This month Kino Lorber Studio Classics is bringing acclaimed filmmaker René Clément’s 1966 epic “Is Paris Burning?” to home video in a handsome new special edition. Based on the best-selling book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, this classic film features an incredible international ensemble cast along with Oscar-nominated cinematography and art direction. This beautiful new release is a must for any fan of the film.

The new Blu-Ray Special Edition of “Is Paris Burning?” will release on August 15, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 1966

Runtime: 173 Minutes

Director: René Clément

Screenwriters: Gore Vidal, Francis Ford Coppola

Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Kirk Douglas, Alain Delon, Glenn Ford, Orson Welles, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, George Chakris, Bruno Cremer, Claude Dauphin, Pierre Dux, Gert Fröbe, Daniel Gélin, Georges Géret, Hannes Messemer, Harry Meyen, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli, Wolfgang Preiss, Claude Rich, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Pierre Vaneck, Marie Versini

From the Studio:

Acclaimed filmmaker René Clément (Forbidden Games, The Day and the Hour, Rider on the Rain) brings you the explosive, courage-filled story of the Allied Resistance and the Paris Liberation of 1944. As the Nazi jackboot marches through Europe, the freedom fighters of Paris mount a brave resistance. An insane and desperate Hitler sends a top general to determine if the Nazis can hold the city. If not, Paris will be burned.

With a powerful script by Gore Vidal (Suddenly, Last Summer) and Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation); and a rousing score by legendary composer Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago), this epic film boasts an international cast of screen legends, including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, George Chakris, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Gert Fröbe, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Orson Welles. Is Paris Burning? is a staggering portrait of heroism and brotherhood, and one of the most riveting stories to come out of World War II.

Bonus Features

• Digitally Restored from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by Paramount Pictures in Association with American Zoetrope and Francis Ford Coppola
• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Daniel Kremer and Howard S. Berger
• The Roadshow Overture, Intermission, Entr’acte
• 5.1 Surround/Lossless 2.0 Stereo English Audio and Lossless 2.0 Mono French Audio
• Optional English Subtitles

With the 2023 summer movie season winding down, what better time to reflect on one of the most perplexing, surprising, troubling, and just downright strange summer seasons ever. Big tentpole blockbusters came and went as the always do. But this year’s batch left us with more questions than ever before as franchises floundered and big stars couldn’t push their films into profitability. But just as the movie theater experience appeared in jeopardy, a truly bizarre cultural phenomenon sent people to the theaters in droves.

So what do we make of the 2023 movie season? There’s certainly a lot to glean from the past few months and a lot to wonder about concerning the future of cinema. Perhaps it’s the cynical side of me, but a lot of what we saw isn’t all that promising. Sure, there are things to be optimistic about and some may see it as a step forward. But it’s more complex than that and some of the trends are worrisome.

For starters, the 2023 summer movie season has proved that increasing your movie’s budget most certainly doesn’t guarantee success. That’s pretty much a no-brainer, but 2023 has shown to be true like never before. This summer we saw some of the most expensive movies EVER MADE hit theaters and woefully underperform. Studios lost significant money while others had to claw just to break even. Some have been quick to celebrate, as if the dawn of a new age of discerning moviegoers had arrived. I don’t think that’s the case.

That leads to one of the more concerning aspects – people just aren’t going to the theater like they once did. This is especially true domestically. We’ve already seen this trend hurt mid-budget movies – really good films from top-tier filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, and Ridley Scott that simply couldn’t draw an audience. For the most part big blockbusters had remained immune. Not anymore. Turnouts, most notably here in the States, are nothing like they once were.

Some will be quick to point to the recent Barbenheimer boom as proof positive that people will come out if a movie demands it. But that phenomenon almost requires an entirely different analysis. The Barbenheimer craze might be studied for years as it reached a fever pitch before most people had laid eyes on either “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer”. It became the cool thing to embrace.

