Earlier this week we found out what Kino Lorber has in store for July and now we know what they’ll be releasing under their Kino Lorber Studio Classics line that same month. It’s a good mix, offering up some action, thrillers, westerns and sci-fi! I can’t wait to get my hands on a number of these titles, but The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Invisible Invaders are at the top of my must-have list. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is a classic and Kino Lorber looks to have some interesting bonus content lined up (PAT HEALY COMMENTARY!!!). Invisible Invaders I’ve actually never seen yet, but I really enjoyed Edward L. Cahn’s Curse of the Faceless Man, which KL Studio Classics also released on Blu-ray, so I’ve got high hopes for this one.

Full details on Kino Lorber Studio Classics July releases below.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE (1974)
42nd Anniversary Edition

Blu-ray & DVD Street Date: July 5, 2016
Director: Joseph Sargent
Starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Hector Elizondo, Jerry Stiller

Synopsis:
Screen legends Walter Matthau (The Laughing Policeman) and Robert Shaw (Figures in a Landscape) team up with Martin Balsam (After the Fox) and Hector Elizondo (Cuba) to deliver a sure-fire entertainment that’s gripping and exciting from beginning to end and is guaranteed to give you the ride of your life. A gang of armed professionals hijack a New York subway train somewhere outside the Pelham station threatening to kill one hostage per minute unless their demands are met. Forced to stall these unknown assailants until a ransom is delivered or a rescue is made, transit chief Lt. Garber (Matthau) must shrewdly outmaneuver one of the craftiest and cruelest villains (Shaw) in a battle of wits that will either end heroically or tragically. Featuring masterful direction by Joseph Sargent (White Lightning), gorgeous widescreen cinematography by Owen Roizman (The French Connection), a classic rousing score by David Shire (The Conversation) and top-notch editing by Jerry Greenberg (Apocalypse Now) and Robert Q. Lovett (Cotton Comes to Harlem).

Bonus Features:
-Interview with star Hector Elizondo
-Interview with Composer David Shire
-Interview with Editor Gerald B. Greenberg
-Audio Commentary by Actor/Filmmaker Pat Healy and Film Programmer/Historian Jim Healy
-“Trailers From Hell” with Josh Olson
-Animated Montage of Stills and Posters
-Original Theatrical Trailer
ABSOLUTION (1978)
Brand New 2K HD Restoration!

Blu-ray & DVD Street Date: July 5, 2016
Director: Anthony Page
Starring: Richard Burton, Dominic Guard, David Bradley, Billy Connolly, Andrew Keir, Willoughby Gray

Synopsis:
Screen legend Richard Burton (Where Eagles Dare, The Desert Rats, Candy) stars in this suspenseful thriller written by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth, Frenzy, The Wicker Man) and directed by Anthony Page (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden). A confession at a Catholic School turns to a real murder mystery! In confession, a student tells Father Goddard (Burton) that he has accidentally murdered his friend and buried him in the forest, when Goddard investigates the matter all he finds is a scarecrow buried in the woods. Goddard is outraged, but due to the seal of confession he cannot punish the kid and have him expelled. Shortly after, the boy once again enters the confession booth, telling Godard that the previous confession was a practical joke, but this time he’s really gone and done it. In disbelief, Goddard once again goes to the forest to investigate the matter, but this time, he discovers a dead body one of the students. The strong cast includes David Bradley (Kes) and Billy Connolly (The Boondock Saints).

 

INVISIBLE INVADERS (1959)
Newly Re-mastered in HD!

Blu-ray & DVD Street Date: July 12, 2016
Director: Edward L. Cahn
Starring: John Agar, Jean Byron, John Carradine, Philip Tonge, Robert Hutton

Synopsis:
Cult director Edward L. Cahn (Curse of the Faceless Man) wonderfully directs this sci-fi shocker about invisible body snatchers invading earth to conquer humanity one corpse at a time. There’s not just one man or even an army of men can do to stop them, but a scientist, a sergeant and a sexy gal figure out a way to destroy these invading grave robbers and defeat their transparent plot? The wonderful cast includes John Agar (Journey to the Seventh Planet, Miracle Mile), Jean Byron (The Patty Duke Show), Philip Tonge (Witness for the Prosecution), Robert Hutton (The Steel Helmet), Paul Langton (The Incredible Shrinking Man) and the great John Carradine (House of the Long Shadows).

Bonus Features:
-Audio Commentary by Film Historians Tom Weaver and Dr. Robert J. Kiss
-Trailer Gallery

 

THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (1943)
Brand New 4K Restoration!

Blu-ray Street Date: July 12, 2016
Director: William Wellman
Starring: Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn, Harry Morgan, Mary Beth Hughes, William Eythe, Jane Darwell, Matt Briggs, Harry Davenport, Marc Lawrence

Synopsis:
Gil Carter (Henry Fonda, My Darling Clementine) and Art Croft (Henry Morgan, Dragnet) ride into a town frustrated by the prevalence of cattle rustlers. Suddenly, word comes that a popular rancher has been murdered, which puts the already enraged town over the edge. When the spiteful mayor forms a posse, Gil and Croft are swept up in their mission – to seek vengeance – even upon those innocent of any wrongdoing. As it becomes clear that bloodlust may win out over rationality, the tension mounts in this masterpiece with its timeless message about the dangers of mob mentality. The great William Wellman (Yellow Sky) directed this classic western, which was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award® and featured a stellar cast that includes Dana Andrews (Boomerang) and Anthony Quinn (Across 110th Street).

