Author: Justin K. Arnold

New Anime Film ‘Ghost Cat Anzu’ Heads Home March 4 After Theatrical Run

The new anime film Ghost Cat Anzu will be released March 4 on Blu-ray Disc by GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Studios, following a successful U.S. theatrical run last November.

Bonus features on the Ghost Cat Anzu Blu-ray Disc include teasers and trailers.

The film will also be available on digital platforms, including Prime Video, Apple, Google Play, Fandango at Home, Microsoft Movies & TV, and iNDEMAND, on Jan. 28.

The film follows precocious tween Karin as she finds herself abandoned by her father in rural Japan. Living in a temple with her grandfather, she meets Anzu, a giant “ghost cat, who is tasked with looking after her. Distrustful of her new guardian, Karin sabotages Anzu’s odd jobs for the townsfolk and befriends the eccentric local forest spirits. In an effort to win Karin over, Anzu accidentally makes a deal with the devil, and all hell breaks loose.

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Ghost Cat Anzu was first filmed in live action, with the animation rotoscoped based on this footage. Ghost Cat Anzu is co-directed by artist Yôko Kuno, who makes her feature directorial debut, and Nobuhiro Yamashita, the acclaimed director of Linda Linda Linda. The film was co-produced by Shin-Ei Animation and Miyu Productions, with music by Keiichi Suzuki (EarthBound).

AMC’s HIDIVE Anime Streamer to Launch ‘Flowers and Asura’ as Part of Winter 2025 Simulcast Slate

AMC Network’s HIDIVE streaming service will stream the slice-of-life drama “Flowers and Asura” exclusively in North America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand as part of its slate of Winter 2025 simulcasts next year.

The series is adapted from the popular manga by Ayano Takeda, the novelist known for her signature work “Sound! Euphonium.”

On the picturesque island of Tonakijima with a population of only 600, Hana’s favorite pastime is reading literature to the island’s children. Her narration skills are second to none, and Mizuki, the president of the school’s broadcasting club, immediately recognizes Hana’s ability to engage with others and draw them into her recitations. Invited by Mizuki to join the club, Hana embarks on a journey to discover her true love of reading — and maybe even change the course of her life along the way.

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Written by  Takeda and illustrated by Musshu, “Flower and Asura” (“Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku”) launched in 2021 in Shueisha’s Ultra Jump and currently spans seven volumes. The anime adaptation features series composition by writer Kazuyuki Fudeyasu and is directed by Ayumu Uwano, along with production by Studio Bind.

“Flower and Asura” stars Minori Fujidera as Hana, Miyuri Shimabukuro as Mizuki, Fuka Izumi as Anne, Shoya Chiba as Shudai, Seiichiro Yamashita as Matsuyuki, Kiyono Yasuno as Ryoko and Taito Ban as Setaro.

Shout! Studios Sets Jan. 28 Digital Release Date for Animated ‘Panda Bear in Africa’

Shout! Studios and Shout! Kids, in collaboration with Cinema Management Group, have announced the Jan. 28 digital release of Panda Bear In Africa, an animated film directed and written by Richard Claus (The Little Vampire, AINBO: Spirit of the Amazon) and Karsten Kiilerich (The Little Vampire, Ruby and Raggie).

The film will be available for purchase or rent across all major entertainment platforms in the United States and Canada, and is also coming soon to DVD in the spring of 2025.

Based on the story of the same name, Panda Bear In Africa is a rescue tale that follows the story of Pang, a panda bear who sets on a quest across the globe to save his best friend, Jielong, from kidnapping lions. On his journey, he discovers a completely unknown world and faces frightening hippos, suspicious hyenas, and wise gorillas. Relying on his wits and some newfound friends, he makes his way across Africa before rescuing his friend Dragon and saving his new friends’ jungle home.

Panda Bear In Africa was an Official Selection at the 2024 Annecy International Film Festival.

‘Rock ‘n’ Roll High School’ 45th Anniversary Edition Due Dec. 10 on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Shout! Studios on Dec. 10 will release a 45th anniversary edition of the cult classic Rock ‘N’ Roll High School, newly remastered in 4K.

The three-disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Blu-ray Disc combo pack includes hours of bonus features, including a new audio commentary by Stephen B. Armstrong, author of I Want You Around: The Ramones And The Making Of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.

The 1979 film stars P.J. Soles as Riff Randell, a rebellious teen student at Vince Lombardi High School. Evelyn Togar (Mary Woronov, Eating Raoul) is the strict new principal, with plans to rule the school like her own personal dictatorship. And the Ramones are the hottest band around. All three collide when Randell strikes back against Togar’s record burnings and iron-fisted discipline.

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Consumers who order the package from ShoutFactory.com get an exclusive 18×24-inch rolled poster featuring new art work, available while supplies last.

Disc one has the film from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, presented in Dolby Vision with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual mono sound. Also included is the new audio commentary from Armstrong, along with four previously available audio commentaries, including one from executive producer Roger Corman and actress Dey Young.

Disc two has the film on standard Blu-ray, also from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, and also with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual mono. The disc includes the same five audio commentaries as the 4K Ultra HD disc.

The third disc has more bonus content, including a new interview with Marky Ramone, an interview with Corman conducted by famed film critic Leonard Maltin, an interview with director Allan Arkush, Arkush’s 2019 Sunday Slasher “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” intro, audio outtakes, original radio ads, the original theatrical trailer and TV spots, and the documentaries “Class Of ’79: 40 Years Of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School – Revised,” “Back To School: A Retrospective,” and “Staying After Class: An Interview With Actors P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten And Dey Young.”

Viggo Mortensen Western ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ Gets Dec. 3 Blu-ray Disc Release

Shout! Studios on Dec. 3 will release, on Blu-ray Disc, the “subversive Western” The Dead Don’t Hurt, written and directed by Viggo Mortensen.

The film was previously released digitally in July on all major TVOD platforms. 

Bonus features on the Blu-ray Disc release include a making-of documentary, a featurette called “The Dead Don’t Hurt: A Conversation Between Jane Campion and Viggo Mortensen,” and deleted scenes.

The Dead Don’t Hurt follows a pair of star-crossed lovers on the western frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who gets into a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the small town of Elk Flats, Nev., where they start a life together. The outbreak of the Civil War separates them when Olsen decides to fight for the Union. 

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This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his business partner, the unscrupulous rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt). Alfred’s violent son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. 

‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ Remake Due on TVOD Platforms Nov. 19

The remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead will be released on digital entertainment platforms on Nov. 19 from Shout! Studios, in collaboration with Spiral Stairs Entertainment, Treehouse Pictures and SMiZE Productions.

Directed by Wade Allain-Marcus from a screenplay by Chuck Hayward, the film is a reimagining of the 1991 cult classic comedy, which starred Christina Applegate as a 17-year-old girl who assumes the role as head of the house when the elderly babysitter whom her mother had hired to watch over her kids while she is in Australia suddenly dies.  

The remake boasts a multigenerational cast of Simone Joy Jones, Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams, Jermaine Fowler, June Squibb and Nicole Richie. The film is produced by Juliet Berman, Oren Segal, Justin Nappi, and Juliana Maio. Joanna Cassidy, Keith Coogan and Danielle Harris from the original movie make cameos. 

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Executive producers are Ryan Huffman, Tyra Banks, Neil Landau, Tara Ison and Chuck Hayward. Senior executive producers are Michael Phillips and Tova Laiter.

Shout! Studios Slates Horror Film ‘The Wasp’ for Oct. 1 Digital Release

Shout! Studios has set an Oct. 1 home release date for The Wasp,  a psychological thriller about two estranged childhood friends, Heather (Naomie Harris) and Carla (Natalie Dormer), who reunite for a cup of tea after not having spoken in many years. At their meeting, Heather presents a very unexpected proposition that will change their lives forever.

The film will be available for rental or purchase on all major digital platforms, including Fandango at Home and Prime Video.

Directed by BAFTA Award nominee Guillem Morales and adapted by Morgan Lloyd Malcom from her acclaimed play of the same name, The Wasp had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.

Kino Lorber Preps 21st Blu-ray Disc Collection of Film Noir Classics

Kino Lorber Sept. 17 will release its 21st collection of vintage black-and-white film noir movies as Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXI.

The collection, with three films released theatrically between 1946 and 1957, will be released on Blu-ray Disc at a suggested retail price of $33.22.

Cloak and Dagger (1946) — From legendary director Fritz Lang, one of the grand architects of film noir, comes this WWII spy thriller. Gary Cooper portrays an American nuclear physicist, recruited by the Office of Strategic Services and parachuted into war-torn Europe to obtain military secrets. But the deeper he probes, the deadlier his mission becomes — especially when his involvement with a mysterious resistance fighter (Lilli Palmer) catapults him into an intense maelstrom of danger, betrayal, romance and murder. The fourth and final of Lang’s classic anti-Nazi films features Sol Polito’s black-and-white cinematography and Max Steiner’s score.

