Kino Lorber Studio Classics

[dwk]

Yeah, didn't think anyone here had much interest in that title.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I was expecting them to drop Hard Eight when they announced it was coming from a scan of the original camera negative. Aren't all the digital copies of PTA films from an interpositive? I think he doesn't want the sharpness of a negative scan and would rather the digital version look closer to a theatrical print. It seemed like the type of project where he'd step in and stop it.

[beamish14]

I was expecting them to drop Hard Eight when they announced it was coming from a scan of the original camera negative. Aren't all the digital copies of PTA films from an interpositive? I think he doesn't want the sharpness of a negative scan and would rather the digital version look closer to a theatrical print. It seemed like the type of project where he'd step in and stop it.

Very interesting. Lynn Ramsay is the opposite-she’s adamant about using scans from the OCN

[captveg]

More OOP based on previously being in the "While Supplies Last" sale and now no longer appearing on the website:

Beach Red (1967)
The Hills Run Red (1966)
They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) / The Organization (1971)

[dwk]

The Insider confirmed they've dropped Hard Eight

Tarzi confirmed they are releasing Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja and Ninja III: The Domination on UHD.

Here are the specs for Convoy
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
• Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master by StudioCanal – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
• NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell
• Audio Commentary by Sam Peckinpah Historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and Nick Redman
• Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Peckinpah Scholar Mike Siegel
• 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
• Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
• Optional English Subtitles

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
• Brand New HD Master by StudioCanal – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
• NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell
• Audio Commentary by Sam Peckinpah Historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and Nick Redman
• Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Peckinpah Scholar Mike Siegel
• Sam’s Trucker Movie: 2013 Documentary - Revised in 2024 (70:44)
• The Lost Convoy: 2024 Video Essay by Mike Siegel
• Three Lost Scenes: Deleted Scenes Illustrated with Rare Photos (5:53)
• Injokes, Friends & Cameos: 2013 Featurette (6:05)
• Trucker Notes from Norway: 2013 Interview with Norwegian Trucker Expert Anders Loefaldli (3:19)
• The Duck Trucks: 2024 Featurette (8:34)
• Promoting Convoy: International Posters & Lobby Cards (9:49)
• Convoy in Color: A Selection of 125 Color Stills (11:03)
• Filming Convoy 1: A Rare Selection of 360 Production Stills (10:32)
• Filming Convoy 2: A Rare Selection of 360 Production Stills (11:06)
• Filming Convoy 3: A Rare Selection of 360 Production Stills (11:18)
• Theatrical Trailer Widescreen (3:47)
• TV Spot (1:07)
• 6 Radio Spots (3:32)
• 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
• Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
• Optional English Subtitles

[dwk]

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!
Brand New HD Master – From a 2K Scan of InterPositive!

THE SEVEN MAGNIFICENT GLADIATORS (1983) Starring Lou Ferrigno, Sybil Danning, Brad Harris, Dan Vadis & Carla Ferrigno – Shot by Silvano Ippoliti (Caligula) – Produced by Menahem Golan/Yoram Globus (Enter the Ninja) – Written by Claudio Fragasso (Monster Dog) – Directed by Bruno Mattei (Strike Commando).

[dwk]

Coming Soon on 4KUHD!
Brand New HDR/DV Master!

DEATH WISH 3 (1985) Starring Charles Bronson, Deborah Raffin, Ed Lauter, Martin Balsam, Gavan O’Herlihy, Alex Winter & Ricco Ross – Shot by John Stanier (Rambo III) – Music by Jimmy Page (Death Wish II) – Produced by Menahem Golan/Yoram Globus (Murphy’s Law) – Screenplay by Don Jakoby (Blue Thunder) – Directed by Michael Winner (Chato’s Land, The Mechanic, The Stone Killer, Death Wish, Death Wish II).

