For the period ending October 26, 2018 ... New DVD and Blu-ray selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database

DVD New Additions:

 

A&E Networks

10/23/18 — Released Double Feature: A Very Merry Toy Store, Four Christmases and a Wedding and Double Feature: Wrapped Up in Christmas, Snowed-Inn Christmas

Acorn Media

10/23/18 — Released 800 Words: Season 3, Part 1 (2 disc set)

Ambient Relaxation Films (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Ambient Galaxy, Cat Sitter TV, Cloud Backgrounds, Landscape Backgrounds, Landscape Backgrounds 2, Night Time Rainstorm and Sleep to Sunset … With Sounds of the Beach

Ammo Content, LLC

10/23/18 — Released Architect

Artsploitation Films

10/23/18 — Released Trauma (Spanish)

Barlates Body Blitz (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Barlates Body Blitz: Beginners Mat Series

Bayview Entertainment

10/23/18 — Released Dragon Way, Ghost and Legends of Martial Arts: Bill "Superfoot" Wallace

Blue Ridge Services, Inc. (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Landfill Safety Training: Backing Safety, Landfill Safety Training: Bird Safety, Landfill Safety Training: Dozer Safety: Pushing to the Face - Stage 1, Landfill Safety Training: Dozer Safety: Pushing to the Face - Stage 2, Landfill Safety Training: Electrical Safety, Landfill Safety Training: Emergency Response - Evacuation Plans, Landfill Safety Training: Excavating Old Trash, Landfill Safety Training: Extreme Conditions - Hot Weather, Landfill Safety Training: Hydraulic Safety, Landfill Safety Training: Landfill Odors - Safety Issues, Landfill Safety Training: Leachate Management & Handling, Landfill Safety Training: Load Checking, Landfill Safety Training: Loader Safety,  Landfill Safety Training: Machine Fires, Landfill Safety Training: Machine Maintenance, Landfill Safety Training: Maintenance & Repair - Putting Tools Away, Landfill Safety Training: Methane Gas Safety, Landfill Safety Training: Natural Disasters, Landfill Safety Training: Personal Protective Equipment, Landfill Safety Training: Shop Safety, Landfill Safety Training: The Basics of First Aid, Landfill Safety Training: The Basics of Landfill Safety, Landfill Safety Training: Working in Cold Weather, Part 1, Landfill Safety Training: Working in Dusty Conditions and Landfill Safety Training: Working in Wet Weather

Breaking Glass Pictures

10/23/18 — Released My Big Gay Italian Wedding (Italian) and Wobble Palace

Broken Knuckle Video Productions (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Watco Companies Blue Ridge Southern

CBS Home Entertainment (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Odd Couple: Season 2 (2 disc set) and Odd Couple: Season 3 (2 disc set)

Central Home Entertainment

10/23/18 — Released Abrahaminte Santhathikal (Malayalam)

Championship Productions

10/23/18 — Released Seven S's of the Pick and Roll

Chess on DVD

10/16/18 — Released Foxy Openings #185: Assess Any Position and Create a Plan, Part 1 and Foxy Openings #186: Assess Any Position and Create a Plan, Part 2

Cinema Epoch (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Revenge of the Samurai Cop

Comedy Dynamics

10/23/18 — Released Bruce, Harland Williams: A Force of Nature, Jimmy Dore: Sentenced To Live, Joe Piscopo: A Night At Club Piscopo, Matt Braunger: Big Dumb Animal, Steven Banks: Home Entertainment Center, Todd Glass: Talks About Stuff, Tom Green Live! and Tom Papa: Human Mule

DAR-APP Entertainment (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Cat Kidnapper

DreamScape Media

10/23/18 — Released 12, Homeless, Miracle on 34th Street, Travel With Kids: Mexico – Huatulco, Travel With Kids: Mexico – The Yucatan Mayan Riviera and Travel With Kids: Mexico – Tulum

Ei Independent Cinema

10/23/18 — Released Racy Reels from the Something Weird Vault (2 film set: I, A Woman, Part II, The Daughter: I, A Woman, Part III)

Freestyle Digital Media (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Black Creek, Breaking and Exiting, Don't Sleep, El Gallo, Hondros and Odds Are …

