THE POOP SCOOP: Cuckoos, Cars, Cruise & Creeps

😺ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST on 4K UHD november 11 from Warner Bros. Now that the movie is 50 years old, perhaps we can finally forgive it for winning the Best Picture Oscar over Jaws (but probably not). Based on the 1962 novel of the same name by author Ken Kesey, the film is considered by critics and audience to be one of the greatest films ever made.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest won all five major Academy Awards (Best Picture – Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz; Best Actor – Jack Nicholson; Best Actress – Louise Fletcher; Director – Miloš Forman; and Screenplay – Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman) and in 1993, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress, and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

🏁Vroom! Vroom! F1: THE MOVIE on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD October 7 from Warner Bros. Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was FORMULA 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in FORMULA 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition. Hailing from director Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, “F1: The Movie" is the highest grossing original feature of the year.

🎄Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION on 4K Ultra HD & Steelbook Coming November 11 from Universal.  Discover the true meaning of the holiday season with Imagine Entertainment’s live-action adaptation of the beloved classic, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas on 4K Ultra HD and Steelbook. For its 25th anniversary, the film returns in a stunning newly remastered edition featuring Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for an enhanced home viewing and listening experience. This special release also includes over 30 minutes of brand-new bonus content exploring the making of the beloved holiday classic.

🐄EDDINGTON on Blu-ray October 7 from A24. A standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as the neighbors feud in May 2020. From Ari Aster, director of Hereditary and Midsommar, the movie stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler.

🙀WEAPONS on Digital Now and Blu-ray, 4K & DVD October 14 from Warner Bros. When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. 

😺The Gialli Cult Classic, A HYENA IN THE SAFE, on Blu-ray November 25 from Celluloid Dreams. A Hyena in the Safe has never been officially released in the US. In fact, no English dub exists, and this Blu-ray release will feature the film in its original Italian language with English subtitles exclusively. 

😺NOBODY 2 on Digital Now and 4K, Blu-ray and DVD October 7 from Universal. Bob Odenkirk returns as Hutch, an overworked assassin who just needs a break, in this bareknuckle action-thriller. 

🙀SHUDDER: A DECADE OF FEARLESS HORROR and CREEPSHOW: THE COMPLETE SERIES on Blu-ray November 11 from Shudder. 10 of the streaming service’s best movies in one boxed set. On the same day, Shudder releases all four seasons of their acclaimed anthology series, Creepshow, based on the original film by George A. Romero and Stephen King. 

😹THE NAKED GUN (2025) on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD November 11 from Paramount. Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) follows in his father's footsteps in THE NAKED GUN, directed by Akiva Schaffer. 

🙀David Cronenberg’s THE SHROUDS on Blu-ray & DVD October 21 from Criterion Collection. David Cronenberg returns with one of his most personal films.

🙀A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 7-FILM COLLECTION on 4K September 30 from Warner Bros. From his first terrifying appearance on Elm Street to his resurrection through nightmares, the collection includes the original seven films. 

😺MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING on Digital August 19 and 4K & Blu-ray October 14 from Paramount. Both the digital and physical releases come with hours of bonus content, including behind-the-scenes interviews, exclusive commentary, and deleted footage not seen in theatres.

🛧AIRPORT: THE COMPLETE 4-FILM COLLECTION on 4K and Blu-ray September 30 from Kino Lorber. This 4-Film collection includes all four newly-restored Airport movies, accompanied by new audio commentaries.

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (4K): Not Quite Your Typical Slasher Film

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (4K UHD SteelBook)

2024 / 96 min

Shudder/RLJE Films

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

There are a few things that set Clown in a Cornfield apart from your typical slasher film… 

First, it’s based on a popular young adult novel of the same name. I haven’t read it, but unless standards for YA fiction have dramatically changed since I taught middle school, I suspect the book isn’t nearly as gory or expletive-ridden as the movie. That ain’t a criticism, either. Clown in a Cornfield boasts some gleefully bloody - and frequently funny - death scenes.

Second, it’s directed and co-written by Eli Craig, the guy responsible for Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, one of the best horror comedies of the past 20 years. In that one, he cleverly turned many genre clichés on their ear without ever descending into dumb parody. Craig returns to similar territory here, which somewhat elevated my expectations. Overall, the result isn’t quite as fresh or funny, but after a shaky, inauspicious first half, the film serves up a few big laughs, some narrative surprises and unexpected social commentary.

I won’t say what that commentary is because it’s directly related to a major plot twist and motive of the main antagonist. But I did appreciate the revelations and very thinly-disguised themes they serve. And as a card-carrying liberal, I’m giddy at the idea of far-right, mouth-breathing boomers taking a break from yelling at clouds and screaming “woke!” over a slasher movie that has the audacity to be perceptive.

"You never shut up, do you?"

But its roots are still firmly planted in the slasher genre, with an plot and aesthetic similar to those of the 80s. Katie Douglas plays Quinn, a semi-rebellious teenager who moves to the small town of Kettle Springs with her father and ends up falling in with the wrong crowd…according to all the adults anyway. One of her new friends, Cole (Carson MacCormac), is the mayor’s son and wrongly blamed for burning down the Baypen corn syrup factory, which was the town’s livelihood. Meanwhile, someone dressed as Frendo, the Baypen clown mascot, starts killing this group of kids one by one. 

For awhile, this is all standard slasher stuff…bloody kills, clueless parents, kids vilified by cops, teachers, parents, etc. And if that’s all you want from a horror movie, it more or less delivers. But it’s the unexpected narrative directions taken later that make the film stand out. Like Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, these flourishes, bolstered by good overall performances, are what give viewers a bit more than just another body count.

Though Clown in a Cornfield is available in both Blu-ray and 4K, fans should definitely choose the latter. Not only are both formats included, it’s packaged in a great looking SteelBook. Other than a commentary track, there aren’t any bonus features. However, it includes a set of magnets featuring Frendo and the tools he uses as weapons. I’m thinking of sticking ‘em on the fridge, though the wife might have something to say about that.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K & BLU-RAY COPIES

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Eli Craig, author Adam Cesare, actors Carson MacCormac & Katie Douglas.

SET OF MAGNETS - Perfect for the fridge!

THE POOP SCOOP: Clowns, Cronenberg and Krueger

🙀CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD Available on 4K UHD Steelbook on September 9th from RLJE Films. RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks along with Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, will release the acclaimed horror film, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, on 4K UHD Steelbook on September 9. In CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father (Aaron Abrams) have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play.

🙀David Cronenberg’s THE SHROUDS on Blu-ray & DVD October 21 from Criterion Collection. David Cronenberg returns with one of his most personal films, an audacious, elegiac exploration of grief, mortality, and love wrapped in the guise of a corporate-espionage thriller. Karsh (Vincent Cassel) is the enigmatic entrepreneur behind a new tech package that allows bereaved relatives to view their loved ones’ decomposing remains. When his futuristic cemetery is vandalized, he begins to suspect a conspiracy is at work, forcing him to confront the trauma of—and mystery surrounding—the death of his beloved Becca (Diane Kruger). Conceived in the wake of his own wife’s death, The Shrouds finds Cronenberg exploring heady ideas around sex, surveillance, and the ultimate body horror: the physical decay that awaits us all.

😺THE LIFE OF CHUCK on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD September 30 from Decal/Neon. This unforgettable tale celebrates the life of Chuck Krantz as he experiences love, loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us. Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, Mark Hamill.

🙀A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 7-FILM COLLECTION on 4K September 30 from Warner Bros. This chilling 7-film saga becomes available as a 4K UHD collection for the first time. From his first terrifying appearance on Elm Street to his resurrection through nightmares, the collection includes the original seven films. 

🦸James Gunn’s SUPERMAN on Digital NOW, Coming to 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 23 from Warner Bros. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original Super Hero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. 

😺FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA arrives on Blu-ray, 4K UHD, and 4K UHD Steelbook on September 9 from Lionsgate. The next chapter from the World of John Wick follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Eve seeks revenge for her father’s death, and finds herself crossing paths with John Wick himself.

🛸LOST IN SPACE on 4K UHD September 2 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition set is packed with hours of special features, collectible packaging, and such newly commissioned extras as assorted interviews and a video essay.

🙀CREEPSHOW 2 on 4K UHD September 30 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition 4K UHD features a brand new 4K restoration from the original negative, packed with hours of special features and an illustrated collector’s booklet.

👰Tim Burton’s CORPSE BRIDE on 4K UHD September 23 from Warner Bros. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, the 2005 film will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time. 

🕵MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING on Digital August 19 and 4K & Blu-ray October 14 from Paramount. Both the digital and physical releases come with hours of bonus content, including behind-the-scenes interviews, exclusive commentary, and deleted footage not seen in theatres.

🛧AIRPORT: THE COMPLETE 4-FILM COLLECTION on 4K and Blu-ray September 30 from Kino Lorber. This 4-Film collection includes all four newly-restored Airport movies, accompanied by new audio commentaries. 

🤖MEGAN 2.0 On Digital Now and 4K & Blu-ray September 23 from Universal. The rewired bot will also be launching on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on September 23, 2025, and you can unlock M3GAN’s newest updates with over 30 minutes of exclusive bonus content.

😺Oscar Winning FLOW on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 23 from Criterion Collection. This Academy Award–winning international sensation follows a courageous cat after its home is devastated by a great flood. 

🎸THIS IS SPINAL TAP Goes to 11 on 4K & Blu-ray September 16 from Criterion Collection. This Is Spinal Tap, now beautifully restored, capturing all the mishaps, creative tensions, dwindling crowds, and ill-fated drummers.