Despite being one of its more lucrative commercial properties, MGM’s recent home video interest in their “Pink Panther” series has been non-existent, with 2017 serving as the only time the entire franchise flowed onto Blu-Ray courtesy a Shout Factory “Peter Sellers Collection” box-set and Kino Lorber’s individual releases of the non-Sellers Panther outings. Nearly a decade later – finally – the Panther is back in circulation courtesy much-needed 4K remasters Kino Lorber is releasing for four essential (soon to be five) collaborations between star Sellers and director Blake Edwards.
Kino also has a 4K UHD lined up in March that will mark the format debut of “The Return of the Pink Panther.” The latter was produced/distributed by ITC and its various successors since United Artists thought the film was going to be a box-office bust and let Lew Grade produce it in exchange for distribution rights. Since those rights have taken the series out of MGM’s hands for most of its existence, it’s (understandably) reportedly taken longer to get that picture lined up for a 4K overhaul.
In the meantime, we have four delightful 4K UHDs – with similarly remastered Blu-Rays – that offer improved detail and color over their respective earlier MGM HD masters, plus extras reprieved from the Shout Factory Blu-Ray set and the first MGM release of “The Pink Panther” itself.
Leading off the franchise, naturally, was that very first THE PINK PANTHER (115 mins., 1963; Kino Lorber) – a laid-back caper comedy that first introduced the world to Inspector Clouseau, albeit with Peter Sellers billed under David Niven’s suave jewel thief Sir Charles Litton. Edwards’ original script was intended to be a vehicle for Niven, initially in a “To Catch a Thief”-type of plot, but as filming progressed, it was clear that Sellers’ performance as the bumbling French detective was driving the film and would become its focal point – despite the involvement of a star-studded ensemble cast (Claudia Cardinale, Robert Wagner, Capucine) and breezy location filming. Seen today, the original “Panther” isn’t as manic – or as funny – as some of its successors, but as a studio vehicle of its era, it remains a solid, polished piece of entertainment.
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD (2.35) with Dolby Vision HDR is a robust upgrade over the previous “Panther” HD master in every way. The image is both clearer and more detailed with more accurate and varied colors, while 5.1 and 2.0 audio provide different options for listeners and an engaging forum for Henry Mancini’s classic score, with the 5.1 mix – as it is on all of these four releases – being especially prominent in terms of showcasing the music. All of the MGM extras – commentary from Edwards, documentaries on the film and the cartoon Pink Panther, an interview with Wagner among them – have been ported over with the addition of Shout’s 12-minute interview with Claudia Cardinale. Speaking in French, Cardinale discusses her work on the film with Edwards, and even spends a few minutes talking about her later involvement on “Son of the Pink Panther.”
Initially a stage play by Harry Kurnitz that producer Walter Mirisch had hired Anatole Litvak to direct – with Sophia Loren as its star – A SHOT IN THE DARK (103 mins., 1964; Kino Lorber) instead became a vehicle for Blake Edwards when the original project stalled out. Once Edwards came onboard along with friend and fellow scribe William Peter Blatty, the script was reworked as an Inspector Clouseau sequel, allowing for Peter Sellers to return in what many critics consider to be one of the all-time classic screen comedies.
Interestingly, despite having its genesis in an outside property, “A Shot in the Dark” is, more so than its predecessor, really the picture that firmly established the framework for the Pink Panther franchise: the plot provides Clouseau with a “whodoneit” in the form of a murder at the estate of a wealthy millionaire (George Sanders), while introducing the marvelous Herbert Lom as Inspector Dreyfus, Burt Kwouk as Clouseau’s faithfully combative servant Cato, and a number of classic gags that would be reworked in subsequent sequels – follow-ups that would not be produced for over a decade due to the fractured, problematic relationship between Edwards and the enigmatic Sellers. It’s unfortunate it took that long for the duo to work together again, as “A Shot in the Dark” is witty and great fun, and remains arguably the highlight of the entire series.
“A Shot in the Dark”’s 4K UHD debut includes another 35mm scan of the OCN (2.35) from MGM with 5.1 and 2.0 soundtracks. This is a nice step-up from the previous Shout Factory Blu-Ray, though the image doesn’t sparkle quite as much as the original’s remaster. The supplemental section seen in the previous Panther Blu-Ray box has been recycled here, led off by a 23-minute interview with producer Walter Mirisch which details the unlikely “Panther” sequel’s strange genesis along with Sellers’ negative reaction to the film, which was the reason why the series ended up taking an extended hiatus thereafter. Mirisch also discusses how “Return of the Pink Panther” came to be and how his involvement in the series ended when UA passed on producing it, something that occurred presumably just before he departed the studio for Universal. The disc’s other supplement of note is a seven-minute clip with Blake Edwards on “The Dick Cavett Show,” which is mostly comprised of rare outtakes from “A Shot in the Dark.” Finally, a commentary is included with Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society.
