While we’re on the subject of 4K, Paramount is releasing a Star Trek Trilogy: The Kelvin Timeline Ultra HD box set on 7/15. And apparently it will include some extras that were previously Blu-ray exclusive to Target. You can see the cover artwork below. While we’re talking Star Trek and 4K, I sure as hell wish the studio would get around to releasing The ORIGINAL Timeline films in 4K. ’Nuff said.
Also today, Lionsgate has just announced The Walking Dead: The Complete Ninth Season for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on 8/20. Extras will include deleted scenes, 5 featurettes (Seasons Change, In Memoriam, The Whisperers: Behind the Mask, Rick Farewell, and Time Jump), Inside and Making of clips for every episode, and a bonus scene from the episode Evolution.
Here’s some great news... Shout! Factory has announced the 9/24 release of The Great Waldo Pepper: Shout Select Blu-ray edition! We LOVE this film here at The Bits and can’t wait to hear what they’ve got planned for it.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has also announced The Sun Is Also a Star for release on DVD on 8/20, with the Digital version due on 8/6.
For those of you who are fans of HBO’s Deadwood, we’ve learned that Deadwood: The Movie is now available Digitally. We’re waiting to hear if there’s a physical disc planned. (We believe there is, but it’s not yet announced.)
Now then... you may recall our enthusiasm for the recent Apollo 11 documentary, which we’ve reviewed on Blu-ray here at The Bits. I’ve just learned that iTunes now has it available for sale digitally in full 4K with HDR. (Thanks to Bits reader Glen O. for the heads-up!) Which means, just as I suspected, there IS a 4K master ready. And I have a strong feeling that not only will there be a 4K Ultra HD release of the film later this year (’cause reasons)... I also have a feeling it will be announced in the next 2-3 weeks, because the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing is on July 20th. So fingers crossed.
Finally, I’m mentioning this today in a sort of “just leaving this here” kind of way... but Lucasfilm just allowed The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to show (on 6/29) a 70 mm print of the original version of Star Wars in a double feature with Rogue One. As in the ORIGINAL original version, with Episode IV in front of the crawl but otherwise unmolested by special edition changes. Yes, you read that right. I’ve heard through the grapevine that George Lucas personally gave the okay for it. What else this might import, I would not yet dare to say. But I hear from friends that the screening was every bit as awesome as you’d expect.
All right, that’s all for now. Here’s a look at the cover artwork for some of the titles mentioned above and more (with Amazon pre-order links if available)...
With that... I’ll be back in a week. Meanwhile, be sure to check back daily for those new disc reviews. And for my fellow spaceflight enthusiasts, don’t forget that American Experience is running the three-part Chasing The Moon Apollo 11 documentary beginning on 7/8 on your local PBS station. You can pre-order it on Blu-ray here (street date 7/9).
Have a happy and safe 4th of July, for those of you here in the States, and a great week all around to the rest of you. Back soon!
-Bill Hunt
(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)