After already hitting a home run with their release of The Shawshank Redemption on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Warner Bros. returns to their catalog to deliver the equally beloved The Green Mile. Nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Sound, The Green Mile is the film even Stephen King calls the "most faithful" adaptation of his writing. Hell, when it hit theaters it made the 18-year-old me weep like I just saw The Land Before Time for the first time. Depending on how much you love this film, you have a few different options. A standard release, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, and if you feel like importing it, a Zavvi Exclusive Deluxe SteelBook.
In terms of A/V presentation, we're looking at HDR10 - no word on Dolby Vision yet, and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. The bonus features selection is pretty much everything that's already been released since the days of DVD without any new additions in that arena. Hopefully, if this does well enough the powers that be who own Darabont's The Mist will give us an upgrade to 4K as well.
Here's the full press release from Warner Brothers for The Green Mile on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray:
THE GREEN MILE
COMES TO 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYTM COMBO PACK AND DIGITAL FROM
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AMERICAN CLASSIC WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION WITH
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR)
Own it 2/22/22 on 4K Ultra HD and Digital
Burbank, Calif., January 5, 2022 – The Green Mile, which received four Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Clarke Duncan, Best Sound and Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on 2/22/22, it was announced today by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Released in 1999, the critically-acclaimed The Green Mile was directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and is based on Stephen King's 1996 novel of the same name.
The film stars Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump), Academy Award® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (Armageddon), David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graeme Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, and Harry Dean Stanton.
The film was written and directed by Darabont, based on “The Green Mile” by Stephen King, and produced by Darabont and David Valdes. Mr. Darabont is one of only six filmmakers in history with the unique distinction of having his first two feature films receive nominations for the Best Picture Academy Award: 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption and 1999’s The Green Mile.
Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
The Green Mile will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $24.99 ERP and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc with the feature film and special features. Fans can also own The Green Mile in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on 2/22/22.
About the Film:
Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this emotional film about miracles and the power of redemption stars Tom Hanks as prison guard Paul Edgecomb. When John Coffey (Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man, is brought to death row, Edgecomb and his fellow guards discover something very unusual about him. Convicted for the sadistic murder of two young girls, but behaving almost like a child himself, Coffey seems to have a supernatural gift of healing living things. Expectations are turned upside down and the guards’ sense of humanity is awakened in this adaptation of Stephen Kings compelling novel.
Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Elements
The Green Mile Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On 2/22/22, The Green Mile 4K UHD will be available to own for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on favorite devices from select digital retailers and will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
BASICS
PRODUCT
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Standard Street Date: 2/22/22
EST Street Date: 2/22/22
Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
Run Time: 189 Min.
Rated: R
THE CREDITS
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
Welcome to 2022 (officially). Are we looking forward to anything specific this year (movies or otherwise)? There's another recent story about The Abyss getting a new 4K scan, with a wishful disc release coming sometime sooner than later, which we kind of alluded to in August. At this point every time every time I read such a story I'm like 'yeah yeah yeah, blah blah blah,' we've had our hopes up so many times before.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 33 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
Another slow week on the 4K disc front, but that's to be expected.
In an odd Sunday release date, Disney brings us Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. We've already reviewed it, do take a look. Overseas the entire collection is available in 4K, so we can bet the remaining films will get there eventually in the U.S..
And from Shout! Factory/GKIDS, Weathering With You gets a simpler more basic release this go round. If the disc is the same as the previous release, it is region A locked to boot. What were they thinking to lock this disc?
Blu-ray releases-
For blu-ray, we actually have more titles this week than next, albeit many are from small indie houses, which is quite OK.
From 20th Century Studios (Disney) comes horror film Antlers. Already looking like it's hard to find.
Screen Media (maybe) releases Black Friday, the horror / comedy with Bruce Campbell.
RLJ/Image entertainment releases The Djinn. The trailer made it look pretty good, then again, don't most of them? Though, another cool looking cover that's a victim of the Rotten Tomatoes logo.
Weekly anime highlights include Canaan (Season 1) Complete Collection, My Next Life as a Villainess, All Routes Lead to Doom! (Season 1) Complete Collection and One Piece: Season Eleven - Voyage Six.
Y'all didn't think we would go a week without a LionsGate release did ya? In the thriller category, Zeroes and Ones starring Ethan Hawk.
