Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Looks To Sept. 25 For Solo: A Star Wars Story

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is out front — and early — with the announcement this past week that director Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story will be making its way to the home entertainment arena on Sept. 25.

The ARR is a leisurely 123 days and ticket sales, despite being $211.9 million, were considered unworthy of a Star Wars film.

Planned for release are stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray editions as well as a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack.

This production-plagued project saw the original directing team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who also teamed for 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, The Lego Movie, etc.) fired for deviating from Lawrence Kasdan’s script (who also wrote Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi) and replaced by Ron Howard (whose working relationship with George Lucas dates back to American Graffiti).

Once Ron Howard was onboard, 70 percent of the film was reshot and Alden Ehrenreich (Blue Jasmine, Beautiful Creatures, etc.) was assigned an acting coach to work on his Han Solo presentation.

At least Walt Disney Studios realized in the aftermath of this disaster that they were pushing the franchise too fast and put future plans for additional one-off stories on hold.   The conclusion of the nine-film cycle envisioned by George Lucas will arrive in theatres during the Christmas season next year with J.J. Abrams directing … actual filming is set to begin shortly.  

As to bonus features, there are eight deleted and/or extended scenes, a roundtable session with filmmaker Ron Howard and members of the cast titled “Solo: The Director and Cast Roundtable” (this appears to be in lieu of a commentary track) and eight production featurettes — “Team Chewie,” “Kasdan on Kasdan,” “Remaking the Millennium Falcon,” “Escape from Corellia,” “The Train Heist,” “Becoming a Droid: L3-37,” “Scoundrels, Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to Fort Ypso” and “Into the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run.”

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Tabs Sept. 4 For The Home Entertainment Debut Of Writer/Director Ari Aster's Hereditary

Lionsgate Home Entertainment will be moving the A24 film production of writer/director Ari Aster’s summer horror flick, Hereditary, to the home entertainment marketplace as DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack offerings on Sept. 4.

The ARR works out to 88 days and multiplex receipts currently stand right at $43 million.   With the film’s modest production budget and the solid box office take,  a sequel is likely.

Bonus features, which are limited to the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray SKUs, include deleted scenes, a photo gallery and the featurette titled “Cursed: The True Nature of Hereditary.”

For the period ending July 13, 2018 ... New DVD and Blu-ray selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database

DVD New Additions:

AFM Records

07/10/18 — Released All for Metal, Volume V (DVD/CD Combo Pack)

Acorn Media

07/10/18 — Released Keeping Faith: Series One (3 disc set)

Bayview Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Gilad X4celerate, Volume 1: Burn it Off, Gilad X4celerate, Volume 2: Tone Every Inch, Gilad X4celerate, Volume 3: Best Butt and Abs and Gilad X4celerate, Volume 4: Strength in Motion

Cheezy Flicks

07/10/18 — Released 2069: A Sex Odyssey

Cinedigm Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Kung Fu Traveler 2 (Mandarin)

Cinema Libre

07/31/18 — Sets Lou Andreas-Salome, The Audacity To Be Free (German) (ARR of 102 days; box office: $12,589)

Cleopatra Records

07/10/18 — Released Modern Life is Rubbish

DreamScape Media, LLC

07/10/18 — Released Money Art, Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters and To Auschwitz and Back

Ei Independent Cinema

07/10/18 — Released 42nd Street Pete Presents: Hot for Teacher

Eagle Rock Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Rolling Stones: From the Vault - San Jose '99 (DVD/CD Combo Pack)

Factory Film Studio

07/10/18 — Released Miss in Her Teens

Film Movement

07/10/18 — Released Hotel Salvation (Hindi)

Films Around the World, Inc. (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Man With Two Heads and Out of the Blue

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Assassin’s Code (ARR of 60 days; box office: $11,218), Before Someone Gets Hurt, Little Stones and Who's Watching Oliver

HBO Home Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Mosiac (2 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Hallmark Channel (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Date with Love and Summer Love

I-Cine

07/10/18 — Released Mat Danh Hang Xom (10 disc set), Ong Bo Vo Giau Co (8 disc set), Tham Cung Ke (14 disc set) and Vong Xoay Tinh Yeu (14 disc set)

iChess, LLC

07/03/18 — Released Bulmaga Method (3 disc set), End Game: Masterclass (2 disc set), The Grunfeld: GM Sam Shankland - 80/20 Tactics Multiplier (2 disc set) and King's Indian Defense (2 disc set)

Imavision

07/10/18 — Released Karaoke: Pop and R&B and Karaoke: Rock and Pop

In the Studio with Dianne Mize (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Merging Shapes: From General to Specific

Indican Pictures

08/07/18 — Sets Freaks

IndiePix

07/10/18 — Released Desert Blue (Portuguese)

Kino Lorber

07/10/18 — Released Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Bill of Divorcement, Fire Birds, Hitler's Hollywood (German) (ARR of 88 days; box office: $40,670) and One Good Cop

levelFILM (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Dim The Fluorescents

Lionsgate Home Ent.

