Posted November 17, 2024 10:29 PM by Sean Greenwood
For the week of November 18th, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe.
Description: Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it's only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice's name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
Warner's Blu-ray releases of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. Extras include audio commentary with Tim Burton, The Juice is Loose: The Making of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the featurettes The Ghost with the Most: Beetlejuice Returns, Meet the Deetz, Shrinkers, Shrinkers Everywhere!, An Animated Afterlife: The Stop-Motion Art of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Handbook for the Recently Deceased and 'Til Death Do We Park: Beetlejuice and Lydia's First Dance. In addition to standard packaging, a Limited Edition Dual Format SteelBook will also be available. For full release breakdowns, read Randy Miller's Blu-ray review, 4K UHD review and Dual Format SteelBook review.
Also new on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Warner is House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season (2024). The four-disc (on either Blu-ray or 4K UHD) set includes all eight episodes with Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. Extras include Family Tree and Divided Kingdoms. In addition to standard packaging, a 4K UHD SteelBook edition will also be available.
Coming to 4K UHD from Warner is Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959), starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll and Josephine Hutchinson. Sourced from a new 4K master, Warner presents North by Northwest with HDR and a choice of a new Dolby Atmos mix or the original audio in DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono. New to this release is North by Northwest: Cinematography, Score, and the Art of the Edit, while additional extras include audio commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, the documentaries Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest, The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style and North by Northwest: One for the Ages and the featurette A Guided Tour with Alfred Hitchcock. In addition to standard packaging, a Limited Edition SteelBook edition will also be available.
Also coming to 4K UHD from Warner is Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles (1974), starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn and Mel Brooks. Sourced from a new 4K master, Warner presents Blazing Saddles with HDR and a choice of a new Dolby Atmos mix or the original audio in DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono. New to this release is Inappropriate Inspiration: The Blazing Saddles Effect, while additional extras include audio commentary by Mel Brooks, the featurettes Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild Wild West and Back in the Saddle and additional scenes. In addition to standard packaging, a Limited Edition SteelBook edition will also be available. For full release breakdowns, read Randy Miller's 4K UHD review and 4K UHD SteelBook review.
Last but not least from Warner is a 4K UHD for James Cameron's The Terminator (1984), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen and Rick Rossovich. Sourced from a new master, Warner presents The Terminator with Dolby Vision HDR and a choice of a new Dolby Atmos mix or, for the first time in decades, the film's original mono audio in DTS-HD MA 2.0. Included with this release are a selection of legacy bonus features, some of which are new to Blu-ray, namely the optional commentary with James Cameron on seven deleted scenes and the two featurettes The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing and Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator. The featurette Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects & Music is also included. As with the other Warner 4K UHD releases this week, in addition to standard packaging, a Limited Edition SteelBook edition will also be available. For full release breakdowns, read Randy Miller's 4K UHD review and 4K UHD SteelBook review.
New on Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is James Watkins' Speak No Evil (2024), starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough and Scoot McNairy.
Description: After befriending a British couple with a mute son, Americans Ben and Louise accept an unusual invitation to bring their daughter for a weekend at an idyllic country estate. Yet when they discover their hosts are hiding sinister motives, Ben and Louise fear their family may be pawns in a disturbing plot. Led by James McAvoy as a charismatic man masking unspeakable darkness, a dream holiday warps into an unnerving nightmare in this shocking thriller from Blumhouse, producers of The Black Phone.
Universal's Blu-ray release of Speak No Evil contains a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio track. Extras include audio commentary with James Watkins and the featurettes Nuclear Families, A Horrifying Crescendo and The Farmhouse of Horrors.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Well Go USA is Soi Cheang's Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (九龙城寨之围城), starring Louis Koo, Richie Jen, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Raymond Lam, Chun-Him Lau and Philip Ng.
Description: Many years after the bloody turf war that ushered in an uneasy era of peace in Hong Kong's underworld, the notorious Kowloon Walled City serves as a fortified, lawless safe haven for gangs and refugees alike. But when a skilled underground fighter runs afoul of the most feared Triad boss in Hong Kong, a bounty is placed on his head despite his connections to the leader of the infamous enclave. As his pursuers violate the tenuous territorial truce to exact their vengeance, the fallout reignites old grudges, bringing decades of building tension to a brutal, bloody boiling point.
Well Go USA's 4K UHD release of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In contains behind-the-scenes content, cast interviews and a making of featurette.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is J.J. Perry's The Killer's Game, starring Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Scott Adkins, Terry Crews, Daniel Bernhardt and Ben Kingsley.
Description: In the new action-comedy THE KILLER'S GAME, when top hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he decides to take matters into his own hands – by taking a hit out on himself. But when the very hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend (Sofia Boutella) , he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life before it's too late.
