Posted December 16, 2024 01:28 AM by Sean Greenwood
For the week of December 16th, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Blu-ray or 4K UHD box sets for Seinfeld: The Complete Series (1989-1998), starring Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards. Sourced from 4K masters, Sony presents Seinfeld: The Complete Series on 24 Blu-ray or 4K UHD discs with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. On Blu-ray, the show will be presented in a modified 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio, while on 4K UHD, the series will be presented in its original broadcast ratio of 1.33:1 and in HDR. Extras include "audio commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers, inside looks and alternate versions of select episodes", while the 4K UHD set also includes a two-part cast roundtable.
Also coming from Sony is a 4K UHD release for George Stevens' The Talk of the Town (1942), starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman, Edgar Buchanan, Glenda Farrell and Charles Dingle. Sourced from a 4K master and making its worldwide Blu-ray premiere, Sony presents The Talk of the Town with DTS-HD MA Mono audio and Dolby Vision HDR. Extras include a new audio commentary by author Marilyn Ann Moss, as well as the featurette Talking About The Talk of the Town.
New on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Harry Lawtey and Brendan Gleeson.
Descripton: Joker: Folie à Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.
Warner's Blu-ray releases of Joker: Folie à Deux contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. Extras include the multi-part documentary Everything Must Go, as well as the featurettes The Character of Music, Crafted With Class, Colors of Madness and Live! With The Joker. 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 coming from Warner are more releases from the Warner Archive Collection. They are:
H.C. Potter's Mr. Lucky (1943), starring Cary Grant, Laraine Day, Charles Bickford, Gladys Cooper, Alan Carney and Henry Stephenson. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, Warner Archive presents Mr. Lucky with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include a 1943 Lux Radio Theater broadcast with Cary Grant and Laraine Day, a 1950 Screen Director's Playhouse broadcast with Cary Grant and H.C. Potter and the film's original theatrical trailer.
Vincent Sherman's Nora Prentiss (1947), starring Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith, Bruce Bennett, Robert Alda, Rosemary DeCamp and John Ridgely. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, Warner Archive presents Nora Prentiss with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include the Looney Tunes short The Big Snooze and the short film So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck (both 1946) and the film's original theatrical trailer.
Anthony Mann's The Tall Target (1951), starring Dick Powell, Paula Raymond, Adolphe Menjou, Marshall Thompson, Ruby Dee and Richard Rober. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the best preservation elements, Warner Archive presents The Tall Target with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio. Extras include the March 6th, 1949 radio broadcast of "Mr. President", the Tom and Jerry shorts Jerry's Cousin and Slicked-up Pup (both 1951) and the film's original theatrical trailer.
Finally from Warner Archive comes their first 4K UHD release: John Ford's The Searchers (1956), starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood and John Qualen.
The press release details the remastering as follows:
The new 4K UHD Blu-ray presentation of the feature will be available with Dolby Vision and HDR10. Both the 4K and Blu-ray discs will contain the feature's original monaural audio track which was restored from the best available source materials to provide a clean and dynamic audio presentation.
The film underwent an extensive restoration earlier this year, at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and Warner Bros. Archival Mastering (for audio). This restoration was undertaken by Warner Bros. Discovery in collaboration with The Film Foundation and made its public premiere on April 21st of this year at the 15th annual TCM Film Festival.
Compression and authoring for Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray were performed by Fidelity in Motion. To maintain the highest possible image and sound quality for home viewing, these optimized encodes fully utilize the available bandwidth and disc space on the BD100 and BD50 formats.
The Searchers was filmed using the 8-perf 35mm VistaVision process, where the negative went through the camera horizontally with double the frame size of traditional 35mm film, thus yielding incredible clarity with great depth of field. The original negative along with yellow separation protection masters were used for this new presentation, to fully restore the film's original color palette capturing the masterful cinematography of Winton C. Hoch, a frequent Ford collaborator. The result is a revelatory presentation which is a testament to the artistry that went into creating this beloved motion picture.
Warner Archive presents The Searchers on 4K UHD with archival audio commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich. An included remastered Blu-ray disc also contains over an hour of extras, including The Searchers: An Appreciation, A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers, four segments from the 1956 Warner Bros. Presents TV series (Meet Jeffrey Hunter, Monument Valley, Meet Natalie Wood and Setting Up Production) and the film's original theatrical trailer. A standalone Blu-ray will also be available.
New on 4K UHD combo pack from Paramount Home Media Distribution is Josh Cooley's Transformers One, starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi.
Description: TRANSFORMERS ONE is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.
Paramount's 4K UHD combo pack releases of Transformers One contain the film's Dolby Atmos audio, with Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include In the Beginning, World Building on Cybertron, Together As One, The Iacon 5000 and The Battle for Cybertron. In addition to standard packaging, a SteelBook will also be available. For a full release breakdown, read Martin Liebman's 4K UHD review.
Coming to Blu-ray from Fifth Season is Severance: Season One (2022) starring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette and Zach Cherry.
Description: From director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson comes "Severance". Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in "work-life balance" is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.
