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 May 7, 2019.
After a slow couple of weeks on the blu-ray front, the industry storms back with a week for the ages as five highly desirable films are getting 4K UHD and blu-ray releases with one of those topping the list of our Most Wanted on blu-ray and 4K this week.
First on our list this week comes from Sony who are revisiting the war classic Black Hawk Down with several editions that will features a brand new 4K transfer with HDR of the theatrical and extended versions of the film approved by Ridley Scott. And if that weren't enough, the release comes with new English Dolby Atmos track for both versions. About time! There are several other editions including a 4K Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook.
We're not done with the '90s as Paramount Pictures begins its quarter-century celebration of the Tom Hanks classic Forrest Gump with a 25th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy edition. The company will also make available a Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook edition. {googleads}
One of Ron Howard's most beloved films, Backdraft, is also getting an invite to the 4K UHD party courtesy of Universal Studios who are giving us a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD release of the Kurt Russell classic. The film has been out on blu-ray in many editions through the years, but this new 4K edition features a new HDR presentation of the film plus an English DTS: X immersive audio track. Won't this be fun?
One new film coming to 4K UHD is from Warner Bros. who give us The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part in a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD, a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD and Best Buy and Target Exclusive editions.
Another new film, the Nicholas McCarthy horror film The Prodigy is getting a Blu-ray + DVD release that will feature and audio commentary from the director as well a couple of promotional featurettes and a stills gallery.
Peter Jackson's WW1 documentary They Shall Not Grow Old is getting a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy release while the Ethan Hawke music biopic Blaze is getting the blu-ray treatment from Shout Factory.
Re-emerging from relative obscurity is the Don Bluth animated classic An American Tail which is getting a single-disc blu-ray edition. This makes us keep our fingers crossed for an eventual revisit to An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.
The new Taraji P. Henson / Tracy Morgan film, What Men Want is also getting some hi-def love with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy edition from Paramount Pictures.
And finally, Kino Lorber gets in on the party with a blu-ray edition of the Roger Moore psychological thriller classic The Man Who Haunted Himself which features an audio commentary with star Roger Moore and uncredited writer/producer Bryan Forbes and moderated by journalist Jonathan Sothcott and a featurette called Masters of Horror Joe Dante and Stuart Gordon on "The Man Who Haunted Himself".
Here is what is coming out on blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD This week
Black Hawk Down (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Sony Pictures
Street Date: May 7, 2019
From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (The Martian) and renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pearl Harbor) comes the gripping true story about bravery, camaraderie and the complex reality of war.
Black Hawk Down stars an exceptional cast including Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Eric Bana. In 1993, an elite group of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are sent to Somalia on a critical mission to capture a violent warlord whose corrupt regime has led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. When the mission goes quickly and terribly wrong, the men find themselves outnumbered and literally fighting for their lives.
Blu-ray Details:
- Brand new 4K transfers with HDR presentation of the theatrical and extended versions of the film approved by Ridley Scott
- New English Dolby Atmos tracks for both versions
- Audio Commentary by Director / Producer Ridley Scott & Producer Jerry Bruckheimer
- Audio Commentary by Author Mark Bowden & Screenwriter Ken Nolan
- Audio Commentary by Task Force Ranger Veterans
- "The Essence of Combat: Making Black Hawk Down" Documentary
- The History Channel® Presents: "The True Story of Black Hawk Down"
- PBS Presents: "Frontline: Ambush in Mogadishu"
- 8 Deleted & Alternate Scenes with Optional Commentary
- "Designing Mogadishu" Featurette
- Production Design Archive
- Storyboards with Optional Commentary
- Ridleygrams with Optional Commentary
- Target Building Insertion: Multi-Angle Sequence with Optional Commentary
- Q&A Forums: BAFTA. Motion Picture Editor's Guild & American Cinematheque
- Jerry Bruckheimer's BHD Photo Album
- Title Design Explorations with Optional Commentary
- "Gortoz A Ran – J'Attends" Music Video performed by Denez Prigent & Lisa Gerrard
- Photo Galleries
- Theatrical Poster Concepts
- Trailer & TV Spots
Forrest Gump (25th Anniversary / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
Paramount Pictures
Street Date: May 7, 2019
Tom Hanks gives an astonishing performance as Forrest, an everyman whose simple innocence comes to embody a generation. Alongside his mamma (Sally Field), his best friend Bubba (Mykelti Williamson), and his favorite girl Jenny (Robin Wright), Forrest has a ringside seat for the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century.
- Audio Commentary with Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey and Rick Carter
- Audio Commentary with Wendy Finerman
- Musical Signposts to History
- Greenbow Diary
- The Art of Screenplay Adaptation
- Getting Past Impossible – Forrest Gump And The Visual Effects Revolution
- Little Forrest
- An Evening With Forrest Gump
- The Magic of Makeup
- Through The Ears of Forrest Gump – Sound Design
- Building The World Of Gump-Production Design
- Seeing Is Believing – The Visual Effects Of Forrest Gump
- Screen Tests
The Prodigy (Blu-ray + DVD)
MGM
Street Date: May 7, 2019
In her much-anticipated foray into the horror-thriller genre, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Taylor Schilling stars in THE PRODIGY as Sarah, a mother whose young son Miles' disturbing behavior signals that an evil, possibly supernatural force has overtaken him. Fearing for her family's safety, Sarah must choose between her maternal instinct to love and protect Miles and a desperate need to investigate what -- or who -- is causing his dark turn. She is forced to look for answers in the past, taking the audience on a wild ride; one where the line between perception and reality becomes frighteningly blurry.
- Audio Commentary by Director Nicholas McCarthy
- Promotional Featurettes
- Gallery
The Man Who Haunted Himself (Blu-ray)
Kino Lorber
Street Date: May 7, 2019
Harold Pelham, a partner in a large electronics firm, finds himself in bewildering circumstances after recovering from a near-fatal car accident. Why do friends and colleagues repeatedly sight him in places he has never been? Does Pelham really have a doppelganger – or is he losing his mind?
- Audio Commentary with star Roger Moore and uncredited writer/producer Bryan Forbes moderated by journalist Jonathan Sothcott
- Masters of Horror Joe Dante and Stuart Gordon on "The Man Who Haunted Himself"
- Theatrical Trailer
HellBoy II: The Golden Army (Blu-ray)
Universal Studios
Street Date: May 7, 2019
The fate of mankind hangs in the balance in Hellboy II: The Golden Army when a ruthless prince awakens an unstoppable army of creatures and wages war with the human world. It's up to Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his team of paranormal outcasts to face off with the forces of darkness in the ultimate battle of good versus evil! Prepare to be taken by the visionary director of The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro) into a fantastical world with imaginative creatures and thrilling fight sequences unlike anything you've ever seen before!
- Feature Commentary with Director Guillermo del Toro
- Feature Commentary with Cast Members Jeffrey Tambor, Selma Blair & Luke Gross
- Troll Market Tour with Guillermo del Toro
- Production Workshop
- Zinco Epilogue Animated Comic
- Comic Book Builder
- Gallery
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director Guillermo del Toro
- U-Control
Backdraft (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD)
Universal Studios
Street Date: May 7, 2019
Kurt Russell and William Baldwin star as two feuding siblings carrying on a heroic family tradition as Chicago firefighters. When a puzzling series of arson attacks is reported, they are forced to set aside their differences to solve the mystery surrounding these explosive crimes. Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland and Robert De Niro also star in this critically acclaimed suspense story that features Academy Award-nominated visual effects and sound with some of the most awe-inspiring fire sequences ever filmed.
Special Features:
- HDR presentation of the film
- English DTS: X Immersive audio track
- Ron Howard Introduction
- Deleted Scenes
- Igniting the Story
- Bringing Together The Team
- The Explosive Stunts
- Creating the Villain: The Fire
- Real-Life Firemen, Real-Life Stories
- Theatrical Trailers
- My Scenes
They Shall Not Grow Old (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)
Warner Bros.
Street Date: May 7, 2019
Using state of the art technology to restore original archival footage which is more than a 100-years old, Jackson brings to life the people who can best tell this story: the men who were there. Driven by a personal interest in the First World War, Jackson set out to bring to life the day-to-day experience of its soldiers. After months immersed in the BBC and Imperial War Museums’ archives, narratives and strategies on how to tell this story began to emerge for Jackson. Using the voices of the men involved, the film explores the reality of war on the front line; their attitudes to the conflict; how they ate; slept and formed friendships, as well what their lives were like away from the trenches during their periods of downtime.