Lionsgate's Blu-ray releases of The Killer's Game contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include the featurettes Meet Joe Flood, The Conductor, World of Assassins and Killed It!, as well as the film's theatrical trailer. In addition to standard packaging, an Amazon Exclusive SteelBook will also be available. For full release breakdowns, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review and 4K UHD review.
New on Blu-ray from Lionsgate is Sean McNamara's Reagan (2024), starring Dennis Quaid, Jon Voight, Robert Davi, Kevin Sorbo, Mena Suvari and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.
Description: From dusty small-town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, REAGAN is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent who followed Reagan's ascent, REAGAN captures the indomitable spirit of the American dream.
Liionsgate's Blu-ray of Reagan contains no extras. For a full disc breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
Description: Welcome to the world of Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock! Just through a hole in the wall of Doc's workshop, you will find the magical underground home of the hilarious, musical, fun-loving Fraggles, industrious little Doozers, and giant lumbering Gorgs, not to mention an endless array of wondrous creatures that live in the tunnels and caves of Fraggle Rock! Packed with Fraggle-y comedy, exhilarating adventures, memorable songs, and celebrity guest stars like Daveed Diggs, Ed Helms, Cynthia Erivo, Patti LaBelle, Kenan Thompson, and Foo Fighters, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock explores the magic that happens when we celebrate and care for our interconnected world. Starring a cast of puppet characters brought to life by the world-renowned Jim Henson's Creature Shop, this award-winning and critically acclaimed series from The Jim Henson Company (Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, Word Party) will have the entire family dancing their cares away again and again!
Sony's Blu-ray release of Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock - Season 1 contains all 14 episodes on three discs. Extras include commentary with puppeteers John Tartaglia and Karen Prell on three episodes, four sing-alongs and a blooper reel.
Coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Sony is the Frank Capra at Columbia Collection (1928-2024) box set, featuring twenty of Capra's films on Blu-ray and nine of those on 4K UHD:
Description: Celebrate 100 years of Columbia Pictures and the work of iconic and award-winning filmmaker Frank Capra as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment proudly assembles 20 of his films, exclusively within the FRANK CAPRA AT COLUMBIA COLLECTION, available November 19. Each film is presented in high definition from original and existing elements, with nine films also presented in full 4K resolution!
From romantic pursuits to explosive action, from spectacular thrills to insightful social commentary, the FRANK CAPRA AT COLUMBIA collection features a wide variety of films that still feel fresh and timely today: the perfect collection of films for any mood or occasion! Then for fans of classic cinema, the scope of pre-code rarities to Best Picture-winning classics makes this set a must-own!
The 20 films in the FRANK CAPRA AT COLUMBIA COLLECTION represent Capra's earlier work at the studio through to the more well-known award-winning blockbusters, with many films making their long-awaited disc debut! The discs are included within a coffee table-worthy sleek outer box that opens to showcase the films inside. The set also includes several new commentaries from film historians, hours of archival special features, and the full feature-length 2024 documentary, FRANK CAPRA: MR AMERICA!
Sony's Frank Capra at Columbia Collection contains twenty films on Blu-ray and nine on 4K UHD in either 4K SDR or Dolby Vision HDR. Audio is DTS-HD MA Mono / Stereo for all films on both formats. For a full set breakdown and list of extras, please see our news article here.
Coming to standalone Blu-ray from Sony is Dick Powell's You Can't Run Away from It (1956), starring June Allyson, Jack Lemmon, Charles Bickford, Paul Gilbert, Jim Backus and Stubby Kaye. The film was previously released in HD on a 4K UHD disc as part of the bonus content in the Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 3 box set in 2022, but this is its first release on Blu-ray and first standalone release.
Finally from Sony is a 4K UHD upgrade for Gillian Armstrong's Little Women (1994), starring Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, Kirsten Dunst and Claire Danes. Sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, Sony presents Little Women with Dolby Vision HDR and a choice of DTS-HD MA 2.0 Surround or 5.1 audio tracks. Extras include commentary with Gillian Armstrong, deleted scenes with commentary, making of and costume & production design featurettes and a theatrical trailer.
New on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection is Neo Sora's documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus (2023), starring Ryűichi Sakamoto.
Description: A celebration of an artist's life in the purest sense, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus is the swan song of one of the world's greatest musicians. As a parting gift, just months before his death in 2023, Sakamoto mustered all of his energy to leave us with one final performance: a concert film featuring just him and a piano, directed by his son, Neo Sora. Curated and sequenced by Sakamoto himself, the twenty of his pieces played in the film wordlessly tell the story of his life and his wide-ranging oeuvre. The selection spans his entire career, from his pop-star period with Yellow Magic Orchestra and his magnificent scores for filmmakers Bernardo Bertolucci and Nagisa Oshima to his meditative final album, 12. Captured in intimate black and white, and surrounded by trusted collaborators, Sakamoto bares his soul through his exquisitely haunting melodies, knowing that this was the last time he would be able to present his art.
