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On September 7th you’ll be able to pick up this new 4K Steelbook release of The Fast And The Furious, which will be available in both Collectors Edition and standalone versions.

Pre-orders are live now, and at the time of writing your cheapest option is Rarewaves, where you can save 10% with code “RWSPECIAL10“.

Pre-order:
Collectors Edition – Zavvi | HMV | Amazon UK | Rarewaves
Standalone – Zavvi | HMV | Amazon UK | Rarewaves

Remastered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the first time with new bonus feature to celebrate the 25th Anniversary! Ultimate Collector’s Edition includes steelbook, rigid slipcase, script book with full movie script, poster, character cards and UK exclusive Production Notes booklet. On the turbo-charged streets of Los Angeles, every night is a championship race. With nitro-boosted fury, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) rules the road, turning all his challengers into dust. He and his rival, Johnny Tran (Rick Yune) , are the boldest, the baddest and the best. Now, there’s new rage on the road. They know he’s tough, they know he’s fast, but what they don’t know is that he’s a speed-crazed detective (Paul Walker) with enough drive and determination to come out the winner. With intense full-throttle action, awesome high-speed stunts and full-on pedal-to-the-metal intensity, The Fast and the Furious puts you in the driver’s seat and dares you to exceed all limits!

Collectors Edition Contents:

• Rigid Gloss Slipcase
• Full Movie Script
• Double-Sided Poster
• Character Cards
• UK Exclusive 40 page Production Notes Booklet

Extra Features:

• NEW BONUS! RIDING A LEGACY: 25 YEARS OF FAST – Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Producer Neal Moritz and Meadow Walker reflect on 25 years of The Fast and the Furious in Cannes.
• Deleted Scenes
• More Than Furious
• Hot Off the Street
• The Making of The Fast and the Furious
• Dom’s Charger
• Quarter Mile at a Time
• Tricking Out a Hot Import Car Multiple Camera Angles – Stunt Sequence
• Movie Magic Interactive – Special Effects
• Featurette on Editing for the Motion Picture Association of America Visual Effects Montage
• Storyboards-to-Final-Feature Comparison
• Music Videos
• Speed News Wrap
• Feature Commentary with Director Rob Cohen

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Later this year you’ll be able to pick up this new 4K Steelbook release of the bonkers Mars Attacks, which will be available in both standard and Collectors Edition releases. Please note – the standalone STeelbook does not include the acetate O-ring included with the Collectors Edition

Artwork and on-disc extras are still TBC, but pre-orders are live now. We’ll add more links as we get them.

Pre-order:

• Collectors Edition – HMV | Zavvi | Amazon UK
• Standard Steelbook – HMV | Zavvi | Amazon UK

A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world’s major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim, “come in peace.” U.S. President James Dale receives assurance from science professor Donald Kessler that the Martians’ mission is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total annihilation of the U.S. Congress, military men call for a full-scale nuclear retaliation.

• Featured In-Pack (Subject to Change) Film on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray SteelBook
• Rigid Slipcase
• 2x Double-Sided Theatrical Posters
• 2x Alternate Art Cards
• 5x Iconic Scene Art Cards
• 3x Behind-the-Scenes Art Cards
• On Disc Special Features TBC

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On October 12th you’ll be able to pick up this new 4K Steelbook release of The Saint, starring Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue.

Extras are TBC, but pre-orders are live now and we’ll add more links as we get them.

Pre-order: Zavvi

FOR THE FIRST TIME ON 4K ULTRA HD! Want someone to infiltrate a top-secret organisation or steal a scientific formula that could change the world? For the right price, The Saint is your man. Val Kilmer plays suave espionage hero Simon Templar – aka The Saint – and Elisabeth Shue co-stars in this atmospheric mix of bold adventure and grand romance. An array of sophisticated gadgetry is at Templar’s command as he plunges into a cloak-and-dagger netherworld of move and countermove. Cool, too, is Templar’s knack for coming up with the right disguise at the right time. Now you see him. Now you don’t…or do you? Each close-call escape is a breathless miracle – and no one knows miracles better than a saint.

