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ONE IN FOUR BATFANS PLUMPS FOR UHD
DRIVE BACK IN TOP GEAR
A DATE WITH ELVIS PARAMOUNT GOES WIDE FOR SVOD LAUNCH THE BFI’S BALLAD OF THE BAND DALEKS INVADE SOUTHBANK DOCTOR GETS DEFINITIVE RELEASE MORE IN Q3 AS STUDIOCANAL UNVEILS SLATEÒ …WITH UHD AND VINTAGE LEADING THE WAY INDICATOR GOES NOIR WITH UNIVERSAL GOD LOVES A TRIER BRAIN POWER FROM 101… …AS INDIE GETS THE HUMPP MAN JAILED FOR DODGY SET-TOP BOXES QUOTE OF THE WEEK AT THE MOVIES TWEET OF THE WEEK TRAILERS OF THE WEEK 
The Batman came out on Monday June 13 and, according to ERA a week later, the physical bow fo rthe film alongside its digital proved to be a success, with a further strong performance for 4K UHD – with one in four copies sold in the first week coming on the ultra high definition format. ERA noted: “A stellar week for The Batman movie as it not only lands the top spot on the DVD and Blu-Ray charts with 35k+ sales, but also enjoys a tremendous run on 4K UHD with nearly a quarter of all physical sales made up by the premium format.”
And with With Top Gun still holding its own at the top of the charts, flying high as the long-awaited sequel Top Gun Maverick also holds its own in the box office charts, there’s a strong whiff of nostalgia in the air. But in this week’s Official Film Chart another older film turns up, as Second Sight enjoys a huge success with its definitive release of Drive, the Nicolas Winding Refn film that made Ryan Gosling the coolest person in Hollywood and has already been a box office and home entertainment hit. The indie’s deluxe package, in a gorgeous box, is a much in demand item for collectors and once again shows the increasing importance of this kind of release from the independent sector. Commenting on its success, Second Sight’s Chris Holden said: “I’m incredibly pleased to see Drive in the chart this week. It’s been a long road, so to speak, with various challenges along the way, so it’s great to not only see all the work involved translate into sales success but also the incredible feedback we’ve had across the socials, with many photos and unboxings being posted. We’re currently hard at work on our next big 4K releases which include Martin, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and another, as yet unnamed, major 4K restoration on the way this year. “ With The Batman out now at home entertainment, Warner is continuing its strong release schedule for 2022 with the theatrical release this coming Friday – June 24 – of its latest blockbuster, Elvis, starring Tom Hanks as another Tom, Colonel Parker, Presley’s manager, in the Baz Luhrmann biopic. Warner has invested heavily in the film, with all kinds of marketing activity supporting the UK debut. Interestingly, one of the key thrusts of its activity saw music mag NME return to the streets, via distribution at assorted stations and the likes, as well as hmv stores, with a special edition of the magazine devoted to the cinema release of the film and the King in general., Martin Gough, executive director marketing, film and games, Warner Bros Pictures International UK, said: “NME’s unrivaled archive documenting Elvis’s rise to fame as it happened, its connection to the UK’s most avid music followers and its commitment to championing young artists made it the best-placed partner for this campaign. Throughout the 1960s and 70s NME captured Elvis’s story for a British audience; today it has defined how his cultural influence is still overwhelmingly relevant to a young audience. Baz Luhrmann’s film celebrates the life and creativity of the music icon; NME’s special edition print and online content highlights how he continues to inspire music, artists, fashion and popular culture in 2022.” More high profile marketing activity this week was due from Paramount in support of the launch of its Paramount+ subscription video on demand service. Uma Thurman is fronting the campaign, which will see `TV and cinema advertising (the latter, we noted recently while on a trip to our local multiplex, is an increasingly important vehicle for sod channels by the looks of it), with assorted experiential activity in London and beyond, with outdoor and other initiatives. It includes the airing of one of its big shows, Halo, on opening night, June 22, on Channel 5, with viewers being directed to the new channel to watch more. Anna Priest, Chief Marketing Officer, UK, at Paramount said of the campaign: “We’ve launched an exciting, ambitious and far-reaching campaign to match the scale of the offering on Paramount+. This campaign is about unleashing the power of our brand and content to local audiences and is the biggest we have ever undertaken in this market. It blends the impact of mass-reach mediums with cutting edge new experiential technologies, like our AR-enabled Walk of Stars in London, the Drone Show in Hollywood, Birmingham and the anamorphic HALO display on Piccadilly Lights. We want visitors to our experiential wonderland to be surprised and delighted by the opportunity to interact with our mountain of entertainment.” 