Honorable Mentions: Kino Lorber digs deep for a big of film-noir starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster, titled All My Sons. Also this week from Kino, Alfred Hitchcock's Rich and Strange.
There are no Friday releases this week.
Notable announcements from last week:
Warner Archive's next batch of titles has been revealed. The titles are Edge of Darkness (1943), Gold Diggers of 1933 and The Three Musketeers (1948). Look for them late January and in to February. Also from Warner Bros., the 2021 Will Smith film King Richard will be released both on blu-ray and 4K combos on February 8th.
Warner Bros. overseas is prepping The Green Mile as a Zavvi Exclusive deluxe 4K SteelBook giftset, with a March 7th street date. Will the (rumored) 2/22 release for the U.S. also include a deluxe giftset like that one? Warner Bros has done U.S. giftsets before for 4K releases before but they did not look so inclusive.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
Normally studios and boutique labels start to take a little bit of a break in the new year. They've spent all of October, November, and December crushing the market with major new releases and fan favorites - often straining the supply chain and their quality-control teams. The SOP in the past was to treat January as a bit of a dump month to take a break, maybe drop a couple of nuggets but nothing too exciting. 2022 seems to be playing the game a bit differently. Not only are boutique labels throwing some great hits but the majors have a few big new releases and favorites lined up. While one of the big anticipated releases of the month is already a dud, that doesn't mean the rest of January is doomed. At least we hope not!
That just about does it for 2022's opening salvo for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases. The supply chain issues that were such a headache for collectors (and us to get reviews done on time) don't seem to be a problem anymore. Hopefully, it stays that way and we don't see such dramatic scheduling changes for releases like we did the last few months. As of right now - there aren't any foreign import titles we're aiming to cover, but if that changes we'll churn out a review as soon as we get eyes on the disc.
As always, thanks again for reading and placing your pre-orders. They really do go a long way towards keeping our little operation rolling.
Happy New Year!
As we close out the year, we hope you've had a good 2021 overall, despite some of the issues that are out there, including a stressful pandemic. What will 2022 bring from a home video perspective? Very hard to say, but as long as we continue to purchase the discs we want, so far it looks like it could be a promising year. I bought in to the Vinegar Syndrome subscription for 2022 and so far their line up has a few excellent titles in the works. With other labels on board with 4K, I look forward to seeing where it takes us.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 32 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
There is one, single solitary release this week. It is the week between Christmas and New Years day so that is kind of expected.
Discotek offers up Robot Carnival this week. It probably is the best this collection of animated films has ever looked. We reached out to Discotek about the specs of this title because they indicated 'region A' locked, which sounds like an error, but they had not responded. There are several other previously released 4K titles out there that are region-locked. So if you're looking at importing, verify first or make sure your player has region-free BD capability (which is how a 4K region lock is enforced apparently).
Blu-ray releases-
Just like the 4K category, the blu-ray category is just as slow.
Under the Shout! Factory label, action film Castle Falls starring Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins.
20th Century Studios releases The French Dispatch this week, a comedy/drama with a few names we should be familiar with.
Twilight Time movies has transformed a little bit, previously you could only buy direct from them or SAE. SAE bought out the label and distributed them exclusively going forward. This week however they are offering a few titles via Amazon. They are Messalina, The Man from Hong Kong, Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye and Venom aka The Legend Of Spider Forest.
For Anime, Goblin Slayer: Season One (SteelBook) gets a general release - it was previously a Best Buy Exclusive. Also from Discotek, Samurai Troopers: The Complete Collection.
If you've watched Arrow Video's release of Shawscope Volume One get pushed back multiple times, the wait *might* be over. At press time, it is indeed on track to come out Tuesday. The Shaw Brothers set up their own brand of movies in the 1970s that still hold up today.
Notable announcements from last week:
Mill Creek Entertainment will be releasing Magnum PI: The Complete TV Series (1980-1988) on Blu-ray, with an ETA of March 22nd.
FUNimation's March slate of anime releases have been added to the release calendar. With the exception of Dr. Stone Season 2, I am unfamiliar with the titles, but I'm sure anime fans will see a few others they know.
Eastern Promises will be getting a 4K disc release from Kino Lorber on March 22nd as well.
It looks like March might be the month to start feeling 4K wallet fatigue with all the titles one must get to keep up!
