Glass

And another friendly hi-def hello to our fellow blu-ray geeks. Welcome to the weekly look at our most wanted titles coming to blu-ray and/or 4K Ultra HD for the week of April 16, 2019.

This week our Most Wanted list features three catalog titles from Shout Factory, a classic from the Criterion Collection, and two new films hitting home video for the first time. In addition, Mill Creek Entertainment hits us up with a couple of really cool catalog titles.

M. Night Shyamalan's Glass, a superhero follow-up to 1999's Unbreakable, and 2016's Split is making its way to home video for the first time in numerous formats including a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD edition, a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD edition, and a fantastic-looking Best Buy Exclusive that comes with unique packaging, 3 Collectible Character Art Cards and 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD.

Also debuting on home video this week is the Joe Cornish fantasy adventure film The Kid Who Would Be King that comes in a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD edition as well as a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD two-disc set. Both editions will feature deleted scenes, featruettes, music videos and more. {googleads}

Shout Factory continues to put out with three releases that make our list this week. The 1978 horror film The Manitou, starring Tony Curtis and Susan Strasberg is getting a brand new 4K remaster, new interviews, a new commentary and more. James Roberson's horror/thriller Superstition is also getting a blu-ray release this week from Shout Factory that features a new 2K scan for the original film elements as well as a two new interviews, one from director James Roberson, the other from actor James Houghton. The 1972 John Hays horror film Grave of the Vampire is getting a blu-ray release as well although we don't have any details about the release or its supplemental material.

Mill Creek Entertainment gets in on the hi-def action this week with a new 4K restoration of the action films Hard Ticket to Hawaii and Malibu Express. Both Andy Sidaris films come loaded with special features including behind-the-Scenes featurettes and an intro from Sidaris. The Manitou

From the Criterion Collection comes the 1964 Czech film Diamonds of the Night, based loosely on Arnošt Lustig's autobiographical novel Darkness Has No Shadow. The film gets a shiny new 4K restoration as only Criterion can do it. The release also contains a handful of interviews, featurettes, shorts and and English language translation.

Believe it or not, but it has been 35 years since the theatrical release of The Karate Kid and to commemorate the milestone, Sony is putting out a 35th Anniversary Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD edition that sports a brand new 4K restoration from the camera negative, a newly-created Dolby Atmos track, and new interviews.

From Twilight Time comes the highly-anticipated blu-ray debut of the 1980 Jonathan Demme comedy/drama Melvin and Howard that stars Paul Le Mat, Jason Robards, and Elizabeth Cheshire. This release will be limited to just 3,000 units, so get your orders in early.


Here is what is coming out on blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD This week

Karate KidThe Karate Kid (35th Anniversary Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD)

Sony Pictures

Street Date: April 16, 2019

Celebrate the 35th anniversary of the coming-of-age classic — from Academy Award®-winning director (1976, Rocky) John G. Avildsen — that will leave you cheering! There is more to karate than fighting. This is the lesson that Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a San Fernando Valley teenager, is about to learn from a most unexpected teacher: Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat " Morita in his Academy Award®-nominated performance [Best Supporting Actor, 1984]), an elderly handyman who also happens to be a master of the martial arts. His training and these vital lessons will be called into play when an outmatched Daniel faces Johnny, the skilled leader of the Cobra Kai — a vicious gang of karate school bullies — in a no-holds-barred karate tournament for the championship of the Valley.