To the BFI on the Southbank to witness a double bill of the two Dr Who feature films produced during the 1960s, both of which have been given a new lease of life courtesy of Studiocanal. As revealed here previously, the fully restored, beautifully packaged pair will be arriving in stores on two separate dates, with Dr. Who And The Daleks landing on June 20 and its sequel, Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. landing next month, with the pair also benefiting first from the screening on Sunday and from a forthcoming wider theatrical outing. Sunday’s launch saw original cast and crew members – and relatives in the case of the sons of producer Milton Subotsky – as well as some of the team involved in the restoration talking about the films and the work gone in to making them fit for modern audiences. Restoration supervisor Anthony Badger from Silver Salt said: “There was as a feeling the original negatives no longer existed, but when we called in the materials we found the negative for 2150 A.D.. We called around and also found the negative for the first film, it was tough and go whether we could use it as it was heavily scratched which is probably why no-one had ever gone back to it before. It was a lot of effort but we did manage to us it . Studiocanal really wanted to make it the definitive version of the films.” Brothers Dimitri and Sergei, son of producer Milton Subotsky further wowed the sold out audience by showing them a draft script for a potential third Dr. Who film from their father, as well as other items of memorabilia. And the films? Well, from where The Raygun was sitting, they looked an absolute treat and, with the assorted extras, these really will be the definitive versions. Further comment on the Who event came from Studiocanal’s Alison Arber, who said: “The Doctor was in the house! Or rather the BFI on Sunday! A very special double bill screening of both Dr Who and the Daleks and Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. were screened in all their 4K glory to a sold-out audience this Father’s Day, with a Q&A between films, plus lots of special guests. This wonderful event preceded Monday’s highly anticipated release of Dr Who and the Daleks on 4K UHD collector’s edition, Steelbook and digital.” The Dr Who releases straddle Q2 and Q3, with the Invasion film arriving at the start of the quarter, and we’ve also been talking to Studiocanal about its slate for July, August and September. Highlights include the second season of the animated Adventures of Paddington, which will herald the beginning of the inevitable excitement leading up to the third film (see At The Movies below), which arrives in August. This is preceded by some Arnie activity, as Studiocanal marks the action hero’s 75th birthday with a raft of releases, kicking off with one of his sword and sandal outings. Comment came from the company’s Carys Gaskin, who said: “We are preparing to celebrate a milestone birthday this July, with the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger turning 75. Starting off with Red Sonja coming to 4K UHD for the first time on the July 18, we will also be announcing our next Arnie restoration project soon as well as reprinting our beloved SteelBooks for Total Recall and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. We will promote these alongside our other restored hit Red Heat and be bringing together an action packed supporting campaign across our key physical and digital retailers to promote the great man’s great milestone.” Other key Studiocanal catalogue activity includes a brand new 4K UHD release for Highlander, on the back of a theatrical return and featuring some nee artwork too. Studiocanal’s Alison Arber said: “There can be only one UHD release of Highlander…and this really will be worth waiting for. We will be releasing a very special 4K UHD collector’s edition of 80s classic Highlander, with brand new artwork by the amazing Matt Ferguson, brand new extras and lots more - details to follow soon!” Ans, as ever, Studiocanal’s slate for the forthcoming quarter also includes a wealth of activity around its Vintage Classics imprint, as outlined by Mona Schlotter, who said: “We are happy to expand our Vintage Classics range with some great new restorations. We’re releasing Frieda and The Divided Heart, two Ealing war dramas with female leads as well as We Joined the Navy and The Teckman Mystery, two female directed classics. Further to that we’ll also be releasing The Flying Scot, The Galloping Major and They Who Dare, a great mix of drama and comedy to add to our ever-growing collection.” 
