THE RAYGUN NEWSLETTER RETURNS :: WEEK COMMENCING OCTOBER 1 2023

BASE AWARDS LOOMS

LONDON GOES PROMO CRAZY

WICKER MAN CELEBRATES…

…AS STUDIOCANAL TALKS Q4…

…PAST LIVES ON THE WAY

SIGNATURE RISES AGAIN…

…FOOTSOLDIER LEADS THE CHARGE

SAW SEEN AS 10TH OPENS

VIDEO STORE AT FRIGHTFEST…

NETFLIX SHUTTERS US FILMS BY POST

VIRUS IS CATCHING

PIPER PLAYS A TUNE

101 READY TO MASSACRE

EUREKA HEADS IIN TO DECEMBER

JUSTWATCH JOINS BASE

TRAILERS OF THE WEEK

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It was a good week for… The Exorcist back on video formats and spewing into homes …

It’s been a bad week for… the writers have gone back, but the actors' strike is still dragging on…

We’ve been watching… We've been reviewing tons of physical media for a fim magazine, so watching loads, including the excellent Little Bone Lodge, more soon…

A reminder, in vase you needed one, that the BASE Awards is now little more than a month away, and the nominations are out and in for the event, due to take place at the Roundhouse in London on November 2. Among the interesting nominations are for Agency of the Year (OC, Once Upon A Time, Silk Factory and Spark); Best in Class – Bonus Features (Creating Empire of Light: Once Upon A Time and The Walt Disney Company); Doctor Who The Collection: Season 22: BBC Studios, OC, Lee Binding and Spirit Entertainment); Get Carter: BFI; Great Expectations - Inside Looks: Once Upon A Time, FX and BBC Studios: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story - Inside the Costumes: Once Upon A Time and Netflix; Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical - Sing Your Heart Out!: Sony Pictures; See How They Run - Behind the Curtain: Once Upon A Time and The Walt Disney Company; The Queen of Spades: StudioCanal) and Best in Class - Packaging & Artwork (Dr Who and the Daleks: StudioCanal and Rob Watts Rogue Four; Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Directors Edition: Paramount Pictures; The Battle at Lake Changjin: Trinity CineAsia and Foz Creative; The Film Vault: Wave 1: Spark, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Pictures: and Three Colours Trilogy: A Curzon Collection: Curzon Film and Wim Wenders Stiftung). Others that piqued our interest included Retailer of the Year – Physical (hmv; amazon.co.uk and Rarewaves). You can see the full list at https://base-awards.org.

Comment on the awards came from BASE chief executive Liz Bales, who said: “There is real pride at BASE with the announcement of the 2023 Awards Shortlist. As audiences embrace the ever-growing choice of channels and services through which they can enjoy the home entertainment experience, whether through a subscription or ad-funded service, a FAST channel or our long-championed transactional formats, so do the BASE Awards. It is fantastic to see all aspects of the industry represented in the 2023 BASE shortlist. We’re excited to welcome partners and colleagues, new and existing, to this unique industry celebration.”

Promotional activity ahoy: the past week or more has seen studios and streamers spending big bucks highlighting their wares for release, with a plethora of activity around London and beyond. Amazon was putting big money behind its John Wick spin-off acquired from Lionsgate, The Continental, turning a Shoreditch boutique hotel into its own version of the hotel featured in the John Wick series (it’s effectively a prequel to the Keanu Reeves starrer), hosting screenings there. Meanwhile Netflix was promoting climax at the IMAX – not literally, of course, advertising its latest season of Sex Education on the outside of the landmark IMAX cinema at London’s Waterloo. Disney was taking to the streets of the capital with “AI sibilants” to promote the release of non-franchise sci-fi blockbuster The Creator. People can discuss the rights and wrongs of the writers’ and actors’ strikes (the former looks increasingly likely to be almost over), and you can discuss theatrical and streaming, or home entertainment woes as much as you like, but there’s still marketing cash out there…

The Wicker Man has seen numerous home entertainment releases over the years, and while previous outings, notably those in the disc-based era, have labelled themselves as definitive, none comes as close as Studiocanal’s just released 4k update of the classic British folk horror. The package, including a lavish set containing multiple versions of the film from its storied 50-year existence, extras from previous releases and new material too – we’re still working our way through it. We’ve already covered the film here and The Raygun’s Tim Murray has further written about it in the current issue of house music and club culture bible Faith Fanzine, but it’s always worth covering again and the film has garnered coverage and plaudits across the board since this lavish set hit the shelves. Celebrating its release, Studiocanal’s Alison Arber said: “Rejoice! Your appointment with The Wicker Man is finally here. We are excited that at last, we can all celebrate the 50^th anniversary of one of the best British horror films ever made, in a blazing new 4K restoration. Worship a stunning new five-disc collector’s edition with very special pop-up packaging and an exclusive new Steelbook with artwork by our very own Sophie Bland. You’d be a fool to miss it.”

All of which leads us nicely into Studiocanal and its Q4 slate and once again, we’ll hear from Alison Arber on the slate. She said: “This is no ordinary Q4 for Studiocanal with an action-packed slate including horror classics right through to the big man himself Santa Claus. First up in early October is the much-anticipated release of The Others (out from Monday October 2) followed by yet another stunning addition to the hugely successful Vintage Classics collection – Cry, The Beloved Country. This fantastic new restoration originally premiered back in June at the Bologna Film Festival and is now finally available to own on home entertainment. Zoltan Korda’s classic adaptation of Alan Paton’s novel looks better than ever, with new extra features and a special booklet. Now on to something entirely different – a new 4K restoration of Caro and Jeunet’s surrealist black comedy Delicatessen, suitable for a certain palette on UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. Joseph Losey and Dirk Bogarde return for yet another wonderful Vintage classics release in November. King and Country is an exciting new acquisition for STUDIOCANAL and will be the first time it’s available on Blu-ray and digital in the UK. This 1964 classic also features a mesmerising lead performance from the inimitable Tom Courtenay – this gut-wrenching WW1 film will stay with you. Own it on Blu-ray, DVD and digital in early November. And then, what we’ve all been waiting for, finally the 1985 family favourite Christmas classic Santa Claus The Movie has been restored in magical 4K! there will be a cinema release to enjoy over the festive period with your families and you can own it on UHD for the first time on November 13^th! Seeing really is believing. Then rounding off an incredible year, we leave Christmas for a masterpiece in film making from Michael Powell – Peeping Tom. The horror classic has been restored by the Film Foundation, closely supervised by Thelma Schoonmaker. This stunning new restoration will hopefully be premiering at this year’s LFF and will be available to own on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and digital on November 27.”

And as if that lot wasn’t enough from Studiocanal, there’s also the tantalising prospect of current theatrical hit – and one of the best films we’ve seen this year, Past Lives. As the company’s Mona Schlotter noted: “We are thrilled to release Celine Song’s debut feature Past Lives, a beautiful and heartrending modern romance about destiny, love, the choices that make life and all those lingering ‘what ifs’. Critics and audiences are calling it the best film of the year, so you won’t want to miss it this Q4.”

Another company with a plentiful slate for Q4 is is Signature and we’ll start looking at its slate with marketing chief Kristin Ryan discussing some of the highlights from the quarter. She said: “We’ve got an incredibly varied and strong quarter this Q4 capping off a fantastic year for us here at Signature. With the highest opening of any Rise of the Footsoldier film, Vengeance will hit (and hit hard!) Home Ent throughout Q4. Always a strong franchise on Home Ent, we expect great results from the latest in the franchise. Rise of the Footsoldier isn’t our only action release this Q4, with 2 Nic Cage starers, first up and fresh from its FrightFest bow is the electrifying two hander Sympathy for the Devil and later in the quarter is the star studded Retirement Plan. Cage always delivers and these two films, different and equally as Cage-tastic don’t disappoint. Also for release this quarter is Dangerous Waters, a tense cat and mouse thriller featuring Ray Liotta in one of his final on screen appearances. Another A lister stars in Desperation Road which sees Mel Gibson square off with the always excellent Garret Hedlund in this crime filled Southern Noir thriller. Oscar Wilde’s classic has been once again revisited in our latest theatrical release The Canterville Ghost, which will be a key family release for us on Home Ent this Q4. Featuring a who’s who of British talent including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Hart and Imelda Staunton, the film is a riot for the whole family and is sure to delight this autumn. In another classic retelling Mozart’s The Magic Flute gets a fantasy spin. The film, with echoes of Harry Potter and Wednesday, features a hot young cast alongside legendary actor F Murray Abraham. With consistently strong and varied output across Theatrical and Home Entertainment to the end of the year, we look to build on those successes into 2024 and beyond.”

Other notable titles from Signature due in the coming months include the kind of title which will work a treat on Blu-ray in the shape of Little Bone Lodge, an excellent homegrown home invasion thriller starring Natasha Richardson as the matriarch of a family who’s house is chanced upon by some right wrong’s. But all is not what it seems – it’s due on October 16. Keep an eye out too for Boudica, a British swords and sandals tale starring Olga Kurylenko, and more British tough guys in the shape of Murder Of The Essex Boys: Blood & Betrayal, mining the rich and successful seam of never-ending interest in the tale of gangsters shooting each other (October 30), as well as more true crime in The Never Ending Murder (November 13). Ohh, and as well as a packed slate, also keep an eye out for Signature’s entries into London Film Festival, due to start shortly. Its slate for the LFF includes the likes of Cate Blanchett starrer The New Boy and Jodie Comer in “feminist survival story The End We Start From. The company’s Kristin Ryan said: “With an exciting line up at this years’ BFI London Film Festival and consistently strong and varied output across Theatrical and Home Entertainment to the end of the year, we look to build on those successes into 2024 and beyond.”

It’s a busy time for Lionsgate right now as the studio gears up for one of its busiest ever periods, which will culminate in the return of mega-franchise The Hunger Games, as prequel Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes lands in cinemas with a resounding bang at the end of November. It’s currently got not one but two franchise biggies playing at cinemas. Out last weekend and now past the £1m mark at the UK box office, is the latest outing in the Expendables shires, Expend4bles. We saw it at a preview and have to say, it’s just as loud and crazy as you’d expect from Statham, Stallone and co and doesn’t disappoint for action fans. And anding today, September 29, is the 10th instalment in the franchise that refuses to die – Saw. Saw X is, judging by early word, one of, if not THE best in the series. We’ve heard it’s ridiculously gory, so this too won’t disappoint fans of the franchise, which as long proven to be home entertainment gold. It’s getting some great reviews too – with most noting that it’s a return to form, how it is one of the best to bear the `Saw name and more. And don’t just take our word for it. FrightFest director and noted critic (and Raygun reader) Alan Jones said on Twitter this week: "So, SAW X is absolutely brilliant, twisty, ultra-gory and Tobin Bell is superb. And we loved this line from the New York Times: This is the most well-groomed Saw movie to date.” Many have similarly praised its emotional depth… First indications are that the film is a roaring success, as US box office estimates of $18 million in its opening frame have already seen it earn its production costs back¬ Next on home entertainment from Lionsgate meanwhile is Joy Ride, due on October 23, more on that next time…

Talking of FrightFest, and the aforementioned Alan Jones and the team have revealed the line-up for their annual Halloween bash in London’s Leicester Square, with films spread over two nights. As ever, there’s a wealth of films spanning everything that horror and associated genres have to offer, with a raft of UK premieres. And, as we’ve oft noted here before, the Pigeon Shrine-sponsored event is the perfect platform for launching a film across theatrical and notably home entertainment. The full line-up is at www.frightfest.co.uk, but one title that captured our attention was The Last Video Store. The plot? No, it’s not a documentary about one of the few remaining outlets where you can rent a film, but, rather an outré horror, here’s the synopsis: “A young woman takes a collection of old videotapes to one of the last video rental stores in the world. Unbeknownst to her, she is in possession of a legendary ‘cursed tape’ that holds the power to connect the real world with another dimension in which B-movie fantasies become a reality. When she and the video storeowner unwittingly reawaken its curse, a raft of cinematic villains is unleashed.” Meanwhile, FrightFest’s Alan Jones said: “We’re thrilled to announce our Halloween 2-day extravaganza. We’ve assembled nine new genre titles to make this year’s Halloween event a happy haunting ground with all treats – no tricks – to satisfy your jaundiced appetites.”

And sticking with the concept of rental, we note with great interest that Netflix in the US is set to abandon its rental by post offering that has, for more than two decades, been sending out films to customers in the US by mail for them to return when finished. The service is now coming to a halt and, as a parting gift, the service is sending out films to them without the need to return. IN practical terms, this could see up to 10 million discs being posted – the service has somewhere up to 1 million active physical media renters – without a need to return. Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph, there when it sent out the first DVD, said: “It is very bittersweet. We knew this day was coming, but the miraculous thing is that it didn’t come 15 years ago. From day one we knew DVDs would go away, that this was a transitory step. And the DVD service did that job miraculously well. It was like an unsung booster rocket that got Netflix into orbit and then dropped back to earth after 25 years. That’s pretty impressive.” Incidentally, the first film it rented? Beetlejuice. The biggest? The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock.

Back to horror – and FrightFest – and playing at the late August event was another feature length outing from someone closely involved in our business. Sarah Appleton, who we’ve covered here before for her work on assorted extras for Blu-ray labels such as 101 Films, Arrow, BFI and Second Sight, as well as the feature length documentary The Found Footage Phenomenon. She’s partnered with Jasper Sharp for The J-Horror Virus a similarly self-explanatory film looking at the roots and explosion of Japanese horror, much of which was introduced to the UK through home entertainment releases, Appleton said: The world premiere of our new doc The J Horror Virus at FrightFest 2023 was amazing. We loved seeing so many friendly faces in the audience and a general positive response from reviews. The documentary was always something I wanted to make since being traumatised by The Ring (2002) age 10 and then proceeding to watch every other J Horror from Japan and their remakes. Meeting Jasper who is a Japanese cinema expert sparked an ideal partnership to make the documentary work in mostly Japanese language interviews. We are very happy with how it has turned out and the general J Horror aesthetic which was imbued into the documentary as well.”

