Posted September 29, 2024 09:32 PM by Sean Greenwood
For the week of September 30th, Kino Lorber will release a Blu-ray for Mikko Mäkelä's Sebastian (2024), starring Ruaridh Mollica, Hiftu Quasem, Jonathan Hyde, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Leanne Best and Lara Rossi.
Description: In this queer drama, we follow Max, a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist who seems well on his way to success in London's cultural spheres. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his stories, and the worthy debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach. As Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of a delicately balanced double-life, he must reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a writer's tool in their quest for the ultimate sense of first-hand authenticity – or whether something more is at stake.
Kino's Blu-ray of Sebastian contains a theatrical trailer.
Also coming from Kino are three catalog titles on Blu-ray. They are:
A remastered Blu-ray for Robert Rossen's Body and Soul (1947), starring John Garfield, Joseph Pevney, Lilli Palmer, Anne Revere, Hazel Brooks and William Conrad. Previously released in 2012, Kino presents Body and Soul from a 2021 4K scan by Paramount Pictures, with a new audio commentary by author / film historian Alan K. Rode. Packaging includes a slipcover.
A remastered Blu-ray for Sidney Hayers' Burn, Witch, Burn (AKA Night of the Eagle) (1962), starring Peter Wyngarde, Janet Blair, Margaret Johnston, Anthony Nicholls, Colin Gordon and Kathleen Byron. Previously released by Kino in 2015, this special edition is sourced from a 4K scan by StudioCanal and is presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, with both the US (Burn, Witch, Burn) and original UK (Night of the Eagle) versions included via seamless branching. Extras include a new audio commentary by novelist and critic Tim Lucas, as well as archival audio commentary by screenwriter Richard Matheson, an interview with Peter Wyngarde, trailers for the US and UK versions and reversible artwork. Packaging includes a slipcover.
And finally, a Blu-ray for Joan Darling's First Love (1977), starring William Katt, Susan Dey, John Heard, Beverly D'Angelo, Robert Loggia and Swoosie Kurtz. Kino presents First Love from a 2021 4K scan by Paramount Pictures, with a new audio commentary by William Katt and film critic / author Lee Gambin. Packaging includes a slipcover.
Coming to Blu-ray from D&D Productions is the box set Billy Bevan: Silent Comedian (1917-1931), starring Billy Bevan.
Description: The face of Billy Bevan is for many, THE face of silent slapstick comedy and this two-disc Blu-ray set features some particularly rare examples of his work - many of which haven't been available for fans since they were released around a hundred years ago. The films have been carefully selected from some of the world's major archives and then digitally scanned, restored and, in some cases, reconstructed in order to provide as complete a viewing experience as possible.
With newly composed scores and a ton of EXTRAS on both discs, we trust you will be thoroughly entertained by Billy, and the rest of the mad world of Mack Sennett. Also starring Ben Turpin, Vernon Dent, Louise Fazenda, Andy Clyde, Dot Farley, James Finlayson, the Keystone Cops and many more mirthmakers!
D&D Productions' Blu-ray of Billy Bevan Silent Comedian is a two-disc set with the films The Quack Doctor (1920), She Sighed by the Seaside (1921), Love and Doughnuts (1921), On Patrol (1922), When Summer Comes (1922), Nip and Tuck (1923), Wall Street Blues (1924), Lizzies of the Field (1924), Wandering Waistlines (1924), The Lion's Whiskers (1924), From Rags to Britches (1925), Musclebound Music (1926), Hubby's Quiet Little Game (1926), Calling Hubby's Bluff (1929) and Pink Pajamas (1929). Also included are bonus shorts, bringing the total run time to over five hours.
Coming to 4K UHD from Paramount Home Media Distribution is the box set Paramount Scares: Volume 2 (1981-2022), which contains the 4K UHD premieres of Friday the 13th: Part II (1981), Breakdown (1997) and Orphan: First Kill (2022) along with a new 4K UHD edition of World War Z (2013). Extras include over two-and-a-half hours of bonus content, the unrated version of World War Z, a special full-size issue of Fangoria magazine "with new and classic articles about the films", iron-on patches for each of the four films, a Paramount Scares domed sticker and glow-in-the-dark enamel logo pin and a limited edition poster with artwork by Orlando "Mexifunk" Arocena.
Coming to Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is The West Wing: The Complete Series (1999-2006), starring Rob Lowe , Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen. Presented on Blu-ray for the first time worldwide, this 28-disc set contains all seven seasons and 156 episodes of the series along with "over 20 commentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, unaired scenes, gag reels and more".
Coming to Blu-ray from Shout Factory is a Collector's Edition of John Erick Dowdle's As Above, So Below (2014), starring Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil, Marion Lambert and Ali Marhyar. Shout presents As Above, So Below with a choice of DTS-HD MA 7.1, 5.1 or 2.0 audio tracks. Extras include new interviews with John Erick Dowdle and co-writer / producer Drew Dowdle, the short featurette Inside As Above/So Below and a trailer.
Finally this week, Lionsgate Home Entertainment has a 4K UHD upgrade for Jeff Wadlow's Imaginary (2024), starring Pyper Braun, Taegen Burns, DeWanda Wise, Betty Buckley, Tom Payne and Veronica Falcón. Released on Blu-ray in May 2024, Lionsgate presents Imaginary with Dolby Vision HDR and the film's Dolby Atmos audio. Extras include audio commentary by Jeff Wadlow and executive producer / actress DeWanda Wise and the featurettes Meet Your New Imaginary Friends, Frills and Thrills, Crafting the Beasts of Imaginary and Bringing Nightmares to Life.