A downed airplane is a motley group of men’s only protection from the relentless desert sun, in this psychologically charged disaster epic, one of the all-time great survival movies. James Stewart is the veteran pilot whose Benghazi-bound plane—carrying passengers played by an unshaven ensemble of screen icons including Richard Attenborough, Ernest Borgnine, Ian Bannen, Dan Duryea, Peter Finch, and George Kennedy—crash-lands in the remote Sahara. As tensions simmer among the survivors, they find themselves forced to trust a coldly logical engineer (Hardy Krüger) whose plan to get them out may just be crazy enough to work—or could kill them all. Directed with characteristic punch by Hollywood iconoclast Robert Aldrich, The Flight of the Phoenix balances adventure with human drama as it conducts a surprising and complex examination of authority, honor, and camaraderie among desperate men. In addition to a 2K digital restoration, bonus features include: New conversation between filmmaker Walter Hill and film scholar Alain Silver; New interview with biographer Donald Dewey on actor James Stewart and his service as a bomber pilot; Trailer. PLUS: An essay by filmmaker and critic Gina Telaroli.
THE TOOLBOX MURDERS 4K UHD coming 1/18 from Blue Underground
Blue Underground invites you to ring in the New Year with one of the most sadistic and controversial slashers of all time. On January 18, the cult distributor plans to dust off the old toolshed with a brand-new release of The Toolbox Murders. Dennis Donnelly's notorious exploitation classic makes its debut on 4K Ultra HD with a new Blu-ray combo that has been scanned in 4K 16-bit from the uncut original negative. A violent string of murders terrorizes a small apartment complex in Los Angeles. The culprit is a mysterious masked man determined to use every tool at his disposal to make "immoral" women pay. Rooted in the Italian giallo, The Toolbox Murders quickly earned a reputation for its brutal violence and was labeled a "Video Nasty" in the UK. Despite this failed attempt at censorship, The Toolbox Murders has developed a devoted cult following in the decades following its release. Jacob Knight of Birth.Movies.Death wrote that the film is sure to "please even the most hardcore horror hounds" with its "blitzkrieg of brutal, Biblical violence."
THE GREAT ESCAPE on 4K Coming 1/11/22 from Kino Lorber
The Great Escape is one of the most ingenious and suspenseful adventure films of all time! As Word War II rages on, the Germans open Stalag Luft III, a maximum security prisoner-of-war camp, designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so, however, the Nazis unwittingly assemble the finest escape team in military history. Together, under the guidance of the brilliant Bartlett (Richard Attenborough, Brighton Rock), the resourceful Hendley (James Garner, Support Your Local Sheriff) and the steely, determined Hilts (McQueen), the men plot, scheme and dig their way to freedom…at any cost! Charles Bronson (Breakheart Pass), James Coburn (A Fistful of Dynamite), Donald Pleasence (The Black Windmill), James Donald (The Bridge on the River Kwai) and David McCallum (Mosquito Squadron) fill out the iconic cast of this spectacular, true-life blockbuster. The 4K disc comes with a NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Combat Films: American Realism Author Steven Jay Rubin. The Blu-ray comes with a wide selection of vintage bonus features.
The Punisher walks through the world we all know, a world darkened by war, crime, cruelty, and injustice. He has no superpowers to battle the evil he sees — only his fierce intelligence, his years of combat experience and, above all, his iron determination to avenge those wronged by society’s villains. One of the most popular Marvel vigilantes, The Punisher arrives January 25 on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook from Lionsgate, exclusively at Best Buy. Featuring Golden Globe® Award nominee Thomas Jane (2012, Best Television Actor – Musical/Comedy Series, “Hung”), Academy Award® nominee John Travolta (1994, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Pulp Fiction), Will Patton (Armageddon, The Postman, No Way Out), and Academy Award nominee Roy Scheider (1979, Best Actor in a Leading Role, All That Jazz). Featuring all-new artwork from Orlando Arocena, The Punisher will be available on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook at Best Buy.
LE CERCLE ROUGE on 4K/Blu-ray from Criterion 3/15/22
Alain Delon plays a master thief, fresh out of prison, who crosses paths with a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volontè) and an alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand). The unlikely trio plot a heist, against impossible odds, until a relentless inspector and their own pasts seal their fates. With its honorable antiheroes, coolly atmospheric cinematography, and breathtaking set pieces, Le cercle rouge is the quintessential film by Jean-Pierre Melville—the master of ambiguous, introspective crime cinema. In addition to a new 4K restoration from STUDIOCANAL of the uncut version of the film, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack, bonus features include: Segments from a 1971 episode of Cinéastes de notre temps featuring director Jean-Pierre Melville; Interviews with assistant director Bernard Stora and Rui Nogueira, author of Melville on Melville; On-set and archival footage, featuring interviews with Melville and actors Alain Delon, Yves Montand, and André Bourvil; Trailer. PLUS: Essays by film critics Michael Sragow and Chris Fujiwara, excerpts from Melville on Melville, a 2000 interview with composer Eric Demarsan, and an appreciation by filmmaker John Woo.
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