Well Go USA Entertainment has announced the home video release of director Daniel Lee’s “Code of the Assassins”. With its rich and rousing mix of fantasy, adventure, and Wuxia-driven action, “Code of the Assassins” follows a young assassin who gets caught up in a web of power grabs, conspiracies, and betrayal. His twisty, mystery-laced story is accentuated by top-notch action choreography, terrific performances, and exquisite production design (Full review of the film coming soon).

This Blu-ray and DVD editions of “Code of the Assassins” hits shelves March 28, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and features breakdown of this brand new combo-pack.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: NR

Runtime: 119 minutes

Director: Daniel Lee

Starring: William Feng, Jun Hu, Gina Jin, Qingxiang Wang, Ray Lui, Jack Kao, Shu Li, Hugo Ng

After completing his training, an elite young assassin embarks on his first mission and is quickly ensnared in an intricate plot laid by powerful people pulling strings from the shadows. Upon failing to complete the assignment, he is forced to go on the run—from the government and rival assassin groups alike—as he seeks to unmask the players behind the conspiracy.

CODE OF THE ASSASSINS debuts exclusively on the martial arts streaming service Hi-YAH! on March 3rd, before landing on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD on March 28th from Well Go USA Entertainment. Directed Daniel Lee (Dragon Blade, 14 Blades, The Climbers), CODE OF THE ASSASSINS stars William Feng (Wolf Totem, White Vengeance), Jun Hu (Red Cliff, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils), Gina Jin (Wuxin: The Monster Killer, Hope All Is Well), Qingxiang Wang (The Grandmaster, Red Cliff), Ray Lui (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Flash Point, Raging Fire) and Jack Kao (A Place Of One’s Own, Witness).

From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, the powerful and gripping “Women Talking” is coming to home video. Written and directed by Sarah Polley, “Women Talking” is a quietly lacerating drama that explores timely themes of female survival and solidarity. The story is inspired by a true account which makes the film register on an intensely visceral level. Yet it’s also a self-described “act of female imagination” which lets Polley blend more of her own perspective into the story. The results are profound and gut-wrenching. Read my full review of the film HERE.

This Blu-ray / DVD / Digital edition of “Women Talking” hit shelves March 7, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and features breakdown of this brand new combo-pack.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 104 minutes

Director: Sarah Polley

Starring: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, with Ben Whishaw and Frances McDormand

An adaptation of Miriam Toews’s internationally bestselling novel of the same name and inspired by true events, the “powerful” (Todd McCarthy, Deadline) and “extraordinarily vital” (Baz Bamigboye, Deadline) film follows the women of an isolated religious community who grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith. Certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive score of 90%, WOMEN TALKING has been nominated for two Oscars including Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay and was named one of the top ten films of 2022 by the National Board of Review and American Film Institute.
 
Written and directed by Academy Award nominated filmmaker Sarah Polley, WOMEN TALKING showcases “riveting” (David Canfield, The Wrap) performances from “a remarkable ensemble cast” (A.O. Scott, The New York Times) including Academy Award winner Frances McDormand (Nomadland, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Critic’s Choice Award winner Rooney Mara (Carol, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Emmy Award winner Claire Foy (“The Crown,” First Man), BAFTA Award winner Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter, Wild Rose), and Sheila McCarthy (I’ve Heard the Mermaids Sing) along with Emmy Award winner Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal,” No Time To Die).

TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY: 
Street Date: March 7, 2023
Selection Number: 1000824660 (US) / 1000823446 (CDN)
Layers: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.76:1 Widescreen
Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish
Languages/Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French Canadian DTS Digital Surround 5.1
Run Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
 
TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD: 
Street Date: March 7, 2023
Selection Number: 1000824659 (US) / 1000823445 (CDN)
Layers: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.76:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish 
Languages/Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1) and French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 1 hour 44 minutes

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the release of “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” on Blu-Ray and Digital. This handsome new home video release lets fans visit and revisit the story of one of America’s greatest singers, chronicling the ups and downs of this once-in-a-lifetime talent. From singing in her church choir to singing live in front of millions of people around the world, Whitney Houston was both inspiring and tragic. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” brings her story to life with honesty and respect.

This new Blu-ray and Digital edition of “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” hit shelves February 28, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 144 minutes

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Starring: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters

“Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is a powerful and triumphant celebration of the incomparable Whitney Houston. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, written by Academy Award® nominee Anthony McCarten (Best Adapted Screenplay, “The Two Popes”, 2019), produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and starring BAFTA Award® winner Naomi Ackie, the film is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant—and so emotional—journey through Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before. Don’t you wanna dance?