[JSC]

Oh, yay. Now we can see all the carnage in glorious 4K. See attached from RedLetterMedia
(warning: NSFW!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRAT1-c7q98

[TVC15]

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!
2021 4K Restoration by StudioCanal!
A Man Called Rocca (1961) Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Christine Kaufmann, Béatrice Altariba & Michel Constantin – Shot by Ghislain Cloquet (Love and Death, Tess) – Written by Jean Becker & José Giovanni (Le Trou, Classe Tous Risques) – Directed by Jean Becker (Backfire!, One Deadly Summer)

[domino harvey]

Interesting choice, I wouldn’t have predicted this one

Un nommé La Rocca (Jean Becker 1961)
Jean-Paul Belmondo avenges his friend’s wrongful imprisonment by making increasingly poor choices. This is an odd film. For the first thirty minutes or so I thought I’d discovered a little gem of a movie, as Belmondo inserts himself into the criminal underworld and the film gives us an obvious riff on Melville while still offering up a compelling tone throughout. This storyline comes to a head with the unforgettable image of four burly American deserters roaming the actual streets of bad neighborhoods with the camera and bright lights framing them as even more alien-looking. Their plan to shake-down club owners comes to an impasse in what will be the first of several bad and illogical moves in the film. The film then changes gears into three (!) different successive movies, each less interesting than the last (and one poorly cribbed straight from Ten Seconds to Hell). There is something telling about the way the film refuses to criticize Belmondo for the lousy returns on his violent bravura, and a better film would have highlighted with a critical eye how, in direct opposition to the norm in this genre, his use of violence consistently makes things worse. But this film isn’t interested in much of anything. I enjoyed the junior Becker’s next film, Echappement libre (1964), which also starred Belmondo and repaired him with Jean Seberg, much more (even if it isn't much more than a breezy lark), but this is a mess, albeit one with a compelling first act.

More in the morning , but I took Belmondo's failure to be a deliberate criticism of that sort of character and really enjoyed the film as a look at what is wrong with that sort of character even as it doesn't offer much direct criticism. The film is plainly playing with the talented improviser archetype and how that just can't succeed long term. Right from the second scene he is just improvising how to get revenge without any clear destination for success. It does work for a while, but the film in my opinion wisely realizes he can't sustain that. Finally with the Americans his improvisation goes wrong albeit due to the flaw of his backup. From there he comes up with idea after idea with some succeeding but most not. That's why I liked the Reed aping ending so much. Everyone here is genuinely awful except for one character who is no longer part of the picture. In contrast to Cotton Belmondo seems to realize this has all been for nought, but also doesn't know how to validate himself. There is nothing to improvise so he ceases to be while Xavier is still stuck where he was unchangable.

I don't know, I see where you're coming from and certainly agree with your conclusions as far as Belmondo's worthlessness as an improv-er, but I'm unconvinced the film agrees with us. I also see no responsibility or awareness from Belmondo about anything he does wrong-- he even blames his pal for his own behavior in the final shootout. I also think the film is just broadly dumb in a lot of ways, like

SpoilerShow

Why would the trustee not tell someone that Belmondo and then his pal has a shiv? Is it because there's a no snitching culture in-play? If so, why doesn't the film give us even one easy line to explain this? It's just lazy. Why does the pal insist on hopping on a mine during his lunch break? If it's inner turmoil, perhaps indicating it through anything other than close-ups of a sweaty brow while working? And that finale with the pal robbing a rich dude is just stupid, and not in a believable, "Here's a dumb guy making a poor decision," but audience insultingly stupid-- no character has ever been this dumb. I'm reminded of Kim Morgan's comments on one of those Video Nasties comps that the antagonists of the film in question were so stupid that if the protagonist hadn't taken them out, they probably would have died thirty minutes later on their own!

[TVC15]

Coming Soon on 4KUHD!
Brand New HDR/DV Master!
NACHO LIBRE (2006) Starring Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera, Héctor Jiménez & Cesar Gonzalez – Shot by John Stanier (Rambo III) – Music by Xavier Grobet (Deadwood) – Music by Danny Elfman (Beetlejuice) – Written by Jared & Jerusha Hess (Gentlemen Broncos) & Mike White (School of Rock) – Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite).

