|
BACK FROM THE DEAD: THE RAYGUN RETURNS
NETFLIX IN FOR WARNER…
…STUDIO FARE "WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO THEATRES”…
…FUTURESOURCE ON WHAT DEAL MEANS FOR DIGITAL AND MORE
BASE AWARDS ROUND-UP:
WARNER, UNIVERSAL, SONY WIN BIG
STUDIOCANAL LEADS THE INDIES
HMV PICKS UP TWO GONGS…
…AND BFI SCOOPS A BRACE TOO…
…DAM! WIN FOR BEAVERS…
…HEDY AND HERO AWARDS FOR INDIVIDUALS
COMMENT ON AWARDS FROM BASE
VERTIGO'S NEW VISIONS
BATTLE: FILM OF THE YEAR HEADING TO HOMES
DAZZLER’S BUSY DECEMBER AS BALLAD WINS
BFI UNVEILS FIRST QUARTER SLATE
POWERHOUSE REVEALS JANUARY AND FEBRUARY TITLES…
RADIANCE ANNOUNCES Q1 RELEASES
FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 2026 FROM EUREKA
STUDIOCANAL’S BLUE MOVIE
URCHIN HEADS HOME
SUPPORT THE RAYGUN
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK 
If you can't read this newsletter or see the ads, please click here.
It was a good week for… Belated congratulations to all the BASE winners…
It was a bad week for… There's a lot of people worried about the implications of the Netflix and Warner deal, thoughts are with them… Thoughts too, with anyone recovering from pneumonia like us…
We have been watching… Our pneumonia viewing has seen us watching more than 50 films since leaving hospital – best among the new to Blu-ray mob are The Ballad Of Wallis Island, Arrow's superlative edition of Wild Style and Signature's new take on The Toxic Avenger. Credit too to some of our recent Film Stories reviews – the excellent Fantomas set from Eureka and the first from Radiance's sub-label Transmission Night of the Juggler. Highlights from the ever-reliable Doc 'n' Roll festival included house music story Move Ya Body and Glen Matlock biography I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol. Catch up with all our viewing on Letterboxd…
Apologies for the recent absence of The Raygun – editor Tim Murray has been in hospital for a prolonged period with severe pneumonia (on the back of other health issues) and is now recovering at home… It’s been a slow journey, but we’re now back with a bang and a full look at the BASE Awards (the first one we’ve missed in some 35 years or more) and plenty more, catching up on what’s been going on in the past few weeks… Apologies again, thanks for the get well messages and kind words…
First up, before the BASE Awards, and this week’s big news is the eye-watering $82.7 billion deal inked by Netflix to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. The deal takes in the mighty Warner’s film and television studios and HBO Max and HBO. The acquisition of Warner’s studios and streaming business has been on the block for some time, with Paramount and Comcast both in the running, but by Thursday December 4 it became clear that Netflix was in exclusive negotiations and closing in on the deal, less than 24 hours later it was announced. Netflix said the plan was to “to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations and build on its strengths”, further noting: “By adding the deep film and TV libraries and HBO and HBO Max programming, Netflix members will have even more high-quality titles from which to choose. This also allows Netflix to optimise its plans for consumers, enhancing viewing options and expanding access to content.” There is much to be ironed out, and regulatory approval needed, but Netflix said it expected the deal would make $2-3 billion in savings. As ever, it will take some time for detail to be ironed out, not least what happens to theatrical, digital and physical releases from Warner, and elements such as the 2026 planned launch for HBO Max in the UK. Regulatory approval will take an estimated 12-18 months; assimilation, as evinced by Disney’s acquisition of Fox and the time it took to reach the UK after a lengthy “business as (near) usual” period even after authorities had approved it. A joint statement. Rom WBD and Netflix said: “This acquisition brings together two pioneering entertainment businesses, combining Netflix’s innovation, global reach and best-in-class streaming service with Warner Bros.’ century-long legacy of world-class storytelling. Beloved franchises, shows and movies such as The Big Bang Theory, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, The Wizard of Oz and the DC Universe will join Netflix’s extensive portfolio including Wednesday, Money Heist, Bridgerton, Adolescence and Extraction, creating an extraordinary entertainment offering for audiences worldwide.” Netflix’s Ted Sarandos added: “Our mission has always been to entertain the world. By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies — from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favourites like Harry Potter and Friends — with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we’ll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.” Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix, added: “Warner Bros. has helped define entertainment for more than a century and continues to do so with phenomenal creative executives and production capabilities. With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create — giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders.”
