The 1959 film Ben-Hur is coming to 4K in February

Cover of the 4K Ultra HD edition of 'Ben-Hur' featuring a chariot race with horses and a muscular man holding a shield, with text highlighting it as a winner of 11 Academy Awards.
Cover of the 4K Ultra HD steelbook edition of the film 'Ben-Hur', featuring the main character in a chariot race.
Commissions Earned

The movie has been digitally restored and will be presented in a 2160p video format with a 2.76:1 aspect ratio, featuring Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and Dolby Atmos, as well as lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 surround sound. This will span across a total of two 4K UHD Blu-ray discs. A digital code (copy) of the movie will be included with both releases, compatible with Movies Anywhere. A bonus Blu-ray disc will be included, making this a 3-disc set.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook are now available for preorder at Amazon. Additionally, the 4K UHD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook (pictured in detail below) are now available for preorder on GRUV.

4K UHD Blu-ray and SteelBook edition of the film 'Ben-Hur' featuring the cover artwork, discs, and an image from the chariot race scene.

The bonus materials included with the releases are listed below.

4K UHD Blu-ray includes:

  • Audio Commentary by Film Historian T. Gene Hatcher with Charlton Heston
  • Music-Only Track

Bonus Blu-ray includes:

  • Two-All New Special Features:
    • Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic
    • The Cinematography of Scale
  • Charlton Heston Documentary
  • Making-of Featurette
  • Screen Tests and more!

Predator: Badlands comes to Blu-ray and 4K in February

Cover art for the movie 'Predator: Badlands' featuring an intense scene with a predator creature and various characters in an action-packed environment.
Steelbook case of the game 'Predator: Badlands' featuring striking artwork on the cover and internal panels, with two game discs visible.
Blu-ray cover for 'Predator: Badlands' featuring a female character and a predator with a sword against a mountainous background.
Commissions Earned

The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and Dolby Atmos sound, on a BD-66 disc. Technical specifications for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio, accompanied by lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround sound, on a BD-50 disc. The 4K UHD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook will both be 2-disc “combo pack” releases, with the Blu-ray Disc counterpart included. All of the 4K and Blu-ray physical media releases will feature a digital code (copy) of the film, which is compatible with Movies Anywhere.

UPDATE: The 4K UHD Blu-ray, 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook, and Blu-ray are now available for preorder at Amazon. Also, you can find the 4K UHD Blu-ray, 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook, and Blu-ray available for preorder at Walmart.

The bonus materials set to be included with the releases are listed below.

  • Deleted & Pre-Visualization Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary:
    • Sand Trap An early animatic version of Dek’s very different first encounter with Thia.
    • Squirt CanyonThe full version of Dek and Thia traversing the water-filled trench while trying to survive Genna…and each other.
    • Tessa vs. Abe – Tessa faces off against a superior synth in this deleted scene and storyline.
    • Razor Grass – The original previsualization of Dek, Thia, and Bud’s first hunt together…sort of.
    • The Outpost – Thia takes Dek to a small Weyland-Yutani field facility where they experience a few things that ended up being used elsewhere in the final film.
    • Super Power Loader Extended – Special additional moments during Dek’s climactic final battle with the Super Power Loader and the Kalisk.
  • Featurettes:
    • Embodying the Predator – Meet the talented team of designers, performers, and effects artists responsible for bringing one of cinema’s most terrifying creatures to life on screen in ways we’ve never seen before!
    • Authentic Synthetics – Get up close and personal with synths Thia and Tessa as star Elle Fanning walks us through the process of crafting two characters who may look the same but have evolved in surprisingly unique ways.
    • Building the Badlands – With razor sharp grass, killer trees, and terrifying animals, never has a planet been more deadly than Genna. Uncover how a team of artisans built this threatening landscape, transforming real locations into the dangerous environments seen on screen.
    • Dek of the Yautja – For the first time ever, director Dan Trachtenberg has given audiences an extended peek at Predator culture. Follow the evolution as filmmakers reveal the process behind developing the Yautja’s home world, spacecraft, and family dynamics.          
  • Audio Commentary: Watch the film with audio commentary by Director Dan Trachtenberg, Producer Ben Rosenblatt, Director of Photography Jeff Cutter and Stunt Coordinator Jacob Tomuri.

Further below, after the break, you can find the promotional trailer for the home video releases and the full press release.

Read more

The 1980 film Somewhere in Time gets a 4K in February

4K UHD Blu-ray cover of the film 'Somewhere in Time' featuring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour with the tagline 'Someday in the past he will find her...'
Commissions Earned

The movie has received a new 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and lossless Mono sound, on a BD-100 disc. The release will come as a 2-disc “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available to preorder at Amazon as well as directly via Kino Lorber. The bonus materials included with the release are listed below, sorted by disc.

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • NEW Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
  • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff
  • Audio Commentary by Director Jeannot Szwarc

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

  • NEW Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
  • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff
  • Audio Commentary by Director Jeannot Szwarc
  • Back to Somewhere in Time: Documentary by Laurent Bouzereau (63:42)
  • Inside Insite – The Somewhere in Time Fan Club: Featurette (3:23)
  • Theatrical Trailer

Mean Girls [2004] gets a standard 4K in February

DVD cover of 'Mean Girls' featuring Lindsay Lohan and Tina Fey, with a pink background and promotional text.
Commissions Earned

The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound, on a BD-66 disc. The release will include a digital code (copy) compatible with AppleTV and Fandango at Home (formerly VUDU).

The standard 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. The bonus materials included on the release are listed below.

  • Audio Commentary by Director Mark Waters, Screenwriter & Actress Tina Fey, and Producer Lorne Michaels
  • Mean Girls: Class of ’04
  • Featurettes
  • Word Vomit (Blooper Reel)
  • So Fetch – Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary by Director Mark Waters and Screenwriter & Actress Tina Fey
  • Interstitials

The 2011 film Rango gets a standard 4K in March

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray cover for the animated movie 'Rango' featuring a chameleon character holding a fish.
Commissions Earned

The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound, on a BD-66 disc. The 2-disc release will be a “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included. A digital code (copy) of the film is also included, which is compatible with AppleTV or Fandango at Home (formerly VUDU). The 4K will include both the theatrical version (107 minutes) and the extended version (111 minutes).

The standard 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. The bonus material set to be included with the release is listed below.

  • Audio Commentary by Director, Story Co-Writer & Producer Gore Verbinski, Head of Story James Ward Brykit, Producer Designer Mark “Crash” McCreery, Animation Director Hal Hickel, and Visual Effects Supervisor Tim Alexander (Only available on Extended Version)
  • Breaking the Rules: Making Animation History
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Real Creatures of Dirt
  • Storyboard Reel Picture-In-Picture (Only on Theatrical Version)
  • A Field Trip to Dirt (Interactive Feature)
  • Theatrical Trailer

The 2025 film Nuremberg comes to Blu-ray in February

Blu-ray cover of the film 'Nuremberg' directed by James Vanderbilt, featuring actors Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, and others, along with promotional quotes.
Commissions Earned

The tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround sound. The Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon and Walmart. No bonus materials will be included with this release. Also, there are no plans for a 4K UHD Blu-ray release, despite the movie getting a 4K digital release.

The 1979 adaptation of Salem’s Lot on 4K in March

Cover art for the film 'Salem's Lot', featuring a menacing figure with outstretched arms in front of a haunted house and a full moon, stylized in purple hues.
Commissions Earned

This release includes new 4K restorations of both the original two-part miniseries and the shorter theatrical cut distributed internationally. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.33:1 for the 2-part TV miniseries, a 1.85:1 aspect ratio for the theatrical cut, and lossless Mono sound for both versions. The release will come as a 2-disc set, with each version getting its own disc.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition is now available for preorder at Amazon, Arrow Video, and the MVD Shop. The bonus materials physically included are shown, and the entire set of supplemental materials is listed further below, sorted by disc.

4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition of 'Salem's Lot' featuring artwork and two discs, alongside a booklet and promotional materials.

Physical Extras:

  • Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
  • Collectors’ perfect-bound booklet containing new writing on the film by critics Sean Abley, Sorcha Ni Fhlainn, and Richard Kadrey, plus select archival material including interviews with director Tobe Hooper, and stars Lance Kerwin and Julie Cobb
  • Salem’s Lot town sign sticker
  • Double-sided foldout poster featuring two original artwork options

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • ORIGINAL TV MINI-SERIES VERSION
  • Two viewing modes: Play as miniseries in two parts as per the original broadcast or as extended movie
  • Brand new audio commentary by film critics Bill Ackerman and Amanda Reyes
  • Archive audio commentary by director Tobe Hooper
  • Alternate TV footage: commercial bumpers and original broadcast version of the antlers death
  • Original shooting script gallery

Disc 2 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • THEATRICAL VERSION & EXTRAS
  • Brand new audio commentary by film critic Chris Alexander
  • King of the Vampires, a new interview with Stephen King biographer Douglas Winter
  • Second Coming, a new appreciation by author and critic Grady Hendrix
  • New England Nosferatu, a new interview with filmmaker Mick Garris
  • Fear Lives Here, a new featurette looking at the locations of Salem’s Lot today
  • We Can All Be Heroes, a new featurette with film critic Heather Wixson, co-author of In Search of Darkness
  • A Gold Standard for Small Screen Screams, a new featurette with film critics Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman, co-hosts of the podcast Horror Queers
  • Trailer
  • Image gallery

The 1995 film The Blade on Criterion 4K and Blu-ray

An illustrated movie cover for 'The Blade,' featuring a warrior with a sword, dramatic red streaks, and the title prominently displayed.
Commissions Earned

This has received a new 4K digital restoration. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and Uncompressed Linear PCM Mono sound. The tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and uncompressed Mono sound. The 4K release will come as a 2-disc “combo pack” with its Blu-ray counterpart included.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray are now available for preorder at Amazon. Also, you can preorder directly via the Criterion website. The bonus materials included with the release(s) are listed below.

  • New audio commentary featuring Hong Kong cinema expert and producer Frank Djeng
  • Action et vérité (2006), a documentary featuring director Tsui Hark, coscreenwriter Koan Hui, and actor Xiong Xin-xin
  • New video essay by filmmakers Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou (Every Frame a Painting)
  • New York Asian Film Festival Q&A with Tsui from 2011
  • Alternate English-dubbed track
  • English-version opening and end credits
  • Trailer
  • New English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: An essay by author Lisa Morton
  • New cover by Oliver Barrett
« Older Entries Recent Entries »