Mill Creek Entertainment Selects Mar. 12 For The Blu-ray Debut Of Icons Unearthed: Star Wars

Mill Creek Entertainment announced this past week that the six-part salute to all-things Star Wars, titled Icons Unearthed: Star Wars, will be making its Blu-ray debut on Mar. 12.

This will be a double-disc collection featuring the following complete episodes from the series: “A New Hope: Part I” (insights into the production and how it almost did George Lucas in), “A New Hope: Part II” (how the film was saved in post-production), “The Empire Strikes” (Lucas breaks away and self-funds The Empire Strikes Back), “Return of the Jedi” (personal issues of George Lucas are examined), “The Phantom Menace” (after a decade long absence, the magic returns) and lastly “Attack of the Clones & Revenge of the Sith” (how did Lucas survive at his lowest).

Bonus features include over six hours of never before seen uncut interview with the likes of Marcia Lucas (a little over three hours of material), Anthony Daniels (just under three hours) and Billy Dee Williams (a 37-minute video session).

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Tabs Mar. 12 As The Street Date For The Full Spread Physical Media Rollout Of Wish • Helper Community Gets Seven-Week Head Start With Jan. 23 VOD Launch

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has tabbed Mar. 12 for the full spread physical media launch of the animation directing team of Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn’s Wish.

The ARR works out to 109 days and the domestic box office haul was $62.6 million (against a reported film production budget of $200 million).

Scheduled for distribution are Combo Pack editions for both the 4K Ultra HD (with Blu-ray) and Blu-ray (with DVD) formats, plus a stand-alone DVD purchasing option.   

A premium VOD purchasing window will open on Jan. 23, giving enterprising “Helpers” a seven-week head start on Blu-ray sales to unsuspecting consumers (or consumers who don’t give a rip that the copy they just purchased is a knockoff).

Bonus nuggets for Wish include five deleted scenes, outtakes, a deleted song (“A Wish Worth Making”) and a whopping twelve featurettes — “Wish D-Classified,” “Once Upon a Studio,” “100 Years in the Making,” “What Makes Disney, Disney,” “The Wish Equation,” “Looking Backward to Go Forward,” “Where Dreams and Reality Collide,” “Asha Means Wish,” “The Return of the Disney Villain” “Star is Born,” “Those Who Stand Beside Me” and “When Wishes Come True.”    

New DVD • Blu-ray • 4K Ultra HD Activity For The Period Ending January 05, 2024

New DVD Additions
 

All Love 777 (MOD)
01/09/24 — Sets Godfather of Harlem: The Complete Series (6 disc set), Gotham Knights: The Complete Series (2 disc set), Star Wars: Ahsoka - The Complete First Season and Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete First Season

Asian Cult Cinema (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Hollow (Vietnamese), In Search of the Lost F**k (Spanish), Night of the Chupacabras (Portuguese), Seven Nuns in Kansas (Italian) and Toshimaen Haunted Amusement Park (Japanese)

BCSN (MOD)
12/19/23 — Released 2023 - Girls' Basketball: Huron vs. Margaretta and 2023 - Girls' Basketball: Liberty Benton vs. Bellevue
12/26/23 — Released 2023 - Boys' Basketball: SMCC vs. Perkins, 2023 - Boys' Basketball: Streakball Classic - Lorain vs. Whitmer, 2023 - Hockey: Holly Daze Tounament -Benedictine vs. Bowling Green and 2023 - Wrestling: Border Wars Championship Round
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Boys' Basketball: North Olmsted vs. Huron, 2024 - Girls' Basketball: Northview vs. Notre Dame and 2024 - Hockey: Holly Daze Tounament - Benedictine vs. Anthony Wayne

Bounty Films (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Myall Creek Day of Justice

Buck Cody (MOD)
12/26/23 — Released Blue Canadian Rockies
01/02/24 — Released Blazing the Overland Trail (15 chapter serial) (2 disc set), Plunderers, Rogue River, Up for Murder and Woman's Devotion (aka: Battle Shock)

Capital Community Media (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Marion County Commissioners Meeting

CasablancaDVDs/truth3152 (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Charlie Chan Double Feature (2 film set: Charlie Chan at the Opera, Charlie Chan at the Olympics) (2 disc set) and Charlie Chan Double Feature (2 film set: Shadows Over Chinatown, The Trap) (2 disc set)

Championship Productions
01/02/24 — Released Executing the Essentials Components of Ball-Screen Motion Offense, Open Practice with Jim Larranaga: Full-Court Defensive Drills, Half-Court Trap Rotations, Shell Drills, Herding Drills and More, Open Practice with Jim Larranaga: Half-Count Offense, Chin Series, Baseline Out-of-Bounds Scenarios & More and Open Practice with Jim Larranaga: Skill Development Drills and Strategies

Changing Your World (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Igniting Your Inner Fire (5 disc set), Safeguards from Deception (4 disc set), Sunday Service, Wednesday Morning Service, Wednesday Night Service and Women's Strong Rescue: Then and Now

Cheol9260696 (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Apu Trilogy (3 film set: Pather Panchali, Aprajito, The World of Apu) (Bengali) (3 disc set), Kundun and Villa Rides

Christian Worship Hour (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Christian Worship Hour: Some Good Examples for the Year - Philippians 3: 10-24

Creature Feature Video/CFV, LLC/Horror Haven 77 (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Black Tulip (French), Carnival of Love (aka: Inside the Love House), Karate Girl (English dubbed), Love Beyond the Grave (Cantonese), Witch Story (aka: Superstition 2) and Witch with the Flying Head (Cantonese)

DVD Treasures (MOD)
01/02/23 — Released Louisiana

Dartmouth Community Media (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Boys' Basketball: Brochton vs. Dartmouth, 2024 - Dartmouth Finance Committee Meeting and 2024 - Dartmouth Historical Commission Meeting

Dee Jay DB Blu (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Blood on Satan's Claw, Buried Alive 2, Johnny Nobody, Kiss for a Killer (French) and Reptilicus (Danish)

Deskpop Entertainment (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Snow White Dies at the End (Macedonian)

Distribution Solutions (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Exorcist Untold

DVDRParty (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 13 Golden Nuns 3D (aka: Revenge of the Shogun Women), Atlas Against the Czar, Classic Horror Trailer Party (2 disc set), Dragonfly Squadron 3D, Films of Bart Vegter (9 short films), Hercules Conquers Atlantis, Man in the Dark 3D, Pulgasari (Korean), Treasure of the Four Crowns 3D, Walt Disney Presents Public Domain Mickey Mouse, Weekend with the Babysitter, Yongary, Monster from the Deep and Young Graduates

EBTV (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - East Brunswick Board of Education Meeting

EWTN
01/02/24 — Released EWTN Live: Dr. Ray Guarendi, Women of Grace: Father Wad Menezes and World Over with Raymond Navarro: Philip Lawler

Elvis DVD Collector & Movie Store (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Bad and the Beautiful, Bat, Big Operator, Compulsion, Convicted, Cry of the City, Day the World Ended, Desperate Hours, Diplomatic Courier, Enforcer, Island of Doomed Men, Jungle Girl (15 chapter serial) (2 disc set), Killers, Lifeboat, Lured, Lust for Gold, Morituri, Night of the Hunter, No Time for Sergeants, Paradine Case, Rawhide, Shake Hands with the Devil, Spy Hunt, Strange Love of Martha Ivers and Where There's Life

Film Classics (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Background to Danger, Destry Rides Again, Raffles and Raffles (1930)

Filmhub, Inc. (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Fang, For Heaven's Sake, He Knows, Moorehouse Road, Stranger Among the Living, Tomorrow's Today and Urban Myths

Freestyle Digital Media (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Merry Good Enough (ARR of 53 days; box office estimate: $20,000)

Grapevine Video (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Midnight Girl (silent-1925)

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Agnostic, Among the Beasts (ARR of 326 days; box office estimate: $20,000), Beautiful Curse, Christmas in the Heartland, Don't F*** In The Woods, Elyse, Hard Problem, Hearts and Bones, Mummy Murders and Princess of the Row

Hallmark Releasing (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Five More Minutes: Moments Like These, Gift of Peace, Haul Out the Holly, Maple Valley Christmas and Wedding Cottage

I-Cine
12/19/23 — Released Chi Em Khac Me (12 disc set), Chi Yeu Ma Thoi (14 disc set), Ke Hoach Hoan Hao (18 disc set), Khi Em Dep Nhat (10 disc set) and Van Tuong Truyen (14 disc set)

Inspirational Films (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Women Want Everything!

Kino Lorber
01/02/24 — Released Ever Deadly (ARR of 46 days; box office estimate: $20,000)

Las Vegas Video (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Christmas in Palm Springs, Christmas Vintage, Cowboy Christmas Romance, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, Mistletoe Magic, Pete's Christmas, Snow Bride and Yes, Chef! Christmas
01/09/24 — Sets My Blessing Bracelet and My Christmas Hero

Leomark Studios, LLC (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released INsight and Out Past Dark

Lionsgate Home Entertainment
02/13/24 — Sets Priscilla (ARR of 109 days; box office: $20,822,716)

Lost Movie Finder (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 100 Rifles, Absolute Beginners, Aces High, Amazone (French), Amore (Italian), Angel Heart, Badlands, Bandolero, Benvenuta (French), Biggest Bundle of Them All, Blow Up, Byron (English dubbed), California (English dubbed), Crimes of Passion, Curdled, Dash and Lilly, Day of the Warrior, Deuces Wild, Exposed, Fistful of Dollars, Frustration (aka: The Chambermaid's Dream) (French), Georgia, Hardbodies, Housemaid (Korean), Intersection, Inxeba (aka: The Wound) (Xhosa), Ishtar, Jean de Florette (French), La Donna del Fiume (Italian), La Notte (Italian), Les Enfants du Desordre (French), Lost Empire, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (Indonesian), Mediterranea (French), Monos (Spanish), Nathalie (French), New Boy, Niagara, Niagara , No Looking Back, Pass the Ammo, Red Beard (Japanese), Rifkin's Festival, Roman de Gare (French), Salt and Fire, Sorority House Massacre II, Tais Toi (French), Tarzan the Ape Man, Un Ange (French), Vinyan , When Time Ran Out and Wild Party

MGM Home Entertainment (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Electra (Greek), Popi and Romantic Comedy

Movie Buffs Forever (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released King Kong vs. Godzilla (Japanese)

PCSD (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Parma City School District Board of Education Meeting

Patchwork Schoolhouse (MOD)
12/26/23 — Released More Fun with Triangles

Pre-Code Classics (MOD)
12/26/23 — Released June Preisser Double Feature (2 film set: Sweater Girl, Let's Go Steady
Till We Meet Again) and Till We Meet Again
01/02/24 — Released Anna Lucasta

RCN Telecom Services, LLC - ATVN (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Boys Basketball: Nazareth vs. Dieruff, 2024 - College Basketball: Army vs. Layafette, 2024 - Girls Basketball: Nazareth vs. Dieruff, 2024 - Girls Basketball: Pen Argyl vs. Northwestern, 2024 - Women's College Basketball: Boston College vs Layafette and 2024 - Wrestling: Joint Boys & Girls Meet: Nazareth vs. Northampton

Seaview Square Cinem (MOD)
12/26/23 — Released Dial S for Santa
01/09/24— Sets Scottish Love Scheme

Showtime Networks, Inc. (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Spector (2 disc set)

Silent Hall of Fame (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Captain Swagger (silent-1928), Midnight Madness (silent-1928) and Red Dance (silence-1928)

Smart Mark Video (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Guanatos Hardcore Crew: La Ultima y Nos Vamos - Guadalajara, Mexico

Stonecutter Media (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Condition of Return

Sugarbaby’s Sweet Deals (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Buckcherry: Monsters of Rock, Eric Carr: The Tribute, Five Finger Death Punch - Pinkpop Festival, Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts, Goo Goo Dolls: Rock in Rio, Guns 'N Roses: Rock in Rio, In This Moment: Live at the House of Blues, Judas Priest: 1978-1991 Visual Metalogy (2 disc set), Judas Priest: Live at the US Festival, 1983, KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park, KISS: 2020 Goodbye, KISS: Animalize Uncensored, Metallica: 2 Nights at AT&T Stadium, Metallica: 40 Years of Metallica (2 disc set), Metallica: Copenhagen, Metallica: Live at Woodstock 1994 (2 disc set), Motorhead: Lemmy's Birthday Party, Motorhead: Loader than Noise … Live in Berlin, Motorhead: Rock AM Ring, Motorhead: Wacken Open Air, Powerwolf: Live at Summer Breeze, Quiet Riot: Riot in L.A., RATT-Monsters of Rock, Red Hot Chili Peppers: Nos Alive, Retun of KISS, Taylor Swift: City of Lover Concert, Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour in Sydney Australia, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour - Extended Edition, The Who: Mountain View California, Van Halen-Eruption the Media Collection, Wacken 2023: Amaranthe, Wacken 2023: Battle Beast, Wacken 2023: Killswitch Engage, Wacken 2023: Kreator, Wacken 2023: The Answer and Wacken 2023: Uriah Heep
01/09/24 — Released Avenged Sevenfold: Rock AM Ring

The Teaching Company, LLC
01/02/24 — Released How Memory Works and Why Your Brain Remembers Wrong (2 disc set) and Sex in the Middle Ages (2 disc set)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.
01/02/24 — Released Holdovers (ARR of 67 days; box office: $17,731,790)
01/16/24 — Sets Trolls Band Together (ARR of 60 days; box office: $97,540,44)

Vermont Movie Store/Abbey Video/Giddy Up Video (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Cast a Long Shadow and Hangar 18
01/09/24 — Sets Johnny Guitar

Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.
02/13/24 — Sets Marvels (ARR of 95 days; box office: $84,483,947)
02/27/24 — Sets Next Goal Wins (ARR of 102 days; box office: $6,713,826)

Wood Dale Collective (MOD)
01/09/24 — Sets Story of Park's Marriage Contract (4 disc set)

Zapruderflix (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Campus, I Want to Believe 2: UFOs and UAPs and Other Side of the Ring

Zeus Video (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Braindogs, Djon Africa (Portuguese), Flowers for the Lady, Gitanes, God@Heaven, Gold of the Seven Saints, Help the Old, It Started with Eve, King Gimp, Ladies They Talk About, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Last of the Pagans, Last Post, Lawrence Welk Show: Mother's Day, Lawrence Welk Show: Salute to the Armed Forces, Limey, Lion Sleeps Tonight (French), Logan's Run, Lolita, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Lost Empires (2 disc set), Love and Bruises (French), Lure of the Wasteland, Reckless Way (aka: The Lure of Hollywood), Robin Hood: The True Story (French), Spongebob Squarepants: Lost in Time, Thread and Toilette

New Blu-ray Additions

Asuka the Disc Dog (Fred the Blu-ray Dog) (MOD)
01/02/23 — Released Brothers Sun: Season 1, Elite: Season 8, Gyeong Seong Creature: Season 1, Hilda: Season 3, In the House: The Complete Series (2 disc set) and Parking Wars: The Complete Series (2 disc set)

Bounty Films (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Myall Creek Day of Justice

Capital Community Media (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Marion County Commissioners Meeting

Dartmouth Community Media (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Boys' Basketball: Brochton vs. Dartmouth, 2024 - Dartmouth Finance Committee Meeting and 2024 - Dartmouth Historical Commission Meeting

EBTV (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - East Brunswick Board of Education Meeting

FUNimation
01/02/24 — Released Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (Japanese)

Giant Interactive (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Mission: JOY Finding Happiness in Troubled Times

Creature Feature Video/CFV, LLC/Horror Haven 77 (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Godzilla 1984 (Japanese)

Grapevine Video (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Midnight Girl (silent-1925)

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Among the Beasts, Beautiful Curse, Christmas in the Heartland, Don't F*** In The Woods, and Hard Problem

IVP Videos (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released AJW Big Egg Universe, AJW Dreamslam, Best of the Great Muta, Best of the Kana Asuka, Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger Mask: The Complete Collection, Stardom in 2020 (3 disc set), Stardom in 2021, Volume 1 (3 disc set) and Stardom in 2021, Volume 2 (3 disc set)

Kino Lorber
01/02/24 — Released Please, Not Now! (French)

Lionsgate Home Entertainment
01/02/24 — Released Marsh King's Daughter (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)
02/13/24 — Sets Priscilla (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

MGM Home Entertainment (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Popi and Romantic Comedy

Movies R USA (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released All Fun and Games, American Dad - Season 20, Artful Dodger: Season 1 (2 disc set), Black Cake: Season 1 (2 disc set), Bosch Legacy: Season 2 (2 disc set), Buccaneers: Season 1 (2 disc set), Crown: The Final Season (2 disc set), Dollhouse: Seasons 1 & 2 (4 disc set), Family Plan, Fargo: The Complete Series (4 disc set), I Dream of Mimi - The Complete OVA, Invincible: Seasons 1 & 2 (3 disc set), Jester, Joni, League of the Their Own: Season 1, Leave the World Behind, Murder at the End of the World, Old Oak, Redemption of Henry Meyers, Rick and Morty: Season 7 (2 disc set), Rick and Morty: Seasons 1 - 6 (4 disc set), She Came to Me, Sister Boniface Mysteries: Seasons 1 & 2 (4 disc set), Slow Horses: Season 3, Thanksgiving, What If … Season 2 , Where the Devil Roams and Woodmen

PCSD (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Parma City School District Board of Education Meeting

RCN Telecom Services, LLC - ATVN (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 2024 - Boys Basketball: Nazareth vs. Dieruff, 2024 - College Basketball: Army vs. Layafette, 2024 - Girls Basketball: Nazareth vs. Dieruff, 2024 - Girls Basketball: Pen Argyl vs. Northwestern, 2024 - Women's College Basketball: Boston College vs Layafette and 2024 - Wrestling: Joint Boys & Girls Meet: Nazareth vs. Northampton

Shout! Studios
01/02/24 — Released Forced Vengeance

Tsmithco (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Dusty's Trial: The Complete Series (2 disc set)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.
01/02/24 — Released Holdovers (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)
01/16/24 — Sets Trolls Band Together (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

Via Vision Entertainment
01/02/24 — Released Directed by Sidney Lumet, Volume 1 (1964-1973) (6 film set: The Pawnbroker, The Group, The Deadly Affair, Child's Play, The Offence, Serpico - with bonus documentary: One Step Further: Becoming Lumet) (7 disc set), Film Focus: Marlon Brando, Volume 1 (1957-1967) (6 film set: Sayonara, The Fugitive Kind, One-Eyed Jacks, The Ugly American, Bedtime Story, A Countess from Hong Kong) (6 disc set), Islands in the Stream, King of the Gypsies and Lenny

Wood Dale Collective (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released 6 Bullets, Airwolf: The Complete Series (6 disc set), Alive!, Berlin (2 disc set), Brain Dead, El Chapo: The Complete Series (6 disc set), Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate (German), Fool Me Once: Season 1 (2 disc set), Grisse: The Complete Series (2 disc set), Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (French), Jury Duty (2 disc set), Kingdom, Lost Girl: The Complete Series (8 disc set), Only You, Passion, Premonition, Seal Team Eight: Behind Enemy Lines, Society of the Snow (Spanish), Southern Comfort, Teacher's Lounge (German), Terror: The Complete Series (4 disc set), What If …?: The Complete Series (4 dis set) and Zootopia

Zapruderflix (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Campus, I Want to Believe 2: UFOs and UAPs and Other Side of the Ring

New 4K Ultra HD Additions

Movies R USA (MOD)
01/02/24 — Released Loki: Season 1 (4 disc set) and WandaVision: The Complete Series (4 disc set)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.
01/16/24 — Sets Trolls Band Together (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Ent.
02/27/24 — Sets Contagion (with Digital Copy)

MVD Entertainment Group Tabs Mar. 12 For The Release Of Both DVD And Blu-ray Editions Of Writer/Director Nicanor Loreti's Punto Rojo

From time to time you have step outside of your comfort zone and see what is going on in the world of independent filmmaking in other parts of the world.   There are some real surprises to be found out there.

 None better than MVD Entertainment Group’s Mar. 12 import from Argentina, Punto Rojo, written and directed by Nicanor Loreti.  Both DVD and Blu-ray editions will be available. 

We find Diego (Demian Salomon — Satanic Hispanics, When Evil Lurks, Terrified, etc.) sitting in his car — in the middle of literally nowhere — listening to his radio.   We quickly discover that he is thief, a criminal and a beyond-reason fan of the Racing Club soccer team … it’s an obsession. 

There’s also a little something in the trunk his car (which will be revealed over time), but Diego’s focus right at the moment is what’s on the radio.   So imagine how irritated he becomes when a dead body lands on the hood of his car!   WHAM!

Soon, Paula (Mariana Anghileri — La Corporacion, Buena Vida), who was responsible for the dead body, parachutes in and all hell breaks loose.   The why of it you will have to discover for yourself, but let’s just say that Diego is on a mission — when not distracted by Racing Club news — and even the assassin skills of a secret agent will not stand in his way.

Nicanor Loreti’s Punto Rojo is a delightful tongue-in-cheek thriller — minimalist in nature — that is presented in Spanish with English subtitles.

Bonus features include commentary by filmmaker Nicanor Loreti and the short film titled Pinball.

 

 

Writer/Director William Lee's Bulletproof Jesus Will Be Making Its Blu-ray Debut Courtesy Of Bayview Entertainment On Feb. 27

The legendary William Lee, filmmaker, actor, producer and writer burst upon the world of cinema with his back-to-back “martial arts” gems, Dragon vs. Ninja in 1984, followed by Treasure of the Ninja in 1987.   

William Lee, independent filmmaker extraordinaire, is back with his latest from Bayview Entertainment on Blu-ray this coming Feb. 27.   A superhero film, loaded with action and a sense of both humor and style.

This would be — are you ready? — none other than the long-await debut of Bulletproof Jesus, which is written by, directed by and starring William Lee (he was Tarantino before Reservoir Dogs) as Jesus.   

No, it’s not a faith-based film, but rather a superhero adventure with Jesus as the ultimate good guy — and one bad ass — pitted against Satan himself (played by William Lee regular, Donald Smith — 6 Feet Below Hell, Black Mamba, Black Wolf).

Oh, but there’s more, Jesus has been sort of sitting on the sidelines, but when Satan puts together the ultimate army — the Four Warlords of the Apocalypse — he has to step up and put his martial arts skills (along with some of his friends) to the ultimate test in this world-defining battle of good versus evil!!

If you are a William Lee (Edge of Tolerance, Soulripperz, A Cold Day in Hell, Gangsters Incorporated, Black Mama, 6 Feet Below Hell, etc.) fan — and who isn’t — then his latest is going to be a real crowd-pleaser.   The Blu-ray debut of Bulletproof Jesus from Bayview Entertainment on Feb. 27 … be sure to check it out!!

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Moves Trolls Band Together Quickly To Market On Jan. 16 With A Full Spread Of Physical Media Purchasing Selections

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is making a quick-to-market move for the animated hit theatrical release of Trolls Band Together with news this past week that Jan. 16 will be the street date for a full spread of physical media product offerings.

The ARR is a swift-to-market 60 days and domestic box office receipts were an impressive $97.6 million.

Consumers will be able to choose between Combo Pack editions for both the 4K Ultra HD (with Blu-ray) and Blu-ray (with DVD) formats, plus a stand-alone DVD selection.

Bonus goodies include a tag-team commentary with co-director Tim Heitz, producer Gina Shay, head of story Colin Jack, production designer Ruben Perez Reynoso and visual effects supervisor Marc J. Scott.   Plus, there are deleted scenes, a short film titled It Takes Three and a collection of featurettes — “Hi, Hi, Hi,” “Building the Band,” “Together Again,” “Animated Trolls” — and two interactive features, “How to Draw” and “How To: Hug Time Bracelets.”

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Tabs Feb. 13 For The Release Of DVD And Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Editions Of Director Sofia Coppola's Priscilla

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has tabbed Feb. 13 as the street date for DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack editions of writer/director Sofia Coppola’s film adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s 1985 book “Elvis and Me,” which was retitled for the screen as simply Priscilla.

The ARR is 109 days and domestic box office receipts currently stand at $20.8 million.

Bonus features for this biopic include the featurettes titled “Brushed with Beauty: Creating Priscilla's Story” and “The Making of Priscilla: A Film by Liv McNeil.”

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment To Release A 4K Ultra HD Edition Of Director Steven Soderbergh's Contagion On Feb. 27

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has tabbed Feb. 27 as the street date for the release of a 4K Ultra HD edition of director Steven Soderbergh’s pandemic thriller, Contagion.

While the surface story is about the rapid spread of the MEV-1 virus (bats in a Chinese rainforest as the source — really, does that sound familiar or what?), there is a more sinister story about government involvement (DHS, CDC, etc. and that all has an uncanny “mirror image” to the manufactured Covid terrors that unfolded in 2020.   Clearly filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns were ahead of their time!!!

Bonus features include a trio of featurettes — “The Reality of Contagion,” “The Contagion Detectives” and “Contagion: How Virus Changed the World.”

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Announces A Full Spread Physical Media Launch Of Director Nia DaCosta's The Marvels On Feb. 13

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment opened the New Year with a pair of February street-date announcements.

 First up, and arriving on Feb. 13 as a full-spread of physical media product offerings is director Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels.

 The ARR works out to 95 days and the domestic box haul currently stands at $84.5 million.

Planned for distribution are stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray editions, plus a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack purchasing option.

Bonus delights kick off with commentary from filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Candyman, Little Woods), who is joined by VFX supervisor Tara DeMarco (WandaVision), plus there are deleted scenes, a gag reel and two featurettes — “Entangled” and “The Production Diaries.” 

Also heading home in February is writer/director Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, which will be available as stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray product offerings on Feb. 27.

The ARR comes in at 102 days and the domestic box office tally was light at just $6.7 million.

Bonus features are limited to a deleted scene and the featurette titled “Creating the Pitch of Life.”

2023 Was A Record Release Year For The Blu-ray Format Driven By Three Factors

There is no question that 2023 was a record year for the Blu-ray format.   No other year comes close … in short, a blowout!

The preliminary count (which will continue to expand in the week’s ahead as below the radar entries are added to the various databases) is that there were 8,044 new Blu-ray SKUs entering the marketplace during the course of the year.   

To put that number into context, in 2022 the number was 6,034 and the previous year, 2021, the final count was 4,813.  In 2020 (during the pandemic, when theatres were forced to shutdown) the total number of Blu-ray new releases was 3,333.

Why the explosion in new Blu-ray titles?

There are several factors, which makes it a bit complicated to say “Oh, it’s because of (pick something).”

First, let’s start with the mega-trend that is not only driving the title explosion, but causing fundamental changes to the distribution and retail community.   In a word, MOD (manufacturing on demand), which pushed Ingram out as a distributor and is driving Best Buy out of the market.  

 In short, traditional distribution (retail and wholesale) is simply not equipped to handle a MOD environment.   How do you meet consumer demand on a title-by-title basis without stocking the SKUs?   Are you going to set up little Blu-ray title manufacturing stations in thousands of retail outlets (is that even possible) to meet consumer demand?

In 2020, there were 1,918 traditionally replicated Blu-ray titles and 1,415 MOD releases.   By 2023 the numbers had dramatically shifted, with 1,720 replicated titles on Blu-ray and a staggering 6,324 new MOD arrivals.

Within this shift, there is also the use of the Blu-ray format as a storage medium — cramming an entire eight to ten episode season of a new series on a single Blu-ray disc.  

That was not the intention when Blu-ray was launch in 2006.

The second factor that is driving the unprecedented expansion of new Blu-ray releases is the source of the material … the source of the masters.   Namely, streaming and the alphabet soup of VOD … no longer does someone have to used a shaky handheld recording device in a darkened theatre to get the latest hit movie.   Nope, you just capture the feed on this streaming platform or that streaming platform, or shell out a couple of bucks for a 48 hour VOD “rental” and you have your master (security is a myth for these pros). 

The latest hit theatrical release, mega-budget direct-to-streaming film (think: Extraction 2, The Killer, Leave the World Behind, etc.) or the latest series will usually be announced for delivery on Blu-ray the same day.

A whopping 1,587 series hit Blu-ray from “Helper” sources in 2023, while legitimate sources — both studio and boutique labels combined — managed to street 110 series, or roughly two per week on average during 2023.

That doesn’t mean there were 1,587 unique series, no, a popular series will often have competing “Helper” releases — consumers have to sort out who does the best job, with the best “transfers” and packaging.   It is quite insane.

One, consumer acceptance of MOD Blu-ray (that’s important — capacity over HD), now couple that with the delivery of pristine masters, for not only new theatrical and series, but “old movies” (pre-1997, the launch year of DVD), music and more and the result is a new release pace on steroids.

There is one other factor driving the runaway horror show, which becomes obvious when you look at the numbers.   The right’s owners — namely the studios and streaming services (Netflix, Apple TV, etc.) — have given up on enforcing copyright protections.   

It’s just a cost of doing business, why play whack-a-mole … it’s not that they don’t care, it’s that they don’t understand the changing nature of the business, which they are driving with their inept management of assets.

Hello, Ingram closed up shop and Best Buy is exiting the physical media marketplace because of the rapid shift in the marketplace.

It’s as easy as One (MOD), Two (Masters) and Three (Asset Management) to see what is going on in the world of Blu-ray these days.