Displaying items by tag: Charles de Lauzirika

We’ve got a bunch of stuff to go over today to finish off the week...

First up, though, go see Godzilla this weekend if you get the chance. It’s a pretty good film. It’s not perfect, but director Gareth Edwards definitely gets the Godzilla mystique and he’s crafted an interesting and entertaining film. By the way, when you go, you might also get a look at the new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming Interstellar, which I’m cautiously getting excited about.

All right, here at The Bits today, our very own Dr. Adam Jahnke has turned in a fine new JET installment featuring his latest An Honor to Be Nominated, this time looking back at director Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975). Don’t miss it. [Read on here...]

All right, real quick update today with great news at least for you Twin Peaks fans! Almost exactly a year after we first broke the news here at The Digital Bits that CBS was hard at work on a Blu-ray upgrade of their own Definitive Gold Box Edition DVD release, CBS has just revealed via Entertainment Weekly that Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery and The Missing Pieces will street on Blu-ray Disc on 7/29 (you can pre-order it now here on Amazon.com). In addition to containing nearly everything that was on the Gold Box DVD set, the Blu-ray box will also include the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Series creator David Lynch, CBS and special edition producer Charles de Lauzirika have also created new extras just for this release. The set will even include 90 minutes’ worth never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes from the film. Full specs are available here and we'll talk more about the extras tomorrow. Meanwhile, you can get a peek “the missing pieces” at this official website for the release. Final cover art can be seen to the left and below. [Read on here...]

All right, couple things for you today...

First, Doogan’s checked in with his weekly Doogan’s Queue update of all this week’s new Blu-ray & DVD releases. You’ll find that in his Gripe Soda column here.

Also today, Russell Hammond has updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray and DVD cover artMobius, and Amazon.com pre-order links.

In announcement news today, Warner Home Video and TNT have set Falling Skies: The Complete Third Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/3 (SRP $49.99 and $39.98). Extras on the Blu-ray will include numerous behind the scenes featurettes, 2nd Watch hosted by Wil Wheaton and much more. [Read on here…]

All right, we’ve got a couple more things for you today…

First, a few more of our retail sources have dropped us e-mails to essentially confirm the Australian Twin Peaks information from yesterday.  The gist is that retailers have been hearing about potential April street dates for the Blu-ray set from Paramount down under (which distributes for CBS), but that the final release date is still very much subject to change.  So the upshot is, the title is definitely coming, but continue to be patient.  [Read on here...]

All right, we promised you some reviews and we’ve got a couple for you this morning.  Plus there’s some very exciting release news.  More on that in a minute.

First, I’ve turned in my thoughts on Twilight Time’s Oliver!, a nice Blu-ray upgrade of the classic musical.  It sports a fine transfer, nearly all of the previous DVD extras and new content as well.  Just 3,000 copies are available – see the review for details.

Also, I’ve finished a review of CBS’ forthcoming Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Five on Blu-ray, which features 26 more episodes, all of the previous DVD extras (including the Best Buy bonus featurettes) and abundant new material too, including 4 audio commentaries, deleted scenes and a gag reel in HD and over 90 minutes of great new documentary content from our friends Roger Lay, Jr. and Robert Meyer Burnett.  Don’t miss it.  [Read on here…]

Okay, we’ll be back later today with our regular post, but this was too good not to jump in with it immediately.  For about the next 13 hours, Amazon.com is running a “Gold Box Deal of the Day” on Fox’s complete Alien Anthology Blu-ray box set and also the 2-disc Prometheus on Blu-ray – just $20 for the box and $10 for Prometheus!  The Alien Anthology box is one of the best special edition box sets ever produced, created by our old friend Charles de Lauzirika.  So if you’ve been looking at it and haven’t picked it up yet, today’s the day.  You’ll never get a better price than $20!

Back later!  Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

Okay… we’re closing out the week with some good catalog Blu-ray announcement news...

First up, Disney has set the Atlantis: 2-Movie Collection, Lilo & Stitch and The Emperor’s New Groove for Blu-ray release on 6/11.

Here’s some great news too:  Universal has just set Earthquake, Midway and The Shadow for release on Blu-ray Disc on 6/4.

Anchor Bay Entertainment will release Pawn on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/23.

Warner Home Video and Cartoon Network have set Robot Chicken: DC Special for Blu-ray and DVD release on 7/9.

Millennium Entertainment has set Crush for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/9.

And Magnolia Home Entertainment has set At the Gate of the Ghost for release on both formats on 4/16.

In news around the Net today, the website The Wrap has more information on the forthcoming re-release of William Friedkin’s Sorcerer straight from the director himself.  The remastered film will debut at the Venice Film Festival in August and will finally find its way to Blu-ray and DVD as well.  Official announcements are expected in the next week or two, so be sure to stay tuned.

Speaking of stuff from around the Net, have you seen the new international theatrical trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness?  Whew!  This may not be Trek in the mold of “seeking out new life and new civilizations,” but I’m confident that Trek will return again one day soon, probably on TV.  Meanwhile, this sure looks like it’s going to be a helluva fun ride.  I still say that casting Benedict Cumberbatch as… well, I’m not going to say who he plays here for those who wish to remain unspoiled… but casting him in the part is brilliant.  So here’s the trailer and make damn sure you watch in HD…

Finally today, I had the great pleasure last night (along with many old friends from around the industry) of attending the L.A. premiere of Charles de Lauzirika’s first feature film, CRAVE, at the Fox lot.  Now, as some of you may know, I’ve known Charlie since before he started producing DVD special editions – going all the way back to 1998, before the original Alien: 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD release.  And I’ve known for years that he was destined to end up directing his own feature films one day, and that no less an expert on the topic than Ridley Scott was urging him to follow that path.  When he finally did, I had the pleasure of seeing an early rough cut of CRAVE.  The film was good even then, as I said here at The Bits at the time.  But the version I saw last night – complete with final edit, sound design, score and gorgeous credit sequences – was lean, mean and terrific.  It was like seeing it again for the first time.  My first thought after the credit roll was, “Nobody has any business making a first film this polished and entertaining... but in this case I’m not surprised.”  If you’ve been enjoying Charlie’s DVD and Blu-ray special edition work for as long as I have – and literally nobody’s been following it longer than I have – you know that he’s been making great films for a very long time already.  So I truly look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when I can report on the theatrical and Blu-ray release of CRAVE here at The Bits, so all the rest of you will have the chance to see it too.  Charlie, I’m damn proud of you.  And I can’t wait to see your next film.  (Not sure if I can say what it is yet here, but it’s very cool and I am officially excited.)  Here’s the trailer for CRAVE in the meantime...

All right, we’ll leave you with a look at Universal’s advertising art (close to the final cover art but not exact) for Earthquake, Midway and The Shadow…

Back on Monday with that Star Trek: Enterprise – Season One Blu-ray review.  Have a great weekend!

- Bill Hunt