THE EPITAPH VOL. 101 - BACK-TO-SCHOOL MEGA-SIZED EDITION!
LORD OF THE RINGS: ANIMATED (1978) - SINNERS (2025) - HIGH SOCIETY (1956) - FALLOUT: SEASON ONE (2025) - GET CARTER (1971) - LOONEY TUNES PLATINUM COLLECTION VOL. 1 - TROY (2004) - ULTIMATE GANGSTERS COLLECTION (1931-1949) - FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES (2025)
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LORD OF THE RINGS: ANIMATED (1978)Label: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG
Duration: 133 Minutes 40 Minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Ralph Bakshi
Cast: Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt, Anthony Daniels
Ralph Bakshi's literal adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, has remerged on Blu-ray from Warner Bros., this is just a reissue of the OOP 2010 Blu-ray release, no new restoration, now new extras, but it does have that entertaining 30-min Bakshi career retrospective, so that's cool. I am an unabashed Bakshi fan, and this was my introduction to the lore of Tolkien's classic tales, and it has stuck with me, deeply through the years. I remember watching in elementary school as a kid, it was right before summer recess and they gathered us in a half circle on the auditorium floor while they rolled that TV/VCR cart setups that I think all school had in the 80s, and I was transfixed by it. How's it hold up these days? Well, this is an unrestored HD transfer, a real warts and all with plenty of specks and debris to it, but the colors looks pretty solid Having grown up on Bakshi's signature rotoscope animation, basically animators tracing over live-action images, still entrances me, sometimes it;s fluid, other times a bit rough, but I still dig. Also, the solarization of live-action footage certainly is wonkier than I recall, looking pretty dingy to be sure. The character designs are perhaps the biggest issue I had in insight, watching it as an adult. Golem looks atrocious, and the Balrog cannot help but look underwhelming considering what Peter Jackson brought to the big screen years later, but it still has a cool late 70's doom metal album, cover vibe, and I still am charmed by the look of Ring Wraiths and the somewhat silly looking Orcs what with their fangs, but I still get a nostalgic chill up my spine when I see them, they scared be as a kid for sure. While I am disappointed we do not have a fully restored version of this film the Blu-ray is a sight better than the previous DVD, the image is more stable if not perfection, and the upgraded TrueHD audio is a plus.
Special Features:
- "Forging Through The Darkness" (30:25)
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SINNERS (2025)
Label: WBDHE
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 137 Minutes 36 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160p HD Widescreen (2.76:1 & 1.78:1)
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo
Watching Sinners (2025) at the cinema without even having seen a trailer previously was one of the best movie-going experiences I had this year, I did not know what to expect, Ryan Coogler's period bloodsucker flicks is set n the South in the 30's, WW I veterans Smoke and Stack Moore (both played by Michael B. Jordan, with the help of some terrific digital magic) return to their hometown having acquired a large amount of cash and alcohol after working for Chicago mob. With the help of their blues-singer/sharecropper cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), Chinese immigrant shopkeepers, and some other locals to open a juke joint in an converted sawmill. Opening night at the juke goes off like fireworks, plenty of locals in attendance, that is until they encounter a group of undead bloodsuckers lead by Irish-immigrant vampire Remmick (Jack O'Connell, Eden Lake) and his hive-mind collective of turned vampires, who arrive and throw a wrench n the works. Cooglers film is fast-moving and well-executed, the vibe here is Django by way of From Dusk Till Dawn, with a nice homage to The Thing thrown in. Standout scenes include the musical performance of Sammie, Delta Slim, and Pearline, it's so deeply spiritual it summons ghosts from the past and future, which is also what attracts the vampires initially. The finale is a blast, after repelling the vampire siege at the juke joint we get another terrifically bloody scene as one of the Smoke Stack twins vanquishes another kind of evil, the fukcing local face of the Klan. This is quite a picture, the period elements are wonderful, the vampire lore is sinister and strangely inviting, and the horror and action is finely honed, it's one of those movie that when it ends, even after two plus hours, you just want more, and they do give us a further taste with a fun stinger at the end featuring blues legend Buddy Guy! The 4K presentation is top-notch, Dolby Vision and Atmos for the win, and we get over two hours of extras, a slipcover, and a digital copy of the film.
Special Features:
- Dancing with the Devil: The Making of “Sinners” – featurette (32:39) - Journey with director Ryan Coogler as he makes his most personal and powerful film yet. Featuring Michael B. Jordan and an all-star cast, filmed on location in IMAX, “Sinners” is an original genre-bending experience unlike any other.
- Thicker than Blood: Becoming the Smokestack Twins – featurette (10:47) - Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler take us through the development, creation and portrayal of the Smokestack Twins, revealing how make-up, costumes, and visual effects come together to support these seamless performances.
- Blues in the Night: The Music of “Sinners” – featurette (13:47)
Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson explores the musical landscape of Sinners, including the iconic sounds of the Delta Blues, and the creation and recording of the unique and inspired performances written for the film.
- Spirits in the Deep South – featurette (78:00) Prof. Yvonne Chireau explores the backdrop of Hoodoo in the deep south and how its beliefs and traditions in spirituality, ancestors, the hereafter, and defense against evil inform the world and characters of “Sinners.”
- The Wages of Sin: The Creature FX of “Sinners” – featurette (10:53)
Creature Makeup FX Designer Mike Fontaine reveals the secrets behind the supernatural horrors that terrorize the Juke, Ryan Coogler’s fresh take on vampires, and the various gore and blood effects used throughout the film.
- Deleted Scenes (18:32)
Includes deleted and/or extended scenes for a more immersive experience.
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HIGH SOCIETY (1956)
Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 111 Minutes 34 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 and DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono Original Theatrical Audio
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Charles Walter
Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong
This rom-com starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra is an elegant confection indeed, a delightfully charming but fo farce about the wedding of wealthy socialite Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly, Rear Window, in her final film role) who is about to be married to snobbish well-to-do George Kittredge (John Lund, The Wackiest Ship in the Army). Through the machinations of the script her ex-husband, jazz musician C. K. Dexter Haven (Bing Crosby, The Bells of St. Mary's) is in town for the Newport jazz Festival and is a constant presence during the wedding preparations. Also present are Spy Magazine tabloid reporter Mike Connor (Frank Sinatra, The Manchurian Candidate) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm, All About Eve), who have dirt on her estranged father and have basically blackmailed their way into covering the nuptials. What transpires is just a wonderful rom-com full of farce and joy, and some wonderful musical numbers by Cole Porter naturally, not only do we have Bing Crosby and crooner Frank Sinatra singing, but we have jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong! As the wedding day inches closer Tracy wonders if she's making a mistake, and she clearly still has chemistry with her ex, as well as with reporter Mike Connors! The comedic interactions are wonderful, and Celeste Holm s delightful as the quippy tabloid photographer. It's a gorgeous and vibrant looking film, with MGM having licensed Paramount's premium widescreen VistaVision format, the film has been meticulously restored for this release, with HDR and Dolby Vision from its original VistaVision negative, and it looks absolutely gorgeous, with a lush Dolby Atmos soundtrack as well as a DTS 2.0 mono track. Extras include a host of archival extras, a Blu-ray disc, featuring the restoration in HD, plus a slipcover. I've seen this several times previously on TV through the years, but seeing this new Warner Archive restoration in 4K with Dolby Vision was like experiencing it for the first time.
Special Features:
Featurette: Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love (8:59)
- Classic MGM Cartoon "Millionaire Droopy" (6:56) cinemacope
- Gala Hollywood Premiere Newsreel (1:07).
- Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra Radio Promo Spots (15:36) 8
- Original Theatrical Trailers: Bing Meets a Friend at MGM (4:03) , High Comedy (4:13), Together for the First Time (0:46)
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FALLOUT: SEASON ONE (2025)
4K Ultra HD
Label: Warner Bros. Home Discovery Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 475 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160p HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Cast: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Walton Goggins, Moisés Arias, Sarita Choudhury, Michael Emerson, Leslie Uggams, Frances Turner, Dave Register, Zach Cherry, Johnny Pemberton, Rodrigo Luzzi, Annabel O'Hagan, Xelia Mendes-Jones
Fallout is based on the long-running and wildly popular post-apocalyptic video game series, which I have never played, I am not much of gamer, though i can button-mash with the best of 'em! That said, i found the series pretty easy to slide into, its set up quite well, established characters, but I imagine there;s a ton of cool easter Eggs I didn;t fully appreciate pack in here. The eight episode season sets up a couple of different storylines that converge, we have Vault 33, one of many bunkers created before the nuclear war by the the Vault-Tec corporation where Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets), a resident of the vault, she has been set-up on an arranged marriage to nearby Vault 32 dweller Monty (Cameron Cowperthwaite), but during the wedding they discover that Vault 32 has been overtaken by surface dwelling raiders, during the ambush her father, the overseer Hank (Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks), is abducted by by the raiders and their leader Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) with a determined Lucy venturing to the Wasteland for the first time. Maximus (Aaron Moten), who belongs to the cult-like religious order the Brotherhood of Steel, made a squire to Knight Titus (Michael Rapaport), a mechanized armored knight, sent to the wasteland to recover technology fo the past. On their travels a mutant bear kills Maximus, and the squire Maximus takes it upon himself to secretly assume the identity of the knight. Then we have a wasteland bounty-hunter The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, Django Unchained), a noseless, mummified looking mutant cowboy with healing ability, his life prolonged a drug he inhales, but seems to be running low on. The Ghoul has the best backstory, dating back to before the nuclear war 200 years earlier, we get flashbacks between the current times and 200 years ago in 2077, that establish his pre-ghoul life as a western movie star, including the day that the bobs drop, which was easily my favorite sequence in the series, it very cool. Eventually all these storylines will intersect, there;s lots of Vault-Tec conspiracy building in both the past and present, and as Lucy wanders the Wasteland she ends up at another vault, along with Maximus, run by the cycloptic Benjamin (Chris Parnell), and back in vault 33 her brother Norm (Moisés Arias, Nacho Libre) discovers some oddities about both Vault 32 and 33. Oh, another highlight was the Gulper, a giant mutant salamander type grotesquerie with an arsenal of human-fingers in it's mouth in place of teeth! Anyway, I thought the first season was fantastic, far-surpassing the second season of The Last of Us. It looks and feels expensive, the world is immersive and expansive, the set designs and effects are brilliant, there's just nothing I did not like about it. The 3-disc 4k Ultra HD set looks and sounds terrific with Dolby Vision/Atmos upgrades, brilliant color, immersive audio, and the Limited Edition Steelbook quite handsome. Plenty of extras as well, 11 featurettes, plus and Audio/Video commentary for the first episode. Oh, and one last thing, I fucking loved Dale Dickey (My name Is Earl) as Ma June, a cantankerous shopkeeper at a trading outpost, that lady is a treasure.
Special Features:
- Audio & Video Commentary Episode 1 ("The End"), with director Jonathan Nolan and actor Walton Goggins. (exclusive to the physical release)
- Vault Seller's Survival Guide: Animated Content - A step-by-step career walkthrough with a focus on what really matters, produced by Vault-Tec executive Bud Askins. (17:28)
- Becoming The Ghoul - Award-winning actor Walton Goggins plays not one but two central characters in Fallout. This in-depth look highlights the dichotomy of The Ghoul and Cooper Howard, and their long journey from past to present. (2:08)
- Console to Camera - The Fallout universe has a rich legacy with tens of millions of fans around the world. Go behind-the-scenes of Prime Video’s new series and explore how and why, after nearly three decades, it was the perfect time to make the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. leap from game to screen. (2:52)
- Creating the Wasteland - The VFX team for Fallout breaks down the various ways, mostly practical, they brought the Wasteland to life. (3:46)
Inside Season One - Go inside the making of Season One.
