My Two Cents
We’re starting our final news update for this week with more new Blu-ray Disc reviews...
Dennis has taken a look at Albert Brooks’ Defending Your Life (1991), as newly released on Blu-ray Disc by the Criterion Collection.
And Tim has offered up his thoughts on a pair of Clint Eastwood films, including Don Siegel’s Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) and Eastwood’s own The Eiger Sanction (1975), both recently released by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
In terms of announcements today, the big news is that Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just made their animated Shrek available for release on 4K Ultra HD on 5/11, in honor of the film’s 20th anniversary. High dynamic range will be HDR10, with DTS:X audio. Extras on the 4K and Blu-ray Disc in the package will include audio commentary with directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson and producer Aron Warner. deleted scenes, music videos, Shrek’s Interactive Journey, Spotlight on Donkey, and Secrets of Shrek. [Read on here...]
We’ve got some new release news to report today...
We’ll start with Shout! and Scream Factory, who have begun to announce their June Blu-ray and DVD release slate. Look for it to include Embattled on 6/1, The Unhealer (2020) and Sesame Street: Cool Counting Collection (DVD only) on 6/8, Sphinx (1981), Kindred (2020), and The Awakening (1980) on 6/15, The Wind Rises (Steelbook), The Secret World of Arrietty (Steelbook), Hunter Hunter, Human Nature: Shout Select (2001), and When Calls the Heart: What The Heart Wants & Before My Very Eyes (DVD only) on 6/22, and Stardust, Just a Gigolo (1978), and Battle Beyond the Stars (Steelbook) on 6/29. You’ll also be able to get a NECA figure of Battle Beyond the Stars’ Saint-Exmin on 6/29 by ordering directly from the Shout website.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment will release Adam Mason’s Songbird on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on 3/16. Extras will include audio commentary with Mason and co-writer Simon Boyes, deleted scenes with commentary, The Story of Songbird, the Kingdom promo video, and The Making of Kingdom. [Read on here...]
We’ve got just a quick update for you today...
First up, we’re starting with another new Blu-ray review. Tim has taken a look at John Sturges’ Joe Kidd (1972), as recently released on Blu-ray by our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Sounds like it’s a pretty solid release, so do give it a look.
Also today, our friend Arnold Leibovit has just kicked off a new crowdfunding effort to make possible the release of The Puppetoon Movie: Volume 3, a new Blu-ray collection of 18-20 more original George Pal Puppetoon short films scanned from the original 35 mm nitrate Technicolor prints (or successive exposure negatives) restored in 2K HD. You can learn more about the effort here, and if you’re a fan of these great shorts—or of film preservation in general—we strongly encourage you to participate. You can see the planned cover artwork for Volume 3 at left. [Read on here...]
All right, I’ve had a pretty steady stream of plumbers and carpenters here the last couple days as my wife and I work get our water leak sorted out. On top of which, yesterday was our annual visit to the tax man. LOL. So I appreciate your patience with the lack of an update yesterday.
We did at least get Tim’s Facebook problems resolved today. He’s back up and able to access his account there. Turns out it being disabled was just an error on Facebook’s part, so special thanks to a friend of the site who helped us to sort it all out.
While he was off the Book, Tim completed work on a new Blu-ray review for Arrow’s excellent He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefe Collection box set, which includes Sting of Death (1965), Death Curse of Tartu (1966), The Hooked Generation (1968), The Psychedelic Priest (1969), The Naked Zoo (1970), Mako: Jaws of Death (1976), and Whiskey Mountain (1977). You can find that here.
In announcement news today, HBO has set His Dark Materials: Season Two for Blu-ray and DVD release on 12/31, presumably not long before the BBC and HBO debut of Season Three in very early 2022. The second season has been available in the UK since December of last year. [Read on here...]
All right, we have one last news post for you guys today to close out the week and it’s a good one...
The big news is that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has now officially set John McTiernan’s Last Action Hero for release on 4K Ultra HD on 5/18. The film is presented newly remastered in 4K from the original camera negative with HDR10 high dynamic range and a new Dolby Atmos mix. You’ll also get the original theatrical SDDS mix presented in 5.1 and the original theatrical stereo audio.
Extras on the disc will include an all-new audio commentary with McTiernan, deleted and alternate scenes—as well as an alternate ending—all presented in 4K with HDR10, AC/DC’s Big Gun music video, the original behind-the-scenes featurette, and the theatrical trailer. The Steelbook packaging also includes a Blu-ray copy and a Digital code.
You can see the cover artwork above left and also below, and you can pre-order the title now on Amazon as well (by clicking on the cover art below)... [Read on here...]