Displaying items by tag: Tim Salmons

All right, thanks for your patience everyone. As you’ve probably noticed, news updates here at the site have been sparing over the past week or two, and there’s been a couple of reasons for that.

First, we’ve had to do a round of software updating and patching on The Bits website software—routine maintenance type of stuff, required to keep the site going—but every time we do that it inevitably breaks a couple of things that have to be hunted down and fixed. So that process has been ongoing.

Also, we’ve switched to a great new advertising network partner that we hope is going to bring in more revenue, which in turn will helps us to keep the site going indefinitely. We’re tweaking the layout on some of that, and trying to figure out the right amount and placement of ads that do what we need them to without being obtrusive. But obviously times are tight and we need to survive, so we appreciate your understanding. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks. We’ve got another new disc review for you today, and some more interesting release news as well.

First up, that review: Tim has taken a look at Henry Levin and Mario Bava’s The Wonders of Aladdin (1961), now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

In terms of announcement news, Visual Entertainment is releasing Stargate Universe: The Complete Series on Blu-ray Disc on 1/15. This includes all 40 episodes, plus over 2 hours of extras. This, by the way, follows in the wake of the company’s recent release of Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series on Blu-ray. The latter features the early seasons upscaled, while the later seasons were native HD. We believe Stargate Universe was produced in HD, so it should be of fairly good quality. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks. And welcome to 2021!

The news in the home video industry is pretty slow this week, as we’d expect given the recent holiday and the still unfolding (and industry-slowing) pandemic.

But we do have a couple new 4K Ultra HD reviews for you all to enjoy this afternoon.

First, Tim has taken a look at Don Coscarelli’s The Beastmaster (1982), as newly-remastered in 4K by our friends over at Vinegar Syndrome. The limited release appears now to be back in stock at the Vinegar Syndrome website, and we expect it to eventually be released in more traditional Amaray packaging on Amazon at some point in the coming months. [Read on here...]

All right, this is our final Bits post of 2020. And it’ll be a quick one.

This has certainly been a difficult year for all of us here and no doubt it has been for all of you, our readers, as well. But a new year at least brings the hope that things can and will get better on Planet Earth going forward.

On a personal note, I’m pleased to say that—though it’s been a struggle—The Digital Bits is still here. We’ve made it through some difficult times, we’re still alive and ticking. And we intend to keep cracking on in 2021 and beyond.

I’ve also been working on a second science fiction novel, and hope to see my first actually published sometime in 2021—something I’ve had to put on the back-burner this past year in order to keep the site going. But the writing process has certainly been personally satisfying, and it’s kept me going in dark moments. That, plus having a telescope to look at the stars a few times a month, and of course great family and friends—even though we’ve only been able to see them from afar.

In any case, I know I speak for all of us here at the site when I say that we’re grateful to have each and every one of you as readers of The Digital Bits.

So with that, we’d like to wish you all a very happy and safe New Year! And together we’ll make 2021 a better time for all of us.

See you back here on Monday. Peace out!

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook) 

All right, we’ve got another new review for you today, along with some more announcement news and a bit of sad news to report as well...

First up, that review: Tim has just posted his in-depth take on Terence Fisher’s Hammer Films classic The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), now available on Blu-ray in a new 2-disc Special Edition from the Warner Archive Collection. It’s a great film restoration and it sounds like a great disc too, featuring a new audio commentary by our friend Constantine Nasr with Steve Haberman. This is one you’re not going to want to miss if you love the vintage horror genre.

Speaking of the Warner Archive, they’ve just revealed their featured January Blu-ray titles, which are set to include the classic films The Pajama Game, Good News, Room for One More, After the Thin Man, and The Man Who Would Be King, along with The 100: The Seventh and Final Season. Look also for Speedway and Boogie Nights on DVD only.

Paramount has just officially set Arthur Hiller’s Love Story (1970) newly-restored as a Paramount Presents Blu-ray edition on 2/9. Extras will include “a new Filmmaker Focus with film historian Leonard Maltin, with previously released content including a commentary by director Arthur Hiller, an introduction by film critic Ben Mankiewicz, Love Story: A Classic Remembered, and the theatrical trailer, plus access to a Digital copy of the film.” [Read on here...]

