Tag: Classic Film

William Castle, Samuel Fuller and Hammer Collections Headed to DVD Sept. 27 From Mill Creek

Three collections of classic films — the William Castle Adventures Collection, the Samuel Fuller Collection and the Hammer Films 12-Movie Collection — are being released on DVD Sept. 27 from Mill Creek Entertainment and Distribution Solutions.

The William Castle Adventures Collection includes four 1950s titles from director William Castle: Serpent of the Nile (1953), about the romance of Antony and Cleopatra; Charge of the Lancers (1954), set during the Crimean war and starring Paulette Goddard; The Iron Glove (1954), a story about the English throne starring Robert Stack; and The Saracen Blade (1954), set in 15th century Italy and starring Ricardo Montalban.

The Samuel Fuller Collection includes Power of the Press (1943), about the murder of a newspaper publisher during World War II (written by Fuller); Scandal Sheet (1952), about a murderous newspaper editor (based on a novel by Fuller); The Crimson Kimono (1959), about two detectives seeking a stripper’s killer in the Japanese quarter of Los Angeles (written and directed by Fuller); and Underworld U.S.A. (1961), about a teenager who vows revenge against the mobsters that murdered his father (written and directed by Fuller).

The Hammer Films 12-Movie Collection includes a dozen classic horror films: The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), The Gorgon (1964), The Snorkel (1958), Never Take Candy From a Stranger (1960), The Old Dark House (1963), Scream of Fear (1961), Stop Me Before I Kill! (1961), Die! Die! My Darling (1965), The Stranglers of Bombay (1960), The Terror of the Tongs (1961) and The Pirates of Blood River (1962).

1930s Joan Crawford Classic ‘Rain’ Due on DVD and Blu-ray Sept. 27 From VCI and MVD

The 1932 Joan Crawford drama Rain, celebrating its 90th anniversary, will be released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD Sept. 27 from VCI Entertainment and MVD Entertainment Group.

The release features a new 4K restoration produced from the original, uncut 94-minute version.

Rain — a classic that caused controversy when first released — portrays W. Somerset Maugham’s powerful story of Sadie Thompson and is perhaps the most celebrated version. It vividly captures the lives of several very different human beings, thrown together on Pago Pago during a fierce monsoon. Crawford is the cynical prostitute, and Walter Huston is the minister who tries to reform her.

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Special features include a commentary track by Mick LaSalle, writer for the San Francisco Chronicle and noted film historian; a commentary track by Richard Barrios, writer, historian and commentator; a liner note booklet written by Marc Wannamaker, writer and film historian; the  original theatrical trailer; a poster and photo gallery; a period appropriate Betty Boop cartoon and newsreel; and the alternate 76-minute “cut version” of the 1938 Atlantic Reissue for comparison.

1960s Sci-Fi Classic ‘Battle of the Worlds’ Headed to Blu-ray and DVD Aug. 9

Cinedigm’s The Film Detective, the classic film restoration and streaming company, will release the 1960s sci-fi classic Battle of the Worlds on special-edition Blu-ray and DVD Aug. 9.

In the 1961 film, a runaway asteroid dubbed “The Outsider” mysteriously begins orbiting the Earth and threatens it with lethal flying saucers. Filmed in Italy at the height of the country’s sci-fi craze, this independent classic stars Claude Rains (Casablanca, The Invisible Man, Notorious), Bill Carter, Umberto Orsini, Maya Brent, Jaqueline Derval and Renzo Palmer with cinematography by Marcello Masciocchi.

Director Antonio Margheriti’s thriller comes ripe from the period of such Italian filmmakers as Sergio Leone, Mario Bava and Dario Argento.

The release is presented from a 4K scan of an original 35mm archival print.

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Bonus features include an original essay by author Don Stradley, “Margheriti’s World”; a full-length commentary track by film historian Justin Humphreys; a new original production, A Cinematic Outsider: The Fantastical Worlds of Antonio Margheriti, by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures; and an insert with a special surprise for TFD fans.

Classic ‘Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm’ to Be Released on Blu-ray March 29 From Warner Archive

The classic 1962 film The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm will debut as a two-disc special edition Blu-ray on March 29 from the Warner Archive Collection.

The film is restored in 4K (3840 x 2160) master files from 6K files of original Cinerama Camera Negatives, with the most advanced technology available used by Cinerama Restorationists David Strohmaier and Tom H. March, to eliminate the “join lines” that plagued traditional release prints, and early video format releases. The Cinerama 7-channel sound has also been restored for a new 5.1 mix.
 
The release will include an eight-page booklet that is a partial replica of the original souvenir program sold in theaters during the film’s original theatrical roadshow engagements and will be available at $24.98 at the Warner Archive store on Amazon.com or at online retailers where Blu-ray discs are sold. 

The film tells the story behind the brothers who created the beloved fairy tales that bear their name, with reenactments of three of their fairy tale stories. It follows the brothers’ long struggle for recognition and the sacrifices they and their families made to achieve their goals. Between dreamer Wilhelm (Laurence Harvey) and practical Jacob (Karl Boehm), some marvelous fairy tales develop. In “The Dancing Princess,” a princess (Yvette Mimieux) falls in love with a charming woodsman (Russ Tamblyn). In “The Cobbler and the Elves,” a Christmas miracle of dedicated labor helps the cobbler out when he most needs it. And in the last story, a fire-breathing dragon threatens the kingdom until a lowly servant (Buddy Hackett) saves the day.

Shot on location in West Germany, the production features Puppetoons, a technique developed by Oscar-winning special effects expert George Pal.

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Viewers can watch the film either in a traditional letterbox format, or in the Smilebox format, which attempts to re-create the immersive Cinerama experience with a simulated curve to the screen. Both versions bring together the three original Cinerama panels with virtually no trace of the lines that joined them together when originally projected in theaters back in 1962.

Cinerama restorationists David Strohmaier and Tom March and Decurion Corp. (parent company of Cinerama Inc.) partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.to bring the project to fruition.

Special features include “Rescuing a Fantasy Classic-Documentary,” “The Epic Art of The Brothers Grimm,” “The Wonderful Career of George Pal” and trailers.

1936 Musical ‘Dancing Pirate’ Due on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 22 From Film Detective

The 1936 musical Dancing Pirate will be released on special-edition Blu-ray and DVD Feb. 22 from Cinedigm and The Film Detective.

Billed as the first ever 100% Technicolor dancing musical, Dancing Pirate stars Charles Collins as a dance teacher from Boston who is tricked into joining a band of pirates, leading him to be fitted for a noose in California. He catches a break when the mayor’s daughter demands the hanging be postponed until he teaches her to waltz.

Dancing Pirate earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Dance Direction. The film features many familiar faces from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz) as the mayor, Steffi Duna (Waterloo Bridge) as his dancing daughter and Rita Hayworth (Gilda) in an early performance as a specialty dancer.

The special-edition release features a new restoration from original 35mm archival material with a new 4K scan.

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“We are delighted to release our first Blu-ray from the recent acquisition of the late Alexander Kogan’s Film’s Around the World Library,” Phil Hopkins, president of The Film Detective, said in a statement. “This particular title was his prized possession, obtained from the famous film collector Wade Williams more than a decade ago. This important piece of film history is finally getting the proper attention it deserves.”

Bonus features include audio commentary and an original insert essay from author Jennifer Churchill; “Glorious Pioneers: The Birth of Technicolor,” an interview with author/historian David Pierce; and “Ambushed by Mediocrity: Remembering the Dancing Pirate,” an interview with film producer/historian Michael Schlesinger.

Classic Jazz Biopic ‘The Fabulous Dorseys’ Due on Blu-ray and DVD Dec. 14

The Fabulous Dorseys (1947), starring  jazz giants Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, will be released on special-edition Blu-ray and DVD Dec. 14 from Cinedigm and The Film Detective (TFD), the classic film restoration and streaming company.

The Dorsey Brothers portray themselves in the musical biography, following Tommy and Jimmy from their upbringing in Pennsylvania to their great successes in the music business. Director Alfred E. Green (The Jolson Story) uses the film as a showcase for the tunes that charmed a generation, including “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” and “Tangerine.”

Janet Blair (My Sister Eileen) appears with the Dorseys, while jazz buffs will enjoy cameos by Paul Whiteman, Helen O’Connell and other stars of the day. The film’s highlight is a jam session featuring the Dorseys and piano legend Art Tatum.

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The Fabulous Dorseys special-edition release comes with a new restoration of the film, featuring a 4K transfer from archival film elements.

Special features include a full commentary track by author Jennifer Churchill; The Fabulous Forties: Big Bands on Screen, a new documentary from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures; and “The Dorseys in Film,” an original insert essay by author Don Stradley. 

Fellini Classic ‘La Dolce Vita’ Headed to Blu-ray With New Intro by Martin Scorsese

Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini’s 1960 classic La Dolce Vita will be released on Blu-ray Feb. 8 by Paramount Home Entertainment with a new introduction by director Martin Scorsese, who shares his thoughts on the film and its impact on cinema.

Both a critique of the culture of stardom and a look at the darkness beneath the seductive lifestyles of Rome’s rich, La Dolce Vita follows a notorious celebrity journalist over one crazy week. It stars Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée and Yvonne Furneaux.

The film was restored in 2011 by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in association with The Film Foundation, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia-Cineteca Nazionale, Pathé, Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé, Mediaset-Medusa, Paramount Pictures and Cinecittà Luce.

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‘Guns of Navarone’ Shooting to 4K Ultra HD Nov. 2 for 60th Anniversary

The 1961 Oscar-lauded war film The Guns of Navarone will come out on 4K Ultra HD Nov. 2 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for its 60th anniversary.

In the film, Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn star as a team of Allied military specialists recruited for a dangerous but imperative mission: to infiltrate a Nazi-occupied fortress and disable two long-range field guns so that 2,000 trapped British soldiers may be rescued. Faced with an unforgiving sea voyage, hazardous terrain and the possibility of a traitor among them, the team must overcome the impossible without losing their own lives.

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Adapted by screenwriter Carl Foreman from Alistair MacLean’s best-selling novel, The Guns of Navarone was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and won for Best Special Effects (1961).

Update (9/10/21): Date changed from Oct. 12 to Nov. 2.

Audrey Hepburn Seven-Film Collection Coming to Blu-ray Oct. 5

The Audrey Hepburn 7-Movie Collection will come out on Blu-ray Disc Oct. 5 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which was originally released on Oct. 5, 1961, this collection includes Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Funny Face, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Paris When It Sizzles, War and Peace and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The collection also includes access to digital copies of each film and legacy bonus content.

Based on Truman Capote’s best-selling novella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s made an indelible impact on movies, fashion and society. In director Blake Edwards’ timeless classic, Hepburn’s New York party girl Holly Golightly embarks on an entertaining, comedic adventure to find love in the big city.

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Winner of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, My Fair Lady also won the Best Picture — Musical/Comedy Golden Globe and was selected for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. Adapted from the Broadway stage hit, the film stars Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins, a role that earned him the Oscar for Best Actor, and Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle.

Set against the backdrop of the timeless City of Lights, Funny Face stars Hepburn as a bookstore clerk turned modeling sensation and Fred Astaire as the photographer who discovers her. Funny Face was the only pairing of the two stars and remains a love letter to Paris in the 1950s.

Humphrey Bogart and William Holden are the mega-rich Larrabee brothers of Long Island, New York in Sabrina. They have little in common, except that they’ve both taken notice of a beautiful, sophisticated young woman, possessing a delightful zest for living, suddenly in their midst — Sabrina Fairchild (Hepburn).

Hepburn lights up the screen in her first starring role opposite the charismatic Gregory Peck in the romantic comedy Roman Holiday. Ranked as the No. 4 greatest love story of all time by the American Film Institute, it earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Best Actress award for Hepburn, Best Costume Design for legendary designer Edith Head and Best Writing for Dalton Trumbo (whose family accepted the trophy decades later as he was blacklisted at the time and couldn’t take credit for writing the movie).

Hepburn reunites with William Holden in the romantic comedy Paris When It Sizzles, making its Blu-ray debut. Hepburn is Gabrielle Simpson, the captivating young assistant to screenwriter Richard Benson (Holden), who has three days to finish his movie. Together, they write and revise a romance/mystery as they envision themselves in the lead roles.

Tolstoy’s literary masterpiece War and Peace comes to life in this epic of international conflict, spectacular adventure, gripping intrigue and tragic romance set against the sweeping backdrop of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. Directed by King Vidor, the film stars Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer.

80-Year-Old ‘Wizard of Oz’ Gets Makeover for 4K

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment hosted a presentation on the studio lot Oct. 28 to talk about the restoration of The Wizard of Oz for the 4K UHD release. The studio went back to the three-strip Technicolor negative to restore the film in 8K, 16 bit resolution for the film’s 80th anniversary release.  The classic debuts Oct. 29 on 4K UHD with HDR, including Dolby Vision, on Blu-ray Disc and digital.