Sony's "Mastered in 4K" Blu-rays

As you can see in our recent article about Universal’s new Blu-ray collector’s editions, movie studios are trying their best to squeeze some income out of the waning days of physical media.

Eager to cater to consumers who are investing in new high-end televisions capable of displaying 4K resolution, Sony has announced plans to unveil new ‘4K-mastered‘ Blu-ray discs on May 14th.

Select titles include Ghostbusters, Taxi Driver, Spider-Man, and the Total Recall remake. Click here to see available titles.

So what’s the catch? Digital Bits reports that while the discs have been mastered from a 4K source, the films still only display in 1080p like your standard Blu-ray. Sony says these discs are optimized for 4K televisions but the difference in quality will be apparent on current 1080p TV as well. To quote Digital Bits: “If you can master Blu-rays in better quality, why haven’t you been doing it all along?” Only time will tell if the 4K Blu-rays will catch on at retail.

Woochi: The Demon Slayer Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

It’s a light week but one that happens to feature a great deal of Asian films being released, which is cause for celebration in our neck of the woods.

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Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 4/9/13:

ASIAN CINEMA

The Sorcerer and the White Snake (Blu-ray/DVD) – martial arts icon Jet Li stars in this 2011 special FX-heavy wuxia, on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Magnet Releasing

The Four (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 martial arts film full of super-powered detectives in ancient China is the latest from “Fist of Legend” director Gordon Chan

Deadball (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2011 effort from production house Sushi Typhoon is the long-awaited sequel to 2003’s “Battlefield Baseball,” starring Tak Sakaguchi of “Versus” fame

Woochi: The Demon Slayer (Blu-ray/DVD) – this film is a big-budget action fantasy, which scored with audiences at the Korean box office back in 2009

Gate of Hell (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents this acclaimed 1953 film set during 12th century Japan. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in ’53

MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION

4-Film Icons of Action (Blu-ray/DVD) – seemingly delayed from a couple weeks ago. In this set, you can watch Jason Statham in “Blitz”; Slyvester Stallone in “Eye See You”; Jean-Claude Van Damme in “In Hell”; and Dolph Lundgren in “Direct Contact”

4 Film Special Forces Set (DVD) – two of the films in this $7.99 Special Forces-themed set are from “Undisputed III” director Isaac Florentine, a master of action photography: look for “U.S. Seals: Dead or Alive” and “Special Forces,” the latter of which co-stars Scott Adkins

Replacement Killers & Truth or Consequences, N.M. Blu-ray Double Feature (Blu-ray) – the 1998 action flick “Replacement Killers,” starring Chow Yun Fat in his first Hollywood role, is paired with 1997′s “Truth or Consequences, N.M.,” starring Keifer Sutherland and Vincent Gallo

FOREIGN

In Another Country (DVD) – the latest from Korean director Hong Sang-soo is this 2012 English-language film starring French actress Isabelle Huppert as three different women on vacation in South Korea

MAINSTREAM

Naked Lunch (Blu-ray) – the Criterion Collection offers David Cronenberg’s mind-bending 1991 adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ “Naked Lunch” in hi-def. Starring “Robocop’s” Peter Weller

Bad Kids Go to Hell (DVD) – it’s “The Breakfast Club” meets “Final Destination” in this 2012 horror film in which a group of ‘bad kids’ are randomly killed one by one in the midst of detention

Womb (Blu-ray/DVD) – Eva Green (“Casino Royale”) stars in this 2010 sci-fi parable in which a woman tries to clone her deceased lover…by carrying him to term herself

CULT

The Massage Parlor Murders (Blu-ray + DVD combo) – this 1973 horror/thriller offers a gritty look at New York City in the early 70’s

Sexcula (DVD) – seemingly delayed from a week or so ago. This forgotten 1974 Canadian sexploitation gem is rescued from obscurity by Synapse Films

The Suckers/Love Garden (DVD) – these obscure 70’s sexploitations films are rescued from the annals of history by distributor Vinegar Syndrome. “The Suckers” is considered a sexploitation twist on the famous story “The Most Dangerous Game”

Anatomy Of A Psycho/The Lonely Sex (DVD) – the Vinegar Syndrome strikes again with a double feature of early exploitation cinema

HORROR

Father’s Day (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2011 film is more extreme exploitation madness from Troma Entertainment, the creators of “Mother’s Day” and “The Toxic Crusader”

Luster (DVD) – a troubled businessman realizes the force working against him is his dangerous alter ego in this 2010 thriller

Sexy Evil Genius (DVD) – Seth Green, formerly of TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” co-stars in this 2013 thriller about a vengeful ex-girlfriend who decides to reunite her old lovers and pay them back in full

Interested in any of these movies? If so, we hope that you’ll consider ordering from our affiliate to help support this site. Thank you!

"The Conjuring" Theatrical Poster

Saw director James Wan scored a sleeper hit with his 2010 horror film Insidious. The movie starred Patrick Wilson as a concerned father who hires a paranormal investigator to try and help rescue his child from a demonic presence. The film owed more than a little to Steven Spielberg/Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist, but performed surprisingly well at the box office.

Now James Wan is teaming back up with Patrick Wilson for another tale of the supernatural. The Conjuring was slated for an unexceptional January release, but advanced preview screenings have been so overwhelmingly positive that the studio has moved the movie to the middle of the crowded summer season with a July 19th, 2013 date. Of course, The Conjuring is ‘based on a terrifying true story.” You can check out the extended (and spooky) trailer at Apple Quicktime.

Update: A new full-length trailer is here for your viewing pleasure.

"Tai Chi Hero" American Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: After the box office success of Stephen Fung’s steampunk martial arts film Tai Chi 0 – with about US$23 million garnered in China alone – it was perhaps inevitable that we would see a sequel. Good thing, then, that a sequel is already in the can and on its way to Chinese theaters this October 25th.

Tai Chi Hero will pick up where the first movie left off, only this time it’s in IMAX/3D as well.

Updates: Check out the latest news from a press conference for the film in Beijing. And hop on over to YouTube for the first trailer for Tai Chi Hero, which looks loaded with impressive special effects. Here in America, we’re still anxiously awaiting Well Go USA’s October 19th theatrical release of Tai Chi 0. | The final posters for Tai Chi Hero are here!

BREAKING NEWS: Check out the Well Go USA’s poster, as well as the HD trailer at Apple. Also, don’t forget the Blu-ray & DVD is up for pre-order.