A man shuffles along a royal blue carpet and props himself up against a stacked shelf of videos. Reeling off a list of films, he is handed three store-branded DVD cases. In return? A crisp fiver – plus his thoughts on South Korean horror flicks without any dialogue. This isn’t a sepia-tinged flashback from the past. Nor is it all just a dream. It is 2024 and the transaction is taking place at Snips Movies, one of the UK’s last video rental stores, tucked away in a town in Wirral since 1995. The odd passerby does a double take, staring back at the shop’s welly-green facade to confirm its reality.

Snips’ owner, Dave Wain, is part of a small cast of movie mavericks refusing to let video rental fade to black. Alongside Snips, just two other original video rental stores still stand. There’s TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill, opened in 1984, a detached brick video and print shop that’s barely changed in the last 40 years. Then there’s 20th Century Flicks in Bristol, which manager Dave Taylor says began as a “slightly piratical enterprise knocking out dubious copies of ET”, and has a focus on queer and arthouse cinema. Another, For Your Eyes Only in Forest Hill, south London, survived until November last year. A few months earlier, a parked car rolled down a hill and smashed through the shop window. Stranger Still, this literal block-buster was also a sequel – the exact same thing had happened before. A local fundraiser tried to save the business, but the damage had been done and owner Gulam Charania was forced to close after 25 years.

For the next generation, there’s VideOdyssey, which was opened by journalist and Tarantino enthusiast Andy Johnson in Liverpool in 2018, offering an immersive movie experience, VCR hire and an arcade. While the original rental crew may be sceptical of a non-original shop trying to tap into a video revival, it proves that there’s an audience for new stores. Hackney’s film emporium Ümit & Son, too, deserves a special mention. While not really dealing in video rental any more, it does rent out its micro-cinema. Owner Ümit Mesut and film-maker Liam Saint-Pierre run a cult film club, Ciné Real, screening films with a 16mm projector in its red-curtained back room to cool young things who believe film-on-film is anything but hackneyed. Then, there’s Close-Up, a film centre and cafe in Shoreditch, which hosts arthouse events and lets members borrow films and books from its 25,000-strong library of movies and related cinema paraphernalia.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/10437589

Speculation has arose that Killers of the Flower Moon may not see a physical release…at least not anytime soon.

As per one social media user who may have some knowledge on the situation: “BTW, I haven’t seen it announced on here, but we got word through one of our library media fulfillment companies: They have at the very least indefinitely postponed (very likely canceled) the physical media release of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON…And no, I’m not making this up, this was, “Patron holds are being canceled, temp MARC listings are pulled from library catalog, please inform patrons if they ask.””

Paramount's slate of upcoming films includes new entries in popular franchises, a Bee Gees biopic from Ridley Scott, and much more

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced that it will release on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two (2024), starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Austin Butler. The two releases will be available for purchase on May 14.

Description: Dune: Part Two explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Dune: Part Two is directed by three-time Academy Award nominee Denis Villeneuve ("Arrival," "Blade Runner 2049") from a screenplay he and Jon Spaihts wrote, based on the seminal bestselling novel of the same name written by Frank Herbert.

The expanded all-star international ensemble cast features returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet ("Wonka," "Call Me by Your Name"), Zendaya ("Spider-Man: No Way Home," "Malcolm & Marie," "Euphoria"), Rebecca Ferguson ("Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning"), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin ("Avengers: End Game," "Milk"), Oscar nominee Austin Butler ("Elvis," "Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood"), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh ("Black Widow," "Little Women"), Dave Bautista (the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, "Thor: Love and Thunder"), Oscar winner Christopher Walken ("The Deer Hunter," "Hairspray"), Léa Seydoux (the "James Bond" franchise and "Crimes of the Future"), Souheila Yacoub ("The Braves," "Climax"), with Stellan Skarsgård (the "Mamma Mia!" films, "Avengers: Age of Ultron"), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling ("45 Years," "Assassin's Creed"), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men," "Being the Ricardos").

The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Joshua Grode, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Herbert W. Gains, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Richard P. Rubinstein and John Harrison, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.

"Dune: Part Two" was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film was released on March 1, 2024 worldwide from Warner Bros. Pictures.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• Chakobsa Training
• Creating the Fremen World
• Finding the Worlds of Dune
• Buzz Around the New "Thopter"
• Worm-Riding
• Becoming Feyd
• A New Set of Threads
• Deeper into the Desert: The Sounds of the Dune
• Subtitles: English SDH, Canadian French, Parisian French, Latin Spanish

Pre-order:

• Amazon (US)
• Amazon (UK)
• GRUV.com
• Walmart

They are:

• Zu Warriors (2001)
• Hero (20012)
• The Wandering Earth II (2023)

Limited to 1,500 copies each.

Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs

1. The Iron Claw
2. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
3. Aliens
4. Berserk: The Complete 1997 TV Series
5. Wonka
6. True Lies
7. Migration
8. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
9. Wish
10. Oppenheimer
11. The Abyss
12. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - Part 1
13. Dune: Part One
14. When Evil Lurks (tie)
15. Trolls Band Together (tie)
16. Anyone But You
17. Ferrari
18. The Marvels
19. Suzume
20. Poor Things

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

Top 20 Selling 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs

1. Aliens
2. True Lies
3. The Abyss
4. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
5. Oppenheimer
6. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
7. Dune: Part One
8. Wonka
9. Primal Fear
10. To Die For
11. Paint Your Wagon
12. Godzilla vs. Kong
13. Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
14. Creepshow
15. Dredd
16. Night of the Blood Monster
17. Men in Black: International
18. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
19. American Psycho
20. Total Recall

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-3-30-24/

A couple of upgrades from dvd in the giallo box but the spanish ones are new to me.

The Lawnmower Man Collection Blu-ray

British label 101 Films has announced that it will release on Blu-ray The Lawnmower Man Collection (1992-1996). The release is scheduled to arrive on the market on June 10.

Label description: 101 Films presents groundbreaking 90s sci-fi The Lawnmower Man (1992) and its sequel, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1995) on Blu-ray in the UK for the very first time. Presented in a 3-disc set including both the theatrical and director's cuts of The Lawnmower Man, in limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork, and complete with a booklet with new writing on the film.

Originally conceived as an adaptation of a Stephen King short story, Brett Leonard and Gimel Everett's vision deviated so far from the original source that a legal battle ensued. Instead of a bizarre tale of grass eating and sacrifices via lawnmower, Leonard and Everett produced a sci-fi classic that stunned audiences upon its release in 1992 with its then state-of-the-art special effects and CGI sequences. The Lawnmower Man ended up being on the one hand a cautionary tale of the dangers of man playing God and on the other a camp and massively over the top sci-fi romp which provides a fascinating insight into where people saw virtual reality taking humanity 30 years ago.

Title 036 on the 101 Films Black Label, this 3-disc limited-edition release includes both the theatrical and director's cuts of The Lawnmower Man and is packed with fantastic additional content, including fascinating commentaries with writer/director Brett Leonard and writer/producer Gimel Everett on both cuts of the film, behind the scenes featurettes, cast interviews, deleted scenes and much more. Enclosed in a rigid box with the follow up Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, our release features brand new artwork for both titles and also features a limited-edition booklet with new writing on the The Lawnmower Man 'Grassroots and Cyber Suits: Variations of The Lawnmower Man' by Rich Johnson and 'This Diseased Mainframe: The Abject Horror of Bodily Digitisation in The Lawnmower Man' by Andy Marshall-Roberts.

THE LAWNMOWER MAN

Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan) is a brilliant scientist obsessed with perfecting virtual reality software. When his experiments on animals fail, he finds the ideal substitute - Jobe Smith (Jeff Fahey), a slow-witted gardener. Dr. Angelo's goal is to benefit his human guinea pig and ultimately mankind itself, but evil lurks in the guise of "The Shop", a shadow group that seeks to use the technology to create an invincible war machine. When the experiments change the simple Jobe into a superhuman being, the stage is set for a Jekyll-and-Hyde struggle for control of Job's mind and the future of the world.

LAWNMOWER MAN 2: BEYOND CYBERSPACE

Enter the deadly world of virtual reality, where information is the key to world domination. Picking up where the original Lawnmower Man ended, Jobe (Matt Frewer - Max Headroom) has become a hostage in futuristic hell. But when he discovers a computer chip that will give him the key to the ultimate revenge, the battle for world control begins. With stunning special effects, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace takes you into a world where only the hardwired dare to journey.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

The Lawnmower Man - Theatrical cut:

• Cybergod: Creating The Lawnmower Man
• Audio commentary with writer/director Brett Leonard and writer/producer Gimel Everett
• Deleted scenes
• Original electronic press kit with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage
• Edited animated sequences
• Theatrical trailer
• TV spot

The Lawnmower Man - Director's cut:

• Audio commentary with writer/director Brett Leonard and writer/producer Gimel Everett
• Conceptual art and design sketches
• Behind-the-scenes and production stills
• Storyboard comparison

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/9936197

They are:

• Cronos
• Following
• Stalker
• Diabolique
• The Piano Teacher
• Blow Out
• Paris, Texas
• Days of Heaven
• On the Waterfront
• Quadrophenia
• Pale Flower
• Woman in the Dunes
• La Haine
• My Life as a Dog
• Naked
• Do The Right Thing
• Brazil
• Cries and Whispers
• The Passion of Joan of Arc
• Le Samourai

It's a solid eclectic mix but what are your favourites?

