Now that we've gotten past the intense craziness of three James Cameron releases all in one shot, we can get back to enjoying a full schedule of exciting new and catalog titles on everyone's favorite 2160p disc format.
If March wasn't busy enough, one specific director dominated the release slate with three of his biggest hits delivering three impressive albeit controversial discs. Compounding the problem was the scarcity issue as online retailers struggled to get product out failing to meet preorders by weeks at a time. Well, now that's all over with, we can get back looking at some new and exciting gems while letting our wallets recover a bit. Overall April is a pretty slim month compared to recent frames, but what's coming in is pretty exciting. We have a range of new recent theatrical hits on top of a nice selection of deep-cut comedy, action, drama, and horror titles debuting on the format.
The first week of the month is a mix of reissues, rescheduled, with a couple of eclectic catalog titles. Who'da thought that Cutthroat Island would come to 4K UHD, let alone command a SteelBook release at that? Major League is a sports comedy classic so let's hope it looks and sounds great!
Now, we have seen images of new Mondo X 4K SteelBooks for Doctor Strange, The Avengers, Black Panther, and Guardians of the Galaxy popping up. Supposedly these are Walmart exclusives, but we couldn't find them on Walmart's website so we don't know if the release has been pushed back, or if they're so limited you can't order them online at all. We'll keep an eye out all the same and update if that changes. And just like that things change, the Mondo Walmart Exclusive Marvel SteelBooks are now available online and in stores, but they are selling fast!
Technically arriving April, 5th since it's a music release:
The second frame of the month sees a little bit of a slowdown. A small mix of new and catalog titles, it gives us a slight financial breather but there are still some good ones to keep an eye on.
For another quiet week, how well did you enjoy the cinematic and television versions of Tom Clancy's favorite CIA analyst? The only other major new 4K release this frame is only one of the greatest films ever made...
A busy frame from one end to the next, it's also a pretty wild and eclectic slate featuring some classic exploitation flicks, animated superheroes, weepy dramas, Jason Statham, and the movie that finally nabbed Scorsese his Best Director Oscar.
April 30th, 4K UHD Releases
Not to go out quietly, April ends on one of the busiest, most diverse notes for new title and catalog 4K releases.
And that is what we have for domestic 4K releases aiming to crash into our collections through the month of April. It starts slow, but some great titles are coming and the final week of the month is a hell of a frame (and an expensive one!). As always some of these release dates could be changed and some last-minute releases have been known to sneak in - if and when that happens we'll update the shopping guide ASAP. Until then - Happy Collecting!
Paramount celebrates the 50th anniversary of the classic noir Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson with a limited edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release on June 18. Pre-orders are now available.
Chinatown was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and is now preserved in the U.S.'s National Film Registry at the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." This limited-edition release not only includes Chinatown fully restored on 4K UHD Blu-ray, but also the sequel - The Two Jakes on Blu-ray as well as new and legacy content.
Jack Nicholson is unforgettable as private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night.
Chinatown 50th Anniversary - Paramount Presents 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Digital Limited Edition release presents the fully restored Chinatown in 4K, plus the film's sequel, The Two Jakes, on Blu-ray. The release also includes new and legacy supplements as follows:
New bonus content is detailed below:
Additional legacy bonus content:
Pre-orders for Chinatown 50th Anniversary - Paramount Presents 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray are now live!
Blue Underground presents directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi's infamous 1971 Italian mondo-docudrama Goodbye Uncle Tom in limited edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray releases arriving April 23.
The American south slave trade themed shocker was so graphic that the film was heavily cut in the U.S. prior to its release - with Roger Ebert calling this cut version, “… the most disgusting, contemptuous insult to decency ever to masquerade as a documentary.” Blue Underground includes both the original uncut Italian version and the cut version fully restored in 4K from the original camera negatives.
The film considered too shocking for the world! Written, edited, produced and directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi of MONDO CANE fame, this epic recreation of the American slave trade atrocities was both condemned as depraved exploitation and acclaimed as an unprecedented cry of Black anguish and rage. The Detroit Chronicle hailed it as "a graphic, moving, nerve-paralyzing film." Legendary film critic Pauline Kael called it "the most specific and rabid incitement of the race war." It became one of the most reviled and misunderstood films of its time. Five decades cannot diminish GOODBYE UNCLE TOM's impact or quiet its controversy as it has become even more relevant TODAY!
In 1971, distributors forced the filmmakers to completely re-cut the film and radically re-write its extreme narration, removing more than 13 minute of race-war politics and inserting alternate scenes - creating what would become an entirely different film - before it could be released. Now more than 50 years later, both versions of GOODBYE UNCLE TOM can finally be seen in brand-new restorations, scanned in 4K 16-bit from their original negatives, with Dolby Vision HDR (on the 4K Blu-ray) & newly restored DTS-HD Master Audio, and packed with over 5 hours of Extras!
Goodbye Uncle Tom - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
You can pre-order Goodbye Uncle Tom on 4K UHD and Blu-ray now!
Get ready to sweep your collection's leg! Sony continues to dive deep into their archives for a new 40th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of John G. Alvidson's classic The Karate Kid. If you didn't pick up the trilogy collection, this edition kicks in the door with weathered VHS-style packaging with some exciting new bonus features.
While the previous trilogy set is barely two years old, Sony is already revisiting the first The Karate Kid on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray to celebrate its 40th Anniversary. More than a simple repressing with weathered VHS-style packaging, this disc offers some new bonus features in the form of a new audio commentary track with the creators of Cobra Kai and if that wasn't enough, the disc also comes with 30-minutes of never-before-seen deleted scene dailies. Maybe not enough for some to go for a double dip, but for fans that only wanted the classic first film, they can now have it in the collection.
The Karate Kid: 40th Anniversary - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
SYNOPSIS
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the coming-of-age classic — from Academy Award®-winning director John G. Avildsen (1976, Rocky) — that will leave you cheering! There is more to karate than fighting. This is the lesson that Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a San Fernando Valley teenager, is about to learn from a most unexpected teacher: Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita in his Academy Award®-nominated performance, Best Supporting Actor, 1984), an elderly handyman who also happens to be a master of the martial arts. His training and these vital lessons will be called into play when an outmatched Daniel faces Johnny (William Zabka), the skilled leader of the Cobra Kai — a vicious gang of karate school bullies — in a no-holds-barred karate tournament for the championship of the Valley.
DISC DETAILS AND BONUS MATERIALS
4K ULTRA HD DISC:
Restored from the original camera negative, presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
English Dolby Atmos + English 5.1 + English Stereo
Special Features:
BLU-RAY DISC™
Feature presented in high definition
English 5.1
Special Features:
CAST AND CREW
SPECS
Pre-orders aren't live yet - but as soon as they are we'll update our listings ASAP. Happy Collecting!
Warner Brothers is preparing Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated 'American Sniper' starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller for a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release on May 14. There will also be a 4K SteelBook edition arriving on the same day.
The 2014 film based on Chris Kyle's best-selling autobiography received six Academy Award nominations including Best Actor and Best Picture. It will be presented for the first time in 4K with HDR and comes with a Digital download.
From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield, and as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind
American Sniper - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
American Sniper - Limited Edition 4K SteelBook
The 4K UHD Blu-ray includes the following supplements:
Pre-orders for American Sniper 4K UHD Blu-ray and SteelBook are up and here is the full press release:
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Luc Besson's action thriller classic La Femme Nikita aims for its first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release from Sony on June 11th with a single-disc SteelBook release.
And just like that, Sony keeps the deep catalog classics coming. On top of their massive range of Columbia Pictures 100th Anniversary releases, Sony is making sure fans keep feeling that collecting pinch with another heavy from their archive. La Femme Nikita (or just "Nikita" depending on where you live in the world) was a surprise smash hit for Luc Besson leaping from the Parisian theater houses to become an international sensation spawning the Americanized remake No Return and the Hong Kong version Black Cat. Nearly 35 years after its theatrical run, we'll soon be able to enjoy this great action thriller in full Dolby Vision glory!
