DVD/BluRay News

40th Anniversary Edition of The Wicker Man is on the horizon, and looks a good comprehensive release....

Bluray.com wrote:

StudioCanal will release a three-disc (2BD/CD) special edition of director Robin Hardy's classic film The Wicker Man, starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, and Diane Cilento. The release will be available for purchase online and in stores across the United Kingdom on October 13th.

Official synopsis: Cult horror classic in which a devout Christian policeman (Edward Woodward) is summoned to a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a child. While there he uncovers a bizarre pagan cult, led by Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). As preparations for a sinister ritual celebration reach fever pitch, the policeman begins to realise what role the islanders intend him to play. Britt Ekland and Ingrid Pitt co-star.

Content:
Disc 1: "The Final Cut" (HD), the UK theatrical Cut (HD) & the Director's Cut (HD but with seamless branching to extra scenes in SD only) & audio commentary for Director's Cut
Disc 2: Supplemental Features
Disc 3: The Soundtrack

Actual link Bluray.com

I have the "wooden box" release in the states. I think it has the theatrical and "director's cut". It would be interesting to see a "final cut". I just watched the film a few months ago.

Two upcoming blu-ray releases from Arrow that may be of interest to some here:

The Fury - cheaper than the Twilight Time release, new transfer, and stacked with extras. This should be out in early October (they still have Sisters and Phantom of the Paradise in the pipeline too, and are seeking out more).

Altman's The Long Goodbye. No details yet other than a Q4 release, but Arrow are on a roll right now so it's worth assuming this will be a tasty release.

They're also doing Night of the Hunter which looks very similar to the Criterion, which is great help to us in the UK, and the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Anybody in the US interested in these, I'd recommend googling your player model to see if there is a region workaround for it. I'm benefiting from having access to Olive and Kino releases now (when I can be bothered to wait three weeks for a disc), but the disparity between A and B output is nowhere near as vast as it was between 1 and 2 for DVD.

HJackson wrote:

Two upcoming blu-ray releases from Arrow that may be of interest to some here:

The Fury - cheaper than the Twilight Time release, new transfer, and stacked with extras. This should be out in early October (they still have Sisters and Phantom of the Paradise in the pipeline too, and are seeking out more).

Altman's The Long Goodbye. No details yet other than a Q4 release, but Arrow are on a roll right now so it's worth assuming this will be a tasty release.

Very nice.

You sure they're doing the '78 version of BODY SNATCHERS? Blu-Ray.com says they're doing Don Siegel's.


Edit: Just found this ad. I like the cover art for THE LONG GOODBYE.

Criterion Collection is releasing a DVD/Blu-Ray Zatoichi boxset containing 25 films on 27 discs. I'm pretty thrilled about this. I have the first few films in the series from w hen they released them a while back, but before I could buy the rest the company's deal for the rights ended and they went out of print (from what I've heard).

Unfortunately the final film in the series, Zatoichi (1989), is not included because another company owns the rights. However, with the said, I don't find that to be a problem. I'm just thrilled to be able to have 25 films getting the Criterion treatment.





Criterion is offering a pretty nice looking boxset for about $180. Not a bad deal for 25 films. Might pre-order it. I could wait until they do a 50% sale, but who knows when the next one will be.

Not really news, but my store sells DVDs and among them is the TOTAL RECALL remake. I was curious, so I checked out the back of the package and the quote they used as a highlight gave me a good chuckle.





I had no idea MySpace had film critics.

Well, of COURSE you go to a social-networking site that's been utterly eclipsed by Facebook in the last 5 years or so for your positive review quotes  .

Makeshift Python wrote:

Not really news, but my store sells DVDs and among them is the TOTAL RECALL remake. I was curious, so I checked out the back of the package and the quote they used as a highlight gave me a good chuckle.





I had no idea MySpace had film critics.

I had no idea it still existed.

One of my all time favourites 'The Big Sleep' is up for release at last...at least it will be in France from Jan 8th...hopefully with an english track.

Bluray.com article here

Quote :

The French branch of Warner Brothers has revealed that it plans to add three classic films to its Blu-ray catalog in January: Terrence Malick's Badlands (1973), Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep (1946), and Andrew V. McLaglen's Chisum (1970). All three releases will be available for purchase in France on January 8th.

Badlands

A garbage collector (Martin Sheen) and his impressionable girlfriend (Sissy Spacek) kill her father when he disapproves of their relationship, and embark on a homicidal trail of destruction across the Midwestern United States. Based on the true case of Starkweather and Fugate in the 1950s, Terrence Malick's directorial debut has influenced many subsequent writers and directors - notably Quentin Tarantino whose screenplays for True Romance and Natural Born Killers owe Badlands an obvious debt.

The Big Sleep

A classic 'noir' adaptation of Raymond Chandler's much-filmed novel. Private detective Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) agrees to rid a wealthy family of a blackmailer who is threatening the younger daughter, but the man is killed before he can act. Drawn nevertheless into the Sternwood family's problems (not least because of his attraction to the elder sister, played by Lauren Bacall), Marlowe uncovers drugs, murder and more blackmail.

Chisum

This late John Wayne Western casts 'The Duke' as real-life ranch owner John Chisum, battling to save his land from a ruthless developer (Forrest Tucker). Based on the events of New Mexico's 1878 Lincoln County War, which saw Chisum enlisting the help of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid to protect what was rightfully his.

I bought the MANHUNTER blu ray, just to discover that it contains two versions of the film that I consider inferior to the one I already have on dvd. I thought I can drown myself in Mann/Spinotti aesthetics in hi def now, but it seems I hae to wait for another 20 years, when maybe there will be a release containing all versions. As if there weren´t enough space on the br. F***.

Haven't posted in a while but thought I might share a few good upcoming 2014 releases with fellow U.S. members:

LionsGate is releasing The Wicker Man on Blu-ray on January 7th, sadly it won't be as loaded as the U.K. release as it's missing both the theatrical and extended cuts of the movie plus the soundtrack but for those without Region B Capabilities it's still good to see it getting a release.
The Wicker Man: Final Cut (Blu-ray)


Warner Bros is releasing a 40th Anniversary of the first Death Wish on February 4th, no special features are yet to be revealed.
Death Wish: 40th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)


Criterion is releasing Michael Mann's Thief on Blu-ray on January 14th in a Dual Format edition.
Thief: Criterion Collection (Dual Format)

Criterion are set to release Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent in February Blu-ray.com article

The Long Goodbye's special features have been detailed at Blu-Ray.com

www.bluray.com wrote:

Special Features:

• High Definition presentation of the film from a digital transfer by MGM Studios (1080p)
  
• Original uncompressed PCM audio
  
• Isolated Music and Effects Soundtrack
  
• Optional English SDH Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
  
• Rip Van Marlowe: an interview with director Robert Altman and star Elliott Gould
  
• Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes The Long Goodbye: an interview with the legendary cinematographer
  
• Giggle and Give In: Paul Joyce's acclaimed documentary profile of Robert Altman, with contributions from Altman, Gould, Shelley Duvall, assistant director Alan Rudolph and screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury
  
• Elliott Gould Q&A: the star discusses the film with crime novelist Michael Connelly
  
• David Thompson on Robert Altman: the editor of Altman on Altman and producer of the BBC's Robert Altman in England talks about The
  
• Long Goodbye's place in Altman's filmography
  
• Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler: the novelist's biographer outlines his life and work and discusses Altman's adaptation of The Long Goodbye
  
• Maxim Jakubowski on Hard Boiled Fiction: the crime writer and critic discusses the emergence of hard-boiled detective characters from the pages of the pulp magazines from the 1920s through to the 1950s
  
• Original Theatrical Trailer
  
• Radio Spots
  
• Reversible Sleeve featuring the original poster and newly commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw
  
• Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Brad Stevens, an archive interview with screenwriter Leigh Brackett, a new interview with Alan Rudolph, and an American Cinematographer article discussing Zsigmond's unique treatment of the film, illustrated with original archive stills and posters
  

Nice. I liked FC plenty, so with Criterion having a go at it I think it'll be worth the upgrade from the old DVD by WB.

bluray.com is listing this enjoyable movie for July 8th - albeit a somewhat sparse disc for those who crave extras.

Warner Brothers has detailed its upcoming Blu-ray release of director George Pal's classic adventure film The Time Machine (1960), starring Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux, Sebastian Cabot, and Tom Helmore. The release will be available for purchase on July 8th.

Quote :

George Pal's incredible adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel stars Rod Taylor as the Victorian scientist whose invention catapults him thousands of years into the future, where humanity has mutated into the gentle Eloi and the savage Morlocks. Dazzling, Academy Award-winning effects and the dazzling Yvette Mimieux highlight this "timeless" adventure.

Special Features:

• Original theatrical trailer
  
• Behind the scenes documentary Time Machine: The Journey Back, hosted by Rod Taylor and featuring Alan Young and Whit Bissell
  

http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1073-the-shooting-ride-in-the-whirlwind

THE SHOOTING is getting a proper Blu-Ray release from Criterion. I've been waiting on this for a while.

Control wrote:

http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1073-the-shooting-ride-in-the-whirlwind

THE SHOOTING is getting a proper Blu-Ray release from Criterion. I've been waiting on this for a while.

Not seen it, but it sounds the very definition of low budget. Anyone here seen it? We seem to have mislaid most of our Western fans.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Control wrote:

http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1073-the-shooting-ride-in-the-whirlwind

THE SHOOTING is getting a proper Blu-Ray release from Criterion. I've been waiting on this for a while.

Not seen it, but it sounds the very definition of low budget. Anyone here seen it? We seem to have mislaid most of our Western fans.

I caught it in New York in 2008 or 2009. Haven't been able to view it since. It was great. I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

Criterion also announced the release of THE NIGHT PORTER today:
http://www.criterion.com/films/604-the-night-porter

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LFHYX2I/jwfancom-20

DUEL and THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (among others) have been released in a Spielberg Blu-Ray set.

Here's hoping those two will be released separately soon, maybe a year or two like they did with REAR WINDOW and VERTIGO after the Hitchcock set.

Hopefully. It'd be nice to be able to buy DUEL without also buying the other shit like THE LOST WORLD and ALWAYS.

Weird mix of titles. ALWAYS, THE LOST WORLD and 1941, but no CE3K, AI, MUNICH or THE COLOR PURPLE?

The set is basically all the Universal titles by Spielberg, with the exception of SCHINDLER'S LIST and MUNICH. I'm assuming those two were not included because Spielberg didn't think they were fit to be bundled with the other films, or maybe because they're R rated.

There were rumors years ago that Universal was going to release SCHINDLER'S LIST in color.

Seems like that fell through.

It's probably too much work, given it was shot on true black and white film stock and they'd have to color it by hand. That's why Hollywood in more recent years has made filmmakers use color film or digital, just so that they could feel better knowing they have a chance to just take those film/files and release a color version if it satisfied them. NEBRASKA is the most recent example, as the studio refused to allow Alexander Payne to shoot on the black and white film that Kodak still makes today. He had to shoot digitally, but he did his best to replicate the look of that black and white stock.

Makeshift Python wrote:

It's probably too much work, given it was shot on true black and white film stock and they'd have to color it by hand.

It must've just been an idiotic rumor then, as I definitely couldn't imagine Universal taking the time and resources to color the entire picture. I doubt Spielberg would have gone along with it, also, considering he shot it in black and white and infused color for a reason.