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PHYSICAL MEDIA: PRESS LOVE-IN CONTINUES…
…AS MORE OUTLETS REPORT ON THE RETURN TO DISCS
“IT’S IMPORTANT TO ENSURE PHYSICAL RELEASE IS UNIQUE”
101’S TOYS STORY…
MASTER DISC IS A US HIT…
STITCH SEALS COMEBACK WITH PHYSICAL RELEASE
LIONSGATE WHIPS UP A TORNADO
CZECH FILM’S IN THE POST
THIRD WINDOW TELLS TALES…
HIGH FLIERS HEADS TO CINEMAS FOR THE PARTISAN
BFI UNVEILS SLATE FOR THE REST OF 2025
COWABUNGA AS TURTLES RETURN
SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
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TRAILERS OF THE WEEK 
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It was a good week for… Thanks to the loyal readers of The Raygun, we’ve just posted our two consecutive weeks with our highest open rate ever…
It was a bad week for… The summer box office, provided “consistent hits” but lacking a big breakout hit, according to Screen…
We have been watching… A few titles due to air at FrightFest over the bank holiday weekend – more on these on the next newsletter as part of a fuller report – as well as catching a brace of fine albeit wildly differing comedies at the cinema, namely US weird friend comedy Friendship, starring Paul Rudd, and the excellent Tim Key starrer The Ballad Of Wallis Island, pretty much our film of the year…
“There’s this false notion that everything is online and you can access anything. And it’s just simply not true. There’s so much content that hasn’t been digitised, that isn’t available online. Or what’s happening now that’s more common is things that were only ever digital have been taken away. They’ve been taken off of streaming services. Licenses have been revoked. Something has happened that has caused that content to come down and now it’s effectively gone.” So said KD Kemp, a digital archivist and TikToker, quoted in Rolling Stone, in the latest high profile article talking about the return of physical media. Also weighing in is Sam Boyd, creator of HBO series Love Life, who has seen his programme premiere, disappear and then reappear on assorted streaming services without ever getting a physical release, as he noted in the features final paragraph: “There always are going to be people, and especially young people, who are curious about the past. Who are interested in the whole history of incredible movies and shows and albums. That’s the kind of kid I was. So, it makes sense that those kids still exist. The idea that people would only want the new thing forever, just has never been the case. There’s always going to be some people that want to zag.” The feature, the latest in an ongoing series across different publications, online and in print, also noted the importance of the Criterion Collection and its Closet, a YouTube series where stars go in and pick the highlights from the range, as well as film-related social media site Letterboxd (yes, we’re on there too, https://letterboxd.com/theraygun/, where you can see the 200-plus films we’ve watched this year). It said: “The obsession over obtaining physical copies of films has been driven in part by popular digital properties like Letterboxd and Criterion. Letterboxd is a film-logging app where users can mark what movies they’ve seen, review them, and discover new ones they might like. Their TikTok interview series Four Favourites, where celebrities are asked to name four favourite films on the spot, often goes viral. In a similar viral fashion, film company Criterion Collection has achieved massive success with their series The Criterion Closet, which invites stars, directors, and writers to tour a closet stacked to the ceiling with DVDs and pick out their favorite films. The series was such a hit that the company now tours the Criterion Van — a mobile closet, essentially — where fans wait hours in line for a chance to buy discounted DVDs and film their own version of the interview.” You can see it here…
And there’s more too – the world of physical media was festered in a UK publication, Voice (for young people interested in arts and culture), which outlines the common reasons for what is being dubbed across countless publications as a revival in physical media’s fortunes, something akin to the vinyl revival. It also quotes ERA chief Kim Bayley. The feature said: “Kim Bayley is CEO of digital entertainment and retail association ERA, which counts among its members Amazon, HMV, YouTube, and Sky Store as well as hundreds of independent retailers. ‘There’s no getting away from the fact that streaming and digital formats now account for more than 95 per cent of the video market and more than 80 per cent of the music market,’ she says. ‘But we are definitely seeing signs of a resurgence for some physical video formats, particularly the higher quality Blu-ray and Ultra High Definition formats – and of course vinyl for music.’ Bayley adds that ‘quality is definitely part of their appeal’, but there are other factors at play too. ‘It’s also about the whole package, the visuals, the director’s notes which add up [to] something special and collectable. It is many of the same factors which have driven the resurgence of vinyl in music, such as lyrics, artwork and collectability. A lot of people simply like the physicality of a disc and of course once you’ve paid for it, there is no recurring subscription fee. ERA’s efforts in this area are very much directed towards ensuring studios do not switch off the tap. The fact is if movies are not made available on disc, no one can buy them.’” Further down, there is more from the ERA boss, offering pretty much what The Raygun has often said too: “Bayley, too, believes that the future lies in a hybrid of physical and streaming. ‘For me it’s not a matter of choosing between physical ownership and streaming. They both do different things. Nothing beats the convenience and range of streaming, but for a film or album I really love, there is something very satisfying about having a physical copy.’” You can see it here… Expect this story to run and run and run… 
Sticking with physical media and its importance to directors was outlined to us at The Raygun here this week with some words from film director and self-confessed “disc fanatic” Jonathan Zaurin, whose Hereford-set crime thriller Derelict arrives on streaming via Miracle Media on September 1 and on Blu-ray from 101 Films on September 22. He told The Raygun: “We wanted the release of Derelict to be an ode to the independent spirit the film was made under. In a world overflowing with disposable media, it’s so important to ensure the physical release of a British independent film is unique and stacked with goodies. The film was a great success on the festival circuit, earning critical and public acclaim from its world premiere at FrightFest 2024 onwards, so I wanted to ensure the Blu-ray really offered something extra and 101 Films was really supportive of the idea. It comes with a carefully crafted package of special features, from essays and deleted scenes to a painstaking 117-minute behind-the-scenes feature examining what it's really like to try to make a low budget indie in the industry right now. I've taken a backseat to let the rest of the passionate, dedicated cast and crew tell every story and cover every incident, both the good and the bad. The Blu-ray also features a short film by film scholar and writer Virginie Selavy, which, like Derelict, was shot and made entirely on location in Hereford, one of the most ignored regions of the UK in terms of screen production. The whole package is a celebration of the free creative spirit and we hope film lovers will enjoy it.“ 101’s Andy Taylor added: “Derelict has a relentless intensity and an authenticity that cuts through—it’s a film that grabs you from the first frame and doesn’t let go.”
Sticking with 101 Films and the imprint has announced a new addition to its Black Label imprint with The Dollman Toybox: Dollman X Demonic Toys Collection, an eight-film collection spread across five discs, as outlined by the company’s Tim Scaping, who said: “In the early 90s, Charles Band and the B-movie masters at Full Moon released the Albert Pyun directed Dollman. This rental hit was soon followed by the David S. Goyer penned Demonic Toys, unleashing a whole host of miniature terrors including Baby Oopsie and Jack Attack. Utilising recycled footage from both of these movies (as well as Bad Channels), Dollman Vs Demonic Toys launched what we would now call a shared cinematic universe, leading to a slew of follow ups. Our 101 Films Black Label boxset brings together those first three movies for the first time, along with two Demonic Toys sequels and the Baby Oopsie Trilogy. Packaged in a rigid box with fantastic new artwork, this five-disc set also includes brand new interviews with the filmmakers, extensive archive extras and the complete Dollman Kills the Full Moon Universe comic book.”
Keep an eye out for the forthcoming first ever UK 4K UHD Blu-ray release of Master And Commander: Far Side Of The World, certainly if the recent US performance is anything to go by. The Napoleonic War-era naval battle flick, originally released in 2003 and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany, has grown in reputation over the years, and, despite its initial success, didn’t turn into an ongoing franchise (the book series it’s based on ran to more than 20 books). It’s out on limited edition Steelbook and standard 4K on September 8 via Elevation on these shores, following hot on the heels of its summer US release. In the States, the film sold out of initial quantities, the limited edition Steelbook disappeared off the shelves at a rate of knots and, according to reports, the film is now selling for twice its recommended retail price on auction sites. As website 404 Media noted) : “Copies of the new 4K release of the film are now selling on eBay for roughly double its MSRP, proof that physical media is not dead. in the two decades since it first hit screens, Master and Commander has grown in esteem, especially in American national security circles. It’s a cult favourite. The occasional live screenings at revival theatres routinely sell out, memes involving the film’s opening text are ubiquitous, and it often lands on lists of the the ‘best movies of the 2000s’. In the middle of July, a joint venture of Sony and Disney studios announced it would publish a high quality 4K UltraHD limited edition Steelbook Blu-ray to be released in August. Fans went nuts. This would be the highest quality home release of the beloved film ever seen. Fans tracked pre-orders as they went live on Amazon, Wal-Mart, and other retailers. It sold out in days, and has done so consistently every time it’s been restocked. Master and Commander heads are so hungry for 4K Crowe that they’re now paying double and triple the asking price for the Steelbook copy on eBay and several notable people have posted about how they can’t find a copy. It’s rare in 2025 that the physical release of a 20 year old film is met with such fervour. Delight is especially high among members of America’s military community. Soldiers, officers, journalists, and the extremely online NatSec weirdos love Master and Commander.”
Sticking with titles due from Disney and its associated labels and landing in stores on Monday August 25 is the live action take on Lili & Stitch. It’s set the seal on one of the greatest comebacks of all time. As the New York Times recently noted; “For 23 years, the rowdy blue agent of chaos lived as a second-class citizen at Disney. The animated Lilo & Stitch, released in 2002, was made in near secret, partly because the character and art style didn’t fit the Disney mould. One poster for the movie depicted classic Disney characters like Pinocchio, Jasmine and Belle recoiling from Stitch in horror. Ticket sales were so-so. Stitch got a couple of direct-to-video sequels and a TV cartoon in the 2000s. A modest Disney World ride opened in 2004 and closed in 2018, leaving the snaggletoothed character to scamper along as a consumer products property. And now? Almost overnight, Stitch has become one of the biggest movie windfalls in years, not just at Disney but in all of Hollywood. Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch remake — made for $100 million and initially planned as a straight-to-streaming release — has collected $610 million worldwide after just 10 days in theatres.” Its box office has now passed the $1 billion mark worldwide and has further revitalised Lilo & Stitch as a licensing powerhouse too, although this has been a work in progress for some time, as the NYT further noted: “With no new content, Disney’s consumer products group had managed to expand sales of Stitch merchandise to $2.6 billion in 2024 from $200 million in 2019. Young adults clearly had nostalgia for the property… Analysts estimate that sales of related consumer products will add up to $400 million in profit annually.” It is released on Monday via Elevation across 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and 4K UHD Steelbook.
Also out on Monday August 25 is one of our favourite films of 2025, John Maclean’s Scottish-set Western, one of the year’s most unique films. It’s landing across formats from Lionsgate and the company’s Ember Lamas said: “John Maclean’s critically acclaimed Tornado storms onto DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD from August 25. Set in 1790s Britain, this gripping tale of survival follows Kōki as she takes on a ruthless criminal gang in a fight for freedom. With rave reviews praising its bold storytelling and striking performances, this release is set to be a standout addition for collectors and film fans alike.”
More Monday August 25 releases and at the other end of the spectrum, although wildly inventive, is the latest from Second Run, Who Wants To Kill Jessie?, a Czech comedy. The company’s Chris Barwick said: “We’re very excited to be releasing Václav Vorlíček’s WHO WANTS TO KILL JESSIE?, another crazy Czech comedy from the 1960s. For those who loved our release of the brilliantly-title TOMORROW I’LL WAKE UP AND SCALD MYSELF WITH TEA, this delirious comic-book, sci-fi adventure will not disappoint! Way ahead of the curve in terms of bringing comic book characters into the real world, JESSIE pre-dates Barbarella, and Who Killed Roger Rabbit?, not to mention Barbie and the whole DC and Marvel franchises. Though considerably less glossy than those contemporary counterparts, it’s a wildly inventive and massively enjoyable spectacle. Also really delighted to have an excellent extra from Michael Brooke who delivers a hugely entertaining in-depth guide to these ‘Crazy Czech Comedies’, of which JESSIE is a premium example.