Good evening, everyone! Sorry for the lack of news updates this week, but we’ve been incredibly busy here at The Bits over the past several days. We’ve been doing some important server updates and software patching, but more importantly for you guys we’ve been working hard on new Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD reviews. So we have a few of those for you this evening...

First, I posted my review of Christopher Nolan’s TENET in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Monday. It’s an ambitious film with stunning image quality and a characteristically Nolan-frustrating surround sound mix. You’ll find all the details here.

And just today, I posted my thoughts on Well Go USA’s brand new Ip Man: The Complete Collection box set, featuring all four films in the series—Ip Man, Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster, Ip Man 3, and Ip Man 4: The Finale—in 4K Ultra HD with remastered image quality and new Dolby Atmos sound mixes. It’s also worth a look, especially if you’re a fan of Donnie Yen.

Meanwhile, Tim has reviewed Sean Cunningham’s DeepStar Six (1989) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Dennis has turned in his looks at Robert Aldrich’s Attack! (1956) and Frank Perry’s Ladybug Ladybug (1963), also on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks! We’ve got a late Bits post for you today with some reviews and catch up on a bit of release news as well. First, those reviews...

Tim has checked in with his thoughts on Douglas Trumbull’s Silent Running (1972), now available on Blu-ray from our friends at Arrow Video.

He’s also posted a review of Douglas Sirk’s Taza, Son of Cochise (1954), a classic Technicolor western staring Rock Hudson, now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. The disc includes a new 3D presentation restored by the 3D Film Archive as well.

Not done yet: Tim has also reviewed Terence Fisher’s The Brides of Dracula (1960), the Hammer Films classic staring Peter Cushing newly available on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from the good folks over at Scream Factory.

And finally, Dennis has checked in with his thoughts on Mario Camerini and Mario Bava’s Ulysses (1954) on Blu-ray, also from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks!

All right, there was no post yesterday because we’ve spent the entire weekend focused on getting more new disc reviews done for you. And on that note...

Tim and I have posted our in-depth look at George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, as newly released in a fabulous 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition by Second Sight Films in the UK. It’s hands down one of the best home video releases of the year on any format. You can find that here.

Also, I’ve now posted my thoughts on Paramount’s Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America, both starring Eddie Murphy and both coming to 4K Ultra HD on 12/1.

I’ve also just reviewed Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ new standard Blu-ray release of George Miller’s Mad Max, which streets today. I’ll be reviewing their new 4K release too as soon as it arrives. [Read on here...]

We’re closing out the week here at The Bits with a couple more reviews...

I’ve posted my in-depth thoughts on Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s new Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray set. You’ll be glad to know that it’s pretty great. The remastered shorts look fantastic, and the new hour-long documentary is worth every minute of your time. And for those of you who might be wondering, I’ve compiled a list of the Bugs Bunny shorts that remain unreleased on Blu-ray AFTER this set (also accounting for the shorts included on all the previous Looney Tunes: Platinum Collection BD sets). You’ll find that at the end of the review.

Also today, Tim has posted his thoughts on Alain Jessua’s Shock Treatment (1973) on Blu-ray from Severin Films.

And we’ll be working on more Blu-ray and 4K reviews all weekend here at the site. Next up for me is a look at Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ restored Blu-ray of Mad Max (the 4K review will be added as soon as we receive the disc), as well as HBO’s Chernobyl in 4K Ultra HD. And there are more to follow. [Read on here...]

We’re starting things off today with no less than FOUR new disc reviews here at The Bits...

First, Tim has a look for you at director Ryland Brickson Cole Tews’ Lake Michigan Monster (2018), a wonky low-budget cult film on Blu-ray from Arrow Video. He’s also posted his thoughts on Guy Hamilton’s Evil Under the Sun (1982), an Agatha Christie adaptation on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics featuring Peter Ustinov as detective Hercule Poirot.

Meanwhile, I’ve just posted a review of South Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho’s latest film, Peninsula, the sequel to his excellent 2016 zombie thriller Train to Busan. That’s on 4K Ultra HD from our friends at Well Go USA. I also posted a look at Weathering with You (2019), the latest anime from Your Name director Makoto Shinkai, coming soon from GKids and Shout! Factory in a 4K Ultra HD Limited Collector’s Edition.

And more Blu-ray and 4K reviews are on the way, rest assured. There are a number of good titles coming in right now, and we’re working our way through them as fast as we can. [Read on here...]