Documentary Filmmaker Michal Goldman’s Nasser’s Republic: The Making of Modern Egypt On DVD From Icarus Films On Jan. 23

When you consider the headline news this past week, that the Trump Administration will be moving the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the timing couldn’t be better for the new DVD release coming from Icarus Films on Jan 23.   This would be documentary filmmaker Michal Goldman’s Nasser’s Republic: The Making of Modern Egypt.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, immediately called for a pan-Islamic summit, but all eyes in the region (Europe included) will be on Egypt, not Turkey, as to how this move plays out in the Middle East.   

Gamal Abdel Nasser is the heart of modern Egypt … filmmaker Michal Goldman details Nasser’s rise to power in 1952, the Six-Day War with Israel in 1967 and his death in September of 1970 from a massive heart attack.   The legacy of these 18 years as president of Egypt reverberate to this day as his successes — and failures — remade a post-war Egypt into a nation that is at the center of the Middle East.  

Nasser’s Republic: The Making of Modern Egypt is a documentary that American audiences should see to more fully understand the pivotal role that Egypt plays in the region.   To this point, Goldman took four years to assemble, not only the history of Nasser, but to conduct numerous interviews with scholars, Islamists, secularists and the people of the street.  

Weaved together, the result is a fascinating look at modern Egypt and the man who molded it.

Bonus features include commentary by director Michal Goldman, an additional clip from the film and a 16-page booklet.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Selects Jan. 16 For The Home Entertainment Release Of Director Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment avoided the temptation of slamming director Andy Muschietti’s smash film adaption of Stephen King’s It and director Denis Villeneuve’s futuristic thriller, Blade Runner 2049, into the December home entertainment launch window.   With Dunkirk in place on Dec. 19, both of these hits could easily wait until Q1’18 for genre fans to savor.

It received a Jan. 9 street date and news arrived this past week that Blade Runner 2049, one of the most anticipated films of 2017, will follow on Jan. 16 as a four-SKU product launch.

The ARR works out to 102 days and the box office take currently stands at $90.8 million.

Planned for distribution are a stand-alone DVD edition, a pair of Blu-ray selections — a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and a double-disc Blu-ray package featuring both 3D and 2D viewing options — and a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack.   

      

The film is absolutely gorgeous, and, as with last year’s Passengers from director Morten Tyldum and screenwriter Jon Spaihts, Blade Runner 2049 plays out as a solid sci-fi thriller and as a much deeper look at what it is to be human.   It is also relentlessly depressing — even more depressing than the fate of Aurora and Jim as they live out their lives on the Avalon … never reaching their destination.

Ryan Gosling is “K,” a new Blade Runner, and Harrison Ford returns as the world-weary Deckard, who knows “stuff” that makes both him and K targets … hunted by both humans and androids.   

As to bonus goodies, common to all SKUs is the six-part presentation of “Blade Runner 101,” which breaks down into “Blade Runners,” “The Replicant Evolution,” “The Rise of Wallace Corp,” “Welcome to 2049,” “Joi” and “Within the Skies.”   Exclusive to the Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD configurations are two featurettes — “Designing The World of Blade Runner 2049” and “To Be Human: Casting Blade Runner 2049” — and three “prologues” — “2022: Black Out,” “2036: Nexus Dawn” and “2048: Nowhere to Run.”

Arrow Video's 2K Restoration Of Director John Grissmer’s Scalpel Ready For A Blu-ray Push On Feb. 20

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, will be bringing a new 2K restoration of director John Grissmer’s 1977 (and 1978) gothic tale, Scalpel (aka: False Face) to market as a Blu-ray product offering on Feb. 20.

The film’s backstory is fascinating in that it was shot in and around Atlanta, Georgia in October of 1975, disappeared for all of 1976 and then surfaced as a regional indie release from United International Pictures in January of 1977 … and then disappeared again.   It was titled False Face.

Somewhere along the line Embassy Pictures acquired the film and retitled it Scalpel and gave it a wide theatrical release in September of 1978.   

