‘Babylon,’ ‘Dragonslayer’ and More Debut on Home Entertainment — Plus, a Giveaway!

BABYLON. (DVD Artwork). ©Paramount Home Entertainment.

Movies

Babylon (Comedy, Drama, History)

Writer/director Damien Chazelle’s glittering tale of Hollywood glamour and excess, “Babylon” arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and in a limited-edition, 3-disc 4K Ultra HD SteelBook Tuesday, March 21, from Paramount Home Entertainment. The film is also now available to own on Digital.

Nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design), “Babylon” follows an ambitious cast of characters — the Silent Film Superstar (Brad Pitt), the Young Starlet (Margot Robbie), the Production Executive (Diego Calva), the Musical Sensation (Jovan Adepo) and the Alluring Powerhouse Performer (Li Jun Li) — who are striving to stay on top of the raucous, 1920s Hollywood scene and maintain their relevance at a time when the industry is moving on to the next best thing.

The must-see spectacle includes over 40 minutes of special features on Digital, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD. Viewers can hear all about how the cinematic tour-de-force was 15 years in the making in “A Panoramic Canvas Called ‘Babylon,’” discover the challenges that went into creating more than 7,000 costumes for the film in “The Costumes of ‘Babylon,’” and even take a peek into Justin Hurwitz’s musical process in “Scoring ‘Babylon.’” Deleted and extended scenes round out the extras.

Dragonslayer (Action, Adventure, Fantasy)

Newly restored in eye-popping 4K Ultra HD under the supervision of director/co-writer Matthew Robbins, the fan-favorite classic “Dragonslayer” arrives for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and in a limited-edition collector’s 4K Ultra HD SteelBook Tuesday, March 21, from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Set in sixth-century England, an ill-tempered, fire-breathing creature — ominously known as Vermithrax Pejorative — terrorizes its citizens until a young sorcerer’s apprentice named Galen (Peter MacNicol) is reluctantly tasked with confronting the beast. For Galen to succeed, it will take more than magic to defeat the dragon.

An essential cinematic adventure with groundbreaking and Oscar-nominated visual effects, “Dragonslayer” has been restored with exceptional picture and sound to bring the spectacular fantasy to life for a new generation. Legendary visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett (“Star Wars,” “Jurassic Park”) created the film’s special effects, pioneering a new technique called “go motion” that incorporates blurring into each frame for more realistic images. Vermithrax Pejorative, the fire-breathing creature at the center of the story, was created using a combination of go motion and 16 massive dragon puppets.

“Dragonslayer” continues to win over fans more than 40 years after its initial release, not the least of which is Guillermo del Toro who joins director and longtime collaborator Robbins for an entertaining and illuminating new commentary. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray releases also include more than an hour of additional new special features, including “The Slayer of Dragons,” where Robbins, Tippett and ILM’s visual effects master Dennis Muren recount the film’s challenging journey from concept to screen.

The “Dragonslayer” 4K Ultra HD Limited-Edition SteelBook boasts collectible packaging as well, with a removable O-sleeve featuring an image of the theatrical poster, which, when removed, reveals original artwork of the final battle with Vermithrax Pejorative. All three releases also include the film’s original theatrical trailer and screen tests.

Legend of Gatotkaca (Action, Adventure, Drama)

The martial arts superhero origins story “Legend of Gatotkaca” lands on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, March 21, from Well Go USA Entertainment.

After witnessing the shocking murder of his best friend by a masked assassin with terrifying superpowers, Yuda (Rizky Nazar, “Mecca I’m Coming”) stumbles upon a secret prophecy long concealed by powerful people. After unlocking dormant abilities of his own, Yuda discovers that he — an ordinary college kid with no belief in the old legends — may very well be the key to winning the upcoming battle against an ancient evil.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Hanung Bramantyo (“Get Married”), “Legend of Gatotkaca” also stars Yasmin Napper (“Imperfect”), Edward Akbar (“A Man Called Ahok”), Sigi Wimala (“Macabre”), Yayan Ruhian (“John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum,” “Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens”) and Cecep Arif Rahman (“John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum”). The release features both Indonesian and English language tracks as well as the movie’s theatrical trailer.

TV Shows

The Walking Dead: Season 11 (Drama, Horror, Thriller)

The conclusion to the Emmy-winning TV series, “The Walking Dead: Season 11” is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Lionsgate.

In the epic final season, Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) embark on a risky mission with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to root out the shadowy Reapers while Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) make contact with the sprawling Commonwealth. To secure aid for Alexandria — their goal — they must assimilate…a tough ask for people who’ve seen no end of deceit, betrayal and loss. Stunned by the Commonwealth’s resources, the group slowly adjusts to their new home, but they can’t ignore what lurks beneath its seemingly civilized surface. Soon, threats abound, loyalties are tested and shocking fates await. But the fight for the future, threatened by an ever-growing population of walkers, means the walking dead will live on….

Bonus features on the release include two deleted scenes: one for episode 1110, “New Haunts,” and the other for episode 1111, “Rogue Element.”

Front Row Features is giving away a copy of the superhero martial arts action-adventure “Legend of Gatotkaca” on Blu-ray to three lucky readers. For your chance to win, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by March 27 with your favorite superhero origin story to enter the contest. Good luck!