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• Standard Steelbook – Zavvi | HMV | Amazon UK
• Collectors Edition Steelbook – Zavvi | HMV | Amazon UK

Film

Lana and Lilly Wachowaski’s early career as film writers did not get off to a good start, after their script for Richard Donner’s Assassins was re-written by Brian Helgaland.

It wasn’t until their directorial debut with Bound that they found success, and followed that fil up with the Matrix trilogy, which shaped modern Hollywood action movies ever since.

After a few years in producing roles, the duo returned to the directors chairs with Speed Racer, an adaptation of a 1960s Japanese TV anime that was also a huge hit in the USA. As huge fans of the show, the Wachowskis saw their adaptation as a way to showcase a new, unique visual style, while also telling a story about family, the weight of expectations, and the danger of corporate greed.

The film follows Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), a gifted young race driver and one of the sport’s rising stars. Determined to follow in the footsteps of his late brother Rex, Speed races for his family’s independent team, led by his father Pops Racer (John Goodman). After he learns that major races are being manipulated for profit, Speed finds himself caught in a battle that threatens everything he believes in.

He enters a series of dangerous and spectacular races in an effort to expose the corruption and restore integrity to the sport. Alongside his family, his girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci), and the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox), he fights to prove that racing is about more than just money.

This really is a film unlike any other, before or since. Not just an adaptation but essentially a live-action anime, Speed Racer is an explosion of colour, hyper-kinetic layered visuals, and non-linear story telling, the film sometimes runs the risk of being exhausting.

However, while at first I was honestly quite put off by its seemingly relentless need to dazzle and amaze, as I watched more I was soon won over by the Wachowskis’ sheer audacity. Words like “unique” and “groundbreaking” are thrown round a lot, but Speed Racer really does deserve those labels.

The cast do their best with the patchy script – especially Roger Allam as the deliciously hammy and moustache twirling bad guy – but with the regular need for them to precisely pose and hit their marks for subsequent effects work, they’re there purely in service of the visuals.

Unfortunately, the critical and box office response suggests that the film missed the mark with many viewers, as it failed to hit anywhere near the heights of The Matrix’s success. As is often the case though, the film has had a re-appraisal in the subsequent years.

As much as the Matrix trilogy will always be classed as their finest work, Speed Racer really feels like The Wachowskis at their most pure as filmmakers. Whether that’s a good thing or not is purely down to personal taste.

Video

Speed Racer was a fairly early entry in the world of digital film making, and was shot using primarily using prototype Sony digital cameras (alongside other more specialised kit for high frame rate footage), in 1080p HD.

Given the source material you’d be forgiven for thinking this new 4K release may not offer much of an upgrade over the previous Blu-ray, but what Warner Bros have achieved here is nothing short of miraculous.

The full details are far too technical for my tiny brain to fully comprehend, but the team went back to the original camera files and rinsed every last drop of detail out of them to produce an image that puts many native 4K productions to shame.

The picture is razor sharp, with a ton of detail in areas like skin pores and clothing fabric. Often in older films, upscaling ends up highlighting some of the weaker CGI work, but WB’s proprietary in-house upscaling tool – Samurai – keeps all the various elements in each shot looking consistent.

If ever you wanted a disc to show explain the benefits of HDR, then this is the one for you. I watched this on a Dolby Vision capable LG OLED screen, and It’s honestly difficult to get across just how intense this films looks – the intentionally exaggerated colour palette is wonderfully reproduced, while shadow detail remains impressive, and the highlights pop throughout.

Despite its limited resolution source material, this is one of the best 4K transfers I’ve seen, and a perfect showcase for the format.

Audio

Don’t worry – your eyes won’t be getting all the fun; your ears are in for a treat as well, as Speed Racer has been treated to a new Dolby Atmos remix, which is an absolute blast.

The track will make full use of all your speakers, with crowd noise enveloping you and cars whizzing round your head. If you have ceiling speakers the effect is even better, fast, accurate sound movement all around the room.

