Sorry for the strange topic of today’s post, but I’ve had an insane thing happen to me over the weekend.

In between brief periods of enjoyment of Avengers: Endgame and last night’s amazing “Battle of Winterfell” on Game of Thrones, a pair of clever misanthropes in Hanoi, Vietnam tried to steal my identity (and my wife’s) on Facebook. They managed to take control of my wife’s Facebook business page and group, and then when we reported this to Facebook (which wasn’t easy), the hackers created fake duplicate personal pages, posting as us, and then reported our actual pages as the fakes.

So while we slept, both of our personal accounts were closed and now we have to prove who we are in order to get back online there. Now, of course, it would have been simple for Facebook to simply look at the fact that we’ve been on Facebook for years, while the new fake accounts have only sprung up in the last 24 hours. But no… that would require common sense. Meanwhile, there is literally NO ONE at Facebook you can talk to if you’re having this sort of problem, and the hackers know that, so they cleverly game the system and are always ten steps ahead. [Read on here...]

This is just a VERY quick post today and we’ll be back tomorrow with more. But we’ve got some big news to share...

We’ve had the title on our 4K Ultra HD List here The Digital Bits for a while now, but news is finally starting to break that Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now: Final Cut will be screening at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival remastered in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision high dynamic range and a new Dolby Atmos audio mix.

So yes, you can expect a 4K physical media release from Lionsgate Home Entertainment later this year. Watch for it likely in August to coincide with celebrations of the film’s 40th anniversary. (However, note that this release has not yet been officially announced by Lionsgate – this information comes from news of the film’s Tribeca screening.)

No more details about this release are yet available, but you can read more here at Variety, which features this quote from Coppola:

“Restoring Apocalypse Now: Final Cut 40 years later has been a tremendous undertaking and joy that I am thrilled to be able to share with the world for the first time at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. The audience will be able to see, hear and feel this film how I always hoped it could be — from the first ‘bang’ to the final whimper.”

So there you go. We’ll post more on this as soon as it’s officially announced.

Stay tuned...

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)

“The film may as well have been officially titled Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula, because it so unmistakably bears the stamp of its director.” — Dracula FAQ: All That’s Left to Know about the Count from Transylvania author Bruce Scivally

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 25th anniversary of the release of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola’s take on the classic horror icon featuring Gary Oldman in the title role.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which also starred Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves — and winner of numerous awards including three Oscars and five Saturns — opened 25 years ago this autumn. For the occasion, The Bits features a Q&A with film historian Bruce Scivally, who discusses the film’s virtues, shortcomings and influence. [Read on here...]

I’ve figured out what’s wrong with movies.

This thesis prevailed on me as I went to see the 3-D Imax version of a new picture called The Great Wall. This picture opened to dismal reviews, but the previews had made it look righteous and the effects, I knew, would be fun, and they were and the whole experience wasn’t bad.

And on the way out, I was thinking of all these feckless movie reviewers who get published and why they would trash this movie. I thought to myself: “Why were they so hard on this movie? It’s just a fun “B” picture?”

And then I figured it out. They all are. 90% of what we see in the theaters are “B” pictures with “A” budgets.

Let’s discuss... [Read on here...]

First up today, our own Russell Hammond has just posted the weekly Release Dates & Artwork update with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Don’t forget, anytime you order titles through our links you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we appreciate it!

Now then... in new release news today, Paramount has officially announced Robert Zemeckis’ Allied for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on 2/28, with the Digital HD release expected on 2/14. The WWII thriller stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. Extras on the Blu-rays will include 10 behind-the-scenes featurettes (among them The Story of Allied, From Stages to the Sahara: The Production Design of Allied, Through the Lens: Directing with Robert Zemeckis, A Stitch in Time: The Costumes of Allied, ’Til Death Do Us Part: Max and Marianne, Guys and Gals: The Ensemble Cast, Lights, Pixels, Action! The Visual Effects of Allied, Behind the Wheel: The Vehicles of Allied, Locked and Loaded: The Weapons of Allied, and That Swingin’ Sound: The Music of Allied). You can see the cover artwork to the left and below. [Read on here…]

This is just a quick update today to let you all know that The Criterion Collection has just announced their April slate of titles, which is set to include new editions of George Stevens’ Woman of the Year (Cat #867 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club (Cat #866 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/18, followed by Juzo Itami’s Tampopo (Cat #868 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish (Cat #869 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/25. You’ll also get updated versions of two existing Criterion titles, including Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Cat #716 – Blu-ray and DVD) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (Cat #717 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/11. You can see the cover artwork below. [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to follow us on Twitter @thedigitalbits @BillHuntBits and on Facebook here and here.]

We have a quick update on the BFI’s new restoration and Blu-ray of Napoleon (1927). It seems that Francis Ford Coppola and former Bits contributor and film preservationist Robert A. Harris own the worldwide theatrical rights to Napoleon outside the U.K. and France, and are working on their own restoration effort. Lou Lumenick, the film editor for The New York Post, contacted Harris about the project and received this reply: [Read on here…]

I had to sit on maybe the biggest movie story in America. For a long time. And now that it’s been completed and is over, I’m shocked that the whole thing hasn’t been on the front page of The New York Times.

I’ve perhaps casually mentioned that I helped create (didn’t get in the way of) a film school here in Oklahoma City, actually at Oklahoma City Community College. The idea was, unlike film degrees that are based on watching and studying themes and points of view and reading scripts, the creative side, so to speak, to offer a technical, hands on degree program, why a community college was selected in the first place. And to enhance the experience, we got the finest equipment in the world – Avid editors and cameras and lenses and lights and then, through a lot of hard work from a lot of good people, here came the ultimate – a full end studio, built to the specs of an actual Hollywood soundstage. If another state funded school has a facility like this, I’d like to see it.  [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got three things for you today to close out the week…

First, our own Michael Coate has turned in a fine new History, Legacy & Showmanship column, celebrating today’s 35th anniversary of the theatrical debut of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Included in the piece is a rundown of the initial 70 mm theatrical engagements, trivia, and a pair of interview with film historians Jon Lewis and Lee Pfeiffer. Enjoy!

Also today, Tim Salmons has turned in a review of Raro Video’s The Year of the Cannibals (1970) on Blu-ray, an Italian film from director Liliana Cavani.  [Read on here…]

“The first time, it will dazzle your senses. The second time, you’ll see it for the first time.”

The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 35th anniversary of the release of Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola’s award-winning Vietnam War epic.

The Bits marks the occasion with this retrospective article featuring a compilation of box-office data that helps place the film’s performance in context, quotes from a selection of movie critics, production and exhibition information, a list of the film’s original 70-millimeter presentations, and an interview segment.  [Read on here…]