Movies

 

All The President’s Men (Drama, History, Thriller)

The Academy Award-winning biographical political thriller “All the President’s Men” will be available to purchase for the first time on Digital in 4K Ultra HD as well as on 4K UHD Blu-ray Tuesday, Feb. 17, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Academy Award winners Robert Redford (“Ordinary People”) and Dustin Hoffman (“Rain Man”) star in this captivating true story as “Washington Post” reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, whose investigation of a seemingly minor hotel room break-in uncovers the greatest political scandal in United States history and leads to the downfall of President Richard Nixon.

Directed by Alan J. Pakula (“Presumed Innocent”) and written by William Goldman (“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”), “All the President’s Men” is based on the 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won four: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jason Robards, “Julia”); Best Art Direction – Set Decoration; and Best Sound. In 2010, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

The 4K releases of “All the President’s Men” contain two new special features: the featurettes “‘All the President’s Men:’ The Film and its Influence” and “Woodward and Bernstein: A Journalism Masterclass.” Additionally, the 4K releases include four previously released extras: “Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting the Fire,” “Telling the Truth About Lies,” “Out of the Shadows: The Man who was Deep Throat” and “Jason Robards on ‘Dinah!’”

 

Ben-Hur (Adventure, Drama)

The Academy Award-winning religious epic “Ben-Hur” will be available to purchase for the first time on 4K UHD Blu-ray and on Digital in 4K Ultra HD Tuesday, Feb. 17, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Winner of 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler, “The Best Years of Our Lives”), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Charlton Heston, “The Ten Commandments”) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hugh Griffith, “Oliver!”), “Ben-Hur” stands as one of the greatest Hollywood epics ever filmed. A member of the Jewish nobility living in Jerusalem, Judah Ben-Hur (Heston) lives a religious life and peacefully opposes the tyrannical occupation of Judea by Rome. When a boyhood friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd, “Fantastic Voyage”), returns to the region as a Roman official, he and Judah become estranged due to Messala’s fanatical loyalty to Rome and ruthless indifference to the fate of Judea. Casting friendship aside, Messala fabricates a charge of treason against Ben-Hur, his sister and mother, all of whom are arrested by Roman soldiers.​

A remake of the 1925 silent film and adapted from Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ,” “Ben-Hur” was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress in 2004 and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The 4K releases of the film boast two new special features: “‘Ben-Hur:’ Anatomy of an Epic” and “The Cinematography of Scale.” Additionally, the 4K releases contain several previously released extras, including a commentary by film historian T. Gene Hatcher with Charlton Heston, a music-only track that showcases Miklós Rózsa’s (“Spellbound”) award-winning score, the featurettes “Charlton Heston & ‘Ben-Hur:’ A Personal Journey,” “‘Ben-Hur:’ The Making of an Epic” and “‘Ben-Hur:’ A Journey Through Pictures,” and four screen tests: “George Baker and William Russell,” “Leslie Nielsen and Cesare Danova,” “Leslie Neilsen and Yale Wexler” and “Haya Harareet and Make-Up Test.”

 

Is This Thing On? (Comedy, Drama)

An intimate story of how love and people in love can evolve over time, “Is This Thing On?” is now available to own on Digital from Searchlight Pictures. The film will also debut on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, March 17.

As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett, “Arrested Development”) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, Tess (Academy Award winner Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family — forcing the two to navigate co-parenting, identity and whether love can take a new form.

Directed by Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), “Is This Thing On?” is a multi-faceted portrait of self-discovery and rediscovery of passions. The film delivers a hopeful and deeply human story to mature audiences through the performance of an all-star ensemble cast that also includes Cooper, Andra Day (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”), Christine Ebersole (“Amadeus”), Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”), Amy Sedaris (“Strangers with Candy”), Sean Hayes (“Will & Grace”) and Hayes’ real-life husband, composer Scott Icenogle (“Will & Grace”).

Viewers can go behind the scenes of the film and hear about the inspirations behind the movie’s story of love, loss and starting again in the singular bonus feature “Mic Drop: Making ‘Is This Thing On?’”

 

Predator: Badlands (Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller)

A bold new chapter in the legendary “Predator” franchise, “Predator: Badlands” arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 20th Century Studios. The action-packed sci-fi film is also now available to own on Digital and is currently streaming on Hulu.

Set in the future on a deadly remote planet, “Predator: Badlands” follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, “The Panthers”), a young Predator outcast from his clan, who finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning, “Maleficent”) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. Blending themes of survival and self-discovery with intense combat, striking visual effects and moments of humor, “Predator: Badlands” delivers a high-stakes action adventure on both a visceral and emotional level.