FUNimation

10/23/18 — Released Witch Hunter Robin: Complete Series (4 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Get Digital World (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released FaceBook Marketing Made Easy 2018-2019 Version, It's Time To Change Your Life: Absolute Yoga, Life Changing Effects Of Positive Thinking, Make Money Online: Email Marketing Demon, Make Money Online: The Instagram Affiliate System, Master PhotoShop In 3 Hours Or Less, Mastering Self Discipline: The Life Changing Effects, Video Marketing Made Easy, Your Personal Math Tutor: SAT Math Tutorials and Your Recipe For Success

10/30/18 — Sets FaceBook Marketing In Modern Times, Joomla For Dummies, LinkedIn Ads For Complete Idiots, Make Money Online: Google Adsense Made Easy, Make Money Online: Your $10,000 BluePrint, Marketing Strategies: Creating Video Teasers, Marketing: Launching Your First Product and Quick Weight Loss For Women

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Acid Horizon, American Chaos, Butterfly Kisses and Freaks & Errors: A Rare Collection

HBO Home Entertainment (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Baltimore Rising, Being Serena, Dangerous Son, Jane Fonda in Five Acts and John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Hallmark Channel (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Christmas Connection and Once Upon a Holiday

Hollywood Scrapheap (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released At Gunpoint

I-Cine

10/23/18 — Released Long Chau Truyen Ky, Part 1 (12 disc set) and Long Chau Truyen Ky, Part 2 (12 disc set)

Indican Pictures

12/04/18 — Sets In Searching

Indie Rights, Inc. (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Trade

IndiePix

10/23/18 — Released Fishy Stones, Gone Crazy and Umbango

Kino Lorber

10/23/18 — Released Gun Shy, High Heels and Low Lifes, I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle and You Never Know Women (silent-1926)

Kitty Media

10/23/18 — Released Lust-Struck Trilogy

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

10/23/18 — Released Elephant's Journey, Happening of Monumental Proportions, I Am Vengeance and Snake Outta Compton

MTI Home Video

10/23/18 — Released Burnt Offerings

Momentum Pictures, LLC

10/23/18 — Released I Think We're Alone Now

Murphy’s Magic Supplies

10/23/18 — Released Dani DaOrtiz: Here & Now (4 disc set)

Mystic Night Pictures (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Murder Before Dark and Valez

Naxos

10/23/18 — Released Puccini: Madame Butterfly - The Royal Opera, Puccini: Turadot - Teatro Regio Torino and Tchaikovsky: Iolanta / The Nutcracker (2 disc set)

PBS Direct

10/23/18 — Released Art 21: Art in the Twenty-First Century - Season 9

PCN Productions (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released PA Books: For the Love of Beer - Pennsylvania's Breweries and PCN Tours: Gertrude Hawk Chocolates

PDSD, Inc. – Shami Media

10/23/18 — Released Final Haunting, Lyco and Potpourri

Paramount Home Media

12/04/18 — Adds Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero

Pentrex

10/23/18 — Released Wisconsin Central

Random Media (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Around the World in 80 Anthems

Rogue Video

10/23/18 — Released Alice or the Last Escapade (French)

SRS Cinema

10/23/18 — Released Door 1 of 5 Doors to Hell

Scorpion Releasing

10/23/18 — Released Lady Ice

Serpent Films (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released 2 Classic Comedy Movies (2 film set: Juke Joint, O-Kay for Sound), 2 Classic Comedy Movies (2 film set: Remedy for Riches, The Miracle Kid), 2 Classic Comedy Movies (2 film set: With Love and Kisses, People are Funny), 2 Classic Horror Movies (2 film set: Anatomy of a Psycho, The Beast of Yucca Flats), 2 Classic Horror Movies (2 film set: The Hand, The Brain That Wouldn't Die), 2 Classic Horror Movies (2 film set: Killer Shrews, The Brain That Wouldn't Die), 2 Classic Horror Movies (2 film set: Teenage Devil Dolls, Teenage Zombies), 2 Classic Horror Movies (2 film set: Werewolf of Washington, Track of the Moon Beast), 2 Classic Sexy Movies (2 film set: Jungle Goddess (aka: Liane, Jungle Goddess), Not Tonight Henry) and 2 Classic War Movies (2 film set: 49th Parallel, Aerial Gunner)

Shout! Factory

10/23/18 — Released Devil's Doorway

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Glory Pro Wrestling: Horse Power - Collinsville, IL, H2O Wrestling: Matt Tremont & Danny Havoc's Deathmatch Extravanza - Williamstown, NJ, IWA Mid-South: 22nd Anniversary Show - Jefferson, IN, IWA Mid-South: Autumn 2018 Triple Header - Jefferson, IN, IWA Mid-South: Lethal Lottery - Memphis, IN, Underground Empire Wrestling: Mother's Day Massacre - Sun Valley, CA, Underground Empire Wrestling: Pledge Your Allegiance - Sun Valley, CA and Unsanctioned Pro: Unsanctioned 2 - Electric Boogaloo - Columbus, OH