But I don’t want to downplay the mind-boggling success of “Barbie” which certainly goes beyond the rabid enthusiasm. You don’t make that kind of money without resonating with audiences. On the more skeptical side, much of the hype was due to a brilliant commercially-driven marketing campaign that treated “Barbie” more like a product than a movie. But it got people in the seats.

In many ways “Oppenheimer” is more impressive. It’s an R-rated dialogue-driven biopic about a theoretical physicist with a running time of three hours. By that description there’s no way it should be making the money it’s making. Some attribute it to riding on the coattails of “Barbie” but that’s unfair. “Oppenheimer” is actually a phenomenal film and the Christopher Nolan effect once again proves to be a very real thing.

But what of all the other blockbusters that have failed to hit their projections? Here’s some of the bigger ones:

• “The Flash”. It’s easy to forget that the earliest reactions were calling this one of DC’s very best movies. But (sadly) social media tends to drive so much of the conversation these days and people quickly turned on “The Flash”. Without question it had its baggage. But the regurgitated criticisms and the unfortunate apathy towards DC movies led to this becoming one of biggest box office bombs in recent memory. It deserved better.
• “Fast X”. The latest chapter in the Fast & Furious franchise has made over $700 million worldwide putting it on par with its previous installment. The big difference is the budget. “Fast X” cost a whopping $340 million to make not counting promotion. What hurt it most were the underwhelming domestic numbers. For some reason audiences in the States didn’t turn out the way they have in the past. Sense a trend?
• “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”. Disney was counting big on the fifth and final Indiana Jones adventure. While it was nowhere near as good as the first three films, it did capture their spirit. But maybe younger crowds simply have no attachment to Indy. The movie made only $358 million against a $300 million budget. It was overly long but still fun. Yet it couldn’t muster the audience that the franchise once did.
• “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”. Now here’s one of the biggest frustrations of the year. This much-anticipated Mission: Impossible film was an extraordinary big screen experience. But it made the mistake of coming out the week before “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”. The film dropped 65% to $19.4 million domestically in its second weekend. You would hope people might go see it after getting their Barbenheimer fill but that hasn’t been the case. So here we have one the year’s best movies sitting at just over $454 million, well below projections.
• “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”. Yet another big budget studio blockbuster that ultimately underperformed at the box office. “Rise of the Beasts” has made $430 million yet it currently stands as the lowest grossing installment in the Transformers franchise. It’s a good movie that’s closer to the terrific “Bumblebee” than the eye-melting Michael Bay films. Yet many didn’t give it a shot.
• “Haunted Mansion”. While it didn’t operate on a budget as big as the above films, Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” was yet another movie that flopped. Granted it wasn’t as good as the above movies and releasing in the summer rather than closer to Halloween probably wasn’t a great idea. But it seemed like a bankable title, especially for younger audiences. Yet so far it has only made $42 million since its July 28th release.

There have been a few successes (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, the aforementioned “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”). But there’s no denying that studios have taken a hit this summer. Again I ask, what do we make of this? Yes, things like swollen budgets, franchise fatigue, and smaller windows before streaming have parts to play in it. But I think there is more going on.

Simply put, the big screen experience isn’t as appreciated as it once was and the numbers seem to bear it out. And this isn’t just reserved for summer spectacles. We’ve seen it during the winter months as well. It’s just more glaring during the blockbuster season where the financial losses are so pronounced. So what does it mean for the future of cinema? That continues to be the ultimate question. The optimist may say that it may usher in a new era of original ideas. The pessimist may say the clock is ticking on the big screen experience. I hope not. But as Bob Dylan so eloquently put it, “The Times, They Are a-Changin‘”.

This month The Asylum and Rubey Entertainment are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the delightfully wacky cult classic “Sharknado” by bringing it to over 500 big screens across the country. This two-night special engagement will be exclusive to theaters on August 15th and 16th and will feature a newly restored version of the film with never before seen footage. You can catch a full least of theaters HERE.

