My Two Cents
Wednesday, 19 February 2014 16:45

Smaug pre-orders, Wolf of Wall Street, Criterion’s May slate official & MUCH more!

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We’ve got a BIG release news update for you all today. But before we get going on that, we wanted to let you know that Warner’s newly announced The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D are now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Release date is 4/8. Click on the links to pre-order.

The big news today is from Criterion: As expected, their May release slate officially includes Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole (Spine #396) on 5/6, Stuart Cooper’s Overlord (#382) on 5/13, and Abbas Kiarostami’s Like Someone in Love (#708) on 5/20, and Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (#300) and Howard Hawks’ classic Red River (#709) on 5/27. As you can see the anticipated street dates have shifted around a little, but otherwise the line-up is exactly what we expected. SRP for all is $39.95 each except for Red River which is $49.95. You can see the official cover art for all below. Here’s a rundown of the extras to expect... [Read on here...]

Ace in the Hole will feature audio commentary by film scholar Neil Sinyard, the 1980 Portrait of a “60% Perfect Man”: Billy Wilder documentary, a 1984 interview with actor Kirk Douglas, excerpts from a 1986 appearance by Wilder at the American Film Institute, excerpts from an audio interview with Wilder’s co-screenwriter Walter Newman, a video afterword by filmmaker Spike Lee, a stills gallery, the trailer, and a booklet with essays by critic Molly Haskell and filmmaker Guy Maddin.

Overlord will include audio commentary by director Cooper and actor Brian Stirner, the 2007 Mining the Archive featurette, the 2007 Capa Influences Cooper photo essay, the 1943 British Ministry of Information film tribute Cameramen at War, Cooper’s 1969 short film A Test of Violence, the 1941 Ministry of Information propaganda film Germany Calling, excerpts from the journals of two D-day soldiers read by Stirner, the trailer, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Kent Jones, a short history of the Imperial War Museum, and excerpts from the Overlord novelization by Cooper and Christopher Hudson.

Like Someone in Love will feature a 45-minute documentary on the making of the film, a trailer, and a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar and critic Nico Baumbach.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou will offer audio commentary by Anderson and co-writer Noah Baumbach, new interviews with actors Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum, the making-of documentary This Is an Adventure, the Italian Mondo Monda talk show interview with Anderson and Baumbach hosted by Antonio Monda, an interview with composer and Devo member Mark Mothersbaugh, 10 performances of David Bowie songs in Portuguese by Brazilian recording artist and actor Seu Jorge, an Intern Video Journal by actor Matthew Gray Gubler, interviews with the cast and crew, a making-of featurette, 9 deleted scenes, a gallery of photos and original artwork, the trailer, and an insert featuring a cutaway view of The Belafonte, Eric Anderson’s original illustrations, and a conversation between Wes and Eric conducted in 2005.

Finally, Red River will feature a 4K digital restoration of the rarely presented original theatrical release version, the preferred cut of director Howard Hawks, with monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray, a 2K restoration of the longer version of Red River, new interviews with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich , critic Molly Haskell, and western scholar Lee Clark Mitchell, audio excerpts of a 1972 conversation between Hawks and Bogdanovich, excerpts from a 1970 audio interview with novelist and screenwriter Borden Chase, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien, and a 1991 interview with Hawks’ longtime editor Christian Nyby, plus a new paperback edition of Chase’s original novel, previously out of print.

Meanwhile, Paramount has announced Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/25, with a digital release set for 3/18. The only extras on the Blu-ray is The Wolf Pack making-of featurette.

Universal Studios has officially set The Nut Job for Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/15, with digital versions available on 4/8. Extras on all disc versions will include 2 animated shorts (Surely Squirrel and Nuts & Robbers). The Blu-ray versions will exclusively add deletes scenes, storyboards, an end credit number and The Great Nut Heist featurette.

Universal has also set the Ice Cube and Kevin Hart comedy Ride Along for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/15. Extras will include an alternate ending, an alternate take, deleted scenes, a gag reel and 4 featurettes (An Explosive Ride, Kev & Cube’s Wild Ride, You Gonna Learn Today, and Anatomy of the Big Blast).

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set Bad Country for Blu-ray, DVD and digital release on 4/29. Sony has also set Asghar Farhadi’s The Past for Blu-ray Combo and digital release on 3/25.

Magnolia Home Entertainment has set the documentary Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/8 (SRP $29.98 and $26.98). Extras will include The Making of Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded, director and producer commentary, extended interviews, a gallery and the film’s trailer.

And finally, Entertainment One has set Wicked Blood for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/4 (SRP $24.98 and $19.98). The film stars Abigail Breslin, James Purefoy and Sean Bean.

Here’s a look at the cover artwork for all those May Criterion titles, as well as Universal’s The Nut Job (all are now available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the covers below)...

Ace in the Hole (Criterion Blu-ray Disc)    The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Criterion Blu-ray Disc)    Red River (Criterion Blu-ray Disc)

Overlord (Criterion Blu-ray Disc)    Like Someone in Love (Criterion Blu-ray Disc)    The Nut Job (Blu-ray 3D)

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

 

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