Anchor Bay finds a home for LION (review)

The Academy Award-nominated Australian film LION tells the true story of Saroo Brierley, a young boy who grew up Indian but was separated from his family when he boarded a decomissioned train that took him sixteen hundred miles from home.  Adopted by an Australian couple, Saroo grew up in Tasmania only to begin an obsessive and emotionally wrenching journey to find his birth mother twenty years later.  Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, and Nicole Kidman star.

REVIEW LINK: Anchor Bay (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

LION Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 widescreen
• English and French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Optional English SDH, French SDH, and Spanish subtitles
• "Never Give Up" Music Video by Sia
• Behind the Scenes Interview Gallery
• Deleted Scenes

Anchor Bay spouts BLUNT TALK: SEASON 1 (review)

Patrick Stewart stars in this Starz series as outspoken talk show host Walter Blunt who must starts to reassess his life and his goals while trying to rehabilitate his professional reputation after being busted for drunk driving, assaulting an officer, and soliciting a prostitute.  After a near-death experience, Walter resolves to be a better father to his audience and his children but soon discovers that his dysfunctional staff is in just as much need of paternal guidance.

REVIEW LINK: Starz/Anchor Bay (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDCompare)

BLUNT TALK SEASON 1 DVD specs:

• Ten episodes on two dual-layer discs
• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
• Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles
• Featurettes:
• "Inside the World of BLUNT TALK"
• "First Look"
• "Meet the Newsroom"
• "Walter & Harry"

Anchor Bay investigates THE DYATLOV PASS INCIDENT (review)

In CLIFFHANGER director Renny Harlin's stab at the "found footage" genre, a team of Oregon university filmmakers travel to Russia's Ural Mountains to investigate "The Dyatlov Pass Incident" in which a group of nine hikers died mysteriously in 1959 in on the "Mountain of the Dead" (with theories ranging from radiation poisoning to hypothermia to the Yeti or aliens).  The team of filmmakers of course ignore the bad omens and find themselves being stalked by someone or something.


REVIEW LINK: Anchor Bay (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDBeaver)

THE DYATLOV PASS INCIDENT DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo
• Behind the Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

Anchor Bay rates on THE AGGRESSION SCALE (review)

TWIN PEAKS' Ray Wise and Dana Ashbrook reunite in this violent HOME ALONE meets RAMBO thriller.  Wise plays a crime boss facing conviction for murder who has forty-eight hours to skip the country; however, fifty-thousand dollars of his ill-gotten gains have vanished while he was in jail and he sends his hitman on a kill list to eliminate anyone who might have taken the money.  They work their way down the list towards accountant Bill, his new wife Maggie, her sullen daughter Lauren, and his seemingly autistic teenage son Owen.  This last job seems like it should be the easiest, but the hitman don't realize is that young Owen is severely emotionally disturbed - scoring 99.5 on the aggression scale (used for measuring aggressive behavior with the potential to cause physical or psychological harm to others) - he has a special hatred of bullies of any kind.

REVIEW LINK: Anchor Bay (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDBeaver)

THE AGGRESSION SCALE DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.80:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo

Dolph Lundgren runs a PENTATHLON for Anchor Bay UK (review)

In PENTATHLON, action star Dolph Lundgren plays Eric Broger, an East German Olympic athlete who is injured while escaping to America.  His life falls apart in the land of opportunity and he is soon flipping burgers.  With the encouragement of his boss, he starts training again to compete for the Pentathlon for America this time.  Unfortunately, his former German coach (David Soul) is now a Neo-Nazi planning an explosive surprise for a world peace rally, and he wants his former student to be his special guest.  Lundgren's version of ROCKY, this film went straight to video in the US and the UK, but it really is an entertaining combination of real drama, action, and some intentional (and unintentional) comedy.

REVIEW LINK: Anchor Bay (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDBeaver)

PENTATHLON DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo
• Theatrical Trailer

Arrow Video parties with DEMONS 2 (review)

The DEMONS have escaped from the theater and into your home entertainment set in Arrow Video's DEMONS 2.  Seemingly attracted by Sally's rocking birthday party, a demon from a TV documentary on the events of the first film escapes the television set and infects the residents of a high-tech apartment building, trapping the human residents with a horde of monsters out for blood.  Asia Argento, Coralina Cataldi Tassoni, and Bobby Rhodes star.  Music by Simon Boswell, The Smiths, Peter Murphy, Art of Noise, Dead Can Dance, Love and Rockets, and many more!

