March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
When the daughter of an elite family takes a shine to poor samurai Iemon (Tomisaburo Wakayama, lone wolf and cub), he sees an opportunity to climb the social ladder. He just needs to rid himself of his only obstacle: his loving wife Oiwa. He poisons her and dumps her corpse in a nearby swamp, but she returns as a horribly disfigured ghost to haunt Iemon on his wedding night. Crime film specialist Tai Kato (I, the Executioner) brings the famous Ghost Story of Yotsuya to the screen as a gritty tale of murder and greed, with an intense lead performance by Wakayama (The Bounty Hunter Trilogy, Big Time Gambling Boss). The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost is released on Blu-ray June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost on Blu-ray June 23!’
March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
In the fishing village of Aci Trezza, Sicily, the Valastro family dream of a better life. Living modestly thanks to merciless wholesalers, eldest son Ntoni takes matters into his own hands and – with the help of a bank loan – starts fishing alone. The venture is initially a success but an unexpected shipwreck means the family must soon fend for themselves. Originally commissioned as propaganda by the Communist Party, master filmmaker Luchino Visconti (The Leopard, Death in Venice) used the real villagers of Aci Trezza as his stars to craft a docu-fictional melodrama about the difficulties of rural life post-World War II. La terra trema was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 1948 Venice Film Festival and is considered one of the finest examples of Italian neorealist cinema. La Terra Trema is released on Blu-ray June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘La Terra Trema on Blu-ray June 23!’
March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
We have a fresh installment of our popular global genre boxsets with WORLD NOIR VOL. 3. European filmmakers, still reeling in the aftermath of World War II, were creating works equal to the Hollywood noir that came to define the genre. All three films are presented here on Blu-ray with English subtitles for the very first time.French director (and swimming champion) Henri Decoin’s NOT GUILTY (1947) sees Michel Simon (L’Atalante) star as Michel Ancelin, a brilliant doctor with an alcohol problem. When a tragic accident occurs at his hands, Michel covers his tracks through a complex web of lies. Peter Lorre (M, Casablanca) writes, directs and stars in THE LOST ONE (1951), his only film as writer or director. Haunted by a terrible secret, Dr. Karl Rothe’s dark past catches up with him at a displaced persons camp. Described by Ingmar Bergman as “a masterpiece”, director Hasse Ekman’s GIRL WITH HYACINTHS (1950) is regarded as one of the great films of Swedish cinema. Following the sudden suicide of a mysterious young woman, her neighbors are compelled to investigate the circumstances leading to her death. World Noir Vol 3 is released June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘World Noir Vol. 3 on Blu-ray June 23!’
March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Ever since she was small, Aviva has desperately wanted a baby. Now a teenager – with thoughts and feelings her well-meaning parents Joyce (Ellen Barkin, Drop Dead Gorgeous) and Steve (Richard Masur, The Thing) don’t quite know how to handle – she’ll stop at nothing to make that dream a reality. Played by a cast of rotating actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) and Sharon Wilkins, Aviva’s journey towards motherhood never would run smooth. Bringing his trademark dry wit to another series of taboos, Todd Solondz’s portrait of middle-American girlhood interrogates the naivety and hypocrisy of the post-9/11 psyche that continues to shape US public life and policy. Palindromes will be released on 4K UHD Blu-ray June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘Palindromes on 4K UHD Blu-ray June 23!’
