Tag Archives: Scatman Crothers

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest comes to 4K

Posted on by

Commissions Earned

The 1975 film adaptation of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook and 4K UHD Blu-ray on November 11th via Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. Milos Forman directed the film based on the novel by Ken Kesey. It starred Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Sydney Lassick, Scatman Crothers, William Redfield, and Will Sampson. This motion picture is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray feature a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, accompanied by HDR10, and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and 2.0 Mono sound. Both releases will include a digital copy of the film, compatible with Movies Anywhere.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook and 4K UHD Blu-ray are now available for preorder at Amazon. You can also preorder the 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook and 4K UHD Blu-ray at online retailer GRUV.

The bonus materials set to be included on this release are listed below.

  • Conversations on Cuckoo:
    • Group Therapy
    • Moviemaking Memories
  • Completely Cuckoo Featurette
  • Deleted Scenes

NOTE: The 2008 and 2010 Blu-ray releases of the movie only featured AC3 Dolby Digital 5.1 lossy audio mixes. So, there has never been an HD release on home video that contained a lossless audio mix aside from that. That means that this will be the very first time you can hear the movie in true lossless 5.1 surround and the first time you can hear the original 2.0 mono, since DVD, and also in a lossless format. Also, the movie was incorrectly framed in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio instead of its intended 1.85:1 aspect. This will be the first time it’s been presented in that aspect ratio in HD or higher resolution.

In terms of bonus materials, it seems that this 4K release might not include some of the extras featuring Michael Douglas that were exclusively on the 2010 Blu-ray box set. It also appears that it may not include the original audio commentary with the film’s director, Milos Forman, and Producers, Michael Douglas & Saul Zaentz. That audio commentary was featured on the original 2008 Blu-ray and 2010 Blu-ray set.

Stay tuned for an update on this once Warner makes an official announcement for full clarity regarding the bonus materials. I’m going, right now, by what the back of the package art [HERE & HERE] shows. Perhaps they’ve yet again changed the names of the bonus materials, but kept the “Completely Cuckoo” featurette found on both releases.

Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 1 comes to 4K in May

Posted on by
Commissions Earned

“Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 1” will be released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on May 20th via Shout Select (Shout! Studios). This release will include a total of six films in a 12-disc set.

The release will come as a “combo pack” with each 4K receiving its Blu-ray Disc counterpart. All of the films have received new 4K scans and restorations. The tech specs on the 4K release feature a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio for each film. They include Dolby Vision (or HDR10) and DTS-HD Master Audio Mono sound. Tech specs for the Blu-ray versions include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio for each film and DTS-HD Master Audio Mono.

UPDATED: The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. You can preorder directly via the ShoutFactory.com website and get a bonus poster. The six films included and their tech specs and bonus materials are listed below.

Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 1 | Synopsis

From the drive-in to 4K and Blu-ray, the heavy-duty action of the ’70s subgenre known as “Blaxploitation” has thrilled and captivated audiences for decades. Shout! Select is proud to present an explosive six-film collection of some of the coolest movies to ever hit the streets. Featuring genre legends Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Isaac Hayes, and Yaphet Kotto, these tough-as-nails and unbelievably hip classics of the subgenre — presented here on both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra High Definition — are a tremendous entry point into the world of Blaxploitation for newcomers as well as must-haves for discerning fans of genre cinema.

“Across 110th Street” (1972)

2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 101 min.

If you steal $300,000 from the mob, it’s not robbery … it’s suicide. Anthony Quinn (Zorba The Greek) and Yaphet Kotto (Alien) lead a double-barreled cop thriller with style and violence to spare in Barry Shear’s Across 110th Street. When a crowd of gun-toting gangsters take on the Mafia, the bullets start flying … and cops start dying. In order to bring justice to the streets, two of New York’s finest (Quinn and Kotto) are forced to team up in an unlikely pairing. With the gangsters, the mob, and The Man involved in a three-way dance, one thing’s for sure – the only guaranteed way Across 110th Street … is in a body bag.

DISC 1 – Across 110th Street on 4K UHD Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono

DISC 2 – Across 110th Street on Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • NEW It’s Where The Action Is The Blaxploitation Films Of A.I.P., Part One – An In-Depth Documentary Featuring New And Archival Interviews With Film Critic And Author Odie Henderson, Film Producer and Son Of AIP Film Producer Samuel Z. Arkoff – Lou Arkoff, Afrocentric Film Scholar Dr. Michelle B. Taylor, Author And Film Historian Chris Poggiali, Film Historian Nathaniel Thompson, “Coffy” Director Jack Hill, And Post-Production Supervisor at AIP James L. Honore
  • Trailer

“Black Caesar” (1973)

2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 95min.

Hail Caesar! Godfather of Harlem … the cat with the .45-caliber claws! Fred Williamson stars in his signature role of Tommy Gibbs in the action classic Black Caesar! Growing up on the streets and trying to make his mother proud, Gibbs resorts to running “errands” for The Man. But when a crooked cop beats him up, Tommy realizes there’s a better way to live his American dream: by making The Man deliver for him! Infiltrating – and then destroying – an infamous mob family, Gibbs takes over Manhattan … and tragically loses his hold on the most important things in his life, making him vulnerable to every cutthroat gangster who ever dreamt of ruling an empire! With Williamson’s powerhouse performance and gritty direction by cult movie legend Larry Cohen (It’s Alive, Q: The Winged Serpent, Original Gangstas), it’s little wonder that Black Caesar stands tall among the best the Blaxploitation genre has to offer.

DISC 3 – Black Caesar on 4K UHD Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Larry Cohen

DISC 4 – Black Caesar on Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Larry Cohen
  • Trailer

“Hell Up in Harlem” (1973)

2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 95min.

He may never get to Heaven — but he’s raising Hell Up In Harlem. The Black Godfather, Tommy Gibbs (Fred Williamson) is back in this explosive sequel to Black Caesar! When Gibbs steals a ledger with the name of every crooked cop and politician on the mob’s payroll, he becomes the most wanted man in the city. Enlisting the aid of his father and an army of Harlem hoods, Gibbs goes from defense to offense, launching a deadly attack on his enemies that sets off a violent chain reaction from Harlem all the way to the Caribbean, climaxing in one of the most mayhem-filled turf war battles in history.

DISC 5 – Hell Up In Harlem on 4K UHD Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Larry Cohen

DISC 6 – Hell Up In Harlem on Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Larry Cohen
  • Trailer

“Coffy” (1973)

2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 90 min.

They call her Coffy – and she’ll cream ya! The great Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) is a one-woman instrument of justice in the no-holds-barred revenge thriller Coffy. A nurse by day and avenging angel by night, Coffy (Grier) turns up the heat when she discovers that her little sister has been doped up by a greedy drug pusher. Vowing to not only put the pusher down for good but also to follow his trail of corruption up to the top – the very top – Coffy is unaware that all is not what it seems … and that the pipeline of drugs just may lead to someone she knows! Directed by Jack Hill (Foxy Brown, Switchblade Sisters) and featuring Sid Haig (House Of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects), Coffy is a thrilling action flick and a showcase for the unique talents of Pam Grier.

DISC 7 – Coffy on 4K UHD Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Jack Hill

DISC 8 – Coffy on Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Interview With Director Jack Hill
  • Interview With Actor Pam Grier
  • Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Jack Hill
  • Trailer

“Sheba, Baby” (1975)

2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 90 min.

Pam Grier (Foxy Brown) is hotter than dynamite and just as deadly in this hard-hitting thriller that leaps from one death-defying scene to the next. Sheba Shayne (Grier) is a private eye summoned to her old stomping grounds to help her father keep the mob from moving in on his business. But she gets too close to the fire, narrowly escaping the blast of a car bomb. Gunning for justice, Sheba vows to take revenge. Packing a .44 Magnum, a machine gun, and a few extra surprises to blow the bad guys away, Sheba leaves a blazing trail of blood in her wake, putting the mob on the defensive … until she’s lured into a plot that could flatten her curves once and for all.

