Home Video (VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, 4k)

Finally, UHD went above 10%.

Source: MediaPlayNews.com

Sorry, just an angry rant because I looked up the specs for Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One and discovered that two of the special features are only featured in the digital edition. I'm not impressed when studios split the extras across formats/stores where I refuse to purchase two or more copies.

Some examples I have come across in the past. I bought a 2nd hand copy of Chappie that came with a store-exclusive extra bluray that I was disappointed to discover contained one single 25-minute feature.

The audio commentary for The Batman is only available on the iTunes version.

Something I wish I could watch now was a visual commentary for Star Trek Into Darkness that came with my copy via an iTunes code. It was on my wife's account but that's long since been lost. As you watched the film with the VFX crew, they would pause the film and draw on the screen pointing out their work. But that's been lost because it was a digital copy.

Sigh.

While many would argue that VHS is a long-dead format, horror fans know better. And here in 2023, Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II is about to make its groovy return to videocassette!

Over the past few years, Vice Press have specialized in creating officially licensed, limited edition fine art movie posters featuring art produced exclusively for them by artists from across the world. On November 16, they launch their latest line – Vice Press Home Video.

A collaboration between Vice Press’ Matt Ferguson and James Henshaw, along with regular Vice Press collaborator and artist, Florey, Vice Press Home Video launch their first release Evil Dead II, produced and sold under licence in the U.K. from StudioCanal!

Available in two editions; the Collector’s Edition comes in a clear clamshell with double sided cover, featuring art by Matt Ferguson and Florey on one side, and James Bousema on the reverse. The Collector’s Edition also comes with a set of 6 postcards featuring Evil Dead II movie posters, including Ferg x Florey and James Bousema’s releases for Vice Press, presented in a Collector’s Edition sleeve. The Blood Splatter Variant comes in a cardboard slip case cover featuring art by Matt Ferguson and Florey with screen printed “Blood Splatter” black VHS tape.

Packaging and label design on both editions was by Matt Ferguson and Florey.

Alongside the release, Vice Press will also be releasing the artwork from the VHS as fine art movie poster prints in their Editions range. Evil Dead II on VHS and the Evil Dead II Editions fine art poster prints by Matt Ferguson x Florey and James Bousema will be available exclusively from Vice Press on Thursday, November 16 at 6pm GMT (UK)/ 1pm EST/ 10am PST (US).

While the physical media business has been in freefall over the last decade, THR is reporting that DVDs and Blu-rays might be making a comeback similar to those experienced by CDs and Vinyl Records. According to the report, while Best Buy and Netflix have both exited the physical media sphere, Amazon and other online giants aren’t planning on giving up on the technology. Many see the resurgence of physical media for music as an early precursor of better times ahead for DVD/Blu-ray.

While unlikely to ever again reach its 2012 peak of $1.1 billion in revenue (in 2022, the figure was a mere $146 million), many see physical media as having a comeback as a more niche media. It helps that with constant content purges, serious fans will want backup copies of their movies because who knows what could get pulled next? There’s a slew of films made for HBO Max and Disney Plus that are essentially lost media now, as well as the mega-budget streaming series Willow. If these shows got physical releases, they would exist in some fashion, with the current unavailability driving fans to pirate sites.

One thing that the music business has done to promote Vinyl and CDs is releasing exclusive tracks that aren’t available to stream, making them collector’s items. We got terrific extras like exclusive commentary tracks in the old days of DVDs and Blu-rays. While fans have cooled on those a bit (and you can also get them digitally), one surefire way to get people to buy Blu-rays is to release alternate cuts of the movie that are ONLY available on disc. In the 2000s, unrated versions of raunchy comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers sold like hotcakes. With so many watered-down movies coming out, why not shoot some spicy footage and ONLY bundle them with the physical copies rather than making them available on sites like iTunes? One thing to note is that when you buy a digital movie copy, you never really own it. I’ve had a few films vanish from my digital library over the years, which never happens with my DVDs or Blu-rays (unless I lend them to the wrong person). Perhaps it’s time we all start buying Blu-rays again, with smaller labels like The Criterion Collection, Arrow, and Shout Factory deserving our support more than ever.

Special features:

SPECIAL FEATURES ON 4K & BLU-RAY™

• Over 15 Minutes of Deleted Scenes (exclusively on 4K & Blu-Ray™)
• Blood Brothers: The Collaboration of Denzel Washington & Antoine Fuqua
• Call To Action
• Robert McCall: A Man of The People
• Denzel and Dakota: A Reunion
• Postcards from the Amalfi Coast
• Jacob Banks “Monster” Lyric Video

No cover art of special features at this time. Official announcement shortly.

Source: MediaPlayNews.com

The family-friendly film will make the perfect stocking stuffer for the kids this holiday season when it arrives on Blu-ray on December 12. Digital is now available.

When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! But they face their mightiest challenge yet when the pups' archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a mad scientist, to steal the superpowers for themselves. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it's too late.