The new title moved the film into the “horror” category, but it’s more akin to a demented murder mystery with Robert Lansing (4D Man, The Grissom Gang, Empire of the Ants, etc.) starring as plastic surgeon Dr. Phillip “Phil” Reynolds.  It seems that when he takes a dislike to people around him they die mysterious deaths … his wife drowned in the backyard pool and his daughter’s “boyfriend” met a similar fate.

Which brings us to the film itself, which opens with Dr. Reynolds and his brother-in-law, Bradley (played by long-time character actor Arlen Dean Snyder), sharing drinks over the death of Robert Thorndike — Bradley’s father and Phil’s former father-in-law.   Both, it seems, were on the outs with the old man, who left his entire fortune to his grand daughter, Heather (played by veteran soap and TV series player Judith Chapman) … who mysteriously vanished after her boyfriend’s death.

In no time the pair almost mow-down a stripper, who has been beaten to a pulp, and was left dazed to wander the streets bleeding and in shock.   As good samaritans, they rush her to the nearby hospital, where as luck would have it, Phil just happens to work.   

In one of those “light bulbs” going on moments, Phil stops the routine call to the police — to report the beating — and takes the dear girl under his personal care.   After all, he is a plastic surgeon and her broken jaw and mangled face — beaten beyond recognition — can be repaired under his skillful “scalpel” and care. 

This is where the film gets creepy.   Phil molds the girl’s face, “Jane Doe” (also played by Chapman), to that of his daughter, Heather … and begins training her to be his daughter, with the deal that they split the money.    He also takes to sleeping with her … 

Eventually Bradley gets suspicious of what Phil is up to and that means that he too will have to have an “accident.”    So where is the real Heather and will “Jane” and Phil get away with this multi-million dollar deception?   To find out, pick up this new Blu-ray edition of Scalpel from Arrow Video on Feb. 20.

As to bonus goodies, there’s a newly-minted commentary option from film historian Richard Harland Smith and new video sessions with unspecified members of the film’s production crew.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Tabs Feb. 6 For The Home Entertainment Launch Of A Bad Moms Christmas

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has selected Feb. 6 as the street date for the writing and directing team of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore’s A Bad Moms Christmas, their hit follow-up to the 2016 release of Bad Moms.

Both DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack editions will be available.

With $64.7 million these bad moms — Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn (and friends) — can be bad again and again … and again!   The ARR for that first street-date Tuesday in February comes in at 95 days.

Bonus nuggets include a gag reel, “additional” scenes and a music video featuring the film’s product crew.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Looks To Jan. 30 For Tyler Perry's Latest Theatrical Hit On DVD And Blu-ray • Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

Tyler Perry has been a godsend to the Lionsgate studio, providing hit after hit.   But are his efforts really appreciated?   Are his hit films just being taken for granted?   It’s hard to say, it is the holidays and things can get rushed, but judging from the lack of PR enthusiasm on the part of Lionsgate Home Entertainment you just have to wonder … where's the love for his latest hit as it transitions from theatres to the home entertainment marketplace?   Oh well.

His latest box office success, Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, will be heading home on Jan. 30 as both DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack editions.   With that Q1’18 street date, the ARR works out to 102 days and box office receipts currently total $47.2 million.

Bonus treats include outtakes, deleted scenes and a pair of featurettes — “Caddy Whack Boo” and “Why We Love Joe!”

Also getting a release date is the directing team of Michael and Peter Spierig’s Jigsaw, the latest edition in the studio’s lucrative Saw franchise. 

A three-SKU array of home entertainment products will be ready for fans of the series to enjoy on Jan. 23 … these will be a stand-alone DVD edition, a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack edition and a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack selection.

The ARR works out to a swift-to-market 88 days and ticket sales currently stand at $37.6 million.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has been slow to get the official press announcement out on Jigsaw (again, it could be the holiday season), so we have to rely on WaxWorks’ Dec. 4 “Hot Sheet” sales bulletin for information on the street date (sans details on bonus goodies, of course).

For the period ending November 24, 2017 ... New DVD and Blu-ray selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database.

For the period ending November 24, 2017 ... New DVD and Blu-ray selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database.

 

DVD SKUs:

 

A&E Networks

11/21/17 — Released High School Lover

Acorn Media

11/21/17 — Released Fall: Series Three (2 disc set)

Adult Source Media

11/21/17 — Released Naughty College School Girls 2

Alakazam Magic

11/21/17 — Released Steve Cook: ID

Arrow Video

01/09/18 — Sets Witches (Italian)

Asylum Home Ent. (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Sinister Minister

BBC Home Entertainment

11/21/17 — Released Red Dwarf: XII (2 disc set)

Bayview Entertainment

11/21/17 — Released Classic Callanetics

Blue Crown Magic

11/21/17 — Released Beau Cremer: iTime Rewind

Boag’s Productions (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Hubble's Diverse Universe

Breaking Glass Pictures

11/21/17 — Released Rift (Icelandic)

CBS Home Entertainment (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Amazing Race: Season 22 (3 disc set), Amazing Race: Season 23 (3 disc set) and Amazing Race: All Stars - Season 24 (3 disc set)

Championship Productions

11/21/17 — Released Best of Club Volleyball: Blocking, Marvin Menzies: Practice Drills to Improve Your Team, Setting the Tone on the First Day: Running Competitive Practices, Teaching Youth Volleyball Skills & Fundamentals and Youth Volleyball: The Progression from Tots to Juniors

Cheezy Flicks

11/21/17 — Released Superman and the Mole Men

Chess on DVD

11/21/17 — Released Foxy Openings #178: Dominate the Endgames Like 13 World Champions for the Tournament Player - Vol. 1, Foxy Openings #179: Domination Studies - Ghenrikh Kasparyan for the Tournament Player - Vol. 2 and Foxy Openings #180: Domination Studies - Bernhard Horwitz for the Tournament Player - Vol. 3

Cleopatra Music & Records

01/23/18 — Sets Act & Punishment: The Pussy Riot Trials (Russian)

Coaches Choice/Healthy Learning

11/21/17 — Released Air-Wing Offense: The Passing Game, Air-Wing Offense: The Play-Action and the Dropback Passing Game and RPOs, Air-Wing Offense: The Running Game, Blocking the Inside Zone Game, Defensive Line Drills and Techniques, Defensive Line Pass Rush Techniques and Drills, Defensive Line Run Techniques and Schemes, Introduction to the Air-Wing Offense, RPO Game and Special Teams: Field Goal Protection Kickoff Return, and Kickoff Coverage

Echo Bridge Home Ent.

11/21/17 — Released Backup Dancer (aka: Sticky Notes)

12/05/17 — Sets Better Half and Border Cross

12/12/17 — Sets Night of the Living Dead Plus Five Bonus Movies (6 film set: Night of the Living Dead, The Devil Bat, White Zombie, The Bat, The Last Man on Earth, House on Haunted Hill) (2 disc set)

Essential Magic Collection

11/21/17 — Released Max Maven & Luis de Matos: Kayfabe (4 disc set)

F+W Media/InterWeave Press

11/21/17 — Released Mastering Composition from Photos: Landscape Painting, Mastering Composition from Photos: Light and Shadow and Mastering Composition from Photos: Narrative Art

11/28/17 — Sets Building the Collapsable Trestle Table with Will Myers (2 disc set)

Film Movement

12/12/17 — Sets Architects of Denial (ARR of 67 days; box office: $58,472) and White King

FilmRise (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Good Postman (Bulgarian) and I Dream in Another Language (Spanish)

Films Around the World, Inc. (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Golden Age of Looney Tunes (7 theatrical cartoons: Smile, Darn YA, Smile, Have You Got Any Castles?, Hamateur Night, A Corny Concerto, The Dover Boys “At Pimento University”, Pigs In A Polka, Hollywood Steps Out), Lady of Burlesque, One Touch of Venus, Piasan (Italian), Sciuscia (Italian), Seven Alone and Woman on the Run

Garvitas Ventures (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Christmas in New York, Magnum Opus, Night Watchmen and Ryde

12/12/17 — Sets Thrill Ride

Hallmark Channel

11/21/17 — Released Christmas in Conway and November Christmas

International Historic Films

11/21/17 — Released Total Self Defense

Kino Lorber

11/21/17 — Released Cease Fire, Driftwood, I'll be Seeing You, Innsaei and Since You Went Away

Level 33 Entertainment (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Unleashed

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

11/21/17 — Released Good Time, One Last Heist, Santa Files and Saving Christmas

01/09/17 — Adds Friend Request (ARR of 109 days; box office: $3,758,339)

Magic on Demand

11/21/17 — Released Criss Smith: Perplex

Magnolia Home Entertainment

11/21/17 — Released Lemon (ARR of 95 days; box office: $29,074)

Mill Creek Entertainment

02/06/17 — Sets Kids in the Hall: The Complete Series (12 disc set)

Momentum Pictures, LLC

11/21/17 — Released Jungle

Movietime Distributors

11/21/17 — Released Real Fights 3: Caught on Camera

Nandar Home Entertainment

11/28/17 — Sets Angels of Our Better Nature and Colors of Emily

National Geographic (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released National Geographic: The State and National Geographic: When Nature Calls (3 disc set)

Nimble Mind Magic

11/21/17 — Released Skirt

PBS Direct

11/21/17 — Released Cook's Country: Season 10 (2 disc set), Craft in America: Borders and Neighbors, Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World, Vermeer: Beyond Time and Year in Space and Beyond a Year in Space

Paramount Home Media

02/06/17 — Sets Bosom Buddies: The Complete Series (6 disc set)

Passion River Films

11/21/17 — Released Mully

SRS Cinema

11/21/17 — Released Scarecrowd

Sentai FilmWorks

11/21/17 — Released Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto: The Complete Collection (2 disc set)

Shout! Factory

11/21/17 — Released Porco Rosso (Japanese) and Secret World of Arrietty (Japanese)

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

11/21/17 — Released Librarians: Season Three (3 disc set)

The Orchard (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Thumper

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Bunnyman Vengeance and Out of Nothing

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

11/21/17 — Released Bob the Builder: Mega Machines - The Movie and Thomas & Friends: Holiday Collection (6 disc set)

01/02/18 — Sets Brad's Status (ARR of 109 days; box office: $2,129,076)

01/09/18 — Adds Marshall (ARR of 88 days; box office: $8,760,472)

01/16/18 — Adds Snowman (ARR of 88 days; box office: $6,656,880)

Virgil Films & Entertainment

11/21/17 — Released Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story (ARR of 1,488 days; box office: $28,449)

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Living Single: The Complete Third Season (3 disc set)

Well Go U.S.A.

11/21/17 — Released Villainess (Korean) (ARR of 88 days; box office: $27,741)

12/05/17 — Sets Better Watch Out (ARR of 60 days; box office: $20,272)

XLrator Media (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released American Mary, Dark Signal, Feel Rich, Housebound, Legend of 420, Mule, Nola Circus, Savage Dog, Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation and Under the Bed

Zondervan

11/21/17 — Released Theology of Luke and Acts (2 disc set)

Blu-ray SKUs:

 

Acorn Media

11/21/17 — Released Fall: Series Three (2 disc set)

Aniplex of America

11/21/17 — Released Kizumonogatari, Part 3: Reiketsu

Arrow Video

01/09/18 — Sets Witches (Italian)

CBS Home Entertainment (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Amazing Race: Season 22 (3 disc set) and Amazing Race: Season 23 (3 disc set)

Cinelicious Pics

11/14/17 — Released Funeral Parade of Roses (Japanese) (2 disc set)

Code Red

11/14/17 — Released Sweet Baby Charlie (aka: The Sadist)

Cohen Media Group

11/14/17 — Released My Journey Through French Cinema (French)

Dark Entity Music, LLC

11/21/17 — Released Hostile Takeover

FilmRise (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Divine Divas (Portuguese), Good Postman (Bulgarian), I Dream in Another Language (Spanish) and Tormentero (Spanish)

FUNimation

11/21/17 — Released Future Diary: The Complete Series + OVA (4 Blu-ray/4 DVD Combo Pack), Myriad Colors Phantom World (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack), New Game!: Season One (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack) and Tales of Zestiria the X Season 1 (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack)

Gravitas Ventures

11/21/17 — Released California Typewriter

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Birthright: A War Story, Christmas in New York, Christmas in the Heartland, Magnum Opus, Night Watchmen and Ryde

K Street Pictures (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released Alex & Eve

Kino Lorber

11/21/17 — Released Cease Fire 3D/2D (2 disc set), Driftwood, Fritz Lang: The Silent Films (12 silent films: Metropolis (1927), Die Nibelungen (1924), Spies (1928), Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922), Destiny (1921), The Spiders (1919), Woman in the Moon (1929), Four Around the Woman (1921), Harakiri (1919), The Wandering Shadow (1920), The Plague of Florence (1919)) (12 disc set), Hangover Square, I'll Be Seeing You, Innsaei and Since You Went Away: Roadshow Edition

Kitty Media

11/21/17 — Released Kite: Uncut

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

11/14/17 — Released Unlocked (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

11/21/17 — Released Good Time (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

01/09/18 — Sets Friend Request (with UltraViolet Digital Copy) and My Little Pony: The Movie (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Mill Creek Entertainment

02/06/18 — Sets Benji (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Momentum Pictures, LLC

11/21/17 — Released Jungle (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Naxos

11/14/17 — Released Wagner: Die Walküre

SRS Cinema

11/21/17 — Released Teenage Slumber Party Nightmare

Sentai FilmWorks

11/21/17 — Released Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto: The Complete Collection (2 disc set) and Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto: The Complete Collection - Premium Edition (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack)

Shout! Factory

11/14/17 — Released Attack of the Puppet People, Incredible Shrinking Woman: Collector's Edition and Paul Naschy Collection 2 (5 film set: Hunchback of the Morgue, Devil's Possessed, The Werewolf and the Yeti, Exorcism, A Dragonfly for Each Corpse) (Spanish) (5 disc set)

11/21/17 — Released Porco Rosso (Japanese) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) and Secret World of Arrietty (Japanese) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

01/16/18 — Sets Better Call Saul: Season Three (3 disc set)

Troma

11/14/17 — Released Thingy: Confessions of a Teenage Placenta

Twilight Time

11/14/17 — Released Bananas, Doctor Dolittle, Gidget, Sayonara and Yellow Handkerchief (Japanese)

Ultra

11/21/17 — Released Bareilly Ki Barfi (Hindi) and Phillauri (Hindi)

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released AfterDeath, Bunnyman Vengeance, Circus Kane, Ice Cream Truck and Gremlin

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

01/09/18 — Adds Marshall (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

01/16/18 — Adds Snowman (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

12/05/18 — Sets Auntie Mame

Well Go U.S.A.

11/14/17 — Released Villainess (Korean) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Wizard/Full Moon

11/14/17 — Released Puppet Master: Axis Termination

XLrator Media (MOD)

11/21/17 — Released American Mary, Dark Signal, Feel Rich, Housebound, Legend of 420, Nola Circus, Savage Dog, Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation and Under the Bed

 

 

 

 

Mill Creek Entertainments Readies The Kids in the Hall: The Complete Collection For DVD On Feb. 6

Mill Creek Entertainment announced its first wave of February 2018 priced-to-collect DVD and Blu-ray product offerings this past week and leading the way is the 12-disc DVD presentation of the Canadian comedy series, The Kids in the Hall: The Complete Collection (with Digital Copy), starring comedians Bruce “Cabbage Head” McCulloch, Mark “Chicken Lady” McKinney, Dave “The Axe Murderer” Foley, Kevin “King of Empty Promises” McDonald and finally Scott “Stoner Baurer” Thompson. 

The street date will be Feb. 6.

Included in the collection from Mill Creek Entertainment are all five seasons — that’s 102 UNCENSORED episodes — plus the 2010 eight-episode mini-series titled The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town!

Also on the release calendar is a newly prepared film restoration (from the original 35mm source elements) of writer/director Joe Camp’s 1974 family-favorite, Benji.   

It will also be ready on Feb. 6 as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack release … and Benji will be presented for the first time on Blu-ray in the proper theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1!!!

Joe Camp and his son Brandon (who is re-launching the franchise theatrically in 2018) will be providing commentary.