Press Release SPHE Press Release: Columbia Classics Ultra 4K HD Collection Volume 2 (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

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​ The Second Volume of the Award-Winning 4K Ultra HD™ Collection From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION VOLUME 2 Six Iconic Films from the Acclaimed Columbia Pictures Library Debut on 4K Ultra HD For the First Time September 28th (UPDATED) ANATOMY OF A MURDER ~ OLIVER! TAXI DRIVER ~ STRIPES ~ SENSE AND SENSIBILITY THE SOCIAL NETWORK Exclusively Available on 4K Disc in this Limited Edition Set, Includes an 80-Page Hardbound Book on the History & Impact of the Films and Over 30 Hours of New and Archival Special Features

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​ CULVER CITY, Calif. (June 14, 2021) – Following the overwhelming response to last year’s award-winning Volume 1 collection, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is proud to debut six more acclaimed and beloved films from its library on 4K Ultra HD disc for the first time ever, exclusively within the COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION VOLUME 2, available September 14. This must-own set includes cherished star-studded favorites from six iconic and distinctive filmmakers: ANATOMY OF A MURDER, OLIVER!, TAXI DRIVER, STRIPES, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY and THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Each film is presented in 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range. The six films in the COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION VOLUME 2 are only available on 4K Ultra HD disc within this special limited edition collector’s set. Included with the collection is a gorgeous hardbound 80-page book, featuring in-depth sections about the making of each film within the set via six all-new incisive essays from renowned writers Julie Kirgo, John Kenrick, Glenn Kenny, Michael G. McDunnah, Kayti Burt and Nev Pierce. In addition, the set also includes an exclusive Blu-ray™ bonus disc featuring 20 short films from the Columbia Pictures library, all presented in high definition. These shorts, curated from over 80 years of the studio’s history, showcase a wide scope of creative output across the worlds of both live-action and animation. From The Three Stooges to award-winning mid-century cartoons to modern favorites from Sony Pictures Animation—along with some surprise rarities—this bonus disc is the perfect complement to this essential classics collection. ANATOMY OF A MURDER Synopsis: A riveting courtroom drama is brought to life with an all-star cast in the suspenseful and highly acclaimed ANATOMY OF A MURDER. Nominated for seven Academy Awards® including Best Picture (1959), the film pits a humble small-town lawyer (James Stewart) against a hard-headed big-city prosecutor (George C. Scott). Emotions flare as a jealous army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) pleads innocent to murdering the rapist of his seductive, beautiful wife (Lee Remick). Produced and directed by the renowned Otto Preminger, the film features a brilliant score by Duke Ellington. Packed with drama, passion and intrigue, ANATOMY OF A MURDER is a cinematic masterpiece that will keep you on the edge of your seat. ANATOMY OF A MURDER Disc Breakdown 4K Ultra HD Includes: 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 Includes: 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 ANATOMY OF A MURDER has a run time of approximately 161 minutes and is not rated. OLIVER! Synopsis: Winner of six 1968 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, it’s OLIVER!, the beloved musical version of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. A magnificent screen adaptation of Lionel Bart’s sensational stage musical, OLIVER!, directed by Carol Reed, is the timeless story of a plucky young orphan and his quest for love and happiness in a world populated by rascals, rogues, and thieves. A wondrous blend of drama, comedy, adventure and song, OLIVER! is grand and glorious entertainment the whole family will enjoy. OLIVER! Disc Breakdown 4K Ultra HD Includes: Feature presented in 4K resolution with HDR10, restored from the original camera negative Dolby Atmos English audio 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 2-Channel Surround DTS-HD Master Audio Feature Blu-ray Includes: Feature presented in high definition, sourced from the 4K master 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 2-Channel Surround DTS-HD Master Audio Special Features: NEW: Commentary with Film Historian Steven C. Smith NEW: Jack Wild Screen Test Behind-the-Scenes Featurette Meeting Oliver! Meeting Fagin! The Locations of Oliver! Sing-Alongs Dance-Alongs Theatrical Trailers OLIVER! has a run time of approximately 153 minutes and is rated G. TAXI DRIVER Synopsis Winner of the prestigious Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival (1976) and nominated for 4 Academy Awards® including Best Picture (1976), TAXI DRIVER stars Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s classic film of a psychotic New York cabbie driven to violence by loneliness and desperation. Co-starring Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle and Cybill Shepherd. TAXI DRIVER Disc Breakdown 4K Ultra HD Includes: Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, restored from the original camera negative 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono DTS-HD Master Audio Special Features: NEW: 20th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer Making Taxi Driver Documentary Storyboard to Film Comparisons with Martin Scorsese Introduction Animated Photo Galleries Blu-ray Includes: Feature presented in high definition, sourced from the 4K master 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Special Features: 40-Minute Taxi Driver Q&A featuring Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Many More Recorded Live at the Beacon Theatre in New York City at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival Commentary with Director Martin Scorsese and Writer Paul Schrader Recorded by the Criterion Collection Commentaries by Writer Paul Schrader and by Professor Robert Kolker Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver Influence and Appreciation: A Martin Scorsese Tribute Producing Taxi Driver God’s Lonely Man Taxi Driver Stories Travis’ New York Travis’ New York Locations Theatrical Trailer TAXI DRIVER has a run time of approximately 114 minutes and is rated R. STRIPES Synopsis: When quick-witted slacker John Winger (Bill Murray) loses his apartment, girlfriend and job all in one day, he does what any red-blooded American would do: he joins the army and nearly starts WWIII. Directed by Ivan Reitman and also starring Harold Ramis, John Candy and John Larroquette, STRIPEShas become one of the most beloved comedies of all time. And that’s the fact, Jack! STRIPES Disc Breakdown 4K Ultra HD Includes: Both Theatrical & Extended versions presented in 4K resolution with HDR10, restored from the original camera negative Dolby Atmos English audio (for both versions) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (for both versions) Mono DTS-HD Master Audio (Theatrical version only) Special Features: NEW: 40 Years of Stripes With Bill & Ivan – a two-part on-camera reunion between star Bill Murray and director Ivan Reitman, discussing their careers, memories from set, a tribute to the cast, as well as a special guest appearance from cinematographer Bill Butler NEW: Theatrical Trailer Feature Blu-ray Includes: Both Theatrical & Extended versions presented in high definition, sourced from the 4K masters 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (for both versions) Mono DTS-HD Master Audio (Theatrical version only) Special Features: Commentary with Ivan Reitman and Dan Goldberg (Extended version only) NEW: 11 Additional Deleted & Extended Scenes NEW: 1983 TV Version of the film (in standard definition) Deleted & Extended Scenes from the Extended version of the film Stars and Stripes Documentary STRIPES has a run time of approximately 106 minutes and is rated R. STRIPES: EXTENDED EDITION has a run time of approximately 123 minutes and is rated R for sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Synopsis: Nominated for 7 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture (1995), and directed by Ang Lee. Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant star in this captivating romantic comedy that swept the Ten Best Lists and was named Best Film at the 1996 BAFTA Awards. Based on Jane Austen's classic novel, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY tells of the Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor (Thompson) and passionate Marianne (Winslet), whose chances at marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. Rickman, Grant and Greg Wise co-star as the well-intentioned suitors who are trapped by the strict rules of society and the conflicting laws of desire. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Disc Breakdown 4K Ultra HD Includes: Feature presented in 4K resolution with HDR10, restored from the original camera negative Dolby Atmos English audio 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Feature Blu-ray Includes: Feature presented in high definition, sourced from the 4K master 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Special Features: NEW: 25th Anniversary Reunion: Back to Barton Cottage – an expansive on-camera reunion featuring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Greg Wise, Imelda Staunton, Imogen Stubbs, Myriam Francois, producer Lindsay Doran, and director Ang Lee Emma Thompson & Producer Lindsay Doran’s Audio Commentary Director Ang Lee & Co-Producer James Schamus’s Audio Commentary Adapting Austen Featurette A Sense of Character Featurette A Very Quiet Man Featurette Locating the World of Sense and Sensibility Featurette Elegance & Simplicity: The Wardrobe of Sense and Sensibility Featurette Deleted Scenes Theatrical & International Trailers SENSE AND SENSIBILITY has a run time of approximately 136 minutes and is rated PG for mild thematic elements. THE SOCIAL NETWORK Synopsis: THE SOCIAL NETWORK, directed by David Fincher, is the stunning tale of a new breed of cultural insurgent: a punk genius who sparked a revolution and changed the face of human interaction for a generation, and perhaps forever. Shot through with emotional brutality and unexpected humor, this superbly crafted film chronicles the formation of Facebook and the battles over ownership that followed upon the website’s unfathomable success. With a complex, incisive screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and a brilliant cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake, THE SOCIAL NETWORK bears witness to the birth of an idea that rewove the fabric of society even as it unraveled the friendship of its creators. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture (2010). THE SOCIAL NETWORK Disc Breakdown 4K Ultra HD Includes: Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision Unrated Dolby Atmos English audio Unrated 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Theatrical 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Special Feature: NEW: Theatrical Trailers Feature Blu-ray Includes: Feature presented in high definition Theatrical 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Special Features: Audio Commentary with David Fincher Audio Commentary with Aaron Sorkin & Cast Special Feature Blu-ray Includes: How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook? David Fincher and Jeff Cronenweth on the Visuals Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter and Ren Klyce on Post Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and David Fincher on the Score Ruby Skye VIP Room: Multi-Angle Scene Breakdown In the Hall of the Mountain King: Reznor’s First Draft Swarmatron THE SOCIAL NETWORK has a run time of approximately 120 minutes and is both rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language and Unrated. EXCLUSIVE BONUS DISC INCLUDES: 20 short films from the Columbia Pictures library, presented in high definition: Umpa The Three Stooges: Disorder In The Court Charley Chase: Man Bites Lovebug Color Rhapsodies: The Little Match Girl (Academy Award® nominee, 1937, Best Short Subject, Cartoons) Charley Chase: The Sap Takes A Wrap Color Rhapsodies: Dog, Cat and Canary (Academy Award® nominee, 1944, Best Short Subject, Cartoons) The Ragtime Bear The Wonder Gloves Georgie and the Dragon Madeline (Academy Award® nominee, 1952, Best Short Subject, Cartoons) Pete Hothead The Tell-Tale Heart (Academy Award® nominee, 1953, Best Short Subject, Cartoons) When Magoo Flew (Academy Award® winner, 1954, Best Short Subject, Cartoons) The Man on the Flying Trapeze Christopher Crumpet's Playmate Stage Door Magoo April in Portugal The Chubbchubbs! (Academy Award® winner, 2002, Best Short Film, Animated) The Early Hatchling Gets The Worm Puppy!: A Hotel Transylvania Short

