Also here at the site today, we’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List with new information on a number of upcoming 4K titles, as well as our Release Dates & Artwork section, which features lots of new Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD 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 Bits and we really do appreciate it.
Now then... if you read Tim’s review of Scream’s Halloween II in 4K, you’ll be aware that there appears to be a video glitch that some people are experiencing about 40 minutes into the film. It seems to be very hit or miss, as we’re getting reports from people who are having the issue and from those who aren’t as well. Shout! Factory says they’re unable to replicate the issue, but they’re continuing to look into it. We’ll update the review as we learn more.
Meanwhile, some of you that have purchased Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s new Blu-ray box set of Smallville: The Complete Series are reporting that the set includes two copies of Disc 25 (Season Seven, Disc 1) and no copy of Disc 26 (Season Seven, Disc 2). We did not receive the title for review from Warner, but rest assured we’ve passed on these reports to the studio. So they’re aware of the issue. If the studio gets back to us with information on how people can get their missing Disc 26, we’ll let you know.
In announcement news today, Paramount has officially set the animated Beavis and Butthead Do America for its first every Blu-ray release on 12/7 in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary. All of the legacy DVD special features will carry over.
Paramount has also set Ernest R. Dickerson’s Juice (1992) for 4K Ultra HD release on 1/11/22, in honor of its 30th anniversary. The 4K release will include a Blu-ray copy with the legacy special features, plus a Digital copy code. There’s no word yet on the HDR and audio formats, so assume HDR10 and the previous audio mix unless otherwise announced. You can see the cover artwork below.
Unfortunately, while Paramount has also promoted the 25th anniversary of Anthony Minghella’s Best Picture-winning masterpiece The English Patient, there are no current plans for a 4K Ultra HD release. It is however available in HD digitally and it’s also been re-issued on Blu-ray by the studio.
The studio is, however, re-issuing Planes, Trains, and Automobiles in a new Steelbook Blu-ray edition on 11/23.
In other release news, Universal has made Nia DaCosta’s Candyman official for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/16, with the Digital release expected on 11/2. Look for Dolby Atmos audio and both HDR10 and HDR10+ on the 4K Ultra HD. Extras on the Blu-ray SKUs will include an alternate ending, deleted and extended scenes, and 7 featurettes (Say My Name, Body Horror, The Filmmaker’s Eye: Nia DaCosta, Painting Chaos, The Art of Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Terror in the Shadows, and Candyman: The Impact of Black Horror). You can see the cover artwork above left and also below.
FUNimation has revealed that its November Blu-ray and DVD release slate will include Fire Force: Season 1, Fire Force: Season 2 Part 2, and The Rising of the Shield Hero: Season 1 on 11/2, followed by Akudama Drive on 11/30.
Capelight Pictures is releasing Jörg Adolph’s The Hidden Life of Trees on Blu-ray and DVD on 11/2.
Capelight in Germany is also releasing some interesting 4K Ultra HD titles in that country, including A River Runs Through It and The Lover (1986) on 12/3, followed by the Netflix original film The Ice Road on 12/30. They also apparently just released Paul Michael Glaser’s The Running Man (1987) in 4K, though it’s not available on Amazon Germany. You can see the cover art for the first three below (with Amazon.de links).
We’ve also heard from our industry sources that No Time to Die is likely to street on Blu-ray and 4K on 12/21 from Universal, while Dune: Part One is likely to follow on disc on 1/11/22 from Warner Bros.
Speaking of Dune, the film apparently made over $40 million in its theatrical debut weekend here in the States, so Legendary has just officially green-lit the much-anticipated sequel. Dune: Part Two is now expected to hit theaters on 10/20/2023. You can read more here via Variety.
Finally today, if you enjoyed Dune as much as we did here at The Bits, you’ll probably appreciate this too: Directors Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve recent had a 30-minute conversation about the film after a screening at the DGA and you can listen to their complete conversation here via the DGA’s podcast. Enjoy!
We’ll leave you with a look at the cover artwork for a few of the titles mentioned above and more, with Amazon pre-order links if available...
Back tomorrow with more. Stay tuned...
(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)