The 4-Disc Blu-ray release of Grindhouse from Via Vision Entertainment was originally produced as a Limited Edition of 2,000 units only, with a set of 8 photo cards and a thick, lenticular case. That set appears to be out of print on Via Vision’s website, but is still available elsewhere. The standard edition replicates the insert and disc-based contents, but with a slipcover instead.

...

This is a substantial amount of bonus materials, culling together most, but not all, of the previously-available extras on DVD and Blu-ray. The BD Live option is no longer viable, but there are also some scattered extras from various releases across the world that didn’t make it onto this set, specifically in Japan. That Blu-ray release contains a number of on-set and red carpet interviews with the cast and crew, as well as B-roll, and several Japanese TV spots and trailers. The German Blu-ray release includes a Music Jukebox option, the What is Grindhouse? featurette, and several US TV spots and trailers. The Tarantino XX: 20 Years of Filmmaking also includes an additional Extended Music Cue, which is Unexpected Violence by Ennio Morricone. Outside of that, everything else is here and accounted for in one package.

Despite my own personal mixed feelings about how well Grindhouse holds up in light of events that came much later that are not its fault, it’s still a great package that’s been highly influential on filmmakers of all sorts. Via Vision’s Blu-ray package offers the finest visual and aural quality available with all of the various versions and a massive extras package to boot, making it the definitive release of the film on Blu-ray.

They are:

• Conan the Barbarian
• Phase IV
• Dark Water
• The Abyss
• The Roaring Twenties
• Black Tight Killers
• Universal Monsters

Pre-order: Amazon · GRUV

Things that dont fit in my large shelf (see old post).

Dat Hard Target upgrade! 🤩

Brucesploitation! If this is anything like the Black Emanuelle box set its gonna be a treat!

https://severinfilms.com/products/the-game-of-clones-bruceploitation-collection-vol-1-exclusive-8-disc-blu-ray-box-set-book

My apologies, for some reason MediaPlayNews.com is down. So here are the statistics from Blu-ray.com:

For the week that ended on March 16th, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom topped both the Blu-ray-only and overall packaged media charts in its debut. A sequel to Aquaman (2018) was never in any doubt once the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film grossed over $1 billion, but the production would be beset by several issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, which pushed principal photography into 2021, legal issues for Aquaman's female lead, Amber Heard, the Warner Bros. Discovery merger in 2022 and the announcement in 2023 of the DCEU continuity being largely abandoned in favor of a new DCU (DC Universe) of films. Although Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was initially completed on time and under budget, two sets of re-shoots took place in 2023 and the budget ballooned to a reported $215 million, all of which gave the film an uphill battle, both at the box office and with audiences. When the film finally opened in late December 2023, it did top the box office, but with only some $27 million en route to a domestic total of over $124 million. Critical reviews were largely negative, but internationally, the film did a bit better, with over $309 million, and it did become the highest-grossing DCEU film since Aquaman five years earlier, but with a worldwide total of over $434 million, it fell well short of its predecessor's $1.15 billion. This week, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom had an HD share of 56%, with 18% of units sold from the 4K UHD format.

Debuting in second place on both charts is Walt Disney Home Entertainment's Wish (2023). The 62nd feature film from Walt Disney Animation Studios used a blend of traditional and computer-generated animation to tell the story of a young girl who wishes on a star and faces down the evil ruler of her kingdom, but it failed to resonate with audiences. When it opened over Thanksgiving 2023, Wish saw mixed reviews and landed in third place, behind The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Napoleon (2023), with just $31 million over the five-day period. While the film made some money internationally (over $190 million), on a reported budget between $175-200 million, Wish was another financial disappointment. Perhaps because of the film's lack of success, Disney released only a Blu-ray to all retailers and chose to issue the film on 4K UHD only as a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook. This week, Wish sold 35% as many Blu-ray units as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with an HD share of 56% and 13% of units sold from the 4K UHD format.

And returning to the top three after winning seven Academy Awards--including Best Picture--is Universal Pictures Home Entertainment's Oppenheimer (2023). Based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (2005), Oppenheimer displays many of director Christopher Nolan's characteristic traits, notably the use of celluloid film, especially large formats like 65mm and IMAX film, the latter of which was used not just in color sequences, but in black-and-white footage, too. To that end, Oppenheimer also became the first feature since Tenet to receive a release on massive IMAX 70mm film prints as well as standard 70mm and 35mm film prints for theaters which still had the capability to project film. As Nolan is a major proponent of the theatrical experience, Oppenheimer also enjoyed an extended run in cinemas, grossing some $950 million worldwide. This week, Oppenheimer sold 33% as many Blu-ray units as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with an HD share of 71% and 43% of units sold from the 4K UHD format.

Elsewhere on the charts, Disney and 20th Century Studios' releases of The Abyss, True Lies and Aliens came in at Nos. 4, 5 and 7, respectively, on the Blu-ray-only chart. Disney and Searchlight Pictures' Poor Things debuted at No. 8, while Crunchyroll's Suzume debuted at No. 9. Outside the top ten, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Anyone But You debuted at No. 11, Decal Releasing's Ferrari came in at No. 13, Warner's The Color Purple (2023), Rick and Morty: Season 7 (2023) and the Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray of Looney Tunes Collector's Choice: Volume 3 (1930-1969) debuted at Nos. 15, 16 and 19, respectively. Rounding out the top twenty Blu-rays was Relativity Media's Freelance (2023), debuting at No. 20.

On the UHD sellers chart, The Abyss 4K, True Lies 4K and Aliens 4K came in at Nos. 2, 3 and 4, respectively, while Wish 4K (2023) came in at No. 6, despite being a retailer exclusive. Outside the top ten, Shout Factory's Quigley Down Under 4K came in at No. 14 and Universal's Kung Fu Panda 4K came in at No. 16.

Top Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 2024-03-16

1. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
2. Wish
3. Oppenheimer
4. The Abyss
5. True Lies
6. Wonka
7. Aliens
8. Poor Things
9. Suzume
10. Migration
11. Anyone But You

Top 10 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 2024-03-16

1. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
2. The Abyss
3. True Lies
4. Aliens
5. Oppenheimer
6. Wish
7. Event Horizon
8. Dune: Part One
9. Wonka
10. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Top Home Media Sellers for Week Ending 3/16/24 (% of Blu-ray's Market Share Noted):

1. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (56%)
2. Wish (56%)
3. Oppenheimer (71%)
4. Wonka (51%)
5. Migration (42%)
6. Anyone But You (48%)

Top Blu-ray 3D Sellers for Week Ending 3/16/24 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):

1. Dune 3D (2021) (1.49%)
2. Titanic 3D (1997) (0.16%)

Top Five UHD Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 3/16/24 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):

1. Aliens 4K (99.36%)
2. Event Horizon 4K (99.05%)
3. Oppenheimer 4K (2023) (43%)
4. Dune 4K (2021) (38%)
5. Kung Fu Panda 4K (36%)

The Crow director Alex Proyas is making a new movie called Sensoria, which is entirely generated with AI. Multiple teasers are online

Quick link to the longest trailer.

As more movies vanish from streaming services, cinephiles are rallying to physical media. Can they save a seemingly dying format?

"The Karate Kid" Celebrates 40 Years of Crane Kicks with a New 4K UHD Blu-ray June 18th

Matthew Hartman

Posted Wed Mar 27, 2024 at 07:31 AM PDT by

**Get ready to sweep your collection's leg! Sony continues to dive deep into their archives for a new 40th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of John G. Alvidson's classic The Karate Kid. If you didn't pick up the trilogy collection, this edition kicks in the door with weathered VHS-style packaging with some exciting new bonus features. **

While the previous trilogy set is barely two years old, Sony is already revisiting the first The Karate Kidon 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray to celebrate its 40th Anniversary. More than a simple repressing with weathered VHS-style packaging, this disc offers some new bonus features in the form of a new audio commentary track with the creators of Cobra Kaiand if that wasn't enough, the disc also comes with 30-minutes of never-before-seen deleted scene dailies. Maybe not enough for some to go for a double dip, but for fans that only wanted the classic first film, they can now have it in the collection. **
**

The Karate Kid: 40th Anniversary - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

SYNOPSIS
*Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the coming-of-age classic

from Academy Award®-winning director John G. Avildsen (1976, Rocky)

that will leave you cheering! There is more to karate than fighting. This is the lesson that Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a San Fernando Valley teenager, is about to learn from a most unexpected teacher: Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita in his Academy Award®-nominated performance, Best Supporting Actor, 1984), an elderly handyman who also happens to be a master of the martial arts. His training and these vital lessons will be called into play when an outmatched Daniel faces Johnny (William Zabka), the skilled leader of the Cobra Kai

a vicious gang of karate school bullies

in a no-holds-barred karate tournament for the championship of the Valley. *

DISC DETAILS AND BONUS MATERIALS
4K ULTRA HD DISC:

Restored from the original camera negative, presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
English Dolby Atmos + English 5.1 + English Stereo
Special Features:

• ALL-NEW: Commentary with the Creators of Cobra Kai Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
• ALL-NEW: Over 30 Minutes of Deleted Scene Dailies -- go behind the scenes of this classic favorite like never before with raw footage from a variety of unused scenes!
• 4 Deleted Scenes
• Remembering The Karate Kid Featurette
• Theatrical Trailer

BLU-RAY DISC™

Feature presented in high definition
English 5.1
Special Features:

• Blu-Pop™ Pop-Up Track
• Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita
• "The Way of The Karate Kid" Multi-Part Making-Of Featurette
• "Beyond the Form" Featurette
• "East Meets West: A Composer's Notebook"
• "Life of Bonsai" Featurette

CAST AND CREW

• Directed By: John G. Avildsen
• Produced By: Jerry Weintraub
• Written By: Robert Mark Kamen
• Cast: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, William Zabka

SPECS

• Run Time: Approx. 127 minutes
• Rating: PG
• 4K UHD Feature Picture: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 1.85:1
• 4K UHD Feature Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible) | English 5.1 DTS-HD MA | English Stereo DTS-HD MA

My favorite secondhand store advertised the Fu Manchu movies so I snagged all of them and added a few more discs for shits and giggles. Luckily I have a weeks vacation ahead of me and can actually watch some of them now! 🥳🍺

I've got some real garbage here

I’ve been building a collection ever since I noticed some of my favorite titles would come and go from streaming services back in 2017 and many of these titles aren’t available at all on any streaming services at the moment, or only on one of the ad-only “free” services.

Nothing is in a particular order at the moment. At one point, they were all separated by category, so you might notice some groups, but I haven’t re-sorted since moving to a new shelf.

My tastes vary wildly from art house to total trash and everything in between and building a collection of favorites has helped me visualize the kind of movies and shows I enjoy.

The UHDs are new, the BDs are second hand. The only blind buy here is Knock at the cabin. Looking forward to rewatching Barbie.

The 1984 film that launched a million terrible Arnold impersonations, The Terminator, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this October, and director James Cameron hopes that his plan to release it in 4K UHD will give it a youthful glow. As he has done previously with his action blockbusters (The Abyss, Aliens, and True Lies), Cameron believes taking these big technical swings will pay off in the long run. However, fan reactions have been mixed, with many arguing that the move causes a rift.

...

According to recent interviews, Cameron’s decision to up it to 4K UHD on film appears to be twofold. The first is not solely relying on digital versions because, well, technology happens. Digital copies get corrupted, degraded, mismanaged, or just lost, so having physical and digital masters can ensure the longevity of the film for fans to pass on from generation to generation.

....

Believe it or not, Reddit had some thoughts on how it’s a big miss in previous Cameron 4K attempts. Redditor NYC_Goody writes, “He’s literally using an ai upscaller on top of the dnr to create fake details that aren’t even there. A disc isn’t just gonna make that disappear.” Fellow subreddit contributor pkersey6996 adds, “Aliens looks hideous. I could not get over how horrible it looked on the iTunes file compared to the 30th anniversary Blu-ray.

The Terminator may be looking to the future by scaling up to the 4K UHD this October, but Cameron has quite a few minds of longtime fans to change if he expects them to go along with him and Arnold “if they want to live” in the hearts of fans

Streaming services have transformed the way we view film and television, leaving us isolated on our couches, subject to the suggestions of an algorithm. But a small group of film buffs with a fondness for physical media are hoping to lure people back into the real world — one abandoned newspaper box at a time.

The Free Blockbuster project began in 2019, when Brian Morrison, a film and television producer in Los Angeles, and a former Blockbuster employee, painted the company’s blue-and-yellow logo onto an old box and filled it with DVDs.

...

The Free Blockbuster movement slowly gained traction and eventually, more than 200 other community boxes had opened from Louisiana to Canada and even Britain — though it is unclear how many remain operational.

...

“We are social animals; we want to go out into the world and engage with each other,” said Mr. Morrison, who keeps a lending library outside his home. He often refills it with DVDs and VHS tapes including TV series, horror movies and, on occasion, signed independent films, and said that it had encouraged interaction with his neighbors.

Andrew Kevin Walker, a Los Angeles-based screenwriter, said he had visited secondhand stores especially to seek out films to leave in the boxes — including two sealed James Bond box sets and a copy of “Cobra,” a 1986 film written by Sylvester Stallone. “It’s an opportunity for people to really share their love of cinema, whether it be their favorite guilty pleasure, or their favorite movie of all time,” he said.

FreeBlockbuster.org - there's only 1 listed in the UK in Midsomer Norton:

Today has seen the Premiere of the UK's first Free Blockbuster free retro video rental, and it's in Midsomer Norton!

Take a movie, leave a movie (or just take a movie and bring it back).

...

Entrepreneur Joe said: " I've always had a love of retro and vintage things, and felt the need to bring this experience to MSN. A perfect extension to Miscellaneous Joe's, my local small business selling retro, vintage, and collectible items, including old VHS tapes and machines!

"You can find the movies outside (or maybe inside) Celia's Place on Midsomer Norton's High Street."

we have some good announcement news today, so let’s get right to it...

First up this afternoon, our friends at The Warner Archive Collection have just revealed more great new Blu-ray titles that are all due to street on 4/30, including Charles Brabin’s The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932), Fred Zinnemann’s The Nun’s Story (1959), William Wyler’s Friendly Persuasion (1956), Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rain People (1969) and You’re a Big Boy Now (1966), and finally a Hanna-Barbera Double Feature of Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) and Scooby-Doo: Return to Zombie Island (2019)!

...

Moving on, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just set both Mark DiSalle’s The Perfect Weapon (1991) and Sam Firstenberg’s Revenge of the Ninja (1983) for release on Blu-ray Disc on 5/21.

...

Not to be outdone, Imprint has just unveiled their June slate of Blu-ray titles, which will include a pair of box sets: After Dark: Neo-Noir Cinema – Collection Three—including Homicide (1991), White Sands (1992), The Crossing Guard (1995), Heaven’s Prisoners (1996), Under Suspicion (2000), and Dirty Pretty Things (2002)—and Martin Scorsese: Films of Faith—including The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Kundun (1997), and Silence (2016). Also forthcoming are Steven Shainberg’s Secretary (2002), Boaz Yakin’s Fresh (1994), Matthew Ryan Hoge’s The United States of Leland (2003), and Martha Coolidge’s Rambling Rose (1991).

...

In other news, Radiance Films in the UK is having a flash sale on their online shop, which you’ll find here with lots of discounted titles. And if you spend over £100 ($125 USD), you can get an addition 10% off by using the code BIGSPENDER at check out.

They are:

• Beast Fighter (Karate Bullfighter and Karate Bearfighter) - US and CA
• The Miracle Fighters - UK, US and CA
• The Valiant Red Peony: Red Peony Gambler I-III - UK

Tech specs from Blu-ray.com

I may have bought some of them just because they were cheap. 😂

Pupi Avatis acclaimed giallo is coming to bluray in France on march 29th

Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs

1. Wonka
2. Migration
3. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
4. Oppenheimer
5. Dune: Part One
6. The Marvels
7. American Psycho
8. Trolls Band Together
9. Twister
10. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
11. Priscilla
12. Creepshow
13. Five Nights at Freddy's
14. Dream Scenario
15. The Expendables 4
16. Barbie
17. Dredd
18. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
19. The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy
20. The Batman

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

Top 20 Selling 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs

1. Oppenheimer
2. Dune: Part One
3. Wonka
4. American Psycho
5. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
6. Creepshow
7. Dredd
8. Migration
9. The Batman
10. The Marvels
11. Edge of Tomorrow
12. Creature from the Black Lagoon
13. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
14. Army of Darkness
15. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
16. Godzilla vs. Kong
17. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
18. Train to Busan
19. Planet Earth III
20. Event Horizon

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-3-9-24/

About half are blind buys.

Best Animated Feature Oscar winner RANGO comes to 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever, in this limited edition Steelbook from Paramount. Rango is a kooky pet chameleon that finds himself tossed into a wild and raucous town in desperate need of a hero. Refreshingly original with eye-popping animation, this hysterical adventure features an all-star vocal cast lead by Johnny Depp.

Pre-order:

• Amazon (US)
• Walmart
• Amazon (CA)

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Rango-4K-Blu-ray/357742/

A quick follow-up on an earlier storyhttps://feddit.uk/post/9127778:

Recently, we sat down with Coon to discuss her role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and couldn’t help but ask her to elaborate on her physical media comments. She took the opportunity to double down on the importance of collecting movies:

“I guess I didn’t understand what we would be losing with streaming. Tracy (Letts) really did educate me about the fact that so many of these films now are completely inaccessible if you don’t own them yourself.” She also took the opportunity to give a shout-out to boutique labels like Kino Lorber, Arrow Video, Criterion, Shout Factory and more: “And, of course, there are all these companies putting out new imprints of original films and doing beautiful work. Some of them are really small companies and need our support. Tracy is an avid supporter of all these companies, and we’ve amassed this incredible collection.”

...

At this point, Paul Rudd, who was also in the interview, couldn’t help but ask her what the last movie she watched was. She’s said it was David Cronenberg’s Videodrome