The Big Combo (1955) coming to 4K Steelbook, standard 4K, and Blu-ray in the US from Ignite Films on March 20th!

THE BIG COMBO (1955)

The Big Combo (1955) coming to 4K Steelbook, standard 4K, and Blu-ray in the US from Ignite Films on March 20th! 

A cornerstone of American film noir. Restored like never before.

Bonus film in every edition! The restored noir classic The Crooked Way (1949).

Ignite Films proudly presents The Big Combo (1955) in an extensive 70th Anniversary 4K Restoration. One of the most visually daring noirs ever made, the film showcases Joseph H. Lewis’s bold direction and John Alton’s iconic cinematography with unprecedented clarity.

Every edition includes newly produced bonus features, legacy archival material, a specially curated booklet, lobby cards, plus the restored noir classic The Crooked Way (1949).

AVAILABLE IN 4 EDITIONS

• Premium Steel Case – New Artwork (Limited Edition, with slipcover )

Premium Steel Case featuring exclusive newly commissioned artwork. Includes a 3-disc set (UHD + 2 Blu-rays), a specially curated booklet, 5 lobby cards, and the complete bonus feature collection.

UHD Disc: The Big Combo + all newly produced extras

Blu-ray Disc 1: The Big Combo + all newly produced extras

Blu-ray Disc 2: Legacy extras + The Crooked Way

• Premium Vintage Steel Case – Original Poster (Limited Edition, with slipcover)

Premium Vintage Steel Case featuring original poster artwork. Includes a 3-disc set (UHD + 2 Blu-rays), a specially curated booklet, 5 lobby cards, and the complete bonus feature collection.

UHD Disc: The Big Combo + all newly produced extras

Blu-ray Disc 1: The Big Combo + all newly produced extras

Blu-ray Disc 2: Legacy extras + The Crooked Way

• 4K UHD Standard Edition (Reversible Artwork, with Slipcover)

A 2-disc UHD + Blu-ray set presenting the complete 4K restoration, newly produced bonus features, and a specially curated booklet.

UHD Disc: The Big Combo + all newly produced extras

Blu-ray Disc: Legacy extras + The Crooked Way

• Blu-ray Standard Edition (Reversible Artwork, with Slipcover)

A 2-disc HD Blu-ray set presenting the complete restoration, a specially curated booklet, 5 lobby cards, and the complete bonus feature collection.

Blu-ray Disc 1: The Big Combo + all newly produced extras

Blu-ray Disc 2: Legacy extras + The Crooked Way

Languages: German, Latin Spanish

Subtitles: English, Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, French, Dutch, Portuguese 

Region: All discs region free (UHD + Blu-rays)

Restoration:

This digital restoration of The Big Combo was undertaken by Ignite Films, working from a 35mm Fine Grain Answer Print and a 35mm Optical Sound Negative. The picture was restored in 4K by The Grainery, while the audio was sourced from an UCLA restoration funded by The Film Foundation. The color grading was carried out by Gosia Grzyb under the supervision and approval of Scott MacQueen.

Newly Produced Bonus Features:

- New Audio Commentary with acclaimed film historian and noir expert Imogen Sara Smith.

- New Interview with celebrated author and critic Philippe Garnier.

- How a Man Makes a Living — How a Little Combo Made The Big Combo: New video essay by Scout Tafoya. 

- The Crooked Way (1949) – Another classic gritty gangster noir with spectacular expressionistic cinematography by John Alton with unfiltered filming on the 1940s post-war streets of Los Angeles. 

Legacy Bonus Features:

- Audio Commentary with Eddie Muller, the “Czar of Noir” and founder of the Film Noir Foundation.

- Geoff Andrew, respected critic and curator, on The Big Combo.

- Wagon Wheel Joe: A fascinating video appreciation of Lewis’s dynamic camerawork and recurring motifs, tracing his evolution from B-movie craftsman to master stylist.

Booklet: 

- Art in a Boiling Pot: New written introduction by Eddie Muller.