Bass is meaty, capturing the growl of the car engines and the impacts of the many, many crashes.

Thankfully it’s all very well behaved, and dialog remains audible even during the loudest action, while Michael Giacchino’s score is mixed in extremely well.
Whatever sound system you have, there’s lots to enjoy here.

Extras

There’s an OK selection of on-disc extras, mostly carried over from previous releases.

First up though is a new 13 minute interview with Lana and Lilly Wachowski, who look back at the film, its production and its legacy, both cultural and personal. It’s a very nice insight into how they approached the film, and how they see it now, almost 2 decades later.

Then it’s onto the old extras, which total about 90 minutes, and cover a range of subjects, including a behind the scenes tour, the usual EPK style interviews, a look at the cars and race tracks featured in the film, a really nice look at the groundbreaking VFX, and an in-universe documentary about the Racer family.

It would have been nice to have more new stuff – an audio commentary by the Wachowskis would have been great, as the 13 minute interview doesn’t feel long enough for them to say everything they want.

That said, in total we do get about 1hr 45m of stuff all in, which isn’t too bad.

Packaging

As well as a standard 4K release, Speed Racer has received a great looking new Steelbook.

You can just pick up the Steelbook on its own, or if you’re feeling flush you can also get the Collectors Edition, which includes the Steelbook, along with a 32 page World Of Speed Racer booklet, 2 posters, and 7 art cards, all housed in a rigid slipcase.

Summary

Speed Racer is a tricky one… After their incredible debut Bound, and the genre defining Matrix trilogy, expectations were high for the Wachowskis – they had to come up with something truly special.

Speed Racer was a huge pivot from their previous work – a poppy, frantic, (over?) dazzling and surprisingly personal anime adaptation, that was a technical marvel, but fell flat with critics and audiences alike, resulting in a box office flop.

Still, there’s much to like here, with a decent cast doing their best with a clunky script, and a visual style that still feels unique today.

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On August 10th you’ll be able to pick up this new release of Dead Man’s Shoes. Second Sight were unable to source materials suitable enough for a 4K release, but we have no doubt that this will be a very nice looking release, and it comes packed with the usual selection of new and archive bonus features.

Pre-orders are live now.

Pre-order: Zavvi | Rarewaves | HMV | Amazon UK

A former paratrooper returns to his hometown in the Midlands seeking revenge on a gang of thugs that violently tormented his vulnerable younger brother.

Special Features:

• New audio commentary with Director Shane Meadows and Producer Mark Herbert
• New audio commentary by Andrew Graves and Jon Towlson
• Audio commentary with Shane Meadows, Actor Paddy Considine and Mark Herbert
• Quite a Journey: a new interview with Shane Meadows and Mark Herbert
• A Very Fine Line: a new interview with Actor Toby Kebbell
• The Right Horses: a new interview with Actor Gary Stretch
• Made an Impact: an interview with Director of Photography Danny Cohen
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes
• In Shane’s Shoes
• Short Film: Northern Soul
• Danger Mouse and Jemini Music Video

Limited Edition Contents:

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Krishna Shenoi
• 120 page book with new essays by Anna Cale, Tim Coleman, Matt Glasby, Joel Harley, Ella Kemp and Hannah Strong
• Dead Man’s Shoes Graphic Novel
• 6 collectors’ art cards

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Steven Spielberg’s latest film is hitting big screens this week, and the UK 4K Steelbook release is already confirmed.

Extras and release date are still TBC, but pre-orders are live right now.

Pre-order: Zavvi | HMV | Amazon UK

If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to eight billion people. We are coming close to… Disclosure Day.

