My Two Cents
Morning, folks. Thought we’d start out today with a nice early update for a change, so start that coffee perking and read on...
Here at The Bits today, Dr. Jahnke and I weigh in on Sony’s long-awaited Lawrence of Arabia on Blu-ray Disc! Specifically, the Doctor’s taken a look at the film itself as well as Sony’s 2-disc Blu-ray version, while I’ve added my own thoughts on the studio’s 4-disc Fiftieth Anniversary Limited Edition box set. Whichever version you choose, you’re in for a real treat – it’s one of the best releases of the year.
And around the Net today, you fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are in for something special as well – Empire has made Howard Shore’s score for The Hobbit available for listening online. All 105 minutes worth of it. For free. Click here… and try not to sprain your clicker-fingers in haste! You’ll be able to purchase the CD on Amazon.com on 12/10 in the regular and deluxe editions picture here (click on the cover art to pre-order)…
That’s all for now. Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt
Afternoon, folks! We’ve got a release news update for you on today. First though, our own Russell Hammond has updated the Release Dates & Artwork section to include all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, a portion of anything you purchase 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!
Now then…
Warner Home Video has set Scooby-Doo! and the Mask of the Blue Falcon for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/26. They also have a Hats Off to Dr Seuss Collector’s Edition due on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/19 (includes The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories, The Lorax, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who!) and Tom & Jerry: Pint Sized Pals due on DVD only on 3/5.
Universal has set Hit & Run for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 1/8. Extras will include deleted scenes and a trio of featurettes (Street Legal, Run and Gun and Love on the Run). They studio will follow with The Awakening on Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 1/29 - extras are TBA. They’ve also announced a batch of new Blu-ray 3D releases due on 1/29, including Amazing Ocean 3D, Fascination Coral Reef 3D and Fascination Coral Reef 3D: Mysterious Worlds Underwater. All three will also include a 2D Blu-ray viewing option.
Lionsgate has updated their January release slate with some additional titles. Newly announced are Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft, LeapFrog: The Magnificent Museum of Opposite Words, LeapFrog: Adventures in Shapeville Park and The Men Who Built America (Blu-ray and DVD) on 1/22 and Bangkok Assassins, The Cold Light of Day (Blu-ray and DVD), The Liability and That Obscure Object of Desire on 1/29. All titles are DVD only unless otherwise noted.
Sony has set Now Is Good for DVD only release on 1/8. That’s followed by The Intouchables on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/15.
Paramount and Comedy Central will release Chris Hardwick: Mandroid for DVD only release on 1/22. Paramount and CBS have also set Gunsmoke: The Seventh Season, Volume Two for DVD only release on 2/5, followed by Bonanza: The Official Fifth Season, Volume One, Bonanza: The Official Fifth Season, Volume Two and Matlock: The Eighth Season on 2/12.
Disney has set Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Wizard of Dizz for DVD only release on 2/5.
Finally, MPI Home Video has set Samsara, Ron Fricke’s new sequel to Baraka, for Blu-ray and DVD release on 1/8 (SRP $34.98 and $27.98). If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it. Like Baraka, the film was shot in 70mm, transferred to 8K digital and then the original digital file was down-converted to 1080p for BD release. It should look and sound spectacular.
Here’s a look at the BD cover artwork for Universal’s Hit & Run, MPI’s Samsara and Sony’s The Intouchables. The first two are available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the cover art…
Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt
Afternoon, folks! We’ve got a bunch of good stuff for you today here at The Bits, including news about two popular genre TV series coming to Blu-ray next year.
First though, I’ve finally posted my in-depth review of Fox’s new Prometheus: 4-Disc Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray. It took a while to get through all the content… and also to really put a finger on my thoughts on the film. Read on if you’re interested…
Also, in honor of this weekend’s release of Skyfall in theatres, we’ve got Mario Boucher’s look back at the history of the Bond franchise and all the many changes it's undergone over the years: James Bond: 50 Years of Impact in Cinema. Enjoy!
Now then… the big news today is that Star Trek.com (and this CBS which runs it) has officially confirmed something we’ve been suggesting was in the works for months now: Star Trek: Enterprise is on the way to Blu-ray Disc in 2013! Our sources tell us that Season One will be out probably in Q2 of 2013 and then if sales are good Seasons Two, Three and Four will follow before the end of the year. You can actually vote on the cover artwork that CBS will use for the packaging (click here for that) – I like the crew shots myself (the first pair of images below) but be sure to weigh in yourself. Here’s a look at the choices…
Finally today, while we’re on the subject of TV on Blu-ray, our industry sources are telling us that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is planning to bring its popular genre series The X-Files to Blu-ray in 2013 as well! You can read more about that in today’s re-launch of our ever-popular Rumor Mill column here at The Digital Bits. Don’t miss it!
Stay tuned…
- Bill Hunt
All right, there’s even better news today for you Battlestar Galactica fans…
Just as we suspected, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (part one of which debuts on Machinima tomorrow) on Blu-ray/DVD Combo and DVD in early 2013 and in fact they’ve now officially announced the title with a street date of 2/19 (SRP $34.98 and $29.98)! Both versions will offer a 97-minute unrated edition of the film. Extras on both will include the Blood & Chrome Visual Effects featurette as well as 6 deleted scenes. The Blu-ray will also add 7 more exclusive deleted scenes. Nice. Check out the cover artwork for both versions below – they’re now available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the coverts. Cool news indeed!
