Displaying items by tag: 4K Ultra HD

Okay, we’ve got a pretty good news update for you today here at The Bits.

First though, another new Blu-ray review...

Following up on yesterday’s review, Tim has posted his thoughts on Marty Feldman’s In God We Trust (1980), also newly available on disc from our friends over at Kino Lorber Studio Classics. And it sounds like the title has another great commentary by Alan Spencer, so it’s well worth you time to check the disc out.

Speaking of Kino Lorber Studio Classics, the company continues to prove its great worth to classic cinephiles with a new slate of nine Mae West films coming on Blu-ray on 6/29, including Night After Night (1932), I’m No Angel (1933), She Done Him Wrong (1933), Belle of the Nineties (1934), Goin’ to Town (1935), Go West Young Man (1936), Klondike Annie (1936), Every Day’s a Holiday (1937), and My Little Chickadee (1940). [Read on here...]

We start things off today here at The Bits with a pair of new Blu-ray Disc reviews...

Tim has taken a look at Marty Feldman’s The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), new on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. It comes with a terrific audio commentary by our friend Alan Spencer—the longtime writer, executive producer of TV’s Sledge Hammer, and personal friend of Feldman—that’s worth the purchase price of the disc all by itself. Don’t miss it.

Also, Dennis has offered his thoughts on Elia Kazan’s Baby Doll (1956) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection. Do give that a look as well.

Speaking of the Warner Archive Collection, we want to take a moment to remind everyone that even though WB Shop has officially closed, Warner Archive Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K titles can now be purchased from their brand store on Amazon.com (click here for that). Warner Archive has just revealed more new upcoming titles (see our post yesterday) and we have word that they’ll have new titles through the end of 2021 at least. It’s likely that the label will continue indefinitely, just run by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment itself, rather than its former, dedicated team. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some interesting news to report here at The Bits today...

First, the Warner Archive Collection has announced a number of new Blu-ray releases that are coming soon from the label, including Drunken Master II (1994 – aka The Legend of Drunken Master) starring Jackie Chan (mastered from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative), The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex (1939), They Won’t Believe Me (1947), The Yearling (1946), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Escape from Fort Bravo (1953), and Athena (1954). Street dates are TBA.

Arrow Video has announced its June release slate, which is set to include Dario Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage in 4K Ultra HD, as well as Sam Peckinpah’s Major Dundee, Masumura Yasuzo’s Irezumi, Jill Gevargizian’s The Stylist, and a 5-film box set of Italian crime films called Years of Lead that includes Like Rabid Dogs, Savage Three, No, The Case is Happily Resolved, and Colt 38: Special Squad. [Read on here...]

Today being April Fool’s Day, I wasn’t originally planning on having any kind of a news update here at The Digital Bits, simply because it’s just too easy for people to question the accuracy of anything you post on 4/1.

And honestly, given some of the nuttier news posts one sees around the Internet and on social media on April Fool’s, you can’t really blame people for being confused.

But when the Warner Archive Collection announced on Twitter and Facebook last night (right before Midnight Pacific time, mind you) that there was now a new Warner Archive “brand store” on Amazon.com—and a quick visit to the former WB Shop website revealed that it was no longer there—a LOT of people thought it was a joke. And I figured it required a reaction. [Read on here...]

All right, this is just a very quick update this evening to bring you some breaking release news nuggets...

First though, our own Tim Salmons has just posted his thoughts on Andrew J. Kuehn’s Terror in the Isles (1984) on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, a Universal clip showcase featuring footage from a host of modern and classic horror films. You’ll find that here.

Now then... in announcement news, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just officially announced Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete First Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/1.

This is interesting, because the first half of the season aired on Adult Swim way back in October 2019. Then, the season’s remaining episodes finally aired in October of 2020. Word is the show has been renewed for a second season as well, though no release date for this has yet been announced. [Read on here...]

We’re starting the week off with another new Blu-ray review. Tim has taken a look at Richard E. Cunha’s Giant from the Unknown (1958), a Astor Pictures monster flick featuring make-up work by the great Jack Pierce. It’s now available on Blu-ray from the folks at The Film Detective.

