Transmission, Raro, Arbelos UK and other sublabels

[pzadvance]

bummer. good to note for the future...

[EddieLarkin]

Presumably they'll all get standard editions?

[MichaelB]

SEs have already been confirmed for Night of the Juggler and The Stunt Man.

[dwk]

Oh, looks like Barnes and Noble leaked Vampire's Kiss UHD. This appears to be B&N listing a UK releases for some reason and not a US release.

[MichaelB]

Two new Transmission titles have just been announced, the first being the widely expected UHD of Vampire's Kiss, while the second has the overall title Two Boxes: Televised Terror in Franco's Spain, and comprises two notorious Spanish TV movies, La Cabina (1972), which played more than once on British TV under the title The Telephone Box and is very fondly remembered, and El Televisor (1974).

The official blurbs:

VAMPIRE'S KISS

Following a violent one-night stand, yuppie literary agent (Nicolas Cage) believes he's been turned into a vampire, baffling his co-workers with his descent into lunacy. Featuring one of Cage's most notoriously outrageous performances, this UHD world-premiere has been approved by director Robert Bierman and features a new interview with him, alongside his short 'The Dumb Waiter' (1979) and a new interview with composer Colin Towns.

TWO BOXES: TELEVISED TERROR IN FRANCO'S SPAIN

As '70s Spain was bristling against the dying dictatorship of Franco, two infamous television films - inspired by mystery-horror anthology series - depicted this unique period of history with terrifying clarity and dark humour.

After a man enters a telephone box in La cabina, he finds himself unable to leave and at the mercy of fascinated locals while growing increasingly desperate to escape. A world Blu-ray premiere, this release includes a new audio commentary by 'Inside No. 9' creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.

In El televisor, a suburban man's dream of owning his own TV becomes a dangerous obsession. Presented with new audio commentary by critics and horror experts Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons.

Both are scheduled for 20th July, with pre-orders opening when the July Radiance titles are announced.

[rapta]

Very happy with both announcements. Had suggested Vampire's Kiss to Arrow and even Eureka over the years, and surprised nobody ever picked it up, but suspect it was due to the master being quite weak before now. A film that has always eluded me to some extent, and the last time I revisited it I remember being more disturbed than amused. A real cult hit and definitely one for the Cage fans if anything.

La cabina was supposedly a cult hit on late night UK TV in the 80s and even my dad caught wind of it, going as far as tracking down a ripped DVD copy to show us at some point in my teens (it's still in his DVD collection, as far as I know). So of course I'm over the moon this is getting a Blu-ray release alongside another 70s TV movie from the director of Who Can Kill a Child? (another Spanish horror I'm surprised no UK label has upgraded to Blu-ray yet; I'm still hanging onto the Eureka DVD).

Two for two! A great month of announcements.

[What A Disgrace]

El Televisor was part of Serrador's Tales To Keep You Awake, and is already part of Severin's collection of the series. I wonder if the new master is from filmed elements? Severin's Blu-ray is standard def across the board, but I suspect at least this one exists in a superior format.

[Finch]

Extras for Vampire's Kiss

LIMITED EDITION UHD + BLU-RAY FEATURES
Brand new 4K restoration from original 35mm camera negative presented in Dolby Vision HDR
4K UHD and Blu-ray presentation of the feature
New interview with director Robert Bierman
New interview with composer Colin Towns
New audio commentary with critics Kim Newman and Nick de Semlyen
Archival commentary with Robert Bierman and Nicolas Cage
Robert Bierman short film The Dumb Waiter (1979)
Trailer
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Original uncompressed stereo audio
Pull-out poster and six lobby-card style postcards
Limited edition 40-page perfect bound book featuring new writing from Julia Armfield and Justin LaLiberty
Limited edition of 5000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Extras for Two Boxes: Televised Terror in Franco's Spain

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES
World Blu-ray premiere of La cabina
High definition digital transfer of El televisor
New audio commentary on La cabina with writers and film-makers Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton
New audio commentary on El televisor with critics and horror experts Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons
New interview with Spanish film expert Antonio Lazaro-Reboll on horror in Francoist Spain
Archival interview with co-screenwriter of La cabina Jose Luis Garci
Archival La cabina location featurette with Antonio Mercero Santos
Archival press conference with Narciso Ibáñez Serrador promoting El televisor
Newly improved English subtitle translation
Original uncompressed mono audio
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing from Alex Mentabil
Limited edition of 5000 copies, presented with O-card and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