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In the UK we’re STILL waiting for the 4K Steelbook of Scream 4 to be released. If you’re sick of waiting, the French release is available to order on import. It’s not known yet if this will be same artwork used for the UK release. One day we may eventually find out…

Pre-order: Amazon France

In Scream 4, Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (played by Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately Sidney s appearance also brings about the return of Ghost Face, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger. The newest installment in the acclaimed franchise that ushered in a new wave of horror in the 1990s is written by series creator Kevin Williamson and directed by suspense master and director of the first trilogy, Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella, Marielle Jaffe, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Lucy Hale, Shanae Grimes, Aimee Teegarden and Brittany Robertson.

Extra Features:

• Audio Commentary
• Featurette
• Deleted scenes

The post While you’re waiting for the UK release, you can pick up the “Scream 4” 4K Steelbook from France right now appeared first on Steelbook Blu-ray News.

On this episode we’re taking a look at Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse.

From the director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this is a VERY tame horror that really didn’t deserve the ‘Video Nasties’ label.

Was it all down to a case of mistaken identity? We dive in to discuss the film, and try to figure out just what all the fuss was about.

You can listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your podcatcher of choice.

You can also follow us on Twitter, BlueSky and Instagram.

The Nasty Cast: A Video Nasties Podcast is a proud part of the Film Stories Podcast Network

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The new Masters Of The Universe film is now hitting big screens, and picking some pretty positive reviews.

The UK Steelbook is now confirmed, and while release date, artwork and extras are still TBC, pre-orders are live now.

Pre-order: HMV | Amazon UK | Zavvi

In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man – the most powerful man in the universe.

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On June 29th you’ll be able pick up this very nice looking new 4K Steelbook release of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Pre-orders are live now.

Pre-order: Zavvi | Amazon UK | HMV

Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards through time to avoid the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience – from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can’t be reversed.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a beloved early film from Mamoru Hosoda, the Academy Award-nominated director behind BELLE, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and more. Hosoda weaves together the timeless, breathtaking visuals for which he is known with a tender-hearted story of a girl navigating first love, time travel, and the perilous choices that come with both.

Contains the film in beautiful Steelbook packaging on both 4K UHD Blu-ray and regular Blu-ray in Japanese 5.1 audio with English or French subtitles, as well as English and French 5.1 audio.

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On August 10th you’ll be able to pick up this new 4K Steelbook release of Eddie Murphy’s career defining Beverly Hills Cop.

Pre-orders are live now.

Pre-order: Zavvi | Amazon UK | HMV | Rarewaves

The heat is on in this fast-paced action-comedy starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop tracking down his best friend’s killer in Beverly Hills. Axel quickly learns that his wild style doesn’t fit in with the Beverly Hills Police Department, which assigns two officers (Judge Reinhold and John Ashton) to make sure things don’t get out of hand. Dragging the stuffy detectives along for the ride, Axel smashes through a huge culture clash in his hilarious, high-speed pursuit of justice. Featuring cameos by Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot and Damon Wayans, Beverly Hills Cop is an exhilarating blockbuster!

Special Features:

• Behind the Scenes
• Director Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• BHC Mixtape ’84
• Beverly Hills Cop: The Phenomenon Begins
• The Music of ‘Beverly Hills Cop’
• A Glimpse Inside the Casting Process
• Interviews: 1984 interviews
• Isloated Score
• Location map

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On August 10th you’ll be able to pick up this new 4K Steelbook release of the brilliant Clear And Present Danger.

Pre-orders are live now.

Pre-order: Zavvi | Amazon UK | HMV | Rarewaves

In this explosive third film, based on Tom Clancy’s high-tech espionage potboiler, Harrison Ford returns to the role of CIA deputy director Jack Ryan. Assigned to a delicate anti-drug investigation after a close friend of the president is murdered, Ryan discovers the victim’s ties to a Columbian drug cartel. Teaming up with renegade operative Clark (Willem Dafoe), the agent must put his life and career on the line.

Special Features:

• “Behind the Danger” featurette
• Theatrical Trailer

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Later this year you’ll be able to pick up this new 4K Steelbook release of The Little Shop Of Horrors, which will be available in both Collectors Edition and standard versions.

Artwork and release date are still TBC, but pre-orders are live now.