BONUS FEATURES:

BLU-RAY and DIGITAL

• Whitney’s Jukebox
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes:
  • Moments of an Icon
  • Becoming Whitney
  • The Personal Touch
• 1080p High Definition / 2.39:1 | Audio English, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French (Doublé au Québec) | English & French (Doublé au Québec) – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital

DVD

• Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes:
  • Moments of an Icon
  • Becoming Whitney
  • The Personal Touch
• 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen | Audio English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital | English & French (Doublé au Québec) – Audio Description Track Dolby Surround

Led by Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, “Training Day” comes to home video in a new 4K UHD combo-pack courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. Now over 20 years old, this critically acclaimed crime thriller still boils with the same edge-of-your-seat intensity. It remains director Antoine Fuqua’s best film to date, and is among the best performances in the brilliant careers of both Washington and Hawke.

This new 4K Ultra HD edition of “Training Day” hits shelves FEBRUARY 28, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2001

Rating: R

Runtime: 122 Minutes

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Eva Mendes, Cliff Curtis, Raymond Cruz, Noel Gugliemi, Dr. Dre, Peter Greene, Snoop Dogg, Nick Chinlund, Jaime P. Gomez, Macy Gray, Tom Berenger, Raymond J. Barry, Terry Crews, Denzel Whitaker, Charlotte Ayanna, Harris Yulin

About the Film:

Denzel Washington delivers an Academy Award-winning performance opposite Ethan Hawke in this gritty drama set in the morally ambiguous world of undercover police work. Every day a war rages between drug dealers and cops on the streets of America’s inner cities. With every war come casualties, none greater than 13-year veteran Los Angeles narcotics officer Alonzo Harris (Washington), whose questionable methods blur the line between legal and corrupt. Today Alonzo gets a new partner, idealistic rookie Jake Hoyt (Hawke), and Jake has one day–and one day only–to prove his mettle to his fiercely charismatic superior. Over 24 hours, Jake will be dragged into the ethical mire of Alonzo’s logic as both men risk their careers and their lives to serve conflicting notions of justice.

BONUS FEATURES

“Training Day” Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

•           Pharoahe Monch’s “Got You” music video

•           Nelly’s “#1” music video

•           Deleted Scenes

•           Commentary by director Antoine Fuqua

•           Training Day: Crossing The Line Featurette

•           Alternative Endings

One of my very favorite movies of last year makes its way to home video courtesy of MUBI. South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook’s brilliant “Decision to Leave” may be the acclaimed filmmakers very best film to date. It’s his first film since 2016’s “The Handmaiden”, and what a return it is. And despite the inexplicable snub at this year’s Academy Awards, the movie earned him the Best Director prize at Cannes and has received awards from critics groups all around the globe. Perfectly cast, deftly written, sumptuously shot, and masterfully directed, “Decision to Leave” is sublime cinema. Read my full review of the film HERE.

This new Blu-ray edition of “Decision to Leave” hit shelves February 14, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: NR

Runtime: 139 Minutes

Director: Park Chan-wook

Starring: Tang Wei, Park Hae-il, Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-pyo, Kim Shin-young, Jung Yi-seo, Jung Young-Sook, Park Jeong-min, Yoo Seung-mok, Seo Hyun-woo, Teo Yoo, Ho Min-si, Jeong Ha-dam

What happens when an object of suspicion becomes a case of obsession? Winner of Cannes Best Director in 2022, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) returns with a seductive romantic thriller that takes his renowned stylistic flair to dizzying new heights. When detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) arrives at a murder scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei) may know more than she initially lets on. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, Hae-joon finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire, proving that the darkest mysteries lurk inside the human heart.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Introduction with Park Hae-il and Tang Wei
• New York Film Festival Talks: Park Chan-wook
• Interview with Director Park Chan-wook
• “Moments of Decision to Leave” Behind the Scenes Featurette
• Behind the Scenes in Cannes
• VFX Reel

ASPECT RATIO – 2.39:1

STANDARD – 1080/23.976P

AUDIO – 5.1 / 2.0 DTS-HD MA, Audio Description DD (English)

REGION CODE – A

LANGUAGE – Korean, Mandarin

SUBTITLES – English, English SDH

MEDIA FORMAT – NTSC, Widescreen

Who hasn’t played Tetris? I know I have. I remember my little brother getting the original Nintendo GameBoy which came with Tetris packed in. Created by developer Alexey Pajitnov, the cascading puzzle game has had several iterations over the years, but it’s hard to beat the classic original which has sold hundreds of millions of copies. But have you heard the story behind the game? Now you get to thanks to Apple TV+.

The first trailer for the fittingly titled “Tetris” dropped today. Directed by Jon S. Baird, written by Noah Pink, and starring Taron Egerton, “Tetris” chronicles the intense legal battle that was fought just to take the game around the world. Based on a true story, this looks like part video game biography and part Cold War thriller. I love the sound of that. The trailer gives us a good sense of what to expect, and we won’t have to wait long to see it.

“Tetris” premieres March 31st on Apple TV+. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.