There’s also a new release from Third Window, with an ambitions box set joining its Directors Company series, as outlined by the company’s Adam Torel, who said: “Takashi Ishii: 4 Tales of Nami is a box set which carries on from our Directors Company releases and aims to shine a light on this recently passed talent. Takashi Ishii was known as one of the great script writers in the 80s and wrote the scripts to many Directors Company films such as Shinji Somai's Love Hotel, Toshiharu Ikeda's Evil Dead Trap and Scent of a Spell. This box set starts with what ended up being the very last film of the Directors Company: Original Sin, which is a brilliant, yet very unknown internationally Japanese film from 1992, whose long-lost negatives were found along with many other Directors Company films such as Typhoon Club, Luminous Woman, Door, etc and that led to our recent exploration of that production company and now this focus on Ishii's work as a director. All 4 films in the set are getting their first ever physical releases outside of Japan, with new masters and some fantastic bonus features to accompany them.
Long-standing distributor High Fliers – at 35-plus years and counting probably the industry’s oldest indie label – has a high profile release coming in the early autumn with the arrival of The Partisan, a British and Polish co-production boasting a big budget and big star names. It features the legend that is Malcolm McDowell alongside a truly international cast including the likes of Morgane Polanski (The French Dispatch and The Ghost Writer), Steve Waddington (Slow Horses) and Frederick Schmidt (Mission: Impossible – Fallout). Polanski stars as Second World War spy Krystyna Skarbek, the first female agent for Britain, a favourite of Churchill and an inspiration for Ian Fleming. High Fliers is hosting a world premiere for the film in London on September 30, followed by a theatrical run beginning October 3 and eventual home entertainment release on October 27. Comment on the film came from High Fliers’ Mark Anderson, who said: “We are delighted to announce the launch and release of The Partisan, it is such a powerful and epic true story that will have a wide appeal.” You can see the trailer here…
Meanwhile the BFI has announced its titles for the rest of 2025, revealing what’s in store for October and November, which includes a standalone release for the film voted the greatest of all time by critics worldwide, which isn’t something that you get to say every day. Here’s the BFI’s Ben Stoddart on its slate to close out the year. He said: “Our remaining releases for 2025 are dominated by classics of both British and World cinema, with a new Flipside release thrown in for good measure! October sees the first UK standalone Blu-ray release of Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which topped the Sight and Sound ‘Greatest Films’ poll in 2022. Also released in October are a 4K UHD of Eyes Without a Face a Blu-ray of Anand Tucker’s Oscar-nominated Hilary and Jackie, and the latest in the long-running BFI Flipside series – Short Sharp Shocks Vol.4 - another 2-disc collection of eye-opening, unusual, exceptional, exciting, horrific, eerie and eccentric short films. November will see the release of two classic British dramas with Antonia Bird’s Priest and Terence Davies’ The House of Mirth both making their Blu-ray debuts. With a wealth of on-screen talent on display in both films, the reaction from customers has been great to see. Rounding off the year is a re-release of our much-loved Samurai Collection, that showcases five classic titles from director Akira Kurosawa. We felt that upgrading our 2014 release utilising the new HD masters (released individually over the last 9 months) and including all the new and existing extras would ensure that the best versions of these magnificent films are available to customers both individually and as a collection.”
Arrow normally reserves its new release line-up announcements for the last Friday of the month, but the label added in a special announcement last week with news of a new set pulling together a range of outings from a highly popular film franchise, with the original live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy landing in December. Arrow’s James Flower said: “Just one part of an exceptional line-up we’re releasing in time for Christmas (more to be revealed very soon!), Arrow Video is thrilled to announce the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy on 4K UHD and Blu-ray in two SKUs, the tradewide version with the classic 1990 poster on the outside and inner art by Florey, and a store exclusive with inner and outer artwork by Matt Frank, whom loyal Arrow fans may remember from the amazing art he did for another hero in a half-shell (2020’s Gamera: The Complete Collection). The response in the first few days alone has been overwhelming with some of our biggest pre-order numbers ever and totally reflects the pent-up demand for a quality release of the series, in particular the much-beloved original film (the first film I ever saw in a cinema!). In addition to a glorious transfer approved by director Steve Barron, fans will be thrilled by the line-up of extras we’ve got in the bag, including new interviews with Barron, Brian Henson and other cast and crew members, an alternate ending from a VHS workprint and much more across the whole trilogy, including what I’m hoping will be a very pleasantly nostalgic surprise for the UK audience!”
 SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
A mammoth Alien Earth ad over west London way…
 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
Another day, another Ballad…
Millwall supporter Daniel Day Lewis returns…
He’s running out of puff, apparently…
WHo’s a good boy?
Where’s Wally Badarou though?
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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