Displaying items by tag: Criterion

We’re going to close out the week today here at The Bits with a bunch of good announcement news, but first we have more disc reviews for you to enjoy today from the team. Among them are…

My review of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002) in 4K Steelbook from Sony Pictures.

Stephen’s looks at Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy (1978) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) from Criterion’s The Complete Kubrick.

Tim’s reviews of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: The Complete Series (2010-13) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, Richard Rich’s The Swan Princess (1994) in 4K Ultra HD from Sony, and Desmond Davis’ Clash of the Titans (1981) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.

Todd’s thoughts on Herb Freed’s Graduation Day (1981) on Blu-ray from Troma, Bret McCormick’s Reanimator Academy (1992) on Blu-ray from Wild Eye, and Danny Draven’s Models vs. Werewolves (2026) on Blu-ray from Full Moon.

Dennis’ take on Francesco Lucente’s This Old Man (2025) on Blu-ray from Ruby Max Entertainment.

And finally, Stuart’s reviews of Gerd Oswald’s Screaming Mini (1958) on Blu-ray from Imprint, Jacques Deray’s Flic Story (1975) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, and the Essential Film Noir Collection 7 box set also on Blu-ray from Imprint, including Lucky Jordan (1942), China (1943), Tangier (1946), and Singapore (1947).

Watch for more disc reviews next week!

All right in terms of announcement news, the first is that the Warner Archive Collection has just unveiled their January slate of Blu-ray titles, and there are some gems. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some great 4K catalog release news for you today, but first more new disc reviews are in the house! Among them are…

My take on Jon Turteltaub’s National Treasure (2004) in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Disney, as well as Bennett Miller’s Moneyball (2011) in 4K Ultra HD from Sony Pictures.

Tim’s review of Ben Stiller’s The Cable Guy: 30th Anniversary (1996) in 4K Steelbook from Sony Pictures, as well as Morton DaCosta’s Auntie Mame (1958) in 4K Ultra HD from the Warner Archive Collection.

Stephen’s review of Dr. Strangelove (1964) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion’s The Complete Kubrick box set.

Stuart’s look at Lance Comfort’s The Ugly Duckling (1959) on Blu-ray from Hammer and Powerhouse Films.

Dennis’ thoughts on Danny DeVito’s Throw Momma from the Train (1987) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And finally, Todd’s reviews of Walter Klenhard’s Disappearance (2002) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome and Luigi Zampa’s The Monster (1977) on Blu-ray from Radiance Films.

Watch for more reviews tomorrow and all this week here at the site!

All right, the big news today is that—as we expected—Warner Clockwork and the BFI officially announced the US and UK physical media versions of Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971). These are expected to street on April 20, 2027. [Read on here...]

Before we get to the big news today, we’ve got two more new disc reviews for you here at The Bits…

Stephen has turned in his in-depth look at Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita (1962) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion’s excellent The Complete Kubrick 4K UHD + Blu-ray box set. (And he’s already digging into Dr. Strangelove, I’m sure.)

And Todd Doogan and I have tag-teamed a look at Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog (1949) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection.

Now then, the big release news today is that 20th Century Studios and Disney have finally revealed the long-awaited Avatar: Fire and Ash – Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD. Look for the 4-disc set to street on 12/8. Here’s what it will look like…

Disc One and Two include the film on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. The 4K disc will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. Disc Three and Four will contain the set’s special features. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some good announcement news to report here today, but first as always we have a TON of new disc reviews to share with you…

I’ve turned in my looks at Victor Fleming’s Gone with the Wind (1939) in 4K UHD from Warner Bros. (with an assist by the late, great Barrie Maxwell), Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen (1967) in 4K UHD from Arrow Video, and Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2025) in 4K UHD from Universal.

Stephen has begun—and is continuing—his epic in-depth reviews of all the films in Criterion’s The Complete Kubrick box set, which so far include Killer’s Kiss (1955), The Killing (1956), Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960) in 4K Ultra HD.

And let me tell you, as someone who’s recently had the chance to compare Criterion’s 4K disc of 2001: A Space Odyssey (which features encoding by the great David Mackenzie of Fidelity in Motion) to Warner’s 4K release, there’s definitely an upgrade here.

Tim’s offered his take on W. Lee Wilder’s The Snow Creature (1954) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn (2026) and Neil Jordan’s Interview with the Vampire (1994) in 4K UHD from Warner Bros., and Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991) in 4K UHD from Criterion.

Dennis’ has delivered his thoughts on John Huston’s We Were Strangers (1949) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films and John Guillerman’s Death on the Nile (1978) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics (with an assist by Tim).

And Todd have taken a look at Ting Shan-His’s Blood Reincarnation (1974) and Julie Pacino’s I Live Here Now (2025) both on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, as well as Chris Noonan’s Babe (1995) and George Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City (1998) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

More reviews are definitely forthcoming, including additional titles from Stephen’s exploration of The Complete Kubrick box, my joint review of Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog (1949) in 4K UHD from Criterion with Todd Doogan, and more. So be sure to keep checking back. [Read on here...]

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

Our friends at the Criterion Collection have just unveiled their final titles of 2026, and the December slate is a dandy!

On December 1, look for Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975) (Spine #683 – 4K + BD and BD) and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style (1961) (Spine #286 – 4K + BD and BD).

Following on December 8 are Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man (2005) (Spine #1339 – BD) and Anthony Minghella’s Best Picture-winning The English Patient (1996) (Spine #1338 – 4K and BD)!

And on December 15, look for Eclipse Series 50: Sara Gómez’s Revolutionary Cuba on Blu-ray—which includes 15 films (One Way or Another, I’ll Go to Santiago, Excursion to Vueltabajo, Guanabacoa: Chronicle of My Family, And… We’ve Got Sabor, On the Other Island, An Island for Miguel, Treasure Island, Local Power, Popular Power, A Documentary About Transit, On Sugar Workers’ Quarters, My Contribution, Year One, Prenatal Care, and About Extra Hours and Volunteer Work)—as well as Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner (1940) (Spine #1340 – 4K + BD and BD).

Not half bad!

It seems to me that The English Patient is one of the few modern Best Picture-winners not yet available on 4K disc, so it’s great to see it finally (licensed from Miramax via Paramount). It’s also a personal favorite of mine. [Read on here...]

We’ve got lots of new disc reviews for you to enjoy here at The Bits today, including…

Tim’s look at John Guillerman’s King Kong (1976) in 4K UHD from Paramount, Charles Lamont’s Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) in 4K UHD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Mikael Håfström’s 1408 (2007) in 4K UHD from Via Vision, and Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night (1967) in 4K UHD from Criterion.

Stuart’s thoughts on John Ford’s Sergeant Rutledge (1960) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and the Tales of the Wild West: Collection Two Blu-ray box set from Imprint.

Dennis’ take on William Keighley’s Torrid Zone (1940) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, Mario Caiano’s Weapons of Death (1977) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, and Bret Wood’s Hell’s Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films (2003) on Blu-ray from Kino Cult.

And finally, Todd’s review of Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay’s Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire (1988) on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro.

Stephen has been on vacation for the last week, but he’ll be back to reviewing in a few more days, and of course we have lots more reviews forthcoming from the rest of the team.

Also today here, our own Russell Hammond has posted the latest update of our Release Dates & Cover Art section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we greatly appreciate it! [Read on here...]

We’re starting the new week, after the long holiday weekend here in the States, with more new disc reviews from The Bits’ team, including…

Tim’s thoughts on Gary Goddard’s Masters of the Universe (1987) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow’s new Toy Robot Video sub label, as his thoughts on Kevin Reynolds’ Robin Hood: Price of Thieves (1991) in 4K UHD from Arrow Video proper.

Dennis’ look at Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection (with an assist by Tim), his take on Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ Death Ship/Terror Train Double Feature DVD (1980) (again, with an assist by Tim), and Burt Kennedy’s The War Wagon (1967) on Blu-ray also from KLSC.

And Todd’s take on Paul Wendkos’ Cannon for Cordoba (1970) on Blu-ray from Imprint, Nicanor Loreti, Fabián Forte, and Luca Castello’s Portraits of the Apocalypse (2024) on DVD from Cleopatra Entertainment, and John Williams’ Watch Me Sleep (2023) on DVD from Wild Eye Releasing.

Watch for more reviews all this week!