07/10/18 — Released Future World, I Am Elizabeth Smart and Krystal (ARR of 88 days; box office: $37,516)

07/17/18 — Sets Traffik (ARR of 88 days; box office: $9,166,792)

Milestone Films

07/10/18 — Released Maborosi (Japanese) and Rocco and His Brothers (Italian)

Momentum Pictures, LLC

07/10/18 — Released 211

Multicom Entertainment Group (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Broken Ones, Buzzard Hollow Beef, Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard, Operation Cross Eagles and Strange Affair (aka: A Husband, a Wife and a Lover)

Nandar Home Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Nowhere to Hide (aka: Inclusion Criteria)

Naxos

07/10/18 — Released Rossini: Le Comte Ory

PBS Director

07/03/18 — Released Rwanda: The Royal Tour

07/10/18 — Released 20 Music Tales, Civilizations (3 disc set), Endeavour: The Complete Fifth Season (3 disc set) and Wild Kratts: Adventures on the African Savannah

PCN Productions (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Pickett's Charge: Commemorative Walk and Wounded and the Dead: Joe Onofrey and Pamela Neil at the Weikert Farm

PDSD, Inc. - Shami Media

07/10/18 — Released Belly Timber and Venus Obscura (French)

Paramount Home Media

08/28/18 — Sets Book Club (ARR of 95 days; box office: $67,172,334)

Pentrex

07/10/18 — Released Ozark Country Cab Ride: BNSF Cuba Sub

Rarefilmsandmore.com (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released The Cycle (Farsi), Hamlet (silent-1921), Heimatlos (German), Keine Angst Vor Grossen Tieren (German), Men Behind the Sun (Mandarin), No Body Wanted to Die (Lithuanian), Prey of the Wind (silent-1927), Queen's Necklace (French), Sohn Ohne Heimat (German) and Tank Brigade (Czech)

Reagal Films, LLC – Intrinem Films

07/10/18 — Released Camila Cabello: Reinvention, Cardi B: Her Life, Her Story, Logic: Passion, Miggs: Evolution and Post Malone: The Life

Reality Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released UFO Chronicles: The Black Vault

Reel Enterprises (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Double Feature (2 film set: His Girl Friday, Molly and Me), Double Feature (2 film set: Missouri Traveller, Proud Rebel), John Wayne Double Feature (2 film set: Blue Steel, Lawless Frontier), John Wayne Double Feature (2 film set: Hurricane Express, Blue Steel), John Wayne Double Feature (2 film set: McLintock, The Lucky Texan), John Wayne Double Feature (2 film set: Sagebrush Trail, Star Packer), John Wayne Double Feature (2 film set: Texas Terror, Winds of the Wasteland), John Wayne Double Feature (2 film set: The Lucky Texan, A Man from Utah), Roy Rogers Double Feature (2 film set: Bells of Rosarita, Bells of San Angelo), Roy Rogers Double Feature (2 film set: Billy the Kid Returns, Come on Rangers), Roy Rogers Double Feature (2 film set: Eyes of Texas, Grand Canyon Trail), Roy Rogers Double Feature (2 film set: Gay Ranchero, Man from Cheyenne) and Roy Rogers Double Feature (2 film set: Nevada City, Saga of Death Valley)

S’More Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror

Samuel Goldwyn Films

07/10/18 — Released The Price

Serpent Films (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Classic Action Movie Double Bill (2 film set: Bush Pilot, Guerilla Girl)

Shemaroo Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Thai Jashe (Gujarati) and Vodka Diaries (Hindi)

Shout! Factory

07/10/18 — Released Green Acres: The Final Season (4 disc set)

Silent Hall of Fame (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Flower of the North (silent-1921)

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

07/03/18 — Released IWA Mid-South: Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Memphis, IN and IWA Mid-South: We're Still Breathing - Memphis, IN

07/10/18 — Released IWA Mid-South: Guardians of the Hardcore 2 - Memphis, IN

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

07/10/18 — Released Sweet Country (ARR of 95 days; box office: $104,297)

Sony Pictures Home Ent. (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Golden Exits (ARR of 151 days; box office: $41,888)

Time-Life Video

07/10/18 — Released Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In: The Complete Fifth Season (7 disc set)

T-Series

07/10/18 — Released Raid (Hindi) (ARR of 116 days; box office: $1,010,385)

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent.