- Commissioned essays by Ben Sachs, Alonso Duralde, Katie Stebbins, Scout Tafoya, and Garrett Clayton.

https://www.ignite-films.com/products/the-big-combo

TED LASSO: THE RICHMOND WAY (2020-2023) 4K Ultra HD Review

TED LASSO: THE RICHMOND WAY (2020-2023) 4K Ultra HD 

Label: WBDHE

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 24 hours 3 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: Dolby Vision HDR10 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.78:1) 

Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, Anthony Head, Toheeb Jimoh, Cristo Fernandez, Kola Bokinni, Billy Harris, James Lance, Juno Temple.

All 34 episodes from seasons 1-3 in of the Apple+ series Ted Lasso (2020-2023) are available on a eight-disc 4K Ultra HD. The much-loved series stars Jason Sudeikis (SNL) as an American football coach who is hired to manage a British soccer team AFC Richmond— despite having no soccer experience, unaware that the team's new owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, The Fall Guy) has hired him in hopes that he will drive the team into the ground, solely because it was the pride and joy of her ex-husband Rupert (Anthony Head, TV's Little Britain). Lasso is joined by his mono-syllabic assistant coach Beard (Brendan Hunt, Horrible Bosses 2). His arrival as coach of the AFC Richmond is met with jeers from fans, journalists and most of the team, but Lasso sets about winning them over with his unstoppable, affable charms, he has a folksy way about him that is easy to love and rather difficult to dislike. Other characters include the team captains Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), a cynical past his prime player, and the golden-footed but cocky young Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, Murder on the Orient Express) who is the team's top-scorer, kit-man Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed, The Martian), Rebecca's put-upon assistant Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift, Mary Poppins Returns),  PR person Keeley Jones (Juno Temple, TV's Fargo Season 5), local sports writer Trent Crimm (James Lance, Marie Antoinette), and a talented Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernández, Venom: The Last Dance) who breathes new life into the. This is one of those shows about soccer team but doesn't actually have much of the sport in it, it focuses on the comedy and drama of the team and the character dynamics in such a way that you need not be a sports fan to watch it and love. The comedy is sharp, the characters and melodrama are engaging, and it's emotionally sneaky in that occasionally there's a real gut punch of an arc that will hit you much harder than you might expect. The Blu-ray set was released in July 04 2024, now the 8-disc 4K Ultra HD set arrives in a sideloading slipcase, inside the three seasons are presented n there own individual black keepcases with unique artworks on the wraps. The A/V presentation is top notch with a sharp and detailed, the Dolby Vision HDR10 2160p UHD widescreen image looks terrific. One of my complaints about the Blu-ray set was that it was streaming in 4K on Apple TV, so why no 4K then? Anyway, with uncompressed DTS-HD MA audio with optional English subtitles. Sadly, there are still zero extras on this set, I was hoping that the 4K set would have offered something, but nope. If you're in the mood for a quirky and uplifting comedy series with a surprising amount of heart check this out, never mind that it is ostensibly set in the world of UK soccer, that's just a delivery mechanism for the outstanding comedy-drama, you're gonna love this show, especially the first season. It's a bummer that this was not released simultaneously with the Blu-ray edition, I hate double-dipping.

Special Features: 

- None 

Buy it!

Amazon 

Physical Media Land

Moviezyng 

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LAUREL & HARDY: THE DEFINITIVE RESTORATIONS VOL. 2 (1929-1935) Kit Parker Films Blu-ray Review + Screenshots

LAUREL & HARDY: 

THE DEFINITIVE RESTORATIONS VOL. 2 (1929-1935) 

Label: Kit Parker Films 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 361 Minutes 

Audio: English PCM 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1) 

Director: Lloyd French, James Parrott, Charles Rogers, George Stevens

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Thelma Todd, James Finlayson, Edgar Kennedy, Charlie Hall, Mae Busch, Jean Harlow, Walter Long, Billy Gilbert

Synopsis: Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations Volume 2. Eight restored classic short subjects with loads of extras, over six hours of laughs--Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy like you've never seen them before! LAUREL & HARDY: THE DEFINITIVE RESTORATIONS Volume 2 returns the beloved comedy duo to their full brilliance in this restored Blu-ray collection. Sourced from the original 35mm archival elements, this set offers fans an opportunity to see long unavailable original release versions and previously unseen materials - over six hours of timeless laughter! 