Blu-ray Details:

  • Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative
  • Newly created Dolby Atmos track, plus original stereo and 5.1 audio mixes
  • ALL-NEW: "Remembering The Karate Kid" – featuring new interviews with Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Martin Kove (on the 4K Blu-ray disc)
  • "Blu-Pop™" Pop-Up Track – Activate the Blu-Pop feature to reveal pop-up trivia, interviews and more secrets from the film!
  • Audio Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita
  • "The Way of the Karate Kid" Multi-Part Making-of Featurette
  • "Beyond the Form" Featurette
  • "East Meets West: A Composer's Notebook"
  • "Life of Bonsai" Featurette
  • Theatrical Trailer (on the 4K Blu-ray disc)

Hard Ticket to Hawaii Hard Ticket to Hawaii (Blu-ray)

Mill Creek Entertainment

Street Date: April 16, 2019

A Hawaiian drug kingpin plans to flood the islands with narcotics all financed by illegal diamond shipments to his private retreat. When his henchmen kill two DEA agents who were trying to stop the drug lord, the Agency sends in two of its best agents to break up the drug ring and take out the leader. Starring Hope Marie Carlton, Rodrigo Obregón, Rustam Branaman, Michael A. Andrews, and Kwan Hi Lim.

Blu-ray Details:

  • Brand new 4K restoration of the film.
  • Presentation of the film in the proper widescreen ratio
  • Fully loaded with special features including Behind-the-Scenes featurettes and intro with director Andy Sidaris

Malibu ExpressMalibu Express (Blu-ray)

Mill Creek Entertainment

Street Date: April 16, 2019

What appeared to be a simple murder case for private investigator Cody Abilene becomes a complicated matter when you have to factor in all the beautiful women, including the widow, who are potential suspects. Starring Darby Hinton, Sybil Danning, Art Metrano, Shelley Taylor Morgan, and Brett Baxter Clark.

Special Features:

  • Brand new 4K restoration of the film.
  • Presentation of the film in the proper widescreen ratio
  • Fully loaded with special features including Behind-the-Scenes featurettes and intro with director Andy Sidaris

Jusice League vs The Fatal FiveJustice League vs. The Fatal Five (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)

Warner Bros.

Street Date: April 16, 2019

"Justice League vs. The Fatal Five" finds the Earth's future hanging in the balance when the Justice League faces a powerful new threat – the Fatal Five. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman seek answers as the time-traveling trio of Mano, Persuader and Tharok terrorize Metropolis in search of budding Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz – whom they need to free remaining Fatal Five members Emerald Empress and Validus in order to carry out their sinister plan. But the Justice League discover an ally from another time in the peculiar Star Boy – brimming with volatile power, could he be the key to thwarting the Fatal Five? An epic battle against ultimate evil awaits!

Special Features:

  • Dolby vision HDR presentation of the film
  • English Dolby atmos audio track
  • Battling the Invisible Menace (Featurette)– This featurette will explore the nuanced hero as many characters must deal with the everyday feelings of anxiety, depression, and other incapacitating emotions that we all must battle and overcome.
  • Justice League vs. Fatal Five: Unity of Hero (Featurette) – A look at how the pantheon of DC heroes has never been more diverse and inclusive, as writers and artists break boundaries and smash stereotypes.
  • Audio Commentary – Bruce Timm, Sam Liu, Jim Krieg and Eric Carrasco share their thoughts and insights on Justice League vs. The Fatal Five.
  • A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Batman: Hush – An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection.
  • Sneak Peek Revisited: A Preview of Justice League Dark – John Constantine leads a group of misfit characters that use magic to vanquish their opponents. This is the dark version of The Justice League taking on the malevolent forces that go beyond our plane of existence.
  • Sneak Peek Revisited: A Preview of Justice League vs. Teen Titans – A glimpse into the characters known as the Teen Titans.
  • From the DC Vault: Justice League Unlimited, "Far From Home"
  • From the DC Vault: Legion of Superheroes, "Man of Tomorrow"

Diamonds of the NightDiamonds of the Night (Blu-ray)

Criterion

Street Date: April 16, 2019

Five cities. Five taxicabs. A multitude of strangers in the night. Jim Jarmusch assembled an extraordinary international cast of actors (including Gena Rowlands, Winona Ryder, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Beatrice Dalle, and Roberto Benigni) for this quintet of transitory tales of urban displacement and existential angst, all staged as encounters between cabbies and their fares. Spanning time zones, continents, and languages, Night on Earth winds its course through scenes of uproarious comedy, nocturnal poetry, and somber fatalism, set to a moody soundtrack by Tom Waits. Jarmusch's lovingly askew view of humanity from the passenger seat makes for one of his most charming and beloved films, a freewheeling showcase for the cosmopolitan range of his imagination.

