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Geek Vibes Nation
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
Kino Studio Classics Reveals June Lineup Including Works From Nicole Kidman, Audrey Hepburn & More
Kino Lorber Studio Classics and Kino Cult have unveiled the details of their June 2025 4K UHD and Blu-Ray releases including works from such icons as Nicole Kidman, Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, George Clooney, Warren Beatty, and more. Get all the details on this incredibly packed lineup below: AUDIE MURPHY COLLECTION V Street Date: 6/10/25 Synopsis: This collection features three rousing westerns starring American hero Audie Murphy. Walk the Proud Land (1956) – His Faith Built a Fortress in a Wilderness of Hate! Audie Murphy (Posse from Hell), the most highly decorated soldier in U.S. history, aptly portrays a 'very special hero and the central figure in one of the most interesting stories of the American frontier' (The Hollywood Reporter). Appointed as an Apache Agent in 1874 by the Department of the Interior at the age of 23, John Philip Clum (Murphy) is sent to a reservation in San Carlos, Arizona, to take over the Army's position. After trying to empower and teach self-governing principles to the Apaches, he is faced with opposition not only from the Native Americans but also from the men in charge of the Army troops. Helmed by Murphy's frequent director Jesse Hibbs (To Hell and Back, Ride a Crooked Trail) in gorgeous Technicolor and CinemaScope; and with a cast featuring the legend Anne Bancroft (The Restless Breed) as Clum's housekeeper and ally, Pat Crowley (The Square Jungle) as his wary new bride, and Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger) as the great Geronimo. Seven Ways from Sundown (1960) – He stalked him…fought him…befriended him…but in the end he knew he'd have to kill him! Audie Murphy (Hell Bent for Leather) is Seven Jones, a Texas Ranger so green he doesn't even know how to use a six-shooter, and his first assignment is to accompany the veteran Sergeant Hennessey (John McIntire, Apache) on a mission to capture the notorious gunslinger Jim Flood (Barry Sullivan, Forty Guns). Despite his inexperience Jones manages to capture Flood—and the two form an unlikely friendship as they encounter vicious bounty hunters and vengeful locals on the rugged journey to the jailhouse. This whip-smart western written by Clair Huffaker (Posse from Hell) has some surprises from the cunning Flood that will push the newfound skills of Jones to their limits. Directed in blazing color by Harry Keller (Quantez) and featuring Venetia Stevenson (Day of the Outlaw) and Kenneth Tobey (Gunfight at the O.K. Corral). Bullet for a Badman (1964) – He had to kill or be killed . . . as he fought the deadliest duel in frontier history! Once a Texas Ranger, now a hunted killer, Sam Ward (Darren McGavin, TV's Kolchak: The Night Stalker) is on a warpath for vengeance and he has his ex-partner Logan Keliher (Audie Murphy, No Name on the Bullet) dead in his sights. Married to Ward's ex-wife Susan (Beverley Owen, TV's The Munsters) and stepfather to his son, Keliher is a man of honor—a retired ranger, forced to face off against his former brother-in-arms. But when the two men are attacked by Apaches, they must join together to survive against incredible odds. Bullet for a Badman is a terrific tale of gritty frontier redemption where friends can turn deadly enemies in the wink of an eye and the quick-draw of a six-gun. Directed by R.G. Springsteen (Showdown) and co-starring Ruta Lee (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), Skip Homeier (The Tall T), George Tobias (Rawhide) and Alan Hale Jr. (Destry). Bonus Features: NEW Audio Commentary for WALK THE PROUD LAND by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani | NEW Audio Commentaries for SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN and BULLET FOR A BADMAN by Western Film Historian Toby Roan | Theatrical Trailers (All 3 Newly Mastered in 2K) | Optional English Subtitles SABRINA (4K UHD BLU-RAY) Street Date: 6/17/25 Synopsis: Hollywood legends Humphrey Bogart ( The African Queen ), William Holden ( Stalag 17 ) and Audrey Hepburn ( Roman Holiday ) star in this classic Cinderella story directed by the brilliant Billy Wilder ( Sunset Boulevard , Some Like It Hot , The Apartment ). Bogie and Holden are the mega-rich Larrabee brothers of Long Island. Bogie's all work, Holden's all playboy. But when Sabrina, daughter of the family's chauffeur, returns from a stay in Paris all grown up and glamorous, the stage is set for some family fireworks as the brothers fall under