For the week of March 20th, Paramount Home Media Distribution will release Damien Chazelle's Babylon (2022), starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart and Jovan Adepo.
Description: Babylon follows an ambitious cast of characters — The Silent Film Superstar (Brad Pitt), the Young Starlet (Margot Robbie), the Production Executive (Diego Calva), the Musical Sensation (Jovan Adepo) and the Alluring Powerhouse Performer (Li Jun Li) — who are striving to stay on top of the raucous, 1920s Hollywood scene and maintain their relevance at a time when the industry is moving on to the next best thing.
Paramount's separate Blu-ray and 4K UHD editions for Babylon contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. A second Blu-ray disc contains extras, including deleted and extended scenes and the featurettes A Panoramic Canvas Called Babylon, The Costumes of Babylon and Scoring Babylon. In addition to standard packaging, a Limited Edition Dual Format SteelBook will also be available.
Also new from Paramount is a Blu-ray edition for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Season One (2022), starring Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Christina Chong and Melissa Navia.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series will feature fan favorites from season two of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series will follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.
Paramount's Blu-ray edition of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Season One contains all 10 episodes from the first season. Extras include audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes and a gag reel. In addition to standard packaging, a Limited Edition Blu-ray SteelBook will also be available. In addition to the Blu-ray format, a Limited Edition 4K UHD SteelBook is set to be released on May 16th, 2023.
Also coming this week from Paramount is a Blu-ray and 4K UHD release for Matthew Robbins' Dragonslayer (1981), starring Peter MacNicol, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam, Peter Eyre and Albert Salmi. Making its worldwide debut on both formats, Paramount presents Dragonslayer from a new 4K master approved by Matthew Robbins, with a new Dolby Atmos audio mix and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. New extras include audio commentary by Matthew Robbins and Guillermo del Toro, a multi-part documentary The Slayer of Dragons and screen tests, while a theatricaltrailer is also included. In addition to standard packaging, a 4K UHD SteelBook will also be available.
Finally from Paramount is a Blu-ray and 4K UHD for Wes Craven's Red Eye (2005), starring Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays and Jack Scalia. Making its debut on both formats as part of the Paramount Presents collection, Red Eye is presented from a new 4K master, with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. New extras include a new audio commentary by editor Patrick Lussier, a Filmmaker Focus featurette: Wes Craven and Red Eye and the featurette Wes Craven: In His Own Words, while legacy extras include audio commentary with Wes Craven, producer Marianne Maddalena, and editor Patrick Lussier,as well as two featurettes and a gag reel. As usual with the Paramount Presents lineup, collectible packaging includes a slipcover which opens to reveal original poster artwork.
New this week from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is a Blu-ray for Gerard Johnstone's M3GAN, starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis and Jen Van Epps.
M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, Get Out), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. As Gemma faces pressure at work from her boss (Ronny Chieng, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) to deliver a finished version of M3GAN, she suddenly becomes the unprepared caretaker of her newly orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw, The Haunting of Hill House). Gemma decides to pair the M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems—a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.
Universal's Blu-ray of M3GAN contains both theatrical and unrated versions of the film, both with DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio. Extras include three brief featurettes. Reviewer Martin Liebman gives the picture and sound quality high marks, saying in part: "The image enjoys bountiful clarity and razor-sharp definition...This is a very nice-looking image from Universal". For a full disc breakdown, read Martin's Blu-ray review.
New this week from Oscilloscope Laboratories is a Blu-ray for Maxwell McCabe-Lokos' Stanleyville, starring Susanne Wuest, Cara Ricketts, Christian Serritiello, George Tchortov, and Julian Richings.
Description: Office drone Maria Barbizan leads what looks like a meaningless life. She's lonely, and she doesn't really exist, at her job or within her family. One day, she does everything we've all dreamed of – she throws her purse and old life in the trash, and joins an enigmatic contest to win… a car. Locked in a room with four strangers, each more eccentric than the next, she must go through a series of challenges – a "competition to probe the very essence of mind-body articulation", lead by Homunculus, an intriguing and curious host.
Oscilloscope's Blu-ray of Stanleyville contains audio commentary by Maxwell McCabe-Lokos and Matthew Rankin, two short films by Maxwell McCabe-Lokos: Ape Sodom (2016) and Midnight Confession (2017), and the film's theatrical trailer.
New on Blu-ray from Vertical Entertainment is John R. Leonetti's Lullaby (2022), starring Oona Chaplin, Liane Balaban, Austin Ball and Adam Bernett.
