Mill Creek Entertainment Preps Blu-ray And DVD Editions Of Director Kevin Peeples' Dove Award Family Approved Lifemark For Delivery On Dec. 13

Is this a trend?   The new normal?  

Mill Creek Entertainment announced this past week that director Kevin Peeples’ Dove Awards Family Approved film release of Lifemark will be arriving in the home entertainment packaged media marketplace on Dec. 13 as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings.

Why a trend?  It was reported here — in the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report — a couple of weeks ago that Screen Media’s Jeepers Creepers: Reborn was a Fathom Events theatrical release, eschewing the direct-to-streaming trend that is the all-consuming movie-viewing thing these days.  

A traditional “Hollywood” studio might look at a film for their various streaming platforms, and unless it is a Tom Cruise production — he dictates how his films will be released — or a super-hero colossus (mega-bucks budget) or a film like Paramount’s Smile, where test-screenings were off-the-charts, films that don’t meet these criteria are just fodder for their platforms … unknown, unheard-of and un-promoted.

The Kendrick Brothers production company, who honor the spirit and the teachings of Jesus, have a track record for delivering quality faith-based entertainment — Courageous, War Room, Fireproof, etc. — and they could have easily taken their latest film, Lifemark, and dealt it to one of the studios for a direct-to-streaming release.  Easy money.

Instead, they bypassed the traditional studio theatrical network and did the same thing that Screen Media did with Jeepers Creepers: Reborn … Lifemark was given a national Fathom Events launch in just over 1,500 theatres beginning on Sept. 9.

One-night events … three-day events … Lifemark was so popular with audiences — who are hungry for quality, life-affirming entertainment — that the initial run was for a full week.   Some theatres held the film for over five weeks … a Fathom Events release that runs in some venues for five weeks, that’s amazing!

The film pulled in an astounding $5.2 million during its Fathom Event theatrical run and now it makes the transition to the home entertainment packaged media marketplace with an ARR of 95 days.

What is the story that drove audiences to theatres without studio-backing? 

Based on a true-life story, we meet David Colton (Raphael Ruggero in his feature film debut), an 18-year living with adoring parents (played by Kirk Cameron and Rebecca Rogers).   One day he receives a message from a woman named Melissa (Dawn Long as the adult, Marisa Lynae Hampton as the younger version), who, as it turns out, is his birth mother.

Blended with a series of flashbacks, David embarks upon a soul-searching path of discovery.   Not only do we learn of how Melissa and her boyfriend Brian (Lowrey Brown) were at an abortion clinic, when at the last moment she suddenly changes her mind and decides to give birth to the child.   The baby boy is then put for adoption … the Coltons are lucky ones.

As the story unfolds, David, with the encouragement of his adoptive parents, learns how this one event has touched so many people during his life.  A powerful, life-affirming journey … redemptive.

Lifemark on DVD and Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment on Dec. 13 … a word to the wise, have Kleenex handy.

Bonus features include deleted scenes, a blooper reel and seven production featurettes — “The Heart of Lifemark,” “Lifemark Panel Discussion,” “The Making of Lifemark,” “The Power of Adoption,” “Meet the Real People,” “The Beauty of Redemption” and “The Gift of Elijah.”

 

 

 

Icarus Films Picks Jan. 24 For The DVD Release Of Documentary Filmmaker Patricio Guzmán’s My Imaginary Country

Icarus Films announced this past week that award-winning documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán’s My Imaginary Country will be making its way to the domestic DVD marketplace on Jan. 24, 2023.

Guzmán’s three-part film documentary, The Battle of Chile (1975, 1976 and 1979), documented the rise to power of Chilean strongman General Augusto Pinochet, who had been instrumental in the over-throw of Marxist Salvador Allende, and the darkness that descended upon his country … 17 years of dictatorial rule by Pinochet.

This makes Guzmán something of an expert on the politics of his native country, Chile.   He just happened to be in the right place and the right time beginning in 2019 when the “Estallido Social” protests began.   They began as a protest of a raise in Santiago metro fares and then quickly escalated to boycotts and vandalism of stations.  

The government responded by declaring a national emergency and military powers to enforce order.   This in-turn triggered nagging resentment of the vestiges of the Pinochet era and before anyone knew it the fare protest quickly evolved into a national wave of protests.

Guzmán was there, he got it all … the street scenes, the interviews and the three-year-long event, the chaos of which was further compounded with the arrival of the Covid Pandemic.

My Imaginary Country opened at the Cannes Film Festival, worked the festival circuit and then Icarus Films gave it an Oscar-qualifying theatrical break in late September.   The ARR for the Jan. 24, 2023 DVD release works out to 123 days.

Director Patricio Guzmán’s My Imaginary Country is presented in Spanish with English subtitles.

 

 

 

MVD Rewind Collection Status For The Blu-ray Release Of Writer/Director Boaz Davidson's The Last American Virgin On Jan. 24

MVD Entertainment Group’s newest member in the popular “MVD Rewind Collection” line of Blu-ray products is writer/director Boaz Davidson’s 1982 comedy The Last American Virgin.   This film vault treasure will be ready for guilty-pleasure enjoyment on Jan. 24.

In 1978, Israeli filmmaker Boaz Davidson delivered a surprise international hit, Lemon Popsicle.   This was followed by Going Steady in 1979 and Hot Bubble Gum two years later … all Israeli films.   

This caught the attention of Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who had a knack for delivering exploitation, comedies, action, you name it, they were quick to deliver one Cannon Films hit after another.   During the 1970s, audiences were treated to Silent Night, Bloody Night, The Happy Hooker, The Godfather Squad, Cherry Hill High, Cheerleaders Beach Party … and on and on.

By the early 80s they were on a roll and opened their 1982 slate with Death Wish II, followed by Lady Chatterley’s Lover and then came Davidson’s American-made release of The Last American Virgin … it was a very good year for Cannon Films.

Davidson wanted “fresh faces” (you can read that as keep the budget in line) and held auditions around the country and came up with such newcomers as Diane Franklin (her film debut … Amityville II: The Possession, TerrorVision, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and more have followed) Lawrence Monoson (his film debut … Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, And the Band Played On, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation and more followed), Steve Antin (he was Jessie in the Rick Springfield music video titled “Jessie’s Girl” … The Last American Virgin was also his film debut; he was Troy in The Goonies, plus such films as Survival Quest, The Accused, Inside Monkey Zetterland) and Kimmy Robertson as Rose (her film debut as well … Bad Manners, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead … and as Lucy Moran in the Twin Peaks television series).

There are more, but you get the idea.  Fresh faces he got, and, as it turned out his casting choices proved to be spot-on.

The film, shot on a shoestring, with less than 200 prints, was “bicycled” around the country beginning in September of 1982 (market-to-market) and finally ending up in New York City four months later.   It was a hit … and film careers were born.

Bonus nuggets included with The Last American Virgin on Blu-ray from the MVD Entertainment Group on Jan. 24 include four featurettes — “The First American Remake,” “Memories of a Pizza Boy,” “Babe of the Eighties” and “In Praise of Smaller Movies” — and an extensive photo gallery.

 

 

 

Director Tommy Barnes' Spirit's Revenge Makes Its Blu-ray Debut From Bayview Entertainment On Dec. 27

Bayview Entertainment goes into the weird zone of terror on Dec. 27 with the Blu-ray debut of director Tommy Barnes’ horror tale Spirit’s Revenge.

Craig (Joshua Cordle) and Zoey (Alex Van Zeelandt) have the hots for each other, but there’s just one little problem, they are both married.   As that goes, so what … is Spirit’s Revenge going to be a tale about getting rid of their respective partners?   You know, gory murders, that sort of thing?

Well, sort of, but there’s something else going on.   Zoey is all-in on a such a plan, but Craig is having nothing to do with it.   

Meanwhile, there are a series of horrific murders taking place around town, all involving couples who are having extramarital affairs.   The authorities are at a complete loss … no suspects.

As for Zoey and Craig, it’s a stand-off as the murder plot is in limbo, but with the creepy killings going on, both of them suspect that they are being “watched” … by their respective spouses?   Are they onto them?   Or, perhaps someone — or something — that is far more sinister has these on their naughty list?

Things are finally put in motion when Craig’s distraught wife does the unthinkable and commits suicide.   Ah ha, Zoey is now free to carry out her end of the devil’s bargain, but that comes with an unexpected twist!

Discover the “real” killer on Dec. 27 with the Blu-ray debut of director Tommy Barnes’ Spirit’s Revenge from Bayview Entertainment.

 

 

VCI Entertainment Unearths Director Victor Stologg's Avant-Garde Why? For Its DVD Debut On Jan. 24

VCI Entertainment has an ultra-rare New Year treat that cinema buffs and film fans; the curious will savor simply for what it is, an indie arthouse flick; avant-garde if you will, that was an experiment about a “new” medium.

Making its DVD debut on Jan. 24 is director Victor Stoloff’s 1973 film Why, starring none other than OJ Simpson (pre-Towering Inferno … filmed during his downtime while at the height of his career with the Buffalo Bills), who is joined by Jeannie Berlin (Oscar-nominee for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Heartbreak Kid), Linda Gillen (Terror at Red Wolf Inn), Danny Goldman (The Strawberry Statement, The World’s Greatest Athlete, Young Frankenstein), Tim Buckley and Herb Goldberg as the psychiatrist leading the group sessions (that was his actual profession).

So what is so special about Why?   Technicolor wanted to see if their new video process could be used to film (quickly and cheaply) a production, edited it and then “bumped” up it to 35mm for exhibition.   Dig out your copy of Boogie Nights and revisit it to see what the adult film industry did with this process.

To make sure that they would get something of a high technical standard, they asked four-time Oscar-nominee Lee Garmes (winner for Best Cinematography for Shanghai Express) to be the cinematographer.   The film was shot on a set constructed at Technicolor.

For weeks leading up to the filming, the actors went through rehearsals at a mock group session, improvising all of their dialog, their backstories, etc. and when finally-ready … they set up shop at Technicolor and shot the “group sessions” that they had been working on.

For years, Why was considered to be lost.   A footnote to cinematic history, however VCI Entertainment has unearthed what appears to be the only surviving 35mm print of the film and now, on Jan. 24, it will be available for all to see!  

 

 

Paramount Home Entertainment Looks To Dec. 13 For The Release Of DVD, Blu-ray And 4K Ultra HD Editions Of Reacher: Season One

The books were a success (26 thus far) and Tom Cruise turned it into a two-film hit series ($140 million in domestic box office receipts), even though he didn’t match the character in the physical terms that writer Lee Child (aka: Jim Grant) laid out in his novels.

Of course, we are talking about Jack Reacher.   Did the well run dry with all of the novels and the two theatrical hits?   You would think so, but producer Nick Santora thought otherwise and launched a new cable series titled simply Reacher in February of this year.

Alan Ritchson (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Ghosts of War) got the part of Jack Reacher and he did fit the physical profile.  The series, eight-episodes based on Lee Child’s first novel, “Killing Floor,” was a hit (yes, it has been renewed for a second season).

Paramount Home Entertainment announced this past week that the street date for a full-format spread of home entertainment packaged media options for Reacher: Season One will be Dec. 13 — 3-disc Blu-ray and DVD sets, plus a 3-disc MOD 4K Ultra HD SKU.

Bonus goodies include a pair of featurettes — “Realizing Reacher” and “Novelistic.”

 

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Looks To Jan. 03 For Black Adam • Dec. 06 For The Blu-ray Release Of Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman

Director Jaume Collet-Serra’s Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson, will be skipping the Christmas rush with the news from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment this past week.

They have elected to go for Jan. 3 for a three-SKU helping of this DC Superhero flicks.   The ARR comes in at 74 days and domestic box office receipts are a tasty $150.6 million.

Planned for distribution are Combo Pack editions for both the 4K Ultra HD (with Blu-ray) and Blu-ray (with DVD) formats, plus there will be a stand-alone DVD buying option.

Bonus features are limited to the Comb Pack editions.  These include the nine-part featurette bundle titled “The History of Black Adam.”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment also announced this past week that Dec. 06 will be the release date for a long-awaited Blu-ray edition of director Nathan Juran’s 1958 sci-fi classic, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, starring the iconic Allison Hayes (Double Jeopardy, The Undead, The Unearthly, Zombies of Mora Tau).

This Blu-ray debut is a new 4K film restoration from the original 35mm camera negative.

In the 1950s there was a boom in sci-fi films.   Partly driven by the Baby Boomers as avid theatre-goers, partly by the atomic age; the cold war, the space race … it was a fertile area for the movies.   Some were good, some were B-grade schlock … and then there were those that hit a chord and became “classics” … Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is one those!!

In quick order we learn that Nancy Archer (Hayes) is a rich heiress, has a double-dealing husband named Harry (William Hudson — The Amazing Colossal Man, The Man Who Turned to Stone), who is shacking up with a local bar beauty by the name of Honey Parker (Yvette Vickers — Attack of the Giant Leeches, Reform School Girl, Short Cut to Hell) and poor Nancy has also had emotional issues that has seen her in a “rest home” for recovery (implied, unstable … nuts).

When you mix that cocktail with a close encounter with an alien — on a deserted country road — it is only a matter of time before her husband figures out that this could be the ticket to getting control of her wealth.   After her encounter, she is found running around town in her bare feet screeching about a giant alien … back to the nut house and it will be all mine!!

Harry, after colluding with the sweet-as-sweet Honey, decides to humor Nancy by revisiting the area where she claims to have had her close encounter.  This little trip will be the nail in her coffin!!

In one of those cool, unexpected twists, they actually have a second encounter with the alien — a giant red ball with a giant space visitor — and that spooks Harry, especially when Nancy is spirited away.  

Later, she is found with radiation burns unconscious on top her pool house.  Bed rest, heavily medicated … the perfect chance for an over-dose and the money will be all mine, figures Harry.   When he sneaks into her room to “take care of business” he gets the surprise of his life!

The final act has the vengeful Nancy, now grown to 50-feet tall, on the prowl for her unfaithful husband and the not-so-innocent Honey.   Screen magic.

Bonus features include a vintage commentary with film historian Tom Weaver “Science Fiction Confidential: Interviews with Monster Stars & Filmmakers,” “Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946,” etc.) and actress Yvette Vickers.