Tag Archives: Mono

The Swordsman Trilogy on 4K and Blu-ray in March

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Cover art for 'The Swordsman Trilogy' featuring a group of martial artists holding swords, set against a bold red and yellow background.
Commissions Earned

“The Swordsman Trilogy“ will be released in a 4K UHD Blu-ray / Blu-ray set on March 3rd via Hong Kong Cinema Classics (Shout! Studios).

The trilogy, all directed (or co-directed by) Siu-Tung Ching, includes these films:

  • “Swordsman” (1990) in 4K UHD and HD
  • “Swordsman II” (1992) in HD
  • “Swordsman III: The East is Red” (1993) in HD

EDITORIAL NOTE: Only the first film in this trilogy will be presented in 4K UHD. It will also include its Blu-ray Disc counterpart in HD. The sequels will be presented in HD on Blu-ray Discs.

The first movie was co-directed by King Hu, Raymond Lee, and Hark Tsui. The cast for the first movie included Samuel Hui, Cecilia Yip, Jacky Cheung, Sharla Cheung, Siu-Ming Lau, and Fennie Yuen. The second film’s cast included Jet Li, Brigitte Lin, Michelle Reis, Waise Lee, Rosamund Kwan, Shi-Kwan Yen, and Fennie Yuen. The cast for the third movie included Brigitte Lin, Joey Wang, Rongguang Yu, and Jean Wang.

The first movie received a 4K scan from the original camera negative. The tech specs for the first film include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) form of high dynamic range and Cantonese [and English dubbed] lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, with English subtitles. Tech specs for the other two films on Blu-ray (as well as the first) include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, along with Cantonese & English DTS-HD MA Mono sound, with English subtitles.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray/Blu-ray set is now available for preorder at Amazon and GRUV. The full list of extras (supplemental materials) included with this 4-disc set is listed below, sorted by disc.

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray) “Swordsman” in 4K

Disc 2 (Blu-ray) “Swordsman” in HD:

  • NEW A Time of Legends: Interview with Co-Director Raymond Lee
  • NEW Cult of Personality: Interview with Actor Fennie Yuen
  • NEW David Wu: Proud Wanderer—A Career Retrospective with Editor David Wu
  • NEW Hark’s Dynasty: The Early Years of Film Workshop—Interview with General Manager/Executive Producer Terence Chang
  • NEW Hong Kong Confidential: Inside Wuxia with Author Grady Hendrix

Disc 3 (Blu-ray) “Swordsman II” in HD:

  • NEW Phoenix Rising: Interview with Actor Fennie Yuen
  • Trailer

Disc 4 (Blu-ray) “Swordsman III: The East is Red” in HD:

  • NEW A Return to Wuxia: Interview with Co-Director Raymond Lee
  • Trailer

All the President’s Men is coming to 4K in February

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Cover art for the movie 'All The President's Men' featuring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, along with the 4K Ultra HD logo.
Cover of the 4K Ultra HD Steelbook edition of 'All the President's Men', featuring images of Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman with the U.S. Capitol in the background.
Commissions Earned

The 1976 film “All the President’s Men” arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook on February 17th via Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. Alan J. Pakula directed the film, based on the book written by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. It starred Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. It co-starred Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, and Ned Beatty.

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) with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono sound. The 4K releases will each include a digital code (copy) of the film, compatible with Movies Anywhere.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook are available for preorder at Amazon. You can also find the 4K UHD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook (pictured below) available for preorder at GRUV.

4K UHD Blu-ray steelbook packaging for the film 'All the President's Men', featuring images of the main characters and the DVD disc.

The bonus materials set to be included with the release(s) are listed below.

  • All the President’s Men: The Film and Its Influence
  • Woodward and Bernstein: A Journalism Masterclass
  • Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting the Fire
  • Telling the Truth About Lies
  • Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat
  • Jason Robards on Dinah!

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

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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 1980 film “Somewhere in Time“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on February 10th via KL Studio Classics (Kino Lorber). Jeannot Szwarc directed the film, written by Richard Matheson. It starred Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. It co-starred Christopher Plummer, Teresa Wright, George Voskovec, Bill Erwin, William H. Macy, Susan French, George Wendt, and John Alvin.

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

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

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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

The 1979 TV miniseries adaptation of “Salem’s Lot“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition on March 31st via Arrow Video. Tobe Hooper directed the miniseries, based on the novel written by Stephen King. It starred David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia, Lew Ayres, Julie Cobb, and Elisha Cook Jr.

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 1973 film Westworld comes to 4K in February

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Cover art for the movie 'Westworld', featuring a cowboy figure with a futuristic background that includes circuit patterns and a large sun.
Commissions Earned

The 1973 film “Westworld” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition and Blu-ray Limited Edition on February 24th via Arrow Video. Michael Crichton wrote and directed the motion picture. It starred James Brolin, Dick Van Patten, Linda Gaye Scott, Victoria Shaw, and Yul Brynner.

The movie has received a brand new 4K restoration from the original negative. Tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10) form of high dynamic range. In terms of audio, both the 4K and Blu-ray versions will include a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound mix, as well as lossless 4-channel Stereo [in 2.0], Stereo 2.0, and 1.0 Mono mixes. Tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with the same audio options.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition and Blu-ray Limited Edition are now available for preorder at Amazon. You can also preorder directly from Arrow Video’s website or the U.S. distributor MVD Shop. The bonus materials included with the Limited Edition releases are listed below.

  • Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer
  • Cowboy Dreams, a newly filmed conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski
  • At Home on the Range, a brand new video interview with actor James Brolin
  • HollyWorld: Producing Westworld, a brand new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III
  • Sex, Death and Androids, a brand new appreciation of the film by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
  • On Location with Westworld, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from 1973
  • Beyond Westworld, the 48-minute pilot episode of the 1980 follow-up television series
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Image gallery

Physical Extras:

  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
  • Collectors’ perfect bound booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender
  • Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
  • Six postcard-sized artcards

You can find a glimpse at those physical extras below.

Promotional image of the 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition and Blu-ray Limited Edition of the film 'Westworld', featuring the movie cover art, a disc, a booklet, and postcard-sized artcards.
4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition

The John Woo film Once A Thief on 4K in January

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Commissions Earned

The 1991 film “Once A Thief“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on January 27th, 2026, via Hong Kong Cinema Classics / Shout! Studios. John Woo directed and co-wrote the film. It starred Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung, Kong Chu, and Kenneth Tsang.

This movie received a 4K scan from the 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), accompanied by Cantonese and English (dubbed) lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono sound. It will also feature newly translated English subtitles.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and GRUV. For those of you who do not already know, GRUV is the new home for Shout! Factory [Shout! Studios] physical media release.

The 2-disc set will be a “combo pack” with a Blu-ray Disc counterpart included, featuring bonus materials listed below.

  • Audio Commentary with James Mudge (Hong Kong Film Critic at easternKicks)
  • Handling a Heist: Interview with Director John Woo
  • Thoughts About Thievery: Interview with Screenwriter Clifton Ko
  • Stealing Some Shots: Interview with Cinematographer Poon Hang-Sang
  • Interview with Producer Terence Chang
  • Interview with Editor David Wu
  • TBC Interview with One of Leslie Cheung’s Producers
  • Hong Kong Confidential: Inside Once A Thief with Author Grady Hendrix
  • Once a Star, Always an Icon: Film Critic Frank Djeng on Actor Leslie Cheung
  • Archival Interview with Actor Kenneth Tsang
  • Theatrical Trailer

The 1989 John Woo film The Killer on 4K in December

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Commissions Earned

The 1989 film “The Killer“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray in a “Deluxe Limited Edition” on December 2nd via Hong Kong Cinema Classics, distributed by Shout! Studios. The movie was written, produced, and directed by filmmaker John Woo. It starred Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Chu Kong, and Tsang Kong.

The motion picture has received a new 4K Scan from the 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), accompanied by Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and English (dubbed) DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono sound mixes. The English dub will feature optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release. This 3-disc set will be a “combo pack” including a Blu-ray with the HD counterpart as well as a second Blu-ray for bonus materials.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray Deluxe Limited Edition is now available for preorder at Amazon, GRUV, and Walmart. Also, you can preorder directly via the ShoutFactory website. Below you can find a glimpse at the physical packaging and extra in the form of a 52-page booklet (featuring four expert essays and extensive art), as well as a reversible artwork sleeve.

Commissions Earned

The bonus materials set to be included with the release are listed below, sorted by disc.

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • NEW Audio Commentary With Director John Woo And Film Journalist Drew Tayler
  • NEW Audio Commentary With Critic And Author David West
  • Audio Commentary With Director John Woo And Producer Terence Chang (Recorded By The Criterion Collection)

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

  • NEW Audio Commentary With Director John Woo And Film Journalist Drew Tayler
  • NEW Audio Commentary With Critic And Author David West
  • Audio Commentary With Director John Woo And Producer Terence Chang (Recorded By The Criterion Collection)

Disc 3 (Blu-ray):

  • NEW “The Hero Of Heroic Bloodshed: A John Woo Documentary” – A Feature Length Documentary On The Cinema Of Hong Kong’s Iconic Director, Featuring New Interviews With John Woo, Stuntman Bruce Law , Producer Michael Colleary, Writer Mike Werb, Producer Lori Tilkin de Felice, Director Roel Reiné, And Many More!
  • NEW “A Bullet Ballet” – An Interview With Director John Woo
  • NEW “My Kind Of Hero” – An Interview With Producer Terence Chang
  • NEW “Editing The Killer” – An Interview With Editor David Wu
  • NEW “Hong Kong Confidential” – An Inside The Killer With Author Grady Hendrix
  • Deleted And Extended Scenes
  • Trailers
  • Image Gallery

The 1940 film His Girl Friday on Criterion 4K

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Commissions Earned

The 1940 film “His Girl Friday“ arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray this December 2nd via The Criterion Collection. Howard Hawks directed the movie. It starred Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Ernest Truex, and Cliff Edwards. EDITORIAL NOTE: This movie was previously released on the 4K UHD format as part of a box set from Sony [“Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Vol. 4“].