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Shack Out on 101 (1955) — An attractive waitress (Terry Moore) at a seaside café gets caught in a web of treacherous intrigue when she discovers that her workplace is a secret station for spies. It seems that the café is close to an experimental lab that harbors national defense secrets, and a ring of sinister spies has come to steal them. Now it’s up to the desperate waitress and a network of undercover FBI men to stop the diabolical scheme. But not before they all stop along the way for a sizzling round of passion and romance! The cast includes Lee Marvin and Frank Lovejoy.

Short Cut to Hell (1957) — The first and only directorial effort by legendary actor James Cagney is a remake of the Alan Ladd starrer This Gun for Hire, based on a novel by Graham Greene. Hardboiled hitman Kyle Niles (Robert Ivers) is hired to commit two murders, only to be double-crossed by his employer Bahrwell (Jacques Aubuchon). On the lam and seeking revenge, Kyle kidnaps singer Glory Hamilton (Georgann Johnson), the girlfriend of the police detective in charge of his pursuit (William Bishop). Glory tries to convince him to surrender before it’s too late, but Kyle’s humanity is buried deep, and his thirst for vengeance is unquenchable. 

All three films are coming to discs from recent HD masters from 4K scans of the original camera negatives.  

The collection includes new audio commentaries by film historians along with the films’s original theatrical trailers.

Documentary ‘Black Outside’ to Launch Digitally Sept. 3 from Shout! Studios

Shout! Studios and Riverside Entertainment have announced a Sept. 3 home release date for Black Outside, a documentary that chronicles the filmmaker’s grueling journey to conquer the wilderness and at the same time confront a generational fear.

The film will be available digitally in the U.S. and Canada on Prime Video, Google Play, Microsoft Movies and TV, Apple TV, YouTube, and other digital platforms.

Directed by Gary Wilkerson Jr. and Mary Jeanes, Black Outside follows the
transformative journey of filmmaker Wilkerson Jr. as he defies cultural norms and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime: hiking 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail.

As a young Black kid wanting to do outdoorsy things, like camping, Wilkerson was infuriated when he was admonished with the phrase, “That’s for White people … .” He wasn’t old enough to understand that it was a warning, passed down from generations of Black Americans who weren’t permitted to explore the outdoors for fear of being killed. To confront this inherited fear, Wilkerson turns the cameras on himself to document his experience.

As he struggles to navigate the breathtaking wilderness and treacherous terrain, he embarks on a profound path to self-discovery, forming unexpected bonds with fellow hikers and confronting deep-rooted generational fears of what happens to Black people in the woods.

Shout! Studios to Issue Jim Henson ‘The Storyteller’ Collection as Digital Download Aug. 6

Shout! Studios, in collaboration with The Jim Henson Co., will release The Storyteller: The Complete Collection as a digital download on Aug. 6.

The collection includes digitally restored and remastered presentations of Jim Henson’s “The Storyteller” and “The Storyteller: Greek Myths.”

The package will be available for digital purchase only on Fandango at Home, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Microsoft Movies & TV, and other digital platforms.

Henson created “The Storyteller” — an anthology series for television — in 1987, based on a treatment written by his eldest daughter, Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Co. Lisa Henson was inspired by her university studies in folklore and mythology. Oscar-winner Anthony Minghella wrote all the episodes.

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“The Storyteller” features acclaimed actors as well as original creatures and characters from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in this retelling of classic folk tales, fables, and legends. The series stars John Hurt in the title role. Aided by his cynical dog (performed by Jim Henson’s son and the series’ head puppeteer Brian Henson, chairman of The Jim Henson Co.), “The Storyteller narrates fascinating tales that combine humor, intrigue, and magic. Other recognizable talent appearing in “The Storyteller” includes Miranda Richardson, Sean Bean, Brenda Blethyn, Gabrielle Anwar, Jennifer Saunders, Jane Horrocks, and Jonathan Pryce.

“The Storyteller: Greek Myths” expands on this concept. In 800 B.C., the poet Homer wrote down the stories of the great heroes of Ancient Greece, such as Orpheus and Eurydice, Daedalus and Icarus, Perseus and the Gorgon, and Theseus and the Minotaur.  Starring Michael Gambon in the title role, this spin-off series features a new storyteller who finds himself trapped with his dog in the ruins of the ancient Labyrinth of Knossos. As shafts of light beam through fallen masonry, illuminating faded murals and broken statues, the heroic deeds of the Ancient Greeks unfold.