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PHYSICAL MEDIA REVIVAL LATEST…
…AS BD COLLECTORS SPOOFED
JUSTWATCH ADDED TO AWARDS SPONSORS…
…AS BASE UNVEILS MENTORSHIP SCHEME
GOOD FORTUNE GIVES YOU WINGS
PARTISAN GETS EVERYONE ON SIDE
LIVING DEAD RETURN… TO NEW CROSS…
…AS ARROW PUTS ON THE STYLE IN DECEMBER
FINAL MISSION OFFERS UP CRACKING COMMENTARIES
MAMMOTH CLASSICS BOX SET FOR CHRISTMAS
BABY ARRIVES FROM PICTUREHOUSE
GRIMM NEWS FROM TRINITY
EUREKA UNVEILS DECEMBER SLATE
ERA GETS ON TRACK WITH FOCALDATA
BBFC LAUNCHES EDUCATION WEEK…
…AND REVEALS MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY
NEW FILM STORIES MAG OUT…
SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
SUPPORT THE RAYGUN
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK 
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It was a good week for… The Sun has given a big boost to the resale market, Music Magpie and the likes with this feature…
It was a bad week for… We've been laid up with recovery from surgery and a load of other work commitments, apologies if you missed us (and apologies again our mailing house's recent issues)…
We have been watching… The above has curtailed our LFF viewing and we didn't see one entrant this year… But we are beginning to work our way through through another superlatice noir box set from Powerhouse's Indicator series, whole we also finally caught up with the ecellent One Battle After Another at cinemas… Keep up to date with what we've been watching on Letterboxd…
Recovery from an eye op and a bunch of other commitments have kept us busy recently, but we’re back with a bang… As is our wont in recent weeks, we’ve been keeping an eye on recent coverage of physical media as a concept, as publications, both in print and online, continue to write about the importance of physical media in a streaming world and how the pendulum is slowly swinging back to buying discs alongside streaming. And if there’s one sign that this is becoming something of a cause celebre in the media, then it’s a satirical piece in spoof news site The Onion, which has a fake story about a physical media collector who’s ready for the downfall of society because he’s got stuff on disc. As the story said: “‘When it all goes down, there’s only going to be one place to watch the Tomb Raider movies in their entirety with all the deleted scenes, and that’s going to be my bunker,’ said David Campbell, his eyes reportedly shining as he described how the end of organised society and the dissolution of government would make his cherished stockpile of Blu-rays even more valuable. ‘No one will be mocking the CDs I’m still holding onto when the internet goes dark forever and the only way to listen to music is through boom boxes we trade canned goods for. And I’m definitely one of the only people who has a region-free DVD player and all three seasons of Father Ted plus the Christmas special, so I’ll essentially be a king. I can’t wait.’” You can see it here.
Elsewhere, there’s more written about it here, with the now standard reasons for eschewing streaming in favour of physical outlined, not least the fact that films and programs regular disappear from Netflix and its ilk. As one store staffer said: “You’re like ‘oh I’ve seen this on Netflix or Prime a million times now and this will finally be my time to watch it. And then you go on there and it's’ like ‘oh sorry it’s not available anymore,’ and then you're like ‘oh it’s not available at any streaming service at the moment’.” Moreover, it also has some interesting figures from the Digital Entertainment Group in the US, with its half-year figures for the first six months of 2025 noting: “Aggregated disc sales (DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray) continued a steady, but slower decline, falling about 13 percent in the first quarter, 11 percent in the second quarter, and 12 percent for the full first half. The physical sector was bolstered by the premium 4K UHD Blu-ray format, which grew 17 percent in the first quarter and almost 9 percent for the full first half as consumers showed continued strong demand for collectible titles, led by Wicked.”
The BASE awards are looming ever closer, with the latest announcement ahead of the November 13 date being the news that streaming guide site JustWatch – a BASE member – is sponsoring the award for Campaign of the Year for New Release Film with a box of up to £5m. Toby Lindley-Smith, head of sales at JustWatch, said: “Having been a member of BASE for 3 years now we’re honoured to be a part of the prestigious 45th BASE Awards and to be sponsoring a category very close to our hearts. Running engaging and efficient marketing campaigns is at the core of what we do at JustWatch, so we’re very happy to have our name involved with some truly innovative and game changing activations.” BASE chief executive Liz Bales said: “The BASE Awards are all about recognising the talent, innovation and creativity that define our industry. We’re delighted to welcome JustWatch as sponsor of this important category, which champions campaigns that make a big impact with sharp focus and smart thinking.”
