Displaying items by tag: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

I wanted to do something a little different here at The Bits today.

This being a Friday afternoon, and with the recent passing of Robert Duvall much on my mind, I wanted to call your attention to a film that I think features one of his finest performances.

But the sad reality is, thanks to studio apathy and/or a dispute between the film’s director and distributors (as reported here back in 2019), some of you may not even be aware of it.

First though, a bit of regular site business: We’ve got three more new disc reviews for you to enjoy here at the site today, including…

Dennis’ look at Don Siegel’s The Verdict (1946) on Blu-ray from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.

Stuart’s thoughts on Mabel Cheung’s An Autumn’s Tale (1987) on Blu-ray from Imprint Asia and Via Vision.

And finally, Tim’s review of Roy Ward Baker’s Scars of Dracula (1970) in 4K Ultra HD from Hammer Films via the good folks at Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

More reviews are on the way for next week (including one or two from yours truly), so be sure to check back for them.

All right… with that aside, let me tell you about a little gem of a film called Open Range (2003).

Based on the 1990 Western novel The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine, and featuring a screenplay by Craig Storper, this Kevin Costner-directed project was both a critical and box office success, if a modest one, and it currently holds a respectable 79% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes (with an audience rating of 84%). [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews for you today, including…

Tim’s looks at Marcus Nispel’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and Michael Gornick’s Creepshow 2 (1987) both in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video, as well as Mike Hodges’ Get Carter (1971) in 4K Ultra HD from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.

Stephen’s thoughts on Tsui Hark’s Peking Opera Blues (1986) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Studios’ new Hong Kong Cinema Classics line.

Dennis’s take on Daniel Petrie’s Lifeguard (1976) on Blu-ray from Paramount via Imprint Films, as well as Ryan Archibald’s Screamityville (2025) on Blu-ray from MVD Entertainment.

And finally, Stuart’s review of Peter Fleischmann’s Weak Spot (1975) on Blu-ray from Gaumont Distribution via Radiance Films.

Trust me when I say this next bit: We have a LOTN more reviews in the works from the entire Bits review team, so definitely be sure to keep checking back over the coming days.

Now then… my apologies for not sharing a My Two Cents post here on the site yesterday. I’d fully intended to have one up, and suddenly a bunch of calls, emails, and messages came in from sources and I found myself going down a rabbit hole of chasing down some really interesting bits of industry news and title release rumors. You’ll see the result of that effort here over the next couple of weeks.

In terms of today’s news items, here’s the big one: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has just finally officially announced the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital release of the animated The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) on 12/9, just as we expected and have been reporting for a few months now. [Read on here...]

Now here’s a title I’ve known about for a while, and that I’m very excited to finally share with all of you!

Longtime Bits readers will know that this film is another huge favorite of mine. And back in January of last year… not long before we first broke the exclusive news of the new Sony/Disney distribution deal here at The Digital Bits… I was invited by Disney reps to submit a list of films that I thought the studio should consider for release on physical 4K UHD.

I compiled a list of fifty titles, an A-list of twenty-five, and a B-list of twenty-five more.

Kevin Jarre, Kurt Russell, and George P. Cosmatos’ Tombstone (1993) was at the very top of that A-list.

The third film on that A-list was Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut (2005).

Both titles have now obviously been released on physical 4K Ultra HD from Disney/Touchstone and 20th Century Studios via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment—Tombstone on 4/22, and Kingdom of Heaven on 5/27. (Initial supplies of both titles are hard to come by, but I’m told that Sony is working hard to replicate more copies.)

Well… now I can confirm that the second title on the list I submitted is finally coming to 4K Ultra HD as well, and I couldn’t possibly be more excited. That title is none other than… [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 done a bunch of updating here at The Bits today, including our 4K Ultra HD Release List, which should now be up to date with all the latest announcements, details, and pre-order links.

We’ve also just done our weekly update of the Release Dates & Artwork section here at the site (thanks to our own Russell Hammond for that) which includes all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links.

As always, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at the site and we really do appreciate it!

Now then, the big news today is that Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has finally officially announced the 4K Ultra HD release of Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon (1987) on 6/24. [Read on here...]

Hot on the heels of Disney’s Tombstone 4K Ultra HD announcement (news of which we first broke here last month), there’s another great 4K catalog title from Disney that I couldn’t be more excited to reveal this morning!

As some of you longtime Bits readers may recall, way back in January of 2024—not long before we first broke the exclusive news of the new Sony/Disney distribution deal on here on the site—I was invited by Disney reps to submit a list of films that I thought the studio should consider for release on physical 4K Ultra HD.

I compiled a list of fifty titles—an A-list of twenty-five, and a B-list of twenty-five more—that I subsequently shared here on the site (back in March of last year).

Tombstone was at the very top of that A-list.

And the third title on that list... is one that I’m incredibly thrilled to reveal here for the very first time is officially coming to 4K disc in May—just over a month from now!

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN COMES TO 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY DISC FOR ITS 20 ANNIVERSARY ON MAY 27!

Grab the Director’s Cut Edition When It Arrives on May 27

BURBANK, CA (April 10, 2025) – The grit and drama of Ridley Scott’s epic Kingdom of Heaven Director’s Cut makes history come alive again when it plays out on digital retailers (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc as of May 27. [Editor’s Note: The 4K Steelbook is now available for pre-order on Amazon by clicking on this link.]

This stunningly restored and remastered Director’s Cut adds more gravitas and organic characterization to the historical masterpiece, a cinematic experience that is further plussed when seen in Dolby Vision and heard with Atmos. Visionary director Ridley Scott crafted a passionate and perilous tale of the Crusades that has made its mark on audiences for decades, but never before has it been shown in such high-definition sight and sound, deepening the experience for longtime fans and a new generation alike. [Read on here...]

We’ve got one new disc review for you to enjoy here at The Bits today...

Tim has updated Barrie Maxwell’s 2011 Criterion Blu-ray review of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le cercle rouge (1970) to reflect the company’s more recent 4K Ultra HD release. As long time Bits readers will know, Barrie was our dear friend and a classic cinema expert who wrote reviews and a Classic Coming Attractions column here at the site for many years. Barrie sadly passed away back in 2012. We can’t think of a better way to honor his memory than to ensure that his writing continues to find new audiences. So enjoy the review!

The big release news today is that our friends at the Warner Archive Collection have just announced their May catalog release slate, which includes not only great Blu-ray titles but also WAC’s next 4K Ultra HD release! That 4K title is none other than Charles Walters’ classic High Society (1956), starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong!

The film has been remastered from new 13.5K scans of the original VistaVision negative. The 4K disc will include Dolby Vision HDR on a 100GB disc, with disc authoring and compression by Fidelity in Motion. The remastered film will also be included in the package on Blu-ray, a BD-50. [Read on here...]

We have three more new disc reviews for you all to enjoy today, including...

Stuart’s look at John M. Stahl’s When Tomorrow Comes (1939) on Region-B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Films and Indicator.

Tim’s review of Jack Arnold’s The Glass Web (1953) on Blu-ray 3D from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, with an assist by our friends at the 3-D Film Archive.

And Stephen’s thoughts on Renny Harlin’s The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) in 4K Ultra HD from the good folks at Arrow Video.

More reviews are on the way this week, so be sure to watch for them!

Now then, I’ve also posted a new Patreon blog entry asking the question: Why Aren’t More 4K Ultra HD Titles Released on 100GB Discs? And the reason might surprise you! You’ll find that here for our subscribers on The Bits’ Patreon page. Keep in mind, we have great and very affordable options for subscribing, and we have big plans for expanding our coverage of 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD there in addition to everything we do here on the website. And as I mentioned yesterday, it’s a great way to help support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it very much. [Read on here...]

Heads up, Bits readers: The news we broke last night here at site is now official… here’s Disney’s press release and final cover artwork for their 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release of Tombstone… [UPDATE: Pre-orders are live now on Amazon via this link, and via Amazon UK here.]

HELL’S COMIN’ TO TOMBSTONE ON 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY DISC

Classic Cowboy Cinema Takes Aim on April 22, 2025

BURBANK, CA (March 20, 2025) – Justice is coming when the legendary epic action-adventure, Tombstone, rides again on April 22 on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc. The film has been meticulously remastered and restored, allowing audiences to experience every gun battle with stunning visuals and immersive sound. Tombstone will also be available on digital platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Originally released in 1993, this is the first 4K rodeo for Tombstone, triggering viewers to witness all the dustups and defilement of the Wild West in crisp visual detail unlike ever before. Without having to skin a smoke wagon, Tombstone’s audience will get a peek behind the saloon doors to see how Director George P. Cosmatos and his gang of filmmakers brought the historic O.K. Corral into theatrical reality, including the storyboard process and realistic Old West gun-slinging. [Read on here...]

This is a day I’ve been waiting for a very long time for.

A couple of weeks ago, I learned from a good friend (a fellow home video industry veteran) that one of my favorite films had recently received a new 4K scan of the original camera negative and a full digital remastering.

This was something I’d heard previously was likely to happen this year, but this chat was the confirmation that not only was the news true, the work was essentially already done.

Suffice it to say, it made be very happy.

But I wasn’t sure if the studio in question had any actual release plans for the film, either on 4K disc or Digital.

So naturally, I started asking around about it with additional sources.

And yesterday morning, I learned that this film is indeed getting a physical 4K release.

It’s happening very soon.

And now I’m REALLY happy.

The studio in question is Disney. And the film I’m referring to is none other than… [Read on here...]