Displaying items by tag: Amazon

All right, folks! Last week was busy with big news, and this week will be no different.

We’re going to be back with a larger post later this morning to cover it all, but first we wanted to break in here early with official word that James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

This fulfills at least part of a promise made to us by producer Jon Landau and first reported here at The Bits all the way back in March (see our report from the time here, complete with video we shot of Landau breaking the news). Note that we’ve included the video I shot at Lightstorm that day below the break as well.

Paramount’s street date is 12/5, just as we’ve been predicting for a while now. According to the packaging, which you can see at left and also below the break, the release will be a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K Ultra HD, along with a Blu-ray disc of bonus features.

The set will include over 15 hours of content (most of it on the Blu-ray), including a new documentary, Titanic: Stories from the Heart, featuring new interviews with James Cameron, Jon Landau, and Kate Winslet, as well as a new fan art gallery. [Read on here...]

[10/13/23 Update: Variety and Media Play News have now confirmed my reporting that Best Buy is phasing out physical media in the new year, following the 2023 holiday shopping season. The company will apparently still continue to sell videogames. A Best Buy spokesperson provided this statement to Variety: “To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago. Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy.” So... there you have it. Longtime readers of The Digital Bits can rest assured of two things: First, no this does not spell the end of physical media. And second, I’ll have a great deal more to say on this topic here at The Bits on Monday and all next week. See you back here then.]

All right, folks... we’ve got a little bit of a whopper for you today. And so as not to bury the lede, let’s get right to it...

The Digital Bits has learned from industry sources—and we’ve confirmed it with multiple sources now—that Best Buy plans to exit the physical media business for good next year, possibly as soon as the end of Q1 2024.

This includes not just their in-store Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD sales, which the retailer has been gradually phasing out for a couple of years now in their many store locations nationwide, but online sales as well. This means no more Best Buy-exclusive Steelbook titles, and no more titles from Best Buy period.

The fact that Best Buy is discontinuing physical media sales in their retail locations should come as no surprise; anyone who’s visited a Best Buy store location on a Tuesday recently will be all too aware that the retailer’s disc sections keep getting moved around and have gotten smaller and smaller. Our own experience here at The Bits is that some store locations don’t even bother to stock new-release titles on the sales floor anymore—even their exclusive ones. More than once, in their Southern California locations, I’ve had to ask for the titles and wait while a clerk checks the storeroom.

But the idea that Best Buy would discontinue online sales too comes as a bit of a surprise... though perhaps it shouldn’t. We’ve noted in recent months that Paramount has quietly shifted their Blu-ray and 4K Steelbook exclusive titles—titles that would normally have been released at Best Buy—to Amazon instead. And it seems very likely that other studios will follow Paramount’s lead in the months ahead. [Read on here...]

All right, today’s update is going to be brief, because of a couple factors. First, I’m talking with a number of sources about some forthcoming and exciting 4K Ultra HD catalog titles, which I’ll talk about here when I can. Second, I’m dealing with replacing my recently defunct Epson 5040ub projector. And more on that soon as well.

In the meantime, we have some very exciting 4K Ultra HD news today that I know a lot of you will be pleased about. And of course, we have more new disc reviews for you as well. So let’s start with those first...

Stephen has posted his thoughts on Warner’s long-awaited 4K Ultra HD release of Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm’s animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)! And it appears the title has been worth the wait.

Stuart has also weighed in with a look at Robert Mulligan’s The Spiral Road (1962) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films and Via Vision Entertainment.

Dennis has offered his two cents on Jacques Tourneur’s Wichita (1955) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Charlotte Le Bon’s Falcon Lake (2022) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And last but not least, Tim has shared a review of Luca Bercovici’s Ghoulies (1985) in 4K Ultra HD from the MVD Rewind Collection, as well as Ray Kellogg’s The Giant Gila Monster (1959) and The Killer Shrews (1959) in a new double-feature Blu-ray release from Film Masters.

More disc reviews are forthcoming, so be sure to stay tuned for them. Now then, let’s get to the big release news... [Read on here...]