One of the year's most talked about – and critically acclaimed – films arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday June 20 from the wonderful MUBI label, the physical imprint from the theatrical to home entertainment company. The Worst Person In The World is a look at the kind of angst of approaching 30 years of age as experienced by Julie (Renate Reinsve in a unanimously praised turn) and comes from Norwegian director Joachim Trier, who penned the script with Eskil Vogt, the director of another of 2022's best, The Innocents. It sees MUBI continuing to support for physical alongside its hugely successful curated subscription video on demand service and its increasingly important theatrical distribution too. And the company is ramping up its release slate even further after a hectic and busy Cannes in terms of acquisitions and announcements. One of the key titles that it has announced a cinema release date for this week is Park Chan-wook's Decision To Leave. He picked up the Best Director gong at Cannes and the film will arrive at cinemas on October 14 followed by an appearance on the platform and, if it follows the company's current release strategy, on physical media after that too. Comment on The Worst Person… came from MUBI’s Dan Green who said: “The Worst Person in the World is MUBI's top-grossing theatrical release in the UK, taking over £1M at the box office to date. Following the film's MUBI release, we're proud to be giving this double-Oscar and double-BAFTA nominated gem the physical bow it deserves, supported by window displays at both Fopp and HMV. What's more, we'll be following up Worst Person with MUBI's inaugural box set, The Oslo Trilogy, later in the year: the first time Joachim Trier's loose trio has been released physically anywhere in the world.” There’s been a brace of announcements from the fine folk at 101 Films over the past week or two with further additions to its ongoing imprints that should spark interest among its devoted fans. First up is the latest addition to its Black Label series, now up to 27 releases and counting. It’s another slice of prime 1980s horror, albeit with a twist and another worthy admission to the ever-expanding imprint. Here’s Tim Scaping from 101 on The Brain. He said: “It's back to '80s horror for our next 101 Films Black Label release - THE BRAIN - a throwback to the sci-fi movies of the ‘50s from director Ed Hunt (Bloody Birthday). It's a UK Blu-ray debut and the release is absolutely rammed with extras, including a booklet with new writing on the film. It's out on August 1 and is a continuation of our partnership with Shout! Factory, with many more cult classic films in the pipeline.” This comes on the back of more to a recent imprint, the AGFA film archive, which is presenting a fine strand of outré filmmaking from a bygone era. Tim Scaping said: “Meanwhile our equally fruitful partnership with the American Genre Film Archive sees a new pair of releases in July, with 1969 Argentian sci-fi sexploitation The Curious Dr. Humpp, which AGFA describes as ‘what might have happened if Mario Bava collaborated with Doris Wishman after an acid binge’, along with beloved DIY kung fu epic The Treasure of the Ninja, from Columbus Ohio's William Lee. With these releases the range goes from strength to strength, and the next pair of titles will be announced very soon.” More from the Federation Against Copyright Theft, whose work saw a dodgy set-top box dealer, who sold the boxes enabling consumers to watch pay TV channels without paying the full subs, jailed for four years and six months. Michael Hornung, formerly of Cheshire, was found guilty on his absence of offences dating between 2014 and 2017. He’d absconded from the country after being charged with offences when test purchases showed consumers could access Virgin’s Sky Movies and Sports channels from his boxes. FACT Chief Executive Kieron Sharp said: “We thank Greater Manchester Police for their work on this, their support and assistance is vital in procuring evidence for prosecution. FACT will continue to monitor channels used to advertise, market, sell and distribute apps, devices, and streams and take action against suppliers and operators. Individuals are motivated by the financial benefits from providing illegal content, but FACT is leading the way in combating digital piracy and, in this case, have worked closely with Greater Manchester Police to hold this person accountable for his criminal activities. This result should provide a warning to anyone involved in supplying illegal content. FACT’s work with broadcasters and rights holders will continue in order to crack down on illegal streaming and to hold those behind it accountable for their actions.” 