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie - Blu-ray

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie

Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include:

PAW-Somely Mighty Pups — Get ready to fly high with Skye (McKenna Grace) as she breaks down the amazing superpowers that the crystals bestow on the pups. Plus, see the team's all-new super-suits and their mighty upgraded vehicles. A Totally PAW-Some Cast — Meet the pup-tastic cast and see the incredible young talent behind the voices of Chase, Skye, Liberty, and the Jr. Patrol pups. Additionally, meet the actors who brought reporter Sam Stringer and the villainous Victoria Vance to life. Pre-orders should be available any day now and here is the full press release:

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie™ arrives on Digital October 31 and will debut on Blu-ray™ and DVD on December 12

A hit with audiences and critics alike, the exciting and inspiring new adventure PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie™ arrives for families to enjoy together at home when it becomes available to buy on Digital October 31, 2023! The delightfully entertaining movie will debut on Blu-ray™ and DVD on December 12, just in time for holiday gift-giving.

“An action-packed adventure for the entire family” (FOX-TV) hailed as “heartwarming and fun” (Crosswalk), PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie™ follows the fan-favorite pups as they take on new adventures with all-new superpowers and prove that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference!

Fans who purchase the film on Digital*, Blu-ray or DVD will be on a roll with fun-filled bonus content, including a look at the team's amazing superpowers, all-new super-suits, and upgraded vehicles with none other than Skye herself. Plus, go inside the voiceover booth to hear from the actors who voice your favorite characters! Bonus content is detailed below: PAW-Somely Mighty Pups — Get ready to fly high with Skye (McKenna Grace) as she breaks down the amazing superpowers that the crystals bestow on the pups. Plus, see the team's all-new super-suits and their mighty upgraded vehicles. A Totally PAW-Some Cast — Meet the pup-tastic cast and see the incredible young talent behind the voices of Chase, Skye, Liberty, and the Jr. Patrol pups. Additionally, meet the actors who brought reporter Sam Stringer and the villainous Victoria Vance to life. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie™ and PAW Patrol: The Movie™ will also be available in a 2-movie collection on Digital.

Synopsis When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! But they face their mightiest challenge yet when the pups' archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a mad scientist, to steal the superpowers for themselves. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it's too late.

I got extremely lucky with the charity shop gods today. A sealed copy of Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Forbidden Kingdom 4K double pack for just £3!

This does mean I won't find anything good in any charity shop for several months now. 😁

THIEF. WARRIOR. GLADIATOR. KING.

Ripped from the pages of Robert E. Howard's beloved pulp stories, 1982's Conan the Barbarian and its sequel, 1984's Conan the Destroyer, not only popularized a new subgenre - the sword-and-sorcery film - but also made a cinematic icon of the star playing the titular hero, former bodybuilding sensation Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Conan the Barbarian, from maverick filmmaker John Milius, sees the Cimmerian thief and future king rise up from slavery to become an unparalleled and fearsome warrior, intent on vengeance against the evil snake cult that slaughtered his family long ago, led by the shape-shifting sorcerer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). In the sequel, helmed by action veteran Richard Fleischer, Conan finds himself escorting a young princess on a quest for a mythical horn that will awaken a slumbering god, battling an onslaught of evil beasts, wizards and cannibals along the way.

At long last, these glorious odes to the days of high adventure have been restored in stunning 4K with hours of bonus features and heart-racing Atmos remixes that immerse you in the action, accompanied throughout by electrifying music scores by the late Basil Poledouris (RoboCop). If you do not listen... then to hell with you!

Product Features

Brand new 4K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations of both films in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Three versions of Conan the Barbarian via seamless branching: Theatrical Cut (127 mins), International Cut (129 mins) and Extended Cut (130 mins)
Newly restored original mono audio and remixed Dolby Atmos surround audio for both films
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing on both films
Archive commentary for Conan the Barbarian by John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Archive commentaries for Conan the Destroyer by Richard Fleischer and actors Olivia d'Abo, Tracey Walter and Sarah Douglas
Brand new commentaries for both films by genre historian Paul M. Sammon
Newly assembled isolated score tracks in lossless stereo for both films
Newly filmed interviews for Conan the Barbarian with production artist William Stout, costume designer John Bloomfield, special effects crew members Colin Arthur and Ron Hone, actors Jorge Sanz and Jack Taylor, assistant editor Peck Prior, visual effects animators Peter Kuran and Katherine Kean, filmmaker Robert Eggers (The Northman) and authors John Walsh and Alfio Leotto
Newly filmed interviews for Conan the Destroyer with Bloomfield and Walsh, casting director Johanna Ray, art director Kevin Phipps and stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong
Conan Unchained: The Making of Conan, an archive documentary from 2000 featuring interviews with Schwarzenegger, Milius, Stone, Jones, Lopez, Bergman, Poledouris and several others
Archive bonus features for both films, including interviews with sword master Kiyoshi Yamasaki, writers Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway and Poledouris, outtakes and more
A Tribute to Basil Poledouris, a series of videos produced by the Úbeda Film Music Festival, including video of Poledouris conducting a concert of music from Conan the Barbarian in 2006 (remixed in 5.1 surround)
Theatrical trailers and image galleries for both films
Double-sided fold-out posters for both films
Twelve double-sided collectors' postcards
Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Walter Chaw and John Walsh, and archive set reports for both films by Paul M. Sammon

As a fan of the UHD format, this is kinda sad to see.