Bonus Features:
-Audio Commentary by Western Scholar Dick Eulain and William Wellman Jr.
-Henry Fonda: Hollywood’s Quiet Hero” as seen on Biography on the A&E Network
-Restoration Comparison
-Trailer Gallery

 

YELLOW SKY (1948)

Blu-ray Street Date: July 12, 2016
Director: William Wellman
Starring: Gregory Peck, Anne Baxter, Richard Widmark, John Russell, Harry Morgan, Robert Arthur

Synopsis:
Screen legends Gregory Peck (On the Beach) and Richard Widmark (Road House) co-star in this brilliantly cast western epic featuring an unusually fine story and magnificent direction by the great William Wellman (The Ox-Bow Incident) – unleashing dramatic power seldom found in this type of film. A band of outlaws, led by tough, gruff Stretch (Peck), find themselves knocking at death’s door after becoming lost in the treacherous western Badlands – only to find their salvation in a lonesome town called Yellow Sky, where the only inhabitants are a doddering old man and his mysterious alluring daughter. But their deliverance from danger is short-lived when the gang discovers a fateful secret hidden within the dusty, rotting walls of this ghost town – one that will turn brother against brother in a desperate battle to the death! Beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Joseph MacDonald (My Darling Clementine) and features a splendid cast that includes Anne Baxter (The Blue Gardenia), John Russell (Fort Massacre) and Harry Morgan (TV’s Dragnet and M*A*S*H).

Bonus Features:
-Audio Commentary by William Wellman, Jr.
-Trailer Gallery

 

CUBA (1979)

Blu-ray & DVD Street Date: July 19, 2016
Director: Richard Lester
Starring: Sean Connery, Brooke Adams, Jack Weston, Hector Elizondo, Denholm Elliott, Martin Balsam, Chris Sarandon, Lonette McKee

Synopsis:
Screen icon Sean Connery (The Offence, Meteor) and leads an all-star cast that includes Brooke Adams (Man on Fire), Jack Weston (Fuzz), Hector Elizondo (Taking of Pelham One Two Three), Denholm Elliott (The Wicked Lady), Chris Sarandon (Fright Night) and Martin Balsam (After the Fox) in this sweeping story about two old flames who become caught up in the turbulence and exhilaration of Cuba’s 1959 revolution. Robert Dapes (Connery), a cynical British mercenary, comes to the country at the request of one of country’s most corrupt functionaries, General Bello (Balsam). But once there, Dapes finds himself unable to ignore the brutality and depravity of the regime – and unable to resist Alexandra Pulido (Adams), an old lover now married to a wealthy Cuban landowner (Sarandon). Surrounded by volatile guerilla fighters and the human vultures present at all coups, he must come to terms with his shifting views if he has any though of getting out… alive. Wonderfully directed by Richard Lester (Juggernaut, How I Won the War) with stunning cinematography by David Watkins (Out of Africa, Chariots of Fire).

 

FIVE MILES TO MIDNIGHT (1962)
Newly Re-mastered in HD!

Blu-ray & DVD Street Date: July 26, 2016
Director: Anatole Litvak
Starring: Sophia Loren, Anthony Perkins, Gig Young, Jean-Pierre Aumont

Synopsis:
Screen icons Sophia Loren (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) and Anthony Perkins (Psycho) star as a poor Parisian couple who embark upon a simple get-rich-quick-scheme… only to find themselves hurtling blindly down a winding road of desperation, deceit and madness. In the grand tradition of Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice, Five Miles to Midnight weaves a constantly tightening web of suspense that grips the viewer by the heart and doesn’t let go until the final frame. Filmed entirely in Paris in the stark contrasts of black and white, Five Miles to Midnight is a psychological suspense thriller of the highest order. Two of the film’s best features are the stunning photography by Henri Alekan (Wings of Desire, Topkapi) and the haunting score by Mikis Theodorakis (Serpico, Z). Stylish direction by Anatole Litvak (Sorry, Wrong Number) and featuring wonderful performances by Gig Young (City That Never Sleeps) and Jean-Pierre Aumont (Hotel Du Nord).

Bonus Features:
-Alternate French Scene
-Trailer Gallery

 

DEADLINE-U.S.A. (1952)

Blu-ray & DVD Street Date: July 26, 2016
Director: Richard Brooks
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ethel Barrymore, Kim Hunter, Ed Begley, Warren Stevens, Paul Stewart, Martin Gabel, Jim Backus

Synopsis:
Screen legend Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca) stars as a fictional newspaper editor Ed Hutcheson of “The Day”, which will be folding in three days. Even though he and his staff will be out of work within days, he intends to expose the criminal activities of vicious crime boss Tomas Rienzi (Martin Gabel, The Thief). An abundance of subplots are expertly woven together by legendary screenwriter/director Richard Brooks (Elmer Gantry) in Deadline – U.S.A. This classic film noir features stunning black-and-white cinematography by the great Milton R. Krasner (23 Paces to Baker Street) with an uniformly excellent cast that includes Ethel Barrymore (Portrait of Jennie), Kim Hunter (A Streetcar Named Desire), Ed Begley (12 Angry Men), Warren Stevens (Forbidden Planet), Paul Stewart (Kiss Me Deadly) and Jim Backus (Gilligan’s Island).

Bonus Features:
-Audio Commentary with Film Historian Eddie Muller
-Trailer Gallery