Hey, a quick glance at whats coming up over the next several weeks (I love this time of year, its like a second summer for movie buffs as consolation for when the rain comes).
Ready Player One (UHD)- out tomorrow. If ever a film was screaming ‘vacuous eye-candy’ then this film is it. Have been looking forward to this for some time but expecting to be disappointed. One of those cases of declining the cinema visit figuring I’d use the money to buy the disc instead, as its likely got re-watch appeal if only for the visuals and 1980s easter-eggs. In the meantime I bought my new television and upgraded to a UHD disc over the standard Blu-ray. So hey, even prettier eye-candy. Review later this week no doubt.
Missing (Indicator)- Sept 1st. Another Jack Lemmon film and one I’ve only seen in pan and scan television airings many years ago (remember those? Blade Runner‘s was really funny). This one has a lovely Vangelis score, too, so I hope the sound is as improved as the image. I have faith in Indicator (which reminds me, I still haven’t caught up with my The China Syndrome disc…)
Avengers: Infinity Wars (UHD)- Sept 3rd. While I enjoyed this at the cinema I’m feeling a bit ambivalent towards the disc release. Maybe it was that CGI-fest ending. Just looking forward to all the scenes with Thor in, to be honest. The less said of Spider Man’s horrendous pseudo-Iron Man suit with those bloody metal arms the better. No, looking back at this movie hasn’t made me grow any fonder- on the contrary. We’ll see if it sweeps me up for a second time, though- those Marvel guys are like a machine and hard to argue with ‘in the moment’ watching the stuff they do. Its just afterwards in the cold light of the day that you feel a little like you’ve been taken for a mug… hey, that’s entertainment…
Deadpool 2- Sept 17th. Aha, another film I haven’t seen/deferred for a disc release that has been upgraded to UHD (the first film on UHD is a peach, too, which has gotten me really excited for this one). We even get a longer cut, to. I thought those extended cuts were something akin to an endangered species now? Nice to see there’s life in alternate cuts yet, though it may just be a curio, we’ll see. I’ve avoided spoilers for this one and haven’t seen any of the later ‘proper’ trailers so hopefully it’ll surprise me in a good way..
Solo (UHD)- Sept 24th. So yeah, September seems to be the summer blockbuster season in Ghost Hall. Gives me a warm nostalgic feeling, its just like 1982 all over again when we used to get films late. So Solo is possibly the most interesting title of all of these upcoming releases. Was it as bad as some said? Was it better than many claimed? Did it unfairly suffer a post –The Last Jedi backlash or was justice finally done to the Disney Star Wars juggernaut? One things for sure, the cover art is unfathomably ugly- ugliest artwork of the year, no doubt. Why couldn’t they just go with the cinema artwork featured on the soundtrack? (more on which later…)
Night of the Demon (Indicator) – Oct 27th. Only recently confirmed, this one could be something special. Its a great old fave of mine which I’m surprised to say I haven’t seen for years- and this one might actually offer something new, as there’s different versions on it.
2001: A Space Odyssey (UHD) – Oct 29th. There’s still plenty of worrying on forums that Warner are going to mess this one up. For one thing, the extras are hardly anything to sing about- imagine if Arrow or Indicator got hold of something like this. I will never forgive Warner for stopping Doug Trumbull from making his documentary about 2001 a few years back. That would be so perfect for a release like this. Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in a format that promises better image quality than I have ever seen the film in (I did see it theatrically a few years back, but that wasn’t exactly any revelation, unfortunately) so this could be the release of the season.
Other stuff on the radar: How will I resist A Matter of Life and Death on Blu-ray? The Matrix films on UHD? Candyman from Arrow? Westworld Season 2 on UHD? I’ll probably need to import The Expanse season 3. There’s sure to be a few surprises, too. Hopefully Mission Impossible: Fallout will make it out before Christmas. Over in Germany there’s some UHD releases of John Carpenters films- Prince of Darkness (which I really rather love), The Fog and They Live that look tempting.
And of course there is the monster (600 pages? I need to go work out in the gym just to carry the damn thing) Star Wars Archives book from Taschen that is due next month (lets hope it slips into October, September is getting a little nuts already). Also on the book front, there’s a new REH book from the REHFP that I need to catch up with.
the ghost of 82 
SO MANY THINGS I WANT! I hadn’t seen the Star Wars Archives book and will definitely be adding it to my list!
It looks fantastic and possibly the definitive Star Wars book, but it isn’t cheap. I wish someone would put out something of that scale about Blade Runner.,,,
I was going to watch Ready Player One tonight, but then Amazon didn’t deliver it to me early. What cheek! Now I’ll have to settle for the actual release day instead.
I don’t get Amazon deliveries early anymore, so its not turning up until today. But last week they delivered the third Hammer boxset from Indicator a day early, on the Sunday, which was a bit like Christmas, except I haven’t watched any of the films yet, so they may as well have been late. Go figure.
Zoom are the best bet for early delivery nowadays, but they don’t stock all labels, sadly.