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[Ronald Epstein]

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[Ronald Epstein]

I am not here to crap on these Sony mega box releases. I know how many people enjoy them.

My personal take however is that the sets are very, very expensive and would normally be a huge draw if the films offered weren't all over the place.

There could be up to five really good titles and then they throw in one or two that you can't quite figure out why they have been included.

If you wait long enough you could probably pick these up as singles one day though to date, only DR. STRANGELOVE has been released as a single from the original set.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I'm a little disappointed in the titles, yet again. There are several movies more deserving of 4K than Stripes or Anatomy of a Murder. I'm not saying they are bad films - but do they really need 4K and HDR?

 

[rdf8585]

This is so disappointing. It's so long overdue for the Three Stooges to get their own Blu-Ray boxset. The DVDs were great for their time but that was 10-15 years ago now.

It's very irritating to see Sony relegate these shorts as extras or bonuses. Six Stooge shorts are extras on a Noir set that's region B locked, and here they put Disorder in the Court, a public domain short. These Stooge shorts are main attractions and some of the most valuable assets in Sony's catalog.

It's nice to see the Chase shorts and Umpa but Man Bites Lovebug is one of the weakest shorts Chase made at Columbia (I've seen all of them). Instead of having these miscellaneous shorts as extras, they should put out a separate set of non-Stooge shorts... even if it's just a best of over a few discs. Charley Chase, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon.... it's long overdue for the Langdon's to see the light of day.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

...and were some of these on the list of titles Sony wanted feedback on a year or two ago when considering the future of their 4k output?!

I mean, who gave them feedback that they wanted to see THE SOCIAL NETWORK in glorious 4k UHD?

 

[dukiejosh54]

Wow Oliver! In 4k. Did they end up releasing these as individual releases with the first set? I'm mostly just interested in Oliver.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Wow Oliver! In 4k. Did they end up releasing these as individual releases with the first set? I'm mostly just interested in Oliver.

Only one thus far and it was a rather long wait to get DR. STRANGELOVE, the only title out of that set, released as a 4k single

 

[dpippel]

I am not here to crap on these Sony mega box releases. I know how many people enjoy them.

My personal take however is that the sets are very, very expensive and would normally be a huge draw if the films offered weren't all over the place.

