Displaying items by tag: HBO

We’ve got three new disc reviews for you today, including…

Stephen’s look at Tonino Ricci’s Night of the Sharks (1988) on Blu-ray from Severin Films.

Stuart’s take on Kinji Fukasaku’s Jakoman and Tetsu (1964) on Blu-ray from 88 Films.

And Tim’s review of Chang Cheh’s Magnificent Ruffians (1979) on Blu-ray from Arrow’s excellent Shawscope: Volume Two box set.

Tim has also posted a review of Paul Spurrier’s Dream! (2025) in a rare installment of his Dailies column, so do give it a look!

In announcement news today, MVD Entertainment has revealed that they’re releasing Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks – Volume 3 on Blu-ray and DVD on 10/3. It will feature their a complete 16-track concert from their 2023 Spicy Meatball Tour recorded in London’s O2 Arena, along with the band’s animated film Post Apocalypto and music videos for ...Baby One More Time, Wicked Game, Video Games, Fiber d’Lish, Tenacious D’s The Who Medley, You Never Give Me Your Money/The End, and Time Warp. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks! I wanted to check in here today with some news, and few more reviews, and an update.

Some of you have probably noticed that The Bits website has been slow this week. We’ve been having some software issues and our tech support team is on it. The good news is, they’ve identified the cause. We’re working on a solution which is going to involve a bunch of software upgrades, but it’s likely to going to take a week or two to sort out. So I just wanted to apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience in the meantime. Rest assured, Scotty and the crew down in Engineering are on the case and we should be back to normal soon!

In the meantime, we have some new disc reviews for you...

Stephen has taken a look at Bill Plympton’s I Married a Strange Person! (1997) on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile Films, as well as David Allen’s The Primevals (2023) on Blu-ray from Full Moon Features.

Dennis has offered his take on Steven Soderbergh’s The Good German (2006) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment (with an assist on the 4K side from Tim Salmons), as well as Dougal Wilson’s Paddington in Peru (2024) on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and Charles Walters’ Lili (1953) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Tim has reviewed Gordon Flemying’s Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1996) on Blu-ray from Severin Films.

Lots more disc reviews are definitely on the way, so be sure to watch for them. And I also wanted to let you know in advance that if news updates or social media posts are a little light over the next few days, it’s because I just got my hands on Warner and MGM’s new 007: James Bond – Sean Connery 6-Film Collection in 4K Ultra HD. So I’m going to crack that open and start working on detailed reviews of the films therein, but it’s probably going to take me through the weekend to get them all covered.

But if a cursory examination of Dr. No and From Russian with Love is any indication, these new 4K remasters are pretty terrific. They’re on 100GB discs, they feature very high data rates, and the color, detail, and grain are all very nice indeed. Fingers crossed, I think the Warner remastering team has nailed it. These are definitely a big improvement over the old Lowry Digital 4K masters. So watch for more on that in my reviews soon! [Read on here...]

Afternoon Bits readers! We hope you all had a good weekend—a good long Memorial Day weekend for those of you who live here in the States.

We’ve got some great 4K catalog release news for you here today, but first we have more new disc reviews...

First up, I’ve reviewed Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut (2005) in 4K Ultra HD from 20th Century Studios via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It’s a fantastic release that streets on Tuesday. But we know it’s been hard to pre-order, so we’re waiting to hear back from Sony on the demand issue and we’ll let you know when we do. In the meantime, my review is lengthy and in-depth, so enjoy.

Also, Stephen has reviewed David Cronenberg’s The Brood (1979) in 4K Ultra HD from Second Sight Films.

Tim has shared his thoughts on Gordon Flemying’s Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) in Blu-ray from Severin Films.

And finally, Dennis has offered his take on Roger Kumble’s Just Friends (2005) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Now then, the big news today is that the Criterion Collection is working on a 10-film Wes Anderson Collection for release later this year! [Read on here...]

We’ve got three new disc reviews to share with you today here at The Bits, including...

My in-depth look at George P. Cosmatos, Kurt Russell, and Kevin Jarre’s legendary Western Tombstone (1993) in 4K Ultra HD from Disney via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment! And praised be, they nailed the remastering—it was worth the wait!

Also, we have Stephen’s thoughts on Anthony Mann’s Winchester ‘73 (1953), another fine Western in 4K Ultra HD from Universal via the Criterion Collection.

And finally, Stuart’s take on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm (1999-2024) on DVD from HBO via Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

More reviews are forthcoming, so be sure to check back for them. We’ve also just updated our Release Dates & Artwork section here at The Bits with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it!

Now then... in announcement news today, Marvel and Disney have just officially set Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World (2024) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 5/13, with the Digital release expected next week on 4/15. The 4K disc will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. Extras will include audio commentary with Julius Onah and director of photography Kramer Morgenthau, 3 deleted scenes (A Heartfelt Thanks, The Mission, and Stick Around), a gag reel, and 2 featurettes (Assuming the Man and Old Scores, New Scars). [Read on here...]

We have a few more new announcements to share with you today, and a little bit of an update...

First, A24 has just announced new A24 Shop-exclusive Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD editions of Halina Reijn’s Babygirl (2024) that are expected to ship in March (street date TBA). The 4K includes HDR10 high dynamic range, while both feature Dolby Atmos audio. Extras on each version will include audio commentary with writer/director Halina Reijn, 2 featurettes (Directing Desire with Halina Reijn and Power Looks: Dressing the Cast of Babygirl), deleted scenes, and a gallery of BTS photography by Niko Tavernise. You can pre-order both versions here.

Meanwhile, our friends at the BFI have just announced new 4K editions of Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957) and Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine (1995). The former is set to street on May 19, while the latter arrives on April 14. Both will feature Dolby Vision HDR. You can find those here.

A quick update on those Clint Eastwood 4K titles we mentioned Tuesday, including Pale Rider (1985), Dirty Harry (1971), and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976): They’re now available for pre-order on the Gruv website, but with no street date listed. We expect official details from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment in the coming weeks. [Read on here...]

We have a lot of ground to cover today to close out the first partial week of 2025, starting with more new disc reviews...

First up, Tim has taken a look at Russ Meyer’s Vixen! (1968) in 4K Ultra HD from the good folks at Severn Films, and he’s also reviewed Marco Brambilla’s Demolition Man (1993) in 4K from Arrow Video.

Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Alan Crosland’s The Beloved Rogue (1927) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.

Stuart has checked in with his take on Ted Hooker, Jack Cardiff, and Freddie Francis’ Cruel Britannia (1971-1974) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, as well as Kinji Fukasaku’s The Threat (1966) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video, and Jules Dassin’s Topkapi (1964) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And finally, Stephen has offered his reviews of Corey Yuwn’s Yes, Madam! (aka In the Line of Duty II) (1985) and Arthur Wong and Brandy Yuen’s In the Line of Duty III (1988) each on Blu-ray from 88 Films, as well as Michael Schaack’s animated but rarely-seen classic Felidae (1994) in 4K Ultra HD from Deaf Crocodile Films.

As always, more reviews are on the way next week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them.

Now then, we have a bunch of release news and official title announcements to share with you today, so let’s dive right in...

First, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has officially set Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: Part One (2024) for Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, and 4K Steelbook release on 2/4. The 4K disc will feature Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio, and all the SKUs will include over an hour of bonus features, including deleted and extended scenes, audio commentary with the director, a second audio commentary with stars Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande, the Making Wicked documentary, and a sing-along viewing option for the film. You can see the final cover artwork at left and also below the break. [Read on here...]

We’ve got more new disc reviews today to start the short Thanksgiving week out right here at The Bits. Among them are...

Stephen’s take on Fred Zinnemann’s A Man for All Seasons (1966) in 4K Ultra HD from Sony’s new Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 5 box set.

Tim’s review of Don Siegel’s Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as his on-going film-by-film review of Arrow’s excellent Shawscope: Volume Two Blu-ray boxed set—today featuring his thoughts on Lau Kar-leung’s The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).

And my review of Dean Parisot’s Galaxy Quest (1999) in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from our friends at Paramount Home Entertainment.