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
Ever since Season 3 Episode 21 of Mystery Science Theater 3000 where Joel and the Bots riffed Santa Conquers the Martians, the Patrick Swayze Christmas has become the best way to celebrate the festive but usually very stressful holiday season. It spreads holiday cheer while sparing people the drama of sticking to classic traditions. But for those who somehow missed that magical host segment, how do you spread such an important form of holiday cheer? It turns out there are three important rules to follow.
Crow T. Robot (with lyrics by Mike Nelson) created an iconic Christmas carol based on the 1989 classic Road House. In the film, there is an important scene where Swayze's world-famous bouncer Dalton takes the job to clean up The Double Deuce and he addresses the current employees. After firing the troublemakers, he gives it to them straight laying out his three rules. These three rules are essential for having a truly successful Patrick Swayze Christmas and a happy holiday season.
The holidays are always chaotic. Trying to bring everyone together is stressful enough without select family members bringing those extra delights. You have to be prepared. If your aunt only brings an already opened bag of potato chips as her only dish to pass - have green bean casserole on standby. If your younger cousin shows up uninvited with his new girlfriend - have extra folding chairs. If your uncle starts saying what he thinks about the current administration at everyone in earshot - subscribe to ESPN+ so you can keep his brain distracted and mouth closed.
If someone brings non-alcoholic beer, homemade fruitcake, or fat-free eggnog - take it outside. You don't need to put that out on the table. Chances are whoever brought it is dumping it on you because they don't want it. If you're lucky, neighborhood stray cats will drink the eggnog, squirrels will eat the fruit cake, and you can use the non-alcoholic beer to water the tulips you planted earlier in the fall.
If your grandpa says he thinks the turkey is dry, be nice. If your grandma says she never wanted kids and your mother or father were accidents, be nice. Whatever happens, be nice. But there are limits. When your mother says Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie - politely correct her by turning it on with the volume cranked all the way up to nicely remind her. But when your sister's bratty pre-teen kid tells you the knockoff brand television they got cheap on a Black Friday deal is better than your top-of-the-line properly calibrated 70" 4K UHD HDR television with full Atmos/DTS:X sound system, you don't have to stand there and take that crap. But be as nice about it as you possibly can.
While these three rules are essential, a customary viewing of Road House is highly recommended. Now that the Shout Select Collector's Edition is out of print, if you don't have a DVD or Blu-ray on hand, you can stream Road House with your Amazon Prime membership.
If you can't watch Road House for your Patrick Swayze Christmas - appropriate alternate titles include:
To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar 
And of course, no Patrick Swayze Christmas is complete without a festive recital of the classic carol. So these are the lyrics to (Let's Have) A Patrick Swayze Christmas from MST3K:
LET'S HAVE A PATRICK SWAYZE CHRISTMAS
(Lyrics by Michael J. Nelson)
Open up your heart and let the Patrick Swayze Christmas in.
We'll gather at the Roadhouse with our next of kin.
And Santa can be our regular Saturday night thing.
We'll decorate our barstools and gather round and sing.
Oh, let's have a Patrick Swayze Christmas this year!
Or we'll tear your throat out and kick you in the ear!
It's my way or the highway, this Christmas at my ba-ha-haar.
I'll have to smash your kneecaps if you bastards touch my car!
I got the word that Santa has been stealing from the till.
I think that that right jolly old elf better make out his will, ohh,
Oh, let's have a Patrick Swayze Christmas, one and all.
And this can be the haziest...
This can be the laziest...
This can be the Swayziest
Christmas of them aaallllllllll!
On behalf of everyone at High-Def Digest - I want to thank everyone for dropping by, reading our reviews and news, and occasionally sharing your thoughts with us. It's been a crazy year what with insurrections, pandemics, vaccines, third, fourth, and fifth waves, Squid Game, varients, and HBO Max. It's been a heck of a year and insanely stressful times for all of us. I hope you found the humor in this little piece and had a good time with it - maybe even cracked a smile or had a nice laugh or two. With all the love we can muster, we want everyone to have a safe and festive holiday and an equally safe New Year. Hopefully, 2022 not only brings some sense of "normal" to the world but also some kickass new movies to see in the theater along with some long-awaited fan-favorite titles on Blu-ray and/or 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray... looking at you The Abyss.
Be good out there - and thanks again!
The Christmas holiday is THIS Saturday and the first day of Winter for the Northern Hemisphere is Tuesday, it certainly doesn't mean nothing is going on in the world of movie releases. We do expect this week and next to be slow weeks for new title announcements, so episodes 32 and 33 will likely have very little content.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 31 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
The release that gets the most attention this week is Daniel Craig's last film as Agent 007, this one is titled No Time To Die. Available in several options, the Standard Edition, the Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, and the Limited Edition Giftset. Unless you got your orders in early, you will likely be getting the standard edition, or seeking the third party market. Will the rest of the catalog get a 4K upgrade, knowing that Amazon now owns the MGM library? I hope so, but have my doubts. Walmart had an early release for this movie, Friday December 17th.
And from Warner Bros, The Many Saints of Newark, a movie based on The Sopranos universe.
Blu-ray releases-
Moving on to blu-ray releases, a bit slower than last week, but still a few to pick from. Getting to the HD counterparts first, both No Time to Die and The Many Saints of Newark get blu-ray releases. I hope retailers and studios read this, No Time to Die also get Target Exclusive and Walmart Exclusive releases, with what I consider much better cover art, but as a 4K consumer, I feel slightly dissed by this decision to not make them 4K exclusives.
From Universal Pictures, the 2021 drama Blue Bayou.
From Sony, the TV series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness - Season One gets a blu-ray release.
When was the last time you remembered a week without a LionsGate action release? This week look for Fortress, a film that has Bruce Willis opposite of Chad Michael Murray.
Arrow video might be releasing Giallo Essentials (Yellow Edition) this week, but again, supply chain issues are plaguing them especially hard, don't be surprised to see this in a few weeks.
Weekly anime highlights this week include A3! Season Spring & Summer, Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, High School of the Dead: Complete Collection [SteelBook], Princess Tutu: Complete Collection [SteelBook] and Project A-Ko.
The Shout! Collector's Edition label brings us The Vampire Lovers.
Honorable Mention: The Film Detective is releasing a handsome looking set titled The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection. It covers multiple Sherlock Holmes movies from the 1930s.
Notable announcements from last week:
If you have been following the release calendar, you will notice we have decided to move Hotel Transylvania: Transformania to the 'postponed' category. The studio never officially announced this title, it was Amazon that had it listed for 12/21. I would expect a January 11th or 18th release myself.
I was looking forward to enjoying Jack Frost 2 on blu-ray from MVD in time for Christmas, but that title has been delayed yet again, this time to January 11th. It's not really a Christmas movie, but I've always associated it in the same category as Silent Night, Deadly Night. Jack Frost is also slated for the same day (previously released by Vinegar Syndrome.)
Disney's Encanto has gets a street date of February 8th and comes with the usual slew of skus. A blu-ray edition, 4K Standard, Best Buy Exclusive 4K SteelBook and the Target Exclusive 4K Edition.
The Criterion Collection has announced their March titles, which include a couple of 4K releases. The titles are Adoption, The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Last Waltz (both blu-ray and 4K/blu-ray combo editions), Le Cercle Rouge - 4K/Blu-ray Combo and Love Jones.
Shout Factory will be releasing The Sword and the Sorcerer on 4K/blu-ray combo on March 15th. If I am not mistaken this was stuck on an Anchor Bay DVD, it never made it to blu-ray. Also coming in 2022, they have secured the rights to release The Core as part of their Shout Select line.
Arrow Video has revealed their March 2022 titles. The titles are An American Werewolf in London - Limited Edition 4K, Come Drink With Me, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - 4K, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - 4K [Zavvi Exclusive SteelBook], RoboCop - Limited Edition 4K, RoboCop - 4K [Limited Edition SteelBook] and To Sleep So As To Dream.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
Marvel's latest new addition to the MCU from Oscar-winner Chloeì Zhao arrives on digital January 12th with Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases dropping on February 15th, 2022.
Standing as the lowest-rated MCU film to date, Chloeì Zhao's sprawling action science-fiction epic The Eternals extends the scope of the MCU with a new cast of powerful characters. Starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie - the film might have worked better as a Disney+ series than a feature film with so many new characters scrambling to get enough relevant screentime. I personally enjoyed it even though there were some very long and slow parts that probably could have been trimmed out and not be missed in the least.
Fans of the film will get three purchasing options, a standard SDR Blu-ray, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and of course Best Buy will be dropping their own exclusive 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook.