Special Features:

  • High-definition digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
  • Selected-scene commentary from 2007 featuring director of photography Frederick Elmes and location sound mixer Drew Kunin
  • Q&A with Jarmusch from 2007, in which he responds to questions sent in by fans
  • Belgian television interview with Jarmusch from 1992
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by authors and critics Thom Andersen, Paul Auster, Bernard Eisenschitz, Goffredo Fofi, and Peter von Bagh, and the lyrics to Tom Waits's original songs from the film

The ManitouThe Manitou (Blu-ray)

Shout Factory

Street Date: April 16, 2019

What surgeons thought to be a tumor growing on the neck of patient Karen Tandy (Susan Strasberg) is actually a fetus growing at an abnormally accelerated rate. But when Karen reaches out to former lover and phony psychic Harry Erskine (Tony Curtis), she discovers that she is possessed by the reincarnation of a 400-year-old Native American demon. Now with the help of a modern-day medicine man (Michael Ansara), Erskine must survive this ancient evil's rampage of shocking violence and forever destroy the enraged beast known as The Manitou.

 

Special Features:

  • Brand new 4K remaster of the film
  • New Restored Stereo Soundtrack
  • New interview with author Graham Masterson
  • New Producing Girdler – an interview with executive producer David Sheldon
  • New Audio Commentary with film historian Troy Howarth
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • TV Spots
  • Still Gallery

kid who would be kingThe Kid Who Would Be King (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD)

20th Century Fox

Street Date: April 16, 2019

Old school magic meets the modern world in the epic adventure THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING. Alex (Ashbourne Serkis) thinks he's just another nobody, until he stumbles upon the mythical Sword in the Stone, Excalibur. Now, he must unite his friends and enemies into a band of knights and, together with the legendary wizard Merlin (Stewart), take on the wicked enchantress Morgana (Ferguson). With the future at stake, Alex must become the great leader he never dreamed he could be.

Special Features:

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Origins of a King
  • Young Knights
  • Hair, Makeup & Costume Tests
  • Merlin's Magic (x4)
  • Knight School
  • The Two Merlins
  • Meet Morgana
  • Movie Magic
  • Be the King", Lay Lay Music Video

SuperstitionSuperstition (Blu-ray)

Shout Factory

Street Date: April 16, 2019

Synopsis:

Something horrible is happening at the old house on Mill Road. A series of ghastly accidents has occurred near the site where a witch drowned centuries earlier. But when an alcoholic minister and his family move into the cursed residence, an idealistic young priest (James Houghton) and a cynical police detective (Albert Salmi) start their own investigation into the unexplained violence. Has the daughter of Satan returned for a rampage of vengeance? Will the laws of the Church be strong enough to cast out this demon? And if evil has truly found a new home, is the entire neighborhood headed straight to hell?

Special Features:

  • NEW 2K Scan From The Original Film Elements
  • NEW That Crazy Witchcraft – An Interview With Director James Roberson
  • NEW Lake Of Fire – An Interview With Actor James Houghton
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Original TV Spot

Melvin and HowardMelvin and Howard (Blu-ray - Special Edition)

Twilight Time Movies

Street Date: April 16, 2019

Synopsis: The story of two people who got married, met and then fell in love. Green Card lights up the screen with its irresistible charm, lighthearted humor and critical acclaim. The fun starts when two strangers, Andie MacDowell (Unstrung Heroes) and Gérard Depardieu (My Father the Hero), agree to a marriage of convenience—thinking it's going to be hassle-free. She'll get to live in the apartment of her dreams; he'll get a "green card" to live in the U.S. But before they know it, the two opposites encounter far more difficulties than most married couples could ever imagine—and worse yet, this mismatched twosome just might be falling in love.

