Displaying items by tag: Warner Archive Collection

We’ve got four more new disc reviews for you today, including...

Stuart’s take on Douglas Sirk’s Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis’ look at Harry Beaumont’s Faithless (1932) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Giuseppe Fiorello’s Fireworks (2023) on DVD from Cinephobia Releasing.

And Stephen’s review of Ishirō Honda’s Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) in 4K Ultra HD from Toho Studios in Japan (note that this release has no English subtitles).

Also this afternoon, we’ve asked our supporters on The Bits’ new Patreon page to share their Ten Favorite TV Series, and we’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits with new titles as well.

In announcement news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just officially set Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon (1942) for release on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 4/16. The film will include a collection of legacy special features (from previous Blu-ray and DVD releases) along with a pair of new audio commentary track by film historians, one by Alan K. Rode and another by Julie Kirgo. You can see the cover artwork above left and also below. Look for Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K disc. [Read on here...]

Today’s post starts with three new disc reviews, including...

Stuart’s take on the Film Focus: George Peppard box set from Imprint, which includes John Guillermin’s P.J. (1968), George Schaefer’s Pendulum (1969), Sam Wanamaker’s The Executioner (1970), and Richard T. Heffron’s Newman’s Law (1974).

Dennis’ look at Val Guest’s Assignment K (1968), also new on Blu-ray from Imprint.

And finally, Stephen’s thoughts on Vincente Minnelli and Busby Berkeley’s Cabin in the Sky (1943) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Note that we have lots more new disc reviews on the way, so be sure to watch for them. Also here at The Bits today, we’ve posted a significant update of our 4K Ultra HD Release List with lots of new 4K UHD titles and Amazon links.

And for our Patreon supporters, we’ve recently shared our thoughts on Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica and how well the series holds up some fifteen years after it ended its run on the Sci-Fi Channel, along with some preliminary commentary on changes that are brewing within the home entertainment industry, as well as Stephen’s thoughts on the ethics of film alteration and the challenges in determining how films should look on Blu-ray and especially 4K. Supporting The Bits on Patreon is a great way to help us continue our work in service of physical media, and we surely do appreciate it. [Read on here...]

This is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday here in the States, so there’s not a lot of release news happening at the moment. But we do have a few things to report for you today, plus some new disc reviews including...

Stuart’s thoughts on Kino Classics’ Soundies: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray set, featuring short films of the 1940s, and E.A. Dupont’s Picadilly (1929) Blu-ray from Milestone Films and Kino Lorber.

Dennis’ take on Miloš Forman’s Valmont (1989) and Robert Wise’s Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as W.S. Van Dyke’s Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stephen’s look at Michael Mann’s Blackhat (2015) on 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video, as well as Joel M. Reed’s Bloodsucking Freaks (1976) and Michael Armstrong’s Mark of the Devil (1970) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.

More reviews are forthcoming all this week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them!

In announcement news today, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has officially set Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple (2023) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 3/12, with the Digital release expected tomorrow on 1/16. Extras will include 4 behind-the-scenes featurettes (including Creating The Color Purple: A Bold New Take on the Beloved Classic, Hell Yes! The Iconic Characters of The Color Purple, In the Flow: Creating The Color Purple’s Biggest Musical Moments, and A Story For Me: The Legacy of The Color Purple). You can see the cover art below. [Read on here...]

Well, folks... it’s a new year and time to get right back into the thick of things in terms of physical media news. And we have a bunch to catch you up on here at The Bits today.

Before we get started though, I wanted to call your attention to Michael Coate’s latest History, Legacy & Showmanship column here at The Bits, which we posted on New Year’s Eve. It features a great retrospective and roundtable interview with film historians celebrating the 50th anniversary of George Lucas’ classic American Graffiti (1973). Its 9 pages and 17 chapters are packed with great reading, so do be sure to check it out.

I’d also like to start the new year by with another quick Patreon pitch: If you believe in the work we do here at The Bits in support of physical media, we’d like to ask you to consider becoming a supporter of the site on Patreon. I’ve been sharing exclusive blog posts there, and it’s becoming a great little community—a fun and welcoming place to share your love of Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD with fellow enthusiasts. You can join for as low as $6 a month (or as much as you’d like to contribute) and it really makes a difference in helping us to grow and continue our work here at the site. So thank you!

Now then, the big news item this afternoon is that Lionsgate has just officially set Francis Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 2/13, with the Digital release due on 1/30. There will also be a Walmart-exclusive 4K Steelbook release on 2/13. The 4K and Blu-ray will include the following special features: audio commentary with Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson, the 8-part Predator or Prey: Making The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes documentary (note that both the commentary and documentary are exclusive to the physical release), Rachel Zegler’s The Hanging Tree music video, the A Letter to the Fans featurette, and the theatrical trailer. You can see the 4K cover art at left and also below.

FYI, Lionsgate is also releasing John Woo’s Silent Night (2023) on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/30. The film stars Joel Kinnaman (of For All Mankind fame). [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks! I certainly hope that those of you who celebrate it have had a great Christmas holiday, and that the rest of you are enjoying the holiday season.

I’ve got just a quick update here for you today and I’ll post a little more as the week goes on. This time of year there’s typically very little news-wise worth reporting, but there are some odds and ends to cover.

First though, I want to catch you up on the latest disc reviews we’ve posted here at The Bits since our last news post last week. Now available for your reading pleasure here are...

My reviews of James Cameron’s Avatar: Collector’s Edition (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water – Collector’s Edition (2022) in 4K Ultra HD from Lightstorm and 20th Century Studios.

Tim’s thoughts on Richard Donner’s Scrooged: 35th Anniversary Edition (1988) in 4K from Sony and George Mihalka’s My Bloody Valentine: Collector’s Edition (1981) in 4K from Scream Factory.

Dennis’ takes on David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: The Believer (2023) in both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD from Universal, as well as Oren Rudavsky’s The Treatment (2006) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, and Richard Attenborough’s In Love and War (1996) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Stephen’s reviews of Charles Kaufman’s Mother’s Day (1980) in 4K from Troma via Vinegar Syndrome, Emma Tammi’s Five Nights at Freddy’s in 4K from Universal, and Ti West’s Pearl (2022) in 4K from A24 via Turbine Media.

And finally Stuart’s look at Succession: The Complete Series on DVD from HBO, Alain Resnais’ La Guerre est finie (1966) on Blu-ray from The Film Desk and Vinegar Syndrome, and Paul Lynch’s The Hard Part Begins (1973) on Blu-ray from Canadian International Pictures via Vinegar Syndrome. [Read on here...]

We’ve got more new disc reviews from The Bits’ team for you this evening...

They start with Stephen’s look at Richard Lester’s Juggernaut (1974) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis has offered his thoughts on Tod Browning’s The Devil Doll (1936) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, along with Jagoda Szelc’s Tower. A Bright Day. and Monument (2018) on Blu-ray from Yellow Veil Pictures via Vinegar Syndrome.

And Stuart has checked in with a look at Dušan Vukotić’s Visitors from the Arkana Galaxy (1981) on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile via Vinegar Syndrome, as well as Imprint’s excellent Directed by Sidney J. Furie Blu-ray box set, which includes The Lawyer, Little Fauss and Big Halsy (both 1970), Hit! (1973), Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975), and The Boys in Company C (1978).

As always, more reviews are forthcoming, so be sure to stay tuned for them.

Speaking of reviews... I had the chance this week to talk directly with Lightstorm about the remastering work done for James Cameron’s Titanic on 4K Ultra HD, a disc which should now be in all your of hands. If that’s the case, you’ll know for yourselves that the film looks and sounds fantastic. When I reviewed the title here at The Bits last week, I promised that I would soon be updating that review with details on exactly how the film was remastered for UHD release. And indeed, I’ll be doing exactly that here at the site tomorrow afternoon. But if you subscribe to The Digital Bits’ new Patreon, you can read those details right now. And hey—it’s a great way to help us in our work here at the website if you believe, as we do, in supporting cause of physical media. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, everyone! On this balmy day before Thanksgiving, we’ve got a trio of new disc reviews for you all to enjoy…

Dennis has offered his thoughts on Harry Beaumont’s Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Brad Watson’s The Siege (2023) on Blu-ray from Well Go USA Entertainment.

And Tim has turned in his take on the box-office bonanza that is Greta Gerwig’s fascinating and unexpected Barbie (2023) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, which more than lives up to its clever marketing pitch: “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you!” and “If you hate Barbie, this movie is for you!” In my humble opinion, any film that starts with a bang-on spoof of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is worthy of serious consideration.

So we hope you enjoy those, and be aware that we’ll have one more review for you in time for the holiday tomorrow. As I’m sitting here in The Bits’ palatial West Coast headquarters drinking my morning coffee, I’m waiting patiently for the arrival of our review copy of Oppenheimer 4K, which should be here any time. [Read on here...]

Whew! Yesterday was a big day, was it not? I was up all night prior to the announcement, formatting the post for 7 AM Pacific release, and man was it ever good to finally share that! I’ve been sitting on some of that information for months, so I’m very glad to finally be able to speak about it openly. And after thirteen years, it’s damn good to finally confirm that those James Cameron titles are indeed coming to 4K and Blu-ray at long last.

We have more new disc reviews to share today here at The Bits, and there’s more release news today as well. But first, I wanted to let you all know that I’ve just done a new blog post over on Patreon: My Two Cents on the New Abyss Trailer, and the Subject of DNR and Film Grain. It’s based on an impromptu Q&A thread I was involved in over on Twitter/X this morning, but with some added detail that will definitely be of interest to fans of these James Cameron films in remastered 4K. So if you’re a backer of The Bits’ new Patreon—and if you’re not, you should be, as we really need and appreciate the support!—I think you’ll certainly enjoy that. But for the rest of you, rest assured: Much of the substance of that post will be shared here on The Bits website when we review The Abyss, True Lies, Aliens, and Titanic in 4K, first on Digital in a few weeks and then in a few months on actual 4K UHD disc.

Now then, speaking of reviews... Stephen has posted his thoughts on Roger Spottiswoode’s The Best of Times (1986) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis has reviewed Éric Gravel’s Full Time (2021) on Blu-ray from Music Box Films and Vinegar Syndrome, as well as Jared Moshe’s Aporia (2023) on Blu-ray from Well Go USA.

Stuart has weighed in with his take on Roy Del Ruth’s Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, along with Jules Dassin’s Uptight (1968) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

And for you Peckinpah fans, Tim has shared his in-depth look at Sam Peckinpah’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), also on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

As always, more new disc reviews are on the way for tomorrow and all next week, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]

Good afternoon (or evening as the case may be), Bits readers! My wife and I had a houseguest here visiting yesterday, so today’s post is a little later than usual. But we’re starting as always with some new disc reviews...

First of all, on Monday I posted my thoughts on Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) on 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, and just today I added a couple of additional Editor’s Notes discussing one of the film’s key story points as well as the 4K video quality (which I’ve revised downward just a tad from A to A-, the reason for which is explained in my review).

Also, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Hideaki Anno’s (et al) Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) in 4K from GKids and Shout! Factory, and for those of you who aren’t familiar, he also gives you a good little primer on the topic.

Meanwhile, Stuart has weighed in with looks at William Dieterle’s The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and Richard Brooks’ The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s The Worst Ones (2022) on DVD from Kino Lorber.

Dennis has offered his take on Julian Schnabel’s Before Night Falls (2000) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive as well as Mark Pellington’s The Severing (2022) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

And finally, Tim has delivered an in-depth review of Kevin Connor’s Motel Hell (1980) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a bunch more great new 4K Ultra HD catalog news to report today, and more new disc reviews as well...

As expected, I posted my review of producer Glen A. Larson’s original Battlestar Galactica (1978) in 4K Ultra HD from Universal late last night, and it’s a pretty detailed look at the film and its history.

Also today, Tim has gone in-depth on Martin Scorsese’s Hugo (2011), which is now available in a terrific new 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray 3D package from the good people of Arrow Video.

Dennis has checked in today as well with a look at Robert Wise’s Helen of Troy (1956) on Blu-ray from the always excellent Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart rounds things out this afternoon with his thoughts on Marcel Ophul’s fascinating documentary on the Nazi occupation of France during World War II, The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

Back to Arrow briefly: The company has just revealed on their social media feed that—in response to customer requests—they’re going to be including Michael Mann’s excellent Blackhat: Director’s Cut on Blu-ray in their forthcoming 4K UHD and Blu-ray packages! Thus the street date is going to be pushed back from 10/31 to 11/28. But the Director’s Cut—which has never been released on home video—is significantly different that the other two cuts of the film already being included on the release, so this is a terrific and welcome addition. Tip of the hat to Arrow for going the extra mile on this one. [Read on here...]