There could be up to five really good titles and then they throw in one or two that you can't quite figure out why they have been included.

If you wait long enough you could probably pick these up as singles one day though to date, only DR. STRANGELOVE has been released as a single from the original set.

I'm of the same opinion, Ron. I did buy the first set (at a great price) and don't regret it at all, but this second release contains even fewer films that interest me than the initial box did. I wish that Columbia would select the included titles for these based on different criteria. It's like subscribing to cable or satellite TV - you have to pay for 120 channels you'll probably never watch just to get the dozen or so you really want.

 

[dpippel]

...and were some of these on the list of titles Sony wanted feedback on a year or two ago when considering the future of their 4k output?!

I mean, who gave them feedback that they wanted to see THE SOCIAL NETWORK in glorious 4k UHD?

I don't know, but apparently the first set sold well enough for them to stick with the formula, as misguided as it seems to be.

 

[dukiejosh54]

Only one thus far and it was a rather long wait to get DR. STRANGELOVE, the only title out of that set, released as a 4k single

Damn, such a weird mix of movies. They could of at least put Oliver in a box set with other Sony musicals. I think these would sell a lot better individually.

 

[PMF]

I’m really looking forward to seeing “Oliver!” in the 4K/UHD format; which also is touting a full restoration “from the Original Camera Negative”.

Not at all a deal-breaker if absent, but I would be highly interested in knowing if Grover Crisp and his team had located the lost stems.

Surprised to not see the presence of another Best Picture winner; or another companion musical, such as “1776” or “Funny Girl”; but, nonetheless, I see 4 out of 6 desirable titles in this set that makes it worthy of my purchase and support.

.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I'm still waiting for singles from the first set, this second set is an even easier pass.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am really looking to seeing “Oliver!” in the 4K/UHD format; which also is touting a full restoration “from the Original Camera Negative”.

Not at all a deal-breaker if absent, but I would be highly interested in knowing if Grover Crisp and his team had located the lost stems.

Surprised to not see the presence of another Best Picture winner; or another companion musical, such as “1776” or “Funny Girl”; but, nonetheless, I see 4 out of 6 desirable titles in this set that makes it worthy of my purchase and support.

"1776" is available in 4k digital...

...but here is where Sony screwed up with that...

They only offer the theatrical cut. The hugely anticipated extended cut they went out of their way to offer to fans as had been requested for years on end is non-existent in that format. Sony could have offered both on digital and they didn't.

I suspect that when Sony releases "1776" to disc they will offer both versions in that format knowing the popularity. And, if they had included it in this set, I would have bought the whole damn thing knowing how much of a mixed bag this offering is.

 

[Rob W]

Ron, how are these sets 'very, very expensive' ? Anybody with access to this forum likely found the first box for $100 which is less than $20 per title. Expensive if you're only buying it to get one title, but otherwise a pretty good deal if you have very wide taste in films. I really only wanted 4 of the six titles in box # 1 but was more than happy to watch the other two in 4k Atmos since they were still terrific films.

 

[Todd Erwin]

In Sony's defense, the titles chosen for this set were based on customer surveys. That and available elements, which may be the case with 1776.

 

[ShellOilJunior]

It seems odd for Taxi Driver to not be available day 1 individually.

 

[Todd Erwin]

It seems odd for Taxi Driver to not be available day 1 individually.

Many said the same thing about Lawrence of Arabia from volume one.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron, how are these sets 'very, very expensive' ? Anybody with access to this forum likely found the first box for $100 which is less than $20 per title. Expensive if you're only buying it to get one title, but otherwise a pretty good deal if you have very wide taste in films. I really only wanted 4 of the six titles in box # 1 but was more than happy to watch the other two in 4k Atmos since they were still terrific films.

It's very expensive if you are not interested in all the films being offered, which I imagine a lot of people aren't.

If there were six solid films that I felt would really benefit from the 4k treatment to want to upgrade, then absolutely, worth it.

 

[PMF]

In Sony's defense, the titles chosen for this set were based on customer surveys. That and available elements, which may be the case with 1776.

Despite the survey, it seems highly unlikely that those who voted for “Stripes” and “ The Social Network” would also be of the same viewership who are willing to commit to a bundle purchasing of “Oliver!”, “Anatomy of a Murder” or “Sense and Sensibility”, as well.

ONLY “Taxi Driver” seems to be the clear bridge between both groups and appeals.