Shout! Factory / Scream Factory

[dwk]

Two more site exclusive limited editions (1500 each)
Crime Zone / Future Kick (Double Feature)
Sorority House Massacre

[yoloswegmaster]

July titles have leaked:

World War Z 4K UHD
The Burning (1981) 4K UHD (Collector's Edition)
Upgrade (2018) 4k UHD (Collector's Edition)
Bride of Chucky 4K UHD (Collector's Edition)
Seed of Chucky 4K UHD (Collector's Edition)
Curse of Chucky 4K UHD (Collector's Edition)
Cult of Chucky 4K UHD (Collector's Edition)

[SeizureMilk]

Two more site exclusive limited editions (1500 each)
Crime Zone / Future Kick (Double Feature)
Sorority House Massacre

Someone explain to me why Sorority House is a site exclusive, based off previous releases where it’s teamed up with the Slumber Parties, it sounds at least a bit more deserving than just being a site exclusive, FOMO really sucks especially in Shout’s case, because at least other labels keep it to nicer packaging or an exclusive extra, but hey hope the money’s worth it in the longterm. Thank you for reading.

[Finch]

I've been contemplating the Second Sight BD of Upgrade for some time and when Shout released Freaky etc in 4k earlier this year I thought they might get around to this one, too. Glad I waited!

[cdnchris]

I read that in the list and first thought "'upgrade' of what?" and it sadly took me a bit to realize "oh! The movie."

[dwk]

Someone explain to me why Sorority House is a site exclusive, based off previous releases where it’s teamed up with the Slumber Parties, it sounds at least a bit more deserving than just being a site exclusive, FOMO really sucks especially in Shout’s case, because at least other labels keep it to nicer packaging or an exclusive extra, but hey hope the money’s worth it in the longterm. Thank you for reading.

I've said this before, but unless a title is licensed from a major studio or big enough for a UHD release, Shout has shown no interest keeping things available.

The real obnoxious thing is that these limited editions are almost exclusively from catalogs that they own. So these limited editions are not due to licensing issues.

[SeizureMilk]

I've said this before, but unless a title is licensed from a major studio or big enough for a UHD release, Shout has shown no interest keeping things available.

The real obnoxious thing is that these limited editions are almost exclusively from catalogs that they own. So these limited editions are not due to licensing issues.

Honestly what’s even more confusing is that despite having more money and resources than say Vinegar Syndrome, Shout’s limited releases have less copies than VS (which starts from typically 2,000), and also like I mentioned previous, the titles Shout releases are a little more high profile than what Syndrome releases, so the way that Shout handles this is utterly inept, you’re not losing that much money from manufacturing a few hundred more copies. In conclusion, Shout’s FOMO stance is stupid-esque. Thank you for reading.

[M Sanderson]

The Burning - wonderful announcement.Those old Blu rays were looking terribly washed out - hope all goes well with the transfer, the encode, etc.

A really strange film, depicting summer camp in a very uneasy way (harassment, bullying), showing institutions as a kind of stifling hell. Somewhat unsettling, with one of the main identification figures being implicated (if I recall correctly) in the making of the monster (causing the accident that burned the caretaker, who becomes the Cropsy myth stand in). and another main character - the hero by the end? - being a really strange stalker. a really strong dose of misanthropy in this one.

I really liked the way that director Tony Maylam breaks out the weaponry in order to take down the monster figure. Something he would continue memorably in Split Second, the 1991 Rutger Hauer sci-fi.

[What A Disgrace]

I went out of my way to get the Arrow Steelbook of The Burning way back, and don't regret it. It really is a genuinely great and nasty horror film. I think I'll keep that lovely, shiny steelbook package but replace the discs...

[yoloswegmaster]

Bonus Features for the Shaw Brothers Vol. 1 boxset:

DISC ONE: THE ASSASSIN (1967)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation, English Dub Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
NEW Audio Commentary By David West, Critic And Author Of Chasing Dragons: An Introduction To The Martial Arts Film
Celestial Trailer

DISC TWO: THE THUNDERING SWORD (1967)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation
NEW From A Western Perspective – An Interview About The Transnational Appeal Of The Shaw Brothers With Academic Leon Hunt, Author Of "Kung Fu Cult Masters: From Bruce Lee To Crouching Tiger"
NEW Interview With Author And Critic Kim Newman About The Western "Breakthrough" Films Of Sir Run Run Shaw, Which Took The Producer From East To West
Celestial Trailer

DISC THREE: THE GOLDEN SWALLOW (1968)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation, English Dub Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
NEW Audio Commentary By Hong Kong-Based Academic And Filmmaker Gilbert Po
Interview With Actress Cheng Pei-Pei By Frédéric Ambroisine
Celestial Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer

DISC FOUR: THE JADE RAKSHA (1968)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation
NEW Slicing At The Stars – An Interview With Critic And Hong Kong Film Expert Tony Rayns, About The Emergence, Key Players, And Success Of The Shaw Brothers Wuxia Film
NEW A Very Vocal Violence – Hong Kong Based Dubber Peter Boczar Reflects On His Time Behind The Microphone For A Number Of Martial Arts Masterpieces.

DISC FIVE: THE BELLS OF DEATH (1968)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation, English Dub Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
NEW Audio Commentary With James Mudge, Veteran Hong Kong Film Critic At easternKicks
Celestial Trailer

DISC SIX: THE SWORD OF SWORDS (1968)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation, English Dub Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Brian Bankston (Cool Ass Cinema Blog)
NEW Audio Commentary With James Mudge, Veteran Hong Kong Film Critic At easternKicks
Celestial Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer

DISC SEVEN: KILLER DART (1968)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation
NEW Audio Commentary with James Mudge, veteran Hong Kong film critic at easternKicks
Celestial Trailer

DISC EIGHT: THE INVINCIBLE FIST (1969)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation
NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Brian Bankston (Cool Ass Cinema Blog)
NEW Audio Commentary with James Mudge, veteran Hong Kong film critic at easternKicks
Celestial Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer

DISC NINE: DRAGON SWAMP (1969)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation
NEW Audio Commentary With Hong Kong-Based Academic And Filmmaker Gilbert Po
Celestial Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer

DISC TEN: THE FLYING DAGGER (1969)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation, English Dub Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
NEW Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng of the New York Asian Film Festival
Celestial Trailer

DISC ELEVEN: THE GOLDEN SWORD (1969)

Audio: Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation
NEW Audio Commentary With Hong Kong-Based Academic And Filmmaker Gilbert Po
Celestial Trailer

[MichaelB]

Interestingly, no overlap at all with either of Arrow’s Shaw Brothers sets.

[Orlac]

Interestingly, no overlap at all with either of Arrow’s Shaw Brothers sets.

As Arrow released their Shaw box-sets stateside, I wouldn't expect there to be. The only overlap SF had had with the previous 88 releases so far is the first of the THE BRAVE ARCHER films.

[MichaelB]

Ah, yes, good point - I’d forgotten about that. Which presumably means that no future Arrow box is likely to tackle them, which is useful to know.

[Finch]

88 or Eureka might cover them in the UK, the former more likely than the latter. Eureka's Shaw output has been pretty slim, no?

[Glowingwabbit]

Eureka's Shaw output has been pretty slim, no?

It's actually zero.

[Orlac]

88 or Eureka might cover them in the UK, the former more likely than the latter. Eureka's Shaw output has been pretty slim, no?

I get the impression 88 gave up on Shaws.

[What A Disgrace]

Isn't Eureka supposed to be announcing some kind of a big box? Maybe they'll be dipping into the Shaw Brothers pool. It wouldn't be the first time that Shout and Eureka crossed over with their HK releases, after all.