In keeping with Disney's tradition for their physical releases, we expect the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray to only offer HDR10 where the streaming release will have Dolby Vision HDR. The 4K will come with Atmos - hopefully it's a powerful mix and not neutered. The standard Blu-ray will sport a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track.
Read the full press release below for all of the details:
“THIS IS MARVEL STUDIOS AT ITS MAGNIFICENT BEST”
– Josh Wilding, Comic Book Movie
Introducing an Exciting All-New Team of Super Heroes
to the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel Studios’ Eternals Defends Humanity on Digital January 12
and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD February 15
LOS ANGELES, CA (December 16, 2021) – Marvel Studios’ Eternals debuts on all major digital platforms January 12 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on February 15. Marvel fans can enjoy never-before-seen bonus material including four deleted scenes and a gag reel.
Film Synopsis
Marvel Studios’ Eternals follows a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again.
The outstanding ensemble cast includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie.
Bonus Features*
*bonus features vary by product and retailer
Cast
Gemma Chan as Sersi
Richard Madden as Ikaris
Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
Lia McHugh as Sprite
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
Barry Keoghan as Druig
Don Lee as Gilgamesh
Kit Harington as Dane Whitman
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Angelina Jolie as Thena
Directed by
Chloeì Zhao
Produced by
Kevin Feige, p.g.a.
Nate Moore, p.g.a.
Executive Producers
Louis D’Esposito
Victoria Alonso
Kevin de la Noy
Screenplay by
Chloé Zhao
and Chloé Zhao
& Patrick Burleigh
and Ryan Firpo
& Kaz Firpo
Screen Story by
Ryan Firpo
& Matthew K. Firpo
Music by
Ramin Djawadi
Product Specifications
Street Date
Digital: January 12
Physical: February 15
Product SKUs
Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD
Physical: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + Digital Code) & DVD
Feature Run Time
Approx. 157 minutes
Rating
U.S. Rated PG-13
Bonus material not rated
Aspect Ratio
Digital: 2.39
Physical: 2.39:1
U.S. Audio
4K Ultra HD: English Dolby Atmos and 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA and 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD: English Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio Language Tracks
Digital: English Dolby Atmos (UHD only, some platforms), English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital (some platforms)
U.S. Subtitles
4K Ultra HD: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
DVD: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Digital: English SDH, Spanish, French (some platforms)
With two full weeks remaining until Christmas, how are you feeling as far as being ready? Truthfully, half my immediate family have become Scrooges, so it's become much easier to shop year-to-year. Except for mom, I am ready!
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 30 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
Quite an assortment of titles to pick from this week. Getting to the new releases first, The Last Duel gets a standard release from 20th Century Studios. There was a SteelBook in the mix early on, but that has either been delayed at the last second or we have not gotten an order link for yet. The Disney company is known for pretty short order windows.
And from Sony Pictures, Venom: Let There Be Carnage gets a standard edition release and a Best Buy Eclusive SteelBook.
On to catalog releases, first from Paramount, The Wolf of Wall Street gets a standard edition release and a general release SteelBook edition, which in my opinion is absolutely hideous. But hey, to each their own, I won't judge you if you dig it.
The next Criterion Collection 4K release is here this week, I'm talking about The Red Shoes. I am wondering how this will look, as the description touts it as a 'Technicolor feast.'
Arrow video may or may not be releasing a more economical, single disc edition of Dune and a swagless edition of Donnie Darko. With delivery issues hitting them the hardest, those dates literally could change at any moment.
Blu-ray releases-
If you saved any cash after shopping the 4K category, this week's blu-ray category has the most titles of the month.
Just like always, getting the blu-ray counterparts listed first, The Last Duel and Venom: Let There Be Carnage will be available. Also available, Venom / Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Double Feature). Little by little, multi-features get 4K releases as well, but not this one.
Sony Pictures releases a Netflix animated adventure titled The Mitchells vs the Machines.
LionsGate brings us their two latest action films, American Sicario and Dangerous. I've been wondering what Danny Trejo has been up to these days.
Warner Archive's classic release this week is the 1952 drama film Ivanhoe.
From Universal, the 2021 action/thriller The Card Counter.