08/21/18 — Sets Dead Pool 2 (ARR of 95 days; box office: $314,546,474)

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Killing Joan

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

07/10/18 — Released Magicians: Season Three (4 disc set)

WWE

07/10/18 — Released WWE: The Shield - Justice for All (3 disc set)

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Teen Titans Go!: Back to School

Wild Eye Releasing

07/10/18 — Released All Strippers Must Die (aka: The G-String Horror)

World Wide Multi Media

07/10/18 — Released Die Gest: Flesh Eater and Scarecrows of the 3rd Reich

Blu-ray New Additions:

AGFA

07/10/18 — Released Godmonster of Indian Flats/The Legend of Bigfoot

Acorn Media

07/10/18 — Released Keeping Faith: Series One (3 disc set)

Aniplex of America

07/10/18 — Released Irregular at Magic High School: The Girl Who Summoned the Stars and Katsugeki Touken Ranbu (2 disc set) (with 2 bonus CDs)

Arrow Video

07/10/18 — Released Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! (Japanese)

09/18/18 — Sets The Hired Hand

BBC Home Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released SS-GB (Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack)

Cinema Libre

07/31/18 — Sets Lou Andreas-Salome, The Audacity To Be Free (German)

Eagle Rock Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Rolling Stones: From the Vault - San Jose '99 (DVD/CD Combo Pack)

Full Moon Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Puppet Master 4 and Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter

FUNimation

07/10/18 — Released Ai Tenchi Muyo (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) and Cargo: Divine Flame (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

07/10/18 — Released Assassin’s Code, Before Someone Gets Hurt, Little Stones and Who's Watching Oliver

HBO Home Entertainment

07/10/18 — Released Mosiac (2 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Kino-Lorber

07/10/18 — Released Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Bill of Divorcement, Fire Birds and One Good Cop

Lionsgate Home Ent.

07/10/18 — Released Future World (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

07/17/18 — Sets Traffik (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

MVD Entertainment Group

09/25/18 — Sets Angel Town

Maiden Japan

07/10/18 — Released Tibetan Dog

Milestone Films

07/10/18 — Released Maborosi (Japanese) and Rocco and His Brothers (Italian)

Momentum Pictures, LLC

07/10/18 — Released 211

Mondo Macabro

07/10/18 — Released Who Can Kill a Child? (aka: Island of the Damned)

Naxos

07/10/18 — Released Rossini: Le Comte Ory

PBS Director

07/10/18 — Released Endeavour: The Complete Fifth Season (3 disc set)

Paramount Home Media

08/28/18 — Sets Book Club (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Sentai FilmWorks

07/10/18 — Released Love and Lies: The Complete Collection (2 disc set)

Shout! Factory

07/10/18 — Released Born Losers

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

07/03/18 — Released IWA Mid-South: Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Memphis, IN and IWA Mid-South: We're Still Breathing - Memphis, IN

07/10/18 — Released IWA Mid-South: Guardians of the Hardcore 2 - Memphis, IN

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

07/10/18 — Released Sweet Country (ARR of 95 days; box office: $104,297)

Troma

07/10/18 — Released Spiderlings: Arachny in the U.K.

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent.

08/21/18 — Sets Dead Pool 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

07/10/18 — Released Bigger Fatter Liar, Bring it On Again, Bring it On: All or Nothing, Bring it On: In it to Win it, Casual Sex?, Cop and a Half: New Recruit and Magicians: Season Three (3 disc set)

Warner Bros. Home Ent.

