Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock and Mathieu Kassovitz's La haine will be getting 4K UHD Blu-ray upgrades; A Blu-ray of Nancy Savoca's Dogfight; and Agnes Hranitzky & Béla Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies as well as Mikhail Kalatozov’s I Am Cuba on both formats.
As previously mentioned, Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock will be getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Blu-ray edition. It will be available for purchase on April 9.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
This sensual and striking chronicle of a disappearance and its aftermath put director Peter Weir on the map and helped usher in a new era of Australian cinema. Based on an acclaimed 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock is set at the turn of the twentieth century and concerns a small group of students from an all-female college who vanish, along with a chaperone, while on a St. Valentine’s Day outing. Less a mystery than a journey into the mystic, as well as an inquiry into issues of class and sexual repression in Australian society, Weir’s gorgeous, disquieting film is a work of poetic horror whose secrets haunt viewers to this day.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
Mathieu Kassovitz's La haine is also getting a 4K UHD Blu-ray upgrade. Look for that in stores on April 2.
La haine
The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Mathieu Kassovitz took the film world by storm with La haine, a gritty, unsettling, and visually explosive look at the racial and cultural volatility in modern-day France, specifically the low-income banlieue districts on Paris’s outskirts. Aimlessly passing their days in the concrete environs of their dead-end suburbia, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Hubert (Hubert Koundé), and Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui)—Jewish, African, and Arab, respectively—give human faces to France’s immigrant populations, their bristling resentment at their marginalization slowly simmering until it reaches a climactic boiling point. A work of tough beauty, La haine is a landmark of 1990s French cinema and a gripping reflection of its country’s ongoing identity crisis.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
The only Blu-ray solo release is Dogfight from filmmaker Nancy Savoca arriving on April 30.
Dogfight
The Criterion Collection
An ineffably bittersweet portrait of youth in the 1960s, Nancy Savoca’s funny, sensitive tale of love and war etches two vividly alive characters: aspiring San Francisco folk singer Rose (Lili Taylor) and hotheaded, Vietnam-bound marine Eddie (River Phoenix), who meet on the occasion of a cruelly misogynistic party where men compete to bring the most unattractive dates they can find. But what begins as a night to forget unexpectedly develops into something far more meaningful. Featuring music by folk legends Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger, Dogfight captures the miracle of human connection while gracefully subverting ideas surrounding machismo, patriotic duty, and the very meaning of America itself.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
Agnes Hranitzky & Béla Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies will be available on 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray. The release date is April 16.
Werckmeister Harmonies
The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
This mesmeric parable of societal collapse is an enigma of transcendent visual, philosophical, and mystical resonance. Adapted from a novel by László Krasznahorkai, Werckmeister Harmonies unfolds in an unknown time in an unnamed village, where, one day, a mysterious circus—complete with an enormous stuffed whale and a shadowy, demagogue-like figure known as the Prince—arrives and appears to awaken a kind of madness in the citizens that builds inexorably toward violence. In thirty-nine hypnotic long takes engraved in ghostly black and white, auteur Béla Tarr and codirector-editor Ágnes Hranitzky conjure an apocalyptic vision of dreamlike dread and fathomless beauty.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
And last but not least is Mikhail Kalatozov’s I Am Cuba arriving on 4K UHD Blu-ray. A Blu-ray edition will be also be available, and both editions hit stores on April 23.
I Am Cuba
The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Both a landmark of radical political cinema and one of the most visually ravishing films ever made, this legendary hymn to revolution shimmers across the screen like a fever dream of rebellion. The result of an extraordinarily ambitious collaboration between the Soviet and Cuban film industries, director Mikhail Kalatozov’s I Am Cuba unfolds in four explosive vignettes that capture Cuban life on the brink of transformation, as crushing economic exploitation and inequality give way to a working-class uprising. Backed by Carlos Fariñas’s stirring score, the dazzling camera work by Sergei Urusevsky—an inspiration for generations of filmmakers to follow—gives flight to the movie’s message of liberation.
4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
Pre-orders should be available in the coming days
Warner Brothers' 2023 The Color Purple based on Alice Walker's acclaimed novel as well as the hit musical stage play will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on March 12. The film will also be ready to own digitally on January 16.
Torn apart from her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) and her children, Celie (Fantasia Barrino in her major motion picture debut, reprising her 2005 role from Broadway) faces many hardships in her life, including an abusive husband simply called Mister (Colman Domingo). With the support of sultry singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson) and stand-her-ground stepdaughter Sofia (Danielle Brooks, Tony-nominated for the role on Broadway), Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.
The Color Purple (2023) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Color Purple (2023) - Blu-ray
Both Blu-ray editions feature Dolby Atmos soundtracks and bonus materials are as follows:
“The Color Purple” Premium Digital Ownership, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:
Pre-orders for The Color Purple (2023) are live and hit stores on March 12th
Celebrate Disney's 100th anniversary with the animated musical/comedy Wish arriving on 4K Walmart Exclusive SteelBook and Blu-ray on March 12. The press release is not clear if there is a non-exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray, however. Digital will be available January 23.
In this animated musical-comedy, Asha, a sharp-witted idealist in the kingdom of Rosas, makes a powerful wish that’s answered by Star, a ball of boundless energy. Soon, Asha and Star must face a formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas—to save her community and prove that when one brave human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things happen.
Wish - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
A Dolby Atmos soundtrack come equipped on the 4K UHD Blu-ray and bonus materials include:
Pre-orders for Wish should be available soon. Included below is the full press release:
The 2011 thriller Contagion from director Steven Soderbergh and featuring an all-star cast including Marion Cottilard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, and more is getting a 4K UHD Blu-ray release on February 27.
An international traveler reaches into the snack bowl at an airport bar before passing her credit card to a waiter. A business meeting begins with a round of handshakes. A man coughs on a crowded bus... One contact. One instant. And a lethal virus is transmitted.
When Beth Emhoff (Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis from business in Hong Kong, what she thought was jet lag takes a virulent turn. Two days later, she’s dead in the ER and the doctors tell her shocked and grieving husband (Damon) they have no idea why. Soon, others exhibit the same mysterious symptoms: hacking coughs and fever, followed by seizure, brain hemorrhage... and ultimately, death. The numbers quickly multiply as the contagion sweeps across all borders, fueled by the countless human interactions that make up the course of an average day. A global pandemic explodes.
As the death toll escalates and people struggle to protect themselves and their loved ones in a society breaking down, one activist blogger (Law) claims the public isn't getting the truth about what's really going on and sets off an epidemic of paranoia and fear as infectious as the virus itself.
Contagion - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Contagion - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Digital release will feature a 4K restoration in HDR and will include the following:
Pre-orders for Contagion - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray are up and here is the full press release:
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DreamWorks and Universal are bringing the animated musical comedy Trolls Band Together to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on January 16. Pre-Orders are now available.
Get ready for an all-star family reunion like no other in the latest chapter of DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise, now with a Sing-Along edition! As Poppy (Anna Kendrick) grows closer to her now boyfriend Branch (Justin Timberlake), she discovers his secret past as a member of her favorite boyband, BroZone, with his four estranged brothers. When Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious popstars, Branch and Poppy embark on an action-packed journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd. Along the way Poppy uncovers a family secret of her own, a long-lost sister named Viva (Camila Cabello). TROLLS BAND TOGETHER features the franchise’s signature psychedelic joy-bomb of new and classic pop hits that will have you singing and dancing along over and over again!
Trolls Band Together - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Trolls Band Together - Blu-ray
Both Blu-ray editions feature Dolby Atmos soundtracks and bonus materials are as follows:
TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K UHD:
Street Date: January 16, 2024
Selection Number: 191329256497 (US) / 191329256695 (CDN)
Layers: BD 100
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG for some mild rude and suggestive humor
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 and Dolby Digital 5.1 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Feature), French European (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Bonus Content), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature, Dolby Digital 5.1 for Bonus Content)
Run Time: 01:31:22
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™:
Street Date: January 16, 2024
Selection Number: 191329254981 (US) / 191329256770 (CDN)
Layers: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG for some mild rude and suggestive humor
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 and Dolby Digital 5.1 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Feature), French European (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Bonus Content), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 for Feature, Dolby Digital 5.1 for Bonus Content)
Run Time: 01:31:22
Disney and Marvel's The Marvels starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson is soaring to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, 4K SteelBook, and Blu-ray on February 13. Digital will hit January 16.
Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole, her powers are entangled with super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and work together to save the universe.
The Marvels - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Marvels - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
The 4K UHD Blu-ray editions feature Dolby Atmos soundtracks and bonus materials are as follows:
FEATURETTES
DELETED SCENES
GAG REEL
AUDIO COMMENTARY
Pre-orders for The Marvels should be available soon. Included below is the full press release:
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The 2021 horror/comedy Willy's Wonderland starring Nicolas Cage is getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K SteelBook from Scream Factory on February 13.
A quiet drifter (Nicolas Cage) finds himself stranded in a remote town when his car breaks down. Taking on a janitorial job at the now-condemned Willy's Wonderland seems like an easy way to earn some cash ... but the mundane task suddenly becomes an all-out fight for survival when he must do battle with wave after wave of demonic, murderous animatronics.
