For the week of March 27th, MPI Home Video will release Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), starring Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Adrian Grünewald and Edin Hasanovic
Description: For the first time ever, a production from Germany has been nominated for an Oscar® in the most important category, Best Picture. In addition, Edward Berger's film was nominated in eight other Oscar® categories, including Best International Film, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Production Design. All Quiet On The Western Front has also been the big winner at this year's BAFTAs, taking home seven of Britain's most important film awards, among them Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. The German Film Academy has also shortlisted the film for the German Film Awards.
MPI's release of All Quiet on the Western Front is available as a 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo pack in DigiBook packaging. Audio on the discs is Dolby Atmos, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Optional subtitles and dubbed audio tracks are included in English, as well as a number of other languages. Extras include audio commentary by Edward Berger, a making of featurette, trailers and a tease, while the DigiBook packaging includes a 24-page booklet. Reviewer Randy Miller gave the release high marks for picture and sound quality, saying: "fine detail and textures virtually leapt off the screen...Black levels and shadow detail were also exemplary...this 4K disc [is] the definitive format to watch [the film] from here on out". Of the Dolby Atmos audio, Miller says: "Directionality and overall presence are absolutely outstanding from start to finish, as countless scenes lend themselves to an all-out sonic assault featuring strong channel pans and discrete effects, which certainly extends to the height channels as fly-overs, bullets, and explosives blanket the soundstage...All Quiet on the Western Front easily ranks among the most ear-opening discs I've heard in recent memory, regardless of format or genre". For a full release breakdown, read Randy's 4K UHD review.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is Jean-Francois Richet's Plane, starring Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Paul Ben-Victor and Tony Goldwyn.
Description: In the white-knuckle action movie PLANE, pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island - only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When most of the passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI. In order to rescue the passengers, Torrance will need Gaspare's help, and will learn there's more to Gaspare than meets the eye.
Lionsgate's releases of Plane contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, along with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include 40 minutes of featurettes and a trailer. Reviewer Jeffrey Kauffman says the 4K UHD "is an often very impressive looking 4K presentation, one that ups the detail ante from an already excellent [Blu-ray] while also offering some interesting tonal highlights". Kauffman also praises the Atmos audio as "nicely bombastic", saying the track "engages the surround channels virtually from the get go...most audiophiles will be more than satisfied". For full disc breakdowns, read Jeffrey's Blu-ray review and 4K UHD review.
New this week on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from BBC is the documentary series Frozen Planet II (2022), presented by David Attenborough.
Description: In 2011, Frozen Planet gave BBC viewers an unprecedented insight into life in the Poles. Now, 11 years later, Frozen Planet II - presented by Sir David Attenborough – returns to the Arctic and Antarctic to observe the amazing species that thrive there. But, going further than Series 1, it also explores life beyond the Poles – witnessing the wildlife dramas that play out in all the world's coldest regions: our high mountains, frozen deserts, snowbound forests, and ice-cold oceans. These are the last true wildernesses on earth; places so challenging for survival that only a heroic cast of animals can live here. From polar bears to penguins, Siberian tigers to snow monkeys, each species must overcome unique challenges to survive their extreme environments. Filmed in ultra-high definition using the very latest camera technology, and featuring dramatic new behaviours, intimate stories, and sensational natural spectacles filmed for the very first time, this six-part series is a chance to experience the wonder of our planet's frozen realms as they stand on the brink of major change. As temperatures rise at an unprecedented rate our frozen planet is literally vanishing before our eyes. The series reveals the true impact on both wildlife and humans. We meet scientists who've dedicated their lives to understanding what these changes mean - not just for the animals and people who live there, but for the planet as a whole.
BBC presents Frozen Planet II as a four-disc 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo pack, with a choice of Dolby Atmos or DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio and HDR on the 4K UHD discs. Extras include The Making of Frozen Planet II.
New on Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is Chucky: Season Two (2022). The two-disc set contains all eight episodes and deleted scenes.
Also new on Blu-ray from Universal is Gaslit: The Complete Limited Series (2022), starring Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham and Darby Camp.
Description: Based on Slate's "Slow Burn" podcast, Gaslit is a modern take on the Watergate scandal through the long-neglected lens of the lesser-known but no-less-key players involved in the downfall of America's 37th president – from Nixon's bumbling, opportunistic subordinates, to the deranged zealots aiding and abetting their crimes, to the tragic whistleblowers who would eventually bring the whole rotten enterprise crashing to the ground.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD this week from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is the latest DC Animated Movie, Christopher Berkeley and Sam Liu's Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham, starring the voices of David Giuntoli, Tati Gabrielle, Christopher Gorham, Patrick Fabian, John DiMaggio and David Dastmalchian.
Official studio description: Inspired by the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Richard Pace and Troy Nixey, Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham is a 1920s-based tale that finds explorer Bruce Wayne accidentally unleashing an ancient evil, expediting his return to Gotham City after a two-decade hiatus. The logic/science-driven Batman must battle Lovecraftian supernatural forces threatening the sheer existence of Gotham, along the way being aided and confronted by reimagined versions of his well-known allies and enemies, including Green Arrow, Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, James Gordon and Bruce's beloved wards. Prepare for a mystical, often terrifying Batman adventure unlike any other.
Warner's releases of Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham contain DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, with HDR on the 4K UHD disc. extras include audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series and previews of other DC Animated Movie titles. For full release breakdowns, read Randy Miller's Blu-ray review and 4K UHD review.
Coming this week from Warner on Blu-ray is Rick and Morty: Season 6 (2022). The single-disc release contains all ten episodes, along with several short featurettes. In addition to standard packaging, a SteelBook edition will also be available. For full release breakdowns, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review and Blu-ray SteelBook review.
Also coming from Warner on Blu-ray is Duck Dodgers: The Complete Series (2003-2005). The three-disc set will include all 39 episodes, as well as the original Merrie Melodies cartoon Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953).
New on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is Florian Zeller's The Son (2022), starring Hugh Jackman, Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern, Anthony Hopkins, William Hope and Hugh Quarshie.
Description: The Son centers on Peter (Hugh Jackman), whose hectic life with his infant and new partner Beth (Vanessa Kirby) is upended when his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern) appears at his door to discuss their son Nicholas (Zen McGrath), who is now a teenager.
Sony's Blu-ray of The Son includes the featurette Bringing The Son to the Screen and the film's trailer.
Also new on Blu-ray from Sony is Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty's Missing (2023), starring Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Thomas Barbusca, Tim Griffin and Tracy Vilar.
Description: From the minds behind Searching comes Missing, a thrilling roller-coaster mystery that makes you wonder how well you know those closest to you. When her mother (Nia Long) disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June's (Storm Reid) search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it's too late. But as she digs deeper, her digital sleuthing raises more questions than answers...and when June unravels secrets about her mom, she discovers that she never really knew her at all.
Sony's Blu-ray of Missing includes filmmaker commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes and easter eggs.
New on Blu-ray from Well Go USA is Daniel Lee's Code of the Assassins (AKA Song of the Assassins) (青面修罗), starring Shaofeng Feng, Jun Hu, Qingxiang Wang, Jack Kao, Kenneth Tsang and Ray Lui.
Description: Trained by top assassination teams, a young assassin receives his first mission and finds himself tangled in a political intrigue planned for years.
Well Go USA's Blu-ray of Code of the Assassins contains a trailer. For a full disc breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
Turning to catalog titles, Severin Films have several this week, mostly in Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection (1974-1978), a Blu-ray box set that contains Almost Human (Milano odia: la polizia non può sparare) (1974), Syndicate Sadists (Il giustiziere sfida la città) (1975), Free Hand for a Tough Cop (Il trucido e lo sbirro) (1976), The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (Il cinico, l'infame, il violento) (1977) and Brothers Till We Die (La banda del gobbo) (1978). All five films are presented from 2K masters with English or Italian audio options. A wealth of extras across five Blu-rays include commentaries, interviews, featurettes and more, while three of the films also come with soundtrack CDs. Reviewer Jeffrey Kauffman has already completed reviews for all five films in the set. They can be accessed via the film titles above or via his overall Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection Blu-ray review.
Also new on Blu-ray from Severin is Tim Burstall's Attack Force Z (1981), starring Mel Gibson, Sam Neill, Chris Haywood, John Waters, John Phillip Law and Sylvia Chang. Presented from a 2K master prepared by The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Severin presents Attack Force Z with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include the featurette The Z Men Debriefed, a slide show and a trailer. For a full disc breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
New this week from Arrow Video is a Blu-ray of John Frankenheimer's Black Sunday (1977), starring Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, Marthe Keller, Fritz Weaver, Steven Keats and Bekim Fehmiu. Presented from an HD master with additional remastering work by Arrow, Black Sunday is presented with lossless audio in 5.1, 2.0 stereo and the original mono. New extras include audio commentary by film scholar Josh Nelson and It Could Be Tomorrow - a visual essay by critic Sergio Angelini. An episode of The Directors on Frankenheimer is also included, along with an image gallery. Collectible packaging includes a reversible sleeve featuring original artwork and a limited edition collector's booklet.
Also from Arrow is a Blu-ray for Sammo Kam-Bo Hung's Knockabout (1979), starring Biao Yuen, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ming-Wai Chan, Chia-Yung Liu, Ka-Yan Leung and Karl Maka. Featuring a 2K master of both the original theatrical cut and the shorter export cut, Arrow presents Knockabout with lossless Cantonese, Mandarin and English audio options. Extras include two audio commentaries, archival interviews, a deleted scene, theatrical trailer and image gallery. In addition to standard packaging, an Arrow Video Exclusive Original Artwork Slipcover will also be available.
Finally this week, Shout Factory have three 4K UHD upgrades to offer. First up is William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III (1990), starring George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller, Nicol Williamson and Scott Wilson. Presented from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Shout presents The Exorcist III as a three-disc set, with a 4K UHD disc and remastered Blu-ray featuring the film's theatrical version, with newly remastered stereo and 5.1 audio tracks, as well as Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include a second Blu-ray with the director's cut of the film, the five-part, feature-length making of documentary Death, Be Not Proud: The Making of The Exorcist III, along with deleted scenes, numerous vintage interviews and featurettes,and more.
Then from Shout comes a 4K UHD upgrade for James Wan's Dead Silence (2007), starring Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Bob Gunton, Michael Fairman and Judith Roberts. Shout presents Dead Silence from a new 4K master of the theatrical cut and with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. The Blu-ray includes the remastered theatrical cut as well as the director's cut,along with new interviews with James Wan, Leigh Whannell and ventriloquist dummy creator Tim Selberg, as well as legcay extras from the previous Blu-ray release.
Finally this week, Shout has a 4K UHD upgrade for Timur Bekmambetov's Wanted (2008), starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann and Common. Shout presents Wanted from a new 4K master, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. The remastered Blu-ray features the legacy extras from the previous Blu-ray release.