the spell of Hepburn's delightful charms. Sabrina scored 6 Academy Award nominations for the year 1954, including Best Actress for Hepburn, Best Director for Wilder, Best Screenplay for Wilder with Ernest Lehman ( North by Northwest ) and Samuel A. Taylor ( Vertigo ) based on Taylor's hit Broadway play, and an Oscar win for Edith Head's iconic costumes. Provocative, romantic, bubbling with laughter— Sabrina is simply irresistible! Bonus Features: DISC 1 (4KUHD): Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride, Author of Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff | Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc | Optional English Subtitles | DISC 2 (BLU-RAY): Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures – From 4K Scan of the Original 35mm Elements | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride, Author of Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff | Audrey Hepburn – Fashion Icon: Featurette | Sabrina's World: Featurette | Supporting Sabrina: Featurette | William Holden – The Paramount Years: Featurette | Behind the Gates – Camera: Featurette | Paramount in the '50s: Retrospective Featurette | Sabrina Documentary | Theatrical Trailer | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles DEEPSTAR SIX (4K UHD & BLU-RAY) Street Date: 6/17/25 Synopsis: NOT ALL ALIENS COME FROM SPACE! From producer/director Sean S. Cunningham, the creator of the Friday the 13th and House films, comes this action-packed underwater sci-fi thriller starring Taurean Blacque ( Hill Street Blues ), Nancy Everhard ( The Punisher ), Greg Evigan ( B.J. and the Bear ), Miguel Ferrer ( RoboCop ), Matt McCoy ( The Hand That Rocks the Cradle ), Nia Peeples ( North Shore ), Cindy Pickett ( Ferris Bueller's Day Off ) and Marius Weyers ( The Gods Must Be Crazy ). Far below the surface of the unforgiving sea, the daring crew of DeepStar Six are explorers in a forbidding world of impenetrable darkness and unimaginable pressure. They have invaded the icy fathoms into which no human has ever ventured. Their mission is to establish a top secret Navy base on the ocean floor. But something's down there and the crew of DeepStar Six are about to make a startling discovery—there's no escape from the terror of the deep. DeepStar Six will plunge you into the depths of fear… save your last breath… to scream. Bonus Features: DISC 1 (4KUHD): Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master by StudioCanal – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton | Audio Commentary with Director Sean S. Cunningham and Visual Effects Supervisor James Isaac | Audio Commentary with Screenwriters Lewis Abernathy and Geof Miller | Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer Harry Manfredini | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc | Optional English Subtitles | DISC 2 (BLU-RAY): Brand New HD Master by StudioCanal – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton | Audio Commentary with Director Sean S. Cunningham and Visual Effects Supervisor James Isaac | Audio Commentary with Screenwriters Lewis Abernathy and Geof Miller | Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer Harry Manfredini | From the Deep: Interviews with Creature Effects & Special Make-up Designer Mark Shostrom, Creature Supervisor Greg Nicotero and Creature Artist Robert Kurtzman | The Survivors: Interviews with Actors Greg Evigan and Nancy Everhard | Water Damage: Interview with Stunt Coordinator Kane Hodder | Original EPK | Extended Vintage Interview Clips | Behind-the-Scenes Footage Image Gallery | Theatrical Trailer and TV Spot | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles ROCK, PRETTY BABY! Street Date: 6/17/25 Synopsis: Rock, Pretty Baby reigns as one of the first and best of the '50s rock 'n' roll films! It's a real jumpin' good time, featuring 16 vintage musical numbers by Rod McKuen, Henry Mancini, Bobby Troup and Sonny Burke…plus the acting talents of teen heartthrobs Sal Mineo (Rebel Without a Cause) and John Saxon (The Unguarded Moment)! Saxon plays high-school senior Jimmy Daley, who yearns to be a professional musician, much to the disappointment of his father (Edward C. Platt, North by Northwest). Jimmy sets out to prove he can make it in the L.A. music world, pawning the law books his father gave him to buy an electric guitar for his jazz-rock band with wisecracking ladies' man Angelo Barrato (Mineo). They get off to a shaky start, but they're soon getting ready for a major talent contest that could prove to be their big break. Luana Patten (Fun and Fancy Free) is the other half of Jimmy's boy-girl interests, while Fay Wray (King Kong) plays his charming and understanding mother, and Shelley Fabares (Clambake) adds a cheeky performance as his adolescent sister named Twinky. Bonus Features: Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by Universal Pictures | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle | Theatrical Trailer (Newly Remastered in 2K) | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles PROMISE HER ANYTHING Street Date: 6/17/25 Synopsis: Blondes, brunettes, redheads. Babes are no problem for adults-only filmmaker Harley Rummel (Warren Beatty, Heaven Can Wait). But a baby is nothing but one comic complication after another! When an attractive single mom (Leslie Caron, Gigi) finds out the pediatrician (Robert Cummings, The Carpetbaggers) she's sizing up for the altar hates kids, she leaves the baby in Harley's care—and that sparks a riotous, romantic free-for-all! A sharp script by A Shot in the Dark and The Exorcist writer William Peter Blatty and delightful direction by Arthur Hiller (helmsman of classics like Love Story, Silver Streak, The Out-of-Towners and The In-Laws) keep the sizzling romance and zany gags zinging along in this laughfest described by Time as 'an amiable, entertaining fiction…Beatty, in his first light comedy role, shows an unexpected flair for foolishness.' Featuring the swinging title song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, and performed by Tom Jones! Bonus Features: Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Author Dwayne Epstein | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles LAW AND ORDER Street Date: 6/17/25 Synopsis: Law and Order is a rip-roaring Western that explores the Wyatt Earp myth, with a screenplay by the legendary John Huston (The Maltese Falcon). It stars John's father Walter Huston (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) as Frame Johnson, a thinly veiled stand-in for Wyatt Earp, who takes the marshal job in Tombstone, Arizona and soon comes into conflict with the corrupt Northrup gang, leading to one of the earliest and most thrilling depictions of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Brilliantly directed by Edward L. Cahn (It! The Terror From Beyond Space) and co-starring Western icon Harry Carey, Law and Order is a true masterpiece of the genre. Bonus Features: WITHOUT HONOR – 1932 Western starring Harry Carey (60 minutes, Preserved by Library of Congress) | Audio Commentary for LAW AND ORDER by Max Allan Collins, the Author of Road to Perdition, with Heath Holland, Host of Cereal at Midnight Podcast | Audio Commentary for WITHOUT HONOR by Film Historian Toby Roan | Conversation with Filmmaker/Film Historian Bertrand Tavernier about LAW AND ORDER THE PEACEMAKER (4K UHD BLU-RAY) Street Date: 6/24/25 Synopsis: George Clooney ( Out of Sight ) and Nicole Kidman ( The Interpreter ) strike sparks when they join forces to stop a nuclear terrorist in this explosive action-adventure. When a train carrying atomic warheads mysteriously crashes in the former Soviet Union, brilliant U.S. nuclear specialist Dr. Julia Kelly (Kidman) discovers the accident is really part of a diabolical plot to cover up the theft of the weapons. Assigned to help her recover the missing bombs is crack Special Forces Colonel Thomas Devoe (Clooney), whose brash, take-no-prisoners style clashes with Kelly's more diplomatic approach. Putting aside their personal differences—and their budding romance—together they race against time as they track the last remaining warhead to the steps of the United Nations in this taut apocalyptic thriller directed by Mimi Leder ( Deep Impact ) and co-starring Armin Mueller-Stahl ( Eastern Promises ).. Bonus Features: DISC 1 (4KUHD): Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Journalist Laurence Lerman | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc | Optional English Subtitles | DISC 2 (BLU-RAY): Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures – From 4K Scan of the Original 35mm Elements | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Journalist Laurence Lerman | Stunt Footage (5:36) | From the Cutting Room Floor: Deleted Scenes (3:01) | Theatrical Trailer | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles ROAD TRIP (4K UHD BLU-RAY) Street Date: 6/24/25 Synopsis: Comedy legend Tom Green ( Freddy Got Fingered ) brings his outrageous brand of humor to this raucous tale of four college buddies who party hardy on a Road Trip Peter Travers of Rolling Stone calls, 'a wild, whacked-out ride!' Josh ( Garfield's Breckin Meyer) has a major problem—besides the fact he's in college in Ithaca, NY, and his longtime girlfriend Tiffany is in Austin, TX. A video of him getting funky with the luscious Beth ( Crank's Amy Smart) was mistakenly mailed to Tiffany and now he has three days to get to Texas before the tape does! 'You could get whiplash from laughing so hard,' says Good Morning America's Joel Siegel, about this riotous raunch-fest from the year 2000 featuring high times, hotties and a hit soundtrack with Kid Rock, Run DMC and Buckcherry. The hilarious cast includes Seann William Scott ( The Rundown ), DJ Qualls ( The New Guy ) and Fred Ward (Remo Williams). Directed by Old School, The Hangover , War Dogs and Joker mastermind Todd Phillips! Bonus Features: DISC 1 (4KUHD): Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master of the Theatrical Cut by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative! | NEW Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment's Joe Ramoni | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc | Optional English Subtitles | DISC 2 (BLU-RAY): Brand New HD Master of the Theatrical Cut by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative! | HD Master of the Unrated Cut by Paramount Pictures! | NEW Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment's Joe Ramoni (R-Rated Theatrical Cut) | Even Been on a Road Trip: Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (4:55) | Eels Music Video: Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (3:54) | Road Kill: Deleted Scenes (10:54) | Two Theatrical Trailers | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles MOUSE HUNT (4K UHD BLU-RAY) Street Date: 6/24/25 Synopsis: You'll delight in this hit comedy that's a rip-roaring and rambunctious good time for both kids and adults alike! The Birdcage 's Nathan Lane and There's Something About Mary's Lee Evans play down-on-their luck brothers Lars and Ernie Smuntz, who don't think much of the crumbling old mansion they inherit…until they discover that their dilapidated estate is actually worth millions. But before they can cash in, they've got to rid the house of its single, stubborn occupant: a tiny and tenacious mouse. What might seem like child's play becomes an epic battle of hysterical proportions. This mighty mouse-terpiece was written by Adam Rifkin ( Small Soldiers ), directed by Gore Verbinski ( Pirates of the Caribbean ) and features Christopher Walken ( Wayne's World 2 ) as Caesar the Exterminator! Bonus Features: DISC 1 (4KUHD): Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment's Joe Ramoni | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc | Optional English Subtitles | DISC 2 (BLU-RAY): Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures – From 4K Scan of the Original 35mm Elements | NEW Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment's Joe Ramoni | From the Cutting Room Floor: Deleted Scenes (14:29) | Theatrical Teaser (1:26) | Theatrical Trailer (2:04) | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles RUSTLERS' RHAPSODY Street Date: 6/24/25 Synopsis: Tumblin' Tumbleweeds! The Wild West goes wacko when the Greatest Fast-Drawin', Fancy-Dressin', Silver-Spurred, Geetar-Playin', Singing Cowboy movie matinee idol Rex O'Herlihan (Major League's Tom Berenger) hits the saddle in Rustlers' Rhapsody, a cockeyed, affectionate send-up of the '40s B-movie western. Classic saddlebag stereotypes and clichés get turned on their ear when our fearless hero, fully dressed in white and atop his dancing horse Wildflower, rides into the tackiest town west of the Pecos to do good deeds and defy desperados. Written and directed by Hugh Wilson, who was responsible for the hilarious Police Academy, the rootin'-tootin' Rustlers' Rhapsody also stars G.W. Bailey (Short Circuit), Marilu Henner (Johnny Dangerously), Andy Griffith (Spy Hard), Sela Ward (The Fugitive), Fernando Rey (The French Connection) and Patrick Wayne (Big Jake). Bonus Features: Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by Heath Holland, Host of Cereal at Midnight Podcast with Max Allan Collins, the Author of Road to Perdition | Theatrical Trailer | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles I, MADMAN Street Date: 6/17/25 Synopsis: Book store clerk Virginia (Jenny Wright) loves to lose herself in a good novel, but when she cracks the spine of a horror pulp called I, Madman, she conjures the book's monstrous author/villain Malcolm Brand (Randall William Cook). As grisly murders begin to occur around her, Virginia finds it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction, and even more difficult to convince anyone that the hideous character is real. Brand, who reconstructs his disfigured face by carving away the flesh of his victims, is