Given how difficult it's become lately to find new releases in stores or online retailers to meet their pre-orders, it's no surprise that Sony is delaying Columbia Classics Vol 2, Underworld 5-Film Collection, and The Guns of Navarone.
If you've gone out to your local big-box store and couldn't find either Paramount's Star Trek: 4-Movie Collection or Universal's release of John Carpenter's The Thing or had your online pre-order delayed - we're seeing the side effects of virtually every major studio and boutique label dropping an array of high-demand product all at the same time. The supply chain simply can't keep up with that demand and it also puts a crunch on QC. As such - it looks like Sony is flipping up their release schedule a little to hopefully accommodate for pre-orders and brick and mortar shop stock. So if you were planning to get these titles, you have some schedule readjustments to make.
First up - Columbia Classics Vol 2 is getting another delay, this time to October 12th.
Next up, while not a HUGE one on most folks' wishlist, Underworld 5-Film Collection is pushed to October 26th.
And last, The Guns of Navarone apparently will now drop on November 12th - but that is a Friday and not the standard Tuesday release day, so I don't expect that day to stick either.
So far, that's the only big change in Sony's release slate, but of course that could change. We've already seen a number of titles get moved around from all of the studios ahead of the Holiday shopping season and we're likely to see some more movement - especially as more new titles are announced. If anything changes again for either of these three titles, we'll update things and keep you all posted.
Thanks again for your pre-orders, they really do go a long way towards keeping our little operation rolling along.
One of the roughest and toughest revenge films ever made is coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Meir Zarchi's I Spit On Your Grave (AKA Day of the Woman) is coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray courtesy of Ronin Flix. Last November, we took a look at their incredible 2-Film Collector's Edition set. Top to bottom, this iconic revenge thriller had never looked or sounded better on home video. Not an easy movie to consume by any stretch, the folks over at Ronin Flix are giving this Exploitation genre classic a new 3-Disc Limited Edition set:
While I absolutely dug everything that Ronin Flix pulled together for their Collector's Edition set, I really only cared about the first film and the documentary. The sequel just didn't do anything for me really, a nice effort but unnecessary. This time around Ronin Flix is keeping things simple and bringing back some impressive artwork in keeping with the original grindhouse marketing. The transfer will be sourced from a new remaster in HDR10 with the 2020 restoration of the original uncut version serving as the baseline.
Right now, this release is ONLY AVAILABLE at Ronin Flix - the SRP is $59.99, but if you pre-order you instantly save $15, so not a terrible price. Pretty much in keeping with some of the deluxe 4k releases from Arrow or Blue Underground.
Here's what you're getting in the package:
In 1978, one film changed the face of cinema forever. Now, 43 years later, the original and notorious I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (aka Day of the Woman) is back and still refusing to be buried! In this new limited edition 4K UHD 3 disc set, you can re-experience the phenomenon that shocked and divided the world - and influenced an entire genre and generation of filmmakers - in Ultra High Definition. Featuring a brand new 2021 4K HDR Remaster done by Ronin Flix on 4K Ultra HD, the 2020 4K scan and restoration of director Meir Zarchi’s uncut 35mm original camera negative and the restored original mono soundtrack on Blu-ray, a bonus Blu-ray including the feature length documentary Growing up with I Spit on Your Grave (2019) and all of the historical Ronin Flix Blu-ray special features, this landmark 4K Ultra HD set belongs in every cinephiles collection.
Camille Keaton (What Have You Done to Solange?, Tragic Ceremony) stars as Jennifer Hills, a young and beautiful career woman who rents a backwoods cabin to write her first novel. Attacked by a group of local lowlifes and left for dead, she devises a horrific plan to inflict revenge in some of the most unforgettable scenes ever shot on film.
"One of the most important films in cinema history." - Brittany Jade Colangelo, Film Critic - Fangoria / Bloody-Disgusting
“I Spit on Your Grave boldly shoves a topic often reserved for hushed whispers out in the open. It’s every bit as exploitative as the title indicates, in subject matter and technique, but [the films] themes remain timeless. No wonder I Spit on Your Grave has remained a pinnacle of the genre.” - Meagan Navarro, Day of the Woman: Meir Zarchi’s Ultimate Act of Revenge
“It's about the strongest 'Take Back the Night' statement ever made. She doesn't just take back the night. She takes back the night, the morning, the afternoon, and steals the clock while she's at it.” - Joe Bob Briggs - Film Critic, “The Drive In”, AMC Shudder
Starring Camille Keaton, Eron Tabor, Richard Pace, Anthony Nichols, Gunter Kleemann
Special Features: NEW 2021 4K HDR REMASTER done by Ronin Flix, English SDH Subtitles (Feature Presentations Only) and all of the historical Ronin Flix Blu-ray special features:
The worst of the worst is coming to the best of the best home video formats on October 26th
James Gunn's franchise relaunch/sequel may not have been the big box office draw Hollywood expected, but it chalked up some favorable notices from critics and fans for its darkly violent sense of humor. Now fans can get ready to add this latest entry in the ramshackle DCEU to their collection with either a Blu-ray, a 4K Ultra HD, or a nifty 4K Ultra HD Blur-ay SteelBook exclusive to Best Buy in the U.S. - take a look:
The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and 1080p Blu-ray discs are both expected to have Atmos audio with the 4K disc getting a an HDR10 pass - HBO Max previously offered it in Dolby Vision. That seems to be Warner Brother's operating standard these days.
Read our The Suicide Squad Theatrical Review
For a full list of specs and bonus features, check out the press release from Warner Brothers below:
The Suicide Squad
COMES HOME TO
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Premium Digital Ownership
debut early on September 17
4K, Blu-ray, and DVD arrive on October 26
Burbank, CA, September 8 – Witness the collection of the most degenerate delinquents in the DC lineup when “The Suicide Squad” arrives for Premium Digital Ownership at home on September 17. The film is directed by James Gunn (the “Guardian of Galaxy” films) from his own screenplay and stars Margot Robbie (“Birds of Prey,” “Bombshell”), Idris Elba (“Avengers: Infinity War”), John Cena (“Bumblebee”), Joel Kinnaman (“Suicide Squad”), and Jai Courtney (the “Divergent” franchise). The film will also be available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD beginning on October 26.
The film was produced by Charles Roven and Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo, Nikolas Korda and Richard Suckle executive producing. The film also stars Peter Capaldi (“World War Z,” TV’s “Doctor Who”), David Dastmalchian (“Ant-Man and the Wasp”), Daniela Melchior (“Parque Mayer”), Michael Rooker (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films), Alice Braga (“Elysium”), Pete Davidson (“The King of Staten Island,” TV’s “Saturday Night Live”).
“The Suicide Squad” will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.
SYNOPSIS
Welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.
4K, BLU-RAY & DVD ELEMENTS
“The Suicide Squad” 4K UHD combo pack and Blu-ray contain the following special features:
“The Suicide Squad” DVD contains the following special feature:
ABOUT MOVIES ANYWHERE
Movies Anywhere is a digital movie platform that enables movie fans to discover, access, and watch their favorite digital movies in one place. Movies Anywhere brings together a library of nearly 7,500 digital movies from Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks and Illumination Entertainment) and Warner Bros., and will continue to expand the consumer experience as more content providers, digital retailers and platforms are added. By connecting participating digital retailers that include Amazon Prime Video, FandangoNOW, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu, movie fans can now bring together their digital movie collections (whether purchased or redeemed) in one place and enjoy them from the comfort of their living rooms, and across multiple devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Roku® devices and popular browsers. Movie fans can also redeem digital codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere. Movies Anywhere – your movies, together at last.