When Mirisch’s “Inspector Clouseau” spin-off (released on Blu-Ray by Kino back in 2017) starring Alan Arkin failed to muster much box-office interest in 1968, it looked like the Panther series would remain active only via DePatie-Freleng’s popular cartoons starring the title character…at least until Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers’ respective careers hit such a low ebb that the duo decided to repair their fractured relationship and make another “Panther” with 1975’s “The Return of the Pink Panther.”
“Return” re-launched the franchise on a global scale, paving the way for the subsequent Sellers sequels – 1976’s ridiculous but gleefully entertaining THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (103 mins., 1976, PG) and 1978’s less inspired “Revenge of the Pink Panther” – to both achieve impressive box-office receipts in the U.S. and worldwide.
In analyzing these follow-ups, there’s no question “Strikes Again” is the best of the duo: a zany, over-the-top affair that ramps up the madcap comedy with Herbert Lom’s completely deranged Dreyfus seeking revenge against Clouseau. With a number of hilarious gags, an outrageous climax, some of the best Clouseau-Cato sequences and a perfect ending (scored to Henry Mancini’s gorgeous love theme, “Come to Me,” performed by Tom Jones), “Strikes Again” is a fan-favorite Panther entry that’s one of the most repeatable Clouseau adventures of the entire series.
“Pink Panther Strikes Again” makes its way to 4K UHD along with a superlative 5.1 DTS MA soundtrack that nicely benefits Mancini’s score (a 2.0 stereo “rechanneling” of sorts is also included). There are still some fluctuations in brightness and the occasional nick or two visible in the 35mm OCN-mastered new 4K transfer (2.35) with Dolby Vision HDR here on UHD, but also an appreciable enhancement in picture detail throughout compared to its previous Blu-Ray appearance.
For extras, carried over here is a 25-minute conversation with editor Alan Jones, who offers his remembrances of working with Edwards on “Return” (where he was brought in to recut the film several times after new footage was added), “Strikes Again” and “Trail,” which he laments wasn’t just a “That’s Clouseau!” type of retrospective. A 20-minute interview with Lesley Anne-Down, who looks great by the way, is on-tap as well as the vintage featurette “Clouseau: The Greatest Fumbler in the World,” and another extensive array of trailers, TV/radio spots, and a commentary from Jason Simos.
“Strikes Again”’s robust box-office, which came in a bit under “Return,” brought back Sellers for one more outing as Clouseau in 1978’s REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (98 mins., 1978, PG; Kino Lorber), though this third entry in Clouseau’s ‘70s capers has only a few fleeting moments of inspiration – most notably a lively Hong Kong climax, set to Henry Mancini’s wonderful “Hong Kong Fireworks” composition – as it serves up a flabbier pace without as many laughs as its predecessors. The color is a bit more vivid in Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD (2.35, 5.1/2.0) which also offers a superior legacy commentary from author/historian William Patrick Maynard on the film’s production history.
Sellers’ untimely death in 1980 – while he was developing “Romance of the Pink Panther”, albeit minus Blake Edwards, with whom he had another falling out – did not deter Edwards from continuing the series, first in 1982’s “Trail of the Pink Panther”, which Kino Lorber has said in online comments might resurface on Blu-Ray in 2026 (for my other Panther reviews, check out my 2017 column here).
In the meantime, and even minus “Return,” this quartet of 4K UHD Pink Panther releases are must-haves that are long, long overdue.
BABE 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (92 mins., 1995, G; Kino Lorber): Producer George Miller and director Chris Noonan’s 1995 box-office surprise has since become a genuine children’s film classic, and debuts on 4K UHD with Dolby Vision HDR this month from Kino Lorber – along with its less commercially successful, if memorably strange, 1998 sequel.
