Now then... we’ve heard back from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on a couple of questions, starting with the audio issue on their Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior 4K Ultra HD release. The studio has indeed confirmed there’s a problem with the audio offerings on the title and will be issuing a replacement disc. Here’s their official statement on the matter:
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has taken immediate steps to correct the unintentional audio file error on Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior and Mad Max Anthology 4K UHD products. The company has recalled all inventory currently in stores and the manufacturing of new discs has begun. Replacement discs will be made available for consumers who purchased the affected product. Due to concurrent supply chain delays, replacement product will become available in mid-January. For more information and to receive a replacement disc, please contact customer support at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..”
For those wondering, the Atmos mix on the disc included a number of sound effect revisions, and the 5.1 and 2.0 options—rather than being the previous/original sound mixes—were simply fold-downs of the Atmos. We don’t know if the Atmos mix is being redone, but we do know that the 5.1 and 2.0 will be the correct previous/original sound mixes on the replacement disc.
Also, be aware that the audio on Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was checked and found to be just fine. So the issue is with the Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior 4K disc alone.
While we’re talking WBHE, we’ve also checked with them and confirmed that their forthcoming Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (2021)—due on 1/11/22—will include the film in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. In other words, it will not shift aspect ratios for IMAX scenes. That is official, so adjust your plans accordingly.
And in case you missed it when we first addressed the matter last week, Criterion has launched a replacement program for the Blu-ray version of the film included in their new 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo release of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. You can find the details here on their website.
All right, let’s move on to the announcement news...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just set the DVD only release of Cobra Kai: Season 3 for 1/11. The set will include deleted scenes and a blooper reel. No Blu-ray is currently planned here in the States. All three seasons are currently available on Netflix, and Season 4 is set to debut on the streaming service on 12/31.
RLJE Films has set South of Heaven for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/14.
And we’ve saved the best news for last today... our friends at Shout! and Scream Factory have just announced their February release slate, which is set to include Slumber Party Massacre (Blu-ray and DVD) and Elmo’s World: All Around the Neighborhood (DVD) on 2/1/22, followed by Summer School: Shout Select (Blu-ray), Paranoiac!: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray), Live or Let Die (Blu-ray and DVD), and Gintama: The Very Final (Blu-ray/DVD) on 2/8, The Howling: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD) and Lipstick (Blu-ray) on 2/15, and The Time Guardians (DVD), Slap Shot (Blu-ray), Alligator II: The Mutation (Blu-ray), and Alligator: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray) on 2/22.
We’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits accordingly.
And before we go, there’s a good Cyber Monday Deal on Amazon worth noting: For the next nine hours, you can get Paramount’s Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection in 4K Ultra HD for just $49.99 (45% off)! Click here or on the image below if you’re interested...
We’ll leave you today with a look at the cover artwork for Warner’s Dune on Blu-ray and 4K UHD, as well as No Time to Die, the February Criterion BD slate, and also The Batman: The Complete Series on Blu-ray (all of which are now available for pre-order)...
Back with more tomorrow! Stay tuned...
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