For the week of June 25th, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release on Blu-ray and 4K UHD Lee Cronin's Evil Dead Rise, starring Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher and Mirabai Pease.
Studio description: New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures present a return to the iconic horror franchise, "Evil Dead Rise," from writer/director Lee Cronin ("The Hole in the Ground"). The movie stars Lily Sullivan ("I Met a Girl," "Barkskins"), Alyssa Sutherland ("The Mist," "Vikings"), Morgan Davies ("Storm Boy," "The End"), Gabrielle Echols ("Reminiscence") and introducing Nell Fisher ("Northspur").
Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, "Evil Dead Rise" tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sutherland and Sullivan, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
Warner's Blu-ray releases of Evil Dead Rise contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, with HDR on the 4K UHD disc. For full release breakdowns, read Randy Miller's 4K UHD review and Blu-ray review.
Also coming from Warner are five more Blu-rays from its Warner Archive Collection. They are:
Vincent Sherman's The Damned Don't Cry (1950), starring Joan Crawford, David Brian, Steve Cochran, Kent Smith, Hugh Sanders and Selena Royle. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, Warner Archive presents The Damned Don't Cry with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include audio commentary by Vincent Sherman, the featurette The Crawford Formula - Real and Reel (2005), a radio broadcast of the Screen Director's Playhouse from 1951 and the film's original theatrical trailer.
John Cromwell's Caged! (1950), starring Eleanor Parker, Agnes Moorehead, Ellen Corby, Hope Emerson, Lee Patrick and Jane Darwell. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, Warner Archive presents Caged! with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include a radio broadcast of the Screen Director's Playhouse from 1951, the Looney Tunes cartoon Big House Bunny (1950) and the film's original theatrical trailer.
Otto Preminger's Angel Face (1952), starring Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Mona Freeman, Herbert Marshall, Leon Ames and Barbara O'Neil. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the best preservation elements, Warner Archive presents Angel Face with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include audio commentary by Eddie Muller and the film's original theatrical trailer.
Charles Walters' Dangerous When Wet (1953), starring Esther Williams, Fernando Lamas, Jack Carson, Charlotte Greenwood, Denise Darcel and William Demarest. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original Technicolor camera negative, Warner Archive presents Dangerous When Wet with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include the unused musical outtake "C'est la guerre", the Tom and Jerry cartoon The Cat and the Mermouse (1949), the Pete Smith short film This Is a Living? (1953), audio-only demo recordings by lyricist Johnny Mercer, an audio-only interview with Esther Williams and Dick Simmons and the film's original theatrical trailer.
John Sturges' The Old Man and the Sea (1958), starring Spencer Tracy, Harry Bellaver and Felipe Pazos. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Warner Archive presents The Old Man and the Sea with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include the featurette Hemingway: The Legend and the Sea and the film's original theatrical trailer.
Finally from Warner comes a 4K UHD upgrade for Harold Ramis' National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron. Sourced from a new 4K master, Warner Archive presents National Lampoon's Vacation with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio and HDR. Extras include cast and crew audio commentary. In addition to standard packaging, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook will also be available. For a full disc breakdown, read Randy Miller's 4K UHD review.
New on Blu-ray from RLJE Films in in association with AMC, is a Blu-ray release of Tales of the Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (2022), starring Olivia Munn, Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Jillian Bell, Samantha Morton and Lauren Glazier.
Description: An episodic anthology that will follow individual characters from The Walking Dead TV universe, both new and old.
New on Blu-ray from Well Go USA is Scott Walker's The Tank, starring Matt Whelan, Mark Mitchinson, Graham Vincent, Luciane Buchanan, Jaya Beach-Robertson and Holly Shervey.
Description: After mysteriously inheriting an abandoned coastal property, Ben and his family accidentally unleashed an ancient, long-dormant creature that terrorized the entire region—including his ancestors—for generations.
Well Go USA's Blu-ray of The Tank contains the featurettes A Look into The Tank and Making the Creature, as well as the film's trailer.
New this week from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Blu-ray for George Tillman, Jr.'s Big George Foreman starring Khris Davis, Jasmine Mathews, John Magaro, Sullivan Jones, Lawrence Gilliard Jr. and Sonja Sohn.
Description: The miraculous story of the once and future heavyweight champion of the world is based on the remarkable true story of one of the greatest comebacks of all time and the transformational power of second chances. Fueled by an impoverished childhood, Foreman channels his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that takes him from the boxing ring to the pulpit. But when he sees his community struggling spiritually and financially, Foreman returns to the ring and makes history by reclaiming his title, becoming the oldest and most improbable World Heavyweight Boxing Champion ever.
Sony's Blu-ray of Big George Foreman contains a making of featurette, deleted scenes, a gag reel and more. For a full disc breakdown, read Martin Liebman's Blu-ray review.
New this week from Sentai Filmworks is a Blu-ray for My Isekai Life: Complete Collection (2022), starring Chiaki Kobayashi, Azumi Waki, Nichika Omori, Miharu Hanai, Wataru Takagi and Yuna Kamakura.