All right, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC have just officially announced the release of director Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman Blu-ray Combo, Blu-ray 3D Combo, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD formats on 9/19 (SRP $35.99, $44.95, $28.98, and $44.95 respectively).

There will be more than two hours worth of extras on the Blu-rays, including a 5-part A Director’s Vision behind-the-scenes documentary, extended scenes, a blooper reel, Epilogue: Etta’s Mission, and additional “bonus scenes”. Audio on both the Blu-ray and 4K versions will be Dolby Atmos. 4K High Dynamic Range appears to be HDR-10. You’ll find the cover artwork below... [Read on here…]

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed an alarming increase in the number of MOD titles that are simply re-releases of out-of-print discs and a decrease in the number of never-before-released movies. We’re probably going to be seeing a lot more of that, unfortunately. But at least this week, there are a few brand new Most Wanted picks making their overdue DVD debuts. Let’s take a gander at them and at a special all-scary-movie edition of Wide Awake In Streamland for your Halloween viewing pleasure. [Read on here...]

Just a quick one today as there’s not an abundance of release news to report.

Anchor Bay Films has set Battle of the Damned coming to BD and DVD on 2/18.  The action films stars Dolph Lundgren and features zombies, robots and what have you.

Lionsgate has Thanks for Sharing set for Blu-ray and DVD on 1/7, starring Gwyneth Paltrow.  Lionsgate also has Duck Dynasty: Season 4 coming on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/18.  [Read on here…]

Okay, we’ve got a couple things that should be of interest to some of you today…

First, we’ve confirmed with Fox that the new Robocop Blu-ray Disc due on 1/21 is remastered from a 4K transfer and it’s definitely the director’s cut version of the film.  Extras will include audio commentary with director Paul Verhoeven, writer Ed Neumeier and executive producer Jon Davison, deleted scenes, a new Q&A with the Filmmakers, the Flesh and Steel: The Making of Robocop documentary, 5 legacy featurettes (Shooting Robocop, Making Robocop, Villains of Old Detroit, Special Effects: Then and Now and Robocop: Creating a Legend), The Boardroom: Storyboard with commentary by animator Phil Tippett, an Easter egg, the theatrical trailer and a TV spot.  [Read on here…]

Afternoon, folks!  Hope you all had a nice holiday weekend with family and friends.  Sarah and I spent our Thanksgiving in New Orleans with family and it was pretty swell.  I ate way too much good food (NoLA is like that).  If I lived there, I’d have to run about 12 miles a day just to work off the calories from everything I wanted to eat: Crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, po-boys, tartine, beignets and cafe au lait… MMmmmmmm.  They do know how to cook down there.

So we’ve got a couple things for you this afternoon.  First, our own Tim Salmons has checked in with reviews of two more classics on Blu-ray Disc from Criterion, including Richard III and The Earrings of Madame de….  Enjoy!  [Read on here…]

Happy Thanksgiving, folks!  A day early we know, but this is going to be our last post here at The Bits until Monday, as we all go off to celebrate the holiday with family.  Couple things for you today… 

First, we’re pleased to bring you a trio of additional Blu-ray Disc reviews today.  Tim has checked in with his thoughts on Criterion’s Lonesome and The Uninvited in HD, as well as Scream Factory’s The Horror Show.  All are now available.  [Read on here…]

Afternoon, folks!  Hope you’re all having  a great start to your Thanksgiving holiday.  I know from e-mails that a lot of you are headed out to the movies in between shopping and Thanksgiving preparations.  Thor: The Dark World and Hunger Games: Catching Fire seem to be big draws.  I’ve seen the latter and it’s pretty decent.  If you like the first one, you’ll enjoy this one too.

For those of you in the L.A. area tonight, don’t forget that that screening of Ladyhawke at the Arclight is tonight at 7:30 PM, with Q&A to follow with director Richard Donner and producer Lauren Shuler Donner, moderated by our good friend Cliff Stephenson.  Tickets are still available here, but remember to plan a little extra travel time to get there – the President’s in town apparently, so there may be unexpected traffic delays.  [Read on here…]