Speaking of which, The Film Detective has also announced a new Blu-ray edition of Lesley Selander’s Flight to Mars (1951) on 7/20.

The film has apparently been remastered from a new 4K scan, and will feature new documentary shorts by Ballyhoo Films.

In other announcement news today, Paramount has revealed a pair of new Paramount Presents Blu-ray titles, including Mommie Dearest on 6/1 (newly-restored from a 4K transfer in honor of the film’s 40th anniversary) and Last Train from Gun Hill on 6/15. Mommie Dearest will feature a new audio commentary by American drag queen Hedda Lettuce and a new Filmmaker Focus: Biographer Justin Bozung on director Frank Perry, in addition to legacy extras. [Read on here...]

Let’s close out the week today with another new disc review and more release news...

First, Dennis has just turned in his thoughts on Cecile B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment, the 16th title in their Paramount Presents line. It sounds as if the remaster is a nice one, so do give it a look.

A quick disc update: FUNimation is now shipping out fixed replacement discs for their recent release of Akira in 4K Ultra HD. As some of you know, the original discs lacked the HDR option they were supposed to include. The new fixed discs correct this. My own replacement copy arrived a couple of days ago and I’m really pleased with the HDR grade overall, so I’m going to try to get a review of the fixed version up here at The Bits next week.

On a similar note, Amazon UK has just listed Speed for pre-order in 4K and naturally the cover artwork they’ve posted has caused still more confusion in that it correctly lists DTS-HD MA audio in the features grid on the back, but also (incorrectly) shows a Dolby Atmos logo. What’s more, there’s no mention of any special features. [Read on here...]

We’re picking things up here at The Bits today with more new disc reviews...

I’ve recently posted my thoughts on Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla (2014) in 4K from Warner Bros., Pete Docter’s Soul in 4K from Pixar, Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs in Blu-ray and 4K from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, and Paul Greengrass’ News of the World in 4K from Universal.

Meanwhile, Tim has just posted a look at Alex de la Iglesia’s The Day of the Beast (1995) in 4K from Severin Films.

And Dennis has turned in his review of George Sidney’s Show Boat (1951) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

In announcement news today, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially set Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/4 (SRP $35.99 and $28.98), with the Digital release expected on 4/27, and PVOD available on 4/2. Extras on the disc-based versions will include 2 featurettes (Fred Hampton for the People and Unexpected Betrayal). [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a brief update for you this morning here at The Bits, but it’s an important one.

In the wake of Disney’s announcement Wednesday of their plans to release Jan de Bont’s Speed (1994) in 4K Ultra HD on 5/4, which is a 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) catalog title, there have been a number of questions raised.

The official press release seemed to indicate that the Digital version of the film in 4K would include object-based Dolby Atmos audio, but the actual physical 4K Ultra HD disc would not.

There have also been rumors that the title would not include HDR, or that the studio would only include HDR on the Digital release.

As you can imagine, I decided to cut through the confusion to ask the studio about this directly. I’ve now heard back, so here are the official confirmed details on this release… [Read on here...]

We have some good breaking release news to cover today here at The Bits. First though, we’ve got more new disc reviews for you...

Tim has given Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me (1971) a look, as recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And I’ve just posted my thoughts on Andrew Niccol’s neo-noir, science fiction classic GATTACA (1997), which is coming next week on 4K Ultra HD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film looks and sounds every bit as good as you’d hope, so don’t miss it.

Now then, the big news today is that Disney has officially confirmed the much-anticipated 4K Ultra HD release of director Jan de Bont’s Speed (1994) on 5/4. Mastered from a recent 4K scan, the disc will include a new Dolby Atmos sound mix along with high dynamic range in HDR10 format. [Editor’s Note: Disney’s press materials now suggest that only the Digital 4K will have Atmos. We’ve asked the studio for official confirmation and will post an update here when we hear back.]

Perhaps most interestingly, it appears that at least some of the extras from Fox’s 2002 Five Star Collection DVD are being carried over—many of these were omitted from the previous Fox Blu-ray release. [Read on here...]