Last time out we covered the nominations for the Hedy Lamarr Rising Star award, due to be presented at the BASE awards on November 13. The four nominees will be automatically signed up to the BASE Mentoring Scheme and, after a trial involving last year’s Rising Star nominees, BASE has announced that the scheme is being officially launched later this year. A further six places are open, with submissions now being sought. As the announcement noted: “The programme is supported by a body of industry advisors who provide guidance and best-in-class rigour to the development, selection and assessment process. These include Monica Chadha, Global Coach at MOCHA 8 Ltd and Non-Executive Director at the British Film Institute; Dominic Warman, Partner at world-class recruitment and development leaders 3Search Executive; UNIC- The International Union of Cinemas; and Janet Ogundele, Director at HR Specialists Human Enterprise Ltd.” BASE chief executive Liz Bales said: “I am so proud that an incredibly successful trial of the BASE Mentoring Programme has led to us expanding the programme into an industry-wide initiative for 2026. As one of the 2025 mentors myself, I learnt firsthand the positive and career-changing impact mentoring can have on both parties. BASE and DEGI continue to strive to support our members in all the areas that contribute to their growth and the overall health of the industry. Retaining and developing the skills of outstanding individuals through this process will benefit us all. I am so excited to meet the 2026 BASE Mentoring Programme beneficiaries, and thank all the mentors who have so generously contributed their time and expertise so far, and into next year.” Applications can come from individuals (here or BASE or DEGI members (here), and all applicants must be workmen at a member company on October 1 2025. Applications close on November 7.
Some recent events now and to the Prince Charles Cinema just off Leicester Square in the heart of London is not just one of our favourite cinemas, but it’s also been the site of a clutch of recent screenings from Lionsgate, and as well as the distributor, it seems writer/actor/producer/comedian Aziz Ansari is a big fan of the venue too. The Raygun headed to the cinema for a special screening of Lionsgate’s October 17 theatrical release Good Fortunes, with Anglophile Ansari presenting the film and professing his love for the cinema. The film stars Ansari alongside Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves, and is a modern, gig economy take on angels-righting-wrongs films such as It’s A Wonderful Life. What’s more, it’s a cracking film too (the best comedy our 17-year-old younger correspondent had seen for ages), with its trio of leads all in fine form and Reeves, in particular, absolutely hilarious. Tellingly, it also went down a storm with the assorted YouTubers, Tik-Tokers and influencers. Screenings with social media types often get flak from critics, but not only were the crowd so into the film that they didn’t check their phones throughout the film, they will also give it the kind of word of mouth that money can’t buy. After the company’s success with current theatrical hit The Long Walk and some of its mark marketing (we featured the treadmill screenings of the film here recently), Lionsgate has done it again, putting cut-outs of Reeves as an angel at landmarks in the US such as the Chicago Bean and Hollywood sign. The film opened on October 17, with home entertainment to follow…
Also at the Prince Charles Cinema, High Fliers was hosting a premiere for its theatrical release The Partisan, which has been playing at cinemas throughout October and lands on home entertainment formats on October 27. The company’s Mark Anderson said: “The premiere for The Partisan was a big success, it was well attended with a packed-out audience for the film at Vue West End in Leicester Square. In attendance were cast and crew including Morgane Polanski, Steven Waddington, Frederick Schmidt. We have been very pleased to see the reaction to the film with a lot of press coverage and reviews and we are seeing a great engagement with our social media, Aim Publicity are doing a fantastic job for us, highlights include a double page spread in The Sun with a feature about the film and the fascinating true story behind it, plus there have been excellent interviews in The Guardian and Empire with Malcom McDowell. With all of this coverage and combined with the national theatrical launch, we are seeing a great platform for setting up the home entertainment release of the film and we look forward to seeing how it performs.”
Monday October 13 marked the release of a brand spanking new 4K UHD of seminal zombie comedy horror Return Of The Living Dead and to mark the occasion Arrow Video hosted a party at London’s New Cross Inn and, as you’d expect from the company, a riotous time was had by all. There was drag burlesque and lip synching from The Loco Cabaret and raucous punk from Electric Cowboy Club, with all the acts having a distinctly zombie-esque feel. Journalists and an abundance of familiar faces from the capital’s horror scene were out in force, with the venue festooned in posters for the film. It’s the third year on the bounce the company has hosted an October event in deepest, darkest south east London, and long may it continue.
Sticking with Arrow, the party came on the back of London Film Festival screenings of seminal hip hop feature Wild Style, a groundbreaking blend of fiction and documentary which charted the formative days of rap, graffiti and breakdancing in early 1980s New York. The film aired at the LFF and there was also a party at the BFI Southbank celebrating the music from the film, which looked at the life and times of graffiti artist Lee Quinones and features the likes if Fab 5 Freddy. Arrow is giving the film its special treatment for a December release, with 4K and Blu-ray editions of the film packed with on-disc extras as well as a perfect bound book featuring new and archival materials, a poster stickers and a CD soundtrack; there’s also a special vinyl set featuring a new pressing of the soundtrack. Alongside Wild Style in its recently announced December line-up, Arrow also boasts the previously announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set and there’s also a fourth volume of its impressive Shawscope box sets featuring martial arts classics from south east Asia and, in another eagerly awaited release, theres also a 4K restoration of Hong Kong actioner City On Fire, which helped boost the popularity of HK action cinema on its original release. The film, starring Chow Yun Fat and directed by Ringo Lam, will be released at cinemas on November 15 ahead of its December 1 4K, Blu-ray and digital bow.
“I love flying. I love the poetry of flying. As cinema and technology evolves, how do we give the audience something incredibly unique and also classic? That’s always the challenge. We’re using all of the knowledge that we have, having made these movies, and putting it in this sequence, and that's the goal – take everything that you've learned and push it to that next level. to give the audience the greatest possible experience…” So says Tom Cruise in one of the extras on the second Blu-ray disco accompanying the release of Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning, which landed in stores on Monday October 13 courtesy of Paramount via Elevation. We’ve had a good look through both discs, with the second featuring a raft of Behind The Scenes featurettes – Cruise’s quote is taken from one of those looking at the biplane chase sequence in the film, with others taking in underwater scenes ("What I'm always surprised by is what it is we're doing,” said director Chris McQuarrie in this one, “that's the amazing thing about this franchise. It's all about constantly pushing the envelope as far as we can”), the Arctic filming, the mine chase and the recording of the score. Others include a deleted scene montage with added commentary from McQuarrie (“it’s a bit like showing you egg shells after you’ve eaten the omelettes”), more editorial with input from the director and team looking notably at the biplane footage (Cruise too gets involved with this and, as McQuarrie further noted: “All of this was done before lunch”), promo spots and galleries. Perhaps best of all are the raft of commentaries on the main disc for the feature itself, including not one but two with McQuarrie, one with other crew and one with the director and long-time collaborator Tom Cruise. It’s always impressive to see big names such as the pair adding a commentary for the home entertainment release, and Cruise is certainly as big as they come. Where it scores is on the relationship between the pair and the ability to switch from the technical and detailed to anecdotal and conversational. The film is out on physical formats, taking in DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD, Steelbook and a 4K UHD Steenbok exclusive at hmv on Monday October 13.
Any keen collector out there will know that lavish Disney box sets such as the 57-film Classics collection that came out some five years ago, and the centenary Legacy set marking the studio’s 100th anniversary a couple of years back have massively appreciated in value in recent years. So it is with great interest that the studio, this week announced, via its ongoing relationship with Elevation Sales, a mammoth new set due to land with a resounding thud in stores on November 24 on Blu-ray and DVD SKUs. The Disney Classics Complete 62 Movie Collection features five new to the set films – Raya and The Last Dragon, Encanto, Strange World, Wish and Moana 2 – as well as a further five making their Blu-ray debut. The hefty set – the high definition one is currently going for around £300 for the Blu-ray on assorted sites as a pre-order and £250 for the DVD – comes not just with the 60-plus films, but a lavish coffee table book and a whole host of art cards too. Given what previous, now-deleted sets go for, it’s one not just for Disney collectors, but it’s an investment too… Elevation’s Mark Frampton said: “We are thrilled to release this unique and deluxe collector’s set exclusively in the UK. The Collection offers a significant upgrade on previous editions and brings the iconic Disney Classics collection up to date. Generations have grown up watching these magical films and everyone has a personal favourite!. For avid Collector’s and Disney fans, this is something to really treasure and show off on your shelf.”
Just released by Picturehouse on digital platforms is acclaimed drama Sorry, Baby, which arrives with a welter of strong reviews following its theatrical release. The company’s Alice Werdine said: “We're so proud to be releasing Eva Victor's remarkable debut Sorry, Baby across digital platforms this week. As sharp as it is tender, the film is a quietly powerful tale of finding back your footing after pain, and it marks the arrival of a brilliant new voice in cinema.”
Trinity Content Partners has inked a deal with Manchester-based horror film festival Grimmfest that will see the pair partnering on the Grimmvision imprint, a new label releasing horror and genre fare. The brand will, the pair said, serve as a “route to market for independent genre filmmakers in both English speaking and international markets” and will take in home entertainment windows and platforms ranging through physical, TVOD, EST, TV, SVOD and AVOD, as well as offering marketing and PR support. The first two titles released under the deal will be Tim Travers and The Time Traveler’s Paradox, a sci-fi comedy and post-apocalyptic drama M: Beyond The Wasteland. Bight are due on November 10. Grimmfest director Simeon Halligan said: “The Grimmfest team is so excited to be partnering with Trinity Content Partners to create GrimmVision, the new distribution arm of Grimmfest. Both are due out on Trinity's highly experienced team bring years of sales and distribution experience and we can't think of better people to partner with. GrimmVision is very much the next step in the evolution of Grimmfest, allowing us to offer genre movie fans the Grimmfest experience through the release of new cutting-edge movies, not only in the UK but around the world.” Trinity Content Partners CEO Adam Lacey added: "Grimmfest is a highly respected and recognised brand in the horror and genre movie sector by filmmakers and film fans alike. Simeon and his team will open up a world of new content for us to jointly explore and commercially develop with the content creators. So often, independent films don’t achieve the reach and financial return they deserve. This new label will deliver content straight into channel distribution without the cost, delay and often complications of more traditional models. We believe that this is a game changer for filmmakers, greater consumer reach, wider distribution and more revenue’."
More December announcements and Eureka has unveiled its December slate since we were last here, with a busy time in the run up to Christmas, as outlined by national account manager Marcus Garwood. He said: “Martial arts mastery and explosive action arrive just in time for Christmas, courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. We’re kicking off the festive season in spectacular style with a limited edition boxset – Triple Threat: Three Films with Sammo Hung. Contained within this set are a trio spanning Hung’s career. From traditional kung fu to romantic comedy to a tale of cops and crooks with shades of the heroic bloodshed films so popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Manchu Boxer, Paper Marriage and Shanghai, Shanghai exhibit Sammo Hung’s enormous range. All three films appear for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK. The set will feature a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Sam Gilbey, a booklet and an exclusive bonus disc containing 1080p HD presentations from brand new 2K restorations of the extended international versions of The Manchu Boxer and Shanghai, Shanghai. Closing out 2025 in the Masters of Cinema series is a landmark Western from a Hollywood maverick, Robert Aldrich's 1954 film Apache. Starring Burt Lancaster, Apache is one of the earliest Westerns to feature a sympathetic Native American protagonist fighting back against the white settlers who swept across the United States throughout the 19th century. We are proud to present this film for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK. The release will feature a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring original poster artwork and booklet featuring new writing on Apache by Western scholar Jenny Barrett and film writer Richard Combs. Disc extras include The Story of Massai – new interview with Austin Fisher, author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western and The Last Sunset in Vera Cruz, a new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on Robert Aldrich and the Western. Whether you're gifting action-packed thrills or classic cinema, Eureka Entertainment's December releases are not to be missed.”
ERA has partnered with data experts Focaldata in a deal which will see the company conducting the trade organisation’s twice-yearly study into consumer behaviours and entertainment preferences. The tracking study, in its 12th year, pulls together data of how customers are engaging with video, music and games and how they are consuming product. Focaldata numbers the likes of the FA, PwC and the Cabinet Office among its customers and the tracking data will be pulled together using the company’s proprietary AI technology. Focaldata’s head of research, George Pinder, said: “The bank of knowledge ERA has developed about how music, video and games fans interact with the entertainment they love is truly impressive, with applications right across the entertainment ecosystem. We are delighted to have the opportunity to apply Focaldata’s solutions to this incredible resource.” ERA CEO Kim Bayley said: “Over the past decade, the ERA consumer tracking study has charted the rise of music streaming and vinyl, video-on-demand, and new gaming platforms. We are proud that it has become a reference source for so many of entertainment’s most successful companies. With the power of Focaldata’s unique technology and analytical tools, I am confident we will create even more value for our members.”