Label description: A new mother (Oona Chaplin) discovers a lullaby in an ancient book and regards the song as a blessing. But her world transforms into a nightmare when the lullaby brings forth the ancient demon Lilith. From the director of Annabelle.
New on Blu-ray from Well Go USA is Hanung Bramantyo's Legend of Gatotkaca (Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca), starring Rizky Nazar, Yasmin Napper, Omar Daniel, Ali Fikry, Edward Akbar and Sigi Wimala.
Description: After witnessing the murder of his best friend by a masked assassin with superpowers, Yuda stumbles upon a secret prophecy and unlocks dormant abilities that may be the key to winning the upcoming battle against an ancient evil.
Well Go USA's Blu-ray of Legend of Gatotkaca contains a trailer. For a full disc breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
Finally for new releases this week, Lionsgate Home Entertainment has a Blu-ray for Gracie Otto's Seriously Red, starring Krew Boylan, Daniel Webber, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale and Thomas Campbell.
Description: Red (Krew Boylan) lost her job as a real estate agent, but there's something no one can take away from her: her dream of becoming the world's greatest Dolly Parton impersonator! After her act attracts the attentions of an amorous Elvis impersonator (Rose Byrne) and a powerful booking agent (Bobby Cannavale), Red is catapulted into the top tier of copycat acts, becoming the onstage and romantic partner of the top Kenny Rogers impersonator. But when Red's life as an imitator starts to feel false, she discovers true happiness comes when you're being the best version of yourself.
Lionsgate's Blu-ray for Seriously Red contains an audio commentary with director Gracie Otto.
Turning to catalog titles, ClassicFlix have a Blu-ray and 4K UHD release for Victor Saville's The Long Wait (1954), starring Anthony Quinn, Charles Coburn, Gene Evans, Peggie Castle, Mary Ellen Kay and Shirley Patterson. Making its worldwide debut on both formats, ClassicFlix presents The Long Wait from a new 4K master, with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include an audio commentary with Max Allan Collins and on the included Blu-ray, an image gallery. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's 4K UHD review.
Coming this week from Shout Factory are four catalog titles on Blu-ray. First is Anatole Litvak's Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), starring Burt Lancaster, Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Ed Begley, and Leif Erickson. Extras on Shout's Blu-ray include a new audio commentary by film and pop culture podcasters Sam Hurley and Emily Higgins. Legacy extras include audio commentary with Film Noir Foundation Board Member Alan K. Rode, an introduction by film historian Eddie Muller, Hold The Phone: The Making Of Sorry, Wrong Number, a 1950 Lux Radio Play version of Sorry, Wrong Number with Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster, and more.
Also from Shout comes Michael Apted's Critical Condition (1987), starring Richard Pryor, Rachel Ticotin, Sylvia Miles, Joe Mantegna and Bob Saget. Shout's Blu-ray includes a theatrical trailer.
Then from Shout is Tony Bill's Crazy People (1990), starring Dudley Moore, Daryl Hannah, Paul Reiser, J.T. Walsh and Bill Smitrovich. Shout's Blu-ray includes a theatrical trailer.
Finally from Shout is a remastered Blu-ray for Manny Coto's Dr. Giggles (1992), starring Larry Drake, Holly Marie Combs, Cliff De Young, Glenn Quinn and Richard Bradford. Sourced from a new 2K master and presented in the film's original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, Shout's Blu-ray of Dr. Giggles contains a new interview with Manny Coto, which features a never-before-seen interview with Larry Drake. A new interview with film music historian Randall D. Larson is also included, along with a vintage featurette, trailers, VHS teasers and TV spots.
Finally this week, the Criterion Collection has a hotly anticipated Blu-ray debut for David Lynch's Inland Empire (2006), starring Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux, Karolina Gruszka, Grace Zabriskie and Ian Abercrombie. Sourced from a new 4K master that was supervised by David Lynch and with DTS-HD MA 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 audio tracks newly remastered by Lynch and original rerecording mixers Dean Hurley and Ron Eng, Criterion presents Inland Empire in a two-disc special edition. Extras include a new conversation between actors Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan, two films by blackANDwhite (the makers of David Lynch: The Art Life): LYNCH (one) (2007) and LYNCH2 (2007), More Things That Happened, a 75-minute collection of extra scenes, Ballerina (2007), a short film by David Lynch, and more. For a full release breakdown, read Svet Atanasov's Blu-ray review.