Description: As a novice level Monster Tamer, Yuji would normally be one of the last ones chosen when putting together a dungeon delving party. However, thanks to a clever trick involving a bunch of slimes, Yuji has also absorbed the archived knowledge of a great Sage and secretly gained an incredibly powerful second class! And if that's not enough, he's actually from a place called Japan in another world, which adds even more tricks up his sleeve! But even with these abilities and the help of his slimes, a magical Proud Wolf, and a forest spirit named Dryad, will that be enough to face off against rock dragons, sinister cults and gangs of slavers? Yuji had better hope so, because fate and fortune seem determined to put him into the most ridiculously dangerous situations as often as possible in MY ISEKAI LIFE!
Sentai's Blu-ray of My Isekai Life: Complete Collection is a two-disc set with original Japanese and English dubbed DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio and English and English SDH subtitles. Extras include clean opening and closing animations and Japanese promos. For a full set breakdown, read Neil Lumbard's Blu-ray review.
All films in Pasolini 101 have new 4K masters (except for Teorema and Medea, which use 2K masters) with LPCM Mono audio. Extras include audio commentaries on Accattone and Teorema, two short films by Pasolini: La ricotta (1963) and The Sequence of the Paper Flower (La sequenza del fiore di carta) (1969), two documentaries by Pasolini, documentaries on Pasolini's life and career, an episode of the French program Cinéastes de notre temps, interviews with filmmakers and scholars and trailers. Deluxe packaging includes a 100-page book featuring an essay and notes on the films by critic James Quandt, and writings and drawings by Pasolini. Reviewer Svet Atanasov has already completed the Accattone Blu-ray review and Mamma Roma Blu-ray review.
Coming to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber is Tom Gries' Will Penny (1968), starring Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett, Donald Pleasence, Lee Majors, Bruce Dern and Ben Johnson. Kino presents Will Penny from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative. Extras include new audio commentary by author / screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner, film historian Henry Parke and Will Penny script supervisor Michael Preece, two featurettes with Charlton Heston and Jon Gries: Remembering Will Penny and The Cowboys of Will Penny and a theatrical trailer.
Also from Kino and 3-D Film Archive comes a Blu-ray 3D release for Tom DeSimone's Prison Girls 3D (1972), starring Jacqueline Giroux, Uschi Digard, Candy Samples, Annik Borel, Tracy Handfuss, Maria Arnold and Linda York. Kino presents Prison Girls in both stereoscopic 3D and anaglyph 3D formats. Extras include a new audio commentary by Horror-Flix.com's James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton, a deleted scene and a theatrical trailer.
Then from Kino is a remastered Blu-ray for J. Lee Thompson's The White Buffalo (1977), starring Charles Bronson, Jack Warden, Will Sampson, Kim Novak, Clint Walker and Stuart Whitman. Kino presents The White Buffalo from a new 2K scan of an innterpositive. Extras include new audio commentary by film historian Paul Talbot, four newly remastered TV spots and a theatrical trailer.
Then from Kino is a Blu-ray for Francis Veber's La Chèvre (1981), starring Pierre Richard, Gérard Depardieu, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Corynne Charbit, Maritza Olivares and André Valardy. Extras include new audio commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, as well as a theatrical trailer.
Also from Kino Francis Veber's Les Compères (1983), starring Pierre Richard, Gérard Depardieu, Anny Duperey, Michel Aumont, Stéphane Bierry and Philippe Khorsand. Extras include new audio commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, as well as a theatrical trailer.
Finally from Kino is a Blu-ray for Andrey Konchalovskiy's Duet for One (1986), starring Julie Andrews, Alan Bates, Max von Sydow, Rupert Everett, Margaret Courtenay and Cathryn Harrison. Kino presents Duet for One from a new 2K master. Extras include new audio commentary by film historian / filmmaker Daniel Kremer.
Coming to Blu-ray from Discotek Media is a Blu-ray for Takashi Harada's Bohachi Bushido: The Villain (忘八武士道 さ無頼) (1974), starring Gorô Ibuki, Reiko Ike, Bin Amatsu, Keiko Aikawa, Kenji Kusumoto and Takashi Ebata. Making its worldwide debut on Blu-ray, Discotek presents Bohachi Bushido: The Villain with Japanese: LPCM 2.0 Mono audio and optional English subtitles. For a full disc breakdown, read Neil Lumbard's Blu-ray review.
Also coming from Discotek is a Blu-ray for Yuji Moriyama's anime film Project A-ko 4: Final (プロジェクトA子 完結篇) (1989), starring the voices of Miki Itō, Emi Shinohara, Michie Tomizawa, Asami Mukaidono, Shûichi Ikeda and Tesshô Genda. Newly remastered in HD, Discotek presents Project A-ko 4: Final with original Japanese or dubbed English LPCM 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles. Extras include Japanese and English promo trailers, a titleless opening, vintage English credits, a music video, multiple art and advertising galleries, and extensive liner notes as well as a mischief gallery. For a full disc breakdown, read Neil Lumbard's Blu-ray review. Note that Neil has also recently reviewed Discotek's Blu-rays of Project A-ko (1986), Project A-ko 2: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group (1987) and Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody (1988).
