For the week of May 19th, Decal Releasing and Neon will release Steven Soderbergh's Presence (2024), starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland and Julia Fox.
Description: It moves through the house, uneasy and unseen, a witness to the most painful and unguarded moments of the troubled family within. And with a growing urgency, the Presence gradually pieces together what it needs to do. An unusual, unnerving, and emotional thriller from writer David Koepp and director Steven Soderbergh. Hailed as "an innovative and dizzyingly immersive thriller" and "a shattering mystery that will chill you," PRESENCE was written by David Koepp, directed by Steven Soderbergh.
New on Blu-ray from Capelight International and MPI Home Video is Gerardo Herrero's Operation: Raqqa, starring Álvaro Morte, Mina El Hammani, Abdelatif Hwidar, Cristina Kovani, Fariba Sheikhan and Jalila Talemsi.
Description: Syria 2017. In the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, the Russian spy Haibala (Álvaro Morte) is tasked with tracking down one of the most wanted leaders of the Islamic State, "the Jordanian". The nurse Malika has also been assigned the same mission by European secret services. In the dangerous streets of the Syrian city, where everyday life is dominated by executions, the enslavement of women and bomb attacks, both try to complete their mission by any means possible in order to bring down ISIS.
Capelight's Blu-ray of Operation: Raqqa contains several making of featurettes and a trailer.
Turning to catalog titles, Kino Lorber have a Blu-ray box set called Wonder Dogs! (1898-1928):
Description: While Rin Tin Tin may be credited as Hollywood's first animal superstar, there was in fact a whole pack of canine performers bounding onto the screen before and after his debut. This special two-disc collection, presented in cooperation with the Library of Congress, celebrates cinema's lesser-known dog stars with their most memorable features, shorts, and newsreel appearances (1898-1928). Wonder Dogs demonstrate their comedy chops opposite slapstick legends Charley Chase (Dog Shy), Roscoe Arbuckle (Fatty's Faithful Fido), Mabel Normand (A Little Hero), and the notorious "Dippy-Doo-Dads" (The Watchdog). But it was in rugged outdoor adventures that dog stars were truly born: Fearless (The SIlent Trailer, directed by Francis Ford), Peter the Great (The Sign of the Claw), Klondike (The Law's Lash), Champion (The Sky Rider), and Duke (alongside Tom Mix in the tense modern Western Teeth). Films dated as early as 1898 offer satisfying simple glimpses of dogs at play, anticipating the adorable animal videos that would become social media phenomena more than a century later.
Kino's Blu-ray of Wonder Dogs! is a two-disc set. Extras include audio commentaries for all films by film historian Anthony Slide as well as interviews with curators / archivists Lynanne Schweighofer and George Willeman and composer Andrew Earle Simpson.
Also coming from Kino is a Blu-ray for Terrence Young's The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965), starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Leo McKern, Vittorio De Sica and George Sanders. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Kino presents The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders with a new audio commentary by film historians David Del Valle and Daniel Kremer and a theatrical trailer.
Finally from Kino this week is a 4K UHD release for John Frankenheimer's Prophecy (1979), starring Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, Armand Assante, Richard Dysart, Victoria Racimo and Kevin Peter Hall. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Kino presents Prophecy with Dolby Vision HDR and a choice of lossless 2.0 or 5.1 audio tracks. Extras include a new audio commentary by entertainment journalists / authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry, while a Blu-ray of special features contains interviews with Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, screenwriter David Seltzer, make-up effects designer Tom Burman, make-up effects artist Allan Apone and mime artist Tom McLoughlin, as well as radio spots and a theatrical trailer.
Coming from Shout Factory is the box set Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 1 (1972-1975), a twelve-disc set which contains 4K UHD discs and newly-remastered Blu-rays for the films Across 110th Street (1972), Black Caesar, Coffy, Hell Up in Harlem (all 1973), Truck Turner (1974) and Sheba, Baby (1975). All six films are presented with DTS-HD MA Mono audio and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs. Extras include audio commentaries with writer / director Larry Cohen (on Across 110th Street, Black Caesar and Hell Up in Harlem), writer / director Jack Hill (on Coffy), director Jonathan Kaplan (on Truck Turner) and screenwriter David Sheldon (on Sheba Baby), along with the new documentary It's Where the Action Is: The Blaxploitation Films of A.I.P., Part One (featuring new and archival interviews with film critic and author Odie Henderson, Lou Arkoff (film producer and son of AIP film producer Samuel Z. Arkoff), Afrocentric film scholar Dr. Michelle B. Taylor, author and film historian Chris Poggiali, film historian Nathaniel Thompson, Jack Hill and AIP post-production supervisor James L. Honore), interviews with Jack Hill and star Pam Grier on Coffy and with David Sheldon on Sheba Baby, as well as trailers for all six films. Packaging includes a slipbox housing individual amaray cases for all six films, which in turn feature covers with original poster artwork.
Coming to 4K UHD and remastered Blu-ray from Powerhouse Films / Indicator are two films by Jean Rollin: First is The Iron Rose (La Rose de fer), starring Françoise Pascal, Hugues Quester, Natalie Perrey, Mireille Dargent and Jean Rollin. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Indicator presents The Iron Rose in both its original French version and its English-language version (The Crystal Rose) with lossless French or English mono audio, optional, new and improved English or English SDH subtitles and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. Extras include a new audio commentary with film historian Tim Lucas, an introduction by Jean Rollin from 1998, a 2010 interview with Rollin, the 2024 documentary Les Nuits du cimetiere, two interviews with Françoise Pascal: one from 2012 and another newly-edited for 2025, a new appreciation by author and film historian Stephen Thrower, a new piece with academic Marcelline Block on Tristan Corbière, Rollin's short film The Yellow Loves (Les Amours jaunes) (1958), original theatrical trailers and image galleries. Limited edition content includes an "80-page book with a new essay by Nick Pinkerton, an archival introduction by Jean Rollin, a reprint of Rollin's original 1972 scenario titled The Night of the Cemetery, an archival interview with Françoise Pascal, Jean Rollin on The Yellow Loves, an introduction to the poetry of Tristan Corbière, and full film credits".
Also coming from Indicator is a remastered Blu-ray and 4K UHD release for Jean Rollin's Girls Without Shame (Jeunes filles impudiques) (AKA Schoolgirl Hitchhikers) (1973), starring Joëlle Coeur, Gilda Arancio, Marie Hélène Règne, Willy Braque, Pierre Julien and François Brincourt. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Indicator presents Girls Without Shame in both its original French version and both of its English-language versions, with lossless French or English mono audio, optional, new and improved English or English SDH subtitles and Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD edition. Extras include a new audio commentary with film historian David Flint, two new appreciations: one by author and filmmaker Nicolas Stanzic and another on Joëlle Coeur by actor, director and film historian Christophe Bier, Hubert Lacoudre's short film Sexana (1972) starring Joëlle Coeur (along with a new critical appreciation by Nicolas Stanzick), original theatrical trailers and image galleries. Limited edition content includes an "80-page book with a new essay by Lucas Balbo, material from the film's pressbook, an archival article on the French sex film industry featuring an interview with 'Michel Gentil' (Jean Rollin), an archival interview with Willy Braque, new writing on Sexana, and full film credits". For full release breakdowns, read Svet Atanasov's Blu-ray review and 4K UHD review.
Coming to Blu-ray from Radiance Films is Sadao Nakajima's The Rapacious Jailbreaker (脱獄広島殺人囚) (1974), starring Hiroki Matsukata, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Naoko Ôtani, Tsunehiko Watase, Tatsuo Umemiya and Gorô Ibuki. Sourced from an HD master, Radiance presents The Rapacious Jailbreaker with lossless original mono audio and optional, newly-translated English subtitles. Extras include a new audio commentary by yakuza film expert Nathan Stuart and a new video essay on Sadao Nakajima by Tom Mes. Limited edition content includes a "booklet featuring new writing by Earl Jackson and an archival review of the film". For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray review.