We’ve all got a lot more reviews in the works here at the site as well, so be sure to check back. In fact, in the next 24 hours or so, I’ll have my reviews of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) in 4K from the BFI (as compared to the recent Criterion 4K release, which I reviewed here last week), as well as my thoughts on Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus (2024) in 4K UHD from 20th Century Studios.

Also today, I wanted to let you that I just dropped my second My Two Cents: A Video Blog episode exclusively for our supporters on The Digital Bits’ Patreon page. It runs about 26 minutes and includes comments on new and recent 4K titles, a sneak peek of 2025 4K catalog titles, and more. [Read on here...]

We’re starting as always today with new disc reviews! And we’ve got some good ones, including…

My look at Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection.

Stephen’s take on Ti West’s MaXXXine (2024) in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray from A24 and Lionsgate.

Tim’s review of Monk: Season Two (2003-2004) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis’ thoughts on James Watkins’ Speak No Evil (2024) on Blu-ray from Universal, as well as Zach Clark’s The Becomers (2023) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, and Peter Markle’s Youngblood (1986) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Sam Cohen’s look at Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara (2023) on Blu-ray from the Coen Media Group and Kino Lorber.

And finally, Stuart’s take on Claude Berri’s Tchao Pantin (1983) on Blu-ray from Radiance Films.

More reviews are forthcoming, including my own look on Dean Parisot’s Galaxy Quest (1999) in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount—that disc is expected to arrive here at the office today, so I’ll definitely be spinning it immediately upon its arrival! [Read on here...]

Boy, we’ve got a bunch of new catalog title announcements for you today, along with a TON of new Blu-ray and 4K cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. But first, we have a few more new disc reviews...

Tim has taken a look at the new animated double-feature of Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan’s The Addams Family (2019) and The Addams Family 2 (2021) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Studios.

And Dennis has offered his thoughts on Frank Borzage’s The Shining Hour (1938) and King Vidor’s Northwest Passage (1940) both on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Now then, let’s dive right into those announcements...

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just revealed that Sidney Hayers’ Circus of Horrors (1960) is coming to 4K Ultra HD on 10/29, but with an SDR only grade (probably due to limitations with the original camera negative).

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment and HBO have set Veep: The Complete Series for release on Blu-ray on 10/22, in a new 13-disc set. This follows closely in the wake of Warner’s newly-announced release of The West Wing: The Complete Series in a new 28-disc Blu-ray set on 10/1. Both are obviously timed to the upcoming Presidential Election here in the States. They’re now available on Amazon.com and you can see the cover artwork below the break (click on each to visit the pre-order pages). [Read on here...]

All right, we haven’t had a lot of news updates this week, because frankly there just hasn’t been a lot of news to report. And also because we’ve all been working on a lot of disc reviews for you to enjoy. In fact, today we have no less than TEN to share with you, including...

My thoughts on Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) in 4K Ultra HD from Lionsgate, Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990) in 4K UHD from The Criterion Collection, and Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) in 4K UHD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Tim’s review of Ernie Fosselius’ Hardware Wars (1978) on Blu-ray and Albert Band’s Ghoulies II (1987) in 4K UHD from the MVD Rewind Collection, Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi’s Goodbye Uncle Tom (1971) in 4K from Blue Underground (which is definitely not for the faint of heart), and Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) in 4K UHD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Dennis’ take on Ted Geoghegan’s Brooklyn 45 (2023) on Blu-ray from Shudder.

And Stephen’s look at Mark Waters’ Mean Girls (2004) on 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, as well as the import version of Michael Mann’s Ferrari (2023) in 4K UHD from Neon and Sky via Universal in UK.

More reviews are on the way for Monday, including my look at Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikika (1990) in 4K from Sony, and Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024) in 4K from Lionsgate, so be sure to watch for them.

Also, just a heads up: Our very own Russell Hammond has posted the new update of our ever-popular Release Dates and Cover Art section (see Cover Art above), which includes all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, you can sort by date, by format, even isolate the Criterion titles! And as an Amazon Affiliate, literally anything you order from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links (like this one) goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we greatly appreciate it! [Read on here...]