For the week of July 11th, the Criterion Collection will release a remastered Blu-ray and 4K UHD for Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980), starring Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto and Theresa Saldana. Scorsese's biopic of boxer Jake LaMotta, which won Robert De Niro his second Academy Award for Best Actor, was previously released by Criterion on Laserdisc in 1990 and subsequently released on Blu-ray--twice--by MGM. Criterion's new Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs are sourced from a new 4K master approved by director Martin Scorsese and come with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 Surround audio track, while the 4K UHD disc also includes HDR. Extras include two new video essays, three audio commentaries, and various archival interviews and featurettes. Reviewer Svet Atanasov is ecstatic about the new 4K UHD disc, calling it "absolutely...the definitive presentation of Raging Bull" and awarding the both releases perfect 5/5 scores in all areas. For a full disc breakdown, read Svet's 4K UHD review and Blu-ray review.
Also new from Criterion this week is a Blu-ray for David Lean's Summertime (1955), starring Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Isa Miranda, Darren McGavin, Mari Aldon and Jane Rose. Criterion's Blu-ray is sourced from a new 4K master, with uncompressed original mono audio. Extras include a new interview with film historian Melanie Williams, an interview with David Lean from 1963, audio excerpts of an interview with cinematographer Jack Hildyard from 1988 and the film's trailer, along with an essay by film critic Stephanie Zacharek.
For new releases this week, Walt Disney Home Entertainment will release a Blu-ray of Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back. The documentary, which Jackson assembled from hundreds of hours of audio and video footage that was shot by Michael Lindsay-Hogg while the Beatles recorded their 1970 album Let It Be, was released to streaming back in November 2021, while a portion that comprises a rooftop concert was given an IMAX theatrical release in early 2022. The Blu-ray, which was the subject of an infamous last-minute recall back in February, has now finally been released and spreads the 468-minute documentary over three discs. No extras are included, but the "book-style" packaging includes four art cards of the band members. During production, Jackson made a controversial decision to alter the appearance of the original film elements, removing the natural film grain and using digital tools to give the footage an entirely new look. Reviewer Martin Liebman is unimpressed, calling the picture "heavily processed", "downright smudgy" and bemoaning the lack of fine detail and even the colors of Jackson's manipulated image presentation. On the other hand, audio, which comes in Dolby Atmos, amongst other options, is praised. For a full disc breakdown, read Martin's Blu-ray review.
New this week on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Media Distribution is Star Trek: Lower Decks - Season 2 (2021). The two-disc set contains all ten episodes, while extras include audio commentaries, animatics, easter eggs and more. For a full breakdown, read Martin Liebman's Blu-ray review.
Also from Paramount this week is another entry in the Paramount Presents line on Blu-ray, Don Siegel's Rough Cut (1980), starring Burt Reynolds, Lesley-Anne Down, David Niven, Timothy West, and Joss Ackland. Presented from a new 4K master, the film also comes with a new Filmmaker Focus featurette with Leonard Maltin, as well as its original trailer. As usual with the Paramount Presents line, there is collectible packaging that includes a slipcover which opens to reveal the theatrical poster.
But there are more catalog titles coming to Blu-ray from Paramount as well:
Bruce Smith's Bébé's Kids (1992), featuring the voices of Robin Harris, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Faizon Love, Marques Houston, and Tone Loc.
Richard Pearce's Leap of Faith (1992), starring Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Lolita Davidovich, Liam Neeson, and Lukas Haas.
Chris and Paul Weitz's Down to Earth (2001), starring Chris Rock, Regina King, Chazz Palminteri, Eugene Levy, and Frankie Faison.
Harold Becker's Domestic Disturbance (2001), starring John Travolta, Vince Vaughn, Teri Polo, Steve Buscemi, and Matt O'Leary.
New this week from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is a Blu-ray for Batwoman: The Third and Final Season (2021-2022). The three-disc set will contain deleted scenes, a gag reel and the featurette Batwing: A Hero's Journey.
Also from Warner this week is another entry in the Warner Archive Collection of Blu-rays, The Frisco Kid (1979), starring Gene Wilder, Harrison Ford, Ramon Bieri, Val Bisoglio, George DiCenzo and Leo Fuchs. The disc includes the film's theatrical trailer as an extra. Reviewer Randy Miller was suitably impressed with the audio and video of the disc, giving each the high marks we've become accustomed to with WAC Blu-rays. For a full disc breakdown, read Randy's Blu-ray review.
New on Blu-ray this week from RLJE Films is Taneli Mustonen's The Twin, starring Teresa Palmer, Steven Cree, Barbara Marten, Tristan Ruggeri, and Ergo Küppas.
Label description: In the aftermath of a tragic accident where their son was killed, Rachel and Anthony decide to move to the other side of the world to focus on their surviving twin son Elliot. What begins as a time of healing and isolation in the Scandinavian countryside turns into a desperate battle for the very soul of their son, as an entity claiming to be his dead twin brother takes over Elliot — setting Rachel on a diabolical journey to unravel the horrible truth about Elliot's twin.
New this week from Vertical Entertainment is a Blu-ray for Sophia Banks' Black Site, starring Michelle Monaghan, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, and Simon Elrahi.
Description: CIA Officers based in a top-secret military black site must fight for their lives in a cat-and-mouse game against Hatchet, a brilliant and ruthless detainee who escapes and retaliates by killing them off one-by-one.
Also this week, Lionsgate Home Entertainment has a Blu-ray for Michael B. Chait's Wolf Hound, starring James Maslow, Trevor Donovan, and John Turk.
Description: Inspired by the real-life German special operations unit KG 200 that shot down, repaired, and flew Allied aircraft as Trojan horses, "Wolf Hound" takes place in 1944 German-occupied France and follows the daring exploits of Jewish-American fighter pilot Captain David Holden. Ambushed behind enemy lines, Holden must rescue a captured B-17 Flying Fortress crew, evade a ruthless enemy stalking him at every turn, and foil a plot that could completely alter the outcome of World War II.
Also from Lionsgate this week is a 4K UHD upgrade for Alan Parker's Angel Heart (1987), starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling, and Stocker Fontelieu. Available as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, the release comes with several extras, including an introduction, audio commentary and interview with Alan Parker, behind the scenes footage, featurette and more.
Finally this week, Shout Factory have two Blu-ray releases. The first, from GKIDS, is Takayuki Hirao's animated film Pompo the Cinéphile (2021).
Label description: Pompo is a talented and gutsy producer in "Nyallywood," the movie-making capital of the world. Although she's known for B-movies, one day Pompo tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about a tormented artistic genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo's challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?
Extras for Shout's Blu-ray of Pompo the Cinéphile include audio commentary with the director and crew, feature-length storyboards and more.
Also from Shout comes the Blu-ray premiere for Garry Marshall's Georgia Rule (2007), starring Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Dermot Mulroney and Laurie Metcalf. Part of the Shout Select collection, extras include audio commentary with director Garry Marshall, deleted scenes with optional director's commentary, featurette and more.
Finally this week, Shout delivers a 33-disc set for The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series (1973-1978). The set contains all five seasons and 99 episodes, plus three pilot films and the three reunion films made from 1987-1994. Bonus episodes of the spinoff series The Bionic Woman (1975-1978) are also included, as well as newly recorded audio commentaries on various episodes by author Herbie J. Pilato and a wealth of archival video extras. For a complete overview of the set, read Brian Orndorf's Blu-ray review.