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“WHERE ARE THE BLU-RAYS BEING KEPT?”
“THE MARKET IS BOTH BIGGER AND SMALLER”
STUDIOCANAL CELEBRATES HUGE BASE NOMINATIONS HAUL…
…AS HEDY LAMARR RISING STAR SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED…
…RETAILER OF THE YEAR NODS UNVEILED…
HIDDEN GEM SHORTLIST ALSO REVEALED…
…BEAVERS ON THE ROAD AGAIN
MEZCAL ON THE MENU FOR BASE AWARDS
BASE’S CHRISTMAS WRAPPING
A SIGHT FOR SAW EYES
DRAGON HAS THE SPIRIT
CRITERION’S DECEMBER REVEAL
SWEENEY’S ON THE BOX
HELLO TO NEW SOTHCOTT FILM
RADIANCE UNVEILS DECEMBER SLATE
F1 AND OTHER SUMMER BIGGIES HEAD TO PHYSICAL
BFI LANDS ROSE
SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
SUPPORT THE RAYGUN
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK 
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It was a good week for… More congratulations due to assorted BASE Awards nominees, especially those selected for the Hedy Lamarr Rising Star award…
It was a bad week for… Donald Trump is threatening tariffs on non-US made films again…
We have been watching… Lionsgate's Americana, one of the year's better offerings (and out this week), with a slew of Blu-ray titles watched at home too, including Criterion's excellent Altered States… Keep up to date with what we've been watching on Letterboxd…
A glitch in our newsletter mailing programme means last week's newsletter was sent out twice on October 1 rather than the latest one. This is a technical error and out of our control. Apologies, here is the correct version.
We’ll start with our physical media update, where we look at what’s going on in the world of disc-based news and the media push back towards actual products and here’s something we came across from Mark Kermode, discussing old VHS in the loft, a surfeit of DVDs and Blu-rays, touching on soundtracks too. And it’s interesting to get a young person’s perspective on it, as filmmaker Jack Howard joins in, discussing, not least how the housing crisis and the shrinking size of first-time buys for younger people are hampering collecting (“we’re getting into a bigger conversation about the size of people’s homes now… I don’t really have space for that at the moment. I live in quite a small flat, that to me would be a luxury to have. Where are the Blu-rays being kept? I promise you I don’t have enough room. My flat is a lovely flat but the living room and the kitchen is one room and I have a bedroom”) and the difficulty of messing about with leads. Elsewhere, this is lengthy, but have a look at some two hours’ worth of entertainment site The Ringer’s Big Picture podcast and its (self-appointed) Physical Media High Council Awards, where a bunch of collectors, nerds and geeks discuss the state of the market from the consumers’ point of view. As Tracy Kelly (longtime playwright, actor, screenwriter, and physical media collector) said: “The market is [since we last spoke about it], bigger and smaller both, right, in that the the the the DVD market at large is still like one per cent of what it used to be, a couple of the big box stores of taking them off the shelves entirely. So they're not ubiquitous, they're not a major part of the business the way they once were, but these boutique labels continue to put out these titles; they continue to upgrade titles that we've had for years and years or they unearth titles we didn't know about before. Price points are going up, certainly for international sales, price points are really going up. There's sometimes a lot of bells and whistles and boxes and action figures and posters and stuff to help drive that price point up. It becomes a little more specialised, but what you say is true that there are a lot of people who are into this and who are discovering the joys of this, the joys of owning physical media and and having it on your shelf and being able to put it on and not having to worry about whether or not it's streaming somewhere or not. There are no gatekeepers for that in the way that there are for streaming. And also, of course, once you get used to it and you watch a movie on streaming and you see the sort of lousy, haloing effects and all that stuff going on visually, you say, ‘it sure would be nice to to to have the scene at night and not be noticing all of this extra visual noise going on’.”
Last time out we reported on the nominations for the BASE Awards and, as reported here, one of the key front runners was Studiocanal, which picked up no less than 11 nods across different categories, taking in everything from Audience Engagement Initiative of the Year, Best in Class Bonus Features, Best in Class Packaging and Artwork, Commercial Initiative and Social Impact as well as and numerous Campaign of the Year nods taking in different categories, and across titles ranging from Paddington In Peru to Hitchcock and The Third Man, and Back To Black to The Apprentice. The company’s Chris Sharp said: “We’re very pleased with the 11 nominations that were shortlisted for this year’s BASE Awards, making us the leading studio. For Paddington in Peru to be included in four separate categories for the campaign is a great testament to the collaboration with a number of partners to make it the success it was, and to have so many other projects included is a fantastic recognition for the creativity, dedication and hard work from multiple teams within Studiocanal across new release, catalogue, production and design. We’re looking forward to what will hopefully be a good night.”
There’s loads more BASE Awards news in the run up to the big night on November 13, with a raft of other shortlists and announcements. Chief among them has been the unveiling of the nominations for the Hedy Lamarr Inspirational Women In Entertainment Rising Star award. The quarter up for the prestigious award are Abiana Garret, senior manager, transactional distribution EMEA at Disney; Paramount international operations manager Julia Negretti; MUBI global distribution operations manager Hannah Sayer; and Susanne Maria Schmidt, VOD channel co-ordinator at Studiocanal. As BASE further noted: “Nominated by industry colleagues, this inspiring group of women reflect the tenacity, teamwork, and leadership vital for the future of Home Entertainment.” All shortlisted nominees will receive mentoring from a member of the Entertainment Mentoring and Leadership Group. BASE head of communications, marketing and partnerships Louise Kean- Wood said: “The BASE and DEGI Hedy Lamarr Rising Star Award is about shining a light on the women who are shaping the future of Home Entertainment with vision, collaboration and determination. This recognition isn’t just about celebrating talent – it’s about creating pathways. That’s why I’m so proud that all shortlisted nominees will benefit from mentoring by senior leaders across our sector. Mentorship has the power to break down barriers and accelerate change, and by embedding it into this award we’re ensuring that inspiration is matched with opportunity. For me, that makes this award one of the most impactful parts of the evening, and I can’t wait to celebrate the next Rising Star.”
BASE has also revealed the nominations for what are traditionally some of the most eagerly anticipated and keenly fought over gongs at the awards, Physical Retailer of the Year and Digital Retailer of the Year. In the former category, the five fighting out out are amazon.co.uk, Frontline, hmv, rarewaves.com and Zavvi. And in the latter it’s between any one of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Apple TV, Rakuten TV, Sky Store and Virgin Media Store.
The shortlist has also been unveiled for this year’s Hidden Gem award, which celebrates, as its name suggests, a title that may not be a blockbuster, but has managed to capture the public’s attention and love. Or, as BASE said: “Hidden Gem is awarded to the standout title that captured the audience’s imagination and heart, irrespective of sales or Box Office success."The 10 include three from MUBI, further cementing the theatrical, home entertainment and streaming operator’s good taste (the trio are Queer, The Girl With The Needle and The Substance), with other nominations for Anora (Universal), Blake’s 7 (BBC), Hundreds Of Beavers (Lightbulb) I Saw The TV Glow (Sony), Kneecap (Curzon), The Taste Of Things (Picturehouse) and We Live In Time (Studiocanal) – adding further to the 11 nominations it has already received). You can vote for the final winner from the shortlist here (we already have) and can proudly say, we’ve seen pretty much everything on the list, making our decision even more difficult. Voting is here and don’t forget to vote in the TiVo Entertainment Moment of the Last 45 Years award too, over here.
The aforementioned Hundreds Of Beavers is, after touring the UK earlier this year, and also jaunted around Europe, on the road again as we write this. Star and co-creator Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is presenting the film, there's a post-screening Q&A and lots of beaver-related tomfoolery (see previous Raygun newsletters for more) around the UK to packed houses, with the Hidden Gem gong being decided at the BASE Awards just ahead of the tour’s ending. Lightbulb’s Matthew Kreuzer said: “We are over-the-moon that Hundreds Of Beavers has been nominated for the Hidden Gem gong at this year’s BASE Awards. This latest tour started on September 17, with two sell-out shows at The Prince Charles Cinema and runs across the UK and Ireland in 26 cinemas. So, this nomination feels like perfect timing, as the second tour culminates at Picturehouse Central, just after the ceremony on the Saturday November 15. Win or lose, it will be wonderful to celebrate the UK Film Industry with so many of our friends in the room. We are very much looking forward to seeing you all at The Roundhouse on November 13.”
Still on the awards night and there’s going to be a flavour of Mexico coming to Camden’s Roundhouse for the evening, as the spirit and cocktail sponsor for the event has been unveiled. Step forward Bandida Mezcal, which, as any self-respecting hipster connoisseur will tell you, is not only packed with more flavour than its relative tequila, with a rustic, more earthy, smoky taste, but it’s also less likely tot give you a hangover than other comparable drinks. Bandida Blanco is being served as an aperitif at the start of the evening, while, after the awards have been dished out and the partying begins, mixologists will be on hand to creat mezcal cocktails. “We created Bandida for those who want more from their drink – more character, more purity, more soul,” said James Mackie, founder of Bandida. “We’re thrilled to bring this experience to the BASE Awards, celebrating creativity and excellence with a spirit that dares to be different.” Liz Bales, chief executive at BASE, added: “The BASE Awards are the ultimate celebration of our industry’s talent and achievement. With Bandida as both spirit and cocktail sponsor, we’re offering our guests something truly exceptional – bold, beautiful, and unforgettable, just like the night itself.”
Lastly with BASE, and one of the next big dates on its calendar after the awards us the annual Wrap Up & Industry Outlook, with the event for members and and more looking at the state of the industry taking place on December 10. The wrap-up part of the event will see BASE and friends once again supporting Sedulo’s Christmas Toy Appeal, offering up seasonal gifts to children living in poverty across England. BASE is asking attendees to offer up merchandise and donations for kids aged between two and 15 years old, with all gifts being wrapped by attendees after the event. BASE chief executive Liz Bales said: “The AGM is always our final gathering of the year – a moment to reflect on our shared progress and look forward to what comes next. Embedding support for Sedulo makes that moment even more meaningful. Their Christmas Toy Appeal is a simple but powerful way to give back — ensuring children across the UK who might otherwise go without, wake up to a gift on Christmas morning. This year, we’re inviting attendees to donate merchandise, movie goods, or studio items that can be passed on to families in need. Closing the year by pairing industry insights with generosity feels exactly right, and I’m proud we can end 2025 by contributing not just to our sector’s future, but to brighter futures for children too.” Gifts and goodies should be sent to Freuds, c/o Florrie Kramer, 1 Stephen Street, London W1T 1AL, by December 9.
Back to Lightbulb, and the company has announced a new release, Chain Reaction, a documentary charting the story of one of the most notorious films – certainly during the early days of the video era, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The doc, due on digital and DVD on October 27, looks at the film and its impacted, featuring never-seen-before outtakes from To be Hooper’s seminal horror, as well as contributions from the likes of Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King and Karyn Kusama. Lightbulb’s Matthew Kreuzer said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Chain Reactions to audiences in the UK and Ireland. As a huge fan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which I first watched on a beaten-up VHS tape, it’s a dream come true to work on this project. Chain Reactions takes a deep dive into one of the most significant independent films of all time and is a must-watch for horror fans!”
Monday September 29 kicked off a busy few weeks for Universal titles under the studio’s ongoing deal with Spirit, with the release of How To Train Your Dragon, the live action take on the billion dollar-plus animated franchise, one of the summer’s big theatrical hits, which was not only the biggest opening weekend for any of the films based on the Cressida Cowell books, with more than £5 million in its first three days, which, boosted by previews, saw it land with more than £8 million in box office receipts in its opening frame, but in eventually surpassing the £21 million mark at UK cinemas, became the biggest earner in the entire franchise too. The release across multiple physical formats, taking in 4K UHD, Blu-0ray and DVD, offers up a raft of extras. It’s joined on the same day by another Universal hit, albeit the wildly different M3gan 2.0, which also comes with a raft of extras. Moving into October there are more summer blockbuster hits making their way to physical formats, including Jurassic World: Rebirth across multiple formats, and assorted complete Jurassic franchise box sets, on October 20, and The Bad Guys 2 a week later on October 27. And, as previously reported here, there are some impressive looking, lavish box sets for the likes of Nosferatu (October 13) and Back To The Future (November 10).
Sticking with Spirit and another of its long-term partnerships, this time the legendary Criterion imprint. For the December slate has just been unveiled and there’s some real treats in there, and, as ever, a varied slate from Criterion, including a much requested, never-before-released on Blu-ray in the UK (France only) release for a Powell and Pressburger classic which is also making its 4K debut too. Here’s John Partridge, aka JP, from Spirit on the line-up for the last month of 2025. He said: “It’s going to be a Big Christmas for Tim Burton fans with Pee Wee’s Big Adventure getting the 4K Criterion treatment on December 22. Burton’s first big screen outing is a pure delight – blending his fantastic visual style with Paul Reuben’s manic and gleeful comedy creation, Pee Wee Herman. With a new remaster overseen by Burton and some adventurous new extras – including a Burton interview by the UK’s own Richard Ayoade – it is simply indispensable. Add to that 4K releases for screwball comedy His Girl Friday with Cary Grant on December 8 and Powell and Pressburger’s beloved romance I Know Where I’m Going! on December 15 and you have the prefect cineastes Christmas.”
More from Spirit and Criterion and the partnership was out and about at the weekend, taking part in A Gathering Of The Angels, a two-day event held at London’s Genesis cinema in Mile End, celebrating the world of David Lynch as well as paying tribute to the late director. There were assorted screenings, Q&As with people who’d worked with Lynch, music and more – with stalls selling product, including Criterion’s enviable range of Lynch-related titles. JP said: “Spirit Entertainment, ably assisted by DNA PR, were thrilled to be representing The Criterion Collection at this wonderful event celebrating the life and work of David Lynch. We spent the weekend talking to probably the most enthusiastic, passionate and dedicated fandom in the world, when our mouths were not full of doughnuts and cherry pies, of which there were more on display than even Dale Cooper could manage! The Lynchian-decorated venue, impressive cosplay on display and strange, otherworldly events on offer all added to the fantastically weird but curiously cozy ambience that helped made the event such a huge success.”
More releases and out now on digital is Americana from Lionsgate, starring the much-talked about Sydney Sweeney, someone who, on the back of her recent jeans ads and other commercial ventures, as well as a growing filmography, you can’t seem to escape at the minute. Comment on the title came from Lionsgate’s Sophie Fawcett, who said: “On September 22 we released Americana on digital platforms. Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, and Halsey star in this thrilling modern-day Western where a gallery of dynamic characters clash over the possession of a rare Native American artefact. IndieWire said the film is ‘charming, gritty, and all-round entertaining’, while also saying it ‘plays out like an early Tarantino’.”
Also out on digital this week, ahead of a physical release on October 13, is the latest from longtime pal of the Raygun Jonathan Sothcott, the homegrown producer whose films we’ve featured heavily here over the years; as we’ve oft-noted, he’s a producer rooted in the video age, one who said that he only goes into production on a title if he can visualise a video sleeve. Helloween is a Purge-style tale of a serial killer whose cult-like followers threaten total anarchy. Sothcott said: “We’re delighted to be reteaming with our friends at Miracle Media for the UK release of Helloween, following its US roll out by Vertical. It’s a quality genre film from a proper filmmaker and adheres to our commitment to making the very best low budget films in order to really satisfy audiences. With a strong cast and an ambitious story it ticks all the boxes to become a cult favourite and the October 13 Blu-ray release from the always classy 101 Films and small, curated theatrical release further endorses that. We have a suitably gory pipeline of horror movies lined up for the next year with Doctor Plague and Harbinger both imminent but there’s plenty of crime/thriller movies on the horizon too including Killer Instinct and Killing Season for 2026.”
Radiance has announced its titles due in December, and the imprint is bringing its 2025 to a close with another monthly offering of diverse fare from around the globe. Here’s the company’s Bruno Savill de Jong on its final batch of titles for the year. He said; “We're very pleased by the reaction to our final titles of 2025. People seem especially happy over our release of Bresson's Une Femme Douce and the potential titles this partnership with Paramount brings. La Notti Bianche also showcases a different Dostoyevsky adaptation from Visconti and closes the gap on unannounced spine numbers. And there is also particular excitement around Splendid Outing, our first release from South Korea which contains an extra from award-winning filmmaker Lee Chang-dong. All these – and a new volume of our Dirty Arthouse zine – make a tidy set of December announcements for what we feel has been a particularly strong year of releases.”
There have been a raft of further titles announced by assorted companies due for release in the final quarter of the year, with a slew of some of summer’s biggest titles slated for home entertainment release. Among those officially being dated in recent months are Apple’s motor racing blockbuster F1 The Movie landing on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on November 10 through Warner. The film has had a lengthy stunt in the UK box office top 10 throughout the summer months and is the highest grossing original feature of 2025. It lands a couple of weeks after another of Warner’s summer biggies at cinemas in 2025, Weapons. The original horror film arrived on digital on September 9, with the physical media SKUs, 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD, released on October 27. A week before this, on October 20, Marvel’s latest blockbuster, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is released across 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. The film comes complete with deleted scenes and a commentary from director Matt Shakman and production designer Kasra Farahani. The 4K is available in a Steenbok with a set of collectible artcards. Available to buy this week was the reboot of The Naked Gun, with Liam Neeson taking over the badge from Leslie Nielsen. It was released on September 30 on digital to buy, and is available to rent from October 14, with the DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD due on November 10.
Acquisition news and Mark Jenkin has proved to be one of the most exiting homegrown directors of recent years, with his BAFTA award-winning debut Bait and his second outing, Enys Men, both wowing audiences in recent years. As well as scoring at cinemas, Jenkin’s films have found a loyal following on home entertainment, thanks to excellent comprehensive releases from the BFI. And the BFI is set to continue that relationship after picking up Jenkin’s next outing, Rose Of Nevada, for theatrical and home entertainment release. The film is due to air at London Film Festival, with the theatrical bow set for 2026. The BFI’s Laura Dos Santos said: “We’re eager to continue our relationship with Mark Jenkin, one of the most exciting film directors of our times, who we discovered by way of the brilliant Bait and were delighted to work with again on Enys Men. For Rose of Nevada, Callum Turner and George MacKay unite superbly with Mark’s longtime Cornish cast and crew. Together they’ve made a strikingly unique film – a tale of time and community, deeply sensory, brimming with tenderness and humanity.” Jenkin said: “BFI Distribution have been there since the start with me. From recognising the commercial potential of Bait, through the amazing work they did around the release of Enys Men, it now seems entirely fitting that we partner again on Rose of Nevada and complete this Cornish trilogy.” Rose Of Nevada, which tells the tale of a boat thought lost at sea which returns to harbour years after it disappeared, is executive produced by industry stalwart Johnny Fewings, who performed a similar role on Enys Men.
 SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
No, we weren't on the New York subway last week, sadly, but writer and director Benny Safdie was, promoting his hugely well received latest film, The Smashing Machine. Safdie traditionally goes on the underground with a sandwich board to hghlight his films on release…
 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
New Avatar incoming…
I’m Stiller standing…
Frankie and Bride, not Bonnie and Clyde…
More of the wickedest…
And more zoo antics
The Texas Chain Saw doc…
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