My Two Cents
Today’s round of Halloween Bag-o-Tricks title reviews kicks off My Two Cents here at The Bits today, including...
Stephen’s look at Shin’ichiro Ueda’s One Cut of the Dead on Blu-ray from RLJE Entertainment.
His review of David Schmoeller’s Tourist Trap: VHS Retro Big Box Collection on Blu-ray from Full Moon Features.
And Tim’s take on the 1980 British TV entry Hammer House of Horror: The Complete Series on Blu-ray from Imprint Films. Enjoy!
Meanwhile, the big news this morning—though it’s not yet official in the form of an actual press release/announcement—is that HBO will definitely be releasing its excellent House of the Dragon: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 12/20.
Extras on the set will feature “over one hour of bonus content” including two exclusive featurettes: Return to the Seven Kingdoms and Welcome to Westeros (with Ryan Condal, Miguel Sapochnik, and George R.R. Martin).
The 4K/Blu-ray combo set will be available in two different wide-release product SKUs, one in regular packaging and the other in Steelbook packaging. You can see the wide release version at left and both below. Both will feature Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. [Read on here...]
We begin today with our latest Halloween Bag-o-Tricks reviews for Tuesday, 10/25...
Stephen has turned in his thoughts on William Eubank’s Underwater (2020) on Blu-ray from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment—one of the last films the studio greenlit before the Disney takeover.
Dennis offers his take on Gerard Kikoine’s Buried Alive, aka Edgar Allan Poe’s Buried Alive (1990) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
And Tim has posted his review of Mario Bava’s Spanish-Italian science fiction/horror class, Planet of the Vampires (1965) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
So enjoy the reviews and be sure to check back for more of them here at The Bits tomorrow! [Read on here...]
We’re finishing out the week here at The Bits beginning with two more new disc reviews, including...
Tim’s look at Martin Campbell’s No Escape (1994, aka Escape from Absolom) on Blu-ray from Unearthed Films.
And Dennis’ take on Joseph Anthony’s The Rainmaker (1956) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And we definitely have some significant news to report today, both in terms of titles and more general industry goings-on...
First up, Imprint Films has just announced their very first 4K Ultra HD title and it’s an upgrade of their debut Imprint Collection Blu-ray release... Byron Haskin’s The War of the Worlds (1953). The street date is 12/15. The 2-disc set will feature both a 4K UHD and the previous Blu-ray edition in Steelbook packaging, housed in a 3D lenticular hardcase with a 44-page collector’s booklet. You can see the packaging below. [Read on here...]
We have four new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, along with some release news...
First, I’ve taken a look at the long-awaited physical 4K Ultra HD release of Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount. You’ll be glad to know that the disc’s A/V quality is demo worthy, though the extras are somewhat wanting and you have to buy the Blu-ray version separately.
Stephen has offered up a review of Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist, also in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. And he’s got a review of Rob Zombie’s The Munsters on regular Blu-ray as well from Universal.
Finally, Tim has reviewed a film that was thought to be lost but has now been re-discovered and restored for Blu-ray release: George A. Romero’s The Amusement Park (1975) from Shudder and RLJ Entertainment.
More reviews are definitely on the way, so be sure to watch for them.
And we’ve also posted a major update of our Release Dates & Artwork section here at The Bits (listed as Cover Art in the navigation bar above), featuring a ton of new Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover images and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, anytime you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking through to them from one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it! (Thanks to our own Russell Hammond for his work on that section.) [Read on here...]
Welcome to a new week, Bits-ers! And we’re starting with the week with some great new release news...
The big headline is that the Criterion Collection has just announced their January 2023 release slate, and it’s got something for everyone.
It starts on January 3rd with Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) (Spine #1166 – 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo and Blu-ray), featuring a new 4K restoration approved by the director with Dolby Vision HDR. The set will also include the film on Blu-ray along with a third Blu-ray of special features.
Among those are many legacy extras along with a new video essay by critic/filmmaker David Cairns and Gilliam’s 1974 animated short Miracle of Flight.
Next up is John M. Stahl’s Imitation of Life (1934) on January 10th, staring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers (Spine #1167 – Blu-ray and DVD). You’ll get a new 4K digital restoration, along with new interviews with author Miriam J. Petty and Imogen Sara Smith, and the trailer. [Read on here...]