Arrow Video Restores Director Billy Wilder's The Major And The Minor For Blu-ray Release On Sept. 24

21 Oscar nominations!!  That’s a bunch … indeed, only one filmmaker has more individual Oscar nominations and that would be Woody Allen, who has 23.

Billy Wilder is the writer, director and producer who garnered, during his filmmaking career, 21 nominations, which included six wins (writing and direction for The Lost Weekend, writing for Sunset Blvd. and writing, producing and directing for The Apartment).   He had to start somewhere!

He had fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and made his way to Hollywood as a screenwriter and scored three Oscar nominations for his skills in that area with Ninotchka (1939), Hold Back the Dawn and Ball of Fire (both 1941), but didn’t want to get “pigeon holed” as just a writer.   He wanted to make films; direct.

That opportunity came just after the start of World War II with his film adaptation of a play by Edward Childs Carpenter (“Connie Goes Home”), The Major and the Minor … he wrote it with longtime collaborator Charles Brackett (who amassed nine Oscar nominations during his career, including three wins … the 1953 screenplay for Titanic and two he shared with Wilder, Sunset Blvd. and The Lost Weekend).  

Wilder’s agent, as luck would have it, was also Ginger Rogers’ agent, and she had just scored the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Kitty Foyle and could pretty much do anything she pleased at this point in her career.   She chose Wilder’s comedy (just after wrapping Roxie Hart) and, as they say, the rest is history … Wilder was on his way as a director!

Word arrived this past week that Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new hi-def transfer of The Major and the Minor ready for distribution as a Blu-ray product offering on Sept. 24.   

This is a light-hearted comedy in which Gary Grant was to be teamed with Ginger Rogers — who was required to dress and look like a 12 year-old in an elaborate deception — but that didn’t work out and so Ray Milland got the part.   Of note, he would win the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Wilder’s 1945 film release of The Lost Weekend. 

As to bonus nuggets for this comedy gem, there is a newly-prepared commentary option from film scholar Adrian Martin (“The Mad Max Movies,” “Once upon a Time in America,” “Mysteries of Cinema”), a new featurette titled “Half Fare Please!,” the 1943 Lux Radio Theatre featuring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland and an archival interview with Milland.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Looks To Aug. 20 For The Home Entertainment Lanuch Of Director Chris Addison's The Hustle

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will be guiding the MGM production of director Chris Addison’s comedy, The Hustle, to market on Aug. 20 as DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack product offerings.

This latest Rebel Wilson comedy — co-starring Anne Hathaway — arrives in the home entertainment packaged media marketplace with an ARR of 102 days.   The box office take currently stands at $34.9 million.

As to bonus features, actor-turned-director Chris Addison provides commentary (who is making his feature film debut as a director … TV work includes 13 episodes of Veep, where he also served as executive producer and captured two Emmy Awards), plus there are three featurettes — “Hitting the Mark,” “Comedy Class” and “Con Artists.”

The Criterion Collection Announces It September Of 2019 DVD And Blu-ray Release Calendar

The Criterion Collection will have something ready for delivery on every street-date Tuesday during the month of September.

Leading the parade of new 2K and 4K film restorations is auteur filmmaker John Waters’ 1981 comedy classic, Polyester, teaming Divine, as the always lovely Francine Fishpaw, with the late matinee idol, Tab Hunter (making his “comeback” in this film as Todd Tomorrow). 

This 4K restoration (supervised by Waters … this was his first film shot on 35mm) will be available as both DVD and Blu-ray editions for fans to enjoy on Sept. 17.

Francine Fishpaw, sexy, vivacious and cursed with a keen sense of smell (yes, Criterion is including the famous scratch-and-sniff Odorama card with the release), lives in Baltimore with her husband, Elmer (David Samson) — who owns a porno house — and their two kids, Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington) and Dexter (Ken King).

Her world slowly unravels as she finds that her husband is having an affair with his secretary, Sandra (played by Waters’ regular, Mink Stole), her son is the infamous Baltimore “Foot Stomper” and her daughter is seeing the local teen ruffian, Bo-Bo Belsinger (played by punk rocker, Stiv Bators … who was the lead singer for The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church).   

