Now then, speaking of Criterion, Barnes and Noble has just kicked off their ever-popular 50% sale on in-stock Criterion Collection titles (click here for that).
In announcement news today, 20th Century Studios, New Regency, and Entertainment One have jointly announced the 12/12 Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Gareth Edwards’ The Creator, with the Digital version expected to arrive on 11/14. Extras will include the True Love: Making The Creator documentary. The aspect ratio will be 2.76:1, with the 4K expected on a 66GB disc. Audio on the 4K will be Dolby Atmos, while the Blu-ray will get 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. There’s no other indication, so we suspect the high dynamic range will be HDR10 only. You can see the cover artwork above left and also below.
Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just set Antoine Fuqua’s The Equalizer 3 for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/14. The Equalizer 3 will feature over 15 minutes of deleted scenes exclusive to the Blu-ray and 4K, 5 featurettes (Blood Brothers: The Collaboration of Denzel Washington & Antoine Fuqua, Call to Action, Robert McCall: A Man of the People, Denzel and Dakota: A Reunion, and Postcards from the Amalfi Coast), and Jacob Banks’ Monster lyric video. Look for Dolby Vision HDR and audio in Dolby Atmos.
That same day, Sony will also release The Equalizer: 3-Movie Collection on 4K Ultra HD, with all three films offered in exclusive IMAX-Enhanced presentations and with DTS-X audio for The Equalizer 2 and The Equalizer 3.
Also, Shout! and Scream Factory have begun to reveal their January slate of titles, which is currently set to include James Fargo’s Forced Vengeance (1982) on 1/2, Don Siegel’s Telefon (1977) and J. Lee Thompson’s St. Ives (1976) on 1/9, the previously-revealed GKids animated sequel Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (2023) on 1/16, Bruce Robinson’s Jennifer 8 (1992) and Tom Holland’s Thinner (1996) on 1/23, and William Fruet’s Funeral Home (1980) on 1/30. Note that Michael Miller’s Street Girls (1975) will be available exclusively from the company’s web store on 10/31. All of these are on Blu-ray.
And here’s something exciting that we’ve hinted at previously: Our old friend Guido Henkel (formerly the editor of the great DVD Review website) has just announced his brand new indie label, Celluloid Dreams. Here’s the full press release...
CELLULOID DREAMS
EMBRACES PHYSICAL MEDIA WITH RESTORED GENRE FILM CLASSICS
Boutique startup to release specially curated and restored genre cult classics to Blu-ray and 4K UHD
San Clemente, Calif., November 6, 2023 — Celluloid Dreams (www.celluloid-dreams.net) today announces the formation of its new home video label, dedicated to bringing underserved movies to home video in North America. With an unwavering commitment to physical media, such as Blu-ray Disc and 4K UHD, Celluloid Dreams’ mission is to deliver highest quality versions of their favorite genre cinema classics, many of which are unavailable on streaming platforms or even past home video formats.
Over the past few months, the team at Celluloid Dreams has been curating and hand-picking movies from around the world, to allow viewers to experience these films anew in the best possible quality. Titles selected by Celluloid Dreams will receive brand new ultra-high definition transfers and digital restorations to ensure they not only match today’s exacting home video standards, but to help rescue them from potential deterioration and obscurity for future generations of film lovers across the globe.
In addition to restored feature presentations, Celluloid Dreams is also committed to providing in-depth bonus features for all of its releases. Working closely with filmmakers and cast members, the releases will assemble existing extras as well as complement them with newly-created materials, all devoted to fulfilling the company’s goal of creating a definitive, comprehensive package for each release, presenting the feature with state-of-the-art technology, but also charting the history of the film itself—the production, the people behind it, its impact and its relevance.
“Our goal is entirely quality-focused and we hand-pick each movie—films that we love ourselves—and we will make every effort to fully restore each of these films to polish them to their original glory, always with an eye on the original theatrical presentation as the guidepost,” said Celluloid Dreams CEO and film preservationist, Lucas Henkel.
With major studios and retailers continually pulling back in the release and distribution of physical media, smaller and obscure films are often casualties, fading into unavailability or out-of-print status. Celluloid Dreams wholeheartedly supports physical media with multi-disc combo releases, containing standard Blu-ray and 4K UHD versions in a single package.
“We are very selective with our films, and our release schedule will be determined solely by the time it takes to polish and craft each release,” Henkel added. “Look for our releases starting in early 2024!”
For more information, visit the Celluloid Dreams website at https://www.celluloid-dreams.net
ABOUT
Celluloid Dreams is an independent home video publisher, with a focus on genre movies from around the world. Each release is hand-picked and curated, carefully restored and released on physical media formats in the North American market to allow more viewers to experience these films in the best possible audio and video quality. The company’s mission is ensure that the selected classics, their history, information and knowledge are not lost to time, but will available in ultra high-definition quality for all film lovers – now and in the future.
—END—
We’re all certainly looking forward to seeing what Guido and Lucas come up with here at The Bits. Congratulations, my friend!
Now then, we’ll leave you with a look at the cover artwork for some of the titles mentioned above, with Amazon.com pre-order links if available...
Back tomorrow with more. Stay tuned!
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