Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...Very interesting news this week is that Sony will be releasing a Blu-ray of the pre-Code COCKTAIL HOUR (1933), which screened at the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival. It stars Bebe Daniels and Randolph Scott. It will be available on March 19th. I hope this is the start of many similar releases!

...Disney's WISH (2023) will be released on Blu-ray on March 12th. As previously mentioned here, that is also the release date for FERRARI (2023).

...ClassicFlix has cancelled its planned 4K release of MEET JOHN DOE (1941) due to lack of pre-order interest. They will have Blu-ray and DVD releases of this title coming out on April 30th.

...The March Criterion Channel lineup will include four films starring Jane Russell. For more details on next month's streaming schedule please click here.

...Disney+ is following in the footsteps of Netflix and finalizing plans to crack down on password sharing.

...As usual, Kino Lorber has recently made a number of interesting announcements regarding upcoming releases. HIGH NOON (1952) will have 4K and Blu-ray releases on April 16th; extras will include two new commentary tracks by Alan K. Rode and Julie Kirgo.

...Two Blu-rays previously announced as "coming soon" from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, YOU NEVER CAN TELL (1951) and THE LOOTERS (1954), now have an April 9th release date. YOU NEVER CAN TELL will be accompanied by a commentary track by Michael Schlesinger and Darlene Ramirez, while Toby Roan does the commentary for THE LOOTERS. I'm very much looking forward to both these titles and hope to review them here this spring.

...Kino Lorber has also announced that a Blu-ray of PURSUED (1947), is "coming soon." PURSUED, which stars Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright, previously had a no-frills Blu-ray release from Olive Films, which is no longer in business. This will be a great chance for anyone who missed the Olive Blu-ray to pick up a very interesting "psychological Western." Raoul Walsh directed.

...From Beth Accomando for the Showbiz Junkies site: "Till Death Do Us Part: 10 Film Noir Romances for Valentine's Day." Noir fans will enjoy this!

...There's more good Blu-ray release news, this time from Indicator: This May the company will release an eight-film collection of WHISTLER films. (This is a Region B release which requires U.S. consumers to have an all-region Blu-ray player.) Seven of these movies previously had a no-frills DVD release from Critics' Choice; the Indicator set also includes THE MARK OF THE WHISTLER (1944). All of the films in the new collection will have hi-def presentations excepting THE MARK OF THE WHISTLER, which will have a standard presentation. The set will include five commentary tracks, including one by Jeremy Arnold, who's in my "Top 5" commentary favorites. The set will also include featurettes, vintage documentaries, and a 120-page book.

...At Once Upon a Screen, Aurora has written a beautiful, photo-filled tribute to Katy Jurado.

...The newly reopened Vista Theater now has a coffee shop named Pam's Coffy in honor of actress Pam Grier.

...In her Classic Movie Hub "Noir Nook" column, Karen Burroughs Hannsberry celebrates the 75th anniversary of a quartet of great film noir titles originally released in 1949.

...Glenn Erickson's latest CineSavant Blu-ray reviews at Trailers From Hell include GENTLEMAN JIM (1942) from the Warner Archive Collection and RED PLANET MARS (1952) from MGM.

...Over at Riding the High Country, Colin's latest review is of a favorite John Wayne film, TALL IN THE SADDLE (1944). Colin does a great job placing the film in the context of Westerns in general and Wayne's career in particular.

...Notable Passings: Camera operator and cinematographer Alec Mills has passed on at 91. He was camera operator on RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) and several James Bond films, later serving as cinematographer for the Bond films THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987) and LICENCE TO KILL (1989)...Bill Post, inventor of Pop-Tarts toaster pastries, has passed away at 96.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my February 10th column.

Tweet