Also from Discotek this week is a SD Blu-ray for the anime series Medabots (メダロット) (1999-2000). The Blu-ray contains 52 episodes (in Japanese with English subtitles) in standard definition 480i video resolution.
Then from Discotek is a Blu-ray for Masahiko Murata's anime film Mazinkaiser VS Great General of Darkness (マジンカイザー 死闘! 暗黒大将軍) (2003), starring Hiroya Ishimaru, Fumihiko Tachiki, Hiroshi Yanaka, Mitsuki Saiga, Akiko Hiramatsu and Shiho Kikuchi. Discotek presents Mazinkaiser VS Great General of Darkness with original Japanese: DTS-HD MA 5.1 or LPCM 2.0 audio, or dubbed English LPCM 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles. Extras include dub bloopers, two picture albums and a clean opening and ending. For a full disc breakdown, read Neil Lumbard's Blu-ray review.
Finally from Discotek is a Blu-ray for Shigeyuki Miya's anime film Lupin III: Angel Tactics (ルパン三世 天使の策略 ～夢のカケラは殺しの香り～) (2005), starring Kan'ichi Kurita, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Eiko Masuyama, Makio Inoue and Gorô Naya. Discotek presents Lupin III: Angel Tactics with original Japanese: LPCM 2.0 audio, with optional, newly-translated English subtitles. Extras include TV commercials.
Coming to 4K UHD from Shout Factory is Kevin Connor's Motel Hell (1980), starring Rory Calhoun, Paul Linke, Nancy Parsons, Nina Axelrod, Wolfman Jack and Elaine Joyce. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Shout presents Motel Hell with DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras replicate previous Shout Blu-ray editions and include filmmaker audio commentary, a making of featurette, interviews, still galleries, TV spots, a teaser and a theatrical trailer for the film.
Also coming to 4K UHD from Shout is George A. Romero's Creepshow (1982), starring Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye and E.G. Marshall. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Shout presents Creepshow with a choice of a new Dolby Atmos remix, DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 audio and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras replicate previous Shout Blu-ray editions and include multiple audio commentaries, a making of featurette, interviews, featurettes, deleted scenes, galleries, TV and radio spots and a theatrical trailer for the film.
Coming from Arrow Video is Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams (1984-1989), a five-disc set that contains five films from Charles Band's Empire International Pictures: The Dungeonmaster (1984), Dolls (1987), Cellar Dweller (1988), Arena (1989) and Robot Jox (1989). All films feature new 2K scans of their original camera negatives (except Cellar Dweller, which has had additional remastering by Arrow) and feature LPCM 2.0 audio (except The Dungeonmaster, which has LPCM Mono only, while Dolls also has a DTS-HD MA 5.1 option). Extras are comprehensive and include three cuts of The Dungeonmaster, new and legacy audio commentaries, new and legacy interviews, image galleries, trailers and much more. Limited Edition packaging is a "video store" box and includes an 80-page perfect-bound book, double-sided posters for all films, a "membership card" and 15 artcards. Reviewer Jeffrey Kauffman has already reviewed all five discs and reviews can be accessed via the titles linked above or via the overall Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray review.
Coming to 4K UHD from Arrow is Kevin Reynolds' Waterworld (1995), starring Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tina Majorino, Michael Jeter and R.D. Call. Arrow presents three cuts of the film, the theatrical on 4K UHD and the TV and Ulysses cuts on two Blu-rays. The theatrical version was remastered by NBC Universal and is presented with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos or DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio options. Extras replicate Arrow's 2019 Blu-ray edition and include a feature-length documentary, archival featurette and more. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's 4K UHD review.
Also coming to 4K UHD from Arrow is Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995), starring Shannen Doherty, Jeremy London, Jason Lee, Claire Forlani, Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams. Arrow presents both theatrical and unrated cuts of the film on two 4K UHD discs. Both cuts were remastered by Arrow--with Dolby Vision HDR grading done by Fidelity in Motion--and approved by Kevin Smith and cinematographer David Klein. Extras largely replicate Arrow's 2020 Blu-ray edition, but omit the TV cut of the film. In addition to standard packaging, an Arrow Store Exclusive will also be available. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's 4K UHD review.
Finally this week, Metrograph Films has a Blu-ray for Hou Hsiao-hsien's Millennium Mambo (千禧曼波) (2001), starring Shu Qi, Jack Kao, Chun-hao Tuan, Jun Takeuchi, Ko Takeuchi and Doze Niu. Metrograph presents Millennium Mambofrom a new 4K master. Extras include new audio commentary by Rolling Stone film critic K. Austin Collins, as well as a re-release trailer.