Displaying items by tag: BFI

We’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews to share with you today here at The Bits, including…

My tag-team review (with Tim Salmons) of John Boorman’s Arthurian epic Excalibur (1981) in a long-awaited 4K Ultra HD release from Arrow Video.

Stephen’s thoughts on Jonathan Demme’s Married to the Mob (1988), Rachel Talalay’s Tank Girl (1995), and Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue (1997) each in 4K Ultra HD, from Cinématographe via Vinegar Syndrome, Vinegar Syndrome, and GKIDS via Shout! Studios, respectively.

Dennis’ look at Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And finally it’s back to Tim again for his thoughts on Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker’s Top Secret! (1984) in 4K UHD from Paramount.

More reviews are coming this week, so definitely be sure to check back for them.

Now then… we’ve got a bunch of great announcement news to cover here today as well!

We’ll start with official word that Lionsgate is distributing Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair widely on Digital next week, on 2/17. In fact, you can find it available for pre-order on Apple TV right now. We’re told the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD physical release is coming later this year from Lionsgate.

A24 has just announced that Josh Safdie’s Best Picture-nominated film Marty Supreme (2025) is coming soon to Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a ton of new disc reviews that we’ve shared here at The Bits over the past week, including…

My reviews of the fixed Superman: The Movie, Superman II, and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut 4K Ultra HD discs from Warner Bros.

My review (with Todd Doogan) of Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog (1949) on Blu-ray from the BFI, as well as my review (with Tim) of the new Back to the Future: 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set in 4K from Universal.

Stephen’s thoughts on Arūnas Žebriūnas’s The Devil’s Bride (1974) on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile, Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Godzilla: Deluxe Collector’s Edition (2016) from GKids, and Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45 (1981) on 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.

Tim’s reviews of Hanna-Barbera’s Wacky Races: The Complete Series on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, StudioCanal’s Dead of Night: 80th Anniversary Collector’s Edition in 4K Ultra HD, the first titles—One-Armed Swordsman (1967) and Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)—from Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume Three Blu-ray box set.

Dennis’ look at Mark L. Lester’s The Ex (1996) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics and John Cromwell’s The Racket (1951) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart’s take on Stuart Heisler’s I Died a Thousand Times (1955) and the Bette Davis Collection (which includes The Letter, Dark Victory, Jezebel, and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection as well as José Giovanni’s Last Known Address (1970) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

We’ve also got lots more new disc reviews coming today and all this week, so be sure to check back for them!

Now then… in announcement news today, the good people at Radiance Films have revealed that they’re releasing Richard Rush’s The Stunt Man (1980) in 4K Ultra HD on 2/23/26. The film will feature Dolby Vision HDR, and the package will include a bevy of new and legacy special features, including the acclaimed documentary The Sinister Saga of Making The Stuntman (2001). You can see the cover work above left. [Read on here...]

We’re starting as always with new disc reviews today, including…

My review of Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress (1958) in 4K Ultra HD from the British Film Institute.

Tim’s thoughts on Tibor Takács’ I, Madman (1989) on Blu-ray from Kino Cult, Imprint’s Flesh and Fantasy / Dead of Night Blu-ray box set, Brett Ratner’s Money Talks (1997) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, and Joel Schumacher’s St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) in 4K Ultra HD from Sony.

Dennis’ take on Roy Rowland’s Two Weeks with Love (1950) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and Cy Endfield’s Jet Storm (1959) on Blu-ray from Imprint.

And Stuart’s thoughts on Basil Dearden’s Out of the Clouds (1955) on Blu-ray from Indicator.

All right, first things first today: I did indeed receive my Superman: 5-Film Collection 4K check discs yesterday from Warner Bros. Customer Service. The four discs—Superman: The Movie, Superman II, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, and Superman IV—came in paper sleeves, wrapped in a layer of bubble wrap in a padded envelope (they shipped from Technicolor Valencia in Valencia CA). For the record, they look and sound great—it does indeed appear that all of the A/V issues that needed fixing have been fixed. I’ll post a review of a couple of the discs soon. So they are shipping out, and again: contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Make sure you include your mailing address and some kind of proof of purchase (an order screenshot, a product/packaging photo, etc). [Editor’s Note: Per Bits reader/filmmaker Oliver H, UK customers who need replacement discs can contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]

Also today, it does seem that in addition the Amazon-exclusive Superman: 5-Film Collection 4K Steelbook set, Warner will be re-issuing a wide-release version of the Collection on 10/21, along with a new re-issue of Superman: The Movie in 4K. And these should also be the new fixed discs. You can find the pre-order pages here and here. [Read on here...]

Good afternoon, Bits readers! We’re kicking things off this week with a number of new disc reviews, including…

My thoughts on Stephen Soderbergh’s Black Bag (2025) in 4K UHD from Focus Films and Universal as well as the recent stand-alone 4K release of Carol Reed’s Oliver! (1968) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Stephen’s reviews of Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) in 4K UHD from Universal and John Hancock’s Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971) in 4K from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Stuart’s look at William A. Wellman’s Track of the Cat (1954) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

More reviews are definitely on the way this week, including (tomorrow) my take on the BFI’s new 4K release of Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress (1958). So be sure to check back for them!

In announcement news today, we’ve got some great titles to share with you!

First, our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics have just revealed that they’re working on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray editions of Blake Edwards’ Pink Panther films—including The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)—all in honor of Peter Sellers’ centennial! The street date are TBA, but consider them all “coming soon.” [Read on here...]

We’ve got one last review for you to enjoy this week…

Dennis has offered his thoughts on Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass (1961) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

More reviews are forthcoming here at The Bits next week, so be sure to check back for them!

Now then, in announcement news today, our friends at Arrow Video have finally officially announced their November Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD slate, so let’s get into all the details!

As expected, look for Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil (2022) on Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 11/3, followed by Peter Hyams’ Outland (1981) on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (in the US, UK, and Canada) on 11/4 (11/3 in the UK), Chuck Russell’s The Mask (1994) on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (in the US, UK, and Canada) on 11/11 (11/10 in the UK), Wes Craven’s Deadly Friend (1986) on Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 11/17, Antony’s Hoffman’s Red Planet (2000) on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (in the US, UK, and Canada) on 11/18 (11/17 in the UK), and finally Billy Wilder’s The Apartment (1960) on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 11/24. [Read on here...]

Morning, everyone!

Before we get started today, we’ve got a few more new disc reviews to share with you…

I’ve turned in my thoughts on Lewis Gilbert’s You Only Live Twice (1976) in 4K from the MGM’s new Connery Bond 4K set, as well as Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo & Sanjuro (1961-62) in 4K from the BFI (a review co-written with Todd Doogan), and also Matt Schrader’s Score: A Film Music Documentary (2016) on Blu-ray from Gravitas Ventures.

Tim has reviewed Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree (1979) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis has checked in with a look at John Sturges’s Mystery Street (1950) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Bruce Robinson’s Withnail and I (1987) on Blu-ray from Criterion.

And finally, Stephen has offered his take on Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros., as well as Andrei Tarkovsky’s final film The Sacrifice (1986) in 4K from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And we’ve got lots more great new reviews planned for posting all next week here at The Bits, so be sure to check back then. [Read on here...]

We have more announcement news for you today, and more new disc reviews as well…

First, Tim has turned in his thoughts on Jim Isaac’s Jason X (2001) in 4K Ultra HD from New Line via Arrow Video, as well as the Warner Archive Collection’s excellent new Looney Tunes: Collector’s Vault – Volume 1 on Blu-ray!

I’ve posted a new review (with longtime Bits contributor Todd Doogan) of Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957) in 4K Ultra HD from the BFI.

And Stephen has delivered his thoughts on Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Abigail (2024) in 4K Ultra HD once again, but this time as released by Turbine Media in Germany.