“This is a VHS tape of the first release of Back to the Future, sent to me by the studio at that time. Since I knew that the VHS platform would be around forever, I saved it for later and now I can’t find a VCR. Oh well. Enjoy!” Actor Tom Wilson, who played Biff Tannen in Back To The Future, in a note accompanying the still-sealed VHS of the film given to him on its initial release. It just sold at auction for $75,000 in the US, making it almost certainly the most expensive VHS ever… AT THE MOVIES Biggest news of the week came from Studiocanal, as the company unveiled its plans for the third film in its hugely popular Paddington franchise. The first two are much-loved by children, grown-ups and critics alike, and the news that the third – entitled Paddington IN Peru – is definitely on the way was welcomed by seemingly the whole of the internet. Studiocanal is once again putting its muscle behind the film, working with production outfit Heyday Films, with a new director Dougal Wilson taking over at the helm. It will shoot in both London and, as the title suggests, Peru too. Loads of comments, with STUDIOCANAL CEO Anna Marsh and EVP Global Production Ron Halpern saying: “We have long been huge admirers of Dougal's work, his stunning visual creativity, his storytelling, heart, emotion and humour. We are so thrilled that Dougal will be directing the third Paddington film. We look forward to bringing Paddington back to Peru for his next big screen adventure.” Director of Paddington 1 and 2 Paul King said: “After ten years of working on the Paddington movies, I feel absurdly protective of the little bear, and I'm delighted that Dougal will be there to hold his paw as he embarks on his third big screen adventure. Dougal's work is never less than astounding: funny, beautiful, heartfelt, imaginative, and totally original. Aunt Lucy once asked us to ‘Please Look After This Bear.’ I know Dougal will do so admirably.” Paddington producer David Heyman added: "After an exacting search, we're delighted that the brilliant Dougal Wilson will be directing the third Paddington film. A much-garlanded legend within the Commercials world, we have long admired Dougal’s virtuoso work, and his gift for directing with heart, humour, surprise and vivid imaginative flair. He’s a wonderfully inventive kindred spirit for Paddington’s latest adventure with the Browns, and we’re thrilled to be working with him.” And new director Wilson said: "As a huge fan of the first two films, I am very excited (if not a little intimidated) to be continuing the story of Paddington. It’s a massive responsibility, but all my efforts will be focussed on making a third film that honours the love so many people have for this very special bear.” Meanwhile, another sequel on the way is the one we used to call Knives Out 2. The franchise has bene the subject of a high profile transfer and is now at home with Netflix rather than Lionsgate. The Daniel Craig whodunnit will be known as Glass Onions: :A Knives Out Mystery… One film we can’t wait to see is the documentary, newly acquired by Shudder for its territories including the UK, about shocking heavy metallers Gwar. This Is Gwar, which carries the tagline “the true story of the sickest band in the world”, tells the 30-year history of the legendary and notorious group. "For more than three decades, GWAR has set the standard for heavy metal horror with larger-than-life personas and gore-filled stage shows that were unlike anything anyone had ever seen,” said Shudder General Manager Craig Engler. “But even their most ardent fans have never seen them like this, as the band and director Scott Barber reveal in moving detail the literal blood, sweat and tears that have made GWAR the true legends they are today.” In a statement, the band themselves said; “”GWAR is founded on horror, humour, and heavy metal. Of course, we love Shudder! It's our favourite. Every movie is like a home movie for us. Are you kidding me?? Monsters, demons, the undead, dinosaurs? Those are our people! GWAR and Shudder. Two terrifying tastes that taste terrifying together." TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun…
The cat’s back… https://youtu.be/Oivho_DwIEc Due on Shudder… https://youtu.be/6UZG84vA9cM More Austen… https://youtu.be/Fz7HmgPJQak First was a hit, here’s the second… https://youtu.be/lHwbHgys_Wc THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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