New 4K UHD Blu-ray Releases for February 18th, 2020
The following titles will be released February 18th, 2020 on 4K UHD Blu-ray:
Monthly Archives: February 2020
View the full list below with Amazon & Best Buy links.
Shutter Island – 4K UHD Blu-ray Review
– Commissions Earned –
“The Great Escape” gets Criterion Blu-ray in May
– Commissions Earned –
The 1963 film “The Great Escape“ is officially getting a new Blu-ray Disc release from The Criterion Collection on May 12th. The film, directed by John Sturges, starred Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, and James Coburn. This film is considered a classic, in fact, it’s currently (at the time of writing) rated #135 on the IMDb Top 250 movies. The upcoming Criterion Blu-ray will include a brand new 4K digital restoration in the original aspect ratio (OAR) of 2.35:1 with audio choices of the original uncompressed Mono and an Alternate DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. You can find The Criterion Collection Blu-ray now listed for preorder over at Amazon as well as directly via Criterion. Details about the release and a list of the bonus materials set to be included on the release are listed below.
- 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
- Alternate 5.1 surround soundtrack, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray
- Two audio commentaries, one from 1991, featuring director John Sturges and composer Elmer Bernstein; the other, from 2004, featuring actors James Coburn, James Garner, and Donald Pleasence
- New interview with critic Michael Sragow
- “The Great Escape”: Heroes Underground, a four-part 2001 documentary about the real-life escape from the Stalag Luft III prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, including interviews with POWs held there
- The Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones, a 2001 program on the United States Army Air Forces pilot David Jones, the inspiration for Steve McQueen’s character in the film
- Return to “The Great Escape,” a 1993 program featuring interviews with Coburn, Garner, actors David McCallum and Jud Taylor, stuntman Bud Ekins, and McQueen’s son, Chad McQueen
- Trailer
- PLUS: An essay by critic Sheila O’Malley
- New cover by Sean Phillips
Downey, Jr. as “Dolittle” on 4K and Blu-ray April
– Commissions Earned –
The 2020 film “Dolittle” starring Robert Downey, Jr. is officially coming to both 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc on April 7th, via Universal. The film, based on the story of “Dr. Dolittle” & directed by Stephen Gaghan, co-starred/featured the voice talents of Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, and Marion Cotillard. The tech specs for the 4K include video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision forms of High Dynamic Range with Dolby Atmos sound. The tech specs for the Blu-ray include video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound. Both releases will come in the form of a “combo pack” with the 4K getting a Blu-ray counterpart, the Blu-ray getting the DVD, and each including a digital code (copy) of the film. You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray and the Blu-ray both available for preorder over at Amazon. The bonus materials set to be included are listed below.
- Talk to the Animals
- RDJ & Harry: Mentor and Mentee
- Becoming the Good Doctor
- Antonio Banderas: Pirate King
- The Wicked Dr. Medfly
- A Most Unusual House
“The Grudge” 2020 remake on Blu-ray in March
– Commissions Earned –
The 2020 remake of the film “The Grudge“ is officially coming to Blu-ray Disc on March 24th, via Sony. The film (not to be mistaken for the 2004 remake) was directed by Nicolas Pesce & produced by Sam Raimi, and stars Tara Westwood, Junko Bailey, David Lawrence Brown, Andrea Riseborough, Demián Bichir, Joel Marsh Garland, Bradley Sawatzky, Betty Gilpin, Lin Shaye, John Cho, and Jackie Weaver. The tech specs for the Blu-ray include video in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound. The release will come with a digital (code) copy of the film. You can now find the Blu-ray listed for preorder over at Amazon. The bonus materials set to be included are listed below.
- “The Cast of the Cursed” featurette: Take an inside look at the evil that lurks behind the doors at 44 Reyburn Dr., as key creatives and cast members explore The Grudge characters and discuss their experience working with Writer/Director Nicolas Pesce.
- “Designing Death” featurette: From a slightly paler version of themselves to being completely mangled and rotted, to the incredible death scenes; like Faith Matheson’s (Lin Shaye) epic leap off of the staircase, explore the character make-up design process and the film’s visual look involved in creating the myriad of ghosts caught in the grips of the Grudge!
- “Easter Egg Haunt” featurette: Join Writer/Director Nicolas Pesce as he brings to light the plethora of hidden Easter Eggs throughout the film which are homages to the previous works in the Ju-On franchise.
- Extended Scenes & Alternative Ending Experience the scenes too disturbing for theaters, like Peter Spencer’s terrifying encounter in the attic of 44 Reyburn Dr., or the uncovering of the gruesome truth behind the Landers’ family deaths.
Further below, after the break, you can find the full announcement regarding the upcoming home video release of this film. Read more
“Spies in Disguise” on 4K and Blu-ray in March
– Commissions Earned –
The 2019 computer-animated film “Spies in Disguise” is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc on March 10th, via Fox. The film, co-directed by Nick Bruno & Troy Quane, featured the voice talents Will Smith, Tom Holland, Reba McEntire, Rashida Jones, Masi Oka, Ben Mendelsohn, Karen Gillan, and DJ Khaled. At the time of writing, this carries a “Certified Fresh” rating over at Rotten Tomatoes. Tech specs for the 4K include video in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 form of High Dynamic Range and Dolby Atmos sound. The technical specs for the Blu-ray include video in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound. Both releases will come in the form of a “combo pack” with the 4K getting the Blu-ray counterpart, the Blu-ray getting a DVD, and each getting a digital code (copy) of the film included. The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder over at Amazon, but the Blu-ray Disc is not yet listed, so stay tuned for an update on that. The bonus materials set to be included are listed below.
- Super Secret Spy Mode
- Infiltrating Blue Sky Studios
- The Top Secret Guide to Gadgets
- “Then There Were Two” Music Video
- “Freak of Nature” Music Video
- Making the Soundtrack “Then There Were Two”
- Making the Soundtrack “Freak of Nature”
- “Lunch Break”*
- Gallery
- Color Keys and Moment Paintings
- Character Designs
- Locations
- Props and Gadgets Concept Art
*Available on Digital Only
It’s certainly worth noting that there will be an exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook (pictured below) available of this film over at retailer Best Buy, now available for preorder.
Further below, after the break, you can find the full announcement regarding the upcoming home video releases of this film.
2019 film adaptation of “Cats” on Blu-ray April
– Commissions Earned –
The 2019 adaptation “Cats“ is coming to Blu-ray Disc on April 7th, via Universal, according to retailer listings. The film, an adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the same title & directed by Tom Hooper, starred Jennifer Hudson, Judi Dench, Taylor Swift, James Corden, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Francesca Hayward, and Ian McKellen. The tech specs for the Blu-ray include 1080p HD video in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio and Dolby Atmos sound on a BD-50 (50 gigabyte dual-layered) Blu-ray Disc. The release will come in the form of a “combo pack” with the DVD counterpart and a digital code (copy) of the film included. You can now find the Blu-ray is available for preorder over at Amazon. The “40+ minutes of bonus materials” include:
- 9 Lives: The Cast of Cats
- Singing Live
- Making Macavity
- A Director’s Journey
- Making Music
- The Art of Dance
- Scaling Up
- A Little Magic
- The Dancers
- Cat School
- Feature Commentary with Director Tom Hooper
“Friday the 13th” 40th Anniversary Blu-ray SteelBook
– Commissions Earned –
It looks like the 1980 horror classic “Friday the 13th“ will be getting a “40th Anniversary Limited Edition“ SteelBook Blu-ray release on May 5th, via Paramount, according to retailers. The film, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, starred Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, and Kevin Bacon. This upcoming 40th Anniversary SteelBook release will include the Uncut (UNRATED) version of the film and a digital code (copy) of it as well. Tech specs for this haven’t been officially announced but will likely include a 1080p HD video presentation in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. Essentially, it’s a re-release of the 2009 Blu-ray Disc that was previously available – just in cool new packaging. The 40th Anniversary Limited Edition SteelBook Blu-ray is now available for preorder over at Amazon. The bonus materials found on this should include the identical extras found on the previous Blu-ray releases.
“Jumanji: The Next Level” on 4K and Blu-ray March
– Commissions Earned –
The 2019 sequel “Jumanji: The Next Level” is officially coming to both 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc formats on March 17th via Sony. The film, directed by Jake Kasdan, stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Colin Hanks, and Rhys Darby. The tech specs for the 4K release will be IMAX Enhanced including 2160p video in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 form of High Dynamic Range and DTS:X sound. The tech specs for the Blu-ray release have not yet been detailed but stay tuned and I’ll update this when Sony gets me the info. The releases will both come in the form of a “combo pack” with the 4K getting the Blu-ray counterpart, the Blu-ray getting the DVD counterpart, and each getting a digital code (copy) of the film included. The 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray are now both available for preorder over at Amazon. It is also worth noting that there will be a bundled “2-Movie Collection” Blu-ray Disc set coming out – featuring the first film: “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” (2017). Plus, there’s going to be a 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook release (pictured below) exclusive to retailer Best Buy.
The bonus materials set to be included on both releases are listed below.
- Gag Reel
- “Rhys Darby Wants To Jingle”: How do you top Jack Black and Nick Jonas’s unforgettable theme song for the first one? Everyone’s favorite Non Player Character, Rhys Darby is ready to take it to the next, next level.
- “Body Swapping: Snapping Into Character”: “In the latest Jumanji adventure, the avatar roles are turned on their heads with new characters and hilarious performances.”
- “Back Together: Reuniting the Cast”: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black are back and better than ever as they share their excitement to reunite.
- “Level Up: Making Jumanji: The Next Level”: From breathtaking scenery, wild adventure, new characters and more- go behind the scenes with the cast and crew as they take Jumanji to the Next Level.
- “Scene Breakdown: Ostrich Chase”: Jump in your dune buggy and go inside the epic ostrich chase scene as the filmmakers and visual effects team breakdown the creation of this memorable scene.
- “Scene Breakdown: Mandrill Bridges”: Moving rope bridges, giant mandrills and incredible stunt work make the mandrills attack one of the most adrenaline pack parts of this film. In this scene breakdown, see how they pulled it off.
- “Awkwafina Cat Burglar”: To prepare for her roles as pickpocket, Ming Fleetwood, superstar Awkwafina got a little too method behind the scenes.
- “NPC Confessions: Jurgen The Brutal”: Being the bad guy isn’t all glory. Jurgen The Brutal gets real in this candid confessional.
- “Grow Up:” Danny DeVito and Danny Glover help Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart get in touch with their inner grumpy old men.
- “Telenovela”: Kevin Hart gets lost in translation in this melodramatic promo.
- “VFX Pre-Vis: Zeppelin Battle”: Compare the detail of the visual effects pre visualization reel and the final picture breakdown of the thrilling Zeppelin battle.
- “VFX Pre-Vis: Ostrich Chase”: Track the progression from pre-visualization to finished scene in a side by side comparison of the ostrich chase.
- AR GAME: The 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD include a collectible map that is fully interactive, employing Augmented Reality to bring Jumanji to life through a smart phone, allowing users to create their own 8-bit Avatar, navigate a series of mini games and much more!
Further below, after the break, you can find some videos in promotion for the home video release, as well as the full details from the announcement regarding the upcoming home video releases of this film.