REVIEW LINK: Arrow Video (UK) Region B Blu-Ray (DVDBeaver)

DEMONS 2 Blu-Ray specs:

• 16:9 widescreen 1.66:1 AVC 1080P 23.976
• English LPCM and Italian LPCM audio
• Optional English subtitles
• The audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Mechanical Creations & Transformation Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
• Creating Creature Carnage: Extensive Interview with makeup man Sergio Stivaletti
• Bava to Bava: Luigi Cozzi tracks the history of the Italian horror film; from Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava to the end of the golden age with Michele Soavi and Lamberto Bava as well as considering recent Italian horror films
• Four option reversible sleeve with original poster and video artwork with additional fifth artwork panel featuring all-new Jeff Zornow artwork

More Arrow Video reviews at Update the Tags: Arrow Video.

Arrow Video dances with DEMONS (review)

DEMONS burst through the theater screen into your home entertainment unit in Arrow Video's Blu-Ray (and Blu-Ray steelbook) edition.  I've covered Anchor Bay's two DVD releases and supplied comparison captures for the Blu-Ray review below:

REVIEW LINK: Anchor Bay (US) Region 0 NTSC vs Anchor Bay 16X9 (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD vs Arrow Video (UK) Region FREE Blu-Ray (DVDBeaver)

DEMONS Blu-Ray specs:

• 1080P AVC-encoded 1.66:1 widescreen
• English LPCM mono and Italian LPCM mono*
• Optional English HoH subtitles and English subtitles for the Italian track
• Audio Commentary by Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, and journalist Loris Curci
• Audio Commentary by Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, and Geretta Geretta
• Dario's Demonic Origins: Interview with Dario Argento
• Defining an Era in Music: Interview with Claudio Simonetti
• Luigi Cozzi's Top Italian Terrors: Interview with Luigi Cozzi
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Collector’s Booklet featuring brand new writing on Demons by Calum Wadell
• Collector’s Comic: ‘Demons 3’ Part 1 of 2! Not 'The Ogre'. Not 'The Church'. Not even 'Black Demons'! For the first time ever, Arrow Video presents an original sequel to the cult classics.

*DEMONS was mixed in Dolby Stereo (left, center, right, mono rear surround), but Arrow have utilized mono tracks (see Cult Labs' thread on the film for explanations).

More Arrow Video reviews at Update the Tags: Arrow Video.

THE HILLS HAVE EYES on BluRay (review)

Wes Craven's cannibal cult classic THE HILLS HAVE EYES (the original, not the crappy remake) hits Blu-Ray courtesy of Image Entertainment (and their deal with Lakeshore Entertainment) this September 6.  A family traveling through the desert in search of a silver mine becomes stranded and are attacked by a family of cannibals.  Dee Wallace (THE HOWLING), Robert Houston (CHEERLEADERS WILD WEEKEND), Janus Blythe (EATEN ALIVE), and Michael Berryman (CUT AND RUN) - in his iconic role - star.  You'll find a comparison between the new Blu-Ray transfer and the Anchor Bay special edition at the link below.

REVIEW LINK: Image Entertainment (USA) Region A Blu-Ray vs Anchor Bay (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

THE HILLS HAVE EYES Blu-Ray specs:

• 1080P widescreen 1.85:1 transfer
• English DTS-MA 6.1 audio and LPCM 2.0 original mono audio
• Audio Commentary by director Wes Craven and producer Peter Locke
• "Looking Back at THE HILLS HAVE EYES" documentary with Craven, Locke, actors Dee Wallace, Susan Lanier, Janus Blythe, Michael Berryman, Robert Houston, and cinematographer Eric Saarinen
• The Directors: Wes Craven - hour-long AFI special on Craven's career
• Restoration Demo
• US and German Trailers
• US and UK TV spots
• Alternate Ending
• Wes Craven Bio

RELATED LINK: Update the Tags: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Image Entertainment brings HELLRAISER back to Blu-Ray (review)

Ashley Laurence (WARLOCK III) and Andrew Robinson (DIRTY HARRY) star in one of the iconic horror hits of the eighties: Clive Barker's HELLRAISER, out on Blu-Ray through Image Entertainment on September 6.  You can read a review and see image comparisons with Anchor Bay's THX DVD special edition at the review link below:

REVIEW LINK: Image Entertainment (USA) Region A Blu-Ray vs Anchor Bay (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

HELLRAISER Blu-Ray specs:

• 1080P 1.85:1 widescreen transfer
• English DTS Master Audio 5.1 audio
• Theatrical Trailer

RELATED LINK: Update the Tags: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND from Arrow Video (reviewed/compared)

I've reviewed Arrow's check disc of THE BEYOND for DVDBeaver.  It is already known that the HD master provided to Arrow featured the opening sequence incorrectly in black and white (it was shot in color and processed in a yellowish sepia look as seen on all previous releases other than the full color German prints).  Arrow has already issued a statement promising to look into this, so the DVDBeaver comparison with the Anchor Bay disc should be considered somewhat of a placeholder review as we are not certain whether Arrow will reassess the transfer of the rest of the film or just the opening.

REVIEW LINK: THE BEYOND (Arrow Video [UK] Region 0 PAL vs Anchor Bay [US] Region 1 NTSC DVD) at DVDBeaver

RELATED POST: Update the Tags: Arrow Video

THE BEYOND Arrow DVD specs:

• HD-mastered 16:9 anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 transfer
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 (DTS-MA on BluRay), English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• English subtitles for English audio, English subtitles for Italian audio
• Audio Commentary by David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl
• Audio Commentary by Antonella Fulci, moderated by Callum Waddel
• Q&A with Catriona MacColl
• Interview with Cinzea Monreale
• Interview with Terry Levene (US distributor of THE BEYOND under the title 7 DOORS OF DEATH)
• Interview with Catriona MacColl
• Interview with Giannetto de Rossi
• Fulci Flashbacks featuring camerman Roberto Forges Davanzati, Daria Nicolodi, Dario Argento, Antonella Fulci, Giannetto de Rossi, and Sergio Stivaletti
• Alternate Color Precredits Sequence
• International Theatrical Trailer
• Easter Egg

UK DVD:
More Arrow Video reviews at Update the Tags: Arrow Video.

US DVD:

Anchor Bay's BLACK DVD reviewed

Anchor Bay UK is putting out Pierre Laffargue's French retro-blaxploitation pic BLACK on February 14 in the UK on Region 2 DVD and Region B Blu-Ray.  Rapper MC Jean Gab'1 and his crew flee France for Dakar to plan a heist of diamonds from an ill-secured bank, but they're not the only ones who want them.  Arms dealer Degrand (Francois Levantal) and mercenary Viktor (Anton Yakovlev) are also planning a heist of their own, and new bank director Miss Gaye (Carole Karemera) is more than she seems.  Also, let's not forget Degrand's deadly witch-doctor mistress and her army of machete-wielding body-builders.  BLACK is an entertaining flick full of fast action, mystical weirdness, and a fantastic soundtrack.

REVIEW LINK: BLACK Anchor Bay (UK) R2 DVD at DVDBeaver.

DVD Specs:
16:9 anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen transfer
French Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo audio
Optional English subtitles
Teaser Trailer

EDIT: originally the heading was "Anchor Bay's BLACK DVD reviewed/compared," but that was a mistake.  It is just a review of the UK DVD (that's what happens when you are working on about 10 different draft posts at the same time).

Anchor Bay Blu-Ray I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE reviewed/compared

I contributed the SD caps (from the Elite Entertainment R1 Millenium Edition DVD) and the film review portion of DVDBeaver's review/comparison of Anchor Bay's Region A Blu-Ray of Mier Zarchi's I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE with Camille Keaton (WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE?).

You can find the review at DVDBeaver.

BLACK on Blu-Ray and DVD from Anchor Bay UK

On February 14, Anchor Bay UK will release Pierre Laffargue's French ode to American Blaxploitation BLACK on Region 2 PAL DVD and Region B Blu-Ray.  Rapper MC Jean Gab'1 (DISTRICT 13) and Carole Karemera (SOMETIMES IN APRIL) are among the desperate characters who have heard about an ill-secured cache of diamonds in a bank in Dakar. Francois Levantal (LA HAINE) and Anton Yakovlev (LORNA'S SILENCE) also star.

REVIEW LINK: BLACK Anchor Bay (UK) R2 DVD at DVDBeaver.

AMER hits DVD and Blu-Ray from Anchor Bay UK

On January 31, Hélène Cattet's and Bruno Forzani's arthouse hit AMER hits Region 2 PAL DVD and Region B Blu-Ray in the UK courtesy of Anchor Bay.  Winner of the New Visions Award at Sitges International Film Festival and the Public’s Choice Award at Montreal Festival of New Cinema among others, AMER is the story (told in three parts) of a girl's growing sexual awareness and the resulting Freudian nightmare of sexual obsession and murder.  Cassandra Forêt, Charlotte Eugène-Guibeaud, and Marie Bos play the lead character Ana at various stages of her life. Scored with classic library tracks from the giallo works of Bruno Nicolai (including his memorable main title theme to Sergio Martino's THE CASE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL), Ennio Morricone, Adriano Celentano, and Stelvio Cipriani, AMER isn't technically a giallo; rather, it is informed by the visual motifs of the genre and its master craftsmen.  Extras include 4 short films by Carret and Forzani.

"Anchor Bay UK" releases at my Amazon aStore.