[dwk]

Two new Shout site exclusive limited editions (1500 copies)
Trouble in Mind
Another Country

[Maltic]

Two new Shout site exclusive limited editions (1500 copies)
Trouble in Mind
Another Country

No PQ specs

[SeizureMilk]

Only one new Shout site exclusive limited edition today (1500 copies)
Trouble in Mind

At this point I think they're deliberately trying to force people into getting true cult classics on Blu-Ray by doing this nonsense, doesn't even come with (and I can't I'm saying this) a slipcover. Christ mate, at least try to do something that will people's attention. There's a reason, companies like Kino Studio Classics and Vinegar Syndrome do slips than standards, to guarantee more profit in the long run. But I guess that the studio releases are the big sellers so who am I to fret like this, they're the older company and with age comes "experience".

P.S.:
This is $42 not including shipping and taxes which is almost the same price as the Vinegar Syndrome Ultras and it has 2 special features and is also $20 more than the DVD (typically it should be $10-$15) and it doesn't even have the liner notes.

[Finch]

Specs for the Upgrade 4k

Bonus Features for UHD/BD

DISC ONE (4K UHD):
NEW 2023 4K Master In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Leigh Whannell
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):

NEW 2023 4K Master
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Leigh Whannell
Not Action. Not Sci-Fi. More – An Interview With Writer/Director Leigh Whannell
Permission Granted – An Interview With Producer Kylie Du Fresne
Future Noir – An Interview With Cinematographer Stefan Duscio
Hacking Upgrade – An Interview With Editor Andy Canny
The Art Of Fighting Without Fighting – An Interview With Fight Choreographer Chris Weir
Theatrical Trailer

[yoloswegmaster]

August titles have leaked on Amazon and Bullmoose:

Nightbreed 4K
Hackers 4K
Shaw Brothers Vol. 2
Little Nicky
Coma

A listing was also found on Bullmoose for a 4K release of Natural Born Killers but nothing has shown up on Amazon, so it could be delayed.

[Finch]

This spectacular box set comprises 12 classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library, featuring some of their greatest stars – Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink With Me), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Sammo Hung (Wheels On Meals), Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow), and David Chiang (The Boxer From Shantung). Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray. Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills as heroes meet villains in a duel to the death!

LADY OF STEEL (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 88 min.)
Cheng Pei-pei was Hong Kong's first and most celebrated queen of kung fu because her performances set all the standards for future female martial arts stars like Michelle Yeoh. Lady Of Steel is a high-plains-drifter adventure where Cheng Pei-pei plays a swordswoman on a mission: to find the bandits that killed her parents and save the country from foreign invaders.

BROTHERS FIVE (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 106 min.)
Years before he was to become famous for directing Bruce Lee in Fist Of Fury and Jackie Chan in New Fist Of Fury, Lo Wei teamed with superstar swordswoman Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink With Me) for this action thriller of brotherly love ... and death. She stars as Yen Lai, the one woman who can reunite the Kao brothers to rid the Teng Lung Manor of killers – as well as take revenge for their father's murder.

THE CRIMSON CHARM (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 100 min.)
Huang Feng both writes and directs this "Martial Arts World" thriller of a noble swordsman and a one-armed swordswoman up against the vicious Crimson Charm gang of thieves and cutthroats. The lovely and lethal Ivy Ling Po teams with the amazing Chang I for a classic tale of good versus evil in which the best man – and one-armed woman – wins.

THE SHAWDOW WHIP (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 79 min.)
This top-ten box office hit reunites the star duo from Come Drink With Me in another classic action adventure. Cheng Pei-pei (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) radiates her trademark charm while wielding the deadly title weapon, which is implicated in multiple murders and a major heist. Whether single-handedly fighting sixteen bandits or avenging her father's brutal death, she demonstrates why she was Hong Kong's number one swordswoman – and no slouch with the whip either!

THE DELIGHTFUL FOREST (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin & English Dub DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 96 min.)
Co-directed by Chang Cheh and Pao Hsueh-li, and written by Ni Kuang, Chang Cheh and Chin Shu-Mei, The Delightful Forest revolves around the legendary hero Wu Sung (Ti Lung), who was sent to the prison in the Meng province after murdering his sister-in-law and a local ruffian. There he was acquainted with the prison officer "Golden Eye" Shih En (Tien Ching), who saved Wu from the baton punishment required for new prisoners. Wu found out that Shih's restaurant, "Delightful Forest," was taken by the local thug "Door God" Chiang Chung (Chu Mu).