one of the more memorable horror villains of the 1980s (the decade that gave us Jason, Freddy, and Chucky). Director Tibor Takács cleverly frames Brand's appearances in DePalma-style setpieces, doling out shock and suspense in careful measures, making I, Madman an unforgettable cinematic page-turner. Bonus Features: Audio commentary by Director Tibor Takács and Actor and Artistic Supervisor Randall William Cook | Much of Madness, More of Sin, a Visual Essay by Chris O'Neill | Ripped From the Pages: The Making of I, Madman, Featuring Interviews with director Tibor Takács, Actor and Artistic Supervisor Randall William Cook, Screenwriter David Chaskin, and Actors Clayton Rohner and Stephanie Hodge | Behind the Scenes Footage with Commentary by Randall William Cook | Theatrical Trailer SUGAR HILL Street Date: 6/24/25 Synopsis: Pray you never cross a woman out for revenge and her squad of zombie hitmen! When a black nightclub entrepreneur gets taken out by the mob, his girlfriend, 'Sugar' Hill (Marki Bey), calls upon the voodoo high priest Baron Samedi to summon up the undead to carry out an unholy plan for revenge. Packed with horror, action, and loads of 70s funk, Suger Hill will slay you! Also starring Robert Quarry (Madhouse). Bonus Features: Audio commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson | Audio commentary by director Paul Maslansky | Interviews with Actors Don Pedro Colley, Richard Lawson, Charles Robinson, and Director Paul Maslansky | Theatrical Trailer | Radio Spots THE BLUES UNDER THE SKIN Street Date: 6/24/25 Synopsis: In the early 1970s, during a resurgence of interest in the Delta blues, celebrated music documentarian Roviros Manthoulis traveled to the Mississippi Delta to capture on film the remnants of the authentic American blues. Filming intimate conversations and stunning performances by such blues legends B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Mance Lipscomb, Bukka White, and Roosevelt Sykes, Manthoulis explored the emotional and sociopolitical factors that make the blues the most expressive and hauntung of musical forms. Blurring the line between documentary and fiction, The Blues Under the Skin dramatizes the tumultuous relationship of a young couple (Onike Lee and Roland Sanchez) as they struggle to overcome the barriers of poverty and prejudice that keep them from finding happiness together. Virtually unseen in the U.S., The Blues Under the Skin is a thrilling rediscovery, an untapped cask of musical performances that document not only a range of vanishing musical forms, but provide a priceless glimpse of a vanished culture in the 1970s South. Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Daniel Kremer | Interview with director Robert Manthoulis (29 min.) | Deleted scenes (9 min.) featuring performances by Big Boy Crudup and Willie Dixon | Original Trailer | 2024 Re-release Trailer
Geek Vibes Nation
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
No Streaming Required: Physical Media Spotlight For The Week Of May 27th
We at GVN aim to keep you informed of the newest and best in the world of physical media. Over on our YouTube Channel, you can find us talking about everything you need to know on No Streaming Required, our weekly guide to all the latest 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD releases. For the week of May 27th, we have some incredible releases making their way to our shelves. Read on to get a brief overview of what you should have on your wishlist, then be sure to dive into the full rundown in the video below. This week, we spotlight the 4K UHD debut of a 2025 highlight as the Steven Soderbergh spy thriller Black Bag arrives from Universal with a cast including Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, and Pierce Brosnan. The release comes with HDR10, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, and a pair of supplemental features. Also from the studio, we have the charming romantic comedy Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy starring Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Emma Thompson, arriving on Blu-Ray with deleted scenes, featurettes, and more. In the world of horror, we have the unusual John Frankenheimer environmental creature feature Prophecy debuting on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Lorber Studio Classics. The release is derived from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision, a commentary track, interviews, and more. Things stay serious at the label with western-themed Audie Murphy Collection IV featuring The Kid From Texas , The Cimarron Kid , and Drums Across The River arriving on Blu-Ray with new commentary tracks. Fans of laugh-out-loud comedies are sitting pretty this week with some favorites finally getting a proper presentation. Kino tackles the beloved sequel Wayne's World 2 starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey on 4K UHD Blu-Ray. The release comes from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision, a commentary track, featurettes, and more. They also have the Farrelly Brothers classic Kingpin starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel and Bill Murray. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the theatrical cut from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision, a commentary track, featurettes, and the extended cut on Blu-Ray. Finally, we have the newer cult favorite Bottoms arriving on Blu-Ray featuring the likes of Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri. This release comes with two commentary tracks, a making-of documentary, deleted scenes, and more. It is a huge week for Smodcastle Cinema as they release the first Blu-Ray through their partnership with MVD Entertainment. The gripping, violent high school drama A Better Place arrives on Blu-Ray with a new Director's Cut derived from a 2K restoration. This release comes with a ton of special features including a new intro, a commentary track, deleted scenes, bloopers, and archival segments with executive producer Kevin Smith. The fine folks at OCN Distribution have a dramatic slate of Partner Label titles on Blu-Ray this month. Film Movement kicks us off with the recent gripping supernatural drama The Wait featuring a commentary track and a featurette on the VFX of the film. They also have the documentary A Life In Dirty Movies on Blu-Ray detailing the life and career of acclaimed adult film director Joe Sarno and his wife Peggy. The release comes with a commentary track and an array of additional interviews. Film Movement Classics offers a re-release of the Spanish western Time To Die featuring a 2K restoration, an introduction from Alex Cox, and a commentary track. Finally, IFC Films has the erotic odyssey Sleeping Beauty starring Emily Browning on Blu-Ray with a new audio commentary track. This is only a taste of what you can discover on No Streaming Required this week, so be sure to check out the full video below. What releases are you planning on picking up? Let us know over on Twitter. Before we let you go, we have officially launched our merch store! Check out all of our amazing apparel when you click here and type in GVN15 at checkout for a 15% discount! Make sure to check out our podcasts each week including Geek Vibes Live , Top 10 with Tia , Wrestling Geeks Alliance and more! For major deals and money off on Amazon , make sure to use our affiliate link !
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Charles Burnett on the never-ending battle of 'Killer of Sheep'
Charles Burnett has been living with 'Killer of Sheep' for more than half a century. Burnett, 82, shot 'Killer of Sheep' on black-and-white 16mm in the early 1970s for less than $10,000. Originally Burnett's thesis film at UCLA, it was completed in 1978. In the coming years, 'Killer of Sheep' would be hailed as a masterpiece of Black independent cinema and one of the finest film debuts, ever. Though it didn't receive a widespread theatrical release until 2007, the blues of 'Killer of Sheep' have sounded across generations of American movies. And time has only deepened the gentle soulfulness of Burnett's film, a portrait of the slaughterhouse worker Stan (Henry G. Sanders) and his young family in Los Angeles' Watts neighborhood. 'Killer of Sheep' was then, and remains, a rare chronicle of working-class Black life, radiant in lyrical poetry — a couple slow dancing to Dinah Washington's 'This Bitter Earth,' boys leaping between rooftops — and hard-worn with daily struggle. A new 4K restoration — complete with the film's full original score — is now playing in theaters, an occasion that recently brought Burnett from his home in Los Angeles to New York, where he met The Associated Press shortly after arriving. Burnett's career has been marked by revival and rediscovery (he received an honorary Oscar in 2007), but this latest renaissance has been an especially vibrant one. In February, Kino Lorber released Burnett's 'The Annihilation of Fish,' a 1999 film starring James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave that had never been commercially distributed. It was widely hailed as a quirky lost gem about a pair of lost souls. On Friday, Lincoln Center launches 'L.A. Rebellion: Then and Now,' a film series about the movement of 1970s UCLA filmmakers, including Burnett, Julie Dash and Billy Woodberry, who remade Black cinema. The Mississippi-born, Watts-raised Burnett is soft-spoken but has much to say — only some of which has filtered into his seven features (among them 1990's 'To Sleep With Anger') and numerous short films (some of the best are 'When It Rains' and 'The Horse'). The New Yorker's Richard Brody once called the unmade films of Burnett and his L.A. Rebellion contemporaries 'modern cinema's holy spectres.' But on a recent spring day, Burnett's mind was more on Stan of 'Killer of Sheep.' Burnett sees his protagonist's pain and endurance less as a thing of the past than as a frustratingly eternal plight. If 'Killer of Sheep' was made to capture the humanity of a Black family and give his community a dignity that had been denied them, Burnett sees the same need today. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. AP: The most abiding quality in your films seems to me to be tenderness. Where did you get that? BURNETT: I grew up in a neighborhood (Watts) where everyone was from the South. There was a lot of tradition. It was a different culture, a different group of people living there — people who had experienced a great deal and kept their humanity. And they had a work ethic. It was a nice atmosphere. People looked after you. I grew up with people who were very gentle. There were the Watts riots when you couldn't walk down the street without police harassing you. Police would stop me and do this forensic search and call you all kind of names while doing it. But in the riots, it wasn't that people got braver. They just got tired. When people got together, they always had the perspective of: Let the kids eat first. AP: In 'Killer of Sheep,' like your short 'The Horse,' you seem to be giving a great deal of thought to the future of these children, and their preparation for the cruelty of the world. BURNETT: In 'Killer of Sheep,' kids were learning how to be men or women. The changing point was when Emmett Till and his picture was being shown everywhere in Jet magazine. All of a sudden, it was no longer this fantasy. You were now aware of the cruelty of the world. I remember a kid who had come home abused, who supposedly fell down the stairs. You learned this dual reality to life. AP: When you watch 'Killer of Sheep' again, what do you see? BURNETT: Life going by. A life that should have been totally different. In high school, I had a teacher who would go walking down the aisle pointing at students saying, 'You're not going to be anything, you're not going to be anything.' He got to me and said, 'You're not going to be anything.' Now, (Florida Gov. Ron) DeSantis wants to destroy Black history. It's always a battle. AP: What could have been different? BURNETT: Young kids were capable of so much more. We were all looking for a place where you felt like you belonged. America could have been so much greater. The whole world could have been better. AP: In thinking about what could have been different after 'Killer of Sheep,' would you include yourself in that? You're acknowledged as one of the most groundbreaking American filmmakers yet the movie industry often wasn't welcoming. BURNETT: You do the best you can with what you have. There are so many things you want to say. What you find is that sometimes you work with people that don't see eye to eye. Even though I didn't do more, it's still more than what some people made, by far. I'm very happy about that. On the flip side, a lot of times you hear, 'Your films changed my life.' And if you can get that, then you're doing good. One of the things that I found is that people will take advantage of you and make you make the film that they want to make. You need to be somehow independent where you can tell them, 'No, I'm not doing this.' I had to do that a number of times. So you don't work that often. AP: To you, what's the legacy of 'Killer of Sheep'? BURNETT: One of the reasons I did 'Killer of Sheep' the way I did, with kids in the community working in all areas of the production, was to show them that they could do it. I made the film to restore our history, so young people could grow from it and know: I can do this. Even when I was in film school, there was a film production going on in my neighborhood. I was on my bike and I rolled over to see. I asked a guy, 'What set is this?' and he acted like I wouldn't understand. It's changed a bit but there's still this attitude. You look at what Trump and these guys are doing with DEI. It's this constant battle. It can never end. You have to constantly prove yourself. It's a battle, ongoing, ongoing, ongoing.
