MVD Entertainment Group Bestows Rewind Collection Status On Writer/Director Pierre-William Glenn's Terminus For Its Blu-ray And DVD Debut On June 10

Joy! Joy!  Word just arrived that there is a new inductee into “Rewind Collection” library on its way to gleeful fans from MVD Entertainment Group this coming June 10.

Making its official debut on both DVD and Blu-ray is writer/director Pierre-William Glenn’s 1987 Mad Max/Death Race homage, Terminus, starring Karen Allen, Jürgen Prochnow, Gabriel Damon (the voice of Littlefoot in The Land Before Time, plus such films as Tequila Sunrise, RoboCop 2 and Newsies) and legendary French rock ‘n roll artist Johnny Hallyday (aka: Jean-Philippe Leo Smet).

MVD has somehow corralled the hacked-to-pieces English-dubbed export version (clocking in at 83 minutes), which appears to have been part of a multi-picture distribution deal set up by Hemdale Film Corporation.   Hemdale was dealing with all sorts of legal and financial problems at the time and doesn’t appear to have every released the film on VHS.

MVD is also including the original French-language version (with English subtitles) as well, which is uncut and runs 115 minutes.   Where on earth did 32 minutes worth of footage go?   

It will be fun to compare the two presentations to see how “creative” minds can tinker with a film … 32 minutes worth of tinkering!! 

It’s the year 2037 (50 years in the future from when the film was made) and all the rage is a cross-country truck competition in this future dystopian world.   It is a race that no one ever seems to win and thus the massive cash prize remains uncollected.

A cloned boy genius named Mati (Gabriel Damon) has designed a truck called “Monster,” which is being driven (piloted) by “Gus” (Karen Allen), but the computer programming fails and poor Gus is left to navigate as best she can in a various dangerous and deadly landscape.  Without giving too much away, Gus meets up with “Stump” (Hallyday) and when she can’t “continue” (no spoilers) he takes over for her … all the while being “spied” on by the evil doctor (Prochnow) who controls Mati, his creation.   

Of note, Jürgen Prochnow shows up in two additional roles … keep a sharp eye for his other characters.

Bonus goodies for this new “Rewind Collection” inductee include a newly-minted video session Prochnow and the all-new “making of” documentary titled “We All Descend: The Making of Terminus.”

Has Mill Creek Entertainment Cracked The Film And Series Vaults Of Netflix?

Has Mill Creek Entertainment cracked the vaults of Netflix?   

Netflix is a company notorious for ignoring physical media releases of their film and series productions … as a result, their streaming library has become a treasure-trove for the Helper community.   If it streams on Netflix, it will be immediately stolen and available on Blu-ray (the format of choice these days) within hours on eBay, etsy.com or numerous html “Helper” sites!

What is a “Helper” you ask.  It is our term for bootlegger, thief, pirate, etc. and was coined during streaming wars when the legacy studios (and others — Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, etc.) seemed to turn a blind eye (cost of doing business) to their intellectual property being ripped off … so in stepped those who would “help” distribute the same to consumers in search of physical media copies of their favorite shows and movies.

So, has Mill Creek Entertainment cracked the vaults at Netflix?  That is the question that is on everyone’s mind with the physical media announcement of the three-disc Blu-ray SteelBook release of Masters of the Universe series collection on May 13.

This is a premium Netflix production in association with producer Kevin Smith.  Yes, that Kevin Smith of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back fame (among others).   So, maybe the distribution of this animated series is more related to him, rather than Netflix … the jury is out on that for the moment.

In any case, this is welcomed news for fans of He-Man and Skeletor in that the 2021 two-part presentation of Masters of the Universe: Revelation and the 2024 follow-on, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, are being released in their entirety in this Blu-ray SteelBook set from Mill Creek Entertainment on May 13.

Maybe — hopefully — the next Netflix-related announcement from Mill Creek Entertainment will be Stranger Things: The Complete Series on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD.   

Stay tuned.

 

Arrow Video Readies Two New 4K Ultra HD Releases For The Month Of June • Director Dominic Sena's Swordfish (June 10) And Writer/Director Alex Proyas' Dark City (June 24)

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, doubles up in June with two new 4K Ultra HD debuts.

Up first with a June 10 debut date is director Dominic Sena’s heist thriller, Swordfish, starring the likes of John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Don Cheadle, Vinnie Jones, Sam Shepard and Halle Berry.

Bonus nuggets include commentary from Sena (Kalifornia, Season of the Witch, Whiteout), the HBO Firstlook behind-the-scenes promotion, two alternate endings, the “Planet Rock Club Reel” music video and four featurettes — “Soundtrack Hacker,” “How to Design a Tech Heist,” “Effects in Focus: The Flying Bus” and “Swordfish: In Conversation.”

Arriving two weeks later (June 24) is the 4K Ultra HD debut of writer/director Alex Proyas’ neo-noir sci-fi chiller, Dark City, toplining Rufus Swell (Old, Gods of Egypt, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Amazing Grace, etc.) as John Murdoch, a man living an endless nightmare with E.T. “Strangers” in a rat maze floating in space.   In other words, WEIRD!  Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly and William Hurt co-star.

Bonus features for this double-disc 4K Ultra HD release includes both the original theatrical cut and the 2008 “director’s cut” of the film.   

The “director’s cut” includes — are you ready for this — five separate commentary options — two new: director Alex Proyas and Film Versus Film podcasters Craig Anderson, Bruce Isaacs and Herschel Isaacs; three archived: Proyas, film critic Roger Ebert and co-writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer.

Also included on the “director’s cut” disc is a newly-prepared documentary titled Return to Dark City and two featurettes — “Rats in a Maze” and “I’m as Much in the Dark as You Are.”

The theatrical cut disc includes two archived commentary options — one with film critic Roger Ebert and the second is a tag-team affair featuring Proyas, writers Dobbs and Goyer, director of photography Dariusz Wolski and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos — and two archived featurettes … “Memories of Shell Beach” and “Architecture of Dreams.”

Paramount Home Entertainment Will Release DVD And 4K Ultra HD Editions Of The Directing Team Of Dan Berk And Robert Olsen's Novocaine On June 24

Paramount Home Entertainment has tabbed June 24 as the street date for DVD and 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack editions of the directing team of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s “love-hurts” thriller, Novocaine.

Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid — Hunger Games, Oppenheimer, Scream VI, Rampage, etc.) suffers from a rare affliction, CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis), which renders him incapable of feeling pain.   When the love of his life, Sherry (Amber Midthunder (Prey, The Ice Road), is kidnapped he uses this to his advantage to rescue her, but there’s a twist!!

Bonus goodies include three featurettes — “Prepare For Pain: Pre-Production,” “A World of Hurt” and “Maximum Physical Damage: Makeup Effects.”

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment's Mickey 17 To Get A Full-Spread Physical Media Push On May 13

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment’s full spread physical media launch of writer/ director Boon Joon Ho’s film adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 sci-fi novel “Mickey 7” — re-titled for theatrical release to Mickey 17 — will be joining the May 13 crowd of recent films making the transition to DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD product offerings.

The legacy studios — normally competitors — seem to be working in concert to stage once per month theatrical transition rollouts.   May 13, in addition to Mickey 17, consumers can also choose from Captain America: Brave New World and director Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag. 

It seems counter-intuitive, but then so does putting the premium VOD window in front of the physical media launch.   The time-tested “Promo, Better, Best” distribution system has gone the way of the Dodo bird … oh well.

The ARR for Mickey 17 works out to 67 days and the domestic box office take currently stands at $45.2 million.

Planned for distribution are stand-alone editions for all three formats, plus a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray SteelBook Combo Pack.

Bonus features include three featurettes — “Behind the Lens: Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17,” “Mickey 17: A World Reimagined” and “The Faces of Niflheim.”

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Preps DVD And Blu-ray Editions Of Paddinton In Peru For Distribution On Apr. 29

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has locked into Apr. 29 as the street date for both DVD and Blu-ray editions of director Dougal Wilson’s Paddington in Peru.

The ARR is 74 days and the domestic ticket sales currently stand at $41.2 million.

A premium VOD window became available on Apr. 1, which means the “helper” community has four weeks to get their own Blu-ray copies into consumer’s hands before the legit versions arrive at retail.

Bonus goodies include the two-part “Making of Paddington in Peru,” the “Let’s Prepare for Paddington” sing-along and the how-to instructions for your own adventure map and friendship bracelet.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Sets May 13 For The Full-Spread Physical Media Debut Of Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has tabbed May 13 as the street date for the delivery of a full-spread physical media launch of director Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller, Black Bag. 

The ARR is a quick-to-market 60 days and the domestic box office gross currently stands at $20.7 million.   The premium VOD window opened just 18 days into the film’s theatrical run, which give the “helper” community six full weeks to peddle their own Blu-ray editions of the Black Bag to unsuspecting consumers.

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

Bonus goodies include deleted scenes and a pair of featurettes — “The Company of Talent” and “Designing Black Bag.”

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Taps May 13 As The Street Date For The Full-Spread Physical Media Launch Of Captain America: Brave New World

Director Julius Onah’s latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Captain America film series — Captain America: Brave New World (the fourth thus far) — will be getting a full-spread physical media rollout on May 13.

The ARR is 88 days and the domestic box office haul currently stands at $199.7 million. 

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


The premium VOD window opens on Apr. 15, which gives the “helper” community 28 days to peddle their own Blu-ray editions of Captain America: Brave New World to unsuspecting fans of the series.

Bonus features begin with commentary featuring director Julious Onah, who is joined by the director of photography Kramer Mongenthau.   There are also a trio of deleted scenes, a gag reel and a pair of featurettes — “Assuming the Mantle” and “Old Scores, New Scars.”

Criterion Collection's June Release Calendar Features Six New 4K Ultra HD Theatrical Releases Including The June 24 Double-Feature Of Director William Friedkin's The Sorcerer And Francesco Zippel's Friedkin Uncut

Counting things can be tricky.   For example, on the surface it appears that the Criterion Collection’s June release slate contains five new 4K Ultra HD releases, but there are actually six theatrical releases new to the 4K Ultra HD format.

On June 24, the Criterion Collection will be releasing the new 4K digital restoration of director William Friedkin’s 1977 film, The Sorcerer, which was a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 classic, The Wages of Fear (aka: Le Salaire de la Peur), which was an adaptation of Georges Arnaud’s 1950 novel of the same name.

Included as one of the bonus features is documentary filmmaker Francesco Zippel’s 2019 film release of Friedkin Uncut … Zippel’s film made its debut at the Venice Film Festival in August of 2018, worked the festival circuit during the next months and then got a limited theatrical release on Aug. 23, 2019.  

Thus, Criterion’s 4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack (also available as a double-disc Blu-ray) release of The Sorcerer is actually a double-feature.

Zippel’s film, Friedkin Uncut, has never been released on physical media in the domestic marketplace (a PAL release from Italy is floating around), so this is also its debut on both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD.

This is not an isolated incident from Criterion, it is a common practice for the company to include documentaries and, in some cases, theatrical releases as bonuses (an earlier production for example).   

Indeed, in the month of June alone, Criterion includes Jack Mathews’ The Battle of Brazil: A Video History (feature-length non-theatrical documentary from 1996) with the 4K Ultra HD edition of director Terry Gilliam’s Brazil on June 3, and the 4K Ultra HD rollout of director Paul Schrader’s Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (also on June 3) includes as a bonus feature documentary filmmaker Michael McIntyre’s The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima (feature-length non-theatrical documentary from 1990).

So what other bonus goodies are included with The Sorcerer on June 24?   There is behind-the-scenes footage, a 2015 video session with Friedkin and fellow filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, a newly minted video session featuring filmmaker James Gray (Little Odessa, The Yards, The Immigrant) and film critic Sean Fennessey and an archival audio session with screenwriter Walon Green and writer Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan (“William Friedkin”).

In addition to the aforementioned Brazil and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, other 4K Ultra HD releases during the month of June from the Criterion Collection include director Sidney Lumet’s 1978 film release of The Wiz (June 10) and writer/director Francois Girard’s 1993 film, Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (June 24).