To go along with the announcement, they have also released two new posters and an all-new trailer which you can CHECK OUT BELOW.

But first, here’s is the official studio announcement:

On August 15 & 16, fans will finally get the chance to relive the pop culture phenomenon that took the world by storm. It’s the 10 Year Anniversary and SHARKNADO and the creators are bringing on the celebration. The Asylum and Rubey Entertainment present a special theatrical release of SHARKNADO: The 10th Anniversary Edition, featuring an all new remastered version with never-before-seen kills and thrills! Fans can catch the newly restored iconic moments from one of cinema’s greatest cult classics for two nights only on in select movie theatres nationwide.

Fully remastered in 4k with hundreds of new visual effects, the story of a freak tornado that attacks Los Angeles with gale force winds, metric tons of water and thousands of nature’s most ruthless killers is finally ready for the big screen.

Tickets are available for purchase at http://www.sharknado10th.com

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is bringing “Fast X”, the latest installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, to home video in a terrific new Collector’s Edition. This feature-rich combo pack includes copies of the film on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and Digital Copy as well as over one hour of bonus content. “Fast X” is the action-fueled first film in a planned two-parter and has made over $720 million (and counting) at the worldwide box office. Read my full review of the movie HERE.

The new 4K UHD Collector’s Edition of “Fast X” will release on August 8, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 2023

Runtime: 141 Minutes

Director: Louis Leterrier

Screenwriter: Dan Mazeau, Justin Lin

Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jason Momoa, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Daniela Melchior, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, Jason Statham, and Charlize Theron

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some suggestive material.

FROM THE STUDIO

After accelerating the Blockbuster franchise to over $7 billion in global box office sales, the summer sensation FAST Xraces onto Digital on August 1st, 2023 and on 4K and Blu-ray™ on August 8th, 2023 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The “high-energy spectacle” (Austin Chronicle) now includes over one hour of bonus content including a gag reel, scene breakdowns with Director Louis Leterrier, two music videos from the original motion picture soundtrack, and more behind-the-scenes featurettes detailing the making of the film from the streets of Los Angeles to the Colosseum in Rome. Collect the franchise by adding FAST X to your library or purchasing the complete Fast & Furious 10-movie collection.

Showcasing an all-star cast with full-throttle action and high-octane thrills, FAST X stars Vin Diesel (The Fast and the Furious), Michelle Rodriguez (The Fast and the Furious), Tyrese Gibson (2 Fast 2 Furious), Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges (2 Fast 2 Furious), John Cena (F9: The Fast Saga), Nathalie Emmanuel (Furious 7), Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious), Sung Kang (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), Scott Eastwood, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, with Helen Mirren (The Fate of the Furious), with Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), with Rita Moreno, and Jason Statham (Furious 7), and Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Charlize Theron (The Fate of the Furious) and a few surprise cameos from the franchise’s past.

Ever since their saga started on the streets of L.A.’s underground racing scene, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have overcome impossible odds to outsmart, out-nerve and outdrive every foe. Yet when the team took down a nefarious kingpin back in Brazil, they had no idea his son Dante (Jason Momoa) was watching from the shadows. More lethal than any other enemy they’ve faced, Dante now rises as a terrifying new nemesis who’s fueled by revenge and determined to shatter their family and destroy everything and everyone that Dom loves. From London and Brazil to Antarctica and Rome, new alliances are forged and old enemies resurface. But everything changes after Dom discovers his eight-year-old son is Dante’s ultimate target.