BASICS
PRODUCT
Blu-ray
DVD
Digital Ownership: September 17, 2021
PVOD: September 17, 2021
4K, Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: October 26, 2021
DVD Languages: English, English-ADS, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Parisian French
BD Languages: English, English-ADS, English ATMOS, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian
4K Languages: English, English-ADS, English ATMOS, Latin Spanish, Hungarian, Hindi, Tamil, Teleugu, Castilian Spanish, Parisian French, Italian, Polish, Canadian French
DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Canadian French
BD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Brazilian Portuguese, Canadian French, Italian
4K Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Castilian Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, Teleugu, Hungarian, Tamil, Hindi, Italian, Greek, Romanian, Polish, Finnish, Danish, Canadian French
Running Time: 132 minutes
Rating: Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity
DVD: DLBY/DGTL
Blu-ray: ATMOS TrueHD, DLBY/DGTL
4K: ATMOS TrueHD, DLBY/DGTL
THE CREDITS
About “The Suicide Squad”
The film is directed by James Gunn (the “Guardian of Galaxy” films) from his own screenplay and produced by Charles Roven and Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo, Nikolas Korda and Richard Suckle executive producing.
The ensemble stars Margot Robbie (“Birds of Prey,” “Bombshell”), Idris Elba (“Avengers: Infinity War”), John Cena (upcoming HBO Max series “Peacemaker,” “Bumblebee”), Joel Kinnaman (“Suicide Squad”), Jai Courtney (the “Divergent” franchise), Peter Capaldi (“World War Z,” BBC’s “Doctor Who” ), David Dastmalchian (upcoming “Dune,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp”), Daniela Melchior (“Parque Mayer”), Michael Rooker (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films), Alice Braga (“Elysium”), Pete Davidson (“The King of Staten Island,” TV’s “Saturday Night Live”), Joaquín Cosio (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” TV’s “Narcos: Mexico”), Juan Diego Botto (“The Europeans”), Storm Reid (“The Invisible Man,” “A Wrinkle in Time”, “Euphoria”), Nathan Fillion (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” TV’s “The Rookie”), Steve Agee (“Brightburn,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”), Sean Gunn (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, the “Avengers” films), Mayling Ng (“Wonder Woman”), Flula Borg (“Ralph Breaks the Internet”), Jennifer Holland (“Brightburn,” upcoming HBO Max series “Peacemaker”) and Tinashe Kajese (TV’s “Valor,” “The Inspectors”), with Sylvester Stallone (the “Rocky,” “Rambo” and “Expendables” franchises), and Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Suicide Squad”).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents an Atlas Entertainment/Peter Safran Production, a James Gunn Film, “The Suicide Squad.”
From here on forward til the holidays, each week becomes more dangerous to your bank account if you're buying 4K discs. But at least, thus far, many of them have been produced at a very high quality, so enjoy!
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 16 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/Digital Releases-
There are TEN SKUs to look at this week, but fortunately there are not TEN movies beckoning you.
Reissues first, because, why not? Two more entries from the Alfred Hitchcock 4K set get single releases this week, as standard editions and as SteelBook editions. Rear Window: Standard -- SteelBook. Vertigo: Standard -- SteelBook.
Next, John Carpenter's horror classic The Thing. This one is available as a standard release and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. The cover art of the SteelBook appears to be a new creation. At least it's not an overly yellow or red blob, or Pop Art or something!
We knew this next one was inevitable but how it is broken up this time has me wondering. Paramount Home Entertainment is bringing us Star Trek: The Original 4 Movie Collection. Why 1-4 instead of 1-6, I don't know. The first four are my favorite originals any way so it's a great start! (Shameless plug in case they're reading: Deep Space Nine in HD yet fellas??)
Some of you may say I have saved the best for last. I'm of course referring to Zack Snyder's Justice League. It was a bit hairy at first with overseas markets getting this one and nothing to be heard from the U.S. offices. The common theme again surfaces here, available as a standard release and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. But apparently the Best Buy SteelBook option is no longer available - so keep your eyes open at your local stores.
Also being offered is Zack Snyder's Justice League Trilogy, which comes in a slipbox package and includes a little bit of swag.
HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-
Like we do every week, getting the blu-ray counterparts out of the way first. Zack Snyder's Justice League is the only actual one that fits the bill.
As far as Star Trek, each title does get a new blu-ray release this week, but it is not clear if they're the same discs or if they were made from the new masters used to make the 4K discs.
Universal's MOD label (similar to Warner Archive) is releasing American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules, Because of Him, Can't Help Singing, For the Love of Mary, Something in the Wind, State of the Union and The Woody Woodpecker: Screwball Collection. Also from Universal's general label, 2020's You Should Have Left.
Warner Archive's single release this week is Young Sheldon: The Complete Fourth Season.
LionsGate brings us a crime/thriller The Gateway (2021).
Anime highlights include Bleach: Set 12, Heaven's Memo Pad, In/Spectre Season 1 and One Piece: Season Eleven - Voyage Four.
Although it was a bomb when it came out, it has gained some following. Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace gets a regular release this week. Previously it was a Ronin Flix shop exclusive.
Film Detective releases A Life at Stake this week. Film Noir fans might know this one. The director and at least one star should be familiar to you.
Honorable Mention: Vincent Price is on the docket again this week. Kino Lorber offers us Theater of Blood and The Tomb of Ligeia.
Notable announcements from last week:
Criterion Collection has revealed another 4K title, this one is Adam Sandler's recent drama Uncut Gems. As to why LionsGate seems to miss out on 4K disc opportunities, who knows, but Criterion should do a bang up job.
Warner Bros. will be releasing Middle Earth 6-Film Ultimate Collector's Edition on October 26th. The set is truly a nice looking set, but many people were not expecting this when we bought our existing sets. Is this enough for you to double-dip?
LionsGate Home Entertainment has announced 2021's The Green Knight will be released on 4K disc and blu-ray on October 12th. UGH, what an overly RED cover art.
Paramount Presents spine number 27 will be Vanilla Sky, and will be available for purchase on November 16th.
Shout! Factory will be releasing Krampus in 4K on November 16th. This one is touted to be 'The Naughty Cut.'
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?
If you were planning on picking up The Criterion Collection's release of Uncut Gems on Blu-ray on October 26th, you're going to have to wait a month because it's getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray upgrade!
This release features a 4K transfer with Dolby Vision HDR and a Dolby Atmos audio mix approved by the Safdie Brothers. Of course, the standard Blu-ray release is still happening, but why would you get that when you can enjoy this full 4K release instead?
Here's a list of disc specs and bonus features:
6 films were made. Three... three for The Lord of the Rings, the best and most groundbreaking cinematic experience of a generation. Three... three for The Hobbit, the fun but bloated prequel to Peter Jackson's epic trilogy. Six Theatrical Cuts, shorter and to the point for impatient people without attention spans. Six Extended Cuts for people with larger bladders that can put down their phones and who love character development and more nuanced performances. We've owned these movies before. DVD sets. Extended DVD Sets. Blu-ray sets. Extended Blu-ray sets. Extended 4K Ultra HD sets. Fans thought they had it all... but they were all of them deceived. Forged in the dark halls of Warner Brothers - there was another set! A Six-Film 31-Disc Middle Earth Ultimate Collector's Edition to rule them all...
...only not quite because apparently, the really kick-ass appendices from special editions of The Lord of the Rings are not going to be included.
[UPDATE 9/9/21]
The Good folks over at Warner Brothers have gone and done it and officially announced what we pretty much already knew was coming - The Middle Earth Ultimate Collector's Edition 4K UHD & Blu-ray 31-Disc Set. This also confirms that the extensive legacy appendices bonus features of past DVD and Blu-ray releases will not be included. Each of the six films will be available in the shorter Theatrical Cut and better and longer Extended Cut with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio mixes.
Here's the list of new bonus features coming for this set:
... yeah. I'll let you take a moment to let that sink in.
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You okay now? There are many pluses to this set coming in the form that it is - I dig the packaging, that's pretty slick and we are getting a lot of great material, but like you I agree they are stretching the "Ultimate" namesake a little thin. Here's a badass unboxing video of the set:
If you waited to buy the films on 4K, you're getting a pretty good package. But if you're like me and bought the regular sets or the nifty SteelBooks you may want to juggle your options.
[original article continues]
Well Tolkien Kids - today's the day! Well, actually yesterday night was the day that pre-orders went live, but I have a toddler so I'm only now getting to this news now. We knew this mega set was in the pipeline ever since Warner Bros. released the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy and The Hobbit Extended Edition Trilogy on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray last year. In time to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring - WB will be releasing their ultra mega Six-Film 31-Disc Middle Earth Ultimate Collector's Edition.
As seems to be the standard operating procedure for these things, online retailers are jumping ahead of the studio official announcements to get those lovely pre-orders in ASAP. Unfortunately, this is sticking us in the position of reporting on this set without full specs. Presumably, There won't be any real tech spec differences between the Extended Cut 4K UHD discs and the Theatrical Cut 4K UHD discs with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio - what we don't have in final order are all of the bonus features.
It's been reported for quite a while that the lovely and extensive Appendicies of the Extended Edition DVDs and Blu-rays of past sets will not be included here. Also it doesn't appear that the 3-D versions of The Hobbit will be included either. What is included is a 64-page book, an extra bonus disc with footage of the Stephen Colbert-hosted Alamo Drafthouse appearances, and some mini-posters. Sooo with that in mind, WB might be stretching the term "Ultimate" just a little bit. It's very good, you're getting a lot of great stuff all in one box, but maybe not quite everything.
We are waiting for the official Warner Bros. Press Release which we expect to drop any time now. Those missing bonus features may well be included on the newly authored 4K discs or with the new 1080p transfer Blu-rays of The Lord of the Rings - but that's just speculation. It'd be a shame for WB to leave out so much great content. So once that PR arrives we'll update our listing and this article and fill in all of those content gaps.
Amazon has the set up for pre-order - don't be too shocked that price tag is the full SRP price and we expect online retailers to really dig in and crush the price down.
What do you think? Is this the set you've been waiting for? Or are you going to stick with the 4K and Blu-ray sets you already own?
Here's the full press release from Warner Brothers:
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Happy Back To School to the little ones. Did I just say Happy and Back to School in the same sentence? Well, it is the cheapest time of year to buy pens and paper and to get those bonus packs of socks and underwear.
Welcome to Volume 2 Episode 15 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/Digital Releases-
New releases first, both from Warner Bros.
In the Heights, a modern musical number that did not get any theater hype. I'm curious mostly.
The next entry in the Mortal Kombat Legends saga, this one is titled Battle of the Realms and comes available as a standard edition release and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. Unusual that both show the same exact cover art, but that's not a terrible thing.
Awaken, which appears to be an eye-candy release is distributed by Vinegar Syndrome. Looking at some of the preview imagery, again, the 'curious' word makes an appearance once again. And, riigght in mid-sentence, catalog titles are next, Vinegar Syndrome releases Terminal Island to 4K disc this week, currently only available direct from their site. The way the product is described, this title has never been on disc, ever.
Arrow Video brings us David Lynch/Frank Herbert's 1984 Sci-Fi extravaganza Dune this week. No doubt timed to coincide with 2021 theatrical release. If you're just now shopping for it, you will either get the Limited Edition 'fat-pack' release that should be available this week or you will be waiting about a month for the Limited Edition SteelBook. If you're eye-balling the Limited Deluxe Edition SteelBook that releases this week, you've probably missed the boat as preorders gobbled them all up. The 'fat-pack' is a handsome release so it would not be a shame to have to settle for it.
HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-
Just like we do here every week, getting the blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases out of the way first. Dune gets a 2-disc Limited Edition Blu-ray release from Arrow Video, and Warner Bros releases both In the Heights and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms.
As far as Vinegar Syndrome, this week is their August wave, with most of the titles exclusive to their site. Usually these titles get general release later but with different covers and such. When they released Forgotten Gialli Volume 3, they skipped right over Volume 2. That has been corrected this week.
Also from Arrow Video, The Brotherhood of Satan.
From Sony Pictures, 2021's sports/drama 12 Mighty Orphans.
Universal releases Spirit Untamed: The Movie this week. Might be what we need to lighten the mood a bit.
Criterion Collection's release this week is a war drama titled Beasts Of No Nation.
LAIKA Studios has a new home, Shout! Factory releases The Boxtrolls and Coraline. These releases are said to be new transfers and contain new extras.
Anime Highlights this week include Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics - Season 2, Kakushigoto - The Complete Season, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - The Complete First Season and Vinland Saga - Complete Collection.
The Paramount Presents label releases Bugsy Malone this week.
LionsGate's obligatory weekly appearance involves Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete Sixth Season.
Honorable Mention: Kino Lorber has a handful of Vincent Price releases this week to consider, they are The Comedy of Terrors, The Last Man on Earth, Master of the World and The Raven.
Friday releases, a ballet and an opera:
>Wagner - Wesendonck Lieder; Bruckner - Symp
Notable announcements from last week:
GKIDS, in association with Shout Factory will be releasing Neon Genesis Evangelion - Ultimate Edition in December. This mega set probably will run around $200 but they don't call it Ultimate Edition for nothing.
20th Century Studios will be releasing Free Guy on or around October 12th on Blu-ray and 4K disc.
Arrow Video has revealed their November batch of titles. The titles are The Hills Have Eyes (1977) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge and Mill of the Stone Women. Adjust your belts accordingly.
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?
Physical media connoisseurs have long waited for that beautiful day when (now) Disney/Fox would announce that James Cameron's underwater sci-fi classic The Abyss would one day arrive on disc in a condition far better than the SD letterboxed release of so long ago. Practically every time a cult classic or another title gets announced for the format someone inevitably asks the now redundant question "When are they going to put out The Abyss and True Lies?" We're also eagerly awaiting True Lies - and no that Spanish disc sourced from an old broadcast HD master doesn't count. While we're at it let's toss on Kathryn Bigalow's Strange Days too.
The excuses for why either The Abyss or True Lies haven't been released get thinner and thinner every year. 2019 was the perfect time for those films to arrive. The Abyss turned 30 and True Lies turned 25 - major milestone anniversaries that would be ripe pickings for collectors to gobble up these films. Alas, we wait. And wait. The latest rumor is maybe possibly in 2022 timed to help hype Cameron's Avatar 2... but then maybe the Abyss never existed at all and we're all sharing a collective fever dream, like in Prince of Darkness.
Previously, whenever this film would crop up on streaming services or if you were lucky and managed to redeem the Disc-To-Digital option on VUDU, it was sourced from the ancient letterboxed master used for DVD - and then it wasn't even anamorphic and would often appear squeezed. This current streaming master is in much better shape free of any speckling, grit, or other age-related issues. It also has different color timing than the old DVD and LaserDisc favoring that icy Cameron Blue tint instead of the brighter purplish tone folks may remember.
In the video below you can see the differences. We did have to adjust the brightness of the HD Streaming, the recorder we used darkened it quite a bit. Also, this video is rougher than our usual full rez spit and polished comparisons - for some reason this lo-fi unvarnished version is the only one that would get past having a complete copyright block preventing anyone from viewing it. DVD opens the video and rotates every 12 seconds.
As we continue to wait... and wait... and wait for The Abyss to arrive on 4K or even just a proper Blu-ray - this HD stream from Amazon Prime will just have to hold us over. And what's here ain't bad at all! Of course, in order to view this film, you need to have an Amazon Prime account.
Watch The Abyss In 1080p HD on Amazon Prime
Well, it's that time of year again. That glorious period of September through December where the summer ends, the cool weather starts, and studios absolutely crush physical media fans under the weight of a mass of new releases and special collector's editions. In particular, this year seems to be stacked for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases either getting their first outing on disc or are getting exciting new special editions. While this is a lot of fun, your wallet won't be happy. That list of Christmas presents you were going to get for other people - fold it back up and put it away. You're going to need every cent left in your bank account.
