Displaying items by tag: The Digital Bits

All right, we have a very quick post here at The Bits today, but it’s got a goodie bit of 4K news for you.

First though, I believe I promised some new disc reviews from...

I’ve now posted my thoughts on the Warner Archive Collection’s new Blu-ray edition of V: The Final Battle. And since we hadn’t covered the original yet, I went back to review their V: The Original Miniseries Blu-ray from last year as well.

Also, just this morning I posted a review of Erik Nelson’s tremendous WWII documentary The Cold Blue, new on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. The disc also includes director William Wyler’s fully restored original documentary Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944). Both of them are a treat, and I guarantee you’ve never seen 8th Air Force air combat footage looking so good before. Don’t miss it. [Read on here...]

Today’s post is just a quickie because I’m working hard to finish up some long overdue Blu-ray reviews.

I should add a note here to acknowledge the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has proven quite a challenge for all of us, and it’s no different here at The Digital Bits. Title announcements have been delayed, many of our studio and industry contacts have either been working at home or furloughed, screener product has been delayed or cancelled, etc. And of course, as is probably the case with many of you, our own lives have been turned upside down. It’s required a lot of shifting of schedules, workflow, energies, and effort. And some of the review work I usually do personally has gotten waylaid by having to deal with other issues to keep the site going.

The good news is that we seem to be rolling with it all fairly well, and Tim, Dennis and our other Bits team members have been doing yeoman’s work filling in. That said, I do very much appreciate whatever support you guys—our readers—can provide in this difficult time, either by continuing to purchase items through our Amazon links and/or making contributions by a PayPal in our Back the Bits program. And I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you all for sticking with us. We have the best readers on the Internet. Some of you have been with us all the way back to the beginning of the site back in 1997. And we appreciate each and every one of you. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a couple of new Blu-ray reviews for you today...

Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Alex Wolff’s The Cat and the Moon (2019) on Blu-ray from MDV Visual Entertainment.

He’s also offered his thoughts on Roy William Neill’s Black Angel (1946) on Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.

And more new reviews are in the offing all this week.

In announcement news today, RLJE Films has set the zombie comedy One Cut of the Dead for release on Blu-ray Steelbook and DVD on 6/2.

Well Go USA has set the western A Soldier’s Revenge for release on Blu-ray and Digital on 6/16. [Read on here...]

We’re starting today with more new Blu-ray reviews, including Dennis’ take on Roy William Neill’s Black Angel (1946) from Arrow Academy.

Tim has also posted his thoughts on Jacques Tourneur’s The Leopard Man (1943) on Blu-ray from Shout! and Scream Factory. Enjoy!

In announcement news today, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just set The CW’s Batwoman: The Complete First Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/18. The 5-disc set will include all 20 episodes, plus a “limited edition bonus disc” that features all 5 episodes of the DC Crossover Event Crisis on Infinite Earths and “6 Crossover Bonus Features.” Extras on the main set will include On the Set, The Best of DC TV’s Comic-Con Panels San Diego 2019, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. You can see the cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a few new reviews of for you to enjoy today...

Tim has turned in his thoughts on Takashi Miike, Renpei Tsukamoto, and Manabu Aso’s One Missed Call Trilogy, recently released on Blu-ray by Arrow Video. He’s also got a look at Roman Polanski’s The Fearless Vampire Killers, released late last year on Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.

And Dennis has got a look at Glenn Danzig’s Verotika on Blu-ray as sell, new from Cleopatra Entertainment.

Meanwhile, I’m finally recovered from my post-Star Wars review blitz, so I’ll have some new Blu-ray and 4K reviews toward the end of this week as well. [Read on here...]

All right, a reminder today: HBO’s Watchmen: Limited Series is due for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/2. You can see the cover art at left.

This is not new news (the title was first announced back in February), but it’s worth noting that the street date hasn’t changed due to the pandemic.

Extras on the 3-disc Blu-ray will include Hooded Justice: Origins of a Masked Vigilante, Watchmen: Unmasked, 2019 New York Comic Con, Watchmen: Masked and Dangerous, Character Trailers (for Sister Night, Blond Man, and Looking Glass), Becoming Sister Night, Notes from the Watchmen: Dave Gibbons, Rorschach, Watchmen: Alternate History, It’s Raining Squids, Squid Shelter with Tim Blake Nelson, Andrij Parekh on Directing, Sadiqua Bynum Runs, Jumps and Falls for Sister Night, Blond Man: the Colossal King (The Adrian Veidt Story), Watching the Watchmen, Anatomy of a Fight Scene, Glimpses: The Visual Effects of Watchmen, and the season’s trailer.

Unfortunately, there is still no sign of a physical 4K Ultra HD release in the States (though there is apparently one coming to Germany). [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got just a quickie for you today, but it’s a good one.

A couple weeks ago, a number of Bits readers quietly alerted me to the fact that Paramount’s original artwork for the Top Gun 4K Steelbook featured the silhouette of an F-15 Eagle jet fighter instead of the iconic F-14 Tomcats seen in the film. So after sharing it on my social feeds, I alerted Paramount to the error.

Well, the good news is that the studio has officially corrected the artwork, as you can see to the left there. The bad news is that the Steelbook release is now delayed until 12/8 (presumably due to complications in the Steelbook manufacturing schedule).

But based on the number of readers who were displeased by the original error, those fans will be happy to wait for the correct version. And in the meantime, those of you who simply want the film in 4K can take heart; it’s still coming on regular Ultra HD on 5/19. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a couple of things to note today...

First up, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has set Shameless: The Complete Tenth Season for DVD only release on 5/12. You’ll get all 12 episodes plus deleted scenes for just $22.99.

While we’re talking Warner Bros, our friends at the Warner Archive have just announced their May Blu-ray slate, which is set to include Michael Curtiz’s Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), Robert Mulligan’s Inside Daisy Clover (1966), and Lucifer: The Complete Fourth Season on 5/12, followed by Gregory Nava’s Selena (1997) and Peter Tewksbury’s Sunday in New York (1964) on 5/19, and Vincente Minnelli’s The Reluctant Debutante (1958) on 5/26. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a couple things to report today...

First up, NBCUniversal’s Fandango service is going to purchase Vudu from Walmart, according to reports in the trades today (see this link at Variety). This is interesting and it doesn’t surprise me. I expect there will be lots of consolidation in the Digital space in the months and years ahead, and I also expect every major studio to try and grow their own footprint in the digital space or to team up with others who have. And of course the Digital category includes not just streaming/subscription services but transactional purchases too. So it makes a lot of sense.

Also today, I’ve been invited—and have just begun—to check out the high-end digital movie service Kaleidescape. I’ll have more on that experience here at The Digital Bits in a few weeks, after I’ve really given it a thorough test and tryout. [Read on here...]

All right, after months of “we knew it was coming” to last week’s early studio leak that was quickly pulled back, Universal has finally made it official: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is coming to 4K Ultra HD on 6/2 in honor of the film’s 45th anniversary. The package will include the film on 4K and Blu-ray with a Digital code, lenticular packaging and a 44-page booklet with introductions, rare photos, storyboards and more from the archives.

Both the 4K UHD disc and the Blu-ray will include The Making of Jaws, The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of Jaws, Jaws: The Restoration, deleted Scenes and outtakes, From the Set, and the film’s theatrical trailer. The Blu-ray will add storyboards, production photos, Marketing Jaws, and The Jaws Phenomenon.

The 4K Ultra HD disc will also include HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision high dynamic range, along with Dolby Atmos audio. Additional audio options will include DTS and Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. And yes, that IS correct: There’s no DTS-X. Also, our sources tell us that the Atmos mix is a 12-channel expansion of the revisionist 7.1 mix done in 2013. The good news is that the original mono options are included. You can see the cover artwork above left and also below. [Read on here...]