Also here at the site today, we’ve posted another update of our Release Dates & Artwork section here at The Bits, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Don’t forget: The Bits is an Amazon affiliate, so anytime you order literally anything from them after clicking to them through one of our links (like this one), you’re helping to support our work here and we appreciate it! [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks! I wanted to check in here today with some news, and few more reviews, and an update.

Some of you have probably noticed that The Bits website has been slow this week. We’ve been having some software issues and our tech support team is on it. The good news is, they’ve identified the cause. We’re working on a solution which is going to involve a bunch of software upgrades, but it’s likely to going to take a week or two to sort out. So I just wanted to apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience in the meantime. Rest assured, Scotty and the crew down in Engineering are on the case and we should be back to normal soon!

In the meantime, we have some new disc reviews for you...

Stephen has taken a look at Bill Plympton’s I Married a Strange Person! (1997) on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile Films, as well as David Allen’s The Primevals (2023) on Blu-ray from Full Moon Features.

Dennis has offered his take on Steven Soderbergh’s The Good German (2006) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment (with an assist on the 4K side from Tim Salmons), as well as Dougal Wilson’s Paddington in Peru (2024) on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and Charles Walters’ Lili (1953) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Tim has reviewed Gordon Flemying’s Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1996) on Blu-ray from Severin Films.

Lots more disc reviews are definitely on the way, so be sure to watch for them. And I also wanted to let you know in advance that if news updates or social media posts are a little light over the next few days, it’s because I just got my hands on Warner and MGM’s new 007: James Bond – Sean Connery 6-Film Collection in 4K Ultra HD. So I’m going to crack that open and start working on detailed reviews of the films therein, but it’s probably going to take me through the weekend to get them all covered.

But if a cursory examination of Dr. No and From Russian with Love is any indication, these new 4K remasters are pretty terrific. They’re on 100GB discs, they feature very high data rates, and the color, detail, and grain are all very nice indeed. Fingers crossed, I think the Warner remastering team has nailed it. These are definitely a big improvement over the old Lowry Digital 4K masters. So watch for more on that in my reviews soon! [Read on here...]

In announcement news today, the big news is that Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has just set Jared Hess’ A Minecraft Movie (2024) for Digital release on 5/13, with the physical Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release set to follow on 6/24. A Limited Edition 4K Steelbook package will also be available.

The 4K disc will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio.

Extras will include 5 featurettes (among them Building the World of Minecraft: Block Party, Creepers, Zombies, and Endermen Oh My!, A Minecraft Movie: Block Beats, A Minecraft Movie: Pixel Pals, and Marlene + Nitwit). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below the break.

Also today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just set Bob Giraldi’s Hiding Out (1987) on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on 7/29. The film stars John Cryer and Annabeth Gish. [Read on here...]

We’ve got SIX more new disc reviews for you all to enjoy today, including...

Dennis’ reviews of Stanley Donen’s Arabesque (1966) in 4K Ultra HD and Dick Powell’s The Conqueror (1956) on Blu-ray, both from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Ryan Kruger’s Street Trash (2024) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, and Jonathan Mostow’s Breakdown (1997) in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount Home Entertainment (the 4K reviews with an A/V assist by Tim).

And Tim’s reviews of the third title in Arrow Video’s Shawscope: Volume Two Blu-ray box set—Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)—and also Bob Clark’s Murder by Decree (1979) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Speaking of Arrow Video, the company has just announced its June slate of Blu-ray and 4K titles, which includes Rowdy Herrington’s Road House (1989) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 6/2, Joseph Sargent’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 6/9, Dominic Sena’s Swordfish (2001) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK, US, and Canada) on 6/9, Peter Weir’s Witness (1985) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 6/16, and Alex Proyas’ Dark City (1998) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK, US, and Canada), Yoshiyuki Kuroda’s The Invisible Swordsman (1970) on Blu-ray (in the UK, US, and Canada), and Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) on Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray (in the UK only) all on 6/23. [Read on here...]