Posted September 22, 2024 10:31 PM by Sean Greenwood
For the week of September 23rd, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release a 4K UHD box set for Friends: The Complete Series (1994-2004), starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. Warner Bros. presents all ten seasons and 236 episodes of Friends: The Complete Series from 4K masters, in a widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision HDR and, for the first time. with lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. The series is spread over 23 4K UHD discs, while two Blu-rays contain over 20 hours of bonus material, including FRIENDS: Through the Peephole, How Well Do You Know Your FRIENDS, True Friends Documentaries, Friends Talk-Show Appearances, the original script and Producers' Cut for "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross", "Super-Sized" episodes from Season 7, The One with the Never-Before-Seen Gags, a music video for "I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts, commentaries, gag reels and more.
Then from Warner are several Blu-rays from the Warner Archive Collection. They are:
Norman Foster and Orson Welles' Journey Into Fear (1943), starring Joseph Cotten, Dolores del Rio, Ruth Warrick, Agnes Moorehead, Everett Sloane and Orson Welles. Sourced from a new 4K scan of safety preservation master positives from the Library of Congress, Warner Archive presents Journey Into Fear with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include Mercury Theater radio broadcasts of Dracula, Treasure Island and A Tale of Two Cities (all 1938).
George Sidney's Bathing Beauty (1944), starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Basil Rathbone, Bill Goodwin, Jean Porter and Nana Bryant. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate Technicolor camera negative, Warner Archive presents Bathing Beauty with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include an episode of Turner Classic Movies' Private Screenings with Esther Williams (1996), the Tom and Jerry short Mouse Trouble and the MGM short Main Street Today (both 1944) and the films original theatrical trailer.
Curtis Bernhardt's Conflict (1945), starring Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith, Sydney Greenstreet, Rose Hobart, Charles Drake and Grant Mitchell. Sourced from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, Warner Archive presents Conflict with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include the Merrie Melodies short Life with Feathers, the Looney Tunes short Trap Happy Porky, the WB shorts Peeks at Hollywood and Are Animals Actors?, a radio broadcast of Conflict with Humphrey Bogart (all 1945), and the film's original theatrical trailer.
George Stevens' I Remember Mama (1948), starring Irene Dunne, Barbara Bel Geddes, Oskar Homolka, Philip Dorn, Cedric Hardwicke and Edgar Bergen. Sourced from a new 4K scan of nitrate preservation elements, Warner Archive presents I Remember Mama with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include the film's original theatrical trailer.
A double-feature Blu-ray of Hanna-Barbera's Jonny's Golden Quest / Jonny Quest vs. the Cyber-Insects (1993-1995), starring the voices of Granville Van Dusen, Don Messick, Rob Paulsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Anndi McAfee and Frank Welker. Warner Archive presents both features in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1.
And lastly from Warner Archive is a Blu-ray Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion (2006), starring Marylouise Burke, Woody Harrelson, L.Q. Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline. Warner Archive presents A Prairie Home Companion with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. Extras include audio commentary with Robert Altman and Kevin Kline, additional scenes and a a behind-the-scenes documentary.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Decal Releasing is Osgood Perkins' Longlegs, starring Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee and Dakota Daulby.
Description: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.
Decal's Blu-ray releases of Longlegs contain DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, with HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include audio commentary with writer/director Osgood Perkins, on-set interviews with cast and crew, the featurettes The Clue, The Evidence and Dirty + Sweet, a teaser and a trailer.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage's Despicable Me 4, featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, Joey King, Stephen Colbert and Miranda Cosgrove.
Description: The world's favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain-League-agent, Gru, returns for a bold new era of minions mayhem in Illumination's DESPICABLE ME 4, now with over an hour of exclusive bonus content including 2 mini movies. Gru, Lucy and their girls welcome a new member to the family – Gru Jr. – who is intent on tormenting his dad, as a new nemesis shows up and forces the family to go on the run. This latest blockbuster chapter in the biggest global animated franchise in history is packed with nonstop action, filled with Illumination's signature subversive humor, and new dynamics with the introduction of a questionably charming team - The Mega Minions!
Universal's Blu-ray releases of Despicable Me 4 contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include two new mini-movies: Game Over and Over and Benny's Birthday, deleted, extended and alternate scenes, a making of and the featurettes Despicable Dialogue, Meet the Cast, Mega Minion Mayhem and How to Draw.
Also coming from Universal is a Blu-ray for Baltasar Kormákur's Touch (2024), starring Egill Ólafsson, Masahiro Motoki, Yôko Narahashi, Ruth Sheen, Meg Kubota and Kieran Buckeridge.
Description: Based on the Icelandic best-selling novel by Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, Touch is a romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents. Touch follows one widower's emotional journey to find his first love who disappeared 50 years ago, before his time runs out.
Universal's Blu-ray of Touch contains deleted scenes and trailers.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah's Bad Boys: Ride or Die, starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Ioan Gruffudd, Eric Dane, Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig.
The world's favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your-seat action and outrageous comedy, but this time with a twist: Miami's finest are now on the run. When Captain Howard is unjustly accused of a lifetime of drug-related crimes, the Bad Boys vow to clear his name.
Sony's 4K UHD release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die contains Dolby Vision HDR and the film's Dolby Atmos audio. Extras include deleted scenes, outtakes and bloopers and the featurettes Fights, Camera, Action, Will & Martin Chemistry, Legacy & Laughs, Partners in Crime and The Bruckheimer Legacy: Crafting Bad Boys & Beyond. In addition to standard packaging, a SteelBook will also be available.
Also coming to 4K UHD from Sony is Brian De Palma's Body Double (1984), starring Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton, Guy Boyd and Dennis Franz. Sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, Sony presents Body Double with Dolby Vision HDR and a choice of a new Dolby Atmos remix, DTS-HD MA 5.1 or original DTS-HD MA 2.0 Surround audio tracks. New extras are found on an included Blu-ray and include archival EPK interviews with Brian De Palma, Craig Wasson and Melanie Griffith, as well as a music video for "Relax (Body Double Version)" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Additional extras include four featurettes, a still gallery and a theatrical trailer.
Note: Currently, the 4K UHD release of Body Double is only available in SteelBook packaging.
New on Blu-ray from Vertical Entertainment is Joshua John Miller's The Exorcism (2024), starring Russell Crowe, Sam Worthington, Samantha Mathis, David Hyde Pierce, Adam Goldberg and Adrian Pasdar.
Description: Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe stars as Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he's slipping back into his past addictions or if there's something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.
New on Blu-ray from Well Go USA is Jordon Prince-Wright's Before Dawn (2023), starring Levi Miller, Travis Jeffery, Myles Pollard, Tim Franklin, Jordan Dulieu and Peter Sullivan.
Description: After leaving his family's sheep farm in the Australian outback, a young man joins his countrymen on the western front of World War I with hopes of helping expedite an end to the bloody conflict. But as war rages on, he is forced to grapple with the brutal realities of trench warfare, including a near-constant battle to keep himself alive—without leaving another man behind.
Well Go USA's Blu-ray of Before Dawn contains behind-the-scenes featurettes and a trailer. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
New on Blu-ray from Oscilloscope Laboratories is Danny O'Malley and Alex Rivest's documentary Canary (2023), starring Lonnie Thompson.
Description: Witness the extraordinary life of Dr. Lonnie Thompson, an explorer who went where no scientist had gone before and transformed our idea of what is possible. Daring to seek Earth's history contained in glaciers atop the tallest mountains in the world, Lonnie found himself on the frontlines of climate change—his life's work evolving into a salvage mission to recover these priceless historical records before they disappear forever.
Oscilloscope's Blu-ray of Canary contains filmmaker commentary, deleted scenes and a theatrical trailer.
Turning to catalog titles, Milestone Films have a Blu-ray for William Worthington's The Dragon Painter (1919), starring Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, Edward Peil Sr. and Toyo Fujita.
Description: Sessue Hayakawa (The Bridge on the River Kwai) plays Tatsu, a painter-turned-hermit living in the wilds of Japan. Thought mad by local villagers, he truly believes that his princess fiancée has been captured by a dragon, an obsession that leads him daily to artistic inspiration. When a surveyor comes across Tatsu while trekking across the mountains, he informs famed artist Kano Indara about his discovery. Kano is desperate to find an heir to teach his art, but when Tatsu meets Kano's daughter (Tsuru Aoki) and sees only his lost princess, a clash of wills brings the household to the brink of disaster. Long considered lost, THE DRAGON PAINTER survives today as a tribute to Hayakawa's talents and a shining example of Asian-American cinema.
Source Information: 2023 4K digital restoration by San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Eye Filmmuseum, and George Eastman Museum. The film was photochemically restored by AFI in 1988. However, this new restoration features recently discovered additional footage located at Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam that greatly enhances the storyline of Umé-ko, portrayed by Hayakawa's real-life wife Tsuru Aoki. Restoring the film today with modern restoration tools enabled an additional level of cleaning and repair resulting in a final version that more closely resembles the original appearance.
Milestone's Blu-ray of The Dragon Painter contains a choice of two musical scores by Mas Koga and Makia Matsumura, a new 66-minute documentary on the reconstruction of the film and two medium-length films, His Birthright (1918) and The Man Beneath (1919), starring Sessue Hayakawa. Also included is an illustrated booklet.
Also this week, Kino Lorber have several catalog titles coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD. They are:
William Dieterle's Red Mountain (1951), starring Alan Ladd, Lizabeth Scott, Arthur Kennedy, John Ireland, Jeff Corey and James Bell. Sourced from a 2021 4K scan by Paramount Pictures, Kino presents Red Mountain with a new audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan.
A remastered special edition Blu-ray of Norman Z. McLeod's My Favorite Spy (1951), starring Bob Hope, Hedy Lamarr, Francis L. Sullivan, Arnold Moss, John Archer and Luis Van Rooten. Previously released on Blu-ray in 2015, Kino's Blu-ray is sourced from a 2020 4K scan by Paramount Pictures, and comes with with a new audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan.
John Farrow's Botany Bay (1953), starring Alan Ladd, James Mason, Patricia Medina, Cedric Hardwicke, Murray Matheson and Anita Sharp-Bolster. Sourced from a 2021 4K scan by Paramount Pictures, Kino presents Red Mountain with a new audio commentary by Heath Holland, host of the Cereal at Midnight podcast.
A remastered Blu-ray and 4K UHD release for Alexander Mackendrick's The Ladykillers (1955), starring Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Danny Green and Jack Warner. Sourced from a 2020 4K master by StudioCanal, Kino presents The Ladykillers with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include new audio commentary by film historian David Del Valle and film historian / producer Dan Marino, as well as archival audio commentary by film historian Philip Kemp, the documentary Forever Ealing, interviews with Allan Scott, Ronald Harwood and Terence Davies, as well as the featurette Cleaning Up The Ladykillers and a theatrical trailer.
A remastered Blu-ray and 4K UHD release for Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express (1974), starring Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Cassel. Sourced from new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Kino presents Murder on the Orient Express with a choice of 2.0 or 5.1 audio options and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include new audio commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, a making of documentary, an interview with producer Richard Goodwin, the featurette Agatha Christie: A Portrait and a theatrical trailer.
A 4K UHD release for Richard Franklin's Link (1986), starring Terence Stamp, Elisabeth Shue, Steven Finch, Richard Garnett, David O'Hara and Kevin Lloyd. Sourced from a 2019 4K master from StudioCanal, Kino presents Link in 4K SDR. Extras include new audio commentary by film historian Lee Gambin and film critic Jarret Gahan, deleted workprint scenes, an audio interview with Richard Franklin, a demo of Jerry Goldsmith's theme music, theatrical trailers and a teaser.
Coming to Blu-ray from Radiance Films is Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (刺青一代) (1965), starring Hideki Takahashi, Akira Yamauchi, Seizaburô Kawazu, Kaku Takashina, Kayo Matsuo and Hiroko Itô. Sourced from an HD master by Nikkatsu, Radiance presents Tattooed Life with LPCM 2.0 Mono audio and optional, newly translated English subtitles. Extras include a new audio commentary by author William Carroll (Seijun Suzuki and Postwar Cinema), newly-edited archival interviews with Seijun Suzuki and art director Takeo Kimura, as well as a trailer. Limited edition content includes a "booklet featuring new writing by Tom Vick and a newly translated archival review of the film". For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
Also coming to Blu-ray from Radiance is Damiano Damiani's A Man on His Knees (Un uomo in ginocchio) (1979), starring Giuliano Gemma, Eleonora Giorgi, Michele Placido, Tano Cimarosa, Ettore Manni and Luciano Catenacci. Sourced from a new 4K master, Radiance presents A Man on His Knees with LPCM 2.0 Mono audio and English subtitles. Extras include a new interview with author Alberto Pezzotta (Regia Damiano Damiani), archival interviews with Giuliano Gemma, Tano Cimarosa and assistant director Mino Giarda, as well as a trailer. Limited edition content includes a "booklet featuring new writing by Roberto Curti".
