Posted in: 4K/Blu-Ray, Movies | Tagged: 28 Days Later, 4k, alice in wonderland, blu-ray, Criterion Collection, Hud, Imprint Films, king kong, The Stoned Age

Blu-ray On My Mind: The Stoned Age Review, Criterion, And More

This week's Blu-ray news includes Alice in Wonderland, Criterion releases for July, 28 Days Later, and a review of The Stoned Age.

Blu-ray and physical media are important to many collectors and me, and while it can be a chore these days to get your hands on the discs, nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than cracking open a new Blu-ray. Every week, we will review the week's announcements and news in physical media, highlight the labels still unearthing films that have somehow never been released, and review new discs we have added to our collections. Let's dive into the week, shall we?

Blu-ray News Of The Week

-Sony Home Entertainment will release a 4K Blu-ray of 28 Days Later in Steelbook form on September 1. They did some serious work on the transfer for this one: "To fully capture and correctly present the unique visuals of this movie for its 4K High Dynamic Range debut, the assembled original source video was used along with the section from the original camera negative as used in the original theatrical release. These elements were then color corrected to take full advantage of the wider available color gamut. The picture and Atmos mix were approved by Danny Boyle."

-Imprint Films has announced their June releases:  Bound (1996), A Bronx Tale (1993), The Trigger Effect (1996), The Assignment (1997), Victory (1996), Killer: A Journal of Murder (1995), and Henry & June (1990). Of these, I will be adding Bound and A Bronx Tale to my collection.

-It was also time for Criterion Collection to announced their latest lineup, this one for July: Hud (1963), The Elephant Man (1980), The Crying Game (1992), Cruel Story of Youth (1960), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), The Love That Remains (2025), and I'll Remind You of Everything: The Films of Mike Mills. Another stellar schedule, and from this list, I will be buying Hud, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and The Elephant Man.

-Paramount Home Media Distribution will be releasing the 50th anniversary 4K Blu-ray of King Kong (1976) on June 30.

-Finally, Walt Disney Home Entertainment will release a special 4K Blu-ray of Alice in Wonderland to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Like the 28 Days Later disc, they really went to town for this transfer: In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Alice in Wonderland has been meticulously restored and remastered in 4K by the Walt Disney Film Restoration team. Over nine months, artists completed a digital scan of the original nitrate Successive Exposure (SE) negatives, followed by extensive clean-up to address dust, warping, and age-related wear. The team also referenced original production artwork preserved by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library to ensure the restoration remained true to the filmmakers' original intent, collaborating closely with Walt Disney Animation Studios veteran Michael Giaimo to review every shot and refine color and luminance. And here is what is on the set features-wise when it releases on May 5.

• TWO-DISC (4K BLU-RAY/BLU-RAY) COMBO PACK RELEASE
• NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• Backstage Disney
  • Through the Keyhole – Kathryn Beaumont Introduction
  • Through the Keyhole: A Companion's Guide to Wonderland
  • Reference Footage: Alice And The Doorknob
  • Reference Footage: Alice and the Doorknob With Commentary By Kathryn Beaumont
  • Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks
• Walt Disney Color TV Introduction (1959)
• Reflections on Alice
• Operation Wonderland
• "I'm Odd" Newly Discovered Chesire Cat Song
• "Thru the Mirror" Mickey Mouse Animated Short
• One Hour In Wonderland
• An Alice Comedy: Alice's Wonderland
• Trailers
  • 1951 Original Theatrical Trailer
  • 1974 Theatrical Rerelease Trailer
• 1954 Introduction
• 1964 Introduction
• The Fred Waring Show (Excerpt)
• Deleted Scenes
  • Deleted Scene: Pig And Pepper
  • From Wonderland to Neverland: The Evolution of a Song
  • Deleted Storyboard Concept: Alice Daydreams In The Park
• Music Videos
  • "Beware The Jabberwock"
  • "Everything Has A Useness"
  • "So They Say"
  • "Beautiful Soup"
  • "Dream Caravan"
  • "If You'll Believe In Me"
• 4K Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish, French, and Japanese Subtitles
• Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles

Blu-ray Review Of The Week

Out today, Lionsgate Limited, through its Vestron Video label, releases The Stoned Age, a cult classic California stoner comedy directed by James Melkonian. I will say one thing about this film- if you are from Torrance, CA, this might just be your favorite film. A lot of the humor feels like it is in the script to make people from there laugh and leave the rest of us scratching our heads. It is funny in places and mildly amusing in others, but it never fully comes together and maintains its humor at a pace you would expect from most comedies. It also has maybe the most random cameos for any film, ever. I did enjoy it, but this disc as a whole is a bit of a letdown. The Blu-ray transfer is not as sharp as you would expect from Lionsgate. It is not terrible, but some of the vividness is lost, which is disappointing. As for audio, that is where the disc suffers most. The only audio track is a digital track, which doesn't pump through the music in the film thorugh well, as that is a big part of the film, which was disappointing. I liked all the features, the retrospective and reunion are fun, and you always get bonus points from me for having a commentary. This is as good as this film is ever going to get on disc, so if you are a fan, pick this up for sure. Thank you again to Lionsgate for sending this over for review.

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