For the week of August 23rd, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release Michael Chaves' The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, starring Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Julian Hilliard. The horror sequel is the eighth film in the Conjuring Universe and the third installment of the main Conjuring series that follows the exploits of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Originally planned for a 2020 release, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was delayed to June 2021 amid both the coronavirus pandemic and re-shoots. When the film finally opened, it topped the box office with $24 million on its way to over $65 million domestically and over $135 million internationally. Warner's home releases will have Dolby Atmos audio, while the 4K UHD disc also has HDR picture. Additionally, several featurettes are included as extras. Randy Miller says of the 4K UHD picture: "obvious improvements [over the Blu-ray] are here: a general uptick in fine detail, deeper shadows, fewer instances of banding, more refined color depth thanks to the addition of HDR enhancement, and just an overall smoother and more pleasingly consistent image". Read Randy's full review here.
Also coming from Warner this week are two additions to the Warner Archive Collection. First is the Blu-ray premiere of Sidney Lumet's 1981 crime drama Prince of the City, starring Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Bob Balaban, James Tolkan and Lindsay Crouse. The film, which was based on the novel of the same name by Robert Daley and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, features Williams as a corrupt New York narcotics detective who chooses to expose the corruption in his own unit and the ramifications that decision causes. Although the film was not a success initially, it has since gained a cult following and despite its depiction of corruption, it has been praised for its accurate portrayal of policeman on and off the job. Randy Miller says the disc is up to Warner Archive's high quality standards, saying the picture is: "a perfectly refined and film-like image bursting with fine detail, natural grain, and boldly saturated colors when the situation demands it...wonderful textures showcasing the undeniable late 1970s and early 80s architecture, clothes, and signage. Skin tones and shadow details hold up exceptionally well too". Warner Archive has also ported the legacy documentary Prince of the City: The Real Story, which includes interviews with Lumet, Williams, Balaban and other cast and crew. The film's theatrical trailer is also available in 1080p. For more information and screenshots of the disc, please read Randy's full review here.
Also new this week, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, is Will Gluck's Peter Rabbit 2, starring Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and David Oyelowo and featuring the voices of James Corden, Elizabeth Debicki, Lennie James, and Margot Robbie. The family film sequel was originally set for an early 2020 release, but saw numerous pandemic-related delays, resulting in a staggered worldwide release that saw the film premiere in Australia in March 2021, but not release in the US until June 2021. To date, the film has made over $40 million domestically and over $113 million internationally. Sony's home releases include Dolby Atmos audio and HDR picture on the 4K UHD disc.
New this week from Vertical Entertainment is Eytan Rockaway's Lansky (2021), starring Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, AnnaSophia Robb, John Magaro, and Minka Kelly. Label description: David Stone (Sam Worthington), a renowned but down-on-his-luck writer, desperately needs a break. His luck changes when he receives a surprise call from Meyer Lansky (Academy Award®-nominee Harvey Keitel), the Jewish Godfather of organized crime. The retired gangster spins a dizzying tale, revealing the untold truth about his life as the notorious boss of Murder Inc. and the National Crime Syndicate. For decades, authorities have been trying to locate Lansky's alleged fortune, hundreds of millions gone. This is their last chance to capture the aging gangster before he dies; but Lansky, as always, is one step ahead of the FBI, sending them on a wild chase, evading and outsmarting them at every turn.
New this week from Lionsgate is Janell Shirtcliff's directorial debut Habit (2021), starring Bella Thorne, Libby Mintz, Josie Ho, Gavin Rossdale, Paris Jackson, and Andreja Pejic. Synopsis: In this edgy thriller starring Bella Thorne, Paris Jackson, Hana Mae Lee, and Gavin Rossdale, a party girl and her sexy friends dress up as nuns to hide out from an angry LA drug lord.
Finally for new releases this week, Well Go USA has Jacky Lee's action thriller The Fatal Raid, starring Jade Leung, Min Chen Lin, Kristy Yang, Patrick Tam, and Michael Tong. Description: Two elite police teams head up a secret operation following a dangerous smuggling ring across the Macau border, but when their presence is discovered, the mission ends in a deadly firefight. Twenty years later, an escort mission brings the survivors back to the scene of the tragedy—and fosters a highly unwelcome reunion. THE FATAL RAID debuted at the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) and includes an all-new English dub.
For more information on The Fatal Raid, as well as screenshots from the disc, see Jeffrey Kauffman's review here.
Turning to other catalog releases, this week sees Blue Underground give a 4K UHD upgrade to Dario Argento and George A. Romero's film Two Evil Eyes, starring Adrienne Barbeau, Ramy Zada, Bingo O'Malley, Jeff Howell, E.G. Marshall and Harvey Keitel. Taken from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, Blue Underground presents the film with Dolby Vision HDR and optional Dolby Atmos audio, along with DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio. A special features Blu-ray contains over two hours of recent and archival extras, including cast and crew interviews. Reviewer Svet Atanasov was highly impressed with the new release, awarding it perfect audio and video scores. Read his complete review here.
Finally this week, Arrow Video are bringing Yasuzô Masumura's Blind Beast to Blu-ray. Based on a novel by mystery writer Edogawa Rampo, the film tells of a a blind sculptor and his obsession with a young artist's model whom he takes captive. Arrow's extras include a new audio commentary by Asian cinema scholar Earl Jackson and a newly filmed introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns, amongst others. Read Jeffrey Kaufmann's full review of the disc here.