Source: MediaPlayNews.com

Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is the fifth film in the Scares 4K set

Last month, we learned that Paramount Home Entertainment would be releasing a five film 4K box set called Paramount Scares Vol. 1, which would include Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and Pet Sematary (1989), plus a pair of recent box office successes, Crawl (2019) and Smile (2022). Intriguingly, Paramount chose to keep the fifth film in the set a mystery… But now that we’ve reached the set’s October 24th release date, it has been revealed that the fifth movie in the set is Tim Burton’s 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, making its 4K debut! If you’re interested in adding the Paramount Scares Vol. 1 set to your collection, copies can be purchased at THIS LINK.

Directed by Burton from a screenplay by John Logan, Sweeney Todd is based on the stage musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. The stage musical was itself based on the play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. The film has the following synopsis: Evil Judge Turpin lusts for the beautiful wife of a London barber and transports him to Australia for a crime he did not commit. Returning after 15 years and calling himself Sweeney Todd, the now-mad man vows revenge, applying his razor to unlucky customers and shuttling the bodies down to Mrs. Lovett, who uses them in her meat-pie shop. Though many fall to his blade, he will not be satisfied until he slits Turpin’s throat.

Johnny Depp plays the title character and is joined in the cast by Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Jayne Wisener, and Ed Sanders.

Sweeney Todd reaches 4K with the following special features (with thanks to Movieweb for the list):

Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd: Behind the Scenes Look

Sweeney Todd Press Conference

The Real History of the Demon Barber

Musical Mayhem: Stephen Sondheim’s

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney’s London

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition

Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp

4K UHD, BLU-RAY™ AND DIGITAL EXTRAS

Special Features:

Deleted & Extended Scenes

The Engine: Driving the Visuals

The Pit Crew: Action and Stunts

The Garage: The Amazing Automobiles

The Plan: The True Story of Jann Mardenborough

The Wheels: The Fast-Acting Cast

DVD Special Features

The Plan: The True Story of Jann Mardenborough

The Wheels: The Fast-Acting Cast

An interesting piece about physical media and how the Best Buy news isn't as bad as we think.

Transformers, Mario and Spider-Verse were in the top three highest selling Blu-rays for Oct. 8-14.

Pictured is the market share chart from the same week featuring the three home video formats (DVD, Blu-ray, and UHD Blu-ray). UHD sales are down from the previous week, while Blu-ray continues to grow slowly.

Source: MediaPlayNews.com

I'm always posting the latest press releases for Blu-rays and 4K discs, so here's something a little different.

Earlier this year I wrote about the emergence of the release of films in wide-screen on VHS tapes in the UK, for the website Film Stories, in the early 1990s.

The Saw X Blu-ray release date is set for November 21, 2023, when the film will release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and on digital storefronts.

For those looking to watch the film a bit earlier, it will be available this weekend on premium video-on-demand services, as well as premium electronic sell-through, which allows users to buy the film for a one-time fee and have access to it for a fixed time.

The 4K transfer of the film will support HDR10 along with a Dolby Atmost studio mix and will also include a special making of documentary called Reawakening. The full list of bonus features for the Saw X Blu-ray release are as follows:

• Audio Commentary with Director-Editor Kevin Greutert, Cinematographer Nick Matthews, and Production Designer Anthony Stabley
• Reawakening Multipart Making-of Documentary:
• I Want to Play a Game: Bleeding New Life into the Saga
• This Time It’s Personal: Characters and Casting
• Another Time, Another Place: Locations and Cinematography
• There Will Be Blood: Production Design and Make-up
• Leave Nothing to Chance: Post-Production
• Live or Die: Release and Legacy
• Drawing Inspiration: Illustrated Scene Breakdowns with Director-Editor Kevin Greutert
• Make-Up Department Trap Tests
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

This hasn't been officially announced but the pages and artwork with dates now appear on Amazon.

The film is on a 100 GB disc for the best picture quality with HDR and Dolby Vision.

Over 15 hours of extras, mostly legacy content on the bluray but the 4K disc does have three audio commentaries, a new documentary, Titanic: Stories from the Heart, featuring new interviews with James Cameron, Jon Landau, and Kate Winslet, as well as a new fan art gallery.

Source: https://www.mediaplaynews.com/

Looks like Blu-ray and 4K UHD are slowly increasing from the previous week!

This is why I love my physical discs. You can't take them away from me!