BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company announced today the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD release of THE MASTER, the innovative film that has won over audiences and critics alike. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood), the 1950s-set drama centers on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as “The Master” (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Moneyball) who creates a belief system which catches on with other lost souls – and a young WW-II veteran (Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator) who becomes his right-hand man. In addition to Hoffman and Phoenix, the film also stars Amy Adams (Doubt) and Laura Dern (Little Fockers). THE MASTER heads to retail on February 26, 2013 for an SRP of $39.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and $29.98 for the DVD.

Haunted by his past, WW-II veteran and drifter Freddie Quell crosses paths with a mysterious movement called The Cause, led by Lancaster Dodd aka “The Master” and his wife Peggy. Their twisted relationship is the core of this film that is “a glorious and haunting symphony of color, emotion and sound with camera movements that elicit an involuntary gasp and feats of acting that defy comprehension (A.O Scott, The New York Times).”

Joe Neumaier of The New York Daily News declared THE MASTER, "the season's first Oscar contender." THE MASTER received the following 2012 Academy Award® nominations - Joaquin Phoenix for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Philip Seymour Hoffman for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Amy Adams for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The film received three Golden Globes® Nominations including Best Actor in a Drama Joaquin Phoenix, Best Supporting Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams.

Awarded Best Actor for both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson at the 2012 Venice Film Festival, THE MASTER is a film “that casts a spell like a fever dream (David Ansen, Newsweek).”

Stunningly photographed in 65mm, THE MASTER stands as an undeniable cinematic experience. Will Freddie be able to outrun his past? Will The Cause help or hurt him? Can this tortured, violent creature be civilized? Or is man, after all, just a dirty animal?

THE MASTER Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD special features include: “Back Beyond” which features outtakes and additional scenes edited to music by Johnny Greenwood; “Unguided Message,” an 8 minute short / behind the scenes; Teasers/ Trailers. The Combo Pack also includes an additional special feature “Let There Be Light (1946), John Huston’s landmark documentary about WW-II veterans.” Note: Special features are subject to change.

Read our The Master: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy review
Buy The Master from Amazon.com: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy • DVD

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes. TWC releases took home eight 2012 Academy Awards®, the most wins in the studio’s history. The tally included Best Picture for Michel Hazanavicius’s THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay’s UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; W.E.; CORIOLANUS; UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; BULLY; and EASY MONEY. Currently in release are THE MASTER; THE INTOUCHABLES and LAWLESS. Upcoming releases include KILLING THEM SOFTLY; THIS MUST BE THE PLACE; SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK; and DJANGO UNCHAINED.

TWC is also active in television production, led by former Miramax Films President of Production and current President of Television Meryl Poster, with credits including the Emmy® nominated and Peabody Award winning reality series Project Runway, spin-off series Project Runway All Stars and Project Accessory, the VH1 reality series Mob Wives, spin-off series Big Ang and Mob Wives: Chicago, and the critically acclaimed HBO comedy/crime series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency which also received a Peabody Award. The company is currently in pre-production on the martial-arts epic Marco Polo for Starz. TWC additionally has 17 series in different stages of development, including The Nanny Diaries, being adapted for ABC by Amy Sherman Palladino (Gilmore Girls).

About Anchor Bay Entertainment

Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.

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THE MASTER BLU-RAY™ Combo Pack
(Blu-ray™ + DVD + Digital Copy)
Street date: February 26, 2013
Pre-book: January 30, 2013
Catalog #: BD59719
UPC: 01313259719580
Run time: 138 Minutes
Rating: R
SRP: $39.99
Format: Widescreen
Audio: DTS-HD MA 5.1

THE MASTER DVD
Street date: February 26, 2013
Pre-book: January 30, 2013
Catalog #: WC59717
UPC: 01313259717180
Run time: 138 Minutes
Rating: R
SRP: $29.98
Format: Widescreen
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1