For the week of October 10th, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will release Baltasar Kormkur’s Beast (2022), starring Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Jeffries, and Mel Jarnson.
Studio description: Idris Elba (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad) stars in a pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters who find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator.
Elba plays Dr. Nate Daniels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley, Russian Doll series, Maleficent), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them.
Universal’s Blu-ray of Beast contains a DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio track. Extras include six featurettes and a deleted scene.
Also coming from Universal is a 4K UHD box set, Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection Vol. 2 (1932-1954), an eight-disc Blu-ray and 4K UHD set which contains the 4K UHD premieres of The Mummy (1932), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Phantom of the Opera (1943) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). All four films now have HDR and retain DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio tracks, with hours of legacy extras, including commentaries, featurettes and the Blu-ray 3D version of Creature from the Black Lagoon. As with the release of Vol. 1 last year, the box set features collectible “book”-style packaging (see Martin Liebman’s 4K UHD review of that set for images of the packaging). While the films from Vol. 2 are only being released as a box set, Tuesday also sees the films from Vol. 1, Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Invisible Man (1933) and The Wolf Man (1943) available separately in standard packaging on 4K UHD for the first time.
Finally from Universal this week is a 4K UHD and remastered Blu-ray for Robert Mulligan’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), starring Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy, and Ruth White. Released to celebrate the film’s 60th anniversary, Universal’s new discs of To Kill a Mockingbird are sourced from a 4K remaster, with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio (along with original mono in lossy DTS 2.0) and HDR on the 4K UHD disc. New for this release is the documentary To Kill a Mockingbird: All Points of View which looks at the impact and legacy of the film with historians, film scholars and Gregory Peck’s grandson, Christopher Peck. Additional legacy extras include the audio commentary with Mulligan and Producer Alan J. Pakula, the feature-length Fearful Symmetry and A Conversation with Gregory Peck documentaries, and more.
New this week from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is a 4K UHD and Blu-ray release for Rick Morales’ Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, starring the voices of Manny Jacinto, David Wenham, Patrick Seitz, Artt Butler and Debra Wilson.
Studio description: Inspired by the worldwide video game sensation now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind finds vicious, power-mad Kano determined to take over Earthrealm, one soul at a time. Assisted by a trio of cold Black Dragon mercenaries, he embarks on a brutal assault from town to defenseless town. The choice is simple: Kneel or be annihilated. But when the cocky and talented but undisciplined Kenshi doesn’t take a knee, Kano and his clan destroy the young warrior, taking his eyesight and his confidence. Under the tutelage of reluctant, retired Kuai Liang, the only one powerful enough to challenge the malevolent Kano, Kenshi finds renewed hope and a clear path to redemption. But will it be enough to stop Kano from decimating all of Earthrealm?
Warner’s release of Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind contains audio commentary, two deleted scenes and two featurettes. In addition to standard packaging, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook will also be available. For full disc breakdowns, read Randy Miller’s 4K UHD review and Blu-ray review.
Also coming this week from Warner is a horror-themed addition to the Warner Archive Collection, Tod Browning’s Mark of the Vampire (1935), starring Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill and Jean Hersholt. Sourced from a 4K scan of the original nitrate negative and presented with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio, Mark of the Vampire contains audio commentary, the MGM short film A Thrill for Thelma and Happy Harmonies cartoon The Calico Dragon (both 1935) and the theatrical trailer for the main feature. As usual, reviewer Randy Miller is impressed with WAC’s efforts, awarding high scores to the picture and sound quality. For a full disc breakdown, read Randy’s Blu-ray review.
Finally from Warner is a Blu-ray for Sweet Tooth: The Complete First Season (2021), starring Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Stefania LaVie Owen, James Brolin and Will Forte.