In terms of the original, this colorful, lyrical adaptation of Dick King-Smith’s novel about the pig with a heart of gold who mends fences with the animals on the farm of Mr. Hoggett (James Cromwell) and wife (Magda Szubanski) and ultimately becomes a champion sheepdog is almost perfectly rendered. From the gorgeous cinematography and production design (kudos to Andrew Lesnie and Roger Ford, respectively) to Nigel Westlake’s scoring, the eloquent narration of Roscoe Lee Browne and visual effects from Rhythm & Hues and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, “Babe” is one of my favorite films of the ‘90s, never mind simply being a good “family” picture.
The success of “Babe” lead to the inevitable BABE: PIG IN THE CITY (96 mins., 1998, G; Kino Lorber), a decidedly unusual sequel that was blessed with imagination and wit – though with George Miller himself behind the lens, this time the material strayed a little too far off the beaten path for most mainstream audiences’ tastes.
The follow-up opens with Babe and Mrs. Hodgett (Magda Szubanski, given a lot more screen-time here) getting mixed up in the Big City when they miss their connecting flight to the State Fair. Poor Farmer Hodgett (James Cromwell, appearing only for a few minutes) is recovering from an accident and the farm is about to be foreclosed on by the bank unless Babe can bring home the proverbial bacon from a 1st prize showing at the Fair. Unfortunately, he never gets the chance after Mrs. Hodgett is arrested and Babe is almost killed by a pitbull terrier while staying in a metropolitan hotel that’s animal-friendly and houses a curious collection of primates, cats, and other assorted furry creatures.
After co-writing and producing the original, George Miller decided to take the full directorial reigns on this sequel from Chris Noonan. The result is a movie that is every bit as wild and inventive as you would expect from the filmmaker, filled with storybook cinematography, outstanding visual effects, and plenty of humor that adults will appreciate as much as–or more so–than children. The cityscape–a pastiche of New York, Rio, Sydney, and Paris among others–is grandly realized and the film offers all sorts of visual pleasures, from the sequences of Babe’s barnyard pal Ferdinand the duck attempting to fly with a flock of Benny Goodman-singing cranes to the movie’s highly satisfying comic conclusion, with Mrs. Hodgett in an inflated circus outfit, bounding from the rafters of a posh hospital charity dinner.
Along the way, Miller indulges in some material that’s a bit too dark for the very young end of its target audience – Babe is attacked by the pitbull in a sequence shot in slow-motion with operatic underscore, while the pitbull subsequently almost drowns while hanging from a bridge. Just as bizarre is Mickey Rooney’s mute performance as a once-successful circus ringleader, and some sleazy city types (a group of chimps, voiced by Steven Wright and Glenne Headly, among them) that give Babe a hard time.
Still, Roscoe Lee Browne’s narration adds the perfect philosophizing to the story, and the chorus of singing mice returns to comment on the action. Nigel Westlake’s enchanting score also works splendidly, and its use of songs by Dean Martin and the Chieftans (whose “Protected by Angels” is used at several key points) is also effective.
Sequels are rarely ever attacked for trying to do something different, but “Babe: Pig in the City” may indeed have been too dreamy, occasionally dark and formula-eschewing– and not enough like the original – to score with most viewers, especially family audiences. However, the picture is so distinctive in its look and storytelling that it nevertheless ranks as one of the best of the late ‘90s.
Both “Babe” movies make their debuts in 4K scans of their respective 35mm OCNs (1.85) courtesy of Universal and Kino Lorber. These Dolby Vision HDR transfers do full justice to Andrew Lesnie’s colorful cinematography with 5.1 and 2.0 DTS MA audio tracks. Some great new extras include interviews with George Miller on both films; James Cromwell on the original “Babe”; archival featurettes; trailers; Miller’s commentary on the original “Babe” and newly recorded commentaries by Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff on both.
Soundtrack fans will note Miller discusses Jerry Goldsmith’s dismissal right up front, stating (without naming Goldsmith) that they had a major composer on the movie but that “he was on the wrong track” and they were amenable to letting him go since he was in such high demand and there wasn’t enough time “to correct” it. Miller subsequently praises Nigel Westlake’s whimsical “storybook” score as a major factor in the picture’s success.
DEATH ON THE NILE 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (140 mins., 1978, PG; Kino Lorber)/THE MIRROR CRACK’D 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (105 mins., 1980, PG; Kino Lorber)/EVIL UNDER THE SUN 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (117 mins., 1982, PG; Kino Lorber): From producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, whose EMI Agatha Christie movie cycle began with 1974’s “Murder On The Orient Express,” come a trio of Christie big-screen mysteries debuting on 4K UHD for the first time.
