Book Review: Andy Saunders’ Gemini and Mercury Remastered & Apollo Remastered
by Bill HuntI’ll be back on Monday with the usual news and reviews here at the site, but today I wanted to do a little something different.
As long time Bits readers will no doubt be aware, every once in a while I review something other than a physical media release. In fact, in the past, I’ve reviewed great books about cinema, film production, and the like.
Some of you may remember that back in 2016, I posted a feature called Stanley Kurbick’s 2001: The Ultimate Trip in Print, covering all of the great books dedicated to the making of Kubrick’s science fiction landmark 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)—a piece I then updated in 2023 to cover an additional book on the topic that I thought worth mentioning released in the years since.
Longtime readers will also know that I am a lifelong fan of human spaceflight, and that I’ve reviewed many physical media releases related to the topic, including the films 2001, The Martian (2015), Apollo 13 (1995), and First Man (2018), HBO’s From the Earth to the Moon (1998) dramatic series, and documentaries like Apollo 11 (2019) and For All Mankind (1989).
If you’re interested in human spaceflight, there are of course many great non-fiction books that cover the topic in exhaustive detail, but I would certainly recommend beginning with Andrew Chaikin’s A Man on the Moon (1994). (It’s worth noting that this book was the basis for the HBO series I just mentioned.)
But there’s a new book that just arrived in stores last week—and a second book by the same author published a couple of years ago—that I think is absolutely indispensable to anyone interested in humanity’s first voyages beyond the Earth. Published by Black Dog & Leventhal here in the States (part of the Hachette Group) and Particular Books in the UK, Andy Saunders’ Gemini and Mercury Remastered (2025) and Apollo Remastered: The Ultimate Photographic Record (2022) are large and substantial coffee table books. By large, I mean 12 inches by 12 inches each, and by substantial I mean they weigh in at 5.28 and 6.92 pounds respectively. These are serious tomes. [Read on here...]
Criterion’s January slate includes Captain Blood, Kiss of the Spider Woman & Birth, plus more new announcements!
by Bill HuntWe’ve got three more new disc reviews for you today, including…
Tim’s look at Gary Sherman’s Raw Meat (aka Death Line) (1972) in 4K Ultra HD from Blue Underground.
And Stuart’s thoughts on Imprint’s Blu-ray double feature of Don Sharp’s The Thirty-Nine Steps (1978) and Anthony Page’s The Lady Vanishes (1979), as well as Charles Brabin’s The Beast of the City (1932) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.
Also, we’ve done more updating of our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits today, and we’ve also uploaded the latest update of our Release Dates & Artwork section here at the site. So please do check those out. And remember that anything you order from Amazon after clicking through one of our affiliate links in either of those sections goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we appreciate it!
In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/23. The film stars Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. [Read on here...]
The Long Walk, American Psycho, Descent, Jarhead, Blues Brothers, Aeon Flux & more, plus Drew Struzan RIP
by Bill HuntWe have two more significant reviews for you to enjoy today, including…
Tim’s look at the A Nightmare on Elm Street: 7-Film Collection in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
And Stephen’s thoughts on David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows: 10th Anniversary Steelbook (2014) in 4K UHD from Lionsgate Limited.
Speaking of Lionsgate, the studio has indeed revealed their November slate of physical media releases today as expected. It officially includes Neil Marshall’s The Descent: 20th Anniversary Edition (2006) 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Steelbook (featuring both versions via seamless branching as well as both new and legacy special features) as a Lionsgate Limited exclusive.
It also offers a surprise title that we’ve recently talked about on our Digital Bits Patreon page for subscribers: An American Psycho: 25th Anniversary Collection 4K UHD box set with swag items—featuring Mary Harron’s American Psycho (2000) as well as Morgan J. Freeman’s direct to video sequel American Psycho 2 (2002). You can see the artwork below the break. [Read on here...]
BREAKING: Lionsgate’s November includes The Descent & The Long Walk in 4K, plus KLSC’s Dante’s Peak 4K returns, Perfect Blue & Diane Keaton RIP
by Bill HuntWe’ve got some great release news for you today, but also more new disc reviews, including…
Stephen’s thoughts on Ringo Lam’s HK police actioner City on Fire (1987) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Factory.
Dennis’ take on Raoul Walsh’s war film They Died with Their Boots On (1941) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.
Stuart’s look at Seijun Suzuki’s Underworld Beauty (1958) on Blu-ray from Radiance Films.
And over the weekend, we also posted a few more, including…
Stuart’s look at Cy Endfield’s Sands of the Kalahari (1965) on Blu-ray from KLSC.
Dennis’ review of Jess Franco’s The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse (1972) on Blu-ray also from Kino.
And Tim’s review of Kuei Chih-Hung’s The Boxer’s Omen (1983) on Blu-ray from Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume Two box set.
More reviews are definitely forthcoming from The Bits’ review team, so be sure to keep checking back all week.
In terms of announcement news today, we do have some great breaking news for you: Lionsgate is getting ready to announce their November slate of 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray titles, which will include Neil Marshall’s The Descent: 20th Anniversary Edition (2006) 4K + BD Steelbook (including both versions via seamless branching as well as both new and legacy special features)—that’s a Lionsgate Limited exclusive. You’ll also get Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk (2025) on 4K + Blu-ray Steelbook as an Amazon exclusive, with the Blu-ray + DVD version available via Walmart. [Read on here...]
Boogie Nights hits 4K in December, plus Spinal Tap II, Ace Ventura 4K from Via Vision, Edward Scissorhands pre-orders & more!
by Bill HuntToday’s new disc reviews including a great classic animated release and a new 4K catalog title as well. Specifically …
Tim has turned in his thoughts on Hanna-Barbera’s classic The Huckleberry Hound Show: The Complete Series (1958-61) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.
And Stephen has shared his take on Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition (1995) in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Watch for more reviews later this week.
Also today, Amazon has just launched their Prime Day sale, offering up to 50% off on selected products. You can shop for all the best deals here and specifically for the best Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD deals here. As always, a portion of anything you order helps to support our work here at The Bits and we appreciate it!
Now then, the big news today is that PT Anderson’s Boogie Nights (1997) is finally up for pre-order on Amazon from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. There are two configurations, a wide Amaray package and a Steelbook. Each is 4K + Digital only. Now, there hasn’t yet been an official press release from the studio—we expect that soon. But the street date is 12/9. [Read on here...]
Him, Rent, Freakier Friday, War Wagon, Perfect Blue & more, plus Beverly Hills, 90210 in 4K Digital
by Bill HuntGood afternoon, Bits readers! We’ve got the usual mix of news and announcements for you today, but first as always we have more new disc reviews to share with you, including…
Stephen’s look at Peter Berg’s The Rundown (2003) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And Dennis’ thoughts on Ole Bornedal’s The Nightwatch Collection on Blu-ray from Arrow Video, which includes Nightwatch (1994) and Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever (2023).
More reviews are coming later this week. Tim’s already hard at work on Warner’s The Nightmare on Elm Street 4K box set, Stephen is looking at Sony’s The Quick and the Dead 4K, and I’m going to knock out my thoughts on 20th Century’s The Sound of Music in 4K Ultra HD soon as well.
Also, I wanted to let all of you know that we’ve finally begun updating our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits once again. I know the page is popular with our readers, but back when we were having server and software issues over the summer, updating the list was one of the things that took a back seat in our mad scramble to get the site back to normal and fully functional once again. All of our 4K reviews have now been linked, and we’ll be working all week long to update all of the studio listings as well. So thanks for your patience! [Read on here...]
BREAKING on The Bits: Lionsgate sets Kevin Smith’s DOGMA for 4K UHD in December!
by Bill HuntMorning, Bits readers! We’ve got some big release news for you today, which we’ll get to in just a moment. First though, we’ve got more new disc reviews for you, including…
Stephen’s thoughts on Dennis Dugan’s Happy Gilmore (1996) in 4K from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, George A. Romero’s The Dark Half (1993) in 4K from Vinegar Syndrome, and Lawrence Kasdan’s Silverado (1985) in 4K Steelbook from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Stuart’s look at John Avildsen’s Save the Tiger (1973) and Edward Sedgwick’s Father Brown, Detective (1934) on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics, and Michael Curtiz’s Bright Leaf (1950) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.
Dennis’ take on Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia (2024) on Blu-ray from Criterion’s Premieres line.
And finally, Tim’s look at Monk: Season Eight (2009) on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics, along with Wong Jing’s (aka Wang Tsing) Mercenaries from Hong Kong (1982) from Arrow Video’s Shawscope: Volume Two Blu-ray box set.
And even more reviews are on the way for next week, so be sure to check back then!
All right, let’s get right to today’s big news, which we’re reporting here exclusively on The Digital Bits: Lionsgate will finally release Kevin Smith’s Dogma (1999) in 4K Ultra HD in December! [Read on here...]
BREAKING on The Bits: Disney & 20th Century set EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990) for 4K Ultra HD release on 10/28!
by Bill HuntGood morning, Bits readers!
We have some more great 4K Ultra HD catalog release news to share with you this morning.
I know this is a title that’s going to make many of you very happy—especially if you’re a fan of director Tim Burton.
So here’s the official Disney press release with all the details...
SHARPER THAN EVER: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS CELEBRATES 35 YEARS WITH 4K ULTRA HD DEBUT THIS HALLOWEEN!
Celebrate Tim Burton’s Beloved Modern Fable With Its October 28 Return in a Stunning New Restoration on Digital and Blu-ray Disc
BURBANK, CA (September 30, 2025) – Tim Burton’s heartwarming story of the innocently endearing character who cannot touch others will charm audiences new and old when Edward Scissorhands makes its debut on digital retailers (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc on October 28 just in time for the Halloween season. [Read on here...]
Spielberg’s Minority Report & Catch Me If You Can are coming to 4K, plus Cloud Atlas, Rabid & Leaving Las Vegas in 4K from Shout & more!
by Bill HuntWe’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...]
Arrow’s December slate includes Ninja Turtles in 4K, plus Sony’s Anaconda, KLSC’s Alec Guinness: Masterpiece Collection & much more!
by Bill HuntWe’ve got a bunch more new disc reviews for you today, including…
Tim’s thoughts on Larry Cohen’s The Stuff (1985) and Stephen Hopkins’ Lost in Space (1998) both in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video, as well as Lau Kar-leung’s My Young Auntie (1981) on Blu-ray from Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume Two Blu-ray box set.
Stephen’s take on Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy (1978) in 4K Ultra HD from both Imprint Films and Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And Stuart’s look at Martin Ritt’s Hud (1963) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films and Junya Satō’s Proof of the Man (1977) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
More reviews are coming next week, so be sure to check back for them.
Now then, the big news today is that our friends at Arrow Video have officially announced their December Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD slate, and it’s another good one. [Read on here...]