The BBFC has held its first ever education week, with five days’ worth of activity highlighting its work within schools, taking in everything from free school talks to classroom resources. It took in focusing on its free educational resources designed to help teachers give lessons on a range of issues; the unveiling of its first ever BBFC Teacher Panel, which will help “shape the educational content and policies with a particular focus on online safety and media literacy”; a spotlight in its free educational school talk and offering a new resource on adult material as part of its commitment to protecting young people. BBFC chief executive David Austin said: “I’m delighted to launch the BBFC’s first-ever Education Week, which showcases everything we can offer to support teachers in nurturing a generation of empowered, confident young audiences. Films, video content and websites can make a huge difference in our lives, and we want that difference to be a positive one, especially for children and teens. That’s why we provide age ratings and content advice to help families and young people choose what to watch with confidence, and avoid what’s not right for them. Supporting teachers and students through our education work – whether that’s delivering school talks or designing classroom resources – is central to our mission of helping young people to develop the skills to make safe and informed viewing choices, wherever and however they view content.”
The BBFC’s education week ended with the organisation revealing a survey into young people’s attitudes to watching content that might negatively impact their mental health to coincide with World Mental Health Day. The survey of 2,000 young people aged between 12 and 21 discovered that more than “two in five young people have watched a film or TV series that has negatively impacted their mental wellbeing” and that the negative impacted would have been lessened if they’d known more in advance. The report continued: “Nearly three-quarters (73 per ent) of those who watch film or TV return to a favourite film or TV series when they need cheering up or emotional comfort, yet more than half of all young people aged 12-121 have avoided or stopped watching something because they believed it might negatively affect their wellbeing. The content issues on-screen that most commonly caused negative impacts were identified as scary or disturbing imagery (31 per cent), violence or graphic scenes (30 per cent) or abuse and trauma (30 per cent). When asked what they want to know about before watching, two-thirds of young people pointed to abuse or trauma (65 per cent), scary and disturbing images (65 per cent) and violence or graphic scenes (63 per cent).
Comment on the education week came from David Austin OBE, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said: “It's saddening that more than two in five young people have had their mental wellbeing negatively impacted by film and TV. Of those affected who were unaware of the content issues ahead of watching, 70% said the impact would have been lessened if they'd known about these in advance. This clearly shows that young people want to make informed decisions about what they watch. Clear, transparent age ratings and content advice are essential tools that empower them to do so. On World Mental Health Day, this serves as a timely reminder that what we watch matters and that we must prioritise and invest in good mental health. Films, video content and websites can make a huge difference in our lives, and we want that difference to be a positive one. At the BBFC, we are committed to helping young people make safe and confident viewing decisions wherever they watch films and series – to choose what’s right for them and avoid what’s not.” Ella Bradshaw, Policy Officer for Child Safety Online at the NSPCC, said: “This research is a crucial reminder that what children are exposed to on screens can have a real impact on their mental health and wellbeing. In a world where film, TV and social media are just a tap away, it’s never been more important for families to have clear, trustworthy guidance. Age ratings and advice that truly reflect young people’s voices and experiences are essential tools to help them and their parents and carers make informed choices. We fully support the BBFC’s ongoing work to help families steer through the digital noise and would urge social media platforms to follow suit, prioritise age-appropriate design and recognise the harm certain content can cause.”
The new issue of the country’s biggest film magazine Film Stories has hit the streets, available at assorted newsagents, including WHSmith travel outlets at stations and airports, and also online here . Not only is it the UK’s biggest but it’s also the ostensible comprehensive and, in our opinion, the best too, eschewing superhero fare and Hollywood blockbusters, shining a light on smaller budget fare, supporting British and independent films. And it’s also a firm believer in physical media too, with The Raygun’s very own Tim Murray reviewing discs and writing extensive feature coverage in and around the business (in the latest issue, among other things, looking at Diva and how Palace’s video arm helped bring subtitled fare to the rental market in the early days of the industry. Also interesting to note that it also celebrates classic fantasy flick Krull in this issue and has also partnered to offer readers a bundle with the film, released in a spiffing 4K Steelbook from Sony via Elevation Sales. For more information and to advertise, contact simon@filmstories.co.uk, email tim@theraygun.co.uk to discuss physical media coverage.
SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
  Punxundead, more like, as the Electric Cowboy Club, one of Arrow's live guests at its Return Of Te Living Dead bash, got themselves zombified for the gig…
 The Raygun, is 15 years old and continues to report on the home entertainment industry and its ever-changing face. To ensure we can continue to bring you the latest news, opinion and analysis from a business we love and care passionately about, you can support our independent journalism by donating to us via Ko-fi… Thank you.
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Is everything all right?
Looks epic…
Losing your marbles…
For anyone who’s ever slept in the office…
Balladry…
More Predator business…
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