The Criterion Collection Announces Its July Slate Of New Film Restorations

The Criterion Collection announced its latest slate of film restorations destined for release as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings that will be available during the month of July.

Topping the list — and that is always a subjective observation — is director Byron Haskin’s 1953 film adaptation of the H.G. Wells’ 1898 sci-fi novel, The War of the Worlds.

A new 4K restoration of this venerable Technicolor thriller starring Gene Barry (Burke’s Law, Bat Masterson) and Ann Robinson (as Queen Juliandra in Rocky Jones, Space Ranger) arrives on July 7 and both the DVD and Blu-ray editions.

The War of the Worlds comes loaded with extras, including the 1938 radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre, which created a nationwide panic on Oct. 30, 1938 when it ran on the CBS Radio Network.

Other bonus goodies include a vintage commentary (circa 2005) with director Joe Dante, film historian Bob Burns and writer Bill Warren (author of “Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties”), the Tara Tremaine and Eric Young production of The Sky Is Falling: Making The War of the Worlds (a 30-minute documentary), a vintage audio session with George Pal and two newly-prepared featurettes — “Movie Archaeologists” and “From the Archive.”

Also to be found on the July release schedule from the Criterion Collection is a new 4K film restoration of the 1938 screwball comedy from director Preston Sturges, The Lady Eve, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.

Both DVD and Blu-ray editions will be available on July 14.

Bonus features include a vintage commentary track (2001) with film professor Marian Keane (assistant Professor of Film Studies at the University of Colorado), the newly-prepared video session with film critic David Cairns, the 1942 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast with Barbara Stanwyck and Ray Milland … and more.

The next release from Criterion’s output deal with Netflix is director Noah Baumbach’s Best Picture nominee, Marriage Story, which will be available on July 21 as both a double-disc DVD edition as well as a single-disc Blu-ray presentation.

The ARR is a leisurely 256 days and box office receipts, which Netflix refuses to report, are estimated to be $2 million in the domestic market.   For a film with a reported production budget of $18 million, it is a lot of red ink.

Bonus features include video sessions with filmmaker Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) and Randy Newman, plus a trio of featurettes — “The Players,” “The Filmmakers” and “The Making of Marriage Story.”

Rounding out the July release calendar from the Criterion Collection is the seven-disc Blu-ray-only collection on July 14 titled Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits and Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami’s 1997 film release of Taste of Cherry (available as Blu-ray-only on July 21).

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Closes Out New Theatrical Releases With May 5 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack And DVD Editions Of I Still Believe

Lionsgate Home Entertainment is now running on empty.   On Mar. 13 their theatrical distribution arm opened the directing team of Andy and Jon Erwin’s faith-based biopic, I Still Believe.   The following Friday, Mar. 20, theatres shutdown nationwide and that was it.

The film pulled in a nice $9.9 million in ticket sales during its one-week run and by all accounts it was well-received, but with the lockdown we will never know just how far word-of-mouth might have carried the film theatrically.   There’s a lot of that going around these days.

In any case, with the announcement this past week that I Still Believe will be heading home on May 5 as both DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack product offerings, it becomes the last active theatrical release in inventory for the studio. Going forward, Lionsgate Home Entertainment must now fall back on its library holdings for the next few months to keep the lights on.

For the record, the ARR for I Still Believe is just 53 days.

Bonus features include commentary from Andy Erwin and Jon Erwin — the brothers previously teamed for October Baby and I Can Only Imagine — deleted scenes and four featurettes — “Origin,” “Casting,” “Bart & Jeremy” and “Music.”

For the period ending April 10, 2020 ... New DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database

 

 

 

 

DVD New Additions

 

123 Go Films

04/07/20 — Released Wind Walker

1091 Media (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Kid from Coney Island

Acorn Media

04/07/20 — Released Midsomer Murders: Series 21 (4 episodes: The Point of Balance, The Miniature Murders, The Sting of Death, With Bated Breath) (2 disc set)

Aflick TV (MOD)

02/25/20 — Released Angels Whip, Anger of the Ghost 1, Anger of the Ghost 2, Being Single, Captain of the Night, Cartel, Devils Adjure, Disclosed 1, Disclosed 2, Disclosed 3, Disclosed 4, Extra Miles, Fidelia, Incredible Father 1, Incredible Father 2, Instaguru, Just Before I Do, My War of Love, Nwuka 1, Nwuka 2, Nwuka 3 and Painful Betrayal

Blaze Bayley

04/07/20 — Released Bruce Bayley: Live in Czech - Melodka, Brno (2 disc set)

Championship Productions

04/07/20 — Released 4-Out 1-In Primary & Secondary Sets Out of Transition, Basketball Conditioning: 1-on-1, Big Men and Team Competition Drills, Breakdowns and Continuities for the Ball Screen Motion Offense, Daily Practice Structure + 14 Drills for Any Team, Elite Player Development: Movement and Shooting Skills and Man-to-Man Defense: It's Not What You Do, It's How You Do It

Chrome Dreams

04/07/20 — Released Metallica: From the Off

Conscious Films (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Dr. Llaila O. Africa: Fasting, Dr. Llaila O. Africa: Herbal Remedies from A-Z, Dr. Llaila O. Africa: MAAT, Dr. Llaila O. Africa: Prostate Disease, Dr. Llaila O. Africa: Psychic & Spiritual Healing, Dr. Llaila O. Africa: The Female Reproductive System, Part 1 and Dr. Llaila O. Africa: The Female Reproductive System, Part 2

DocTV

04/07/20 — Released Darla's Book Club: Discussing Harry Potter and Tech Talk Time: Facebook in 30 Minutes

DreamScape Media, LLC

04/07/20 — Released Lost Legacy Reclaimed, Magnificent Homespun Brown and One and Only Wolfgang

Eagle Rock Entertainment

04/07/20 — Released Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2 disc set) (ARR of 228 days; box office: $614,101)

Epicleff Media

04/07/20 — Released Score: The Interviews (2 disc set)

Frolic Pictures (MOD)

03/31/20 — Released Double Feature (2 film set: Night Wars, Fireback), Double Feature (2 film set: Robowar, Kickboxer Robocop), Double Feature (2 film set: Shotgun, Slow Burn), Double Feature (2 film set: Stryker, Thunder), Double Feature (2 film set: Terror Eyes, Night Terror) and Double Feature (2 film set: War Dog, Commander)

GVN Releasing

04/07/20 — Released Bravestorm (Japanese)

Get Digital World (MOD)

03/24/20 — Released 30 Minute Affiliate Marketing, Captivate With YouTube Live, Captivate With YouTube Live: Advanced Edition, Next Level Linkendin Marketing Made Easy, Peak Productivity Blueprint, Receive Payments With Stripe, Receive Payments With Stripe Advanced, Take Your LinkedIn Marketing To the Next Level and Unplug

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released 2/1 (aka: Two/One), 40: The Temptation of Christ, Daffodils, One of the Good Ones and Rest of Us

Hallmark Channel

04/07/20 — Released 2-Movie Collection (2 film set: Paris, Wine & Romance, Rome in Love)

High Octane Pictures, LLC (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Gold Dust and Rootwood

ITN Distribution

04/07/20 — Released America Martyr, Devil's Fairground (aka: Anna 2) and Vendetta Games

I-Cine

04/07/20 — Released Bang Chung Thep 4 (12 disc set), Bao Tap Gia Nghiep (12 disc set) and Tiem An Di Ghe (11 disc set)

John Emmett (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Haunted 3: Art by John Emmett, New: Art by John Emmett and Z: Art by John Emmett

Kerurgma Productions (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Characteristics of the Disciples: A Visit to Galilee and How Jesus Grew Up: A Visit to Nazareth

Kino Lorber

04/07/20 — Released Cold Blue (ARR of 319 days; box office: $420,177) and Great Leap (German)

Leomark Studios, LLC (MOD)

03/31/20 — Released Alien Trespass, Crack in the Floor and Dread

Lit Cardio (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Salsa Cardio Dance Workout and Soca Cardio Dance Workout

MVD Entertainment Group

06/12/20 — Sets Rolling Stone: Life and Death of Brian Jones

Maverick Entertainment

04/07/20 — Released Dear Younger Me

Moksha Media (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Aldous Huxley: The Gravity of Light, From Neurons to Nirvana: The Great Medicines and I Am My Own Laboratory

Naxos

04/07/20 — Released Benvenuto Cellini

PCN Productions (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Pennsylvania Country Roads: Meadow Spring Farm & Gobbler's Knob

Paramount Home Media

06/30/20 — Sets Evil: Season One (3 disc set)

Pireate Shade Productions (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Creepy Ballz: The Movie

Reel 2 Reel Films

04/07/20 — Released We Go in at Dawn

Rogue Video (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Manos the Hand of Fate

Shout! Factory

04/07/20 — Released Camp Cold Brook and Swift

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released H2O Wrestling: Extreme Epidemic - Williamstown, NJ

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

05/05/20 — Sets Bloodshot (ARR of 53 days; box office: $9,176,695)

Starry Night Publishing, LLC (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Adventures of Frank Merriwell (12 chapter serial), Best of Betty Boop, Green Hornet Strikes Again (15 chapter serial) and Phantom (15 chapter serial)

The Video Beat (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Story of Ready Steady Go

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Dead by Dawn

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

04/07/20 — Released Escape From Pretoria

05/26/20 — Sets Invisible Man (ARR of 88 days; box office: $64,310,490)

Warner Bros. Home Ent.

05/19/20 — Sets Way Back (ARR of 74 days; box office: $13,376,988)

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

04/14/20 — Sets Broadway Melody of 1936, Broadway Melody of 1938, Du Barry was a Lady, Footlight Parade, Guys and Dolls and Love Me or Leave Me

04/28/20 — Sets Curse of the Cat People, Desperate Journey, Innocent Blood, Them! and Village of the Damned/Children of the Damned

Wild Eye Releasing (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Impact Event

WOWnow Entertainment

04/07/20 — Released Cinco de Mayo Dance and Pup School: Bird Watching

Blu-ray New Additions

 

Arrow Video

05/26/20 — Sets Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto (10 film set: Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, Tokyo Fist, Bullet Ballet, A Snake of June, Vital, Kotoko, Killing, The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo, Haze) (Japanese) (4 film set)

07/28/20 — Sets Gamera: The Complete Collection (12 film set: Gamera, Gammera the Invincible, Gamera vs. Barugon, Gamera vs. Gyaos, Gamera vs. Viras, Gamera vs. Guiron, Gamera vs. Jiger, Gamera vs. Zigra, Gamera: Super Monster, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, Gamera the Brave) (Japanese) (8 disc set)

Bayview Entertainment

06/02/20 — Sets All That Matters, Tony (Hindi) and Mistaken

06/09/20 — Sets Beatles: Up Close and Personal, Bon Jovi: Music In Review, Bruce Springsteen: In Performance, David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust, Deep Purple: Rock Review, Deep Purple: Videobiography, Essential Music of AC/DC: The Bon Scott Years, Jimi Hendrix: Smash Hits, Metallica: Live Sh*T Binge and Purge and Pink Floyd: In Their Own Words

Bill Zebub Productions

05/12/20 — Sets Absurd Horror Double Feature (2 film set: Holocaust Cannibal (aka: Die Nazi), Nightmare on Elmo's Street (aka: Deprived))

Critical Mass

06/02/20 — Sets Classes in Seduction

Eagle Rock Entertainment

04/07/20 — Released Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (with bonus DVD disc)

Flicker Alley

04/07/20 — Released 3D Rarities II

FUNimation

04/07/20 — Released Anime-Gataris: The Complete Series (2 disc set), Casshern Sins: The Complete Series (4 disc set), Cat Planet Cuties: The Complete Series (2 disc set), Chaos; Head: The Complete Series (2 disc set), Fruits Basket: The Original Complete Series (4 disc set), Helpful Fox Senko-san (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy) and Hinomaru Sumo, Part 2 (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy)

Image Entertainment

04/07/20 — Released VFW

Kino-Lorber

04/07/20 — Released Angel, Beau Geste, Cold Blue, General Died at Dawn, Great Leap (German), Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Murder, He Says and Supernatural

Maku Pakku, LLC

04/07/20 — Released Hellarious and Livescream

Mascot Label Group

04/07/20 — Released Ayreon: Electric Castle Live and Other Tales

Mill Creek Entertainment

07/14/20 — Sets 12 Monkeys: The Complete Series (8 disc set)

New Blood Entertainment

04/07/20 — Released Jason Stephenson Triple Threat Collection (3 film set: Doomed to Consume, Terror Overload, Strip Club Slasher)

Nozomi

04/07/20 — Released Aria: The Natural, Season 2, Part 1 (2 disc set)
05/05/20 — Sets Aria: The Natural, Season 2, Part 2 (2 disc set)

06/02/20 — Sets Aria: The Origination - Season 3 (5 disc set)

PCN Productions (MOD)

04/07/20 — Released Pennsylvania Country Roads: Meadow Spring Farm & Gobbler's Knob

Scorpion Releasing

04/07/20 — Released Terror Train

Sentai FilmWorks

04/07/20 — Released No Game, No Life: Collector's Edition (3 disc set) and Revue Starlight (2 disc set)

Shout! Factory

04/07/20 — Released Camp Cold Brook, Knives and Skin (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) and Swift (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Sunrise, Inc.

04/07/20 — Released After War Gundam X (3 disc set)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

04/07/20 — Released American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile – Unrated, Breach, Empire, Escape From Pretoria, Thunderbirds and Wimbledon

05/19/20 — Sets Emma. (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

05/26/20 — Sets Invisible Man (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

Warner Bros. Home Ent.

05/19/20 — Sets Way Back (with Digital Copy)

4K Ultra HD New Additions

 

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

05/05/20 — Sets Bloodshot (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

 

Mill Creek Entertainment Preps DVD And Blu-ray Collections Of 12 Monkeys: The Complete Series For Release On July 14

Perfect.   Genius.   Those are just a couple of words that describe the latest DVD and Blu-ray release news coming from Mill Creek Entertainment.

On July 14 sci-fi fans — and for that matter, binge-hungry series consumers — can dive into 12 Monkeys: The Complete Series as either eight-disc DVD or Blu-ray product offerings.

Back in 1995, director Terry Gilliam, with inspiration gleaned from Chris Marker’s 1962 short film, La Jetée, teamed up with the writing duo of Janet and David Peoples to deliver the sci-fi thriller, 12 Monkeys.   

A few notes about this.   First, David Peoples had previously teamed up with Hampton Fancher back in 1982 for the film adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel, Blade Runner, so adapting the concept of La Jetée was right in his wheelhouse.   

Next, in 1992 he was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay, Unforgiven, so he was a hot commodity when he and his wife, Janet, joined former Monty Python member-turned-filmmaker Terry Gilliam (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Time Bandits, Brazil, The Fisher King, etc.) for the film production of 12 Monkeys.

It quickly became a sci-fi favorite among genre fans, earning Brad Pitt his first Oscar acting nomination.   It was just too good a concept to be limited to a single motion picture and so in January of 1995, 12 Monkeys began a four-year, 47-episode run on SYFY channel.

It’s 2043 and a deadly virus has ravaged the planet (sound familiar), but “Project Splinter,” headed by physicist Katarina Jones (played by German actress Barbara Sukowa — Johnny Mnemonic, Hannah Arendt, etc.), has a unique solution to the problem.   Go back in time to 2015 and stop the Kalavirus outbreak before it begins.

To this end, a nobody by the name of James Cole (Aaron Stanford — The Hills Have Eyes, X-Men: The Last Stand, Live Free or Die Hard), who seems to have a connection to the past, is recruited to be the guinea pig to go back in time and stop the mysterious Army of the 12 Monkeys, who were (are) responsible for the development of the Kalavirus.

In the past (2015), Cole meets an expert on viruses, Dr. Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull — Suits), and together they must do the dangerous detective work before time in the future runs out for the human race (the virus continues to mutate).

Does Cole succeed in his mission?   The answer is … no, no, you have to wait until July 14 for the release of both DVD and Blu-ray (for the first time) collections of 12 Monkeys: The Complete Series from Mill Creek Entertainment.

Evil: Season One On DVD From Paramount Home Media On June 30

Paramount Home Media will be bringing the CBS supernatural mystery series, Evil: Season One, to the DVD marketplace on June 30 as a three-SKU collection featuring all 13 episodes from the show’s first season.  

Yes, the series was so well-received that it has been renewed for a second season.

So what’s the buzz?   We are introduced to Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers — Westworld, Manhattan, Divorce), a psychologist working in one of the New York boroughs (Queens) for the DA’s office, who runs into a nut job who claims that he committed crimes because, get this, he’s possessed.   When she butts heads with the prosecutor on the case — because she wants to run some additional tests on the guy — she is fired.   

That does not bode well for a series … being fired in the first episode.   No problem, the defense includes this guy by the name of David Acosta (Mike Colter — as Luke Cage in The Defenders and the follow-on series, Luke Cage), who has something to do with the Catholic Church and convinces her to join the defense.   She needs a job, so she agrees.

It is a life-changing decision.   During the first episode we focus on the defense of Orson LeRoux (Darren Pettie), and Bouchard becomes convinced that he may not be as crazy as he first seemed.   She also discovers that there is more going on — beyond just this case — than meets the eye.   She joins the team.

Her major nemesis is a Dr. Leland Townsend (played by Michael Emerson, perhaps best known as Ben Linus in the Lost television series), who is not what he seems, but is obsessed with demons and the occult.   What has Dr. Bouchard gotten herself into?    

Find out on June 30 with the DVD debut of Evil: Season One.