Director Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight To Be Released As DVD And Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Editions From Anchor Bay Entertainment On Mar. 29

Anchor Bay Entertainment announced this past week that auteur filmmaker Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight will be arriving as DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack selections on Mar. 29.

The ARR is 95 days — incidentally, that’s the identical number for both Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Concussion and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s Point Break, which are also set for delivery to the home entertainment market place on Mar. 29.

After holding steady at around 115 days throughout 2013, 2014 and the first half of 2015 (a two-and-a-half year period), the studios (including non-studio participants with theatrical hits) appear to be consciously shortening the release window between a film’s initial theatrical debut and its subsequent release to home entertainment.   

Couple this with the immerging — and somewhat disturbing — trend of fewer films reaching the $25 million mark at the box office and you have to wonder if the current players in “Hollywood” are on a death march being driven by VOD.

As to The Hateful Eight, it doesn’t help that on the run-up to the film’s launch Quentin Tarantino took to the airwaves with an anti-cop rant.   Whether that cut into the domestic box office take of $53.4 million remains to be seen.   

His two previous films, Django Unchanged pulled in $162.8 million during its stateside theatrical run in 2012 and Inglourious Basterds chimed in with $120.5 million back in 2009.   All three films were released during the same December time frame.

There’s nothing wrong with the film, perhaps a little long — clocking in at 168 minutes — but the Western/mystery script, complete with an outstanding cast (including Tarantino regular Samuel L. Jackson) makes this Tarantino film entry a keeper.   And, being shot in 70mm makes it absolutely gorgeous.  

As to bonus goodies, there are two featurettes — “Beyond the Eight: A Behind-the-Scenes Look” and “Sam Jackson’s Guide to Glorious 70mm.”   No word as of right now as to whether Anchor Bay Entertainment will enter the 4K Ultra HD market with The Hateful Eight — it seems the perfect candidate.