[dwk]

Today's announcement

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!

Vultures (1984) Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Michel Constantin & Jacques Villeret – Music by Georges Delerue (A Little Romance) – Shot by Edmond Séchan (The Red Balloon) – Written by Michel Audiard (Any Number Can Win) – Directed by Henri Verneuil (The Sicilian Clan, The Night Caller).

And August's release schedule

August 5th
Convoy (1978) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master (3-Disc Set)
​
August 12th
Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXVI [Dr. Broadway (1942) | Smooth as Silk (1946) | The Great Gatsby (1949)] NEW HD Masters – 4K Scans
The Great Gatsby (1949) NEW HD Master – 4K Scan
Sylvia Sidney Pre-Code Double Feature [Confessions of a Co-Ed (1931) | Ladies of the Big House (1931)] NEW HD Masters – 4K Scans
Save the Tiger (1973) NEW HD Master – 4K Scan
Huckleberry Finn (1931) NEW HD Master – 4K Scan
​
August 19th
Xanadu (1980) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master
Gung Ho! (1986) NEW HD Master – 4K Scan
Coneheads (1993) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master
Happy Gilmore (1996) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master
The Farmer's Daughter (1940) NEW HD Master – 4K Scan
Repossessed (1990)
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse (1972) Kino Cult #34
​
August 26th
Lords of Discipline (1983) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master
The Two Jakes (1990) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master
Undisputed (2002) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master
The Rundown (2003) 4KUHD NEW HDR/DV Master
Smoke | Blue in the Face (1995) NEW HD Masters – 4K Scans (Standalone and Double Feature Releases)
Frankenstein's Bloody Terror 3-D (1968) Kino Cult #35
BD only Release (2006) - To be Announced on Memorial Day

[DeprongMori]

Glad I held off from importing Convoy. It’s one of the few Peckinpah films I haven’t yet seen. Eventually we should be seeing a major restoration of The Wild Bunch, maybe even before its 60th anniversary.

Looking forward to KL’s releases of Save the Tiger (hoping they licensed the commentary from Avildsen and Shagan from the DVD), and the Wang/Auster collabs Smoke / Blue in the Face. Curious about the 1949 The Great Gatsby.

[domino harvey]

Is that Sidney double feature a new announcement? I don’t remember hearing about it

[dwk]

Looking at the Blu-ray.com forum and it seems they mentioned the Sylvia Sidney double feature back in December.

[beamish14]

Glad I held off from importing Convoy. It’s one of the few Peckinpah films I haven’t yet seen. Eventually we should be seeing a major restoration of The Wild Bunch, maybe even before its 60th anniversary.

Looking forward to KL’s releases of Save the Tiger (hoping they licensed the commentary from Avildsen and Shagan from the DVD), and the Wang/Auster collabs Smoke / Blue in the Face. Curious about the 1949 The Great Gatsby.

Convoy is hysterical. Much better than those Burt Reynolds/Hal Needham car comedies of the same period. Ernest Borginine is ridiculously over-the-top

[nicolas]

OOP update from the KLI:

As everyone can see, lots of the titles originally listed in the WSL list, ended up being renewed. We were originally only renewing 21 titles, out of 99, now 73.

To be renewed (Blu-ray only):

