My Two Cents
We're kicking things off here at The Bits today with a new Blu-ray Disc review. Our own Tim Salmons has checked in with his thoughts on Warner's recent Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 & 2 - 2-Film Ultimate Edition Blu-ray box set. Enjoy!
In release news today, Warner Home Video has begun announcing the DVD release of some of those Samuel Goldwyn they got the rights to last year. On 1/15, look for Wuthering Heights (via HBO), The Best Years of Our Lives, The Bishop's Wife, Guys and Dolls, Hans Christian Andersen and The Pride of the Yankees. There's no word yet of Blu-ray releases, but we're looking into it.
Speaking of HBO (via Warner), look for Veep: The Complete First Season on DVD only on 3/26.
Warner has also begun soliciting many of those catalog titles recently licensed for BD and DVD release from Paramount. Watch for a huge list of them to start arriving in stores on 1/1 on both formats. It doesn't appear to include anything new yet - it look to all be titles that have been previously available.
Image Entertainment has set The Beverly Hillbillies: Collector's Edition (a "Best Of" Set), BMF: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Drug Empire, Bonanza: Collector's Edition (another "Best of") and The Solomon Bunch for release on 2/5, followed by The Complete Adventures of Flash Gordon (4 pack), The Cyclist, Hitler's Forgotten Nazis and Naked City: 20 Star-Filled Episodes on 2/19, and a David E. Talbert Triple Feature (What Goes Around Comes Around, Love in the Nick of Tyme and Mr. Right Now!), Fast Girls and Nobody Gets Out Alive on 2/26. All are DVD only.
On the Disney front, I'm sure many of you heard about their big digital distribution deal with Netflix from the other day - starting in 2016 Netflix will get exclusive digital rights to the entire Disney library of titles, including Pixar, classic animation and live action, and even the Star Wars and Marvel franchises. In the realm of physical discs, it appears that the studio may be finally getting ready to release The Muppet Movie: Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray next year - a trailer for the title appears on their new The Odd Life of Timothy Green Blu-ray. This would be in addition to the Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: 25th Anniversary Edition that's already planned for release in HD in 2013. Thanks to Bits reader Bill M. for the update.
Also, we've hard back from 20th Century Fox about that Die Hard: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray box set due on 1/29. It will include the theatrical cut of Live Free or Die Hard only. A LOT of your have been hoping for the unrated cut on Blu-ray and rest assured we've let Fox know this.
And finally today, Bits reader Sidney S. sent us this interesting bit of news: It seems that the BBC have officially remastered the first color Doctor Who story from way back in 1963 – Spearhead from Space – and they're releasing it on Blu-ray in July worldwide as part of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary celebration next year (7/13 is the tentative street date).
That's all for now. Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt
All right, more announcement news today...
First, Sony has set Company of Heroes for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/19, based on the THQ video game of the same name. A pair of featurettes will be included as extras.
Inception Media Group has set Pathfinder: In the Company of Strangers and Ghost Trap for DVD only release on 1/8.
PBS will release NOVA scienceNOW: Can I Eat That? on DVD only on 12/11, followed by Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go to War, NOVA ScienceNow: Can Science Stop Crime? and NOVA ScienceNow: What Are Animals Thinking? on 12/18. PBS will also release Frontline: Climate of Doubt on DVD only on 1/1/2013.
Warner Home Video will release Tom and Jerry: Pint-Sized Pals on DVD only on 3/5 (SRP $19.97). Shorts included on the 2-disc set will include Love That Pup, Babysitting Blues, The Dog House, Game Set Match, That’s My Pup, Happy Go Ducky, Hic-cup Pup, That’s My Mommy, Pup on a Picnic, Little Quacker, Puppy Tale, Southbound Duckling, Barbecue Brawl, Just Ducky, Endless Bummer, Cat Show Catastrophe, Little School Mouse, Kitty Foiled, Robin Hoodwinked, Ho Ho Horrors, Jungle Love, The Two Mouseketeers, Royal Cat Nap, Touché, Pussy Cat!, The Vanishing Duck, Mice Follies, Cat Nebula, The Egg and Jerry, Adventures in Penguin Sitting and Tot Watchers.
Image Entertainment has set The Devil's in the Details for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/7.
Also Kino Lorber have announced their February Blu-ray and DVD release slate as follows: On the Kino Lorber label, look for The Pool on DVD only on 2/5, followed by Hipsters on DVD only on 2/19 and Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow on DVD only on 2/26. On the Redemption Films label, look for the Satanic Cults Collection (including Satanic Sluts: The Black Order Cometh, Satanic Sluts II: The Black Masses and Satanic Sluts III: Scandalized) on DVD only and Die Screaming, Marianne, House of Whipcord: Remastered Edition, Schizo: Remastered Edition and The Comeback: Remastered Edition on Blu-ray only on 2/12, followed by Jean Rollins' Zombie Lake: Remastered Edition and Jess Franco's Oasis of the Zombies: Remastered Edition on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/26.
Discovery Channel has set Surviving the Cut 2 for DVD only release on 1/15, followed by Finding Bigfoot on 1/22 and Your Worst Animal Nightmare on 1/29.
And Sony has set The New Girl for DVD only release on 1/22.
Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt
All right, here at The Bits today, our own Russell Hammond has just updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon after clicking through to them from our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it. Don't forget as well that Amazon is continuing to run great deals on movies, hardware and other items right up through Christmas, so if there's something you're looking for there are probably deals to be had.
In announcement news today, we already mentioned that MGM and Fox are releasing Woody Allen's Sleeper and Hannah and Her Sisters on Blu-ray Disc on 1/15, but here's exciting news: They've officially set the recently-remastered The Terminator for Blu-ray release on 2/19, complete with 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio. It IS the confirmed remaster. Extras will include 7 deleted scenes and 2 featurettes (Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects & Music and Terminator: A Retrospective). And on 1/29, look for the Die Hard: 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Collection, featuring Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Die Hard with a Vengeance and Live Free or Die Hard, as well as an all-new bonus disc called Decoding Die Hard. The bonus disc will include 7 featurettes (Modern-Day Hero, Along for the Ride, Bad to the Bone, Punishing Blows, Explosive Effects, Reinventing the Action Genre and The Right Hero for the Right Time).
Meanwhile, Sony has set Robot and Frank for DVD only release on 2/12. Look for it to include audio commentary with director Jake Schreier and writer Christopher Ford and a poster campaign gallery. Sony has also set A Perfect Ending for DVD only release on 2/5, and Kill for Me for DVD only release on 2/12.
Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have set the high school football documentary Undefeated for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/9.
Shout! Factory has set Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series for DVD release on 2/26.
And Warner Home Video has moved the street date for its Gossip Girl: The Complete Sixth and Final Season DVD release from 2/19 to 2/12. Adjust your plans accordingly.
Here's a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Fox and MGM's The Terminator (Remastered), Sleeper and the Die Hard: 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Collection. Sleeper is now available for pre-order on Amazon - we'll add links to the other two as they become available...
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt
All right, we’ve got a couple things for you here at The Bits today…
First, in case you missed it when we first posted it on Friday, I’ve taken a closer look at CBS’ new Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Two Blu-ray release for you. The set arrives in stores tomorrow (12/4). The video remastering isn’t quite as good as Season One, but the extras are terrific. Don’t miss it!
Speaking of Star Trek: The Next Generation, you’ll find the cover artwork for Season Three (due early 2013) below. Look for it in the March/April time frame – official street date and details are TBA.
Also here at The Bits today, our own Mario Boucher has posted a good new feature article – The Men Behind Men in Black 3 – which looks behind-the-scenes on the creature effects work of the legendary Rick Baker on Sony’s Men in Black 3. The Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD versions all hit store shelves on Friday. Enjoy!
In announcement news today, Entertainment One has just set David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/1/2013 (SRP $29.98 and $24.98). Both will include the Citizens of Cosmopolis featurette, audio commentary with Cronenberg and video interviews with the cast and crew. You’ll find cover artwork below.
Also today, Disney has officially announced details on the Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD release of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie on 1/8/2013 (SRP $49.99, $39.99 and $29.99). All three versions will include footage of the Frankenweenie touring exhibit and Plain White T’s Pet Sematary music video. To this the Blu-ray versions will add the all-new Captain Sparky vs. The Flying Saucers animated short, the original Frankenweenie live-action short and the Miniatures in Motion: Bringing Frankenweenie to Life featurette.
As promised, here’s the Blu-ray cover artwork for CBS’ Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Three (TBA), Entertainment One’s Cosmopolis and Disney’s Frankenweenie (BD3D version)…
Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt
All right, we’re closing out the week with a new Blu-ray review that will be of interest to you Trek fans: My take on CBS’s new Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Two which arrives in stores next Tuesday. The extras on this season are outstanding, including an absolutely terrific cast reunion documentary – don’t miss it!
In announcement news today, IFC Films has set the romantic drama Liberal Arts for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/18 (SRP $29.98 and $24.98).
Amazon.com now has Fox’s Laura (1944) available for pre-order on Blu-ray Disc with a street date of 2/5 (SRP $24.99). Thanks to multiple Bits readers who sent this in. Note that Amazon also has Fox’s Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), How Green Was My Valley (1941) and Wild River (1960) set for BD release on 1/15. MGM’s Hanna and Her Sisters and Sleeper (both Woody Allen films) are due on BD on 1/15 according to the retailer.
In other news today, this will make some of you nostalgic: IHS Screen Digest is reporting that digital projection has officially surpassed traditional film projection around the globe – truly the end of an era. Analog film projection will represent just 37% of all theatrical projection around the world by the end of this year, with that number expected to decline to just 17% by 2015.
Along those lines, Wired has a piece up today on the efforts of photographer Joseph O. Holmes to document analog film projection booths before they’re gone for a new coffee table book called The Booth. I spent many an hour in just such a booth in college at UW – Madison back in the day. Digital projection is terrific, but I’m sure going to miss the clatter of those old projectors.
Also today, Anchor Bay Entertainment and the Dark Delicacies bookstore in Burbank, CA are holding a special signing event on 12/4 featuring some of the cast and crew of the remade Silent Night. The event starts at 7PM. Dark Delicacies is located at 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd in Burbank (818-556-6660).
Have a great weekend everyone!
- Bill Hunt