- Meet the Filmmaker (and fanatic) Jonathan Nolan - Todd Howard and Bethesda Game Studios waited over 25 years to find someone with the ‘Profile’ to bring their iconic universe to life. (3:04)
- Prosthetics & Makeup Gone Nuclear - Let’s face it - when it comes to Prosthetics and Makeup design in Fallout, Gore and Ghouls go hand-in-hand. (2:47)
- Safe and Sound - Composer Ramin Djawadi and the team behind the sounds of Fallout reflect on the many musical notes of Season One. (2:37)
- Set Your Sets on 2296 - Inside the cinematography and production design for Fallout, and how Jonathan Nolan and team achieved a very specific (and unforgettable) look for post-apocalyptic Los Angeles
- The Costumes of Fallout - Costume designer Amy Westcott and the Fallout producers unpack how they brought the Fallout factions to life.(2:43)
- Welcome to the World of Fallout - An atomic past creates wild new futures. The cast and filmmakers of Fallout discuss the unique tone, characters and vast world of the post-apocalyptic sci-fier, based on the beloved video game franchise. (2:41)
- Writing for the Wasteland - Showrunners Geneva Robertson Dworet and Graham Wagner describe how they created the ultra-unique tone of Fallout. (2:28)
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Fallout: Season One (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Steelbook)
https://amzn.to/4je67xaStandard Blu-ray
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GET CARTER (1971)
Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 101 Minutes 42 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 1.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Mike Hodges
Cast: Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, Britt Ekland, Geraldine Moffatt, John Osborne, George Sewell
Brit gangster flick Get Carter (1971) is centered around vicious London mon enforcer Jack Carter (Michael Caine, The Ipcress File), who works for Fletcher brothers, Gerald and Sid (Terence Rigby, The Dogs of War, John Bindon, Quadrophenia), who after the death of his brother, supposedly a drunk driving accident, travels from London to his hometown of Newcastle to attend his brother's funeral, but he suspect that his brother's death was not an accident and sets out to to get to the bottom of it before he returns to London. He's been warned by the Fletchers bot to ruffle any feathers in Newcastle as they have business dealings with the local crime boss Cyril Kinnear (John Osborne, Flash Gordon). However, once Carter arrives in Newcastle he gets a whiff of deceit and cover-ups from the get-go, old acquaintances Eric Paice (Ian Hendry, Repulsion) and Albert Swift (Glynn Edwards, Burke and Hare) are shifty when questioned, and when he starts looking into things he discovers that his brothers teen daughter Doreen (Petra Markham, Fragment of Fear) has been tainted by the local porno underground, and when Carter finds this out he goes full-on cold-blooded Terminator on everyone involved, with the his employer the Fletchers sending fellow London enforcers Con McCarthy (George Sewell, The Vengeance of She) and Peter the Dutchman (Tony Beckley, The Lost Continent), to retrieve him before he kicks-up a hornet's nest in Newcastle. this an an all-timer terrific gangster flick, it's grim and gritty, chock full of action, and gorgeous women, including Britt Eklund (The Wicker Man) as one of the Fletcher brother's girlfriend's that Carter is having an affair with and another gangster moll Glenda (Geraldine Moffat, From Russia with Love) that Carter falls into bed with. The film was remade kust a year later as the blaxploitation film starring Bernie Casey, Hitman (1972), which also worth checking out. The Blu-ray looks and sounds quite good, this is a older HD master, this being a repress of the 2014 Blu-ray, and we get 3 trailers and the Audio Commentary With Michael Caine, Director Mike Hodes and Cinematographer Wolfgang Sutchitszky, and as much as I love the film I cannot in good faith you seek this release lot, and that is because warner Archive has just announced this is getting a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray release in August with a new restoration and additional extras, so just wait a bit and get the definitive version of this stone-cold classic come August!
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Michael Caine, Director Mike Hodes and Cinematographer Wolfgang Sutchitszky
- Music Trailer (3:41)
- International Trailer (2:44)
- Michael Caine Trailer (0:48)
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LOONEY TUNES PLATINUM COLLECTION VOL. 1
Label:Warner Bros.