SpoilerShow

Angel
Appaloosa, The
Art Of Love, The (DVD will go OOP)
Beau Geste
Bend of the River - New edition confirmed
Black Windmill, The (DVD will go OOP)
Blue Collar
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
Border, The
Brick
Brink's Job, The
Broken Flowers
Canyon Passage
Cat and the Canary, The
Chamber, The
Charley Varrick (DVD will go OOP)
Christmas in July
Clockers
Cobra Woman
Crooklyn
Death Takes a Holiday
Dr. Cyclops
Easy Living
Far From Heaven
Female on the Beach
Ffolkes
Five Graves to Cairo
Foreign Affair, A
Front Page, The
Ghost Breakers, The
Gingerbread Man, The
Good Fairy, The
Great McGinty, The
Groundstar Conspiracy, The (DVD will go OOP)
Ice Harvest, The
Interpreter, The
Jungle Fever
Kiss The Blood Off My Hands
Land Unknown, The
Lives Of A Bengal Lancer, The
Lost Weekend, The
Love Me Tonight
Madigan
Man in the Shadow, The
Man Without a Star
Midnight Lace
Midnight Man (DVD will go OOP)
Mirage
Mo' Better Blues
Murder, He Says
Newman's Law (DVD will go OOP)
Night Passage
Nude Bomb, The
Rare Breed, The
Real McCoy, The
Reap the Wild Wind
Return of the Musketeers, The
Road to Morocco
Road to Singapore
Road to Utopia
Road to Zanzibar
Stick
Supernatural
Sweet Charity
Tarnished Angels, The
Taza, Son Of Cochise
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here
They Might Be Giants
Thirst
Tobruk
Ulzana's Raid
War Lord, The
Wings of the Hawk (DVD will go OOP)

Not renewed:

SpoilerShow

BLINDFOLD
CHAMPAGNE MURDERS, THE
DESERT FURY
FLAME OF NEW ORLEANS, THE
FOXFIRE
GENERAL DIES AT DAWN, THE
HEARTBEEPS
HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES
ICEMAN
LEGAL EAGLES
LET’S KILL UNCLE
LOST HIGHWAY – Expired a few years ago
MAD DOG AND GLORY
MADAME X
NAKED ALIBI
P.J.
PITTSBURGH
PORTRAIT IN BLACK
SECRET CEREMONY
SECRET WAYS, THE
SONG OF SONGS, THE
SPOILERS, THE
STING II
STRANGE DOOR, THE
THUNDER BAY
WOMAN IN HIDING

I’m somewhat surprised that Criterion didn’t snag the Spike Lee films.

[jt938]

Coming Soon on 4KUHD!
Brand New HDR/DV Master!
THE MECHANIC (1972) Starring Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Keenan Wynn & Jill Ireland – Shot by Richard H. Kline (Mr. Majestyk) & Robert Paynter (Scorpio) – Music by Jerry Fielding (The Wild Bunch) – Written by Lewis John Carlino (Seconds) – Directed by Michael Winner (Chato’s Land, The Stone Killer, Death Wish I, II & III).

I understand he sells well, but I honestly can't stand Bronson as an actor.

[dwk]

Coming August 26th on Blu-ray!
Limited Edition Release!
Scoop (2006) Starring Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, Scarlet Johansson & Ian McShane – Shot by Remi Adefarasin (Elizabeth) – Written & Directed by Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona).

The Kino Insider confirmed that this is a limited edition because the rights are expiring soon.

[jt938]

Glad we're getting some Woody Allen.

[therewillbeblus]

Yes, keep 'em coming! Though for those who want to own Scoop, Match Point and Cassandra's Dream together, there are Spanish and French blu-ray packages available

[dwk]

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!
2019 4K Restoration by StudioCanal!

Birds of Prey (1968) Starring Lino Ventura, Rosa Furman, Aurora Clavel & Xavier Marc – Music by François de Roubaix (Le Samouraï) – Shot by Pierre Petit (La seconde vérité) – Written & Directed by José Giovanni (Classe tous risques, Last Known Address).

[domino harvey]

Why are they licensing all these Giovanni movies?

[fdm]

I think it's more a prolonged push for more Belmondo, more Delon, more Ventura, and maybe a couple others like that by some posters over at blu-ray.com. Similar thing with Bronson.

[jt938]

Coming Soon on 4KUHD!

HARDWARE (1990) Starring Dylan McDermott, Stacey Travis, John Lynch, Iggy Pop, Lemmy & William Hootkins – Music by Simon Boswell (Shallow Grave) – Written by Lewis John Carlino (Seconds) – Directed by Richard Stanley (Dust Devil, Color Out of Space).