DISC 9 – Sheba, Baby on 4K UHD Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Screenwriter David Sheldon

DISC 10 – Sheba, Baby on Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Interview With Screenwriter David Sheldon
  • Audio Commentary With Screenwriter David Sheldon
  • Trailer

“Truck Turner” (1974)

2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 91 min.

He’s a skip tracer, the last of the bounty hunters, living on blood money and borrowed time. Isaac Hayes (Escape From New York, South Park) is Truck Turner – a football star turned bounty hunter who’s tracking a sadistic pimp on the mean streets of Los Angeles. But when a tragic accident changes all the rules, suddenly the hunter finds himself being hunted by the city’s deadliest hired killers! Truck strikes back in a series of wild car chases, shootouts, and bone-crushing fistfights, knowing that the battles can lead to only one place: an intense struggle to the death against the brutal leader of L.A.’s crime syndicate, Harvard Blue (Yaphet Kotto, Live And Let Die). Featuring an outstanding score by Hayes, riveting performances by Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek) and Scatman Crothers (The Shining), and direction by Jonathan Kaplan (Over The Edge, Unlawful Entry), Truck Turner is an explosive force that can’t be stopped!

DISC 11 – Truck Turner on 4K UHD Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Director Jonathan Kaplan

DISC 12 – Truck Turner on 4K UHD Blu-ray

  • NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
  • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Audio Commentary With Director Jonathan Kaplan
  • Trailer

The Shining gets a Walmart exclusive 4K SteelBook

Posted on by

Commissions Earned

The 1980 film “The Shining” will get a 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook release exclusively at retailer Walmart on February 4th. This release comes via Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. The film was directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel written by Stephen King. It starred Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Philip Stone, and Joe Turkel.

NOTE: This film was previously released on 4K UHD Blu-ray in 2019. At that time there was a another exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook with different (yellow) artwork from a different retailer. That was a totally different release than this and appeared at Best Buy. Back when they supported physical media. This new 4K SteelBook features different (red) artwork than the original poster featured on the previously mentioned SteelBook release.

The tech specs for this 4K include a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ or HDR10 form of high dynamic range and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround sound. This release is a “combo pack” with the Blu-ray Disc counterpart included. It will also include a digital copy of the film compatible with Movies Anywhere. You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook exclusive at retailer Walmart, pictured in further detail below.

The bonus materials will be identical to the 2019 4K UHD Blu-ray release, listed below.

  • Audio commentary by Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown and Stanley Kubrick biographer John Baxter
  • Video from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining
    • Enter the terrifying world of the Overlook Hotel as only Stanley Kubrick could envision it
  • The Visions of Stanley Kubrick
    • A detailed look at one of cinema’s greatest visual storytellers and his unique ability to move audiences through the magic of unforgettable images
  • The Making of The Shining
    • This cinema verite documentary offers a rare glimpse into the directing style of Stanley Kubrick as he interacts with stars Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and others
  • Wendy Carlos, Composer

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining on 4K in October

Posted on by

 

BREAKING: The 1980 Stanley Kubrick directed version of the film “The Shining“ is officially coming to the 4K UHD Blu-ray format on October 1st, via Warner. The film, based on the novel by Stephen King, featured an unforgettable cast of Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers. There’s going to also be a Steelbook that will be exclusive to retailer Best Buy (pictured above). That 4K Steelbook is already available for pre-order now over at Best Buy. The standard 4K UHD Blu-ray release is also now available for pre-order over at Best Buy.

UPDATE: This 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for pre-order over at Amazon. The studio has issued a press release with some details about the upcoming 4K release. The tech specs for the release include 2160p video with HDR10 form of High Dynamic Range, although the aspect ratio has not yet been specified, with a lossless 5.1 sound mix – presumably in DTS-HD Master Audio. This will be in the 146-minute length version of the film. It’s worth noting that the very reputable Motion Picture Imaging Labs on the Warner lot was responsible for this remastering effort with help from Kubrick’s former personal assistant (Leon Vitali) and legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. You’ll find all that info and a list of bonus materials as well set to be included further below, after the break.

Read more