Now, this release slate is still pretty volatile. In the course of prepping this guide, many titles moved (Halloween 1-5 moved to the beginning of October, Columbia Classics Vol 2 moved to the end of the month) or haven't been officially announced yet or aren't up for pre-order. SO with that in mind, we'll update our listings and this guide if there are any significant changes as they come along. Since there's a lot of titles some with a variety of retailer exclusives, lets get to it.
Not to start things slowly, 4K fans get hit with a number of great releases right out of the gate. Zack Snyder's Justice League finally arrives on U.S. shores, John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi creepy classic The Thing hits the format, while some more solo Hitchcock releases trickle out on top of the first four films of the original crew of Star Trek get 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray upgrades.
This week, the major heavy hitter is Frank Darabont's now-classic The Shawshank Redemption hitting 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Boss Baby 2 is also a thing, and supposedly Highlander is also coming but info on that release has been so scanty I wouldn't be surprised if Lionsgate shifts that one down the road a little bit. Black Widow is also set to hit on the 14th, but that's also another one that's not up for pre-order anywhere yet. [UPDATE 8/26] The standard edition of Black Widow is finally up for pre-order on Best Buy. The SteelBook hasn't been posed yet, but as soon as it is we'll update the listing and the article.
The third week of September really picks up a lot of steam starting with one of the best (arguably the best by some) M. Night Shyamalan films Unbreakable finally getting a 4K upgrade, but then we're hit with a ton of retailer exclusives for Cruella, the latest Speedy and Upset franchise entry - F9: The Fast Saga, and topped off with Stanley Kubrick's iconic A Clockwork Orange
Just when you thought you'd be able to save up a few bucks and prepare you for the deluge coming your way in October - Sony had to go and delay their Columbia Classics Vol 2 set until the final week of the month. If that wasn't enough of a hit, Arrow Video's Children of the Corn, The Forever Purge, the standard edition of The Transformers: The Movie and a new SteelBook for Rob Zombie's 3 From Hell all hit at the same time.
As is the case with the home video marketplace these days - there are a lot of international 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases that'd we'd love to cover. Given the time it takes to ship and process through customs and all that nonsense, it's almost impossible to review ahead of street date, but we get to them as fast as we can!
That's all for now. Again - this list is pretty fluid at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised at all if one or a couple of these didn't have a release date change suddenly crop up. If when that happens we'll update our listings and this article ASAP.
We hope this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release guide for September 2021 is helpful! Thanks again for all of your pre-orders, they really do go a long, long way towards helping us keep this little engine running.
You gotta hand it to Francis Ford Coppola, for a guy who likes to revisit his films and make changes or improvements, he makes a grand event of things. Warner Bros. and Studio Canal are teaming up to bring fans of Coppola's iconic 1983 coming of age film The Outsiders: The Complete Novel the true definitive 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Not content with just his extended cut, the Theatrical Version will also be enjoying the same 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray upgrade.
The film will be getting a theatrical re-release starting September 26 followed by the 4-Disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release on November 9th ahead of its arrival on HBO Max on November 16th.
We don't have full specs for HDR grade, audio format, or price point we've reached out for clarification and will update our listing as we get it and when the pre-orders go live.
