Displaying items by tag: Bluray

First things first today: The Criterion Collection has just announced their April Blu-ray and 4K release slate and—as always—it’s another great list of titles.

Look for Alex Cox’s Walker (Spine #423 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/12, Vittorio De Sica’s Miracle in Milan (Spine #1119 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Frank Tashlin’s The Girl Can’t Help It (Spine #1120 – Blu-ray only) on 4/19, and Arie and Chuko Esiri’s Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (Spine #1121 – Blu-ray and DVD), Bertrand Tavernier’s ‘Round Midnight (Spine #1122 – Blu-ray and DVD), and Al Reinert’s For All Mankind (Spine #54 – 4K Ultra HD – Blu-ray and DVD already available) on 4/26. You can see the 4K art for For All Mankind on the left, and we’ll post the rest of the cover artwork over the next few days as the titles become available for pre-order on Amazon.

Here’s some more great breaking news: Our friends at Powerhouse Films have just informed us that their outstanding Indicator label—which already delivers fantastic special edition Blu-ray titles to the UK and European market—is officially coming to the US!

The company has partnered with Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment, to ensure that retailers throughout North America will be able to carry Indicator releases. These will include Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sunrise, Critics Choice, and DiabolikDVD. The first Indicator titles should start becoming available here in the US starting this week. [Read on here...]

Well, this has been a bit of a head-spinning and confusing series of developments so far today (as I’m sure you’ll all agree).

You see... not long after we posted Paramount’s official press release for The Godfather Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD this morning (see our earlier post here), it quickly became clear that the text didn’t answer all of our questions.

So we’ve had multiple rounds of confirmation emails with the studio, not to mention forensic photo examinations, as well as a significant bit of retailer listing sleuthing to try to sort out all the important details of this 4K release. We originally thought that this Godfather Trilogy 4K release included 3-disc and 5-disc 4K SKUs.

Then surprise... not long after all that investigation, international retailer listings made the situation even more complicated, suggesting that it’s actually 5-disc and 9-disc 4K SKUs!

No kidding.

But... I just got off the phone with Paramount, and they’re now telling me that—at least here in the US—what’s actually coming is a 5-disc set, and the same 5-disc set just with more swag in the packaging.

SO… here’s what we now THINK is included in each version that’s coming to 4K Ultra HD on 3/22... [Read on here...]

Here’s Paramount’s official press release announcing the theatrical and home video release of The Godfather Trilogy...

Paramount Pictures Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Cinematic Masterpiece

Experience the Acclaimed Classic in Theatres and on Home Entertainment Platforms

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – January 13, 2022 — In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award®-winning* masterwork The Godfather, Paramount Pictures announced today that the film will have a limited theatrical release in Dolby Vision beginning February 25, 2022 exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres in the U.S., as well as in international territories around the world. All three films in the epic trilogy have been meticulously restored under the direction of Coppola and will be made available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever on March 22, 2022. [Read on here...]

As always, we’re kicking things off this week with some new disc reviews...

Dennis has checked in with a look at Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter on Blu-ray from Focus Films and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

And Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Joe Carnahan’s Copshop on Blu-ray from Open Road Films and Universal.

Now let’s have some release news...

Continuing the theme of Kino Lorber Studio Classics kicking ass with catalog 4K, the company has just set their Ultra HD release of David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises (2007) for 3/22, featuring a brand new Dolby Vision color grade approved by cinematographer Peter Suschitzky and a new interview with screenwriter Steven Knight. You can see the cover artwork above-left.

Paramount has officially announced its 30th anniversary Blu-ray Steelbook release of Wayne’s World on 2/1. There’s no indication that the disc has been remastered or features new extras. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some good news today for those of you who are fans of The Beatles. But first one more new disc review...

Tim has just posted an in-depth look at ClassicFlix’s new Blu-ray release of The Abbott and Costello Show: Season 1, a 3-disc set that includes all 26 episodes fully restored from the original camera negatives by our old friend Bob Furmanek and his restoration team at 3-D Film Archive.

Plus, the set includes a remarkable batch of extras, including many new audio commentary tracks, alternate audio tracks (full or partial audience laugh tracks), and a featurette on the process of saving the negatives and restoring the image and sound. Do give it a look.

Now then, Disney has officially confirmed that they plan to release the 3-part The Beatles: Get Back documentary on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/8. [Read on here...]

