Also here at the site today, Russell Hammond has posted the weekly update of the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray and DVD cover artwork, and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order anything from Amazon through our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it!
We’ve got more cool announcement news today from Universal: The studio is releasing a new Clint Eastwood: The Universal Pictures 7-Movie Collection on both Blu-ray and DVD on 5/5, set to include High Plains Drifter, The Eiger Sanction, Coogan’s Bluff, Play Misty for Me, Joe Kidd, Two Mules for Sister Sara, and The Beguiled. Of these, The Eiger Sanction, Coogan’s Bluff, Play Misty for Me, and The Beguiled are new to Blu-ray here in the States.
While we’re on the catalog front, Warner Home Video is re-issuing John Ford’s Fort Apache on Blu-ray on 6/2. The film stars John Wayne and Henry Fonda. You can see the cover artwork below.
Lionsgate has officially announced Manhattan: Season One for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/7. Extras will include select episode audio commentaries with the cast and crew, and 4 featurettes (Ground Zero: Bringing the Bomb to Screen, P.O. Box 1663: Creating a City that Didn’t Exist, Now I Am Become Death: J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Recreating an Era: Manhattan Costume Design).
Lionsgate has also set A Most Violent Year for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/7. The film stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Both versions will include audio commentary with writer/director J.C. Chandor and producers Neal Dodson and Anna Gerb, deleted scenes, 3 featurettes (Behind the Violence, A Conversation with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, and The Contagious Nature of Violence: The Origins of A Most Violent Year), Inner City Crew outtakes, and the We Can Cure Violence PSA.
Our friends at the Warner Archive have just made Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) available on Blu-ray, along with They Gave Him a Gun (1937), The Murder Man (1935), Speed (1936 – the first film starring James Stewart), Bronco: The Complete Third Season (1960-61), and Road Rovers: The Complete Series (1996)on DVD. They have also just made Michael Collins (1997), Star 80 (1983), The First Deadly Sin (1980), and Lovesick (1983) available on DVD for the first time in widescreen. You can shop for these titles and more from Warner Archive at this link.
PBS Distribution has announced the DVD only release of Frontline: Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA on 3/24, followed by Frontline: Putin’s Way on 3/31.
And Entertainment One will release Grace on DVD and digital on 2/24.
In other news today, the TCM Festival is apparently world premiering FOUR new film restorations this year, including Apollo 13 (1995) and Spartacus (1960) from Universal, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) from Warner, and Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) by the Cohen Film Collection. Carl Davis is apparently going to conduct the world premiere of his new score for Steamboat Bill Jr. live during the screening. We’re doing a little digging to see which may get new Blu-ray releases in the coming months, so stay tuned. The TCM Festival runs from March 26th to the 29th in Hollywood. Visit this website for more information.
Here’s some more cover new BD cover artwork. Click on the covers to pre-order at Amazon...
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt