For the week of April 12th, Kino Lorber has a number of catalog titles and new releases on offer, chief amongst them is a a newly remastered Blu-ray and 4K UHD release of Mel Brooks' classic Star Wars spoof Spaceballs, starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Daphne Zuniga, Mel Brooks and Rick Moranis. Initially receiving mixed reviews upon release in 1987, with many critics feeling that the film, released ten years after the original Star Wars, had come too late, time has been very kind to Spaceballs in the years since, likely due in no small part to the resurgence, since 1997, of the official Star Wars film series. Loaded with hilarious send-ups of Star Wars characters and line after line of quotable dialogue, Spaceballs is among the best parodies, not to mention sci-fi comedies, of all time. It's no mystery, then, that Kino Lorber selected the film to be in its growing lineup of 4K UHD titles. Presented from a new 4K remaster and with HDR and Dolby Vision picture, Kino Lorber's release of Spaceballs also contains many archival extras, including the audio commentary with Mel Brooks (on both discs), the half-hour Spaceballs: The Documentary and over 45 minutes of featurettes, as well as trailers and promotional galleries.
Next from Kino Lorber this week is another 3D restoration by the 3-D Film Archive, Mei Chun Chang's Dynasty 3D (1977). Taken from the best surviving 35mm materials and restored to its original polarized 3D glory for the first time, Kino Lorber's Blu-ray offers the viewer the choice of watching the film in 2D, or as it was meant to be seen, in 3D using a Blu-ray 3D setup. Reviewing the disc, Neil Lumbard says of the 3D presentation: "The implementation of the 3D effects are outstanding – with countless exciting pop-out effects and well-designed scenes that are clearly designed with 3D in mind. The restoration effort by the 3-D Film Archive is top-notch as far as 3D is concerned". Additionally, the 3-D Film Archive has supplied multiple featurettes on vintage 3D films and technology and even extras like a click-through 3D comic book from 1953.
Also from Kino Lorber this week is a new release, Ric Burns' documentary Oliver Sacks: His Own Life, about the famed neurologist whose work was adapted into the 1990 film Awakenings with Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.
Speaking of new releases, other ones this week include Screen Media, with Kevin Lewis' thriller Willy's Wonderland, starring Nicolas Cage, Emily Tosta, Beth Grant, Grant Cramer, and Terayle Hill. Synopsis: A quiet loner (Nic Cage) finds himself stranded in a remote town when his car breaks down. Unable to pay for the repairs he needs, he agrees to spend the night cleaning Willy's Wonderland, an abandoned family fun center. But this wonderland has a dark secret that the "The Janitor" is about to discover. He soon finds himself trapped inside Willy's and locked in an epic battle with the possessed animatronic mascots that roam the halls. To survive, he must fight his way through each of them.
Next, from Capelight Pictures and MPI Media Group comes Setsurô Wakamatsu's Fukushima 50, starring Kôichi Satô, Ken Watanabe, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Takumi Saitoh, and Ken'ichi Yajima. Synopsis: March 11, 2011 - 2:46 PM - Japan's Tohoku Region: at a magnitude of 9.0, the strongest earthquake in the country's history strikes, triggering a huge tsunami and carnage that would end up killing thousands of people and displacing many more. It mercilessly engulfs the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture, causing a crippling station blackout. Unable to be cooled, the nuclear reactors quickly turn into hydrogen bombs at the brink of explosion. If the power plant is abandoned, Japan's destruction is assured. Facing a life or death situation, the power plant workers known as the "Fukushima 50", including shift supervisor Izaki and plant manager Yoshida, remain on the site until the bitter end. As the world holds its breath, the Fukushima 50 fight for their hometown, their families, and the future of Japan.
Also this week, RLJ Entertainment will release Alexandre O. Philippe's documentary Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist. Synopsis: A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, Leap of Faith explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin's mind's eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that have shaped his life and filmography as told by the man himself. The film marks the sixth feature documentary from Alexandre O. Philippe (78/52, Memory: The Origins of Alien), continuing his thoughtful analysis of iconic genre films.
Extras for Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist include a William Friedkin master class, moderated by Alexandre O. Philippe.
Finally this week, Warner Archive Collection delivers another superlative remaster of a Hanna-Barbera cartoon with Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space. The two-disc set contains all 16 episodes. Warner Archive has uploaded a few clips of the remaster, as you can see below: