Posted January 30, 2022 09:20 PM by Sean Greenwood
For the week of January 31st, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, starring Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Bokeem Woodbine, and Paul Rudd. Reitman's film, which follows on from the first two Ghostbusters films directed by his father, Ivan Reitman, was filmed in 2019 for a planned 2020 release, but after the coronavirus pandemic struck, the film was pushed into 2021 and bounced around the calendar a few times before finally opening in November 2021. On its opening weekend, the film topped the box office with $44 million, on its way to over $128 million domestically and over $196 million worldwide. Sony's 4K UHD release contains Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision HDR, while several featurettes and a deleted scene make up the extras on the included Blu-ray. Also coming from Sony this week is the Ghostbusters: Ultimate Collection (1984-2021), an eight-disc, three-film collection that includes Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, plus two Blu-rays full of special features with over 20 hours of behind-the-scenes and archival extras, including the full Preview Cut of the original movie. Further,, the first two films now include Dolby Vision HDR and lossless original stereo audio in addition to Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes. All of it comes in collectible "ghost trap" packaging with lights, and a reprint of Making Ghostbusters, a 220-page book from 1985
Reviewer Martin Liebman is impressed with the picture quality of the 4K UHD disc of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, saying in part that "the big gains here are the bright proton pack blasts, the colorful ghostly swirls and streaks, and other color explosions specific to the Ghostbusters world. The Dolby Vision grading allows for gains to intensity, clarity, and stability. The Dolby Vision grading offers superior whites, blacks, and skin tones, too". Liebman is even more enthused with the disc's Dolby Atmos sound, continuing: "his is a beast of a soundtrack that is full throttle and relentless every time opportunity opens for high intensity audio delight. Every action scene is packed with impressively deep and detailed, immersive and captivating, audio. The extra surround channels offer a fuller stage. The overheads bring a larger sense of space to the proceedings and offer sound effects that are both discrete and spatially amplified. Clarity to all elements -- action, music, ambience -- cannot be better...UHD audio does not get any better than this". For a full disc breakdown, read Martin's 4K UHD review and Blu-ray review.
New this week from RLJE Films is a 4K UHD SteelBook for Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King's The Spine of Night, featuring the voices of Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, and Joe Manganiello.
Official description: This epic fantasy tale, about the history of a land that never was, begins when an ambitious young man steals forbidden knowledge from a sacred plant. He falls to its darker temptations and in so doing, unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. As his power grows over the years, it falls to people of different ilk and culture to attempt to stop him. Among those who stand against him are a daring tomb-robber, star-crossed lovers, a maniacal necromancer, winged assassins, and an undying guardian.
RLJE Films' releases of The Spine of Night contain a making of featurette and two short films as extras.
Also from RLJE Films this week is a Blu-ray for Brandon Christensen's Superhost, starring Sara Canning, Gracie Gillam, Osric Chau, and Barbara Crampton.
Description: Teddy and Claire are travel vloggers who run a channel called "SUPERHOST" where they travel and share their experiences in and around vacation homes, and until recently, had become successful doing it. With a dwindling subscriber count, they find the perfect opportunity to create content that people want to see when they meet Rebecca, the host of their most recent trip. Slowly they start to realize that something isn't right with Rebecca, and as they investigate it further, they unlock a horrifying truth. She doesn't just want a great review…she wants something far worse.
RLJE Films' Blu-ray of Superhost contains behind the scenes and other featurettes, bloopers and episodes 1 and 2 of Scardeycats as extras.
New on Blu-ray this week from Shout Factory is Danishka Esterhazy's Slumber Party Massacre (2021), starring Hannah Gonera, Frances Sholto-Douglas, Mila Rayne, Alex McGregor and Reze-Tiana Wessels.
Description: Hannah Gonera (Spell), Alex McGregor (Blood Drive), Frances Sholto-Douglas (The Kissing Booth) and Jane de Wet (Trackers) star in this terrifying thriller that gives new life – and death – to the classic '80s horror franchise. When a quartet of friends heads from L.A. to an isolated cabin for a getaway, they encounter a few uninvited guests. But someone has an axe – and a few other sharp implements – to grind, and soon, an evening meant for fun and games descends into a night of chaos and fear. Brace yourself for all-new thrills and drills as the party-goers try to escape the most terrifying Massacre yet!
Shout's Blu-ray of Slumber Party Massacre (2021) contains an audio commentary with director Danishka Esterhazy, an alternate ending and a trailer as extras.
New this week from Paramount Home Media Distribution is a Blu-ray for Walt Becker's Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021), starring Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall, Izaac Wang, John Cleese, and Sienna Guillory.
Studio description: When Emily discovers her little red puppy named Clifford has grown ten-feet overnight, she turns to her eccentric Uncle Casey for help. But when a mad scientist tries to capture the larger-than-life playful pup, it takes the entire neighborhood to hide Clifford as they race across the city. Get ready for the incredible, laugh-out-loud comedy adventure that is BIG fun for the entire family!
Paramount's Blu-ray for Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) contains four featurettes and deleted scenes as extras.
New this week from Mill Creek is a four-disc Blu-ray set for Ultraman Zero: The Chronicle (2017). Official description: Son of Ultra Seven, Ultraman Zero receives training from Ultraman Leo on his way to becoming a qualified fighter. The Land of Light is threatened by monsters and aliens headed by Ultraman Belial young Ultraman Zero fights fearlessly to fend off the enemies, living to the expectations of Ultra Seven.
Finally this week, The Criterion Collection brings to Blu-ray Douglas Sirk's Written on the Wind, starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, Robert Keith and Grant Williams. Presented from a new 2K master, with uncompressed original mono audio, Criterion include extras from their DVD, but add the feature-length 2008 documentary Acting for Douglas Sirk and a new interview with film scholar Patricia White.
Note: The promotional clip below from Written on the Wind was uploaded by Criterion in 2013 and does not represent the picture quality of the new Blu-ray.