Displaying items by tag: The Digital Bits

All right, we’ve got major new announcements from Shout! Factory and Scream for you today...

For March, the companies have added Jack Smight’s British production of Frankenstein: The True Story (1973) to their 3/24 slate. Shout! is also releasing The Transformers: The Complete Original Series DVD box set on 3/31.

In April, in addition to the Escape from L.A.: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray on 4/28, Shout! and Scream will release Swift and Knives and Skin (for IFC) on 4/7, Homeboy and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter on 4/14, The Spider (1958) and The Curse of the Werewolf: Collector’s Edition (1961) on 4/21, and Underdog: The Complete Series Collector’s Edition (DVD), Shatter (1974), and The Lost Continent (1968) on 4/28. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks! We’ve got a couple things for you today here at The Bits...

First of all, our own Michael Coate has just turned in a new History, Legacy and Showmanship column featuring a look back at Franklin J. Schaffner’s classic George C. Scott war epic Patton in honor of its 50th anniversary.

Michael is joined this time by author and historian Steven Jay Rubin for a discussion on the film and its legacy. We think you’ll really enjoy it, so do give that a look. [Read on here...]

“Patton is the best epic bio pic ever produced.” — Steven Jay Rubin, author of Combat Films: American Realism, 1945-2010

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the release of Patton, the Best Picture-winning biopic of General George S. Patton starring George C. Scott (Dr. Strangelove, The Exorcist III) in the title role.

Patton — directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet of the Apes, Papillon) and which also starred Karl Malden (A Streetcar Named Desire, The Streets of San Francisco TV series) as General Omar N. Bradley — opened 50 years ago this month. For the occasion, The Bits features an historical reference listing of the film’s major-market roadshow engagements and a Q&A with film historian Steven Jay Rubin, who reflects on the film five decades after its debut. [Read on here...]

We’ve got just a quick update today, as we’re working on reviews.

On that note, our own Tim Salmons has just turned in a look at Paramount’s new Blu-ray only Beverly Hills Cop: 3-Movie Collection. The 3-disc set includes new HD presentations of all three films (mastered from new 4K scans, which are only available digitally), including the first-ever Blu-ray presentation of Beverly Hills Cop II and III. The set also carries over the previous extras, most of which cover the original film. You can read more about it all here.

Also today, we’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List to include forthcoming (and/or recently released) German UHD titles (available on Amazon.de) including Angel Heart (from Studio Canal), Oldboy and the original Rollerball (from Capelight Pictures), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Princess Bride (from Turbine Media), Evil Dead II (from Jakob GmbH) and Parasite (from Koch Media GmbH). Note that Oldboy appears to have English subtitles, but Parasite does not. [Read on here...]

Our old friend Drew Stewart—who is a longtime Digital Bits reader—is the webmaster for Star Wars Revisited and also curates the Star Wars Visual Comparisons blog.

He’s been working diligently to create a kind of visual guide to all the changes found in the recent Disney+ 4K version of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Drew’s created a set of comparison images showing all of these updates and alterations—39 of them in all—and he’s kindly allowed us to compile them here in a 7-page gallery on The Digital Bits for all of you to see.

We definitely think that Star Wars fans will find this gallery both interesting and useful, not just to compare the new Disney+ 4K version to past Blu-ray and DVD releases, but also as a baseline in the event that further changes appear in the future. [Read on here...]

All right, many of you have asked about (or otherwise understandably bemoaned) the lack of big or significant announcements relating to catalog films on 4K Ultra HD lately. So today’s update here at The Digital Bits is about addressing that concern.

And while we still have little in the way of official announcements at the moment, I can confidently report that at least some of titles you’re waiting for are on the way in 2020.

The information in today’s post should be considered unofficial until the studios in question make their actual announcements. But we believe it to be a reliable gauge of titles currently in the production pipeline or planning stages.

First, we know for sure that Disney is going to be releasing Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga on 4K coinciding with the Blu-ray and 4K release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, likely in March. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, Bits readers! Hope you’re all well. We’ve spent the weekend doing necessary updates to our website software and server here and things seem to be running smoothly. So let’s have a release news update...

First, Dennis has posted his thoughts on Ed Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn, coming soon to Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Also today, we’ve updated our Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.rom pre-order links, so be sure to give it a look.

Now then... here’s some great news: Netflix has revealed on social media that their Netflix Original films The Irishman, Marriage Story, American Factory, and Atlantics are all coming to Blu-ray later in 2020 from The Criterion Collection. As you know, The Irishman and Marriage Story are currently nominated for Best Picture in this year’s Academy Awards. Release dates and other details are still TBA. [Read on here...]

We’ve got several more new announcements to report today, so let’s get right to it...

First of all, Lionsgate has officially set Roland Emmerich’s Midway for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 2/18, with the Digital release expected on 2/4. The 4K version will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. Extras on the Blu-ray and 4K versions will include audio commentary by Roland Emmerich, 6 featurettes (Getting It Right: The Making of Midway, The Men of Midway, Roland Emmerich: Man on a Mission, Turning Point: The Legacy of Midway, Joe Rochefort: Breaking the Japanese Code, and We Met at Midway: Two Survivors Remember), plus the film’s theatrical trailer. You can see the cover artwork below.

Lionsgate has also announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out on 2/25, with the Digital release due on 2/7. Again, the 4K version will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. [Read on here...]

All right, we have some big release news for you today...

But first, we’ve got more new Blu-ray Disc reviews for you to enjoy, including...

Dennis’ look at Rian Johnson’s Brick (2005), newly released on Blu-ray Disc by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Tim’s take on John Frankenheimer’s Prophecy (1979) from Scream Factory.

And more reviews are coming tomorrow too, so be sure to stay tuned for those.

Now then, the big news today is that the Warner Archive Collection has officially announced the details of their Tex Avery Screwball Classics, Volume 1 Blu-ray! [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some GREAT Blu-ray release news today to close out the week for you. But first, we have a few more new Blu-ray reviews...

First, Dennis has posted his thoughts on Ernest B. Schoedsack’s Doctor Cyclops (1940) and Fritz Lang’s House by the River (1950), both newly released by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Tim has taken a look at Paolo Heusch’s Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory (1961) from Severin Films and Lucio Fulci’s The House by the Cemetary (1981) from Blue Underground.

Also, I’m currently working on 4K Ultra HD reviews of Zombieland: Double Tap, Gemini Man, and more which I expect to post soon, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]