THE DEVIL'S MIRROR (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 90 min.)
This is Sun Chung's very first film for the Shaw Brothers, making it especially interesting and important. He hit the ground running with this action-filled tale of a "Devil Girl" who is setting one clan against another to get her hands on two amazing mirrors with supernatural powers. Only a noble swordsman (played by Lau Dan) and beautiful swordswoman (played by The Thundering Sword star Shu Pei-pei) can stop her.

MAN OF IRON (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin & English Dub DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 99 min.)
Chen Kuan-tai exuded incredible power on screen, which his directors used to great advantage in this fight-filled follow-up to the smash hit The Boxer From Shantung. The only thing Chou Lien Huan does wrong is win some money gambling with a Shanghai gang leader's playboy son ... but that's enough for the father and child to want obsessive revenge. It all culminates in an incredible climatic fight, choreographed by the legendary Lau Kar-leung and Chan Chuen, co-star of Bruce Lee's Fist Of Fury.

THE WATER MARGIN (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 125 min.)
The Chang Cheh-directed The Water Margin is the martial arts epic of epics ... of epics. Based on the true legend of how 108 rebel heroes living in the mountains were able to repeatedly defeat invading Sung armies, the film starred just about anyone who was a name at Shaw Brothers at the time, like David Chiang, Chen Kuan-tai and Ti Lung. The primitive battles ultimately end in sharp, visually effective images of death and defeat. This is a must-see for any movie fan.

THE BRIDE FROM HELL (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 79 min.)
Never marry a possessed woman ... especially one possessed by the spirit of a girl murdered by the uncle of the groom! That is the moral of this fascinating production, released a full two years before the international success of The Exorcist. Justice must be done and an exorcism, Hong Kong-style, must be performed before anyone can rest in peace. Talented Margaret Hsing Hui makes a fetching spirit in this mystery thriller that also incorporates a laugh or two amidst the chills.

HEROES TWO (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin & English Dub DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 92 min.)
Of the dozens of great martial arts movies made by this prolific and respected director, this tale of legendary Shaolin avengers Fang Shih-yu and Hung Hsi-kuan is often considered one of his best. His collaboration with equally renowned kung fu choreographer Lar Kar-leung was apparent in all the performances, but especially with that of charismatic, capable, then 19-year-old Alexander Fu Sheng. This powerful production is a true landmark in kung fu film history.

THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin & English Dub DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 105 min.)
Director Ho Meng-hua attained cult status among Western kung fu film fans with The Flying Guillotine. One of the Shaw Brothers' biggest martial arts stars, Chen Kuan-tai, plays the leader of a group of killers, commissioned by the Ching Emperor to use a deadly, beheading weapon to assassinate dissidents. Although based on a true story, the film's weapon was a complete fabrication because in real life, no one ever survived to tell what the actual weapon really looked like.

THE DRAGON MISSLE (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin & English Dub DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 86 min.)
The many fans of the internationally popular Flying Guillotine films and international star Lo Lieh (King Boxer) will love this movie, featuring some of the most exciting martial arts machinery ever conceived. Everybody's fighting for a special elixir and the title tool – an ultra-cool flying boomerang with blades. There are double crosses and ambushes galore before the culminating clash of sizzling steel that must be seen to be believed.

Can anyone comment on the films in this volume? Any unmissable titles in there?

[dwk]

Only the theatrical cut of Nightbreed will be 4K UHD, the director's cut is a regular Blu-ray.

[beamish14]

Only the theatrical cut of Nightbreed will be 4K UHD, the director's cut is a regular Blu-ray.

and even that cut was severely compromised, as Barker wasn’t able to properly fine-time it and include scenes that were rediscovered

I’ll just hold onto my limited edition Blu