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 300 minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
The Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 2 is back in print, repressed by Warner Bros., we get 50 animated theatrical shorts remastered in Hd spread across 2 Blu-ray discs, and a third disc bursting at the seams with extras, including SD versions of rare toons, numerous documentaries and featurettes, 37 audio commentaries and 10 episodes alternate language audio options. These are not full-on frame by frame restorations and audio like we see with the Warner Archive Looney Tunes Collector's Choice, and now Collector's Vault series, but they look pretty great in HD just the same, even with a few minor bits of dirt, debris, flickering and scratches. WB have also re-issued Vol. 1 of the Platinum Series, which previously had been OOP and sort of pricey so I appreciate the repressing!
Special Features:
- 37 Audio Commentaries
- 10 Alternate Audio Programs
- Leon Schlesinger: The Merrie Cartoon Mogul (20 minutes)
- Man From Wackyland: The Art of Bob Clampett (21 minutes)
- Bosko, Buddy and the Best of Black and White (9 minutes)
- A Hunting We Will Go: Chuck Jones' Wabbit Season Twilogy (10 minutes)
- Looney Tunes Go Hollywood (9 minutes)
- Looney Tunes Go to War! (10 minutes)
- A Conversation with Tex Avery (l7 minutes)
- Forever Befuddled (3 minutes)
- King-Size Comedy: Tex Avery and the Looney Tunes Revolution (42 minutes)
- Tex Avery: King of Comedy (52 minutes)
- Friz on Film (55 minutes
- Toonheads: The Lost Cartoons (46 minutes)
- Real American Zero: The Adventures of Private Snafu (9 minutes)
- The World of Leon Schlesinger (49 minutes)
- Friz at MGM (44 minutes)
- The Best of the Rest of Tex (84 minutes)
- Private Snafu (34 minutes)
- Mr. Hook (11 minutes)
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TROY (2004)Director's Cut
Label: Warner Bros. Home
Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 196 Minutes 2 Seconds
Audio: English PCM 5.1 l, Dolby Digital 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.43:1)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana- Orlando Bloom, Peter O'Toole, Sean Bean
Wolfgang Petersen's epic three-hour plus, big-budget Greek mythology spectacle Troy (2004) is of course based on the story from Homer's The Iliad, I think we are all familiar with it, if not, well, we have a young Trojan prince named Paris (Orlando Bloom, The Lord of the Rings) who falls in love with Helen of Sparta (Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds), stealing her away from her husband Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson, 28 Days Later), the problem is that he is the younger brother of Agamemnon (Brian Cox, Manhunter), the power-hungry King of Sparta, who lays siege to the the city of Troy in retaliation for his runaway wife. Agamemnon has a legendary warrior among his ranks by way of Achilles (a never-mor-muscular Brad Pitt, Se7en), while Troy's King Priam (Peter O'Toole, Lawrence of Arabia) claims his son Hector (Eric Bana, Hulk) as Troy's own hero warrior. The siege comes to a standstill when the walls of Troy prove as impenetrable as their lore, culminating with a fight to death between the two warriors, and the of course the famous Trojan Horse attack on Troy. This is an impressively mounted, large-scale epic, it looks terrific, the sets are huge, the cast is star-studded, and while it feels overstuffed at over three hours long I cannot deny that is an entertaining flick. Pitt as the brooding warrior hellbent on being remembered by history, the legendary lovers that brought two kingdoms to war, and the mighty clashing armies and bloodsoaked carnage make this a treat for fans of historical epics and Greek mythology. Now, I just need enough of you to buy this Blu-ray so that it triggers the inevitable 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision/Atmos upgrades, because as of yet this epic slice of sword and sandal mayhem has not yet been announced for a 4K release, what the heck?