More following on from FrightFest and 101 Films boasted something of a success story in a rare genre-based release from none other than Liz Hurley, someone not normally associated with horror fare, whose Piper caused a stir at the horror film fest ahead of a further release. Here’s the company’s Tim Scaping on the film and the reaction. He said: “London’s FrightFest was the ideal occasion for the world premiere of our new horror PIPER, starring Elizabeth Hurley, which delivers a modern take on a well-known European legend. The film played to a packed main screen on the Sunday morning and went down a storm with the audience from the shocking opening sequence onwards. While Elizabeth was unable to attend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, the two young British stars were in attendance – Mia Jenkins and Jack Stewart – along with director Anthony Waller, who many genre fans will know from his cult 90s horror Mute Witness. We're waiting on US distribution plans before fixing a date, but we're hoping to release early next year.

Meanwhile ,still on 101 Films and its impressive Black Label keeps bringing titles to market, with its slate varying from the very well-known, including its recent Christopher Nolan duo, to something all together more obscure in its latest announcement. Commenting on the future addition to the range, Tim Scaping said: “Off the back of adding a very famous film to the range in Memento, we're excited to return to the opposite end of the Black Label spectrum with an obscure slice of 70s schlock in deranged slasher MEATCLEAVER MASSACRE. Originally released in 1976 as Hollywood Meatcleaver Massacre, the film was re-released in 1977 with the shortened title and the addition of a Christopher Lee prologue and epilogue. Not only does our release contain both versions, but we also tracked down writer-director Keith Burns and two of the actors for new interviews and have included two booklets – one containing new writing on the film and the other Burns’ original ‘lost’ script. Released in time for Halloween on October 16, we're delighted to be sharing this underseen occult classic with a UK audience.”

For some of the labels we deal with, it’s already well into winter, as the boutique labels and their ilk unveil their titles due for the last month of the year, December. Here’s Eureka’s national accounts manager Marcus Garwood, on its last batch of releases for 2023. He said: "We round off 2023 here at Eureka Entertainment with a couple of classy December essentials, plus a timely standard edition re-issue. The Masters of Cinema Series welcomes Kinji Fukasaku's 1978 samurai epic The Fall Of Ako Castle (aka Swords Of Vengeance). Starring two icons of Japanese cinema, namely, Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai) and Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter), The Fall of Ako Castle offers a moving tale of loyalty, betrayal, and sacrifice where classical history explodes into brutal samurai carnage.The special edition Blu-ray features a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Chris Malbon, plus a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jonathan Clements. Disc extras include a new video essay by author and critic Jasper Sharp, new audio commentary by critic Tom Mes and a new interview with Asian film expert Tony Rayns. Eureka Classics next with an early entry in the Hong Kong gambling film cycle of the ‘80s and ‘90s, Casino Raiders. Directed by Jimmy Heung (From Beijing with Love) and Jing Wong (Royal Tramp), starring multi-award-winning Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs, House Of Flying Daggers) Casino Raiders is a shockingly violent tale of brotherhood and sacrifice and one of the most unique thrillers from the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema. The special edition release is enrobed in a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) and also contains a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver. Disc extras include a brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), brand new feature length audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, plus a new documentary looking at gambling culture in Hong Kong, and the popularity of the film genre that Casino Raiders helped to bring to attention. For the final release of the year we are making the standard edition of our UHD Police Story Trilogy set available. The limited edition version of this Jackie Chan set was hugely popular; so for those who missed out on that limited stock run you can now enjoy this superb set in all of its 4K glory once again.”

We’ll end where we started, with BASE and the organisation has also announced that JustWatch has joined the organisation and its sister DEGI: The Digital Entertainment Group International. Toby Lindley-Smith, UK Country Manager at JustWatch said: “We are thrilled to become a member of BASE and DEGI. Since 2014, JustWatch has been helping entertainment brands and consumers get to grips with the ever-evolving entertainment landscape, from theatrical release through to broadcast TV. Working with BASE, DEGI and their members, we hope we can bring additional knowledge and insights to support the Home Entertainment industry.” Liz Bales, Chief Executive at BASE said: “It is with huge pleasure that we welcome JustWatch to BASE and DEGI. They are a unique organisation who have become a trusted and important partner for the industry. We take a one industry approach ensuring that all activity is complementary and supportive across the full product lifecycle, making JustWatch a perfect partner in the UK and beyond. The JustWatch focus on ensuring that legal routes to content are clear is a mission that we hold close, through our work at The Industry Trust, and JustWatch is now also a crucial player in that journey. There is so much opportunity for collaboration and conversation ahead, and we are truly excited.”

TRAILERS OF THE WEEK