On the Basis of Sex

And another 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 9, 2019.

This week our Most Wanted list features three catalog titles from Shout Factory, two from the Criterion Collection, and four new films hitting home video for the first time. In addition, one-offs from Lionsgate and Kino Lorber, and a dip into the Warner Archive Collection for a horror classic from 1958 have our horror pants going crazy.

Home video – specifically blu-ray – is seeing for the fist time four new films from 2019. Let's kick it off with our most wanted title this week on blu-ray, The RBG origin story On the Basis of Sex that stars Felicity Jones, Sam Waterston, and Armie Hammer which is getting a blu-ray release from Universal with three very thorough special features as well. Additionally, the company is putting out on blu-ray the Robert-Zemeckis-directed drama Welcome to Marwen that stars Steve Carrell and Leslie Mann. Special features will include four featurettes and some deleted scenes.

Sony is releasing a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD edition of its Sherlock Holmes comedy called Holmes and Watson that stars John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell. Included on the disc will be an improv feature, a dozen or so featurettes, a making-of feature, and some interviews. {googleads}

And the fourth new title making its home video debut is the family adventure film A Dog's Way Home which gets a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD edition that comes with a couple of featurettes and a DIY Doggie Treats with Shelby instructional feature.

The lone title on our Most Wanted list getting the 4K Ultra HD treatment comes from Lionsgate and is the Sam Worthington thriller called Man On a Ledge that features a Dolby Vision HDR presentation of the film in addition to a featurette and a trailer.

Shout Factory gets in on the blu-ray action this week with a martial arts Hammer Horror film, a Frank Tuttle crime drama, and a 2007 Don Cheadle-led biographical drama, all of which are getting the hi-def blu-ray treatment.

Warner is reaching deep into its Archive Collection this week to bring us the 1958 Boris Karloff Frankenstein classic called Frankenstein 1970 that gets a brand new remaster and an audio commentary from film historians.

 


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

Welcome to MarwenWelcome to Marwen (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Universal Pictures

Street Date: April 9, 2019

Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Castaway) brings Welcome to Marwen, a bold, wondrous and timely film that is a miraculous true story of one broken man's fight as he discovers how artistic imagination can restore the human spirit. When a devastating attack leaves Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) shattered and without his memory, no one expected recovery. But by putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous fantasy world, where he draws strength to triumph in the real one. His astonishing art installation becomes a testament to the powerful women who support him on his journey.

Blu-ray Details:

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Marwen's Citizens
  • A Visionary Director
  • Building Marwen
  • Living Dolls

Homes & Watson Holmes & Watson (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Sony Pictures

Street Date: April 9, 2019

The stars of Step Brothers are reunited – this time playing the world's greatest detective and his loyal sidekick & biographer – as Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star as HOLMES & WATSON. Together they join forces to solve a murder at Buckingham Palace. They soon realize that they only have 5,760 minutes to solve the case, or the Queen will be next.

Blu-ray Details:

  • Line--O-Rama: Watch improv come alive as the actors embrace the Sherlock Holmes canon
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Will and John: Together Again: Nearly Step Brothers, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly possess and an incredible comedic chemistry. Watch their antics on the set of Holmes and Watson as they reminisce about their hilarious history.
  • Seriously Absurd: The Cast: Serious about the craft of acting, Rebecca Hall, Lauren Lapkus and Ralph Fiennes and Billy Zane attempt to keep straight faces working on a set with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.
  • Mrs. Hudson's Men: The world's foremost artists, scientists and authors could not resist the allure of Mrs. Hudson.

A Dog's Way HomeA Dog's Way Home (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Sony Pictures

Street Date: April 9, 2019

As a puppy, Bella finds her way into the arms of Lucas, a young man who gives her a good home. When Bella becomes separated from Lucas, she soon finds herself on an epic, 400-mile journey to reunite with her beloved owner. Along the way, the lost but spirited dog touches the lives of an orphaned mountain lion, a down-on-his-luck veteran and some friendly strangers who happen to cross her path.

Special Features:

  • DIY Doggie Treats With Shelby What animal doesn't like a special treat? With adult supervision and some help from our furry friends, we'll make a couple of tasty homemade dog treats!
  • Unforgettable Journey Join novelist W. Bruce Cameron, director Charles Martin Smith and the extraordinary cast and crew as they discuss their journey to bring Bella's heartwarming tale to the big screen.
  • Dog Days: Shelby's Production Diary Meet Shelby, the canine star of A Dog's Way Home and track her journey from being adopted from a shelter to being cast as "Bella". Follow Shelby and her trainers as she prepares for the film and join her on set as she makes her big screen debut.
  • Deleted Scenes

Stanger Than ParadiseStranger Than Paradise (blu-ray)

Criterion

Street Date: April 9, 2019

With this breakout film, Jim Jarmusch established himself as one of the most exciting voices in the burgeoning independent-film scene, a road-movie poet with an affinity for Americana at its most offbeat. Jarmusch follows rootless Hungarian émigré Willie (John Lurie), his pal Eddie (Richard Edson), and his visiting sixteen-year-old cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) as they drift from New York's Lower East Side to the snowy expanses of Lake Erie and the drab beaches of Florida, always managing to make the least of wherever they end up. Structured as a series of master-shot vignettes etched in black and white by cinematographer Tom DiCillo, Stranger Than Paradise is a nonchalant masterpiece of deadpan comedy and perfectly calibrated minimalism.

Special Features:

  • High-definition digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Permanent Vacation (1980, 75 minutes), Jarmusch's first full-length feature, presented in a high-definition digital restoration supervised by the director
  • Kino '84: Jim Jarmusch, a 1984 German television program featuring interviews with cast and crew from Stranger Than Paradise and Permanent Vacation
  • Some Days in January, 1984, a behind-the-scenes Super 8 film by Tom Jarmusch
  • U.S. and Japanese trailers
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring Jarmusch's 1984 "Some Notes on Stranger Than Paradise," critics Geoff Andrew and J. Hoberman on Stranger Than Paradise, and author and critic Luc Sante on Permanent Vacation

Night on EarthNight On Earth (Blu-ray)

Criterion

Street Date: April 9, 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

Legend of the Seven Golden VampiresThe Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (Blu-ray)

Shout Factory

Street Date: April 9, 2019

Black Belt vs. Black Magic.

Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) and Count Dracula (John Forbes-Robinson) meet again in this spectacular kung fu horror thriller set in the village of Ping Kuei. After learning about the seven golden vampires of the village, Hsi Ching (David Chiang), Vanessa Buren (Julie Ege) and Mai Kwei (Szu Shih) offer to guide Van Helsing and his son to Ping Kuei to free it from the curse of Count Dracula.

Throughout their journey, the group encounters several unwanted attackers until they arrive at the golden vampires' derelict temple, inhabited by Count Dracula. In the temple, Van Helsing and the count begin a fearsome battle to the death – an ultimate clash between good and evil! Presented here for the first time in high definition is Hammer's original uncut version. It was released in the US in an edited version called The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula which is also included here in high definition as a bonus feature.

Special Features:

  • Brand new 2K remaster of the film
  • New Audio Commentary with author/film historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck
  • New When Hammer Met Shaw – an interview with actor David Chiang
  • New Kung Fear – an interview with Hong Kong Film Expert Rick Baker
  • Alternate U.S. Theatrical version – The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula (in HD with some standard definition inserts)
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • TV Spot
  • Still Gallery

This Gun for HireThis Gun For Hire (Blu-ray Collector's Edition)

Shout Factory

Street Date: April 9, 2019 *UPDATE: (street date moved to May 14, 2019)

One of Hollywood's classic hard-boiled thrillers and a favorite of suspense film lovers, this picture marked the first hit pairing of tough guy Alan Ladd, in the role that made him an instant star, and sultry blonde bombshell Veronica Lake.

