My Two Cents
Friday, 03 April 2015 02:01

Blu-ray & DVD News – Warner Archive, Space Raiders & Jess Franco BDs, plus Ash vs. Evil Dead

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All right, today begins the annual WonderCon pop culture and comic book convention in Anaheim, California. I’m not doing any panels this year, but I’ll be there off and on all weekend checking out the proceedings and catching up with friends, so if you see me walking around be sure to say hello!  [Read on here…]

In announcement news today, our friends at the Warner Archive have just released the TV titles The Dakotas: The Complete Series (1962-63), King Fu: The Legend Continues – The Complete Second Season (1993-94), and Heart of Dixie: The Complete Third Season (2013-14) on DVD, along with the Monogram and Allied Artists films Black Midnight (1949), Bad Men of Tombstone (1949), Seven Angry Men (1955), Screaming Eagles (1956), and Face of Fire (1959), and the Adult Swim TV titles Squidbillies: Volume Six (2012-13) and NTSF: SD: SUV: The Complete First Season (2011). All are available here at the Warner Archive website

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has revealed that The Strain: The Complete First Season - Premium Collector's Edition, due on Blu-ray on 6/9, will include all the features that were on the regular BD released last fall – audio commentary on select episodes, deleted scenes, and 4 featurettes (In the Beginning, A Novel Approach, He Is Here, and Setrakian’s Lair) – but will now come packaged in a replica bust of “The Master”. Here’s what it looks like (click to pre-order)…

The Strain: The Complete First Season - Premium (Blu-ray Disc)

Fox has also announced the DVD only release of Transporter: The Series – The Complete Second Season on 6/9, including 8 behind the scenes featurettes (Behind the Scenes with Chris Vance, On Location: Morocco, Behind the Scenes with Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz, On Location: Canada, Behind the Scenes with Violante Placido, On Location: Prague, The Making of Transporter: The Series Season 2, and Behind the Scenes with François Berléand), along with the DVD only release of Teen Wolf: Season 4 that same day.

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Warner Home Video has moved the DVD release date for Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete Fifth Season from 6/9 to 6/2. Adjust your plans accordingly.

Severin Films has revealed that they’re working on a Blu-ray of Richard Stanley’s Dust Devil for release later this Summer. Their upcoming Vampyros Lesbos Blu-ray/DVD Combo (due 5/12) will be a limited edition of 7,500 units, and will include the newly-remastered film in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio, 4 featurettes (Vampyros Jesus: Interview with Jess Franco, Sublime Soledad: Interview with Amy Brown, Stephen Thrower on Vampyros Lesbos, and Jess Is Yoda), plus the alternate German opening-title sequence Dracula’s Heiress, the German trailer, and a DVD containing Las Vampiras, the alternate Spanish-language VHS version. Also, their upcoming She Killed in Ecstasy Blu-ray/CD Combo (also due 5/12) will be a limited edition of 4,000 units, and will include the newly-remastered film in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio, 4 featurettes (Jess Killed in Ecstasy: Interview with Franco, Sublime Soledad: Interview with Amy Brown, Stephen Thrower on She Killed in Ecstasy, and Paul Muller on Jess Franco), the German trailer, and a repressing of the ultra-rare 3 Films By Jess Franco: Vampyros Lesbos, She Killed in Ecstasy, and The Devil Came from Akasava soundtrack CD. More here at Fangoria.

Meanwhile, Blue Underground has announced the 6/30 Blu-ray/DVD Combo release of 1990: The Bronx Warriors, Escape from the Bronx, and The New Barbarians. Each includes audio commentary with writer/director Enzo G. Castellari, plus featurettes, trailers, and poster and still galleries.

Scorpion Releasing has set Space Raiders (1983) for Blu-ray release on 5/12.

Anchor Bay has set Healing for DVD only release on 6/9, starring Don Hany and Hugo Weaving.

Lionsgate will release American Hercules: Babe Ruth on DVD on 5/19, followed by Nightlight on DVD and digital on 5/26.

Virgil Films is releasing National Geographic’s Mysteries of the Unseen World  on Blu-ray 3D Combo on 4/21.

Image Entertainment has set the Stephen Sondheim Collection for DVD release on 4/14, including Into the Woods, Company, Sunday in the Park with George, Follies in Concert, Sweeny Todd, and Sondheim: The Birthday. SRP is $129.98.

Timeless Media has set Science Fiction Theatre: The Complete TV Series for DVD only release on 5/12 (SRP $49.97). All 78 episodes are included.

Timeless is also releasing The Saint: The Complete Series on DVD only on 5/26 (SRP $199.98), including all 118 original episodes (71 of which were in B&W and 47 in color), along with the featurette Behind the Scenes with Sir Roger Moore as Director and audio commentaries on select episodes with members of the cast and crew (including Sir Roger Moore, executive producer Robert S. Baker, associate producer Johnny Goodman, and more).

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Also today, Mondo Macabro is releasing Tango of Perversion on DVD on 6/9.

PBS Distribution is releasing the Stanley Tucci series Fortitude on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/21, followed by American Experience: Last Days in Vietnam on both formats on 4/28.

Arc Entertainment has set The Barber for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/28.

StarVista and Time Life are releasing Mama’s Family: Mama’s Favorites – Season Five on DVD only on 4/28.

Freestyle Digital Media has set Aftermath for DVD and digital release on 4/21, starring Anthony Michael Hall.

And finally, Crystal Sky is apparently releasing the rare 1982 Jerry Lewis film Slapstick (Of Another Kind) on DVD on 7/14. Didn’t expect to see that one!

In other news today, the first teaser poster for Starz’ upcoming 10-episode Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series was released today. You can see that above left there. The show starts shooting soon in New Zealand, with Sam Raimi executive producing and Bruce Campbell set to reprise his role as Ash. Look for it to run on Starz in late 2015.

And for those of you who might be fans of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, there’s a live Fathom event being broadcast in theaters around the country on 4/7 called Beyond the World of Interstellar. It features a look behind the scenes with Nolan, Kip Thorne and Hans Zimmer, and will be followed by a screening of the film itself. Here’s a preview…

All right, we’ll leave you this week with a look at more new Blu-ray cover artwork. Click on the covers to pre-order the titles on Amazon.com (and remember that doing so supports our work here at The Bits and we surely do appreciate it!)…

F/X (Blu-ray Disc)    Space Raiders (Blu-ray Disc)    The Land That Time Forgot (Blu-ray Disc)

An Eye for an Eye (Blu-ray Disc)    Needful Things (Blu-ray Disc)    The Onion Field (Blu-ray Disc)

Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

Bill Hunt

 

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