Now then… we’ve got a couple of things to talk about today…

First, Amazon MGM Studios and Alliance Home Entertainment have officially set The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Seasons One and Two for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 11/3. There will also be an Amazon-exclusive Limited Edition 4K Steelbook release on 12/1. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews for you to check out today, including…

Tim’s take on Charlie Chaplin’s A Woman of Paris (1923) on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection, Taylor Wong’s Buddha’s Palm (1982) on Blu-ray from Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume Three box, and J. Lee Thompson’s 10 to Midnight (1983) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Stephen’s thoughts on Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory, John “Bud” Cardos’ Mutant (1984) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome, and Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (1990) in 4K from Arrow Video.

Todd’s review of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (2025) on Blu-ray from A24, Timur Bekmambetov’s Mercy (2026) on Blu-ray from Amazon MGM, and Tony Scott’s The Fan (1996) and David Greene’s Hard Country (1981) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

Stuart’s look at Hobart Henley’s Night World (1932), Anthony Mann’s Bend of the River (1952), Allen Smithee’s Death of a Gunfighter (1969 – actually directed by Robert Totten and Don Siegel), and Christian-Jaque’s The Second Twin (1966) all on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Dennis’ thoughts on William Keighley’s The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Also today, be sure to check out my recent special feature articles on Apple TV’s For All Mankind and Star City series, as well as Warner’s remastering the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer (2008) in 4K Ultra HD! [Read on here...]

We’ve got BIG 4K news to cover here at The Bits this afternoon, so let’s get right into it…

First up, reviews! Today we have for you…

Stephen’s look at Delmar Daves’ 3:10 to Yuma (1957) in 4K from Criterion, Hal Ashby’s Being There (1979) on Blu-ray as recently reissued by Warner Bros., and Marcell Jankovics’ Song of the Miraculous Hind (2002) on Blu-ray from our friends at Deaf Crocodile Films. (And we have more Deaf Croc reviews forthcoming!)

Tim’s thoughts on Don Coscarelli’s The Beastmaster (1982) in 4K Ultra HD, both the new release from Imprint Films and also the Scream Factory edition from November of last year.

And Tim has also reviewed the Warner Archive’s new Looney Tunes: Collector’s Vault – Volume 2 (1934-63) on Blu-ray, Guy Magar’s Retribution (1987) in 4K from Severin Films, and he’s tag-teamed with Dennis for a review of Kenneth Branagh’s Dead Again (1991) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classic.

Also here at The Bits today, our own Russell Hammond has just shared the latest update of our Release Dates & Artwork section, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon pre-order links. Don’t forget, The Bits is an Amazon Affiliate, so literally anything you order after clicking to them from of our links (like this one) goes to help support our work here at the site and we appreciate it!

Now then… the big release news here today is something that those of you who are subscribers to our Patreon site already knew was coming: Disney has just officially announced the classic animated Alice in Wonderland (1951) for 4K Ultra HD release on 5/5! [Read on here...]

This has been a very busy week here at The Bits, tracking upcoming titles, talking with industry sources, and the like, thus the lack of posts.

But we’ve definitely got both new disc reviews for you today as well as some release news worth sharing. Let’s start with the latter first.

Today we’ve got…

Tim’s reviews of Chor Yuen’s The Sentimental Swordsman (1977) on Blu-ray from Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume Three box set, Severin Films’ Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection in 4K Ultra HD, and Michael Curtiz’s Captain Blood (1935) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion.

Stephen’s reviews of Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire (1981) on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment, Dario Argento’s Sleepless (2001) in 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndrome, Michael Cacoyannis’ Iphigenia (1977) on Blu-ray from Radiance Films, Corey Yuen’s She Shoots Straight (1990) on Blu-ray from 88 Films, and John Woo’s Once a Thief (1991) in 4K from Shout’s HK Cinema Classics line.

And Dennis’ take on Raoul Walsh’s Manpower (1941) and David Butler’s By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) both on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Now then… before we get started on news today, I’m going to be joining my friend Tim Millard on his next The Extras podcast to talk about the latest developments in the ongoing Paramount/Skydance, Warner Bros., Netflix saga. Looks like we’re going to be recording the episode this weekend, so be sure to check Tim’s social media for news on the episode drop, and I’ll share the details on my own as well when I have them. [Read on here...]