For animated and anime releases, Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy from Shout Factory, which offers several titles previously released, but in a nice looking collector's set. Actual anime, Dr. Stone: Season 1 (Supposed to be a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook until 2/15, but Amazon is showing a 12/14 release date), One Piece - Collection 28, Rent-A-Girlfriend: Complete Collection and Robotech - Part 3 (The New Generation).
Kino Lorber brings us some star power, a Marlon Brando feature titled Bedtime Story and a Tony Randall / Burl Ives film titled The Brass Bottle.
Criterion Collection's blu-ray release this week is The Learning Tree, a drama from 1969.
Honorable Mention: ClassicFlix has been releasing The Little Rascals Collections quite regularly now (Volume 4 is in Janaury.) This week, they are bringing us The Abbott and Costello Show: Season 1. Amazon's order link is dead at the time of this writing, but it should go live any time. Other sites list the title for preorder so the date should be accurate.
Notable announcements from last week:
A handful of announcements worth mentioning from last week.
Paramount will be releasing a 4K disc (with digital code) of John Carpenter's Escape From L.A. on 2/22. As you may recall, Shout! Factory did the most recent blu-ray release.
Sony has announced a 4K combo release for Looper with a street date of 2/15. Yes, you can thank me for taking one for the team, I made an impulse buy on Zavvi for the SteelBook with slip and no sooner did I get a ship notice, this announcement arrived. It is said in the industry that the color timing for the U.S. release is supposed to be retinkered to be more accurate. Sounds like a possible double-dip for me already, UGH. Sony has also added a 4K SteelBook edition for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City that is a general release (not Best Buy exclusive.)
Kino Lorber will be releasing Orson Welles' Touch of Evil as a 4K disc combo or a blu-ray edition on 2/15.
I was right a week back about supply issues likely impacting The Andy Griffith Show Complete Series set. Delivery date is trending towards the end of the year, I wouldn't doubt if it goes into January. Maybe they sold more copies than anticipated, which would be a good sign.
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?
John Carpenter fans can look forward to Snake Plisken in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray this February 22nd, 2022
Paramount Home Video today officially announced plans to bring John Carpenter and Kurt Russell's Escape From L.A. to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Almost two years ago Scream Factory punched out their excellent Collector's Edition Blu-ray, well now you'll have to grab it again to keep that Carpenter collection alive and well. This makes me wonder when we can expect Event Horizon to get a similar visit on 4K disc...
Escape From L.A. - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The press release indicates that this one will get a Dolby Vision pass and offer DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. But before you go selling off your Scream Factory discs, it looks like this is going to be a barebones release. The only listed bonus feature in the PR was a trailer. We've reached out to our PHV contacts to verify that end. While not the best Carpenter film ever, I'm glad to see it coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. It's very 90s and I feel it has a pretty good tongue-in-cheek sense of humor about big blockbuster action movies of the era.
Escape From L.A. - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is up for Pre-Order now on Amazon, no sign or word of any kind of retailer exclusive packaging, but if that changes we'll let you know.
Thanks again for your pre-orders. They really do go a long way towards keeping our little operation up and running.
Here's the original PR from Paramount Home Video:
DIRECTED BY JOHN CARPENTER, THE EXPLOSIVE CULT-CLASSIC ARRIVES ON
4K ULTRA HD FOR THE FIRST TIME
Kurt Russell Stars in the Action-Packed Sequel, Debuting on 4K Ultra HD February 22, 2022
Snake Plissken is back in the high-octane thrill-ride JOHN CARPENTER’S ESCAPE FROM L.A., arriving on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever February 22, 2022 from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Released in 1996, JOHN CARPENTER’S ESCAPE FROM L.A. was the highly anticipated follow up to the fan-favorite hit Escape from New York. Kurt Russell returns as anti-hero Snake Plissken, who is called upon to save the world from a doomsday device after a 9.6 quake levels most of Los Angeles.
Experience every outrageous and eye-popping moment of the post-apocalyptic classic in stunning 4K Ultra HD, including Snake surfing Wilshire Blvd., shooting hoops at the Coliseum, and dive bombing the Happy Kingdom theme park. The film also features a wild assortment of friends, fiends and foes from a supporting cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, Stacy Keach, Cliff Robertson and Bruce Campbell.
The 4K Ultra HD release features exceptional picture quality with Dolby Vision and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The disc also includes access to a Digital copy of the film and the original theatrical trailer.
# # #
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 ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. 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.
JOHN CARPENTER’S ESCAPE FROM L.A.
Street Date: February 22, 2022
U.S. Rating: R for violence and some language
Cyber Week: DONE. In case you're wondering, I did buy the subscription for Vinegar Syndrome releases for 2022!
The Christmas/Holiday season is just a few weeks away! Have you completed your obligatory viewing of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer yet? Or some other favorite Christmas/Holiday movie, be it a classic or something newer, even Die Hard!
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 29 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc this week, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-
This category is mostly about the catalog titles, which is OK because there are some good ones. Let's reveal the new release first though:
Clint Eastwood is still at it, this week's disc release is Cry Macho, released by Warner Bros. As an action movie fan, I am pretty sure I will enjoy this Western/Drama, Eastwood is certainly a hall of famer with great vision and talent. One can bet there will be a SteelBook internationally or later on as a reissue.
And from 20th Century Studios (via Disney), the animated title Ron's Gone Wrong. This one breaks the normal model of offering a SteelBook and a Target exclusive, AND is also at the moment available for preorder from Amazon.
OK then, on to the catalog titles category. Sticking with the Disney company, Who Framed Roger Rabbit gets a 4K upgrade, both as a standard edition and as a SteelBook release. I personally am not a fan of that rather plain looking, overly yellow SteelBook, but I am sure it probably appeals to some.
Next, from Sony, The Karate Kid Collection. This includes the original Karate Kid movie and the two sequels, but not the new reboot movie. When the original movie came out to 4K disc I actually held off in the hopes that (at least) all three would get a 4K release. My order was placed as soon as this got listed.
From Shout!/Scream Factory, Krampus: The Naughty Cut. Another title I ordered once it got listed.
One of my most anticipated releases of the week, JCVD stars in the action film Hard Target, released by Kino Lorber. Hopefully with KLSC releasing this one it means that JCVD will get additional blu-ray and 4K releases in the future.
If you missed out on the import for Running Man a month back, now you can get it from Amazon.de (Germany). Does this mean a domestic release is coming? Really hard to say. This one has a Friday release date.
Blu-ray releases-
This week is the second busiest week of the month. In our weekly tradition, getting the blu-ray counterparts out of the way first, Cry Macho, Ron's Gone Wrong and Hard Target all get concurrent releases.
Keeping with JCVD, Mill Creek is offering Street Fighter in a SteelBook package this week. I still got the laserdisc in a storage bin somewhere.
From the Warner Archive Collection, Angels with Dirty Faces gets a blu-ray release.
Distributed by Paramount but from CBS Home Entertainment, The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series debuts on blu-ray disc. Although not DS9, it does give us another physical blu-ray release of a TV series, which is always good. With supply chain issues, I've got my doubts on this one arriving at your door step on December 7th, but sometime in December is likely.
Paramount's catalog title Beavis and Butt-Head Do America debuts to blu-ray. The Paramount Presents label this week brings us Harold and Maude.
Universal's 2021 action/thriller Copshop gets a blu-ray/dvd combo release this week. Also, Dear Evan Hansen gets a blu-ray/dvd combo, and it would appear the 4K disc has been shelved.
Warner Bros. delivers Rick and Morty: Season 5 in both a standard edition and a SteelBook.
Creepshow: Season 2 gets a release from RLJE/Image Entertainment.
LionsGate's appearance on the weekly calendar gives us The Jesus Music and Last Shoot Out.
If you're not Criterioned out from the recent 4K release batches, One Night In Miami gets a blu-ray this week.
Anime highlights include just Bleach: Set 13 and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?! Season 3.
Honorable mention: Kino Lorber releases Gomorrah: Season 2 this week and it looks like they're on track to release the ramainder of this series in a short period. There are a few other noteable titles to ponder this week too; Blue Monkey, Get Crazy and Mr. Majestyk.
Notable announcements from last week:
I really thought this section would be completely blank, being that this time frame was Cyber-week.
Shout! Factory has announced a handful of titles for August. The titles are Alligator - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Alligator II: The Mutation, Gintama: The Very Final, The Howling - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Lipstick, Paranoiac, Slap Shot [SteelBook], Slumber Party Massacre (2021) and Summer School. You can thank me for the domestic release of The Howling in 4K because I took one for the team and imported it! Mind you, my import is a decked out StudioCanal swag-filled edition.
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?
