Columbia Classics

[eerik]

Used the comment box to suggest Little Women be allowed a release

Well, that's two of us already, they can't ignore us!

[senseabove]

Damn—wish I'd thought of that. I fully intended to pick up a 4k/BD dual format copy of LW for future proofing/support purposes, and was disappointed it got canceled. I just used the comment box to suggest they drop the stupid box set set-up and let me buy the individual titles I want.

[L.A.]

Girl, Interrupted (1999) Blu-ray coming next month.

[The Narrator Returns]

Big Fish 4K coming in May.

[flyonthewall2983]

SYNOPSIS
Young Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien) is a lonely 11-year-old boy who escapes from his bleak reality by watching the action adventure movies of his favorite film character, Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger). When his best friend, Nick the projectionist, gives him a special ticket to the new Slater film, Danny is magically transported into Jack's world, where the good guys always win. Danny becomes his helper as Jack battles a trio of nefarious bad guys, Benedict (Charles Dance), Vivaldi (Anthony Quinn) and The Ripper (Tom Noonan). But things get out of hand when Benedict steals Danny's magic ticket stub and transports himself into the real world, where crime can, and often does, pay. Jack and Danny must leave fictional Los Angeles for real-life New York and battle the villains without the aid of movie magic or stuntmen.

DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIAL
4K ULTRA HD DISC
Newly remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative, with HDR10
All-new Dolby Atmos audio + the original theatrical SDDS mix presented as 5.1 + original theatrical stereo audio
Audio Commentary with Director John McTiernan
Deleted & Alternate Scenes (presented in 4K with HDR10)
Alternate Ending (presented in 4K with HDR10)
“Big Gun” Music Video by AC/DC
Original Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
Theatrical Teaser

SET ALSO INCLUDES BLU-RAY & DIGITAL

*From a 2019 SPHE fan poll and over 30,000 responses, LAST ACTION HERO was the most selected movie when participants were asked to choose from a list of possible 4K UHD disc releases.

CAST AND CREW
Directed By: John McTiernan
Story By: Zak Penn & Adam Leff
Screenplay By: Shane Black & David Arnott
Producers: Steve Roth and John McTiernan
Executive Producer: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, F. Murray Abraham, Art Carney, Charles Dance, Frank McRae, Tom Noonan, Robert Prosky, Anthony Quinn, Mercedes Ruehl, Austin O’Brien

SPECS
Release date: May 18th, 2021
Run Time: Approx. 131 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for strong action sequences
Feature Picture: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 2.39:1
Feature Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible) | English 5.1 DTS-HD MA | English Stereo Surround DTS-HD MA | French (PAR), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

[domino harvey]

I don't understand, was someone looking for this in any format?

[knives]

Me

[domino harvey]

To this day I still remember this stupid exchange:
"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"
"Practice... John Practice?!"
I bet it's even wittier in 4K

[PfR73]

#1: I love this movie. I saw it for my 11th birthday and rewatched it as recently as last year and it still holds up. If this release comes with a Blu-ray copy that also has the extras, I will absolutely buy it to replace my existing Blu-ray.

#2: How can you disparage any movie for including a Sparks refence?

[EddieLarkin]

I don't understand, was someone looking for this in any format?

*From a 2019 SPHE fan poll and over 30,000 responses, LAST ACTION HERO was the most selected movie when participants were asked to choose from a list of possible 4K UHD disc releases.

Arnie was a big part of my cinematic upbringing and I loved this film as a kid. I've never owned it on home video but I guess now is the time to revisit.

Another interesting part of the press release:

All-new Dolby Atmos audio + the original theatrical SDDS mix presented as 5.1 + original theatrical stereo audio

Over the last few years Sony have been increasingly dilligent when it comes to including the original theatrical audio, or in this case both versions of the theatrical audio (and labelled as such). It's basically a guarantee at this point, whereas no other studio seems to particularly care.

At the end of 2019, when I guess it came time for a new batch of Bridge on the River Kwai UHDs to be pressed in the UK, they actually went back so they could add the original mono track, which was missing from the earlier pressing. I'm not sure I've ever known a major studio to do that before. The original mono track for that film has not been seen since Laserdisc, and it sounds glorious.

[tolbs1010]

#1: I love this movie. I saw it for my 11th birthday and rewatched it as recently as last year and it still holds up. If this release comes with a Blu-ray copy that also has the extras, I will absolutely buy it to replace my existing Blu-ray.

#2: How can you disparage any movie for including a Sparks refence?

Thank you for linking that Sparks tune. I was about to when I saw your post. Old joke but a great song and album!

[willoneill]

This and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey are what led me to Bergman, and from there the greater world of international cinema. So that’s something.

[CSM126]

Last Action Hero is a capital-G Great movie and I won’t hear otherwise.

[peerpee]

At the end of 2019, when I guess it came time for a new batch of Bridge on the River Kwai UHDs to be pressed in the UK, they actually went back so they could add the original mono track, which was missing from the earlier pressing. I'm not sure I've ever known a major studio to do that before. The original mono track for that film has not been seen since Laserdisc, and it sounds glorious.

I wonder whether they fixed the opening titles too? Which, for the whole first 4-5 minutes looked utterly appalling for a UHD.

[EddieLarkin]

I wonder whether they fixed the opening titles too? Which, for the whole first 4-5 minutes looked utterly appalling for a UHD.

I don't believe the video has been touched. I actually remember you posting about this on Twitter years ago, but I've forgotten your specific complaint. Was it simply their dupey nature? Which combined with Sony's approach to HDR (shine a giant uber torch behind the entire image) would probably make them look weird, but then that should be the case across all their UHDs. I did notice a strange digital like effect where the titles don't properly fade out but instead half fade and then drop off, but perhaps they've always been like that?

[Maltic]

SET ALSO INCLUDES BLU-RAY & DIGITAL

Hopefully from the 4k remaster as well?

McTiernan has done some good commentaries, btw (in the director nuts-and-bolts genre). I'm not familiar with this one, perhaps they brought him out of the unwanted retirement to record a new one. He could probably use the money.

[flyonthewall2983]

He was pretty open and honest about the experience in this article about the making of it, so perhaps what he says on it will be just as insightful.

[Clarence]

It looks like Sony is starting to break up the first Columbia Classics 4k set, starting with Dr. Strangelove.

[Maltic]

SET ALSO INCLUDES BLU-RAY & DIGITAL

Hopefully from the 4k remaster as well?

From reviews, it seems this wasn't the case.

[flyonthewall2983]

McTiernan has done some good commentaries, btw (in the director nuts-and-bolts genre). I'm not familiar with this one, perhaps they brought him out of the unwanted retirement to record a new one. He could probably use the money.

According to the Blu-ray.com review, it was recorded in 1993 just as the film was being released.

[Maltic]

McTiernan has done some good commentaries, btw (in the director nuts-and-bolts genre). I'm not familiar with this one, perhaps they brought him out of the unwanted retirement to record a new one. He could probably use the money.

According to the Blu-ray.com review, it was recorded in 1993 just as the film was being released.

What, for laserdisc?

The Red October commentary was clearly done many years after the first release. You can hear things coming back to him during the recording, and he'll cringe about what he would've done different etc

[cdnchris]

I'm pretty sure the LaserDisc didn't have a commentary (I had the disc), and looking up lddb.com doesn't show one, not even on the foreign market. Could have been abandoned, which wasn't unheard of at the time, and since this "underperformed" it's possible they didn't want to go through the trouble of adding the alternate channel.

But I don't even see it on other DVD or Blu-ray releases...

[eerik]

It looks like Sony is starting to break up the first Columbia Classics 4k set, starting with Dr. Strangelove.

I must say, Dr. Strangelove is the most impressive 4K Blu-ray I've seen so far. Not necessarily the best, but I was really blown away how the HDR elevated the depth and contrast of the cinematography. Before this I was rather skeptical if 4K UHDs were worth it for black-and-white films, but Strangelove is definitely a level above the other b&w 4K Blu-rays I have watched so far (Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith, Elephant Man, Schindler's List). Plus it ports over all the Criterion special features, highly recommended.

[Ribs]

The second Columbia Classics set will be launching in September, and comprise Anatomy of a Murder, Oliver!, Taxi Driver, Stripes, Sense and Sensibility, and The Social Network.

[andyli]

I presume you mean a 4K set? Anatomy of a Murder on 4K is pretty big.

EDIT: saw the specs on bluray dot com. Great news indeed for Anatomy of a Murder.

4K Blu-ray

Feature presented in 4K resolution with HDR10, restored from the original camera negative
Dolby Atmos English audio
5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Mono DTS-HD Master Audio

Blu-ray:

Feature presented in high definition, sourced from the 4K master
5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Mono DTS-HD Master Audio

Special Features:

NEW: Commentary with Film Historian Foster Hirsch
Gary Giddins Interview
Pat Kirkham Interview
Foster Hirsch Interview
Excerpt from Firing Line Featuring Otto Preminger
Theatrical Trailer