Coming to Blu-ray from Arrow Video is Kinji Fukasaku's The Threat (刺青一代) (1965), starring Hideki Takahashi, Akira Yamauchi, Seizaburô Kawazu, Kaku Takashina, Kayo Matsuo and Hiroko Itô. Sourced from an HD master by Toei, Arrow presents The Threat with LPCM Mono audio and optional, newly translated English subtitles. Extras include a new audio commentary by Japanese film expert Tom Mes, Warning Warning Danger Danger: A new video appreciation by critic and Japanese film specialist Mark Schilling, as well as the film's original theatrical trailer. Limited edition content includes an "illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Hayley Scanlon", as well as a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and new artwork. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
Note: While it was released from other retailers last week, Amazon has a street date of this Tuesday (September 24th) for Arrow's 4K UHD release of Friday the 13th (2009) for full details, please see here.
Coming to 4K UHD from Blue Underground is Lindsay Shonteff's The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967), starring Frankie Avalon, George Nader, Shirley Eaton, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Klaus Kinski and Patti Chandler. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Blue Underground presents an 89-minute version of The Million Eyes of Sumuru (featuring 10 minutes of new footage) with DTS-HD MA Mono audio and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include two new audio commentaries: One by film historians David Del Valle and Dan Marino and another by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, as well as a theatrical trailer (also on the 4K UHD disc). Additional extras on the included Blu-ray include the feature-length documentary England's Unknown Exploitation Film Eccentric: The Schlock-Cinema Legacy of Lindsay Shonteff a 71-minute RiffTrax edition of the film and a poster and still gallery. For a full release breakdown, read Svet Atanasov's 4K UHD review.
Coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD from the Criterion Collection is the box set Gregg Araki's Teen Apocalypse Trilogy (1993-1997), featuring a Blu-ray of Totally F***ed Up (1993), along with 4K UHD editions of The Doom Generation (1995) and Nowhere (1997). Criterion presents Totally F***ed Up from a new 2K master, while The Doom Generation and Nowhere are sourced from new 4K masters (supervised and approved by Gregg Araki) and presented in SDR on the 4K UHD edition. All three films are presented with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. Extras include a new conversation between Gregg Araki and filmmaker Richard Linklater, a new audio commentary on Nowhere with Araki and several cast members, archival audio commentaries for Totally F***ed Up and The Doom Generation, a new ew documentary on the trilogy's visual style, a new conversation between Araki and actor James Duval, a Q&As with Araki, moderated by filmmakers Gus Van Sant and Andrew Ahn, a video comic book for The Doom Generation and trailers. Also included is an essay by critic Nathan Lee. For a full release breakdown, read Svet Atanasov's 4K UHD review.
Also coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Criterion is Todd Solondz's Happiness (1998), starring Jane Adams, Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Camryn Manheim, Dylan Baker and Lara Flynn Boyle. Sourced from a new 4K master (supervised by director of photography Maryse Alberti), Criterion presents Happiness with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 Surround audio track and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include a new conversation between Todd Solondz and filmmaker Charlotte Wells, a new interview with Dylan Baker and a trailer. Also included is an essay by screenwriter and novelist Bruce Wagner. For full release breakdowns, read Svet Atanasov's Blu-ray review and 4K UHD review.
Coming to 4K UHD from Shout Factory is John Carpenter's Village of the Damned (1995), starring Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Michael Paré, Meredith Salenger and Mark Hamill. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Shout presents Village of the Damned with a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 audio tracks and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include new audio commentary by filmmakers Jackson Stewart and Francis Galluppi, while an included remastered Blu-ray also has new interviews with screenwriter David Himmelstein and film music historian Daniel Schweiger, as well as archival extras from Shout's 2016 Blu-ray, including the making of documentary It Takes a Village, a Horror's Hallowed Grounds featurette, an interview with frequent Carpenter actor Peter Jason, vintage interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, a trailer and more. In addition to standard packaging, a Shout Factory Exclusive with Alternate Artwork will also be available.
Finally this week, Paramount Home Media Distribution has a 4K UHD upgrade for Matthew Vaughn's Stardust (2007), starring Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller and David Kelly. Paramount presents Stardust with Dolby Vision HDR and DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. An included Blu-ray copy contains filmmaker commentary, the multi-part documentary Crossing the Wall: The Making of Stardust, the featurette Nothing Is True..., deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and a theatrical trailer.