Adapted from a novel by Graham Greene, This Gun For Hire is the edgy story of love, power and betrayal set in the seamy underworld of the 1940s. Philip Raven (Ladd) is a cold-blooded professional killer who's been double-crossed by his client. Ellen (Lake) is a beautiful nightclub singer who's spying on her corrupt boss. Lt. Michael Crane (Robert Preston) is a dedicated cop who wants Ellen's love and Raven's capture. The tension mounts steadily ... and before the case is wrapped up, someone will pay with his life.

Special Features:


Cold SweatCold Sweat (Blu-ray)

Kino Lorber

Street Date: April 9, 2019

Synopsis:

An American expatriate's (Charles Bronson) wife (Liv Ullmann) and daughter are kidnapped in France by a drug smuggler (James Mason) from his past.

Special Features:

  • Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve
  • Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
  • Car Chase Theatrical Promo
  • U.S. Trailer
  • KLSC Bronson Trailers

Man on a LedgeMan on a Ledge (Blu-ray - Special Edition)

Lionsgate

Street Date: April 9, 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:

  • Dolby Vision HDR presentation of the film
  • English Dolby Atmos track
  • "The Ledge" Featurette
  • Trailer with Commentary by Elizabeth Banks

Talk to meTalk to Me (Blu-ray)

Shout Factory

Street Date: April 9, 2019

Don Cheadle (Boogie Nights, Hotel Rwanda) portrays the one and only Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene in this immensely entertaining and inspiring true story. Ex-convict Greene talks his way into an on-air radio gig with program director Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave, Doctor Strange), and his unprecedented "tell it like it is" style breaks all the rules while electrifying a city and bringing a nation together when it needs it the most. Also starring Cedric the Entertainer (Barbershop), Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures), Mike Epps (Dolemite Is My Name), and Martin Sheen (The West Wing), Talk To Me tells the extraordinary story of an outrageous and beloved voice ready to shake up the world.

Special Features:

  • “Who Is Petey Greene?” Featurette Including Interviews With The Cast And Crew
  • “Recreating P-Town” Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Theatrical Trailer

Frankenstein 1970Frankenstein 1970 (Blu-ray)

Warner Archive Collection

Street Date: April 9, 2019

Is there a doctor in the house? At the eerie House of Frankenstein, the answer is "yes" – and he's out to make right the experiment in playing God that's doomed his family for generations.

There's also a Karloff in the house, a fact that makes 1958's Frankenstein 1970 a must-see for savvy fright fans. Twenty-seven years after scaring the daylights out of everyone as the lumbering monster in Frankenstein, Boris Karloff is at the other end of the laboratory switches and gizmos. He's Dr. Victor Frankenstein, an aging, hulking shambles of dignity and menace who agrees to let a TV crew shoot a horror flick at the family castle. The crew members don't know it yet, but they're just what the doctor ordered: fresh body parts, ready for harvesting!

Special Features:

  • Brand new remaster of the film
  • Audio Commentary by Historians Charlotte Austin, Bob Burns, and Tom Weaver

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

on the basis of sexOn the Basis of Sex (Blu-ray + Digital HD)

Universal Studios

Street Date: April 9, 2019

Inspired by the incredible true story of a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jones), Participant Media's On the Basis of Sex, distributed by Focus Features, depicts a then-struggling attorney and new mother facing adversity in her fight for equal rights. When Ruth takes on a ground-breaking case, she knows the outcome could alter the courts' view of gender discrimination. Stronger together, Ruth teams up with her husband, Martin Ginsburg (Hammer), to fight for the case that catapults her to become one of the most important public figures of our time.

Special Features:

  • A Supreme Team: Making On the Basis of Sex – Pull back the curtain and see how this incredible team of collaborators brought this true story to the big screen.
  • Legacy of Justice – A deeper look at how Ruth Bader Ginsburg pioneered gender equality in America and gained her seat on the Supreme Court.
  • Martin and Ruth: A Loving Partnership – An intimate look at the symbiotic marriage between Martin and Ruth Ginsburg, and how it helped shape Ruth's perspective as a judge.