Coming to 4K UHD from the Criterion Collection is Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I (1987), starring Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Brown, Michael Elphick and Daragh O'Malley. Sourced from a 4K master (supervised by director of photography Peter Hannan), Criterion presents Withnail and I with Dolby Vision HDR and LPCM Mono audio. Extras include two audio commentaries: one from 2001 with Ralph Brown and Paul McGann and another from 2020 with Bruce Robinson, interviews with Robinson and Richard E. Grant, the documentary Withnail and Us (1999), a BFI Q&A with Robinson and Grant from 2017, a stills gallery and a trailer. Also included is an essay by critic David Cairns. For a full release breakdown, read Svet Atanasov's 4K UHD review.
And coming to remastered Blu-ray from Criterion is Bruce Robinson's How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1988), starring Richard E. Grant, Rachel Ward, Richard Wilson, Jacqueline Tong, John Shrapnel and Susan Wooldridge. Sourced from a 2K master (also supervised by director of photography Peter Hannan), Criterion presents How to Get Ahead in Advertising with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Surround audio. Extras include new interviews with Bruce Robinson and Richard E. Grant, as well as the film's trailer. Once again included is an essay by critic David Cairns. For a full release breakdown, read Svet Atanasov's Blu-ray review.
Coming to 4K UHD from Arrow Video is Adam Marcus' Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), starring John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Kane Hodder, Steven Williams, Steven Culp and Erin Gray. Sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI), Arrow presents both theatrical and unrated cuts of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday on two 4K UHD discs, with Dolby Vision HDR and a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 audio tracks. Extras include three audio commentaries on the unrated cut of the film, including a new commentary with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, new interviews with special make-up effects creator Robert Kurtzman, actor Julie Michaels and composer Harry Manfredini, an introduction to the unrated cut by Adam Marcus, two archival interviews with Marcus and an archival interview with Kane Hodder, additional TV footage with optional commentary by Adam Marcus, a theatrical trailer, TV spots, and stills, behind-the-scenes and poster galleries. Limited edition content includes a double-sided fold-out poster with new and original artwork and an "illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by JA Kerswell and original production notes". For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's 4K UHD review.
Also coming to 4K UHD from Arrow is James Isaac's Jason X (2001), starring Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, Chuck Campbell, Jonathan Potts, Peter Mensah and Melyssa Ade. Again sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI), Arrow presents Jason X with Dolby Vision HDR and a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 audio tracks. Extras include three audio commentaries, including a new commentary with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, a new interview with composer Harry Manfredini, an introduction by Kane Hodder, the documentaries Outta Space: The Making of Jason X, By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X and The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees, archival interviews with writer Todd Farmer, actor Kristi Angus and Sean S. Cunningham, cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and an EPK, as well as theatrical trailers, TV spots, and stills, behind-the-scenes and poster galleries. Limited edition content includes a double-sided fold-out poster with new and original artwork and an "illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Matt Donato and JA Kerswell". For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's 4K UHD review.
Coming to 4K UHD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is Brian Helgeland's A Knight's Tale (2001), starring Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Laura Fraser and Mark Addy. Sourced from a new 4K master, Sony presents both the theatrical and extended cuts of A Knight's Tale with Dolby Vision HDR and a choice of a new Dolby Atmos remix (both approved by Brian Helgeland), or DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. An included Blu-ray features a remastered theatrical cut of the film, along with new extras, including five deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel and Quill and Quarterhorse: 2nd Unit Photography, in addition to legacy extras, such as audio commentary with Brian Helgeland and Paul Bettany, eleven behind-the-scenes featurettes, six original deleted scenes (with filmmaker's introductions), an HBO making of special, a music video, domestic and international trailers and a TV spot. For a full release breakdown, read Kenneth Brown's 4K UHD review.
Note: As of this writing, Sony's 4K UHD release of A Knight's Tale is available only in SteelBook packaging.
Finally this week, on Friday, Rhino Music will release anew standalone Blu-ray Audio disc of Chicago's album Chicago II (1970), featuring new Dolby Atmos and high-resolution stereo mixes (by Steven Wilson) as well as DTS-HD MA 5.1 and DTS-HD MA 4.0 Quadraphonic ("Quadio") options. For a full release breakdown, read Jeffrey Kauffman's Blu-ray Audio review.