Oh, it gets worse, she finds the man of her dreams — Todd Tomorrow — but he is actually her mother’s lover (Francine’s mom is played by Joni Ruth White) and they plan on ripping her off.   Indeed, the only friend Francine has in the whole world is Cuddles Kovinsky (another Waters’ regular, Edith Massey), a cleaning lady-turned-debutante after inheriting a small fortune … she rides around town in her limo driven by Heintz (Hans Kramm). 

Will Francine ever find happiness?   This much we can tell you, blood will be spilled and not everyone survives … life can be rough on the streets of Baltimore!

Bonus goodies include a vintage commentary from filmmaker John Waters (circa 1993), a newly-minted video session with John Waters and film critic Michael Musto (“Manhattan on the Rocks,” “Fork on the Left, Knife in the Back,” etc.) and a new untitled featurette featuring John Waters’ “collaborators,” Tab Hunter, Dennis Dermody, Pat Moran, Vincent Peranio, Mink Stole, Mary Garlington and Greer Yeaton.

Other goodies include deleted scenes, alternate takes and a vintage (1993) video session with the cast and crew, including Waters, Divine, Pat Moran, Vomcemt Peranio, Edith Massey, and Van Smith.

Also heading home as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings during the month of September from Criterion are: Fists in the Pocket (Sept. 03), Cloud-Capped Star (Sept. 10), Cluny Brown (Sept. 17) The Circus (silent-1928) and Local Hero (both on Sept. 24)

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Outside PR Firm Bungles The July 30 Home Entertainment Launch Of Director Deon Taylor’s The Intruder

You’ve probably heard this story before.   It goes like this, a major studio hires an outside PR firm to get the word out on a new theatrical release making the transition from its theatrical multiplex venues to the home entertainment arena and they don’t do their job … do you blame them or the studio?   Good question.

It is sort of like that age-old story about a tree falling in the forest.   If no one hears it fall … well, you know the rest.   In this case, the PR firm doesn’t do its job, but there are plenty of competitive retailers out there who jump at every opportunity to grab pre-orders, so the word gets out anyway; the otherwise silence of the forest is broken with the noise of the tree falling by retailers fighting amongst themselves for their fair share of the revenue pie.   

Which, raises an interesting question, do you really need a PR firm at all when retailers will do the work for you?

With all that said, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has selected July 30 for the home entertainment rollout of director Deon Taylor’s horror/mystery, The Intruder.

The ARR comes in at 88 days and domestic box office receipts currently stand at $35.2 million.

Planned for release are both DVD and Blu-ray editions (no Combo Pack, which comes as something of a surprise). 

As to bonus goodies, there is a commentary option featuring director Deon Taylor (Traffik, Meet the Blacks, etc.), who is joined by writer David Loughery (Blindsided, Passenger 57, Money Train), producer Roxanne Avent (Traffik, Meet the Blacks, etc.) and actors Meagan Good (Shazam!) and Michael Ealy (Barbershop).

Additionally, there is a gag reel, a half-dozen deleted scenes, an alternate ending and the featurette titled, “Making a Modern Thriller.”

Retailers Jump The Gun On Lionsgate Home Entertainment July 30 Home Entertainment Rollout Of director Jonathan Levine's Long Shot

Last week the PR department over at Lionsgate Home Entertainment was tasked with trying to generate some interest in the reboot of Hellboy (July 23).   That effort must have plumb tuckered them out as they couldn’t even muster the energy this week to post a press announcement for the home entertainment launch of director Jonathan Levine's latest comedy, Long Shot.   

Hey, it happens.  We’re not being judgmental.  After all, getting all those words down on paper — and in the proper order — can be taxing.   Then there are all of those approvals and sign-offs and getting it up on line just so that parties covering such things can take note of the little details — like dates, formats and extras.   Geeze, it is exhausting just talking about it.