Willy's Wonderland - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Willy's Wonderland - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook
The 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray as well as the SteelBook edition will include the following:
Disc One (4K UHD):
· Feature Film in Dolby Vision
Disc Two (Blu-ray):
· “Inside Fun” Featurette
· Set Tour with Actor Christian Del Grosso
· “Fresh Meat” Featurette
· “Colorful Darkness And The Demon-Atrons” Featurette
· Trailer
Pre-orders for Willy's Wonderland in 4K are up and included below is the full press release:
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The Hunger Games prequel starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage and Viola Davis is headed for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (with a Walmart exclusive SteelBook) and Blu-ray on February 13. Digital will hit on January 30.
64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus as he unites with Lucy Gray Baird in the 10th Hunger Games, and battles his instincts for both good and evil.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Blu-ray
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Walmart Exclusive SteelBook
The 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital combo pack and the Blu-ray + Digital combo pack will include the following supplements:
4K UHD / BLU-RAY™ SPECIAL FEATURES
AMAZON BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES
Pre-orders for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are now live!
Here's the full press release for all of the details:
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After an exciting (and expensive) holiday frame of terrific new and back catalog 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases, January gives us something of a breather. Typically January isn't a very busy month for new releases as studios and labels reset after a slew of big title drops and sales. 2024 starts out slow, but then gradually picks up steam - and if what we're hearing about '24 bares out, it's going to be a wild year! So let's get started
In typical fashion, the first week of the year is pretty slow. In fact, we only have one new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release pegged for this week, but it's a heck of an upgrade at that.
And true to form, momentum picks up with a modern sports drama classic, two of the best thrillers ever made... and an Uwe Boll movie? What a weird world of collecting we live in!
Here's where the release train starts picking up more steam. Studios are getting out bigger, more interesting titles, and the independent labels are starting to slip in some new exciting releases.
While this frame isn't jam-packed, full of new titles, it has an interestingly eclectic offering. KLSC really digs for a couple interesting upgrades for the format, especially a kid-friendly Schwarzenegger flick.
After a few weeks of building, the final week of January is where the rubber really meets the road. We see big releases from Arrow. Big releases from Kino Lorber Studio Classics among others that will surely require a little financial finagling to acquire everything right out of the gate.
And that's the news that's fit to print for this month. We expect some last-minute releases to get announced - there are a few big ones coming out in the UK that haven't been announced stateside. When/If there are any more new news drops we'll update our listings ASAP!
Now that the glut of holiday titles has subsided in the wake of Thanksgiving, collectors have to strap themselves in for another feast of 4K titles. December is a bit tricky because it's usually when studios try to calm things down a little bit but also wallop collectors with a bunch of new exciting titles that would sell great for the Holidays. The fun of this frame is just how diverse the range of titles is. We get everything from classic comedies to recent October horror flicks to the latest big-budget box-office adventure film. Or even the case of one particularly aqua-obsessed filmmaker, two more releases of Avatar! So lets get into it shall we?
Speaking of a diverse range of titles, the December 5th frame is no exception. We see one of Spielberg's first true dramatic undertakings as a filmmaker come out alongside a fifth entry to his most famous franchise (albeit one he didn't direct). Throw in some Criterion heavy hitters, new sci-fi television, and one of the biggest box office successes of all time, and you've got a packed, expensive series of flicks to consume.
Again, for a great example of a diverse range of titles, you have a recent horror hit coming to disc after a day-and-date theatrical/streaming release. One of the funniest movies ever based on a board game. Multiple pieces of terrific thought-provoking and pulse-poinding sci-fi. A zany high-concept action film. The newest iteration of a now classic comic/cartoon franchise. Plenty of action-packed thrillers - it's a lot! To say the least, it's a lot of great stuff coming down the release chimney.
Not sure if there's a better week than right before Christmas to drop a new 4K franchise release about demonic possession, but here we are! On top of ironically-timed horror releases, this final frame right before the big holiday sales push sees more of James Cameron's jungle cat people mixed in with Olver Stone's conspiracy theory classic mixed with some new Kino Cult mixed with a pair of Stephen King titles. It's an odd frame to say the least but there are some gems in there.
December 26th - 4K UHD Blu-ray Releases
For the final week of 2024, things quiet way down. A lot. On the 4K side, there's literally only one domestic release - but at least it's a good one! The holidays are over, shopping is done, and studios take a break before they dig in for the next year. 2024 is going to be a weird one with Best Buy exiting the physical media space, but we're expecting some good stuff to come our way.
And that's everything due for arrival this month. If there are any last-minute additions or sudden release date shifts, we'll update this article ASAP.