Here's the full press release from Warner Brothers & Studio Canal:
WARNER BROS. AND STUDIOCANAL ANNOUNCE
A BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION
OF
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S
THE OUTSIDERS THE COMPLETE NOVEL
IN ASSOCIATION WITH AMERICAN ZOETROPE
Burbank, CA – August 24, 2021 – Warner Bros., STUDIOCANAL, and American Zoetrope today announce the forthcoming 4K restoration of the 1983 American coming-of-age drama, THE OUTSIDERS THE COMPLETE NOVEL, from Academy Award®-winning visionary director Francis Ford Coppola. Created to give fans more of the action that took place in S.E. Hinton’s celebrated book, Coppola’s latest, definitive version includes new music, as well as several scenes cut from the theatrical version which were reconstructed from original camera negatives. Warner Bros. will release THE OUTSIDERS THE COMPLETE NOVEL theatrically in the US and Canada beginning on September 26th with tickets going on sale this week. Details are available at Fandango.com. Warner Bros. will also make both it and the original version available in a 4K UHD Collector’s Edition and on digital platforms starting November 9th. Additionally, THE OUTSIDERS THE COMPLETE NOVEL will be available on HBO Max beginning on November 16th and will also air this fall on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
Said Coppola, ‘“The Outsiders The Complete Novel’ came about after meeting students over the years who repeatedly asked me why certain scenes from S.E. Hinton’s wonderful book were missing from the theatrical version. These questions reminded about my inspiration for the film—in 1980, a contingent of 12- to 14-year-old students wrote and asked me to make it. I listened to those young fans back then, and I continue to listen to young people now and believe in their opinions, so this complete film version of the novel is for them.”
STUDIOCANAL is handling the release internationally and will release THE OUTSIDERS THE COMPLETE NOVEL theatrically in the UK, and will make both it and the original version available in a 4K UHD Collector’s Edition and on Blu-Ray, DVD and digital platforms starting November 8th.
Based on the 1967 best-selling young-adult novel by S. E. Hinton, THE OUTSIDERS is considered the first “Brat Pack” movie, as it stars then-unknown young actors in many of their first break-through roles, including C. Thomas Howell (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), Rob Lowe (“The West Wing,” “Parks and Recreation”), Emilio Estevez (St. Elmo's Fire, The Breakfast Club, Young Guns), Matt Dillon (Crash, There's Something About Mary), Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Mission Impossible series, Jerry Maguire), Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing, Point Break, Ghost), Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai), and Diane Lane (Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun), who went on to superstar-caliber careers.
THE OUTSIDERS takes place in '60s Oklahoma, centering on two rival teen gangs: The “Greasers,” a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town, and the “Socs,” short for Socials, who are the “West-side rich kids.” Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell), a tender-hearted and kind teenager’s life is changed forever one night when a scuffle with his friend Johnny (Ralph Macchio) inadvertently leads to the death of a rival gang member, and the boys are forced to go into hiding to avoid arrest. Soon Ponyboy and Johnny, along with Dallas (Matt Dillon) and their other Greaser buddies, must contend with the consequences of their violent lives. While some Greasers try to achieve redemption, others meet tragic ends.
Inspired by Jo Ellen Misakian, a librarian who had sent Coppola a letter signed by over 300 students explaining that the book was cult reading among local teens, Coppola captures adolescent teen emotions and the growing realization of life’s cruelties and a yearning for a life not attainable.
“For ‘The Outsiders The Complete Novel’ as well as the original theatrical version, we wanted to create and maintain the highest level of visual quality possible for these restorations,” commented James Mockoski, Film Archivist and Restoration Supervisor at American Zoetrope. “We took the unusual path of locating all the various elements that went into creating the film's most elaborate visual effects sequences and re-scanned them. Luckily, Mr. Coppola is an archivist at heart and he kept every piece of film he shot, so we were able to unify scenes from the film using the original camera negative as much as possible. It was important to Mr. Coppola to give this release its best quality presentation, and no one has ever seen this film looking as beautiful and pristine as it does now.”
U.S. and International Release Dates:
NORTH AMERICA (Warner Bros.) – Theatrical September 26, Home Entertainment November 9, HBO Max November 16, TCM Fall 2021
UK HOME (STUDIOCANAL) – Theatrical TBC, Home Entertainment November 8
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND (STUDIOCANAL) – Home Entertainment November 10
GERMANY (STUDIOCANAL) – Home Entertainment November 11
The stunning 4-disc 4K UHD Collector’s Edition will include both restored features - The Outsiders The Complete Novel and The Outsiders:
Plus, an impressive array of extra features:
