Displaying items by tag: The Wachowskis

Greetings Bits readers!

So you may have noticed some funkiness going on over the last week or so here at The Digital Bits website.

Back on March 27 (see our post here), I told you that we were fighting the scourge of AI companies relentlessly sending bots to crawl our site to scrape for content to train their LLMs. It got so bad that we essentially have had to move the site and use Cloudflare to block them.

That was frustrating enough, but the process of moving hasn’t been smooth. And we’ve had several other disruptions over the last week, including (currently) to our email. So if you’re trying to reach us and your messages are getting bounced back or not delivered properly, rest assure we’re aware of it and are working to get it sorted.

Thanks for your patience!

All part of the frustrations of trying to run a website in the 21st century… especially in a world of AI, which is probably only going to make things on the Internet worse. [Read on here...]

We have a quick update for you today, but it includes some good stuff!

First though, more new disc reviews…

Tim has taken a look at Craig R. Baxley’s Stone Cold (1991) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Stephen has offered his take on Simon Wincer’s The Phantom (1996) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Leni Riefenstahl’s The Blue Light (1932) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.

Be sure to watch for more review tomorrow and all this week!

And if you’re interested in what’s coming to 4K Ultra HD in terms of catalog titles later this year, you’re definitely going to want to subscribe to our Digital Bits Patreon page, because we’ve been sharing some good stuff there! And Patreon support has become critical to helping us keep The Digital Bits going, so please do consider it (and thank you to everyone who is already a subscriber)!

Now then, our friends at the Warner Archive Collection have just revealed their May Blu-ray slate, and it includes some real gems. [Read on here...]

Boy, I’ve been waiting for this today for years now—one of my favorite titles is finally official, as in the studio has just issued their press release. And there are a bunch of other great title announcements today as well.

But first as always, a few more new disc reviews…

Stuart and Dennis have turned in their thoughts on Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ Peter Sellers: Early Classics Blu-ray box set, which includes Man in a Cocked Hat (1959), I’m All Right Jack (1959), Two-Way Stretch (1960), Heavens Above! (1963), and The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963).

And Tim has reviewed Chuck Russell’s The Mask (1994) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.

More reviews are forthcoming all this week, so be sure to check back for them!

Also today, our own Russell Hammond has just posted the latest update of the Release Dates & Artwork section featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon pre-order links. As The Bits is an Amazon Affiliate, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking through one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it.

And of course, the best way to support what we do by far is to subscribe to our Digital Bits Patreon where we talk about lots of things—including upcoming 4K titles—before we can post all the details here on the website. Monthly subscriptions start at just $6 and you can get discounts on full-year subscriptions too. So thank you, sincerely, for helping us to keep The Digital Bits going as we advocate for physical media and the issues that matter to you! [Read on here...]

All right, we have one new disc review for you today, with more coming later this week...

My look at Dan Trachtenberg’s audacious Predator: Badlands (2025) in 4K Ultra HD from 20th Century Studios.

Turns out, it’s pretty damn good! And the 4K disc has a blisteringly excellent Dolby Atmos mix that’s well worth your time.

Now then... we’ve got some new release information for you here at The Bits today, and then we’re going to talk a little bit about that Warner-Paramount-Netflix news from last week.

We’ll start with Warner Bros... the Wachowski’s Speed Racer (2008) is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com and pretty much everywhere else. The street date is expected to be 5/19. And I’ve been able to confirm that the disc will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio! The official announcement hasn’t yet been made, so we don’t have the final cover art, but I expect that to happen in the next couple of weeks. I also do believe that there will be a regular 4K SKU in addition to the 4K Steelbook, and obviously there’s an even more elaborate 4K version in the UK with swag. Anyway, here’s the US Amazon link.

Also today, our friends at Arrow Video have announced their May Blu-ray and 4K slate, which includes multiple titles that should make catalog fans happy. [Read on here...]

As promised, we have more new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, including…

My take on Guy Hamilton’s epic Battle of Britain (1969) in 4K Ultra HD from Imprint Films, as well as Sony’s long-awaited US/Region A Blu-ray edition of Apple TV’s excellent For All Mankind: Season Two (2021).

Stephen’s review of Osgood Perkins’s Keeper (2025) in 4K Ultra HD from Neon and Decal, as well as David Schmoeller’s Tourist Trap (1979) on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment.

Dennis and Tim’s tag team look at Blake Edwards’ A Shot in the Dark (1964) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Dennis’ look at Rudolph Maté’s For the First Time (1959) on Blu-ray from MGM via the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart’s thoughts on Gordon Parks’ Leadbelly (1978) on Blu-ray from Paramount via Imprint Films, as well as Géza von Radványi’s Maedchen in Uniform (1958) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.

Watch more for new disc reviews tomorrow!

Also today, we’ve just posted the latest update of our Release Dates & Artwork section featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD cover art and Amazon pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything from them after clicking through one of our links first, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it!

Now then… there’s not a lot on the way of announcement news today, but we do have a couple of things for you. [Read on here...]

We’ve got several new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, including…

Stephen’s thoughts on Alan J. Pakula’s All the President’s Men (1976) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, as well as David Bruckner’s Hellraiser (2022) in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Turbine Medien.

Tim’s review of Roy Ward Baker’s Scars of Dracula (1970) on Blu-ray from Hammer Films via Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Dennis’ look at Cecile B. DeMille’s The Godless Girl (1928) and Ian Softley’s K-PAX (2001) each on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

More reviews are definitely on the way this week, so be sure to check back for them!

In announcement news today, Lionsgate has officially set Ric Roman Waugh’s Greenland 2: Migration (2025) for 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release on 3/31, just as we revealed previously. Extras will include 4 featurettes (Rebuilding: Ric Roman Waugh, Pushing Forward: Gerard Butler, Heart and Soul: Morena Baccarin, and What We Leave Behind: Roman Griffin Davis) as well as the theatrical trailer. The 4K will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. Also note that Lionsgate is bringing the original Greenland (2020) to 4K here in the States for the first time that same day. [Read on here...]

All right, this is just a quick release news update before the weekend. But we’ve got some good stuff for you…

To start, we have great news on a title I first revealed to all of you on New Year’s Eve: The Wachowski’s Speed Racer (2008)! And the update is that pre-orders are starting to appear online (on Amazon UK and Zavvi so far, but I expect the US pre-orders on Amazon and Gruv to appear soon as well) for the 4K Ultra HD and 4K Steelbook release!

The street date is TBA, but my sources say it’s likely Q2, so I would guess you can look for it to arrive sometime in April or May.

We don’t have A/V specs yet, but I’m hoping for a 100GB disc, and both Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio.

Each edition will be a 2-disc set, including the film on 4K disc and Blu-ray—probably the previous international BD SKU, as the BD disc includes the same featurettes released internationally, which include 4 featurettes: Spritle in the Big Leagues (15 mins), Speed Racer: Supercharged! (16 mins), Speed Racer: Car-Fu Cinema (27 mins), and Speed Racer: Ramping Up! (10 mins, which was not included on the US Blu-ray).

The 4K disc will also include a featurette: Wonderful World of Racing: The Amazing Racer Family (31 mins), which was previously a Target exclusive feature in the US.

And apparently the Steelbook will include a slipcase, a 32-page book (The World of Speed Racer), a pair of mini theatrical posters, plus a Mach 5 art and 6 character cards. We’ll share the final cover artwork, as well as official specs and the street date, as soon as it comes in. [Read on here...]

All right, let’s get a little routine site business out of the way first this afternoon…

Our final new disc review of 2025 is Dennis’ look at Iain Softley’s K-Pax (2001) on Blu-ray from our friends at Imprint Films and Via Vision.

Also, we’ve just posted an update of the Release Dates & Cover 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, anytime you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at the site and we appreciate it!

Now then… today is the final day of 2025, so tonight humans the world over will celebrate New Year’s Eve.

With that in mind, I wanted to give you readers one last exclusive for this year—one last piece of 4K Ultra HD catalog news to get you all excited for what’s to come on the format in 2026. So here it is…

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is finally bringing the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer (2008) to 4K Ultra HD in the coming year! [Read on here...]

We’ve got a mix of great new and catalog release news to share with you all today here at The Bits, right after we mention a trio of new disc reviews we’ve just shared. Today we have…

Dennis’ thoughts on Amanda and Michael Drexton’s Sour Party (2023) on Blu-ray from Anchor Bay Entertainment, as well as Clarence Brown’s Intruder in the Dust (1949) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart’s thoughts on John Ford’s 7 Women (1966) on Blu-ray, also from the Warner Archive Collection.

Now then… let’s get right into the good stuff: Our friends at Paramount are finally going to be releasing Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) in 4K Ultra HD and 4K Steelbook format on 12/9 (SRP $30.00 and 36.99)! Look for the 4K disc to include Dolby Vision HDR and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, plus all of the legacy special features on a Blu-ray bonus disc. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below the break. [Read on here...]

We’re starting the new week here at The Bits, as always, with more new disc reviews...

Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Albert Magnoli’s celebration of all things Prince, Purple Rain (1984), in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discover Home Entertainment. The film celebrates its 40th anniversary this summer, and the city of Minneapolis has been partying all weekend in honor of it (more on that here).

Also, I’ve shared my thoughts on Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount Home Entertainment. I’m not sure the title actually needed a 4K upgrade, but what the heck—blame Canada. You can read all the details here.

And Dennis has shared his perspective on The Wachowskis’ Bound (1996), which is new on Blu-ray (and 4K UHD) from our friends at The Criterion Collection.

More reviews are forthcoming this week, so be sure to stay tuned for them.

Now then... we’ve got a pretty significant piece of industry news to share with you today. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has completed an “umbrella” distribution deal with Studio Distribution Services (SDS) that covers not only their own Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD product, but also titles from Lionsgate and Disney (along with 20th Century Studios, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, and the other Disney-owned labels), which Sony produces for those studios. We first broke the news of this for our Patreon subscribers over the weekend.

The reason this deal is important is that it guarantees Sony, Disney, 20th Century Studios, and Lionsgate a direct and stable distribution channel for their physical media product into Walmart stores. And as we’ve reported previously, Walmart is the biggest disc retailer in North America with a whopping 45% share of the disc sales market (as of earlier this year—that number may have grown a bit with the recent exit of Best Buy, which had approximately 4% of the business). [Read on here...]