Items filtered by date: July 2019

So I spent a couple hours up in Hollywood yesterday afternoon to cover something pretty interesting…

At a press event at the Screen Actors Guild, members of the UHD Alliance, three major consumer electronics manufacturers, and leading Hollywood filmmakers officially announced a new partnership effort to implement Filmmaker Mode as an extension of the 4K Ultra HD spec.

The idea is to ensure that when you watch a movie at home in 4K on your new Ultra HD display, whether from a disc, stream, or cable/satellite broadcast, it will look exactly as it should. UHD Alliance research suggests that as many as 80% of people who buy 4K TVs never change the settings out of the box. This means irritating features like motion smoothing and unnecessary processing are being applied to the image by default – processing that actually takes the picture away from the filmmakers’ intent.

What the Filmmaker Mode will do is to allow the user – either with one push of a button on the remote, or with a very easy and obvious menu setting – to set the TV’s display parameters to most accurately display the 4K content. This would be a baseline setting for the image – any added adjustments signaled by HDR10, HDR10+, or Dolby Vision metadata would happen on top of that setting. [Read on here...]

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We’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, including...

My in-depth thoughts on Lionsgate’s new Apocalypse Now Final Cut: 40th Anniversary Edition on 4K Ultra HD, which could end up being the best 4K of the year. It’s definitely one of the most comprehensive catalog special editions in recent years, and is not to be missed.

Also today, we have new Blu-ray reviews from Tim and Dennis, including...

The President’s Lady (Twilight Time), Missing Link (20th Century Fox), Poms (Universal), and Drive-In Delirium: Dead by Dawn and Drive-In Delirium: With a Vengeance (Umbrella Entertainment).

All are worth a look so do check them out and enjoy. [Read on here...]

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All right, it’s official.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just announced that they’ll release The Wizard of Oz on 4K Ultra HD on 10/29, in honor of the film’s 80th anniversary.

The original Technicolor camera negative has been scanned in 8K and graded for high dynamic range in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision (the disc will include both).

Per the studio’s press release, “The process was supervised by MPI colorist Janet Wilson, who has overseen ever remaster of The Wizard of Oz for the past 20 years.” SRP for the release is $41.99. The package will include both the 4K and a Blu-ray.

You can see the cover artwork at left and below. [Read on here...]

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We’ve got just a quick update for you here at The Bits today, but it’s a good one...

First, Disney has just officially announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Toy Story 4 on 10/8, with the Digital release expected a week earlier on 10/1.

The 4K disc (and digital release) will include Dolby Atmos audio, while the Blu-ray will feature 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Expect the physical to offer HDR10 high dynamic range, while the digital 4K has Dolby Vision. Extras will include audio commentary with director Josh Cooley and his team, 4 featurettes (Toy Stories, Woody & Buzz, Bo Rebooted, and Let’s Ride with Ally Maki), a collection of mini-docs on the film’s characters called Toy Box, 6 deleted scenes with optional commentary (including Scamming Playtime, Bo Knows Hippos, Desperate Toys, Knock-Offs, Recruit Duke, and She’s the One) and more. [Read on here...]

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Okay, we’ve got some big news for you today...

First though, we’ve posted a few new disc reviews in the last couple of days, including my own takes on Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 4K from Warner Bros, Air Force One in 4K from Sony Pictures, and Jonny Quest: The Complete Original Series on regular Blu-ray from Warner. Tim has also posted his thoughts on Shout! Factory’s new The Harder They Come: Collector’s Edition. All are work a look, so do check them out at the links provided.

Now then, let’s get to that news. First, this is not yet officially announced (even though we revealed it on social media a couple days ago), but retail links from various online sources confirm what we’ve been saying for a while now here at The Bits, namely that Warner will release The Wizard of Oz on 4K Ultra HD in October in honor of the film’s 80th anniversary. [Read on here...]

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We’ve got some interesting announcement news for you today...

First up, Lionsgate has just announced the 10/8 Blu-ray and DVD release of Ari Aster’s horror film Midsommar, with the Digital version coming on 9/24 from A24. Extras will include the Let the Festivities Begin: Manifesting Midsommar featurette and the “Bear in a Cage” promo.

Speaking of horror, Paramount has set Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 10/15, including all 10 episodes plus extended director’s cut versions of 3 episodes (Steven Sees a Ghost, The Bent-Neck Lady, and Silence Lay Steadily) and audio commentary by director Mike Flanagan on 4 episodes (the three extended episodes plus Two Storms). [Read on here...]

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All right, folks... we have some release news for you this afternoon.

But first, I’ve posted a review of Rob Reiner’s classic coming of age film Stand by Me on 4K Ultra HD. It streets on 8/27 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and it’s well worth a look. You can read more here.

The big release news today is that the Criterion Collection has announced their November Blu-ray and DVD slate, which is set to include Greg Mottola’s The Daytrippers (Spine #1001 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 11/12, Jean-Jacques Beineix’s Betty Blue (Spine #1002 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Paweł Pawlikowski’s Cold War (Spine #1005 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 11/19, and Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s All About Eve (Spine #1003 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Irving Rapper’s Now, Voyager (Spine #1004 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 11/26. [Read on here...]

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All right, we have more news for you today. But first, a review...

I did indeed post my thoughts on Zhang Yimou’s Shadow in 4K last night from Well Go USA, and darned if it isn’t pretty spectacular. It’s a slow burn study in contrasts and well worth your time. You can check it out here.

Now then, Universal has officially announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and Ultra HD release of Danny Boyle’s Yesterday on 9/24, with the Digital release expected on 9/10. The 4K will include HDR10 and HDR10+ high dynamic range, with Dolby Atmos audio. The Blu-ray will also include Dolby Atmos audio. Extras on both will include audio commentary with director Danny Boyle and writer/producer Richard Curtis, an alternate opening, an alternate ending, 12 deleted scenes, a gag reel, a 3-song Live at Abbey Road Studios session with Himesh Patel (performing Yesterday, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Let it Be), and 6 featurettes (Ed Sheeran: From Stadium to Screen, Agent of Comedy: Kate McKinnon, A Talented Duo, Playing for Real, Soul Mates, and A Conversation with Richard & Ed). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

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We’ve got a little bit of news for you today, as well as some new Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD reviews...

First, I’ve just posted a review of Jon Favreau’s original Iron Man in 4K Ultra HD, from Marvel (distributed by Paramount and now Disney). For you guys, I bit the bullet and picked up a copy myself. The new Atmos mix is pretty great, but the 4K image quality is a bit disappointing. Click here for the details. The title streets today.

And Tim has just posted his thoughts on Gordon Hessler’s Scream and Scream Again from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Riccardo Freda’s Double Face from Arrow Video, both on regular Blu-ray. [Read on here...]

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All right, a quick update today...

First, we’ve just posted a trio of new Blu-ray reviews, including my thoughts on Dome Karukoski’s Tolkien from Fox, Tim’s take on Leszek Burzynski’s Trapped Alive from Arrow Video, and Dennis’ look at Michael Chaves’ The Curse of La Llorona from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

And I’m just finishing a review of Zhang Yimou’s Shadow in 4K Ultra HD from Well Go USA and should have that up before the end of the day.

Speaking of reviews, several of you have asked if we’re going to cover the new Disney and Marvel MCU titles that street tomorrow in 4K, including Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Thor, and Thor: The Dark World. We would love to, but unfortunately Disney isn’t making them available to reviewers, which means we’d have to go out and buy them. That puts indie sites like The Bits in a pickle. So the answer is, I don’t know. Maybe. [Read on here...]

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