Audiences can explore the world of Predator even further with exclusive bonus features on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and Digital releases, including an audio commentary by director Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”), producer Ben Rosenblatt (“Snowpiercer”), director of photography Jeff Cutter (“Prey”) and stunt coordinator Jacob Tomuri (“Mad Max: Fury Road”). Six deleted and pre-visualization scenes (“Sand Trap,” “Squirt Canyon,” “Tessa vs. Abe,” “Razor Grass,” “The Outpost” and “Super Power Loader Extended”) are also available with optional audio commentary from Trachtenberg and the filmmakers, as well as four behind-the-scenes featurettes. Viewers can meet the talented team of designers, performers and effects artists responsible for bringing one of cinema’s most terrifying creatures to life on screen in ways audiences have never seen before in “Embodying the Predator;” get up close and personal with synths Thia and Tessa as Elle Fanning walks audiences through the process of crafting two characters who may look the same but have evolved in surprisingly unique ways in “Authentic Synthetics;” uncover how a team of artisans built Genna’s threatening landscape, transforming real locations into the dangerous environments seen on screen, in “Building the Badlands;” and hear the process behind developing the Yautja’s home world, spacecraft and family dynamics in “Dek of the Yautja.”

For the ultimate film collector, a limited-edition 4K SteelBook of “Predator: Badlands” will also be available to purchase on Feb. 17, with artwork that dramatically captures the scale and intensity of battle with the Kalisk while highlighting the unexpected alliance between Dek and Thia.

 

Rental Family (Comedy, Drama)

Journey into the heart of human connection with Searchlight Pictures’ “Rental Family,” coming home on Blu-ray Tuesday, Feb. 17. The film is also now available to own on Digital and streams exclusively on Hulu beginning Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Set in modern-day Tokyo, “Rental Family” stars Academy Award–winning actor Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) as Phillip, a has-been American actor searching for purpose and belonging in a society where he feels increasingly adrift. An unexpected acting call leads him to a “rental family” agency, where Phillip is hired to play stand-in roles for strangers seeking connection. As performance begins to blur with reality, the immersive role playing awakens his humanity and compassion, drawing Phillip deeply into his clients’ lives and pushing him off script whenever his empathetic heart takes over.

The Blu-ray and Digital releases of “Rental Family” include nine deleted/extended scenes (“Columbus,” “Crying Session,” “Apology,” “Aiko’s First Client,” “Clearbright,” “Tickets,” “Audition,” “Phone Call” and “Final Montage”) as well as the making-of featurette “‘Rental Family’ Revealed.” Viewers can go behind the scenes with Fraser, director Hikari (“Beef”) and the Japanese cast as they explore friendship, culture, found family and filming in Japan.

 

Song Sung Blue (Biography, Drama, History, Music)

Focus Features’ inspirational love story “Song Sung Blue” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Feb. 17, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is also now available to own on Digital.

Based on an incredible true story, Mike (Hugh Jackman, “Deadpool & Wolverine”) and Claire (Kate Hudson, “Almost Famous”) are two down-on-their-luck musicians who prove that it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. They form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning and Thunder, rising from a humble garage to dive bar gigs to unexpected hometown stardom. When tragedy strikes, their love for each other and passion for music give them the strength to overcome hardships, rediscover hope and inspire everyone around them.

Nominated at this year’s Academy Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Kate Hudson), “Song Sung Blue” is based on the award-winning 2008 documentary of the same name by Greg Kohs (“The Great Alone”). Writer-director Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow”) brings the remarkable true story to life by exploring the power of music and the timeless influence of iconic musician Neil Diamond.

Audiences can now go backstage to experience the strength and perseverance that drives “Song Sung Blue’s” unforgettable romance with all-new behind-the-scenes featurettes and never-before-seen extended musical performances that dive deeper into the drama, humor and Diamond’s timeless anthems. Special features on the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital releases of the film include a feature commentary with writer-director Craig Brewer, extended performances of “Crunchy Granola Suite” and “Sweet Caroline” and three featurettes. Viewers can watch as Jackman and Hudson reminisce on their characters’ love story, co-dependency and their undeniable electricity in “One Plus One Equals Three;” see just how Brewer brought “Song Sung Blue” to life in “Lightning in a Bottle;” and watch as costume designer Ernesto Martinez (“Veep”) reveals the art of storytelling through stitch and style in “Eye for Style.”