As Sony continues their ongoing Columbia Pictures centennial celebration, they also continue to chip away from the Columbia Classics boxset exclusive titles. The latest is Penny Marshall's terrific drama about the Women's Baseball League during WWII. Not only is it getting a solo release (finally), but it's also seeing a Dolby Vision HDR Upgrade.
Sony continues its run of showing other studios how to properly celebrate a 100th Anniversary bringing another catalog out to the 4K format. Sure, A League of Their Own isn't a "new" title on the 4K format, but it was one that's been locked away in the OOP Columbia Classics Vol 1 collection for so long some folks out there might have forgotten about it! While it's great they're splitting the disc off from the box set, it's even better they're offering a Dolby Vision upgrade for those who waited it out. Now these DV upgrades haven't always yielded night and day improvements. This film already looked pretty fabulous in 4K HDR10, so it'll be interesting to see how well this one turns out.
A League of their Own - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
It's a home run with this hilarious and beloved comedy, starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna. With baseball lineups and locker rooms left empty during World War II, the newly-founded All-American Girls Baseball League brought talented women to the big leagues—and brought fans to the stands. The indomitable Dottie Hinson (Davis) finds herself leading a rag tag group of players who end up winning over the heart of their has-been coach, Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks). Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell and Jon Lovitz round out the all-star roster. Based on the true story of the pioneering women who blazed the trail for generations of athletes.
DISC DETAILS AND BONUS MATERIALS
4K ULTRA HD DISC
BLU-RAY DISC™
CAST AND CREW
Directed By: Penny Marshall
Produced By: Robert Greenhut and Elliot Abbott
Screenplay By: Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
Based on a Story By: Kim Wilson & Kelly Candaele
Executive Producer: Penny Marshall
Cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall and Bill Pullman
SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 128 minutes
Rating: PG for language.
4K UHD Feature Picture: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 2.39:1
4K UHD Feature Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible) | English 5.1 DTS-HD MA | English 2-Channel Surround DTS-HD MA
Not yet up for pre-order and we haven't seen any kind or retailer exclusive SteelBooks yet, but we'll keep our eyes out. As soon as we have pre-order links, we'll update our listings ASAP.
Sony is preparing the 1998 comedy 'Can't Hardly Wait' for 4K UHD Blu-ray on August 20.
The film is written and directed by Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont, and stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green and Jennifer Love Hewitt. This release includes legacy bonus materials as well as 11 newly uncovered alternate and deleted scenes.
It's graduation day at Huntington Hills High-- a time for Pomp and Circumstance, tassels and mortarboards, and serious introspection about the future. But tonight, the seniors will leave all that behind for the things that really matter; romance, revenge and rock 'n' roll. Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green and Jennifer Love Hewitt star in one raucous comedy about the ultimate teen party, a once-in-a-lifetime alternate universe where class nerds become class studs, super-jocks are humiliated, and freshman crushes blossom into grown-up romance. From meathead to misfit, everyone will be there for a hormone-charged bash tapped for out-of-control fun.
Can't Hardly Wait - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The 4K UHD Blu-ray + Digital will feature Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos audio, and the following supplements:
Special Features:
Pre-orders for Can't Hardly Wait - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray should be coming soon and here is the full press release:
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The 4K UHD train keeps chugging along. As Hollywood struggles at the box office, studios and independent labels keep giving collectors good reasons to stay at home. This month we're seeing a number of first-time upgrades and new releases arriving in 2160p.
The summer season is here and we're getting a number of great reasons to stay at home in the air conditioning and enjoy our collections. Normally, this time of year we'd be rushing out to the theater to see what big hits we'd be getting on disc in a few months, but things aren't stellar at the box office. After several weeks of back-to-back-to-back underperforming films, big-budget studio releases are struggling to scratch back their production budgets. When that happens that means we get the digital and disc releases even faster (which to be honest, is a double-edged sword). For those with a big home theater setup, we have some genuine gems to add to the collection.
For this first frame of the month, we get some first-time entries on 4K, some SteelBook upgrades, and Criterion catching up to a couple of UK and EU releases with Fear and Loathing. It's a little bit of a slow week but things ramp up moving forward.
This next frame we see some bigger releases come through. And by bigger we mean that in every way with Godzilla x Kong making its debut. Keeping things a little more family-friendly we have the Shrek films hitting 2160p but then we get some classy horror entries and an action classic.
This seems to follow a pattern of late where the third week softens a tad for quantity but gives fans some quality new releases. We're seeing a great mix of cult classics, old favorites, franchise favorites, and one of the greatest detective films ever made all coming to 4K UHD.
And here is where studios and independent labels hit the gas. To say this week's releases will be expensive is a bit of an understatement! We have classics, we have comedies, we have comedy classics, we have modern critical darlings that weirdly underperformed at the box office! Hell, Kino Lorber Studio Classics saved four 4K upgrades and new editions just for this frame alone!
And that's all the news that's fit to print - for now. Obviously, release dates can change and there might be some late additions. If/when that happens we'll update our listings and this article ASAP. Happy Collecting!
The 1982 animated fantasy adventure 'The Last Unicorn' will be making its 4K UHD Blu-ray debut on August 20.
This edition features a 4K Transfer of the 35mm interpositive with Dolby Vision, with a Blu-ray included. A SteelBook will also be available exclusively at Walmart. And, those who purchase the non-SteelBook edition directly from Shout! will receive a double-sided poster featuring the cover art from both editions based on the original theatrical poster while quantities last.
From Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass (The Hobbit), The Last Unicorn is a magical adventure featuring an all-star cast, including Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee, Alan Arkin, Tammy Grimes, Angela Lansbury, René Auberjonois and Robert Klein, and unforgettable songs from the rock band, America.
Upon hearing that she may be the very last of her kind on Earth, a Unicorn (Mia Farrow) goes in search of others like her. Her quest won't be easy, as it leads her straight to the evil King Haggard (Christopher Lee) and his infamous Red Bull! And the journey is made even more complicated when, to protect her from the envious wrath of Haggard, a spell is cast to turn the Unicorn into the Lady Amalthea, a beautiful, young human woman. But with this new body comes new thoughts and feelings, such as love for Haggard's son, Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). Will Amalthea get lost inside this new body? Will she meet the fate of the other Unicorns? Or will she be able to defeat Haggard and his Red Bull with the aid of her friends, Schmendrick the bumbling magician (Alan Arkin) and Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes)?
The Last Unicorn - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The Last Unicorn - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook
The 4K UHD + Blu-ray releases include Dolby Vision HDR and the following supplements:
UHD
Blu-ray
Pre-orders for The Last Unicorn - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray should be available soon and here is the full press release:
The Treasured Classic as You’ve Never Seen It Before
The Last Unicorn
Available on 4K UHD for the First Time
August 20, 2024
One of the most beloved fantasy films of all-time, The Last Unicorn has enraptured generations of fans with its poetic tale of a brave unicorn’s journey through a mystic land, seeking others of her kind. Available on 4K UHD for the first time as a 4K UHD +Blu-ray combo pack on August 20, 2024 from Shout! Studios, the new release is a 4K Transfer of the 35mm interpositive along with Dolby Vision™, and includes a number of bonus features including a Q&A with Peter S. Beagle and more!
The release will also be available as a SteelBook® with new art, available exclusively at Wal-Mart. Fans who purchase the standard edition 4KUHD +Blu-ray directly from Shout! will receive a double-sided poster featuring both the SteelBook® and standard edition art, based on the original theatrical poster, while supplies last.
Showcasing the latest hi-definition restoration of the uncut film, endorsed by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn is brought to life with exquisite detail never before seen, to ensure the most satisfying film viewing experience for all fans, old and young alike.
From Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass (The Hobbit), The Last Unicorn is a magical adventure featuring an all-star cast, including Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee, Alan Arkin, Tammy Grimes, Angela Lansbury, René Auberjonois and Robert Klein, and unforgettable songs from the rock band, America.
Upon hearing that she may be the very last of her kind on Earth, a Unicorn (Mia Farrow) goes in search of others like her. Her quest won't be easy, as it leads her straight to the evil King Haggard (Christopher Lee) and his infamous Red Bull! And the journey is made even more complicated when, to protect her from the envious wrath of Haggard, a spell is cast to turn the Unicorn into the Lady Amalthea, a beautiful, young human woman. But with this new body comes new thoughts and feelings, such as love for Haggard's son, Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). Will Amalthea get lost inside this new body? Will she meet the fate of the other Unicorns? Or will she be able to defeat Haggard and his Red Bull with the aid of her friends, Schmendrick the bumbling magician (Alan Arkin) and Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes)?
The Last Unicorn Bonus Features
UHD
• NEW 4K Transfer Of The 35mm Interpositive
• NEW Includes Dolby Vision
• Audio Commentary
Blu-ray
• NEW 4K Transfer of the 35mm Interpositive
• NEW A Profile of Peter S. Beagle
• Q&A With Writer Peter S. Beagle
• Animated Storyboards
• Original Theatrical Trailer
About Shout! Studios
Launched in 2003, Shout! Studios is a multiplatform media company specializing in film and TV distribution, development, and production. The company has evolved with the changing entertainment landscape to excel in all forms of content distribution, including theatrical, digital streaming, broadcast and in-flight licensing, physical media, and more. Shout! Studios owns and manages a large portfolio of contemporary and classic feature films, series, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition mandate has established it as a leading independent distributor, with partners and properties including Aardman Animations, ALF, The Carol Burnett Show, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, The Johnny Carson Show, the Roger Corman New Horizons Pictures Library, GKIDS, ITV Studios, LAIKA Studios, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson), and Sesame Street, alongside many others. Shout! Kids focuses on live-action and animated kids and family properties including anime, and the company releases genre and horror films and television shows under the Scream Factory imprint. Shout! Studios also produces, acquires, and distributes new films, and operates the acclaimed streaming service Shout! TV and its family of FAST channels. Shout! Studios is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Studios, visit ShoutStudios.com
About ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a creator, producer and distributor of world-leading programmes that people can’t get enough of. We connect millions of people every day and shape and reflect the world they live in, we are More Than TV.
ITV Studios is home to some of the best creative minds, crafting over 6,700 hours of original programming across 60 production labels. Our global footprint spans 12 countries including the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, The Nordics, Italy and the Netherlands and our global distribution business sells our catalogue of 90,000+ hours to broadcasters and platforms around the world.
ITV Studios is part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster.
Universal and producer Jordan Peele is set to release Dev Patel's action-packed Monkey Man on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on June 25.
The releases have over 55 minutes of all-new bonus features, including an alternate opening, alternate ending, deleted scenes, behind the scenes featurettes and more. The film will also make its streaming debut exclusively on Peacock on June 14.
From Oscar® winning Producer Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope) comes Oscar® nominee Dev Patel’s (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion) astonishing tour-de-force directorial debut, inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage. Patel stars as a man with no name, scarred by a brutal childhood, who ekes out a meager living in underground fighting rings. But when he finds a way to rise up and infiltrate his city’s corrupt elite, he kicks off an explosive campaign for retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him as a boy. Channeling the rage of the poor and powerless, an unexpected hero emerges in this fight-filled action epic.
Monkey Man - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Bonus Features:
You can pre-order Monkey Man now and included below is the press announcement:
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As we eagerly await the release of Ti West's Maxxxine, Turbine takes us back to where it all started with Pearl on 4K UltraHD Blu-ray. With their excellent 4K UHD SteelBook sold out, fans can now snag new deluxe Mediabook editions with four cover options with a new 32-page book.
Who would have expected Ti West and Mia Goth's little horror film X would spawn a franchise? While we wait for what could be the concluding chapter with Maxxxine (there's talk of a fourth film now), Turbine will be reissuing their terrific 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Pearl with some beautiful new Mediabook covers to pick from. These discs will offer the same excellent Dolby Vision transfer with the same impressive Atmos audio tracks. The benefit here is you won't have to pay gray-market prices for the SteelBook, pick up a 32-page booklet, and some stylish alternate cover art choices! Read our Pearl 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Review
For the serious collectors - you can order all four alternate covers!
Synopsis:
"Mia Goth delivers her best performance so far." (Slash Film)
Texas, 1918. The Spanish flu has claimed more than 600,000 victims. Pearl lives secluded on a farm, trapped in everyday life with a paralyzed father and an embittered mother, while her husband fights in the First World War. She wants nothing more than a glamorous life like in the movies. But something is wrong with her. Suppressed feelings, unfulfilled urges and psychopathic delusions pave a bloody path...
PEARL is a hypnotically dazzling nightmare that becomes a fascinating horror event in the Hollywood look of the 1950s. Mia Goth, heroine and haunting of X, returns as a young Pearl whose dreams, lusts and murderous fantasies collide and erupt in a glamorous Technicolor bloodlust.
Bonus material:
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Languages: German & English: Dolby Atmos
Subtitles: German, German for the hearing impaired, English, English SDH
Picture format: 2.39:1 (2160p24 Ultra HD) HDR10 & Dolby Vision
Runtimes: approx. 102 min. + 21 min. bonus material
Blu-ray
languages: German & English: Dolby Atmos
Subtitles: German, German for the hearing impaired, English, English SDH
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (1080p24 Full HD)
Runtimes: approx. 102 min. + approx. 21 min. bonus material
All four editions are up for pre-order now, they're due to ship out on July 3rd. If Mediabooks and SteelBooks aren't your flavor, Turbine will be offering a standard flatpack keepcase edition in late June. We'll post that up as soon as it's live. Happy collecting!
So no one told you Physical Media was gonna be this way
Your DVD's a joke, you're broke, your streaming life's DOA
It's like you're always stuck in 480i
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but
4K UHD'll be there for you!!!
After yesterday's surprise Amazon pre-order drop -we now have more info about what we're getting with this release of Friends: The Complete Series on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Still don't fully know the aspect ratio or if there will be an HDR grade yet, but we do have some more details to share with you.
Here's the initial press release with all the gory details as we know them:
The One in 4K”
FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE SERIES
COMES TO 4K ULTRA HD FOR THE FIRST TIME
This Ultimate Collector’s Set Features All 10 Seasons from One of Television’s Most Popular Sitcoms Completely Remastered – Plus All New Bonus Content!
Available To Own on September 24, 2024
BURBANK, CA (May 30, 2024) – Oh, My Gawd! In celebration of the 30th anniversary of one of television’s most watched sitcoms, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will release FRIENDS: The Complete Series in 4K Ultra HD on September 24, 2024. This ultimate collector’s set for any FRIENDS fan includes over 110 hours of content – including all 236 original broadcast episodes released for the first time in 4K Ultra HD, plus over 20 hours of extra features including all-new bonus content. Pre-order your copy now.
From Warner Bros. Television, FRIENDS follows the lives and loves of a close-knit group of friends living in New York City: siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), along with friends Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston).
FRIENDS was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television. Throughout its run, the show was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards®, winning six awards including Best Comedy Series in 2002.
FRIENDS maintains its influence among viewers. Since its launch, the series has been watched over 71 billion times in the United States alone, across all linear & SVOD platforms. On an international level, viewers spent a total of more than 1.4 billion hours with FRIENDS in 2023 across linear and SVOD internationally.
As FRIENDS marks its 30th anniversary this year, the beloved TV series continues to hold an enduring place in popular culture and hearts worldwide. With its witty humor, relatable characters, and memorable catchphrases, FRIENDS transcends generations with its universal appeal, making it a classic that continues to bring joy and laughter to fans around the world.
Series information:
FRIENDS: The Complete Series
Includes all 236 original broadcast episodes from the iconic 10 seasons of the beloved series, plus hours of special features which has been created over the years including two hours of all-new bonus content.
PRODUCT
4K Ultra HD
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, German 2.0 S DD, French 2.0 S DD, Japanese 2.0 S DD, Castilian-Spanish 2.0 S DD
Subtitles: English SDH, German SDH, French, Japanese, Castilian Spanish, Latin Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Dutch, Complex Chinese
Running time: 236 (30 min) episodes. Over 20 hours of special features including all-new bonus content
Rated: PG
About Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment (WBDHE) distributes the award-winning movies, television, animation, and digital content produced by Warner Bros. Discovery to the homes and screens of millions through physical Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD retail sales and digital transactions on major streaming, video-on-demand cable, satellite, digital, and mobile channels. WBDHE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales, one of the world’s largest distributors of entertainment programming.
The series is up for pre-order - we're sure that price point will drop closer to release day. Happy collecting!
After delivering the 4-Film Knockout Collection, Warner Bros. is set to deliver the final blow with the 6-Film, Rocky: Ultimate Knockout Collection. This will offer up the previously available four films complete with the woeful Rocky V and two cuts of Rocky Balboa
It was only a matter of time before the whole series got here, and that day has come. While the first four Rocky classics were rushed to 4K to tie into the release of Creed III, Stallone was hard at work delivering a new Director's Cut of Rocky Balboa that runs fourteen minutes longer than the Theatrical Cut. Sadly, there isn't a new cut of Rocky V - but to be fair there's not a lot that can be done for that one. Stallone's done about all he can do to make fans forget it ever existed. Now the rough deal is there are no plans that we've found to help fans upgrade their previously available 4-film sets - beyond the stand-alone 4K SteelBooks also due on the 16th. We also understand discs with corrected audio and the aspect ratio mismatch for Rocky IV are supposed to be included here too (we're still waiting for our corrected discs to arrive).
The press releases for this outing didn't include HDR grade details or audio - but the back of the box image on Amazon indicates DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 for all theatrical editions, DTS-HD MA 5.1 for the Director's Cuts of Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa. Without details, the PR also indicated the Ultimate Knockout Collection will have a bonus Blu-ray with a "selection of previously released special features." Don't know if that's the same disc from the previous set or something new. Obviously we'll cover these at length as soon as they're available!
The Ultimate Knockout Collection and the SteelBooks are now up for Pre-order - Happy Collecting!
Here's the full press release:
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One of A24's biggest box office successes is making its stand on 4K UHD and Blu-ray right after we shoot off fireworks for Independence Day! From writer and director Alex Garland, Civil War will come home thanks to Lionsgate offering up an Amazon-exclusive 4K set, a standard 4K set, and of course, Blu-ray.
While Hollywood is never one to miss an opportunity, you've got to hand it to A24 for delivering a taught war thriller during a fraught contentious election year. Then to have the stones to deliver something as a-political as a movie called Civil War can get! Garland delivered one hell of a tense and arresting film that brilliantly sidesteps politics while focusing on a small rag-tag team of reporters traveling across the country to Washington DC trying to capture the perfect photo. The film is due to arrive with Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision HDR, you have to choose between the standard release, the Amazon-exclusive, or if you're rocking 1080p, the standard Blu-ray.
All three editions of Civil War are now up for pre-order - here's the full press release with all the gory details:
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After an amazing 4K release from U.K.'s Second Sight, Sony plays catchup. On August 27th, Sony will deliver their own domestic 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive with a brand new SteelBook.
Well, don't that just beat the band? We get around to finally reviewing Second Sight's excellent 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Drive, Sony has to go and offer up their own new SteelBook. The danger of importing a disc is the domestic distributor will huff up and finally get their own disc out. That said, you can't blame a collector for getting too tired of waiting around for the studio to get off their duffs and give fans what they're asking for. Well, that's where we're at thanks to Sony getting their new SteelBook 4K UHD of Drive to the collector's marketplace. To their credit, Sony is nailing this 100th Anniversary celebration of Columbia Studios delivering one exciting catalog release announcement after another.
While we don't know if Sony did their own restoration work or if this will repurpose the Second Sight transfer, we do know it comes Refn-approved with Dolby Vision and Atmos audio
Drive (2011) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook
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This one isn't up for pre-order yet, but it should be soon. As soon as it comes up we'll update our listings ASAP.
