the campaign trail and eventually in the Oval Office. This resulted in three films of remarkable, behind-closed-doors intimacy—Primary, Adventures on the New Frontier, and Crisis—and, following the president’s assassination, the poetic short Faces of November.Collected here are all four of these titles, early exemplars of the movement known as Direct Cinema and featuring the greatest close-up footage we have of this American icon. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Alternate, twenty-six-minute cut of Primary, edited by filmmaker Richard Leacock; Audio commentary on the Leacock edit of Primary, featuring Leacock and filmmakers Robert Drew and D. A. Pennebaker, recorded in conversation with film critic Gideon Bachmann in 1961; Robert Drew in His Own Words, a new documentary featuring archival interview footage; New conversation between Pennebaker and Jill Drew, Robert Drew’s daughter-in-law and the general manager of Drew Associates; Outtakes from Crisis, along with a discussion by historian Andrew Cohen, author of Two Days in June; New conversation about Crisis featuring former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder and Sharon Malone, Holder’s wife and the sister of Vivian Malone, one of the students featured in Crisis; New interview with Richard Reeves, author of President Kennedy: Profile of Power; Footage from a 1998 event at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, featuring Drew, Pennebaker, Leacock, and filmmaker Albert Maysles; PLUS: An essay by documentary film curator and writer Thomas Powers. Order the Blu-ray 'Brief Encounter' (April 26) - After a chance meeting on a train platform, a married doctor (Trevor Howard) and a suburban housewife (Celia Johnson) enter into a muted but passionate, and ultimately doomed, love affair. With its evocatively fog-enshrouded setting, swooning Rachmaninoff score, and pair of remarkable performances (Johnson was nominated for an Oscar for her role), this film, directed by David Lean and based on Noël Coward’s play Still Life deftly explores the thrill, pain, and tenderness of an illicit romance, and has influenced many a cinematic brief encounter since its release. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary from 2000 by film historian Bruce Eder; Interview from 2012 with Noël Coward scholar Barry Day; A Profile of “Brief Encounter,” a short documentary from 2000 on the making of the film; David Lean: A Self Portrait, a 1971 television documentary on Lean’s career; and Trailer. Order the Blu-ray Suggested list price for each single-disc Blu-ray is $39.95. Suggested list price for the 'Whit Stillman Trilogy' is $79.95. You can find the latest specs for all of the titles listed above linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed throughout April.Posted Wed Jan 20, 2016 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Harman Unveils Mark Levinson No. 526 Dual-Monaural Preamplifier with High Resolution DAC[teaser]The upcoming preamp includes high-res decoding. [/teaser] Harman has detailed it latest audio component. The Mark Levinson No. 526 Dual-Monaural Preamplifier features a high-resolution DAC and integrated Phono stage. "With the Mark Levinson № 526, music lovers can enjoy the best possible sound from all of their music, whether listening to their treasured LP collection, discovering new music using streaming services, or enjoying high-resolution digital music," said Jim Garrett, Director of Marketing and Product Management, HARMAN. "The № 526 delivers the ultrahigh-end sound quality and faithfulness to the music that every Mark Levinson product is renowned for, in a component that is forward-looking and complete." The preamp offers five line-level analog, phono, and six digital inputs along with the Mark Levinson DAC (with ESS Sabre32 Reference converter), HARMAN Clari-Fi music restoration technology, and a 6000-series aluminum chassis. In addition, the unit uses a proprietary Mark Levinson signal path which is fully discrete, fully balanced and completely dual-monaural. Likewise, high-resolution digital decoding at up to 24-bit, 192kHz from PCM and double-speed DSD is included as well. Pricing has not been detailed yet, but the Mark Levinson No. 526 Dual-Monaural Preamplifier will be available in May. Source: HarmanPosted Wed Jan 20, 2016 at 10:15 AM PST by: -
'Jane B. Par Agnès V./ Kung-Fu Master!' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The Blu-ray double feature will hit Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Cinelicious Pics says 'Jane B. Par Agnès V./ Kung-Fu Master!' will arrive on Blu-ray on March 8. Jane B. Par Agnès V. - "I'll look at you, but not at the camera. It could be a trap," whispers Jane Birkin shyly into Agnès Varda's ear at the start of Jane B. Par Agnès V. The director of Cleo From 5 to 7 and Vagabond once again paints a portrait of a woman, this time in a marvelously Expressionistic way. "It's like an imaginary bio-pic," says Varda. Jane, of course, is the famed singer ("Je t'aime ... Moi non plus"), actress (Blow Up), fashion icon (the Hermes Birkin bag) and longtime muse to Serge Gainsbourg. As Varda implies, Jane B. Par Agnès V. abandons the traditional bio-pic format, favoring instead a freewheeling mix of gorgeous and unexpected fantasy sequences. The film is newly-restored from the original 35mm camera negative, a process overseen by director Varda herself. Kung-Fu Master! - A lovely, bittersweet companion piece, Kung-Fu Master! has nothing to do with martial arts - the film's title comes from an arcade video game played obsessively in the film by a teenage boy, Julien (played by Varda's real-life son with husband Jaques Demy). Jane Birkin delivers one of her finest performances as a lonely 40-year old woman who finds herself falling in love with the 14-year old Julien - but is it romance, or a desperate attempt to turn back time in the face of middle age? A real family affair, Birkin's daughters, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon, her child with well-known filmmaker Jacques Doillon, also appear in the film. Long unavailable in the US, the film has been newly-restored from the original 35mm camera negative. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include: Video interview with Agnès Varda by Miranda July and Essay by Sandy Fitterman-Lewis. You can find the latest specs for 'Jane B. Par Agnès V./ Kung-Fu Master!' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under March 8. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Jan 20, 2016 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
John Rad's 'Dangerous Men' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]The cult film will be getting the Blu-ray treatment in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Drafthouse Films says 'Dangerous Men' on Blu-ray on April 5. The fanatical brainchild of Iranian polymath John Rad, Dangerous Men is a passion project that remained in obsessive production for nearly two decades before finally debuted in Californian theaters in 2005. An unflappably prodigious creative force, Rad handled much of the technical duties of the film, appearing multiple times in the film's credits as the director, writer, location scout, producer, executive producer, and more. Despite initially languishing at the box office during its limited theatrical release, and never finding a likeminded audience before Rad's untimely death in 2007, Dangerous Men developed a devoted following before vanishing as mysteriously as it appeared. Chief among them was Hadrian Belove, of the independent Los Angeles theater The Cinefamily, who saw the film multiple times during its brief theatrical run, and alerted Drafthouse Films and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema programming teams to the existence of the film. Working with the late artist's family, the team worked tirelessly alongside the American Genre Film Institute to locate and restore the original film. "It took us almost three and a half years of continuous begging, pleading and debasement before John Rad's family agreed to license us the film," said Drafthouse COO James Emanuel Shapiro. "It was well worth it! We are immensely proud that we've carved out our own niche of mind-shredding repertory releases and beyond thrilled to unleash what should very much be considered the Holy Grail of Holy F*cking Sh#t on audiences worldwide!" Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include a making of featurette and "more". You can find the latest specs for 'Dangerous Men' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 5. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Jan 20, 2016 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Gear Deal Spotlight: Up to 68% off Projectors![teaser]Amazon is offering big discounts on select projectors! [/teaser] As part of the online retailer's ongoing deals, Amazon is running a special sale on select projectors from Pyle, Optoma, Epson, and ViewSonic. PYLE PRJAND805 HD Mini Hi-Res Smart Projector - Currently $480 (68% off). PYLE PRJAND615 HD Hi-Res Smart Projector - Currently $340 (65% off). Optoma X351 Full 3D XGA 3600 Lumen DLP Projector - Currently $488 (59% off). Optoma W351 Full 3D WXGA 3800 Lumen DLP Projector - Currently $569 (59% off). Optoma EH341 Full 3D 1080p 3500 Lumen DLP Projector - Currently $760 (55% off). ViewSonic PJD7820HD 1080p 3D DLP Projector - Currently $550 (50% off). Epson VS240 SVGA 3LCD Projector 3000 Lumens - Currently $290 (22% off). These deals will only be active for a limited time while supplies last. Make sure to stay tuned to High-Def Digest for more sales and special promotions!Posted Tue Jan 19, 2016 at 03:45 PM PST by: -
Tom McCarthy's 'Spotlight' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The acclaimed journalism drama will hit Blu-ray in February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal Studios will be releasing 'Spotlight' on Blu-ray on February 23. Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams lead a critically acclaimed cast in this gripping true story about the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that uncovered a scandal that rocked one of the world's oldest and most trusted institutions. Delving into allegations of child abuse within the local Catholic Archdiocese, a tenacious team of Boston Globe reporters exposes a decades-long cover-up that reaches the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishment. "Brilliantly acted and flawlessly directed" (New York Post ) Spotlight is a powerful and riveting drama the critics are calling "the All the President's Men of our time" (Los Angeles Times ). The Blu-ray combo pack will feature 1080p video, lossless 5.1 audio, and supplements include: Uncovering the Truth: A Spotlight Team Roundtable; Spotlight: A Look Inside; and The State of Journalism. You can find the latest specs for 'Spotlight' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 23. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Jan 19, 2016 at 01:00 PM PST by:
