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THE GUARDIAN: “FILM FANS ARE TURNING TO PIRACY”
TRANSMISSION BEGINS…
…NEW IMPRINT PAYS HOMAGE TO RENTAL, GRINDHOUSE…
…RADIANCE LAUNCHES SUB LABEL…
…AND UNVEILS ITS OWN NOVEMBER SLATE
GET YOUR TEETH INTO NOSFERATU PACKAGE…
CRITERION HITS PEAKS IN OCTOBER
INDICATOR’S ITALIAN FLAVOURS FOR OCTOBER
BEAVERS ARE BACK
ALTITUDE GOES OVER THE TOP
BALLERINA DANCES INTO HOMES…
…AS TORNADO AND MORE DATES ANNOUNCED
CRITICKER HELPS LOOK FOR HIDDEN GEMS…
…AS CRUZCAMPO THE BEER OF CHOISE AT BASE AWARDS…
NEW DEGI REPORT PUBLISHED
SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUTSUPPORT THE RAYGUN
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK 
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It was a good week for… Weapons continues Warner's incredible 2025, and is another strong box office performance for a horror film…
It was a bad week for… This cautionary tale for filmmakers everywhere from Film Stories is a fascinating watch
We have been watching… Those first two episodes of Alien Earth that everyone is talking about; Apple's new series of Platonic; Arrow's marvellous Return Of The Living Dead and a trio of comedies from Studiocanal featuring classic British comics, The Rebel, with Tony Hancock, and Heavens Above and Two-Way Stretch, both with Peter Sellers… The Guardian newspaper has long had a complicated relationship with piracy, with a tacit nod and a wink to illegal downloading and streaming – we at The Raygun have oft taken them to task over editorial on the subject, once even forcing a change in policy whereby the newspaper’s Readers’ Editor pledged that they would no longer embed full illegal uploads of feature films in its features online. We’ve also taken them to task when critics and writers have fessed up to watching illegal streams and downloads of films and TV, as well as its nudge nudge wink wink live football blogs where reporters joke knowingly about watching illegal streams. But given the paper’s recent features hankering after the days of physical media (as reported here), it’s strange to see it returning to the concept of piracy and illegal streaming and downloads this week, with a feature under the headline of "Can’t pay, won’t pay: impoverished streaming services are driving viewers back to piracy”. Underneath this, the standfirst introducing the feature notes: “As subscription costs rise and choice diminishes on legal sites, film and TV fans are turning to VPNs and illicit streamers, with Sweden – home of both Spotify and The Pirate Bay – leading the way”. And then, in the very definition of first world problems, the writer describes how, ahead of a trip to Florence, he wanted to watch historical drama Medici. “Until recently,” wrote Gabriel V Rindborg, “I could simply have gone to Netflix and found it there, alongside a wide array of award-winning and obscure titles. But when I Google the show in 2025, the Netflix link only takes me to a blank page. I don’t see it on HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, or any of the smaller streaming platforms. On Amazon Prime I am required to buy each of the three seasons or 24 episodes separately, whereupon they would be stored in a library subject to overnight deletion. Raised in the land of The Pirate Bay, the Swedish torrent index, I feel, for the first time in a decade, a nostalgia for the high seas of digital piracy. And I am not alone.” He failed to mention that he could have bought a Blu-ray of all three seasons from Rarewaves for little more than £20, or that surely paying for it is something that, if you can afford a trip to Florence, is not beyond your means. What it does inadvertently expose is something we’ve noticed on social media for some time – the idea that people in and around the industry, not least film critics, are not adverse to illegally streaming or downloading, as Rindberg added“A fellow film critic confides anonymously: ‘I never stopped pirating, and my partner also does it if he doesn’t find the precise edition he is looking for on DVD.’” Let’s hope this is not a return to journalists and publications openly sanctioning these kind of behaviours, and let’s hope that, if they’re going to talk about online availability, they at least try and remind readers that physical media may still be available…
Meanwhile, the public’s fascination with the good old days of video shows no signs of abating – long after the VHS format and many rental stores have disappeared (not forgetting our pals at a few isolated outposts such as the wonderful Snips Movies on The Wirral in the north and Bristol’s 20th Century Flicks to the west), there’s still something more than mere nostalgia for VHS, renting cassette tapes and the concept of straight to video films. Distributors and suppliers have long flirted with the imagery (something we’ve been tracking here on The Raygun for some years) and there’s a real yearning among the public harking back to the early era of home entertainment, which dovetails with the heyday of grindhouse and sleazy rep cinemas such as London’s Scala. And now there’s a new sub-label being launched by boutique imprint Radiance Films which celebrates the dawn of the video industry and the days of fleapit cinemas, Transmission (or, to give it the full title used in its wonderful 80s-inspired logo, Transmission Video Distribution). It’s due to release its first classic title on November 17, with Night Of The Juggler indicative of what will come out under the Transmission banner, which promises to focus on “offbeat cult classics and under-appreciated genre film-making”. The announcement continued; “Equally inspired by late-night TV oddities, all-night cinemas such as the Scala and 42nd Street grindhouses, and the video shop experience of the 80s and 90s, Transmission will invite new audiences to recapture that same thrill of discovery with its upcoming slate of left-of-the-dial UHD and Blu-ray titles.”
Transmission’s Night Of The Juggler, which sees former cop James Brolin trying to track down the psychopath who has kidnapped his daughter, sets out the label’s stall for future releases – it comes in dual format 4K UHD and Blu-ray, has been restored in 4K and with Dolby Vision HDR, with a raft of special features, a 40-page bound book, a poster, postcards and special edition packaging. Radiance is promising supporting events (it has all rights for the film) and further digital and streaming options, while it has also teased further releases, adding: “Future Transmission titles include underseen genre gems; an offbeat cult classic about the perils of movie-making; an acclaimed touchstone of 1970s horror, and one of the most outrageous black comedies of the 80s. All currently planned titles will be receiving their UK Blu-ray premieres.”
Comment came from Radiance Films production manager Paul Martinovic, who said: “Like everything we do at Radiance, Transmission is about the thrilling sense of discovery; that you might just accidentally happen upon a new obsession. Our Transmission mood board includes touchstones such as the infamous Max Headroom incident, Charles Bukowski’s anecdote about watching Eraserhead on cable TV for the first time, imported Japanese laserdiscs, and Channel 4’s Red Triangle films. It’s a new brief that allows us to shift some focus onto genre films that perhaps don’t fit exactly what people have come to expect from Radiance, while still placing inspired film-making and personal auteurist expression at the heart of its curation. We couldn’t ask for a better launch title than Night of the Juggler, which has felt like a white whale for us for many years, but it feels like it’s only the start of something really exciting.” Radiance md Francesco Simeoni added: “Transmission will utilise all the skills and experience of the Radiance team as it plumbs new depths of cult cinema, many of which are discoveries for me, so I look forward to seeing how this label will complement and challenge Radiance in equal measure.” The announcement has, the company’s Bruno Savill de Jong, noted, gone down a storm. He said: “We've been very pleased by the reaction so far of excitement and encouragement from our customers. Indeed, even the more skeptical reactions who seem less interest in these kind of left-of-the-dial cult classics prove why creating a separate imprint outside of regular Radiance releases was an important move, as it allows us to expand the horizon of what we release while keeping the curation of the Radiance slate true to how it originated.”
Sticking with Radiance, and the company has also announced its November titles alongside Transmission’s Night Of The Juggler debut, with an eclectic set taking in Japan (a box set, Radical Japan, featuring a raft of films from Nagisa Oshima making their Blu-ray debut), the woefully underrepresented Greece (Nikos Koundouros’ The Ogre Of Athens) and France (Wicked Games, a set featuring a trio of films from genre-meister Robert Hossein). The company’s Bruno Savill de Jong said: “There's been a pretty overwhelming reaction to our announcement of the Nagisa Oshima boxset RADICAL JAPAN: CINEMA AND STATE, with vivid reactions to the scope of the set itself (nine films, including seven features, one short film and one doc - our largest release yet) and the ambition contain within it. This boxset has been highly anticipated and we hope people appreciate the volumes of effort that went into making it a reality. This is not to outshine our other announced November titles, as we're glad people are reacting well to THE OGRE OF ATHENS, especially since Greek cinema is severely underrepresented and this classic by Nikos Koundouros is considered one of the all-time greats. And Robert Hossein is often an undersung stylist of French genre cinema, meaning that WICKED GAMES provides a great opportunity to showcase three of his atmospheric exploits.”
When Spirit started handling Universal’s physical media releases at the start of the year, it promised some treats, continuing some of the fine catalogue work the studio had done in recent years, not least bringing sumptuously packaged, extras-laden titles to the market. With John Partridge, better known as JP, transferring from Universal, where he had been responsible for a great tranche of collectable releases, to Spirit, there is a strong continuity between what Universal was doing and what Spirit will be handling. The first fruits of this have now gone up for pre-sale in the shape of a gorgeous edition of Nosferatu, due on October 13. As the announcement noted: “This special edition of Robert Egger’s Nosferatu includes a new gloss Steelbook exclusive to this edition with a deboss on the title. A rigid soft-touch slipcase with spot gloss effects on the front and back.” Gather’s also a 40-page book featuring images and behind the scenes production notes and an introduction written by Robert Eggers; a double-sided poster; five artcards and five double-sided character cards featuring character profiles and ill limited to 3,000 units worldwide. JP said: “We can’t wait to see how fans react to our special edition of Robert Egger’s masterful horror Nosferatu and will be following it up with a UK exclusive 4k UHD Steelbook of the Blumhouse remake Speak No Evil on October 20 and Special Editions of The Wild Robot and Casino in November.” You can see it here and here.
Sticking with Spirit and the company has announced the Criterion titles due for release in October. It features a timely release under the imprint’s umbrella for a David Lynch classic in the shape of Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me. Given the outpouring of love for the director after his untimely death earlier this year, as well as the ongoing success at cinemas of re-releases of some of his classics (we’ve been to a few sold out screenings of the likes of Wild At Heart, while Picturehouse cinemas are currently airing another Lynch season), it’s an extremely serendipitous releases. Comment came from Spirit’s JP, again, who said: “October is a great month for cult cinema cinephiles with four eclectic but unmissable releases. First off is Sorcerer 4k, William Friedkin’s essential Seventies update of Wages Of Fear, moved from its original release date in September and now due October 6. A week later we have the 4k debut of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The digital restoration and 7.1 DTS HD surround soundtrack were both supervised by the late, great director himself. The two 4k films releasing on October 27 are both from directors as groundbreaking and iconoclastic as Lynch. A History of Violence is one of David Cronenberg’s best later films with an astounding central performance from Viggo Mortensen. Altered States from 1980 is a Hollywood head trip from Ken Russell. William Hurt, in his debut role, plays a scientist using mind altering drugs and sensory depravation tanks to devolve back to an earlier version of man. Watch them all back to back for the weirdest, wildest day ever.”
Sticking with boutique labels and we return to Powerhouse and its Indicator Series, Unfortunately, due to some kind of malevolent technical glitch, our coverage of its recently announced October releases was blighted by the appearance of a long out of date comment on its slate. So here, in full, are the correct titles due in October with comment from the company. (Apologies too for the confusion.) The two scheduled for release, on October 20, are the latest additions to its Italian genre fare, in the shape of Plot Of Fear and Hitch-Hike. And here’s the company’s Sam Dunn on the announcement. He said: “The reaction to the first titles in our new series of films from the golden age of Italian genre filmmaking, Death Carries a Cane and The Perfume of the Lady in Black, has been overwhelmingly positive. And our latest announcement – for 1976's Plot of Fear and 1977's Hitch-Hike – has only deepened that sentiment and caused even greater excitement. Featuring internationally celebrated actors such as Franco Nero and Eli Wallach, these dark and perverse thrillers are connected by the presence of cult favourite Corinne Cléry, who shot to fame as the lead in the controversial 1975 film adaptation of Story of O. Released in world premiere UHD editions, and also available as UK premiere Blu-rays, these Limited Editions showcase our stunning new 4K HDR restorations, created from the original negatives held in Roman vaults, contain extensive new and archival extras, and are complemented by our lavishly illustrated 80-pages books. All told, these should keep die-hard genre-film fans very happy indeed!"
One of the more bizarre events we’ve experienced in 2025 was a special screening of Lightbulb’s cult hit Hundreds Of Beavers at the Slapstick comedy festival, where a beaver (or, rather, someone in a beaver suit) chased one of the team behind the film, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, around Bristol’s Megascreen cinema. It was part of a nationwide tour that saw the film play in numerous towns and cities to packed audiences, boosting the film’s already not inconsiderable box office and furthering home entertainment sales too, both in person at the screenings and at retail. Now the writer and star of the film have teamed up again for another trek around the UK, undertaking another mammoth tour. Lightbulb’s Matthew Kreuzer said: "We are delighted to announce that due to unprecedented demand from cinemas and fans, and the fact that lead actor Ryland has an unquenchable thirst for warm beer, he is heading back to these shores for another tour of HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS. Last time the film played to more than 6,000 fans across a three-and-a-half-month period. This time we are hoping to play to over 4,000 fans in half that time. The aim is to gnaw our way to more than $200,000 box office mark in the UK and a WW box office of over $1.5m by the end of 2025. With a successful 20-plus date tour of Germany and Austria in full swing, this is very possible. Expect playful mischief, new and exclusive merch, best costume competitions, and lots of furry guests. Beaver Fever is still alive and rampant in the UK and Ireland!”
Just released and landing in stores have been a wildly differing batch of releases from Altitude, with the charge being headed up by Al Pacino making a rare horror appearance in The Ritual, alongside an old Sylvester Stallone classic in the shape of Over The Top, with the pair joining wartime thriller The Last Front on the shelves. Altitude’s Adam Everett said: “Now out on physical, The Ritual has had a theatrical run followed by a short window to digital which has been an effective strategy for us on the film. And following the recent Mediabook release of Capote we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Capelight with latest release Over The Top, available for the first time on 4KUHD and as a Steelbook, I can honestly say it's one of the most beautiful Steelbooks I have seen for some time. The title has gone into the UK charts as the highest new release of the week and is a great example of how well special edition and 4K products are working at present. Also recently released for us was The Last Front, with Game Of Thrones star Iain Glen in a WW1 action thriller, we have lots more ambitious DTV projects and catalogue re-releases as we go into a packed Q4 period.”
Fresh with a review from Tom Cruise praising it, Ballerina From The World Of John Wick has landed as a home premiere, with the Ana de Armas starrer making waves in the Official Film Chart in its premium-priced digital release. Lionsgate has also dated its physical media release, with the title set to land across DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD and Blu-ray formats on September 8, with a Steelbook 4K UHD and Blu-ray arriving in stores two weeks later. After the film opened in cinemas following a high profile release, Tom Cruise said: “I saw the movie, which kicks ass. Oh, man, it’s right in that tone. It’s right in that big world, and you’re gonna love it.” Lionsgate’s Lana Camp added: “Ballerina, the latest chapter in the John Wick universe, landed onto premium digital on July 21 and is now gearing up for its physical release on September 8. Backed by a powerful marketing push across digital platforms, the release has engaged die-hard fans while drawing in fresh audiences. The physical edition comes loaded with special features, including deleted and extended scenes. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Ballerina is a must-see for action fans and franchise newcomers alike.”
Ballerina is being preceded by another Lionsgate title and a film we’ve already raved about here – Tornado. The Scottish Western, directed by John Maclean and starring Tim Roth, is due on August 25… Tornado is one of a raft of further titles that have been announced and officially confirmed for release since we were last here. Others include Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning, available to buy on digital on August 18, to rent on September 15 and across physical formats, including DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD and an exclusive hmv 4K UHD Steelbook on October 13. The raft of extras will include a commentary featuring director Christopher McQuarrie and star Tom Cruise. Disney has also been dating titles across different platforms, with Elio arriving on digital platforms on August 19, while the live action take on Lilo & Stitch will arrive on Disney+ on September 3, a full nine days after its DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD debut, via Elevation, on August 25. Warner has also given street dates for a few classic titles, with Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride available to buy on 4K UHD, 4K and Blu-ray Steelbook, 4K and Blu-ray Collector’s Edition, and Digital for the first time on September 22. And just ahead of Halloween, there’s a mammoth A Nightmare On Elm Street box set spanning seven films on 4K UHD and 4K UHD SteelBook, arriving on October 27.