DEATH ON THE NILE is the best of the trio: a classy, all-star affair scripted by Anthony Shaffer from Christie’s book and featuring Peter Ustinov, who’s ideal as detective Hercule Poirot, tasked this time with solving an heiress’ death onboard a Nile cruise during the 1930s. This variation on “Orient Express” utilizes the same formula with the supporting cast including Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, David Niven and Maggie Smith among numerous others; Nino Rota contributed a fine score and John Guillermin helmed to worldwide box-office success.
Unsurprisingly, Brabourne and Goodwin kept the Christie films going, with veteran James Bond director Guy Hamilton taking over the next two features – to decidedly mixed results.
THE MIRROR CRACK’D offers Angela Lansbury in a disappointing, one-and-done take on Miss Marple, who investigates murder on the set of a Hollywood movie shooting in her English country village. The stars were out – Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Rock Hudson, and Tony Curtis among them – for this regrettably drab affair which never catches fire and features a surprisingly rigid performance by Lansbury, who’d have a much better time introducing American sleuth Jessica Fletcher just a few years later on the hit CBS series “Murder, She Wrote.”
Better is EVIL UNDER THE SUN, the second Hercule Poirot turn for star Peter Ustinov in an agreeable Christie mystery set at a beach resort on the Adriatic sea with James Mason, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith and Roddy McDowall among the potential suspects and Anthony Shaffer penning the script. Cole Porter tunes were reworked for the soundtrack of this 1982 Associated Film Distribution/Universal release, which isn’t quite as good as “Death on the Nile” but much more entertaining than “The Mirror Crack’d.”
All three movies are new to 4K UHD from Kino Lorber sporting Studio Canal 4K scans (1.85) of their respective OCNs with new commentaries by Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson and trailers across all three pictures. There’s also a Making Of and archival interviews on “Death on the Nile” plus a vintage featurette for “Evil.” The Dolby Vision HDR transfers look superb and adjoining Blu-Rays are included, mastered from the same 4K restorations.
DIVA 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (117 mins., 1981, R; Kino Lorber): One of the biggest Art House hits of the early ’80s debuts its Studio Canal 4K master on UHD this month from Kino Lorber.
Director Jean-Jacques Beineix laid the foundation for many a French crime film to follow with “Diva,” as this stylish yet never bombastic picture set the stage for the works of Luc Besson among others in the years to come. Taken on its own terms, though, “Diva” still functions well as a compelling story of a moped-driving mail carrier (Frederc Andrei) who has an obsession with an American soprano (Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez) performing in Paris. Reclusive to the point where she’s spurned commercial recording contracts, Andrei’s Jules tapes her performances – drawing the interest of bootleggers – while he’s also being pursued by both the police and other forces, trying to get a different tape he unknowingly has in his possession: a confession from a slain prostitute who reveals the identity of a big-time Parisian sex trafficker.
“Diva” offers an exciting chase with Jules on his moped trying to evade the cops through the Paris metro, but otherwise moves at an assured but leisurely pace. The movie is entertaining and not just a one-trick pony – it never lets style overwhelm its characters (not in the way, say, some of Besson’s comparatively louder pictures do) even though there’s a lot of appeal in Philippe Rousselot’s nicely textured cinematography.
“Diva”’s 4K Dolby Vision HDR master (1.66) looks spectacular here on UHD; Kino Lorber previously released the film on Blu-Ray back in 2000 but this is an even more impressive release, doing full justice to the movie’s sense of visual style. The French mono sound is clear and many extras include a commentary from critic Simon Abrams; scene specific commentary from Beineix; interviews with actors Frderic Andrei, Dominique Pinon (a later staple of Jeunet’s works), Anny Romand, and Richard Bohringer; composer Vladimir Cosma; casting director Dominique Besnehard; Rousselot and set designer Hilton McConnico; and two featurettes with Beineix.
DANTE’S PEAK 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (109 mins., 1997, PG-13; Kino Lorber): First and best of 1997’s volcano disaster films closely echoes the premise of “Jaws” (!) as scientist Pierce Brosnan and Mayor Linda Hamilton try and save a Pacific Northwest vacation hotspot from certain doom after various seismic events begin to occur in town, putting residents and vacationers alike in jeopardy. Director Roger Donaldson’s efficient genre movie sports solid special effects and an exciting second hour as Brosnan and Hamilton try and get out of harm’s way as quickly as possible, while Leslie Bohem’s script punches all the requisite buttons…with a volcano in place of a shark! Delayed from an announced release last summer, Kino Lorber’s new 4K scan of the 35mm OCN (2.35) on 4K UHD with Dolby Atmos sound blows away prior Blu-Ray and HD-DVD versions thanks to sharp detail and Dolby Vision HDR; archival extras include commentary from Donaldson and cinematographer Dennis Washington, a Making Of, and an isolated score/effects track.
4K New Releases
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE FABULOUS STAINS 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (87 mins., 1982, R; Fun City Editions): Fans of Diane Lane would do very well to check out this barely-released 1982 Paramount production about three teenagers (Lane, Laura Dern and Marin Kanter) who decide to break free of their industrially-driven small town and find fame as punk rockers.
The “Stains” manage to initially navigate the ins and outs of the music business, as well as being on the road, in a truthful manner courtesy of director Lou Adler, an industry vet who only directed a couple of movies but brought his sage knowledge to this bittersweet take on young feminine power during the punk rock movement, in the days before the ascent of MTV. Ray Winstone co-stars as the frontman for an English band the girls tour with – Lane especially learning major life lessons in a hurry as the Stains grow in popularity, eventually packing malls across the land…for a time.
Screenwriter Nancy Dowd set this story in the same fictional town as her earlier “Slap Shot,” all the more to accentuate the underdog quality of the premise. The performances, Lane most of all, are impressive and yet there is a very fragmented, ragged element to the picture, perhaps due to Adler’s inexperience behind the lens (his only other directorial credit is Cheech & Chong’s 1978 hit “Up in Smoke”). The film clocks in at 87 minutes with some good scenes and yet the drama moves in fits and starts, intermittently broken up by seemingly needless introductory segments from TV newscasts.
Nevertheless recommended for its capture of time and place, Fun City’s 4K UHD sports a good-looking 4K restoration from the original 35mm OCN (1.85) with rocking 5.1 DTS MA surround. Details and contrast levels are all perfectly set, while extras in the 2-disc set (a Blu-Ray is also on-hand) include commentaries from Marc Edward Heuck and another with Heuck and Jake Fogelnest. There’s also an archival Making Of featurette, archival audio interview with Stuart Shapiro (“Night Flight” co-creator), an alternate opening and visual-only deleted scenes, dailies from the (reshot) music video shoot, and commentaries by Lane and Dern, plus another commentary with Adler, carried over from the 2022 Imprint release.
CAPTAIN BLOOD 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (119 mins., 1935; Criterion): Before Errol Flynn swashbuckled his way through to Olivia De Havilland’s heart in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” there was the – as the kids today would say – “OG” swashbuckler “Captain Blood.” This Warner Bros. classic has been remastered and revitalized in a new 4K digital restoration from Criterion this month, all to preserve the crackling good adventure that results after an Irish physician becomes a dashing pirate after being deemed a traitor to the UK. Basil Rathbone, meanwhile, serves up the villainy, of course, in Michael Curtiz’s fan favorite, complete with an early Erich Wolfgang Korngold score and sensational production value on-hand for its time.
Criterion’s UHD includes the 4K disc and a Blu-Ray derived from the same master (1.37 B&W, mono) with extras including a commentary by Alan K. Rode; a 2005 documentary on the movie’s production; the trailer; and the 1937 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation with its principal stars intact.
ROOFMAN 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (125 mins., 2025, R; Paramount): It’s tough for movies not based on a popular IP to find their footing in the marketplace these days, with the well-acted “Roofman” – based on a true story about a struggling military vet (Channing Tatum) who escapes from prison and decides to hide out in a Toys R Us for months – one of those casualties. Derek Cianfrance’s film offers colorful characters and a superb ensemble cast with Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield and Peter Dinklage among Tatum’s support, and the picture manages to be wacky and yet believable pretty much all the way through. Paramount’s 4K UHD features a top notch Dolby Vision HDR transfer with deleted/alternate scenes, a Digital HD copy and several featurettes along with a Blu-Ray.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 4K UHD (162 mins., 2025, R; Warner): Yet another simultaneously ambitious and disappointing outing from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson chronicles revolutionary Leonardo DiCaprio as he slavishly follows his superior (Sean Penn) around, only to suffer persecution from Penn’s “Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw” some 16 years later. Anderson’s penchant for mixing dark comedy with pathos and socio-political commentary is on-hand in this undisciplined, near three-hour slog, awash with good performances – except for DiCaprio, who’s routinely upstaged by Penn – but a story that’s both hard to follow and, ultimately, care about. Warner’s 4K UHD (1.85) includes both flawless Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.
WICKED: FOR GOOD 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (137 mins., 2025, PG; Universal): Overblown adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s Broadway musical hit (and Gregory Maguire’s book) offers the second half of the original show, with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) now entrenched as The Wicked Witch of the West, hoping to expose the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) for all he’s worth, at the same time Glinda (Ariana Grande) struggles with fame and being, of course, popular. Some of Schwartz’s songs are, of course, tuneful and memorable, but Jon M. Chu’s spectacle-laden approach to the material blows its source up into a “franchise” level property with sequels, naturally, poised to follow. Certainly Universal’s 4K UHD (2.39) looks phenomenal and sounds likewise with Powell and Schwartz credited with the score in a thunderous Dolby Atmos track. Theatrical and sing-along versions are included alongside Chu’s commentary, deleted scenes, Making Of materials and more.
Version 1.0.0
END OF WATCH 4K UHD/Blu-Ray Steelbook (110 mins., 2012, R; Shout! Factory): David Ayer, screenwriter of “Training Day,” returned to the cop genre for this shockingly pedestrian, if slickly made, handheld-camera account of two hotshot young cops (Jake Gylenhaal and Michael Pena) who unwittingly get crossed up in a Mexican drug cartel moving into southern California. There’s almost nothing to this movie’s story — the film is all point of view, often self-contained vignettes of Gylenhaal and Pena running into tough situations, working together to serve the greater good, and spending their down time with understanding significant others. Eventually the cartel catches up with them, and…well, that’s pretty much it.
About midway through “End of Watch” I thought to myself — if this film didn’t employ handheld camera and rapid-fire editing, what would you have? Basically an empty, formless story that rehashes endless cliches from cop-centric movies and TV shows, leaving the viewer without any significant message — aside from the fact that life on the streets is tough on police officers. There are no developed supporting characters of any kind, and more over, plenty of over-the-top gore (one officer gets his eye gouged out; there are enough mutilated corpses and body parts in one scene to entice Hannibal Lecter) that feels shoehorned in, as if to differentiate it from the myriad of other takes on this subject matter.
Gylenhaal and Pena put in some fine work here, and they’re believable together — but by about the 4th or 5th “buddy” conversation they share about girls, kids and family, I started wondering when their inevitable downfall would be taking place…and how much longer we had to sit through to get there.
Shout debuts “End of Watch” on 4K UHD with Dolby Vision HDR (1.85, 5.1 DTS MA) in a collectible Steelbook also featuring the Blu-Ray. Legacy extras include Ayer’s commentary, deleted scenes, and five featurettes.
On Blu-Ray
NAKED AMBITION Blu-Ray (72 mins., 2025; Music Box): Directors Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch present a documentary on photographer Bunny Yeager, whose work on the bikini to Bettie Page helped break sexual barriers especially during the 1950s. Interviewees include the late Hugh Hefner, Larry King, Dita Von Teese and others, while loads of gorgeous photographs are showcased as part of Yeager’s work throughout. Music Box’s Blu-Ray (1.78, 5.1 DTS MA) is out this week sporting an interview with the directors, deleted/extended scenes, and the trailer.
From Decal: “Downton Abbey” gets sent up with FACKHAM HALL (97 mins., 2026, R), a British parody film that assembles a game ensemble cast (Katherine Waterston, Tom Felton, Damian Lewis among them) for a period spoof that ribs Julian Fellowes’ hit show. Decal’s Blu-Ray (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA) is available this week, as is ICEFALL (96 mins., 2025, Not rated), a thriller about a plane crash on a frozen lake, which sends criminals, cops, a game warden and a poacher (Joel Kinnamon) all off to retrieve its cash contents. The late Graham Greene makes an appearance in “Icefall,” also new to Blu-Ray from Decal (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA)
SHELBY OAKS Blu-Ray (91 mins., 2025, R; Neon): Standard horror thrills dominate this by-the-numbers indie exercise about a woman who goes looking for her missing sister and ends up uncovering a sinister supernatural horror that threatens them both. Mike Flanagan executive produced “Shelby Oaks” but this bears little of his typically competent horror exercises, with Neon’s Blu-Ray (2.39, 5.1 DTS MA) available this week with commentary and loads of extras.
NEXT TIME: OCN’s Winter Wrap, Cinematographe’s THE GAMBLER and more! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers everyone!