New to Disc:
Criterion:
Blow Out (1981) Director Brian DePalma directs what is widely considered to be the magnum opus in his career as a filmmaker. John Travolta, in a role that would lead to his casting in Pulp Fiction, stars as a motion picture sound man who finds his life in jeopardy after accidentally recording the murder of a political candidate. Nancy Allen and John Lithgow costar in what was a huge flop at the time of its release but has finally received its due in the years since. It also happens to be the favorite film of this humble movie columnist. The new 4K UHD upgrade of the film contains all of the previous extras found in the 2011 Blu Ray release.
Paramount:
Star Trek The Motion Picture: The Director’s Edition (1979) Director Robert Wise’s preferred version of his 1979 film-the first big screen adventure for The Starship Enterprise-has been given a meticulous high definition 4K UHD restoration in this new edition. Available as part of a boxed set, individually and in a limited collector’s edition, the latter of which includes bonus material not available in the other releases. All editions include both new and archival extras.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) William Shatner directs this entry in which the Enterprise find themselves embroiled in a kidnapping involving a relative of Mr. Spock. The new 4K UHD edition retains all of the previous extras, over two hours in all.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) The final cinematic voyage for the original Enterprise crew finds our heroes incorrectly identified as the perpetrators behind an attack on the Klingons. The new 4K UHD edition offers two cuts of the film and all of the previous extras.
Warner Archive:
Rachel, Rachel (1968) Paul Newman directed his wife, Joanne Woodward, in this deeply affecting tale of a spinster school teacher on the verge of a mental break at the onset of middle age. An assured directing debut that led to Woodward nabbing an Oscar nod for her work. Extras include behind the scenes footage.
Scream/Shout Factory:
The Funhouse (1981) Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) directed this moderately successful tale of a group of kids who stumble into a world of horror after making the fateful decision to spend the night in the locale of the film’s title. This 4K UHD upgrade of the film retains all of the extras found in previous editions.
CBS DVD:
NCIS: Hawaii: Season One (2021-22) Vanessa Lachey stars as the first female agent in charge of Pearl Harbor in this series. All 22 episodes are included along with nearly 45 minutes of bonus features.
Kino:
The label is offering up reissues of the Vincent Price starrers, Twice Told Tales (1963) and The Oblong Box (1969), along with He Who Must Die (1957) and the box set, Paravision Dreams: The Golden Age 3-D Films of Pine and Thomas (1953-54). The latter set includes Sangaree (1953) Those Redheads from Seattle (1953) and Jiavaro (1954). All of the releases feature bonus content.
Universal:
The latest entry in the never-ending saga of Michael Meyer, Halloween Kills (2021) and the animated franchise entry, Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), make the leap to 4K UHD this week in new editions which contain a few new featurettes.
Questions? Comments? [email protected].
