Items filtered by date: September 2020

Afternoon, folks. We’ve got a few things for you today to close out the week.

First up, we have a trio of new Blu-ray reviews...

Tim has posted his thoughts on Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ Haunt (2019) from Ronin Flix.

And Dennis has taken a look at Jan de Bont’s The Haunting (1999) from the Paramount Presents line, as well as Herbert Ross’ The Secret of My Success (1987) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

I’m also about to get my hands on a pretty significant Q4 4K Ultra HD release later today, so (with luck) I’ll be working on a review of the title over the weekend.

No, it’s not Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, but let’s just say winter is near. So watch for an update over the next few days. [Read on here...]

All right, first things first today: I’m pleased to report that we did not have to evacuate from these wildfires here in SoCal after all. But it was a long night while we waited to find that out. Thankfully, when I stepped out this morning, it appeared that the fires had moved farther away from us, not closer. And this afternoon the evacuation orders all around us were lifted. So... whew!

It’s going to take a couple days to get back to normal around here, but I count that as a good problem to have, considering the alternative.

Now then... the big news today is that our industry and retail sources are telling us that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is quietly preparing to release Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium, Rian Johnson’s Looper, and Andrew Niccol’s GATTACA in 4K Ultra HD early in 2021. Elysium and Looper are already available digitally in 4K, and a few European retailers have listed GATTACA for physical 4K release in March. [Read on here...]

Okay, we’ve just heard back from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on that audio issue with The Flintstones: The Complete Series on Blu-ray (see our review here, which notes the specific issue with the audio on Episode 17 found on Disc One). Warner has confirmed the issue, corrected it, and is now setting up a disc replacement program. They ask people to contact this email address to arrange a replacement disc:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Include in your email the following details:

• Full Name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Mailing address where the replacement disc should be shipped

It sounds like the fixed discs are being produced now. [Read on here...]

We have a little bit more interesting release news for you to check out today (by way of closing out the week)...

First of all, our friends at Arrow Video have just announced their January 2021 slate of home video titles, and it’s pretty terrific. It starts with UK only Blu-ray releases of Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza’s [Rec] and Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. Oldboy will also be released on 4K Ultra HD (in the UK only), but remember that 4K discs are not region locked.

Next up, Arrow is releasing Park Chan-wook’s JSA: Joint Security Area and Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales on Blu-ray Disc in the UK, US, and Canada.

Finally, those of you who missed out of Arrow’s recent (and fast selling) Gamera box set (reviewed here on The Bits) will be pleased to know that its films are being reissued on Blu-ray (again in the UK, US, and Canada) in a more wide-release configuration. Three SKUs will be available: Gamera: The Heisei Era (3 films plus a documentary and the Gamera the Brave film as a bonus) as both a wide-release box set and as a Steelbook, and Gamera: The Showa Era (8 films) as a wide-release box set. Obviously, you won’t get all the swag their original big box included, but at least this gives more of you access to the films in HD. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a pair of new disc reviews for you to read today...

Tim has taken a look at Steve Beck’s Ghost Ship (2002), now available on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory.

Also today, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Simon Langton’s The Whistle Blower (1986) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Meanwhile, I posted my in-depth thoughts on Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy on 4K Ultra HD from Universal on Monday, so do check that out in the event you missed it.

In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set Roland Emmerich’s 2012 for release on 4K Ultra HD on 1/19. [Read on here...]

Today’s update on The Bits is going to be quick because, with a little luck, I should be working on our review of Universal’s Back to the Future Trilogy in 4K by the end of the day.

In the meantime, Tim has posted a review of Kevin Smith’s Mallrats, as recently released on Blu-ray by Arrow Video. Sounds like it’s a pretty good disc, so do give it a look.

Speaking of reviews, we’d like to call your attention once more to Tim’s review of the Friday the 13th Collection: Deluxe Edition Blu-ray box set. Fans (and Shout!/Scream Factory) have discovered three errors in the set, which has led Shout! to establish a disc exchange program. Specifically, there are errors in the Blu-ray discs of Friday the 13th: Part III, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, and Jason X. We’ve posted the exact details and exchange program instructions at the end of the second part of Tim’s review (click here for that). And if you’re having any problems, are missing discs, or what-have-you, here’s a direct link to the official page where you can report them to Shout!. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some more announcement news to report today, but first more reviews...

I’ve just taken a look at Warner’s The Flintstones: The Complete Series on Blu-ray. It’s a mostly solid release, though the remastering quality is a bit uneven and the extras are somewhat lacking. Yet there’s no doubt the episodes look better than ever.

Also Tim has reviewed Koji Shima’s Warning from Space (1956) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video, not to mention Edward Dein’s Curse of the Undead (1959) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Dennis has given Graham Swon’s The World Is Full of Secrets (2018) a look on Blu-ray as well, from Kino Lorber proper.

Also today, we’ve once again updated our Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links (click here for that). And the section is finally working just fine, totally bug free. So if you’d like to help support our efforts here at the site by shopping through our links throughout the section, we’d surely appreciate it! [Read on here...]

All right, we have some great release news to report for you all today...

But first, we also have another new Blu-ray review: Tim has taken a look Bruno Mattei’s Cruel Jaws (1995) on Blu-ray from Severin Films. You’ll find that here.

Now then, that news we mentioned...

Our friends at Shout! and Scream Factory have just announced the 4K Ultra HD release of John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness: Collector’s Edition on 1/19. The 4K/Blu-ray package will carry an SRP of $34.98. The 4K disc itself will include Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range, along with a new Dolby Atmos audio mix. All of the existing extras from Scream’s excellent Blu-ray release will carry over. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

We’re closing out the week today with a little bit more release news and some new disc reviews. Let’s get to the reviews first...

Tim and Dennis have been busy these last couple days; Tim has posted a new review of David Cronenberg’s Shivers (1975), newly-released on Blu-ray as part of Lionsgate’s Vestron Video Collector’s Series.

Also, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on John Badam’s The Hard Way (1991) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, along with David Roby’s Most Wanted (2020) from Paramount, and Pierre Jourdan’s I Am a Dancer on Blu-ray from Film Movement and StudioCanal.

I’ve also begun working on a pair of new 4K Ultra HD releases, which I expect to have up over the next few days, so be sure to watch for these. [Read on here...]

All right, today’s update on The Bits is going to be a quick one, as yesterday’s post obviously made a big splash on the Interwebs. Yesterday was also my birthday, and I ended up spending most of the day working, so I’m going to take a little bit of a break this afternoon.

BUT... we do have a few things for you...

First, on Tuesday night we posted Tim’s mammoth 2-part and in-depth review of Scream Factory’s outstanding new 12-film/16-disc Friday the 13th Collection: Deluxe Edition Blu-ray box set, which streets next Tuesday (10/13). And it is every bit as awesome as you’re hoping it is. Our hats off to everyone at Scream and elsewhere who were involved in this set. That includes our old friend Peter Bracke, as well as our very own Tim Salmons, who is thanked in the set’s liner notes booklet for contributing rare trailers and TV spots. He’s too modest to mention it, but there you go. The set is amazing, the review is here, and we hope you enjoy both!

Also today, we’ve posted the latest update of our Release Dates & Artwork section here at The Bits, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. And just to let you know, the whole section—which had been rather buggy lately—should now be working fully. As always, any time you order literally anything from Amazon by clicking on our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it. [Read on here...]