British label Network Releasing has announced that it will add eight new titles to its Blu-ray catalog. They are: Whoops Apocalypse (1986), The Cheaters: The Complete Series (1960-1961), The House Across the Lake (1954), Les Misérables (1978), Saber of London - Volume One (1958), The Vise: Mark Saber: Volume One, The Vise: Volume One, and Spanish Fly (1976).
Description: Comedy icons Terry-Thomas and Leslie Phillips set new levels of bounderism and caddishness in this wickedly funny, mid-'70s sex comedy set on the Mediterranean island of Minorca! Directed by Bob Kellett and co-starring Sue Lloyd, Spanish Fly is featured here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Sir Percy de Courcy feels dejected. His cunning wheeze to make some fast cash by buying up 100,000 gallons of local plonk to sell at a vast profit comes adrift when even he has to admit it tastes foul. But when his chauffeur adds a certain local ingredient to improve the taste, it turns the wine into a potent aphrodisiac!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
PREVIOUSLY RESTORED and presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery with music suite featuring Ron Goodwin's original score
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Description: M*A*S*H's Loretta Swit stars alongside comedy icon Peter Cook, Seinfeld's Michael Richards and the immortal Rik Mayall in the riotous feature film version of one of television's most outrageously controversial satires! Co-starring Ian Richardson, Alexie Sayle and Herbert Lom, Whoops Apocalypse is featured here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Chaos ensues when a US-backed Central American regime invades a nearby British dependency. When subsequent peace talks are sabotaged by a corporately-funded world-class assassin, events begin to run away with themselves - in the direction of nuclear armageddon!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW RESTORATION OF THE FILM
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Description: Oscar-nominated actor John Ireland gives a laid back, dryly-humorous performance as a dogged insurance investigator in this classic television series from The Danziger Brothers. Co-starring Robert Ayres as his straight-laced boss and filmed in and around an early '60s London populated by murderous pensioners, devious spouses, double-crossing crooks and opportunistic thieves, The Cheaters has been transferred in High Definition from original film elements especially for this release.
Featuring a hip, swinging soundtrack by Bill LeSage, scripts from Avengers maestro Brian Clemens and guest appearances from Valentine Dyall, Barrie Ingham, Peter Butterworth, Ann Lynn, Francis Matthews, John Carson, Jennifer Jayne, Lisa Gastoni, Jill Ireland, Glyn Houston, Angela Douglas, Margaretta Scott and Paul Eddington, among many others, this set contains all 39 episodes.
Technical Specs:
EXCLUSIVE NEW RESTORATION FROM ORIGINAL FILM ELEMENTS
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
Description: American screen siren Hillary Brooke plays the consummate femme fatale in this gritty '50s Brit Noir from Hammer Films – shot just a year before they made their name with The Quatermass Xperiment. An early feature by Emmy-winning writer-director Ken Hughes, The House Across the Lake is featured here as a brand new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Author Mark Kenrick's plan to hide out in a quiet bungalow and thrash out his new novel is disrupted by the noise coming from a lively party at an exclusive home across the lake from his retreat. He is shocked to find the lady of the house both calculating and manipulative... and learns the hard way just how far she will go to get what she wants!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEWLY RESTORED FROM ORIGINAL FILM ELEMENTS
Theatrical trailer
Alternate Titles
The House Across the Thames: interview with Continuity Supervisor Renee Glynne
The Dame Wore Tweed: Barry Forshaw examines Brit Noir
Description: Following the success of both The Count of Monte-Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask, ITC re-teamed with Norman Rosemont Productions to produce what is arguably the definitive version of Victor Hugo's classic tale of injustice and redemption. Richard Jordan gives a career-best performance as the courageous Jean Valjean, alongside Anthony Perkins as the despicable Javert and a star-studded cast that includes John Gielgud, Ian Holm, Celia Johnson, Christopher Guard and Flora Robson. This classic drama is featured here as both a widescreen High Definition remaster of the theatrical version and the extended fullscreen version that was shown on ITV.
Jean Valjean, cruelly sent to prison for stealing a loaf of bread, is finally free from captivity and intent on revenge. Persuaded to turn the other cheek he adopts a new identity and tries his best to become an honest man, though a chance encounter with the former Inspector of Prisoners sets both men on a path towards their shared, bloody fate.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEWLY RESTORED
TWO VERSIONS:
Widescreen theatrical version
Full-screen extended TV version
Brand-new interviews with actors Christopher Guard and Timothy Morand, and 1st assistant director Bill Westley
Description: Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, producers extraordinaire - Native New Yorkers, they set up shop in Britain in 1952 and, for a decade, became arguably the world's most prolific independent supplier of television shows and 'B' movies, creating nearly 100 films and in excess of 300 TV episodes for the British and American market. Their longest-running creation was one-armed detective Mark Saber, who sleuthed his way through more than 150 episodes of murder, blackmail and conduct unbecoming!
Following on the from success of the second series of The Vise - which was networked in the States and played regionally in the UK as Mark Saber - The Danzigers knew not to mess with a good thing and changed only the title for this third series - to Saber of London. The title may have changed (and the assistants too!), but that dogged detective Mark Saber was as reliable as always - no crime left unsolved, no criminal left unthwarted!
Starring Donald Gray - alongside Colin Tapley as his reliable 'Inspector' and, once more, featuring scripts from Brian Clemens, amongst others - Saber of London ran for an unprecedented 91 episodes. Unseen for over fifty years, 36 of these have been newly transferred in High Definition from original film elements especially for this release!
Description: Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, producers extraordinaire - Native New Yorkers, they set up shop in Britain in 1952 and, for a decade, became arguably the world's most prolific independent supplier of television shows and 'B' movies, creating nearly 100 films and in excess of 300 TV episodes for the British and American market. Their longest-running creation was one-armed detective Mark Saber, who sleuthed his way through more than 150 episodes of murder, blackmail and conduct unbecoming!
Though the first series of The Vise successfully achieved an American network transmission, for the second run The Danzigers rebooted the format. Gone was the narrator and rotating cast, to be replaced by the stand-up private investigator Mark Saber, memorably played by Donald Gray.
With a rotating cast of assistants and inspectors, Saber foiled criminals over 65 episodes (with a little bit of help from writer Brian Clemens, amongst others) and this volume showcases thirty episodes from the second series of The Vise (known as Mark Saber in the UK and to posterity as The Vise: Mark Saber) - unseen for over fifty years they have been newly transferred in High Definition from original film elements especially for this release!
Description: Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, producers extraordinaire – native New Yorkers, they set up shop in Britain in 1952 and, for a decade, became arguably the world's most prolific independent supplier of television shows and 'B' movies, creating nearly 100 films and in excess of 300 TV episodes for the British and American market. Their longest-running creation was one-armed detective Mark Saber, who sleuthed his way through more than 150 episodes of murder, blackmail and conduct unbecoming!
But before Saber appeared on the scene, there was The Vise – an anthology series that nailed its colours to the mast in the opening sentence of each episode: "The story we're going to tell is about people caught in the jaws of a vise – in a dilemma of their own making!". Over 65 episodes a rotating cast played out a succession of noir-tinged morality tales, with each show bookended by a monologue from moody Australian actor Ron Randell.
Featuring screenplays from a very young Brian Clemens among others, this volume showcases 21 episodes from the first series of The Vise – unseen for over fifty years they have been newly transferred from original film elements especially for this release!