This features a new digital 4K restoration. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a Black and White 2160p video presentation in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10, accompanied by Uncompressed (Linear PCM) Mono sound. The 3-disc set will come as a “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart and a bonus disc. Those Blu-rays will also include the 1931 film “The Front Page” — “Lewis Milestone’s famous pre-Code adaptation of the same material.”

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. You can also preorder directly via the Criterion website. The bonus materials set to be included with this release are listed below and span across 3 discs (one 4K, two Blu-ray).

  • One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film, The Front Page, and the special features
  • 4K digital restoration of The Front Page, made from a recently discovered print of director Lewis Milestone’s preferred version, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Interview with film scholar David Bordwell
  • Archival interviews with His Girl Friday director Howard Hawks
  • Featurettes from 1999 and 2006 about Hawks and actor Rosalind Russell
  • Radio adaptation of His Girl Friday from 1940
  • Program about the restoration of The Front Page
  • Program about playwright and screenwriter Ben Hecht
  • Radio adaptations of the play The Front Page from 1937 and 1946
  • Trailers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Plus: Essays on His Girl Friday and The Front Page by film critics Farran Smith Nehme and Michael Sragow
  • Cover by Randy Glass

The 1982 film Wild Style comes to 4K and Blu-ray

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Commissions Earned

The 1982 film “Wild Style” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray in “Limited Edition” sets on December 2nd via Arrow Video. The movie, directed and co-written by Charlie Ahearn, was also co-written by hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy (featured in the film). It starred Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite, Sandra “Lady Pink” Fabara, Patti Astor, Grandmaster Flash, Busy Bee, The Fantastic Five, The Cold Crush Brothers, and The Rock Steady Crew.

The movie has received a 4K restoration from the original 16mm negative. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision and HDR10, accompanied by newly restored lossless Mono sound. Tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio and lossless Mono sound. The 4K limited edition will come as a 3-disc “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart and an Audio CD featuring a new “megamix” and more. The Blu-ray will come as a 2-disc set with the CD also included.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition and Blu-ray Limited Edition are both now available for preorder at Amazon. Also, you can preorder the movie directly via Arrow Video‘s website. Plus, consumers can also purchase the 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition and Blu-ray Edition via the United States distributor at the MVD Shop. There will also be a Blu-ray Limited Edition bundle available featuring a vinyl record. That’s available at Arrow’s website. These limited edition sets will include some physical extras (pictured below), and they are listed further below, along with the bonus materials set to be included, sorted by disc.

4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition

Limited Edition Physical Extras:

  • 120 page perfect bound collector’s book featuring new and archival essays and articles, alongside an extensive collection of stills and artwork from the film
  • Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
  • Double-sided foldout poster featuring two original artwork options
  • Exclusive mini-version of the Wild Style issue of Hip-Hop Family Tree comic book by Ed Piskor
  • Three Wild Style logo stickers

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • Brand new audio commentary with Jeff “Chairman” Mao and Andrew “Monk One” Mason
  • Legacy commentary featuring director Charlie Ahearn and Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite
  • Down by Law: Creating the Music of Wild Style, a brand new interview with Charlie Ahearn, Chris Stein and Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Image gallery

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

  • The Origin Story, an interview with Lee Quiñones and Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite
  • Studio/Benchmark, an interview with Lee Quiñones
  • Archive footage from Wild Style’s 1983 Japanese Tour
  • Two panel discussions and footage from the Wild Style 40 exhibition
  • ZDF TV Wild Style 30th anniversary featurette
  • Rammellzee in the Battle Station featurette
  • Featurettes from the Wild Style 20th, 25th and 30th anniversary shows
  • Smith Projects Gym (1977)
  • Archival featurettes and interviews from the players and performers of Wild Style
  • Outtakes
  • Subway Rap music video
  • 2025 Restoration and Theatrical trailers

Disc 3 (Compact Disc):

  • Exclusive new Wild Style Megamix by Jorun Bombay
  • Original radio spots by Fab 5 Freddy and Queen Lisa Lee
  • Rare alternate mixes of Subway Rap and Wild Style Theme
  • Rare audio outtakes from the film and soundtrack
  • Rare 1983 radio interview with Charlie Ahearn
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