La Femme Nikita - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook
From director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) comes the must-see thriller about a vicious street punk turned sexy, sophisticated and lethally dangerous assassin. Starring Anne Parillaud, Jeanne Moreau and Jean Reno, La Femme Nikita is "slick, stylish and tremendously entertaining" (The New York Times)! Rescued from death row by a top-secret agency, Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is slowly transformed from a cop-killing junkie into a cold-blooded bombshell with a license to kill. But when she begins the deadliest mission of her career, only to fall for a man who knows nothing of her true identity, Nikita discovers that in the dark and ruthless world of espionage, the greatest casualty of all...is true love.
CAST AND CREW
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS -
4K ULTRA HD DISC:
*This 4K UHD release does not include a Blu-ray
SPECS:
At the moment this one isn't up for pre-order yet, but it should be soon. As soon as that pre-order goes live, we'll update our listings ASAP. Happy Collecting!
Paramount's brings the story of the legendary music icon to home video when Bob Marley: One Love arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on May 28.
The 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases of the legendary musician's biopic starring Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch will include over 50 minutes of bonus materials, and the film will also be available for rental or purchase on Digital March 19.
Celebrate the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love, peace, and unity. In One Love, discover Bob Marley's powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music that changed the world.
Bob Marley: One Love - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Bob Marley: One Love - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]
![Bob Marley: One Love - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]](https://cdn2.highdefdigest.com/media/2024/02/17/660/124424/bob-marley-one-love-4k-steelbook-paramount-pictures-highdef-digest-cover.jpg)
Bonus content is detailed below:
You can pre-order Bob Marley: One Love now - happy collecting!
Lock and load 90s film fans! Famous box office bomb & modern Cult Classic Barb Wire starring Pamela Anderson takes a shot at 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with two SteelBooks from Turbine Medien. This world premiere release sports Dolby Vision HDR for the Theatrical Cut in 4K with the Unrated Cut on Blu-ray (with SD inserts) with new interviews and legacy bonus feature content.
Honest talk now, what teenager coming of age in the '90s didn't try to slip this one past their parents at the video store? Hell, I had to "accidentally" order it on pay-per-view and clandestinely record it on VHS! All these years later this modern-day cult classic is storming the fiery beaches of 4K Ultra HD to expose a new generation of film fans to David Hogan's adaptation of the Dark Horse Comics character.
Barb Wire - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Edition SteelBook
Cover A
Barb Wire - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Edition SteelBook
Cover B
BARB WIRE is sexy and dangerous! And for the first time in Ultra HD!
After the Second American Civil War, chaos reigns. In the lawless, violent town of Steel Harbor, Amazonian bounty hunter Barb Wire runs the Hammerhead Bar - a pool for stranded existences. The ruthless Colonel Pryzer chases Barb's ex-lover and resistance fighter Axel Hood all the way to Steel Harbor. Barb is supposed to help him escape to the safety of Canada. When Pryzer devastates the bar and kills her blind brother, Barb goes into battle. She hasn't broken many men's hearts already... and the neck!
The action-packed sci-fi smash smash with Pamela Anderson as a hot avenging angel and Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett) in his first Hollywood role.
- New 4K restoration from the original negative with HDR and Dolby Vision from Turbine
- Unrated version on Blu-ray included
- Improved 5.1 and 2.0 mix in German and English
- Stylish steelbook (artwork by Herr Eifel) in limited slipcase (Classic Artwork)
Bonus Features
Disc Specs
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (2160p24 Ultra HD with HDR10 & Dolby Vision)
Language / Sound: German DTS-HD MA 5.1, German DTS-HD MA 2.0, English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles: German, English
Runtime: 98 minutes
This bad beast of a 4K Blu-ray is due to ship out next week. Get those Pre-orders in NOW!
Warner Brothers' star-studded heist trilogy starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and many more will arrive on a 4K Ultra HD on April 30.
Steven Soderbergh's trio of capers will be available as a trilogy set or in individual SteelBooks.
Starting as a remake of the Rat Pack classic, Clooney and company turned a simple heist film into a hit franchise spanning three films. Or four films if you count the spin-off that didn't really go anywhere Ocean's Eight. As a new prequel (or reboot, or requel, we're not really sure) is set to go before cameras soon, Warner Bros. is giving Soderbergh's trilogy the 4K HDR treatment. On top of a full trilogy set, you can score individual SteelBooks.
Ocean's Eleven - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]
![Ocean's Eleven - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]](https://cdn2.highdefdigest.com/media/2024/02/27/660/124666/oceans-eleven-4k-steelbook-warner-bros-highdef-digest-cover.jpg)
Ocean’s 11 (2001) - Danny Ocean (George Clooney) likes taking chances. All he asks is that his handpicked squad of ten grifters and cons play the game like they have nothing to lose. If all goes right, the payoff will be a fat $150 million. Ocean’s 11, in alphabetical order, stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac and Carl Reiner also star.
Ocean's Twelve - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]
![Ocean's Twelve - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]](https://cdn2.highdefdigest.com/media/2024/02/27/660/124667/oceans-twelve-4k-steelbook-warner-bros-highdef-digest-cover.jpg)
Ocean’s 12 (2004) - They’re back. And then some. Twelve is the new eleven when Danny Ocean and pals return in a sequel to the cool caper that saw them pull off a $150 million heist. But $150 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. It’s time to pull off another stunner of a plan. Exciting locations include Amsterdam, Paris and Rome. Ocean’s 12 stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac and Julia Roberts.
Ocean's Thirteen - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]
![Ocean's Thirteen - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray [SteelBook]](https://cdn2.highdefdigest.com/media/2024/02/27/660/124668/oceans-thirteen-4k-steelbook-warner-bros-highdef-digest-cover.jpg)
Ocean’s 13 (2007) - Danny Ocean rounds up the boys for the most dazzling heist yet, after casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses one of the eleven, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and more reteam with director Steven Soderbergh for a split-second caper that stacks the deck with wit, style and cool. Ocean’s 13 stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino. Rounding out the ensemble cast are Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin with Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould.
The Ocean's Trilogy - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Ocean’s trilogy Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and Digital contains the following previously released special features:
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Twelve
Ocean’s Thirteen
Pre-orders for The Ocean's Trilogy - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K SteelBooks are ready to roll and here is the full press release:
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David Ayer's The Beekeeper starring action icon Jason Statham from Discovery Home Entertainment and Amazon MGM Studios will be buzzing to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on April 23.
In The Beekeeper, one man’s brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers.”
The Beekeeper - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
There doesn't appear to be any supplements, but both releases are listed to have Dolby Atmos soundtracks.
Pre-orders for The Beekeeper are up and included below is the press announcement:
“Wildly entertaining”
Tribune News Service / Katie Walsh
THE BEEKEEPER
ARRIVES ON 4K UHD, BLU-RAY AND DVD ON APRIL 23
Burbank, CA, March 6 – The first action-thriller of 2024, The Beekeeper, from Amazon MGM Studios, will be available for purchase on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on April 23.
Directed by David Ayer (“Fury”, “End of Watch”) from a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer (“Salt”, “Expend4bles”), the film is produced by Bill Block, Jason Statham, David Ayer, Chris Long, Kurt Wimmer.
The Beekeeper stars Jason Statham (“The Meg,” “Furious 7”, “The Fate of the Furious,” The “Transporter” films), Emmy Raver-Lampman (TV’s “The Umbrella Academy”), Josh Hutcherson (“The Hunger Games” films), Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver (“Good Will Hunting”), Phylicia Rashad (“Creed”) and Jeremy Irons (TV’s “Watchmen”).
The Beekeeper will be available on April 23 on 4K UHD for $27.99 (ERP), Blu-ray for $22.99 (ERP) and DVD for $17.99 (ERP).
ABOUT THE FILM:
In The Beekeeper, one man’s brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers.”
Directed by: David Ayer
Written by: Kurt Wimmer
Produced by: Bill Block, Jason Statham, David Ayer, Chris Long p.g.a., Kurt Wimmer
Cast: Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver with Phylicia Rashad and Jeremy Irons
Amazon MGM Studios presents, a Miramax presentation, a Miramax, Cedar Park, Punch Palace Productions production. A film by David Ayer.
BASICS
PRODUCT
4K UHD
Blu-ray
DVD
Languages: English ATMOS, Eng-ADS-US
Subtitles: English SDH, LSP
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rating: Rated R for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, some sexual references and drug use.