Criterion's Blu-ray of Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus contains a Dolby Atmos audio track. Extras include a new interview with director Neo Sora and cinematographer Bill Kirstein, as well as a trailer.
Also coming to Blu-ray from Criterion is the box set CC40 (1940-2001):
Description: This monumental forty-film box set celebrates forty years of the Criterion Collection by gathering an electrifying mix of classic and contemporary films, and presenting them with all their special features and essays in a deluxe clothbound, slipcased edition. CC40's eclectic selection includes the releases most frequently chosen by the hundreds of filmmakers, actors, writers, and other movie-loving luminaries who have visited Criterion over the years, as documented in our popular Closet Picks video series. Neither a historical survey nor a top-forty compilation, this exciting, personal, unpredictable anthology reflects the cinematic joys and inspirations of the creative community that makes the Criterion Collection possible.
The list of films in Criterion's CC40 box set can be found here. Extras for this box set include a "selection of Criterion Closet Picks videos", as well as "deluxe packaging with a lavishly illustrated 216-page book featuring essays on the films by critics, scholars, and authors".
Coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Criterion is William Wyler's Funny Girl (1968), starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon and Mae Questel. Sourced from a 4K master, Criterion presents Funny Girl with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include a new audio interview with Barbra Streisand, a new conversation between William Wyler's son David and author and Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone, the documentary Directed by William Wyler (1986), an archival interview with Omar Sharif, a deleted scene with Streisand and Sharif, and featurettes from the film's original theatrical release. Also included is an essay by author and film critic Michael Koresky.
New on Blu-ray from Magnolia Home Entertainment is the music documentary Yoshiki: Under the Sky.
Description: The music documentary film YOSHIKI: UNDER THE SKY features the world-renowned rock star and composer leading a global concert featuring today's top musical artists.
Directed by YOSHIKI – leader of rock bands X Japan and The Last Rockstars – the project was conceived during the recent period when artists could not connect with their fans. YOSHIKI has gathered an unprecedented collection of artists for a deeply emotional journey, including a heartbreaking interaction with the husband of a terminally ill fan and a celebration of voices joined from across international borders.
With powerful live performances by The Chainsmokers (USA), St. Vincent (USA), Sarah Brightman (England), Scorpions (Germany), HYDE (Japan), SUGIZO (Japan), SixTONES (Japan), Jane Zhang (China), Lindsey Stirling (USA), Nicole Scherzinger (USA), and more, YOSHIKI: UNDER THE SKY demonstrates the power of music and YOSHIKI's message to the world that we can overcome any difficulties together.
Coming to 4K UHD from Paramount Home Media Distribution is ZAZ: The Collection! (1980-1988), a six-disc set which contains the ZAZ (David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker) comedies Airplane! (1980) and Top Secret! (1984) on 4K UHD for the first time, as well as the trio's The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), which was previously released in 2023. All three films are presented with Dolby Vision HDR and DTS-HD MA 5.1 on 4K UHD, while the included Blu-rays contain feature audio commentaries, as well as a Q&A and Filmmaker Focus featurette (for Airplane!) and alternate scenes and Bookstore Backwards (for Top Secret!).
Finally this week, Arrow Video have two catalog titles to offer. First up is a Blu-ray for Ataru Oikawa's Tomie (富江) (1998), starring Miho Kanno, Tomorô Taguchi, Yoriko Dôguchi, Mami Nakamura and Kôta Kusano. Sourced from an HD master was supplied by Kadokawa, Arrow presents Tomie with a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1 or LPCM 2.0 audio tracks and optional English subtitles. Extras include audio commentary by critic and Japanese cinema expert Amber T., new interviews with Ataru Oikawa, Mami Nakamura and producer Mikihiko Hirata, a making of featurette, several trailers and an image gallery. Also included is an "illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Zack Davisson and Eugene Thacker" and a reversible cover. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review
Then from Arrow comes the Blu-ray and 4K UHD premiere of Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan (1998), starring Bill Paxton, Bridget Fonda, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Jack Walsh and Chelcie Ross. Sourced from a new 4K master by Arrow (approved by Sam Raimi), they present A Simple Plan with a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 audio tracks and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. Extras include two new audio commentary tracks: One by critics Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme and another by production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein with filmmaker Justin Beahm, new interviews with cinematographer Alar Kivilo, actors Becky Ann Baker and Chelcie Ross, on-set interviews with the cast and producer Jim Jacks, a behind-the-scenes featurette and a theatrical trailer. Also included is an "illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Bilge Ebiri and an excerpt from the book The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi by John Kenneth Muir" and a reversible cover. For full release breakdowns, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review and 4K UHD review.