Shorts:  

Men O' War (1929,20:02) 

Perfect Day (1929, 20:58) 

Perfect Day: Reissue Version (1937)

Blotto (1930) 

Blotto: Silent Version (1930) 

Blotto: Voice & Effects Track Only (1930) 

Another Fine Mess (1930) 

Another Fine Mess: Silent Version (1930) 

Dirty Work (1933) 

Going Bye-Bye! (1934) 

Them Thar Hills (1934) 

Tit for Tat (1935) 

Audio/Video: These shorts arrives on Blu-ray, sourced from "restored in 4K from the original archival 35mm nitrate elements", looking superior to past DVD versions I have watched, there does look to have been some light filtering applied to some of the shorts, smoothing some textures, but grain is indeed visible and I was quite pleased overall with the texture and details. Black levels are solid, grayscale is pleasing, contrast and clarity are nicely improved. There are a couple of variances, but there is little doubt that these restorations are the best the shorts have ever looked on home video. Audio comes by way of uncompressed PCM 2.0, like the video presentation there are variances and age-related hiss, the occasional pop or click, but given the age of the elements I found them to sound quite remarkable

The set is stuffed with bonus content, including Audio Commentary tracks from authors Richard W. Bann and Randy Skretvedt, plus Previously Lost Versions of  Blotto and Brats with scores by accompanist Andrew Earle Simpson, and Alternate Audio Tracks for Perfect Day, Blotto, and Another Fine Mess, plus a selection of  'Pardon Us', 'Fra Diavolo', 'Bohemian Girl', 'Our Relations', and 'Swiss Miss' . 

More extras Recently 'Ship's Reporter' (1952) featuring both Laurel & Hardy, and interview with Laurel & Hardy aboard the Queen Mary , plus a classic TV episode of This Is Your Life: Laurel & Hardy (1954) from 35mm kinescope negative. 

Next up, 4-min of  'There Goes My Heart' Silent Trailer and Outtakes, a cool 5-min Hal Roach Studios Backlot Interview, and a couple of extensive Galleries with a motherlode of  studio stills, scripts, posters, lobby cards, and other archival materials for Dirty Work, Going Bye-Bye!, Them Thar Hills (7:41), and Tit for Tat (6:48). 

There's also a hefty 32-Page Illustrated Booklet that features disc contents, notes on the preservation and restoration by Jeff Joseph, production notes on the shorts by Randy Skretvedt, and a 'Behind the Scenes at Hal Roach Studios' essay by Richard W. Bann. 

Special Features:

- Previously lost silent versions of Blotto and Brats (20:07) with scores by accompanist Andrew Earle Simpson 

- Alternate audio tracks for 'Perfect Day', 'Blotto', and 'Another Fine Mess' 

- Alternate version of Blotto and Another Fine Mess with Voice and Effects Track Only 

- The 1937 Reissue Version of Perfect Day (20:58) 

- Rare Trailers: Pardon Us (German Version, 2:40), Fra Diavolo (British Version, 2:49), Bohemian Girl (1:45), Our Relations (1:07), and Swiss Miss (2:24)  

- Galaxy of Stars (1936) - An MGM promotional film for foreign exhibitors! (8:36) 

- Recently rediscovered 'Ship's Reporter' (1952) featuring both Laurel & Hardy (5:47) 

- This Is Your Life: Laurel & Hardy (1954) from 35mm kinescope negative (29:23) 

- 'There Goes My Heart' Silent Trailer and Outtakes (3:59) 

- Hal Roach Studios Backlot Interview (4:50) 

- Commentary tracks from authors Richard W. Bann and Randy Skretvedt 

- Galleries of fascinating studio stills, scripts, posters, lobby cards, and other archival materials for Dirty Work (7:52), Going Bye-Bye! (4:11), Them Thar Hills (7:41), Tit for Tat (6:48)

- 32-Page full color booklet with rare photos, original production information, restoration notes, and more! 

Screenshots from the Kit Parker Films Blu-rays: 

Disc 2: 

Buy it!

Amazon

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