You have to wonder about the mindset of not distributing your own films through your own distribution system. Perhaps it has to do with the focus of Comcast being elsewhere … things like preparing for the sports streaming wars that are rapidly unfolding (2025 is going to get really messy).
With that said, the clear beneficiary of this distribution mindset during the month of October is none other than Shout! Studios. They have raided the Universal Studios film vaults for four new 4K Ultra HD releases … all timed for the “Halloween” promotional season.
You read that right … four new genre-themed 4K Ultra HD titles from the same studio source. One title will be released on each of the street-date Tuesdays during the month beginning with the 8th and continuing on the 15th, 22nd and finishing on the 29th of October.
So what treasures did Shout! Studios mine from the Universal film vaults?
Arriving on Oct. 8 is a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack edition of director John Erick Dowdle’s Devil (script co-written by M. Night Shyamalan).
This is a new 4K restoration from the interpositive and features a newly-prepared commentary track featuring film critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham.
The companion Blu-ray disc holds vintage bonuses, which include deleted scenes and a trio of featurettes — “The Story,” “The Devil’s Meeting” and “The Night Chronicles.”
Shifting to Oct. 15, Shout! Studios next entry in the Halloween season promotional sweepstakes is the 4K Ultra HD/two Blu-ray Combo Pack presentation of horror icon George A. Romero’s 2005 release of Land of the Dead.
This is a new 4K film restoration from the original camera negative.
The 4K disc features two commentary options — an archived commentary featuring Romero, who is joined by producer Peter Grunwald and editor Michael Doherty, while the second is of “Zombie Performers” (Matt Blazi, Glena Chao, Michael Felsher and Roy Mayr).
The first companion Blu-ray disc is the unrated version of the film and contains the two commentary options, plus seven vintage featurettes. The second companion disc sports the original theatrical cut, deleted scenes and five additional archived featurettes.
The other two 4K Ultra HD releases are currently listed as works in progress with respect to bonus features, but you can expect Shout! Studios to go all out with extras for director Joe Johnston’s The Wolfman (4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack) on Oct. 22 and filmmaker Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell (4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack) on Oct. 29.
Thank you Comcast … thank you Universal.