Fifth Season's Blu-ray release of Severance: Season One is a three-disc set with all 9 episodes.
New on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection is Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's Evil Does Not Exist (悪は存在しない), starring Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani, Hazuki Kikuchi and Hiroyuki Miura.
Description: In a secluded, snowy mountain village, widower and single father Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) leads a modest life gathering water, wood, and wild wasabi for a friend's udon shop. Yet this peaceful existence is threatened when a pair of corporate reps (Ryuji Kosaka and Ayaka Shibutani) arrive to launch a glamping site, sparking resistance from community members who fear the project's potentially pernicious impact on the environment. When Takumi—a respected local figure—is offered the conciliatory role of site caretaker, it becomes unclear where his loyalties lie. Evil Does Not Exist, Ryusuke Hamaguchi's much-anticipated follow-up to his Academy Award–winning Drive My Car, is a haunting, suspenseful meditation on humankind's thorny relationship with nature, consumerism, and itself. Inspired by a collaboration with composer Eiko Ishibashi, the director showcases his masterful command of pacing and atmosphere to uncover the destructive forces lurking beneath the thin veneer of civilization.
Criterion's Blu-ray of Evil Does Not Exist contains an interview with Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and a trailer.
Also coming to Blu-ray from Criterion is Sammo Kam-Bo Hung's Eastern Condors (1987) starring Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Biao Yuen, Joyce Godenzi, Wah Yuen, Woo-Ping Yuen and Corey Yuen. Sourced from a 2K master, Criterion presents Eastern Condors with Cantonese: LPCM Mono audio and optional, newly-translated English subtitles Extras include a new audio commentary by film critic Tony Rayns, the 95-minute English-dubbed "export cut", a new interview with Sammo Hung, archival interviews with Hung and actor Yuen Wah from 2001, Eastern Condors Live! (a performance from the 1987 Miss Asia Pageant), and four trailers. Also included is an essay by film critic Sean Gilman. For a full release breakdown, read Svet Atanasov's Blu-ray review
New on Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is Morgan Neville's Piece by Piece, starring Pharrell Williams, Morgan Neville, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Snoop Dogg and Justin Timberlake.
PIECE BY PIECE is an unparalleled motion picture experience that invites audiences on a vibrant journey through the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams. Told through the lens of LEGO® animation, turn up the volume on your imagination and witness the evolution of one of music's most innovative minds.
Universal's Blu-ray of Piece by Piece contains a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio track, as well as the featurette Building the Story. For a full release breakdown, read Justin Dekker's Blu-ray review.
Also coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD* from Universal is Edward Berger's Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, Brian F. O'Byrne and Lucian Msamati.
Description: Based on the critically acclaimed, best-selling book of the same name, CONCLAVE follows one of the world's most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church's most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope's wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.
Universal's Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases of Conclave will arrive on different dates. The Blu-ray, which contains a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track, will be released this week, while the 4K UHD release, which contains the film's Dolby Atmos audio along with a Blu-ray copy of the film, is set to be released on February 11th, 2025. Extras include audio commentary with Edward Berger and Sequestered: Inside Conclave.
New on Blu-ray from Magnolia Home Entertainment is Jason Yu's Sleep (잠) (2023), starring Jung Yu-mi, Lee Sun-kyun, Kim Geum-soon, Kim Gook Hee, Lee Kyung-jin and Yoon Kyung-ho.
Description: SLEEP follows newlyweds Hyun-su (LEE Sun-kyun, PARASITE) and Soo-jin (JUNG Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, "Someone's inside." From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Hyun-su's sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.
New on Blu-ray from Samuel Goldwyn Films is Hans Petter Moland's Absolution (2024), starring Liam Neeson, Daniel Diemer, Javier Molina, Jimmy Gonzales, Ron Perlman and Brian A. White.
Description: An aging gangster attempts to reconnect with his children and rectify the mistakes in his past, but the criminal underworld won't loosen their grip willingly.
New on Blu-ray from Well Go USA is Stefan Colson's Ghosts of Red Ridge, starring Owen Williams, Trent Culkin, Griffin Wade, Mercedes Peterson, John Marrs and Lena Wilcox.
Description: After foiling a good ol' fashioned stickup in the gold bust town of Red Ridge, Texas, the town sheriff jails a mysterious stranger suspected of ties to the gang of outlaws terrorizing residents. But as the sheriff draws closer to unraveling the bandits' identities, ghosts of murdered townspeople begin appearing at his door, leaving him to question whether the spirits are warning him…or seeking vengeance for his own failure to protect them.
