May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
In this Tamala 2010 Blu-ray review, we explore one of the strangest and most stylish cult anime releases to hit physical media. Part space punk satire, part surrealist fever dream, Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space delivers a genre-defying experience that’s equal parts cute and unsettling. This high-def release from Deaf Crocodile gives the film new life with a clean transfer, solid audio, and a surprisingly deep set of extras. Whether you’re a fan of experimental animation, dystopian sci-fi, or just want something that fries your brain in the best way, this Blu-ray is worth a closer look.
Continue reading ‘Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space (Blu-ray Review)’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Deeply scarred by what he witnessed on battlefields across Asia, a young war photographer (Yusaku Matsuda, Yokohama BJ Blues) returns to the bustling streets of Tokyo, plotting a series of brutal murders and robberies that are mere warmups for an unprecedented bank heist. Searching for an accomplice, he finds the short-fused and equally disenfranchised Tetsuo (Takeshi Kaga, Death Note). Directed by Toru Murakawa (The Game Trilogy) from a venomous script by Shoichi Maruyama (Yokohama BJ Blues), this unsettling dark thriller was Yusaku Matsuda’s farewell to his 1970s action hero persona. The Beast to Die is released on Blu-ray July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘The Beast to Die is released on Blu-ray July 21!’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Polish animation, influenced by jazz, poster design and collage, took off in the late 1950s when artists found creative freedom in the wake of Stalin’s death. Pioneering filmmakers like Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica would change the form and usher in a golden age of filmmaking that would enable this art form to be appreciated around the world including winning prestigious international awards at festivals such as Cannes, Annecy, Oberhausen and an Oscar for Rybczyński’s Tango. This collection of 27 films spans the breakthrough works of the late 1950s to the close of the classic era in the 1980s, capturing some of the form’s essential films. Essential Polish Animation is released on Blu-ray in the UK July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘Essential Polish Animation is released on Blu-ray July 21!’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
On the streets of Paris, Rosa ‘la rose’ (Marianne Basler, Va savoir) is the belle of Les Halles. With no shortage of clients, she is beloved by her fellow working girls and spoiled by her pimp Gilbert (Jean Sorel, Belle de Jour). For her, this is a charmed life – that is until her 20th birthday arrives. Across the floor, she locks eyes with Julien (Pierre Cosso, An American Werewolf in Paris), a blue-collar worker who sees something deeper beyond her fun-loving façade. Almost Shakespearean in its execution, Paul Vecchiali’s underseen drama explores class consciousness and female sexuality with startling precision. Anchored by a magnetic central performance from the then 20-year-old Marianne Basler, Rosa la rose, fille publique is a true hidden gem. Rosa la rose, fille publique is released in the UK on Blu-ray July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘Rosa la rose, fille publique is released on Blu-ray July 21!’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Exploding a seemingly simple premise – a nameless “cowboy” courier (Spencer Nakasako) arrives in pre-Handover Hong Kong to deliver a mysterious briefcase to a mercurial Mob boss whilst becoming entangled with his femme fatale mistress (Cora Miao) – independent filmmaking legend Wayne Wang’s Life is Cheap… But Toilet Paper is Expensive barrels through inspired genre deconstruction, guerrilla docu-fiction and fierce political jeremiad, all with a keen sense of humour and one of the richest visual palettes of the 1990s. Life is Cheap…But Toilet Paper Is Expensive is released on Blu-ray in the UK July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘Life Is Cheap… But Toilet Paper Is Expensive on Blu-ray July 21!’
May 1st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Trapped Ashes is a twisted homage to classic horror anthologies like Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow, featuring four surreal and macabre tales directed by genre legends Joe Dante, Ken Russell, Monte Hellman, Sean Cunningham, and Oscar-winner John “Gaeta-Tron” Gaeta. When seven strangers — including John Saxon and Henry Gibson — become trapped in a haunted Hollywood studio house, they’re forced to reveal their darkest memories to survive. The stories include a cadaver-implant nightmare (The Girl With The Golden Breasts), a ghostly encounter in Japan (Jibaku), a seductive muse entangling young Kubrick (Stanley’s Girlfriend), and a grotesque womb-bound twin (My Twin the Worm). With striking visuals by FX legend Robert Skotak (Aliens, T2) and an eerie score by Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell), the film is a visually rich, darkly surreal tribute to horror cinema. Trapped Ashes is now fully restored in 4K UHD Blu-ray! Continue reading ‘Trapped Ashes (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
May 1st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
One of the most influential and iconic Westerns ever made, High Noon is a powerful film about the individual drive to do good in the face of a society that would rather turn a blind eye to evil. Directed by Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity) and produced by Stanley Kramer (The Defiant Ones), it remains just as riveting, nail-bitingly tense and fiercely political as it was in the 1950s. While High Noon is now an acknowledged American masterpiece, its release was controversial. Both John Wayne (who turned down its central role) and Howard Hawks (who made Rio Bravo in response) hated the film for its thinly veiled critical commentary on McCarthyism and the persecution of those accused of having “communist” beliefs. The film has lost none of its political power – or its irrefutable entertainment value. Having brought the film to Blu-ray in 2019, the Masters of Cinema series is now proud to present High Noon in its UK debut on 4K UHD Blu-ray. Continue reading ‘High Noon is released on 4K UHD Blu-ray July 28!’
May 1st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
By the mid-1960s, Westerns had become extremely popular in West Germany due to a series of films adapted from the novels of Karl May. In response, DEFA – the state-operated studio of East Germany or the GDR – made its own film set in the Old West. But The Sons of Great Bear wasn’t just designed to compete with West German genre films – it was also intended as a pointed corrective to the American frontier myth, pitting its Native American protagonists against violent white settlers in a battle for survival. Followed by the likes of Trail of the Falcon, Ulzana, Blood Brothers and Severino, The Sons of Great Bear made a star of Gojko Mitić and launched an entire series of Westerns at DEFA, known in East Germany as Indianerfilme and historically nicknamed “Red Westerns” due to their socialist politics. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present The Sons of Great Bear on Blu-ray for the first time ever in the UK from an astonishing 2K restoration by the DEFA Foundation. Continue reading ‘The Sons of Great Bear is released on Blu-ray July 21!’
April 30th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Show Aikawa is back as the superhero like no other in maverick director Takashi Miike (Audition, One Missed Call) and screenwriter Kankuro Kudo’s (Go, Ping Pong) subversive and darkly satirical sequel to their 2004 homage to the golden era of Japan’s tokusatsu TV shows. It’s 2025, and our hero Shinichi finds himself waking up minus memory, zebra stripes and zebra powers in an authoritarian dystopian future. Tokyo has been taken over by a sinister ultra right-wing governor named Kozo, who has reconstructed and rechristened the capital as Zebra City and mandated a twice-daily five-minute purge called Zebra Time in which all crime is legal and his Zebra Police readily pitch themselves into the resulting free-for-all. It’s a society dominated by screens, and the screens dominated by a sultry pop diva named Zebra Queen, who just happens to be Kozo’s daughter. Can Shinichi regain his Zebraman powers to thwart the Kozo and the Zebra Queen’s plans to export their dark vision across the world? Zebraman 2 is released on Blu-ray in the UK May 19, 2025! Continue reading ‘Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City (Blu-ray Review)’
April 29th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Plane is scheduled for re-departure with a brand-new look, arriving April 29 on 4K UHD SteelBook + Blu-ray + Digital from Lionsgate. Gerard Butler and Mike Colter return for this nail-biting action-thriller, now packaged in an all-new SteelBook exclusively at Amazon. Plane will be available on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook April 29th for the suggested retail price of $34.99. Order Plane on 4K UHD Blu-ray Steelbook now! Continue reading ‘Plane (4K UHD SteelBook Blu-ray Review)’
April 29th, 2025 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
THE SEAN CONNERY COLLECTION from Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), a collection of six James Bond films starring Sean Connery as 007, will be available to own on June 10 as a 4K UHD collection for the first time for the ultimate at home movie-watching experience. The collection includes Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever.
Continue reading ‘It’s Official! THE 6-FILM SEAN CONNERY JAMES BOND COLLECTION Debuts On 4K UHD Blu-ray June 10th!’
April 29th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
A group of weary travellers, a spooky mansion – and a madman upstairs! The Old Dark House– directed by James Whale, the writer-director of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man – is one of the finest and most entertaining horror films of the 1930s. Dripping with atmosphere and packed to the brim with thrills, chills and gallows humour, it was considered lost for many years before its rediscovery and restoration. One of the last and best films to be produced by the original cycle of “old dark house” films that began in the 1920s (typified by The Cat and the Canary), The Old Dark House boats an incredible cast featuring Melvyn Douglas (Twilight’s Last Gleaming), Gloria Stuart (Titanic) and Charles Laughton (Witness for the Prosecution). Having released the film on Blu-ray in 2018, the Masters of Cinema series is now honoured to present The Old Dark House on 4K UHD. Continue reading ‘The Old Dark House 4K UHD Blu-ray is released July 28!’
April 29th, 2025 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
JAWS made history in 1975, turning a young Steven Spielberg into a household name and boldly establishing the summer blockbuster spectacle that revolutionized the film industry. Winner of three Academy Awards®, including Best Original Score, JAWS has become a global phenomenon, and half a century later, it still holds a grip on audiences around the world. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates this cinematic milestone with the JAWS 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, available on June 17, 2025 in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and Digital. This Combo Pack features the never-before-seen documentary, JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY, a brand-new look at the making and legacy of the film directed by Laurent Bouzereau and from National Geographic, in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Documentaries, Nedland Media, and Wendy Benchley. The disc and digital include over five hours of bonus features with an inside look at the making of the film, deleted scenes, original on-set footage, and much more! JAWS will also be available in an all-new limited edition SteelBook with never-before-seen artwork.
Continue reading ‘JAWS Makes Waves Celebrating 50 Years With A New 4K Steelbook This June!’
April 29th, 2025 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
It’s time for full-throttle action and exhilarating movie adventures this summer as Shout! Studios unveils HONG KONG CINEMA CLASSICS™, a new entertainment label spotlighting a treasure trove of Hong Kong’s most captivating and cinematic masterpieces on digital entertainment platforms in 4K and definitive-edition physical releases (UHD™ and Blu-ray™) for collectors’ home entertainment shelves.
Continue reading ‘HONG KONG STUDIO CLASSICS Debut On 4K and Blu-ray This Summer From Shout Studios!’
April 28th, 2025 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
The brainchild of writers Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, Strangers with Candy: The Movie is an irreverent parody of a family sitcom inspired by the after-school specials and ‘very special episodes’ that frequented TV in the ’70s and ‘80s. The prequel film to the acclaimed ‘90s cult favorite Comedy Central television series of the same name, Strangers with Candy: The Movie will make its Blu-ray debut as a two-disc 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition set July 22, 2025 from Shout! Studios.
Continue reading ‘STRANGERS WITH CANDY: THE MOVIE On Blu-ray July 22nd!’
April 28th, 2025 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
From Blumhouse, producers of M3GAN, and Platinum Dunes, producers of A Quiet Place, comes DROP, the action-packed thriller that proves dating can be deadly. The “tightly plotted thrill ride” (IGN) will be available exclusively on digital platforms to own or rent tomorrow, April 29, 2025, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The blood-chilling action also debuts on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on June 10, 2025. Own DROP with never-before-seen bonus content featuring the filmmakers and cast discussing the making of the film, only when you purchase from participating retailers nationwide including Apple TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Microsoft Movies & TV, and Movies Anywhere.
Continue reading ‘DROP Proves Dating Can Be Deadly — On 4K, Blu-ray and DVD June 10th!’
April 28th, 2025 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
25 years ago, I was 13 years old and getting into my cinema exploration. I’d loved movies forever of course. Now, though, was my time to really get into my own types of films. I found myself really drawn to thrillers and mysteries. Things that challenged me always got to the front of my movie queue. When I saw the trailer for What Lies Beneath way back when, I was sold based on the star power of Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, and the creepy way the trailer toyed with my senses. Now, after what feels like a lifetime, What Lies Beneath lands on 4K UHD Blu-ray, and I’ve had quite an education on thrillers. So, how does the film stand up today? And how does Robert Zemeckis’ creep-fest look and sound in a new format?
Continue reading ‘What Lies Beneath (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
April 27th, 2025 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
This spring is the spring of the Clint Eastwood 4K disc! Debuting April 29th is not one but three classic Eastwood films. I’m excited to share with you my reviews of them all, but not as excited as I am first and foremost to write about Dirty Harry. A film loosely based on the infamous Zodiac killer that terrorized the Bay Area in the 60’s, Eastwood’s Harry Callahan was someone who either made you cheer or repulsed you. For me, he was a bad man in the best of ways. Now, 54 years removed from this first outing, a 4K disc is finally arriving. Here, I’ll dive into my thoughts on the legendary character and film and of course go over how the new transfer and Atmos mix are too!
Continue reading ‘Dirty Harry (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