Special Features:
- Troy Revisited: Introduction by director Wolfgang Petersen (2:30)
- Troy In Focus (23:09)
- In the Thick of Battle (17:12)
- From Ruins to Reality (14:00)
- Troy: An Effects Odyssey (10:52),
- Attacking Troy (15:13)
- Greek Ship Towing (1:25)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:07)
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ULTIMATE GANGSTERS COLLECTION CLASSICS
LITTLE CAESAR (1931)
PUBLIC ENEMY (1931)
THE PETRIFIED FOREST (1936)
WHITE HEAT (1949)
Another WB re-pressing of an out-of-print collection as a standard keepcase edition, here we have four classic Warner Bros. gangster films starring genre-stars Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, and while the '30 and '40 gangster films were never quite to my taste, as a kid and even now, it's great to see this four-film set get reissued fans of these vintage gangster flicks. The 5-disc set includes for Blu-rays and a bonus fifth disc, a DVD with the feature-length 2008 documentary Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (105:43): Written and directed by Constantine Nasr, and some bonus WB cartoons. The Blu-rays looks and sound terrific, and are also loaded with extras, including commentaries, Warner Night at the Movies extras-bundles, cartoons, radio-versions and trailers.
LITTLE CAESAR (1931)
Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Glenda Farrell, William Collier Jr.
Synopsis Edward G. Robinson stars in this classic gangster drama about man who ruthlessly murders his way to the top, controlling the mob as Little Caesar. Small-time, small-town hood Cesare Enrico "Rico" Bandello (Robinson) vows to rule the rackets and not be "just another mug." With his friend Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.), Rico moves to the city, where he uses murder--including the assassination of the police commissioner--to advance rapidly within the mob ... until he attempts to take over the entire underworld.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Richard B. Jewell
- Warner Night at the Movies 1930:
Introduction by Leonard Maltin (4:07), "Five Star Final" Theatrical Trailer (1:56), Newsreel (1:47), Short: "The Hard Guy" (6:28), Cartoon: "Lady Play Your Mandolin" (7:17):
Featurette: Little Caesar: End of Rico, Beginning of the Antihero (17:09)
- 1954 Rerelease Foreword (0:45)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:11):
THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931)
Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 84 Minutes 2 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Director: William A. Wellman
Cast: James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Joan Blondell, Donald Cook, Leslie Fenton
Synopsis: James Cagney created his career-defining role in William Wellman's landmark gangster movie also starring Jean Harlow, Mae Clarke, and Joan Blondell. The film, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay, traces the rise and fall of prohibition-era mobster Tom Powers. From his childhood corrupted by the beer hall, pool parlor, and false friends, to his adulthood as a henchman of ruthless but innately decent bootlegger Paddy Ryan, Tom rises to the top of the heap, with all the accoutrements of success: custom-tailored tuxedoes, fancy cars, and gorgeous girls. But fate soon takes Tom down another path. Tommy's degeneration from brash kid to vicious lowlife is brought home in a famous scene in which he smashes a grapefruit in the face of his latest mistress (Mae Clarke).
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Robert Sklar:
- Warner Night at the Movies 1932:
Introduction by Leonard Maltin (3:16), "Blonde Crazy" Theatrical Trailer (2:37), Newsreel (1:34),
Short: "The Eyes Have It" (9:57),
Cartoon: "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!" (7:00)
- Short Feature: Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public (19:37)
- 1954 Rerelease Foreword (0:45)
- Theatrical Trailer (480i; 1.33:1; 0:48):
THE PETRIFIED FOREST (1936)
Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 82 Minutes 20 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Director: Archie Mayo
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Leslie Howard
Synopsis: A rundown diner bakes in the Arizona heat. Inside, fugitive killer Duke Mantee sweats out a manhunt, holding disillusioned writer Alan Squier, young Gabby Maple and a handful of others hostage. The Petrified Forest, Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway success about survival of the fittest, hit the screen a year later with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart magnificently re-creating their stage roles and Bette Davis ably reteaming with Howard, her Of Human Bondage costar. Sherwood first wanted Bogart for a smaller role. "I thought Sherwood was right," Bogart said. "I couldn't picture myself playing a gangster. So what happened? I made a hit as the gangster." So right for the part was he that Howard refused to make the film without him and helped launch Bogie's brilliant movie career.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Eric Lax
- Warner Night at the Movies 1936:
Introduction by Leonard Maltin (3:14), "Bullets or Ballots" Theatrical Trailer (3:02), Newsreel (3:24),
Short Feature: "Rhythmitis" (19:37),
Cartoon: "The Coo Coo Nut Grove" (6:46)
- The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert (15:51):
- 1/17/1940 Gulf Screen Radio Broadcast (audio only; 28:58): A radio version of The Petrified Forest in which Bogart reprised his star-making role.
Theatrical Trailer (4:16)
WHITE HEAT (1949)
Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 113 Minutes 25 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Director: Raoul Walsh
Cast: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran
Synopsis: Top of the world, Ma! Oscar-winner James Cagney ("The Public Enemy," "Yankee Doodle Dandy") explodes on the screen as a demented gangster whose intricate plan to rob an oil refinery is thwarted by a government infiltrator. Co-starring Oscar-winner Edmond O'Brien ("Julius Caesar") and Virginia Mayo ("The Best Years of Our Lives"). Recently selected by the prestigious American Film Institute as one of the 400 greatest American films of all time, who also added Cody Jarrett to its' list of 50 Greatest Villains.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Dr. Drew Casper
- Warner Night at the Movies 1949
Introduction by Leonard Maltin (2:59), "The Fountainhead" Theatrical Trailer (2:19), Newsreel (1:30), Short: "So You Think You're Not Guilty" (10:31), Cartoon: "Homeless Hare"
- Short Feature: White Heat: Top of the World (16:55)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:25)
Bonus DVD Special Features:
- Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (105:43): Written and directed by Constantine Nasr, 2008
- Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes: I Like Mountain Music (B&W) (6:59), She Was an Acrobat's Daughter (8:35), Racketeer Rabbit (7:52), Bugs and Thugs (7:12)
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FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES (2025) 4K Ultra HD + Digital
Label: WBDHE
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 109 Minutes 48bSeconds
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky
Cast: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Rya Kihlstedt, with Brec Bassinger, Tony Todd.
Last, but certainly not least, is the new 4K Ultra HD release of Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025), the sixth installment of the long-running horror franchise. I consider this franchise sort of the successor to the Friday the 13th series, in that it is a familiar and semi-regular series that has a tried and true formula that is not only easily replicated, but still pretty dang enjoyable six films in, each one has a different cast of characters who trying to evade death's icy grip, we get an array of creative and fun kills, and there;s enough wiggle room to change the formula up just a little bit each time without going off the rails. This time out college student Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana, TV's The Flash) is plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, not so much a vision of her own death, but of a near-death experience suffered by her estranged grandmother decades earlier. When her own family is unwilling to fill her in on the details she track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle - her grandmother, Iris, to save her family, and herself from a grisly demise. Ilike he twists this time around, how the vision/premonition is not her own, but that of her grandmother, the opening vision set in the late-60s, that tower scene is pretty dang exciting, and gruesome in spots. The cast here is all pretty lilable which adds some sympathy to the inevitable deaths, and the deaths are quite well executed. I of course love the Rube goldberg elaboration of the deaths, there's one involving a lawnmower at a family get together that keeps you on the edge f your seat with false expectations before delivering a final face shredding blast of carnage, and of course a very memorable MRI sequence at the hospital that had the audience I watched it with at the cinema screaming in terror and delight. Also, I would be remiss not to mention that Tony Todd's William Bludworth character from the second and fifth installments f the film returns for a poignant send-off for the fan-favorite actor who passed before the film hit theaters. The 4K release looks and sounds fantastic with the Dolby Vision/Atmos, and the extras are fun, i especially liked seeing the late Tony Todd, who gives a 5-min interview discussing his recurring role in the series. We also get a slipcover and a digital copy f the film.
Special Features:
- Death Becomes Them: On the Set of “Final Destination Bloodlines” (6:11)
- The Many Deaths of Bloodlines (7:26)
- The Legacy of Bludworth (5:25)
- Director’s Audio Commentary by the film’s directors Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky
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