Displaying items by tag: The Screening Room A/V

We’re starting this week with a trio of new disc reviews, including...

Stuart’s looks at Bob Kellett’s Are You Being Served? (1977) and Zoltán Korda’s Cry, the Beloved Country (1951) both on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Stephen’s take on Howard Hawks’ Scarface (1932) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection.

Rest assured, more new disc reviews are on the way this week, so be sure to check back for them.

I also wanted to let you all know that I just posted an hour-long My Two Cents: A Video Blog update on our Digital Bits Patreon page on Saturday, in which I talked at length about the release of Tombstone and Barry Lyndon in 4K, as well as a lot of other exciting forthcoming 4K catalog titles, not to mention the State of the Home Entertainment Industry in 2025 as compared to the so-called Golden Age of Discs in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

I think you’ll really enjoy it, and supporting The Digital Bits via Patreon is a great way to help ensure that we can keep bringing you all great industry coverage here on the site. Do keep in mind that since we’ve been covering this industry since the very beginning of the DVD format back in 1997, nobody has better connections, sources, and knowledge of this industry that we do here on The Bits. So thank you all very much for reading and for your support! [Read on here...]

We’ve got SIX more new disc reviews for you all to enjoy today, including...

Dennis’ reviews of Stanley Donen’s Arabesque (1966) in 4K Ultra HD and Dick Powell’s The Conqueror (1956) on Blu-ray, both from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Ryan Kruger’s Street Trash (2024) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, and Jonathan Mostow’s Breakdown (1997) in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount Home Entertainment (the 4K reviews with an A/V assist by Tim).

And Tim’s reviews of the third title in Arrow Video’s Shawscope: Volume Two Blu-ray box set—Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)—and also Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree (1979) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Speaking of Arrow Video, the company has just announced its June slate of Blu-ray and 4K titles, which includes Rowdy Herrington’s Road House (1989) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 6/2, Joseph Sargent’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 6/9, Dominic Sena’s Swordfish (2001) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK, US, and Canada) on 6/9, Peter Weir’s Witness (1985) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 6/16, and Alex Proyas’ Dark City (1998) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK, US, and Canada), Yoshiyuki Kuroda’s The Invisible Swordsman (1970) on Blu-ray (in the UK, US, and Canada), and Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) all on 6/23. [Read on here...]

We’re starting things off this week as always with another new disc review...

Stephen has just checked in with his in-depth thoughts on Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974) in 4K Ultra HD, a new Paramount Presents title that also includes Jack Nicholson’s 1990 sequel, The Two Jakes, on Blu-ray. Sounds like it’s a pretty good release, so do give it a look.

Speaking of good 4K, I had the great fortune yesterday afternoon to attend the West Coast premiere of the new Janus Films 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s legendary masterpiece Seven Samurai (1954), which was held at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. It was my... I don’t know, forty or fiftieth viewing of the film? And I brought my friend Tom Beckett-Maines along for his first ever viewing. It goes without saying that we both enjoyed the film, and it was very encouraging to experience it with a packed crowd filled with young people who were really into it. Tip of the hat to the American Cinematheque for a great screening. If I lived a little closer to L.A. I would definitely become a card-carrying member, because they always do it right.

I think we can reasonably expect that Seven Samurai will be announced for physical 4K Ultra HD release by Criterion sooner rather than later, and I personally can’t wait for it. I still have a few “holy grail” physical media releases on my bucket list, and one of them is surely a Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD upgrade of Criterion’s wonderful AK100 DVD box set. But I’ll take all the Kurosawa I can get in 4K in the meantime. [Read on here...]

We’re back today with some release news as well as a bunch more new disc reviews, including...

My take on Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024) in 4K Ultra HD from A24 and Lionsgate, a film I didn’t even want to see but that I ended up really impressed with, that also happens to be the most demo-worthy 4K release since Dune: Part Two, Oppenheimer, and Top Gun: Maverick. It also has a terrific documentary from our old friend Charles de Lauzirika, so it’s well worth your time.

Stephen’s thoughts on Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant (1992) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as the Wachowskis’ Bound (1996) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion.

Dennis’ review of Sidney J. Furie’s The Lawyer (1970) and Frank Tuttle’s The Hour Before Dawn (1944) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And finally, Tim’s look at J. Lee Thompson’s Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) and Allan A. Goldstein’s Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) on Blu-ray also from KL Studio Classics.

We definitely have more reviews cooking at The Bits, but with the 4th of July holiday here in the States falling on a Thursday (tomorrow) this year, we’re giving everyone the next few days off to recharge with their families. So we’ll be back on Monday with more new reviews and—we would imagine—plenty of breaking release news too.

In announcement news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has revealed that Ralph S. Singleton’s Graveyard Shift (1990) is coming soon to 4K Ultra HD. Also newly-revealed as coming soon to Blu-ray is Willard Juyck’s Best Defense (1984). [Read on here...]

All right, we have big release news to report today, but first we’ve got three more new disc reviews for you all to enjoy…

Stephen has given an in-depth look at Dario Argento’s Tenebrae in 4K Ultra HD, as newly released in a terrific and loaded special edition package from our friends at Synapse Films. If you’re a fan of Argento, the gaillo genre, or this film in particular, this is a great package that you’re not going to want to miss.

Stephen has also taken a look at an under-appreciated Soviet classic by director Alexandr Ptushko, a filmmaker considered by many to be the Russian George Pal… Sampo (1959) new on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile and Vinegar Syndrome. This is an interesting piece of cinema that also deserves a look.

Last but not least, Dennis has offered his thoughts on Graham Mason’s Inspector Ike (2020), which presents itself as a “lost 70s telefilm” and detective story spoof, a-la The Naked Gun. That’s available on Blu-ray from Factory 25 via Vinegar Syndrome, so be sure to check it out.

Now then, the biggest box office hit of the year… and what is likely to be the biggest home media title of the year as well… has finally been made official: Paramount Home Entertainment will release Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/1 (a date that our sources have been suggesting for a few weeks now). But here’s the real surprise: The Digital release will drop next Tuesday on 8/23! [Read on here...]