Today we have made public the difficult decision to cancel the 4KUHD for Meet John Doe (1941). While this isn't something we even remotely anticipated, the extremely poor pre-sales for the release leaves us no alternative.

The Blu-ray and DVD releases of Doe are still on, but with a revised street date of April 30th. These releases will still be derived from our 4K restoration of the beloved Capra film, but 4KUHD produced discs are upwards of 3 to 4 times as expensive to produce as standard Blu-ray making our chances of recouping that extra cost from sales very slim.

All orders placed at ClassicFlix.com for the 4KUHD of Doe have been canceled. All those awaiting shipment of the Doe 4KUHD on an order with other titles purchased have had the Doe 4KUHD removed from the order and the remainder of the order shipped.

If you'd still like to pre-order the Blu-ray of Doe you may do so by clicking any link on this page or by clicking the image below.

Thank you for your understanding.

I’ve been to the second hand store again!

Back in the day, I probably would've loved this, but it's all tat isn't it? 😁

This is very sad news.

More proof why physical is better. 😁

4K Blu-rays have been a hot topic in recent memory. In 2023, Disney announced it would no longer sell 4K Blu-rays in Australia and we here called it a crime for movie fans. Next, Best Buy announced it would no longer stock DVDs or Blu-rays after the holiday season (via Forbes), and from what we can tell, that includes 4K Blu-rays.

...

Does this mean that 4K Blu-ray is really dying? The answer is no. In fact, I believe there’s an exciting future on the horizon, especially for cinephiles and movie fans.

Although mainstream 4K Blu-rays may be declining in popularity, there is a growing number of smaller and specialist companies, such as Arrow Films, The Criterion Collection, Shout Factory, 101 Films and more releasing 4K Blu-rays and quite often they are 4K restorations of niche, lesser-known or older movies. This breathes new life into these oft-forgotten titles and gives movie enthusiasts a chance to experience them again at a quality level not before possible.

Even A24, a distributor and slightly more ‘mainstream’ company than the ones mentioned above, is joining the restoration efforts with a 2023 4K remaster of Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads’ 1984 concert movie.

Recently, I had an experience with a 4K restoration myself, one that brought me a lot of joy. I am a fan of The Warriors, Walter Hill’s gritty movie about a gang that must make its way across New York back to Coney Island through a swarm of other gangs with a bounty on their backs after being framed for a murder. I owned this movie on DVD and loved it. Years later, it was released on Blu-ray and I rejoiced as it meant a better quality picture.

However, I was dismayed to find that the Blu-ray version included a new cut of the movie, which introduced strange comic book panel transitions throughout that quite frankly ruined it. But, if I wanted the better picture this would have to do.

Cut to November 2023 and I read that Arrow Films was releasing a 4K remaster of The Warriors, and it wouldn't just be the Blu-ray version, but also the original 1979 theatrical cut used for the DVD that I loved! Needless to say, I ordered it from the US as soon as I could, and I’m pleased to report it was everything I hoped for.

I know I’m not alone in experiences like this. Other movie fans the world over have been in the same situation, where the efforts of these specialist companies allow them to rediscover a loved movie that may have otherwise been lost, or enable them to see it with a quality level never before possible.

Aside from giving new life and homes to vintage masterpieces, there is another reason why 4K Blu-ray is king and that is sheer quality. Looking at the numbers, 4K Blu-ray offers a higher bit-rate than 4K streaming. A 4K disc can transfer data at 128Mbps, whereas 4K streaming on services such as Netflix and Disney Plus tends to max out at 16-25Mbps. Simply put, this means that 4K Blu-ray can present a movie in a less compressed format, resulting in not only better picture but also better audio.

Audio was the main area where I noted a difference when I tested the same movies on both Blu-ray and streaming, even with my TV hooked up to the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), a budget example of the best soundbars. During my test, the sense of audio immersion from the 4K Blu-ray was levels above streaming, and that’s because 4K Blu-ray carries soundtracks in the lossless Dolby True HD format rather than the lossy Dolby Digital Plus one used for streaming.

This is important for all 4K releases, not just classic or rarer restorations. When we see a movie in the cinema that captures our imagination, we want to take that feeling home with us, and based on what I’ve seen and experienced, streaming doesn’t hit that same feeling the way a 4K Blu-ray disc can.

Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs

1. Trolls Band Together
2. Oppenheimer
3. Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part One
4. Five Nights at Freddy's
5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
6. The Expendables 4
7. Barbie
8. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
9. Titanic
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
11. Avatar: The Way of Water
12. John Wick: Chapter 4
13. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
14. Thor: Love and Thunder
15. The Equalizer 3
16. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
17. The Exorcist: Beleiver
18. The Holdovers
19. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
20. Saw X

Top 20 Selling 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs

1. Oppenheimer
2. Titanic
3. Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part One
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
5. Thor: Love and Thunder
6. The Expendables 4
7. Trolls Band Together
8. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
9. Barbie
10. Avatar: The Way of Water
11. Dune: Part One
12. John Wick: Chapter 4
13. Face/Off
14. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
15. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
16. Avatar
17. Reservoir Dogs
18. Schindler's List
19. The Thing
20. The Equalizer 3

Source: MediaPlayNews.com

Cutthroat Island 4K Blu-ray

Lionsgate Home Entertainment will release on 4K Blu-ray Renny Harlin's Cutthroat Island (1995), starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, and Patrick Malahide. The release will be available for purchase exclusively at Walmart on April 2.

Description: Geena Davis and Matthew Modine deliver a tidal wave of nonstop action and adventure in this swashbuckling saga of ruthless pirates, buried treasure, and bloodthirsty betrayal.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• The Adventure of a Lifetime: Making Cutthroat Island
• Charting the Course: Creating Cutthroat Island
• Across the Bow: Editing Cutthroat Island
• Summon Your Courage: Scoring Cutthroat Island
• Ecce Pirate: A Short Film by Matthew Modine
• Audio Commentary from Director Renny Harlin
• Making of
• Behind the Scenes
• Storyboards
• Interviews
• Original Trailer
• Optional English SDH, French, and German subtitles

|

Some new stuff, some old today. Doomed to die is Lenzi cannibal caper better known as Eaten Alive!

while DVDs are no longer the massive revenue generator for studios that they were throughout the first decade of the 2000s, it has never been a better time to be a physical media enthusiast. Thanks to independent labels like Criterion, Kino Lorber, Shout! Factory, Arrow, Imprint, Indicator, and many others, every month sees the release of well over a dozen exceptional titles, often lovingly restored and with indispensable scholarly extras.

That we’re living in such a flourishing golden age in terms of quality, even as the economics seem increasingly discouraging, is thanks to an intrepid community of cinephiles. Their passion has led to boutique DVD and Blu-ray labels that release titles — both well-known and obscure — that might fall through the cracks if left to the vagaries of corporate overlords. The excellent coming-of-age film “Little Darlings,” for example, was released by Paramount in 1980 but never given a proper home video presentation until independent label Vinegar Syndrome’s new sub-label Cinématographe put out an exquisite 4K Blu-ray. While Paramount never saw the value in releasing the film in its correct aspect ratio or fidelity to its intended color and sound mix, Cinématographe producer Justin LaLiberty felt that licensing the title and creating a new transfer from the original negative was in keeping with Vinegar Syndrome’s mission to fill in the gaps of film history.

...

Hertzberg also notes that while the customer base for boutique Blu-ray labels is dedicated and passionate, it is also finite — a major challenge given the high costs involved with keeping a label running.

Those costs are largely front-loaded, as studios require minimum guarantees in the form of initial fees, as well as a percentage of royalties once the discs are released. One of the added difficulties is that no two studios are alike, and even for the same studio different titles dictate different terms. “Each studio has its own way of doing things,” Vinegar Syndrome‘s Joe Rubin told IndieWire.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/7510172

If you jump to about 29:30 in this video, they briefly talk about Tron: Legacy and what Kosinski can reveal of the new sequel.

What's more exciting is that he mentions they just finished a 4K remaster of Tron: Legacy. Unfortunately, this is believed to be for Disney+ only, with no news of a physical release. Some rumours say it has been done for the new Apple VR headset. As you may recall, the film was also released in 3D.

Maybe this will change when the third film hits cinemas / home media.

THE late 1960s threw up some beautiful examples of the so-called wuxia school of Asian action movies, where everything is based in an age old literary tradition for swords, sorcery and chivalry - and The Swordsman Of All Swordsmen is one of the very finest.

Freshly released on Blu-ray in a brand new limited edition 2K restoration as part of the Eureka Classics range, director Joseph Kuo’s 1968 masterpiece is an elegantly appointed tale of old school honour and cold blooded revenge.

...

While The Swordsman Of All Swordsmen sometimes feels like a standard late-60s martial arts epic - and not an overly original one either, given the obvious debts on show to the work of the great King Hu in the genre - it’s still a beautiful slice of stately martial arts movie-making that deserves its considerable cult status.

As the first offering in Joseph Kuo’s Tsai Ying-jie trilogy and a fine, dignified example of the age-old wuxia tradition explored on the silver screen, this is a valuable piece of work. The fight scenes, all of which are well choreographed and stylishly shot, deliver the goods, and the blending of action and old-fashioned very moralistic drama - something absolutely central to wuxia - is done beautifully throughout.

...

As ever, Eureka have gone the extra mile for this Blu-ray release, offering up that impressive 2K restoration that ensures the film looks as good today as the day it was first printed and tagging on a wealth of extras including a fresh audio commentary track from Frank Djeng and John Charles and a vintage interview with Kuo himself.

There’s even a bonus disc featuring the only known print of The Mystery Of Chess Boxing to make this a truly essential purchase on every front.

Out 18th March.

Hi all,

Back in my DVD days, I always noticed that the original cardboard snapper cases from Warner Bros always contained these proof of purchase tabs on the inside spine.

To my eyes, it looks like something you would take out and keep. Then maybe at some point Warner Bros offered some items for sale and the price would obviously be a set amount of these tabs.

I only ask because I never heard of them being used for anything, including some kind of mail in purchase. That may be because I live in the UK and was importing US DVDs.

Did any of you guys know anything about these, or maybe even used them yourself?

Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs

1. Trolls Band Together
2. Oppenheimer
3. Five Nights at Freddy's
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
5. The Expendables 4
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
7. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
8. Journey to Bethlehem
9. Avatar: The Way of Water
10. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
11. The Raid: Redemption
12. The Equalizer 3
13. Barbie
14. John Wick: Chapter 4
15. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
16. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
17. The Mandalorian: The Complete First Season
18. Saw X
19. The Mandalorian: The Complete Second Season
20. Thor: Love and Thunder

Top 20 Selling 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs

1. Oppenheimer
2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
3. Trolls Band Together
4. The Raid: Redemption
5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
6. Thor: Love and Thunder
7. The Fifth Element
8. The Expendables 4
9. Avatar: The Way of Water
10. Titanic
11. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
12. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
13. The Equalizer 3
14. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
15. Army of Darkness
16. Lone Star
17. Blade Runner 2049
18. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
19. Lightyear
20. John Wick: Chapter 4

Source: MediaPlayNews.com

Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary

ETR Media will issue a standard Blu-ray edition of Jack Bennett's Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary (2019). The release is scheduled to arrive on the market on February 27.

Description: With beloved cult classic Galaxy Quest reaching its 20th Anniversary, this star-studded documentary unveils how the film turned fans into true heroes and predicted a future where geeks would rule the world! The cast and crew recall how a fire on set, the loss of a powerful director, and an unconvinced studio couldn't stop the film that would never give up and never surrender!

Special Features:

• Bonus interviews with:
• Robert Gordon
• Dean Parisot
• Tim Allen
• Sigourney Weaver
• Damon Lindelof
• Greg Berlanti
• B-roll bonus clips
• Original trailer

NOTE: This has obviously been on streaming sites for years now, but if you have any love for Galaxy Quest, this documentary is well worth your time. Highly recommended.

Trailer

Theres some QA problem with the original release so theres a disc exchange program ongoing, just like with Hell of the living dead from them. Got mine today!

Talk to me arrived today. A great little horror movie. The rest are from my favorite thrift store.

From American high school comedies to Oscar winners, plenty of 2023’s biggest and brightest films have skipped the DVD market in the UK.

Masters of the Universe (1987) gets a collector's edition Blu-ray release

Umbrella Home Entertainment in Australia is giving the 1987 Masters of the Universe film a collector's edition Blu-ray release

By Cody Hamman

January 29th 2024, 10:28am

Largely rejected upon its release back in 1987, the live-action film adaptation of *Masters of the Universe has gathered a cult following over the decades, and elements of the film have even been worked into the recent animated Netflix shows Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Masters of the Universe: Revolution. On April 17th, Umbrella Home Entertainment in Australia will be giving the film a collector's edition Blu-ray release -- and copies are available for pre-order HERE! (Just make sure you have the ability to play Region B Blu-rays before ordering one.)