A selection of Guillermo del Toro films, including Cronos, Blade II and Mimic, will be getting the 4K treatment.

Forget it Jake, it's 4K - Chinatown 50th Anniversary - Paramount Presents 4K UHD Coming June 18

Tom Landy

3--4 minutes

Posted Mon Apr 1, 2024 at 12:18 PM PDT by

Paramount celebrates the 50th anniversary of the classic noir Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson with a limited edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release on June 18. Pre-orders are now available.

Chinatown was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and is now preserved in the U.S.'s National Film Registry at the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." This limited-edition release not only includes Chinatown fully restored on 4K UHD Blu-ray, but also the sequel - The Two Jakes on Blu-ray as well as new and legacy content.

Jack Nicholson is unforgettable as private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night.

Chinatown 50th Anniversary - Paramount Presents 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
 

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Digital Limited Edition release presents the fully restored Chinatown in 4K, plus the film's sequel, The Two Jakes, on Blu-ray. The release also includes new and legacy supplements as follows:

Newbonus content is detailed below:

• A State of Mind: Author Sam Wasson On Chinatown -- Sam Wasson, film historian and bestselling author of The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years Of Hollywood, on the importance of the film and its legacy.   
• Chinatown Memories --Legendary producer Hawk Koch shares stories from his time as assistant director on the film.  
• **The Trilogy That Never Was **-- Sam Wasson discusses the planned third installment of what would have been a trio of movies featuring the character Jake Gittes. 

Additional legacy bonus content:

• Commentary by screenwriter Robert Towne with David Fincher

• Water and Power

• The Aqueduct

• The Aftermath

• The River & Beyond

• Chinatown: An Appreciation

• Chinatown: The Beginning and the End

• Chinatown: Filming

• Chinatown: Legacy

• Theatrical Trailer

RoboCop 2, which some fans consider an underrated sequel, is finally getting a 4K release, alongside the 2014 RoboCop reboot.

Robocop 2, Yay. Robocop (2014), oh, thanks, I'd forgotten that had existed. Sigh.

Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs

1. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
2. Aliens
3. True Lies
4. Wish
5. The Abyss
6. Wonka
7. Oppenheimer
8. Migration
9. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
10. Dune: Part One
11. Anyone But You
12. Ferrari
13. Poor Things
14. Suzume
15. The Marvels
16. Trolls Band Together
17. The Ring Collection
18. The Color Purple
19. Rick and Morty: Season 7
20. Barbie

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

Top 20 Selling 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs

1. Aliens
2. True Lies
3. The Abyss
4. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
5. Oppenheimer
6. The Ring Collection
7. Dune: Part One
8. Wonka
9. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
10. Wish
11. Creepshow
12. Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
13. American Psycho
14. Total Recall
15. K-19: The Widowmaker
16. Dredd
17. Spiral: From the Book of Saw
18. Rosemary's Baby
19. The Batman
20. Sicario: Day of the Soldado

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-3-23-24/

However, only some people think the restorations are bad, and now they have a surprising advocate – noted film preservationist Robert Harris. Harris is the man behind the famous restorations of Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, The Godfather trilogy and many more. In a post to Home Theatre Forum, he acknowledged how different they look, but also explained that’s not necessarily a bad thing. On True Lies, “Shot 35 and blown up to 70, the visuals of the new 4k UHD are absolutely not what the film was upon release, but the secret sauce works, and allows a presentation that appears far better than it might without it.”

In a post about Aliens, he elaborated a bit more on why these restorations have his approval. “Original prints were on the grainy side, as a higher speed stock was used. I always thought it looked fine, as that was the look. No problem. But there were those who felt that it was too grainy. Enter the new 4k UHD from Disney via Fox, and it has an entirely new look. And it’s a look that I like. Very much! The image has been de-grained, with zero loss of resolution, which if anything as been slightly heightened. Color are meticulously reproduced. And there’s an overall clarity that is new to the film.”

As far as Harris is concerned, these restorations have been done the right way, and there is a lot of logic behind what he says. Cameron always favoured shooting his film in a process called Super 35, as it allowed him to print a larger film frame on the stock that would make the home video releases look better. In True Lies or Titanic, he was able to show the films in 2:35:1 scope theatrically. Then, when reformatted to 1:33:1 (the standard TV ratio in the era before widescreen TVs), he could reveal more of the frame at the top and bottom, avoided the pan-and-scan look common at the time, making the films play better at VHS. The downside was Super 35 was grainy. This wasn’t super noticeable on DVD and even 1080p Blu-rays, but it proved problematic on 4K, hence the restoration.

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?