BASE news and the awards night is fast approaching, with the event taking place on November 13 at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London, and there have been a raft of recent announcements, with news that the Hidden Gem award, the gong aiming to “ to spotlight a standout title that captured hearts and imaginations, regardless of its sales or box office stats” and chosen by the public, is being sponsored by independent film recommendation platform Criticker, Criticker co-founder Mike Powell said: “For a true film fan, there’s nothing better than discovering a brilliant movie that’s flown under the radar. These are the films you recommend endlessly, the ones that spark obsession – the kinds of titles that turn casual viewers into true cinephiles. We’re thrilled to support an award that recognises that magic.” Liz Bales, BASE chief executive Liz Bales added: “The Hidden Gem Award is a celebration of pure, unfiltered audience love – and that’s why partnering with Criticker feels like such a perfect fit. Their community is all about discovery, curation, and personal taste – values that are at the heart of what this category represents. We’re so excited to have them on board.” Voting is open here https://base-awards.org/hidden-gem-criticker-2025/
Also at the awards, and BASE has announced that the official beer sponsor for the night is Cruzcampo, which has enjoyed a hugely successful few years and become one of the country’s top selling beers. Cruzcampo senior brand manager Alice Batsford said: “We’re thrilled to join forces with the BASE Awards for 2025 – a celebration of creativity, entertainment, and cultural impact. As Spain’s No.1 draught lager, we’re proud to bring a touch of Andalusian spirit to this milestone year. From Sevilla to the Roundhouse, here’s to an unforgettable night honouring 45 years of excellence in screen entertainment.” BASE chief Liz Bales added: “We’re so excited to welcome Cruzcampo to the BASE Awards family for 2025. Each year we look to elevate the experience for guests with partners that bring fun, flavour and an extra bit of flair to the night – and Cruzcampo delivers on all fronts. We can’t wait for attendees to enjoy a taste of Sevilla at the Roundhouse!” The lager will be available throughout the night – see you at the bar. Cruzcampo and Criticker join the evening’s headline sponsors Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Studiocanal,
The Digital Entertainment Group International, working with data experts at Fabric, has produced the sixth of its reports looking at the state of the entertainment landscape in assorted regions and territories, focusing on France, Germany, Italy and Spain. It’s available to BASE and DEGI members and, as the announcement noted: “Together, these countries are among the world’s top content producers, with France ranking third globally. While paid subscriptions remain the most widely used form of Home Entertainment across all four regions, one in four households has also purchased or rented film and TV content through digital retailers. Transactional engagement is especially strong in Germany, where nearly two in five households use this format.” DEGI head of insights Yasmin Nevard said: “Europe’s largest content-producing markets are experiencing a significant change in how content is accessed and consumed. Consumers are engaging with a broader variety of services than ever before, and transactional services still play a crucial role in that mix, offering the largest selection of titles and providing clear value for major new releases, alongside subscription and ad-funded platforms. At the same time, the power of local content is stronger than ever, with audiences increasingly seeking out and connecting with homegrown stories. This report, along with previous reports created in collaboration with Fabric, offers valuable insights for BASE and DEGI members to help make informed decisions — with additional reports, including an in-depth look at the APAC region, still to come.” Fabric chief data officer Tom Gennari added: “This latest report gives BASE and DEGI members a comprehensive lens into how audiences in France, Germany, Italy and Spain are navigating the rapidly evolving streaming landscape. From the rise of ad-supported models in Italy, to Germany’s strong preference for dubbed content and the persistent challenge of piracy in Spain – the insights uncovered here offer critical guidance for content strategies and platform decisions across Europe. With Fabric, we continue to deliver exclusive, data-rich intelligence to DEGI, helping the industry stay ahead of behavioural shifts and market dynamics.”
 SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
From the bus sides and outdoor ads, plentisome PR and this, an exhibit at the Natural History Museum, it's been hard to escape Alien Earth the past week or two, it's now on Disney+…
 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
Due at cinemas and Apple…
When you’re young, you feel like life is trying to confine you in some ways…
Order in bulk…
You’re not alone…
Possibly the greatest table tennis film ever…
Due from Dogwoof, this looks so good…
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