[Finch]

The Last Circus BD

During the Spanish Civil War, a circus clown is recruited to the Republican cause and forced to massacre dozens of Nationalist troops with only a machete. Decades later, his traumatised son Javier (Carlos Areces) becomes a clown himself, albeit a “sad” clown fuelled by the tragedy he has seen. He performs opposite the arrogant “happy” clown Sergio (Antonio de la Torre) and finds himself falling in love with Sergio’s partner, the beautiful acrobat Natalia (Carolina Bang). Soon, sad clown and happy clown are locked in a love triangle that spirals into spectacular violence. Written and directed by Álex de la Iglesia (The Day of the Beast), The Last Circus is a landmark in Spanish genre cinema – a blackly comic horror show that revels in the shocking, the transgressive and the absurd.

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES

UK Blu-ray premiere
High-definition digital transfer from the original HDCAM
Interview with director Álex de la Iglesia with newly translated English subtitles
New audio commentary by Spanish horror expert Valeria Villegas Lindvall
New video essay by Xavier Aldana Reyes, author of Spanish Gothic (2017)
Making of The Last Circus (2010)
Behind the scenes footage
Visual effects footage
Trailers
Newly improved English subtitles
Limited-edition booklet featuring new writing by Andy Willis, co-author of The Cinema of Álex de la Iglesia (2007) and co-editor of Spanish Popular Cinema (2004)
Limited edition of 2000 copies, featuring an O-card slipcase with new artwork by Nick Charge, full-height Scanavo packaging and reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork and alternative artwork by Nick Charge

[Finch]

Joe

KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL.

After his daughter (Susan Sarandon in her first screen role) overdoses on heroin, wealthy NY businessman Bill Compton (Dennis Patrick) confronts her drug dealer boyfriend in a rage and accidentally murders him. Stunned, he retreats to a nearby bar and finds himself confessing his crime to a stranger: the charismatic yet deeply bigoted blue-collar factory worker Joe (a remarkable Peter Boyle).

When the hippy-hating Joe discovers his new friend is telling the truth, he begins to ingratiate himself into Compton’s life, and despite their vastly different backgrounds the two men find themselves developing a rapport based around their shared fear and disdain of the counter culture, an uneasy alliance that will eventually have devastating consequences.

Directed by John G Avildsen (Rocky) from a typically trenchant Norman Wexler (Saturday Night Fever, Serpico) screenplay, Joe ruthlessly exposes the dark heart of American society in a shocking, darkly satirical depiction of the fierce cultural battleground of the USA at the beginning of the 1970s, and the violent death of the hippy dream.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES

UK Blu-ray premiere
High definition digital transfer
Original uncompressed mono audio
Newly recorded audio commentary with critics Matt Zoller Seitz and Jason Bailey
New interview with critic Ellen E. Jones
Theatrical trailers with optional audio commentaries from actor and producer Marc Edward Heuck
Stills gallery
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited Edition booklet featuring new writing from Adam Nayman
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in and full-height Scanavo packaging with O-card and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Year: 1970
Country: USA
Cert: 18
Format: Blu-ray
Region: B
TX007BDLE
EAN: 5060974682393
Release date: 14/09/26

[Drucker]

Joe is a neat little film. I watched it on Prime I believe a few years ago as I was just browsing Peter Boyle's filmography and intrigued by it.

[beamish14]

I adore this film so much. I do wish they’d included more on screenwriter Norman Wexler, who was an absolutely incredible man with an insane life.

The character of Joe is basically the proto-MAGA man. It’s a really horrifying work

[domino harvey]

Joe is a film I’ve always wanted to see but i feel like it won’t be an easy/enjoyable viewing experience so I keep putting it off. Seems like it’s finally time to give in!

[beamish14]

I like how Marc Edward Heuck is billed as an actor/producer. Has he done either beyond appearing on Comedy Central’s game show Beat the Geeks

[rapta]

Been asking for this from Radiance since they set up a deal with MGM! Glad we're finally here, took a while (even suggested it to MoC many years ago). Instant pre-order.

[PfR73]

See I was confused, thinking it was a Troma film, but I realize I was confusing it with Avildsen's follow-up, Cry Uncle!