08/14/18 — Sets Arrow: The Complete Sixth Season (4 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

08/21/18 — Sets Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season (4 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

08/28/18 — Sets Freedom Fighters: The Ray (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

09/04/18 — Sets Supernatural: The Complete Thirteenth Season (4 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

09/11/18 — Sets Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season (2 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

09/18/18 — Adds Supergirl: The Complete Third Season (4 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

FUNimation

07/03/18 — Released Assassination Classroom: 365 Days' Time (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack), Centaur's Life (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack) and In Another World With My Smartphone (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack)

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

07/03/18 — Released Alex and the List, Christian Audigier the VIF, Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story and Wacken

Gunpower & Sky (MOD)

07/03/18 — Released Mansfield 66/67

Image Entertainment

07/03/18 — Released Another Wolfcop

Indie Rights (MOD)

07/03/18 — Released Lesson in Cruelty

Kino Lorber

07/03/18 — Released Jericho Mile and Personal Problems

MVD Entertainment Group

09/11/18 — Sets Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business

Magnolia Home Entertainment

07/03/18 — Released Don't Grow Up

Multicom Entertainment Group (MOD)

07/03/18 — Released Streaker (German)

Nozomi

07/03/18 — Released Sweet Blue Flowers (2 disc set)

SRS Cinema

07/03/18 — Released House Shark

Sentai FilmWorks

07/03/18 — Released Magic of Stella (2 disc set)

Shout! Factory

07/03/18 — Released Midnighters

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

06/26/18 — Released IWA Mid-South: Wrestlemaniwa - Memphis, IN

Sunrise, Inc.

07/03/18 — Released Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Collection One (4 disc set) and Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden OVA

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

07/03/18 — Released Jurassic Games and The Lullaby

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

07/03/18 — Released Where is Kyra? (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

VCI Entertainment

10/23/18 — Sets Blood and Black Lace (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

VIZ Media

07/03/18 — Released Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Season 2 (4 disc set)

Virgil Films & Entertainment

07/03/18 — Released Borg vs. McEnroe

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

07/24/18 — Adds Supergirl (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

MVD Entertainment Group Picks Sept. 25 For The Blu-ray Debut Of Director Eric Karson's Angel Town — A Rewind Collection Selection

MVD Entertainment Group has tabbed Sept. 25 as the street date for the Blu-ray debut of director Eric Karson’s incendiary streets-of-L.A. thriller, Angel Town.   

The film, which sparked armed conflict at two Southern California drive-in venues when it opened theatrically in February of 1990, will be the latest edition to MVD’s popular “Rewind Collection” promotional line of film products.

In something of a prologue to the film, we are introduced to the mysterious Angel Diaz (Tony Valentino — Lionheart, Menace II Society) and his custom ‘67 Pontiac “low-rider,” who happens upon a gang fight between black and white kids that quickly escalates into murder.  That is just a preview of what is to come.

We then jump to Paris, where we are introduced to Jacques (Olivier Gruner in his film debut — Savage, Velocity Trap, Interceptor Force, The Circuit, etc.), who is a world-renown French kickboxer.   He has — through some family connections — landed an exchange student spot at SCU (aka: USC) and is about to depart for Los Angeles.   A quick visit to his father’s grave and an amorous goodbye from his girlfriend and he is on his way.

Talk about a fish-out-of-water, not only has Jacques arrived a couple of days late to the start of the semester, but he has no place to stay.   The school issue is resolved (although he spends precious little time going to class) and he finds a place to stay in the home of a family who live nearby in a gang-infested area … the gang is run by the aforementioned Angel.

The family, Maria (played by the late Theresa Saldana — Raging Bull, The Evil That Men Do, etc. … perhaps best known as Rachel Scali on the TV series The Commish), her son Martin (Frank Aragon) and her mother, are under constant harassment from Angel’s thugs, especially enforcers Chuwey (James Carrera), Jesus (Daniel Villarreal) and Stoner (Gregory Cruz).   They have Martin on their radar as a new gang recruit, but the arrival of Jacques upsets that applecart … BIG TIME!

Filmmaker Eric Karson holds nothing back as Angel Town — once the dynamic of sociopath Angel’s plans being thwarted by a “stranger” — kicks in with an ever-increasing (in their violence) series of assaults.   Los Angeles becomes a war zone and there will be only one left standing in the end in this all-out action rush of a film!!

The film opened in the Southern California area, violence erupted, several theatres pulled the film and then, with limited prints, the indie distributor (Imperial Entertainment Corporation) moved to a few venues back east and then the film was gone.   It then resurfaced in the early days of DVD and has long-since been out of print.   MVD has an action gem on its hands here.

As to bonus goodies, there is an archival commentary track featuring director Eric Karson (who also produced the film … he also produced the Jean-Claude Van Damme action thriller, Lionheart) and three newly-prepared video session featuring Karson, Frank Aragon and cinematographer John LeBlanc (Stripped to Kill, The Outsider, etc.).

Additional bonus features include the original “Making-Of” featurette and two archival video sessions with filmmaker Eric Karson and the film’s star, Olivier Gruner.