Eureka's Masters of Cinema discovers CECILE IS DEAD (review)

Georges Simenon's famous detective Maigret initially dismisses the uncertain fears of a spinster about nightly visitations to the apartment of her invalid aunt by someone who takes nothing but leaves signs of their presence until the young woman's name appears in conjunction with the discovery of a headless corpse in this thriller produced in France under German occupation starring Albert Prejean as Maigret and directed by Maurice Tourneur.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka (U.K.) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

CECILE IS DEAD Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• French LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by crime cinema expert Sergio Angelini, host of the "Tipping My Fedora" podcast
• "Maigret and His Continental Films" 2015 introduction to the film by Christine Leteux, author of "Maurice Tourneur: réalisateur sans frontières"
• "My Friend Maigret" 2026 discussion of Inspector Maigret from page to screen with film historian Martin Hall
• The first 2,000 copies come with a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Sean Phillips and a booklet featuring new writing on Cécile is Dead and adaptations of French literature under German occupation by Andrew Watts. 

Second Sight samples THE DEVIL'S CANDY (review)

A metal head artist and his family move into a remote Texas farmhouse and into the path of a Satanic serial killer turning victims into THE DEVIL'S CANDY.  From the director of THE LOVED ONES and DANGEROUS ANIMALS.

REVIEW LINK: Second Sight (U.K.) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE DEVIL'S CANDY 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray Combo specs:

• 2160p24 HEVC 2.40:1 Dolby Vision 4K UltraHD and 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 SDR Widescreen Blu-ray Discs
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by director Sean Byrne
• "Into the Fire" interview with director Sean Byrne 
• "Those Fragile Things" interview with actor Ethan Embry 
• "Devil in the Details" interview with director of photography Simon Chapman 
• "The Cutting Room" interview with editor Andy Canny 
• "A Big Step Forward" interview with production designer Tom Hammock 
• "Behind the Scenes: VFX" 
• Sean Byrne's Short films:
• "Advantage Satan"
• "Work?"
• Comes in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Huan Do, a 120-page book with new essays by Anton Bitel, Reyna Cervantes, Becca Johnson, Joe Lipsett, Mary Beth McAndrews and Zoe Rose Smith, and six collectors' art cards. 

Acorn solves murder with HARRY WILD: SERIES 4 (review)

Retired literary professor turned private detective Harry Wild and her teenage partner Fergus investigate more bizarre murders behind the backs of her police superintendent son and his boss in series four of the Acorn cozy mystery series starring Jane Seymour.

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (U.K.) Region 0 PAL DVD (DVDCompare)

HARRY WILD Series 4 DVD specs:

• Eight episodes on two dual-layer DVDs
• 16:9 Anamorphic 2.00:1 Widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English HoH Subtitles
• Behind the Scenes 

Cult Epics explores the world of GIRLS in 4K (review)

Just Jaeckin tries to escape the shadow of EMMANUELLE and THE STORY OF O with a wholesome look into the complicated lives of French teenagers in the disco-era GIRLS as they deal with boyfriends, pranks, school, career ambitions, parents, and the pill.  Featuring a score by Eric Stewart of 10cc including the band's hit "I'm Not in Love".  Starring Anne Parilaud (LA FEMME NIKITA) and Isabelle Mejias (JULIE DARLING).

REVIEW LINK: Cult Epics (U.S.) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

GIRLS 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• DISC ONE (4K UltraHD):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (HDR10)
• French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian Jeremy Richey 
• DISC TWO (Blu-ray):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian Jeremy Richey
• "Who Was Just Jaeckin?" visual essay by film historian Jeremy Richey
• Last Interview with director Just Jaeckin from 2022
• Interview with actress Isabelle Mejias
• 1980 TF1 television interview with director Just Jaeckin, and actresses Anne Parrilaud, Zoé Chaveau, and Charlotte Walior
• "GIRLS: The German Cut" alternate scenes from the West German version
• Bonus Trailers 
• Comes with a reversible cover.
• The first pressing includes a slipcover. 

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Unearthed Films hears the voices of THE UGLY (review)

Summoned to do an independent assessment of a serial killer, psychologist Karen Schumaker tries to get to the truth behind the crimes of charming Simon Cartwright and the delusion or supernatural force he calls THE UGLY in this nineties film festival favorite from New Zealand.

REVIEW LINK: Unearthed Films (U.S.) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE UGLY Blu-ray specs: 

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English and English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by actors Rebecca Hobbs and Paolo Rotondo, moderated by Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson
• 1997 New Zealand Radio Interview with writer/director Scott Reynolds
• Scott Reynolds Short Films:
• Theatrical Trailer (in 2.0 stereo and 4.0)
• Photo Gallery
• Visual Essay by Howard S. Berger
• Reversible Cover
• Five-page booklet by Jason Jenkins
• The first pressing includes a slipcover.

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88 Films gets sucked into ARCADE (review)

In this Full Moon production from producer Charles Band and director Albert Pyun, a gang of teenagers are the test subjects for the new virtual reality game ARCADE that is able to react like a living being and change its strategy.  When members of the group start to literally disappear into the game, they must learn how to beat ARCADE which has learned how to play outside the virtual world.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (U.K.) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

ARCADE Blu-ray specs:

• 1080i60 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by producer Charles Band and actress Megan Ward
• Audio Commentary by associate producer Daniel Schweiger
• Audio Commentary by film journalists Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz
• The Game Master" interview with actor John de Lancie
• "See You on the Other Side" interview with actor Jonathan Fuller
• "Kiss Reality Goodbye" interview with associate producer Daniel Schweiger
• "Virtual Worlds: Filming ARCADE" interview with cinematographer George Mooradian
• "Into the Machine: Scoring ARCADE" interview with composer Alan Howarth
• Videozone Making-of
• Proof of Concept Trailer with Audio Commentary by associate producer Daniel Schweiger
• Remastered Trailer
• The first pressing includes a rigid slipcase designed by Joel Robinson and a double-sided foldout poster.

88 Films fights beside HEROES TWO (review)

Chen Kuan-Tai and Alexander Fu Sheng play two famous heroes out to fight corruption and oppression in HEROES TWO, the first of Chang Cheh's Shaolin cycle.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (U.K.) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

HEROES TWO Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin and English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Optional "Three Styles of Hung Fist" Short Film Introduction
• Mandarin and English Versions of the original and newly-created "Three Styles of Hung Fist" introduction
• Audio Commentary by film historian David West
• Audio Commentary by New York Asian Film Festival's Frank Djeng and martial arts scholar Blade Po
• Audio Commentary by Asian film historian Linn Hayes 
• Tony Rayns on HEROES TWO"
• "Made to Be a Hero" interview with actor Chen Kuan Tai
• Textless Credits Sequence
• Original Chinese Credits
• Original English Credits
• Image Galllery
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• English Export Trailer
• German Theatrical Trailer
• The first pressing includes a slipcover with artwork by "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien, a double-sided poster, and a booklet with notes by Johnny Burnett, Karl Newton, and "'Kung Fu Bob presents 'Animal Styles'", the first instalment of an ongoing series.