Instead retailers simply started taking orders for delivery of both DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack editions of this miss-matched political comedy for delivery on July 30.

The ARR works out to a swift-to-market 88 days and box office receipts for this Seth Rogen/Charlize Theron misfire came in light at just $30.3 million.

Bonus nuggets include a whopping ten featurettes — “All's Fair in Love & Politics: Making Long Shot,” “Seven Minutes in Heaven: Seth + Charlize Uncensored,” “Secret Weapons,” “Epic Flarsky Falls,” “Prime Minister Steward O-Rama,” “Hanging with Boyz II Men,” “Just Kinda Crushing It!,” “The First Mister: A Portrait,” “An Imperfect Union,” “Love & Politics,” and “Friends Like These.” 

For the period ending June 14, 2019 ... New DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database

 

DVD New Additions

 

AP International

06/11/19 — Released Argentina Fans Kaattoorkadavu (Malayalam)

Arizona Public Media (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Desert Speaks: Islands in Time and Desert Speaks: The Mexican Galapagos

Asylum Home Entertainment (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Monster Island

CBS Home Entertainment (MOD)

06/04/19 — Released America's Next Top Model: Cycle 16 (3 disc set) and America's Next Top Model: Cycle 17 (3 disc set)

06/11/19 — Released Survivor: Ghost Island - Season 36 (5 disc set)

Child Sensitive Communications (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Noah's Zoo

Camp Craft (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Campcraft with Jason Hunt, Volume 4

Dark Entity Music, LLC

06/11/19 — Released Soul Copyright

DreamScape Media, LLC

06/11/19 — Released Piñata That the Farm Maiden Hung, Redemption Way and Zoo School

Dynamic

06/11/19 — Released Donizetti: Enrico di Borgogna

EWTN

06/04/19 — Released Women of Grace: Judy Klein - Women, Wounds and the Power of God

06/11/18 — Sets @ Home with Jim & Joy: Alan Migliorato Advice on Raising Daughters, @ Home with Jim & Joy: Jim and Joy Pinto Answer Viewer Calls, Questions, And E-Mails Live From the Pinto House, Called to Communion, Journey Home: Sohrab Ahmari former Muslim and Agnostic and Life on the Rock: Father Joseph Mary Looks Back on Mother Angelica's Profound and Personal Reflections on the Way of the Cross

06/18/19 — Sets Called to Communion and Life on the Rock: Steve Dawson, Founder of St. Paul's Street Evangelization, Shares Ten Ways to be an Amazing Evangelist Right Now

Freestyle Digital Media (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Miami Love Affair

Get Digital World (MOD)

06/04/19 — Released 84 SAT Math Test Questions Answered For Dummies (2 disc set), Ancient Manuscript Reveals The Key To Unleash Your Inner Potential!, Internet Marketing Tools: Learn About The. Profit With Them. and Jaw Dropping Internet Marketing Methods Made Easy

06/11/19 — Released Affiliate Niche Cash, Lightning Fast Internet Marketing For Business People and Power Internet Marketing Lifestyle Secrets

Giant Interactive (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Do Something: The Jeffrey Modell Story

Golden Dragon Productions (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Macbeth and Night Walker

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released American Warfighter, Bullish Farmer and From Core to Sun

High Octane Pictures, LLC (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Crisis Hotline

Icarus Films

08/13/19 — Sets Other Side of Everything (Serbian)

Juno Films, Inc.

06/11/19 — Released Cielo (Spanish) and Michelin Stars: Tales From the Kitchen (French)

08/27/19 — Sets Child's Play and Doublecross

09/17/19 — Sets Miss Tulip Stays the Night and My Wife's Lodger

Kino Lorber

06/11/19 — Released Girl Most Likely To …, Kidnapped and Pursuit

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

06/11/19 — Released Leprechaun Returns, Norm of the North: King Sized Adventure and Orange is the New Black: Season Six (4 disc set)

07/23/19 — Sets Hellboy (ARR of 102 days; box office: $21,882,492)

Movie Channel

06/11/19 — Released Mera Naam Shaji (Malayalam)

Multicom Entertainment Group (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released #FollowMe and Fat Legs (French)

Naxos

06/11/19 — Released Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Das Wunder der Heliane (2 disc set), Ibsen's Ghosts, Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and Mercadante: Didone Abbandonata

Oscilloscope Laboratories

07/16/19 — Sets Relaxer

PCN Productions (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released 2019 PIAA 1A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 2A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 3A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 4A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 5A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 6A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 1A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 2A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 3A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 4A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 5A Softball Championship and 2019 PIAA 6A Softball Championship

Paramount Home Media

08/20/19 — Sets Blue Bloods: The Ninth Season (5 disc set)

RSVP Magic (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Frenetic, Volume 1 and Frenetic, Volume 2

SM Productionz

06/04/19 — Released Translation

06/11/19 — Released Fresh Swap

Saina Video Vision

06/11/19 — Released Varikkuzhiyile Kolapathakam (Malayalam)

Sentai Filmworks

06/11/19 — Released Hozuki's Coolheadedness 2: The Complete Collection (4 disc set)

Serpent Films (MOD)

06/04/19 — Released 2 Classic Movies (2 film set: The Wrong Road, They Met in the Dark)

06/11/19 — Released 2 Classic Movies (2 film set: Flesh and the Spur, Fugitive Valley), 2 Classic Movies (2 film set: Gunsmoke Ranch, In Old Caliente) and 2 Classic Movies (2 film set: Lawless Land, Marked for Murder)

Shemaroo Entertainent

06/11/19 — Released Fakir of Venice (Hindi) and Tera Intezaar (Hindi)

Shout! Factory (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Sinatra in Palm Springs: The Place He Called Home

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Black Label Pro: There's Something About Barry - Crown Point, IN, ICW: Summer Slaughter 2 - Milwaukee, WI, IWA Mid-South: Payback Pain and Agony - Jeffersonville, IN, IWA Mid-South: The Dirty - Jeffersonville, IN, Intergender Bonanza: The Stan Styles Intergender Bonanza 3 - Williamstown, NJ and Star Pro Wrestling: Cinco de Mayo Fiesta - Warminster, PA

The Teaching Company, LLC

06/11/19 — Released Play Ball! The Rise of Baseball as America's Pastime

The Video Beat (MOD)

06/04/19 — Released Shindig: The Complete Series (34 disc set)

Vision Films (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Father I Never Knew and Murder of Innocence

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent.

07/23/19 — Adds Missing Link (ARR of 88 days; box office: $16,617,064)

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Possession Diaries

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

06/11/19 — Released Mustang (ARR of 88 days; box office: $5,005,425)

08/20/19 — Sets Dog's Purpose (ARR of 95 days; box office: $20,976,100)

VIZ Media

06/11/19 — Released Naruto Shippuden #38 (2 disc set)

Wild Eye Releasing

07/23/19 — Sets Clownado

Worrigee Multimedia

06/11/19 — Released 300 Spartans: The Real Story

WOWnow Entertainment

06/11/19 — Released Funny World of Pets and Toys Sing and Dance Along

WOWnow Entertainment (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Bad Hens (aka: Kung Pow Chicken)

Blu-ray New Additions

 

Arbelos Films

06/11/19 — Released Mutual Appreciation

Cult Epics

06/11/19 — Released My Nights with Susan, Sandra, Olga & Julie (Dutch) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Dark Entity Music, LLC

06/11/19 — Released Soul Copyright

Dollars to Donuts Productions (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Retard Strength

Dynamic

06/11/19 — Released Donizetti: Enrico di Borgogna

FUNimation

06/11/19 — Released Kamisama Kiss: Season One (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy), Lord Marksman and Vanadis (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy), New Game!: The Complete Series (4 disc set), Terror in Resonance (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy) and Tokyo ESP (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy)

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released American Warfighter, Bullish Farmer and From Core to Sun

Image Entertainment

06/11/19 — Released 100 Yards and Kill Order

Kino Lorber

06/11/19 — Released Devil's Kiss, Girl Most Likely To …, Kidnapped, Pursuit and They Might be Giants

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

06/11/19 — Released Leprechaun Returns (with Digital Copy), Norm of the North: King Sized Adventure (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy) and Orange is the New Black: Season Six (3 disc set) (with Digital Copy)

08/23/19 — Sets Hellboy (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

Massacre Video

06/11/19 — Released Final Stab

Naxos

06/11/19 — Released Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Das Wunder der Heliane, Ibsen's Ghosts, Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and Mercadante: Didone Abbandonata

Oscilloscope Laboratories

07/16/19 — Sets Relaxer

PCN Productions (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released 2019 PIAA 1A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 2A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 3A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 4A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 5A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 6A Baseball Championship, 2019 PIAA 1A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 2A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 3A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 4A Softball Championship, 2019 PIAA 5A Softball Championship and 2019 PIAA 6A Softball Championship

Sentai Filmworks

06/11/19 — Released Hozuki's Coolheadedness 2: The Complete Collection (2 disc set)

Shout! Factory

06/11/19 — Released Can't Stop the Music, Entity: Collector's Edition, Frankenstein Created Woman, Jeffrey, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping - Special Edition, Piranha and Sinatra in Palm Springs: The Place He Called Home

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

06/11/19 — Released Black Label Pro: There's Something About Barry - Crown Point, IN

Synapse Films

06/11/19 — Released Slaughter of the Innocents

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

06/11/19 — Released Mustang (with Digital Copy)

08/20/19 — Sets Dog's Purpose (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy

4K Ultra HD New Additions

 

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

07/23/19 — Adds Hellboy (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

Oscilloscope Laboratories' Relaxer Arrives On DVD And Blu-ray On July 16

256 levels of hell!   You read that right … 256 levels of hell are experienced by one man, on his couch — in his underwear — as the world creeps ever closer to the end.   That is what Oscilloscope Laboratories has in store for those in need of some non-romcom comedy relief on July 16. 

The film in question is writer/director Joel Potrykus’ cinema of the absurd, Relaxer, which will be available as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings on that date.

The film opened at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March of last year to some terrific buzz, worked the festival circuit — both domestically and in some selected foreign markets — and then Oscilloscope took it out theatrically to the arthouse market place.    Again, to solid reviews and the approval of audiences lucky enough to discover it.

For the record, the ARR comes in at 109 days.

It’s 1999 and the approach of the Y2K meltdown has seized the nation.   The forthcoming end of the world has certainly had its way with filmmaker Joel Potrykus’ favorite actor, Joshua Burge (as Marty in Potrykus’ Buzzard; as Trevor is Potrykus’ Ape).   He plays Abbie, an adult slacker, who is ensconced in his living room as he awaits the sure to be meltdown.

To pass the time, his brother, Cam (David Dastmalchian — Animals), makes him a bet, well, actually, throws him a challenge (with a potential payout of $100,000).   Beat Pac Mac by getting to all 255 possible levels (a daunting task) and then achieve the 256^th level, where in theory the game begins to consume itself.   This has to be done without leaving the couch!!

There are, today, websites devoted to the discussion of the 256^th level of Pac Mac, so it is a real thing.   It is damn near impossible to get to … like pitching back-to-back-to-back no-hitters.

Now, imagine a slacker, on-task, who accepts such a challenge and never leaves the couch.   The term “gross” immediately leaps to mind, and that’s being gentle; kind.

Time passes.   A lot of time passes, but Abbie stays on task.   People come, people go, the end of the year — and humanity — creeps closer and all the while Pac Man is played in a desperate effort to get to level 256. 

How does it end?   Ha!   July 16 for those unable to catch the film in a nearby arthouse venue (the film will continue to play in various spots as the street date approaches) will be the perfect point in time to find out if Abbie survives the test.  

Bonus goodies include commentary from filmmaker Joel Potrykus, a deleted scene and a pair of production featurettes — “Behind the Scenes of Relaxer” and “Milk Party.”