Here at the site today, we’ve got a review of Fox’s long-awaited Patton on properly-remastered Blu-ray Disc. It’s now available and it’s a must-have for anyone that loves the film. Just toss your original, DNR-ridden BD in the trash – trust me, it feels good.
In other news today, Amazon’s Gold Box Deal of the Day is Fox’s Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray for just $25.99 – a whopping 68% off the regular retail SRP! Don’t miss it.
Also for you Bond fans, we’re told that Best Buy currently has all of the non-exclusive Bond BD singles in stock for just $10 each, and each of them includes $10 in movie bucks to see Skyfall in theatres this weekend. Just FYI.
Speaking of Skyfall, the movie opens in theatres around the U.S. tonight at Midnight (it’s already debuted in IMAX) and we hear it’s AWESOME. You can bet I’ll be in line to see it tomorrow and I imagine I won’t be the only one.
In honor of Bond and the film’s release, be sure to check back here tomorrow with our own Mario Boucher will have feature piece on the history of the Bond franchise. My own review of Fox’s Bond 50 Blu-ray box set will also be up soon – probably on Monday.
Here’s a look at Universal’s Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome cover artwork, along with Shout! Factory’s Jackie Chan Double Feature of The Protector and Crime Story (due 1/15)…
Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt
All right, we’ve got some more announcement news today, and a cool bit of news for you Battlestar Galactica fans as well…
First up, in announcement news today, Sony has officially set Resident Evil: Retribution for release on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on 12/21 (SRP $45.99, $35.99 and $30.99). The DVD will include director and cast commentary, a second commentary with the director and producers, the Drop (Un)Dead: The Creatures of Retribution featurette and outtakes. To this, the Blu-ray version will add deleted and extended scenes, the Project Alice: Interactive Database and 6 more featurettes (Maestro of Evil: Directing Resident Evil: Retribution, Evolving Alice, Resident Evil: Reunion, Design & Build: The World of Resident Evil: Retribution, Resident Stuntman and Code: Mika). The Blu-ray 3D disc will also have the deleted and extended scenes and the outtakes in full 3D. All three versions will include UltraViolet.
Sony has set The Words for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/24. Both will include the theatrical and extended versions of the film, plus two featurettes (Unabridged: A Look Behind the Scenes of The Words and A Gentleman’s Agreement). The Blu-ray will add 2 more featurettes (Clay and Daniella and The Young Man and Celia).
Sony has also set Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love for release on both formats on 1/15/2013. The only extra will be a behind-the-scenes featurette – Con Amore: A Passion for Rome.
Warner Home Video will release The Nativity Story as a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack on 3/5/2013 (SRP $19.98). Extras will include The Nativity Story: A Director’s Journey featurette and a theatrical trailer.
HBO has set The Girls: The Complete First Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/11 (SRP $49.99 and $39.98). Extras on both versions will include 3 featurettes and 5 audio commentaries. The Blu-ray will exclusively add an additional “making of” featurette, deleted and extended scenes, gag reels, cast audition and table read videos and an additional audio commentary on Episode Six, plus a booklet.
HBO has also set the documentary 41 for release on DVD on 12/11, followed by Funny or Die Presents: The Complete Second Season and The Life & Times of Tim: The Complete Third Season on DVD on 12/18.
Disney has announced The Odd Life of Timothy Green for release on Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 12/4.
Well Go USA Entertainment has set The Assassins for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/8/2013. The film stars Chow Yun-Fat.
And Green Apple Entertainment has set the horror film The Millennium Bug for DVD only release on 12/18.
In other news, Shout! Factory has announced that it’s made a deal with Warner for DVD release rights to MADtv and the Beetlejuice animated series. Look for them to be released on disc in 2013.
Now for that Battlestar news: Remember all that brouhaha about whether Syfy would EVER release Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome? Turns out they will – starting THIS FRIDAY you’ll be able to see the film as a 10-installment series “webisodes” (of 7-12 minutes) on the online video network Machinma. Then sometime in 2013, Syfy will air it as a complete 2-hour film. We hope (and suspect) that Universal will release it on Blu-ray and DVD in 2013 as well. Ain’t it Cool News has more information here and of course you’ll be able to watch the webisodes here in just two days. Here's the trailer...
Finally today, La-La Land Records is hosting a special Star Trek: The Original Series screening and soundtrack release event in L.A. on 12/3 (7:30 PM) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Admission is free but tickets must be obtained here via RSVP. The event will include screenings of the episodes Amok Time and Mirror, Mirror on the big screen, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with original series composer Gerald Fried and writer David Gerrold, hosted by Trek music writer and TOS soundtrack set co-producer Jeff Bond. The event celebrated the release of La-La Land’s 15-disc Star Trek: The Original Series Soundtrack Collection on 12/4 (SRP $225), which includes every bit of score recorded for Star Trek including much that’s never been heard before.
Here’s a look at cover artwork for Warner’s The Nativity Story and Sony’s To Rome with Love, Les Miserables (due 12/11), both the 2D and 3D versions of Resident Evil: Retribution, and a 5-film Resident Evil Collection BD box set (SRP $95.99 – due 12/21)…
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt
