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Wednesday, 08 May 2019 15:09

A bit of 4K news, plus more new Blu-ray announcements from Warner Archive, Scream, Twilight & more

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All right, we’ve got some more regular Blu-ray news, and then I’m working on a review of Sony’s Black Hawk Down in 4K Ultra HD for posting in the next couple of days. Let me tell you, it’s terrific. It’s a major upgrade of the Blu-ray, both in picture and sound.

Also, our friend John Schuermann of The Screening Room AV in Colorado Springs has just issued the final results of their recent 4K UHD Projector Shootout and – if you’re a front projector fan like I am – they’re pretty fascinating. Do check them out here. Sounds like the JVCs did pretty well against more expensive Sony projectors.

Meanwhile, Epson just announced a new 4K PRO-UHD projector too... the Pro Cinema 6050UB (MSRP $3,999), with features geared toward home theater cinephiles. You can check out all the details here. [Read on here...]

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One other quick 4K note: Amazon seems to be starting to list Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story films for 4K Ultra HD pre-order, street date 6/4 as we predicted. Only Toy Story 2 is currently up (see this link), but we would imagine the others should appear soon.

All right, Universal has set Jordan Peele’s Us for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 6/18, with the Digital release due on 6/4. Extras will include 3 Scene Explorations (Seven Second Massacre, It’s a Trap, and I Just Want My Little Girl Back), 5 Deleted Scenes, and 7 featurettes (The Duality of Us, The Monsters Within Us, Tethered Together: Making Us Twice, Redefining a Genre: Jordan Peele’s Brand of Horror, Becoming Red, We’re All Dying, and As Above, So Below: Grand Pas de Deux).

Warner Archive’s May titles include a Shaft Triple Feature Blu-ray (includes Shaft, Shaft’s Big Score, and Shaft in Africa), plus all three as single Blu-ray SKUs and The Golden Arrow, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, and A Patch of Blue all on Blu-ray, and Perfect Strangers: The Complete Seventh & Eighth Seasons and Popeye The Sailor: 1933-1938 Volume 1 on DVD only.

Scream Factory has set the Universal Horror Collection: Volume 1 for Blu-ray release on 6/18, including The Black Cat (1934), The Raven (1935), The Invisible Ray (1936), and Black Friday (1940). Each film will include new audio commentaries with film historians. The set will also include 5 new retrospective featurettes, along with vintage footage, trailers, and still galleries.

Twilight Time’s May Blu-ray slate (due on 5/21) will include Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965), Bandolero! (1968), Morituri (1965), and Warlock (1959). Remember, pre-orders open today a 1PM on Screen Archives and Twilight Time Movies.

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just revealed that Roger Corman’s Target: Harry (1969) will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/30. They’ve also revealed that Frank Perry’s Hello Again (1987) is coming on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/16, that Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity (1969) is coming on Blu-ray as a 2-disc special edition on 7/23, and that Naked Alibi (1954) has been delayed for Blu-ray release until later in 2019.

Lionsgate has set Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 for release on Digital only on 5/14. They’ve also set My Days of Mercy for Digital release on 7/5. No physical media SKUs are currently planned.

For UK readers, Eureka! will release the Ukrainian black political comedy Donbass on Blu-ray on 24 June.

Icarus Films has set Stuart Staples’ Minute Bodies for release on Blu-ray and VOD on 6/4.

Mill Creek Entertainment has set a Mothra: Steelbook Blu-ray for release on 7/9. Also coming from them on 7/9 are a Lonesome Dove: Steelbook Blu-ray and The Stranger Beside Me: The Ted Bundy Story on Blu-ray.

The Cinema Guild will release the Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/18.

And RLJ Entertainment has announced their June slate, which will include a Children of the Corn: Steelbook (Blu-ray), The Cleaning Lady (DVD), Delicious: Series 3 (DVD, for Acorn), and London Kills: Series 1 (Blu-ray and DVD, for Acorn) on 6/4, Patrick Melrose (Blu-ray and DVD, for Acorn) on 6/18, and Manhunt (Blu-ray and DVD, for Acorn), Marcella: Season 2 (DVD, for Acorn), and Poldark: The Complete Collection (DVD, for Acorn) on 6/25.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned...

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