Official description: The end of our world is the beginning of his. Ten years ago “The Great Crumble” wreaked havoc on the world and led to the mysterious emergence of hybrids babies born part human, part animal. Unsure if hybrids are the cause or result of the virus, many humans fear and hunt them. After a decade of living safely in his secluded forest home, a sheltered hybrid deer-boy named Gus unexpectedly befriends a wandering loner named Jepperd. Together Gus and the Big Man set out on an extraordinary adventure across what’s left of America in search of answers about Gus’s origins, Jepperd’s past, and the true meaning of home. But their story is full of unexpected allies and enemies, and Gus quickly learns the lush, dangerous world outside the forest is more complex than he ever could have imagined.
.
New this week from Paramount Home Media Distribution is the Blu-ray box set Paranormal Activity: The Ultimate Chills Collection (2007-2021), the nine-disc set contains all seven films in the Paranormal Activity franchise, including the Blu-ray debut of the latest film, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin. All films contain legacy extras, while Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin contains 20 minutes of deleted scenes and an alternate ending, along with the featurette Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity.
New this week from RLJE Films is a Blu-ray for Taneli Mustonen’s The Twin, starring Teresa Palmer, Steven Cree, Barbara Marten, Tristan Ruggeri, and Ergo Kppas.
Label description: In the aftermath of a tragic accident where their son was killed, Rachel and Anthony decide to move to the other side of the world to focus on their surviving twin son Elliot. What begins as a time of healing and isolation in the Scandinavian countryside turns into a desperate battle for the very soul of their son, as an entity claiming to be his dead twin brother takes over Elliot setting Rachel on a diabolical journey to unravel the horrible truth about Elliot’s twin.
New from IFC Films is a Blu-ray for Charles Dorfman’s Barbarians (2021), starring Catalina Sandino Moreno, Tom Cullen, and Iwan Rheon.
Description: Four friends come together for a celebratory dinner party at a country house. But as the night progresses dark secrets emerge and unsettling events begin to unfold around them.
Finally for new releases, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has a Blu-ray for Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song.
Synopsis: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song is a definitive exploration of singersongwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, “Hallelujah.” This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: The songwriter and his times; the song’s dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone. Approved for production by Leonard Cohen just before his 80th birthday in 2014, the film accesses a wealth of never-before-seen archival materials from the Cohen Trust including Cohen’s personal notebooks, journals and photographs, performance footage, and extremely rare audio recordings and interviews.
New this week from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is a Blu-ray for Matt Eskandari’s Wire Room, starring Bruce Willis, Oliver Trevena, and Kevin Dillon.
Label description:Action legend Bruce Willis comes out with guns blazing as Shane Mueller, a Homeland Security agent who runs the Wire Room, a high-tech command center surveilling the most dangerous criminals. New recruit Justin Rosa (Kevin Dillon, “Entourage”) must monitor arms-smuggling cartel member Eddie Flynn and keep him alive at all costs. When a SWAT team descends on Flynn’s home, Rosa breaks protocol and contacts the gangster directly to save his life. As gunmen break into the Wire Room and chaos erupts, Mueller and Rosa make a final, desperate stand against the corrupt agents and officials who seek to destroy evidence and kill them both.
Lionsgate’s Blu-ray of Wire Room contains a trailer. For a full disc breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman’s Blu-ray review.
Also from Lionsgate this week is a 4K UHD upgrade for Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey (1999), starring Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmn, Barry Newman, Nicky Katt. Presented from a new 4K master, Lionsgate’s release cobntains a 4K UHD disc and a Blu-ray from the remaster. Two archival audio commentaries and an isolated score (in lossy Dolby Digital 2.0) are included as extras. Note that this release is currently available only as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. For a full disc breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman’s 4K UHD review.
New this week from Kino is a Blu-ray for Aik Karapetian’s Squeal, starring Kevin Janssens, Laura Silina, Aigars Vilims, Normunds Griestins, Juris Bartkevics and Guntis Pilsums.
Description: Lost in the remotest part of Eastern Europe, Sam is a foreigner searching for his biological father. Then a minor road accident leads to a chance meeting with a pig-farmer’s daughter, who captures him and makes him a slave on the farm.
Kino’s Blu-ray of Squeal contains trailers.
Also coming from Kino are several catalog titles on Blu-ray. They include:
James Whale’s By Candlelight (1933), starring Paul Lukas, Elissa Landi, Nils Asther, Esther Ralston, Lawrence Grant and Dorothy Revier. Sourced from a new 4K master prepared by Universal Studios, Kino’s Blu-ray features a new audio commentary with film historian Troy Howarth.
Mitchell Leisen’s Murder at the Vanities (1934), starring Carl Brisson, Victor McLaglen, Jack Oakie, Kitty Carlisle, Dorothy Stickney and Gertrude Michael. Sourced from a new 2K master, Kino’s Blu-ray features a new audio commentary with film historian Anthony Slide.
The Blu-ray box set Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema IX (1945-1949), which contains new 2K remasters of Lady on a Train (1945) and Tangier (1946) and a new 4K master prepared by Universal Studios for Take One False Step (1949). Extras include audio commentary on Tangier and Take One False Step by film critic Felicia Feaster, as well as trailers for Lady on a Train and Tangier.
John Lafia’s The Blue Iguana (1988), starring Dylan McDermott, Jessica Harper, James Russo, Pamela Gidley, and Yano Anaya. Kino’s Blu-ray features a theatrical trailer. Collectible packaging includes a limited edition slipcover.
A new Blu-ray of Phillip Noyce’s Blind Fury (1989), starring Rutger Hauer, Terry O’Quinn, Brandon Call, Noble Willingham, and Lisa Blount. Kino’s Blu-ray features a new audio commentary by screenwriter Charles Robert Carner and a newly remastered theatrical trailer. Collectible packaging includes a limited edition slipcover.
Finally from Kino are two 4K UHD upgrades of Paramount Pictures films. First is Adrian Lyne’s Indecent Proposal (1993), starring Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, and Seymour Cassel. Sourced from a new 4K scan approved by Lyne and presented with Dolby Vision HDR, Kino’s release also contains a remastered Blu-ray. Both discs feature commentary from Lyne and the Blu-ray also features the film’s theatrical trailer. Collectible packaging includes a limited edition slipcover.
Then it’s Frank Oz’s The Score (2001), starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett, and Gary Farmer. Sourced from a new 4K scan approved cinematographer Rob Hahn and presented with Dolby Vision HDR, Kino’s release also contains a remastered Blu-ray. Both discs feature commentary from Oz and Hahn and the Blu-ray also features the film’s legacy video extras and theatrical trailer. Collectible packaging includes a limited edition slipcover.
Also this week, we have two new additions to the Criterion Collection. First up is a Blu-ray for Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), starring Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey, Jack Carson, Edward Everett Horton and Peter Lorre. Sourced from a new 4K master and presented with LPCM Mono audio, Criterion’s Blu-ray features a new audio commentary featuring Charles Dennis (author of There’s a Body in the Window Seat!: The History of “Arsenic and Old Lace”) and a 1952 radio broadcast version of the film starring Boris Karloff. A remastered trailer is also included, as well as a leaflet with an essay by critic David Cairns. For a full disc breakdown, read Svet Atanasov’s Blu-ray review.
Then from Criterion comes the eagerly anticipated 4K UHD and remastered Blu-ray for David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997), starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Blake, Henry Rollins and Michael Shamus Wiles. Presented from a new 4K master that was supervised and approved by Lynch and featuring a new DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track, as well as Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc, Criterion’s releases of Lost Highway contain numerous extras on the Blu-ray, including Toby Keeler’s feature-length documentary Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch (1997) and an audio recording of Lynch and critic Kristine McKenna of excerpts from their book Room to Dream. For full disc breakdowns and to see 1080p screenshots from the new 4K master, read Svet Atanasov’s 4K UHD review and Blu-ray review.
Finally this week, Shout Factory has a 4K UHD upgrade for Stephen Herek’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Terry Camilleri, and Dan Shor. Sourced from a 4K master prepared by StudioCanal, Shout’s single-disc 4K UHD release contains the two audio commentaries and hour-long documentary Time Flies When You’re Having Fun! – A Look Back at a Most “Excellent Adventure” ported from their previous Blu-ray editions.