Wednesday afternoon here at The Bits brings new disc reviews and more release news as well...

First, Tim has posted his thoughts on Michael Felsher’s excellent new documentary After Effects: Memories of Pittsburgh Filmmaking, now available on Limited Edition Blu-ray from his own new label, Red Shirt Video. Sounds like it’s a pretty terrific release so do check it out.

By the way, after you enjoy that, here’s a link to an interview I did way back in 2005 (on the original Bits website) with writer/director John Harrison about Effects and his work with Romero and other Pittsburgh filmmakers. (Just pardon the messy formatting.)

Also this afternoon, Stephen has posted reviews of William Beaudine’s The Old Fashioned Way (1934) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Sarah Smith, Jean-Philippe Vine, and Octavio E. Rodriguez’s Ron’s Gone Wrong in 4K Ultra HD from 20th Century Studios.

More reviews are forthcoming in the days ahead, including several that I’m working on, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them. [Read on here...]

Welcome to 2022, folks! As usual, we’ve got some new reviews and a bunch of Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release news to report today. So we’ll start with those reviews first...

Tim has posted his thoughts on Giorgio Ferroni’s 1060 Italian Gothic horror title Mill of the Stone Women, which is now available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video. He’s also taken a look at Ronin Flix’s new 4K Ultra HD release of Meir Zarchi’s controversial I Spit on Your Grave (1978).

Also, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Mitchell Leisen’s Golden Earrings (1947) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Stephen has offered a look at George Nierenberg’s Say Amen, Somebody (1982) on Blu-ray from Milestone Video and Kino Lorber proper.

More reviews are forthcoming all week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them. [Read on here...]

We’re taking it a little easy here at The Bits this week, especially in this stretch between the holidays, so that our whole team can relax, unwind, and focus on family and whatnot. But we do have a good post today with release news, a new disc review, and a bit of a look ahead at a few new 4K UHD catalog titles that we expect to arrive sometime in the new year. As always, let’s start with the review first...

Stephen has given Paul Morrissey’s Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) an in-depth review in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome. The disc includes both 4K, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D in both polarized and anaglyph form (thanks to a restoration via the 3-D Film Archive). Sounds like it’s a nice set, but there’s a problem with the 4K disc in the package that’s being corrected (replacement discs will be issued in January sometime). The disc will be available for sale again on the company’s website early next year.

Now then, the big news we have is that Sony has finally officially announced both Ghostbusters: Afterlife for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 2/1, as well as the Ghostbusters Ultimate Collection 4K UHD/Blu-ray box set (including Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, and Ghostbusters Afterlife) that same day. Note that the Ghostbusters Ultimate Collection will also include Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters: Answer the Call in 4K Digital, along with 4K Digital versions of the other films as well. All of these 4K UHD discs will include Dolby Atmos audio and both Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range. [Read on here...]

We’re just checking in this evening in with a quick Christmas Eve post to close out the week on a high note!

First order of business: I’ve just posted my in-depth review of Denis Villeneuve’s magnificent, pure-cinema science fiction epic Dune, which is coming soon in a demo-worthy 4K Ultra HD release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

And our own Michael Coate has turned in a great new History, Legacy & Showmanship column in which he celebrates the 75th anniversary of Frank Capra’s beloved holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, with a roundtable of historians that includes Thomas A. Christie, Steve Cox, and Joseph McBride.

You cinema fans out there should dig both of those items I think, so please do share and enjoy!

And rest assured that we’ll be back with more news and reviews next week, after the holiday.

With that, on behalf of all of us here at The Digital Bits, I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas!

Peace out!

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)

It’s a little crazy here at The Bits this week, so today’s news post is going to be a quick one. But we’ve got some more new disc reviews for you, more announcement news, and some new cover artwork too. First the reviews...

Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Harry Keller’s The Brass Bottle (1964) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Stephen has delivered a look at Alfred Hitchcock’s Number Seventeen (1932), also on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Tim has reviewed Jimmy Wang Yu’s The Chinese Boxer (1970), a Shaw Brothers title new on Blu-ray from 88 Films, as well as Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s Summer of 84 (2018) on 4K Ultra HD from Gunpowder & Sky.

All of these are work a look, so do check them out if you’re interested. [Read on here...]