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FOPP TIED UP IN NOTTS…
…NEW STORE OPENS WITH 2,700 BD AND 4K TITLES
MORE THAN HALF OF DUNE: PART TWO BLU-RAY SALES ARE 4K
ERA HELPS RAISE WAR CHILD CHARITY CASH
FERRARI IN POLE POSITION FOR MONDAY RELEASE
ICON BRINGS MORE 4K TITLES TO MARKET
ARROW BREAKS SILENCE FOR AUGUST
CRITERION HAS MORE THAN CRUMBS
CONFESSIONS OF A POWERHOUSE RELASE
DAM! BEAVERS ON THE WAY
SENSE LANDS UK RELEASE…
…AS “BEST EVER CONCERT FILM” GETS A NEW LEASE OF LIFE
FIRESTICK CRACKDOWN CONTINUES
TED COMES TO SOHO
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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It was a good week for… Fopp, returning to Nottingham with its first new store opening for years…
It was a bad week for… Netflix, getting sued by the “real Baby Reindeer”, aka Fiona Harvey, the inspiration for the series, for a mammoth sum of money in the US. You never got this with Odyssey true stories…
We have been watching… We’re getting ready with reviews of physical media for our next round of coverage for Film Stories magazine – get in touch if there’s Blu-rays or DVDs you’d like to see featured in the magazine’s hallowed pages…
Friday June 7 saw Fopp returning to Nottingham, with the opening of the first new outlet under the Fopp banner since Doug Putman and his Sunrise retail operation stepped in to rescue hmv and Fopp some five years ago. It’s a triumphant return for the brand, which started in the 1980s, and is a further indicator of the resurgence of both hmv and FOPP, following on from the opening of a number of stores under the former’s fascia, including a return to its flagship Oxford Street site in the heart of London’s West End. The opening was reported here at the Raygun a few weeks ago, but more details about the new outlet emerged as it flung open its doors in Bridlesmith Gate in the East Midlands city. Å statement said: “The new 2,024 sq. ft store will be the perfect place for die-hard fans of music, film and TV, with a wide range of specialist products on offer across all genres to suit all tastes. It is expected to create six new jobs. Blu-ray, CDs and vinyl will remain at the heart of Fopp’s offering. Visitors will be able to browse over 4,000 vinyl albums, 8,000 different CDs, and 2,700 different Blu-ray and 4k titles, including the best independent films and world cinema, alongside the latest releases, re-issues and extensive range of collectors labels (like Criterion, Indicator, and Radiance).”
Further comment on the new store came from Phill Halliday, md of Fopp and hmv, who said: “As a business, Fopp has an extremely loyal, knowledgeable customer base, as well as staff who are deeply passionate about the worlds of music, film, literature and TV. We’re delighted to be bringing our offering to Nottingham where we can cater to an even wider range of eclectic and specialist tastes.” Chris Taylor, regional manager, said: “We’re over the moon to be bringing Fopp to the city of Nottingham, offering a huge selection of specialist music, film, TV and books that cater to all tastes. We can’t wait to open our doors and greet our customers with some brilliant offers.” The move comes as Dune: Part Two celebrates a strong start to its physical sales, adding to what has already been by a strong digital performance for the year’s biggest earner thus far, giving hmv and FOPP stores a boost. And the title has also given a fillip to not only physical media, but, perhaps more notably, 4K UHD too. For as the Monday morning stats post from retail trade body ERA noted on Monday June 3: “Dune: Part Two tops the visual charts with over 43k units sold in its first week of release on physical formats. Over 67 per cent of total physical sales were on Blu-ray. Thirty-eight per cent of the total sales and 56 per cent of Blu-ray sales were delivered on 4k UHD.”
Sticking with ERA, and it’s good to see the ERA-supported Record Store Day has announced that this year’s April event in stores helped raise some £42,000 for charity War Child. The humanitarian organisation has now received £120,000 in the five years the charity has been partnered with RSD. Head of War Child Records Richard Clarke said: “We are so proud of our partnership with Record Store Day, we feel very much part of the fabric of a fantastic celebration of the record shop. The team put so much love, care and attention to embed War Child in RSD and raise as much as possible for children whose lives have been torn apart by war. It’s been such a pleasure to work together for the last five years and see the partnership grow and grow. To have exceeded £120k raised for some of the most vulnerable children and families affected by conflict is a really incredible and special thing.” Megan Page, head of PR, marketing and promotions at ERA and coordinator of Record Store Day UK, said: “It is a real honour to be able to partner with War Child and raise money for such an important cause at such a significant time. The values and ethos that underpin War Child have made this one of the most rewarding and fulfilling partnerships we could have ever dreamed of working on and to be able to make difference under the RSD umbrella is huge privilege. We look forward to continuing the campaign activity in the years to come!”
Monday releases now and following hot on the heels of the likes of Dune Part Two mentioned above comes the June 10 release of the thoroughly exciting biopic Ferrari from Universal. The Michael Mann-directed film stars the likes of Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz and charts the birth of the motor-racing and sports car giant and its founder Enzo. Commenting on the release, Universal’s Steve White said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the long-awaited latest film from Michael Mann to physical formats in the UK. With Father’s Day next week, and the next round of Formula 1 just around the corner, now’s the perfect time for fans and collectors to pick up this visually stunning passion project from this legendary director.”
We’ve been talking to Icon Film Distribution this week, as it moves further into to the 4K home entertainment market with UHD upgrades of classic films as Special Collector Editions. It began its UHD journey in 2022 with the notorious I Spit On Your Grave, in arguably the definitive version of the old video nasty hit. But this year it’s upping its game significantly. There’s already been an Icon 4K UHD of The Dreamers, Bernardo Bertolucci’s homage to the French New Wave and revolutionary spirit of 1960s Paris, and has now added more to the slate for Q3. The titles will, Icon marketing executive Lydia Watts said, “all come complete with exclusive new artwork, limited edition posters, art cards, and a host of bonus features, fans can rediscover their favourite movies in stunning detail, while new audiences get the chance to experience cinematic greats for the first time at the highest possible definition”. First up, on July 29, comes Spike Lee’s epic biopic Malcolm X. Watts said: “This release will also include 20 minutes of deleted scenes, introduced by director Spike Lee.” A week later, on August 5, there’s 90s classic Point Break, the seminal actioner starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, which comes with 45 minutes of bonus features and a fully loaded package of printed extras. Point Break will be available on UHD Double Disc (including 4K feature + BD), BD and DVD. The Q3 4K slate is rounded out by Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, with the Mike Myers comedy vehicle due, with soon to be confirmed extras, in September. Further comment came from Icon’s Adam Sergeant: “It’s a thrill for the team to be working across such classic films as Malcolm X, Point Break and Austin Powers, and bringing them to UK audiences as 4K UHDs. Point Break especially, is a film we’ve been tracking for ages, and we can wait to unleash it once more in the UK, after a home entertainment hiatus of several years. Watch this space, there will be further 4K UHD releases in Q4 and beyond!”
There’s been a trio of announcements over the past week, with boutique labels lining up to announce forthcoming titles for the months ahead. First up was Arrow, unveiling its titles for August this year, with some absolute belters lined up for the summer month, with its slate covering the entire gamut of genre fare, as the company’s Dean Lawson outlined. He said: “Our August 2024 slate was announced this past Friday and we feel it’s one of our strongest release months of the year so far. Head back to school for a true cult classic of modern American cinema with Heathers on 4K UHD, available on August 5. We have a colossal double feature release on August 12, When Titans Ruled The Earth: Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans available to buy in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray. On August 26, prepare to be serenaded by balletic violence with Robert Rodriguez’s The Mexico Trilogy with a 4K UHD restoration of Desperado alongside Blu-ray releases of El Mariachi and Once Upon A Time In Mexico. People can also opt to pick up a SteelBook dual format 4K UHD and Blu-ray release of Desperado exclusively from Zavvi. Also releasing on the same day is a five-time decorated Academy Award winner and all-time classic, Silence Of The Lambs available on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Releasing exclusively via www.arrowfilms.co.uk is a celebration of the works of German auteur, Memento Mori: The Jörg Butgereit Collection, a five-disc set featuring Nekromantik 1 & 2, Schramm, Der Todesking and a bonus disc with an extended cut of Nekromantik 2, short films and more, also on August 26. Finally, we are releasing The Woman and Offspring on 4K UHD on 26/08 to top off a bountiful month.”
Criterion, which releases through Spirit, has also revealed its titles for August. Spirit’s Tracy Niland told The Raygun: “Yet again Criterion has pulled it out of the bag with its August releases, this month we’re treating customers to a trio of classics. Starting with the multi-award-winning documentary Crumb debuting on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK on August 5. From a new director approved high-def transfer with a monoaural soundtrack, the film delves into the life and work of a true American legend – underground cartoonist R. Crumb. Nine years in the making and unavailable in the UK for some time, the release features two audio commentaries, a brand new essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum and over 50 mins of unused footage. Next up on August 19 is one Jim Jarmusch’s most commercial films: Night on Earth, it examines the relationship between five different cab drivers and their passengers across five different countries on the same night. Featuring a director approved HD digital restoration with a 2.0 surround DTS-HD master soundtrack, the set includes selected scene commentaries and various interviews with Jarmusch himself – it’s a must for fans of both the film and cinema. And finally, our 4k release for the month, debuting on August 26, is Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning return to the big screen, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi-Smith McPhee - the hard-hitting The Power of the Dog. Telling the story of two brothers who couldn’t be more different and their relationship with a widow and her son, from a director approved 4k digital master presented in Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack, the film has never looked or sounded so good! Coupled with a host of interviews from Campion herself and cast members, there’s also a behind the scenes look at how New Zealand was transformed into 1920s Montana. It’s a visual and audio feast for the eyes and ears that will stay with you long after the first watch.”
And the fine folk at Powerhouse have also announced the label’s titles due out in August, with the pioneering company making some confessions of its own as it again opts to shine a light on leftfield and forgotten slices of cinema, this time in the shape of homegrown fare – with a difference. For it is delving back 25 years to a classic slice of outrageous humour with the Bottom feature film, Guest House Paradiso, then going back even further to give the full Powerhouse treatment to the classic Confessions series of films in the Complete Confessions 1974-1977. Here’s the company’s Sam Dunn on its slate: "At Powerhouse, we love British films of all shapes and sizes, so we're absolutely delighted to follow up our recent release of some of the greatest, yet least well-celebrated 1940s thrillers from these shores with some of the brashest and most outrageous productions of their respective eras. The reputation and notoriety of the Confessions series precedes it. Infused with the attitudes and cheeky sense of fun which typified the 1970s, each of the four instalments follows the fortunes of our hero, Timmy (played by Robin Askwith), as he encounters bored housewives, gets to grips with the ups and downs of the music business, instructs eager learner drivers, and gets hands-on at a beauty contest. In contrast, 1999's equally excessive Guest House Paradiso is another beast entirely. Starring the inimitable and invariably dangerous duo of Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall, this slapstick tour-de-force is a violent, vomit-soaked classic of disreputable British comedy which also stars Simon Pegg, Bill Nighy and a host of other famous faces. As usual, both deluxe, limited-edition releases come packed with the usual array of fascinating extras and extensive booklets."
A few weeks ago, The Raygun, came across the trailer for Hundreds Of Beavers, possibly the most bonkers thing we’ve seen for some time, and there’s a real buzz about this nutso film, so it’s interesting to note that UK outfit Lightbulb Film Distribution has picked up the “festival buzz title” for UK release. It’s aired at more than 50 festivals following its premiere at Fantastic Fest, and the film, directed by Mike Cheslik and statrring Ryland Brickson Cole News, who co-wrote the script with Cheslik, is ow being lied up for UK release. It follows a “slapstick frostbitten battle between a drunken applejack salesman and diabolical beavers – hundreds of them (possibly thousands of them)” and is now due at UK and Irish cinemas from July 9, with Blu-ray and digital on July 22. Lightbulb’s commercial director Matthew Kreuzer, who said: “We are delighted to be bringing Hundreds of Beavers to audiences in the UK and Ireland. Mike, Ryland, and the rest of the Beavers team have created something truly unique, and above all side-splittingly funny. A creative, comedy masterpiece! The plot is simple – after his cabin burns down, a man wakes up in a snow-covered forest and must build up enough resources to survive and win the heart of the fur trapper’s daughter. This means, the man must hunt the local fauna (portrayed by people in animal costumes) for food and tradeable resources, which leads to an ACME case full of Wile E Coyote-style jokes that end in personal injury and things going wrong. The film is best described as Looney Tunes meets Buster Keaton via Super Mario Bros with a sprinkling of Benny Hill thrown in for good measure. It must be seen to be believed, and you won’t be disappointed!” Don’t believe us? Watch the trailer here…
Those of you with a long memory, or old enough to have been around, will remember the massive spate of free DVDs given away with newspapers in the 2000s, a move which incensed retailers and began a devaluation of the worth of films that, some might argue, continues to this day. One of those discs given away (this one was with The Observer), was Stop Making Sense, Jonathan Demme’s fine concert flick featuring Talking Heads at the height of their powers (it came out in 1984 at cinemas). Fast forward 20 years after it was given away as a freebie and the film has, thanks to forward-thinking US production and distribution powerhouse A24, been given a new lease of life and introduced to whole new generations of younger fans. After its theatrical reissue, 2024 has seen A24 being an all-singing, all-dancing 4K UHD Blu-ray to the market, initially in the US. And now it is due to arrive in stores on these shores on June 21. Full details of the disc are up here. The release of the Blu-ray on these shores comes as a vinyl version of the album, alongside other formats, is re-released, alongside a tribute album with younger artists covering the tracks from the live performance (whether you think this is a great idea of sacrilege beyond compare possibly depends on your age). Given that most of the talk about the re-released soundtrack will suggest consumers need to watch the film, that can’t be a bad thing for sales.
Meanwhile, don’t just take our word for it on Stop Making Sense. Here’s slant.com on the title: “Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense, the greatest concert film of all time, looks and especially sounds better than ever on A24’s 4K UHD release.” And Digital Bits said: “It’s one of the best physical media releases of the entire year so far. Watch it on the largest screen possible, with the best possible sound system, accompanied by as many other Talking Heads fans as you can squeeze into your room without violating the local fire code.” We’ll leave the final word to Talking Heads front man David Byrne, who said: “We had done a live album before this, but coupled with the film, and with the improved mixes and sound quality, this record reached a whole new audience. As often happens, the songs got an added energy when we performed them live and were inspired by having an audience. In many ways, these versions are more exciting than the studio recordings, so maybe that’s why a lot of folks discovered us via this record.”
Anti-piracy news and FACT, working with police and other authorities, continues to work cracking down on the use of illegally modified firesticks. The latest thrust in the war saw FACT, working with Merseyside police’s cyber crime experts, successfully bring a Liverpool man to justice. Kevin James O’Donnell was given a two year suspended sentence after admitting charges of “promoting and selling illegally modified firesticks that offered unauthorised access to premium film and television content, including live football matches”. He had been selling illegally configured firesticks via Facebook and WhatsApp, making between £40 and £85 per 12-month contract, with more than 3,600 members on his Facebook group. Estimates suggest he made some £130,000 from his illicit actions at the same time as defrauding legitimate suppliers such as Sky and TNT of more than half a million pounds in lost film, TV and sport subscriptions. Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, said: "We are immensely grateful for the diligent work carried out by Merseyside Police Cyber Crime Unit. Their collaboration with FACT has been instrumental in holding O’Donnell accountable for his actions. This case highlights the importance of protecting legitimate providers as well as the significant impact that coordinated law enforcement efforts can have on combating digital piracy. The message is very clear: if you sell a device that provides access to content that is not licensed to you or owned by you, you could face criminal investigation, prosecution and a conviction.” Detective Inspector Steve Frame added: "We have been working closely with FACT to ensure that O’Donnell is made to answer for his actions, and this was a great example of how police and industry experts can come together to tackle this type of criminality. The investigation found that O’Donnell had made a significant amount of money from selling these illegally adapted firesticks and had done so over a number of years through Facebook and WhatsApp. Illegal streaming is far from a victimless crime, and as well as the impact it has on businesses and content creators, it essentially means that legitimate subscribers pay for those who illegally access such services. Illegal streams also increase the risk of users receiving malware, which can put them at increased risk of falling victim to Computer Misuse Act offences. We will use all available powers and continue to work with FACT to identify anyone else who is involved in this form of criminality and put them before the courts.”
And we’ll end with a quick diary date, as Monday June 17 sees the return of the TEDxSoho event to the East End of London. Taking place at the Cambridge Theatre, it will include “comedians, political strategists, activists, journalists, stuntmen, futurists and innovators” giving short talks across a range of subjects. It will, a statement said, “celebrate the people and organisations who dare to dream AND have the strength, skill and resolve to take action, beat a new path and make ‘better’ a reality”. The announcement continued: “Representing the people, work, creativity and culture behind London’s most colourful and infamous district, home to the UK’s performance, media and creative industries, TEDxSoho will consist of a carefully curated program of short inspirational talks up to 15 minutes in length. Set to bring to the stage innovators, leaders, mavericks, creatives and groundbreakers, from Soho and beyond, who have chosen to rewrite the rules, throw away the book and set their sights on a brighter future.” Tickets are available here.
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
In space, no-one can really see what’s going on, it’s too dark…
Still getting our heads around the fact the first one is nine years old…
Forthcoming BFI release…
 THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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