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
This Oscars favourite will be hard to see in cinemas. Here's why
For many low-budget, independent films, an Oscar nomination is a golden ticket. The publicity can translate into theatrical releases or rereleases, along with more on-demand rentals and sales. However, for No Other Land a Palestinian film nominated for best documentary at the 2025 Academy Awards, this exposure is unlikely to translate into commercial success in the U.S. That's because the film has been unable to find a company to distribute it in America. No Other Land chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground. It was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists: Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. While the filmmakers have organized screenings in a number of U.S. cities, the lack of a national distributor makes a broader release unlikely. Film distributors are a crucial but often unseen link in the chain that allows a film to reach cinemas and people's living rooms. In recent years it has become more common for controversial award-winning films to run into issues finding a distributor. Palestinian films have encountered additional barriers. As a scholar of Arabic who has written about Palestinian cinema, I'm disheartened by the difficulties No Other Land has faced. But I'm not surprised. Distributors are often invisible to moviegoers. But without one, it can be difficult for a film to find an audience. Distributors typically acquire rights to a film for a specific country or set of countries. They then market films to movie theaters, cinema chains and streaming platforms. As compensation, distributors receive a percentage of the revenue generated by theatrical and home releases. The film Soundtrack to a Coup D'Etat, another finalist for best documentary, shows how this process typically works. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and was acquired for distribution just a few months later by Kino Lorber, a major U.S.-based distributor of independent films. The inability to find a distributor is not itself noteworthy. No film is entitled to distribution, and most films by newer or unknown directors face long odds. However, it is unusual for a film like No Other Land, which has garnered critical acclaim and has been recognized at various film festivals and award shows. Some have pegged it as a favorite to win best documentary at the Academy Awards. And No Other Land has been able to find distributors in Europe, where it's easily accessible on multiple streaming platforms. So why can't No Other Land find a distributor in the U.S.? There are a couple of factors at play. In recent years, film critics have noticed a trend: Documentaries on controversial topics have faced distribution difficulties. These include a film about a campaign by Amazon workers to unionize and a documentary about Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican congresspeople to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2021. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, has long stirred controversy. But the release of No Other Land comes at a time when the issue is particularly salient. The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip have become a polarizing issue in U.S. domestic politics, reflected in the campus protests and crackdowns in 2024. The filmmakers' critical comments about the Israeli occupation of Palestine have also garnered backlash in Germany. Yet the fact that this conflict has been in the news since October 2023 should also heighten audience interest in a film such as No Other Land – and, therefore, lead to increased sales, the metric that distributors care about the most. Indeed, an earlier film that also documents Palestinian protests against Israeli land expropriation, 5 Broken Cameras, was a finalist for best documentary at the 2013 Academy Awards. It was able to find a U.S. distributor. However, it had the support of a major European Union documentary development program called Greenhouse. The support of an organization like Greenhouse, which had ties to numerous production and distribution companies in Europe and the U.S., can facilitate the process of finding a distributor. By contrast, No Other Land, although it has a Norwegian co-producer and received some funding from organizations in Europe and the U.S., was made primarily by a grassroots filmmaking collective. While distribution challenges may be recent, controversies surrounding Palestinian films are nothing new. Many of them stem from the fact that the system of film festivals, awards and distribution is primarily based on a movie's nation of origin. Since there is no sovereign Palestinian state – and many countries and organizations have not recognized the state of Palestine – the question of how to categorize Palestinian films has been hard to resolve. In 2002, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected the first ever Palestinian film submitted to the best foreign language film category – Elia Suleiman's Divine Intervention – because Palestine was not recognized as a country by the United Nations. The rules were changed for the following year's awards ceremony. In 2021, the cast of the film Let It Be Morning, which had an Israeli director but primarily Palestinian actors, boycotted the Cannes Film Festival in protest of the film's categorization as an Israeli film rather than a Palestinian one. Film festivals and other cultural venues have also become places to make statements about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and engage in protest. For example, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the right-wing Israeli culture minister wore a controversial – and meme-worthy – dress that featured the Jerusalem skyline in support of Israeli claims of sovereignty over the holy city, despite the unresolved status of Jerusalem under international law. At the 2024 Academy Awards, a number of attendees, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali, wore red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, and pro-Palestine protesters delayed the start of the ceremonies. So even though a film like No Other Land addresses a topic of clear interest to many people in the U.S., it faces an uphill battle to finding a distributor. I wonder whether a win at the Oscars would even be enough.