Special Features:


grave of the vampireGrave of the Vampire (Blu-ray)

Shout Factory

Street Date: April 16, 2019

The vampire Caleb Croft has awakened from his unholy slumber — with an insatiable lust for blood and the pleasures of the flesh. A brutal attack on a pair of lovers allows for his desire to be temporarily fulfilled ... but his unspeakable acts leave the woman pregnant with his child. Ignoring all advice, she gives birth to the progeny of their unwanted union: James — who will only drink blood from his mother's breast. As James matures, he learns of his father's true nature, and sets out to destroy him.

Special Features:


Bend of the RiverBend of the River (Blu-ray)

Kino Lorber

Street Date: April 16, 2019

Reformed outlaw Glyn McLyntock (James Stewart) has become a guide for farmers headed to Oregon. When he rescues thief Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy) from execution, Cole joins him on the journey. Once the settlers arrive, they discover that a trader who was supposed to send them provisions is now trying to scam them. After McLyntock and Cole travel to Portland to forcibly retrieve the supplies, Cole betrays McLyntock and steals the goods himself. McLyntock pursues, ready for battle.

Special Features:

  • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Toby Roan
  • Theatrical Trailer

And now for our MOST WANTED ON BLU-RAY AND 4K for the week of March 12, 2019

GlassGlass (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD)

Universal Studios

Street Date: April 16, 2019

GLASS features "Shyamalan's eccentric, intimately scaled superhero universe" (Manohla Dargis, The New York Times), while offering a closer look at the world of the Elijah Price, also known as Mr. Glass (Jackson), David Dunn (Willis), and Kevin Wendell Crumb (McAvoy) as they experience a series of escalating encounters as they escape from an asylum and embark on a thrilling battle of good versus evil. Producers M. Night Shyamalan, Jason Blum (Get Out, Halloween), Marc Bienstock (Before I Fall), Ashwin Rajan (Devil, The Visit) and executive producer Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity series) reunite with GLASS for "one of the most original comic book movies in recent years" (Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment).

Special Features:

The Collection of Main Characters - A look at all the main players and how they fit in the universe created by filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.

David Dunn
Elijah Price
Kevin Wendell Crumb
The Rest of the Family

  • Bringing the Team Back Together - M. Night Shyamalan is famous for working with many of the same crew from film to film. In this piece, cast and crew share personal stories of why Shyamalan's productions feel like seeing family again.
  • David Dunn vs. The Beast - An in-depth look at the animalistic face-off between David Dunn and The Beast
  • Glass Decoded - M. Night Shyamalan unveils some secrets of continuity and style from across the Glass trilogy
  • Breaking Glass: The Stunts - The superhuman strength of The Beast is best illustrated in the stunts. Take a behind the scenes look into the very effective methods of executing stunts in the film.
  • Connecting the Glass Universe - Explore M. Night Shyamalan's stylistic approach to the Glass trilogy and the unconventional concept of a comic book movie grounded in reality.
  • M. Night Shyamalan: Behind the Lens - Cast and crew discuss Shyamalan's dedicated and meticulous approach to storytelling.
  • The Sound of Glass - Composer West Dylan Thordson elaborates on his use of string instruments to create tension, and explains why recording the score on-location enhanced the tone of Glass.
  • Enhancing the Spectacle - The VFX team provides details on the rewarding task of using CGI as an effective tool to intensify the narrative of Glass.
  • Raven Hill Memorial - Roam the long corridors of Raven Hill Memorial Hospital and see why the cast and crew describe the eerie location as its own character in the film.
  • Night Vision - A look at the early stages of Glass by examining the storyboards and their remarkable similarity to the final shots in the film.

EXCLUSIVE 4K BLU-RAY/BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

  • Alternate Opening - Introduction by director M. Night Shyamalan available
  • Deleted Scenes - Introductions by director M. Night Shyamalan available
  • A Conversation with James McAvoy and M. Night Shyamalan - Star James McAvoy and Producer/Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan discuss the importance of originality when creating a film in this genre.