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

10/23/18 — Released American Chaos (ARR of 39 days; box office: $12,368), Nashville Christmas and Patient Zero

Synergetic (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Ghost Squad (Japanese)

The 1914 Magic Shop

10/23/18 — Released Fraser Parker: True Mysteries Lite

The Film Collectors Society of America (MOD)

10/16/18 — Released Embalmer, Fair Wind to Java, Fangs of the Living Dead,  Farewell to Arms, Flying Deuces, Flying Wild, Fonda on Fonda, Foreign Student, Frankenstein 80,  Freckles Comes Home,  Gang's All Here, General (silent-1927),  Good Dame, Goodbye Love, Gotti, Grave of the Vampire,  Green Eyes,  Groom Wore Spurs,  Gulliver's Travels and Guru, The Mad Monk  

The Orchard (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Lambo

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent.

10/23/18 — Released Americans: The Complete Final Season (3 disc set) and Sorry to Bother You (ARR of 109 days; box office: $17,490,603)

Uni Music – Gaither Music Group

10/23/18 — Released Josh Turner: I Serve a Savior

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

10/23/18 — Released Scorpion King: Book of Souls

VIZ Media

10/23/18 — Released Accel World: Infinite Beast

Vertical Entertainment

10/23/18 — Released Pagan King

Warner Bros. Home Ent.

12/04/18 — Adds The Nun (ARR of 88 days; box office: $116.7 million)

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Alice: The Complete Eighth Season (3 disc set)

11/06/18 — Sets Mr. Novak: The Complete First Season (6 disc set)

11/13/18 — Adds 13th Chair (1929 version)/13th Chair (1937 version), Divorce in the Family, Hide-Out, Man of the People and Passion Flower

11/20/18 — Adds Inside Daisy Clover and Step by Step: The Complete Third Season (3 disc set)

11/27/18 — Sets Janie/Janie Gets Married, What I Like About You: The Complete Third Season (3 disc set) and Wings for the Eagle

Wild East Productions

10/23/18 — Released Spaghetti Western Collection #62 (2 film set: Ride for a Massacre, A Gun for a 100 Graves)

Wild Eye Releasing

10/23/18 — Released Blessed are the Children and Click Bait

WOWnow Entertainment (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Chicken Stew, Frozen Christmas Carol and Horseplay 2: Black Beauty

Blu-ray New Additions:

Arrow Video

10/23/18 — Released Distant Voices, Still Lives

Artsploitation Films

10/23/18 — Released Trauma (Spanish)

Broken Knuckle Video Productions (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Watco Companies Blue Ridge Southern

Cinema Epoch (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Revenge of the Samurai Cop

Cinetrove International

12/04/18 — Sets Fric-Frac (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (French)

Full Moon Entertainment

10/23/18 — Released Prehysteria! (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

FUNimation

10/23/18 — Released 91 Days: The Complete Series (2 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Concrete Revolutio (4 Blu-ray/4 DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Endride: The Complete Series (4 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy) and Tsukiuta The Animation (2 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Acid Horizon, Butterfly Kisses, Freaks & Errors: A Rare Collection and Planes with Brains

Hen’s Tooth

10/23/18 — Released Cross of Iron

Indie Rights, Inc. (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Trade

Kino Lorber

10/23/18 — Released Gun Shy, High Heels and Low Lifes and You Never Know Women (silent-1926)

Kitty Media

10/23/18 — Released Lust-Struck Trilogy

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

10/23/18 — Released I Am Vengeance (with UltraViolet Digital Copy) and Maximum Overdrive

Momentum Pictures, LLC

10/23/18 — Released I Think We're Alone Now

Monterey Video (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released Sun at Midnight

Naxos

10/23/18 — Released Puccini: Madame Butterfly - The Royal Opera, Puccini: Turadot - Teatro Regio Torino and Tchaikovsky: Iolanta / The Nutcracker (2 disc set)

PCN Productions (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released PA Books: For the Love of Beer - Pennsylvania's Breweries and PCN Tours: Gertrude Hawk Chocolates

Paramount Home Media

12/04/18 — Adds Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Sentai Filmworks