Well Go USA's Blu-ray of Ghosts of Red Ridge contains a trailer. For a full disc breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
Coming to Blu-ray from Shout Factory is the box set Golden Harvest Vol. 2: Shining Stars (1973-1998), an eight-disc set with the films Beach of the War Gods, When Taekwondo Strikes (both 1973), The Skyhawk, Shaolin Boxers, Slaughter in San Francisco (all 1974), Legacy of Rage (1986), The Master (1992) and Hitman (1998). All films have Mandarin and / or Cantonese: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio (DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 for Hitman) with optional, newly-translated English subtitles. Most films also include an English dubbed audio option (except Shaolin Boxers and Hitman), while Slaughter in San Francisco comes with its shorter English-language cut. Extras include at least one new audio commentary for each film, often with Frank Djeng (of the New York Asian Film Festival) and / or James Mudge (veteran Hong Kong film critic at easternKicks), while every film also includes at least one image gallery and trailer. Additional extras include new interviews with actors Hsieh Hsing and Jack Long (Beach of the War Gods), producer Andre Morgan (When Taekwondo Strikes), critic Kim Newman (Slaughter in San Francisco) and Frang Djeng (Legacy of Rage), as well as In Conversation with Director Ronny Yu, Critic and Curator Frank Djeng, and Podcaster Preston Downey (Legacy of Rage) and legacy extras for The Master and Hitman.
Coming to 4K UHD and remastered Blu-ray from Shout is Ron Howard's Far and Away (1992), starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Thomas Gibson, Robert Prosky, Barbara Babcock and Cyril Cusack. Sourced from a new 4K master struck from the 35mm interpositive (approved by cinematographer Mikael Salomon), Shout presents Far and Away with a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1, 2.0 or a new Dolby Atmos audio remix, as well as Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include a new feature-length documentary Enterprise or Love: the Story of Far and Away, a photo gallery and a theatrical trailer.
Also coming to 4K UHD from Shout is Robert Rodriguez's The Faculty (1998), starring Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy and Elijah Wood. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative (approved by Robert Rodriguez), Shout presents The Faculty with DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 audio options and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include new interviews with special makeup and creature effects artist Greg Nicotero and production designer Cary White.
Finally from Shout comes a 4K UHD upgrade for Alexander Payne's The Holdovers (2023), starring Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner and Ian Dolley. Sourced from a 4K master, Shout presents The Holdovers with a choice of DTS-HD MA 3.0 (LCR) or DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio tracks and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc. Extras include deleted scenes, an alternate ending and the featurettes The Cast of The Holdovers and Working with Alexander.
Coming to 4K UHD from Liongsate Home Entertainment is Mark DiSalle and David Worth's Kickboxer (1989), starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan, Haskell Anderson, Rochelle Ashana and Tony Chan. Lionsgate presents the US theatrical cut of the film on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD disc, as well as a bonus Blu-ray disc with the uncut International version of the film, sourced from the best possible materials (see the post here in our forum for more information). Extras include two audio commentaries: One with Mark DiSalle and action film historian Mike Leeder and another with David Worth, Haskell Anderson and film historian James Bennett, new interviews with actors Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michel Qissi, and Dennis Chan, as well as director of photography Jon Kranhouse, two theatrical trailers, TV spots and a still gallery.
Also coming to 4K UHD from Lionsgate is David Koepp's Stir of Echoes (1999), starring Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Liza Weil, Kevin Dunn and Jennifer Morrison. Sourced from a new 4K master (approved by Cinematographer Fred Murphy), Lionsgate presents Stir of Echoes with a new Dolby Atmos remix and Dolby Vision HDR. Extras include the new featurette Visions of the Past: Making Stir of Echoes and a new interview with Fred Murphy, interviews from 2021 with David Koepp, Kathryn Erbe and production designer Nelson Coates, the 2004 featurettes Sight of Spirits: Channeling the Paranormal, Behind the Echoes and The Mind's Eye: Beneath the Trance, deleted scenes, interviews, promotional material, a music video and more. A legacy Blu-ray copy of the film is also included. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's 4K UHD review.
Coming to remastered Blu-ray or 4K UHD from Arrow Video is Marco Brambilla's Demolition Man (1993), starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt and Bob Gunton. Sourced from a new 4K master by Arrow Films (approved by Marco Brambilla), Arrow presents Demolition Man in both its domestic "Taco Bell" and international "Pizza Hut" versions of the film (via seamless branching), with a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1, 2.0 or new Dolby Atmos audio options and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. Extras include two new audio commentaries: one with Marco Brambilla and screenwriter Daniel Waters and another with film historian Mike White (of the Projection Booth podcast), new interviews with production designer David L. Snyder, stunt coordinator Charles Percini, special make-up effects artist Chris Biggs and body effects set coordinator Jeff Farley, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson and an image gallery. Legacy extras include audio commentary with Brambilla and producer Joel Silver and a theatrical trailer. Packaging includes a "60-page perfect bound collector's book featuring new writing by film critics Clem Bastow, William Bibbiani, Priscilla Page and Martyn Pedler", as well as a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and new artwork, six art cards, stickers and a reversible jacket. For full release breakdowns, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review and 4K UHD review.
Finally this week, Decal Releasing has a 4K UHD upgrade for Michael Mohan's Immaculate (2024), starring Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Dora Romano, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giorgio Colangeli and Simona Tabasco. Released on Blu-ray in June 2024, Decal's 4K UHD release of Immaculate contains audio commentary with Michael Mohan and adds Sidney Sweeney Reads the Bible, Sidney Sweeney Watches Immaculate with Real Pastors, interviews with Sweeney, Alvaro Morte and Michael Mohan, a "Vow" spot and a trailer.