Pre-order:

• Collectors Edition Steelbook – Zavvi | Amazon UK | Rarewaves
• Standard Steelbook – Zavvi | Amazon UK | Rarewaves

On-Disc Special Features:

• Optional commentary by Frank Oz on the Director’s Cut 20-minute alternate ending
• Frank Oz and Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut (introduction by Frank Oz with Richard Conway)
• A Story of Little Shop of Horrors Behind-the-scenes documentary
• Outtakes and deleted scenes with optional commentary by Frank Oz

Collectors Edition Contents:

• Rigid Slipcase
• Posters
• Booklet
• Art Cards

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Later this year you’ll be able pick up this new 4K Steelbook of slasher classic Friday The 13th.

Artwork and release date are still TBC, but pre-orders are live now. At the time of writing Rarewaves is your cheapest option when using code ‘RWMAY10‘ before 9am on June 2nd to save 10%.

Pre-order: Zavvi | HMV | Amazon UK | Rarewaves

You’ll wish it were only a nightmare… When a summer camp at idyllic Crystal Lake reopens 25 years after the tragic drowning of a young boy named Jason, the woods fill with the happy squeals of young campers and the sight of the furtive couplings of libidinous counselors. But when a violent rainstorm isolates the lake, one-by-one the counselors are horribly murdered in this film that launched a modern horror genre.

Special Features:

• Commentary by Director Sean S. Cunningham
• Featurette Return to Crystal Lake: The Making of Friday the 13th
• A Friday the 13th Reunion: Cast Members Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King, Writer Victor Miller and Composer Harry Mantredini Reunite
• Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th: New Recollections About the Making of the Film
• The Man Behind the Legacy: SeanS. Cunningham
• Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part 1: New Vignette Styled After the original Movie
• Vintage Featurettes The Friday the 13th Chronicles & Secrets Galore Behind the Gore

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On August 17th Arrow are bringing us this new 4K release of Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, packed with a great selection of extra features.

Pre-orders are live now. At the time of writing the cheapest option is Rarewaves, where you can save 10% on purchases over £20 with code ‘RWMAY10‘

Pre-order: Zavvi | Rarewaves | HMV

ONCE… THEY MADE HISTORY. NOW… THEY ARE HISTORY. In 1991, director Peter Hewitt kicked things into a whole new dimension with Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, a sequel that trades time-travel hijinks for a wildly inventive trip through the afterlife. Reuniting Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as the dim-but-destined heroes, this bodacious blockbuster pushes the series into darker, weirder and even more excellent territory. When evil robot doubles of Bill and Ted are sent back to ruin their future, the real dudes find themselves facingan untimely demise. Cast into the beyond, they must outwit Death himself, navigate Heaven, Hell and everything inbetween, and find a way back to save their babes and get back in time for the Battle of the Bands. Packed with surreal visuals, quotable gags and a totally righteous turn from William Sadler as Death, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey is a most non-heinous blend of comedy, fantasy and sci-fi – strange, hilarious, and still totally triumphant.

4K ULTRA HD BLU–RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless stereo audio
• Optional remixed DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by actor Alex Winter and producer Scoot Kroopf
• Audio commentary by co-writers/co-producers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon
• Bill and Ted Go to Hell, a 2016 retrospective documentary, featuring interviews with Reeves, Winter, Kroopf, Matheson, production designer David L. Snyder, production illustrator Simon Murton, and actors William Sadler, Amy Stock-Poynton and Hal Landon Jr.
• The Most Triumphant Making Of, a 2005 retrospective making-of featurette, featuring interviews with Winter, Kroopf, Matheson, Solomon, Hewitt, and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure director Stephen Herek and production designer Roy Forge Smith
• Score!, a 2005 interview with guitarist Steve Vai
• Air Guitar Tutorial
• Vintage behind-the-scenes EPK from 1991
• The Linguistic Stylings of Bill & Ted, a 2005 decoding our heroes’ distinctive verbal quirks
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
• Collectors’ booklet featuring original production notes and a Bill & Ted Speak glossary

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