Displaying items by tag: film restoration

Heads up, Digital Bits faithful: The Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Studios, and Concord Theatricals and Originals have just officially announced the 4K restoration, theatrical re-release, and physical 4K Ultra HD release of Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music (1965)! The actual anniversary is on 3/2, but the theatrical and physical media release is currently set for “later this year.”

And if you’re a regular reader of The Bits, you’ll know that we first revealed that this title was coming in 4K UHD all the way back on November 5th of last year, so this will come as no surprise to you! (We also revealed a whole bunch of other 4K catalog titles that day, so you might want to go back and review the entire My Two Cents column from that day if you missed it.)

Here’s the full text of Disney’s press release from this morning...

CELEBRATING SIXTY YEARS OF THE SOUND OF MUSIC

BURBANK, CA (February 20, 2025) – This March 2, 2025 will mark 60 years since the tunes of Rodgers & Hammerstein brought theatrical hills alive with the cinematic treasure The Sound of Music. This year, fans of all ages will experience the heart-warming sights and sing-along sounds of the classic film in a beautifully restored and remastered version to be released in 4K image resolution, courtesy of the precise work endeavored by the Walt Disney Film Restoration team. Over the course of 9 months, the restoration team oversaw digital scanning of preserved film footage and expert clean-up efforts to correct any dirt, warping or other issues encountered. “Our team is honored to care for and re-deliver this classic film to audiences around the world so they can enjoy it in all its originally intended visual and audio glory,” says Kevin Schaeffer, Director, Restoration & Library Management. Weaving artistic skills with innovative technology in a process more delicate than the petals of an edelweiss, the 60th anniversary restoration of The Sound of Music sings with both vibrant color and resounding melody, sharing the cinematic legacy anew for generations to come. [Read on here...]

I hope all of you are having a good and relaxing Saturday afternoon, or are at least enjoying the weekend in your own unique manner.

We’ve got just two quick news items to report for you this afternoon, a quick site update, and another new disc review to share with you. As always, the review comes first...

I’ve just posted our very in-depth review of Michael Curtiz’s classic cinema masterpiece Casablanca (1942) as newly remastered in 4K Ultra HD by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and released on physical disc by our friends at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

There are precious few films that—no matter how often you see them—you finish watching and just immediately think, “Well, that’s a masterpiece.” Casablanca is one of them. The film never gets old. It’s one of the all-time classics. There’s a real argument to be made that it’s the single best film produced in the Golden Age of the Hollywood studio system.

Longtime Bits readers will probably remember that our dear friend and Classic Coming Attractions columnist Barrie Maxwell—who passed away in 2012—wrote a terrific review of this film here at The Bits when it first appeared on HD disc in 2007. Barrie’s enthusiasm for the film shines through in every word, so I’ve taken his thoughts on the film and updated them to include my own commentary on the A/V quality and extras on Warner’s new 4K release.

Whether you’ve seen this film a hundred times or never before, it’s an experience that’s not to be missed, and the new 4K disc is certainly the best way to do so. So I hope you enjoy both the review (linked here) and the disc when you get your hands on it this coming week. [Read on here...]

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All right, we’ve got a pair of new Blu-ray reviews for you this afternoon. Tim has taken a look at Richard Fleischer’s Violent Saturday, a 1955 pulpy crime drama now available on Blu-ray from the fine folks at Twilight Time. Tim has also taken a look at Terry Gilliam’s 1981 classic Time Bandits, just released on Blu-ray in a fine new edition by our friends at the Criterion Collection. Don’t miss them!  [Read on here…]

So... you might recall that last week I had dinner with film restoration expert (and former Bits contributor) Robert A. Harris and some other friends. (You can find a complete archive of his work on the original Digital Bits website here.) Robert, as it happens, is in town working on another fine classic film restoration project which will be announced in due course. But during our conversation last week, Robert alerted us to the fact that another beloved classic film is not faring nearly so well. That film, as you might already suspect, is The Alamo (1960), directed by and starring the legendary John Wayne. [Read on here…]