10/23/18 — Released Made In Abyss: Complete Collection (2 disc set)

Severin Films

10/23/18 — Released Brides of Blood and Mad Doctor of Blood Island

Shout! Factory

10/23/18 — Released Creepshow: Collector's Edition, Devil's Doorway and Get Shorty

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

10/23/18 — Released IWA Mid-South: 22nd Anniversary Show - Jefferson, IN, Underground Empire Wrestling: Mother's Day Massacre - Sun Valley, CA, Underground Empire Wrestling: Pledge Your Allegiance - Sun Valley, CA and Unsanctioned Pro: Unsanctioned 2 - Electric Boogaloo - Columbus, OH

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

10/23/18 — Released Evil Dead: Unrated (2 disc set), Night of the Living Dead and Patient Zero

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent.

10/23/18 — Released Sorry to Bother Your (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

10/23/18 — Released Scorpion King: Book of Souls (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

VIZ Media

10/23/18 — Released Accel World: Infinite Beast

Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.

10/23/18 — Released Celebrating Mickey (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy) and Muppet Movie: Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition (with Digital Copy)

Wild East Productions

10/23/18 — Released Requiem for a Gringo

 

Paramount Home Media To Release Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero On DVD And Blu-ray On Dec. 11

Writer/director Richard Lanni’s indie animated true-life “tail,” Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, has been picked up by Paramount Home Media for release as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings on Dec. 11.

The ARR for this Fun Academy film production works out to 242 days (released theatrically on limited number of screens this past April) and domestic box office receipts totaled $3.1 million.

Filmmaker Richard Lanni came across the story of a Boston Terrier serving as the mascot of the 26th Infantry Division in World War I quite by accident.   As he tells it, he was working on research for a World War I documentary series when he came across the story of a stray dog being taken in by the 26^th and then traveling with them to France (American Expeditionary Force) in 1917.   The little dog, named Stubby (short tail) became a war hero … a real war hero!

The challenge for Lanni was to tell the story of the little dog’s courage and deeds during his 18 months of trench warfare … and keep it “G” rated.   The horrors of trench warfare have been well documented in the movies and it is a subject that doesn’t lend itself to “G” ratings.   But, Lanni and his animation (CGI) production team manage to pull it off, an animated, “G-rated” World War I adventure about a little dog in combat!

So what did Stubby do?   He served with the troops, alerted them to a sneak mustard gas attack, found wounded soldiers in no-man’s land and on one particular evening discovered a German soldier trying to slip into the American trenches … and captured him!

For these deeds, and many more, Stubby was given the official Army rank of Sergeant and ended up being the most decorated canine in U.S. military history.   He served out the war, returned home and toured the country, even meeting presidents Wilson, Coolidge and Harding … and then lived out the remainder of his life in retirement as a genuine war hero.

Writer/Director Jake L. Topkis' In Searching Debuts On DVD On Dec. 4 Courtesy Of Indican Pictures

It will seem a little odd to fans of Grey’s Anatomy if they catch the theatrical release of writer/director Jake L. Topkis’ In Searching during its limited run, which begins in early November.   

Yes, that’s Dr. Levi Schmidt (Jake Borelli — also as Wolfgang in The Thundermans TV series) of the award-winning ABC dramatic series in the lead role, but he looks younger … new movie release, how is that possible?

If you are not in one of the major metro areas where the film will be showcased, no worries, Indican Pictures has tabbed Dec. 4 as the DVD debut date for Topkis’ In Searching.  Be sure to look for it then.

In the world of independent filmmaking it is, in many cases, no longer about the talent or the technical aspects, but the funding.   Getting a film produced is the hardest part as most filmmakers have knowledge and access to the “how to” part of production.   Frankly, that scares the “Hollywood” Studios, who know that some “kid” can make a quality film for the cost of what they spend on catering over a couple of days.

To give you some idea on how this little gem is just getting out now, think about this, Topkis began working on In Searching back in 2013, long before Borelli became a known quantity.   Production began in August of that year and filming was completed within 25 days … by August of the following a “rough cut” was assembled and a teaser trailer surfaced in February of 2015.   

Finally, the film began working the festival circuit and when it grabbed Best Actor (for Jake Borelli’s performance) and the Audience Award at this year’s SENE Film, Music & Arts Festival in Providence, Rhode Island, people began to take notice of In Searching.   Indican Pictures spotted this quality production (Dan Finlayson was the cinematographer and his work is superb) and is moving it to market … at last!   So, in a round-about-way that explains how Jake Borelli suddenly got younger.

As to the story, Jon (Borelli) has left his small town behind (filmed in and around Park City, Utah) and gone off to college and has now returned for the first time during the semester break.  Old high school friends, Cole (Jacob Grodnik) and Michelle (Aley Underwood) and a long-time nemesis, Erik (Evan Hall — as CO Stratman in Orange Is the New Black and as Shep Marster in the second season of Mars) have continued on in his absence. 

It is as if the book has been closed, but the pages are tagged and the story just continues by flipping to the marker.   Go away to college, come home for a few days and once again its like the Bowling for Soup song … “High School Never Ends.”

Filmmaker Jake L. Topkis takes us on a journey about moving on, which is in many ways timeless.   However, he cleverly uses a “device” that brings some mystery and tension to getting beyond what is today to where each of the four main characters need to go to get to “tomorrow.”   

No sooner is Jon back in town when Erik challenges him to an insane bike race (one that you will have to see to get the full impact), which is basically scary teen-stuff.   During the race something (which we won’t give away here) happens that sets events in motion that forces Jon and his friends to sort through what is important in their lives … and what has to be let go of so that the journey can continue. 

Dec. 4, In Searching … look for it from Indican Pictures on DVD.

Arrow Video Restores Director Robert Altman's Gosford Park For Blu-ray Release On Nov. 27

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, looks to Nov. 27 for the delivery of a new 2K restoration Blu-ray edition (supervised and approved by director of photography Andrew Dunn) of famed auteur filmmaker Robert Altman’s 2001 Best Picture nominee, Gosford Park.

After the disastrous flop of Dr. T & the Women in 2000, which was proceeded by The Gingerbread Man in 1998, the long swords were out, Altman was done, too old … he had lost his touch; his filmmaking gift.   

Gosford Park proved them all wrong as it was a huge hit and ended up with seven Oscar nominations — the aforementioned Best Picture nod (losing out to A Beautiful Mind), plus Best Director (his fifth — MASH, Nashville, The Player and Shorts Cut were the other four), two for Best Supporting Actress, Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith and among others, a win for Best Screenplay (Julian Fellowes, who would go onto to create and write the hit TV series Downton Abbey).

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release features not one, but three separate commentary options.   There are two vintage commentary tracks — one featuring filmmaker Robert Altman, production designer Stephen Altman and producer David Levy and the second with writer/producer Julian Fellowes— and a newly-prepared commentary option teaming critics Geoff Andrew and David Thompson (who also wrote “Altman on Altman”).

There are a whopping 15 deleted scenes (with optional commentary from Robert Altman), newly-prepared video sessions with cast and crew members (unspecified), a vintage Q&A sessions with Altman and members of the cast and two vintage featurettes — “The Making of Gosford Park” and “Keeping Gosford Park Authentic.”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Taps Dec. 4 For The Release Of DVD And Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Editions Of Director James Wan's The Nun

Talent agency topper and long-time film producer Peter Safran has managed, with the help of director/producer James Wan (Saw series of films, Insidious series, The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, etc.) to launch and maintain in the past five years a full-blown film franchise series that shows no signs of slowing down.

It is dubbed “The Conjuring Universe” and began in 2013 with The Conjuring and a domestic box office haul of $137.4 million.   This was followed by Annabelle ($84.3 million) during the Halloween season of 2014, The Conjuring 2 ($102.5 million) in the early summer of 2016, Annabelle: Creation ($102.1 million) the following summer and this year, director Colin Hardy’s The Nun.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced this past week that The Nun would be making its way home as two SKU product offering — DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack — on Dec. 4.    That street date yields an ARR of 88 days and domestic ticket sales in the post-Labor Day period registered a tasty $116.7 million.

A film franchise indeed, with the next Annabelle film lined up for next summer and the next edition of the The Conjuring ready the following year.   Money, money, money!

In post-war Romania, about 20 or so years prior to the events that unfold in The Conjuring, we two Catholic nuns are attacked by a mysterious entity that takes the form of a ghostly nun.   Real creepy stuff — and very effective — to open the proceedings.

The Vatican learns of the assault at the remote monastery and dispatches Father Burke (Demián Bichir — Alien: Covenant, The Hateful Eight, etc.) along with a young nun, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga — The Bling Ring, Anna, 6 Years) to investigate.   We will learn as the chill-filled story progresses that a significant artifact was safely hidden there, but perhaps the ravages of the World War II might have changed that.

In any case, The Nun is a terrific haunted house — in the form of a sprawling medieval castle — that delivers exactly what in promises.   Chills, atmosphere and spooky thrills!

As to bonus goodies, we have nearly ten minutes worth of deleted scenes (reports in the media pointed to some production re-shoots … perhaps this is some of that footage) and a trio of featurettes — “A New Horror Icon,” “Gruesome Planet” and “The Conjuring Chronology.”

Cinetrove International Announces 2K Restoration Of Marcel Carné’s Fric-Frac Ready For A Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Launch On Dec. 4

In the summer of 1939 she was a star, at the height of her career with such films as director Marcel Carné’s Hôtel du Nord (Christmas of 1938) and Le Jour Se Leve (1939) and director Maurice Lehmann’s Fric-Frac.   Cinetrove International announced this past week that a new film restoration of one these star-studded pre-war productions, Fric-Frac, will making its Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack debut on Dec. 4.

Like Cher, or Madonna, or Barbra, she was known internationally by just one name, Arletty (aka: Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat).   All of France celebrated her … her fame, her beauty.   World War II would come to Europe, Paris fell, Paris was liberated and in March of 1945 her greatest film triumph, directed by Marcel Carné, Children of Paradise, would have its debut in a liberated Paris. 

Between Fric-Frac in the summer of 1939 and the arrival of Children of Paradise (which was filmed during the occupation) in the spring of 1945, Arletty’s career would take a tumble.    She had an affair with a German Luftwaffe Lieutenant-Colonel by the name of Hans-Jürgen Soehring during the occupation of Paris and was arrested in December of 1944, convicted, sentenced to time in prison and forbidden to work for three years thereafter.   Her film career was never quite the same after that.

Fric-Frac is based upon a comedy play by Édouard Bourdet and stars Arletty as Loulou, a streetwise beauty, who has partnered up with Jo (Michel Simon), a shifty pickpocket and all around conman (they both were featured in the original play).   By chance they run into Marcel (Fernandel), a happy-go-lucky sort, if anything, a little on the dim side, who is being pursued for marriage by Renée (Hélène Robert), the daughter of his jeweler boss.  

When Loulou picks up on Marcel’s unique position, it is just a matter of time before a plot is hatched to use him for a major jewelry haul, without any of that “fric-frac” stuff (slang for breaking and entering).   As with any plans hatched in a comedy, things will go wrong … absurdly wrong!

Bonus features include the original French-language theatrical trailer and a “Behind-the-Scenes” featurette.   Fric-Frac is presented in French with English subtitles.

Blue Underground Preps 4K Restoration Of Cult Filmmaker Lucio Fulci's Zombie For Blu-ray Release On Nov. 27

Blue Underground, with sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, will have genre fans salivating on Nov. 27 in anticipation of getting their hands on double-disc limited edition 40^th Anniversary Blu-ray presentation of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie.

Yes, it has been out before … and yes, we know that if you have a horror, sci-fi and fantasy film library of any significance you likely have a copy in hand.   But seriously, a new 4K restoration from the original uncut and uncensored camera negative, is something you are going to want to upgrade come late November (consider it an Christmas present).

The film opened in Italy in the summer of 1979, but it took a full year before an English-dubbed version arrived on these shores.   It doesn’t matter which version you want, Blue Underground has you covered — Italian with English subtitles on the English-language theatrical version.

What is important about this presentation — beyond the 4K restoration — are the bonus goodies … you could be hold up for an entire weekend working your way through the delights.

So, let’s get to it.   There are two commentary options.   The first is the vintage commentary with actor Ian McCulloch and “Diabolik Magazine” editor Jason J. Slater, while the second is the newly-prepared commentary track featuring author Troy Howarth (“Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films”).   

There is an intro by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and the newly-minted video session titled “When the Earth Spits Out the Dead,” featuring author Stephen Thrower (“Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio”).   The film presentation and all of these aforementioned bonuses — plus a poster and still gallery, trailers, TV and radio spots — are all on the first disc.

The companion disc is crammed with more bonus features … eight featurettes — “Zombie Wasteland,” “Flesh Eaters on Film,” “Deadtime Stories,” “World of the Dead,” “Zombi Italiano,” “Notes on a Headstone,” “All in the Family” and” Zombie Lover.”

Not done yet!   Blue Underground is also including ZOMBIE: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD by Fabio Frizzi.