Most interesting is the effect on theatrical and home entertainment businesses in the US, UK and beyond. In October, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the company firmly believes its mission is “to give our members exclusive first-run movies on Netflix”. This week Sarandos said: “Right now, you should count on everything that is planned on going to the theatre through Warner Bros. will continue to go to the theatres. It’s not like we have this opposition to movies into theatres. My pushback has been mostly in the fact of the long exclusive windows, which we don’t really think are that consumer-friendly. But when we talk about keeping HBO operating, largely as it is, that also includes their output movie deal with Warner Bros., which includes a life cycle that starts in the movie theatre, which we’re going to continue to support.” He added that windows were likely to evolve. And he further noted: ““I wouldn’t look at this as a change in approach for Netflix movies or for Warner movies. I think, over time, the windows will evolve to be much more consumer friendly, to be able to meet the audience where they are quicker…I’d say right now, you should count on everything that is planned on going to the theatre through Warner Bros. will continue to go to the theatres through Warner Bros., and Netflix movies will take the same strides they have, which is, some of them do have a short run in the theatre beforehand. But our primary goal is to bring first-run movies to our members, because that’s what they’re looking for.”
Further comment came from the experts at Futuresource Consulting. In a statement, the company said: “It’s no understatement to say that this deal will bring a seismic shift to the global media and entertainment landscape as a result of both the depth and type of content the deal would give Netflix, but also for the consumer in the 190+ countries that Netflix currently offers a streaming service. The additional streaming households that Netflix would immediately acquire will not drastically change its reach or revenues. For example, in the USA, the Futuresource Living with Digital consumer survey indicates 70 per cent of HBO Max subscribers already have access to Netflix. It will, however, help fill a gap in its high-end offering via HBO content and open up access to a deep catalogue of content and IP, both classic and more recent additions from the Warner Bros portfolio. This valuable IP and assets such as Harry Potter and Game of Thrones also provide Netflix much wider revenue streams across merchandise, the gaming sector and theme parks, allowing it to become much more than just a streaming service. So while Netflix have stated that they will maintain Warner Bros current operations, the expected $2-3 billion cost savings per year will no doubt mean that how and where we as the consumer can watch Warner Bros content as of today will likely see a change in the future. There is obvious concern on what this acquisition means for the Theatrical and Digital Transactional sectors, two areas in Netflix’s current structure that at best are limited in their engagement. However, instead of thinking that this will mean a transition for Warner Bros content, it could actually be the transition that as an industry people have talked about for years in Netflix stepping into sectors that can help generate significant additional revenues to compliment streaming income. With global consumer spend based on Futuresource Video Insight tracking of over $36 billion across exhibition and $8 billion from digital purchased and rented movies and TV shows, Netflix won’t want to turn away from taking a share of this. The entertainment industry can expect to see some fallout from this deal, should it get approved, with a wide set of licensing agreements in place between Warner Bros content and other content distributors, whether that be with Pay-TV distributors, or other streaming services (e.g. U-Next in Japan the home of HBO Max).” Futuresource added it will continue to track the impacts of the deal. Meanwhile, our thoughts are with all those wondering what's going to happen with their jobs going forward…
And so to the Roundhouse, north London, back on November 13, where the great and good of the industry were out in force for the BASE Awards, this year marking the 45th anniversary of the trade association, adding extra spice to what remains the industry’s biggest night out. More than 550 people were gathered in the Camden venue with more than 30 awards handed out on the night across different categories. The big winners on the night included Warner Bros Discovery, which picked up the 2024 Distributor of the Year; the 2024 Biggest Title of the Year across all formats for Dune Part Two, with the same film also picking up 2024 VoD Title of the Year and Physical Title of the Year. Warner also won a clutch of Campaign of the Year gongs, including Catalogue for Nightmare on Elm Street 40th Anniversary; for Film with £5m-£15m Box Office for Twisters; and for Specialist/TV for Friends 30th Anniversary. Other major studio winners included Universal, with Campaign of the Year Up to £5m Box Office for Anora, and Campaign of the Year Over £15m Box Office for Wicked. Universal’s SVP for international digital transaction Brandon DiMassa said:“Wicked’s remarkable digital success in the UK and around the world underscores the Premium window’s transformative impact on the Home Entertainment market and reinforces its importance in today’s viewing landscape. We’re proud to see this contribution acknowledged at the BASE Awards — a landmark celebration of 45 years of innovation, collaboration, and commercial excellence in home entertainment.”
Sony picked up a trio of awards, Best in Class: Social / PR for Venom: The Last Dance, sharing the award with DnA PR and DDA PR Global; Best in Class: Video Asset for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, shared with Silk Factory; and Audience Engagement Initiative of the Year, shared with Sky Store, for its Advent Calendar 2024. In another major studio win, Disney picked up 2024 EST Title of the Year for Deadpool vs Wolverine (The Walt Disney Company).
Over on the independent side, Studiocanal followed its impressive tally of nominations by landing a slew of awards. These included 2024 Independent Label of the Year – Digital & Physical Formats; Best in Class: Packaging & Artwork for The Third Man, alongside Nico Delort and Rogue Four Design; Campaign of the Year for Independent Film for The Apprentice and Commercial Initiative of the Year alongside hmv for its Paddington In Peru activity. Comment on the company’s success came from the company’s Chris Sharp who said: “We’re incredibly pleased to have won four awards at this year’s BASE Awards. For Studiocanal to be awarded the Independent Label of the Year for the first time was a huge achievement and a recognition for the incredible work done by everyone on new release and catalogue, digital and physical. It was great to win the Commercial Initiative of the Year for our collaboration with hmv on Paddington in Peru, a testament to the exceptional efforts by Will Fraser and the hmv team that made Paddington the standout release at retail. To also receive awards for Campaign of the Year for Independent Film for The Apprentice and Best in Class: Packaging & Artwork for Alison Arber and Rogue Four Design’s beautiful packaging for The Third Man, plus the commendations across multiple other categories, meant that this really was a year to remember. Thanks to BASE for a great event, we’re already looking forward to next year’s.”
On the retail side, there were gongs for Amazon Prime Video as Digital Retailer of the Year, with the retail giant picking up a further award for Social Impact for its work on the Into Film Awards. Sky Store picked up Creative Initiative of the Year for its efforts on the Wicked premium release. hmv added to its shared award with Studiocanal for Paddington In Peru by winning the Physical Retailer of the Year award. Comment on the Paddington award came from head of marketing Kate Longbottom, who said: “We were thrilled to win the Commercial Initiative of the Year with the team at Studiocanal. The campaign was a joy to work on with the teams working closely and collaboratively, with one aligned goal of delighting customers and families in half term. Working with the strengths of the Paddington in Peru creative and the passion of our stores, we created standout events through the key sales period for Studiocanal, driving shoppers into store with our socials, event windows, Paddington appearances and the Studio Canal targeted media campaign. Once at the store we created a journey through the store to purchase with a fun treasure hunt and POS elements to delight kids. Our Staff loved it and got fully behind in as only hmv staff can. From hmv’s perspective it was great to show that we can excel at working on all kinds of titles and that the physical market is thriving on all genres if we approach the customer with the right journey.”
Further comment on hmv’s Physical Retailer of the Year award came from the company’s head of visual, games and business development John Delany who said: “We're delighted that hmv was handed the Physical Retailer of the Year Award at last week's BASE Awards, retaining this award for the fourth year in a row, which is an amazing achievement and real testament to the passion and hard work put in by all teams across our stores, head office and warehouse. We'd also like to thank the team at BASE and our supplier partners for their support.”
The BFI picked up two awards on the night which highlighted its ongoing excellent work; two Best In Class awards, one for Blu-ray (incl. 4K) for Seven Samurai and a second for Bonus Features for Watership Down: Limited Edition 4K UHD. It was, in our opinion, richly deserved, both were exemplary releases with a ridiculous amount of time and hard work gone in to them and, after disappointment at being nominated but rarely winning through (although Ben Stoddart did pick up a category hero award a few years back), it was good to see the BFI getting recognition for its efforts. The BFI’s Ben Stoddart said: “The BFI triumphed at this year’s BASE Awards, picking up awards for Best in Class: Bonus Features for Watership Down and Best in Class: 4K UHD & Blu-ray for Seven Samurai. Both titles were highlights in a hugely successful year for the BFI’s label and featured in many Best of the Year roundups. A massive amount of work went into both releases and a huge amount of thanks needs to go to Upekha Bandaranayake, who produced both titles, as well as all the whole BFI home ent team and all the contributors without whom neither release would have hit the heights they have. We had a fantastic evening celebrating the wins and catching up with friends across the industry. Also, congratulations to the BFI’s Kayleigh Barnes for winning the award for Category Hero: Creative Excellence [see more below].”
Agency of the year was Make It Social, while The Producers Award went to Artemisia Films for its Chuck Chuck Baby. That same category also saw Lightbulb’s Hundreds Of Beavers getting a commended from the judges, while that same film, one of our favourites in recent years, also earned one of the two awards voted for by the public – the People’s Choice Award: Hidden Gem. (The other was the People’s Choice Award: Entertainment Moment of the Last 45 Years, which went to the “I am your father” bit in The Empire Strikes Back.) Comment on Hundreds Of Beavers’ richly deserved success came from Lightbulb’s Matthew Kreuzer, who said: “We were delighted to be nominated for the Hidden Gem at the BASE Awards this year and knew we were up against stiff competition from the likes of Anora, I Saw The TV Glow, The Substance and Blake’s 7 amongst many others. As the only independent distributor on the shortlist, to win the award was gnawsome, and shows what hundreds of beavers can achieve with a little hard work, big, gritted teeth, and a loyal social following. Thanks to BASE for a great evening and to everybody in the industry who supported us and our bonkers film. Now we just need to find something equally crazy to wow the voters for next year.”
In keeping with recent years at the BASE Awards, a wealth of individuals were also given awards for their work in and around the industry. The second BASE and DEGI Hedy Lamarr Inspirational Women in Entertainment: Rising Star Award had four nominees, with Paramount’s Julia Negretti winning out, recognised for “her drive, operational excellence, and contribution to cross-market collaboration”. Negretti and the three other nominees, Abiana Garret (Disney), Hannah Sayer (MUBI) and Susanne Maria Schmidt will all receive mentoring from a member of the Entertainment Mentoring and Leadership Group.
Category Hero awards were given to a dozen individuals across different categories. These included Positive Impact awards to Amy Moriarty (Sony) and Lou Watson (Universal); Leadership gongs for Gareth Lowrie (Universal), Maria Rua Aguete (OMDIA) and Tom Reveler (Lionsgate); and Creative Excellence for James Ward (Warner) and Kayleigh Barnes (BFI). Sales & Operations Category Hero awards were given to Richard Stoddart (Warner), Tim Martin (Sony), Tom Clegg (Amazon Prime Video) and Shireen Mahtabuddin (Elevation). The Category Super Hero award went to Andrew Stewart (Amazon Prime Video), adding this gong to the Leadership Award he picked up last year.
And marking BASE’s 45th anniversary, there were a quartet of long-standing industry executives whose work has, BASE said, “shaped the evolution of the industry”. These were Dave Barrett (BBFC), Lesley Johnson (BBC Studios) and Pete Watson and Karen Clark, both from Warner.
Further comment came from BASE chief executive Liz Bales who said: “The BASE Awards matter. They celebrate the relevance and power of Home Entertainment — particularly transactional — as a complementary force to both the prestige of theatrical and the scale of subscription models. This sector is agile, additive, and essential to the screen industry’s success. It remains a joy to lead a team that delivers such an utterly brilliant Awards show each year. Congratulations to all the 2025 winners, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it happen.”
On to other news and it’s always good to see a new player enter the physical media market and there’s a major entrant due to join in the new year as long-time distributor Vertigo Releasing has announced plans for a new premium imprint Visions Home Video. Vertigo has long been a theatrical distributor, as well as being involved in producing films, with one of its founders, Rupert Preston, boasting a lengthy career in the business. In previous years it had relationships with other distributors, and has also released its own titles through Elevation, but it is now getting more closely involved in the physical market with the new label, which, the company said, will offer “elevated” releases of Vertigo titles, both new and classic. First up us a premium release for Kevin Smith’s Dogma, which disappeared from the shelves some 20 years ago due to rights issues. The film, which boasts an all-star cast headed by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, has recently been given a theatrical re-release, further boosting its profile, and lands on February 3 on 4K UHD and Blu-ray in a package including “additional featurettes, trailers, interviews, and more”. It will be followed by recent theatrical hit Good Boy, on February 16, with the horror told from a dog’s point of view landing “ with a full physical release including extra content planned across DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD formats”. Also in February, on the 23rd, is the third Visions release further highlighting the breadth of the imprint, in the shape of Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2009 outing Dogtooth. The restoration has been overseen by the director himself and again comes complete with a raft of extras. More on the label in the coming weeks and months.
The new issue of Sight And Sound, the BFI’s long-running film magazine, hits the newsstands in print form next week and it’s perfect timing for Warner. For the new magazine reveals the top films of 2025, as voted for by more than 100 critics and, sitting pretty at the top of the poll is One Battle After Another. It’s serendipitous as the magazine is published just after the title was released as a digital download, with the 4K, Blu-ray and DVD SKUs set to follow on January 23 next year, with a Steelbook due to land sometime in the spring. The critics’ poll win (Warner’s Sinners was second) also bodes well for the forthcoming awards season too, meaning the film’s home entertainment release will be able to capitalise on the ongoing interest in the movie from critics and awards voters. Commenting on the Sight And Sound success, director Paul Thomas Anderson said: “F**k yeah! It takes my breath away a bit, honestly. I remember reading Sight and Sound, as we all do, from when I was so young, and now to have a film that they called the best film of the year… it’s amazing. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in print. My first response was ‘F**k yeah!’, and I stand by that.” Also among the awards this week has been our film of the year, The Ballad Of Wallis Island, which picked up a clutch of British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) – thoroughly deserved and also arriving just after the film’s release on physical formats via Dazzler. Meanwhile, the release presaged a busy month for Dazzler, as outlined by the company’s Paul Holland, who said: “ Dazzler Media is celebrating the festive season with twelve major home entertainment releases this December, offering one of its most diverse and exciting line-ups to date across drama, factual programming, family films and standout international cinema. There’s new TV arrivals from all channels, with high-profile dramas from every major UK broadcaster, including Film Club (BBC), Trigger Point – Series 3 (ITV), Summerwater (Channel 4), Sweatpea and Mary & George (Sky) and Shakespeare & Hathaway - Series 5, (Alibi). Dazzler will also release the powerful new factual series Empire with David Olusoga, presented by the acclaimed historian and Traitors finalist. The series arrives on December 15. There’s also new films bringing festive frights and family fun, with a pair just released – The Creeps, where a Finnish ski resort is overrun by malevolent creatures in a thrilling horror mash-up that The Guardian praised as ‘a mash-up of Gremlins’, and The Jester 2, following Dazzler’s biggest horror hit of 2024, this chilling sequel brings the Jester back with deadly new magic and spellbinding surprises. There are also two family adventures that enjoyed successful UK theatrical runs in The Glassworker, a critically acclaimed animated feature from Usman Ritz, which closed this year’s Asian Film Festival UK and Dogs at the Opera, a delightful family film packed with canine charm – and yes, it really does feature dogs at the opera. Finally, Dazzler presents Kina and Yuk, a breathtaking feature-length nature journey following two foxes as they navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing climate.”
Powerhouse has also revealed two months’ worth of titles for its Indicator series, taking in first January 2026 and then as logic dictates, February. The first month of the year sees a trio of crime films appearing on high definition, while the second month has a quartet of British outings. The company’s Sam Dunn said: “We're thrilled to be bringing these essential noirs to UK Blu-ray for the very first time. 1947's Ivy stars the legendary Joan Fontaine at her dangerous best; 1948's All My Sons finds screen heavyweights Edward G Robinson and Burt Lancaster locking horns as father and son; and 1949's Undertow features an early appearance by Rock Hudson. As usual, our distinctive limited editions come packaged with quality new and archival extras, including expert commentaries and appreciations, and extensive booklets containing new and curated writing on the films. Continuing our mission to bring long-overlooked and unjustly neglected films back into circulation for modern audiences to enjoy, we're incredibly excited to be releasing world premiere Blu-ray editions of four great British films from the 50s and 60s in February: The Man Inside, Idle on Parade, Jazz Boat, and You Must Be Joking! Directed by some of the most exciting filmmakers of the time (including Ken Hughes and Michael Winner) and starring a real who's who of screen talent (including Jack Palance, Anita Ekberg, Anthony Newley, Bernie Winters, James Booth, Leo McKern, Denholm Elliott, Wilfred Hyde-White, Bernard Cribbins, and Terry-Thomas), the films are released in deluxe limited editions, containing new and archival interviews and critical analyses, as well as comprehensive booklets featuring new essays and archival writing."
Also among those announcing was Radiance, with three batches of announcements from the thriving indie. Comment on the first month of 2026 came from Francesco Simeoni, who said: “We’re delighted with the response to our January releases as ever we're grateful for the incredible fan support in spreading the word on our titles. Francesco Rosi's brilliant conspiracy thriller Illustrious Corpses releases for the first time in the UK from a new restoration and features additional in house work while we continue our love affair with Tai Kato with his first yakuza film, a masterpiece of the genre starring Koji Tsuruta and finally Francois Truffaut also makes another entry in the Radiance catalogue with his touching story The Wild Child.”
And on to February from Radiance, with words this time from Radiance’s Bruno Savill de Jong who said of its slate: “We're very pleased by the response to our February announcements, especially the Japanese Godfather Trilogy, some of which had no subtitles before and so will be a ripe discovering for Western audiences. We are also delving into giallo territory with a UK premiere of Libido, and showcasing some classical Greek Epics with Michael Cacoyannis's Iphigenia. Plus there was much excitement around our second Transmission title The Stunt Man, a true old-fashioned cult classic with a marvellous (Oscar nominated!) performance by Peter O'Toole.”
Finishing off the first quarter for the company, the past few days has seen Radiance announcing March titles, so we can update on these too. It’s headed up by an enviable box set featuring a trio of films from legendary. Japanese director Takashi Miike (Fudoh: The Next Generation, Agitator and Deadly Outlaw: Rekka), as well as a worldwide Blu-ray first from Poland, a 4K release for a 70s classic and a second release from the Transmission imprint, dedicated to the kind of films that played at Grindhouse cinemas from 42nd Street in New York to London’s Scala and further made their names on video in the early days of the format. The company’s Bruno Savill de Jong said: “We’re delighted by reactions to our March releases and fan enthusiasm spreading the word about the label. Our box set of Takashi Miike has been a long time coming, and we think people will be pleased by his outrageous takes on yakuza tales. We're also pleased to bring another hidden gem of Polish cinema to light with The Dancing Hawk. And our new release of Cutter's Way brings this slice of cynical Californian conspiracy to UHD for the first time ever. Plus, Larry Cohen is practically a patron saint of what our Transmission imprint represents, so we're excited to be able to release one of his most underrated (and his own personal favourite) film Special Effects. It should also be noted the past few days have seen a notable uptick in our membership, perhaps as people now know more of the slate we are offering for 2026!”
Eureka has made two months’ worth of announcements – taking in January and February. Here’s the company’s Marcus Garwood on the forthcoming titles, starting with January. He said: “Our 2026 line-up commences with three essential UK availability debuts. The first Masters Of Cinema release for 2026 brings together two great works by the master of psychological cinema Kiyoshi Kurosawa, namely 1999's Charisma and 2024's Cloud. Charisma follows an overworked police officer, who retreats to a remote forest after a failed hostage rescue leaves two people dead, only to become entangled in a dispute over a mysterious tree called Charisma. In Cloud, a disillusioned factory worker abandons his job to exploit others through online reselling. Both films make their UK debuts on home video. The release will have a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring superb new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju), plus a limited edition booklet. Disc extras include a new career-spanning interview with writer-director Kiyoshi Kurosawa and A Cerebral Cinema, a new video essay exploring the work of Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The first leg sweep of the year for our Martial Arts fans comes in the shape of 1992's King Of Beggars. Directed by Gordon Chan (Beast Cops), King Of Beggars is a comedic take on the story of famed martial artist and folk hero So Chan. It has a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork and limited edition booklet featuring new writing. Disc extras include a new interview with director Gordon Chan and a video essay. Following the success of our previous Larry Cohen release The Ambulance, we are proud to present another maverick-lensed gem with 1981's Full Moon High. It’s a loving tribute to teenage monster movies of the 1950s, a genre parody in Mel Brooks style and a political commentary on the rise and fall of the American counterculture. Available for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, the release will feature eye-catching new artwork and a limited edition, with disc extras including a newly edited, previously unseen interview with Cohen plus a video essay on teenage werewolves.”
On to February releases, and there’s more from Eureka, as outlined again by the company’s Marcus Garwood, kicking off with another from the DEFA Foundation, previous outings have been some of our favourite releases of recent times. Garwood said: “Continuing our DEFA Foundation range of film releases, we now present one of the most powerful Holocaust films ever made, Jakob the Liar. Directed for DEFA by Frank Beyer, it was the only East German film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. Starring the prolific Czech actor Vlastimil Brodsky (Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea), it follows the members of a Jewish community in German-occupied Poland. This 1974 film was a significant influence on a cycle of prestigious Holocaust films produced by Hollywood in the 1990s. The release will comprise of a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork and a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing. Disc extras include a new interview with Jewish studies scholar Sue Vice on Holocaust cinema, and a new video essay by film and literature scholar Mary Going. Next, we turn to Miyamoto Musashi— the legendary swordsman, writer, and artist and a near-mythic figure in Japan. Zen & Sword brings together all five films in this greatly accomplished samurai saga. All five films are new 4K restorations from Toei. The set will be protected by a limited edition hardcase featuring new art by John Dunn. There will also be a limited edition 100-page collector’s book. Disc extras include a new video essay on Miyamoto Musashi in history and popular culture and a new audio commentary on Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights with critic and Japanese cinema specialist Jasper Sharp.”
And we’ll end with a couple of new releases, just out is another Luc Besson title from Studiocanal, following in the wake of recent goodies from the French director. It’s his diving classic The Big Blue, long a landmark title among home entertainment film fans – its 1990s widescreen release through the long gone Fox World Cinema arm of the studio in the UK was groundbreaking in the growth of widescreen and came in a sumptuous package that pre-dated Steelbooks. Commenting on the release, Studiocanal’s Piers Slade said: “We are delighted to announce our 4K UHD Steelbook release of The Big Blue. This marks another strong release that builds on our successful previous releases of Luc Besson's films as 4K UHD Steelbooks, such as Leon, Nikita, and Subway.” Next up from the noted director is his adaptation of Dracula, currently creating something of a buzz online, available now via Signature on digital HD and due on DVD and Blu-ray on December 22.
And lastly, another title that we reckon will be in the running come awards season – the first film from actor turned director Harris Dickinson, Urchin. The film has been released on digital form Picturehouse and company’s Alice Werdine said: “We're so proud to be releasing Harris Dickinson's remarkable directorial debut URCHIN across digital platforms. It's bold and vibrant portrait of life on the margins, powered by an unforgettable performance by Frank Dillane.”
 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
Wacko…
Back in fashion again…
“ I’m Millipad, wanna play?”
Charlie XCX aiming to get you not singing the Kate Bush song
Bob’s back…
Mo Moana…
https://youtu.be/zQjHSoVCQLs Some of us can remember the VHS launch of this in the US in 1995…
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
You're on The Raygun newsletter mailing list, which has been running for eight years, because you requested it, have been recommended to us or sent us emails. You can unsubscribe at any time, if you're daft, using the link elsewhere or by emailing as below. But of course, you don't want to do that, do you? We don't share your information with anyone else, we don't like cookies and we're the good guys. We care because you do… To subscribe to The Raygun newsletter, please email info@theraygun.co.uk
with subscribe in the subject matter
To unsubscribe, email info@theraygun.co.uk with unsubscribe in the subject
line
For editorial or advertising queries, contact tim@theraygun.co.uk
The Raygun,
31 Corrib Court,
49 Crothall Close,
London N13 4BG
|
 | Powered by YMLP.com | |
| | ||