Displaying items by tag: Titanic 4K

I’ve been thinking a lot, in recent days, about the future of physical media.

Frankly, I can’t recall a time in this industry that’s offered greater cognitive dissonance than this past week, which began with the news that Best Buy is exiting the disc business—and saw a Digital Bits headline on the subject appear in Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show monologue—but ended not only with the release of Barbie and The Exorcist in 4K, but also with the Ultra HD announcement of Titanic, The Color Purple, and Oppenheimer, to say nothing of the revelation (by Kino Lorber Studio Classics) that Stanley Kubrick’s earliest films are coming to the format!

What’s the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities again? “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.” Charlies Dickens was nothing if not a visionary.

This coming December, I’ll mark my twenty-sixth year as editor of The Digital Bits, and my thirty-fifth as a working professional in the business of media more generally. For most of that time, I’ve had a front row seat from which to view the ebbs and flows of the disc business—both its public-facing portion, as well a singularly-unique insider’s perspective. I launched The Bits website in 1997, at the height of LaserDisc and the dawn of DVD, to create a nexus between fans of these formats and the industry professionals who create them.

Soon afterwards, I gave the world its first look at Circuit City’s pay-per-view DIVX format, then led the crusade against it. I co-led a campaign that convinced George Lucas to begin releasing his beloved Star Wars films on DVD. I reported from the trenches on—and correctly predicted the outcome of—the high-definition format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. And I’ve covered every minute of the Golden Age of Physical Media, the rise and stumbles of Digital and streaming, and the continuing adventures of our favorite little format that could… 4K Ultra HD. [Read on here...]

All right, believe it or not, even after the insanity that’s been the last couple of days, we still have a bit more new release news to catch you all up on here at The Bits...

First things first… Lionsgate has officially set The Expendables 4, aka Expend4bles, for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/21. There will also a trio of retail exclusive versions, including an Amazon 4K with lenticular cover, a Best Buy 4K Steelbook, and a Walmart Steelbook 4-Film 4K Collection. All 4K versions of Expend4bles will offer Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio on a 100GB disc. Extras on the Blu-ray and 4K SKUs will include audio commentary with director Scott Waugh, 2 featurettes (Bigger, Bolder, Badder: The Expendables in Action and More Than a Team: New Blood Meets Old Blood), plus the film’s theatrical trailer. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below.

Lionsgate has also set Kevin Greutert’s Saw X for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/21. Look for HDR10 and Dolby Atmos on the 4K SKU. Extras will include audio commentary (with director-editor Kevin Greutert, cinematographer Nick Matthews, and production designer Anthony Stabley), the 6-part Reawakening documentary (includes I Want to Play a Game: Bleeding New Life into the Saga, This Time It’s Personal: Characters and Casting, Another Time, Another Place: Locations and Cinematography, There Will Be Blood: Production Design and Make-up, Leave Nothing to Chance: Post-Production, and Live or Die: Release and Legacy), 2 additional featurettes (Drawing Inspiration: Illustrated Scene Breakdowns with Kevin Greutert and Make-Up Department Trap Tests), deleted scenes, and the film’s theatrical trailer. Again, you’ll find the cover art below. [Read on here...]

All right folks... this is a title we know that many of you have waited a very long time to see released on this format, but now it’s finally official.

Paramount has just announced James Cameron’s TITANIC (1997) for release in 4K Ultra HD & 4K Limited Collector’s Edition on 12/5!

Here are all the details…

TITANIC

Debuts on 4K Ultra HD December 5th

Limited-Edition Collector’s Box Set Also Available

Revisit James Cameron’s epic masterpiece TITANIC when it arrives for the first time ever remastered on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc December 5, 2023 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

[Editor’s Note: The title will be released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment internationally, so watch for a separate announcement by them outside the U.S.]

The beloved, worldwide phenomenon won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and continues to attract new fans 25 years after it was originally released. Now, viewers can experience all of the drama and spectacle in stunning 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack for the finest visual and audio presentation at home.

TITANIC will be available nationwide in a two-disc set that includes the film on 4K Ultra HD, plus a Blu-ray Disc boasting more than five hours of new and legacy bonus content, including new interviews with James Cameron, star Kate Winslet, and producer Jon Landau. The set also includes access to a Digital Ultra HD copy of the film. [Read on here...]

We’re starting our first big news update of the week here at The Bits with some new disc reviews, as always. So now available for your reading enjoyment are...

Stephen’s in-depth reviews of both the wide release 4K Ultra HD and the Disney Movie Club-exclusive “quad” 4K Ultra HD release of Walt Disney’s classic animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The good news is that Disney’s positive change in direction with 4K catalog releases is officially no fluke—the disc features absolutely beautiful 35mm film remastering with lovely grain structure and wonderfully vibrant colors.

Stephen has also turned in a review of Michael Cimino’s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, which also features terrific new remastering.

And Stuart has delivered a look at Norman Taurog’s Spinout (1966) on Blu-ray from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.

As always, more new reviews are on the way later this week, so be sure to watch for them.

Now then... in announcement news today, the Criterion Collection has officially revealed their January 2024 release slate. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some interesting release news for you today, as well as updates on forthcoming 4K catalog titles we’ve been tracking for a while, and of course more new disc reviews. So let’s get to the latter first...

Our own Stephen Bjork has posted his in-depth review of Loki: The Complete First Season in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Marvel Studios and Disney. The short version is that the studio really does seem to have done this title right, in terms of AV quality, which bodes well for forthcoming Disney+ streaming series in 4K UHD.

Stephen has also turned in a look at Barry Levinson’s Rain Man (1988) in 4K Ultra HD from the MVD Marquee Collection.

And Stuart has delivered his take on Kino Lorber Studio Classic’s Audie Murphy Collection II on Blu-ray, which features Sierra (1950), Kansas Raiders (1950), and Destry (1954).

In terms of new release news, we’re hearing from retail sources that Universal’s forthcoming Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer (2023) will arrive in stores on 12/19.

Lionsgate has also delayed their 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray release of Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt (1963) from 9/26 to 10/24. Adjust your plans accordingly. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do in terms of release news today, in the wake of the recent Disney and Fox title announcements. So let’s get right to it...

Paramount has just set a pair of fan-favorite catalog films for release on 4K Ultra HD on 11/7... John Landis’s Trading Places (1983) and Richard Donner’s Scrooged (1988). We haven’t seen official announcements yet, so we don’t know for sure what the details are, but they’re now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. You can see the cover art at left and also below the break, where we’ll include the Amazon links. If the studio follows their usual release pattern however, the discs should include Dolby Vision HDR, DTS-HD MA soundtracks, and (possibly) the previously-released extras. It appears that Scrooged will not include a Blu-ray copy however—it’ll will be 4K UHD + Digital Code only.

Speaking of Paramount, their previously-announced South Park: The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season is finally available for pre-order on Amazon and you can see the cover art below.

Lionsgate has just announced a new John Wick: Chapters 1-4 Blu-ray collection for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on 10/17. All of the previous special features will be included.

Also newly-announced by Lionsgate for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital that same day is The Twilight Saga: The Complete Collection – 15th Anniversary Edition. Included will be Twilight (2008), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and the Breaking Dawn: Part 1 – Extended Edition (2022), as well as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012). The package will also include “three alternative artwork cards that can be swapped into the front cover of the package” and most or all of the previous legacy extras.

And here’s the big one: Lionsgate and AMC are releasing a massive The Walking Dead: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set on 10/17. SRP for this one is $209.97. You can see the cover artwork for all three of these Lionsgate sets below the break. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve some great announcement news today. We also have a MAJOR and exclusive 4K Ultra HD catalog scoop to share with you this afternoon here at The Digital Bits, and we’ve got the video to prove it! But first, a couple more new disc reviews...

Stuart has posted his thoughts on the BBC’s Maigret: Season 2 on Blu-ray from our friends at Network and Kino Classics.

And Dennis has offered his take on André Téchiné’s Wild Reeds (1994) on Blu-ray from the good people at Altered Innocence and Vinegar Syndrome.

So give those a look, and don’t forget that more reviews are on the way all week—be sure to check back from them. Now then, today’s great announcement news is that The Criterion Collection has just officially unveiled their June Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release slate. [Read on here...]

We’re rounding out the week here at The Bits with a few more new disc reviews, and some release news as well, including word of new 4K catalog titles, and updates on a title or two that we’ve talked about here previously in recent weeks. But first those reviews...

I’ve posted my thoughts on Wim Wenders’ stunning Wings of Desire (1987) which is now available in 4K Ultra HD from Curzon Film in the UK. The 4K remaster, which was done by the Wim Wenders Foundation, is absolutely stunning. Fans of the film may not realize this, but by the time the film was completed and being shown in theaters back in ‘87, the version we all experienced then was fully six generations away from original camera negative. But now, every inch of this film—save for the little bit of historical and newsreel footage that appears within it—is first-generation right off the negative. And it makes a huge difference, even over the previous Criterion Blu-ray. So if you’re a fan, this 4K release is definitely worth a look.

I’ve also reviewed Jack Ryan: Season Two on 4K Ultra HD, which was released last month on the format by Paramount (along with Season One which we’ve reviewed here). Season Three of the series recently dropped on Amazon Prime and we have word that it’s coming to both Blu-ray and 4K as well later this year.

Also today, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Adam Rifkin’s The Invisible Maniac on 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.

And we have more reviews on the way as well. I’m personally working on Shout! Factory’s recent WarGames and HBO’s House of the Dragon: Season One, both in 4K Ultra HD. I hope to post those reviews over the weekend or early next week. And the rest of the review team is working on new titles as well, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a couple more new disc reviews, some release news, and more big 4K Ultra HD catalog updates for you all this afternoon to start Christmas week off right. First up, the reviews...

I’ve taken a look at Blue Underground’s new wide-release 4K Ultra HD edition of Don Taylor’s The Final Countdown (1980), with a bit of help from our own Tim Salmons.

Dennis has turned in his thoughts on George Seaton’s The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics and also Daniel Mann’s The Rose Tattoo (1955) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films and Via Vision Entertainment.

And Stephen has delivered a look at Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers (2002) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory.

We’ve got a few more new disc reviews on the way this week before the holiday, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]