Displaying items by tag: Paramount

[Editor’s Note: This feature was first published on the original Bits website back on November 01, 2001. We republish it here for the enjoyment of those who many not have seen it before. We’d like to dedicate it to the memory of our friend George A. Romero.]

You know how they say it never rains in California? Well, they lie. What they mean to say is that it never rains in California... unless you really need to be somewhere. But they also say something about April showers, right? So on this appropriately gloomy morning in April, I’m racing up the 405 freeway in a heavy downpour, running late for an appointment. But not just any appointment. I’ve been invited to sit in on the audio commentary recording session for Paramount’s new Tales from the Darkside: The Movie DVD, with its director, John Harrison, and screenwriter, the legendary George Romero. Who could pass a chance like that up? Certainly not me. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a couple more items for you today…

First, Tim has posted two more Blu-ray reviews this afternoon, featuring his thoughts on Arrow’s Brain Damage: Special Edition and also Mill Creek Entertainment’s Psycho Circus Triple Feature, which includes The Brotherhood of Satan, Torture Garden, and The Creeping Flesh. Do give them a look.

Also, our own Release Dates & Artwork section, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon through our links goes to help support our work on The Bits and we do appreciate it. [Read on here…]

All right, I hope you all had a great long holiday weekend – those of you in the States at least. And for the rest of you, I hope you had a great weekend plus Monday.

Here at The Bits today, we’ve got a few things for you to enjoy. First, reviews: We have four new Blu-ray reviews for you to check out, including Tim’s take on Universal’s Split and Smokey and the Bandit: 40th Anniversary Edition, as well as Paramount’s Saturday Night Fever: Director’s Cut. And I’ve taken a look at Madman Entertainment’s Region Free import Blu-ray of Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon – well worth checking out if you’re a fan of the film. [Read on here…]

All right, I’ve got a couple things for you today…

First of all, let me just say this: Go see James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. If you liked the first film at all, you’ll love this one too. It’s every bit as over-the-top, outrageous, and ridiculous as the original, and you’ll laugh the whole way through. I really think that for sheer originality and fun, Guardians is my pick for the crown jewel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Much like Deadpool, it doesn’t ever really take itself seriously, but it has a ton of heart. It’s highly recommended.

Also, here at the site today, we’ve updated the Release Dates & Artwork section to include all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order anything through our Amazon links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it. [Read on here…]

Lionsgate has just issued its press release for the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Saban’s Power Rangers (2017). Look for the discs on 6/27, as we mentioned yesterday, with the Digital HD release expected on 6/13. Extras on the Blu-ray versions will include audio commentary with director Dean Israelite and writer John Gatins, the 9-part The Power of the Present documentary (includes Rangers Then to Now, Building the Team, Beyond the Rangers, Suiting Up, Rangers, Welcome to Training, Rangers in the Wild, It’s Morphin Time, Power Ballad: Music and Sound, and This is Your Destiny), deleted, alternate, and extended scenes, outtakes, and the film’s theatrical trailer also with optional commentary by Israelite. The 4K disc will include Dolby Atmos audio and will feature Dolby Vision HDR. Note that the Blu-ray will also feature Dolby Atmos. You can see the Blu-ray and 4K cover artwork to the left and also below. [Read on here…]

All right, the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show is finally under way in Las Vegas today, with a number of the major CE manufacturers holding big press conferences to announce their product line-ups for the year. In fact, I’ve just now sat through Samsung’s big press event (more on that in a minute). I’ll check back in with more tomorrow, but for now let’s get to what news we have so far concerning 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray at the show...

In terms of new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player hardware, obviously Oppo Digital has just launched their debut player on the format, the UDP-203 (SRP $549). I’ve been testing this unit for about a week now and it’s just tremendous. For a first-generation player, it’s very solid, very fast, and it plays just about everything – Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, DVD-Audio, CD, and SACD, plus a wide variety of digital video and audio formats via network and USB. It’s compatible with HDR-10 right out of the box, and it’s also hardware compatible with Dolby Vision; a firmware update in the months ahead will add full Dolby Vision compatibility (keep in mind that no Dolby Vision UHD BD software is yet available, though software is forthcoming – again, more in a moment – and you can stream it now via Netflix and Vudu). Oppo is also working on an audiophile-upgraded version of this player, the UDP-205 (SRP around $1K), due for release later this year. [Read on here…]

All right, in case you thought we missed posting content yesterday…

There was no Friday news post, but we did post no less than four Blu-ray reviews, including my detailed thoughts on Disney and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray 3D format! The short of it is that the 3D presentation is pretty good, the J.J. Abrams commentary is pretty great, and the set definitely better than the original release. But I do wish that they’d create a truly comprehensive special edition look at the making of this film.  [Read on here…]

All right, let’s get this over with. Our friends over at Trek Core have learned (and they’re right) something that’s going to infuriate Star Trek fans, and sadly suggests that neither Paramount nor Bad Robot have learned from fan complaints about their previous Star Trek Blu-ray mistakes. As you know, Star Trek Beyond is expected to street on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on 11/1, all with lots of extras... except filmmaker audio commentary. Well, you guessed it... once again, the iTunes Digital download version is going to have an exclusive “enhanced” commentary.

[Editor’s Note: Turns out there’s another Target-exclusive Bonus Disc too. See here: “Bonus blu-ray disc with over 90 minutes of extras including 45 minutes of exclusive content: Get a behind the scenes look at the film’s incredible visual effects, costumes and props. Plus, see how Director Justin Lin and the cast and crew of Star Trek Beyond created the climactic Battle of Yorktown, and more!”]

So... yeah. [Read on here…]

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Sorry about the lack of a Tuesday post. I was working on a project late on Monday night and ended up not getting a wink of sleep. You know how it happens that, once you start thinking about something you just can’t stop, sleep be damned? So anyway, by Tuesday morning I was exhausted. Nevertheless, it seems there’s been quite a bit of news since then…

First up, it appears that there’s an error on the new Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – Director’s Cut Blu-ray (see my review here). During the Kobayashi Maru scene that opens the film, the same shot of Sulu is mistakenly repeated twice. Unlike the two lines removed from the DC by director Nicholas Meyer (near the end of the film – see my review) that wasn’t deliberate – it was just a mistake. Hell… I have to say, I missed it too, even though I know the film well and watched it twice. Anyway, the studio is already aware of the issue and almost certainly is going to correct it (in fact, I’m certain they will, but they need to get a statement prepared and get plans in place), which means a organizing a fix and a disc exchange program, etc. As soon as we get the official word back from our contacts there. we’ll let you know.  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to follow us on Twitter @thedigitalbits @BillHuntBits and on Facebook here and here. And you can help support The Bits by pre-ordering Blu-rays and other items from Amazon through this link.]

We’ve got a pair of new disc reviews for you this afternoon, including my own look at Shout!’s Journey to Space, which is the studio’s first 4K Ultra HD disc, as well as Jim’s take on Sony Pictures Classics’ Son of Saul on regular Blu-ray.  [Read on here…]