I honestly can’t be arsed with Ready Player One. I don’t think Spielberg has a command of CGI that distinguishes him in any way: he seems content to let the pre-viz guys do the same ‘crazy’ impossible camera moves they always do. And a whole film of this would drive me mad. Plus it just looks… crap.
How is ‘Missing’? I haven’t seen it either, and I’ve always been intrigued. Is it solid, or just OK?
Infinity Wars I’ll probably end up buying for my wife, as she adored every second of it.
I had the same problem with Spiderman’s new suit (and Iron Man’s): that nano-technology thing was basically magic. It meant they had magic suits that could do anything (grow legs, heal wounds, sprout powerful weaponry etc), which kind of jumped the shark for me.
Solo. Well. It’s a complete nothing. The best description of I I’ve heard is that it’s a comedy with all the jokes cut out. Which is kind of what it is. Disney have form with this – they did preview screenings of GOTG without the jokes before it was finished, so wary of irreverence were they.
I can’t remember the last time I was less involved in a film whilst watching it.
Night Of The Demon – yep, ordered! Looking forward to that.
2001 – is there a worry that Warner’s will screw it up? How so? They’ve always done it proud in the past: the picture quality has always been astounding, and they have the 70mm negative safe and sound so it’ll be a new scan direct from that. As for extras, I really wish someone would dig up the twenty minutes of scenes Kubrick deleted after the film’s disastrous premiere. And possibly the short space films that Trumbull worked on in the mid-60s that Kubrick used as reference.
Do you have that recent making-of book? It’s absolutely superb. I can’t recommend it enough.
Very tempted by The Fog on 4K. It might be my favourite Carpenter film. I can’t understand his disdain for it, but I guess he has a better movie in his head that never quite made it to the screen.
My Matter Of Life & Death Criterion arrived from the US last week, I’d imagine it’ll be exactly the same transfer everywhere. Bizarre artwork for the U.K. edition though…?!
And yeah: that massive Star Wars book. It’s on my Christmas list, as there’s a lot of other fairly expensive comics reprints coming out around then that take priority, including a rumoured Absolute Edition of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing – that Bissette/Totleben artwork at luxury size!
And it’s also one of those titles that’ll be half price on Amazon after a couple of months.
I’m under no illusions regards Ready Player One- maybe I’ll be surprised, Its Spielberg, after all. That has to mean something, maybe? I’l try get a post up on Wednesday.
Missing is very good, as I remember. Its a true story that, because its true, doesn’t have what you would say is a traditional or valedictory ending. I remember watching it used to make me feel frustrated and angry. Lemmon is very good in it, the music is sublime and its a movie with something to say- and dare I say it as valid today as it was back then,
Solo, again, yeah I know its likely a stinker (and this is as someone who disliked The Last Jedi too). Could an argument be made soon that either Disney was the wrong home for Star Wars or that the franchise has simply had its day, and that had Lucas handed the reigns over back after ROTJ it would have had a better chance back then? It’d be funny if the mooted Matrix reboot landed on its face for the same reason- people just not interested. Look at what happened to BR2049.
As for 2001, well you know the internet. People moan about anything. I think much of the worry is over colour-timing based on the trailer. Its funny, I quite like the Blu-ray quality but many on the forums think its terrible. We’ll see in October. Yes I read that making-of book. It has me itching to re-watch the film but I’m waiting out for the UHD. And yes, its odd that Warner have always seemed to be half-hearted regards extras etc. Maybe some of that was from Kubrick’s influence, I don’t know, but Kubrick is gone now, surely his archives could be made available for an in-depth documentary. God knows the recent books have been great (that Taschen book still amazes me whenever I pick it up). I appreciate the era of big special editions is likely over, but if ever a film deserves a Blade Runner-type release its surely 2001.
Whats all the comics reprints coming up? I wasn’t aware of any, I’m worried I may be missing out!
The comics are just random things that appeal to me. Two more Phillipe Druillet hardcovers, a Killraven omnibus of the 70s stuff by P Craig Russell, the Barry Smith Conan stuff in a definitive edition, Absolute Swamp Thing, a Will Eisner Curator’s Edition, and a Bill Sienkiewicz Marvel Artifact Book.
Oof. Expensive days.
Wow. Phillipe Druillet- there’s a name I haven’t heard in awhile. I had a few of his books in softcover decades ago, I remember they were very intense, ornately drawn. Lone Sloane Delirius, that was one of them. Were they from Metal Hurlant originally? I loved that European art of the 1970s.
I have the two-volume Dark Horse hardbacks of the BWS Conan, another blast from the past. Its funny how we go back to the old stuff. I have the first Tomb of Dracula Omnibus on pre-order (its being reprinted this Autumn) – I remember the UK reprints from, what, 1975? I love Gene Colan’s stuff. Bought the Howard the Duck Omnibus a few years back and his art is still so fresh and unique.
We both need bigger bookcases than we have, I’m sure.
Yep, I had those softcovers too. The Paper Tiger editions: there was a remainder bookshop in town back in the day that always got a ton of good SF books, and I picked those up when I was 10 or so.
I need a bigger house. So many boxes of books in the loft.