Jackson and his team have used cutting edge techniques to make the images of a hundred years ago appear as if they were shot yesterday. The transformation from black and white footage to colourised footage can be seen throughout the film revealing never before seen details. Reaching into the mists of time, Jackson aims to give these men voices, investigate the hopes and fears of the veterans, the humility and humanity that represented a generation changed forever by a global war.
What Men Want (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)
Paramount Pictures
Street Date: May 7, 2019
Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is a successful sports agent who's constantly boxed out by her male colleagues. After a wild night out with her girls, she mysteriously gains the ability to hear men's thoughts. With her newfound power, Ali looks to outsmart her colleagues as she races to sign the next basketball superstar, but the lengths she has to go to will put her relationship with her best friends and new love interest to the test. The film also stars Aldis Hodge, Richard Roundtree, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Erykah Badu, Max Greenfield, and Tracy Morgan
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with director Adam Shankman
- Deleted & Extended Scenes with introduction by director Adam Shankman
- Gag Reel with introduction by director Adam Shankman
- The Dream Team — Meet the wildly funny cast and crew as they take you behind-the-scenes of their comedic hijinks.
- Flipping the Narrative — Discover how What Men Want flips the script on what women must do to succeed in a man's world.
- What DO Men Want? — Laugh along with the cast and crew as they get one step closer to understanding what's on men's minds.
- Poker Night — Pull up a chair for one of the most epic poker nights imaginable.
- Ali + Athletes — Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) pulls out all the stops for her clients. Check out some hilarious cameos from superstar athletes.
- Sister Spills the Tea infomercial — You have questions, Sister has the answers! Watch music icon Erykah Badu play the hysterically eccentric psychic as she spills the tea on her mystical powers.
Blaze (Blu-ray)
Shout Factory
Street Date: May 7, 2019
Directed, co-written, and produced by Ethan Hawke, Blaze is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley (Ben Dickey), the unsung songwriting legend of the outlaw music movement that gave the world the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three different periods of time, elegantly braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze's past, present, and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat); his last, dark night on Earth; and the impact his music had on his fans, friends, and foes. Featuring unforgettable performances and stylish direction, Blaze is a glorious exploration of the profound highs and lows of Foley's life.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Director Ethan Hawke
- Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
- Trailer
Broken Flowers (Blu-ray)
Kino Lorber
Street Date: May 7, 2019
When a mysterious pink letter informs Don Johnston that he may have a 19-year-old son, he visits four former lovers, where he comes face to face with the errors of his past and the possibilities of the future.
- "Girl on the Bus" Extended Scene
- Start to Finish: Outtakes
- Farmhouse – Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
- 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo
An American Tail (Blu-ray)
Universal Studios
Street Date: May 7, 2019
An American Tail is a beautifully rendered animated flim that tells an overly familiar story in terms children can easily understand. Fievel Mousekewitz and his family of Russian-Jewish mice escape from their homeland in the late 1800s, boarding a boat headed toward America to evade the Czarist rule of the Russian cats. Fievel, however, is separated from his family upon his arrival in New York City, and he discovers to his horror that there are cats in America too (his father said there weren't). Fievel meets his share of friendly and hostile mice, and he eventually befriends a cat as well. Former Disney animator Don Bluth co-produced and directed this often heartwarming yarn, the first animated feature presented by Steven Spielberg, and it has its charms despite a number of cliché situations.
Special Features:
And now for our MOST WANTED ON BLU-RAY AND 4K for the week of May 7, 2019
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD)
Warner Bros.
Street Date: May 7, 2019
It's been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are now facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than it can be rebuilt. The battle to defeat the invaders and restore harmony to the LEGO universe will take Emmet (Chris Pratt), Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett) and their friends to faraway, unexplored worlds, including a galaxy filled with fantastic planets, strange characters and catchy new songs. It will test their courage, creativity and Master Building skills, and reveal just how special they really are.
Special Features:
- Everything is Awesome Sing-along – Sing-along, trivia, games and more!
- Commentary – Fun behind the scenes commentary by filmmakers
- They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2 – Featurette highlighting A-list voice talent including Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Tiffany Haddish
- Emmet's Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short – Holiday themed animated short
- LEGO Sets in Action – Animations of the LEGO product tied to The LEGO Movie 2
- LEGO Designers – LEGO toy designers highlight key play sets in TLM2 product line
- Outtakes & Deleted Scenes – Never before seen scenes
- Super Cool Music Video – Music video by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island
- Promotion Spots – Fun custom spots featured during the theatrical campaign
