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

I’m sure you’ve heard it said the certain actors or actresses make whatever movie they’re in better? Sir Michael Caine is a prime example. The 90-year-old Englishman has had a sparkling career dating back to his first big screen role in 1950’s “Morning Departure”. Thankfully he is still working and still making movies better for having him in them. His latest is “The Great Escaper”, a tender feel-gooder based on a true story that sees him paired with the late Glenda Jackson in what was her final role.

Directed by Oliver Parker and written by William Ivory, “The Great Escaper” tells the story of 90-year-old Bernard Jordan who slipped away from his assisted living facility where he stayed with his wife Irene (Jackson) to attend a special event in Normandy marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The elderly man’s journey made national headlines. The new trailer shows both the humorous and the heartfelt side of Jordan’s story and Caine makes it all the more compelling.

“The Great Escaper” releases in theaters on October 6th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

What can I say, I’ve been a sucker for Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded adventures of Hercule Poirot. Branagh has directed and starred in 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile”. Now he returns with “A Haunting in Venice”, his third Agatha Christie adaptation that follows the ace detective as he solves murders across various exotic locations. The latest trailer is a lot of fun and it looks like Branagh is having a blast with the supernatural twist.

This time around we see Branagh’s Poirot take on a supernatural mystery in (obviously) Venice. Retired and living a quite life alone, Poirot reluctantly finds himself back on a case after a guest is murdered during a séance at an old and supposedly haunted palazzo. Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Kyle Allen, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly, Camille Cottin, Jude Hill, Emma Laird, and Ricardo Scamarcio fill out yet another intriguing cast – something the series has been known for. I’m in.

“A Haunting in Venice” hits theaters September 15th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

I can’t overstate how curious and excited I am for “Outlaw Johnny Black”, the upcoming genre smorgasbord from director, co-producer, co-writer, and star Michael Jai White. Deemed a “spiritual sequel” to White’s 2009 cult hit “Black Dynamite”, the film is a genre lover’s dream, mixing together elements of Westerns, martial arts, comedy, and adventure.

This week Samuel Goldwyn Films announced that the movie will be released exclusively in theaters on September 15, 2023. To coincide with the announcement the studio has released a brand new poster and trailer (see them below). Here is the official studio press release…

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired US rights to the western OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK, written and directed by Michael Jai White, for a theatrical release on September 15. Donovan De Boer, Michael Jai White and Grant Gilmore serve as producers, with a screenplay by Michael Jai White.

From the same team that made the 2009 cult classic BLACK DYNAMITE, OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK stars Michael Jai White (“As Good as Dead”), Anika Noni Rose (“The Princess and the Frog”), Erica Ash (“We Have a Ghost”), Byron Minns (“Black Dynamite”), Kym Whitley (“Act Your Age”), and Tony Baker.

“We’re thrilled to be reteaming with Michael Jai White after the success of our 2022 action movie AS GOOD AS DEAD. This spiritual successor to BLACK DYNAMITE not only showcases Michael’s abilities as an action and comedy star, but also his skills as a filmmaker,” said SGF president Peter Goldwyn.

Hell bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process. He goes into hiding, posing as a preacher in a small mining town that’s been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.

“I hope this movie, inspired by the late Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, creates for others, the kind of joy I felt as a child when I could watch movies over and over with my family and get something new each time!” said writer and director Michael Jai White.

Samuel Goldwyn Films will release OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK exclusively in theaters on September 15.

What could be more exciting than seeing Ridley Scott back doing a historical epic? That’s exactly what we’re getting with “Napoleon” and the brand new trailer is giving us our thrilling first look. In it we see the director of “Gladiator”, the underappreciated “Kingdom of Heaven”, and the more grossly underappreciated “Robin Hood” once again stepping back in time, this time to tell the story of the titular and controversial French leader’s rise to power.

Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix plays the lead of Napoleon Bonaparte while Vanessa Kirby sinks her teeth into the role of his first wife, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais. From the trailer we see Scott putting a pretty heavy emphasis on the couple’s complicated relationship. But we also get glimpses of Napoleon’s exploits as a military commander through some battlefield shots that show the 85-year-old Scott is still a master of scope and scale. I love this first look at “Napoleon” as it offers up plenty to be excited about.

“Napoleon” releases in theaters November 22nd and will stream on Apple TV+ on a date soon after. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Five years ago “The Nun” came out. It was a gothic supernatural horror film that served as a spin-off/prequel to the popular The Conjuring movies. “The Nun” was loaded with potential but unfortunately never quite lived up to it. Warner Bros. is taking another swing at it with “The Nun II” and I’m actually happy about it. All the pieces are there for a really good chiller and the first trailer certainly looks promising.

Two of the biggest things that work in the movie’s favor are its star, Taissa Farmiga and its terrifying antagonist, Valak. Farmiga (the younger sister of The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga) reprises her role of Sister Irene in a great bit of meta casting. Meanwhile Bonnie Aarons plays Valak, the truly horrifying titular presence. Again they are two are great pieces. They only need a worthwhile story that utilizes them well. That’s something the first film struggled with. Hopefully this one has it covered.

“The Nun II” hits theaters September 8, 2023. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.