Bonus Features

• THIS IS FAMILY – Family bonds are always the strongest. Reunite with your favorite FAST family members as we introduce new characters, travel across continents, reveal intimate views of epic stunts, and get personal about the beginning of the end of the FAST franchise.
• FAST BREAKS: SCENE BREAKDOWNS WITH LOUIS LETERRIER* – Director Louis Leterrier gives insight into some of the magic that went into making FAST X, breaking down how he filmed these unforgettable action scenes in legendary locations around the world.
• XTREME RIDES OF FAST X – In FAST, we cast cars like we cast characters. Take a closer look at how classic FAST cars were rebuilt for FAST X, and which new vehicles are customized and introduced to enhance the lifeblood of the franchise.
• BELLES OF THE BRAWL – The women ofFAST X are not to be messed with. Watch as they add their special talents to huge fight scenes, from rehearsal to the real thing.
• TUNED INTO RIO – Revisit FAST’s past as our story takes us back to Rio de Janeiro, where we’ll experience a non-stop party, exotic cars, and a classic FAST quarter mile street race.
• JASON MOMOA: CONQUERING ROME* – Jason Momoa joins the FAST franchise to portray a villain that pushes the team to the brink of disaster. Watch as Momoa discusses his approach to the character, biking down the narrow streets of Rome, and performing his own stunts.
• LITTLE B TAKES THE WHEEL – Get to know the youngest member of the Toretto family as we dive into Little B’s journey in FAST X and introduce Leo Abelo Perry.
• A FRIEND IN THE END – The FAST franchise has a history of shocking end-credit tags, and FAST X is no different. We take a special look at this scene and why, if you’re watching a FAST movie, you never want to get up before the end credits are finished!
• GAG REEL
• MUSIC VIDEOS
  • “TORETTO” BY J BALVIN
  • “ANGEL PT. 1” BY KODAK BLACK & NLE CHOPPA (FEATURING JIMIN OF BTS, JVKE & MUNI LONG)
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR LOUIS LETERRIER*

Warner Bros. Studio continues their 100th anniversary celebration with the release of another classic from their timeless catalog. “Rio Bravo” is coming out on 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range (HDR) for the very first time in a handsome new combo pack. Directed by the great Howard Hawks and based on a short story by B. H. McCampbell, the beloved Western starred the trio of John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson. It also starred Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, and Ward Bond in his final major movie role.

The new 4K UHD edition of “Rio Bravo” will release on August 1, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 1959

Runtime: 141 Minutes

Director: Howard Hawks

Screenwriter: Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett

Cast: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, John Russell, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Estelita Rodriguez, Claude Atkins, Bing Russell

FROM THE STUDIO

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.

The 1959 American Western film is directed by Howard Hawks. The screenplay is by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett and is based on the short story “Rio Bravo” by B.H. McCampbell. The film stars John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, and Ward Bond.

In 2014, Rio Bravo was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

4K Ultra HD Features

Rio Bravo Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary by John Carpenter and Richard Schickel
• Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
• Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

Warner Bros. Studio continues their 100th anniversary celebration with the release of “East of Eden” for the first time on 4K Ultra HD. Directed by Academy Award winner Elia Kazan and adapted from John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel, the film starred James Dean who gives a gripping performance that would earn him a posthumous Academy Award nomination. This terrific new edition features the film on 4K disc and digital copy.

The new 4K UHD edition of “East of Eden” will release on August 1, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 1955

Runtime: 117 Minutes

Director: Elia Kazan

Screenwriter: Paul Osborn

Cast: James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos, Burl Ives, Jo Van Fleet, Albert Dekker, Nick Dennis, Harold Gordon, Lois Smith

FROM THE STUDIO

In the Salinas Valley in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother Aron for the love of their father Adam. Carl is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, to how to get ahead in business and in life, to how to relate to his estranged mother.

The 1955 period drama is directed by Elia Kazan from a screenplay by Paul Osborn and based on the 1952 John Steinbeck novel of the same name.  The film stars James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Burl Ives, Richard Davalos, and Jo Van Fleet.

East of Eden was nominated for 3 Academy Awards with Van Fleet winning for Best Supporting Actress.  East of Eden was named one of the 400 best American films of all time by the American Film Institute. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

4K Ultra HD Features

East of Eden Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary by Richard Schickel
• Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, and French
• Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French