Displaying items by tag: Michael Curtiz

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...]

No sooner did we post our first news update today, we’ve got a new announcement to add as well...

WARNER BROS.’ CASABLANCA

COMES TO 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY COMBO PACK AND DIGITAL FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT

TO CELEBRATE THE CLASSIC FILM’S 80TH ANNIVERSARY, CASABLANCA

WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION AND HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR)

Own it November 8 on 4K Ultra HD and Digital

BURBANK, Calif., September 13, 2022 – Celebrating the 80th anniversary of its 1942 release, the legendary Warner Bros. film Casablanca will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on November 8, it was announced today by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Starring Academy Award winners Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, critic Leonard Maltin calls Casablanca “the best Hollywood movie of all time.” [Read on here...]

We have a couple more new disc reviews this afternoon and more release news for you as well. As always, reviews first...

Stephen has checked out a pair of Blu-ray titles today, including Craig Lahiff’s Black and White (2002) from Umbrella Entertainment—another Sunburnt Screens label title—and also Allan Arkush’s Get Crazy (1983) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Both are well worth a look, and it sounds like Get Crazy in particular includes a bunch of great bonus content. So enjoy Stephen’s reviews.

Now then, our friends over at The Warner Archive Collection have begun to reveal some great new catalog Blu-ray titles that they’re working on for release in 2022 (they’re listed as “coming soon” at the moment) and the three they’ve mentioned so far are real gems.

First up is Michael Curtiz’s Captains of the Clouds (1942) starring James Cagney. This is mastered from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate Technicolor camera negatives. Extras will include a 1942 Newsreel, the vintage 1942 color WB short Rocky Mountain Big Game, the classic Bugs Bunny cartoons What’s Cookin’, Doc? and Hold the Lion, Please (in HD), and the original theatrical trailer. [Read on here...]

All right, I’m finally feeling better after my recent brush with an allergic reaction, so I’ve got a good My Two Cents update for you all today with some exciting 4K UHD release news and more new disc reviews as well.

First up is Stephen’s look at Joe Dante’s The Howling, now available in a new 40th anniversary release in 4K Ultra HD from Studio Canal in the UK. The 4K disc in the package will work on any UHD player, but the Blu-ray is Region B only and the DVD is Region 2 only.

Also today, Stephen has taken a look at Anthony Mann’s The Naked Spur (1953) on Blu-ray from MGM via the Warner Archive Collection.

And Tim has reviewed Camillo Mastrocinque’s An Angel for Satan (1966) on Blu-ray from Severin Films, as well as Don Siegel’s Coogan’s Bluff (1968) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. [Read on here...]