To kick things off today, I’ve got a new review for you: A look at FUNimation’s Speed Racer: The Complete Series Blu-ray, a release I’ve waited years to see. Speed was the first Japanese anime series I ever saw, way back in the late 1960s, long before anyone had any idea what an anime was. Let me tell you, the show looks great in HD; FUNimation has done a really nice job of it. Best of all, the set streeted on Tuesday for just $20 on Amazon.

Now then... some announcements... [Read on here…]

We’ve got some great new title announcements for you today!

First or all, The Criterion Collection has just revealed their August Blu-ray and DVD slate, which breaks down as follows. Look for Michael Curtiz’s The Breaking Point (Cat #889 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 8/8, Mike Leigh’s Meantime (Cat #890 – Blu-ray and DVD) and an updating of Ronald Neame’s Hopscotch (Cat #105 – Blu-ray, DVD, and iTunes) on 8/15, and Sacha Guitry’s La Poison (Cat #891 – Blu-ray and DVD) and an updating of Alex Cox’s Sid & Nancy (Cat #20 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 8/22. Also, it now appears that Orson Welles’ Othello (Cat #870 – Blu-ray and DVD) has finally been rescheduled for release on 9/26. We’ve updated our Criterion Spines Project page accordingly. [Read on here…]

We have a late update of the site with some breaking news...

FUNimation has just announced that it officially plans to release Toho’s live action Shin Godzilla (2016) on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on 8/1. The film was directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. You’ll be able to watch the film in the original Japanese with English subtitles or in a new English language dub. The package will also include special features TBA. [Read on here…]

Kicking off a new week here at The Bits, we’ve got a couple of things for you today...

First up, Tim has reviewed another new Blu-ray release for you in the form of Franco Propseri’s Wild Beasts (1984 – aka Belve Feroci) from Severin Films.

Also, Mark Altman has a few thoughts, in his latest MOS DEF column today, on good catalog titles that ought to get released in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray this year to help the format get on track.

In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set A League of Their Own: 25th Anniversary Edition for release on Blu-ray on 4/18. It includes the new Bentonville, Baseball & the Enduring Legacy of A League of Their Own featurette, as well as legacy extras including 15 deleted scenes, a 9-part documentary, audio commentary with the filmmakers, Madonna’s This Used to Be My Playground music video, and the film’s theatrical trailer. [Read on here…]

Afternoon, folks! We’ve got some great stuff for you here at The Bits today…

First up, Tim has turned in a review of Shout! Factory’s Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume IV, which includes the episodes Space Mutiny, Overdrawn at the Memory Back, Girl in Gold Boots, and Hamlet. The disc is now available, so do give it a look.

Meanwhile, we have a new MOS DEF column from Mark A. Altman as well today, in which he takes a look back at his favorite Blu-ray releases of 2016. We’ll have more from Mark later this week too. Enjoy!

In announcement news today, the BIG news is that Disney and Lucasfilm have just officially set Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for Blu-ray Combo, DVD, and On Demand release on 4/4, with a Digital HD release set for 3/24. There’s no word yet of a 4K version, but it appears that Target and Best Buy will have retail-exclusive Blu-ray 3D versions on 4/4 (per Star Wars.com). The Target package appears to match the Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3D Collector’s Edition. The Best Buy package comes in a Steelbook. Walmart will also have exclusive packaging. Extras on the Blu-rays will include 11 behind-the-scenes featurettes (A Rogue Idea, Jyn: The Rebel, Cassian: The Spy, K-2SO: The Droid, Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills, Bodhi & Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary, The Empire, Visions of Hope: The Look of Rogue One, The Princess & The Governor, Epilogue: The Story Continues, and Rogue Connections). Note that the lack of deleted scenes – and we know there are many – or audio commentary suggests that a more elaborate Collector’s Edition BD release is coming later this year. You can see the cover artwork at the left and below. [Read on here…]

All right, we’re closing out the week with some interesting announcement news and a few other odds and ends...

First up today, Warner Bros has just announced that HBO’s Westworld: The Complete First Season will be available in Digital HD on 3/6. The Blu-ray and DVD release is expected to follow later in 2017, ahead of the debut of the series’ second season. Meanwhile, the Digital release will have some extras, including 5 behind-the-scenes featurettes (Welcome to Westworld, Crafting the Narrative, An Invitation to the Set, Reality of A.I.: Westworld, and About the Series), as well as 7 The Big Moment clips (Bernard Faces an Unlikely Saboteur, Teddy Versus the Man in Black, A Host Self-Sabotages, Maeve Gets An Answer, Dr. Ford’s Blood Sacrifice, The Truth About Bernard, and Dr. Ford’s New Narrative). [Read on here…]

All right, we’ve had family visiting for a couple weeks but things have finally started to get back to normal here, so we’re back to our usual daily updates. And we have a bunch of new release news to report today...

First up though, our own Russell Hammond has just posted the weekly Release Dates & Artwork update with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Don’t forget, anytime you order titles through our links you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we appreciate it!

Now then, in announcement news today, Lionsgate has just revealed that their next Vestron Video Collector’s Series release will include the Wishmaster Collection: 4-Film Set on 3/28 (SRP $49.99). Wishmaster will include audio commentary (with director Robert Kurtzman and screenwriter Peter Atkins), audio commentary (with Kurtzman and stars Andrew Divoff and Tammy Lauren), an isolated score selections track with an audio interview of composer Harry Manfredini, 6 featurettes (Out of the Bottle, The Magic Words, The Djinn and Alexandra, Captured Visions, Wish List, and Making of Wishmaster), trailers, TV spots, image galleries & more. Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies will include audio commentary (with writer/director Jack Sholder), a trailer, and a still gallery. Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell will include audio commentary (with director Chris Angel and cast members John Novak, Jason Connery, and Louisette Geiss), the Making of Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell featurette, and the trailer. And Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy will include audio commentary (with director Chris Angel and cast members Michael Trucco and Jason Thompson), audio commentary (with Angel and actor John Novak), the Wishmasterpiece Theatre featurette, and the trailer. [Read on here…]

All right, there’s still not a ton of news to report so far this week. It’s Cyber Monday, which means most of the Blu-ray powers that be (and retailers) are focused on Cyber Monday sales. As such, if you would kindly use this link when shopping for Cyber Monday deals on Amazon.com, we’d surely appreciate it. It’ll go a long way toward helping us to continue our work here at The Bits and we thank you for the support.

Speaking of Amazon, Paramount’s Allied is now available for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray pre-order (street date TBA). Also available for pre-order on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format is Warner’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 20th Century Fox has Keeping Up with the Joneses coming on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format as well. BBC Home Entertainment has set Planet Earth II for Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray pre-order too. Street dates are TBA, but you can click on the format links in this paragraph to pre-order.  [Read on here…]

All right, just a quick one today, as we’re doing a little work on The Bits server this afternoon, and I’m also trying to finish up a hardware review for tomorrow.

We have a couple of new reviews for you today: Our own Tim Salmons has just checked out Lionsgate’s first two Vestron Video Collector’s Series Blu-ray releases, Chopping Mall (1986) and Blood Diner (1987), and he’s found them both well worth your time if you’re a horror fan. You can read his thoughts via the title links provided.  [Read on here…]

Afternoon folks! Hope you’re all doing well and Happy Rosh Hashanah to those of you who celebrate it.

We’ve got a couple things for you today... first a new Blu-ray review: Our own Tim Salmons has just checked in with his Pick-Ups thoughts on Shout! Factory’s new Shout Select title, Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection, which arrived on disc last Tuesday. Tim would like you to know that the set is most definitely non, non, non, non, non-heinous. Do check out his review here.

Tim has also updated his recent review of Scream Factory’s The Thing: Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray to reflect the updated audio track found on all final product copies now in stores. The track is fixed and sounds great.  [Read on here…]