Directed by Gary Goddard from a screenplay by David Odell, Masters of the Universe has the following synopsis: When the evil Skeletor finds a mysterious power called the Cosmic Key, he becomes nearly invincible. However, courageous warrior He-Man locates inventor Gwildor, who created the Key and has another version of it. During a battle, one of the Keys is transported to Earth, where it is found by teenagers Julie and Kevin. Now both He-Man and Skeletor's forces arrive on Earth searching for the potent weapon.

The film stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courteney Cox, Barry Livingston, James Tolkan, Christina Pickles, Meg Foster, Chelsea Field, Jon Cypher, Billy Barty, Robert Duncan McNeill, Anthony De Longis, Tony Carroll, Pons Maar, Robert Towers, Peter Brooks, and Richard Szponder.

Only available from the Umbrella store, the Masters of the Universe Collector's Edition Blu-ray release includes:

A 48 page book with behind-the-scenes, experiences and art
Classic poster art rigid slipcase
Custom poster art slipcase
8 replica lobby cards
A3 reversible poster
Limited Edition Numbered release
Audio commentary with director Gary Goddard
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO extended interviews with actor Dolph Lundgren, director Gary Goddard, producer Ed Pressman, co-writer Stephen Tolkin,production designer William Stout and special effects supervisor Richard Edlund
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE 2 -- tales of "the sequel that never was" with filmmaker Albert Pyun and others
BEHIND THE LEGEND archival featurette
Cannon Films Sci-Fi and Fantasy trailer reel
Stills and poster gallery
Original theatrical trailer
Teaser trailers
Easter Egg

Just one charity shop today to feed my addiction problem.

Burke & Hare I had on DVD but can't remember anything about it except it was one of the first DVDs when in the UK, they used to use super jewel CD cases. I wish they stuck with them, I really liked them.

I felt like trying it again. The same goes with The Last Jedi which I haven't watched since the cinema where I was disappointed. It's the two disc edition with all the extras and it means I'm only one film away from the set of all nine Star Wars films . 50p for both.

No Way Out: Early Kevin Costner gem getting a 4K release

by Chris Bumbray

No Way Out, one of the early movies that launched Kevin Costner to stardom, is getting a 4K release from Kino/ Lorber.

While most would say The Untouchables is the movie that made Kevin Costner a star, in many ways, Orion's No Way Out solidified his stardom. The film was shot before The Untouchables, with him scoring the leading role after being cast by Lawrence Kasdan in the Western classic Silverado (as a way to make up for cutting all his scenes from The Big Chill). *No Way Out *was the first time he headlined a big film on his own, and it was the perfect showcase. If gave him a chance to do action, drama and romance, with his backseat love scene with Sean Young noted as one of the steamiest in Hollywood history up to that point.

It was part of an essential three-movie deal that Costner signed with the now-defunct Orion Pictures, which included Bull Durham and Dances With Wolves, both of which helped cement him as one of the biggest stars of his time. However, No Way Out is often overlooked in his filmography. Here at JoBlo, we're big fans of this thriller, having done a Best Movie You Never Saw on it a while back. Alas, it looks like the good folks at Kino/Lorber also appreciate it, with the movie set for a 4K Blu-ray release this year from a new restoration of the original 35mm negative.
Here's their announcement:

Coming Soon on 4KUHD!Brand New HDR/DV Master -- From a 4K Scan of the 35mm OCN

NO WAY OUT (1987) Starring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young & Will Patton -- Shot by John Alcott (Barry Lyndon) -- Music by Maurice Jarre (Witness) -- Directed by Roger Donaldson (White Sands). pic.twitter.com/2lDFraDfSk

KL Studio Classics / Kino Cult (@KLStudioClassic) January 28, 2024

While it hasn't been dated yet, this is a good one to watch out for. In it, Costner plays a fast-rising Naval officer whose mistress (Sean Young) is murdered by the Secretary of Defence (Gene Hackman), who was also seeing her. Costner's character gets set up as her killer and a potential Soviet mole, leaving him only hours to uncover the plot. It was directed by Roger Donaldson, a terrific journeyman director who keeps the pacing nice and tight.

Keep an eye out for No Way Out once it hits physical media, as it's well worth adding to your collection.

I thought I would share this latest episode of LGR Thrifts. Clint visits a store called 2nd & Charles in Richmond, a huge second hand media store also selling new old stock. (Skip to around 7 minutes.)

I think I could spend two days looking around this store! All those films and books. Heaven!

Sometimes it really pays off.

Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs

1. Oppenheimer
2. Five Nights at Freddy's
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
5. The Expendables 4
6. The Equalizer 3
7. The Mandalorian: The Complete First Season
8. Avatar: The Way of Water
9. The Mandalorian: The Complete Second Season
10. John Wick: Chapter 4
11. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
12. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
13. Barbie
14. The Exorcist: Believer
15. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
16. The Creator
17. Saw X
18. Oldboy
19. Titanic
20. The Fifth Element

Source: NPD VideoScan First Alert (based on unit sales from reporting retailers)

Top 20 Selling 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs

1. Oppenheimer
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
3. The Equalizer 3
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
5. Oldboy
6. The Fifth Element
7. Avatar: The Way of Water
8. Bram Stoker's Dracula
9. Varsity Blues
10. The Expendables 4
11. Gran Turismo
12. Thor: Love and Thunder
13. Titanic
14. The Mandalorian: The Complete First Season
15. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
16. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
17. John Wick: Chapter 4
18. Blood Simple
19. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
20. Avatar

Source: NPD VideoScan First Alert (based on unit sales from reporting retailers)

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/research/top-20-selling-blu-ray-and-4k-discs-for-week-ended-1-13-24/

Nicolas Cage is So Dreamy in Dream Scenario Hitting Blu-ray on February 27

Posted Tue Jan 23, 2024 at 09:30 AM PST by Tom Landy

**Lionsgate and A24's dark comedy starring Nicolas Cage will be entering the high-definition home video dreamscape on February 27 in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack. **

Pre-order yours today.

Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Pail is forced to navigate his newfound stardom, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli and producer Ari Aster.

***Dream Scenario - Blu-ray ***

The Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Combo Pack will include a lossless 5.1 soundtrack and the following supplements: 

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Kristoffer Borgli

• Dream Like Nobody's Watching (RT 10 min)

• Deleted Scenes (TRT 1:25)

• Scene 63 (RT :25)

• Scene 70 (RT :29)

• Scene 76 (RT :31)

• Trailers

Pre-orders for Dream Scenario are up and here is the full press release:

Blu-ray™ + DVD + Digital Street Date: 2/27/24
Blu-ray™ + DVD + Digital SRP: $39.99\

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Starring Nicolas Cage, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli and produced by Ari Aster (Midsommar, Hereditary, Beau is Afraid), Dream Scenario will be available on Blu-ray™ + DVD + Digital on February 27 from A24 and Lionsgate. With great reception from its premiere at TIFF, Collider describes Dream Scenario as "A laugh-out-loud comedy about fame and overnight celebrity"... Dream Scenario will be available for the suggested retail prices of $39.99 for Blu-ray + DVD + Digital.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Pail is forced to navigate his newfound stardom, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli and producer Ari Aster.

CAST
Nicolas Cage                          Face/Off, Leaving Las Vegas, Con Air
Julianne Nicholson                 August: Osage County, Blonde, I, Tonya
Michael Cera                          Scott Pilgrim vs, the World, Juno, Superbad
Tim Meadows                         TV's "Saturday Night Live," Mean Girls, The Ladies Man

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Kristoffer Borgli
• Dream Like Nobody's Watching (RT 10 min)
• Deleted Scenes (TRT 1:25)
  • Scene 63 (RT :25)
  • Scene 70 (RT :29)
  • Scene 76 (RT :31)
• Trailers

PROGRAM INFORMATION
**Year of Production: **2023
**Title Copyright:  **DREAM SCENARIO © 2023 PAULTERGEIST PICTURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
**Type: **New Release
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Drama
Closed-Captioned: N/A
**Subtitles: **Spanish, English SDH
Run Time: 102 Minutes
**Blu-ray Format: **16x9 (1.85), 1080P 23.98 High Definition
**Blu-ray Audio: **English 5.1 DTS HD-MA, English Descriptive Audio
**DVD Format: **16x9 (1.85)
DVD Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital; English Descriptive Audio