Displaying items by tag: Back the Bits

We’ve got one more new disc review to close out the week...

Stuart has turned in his take on Michel Boisrond’s Naughty Girl (1956) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics. It’s a French comedy starring Brigitte Bardot.

And more reviews are forthcoming, including possibly starting this weekend. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled both here and on our various social media (including @billhuntbits and @thedigitalbits).

Now then, the big news today is that our friends at Arrow Video have just unveiled their January Blu-ray and 4K slate.

And as you might expect, it includes a couple of long-awaited gems, as well as a few titles other labels have released previously (but Arrow always makes their own versions special). [Read on here...]

All right, our news update for this afternoon begins with a few more new disc reviews, including...

Dennis’ take on Steven Shainberg’s Secretary (2002) on Blu-ray from Via Vision’s Imprint Films, along with Richard Crine’s Synanon (1965) on Blu-ray also from Imprint Films.

And Stuart’s review of Roger Donaldson’s Marie: A True Story (1985) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

We’ve also posted our weekly update of the Release Dates and Artwork section here at The Bits (last night—thanks to our own Russell Hammond for his hard work on it), which features all the latest 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 (like this one), you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it!

In more announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just revealed the Blu-ray and DVD release of Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock – Season 1 on 11/19! This will include all 14 episodes with English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, audio commentary on 3 episodes with puppeteers John Tartaglia and Karen Prell, a Blooper Reel, and 4 sing-a-longs. You can see the Blu-ray cover art at left. [Read on here...]

We’re starting today with a bunch of new disc reviews here at The Digital Bits, including...

Tim’s look at George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead (2005) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory.

And Stephen’s thoughts on Carlo Ledesma’s The Tunnel (2011) on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment and Vinegar Syndrome, as well as John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s Game Night (2018) on 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

We have more new disc reviews coming this afternoon and tomorrow as well, so be sure to keep watching for them.

We’re also going to be trying out a new approach to sharing these news updates here on the site. Rather than simply posting one long update a day, I’m going to try posting two shorter updates, one late morning (US Pacific time) and one later in the afternoon. The idea is that shorter updates are a little easier to manage, so I’ll be able to get breaking news up a little more quickly here. So be sure to check back later today for a second news post.

Now then... first up in announcement news today, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has officially set Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, and 4K UHD Steelbook on 12/17, with the Digital release due on 10/29. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

We have three new disc reviews for you this afternoon, including...

Sam’s take on Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s Focus (2015) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros.

Tim’s review of the new Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost (1999) and Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart’s thoughts on Sidney Lanfield’s You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) on Region B only Blu-ray from Powerhouse Films’ Indicator label in the UK.

As for release news, there’s not a ton of it to report today, however we do have a couple of fun items for you...

First, Paramount has officially set the animated Transformers One for release on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 12/17, with the Digital release expected tomorrow on 10/22. Extras will include 5 behind-the-scenes featurettes (including In the Beginning, World Building on Cybertron, Together As One, The Iacon 5000, and The Battle for Cybertron). You can see the cover artwork below the break.

Speaking of Paramount, they along with CBS have set Blue Bloods: The Final Season and Blue Bloods: The Complete Series for DVD only release on 12/17 as well. Extras on the final season will include deleted scenes, 2 featurettes (The Story of the Reagans and May the Road Rise Up to Greet You), and a gag reel. [Read on here...]

We’ve got three more new disc reviews for you to enjoy today as we close out the week, including...

Stephen’s look at the new I Walked with a Zombie/The Seventh Victim: Produced by Val Lewton 4K Ultra HD release from Criterion.

Dennis’ take on John Farrow’s Botany Bay (1953) on Blu-ray from our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Stuart’s thoughts on William Dieterle’s Red Mountain (1951) on Blu-ray also from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

In announcement news today, Imprint Films has just revealed a new trio of Imprint Asia Blu-ray releases for release in January (street date 1/8/25) that includes Jia Ling’s Yolo (2024), Sun Zhou’s Zhou Yu’s Train (2002), and the Erotic Ghost Story Trilogy (1990–1992) box set, which offers Lam Ngai Kai’s Erotic Ghost Story (1990), Peter Ngor’s Erotic Ghost Story II (1991), and Kai-Ming Lai’s Erotic Ghost Story III (1992). Those first two are available here in their very first appearances on Blu-ray anywhere.

Not to be outdone, Umbrella Entertainment’s February slate will include Jon S. Baird’s Filth (2013), Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game (1992), Kim Ki-duk’s Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring (2003), and E.L. Katz’s Azrael (2024) on Blu-ray, along with Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here (2017) in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray, all on 2/5. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some big announcement news to report today, as well as some very interesting industry news. But first, more new disc reviews...

Stuart has turned in his thoughts on Franco Zeffirelli’s The Taming of the Shrew (1967) on Blu-ray from Via Vision’s Imprint Films label, as well as Robert Clouse’s Black Belt Jones (1974) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Dennis has turned in a look at Todd Solondz’s Happiness (1998) on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.

Also here at The Bits today, we’ve posted major updates of our 4K Ultra HD Release List, as well as our Release Dates & Cover Art section, both of which feature all the latest Amazon pre-order links. So be sure to check those out, and remember that we’re an Amazon Affiliate which means that clicking through one of our links (like this one) before shopping for literally anything from Amazon is a great way to help support our work here at the site. It makes a BIG difference. So thank you!

Now then, speaking of Criterion, let’s get right to today’s big release news: Criterion has just announced their January 2025 release slate, and every single title will include 4K UHD! On 1/7, look for Yojimbo/Sanjuro: Two Samurai Films by Akira Kurosawa, which itself has no Spine # but which includes 4K UHD upgrades of Yojimbo (1961) (Spine #52 – 4K+BD) and Sanjuro (1962) (Spine #53 – 4K UHD + BD). Following on 1/14, you’ll get Jean Eustache’s The Mother and the Whore (1973) (Spine #1245 – 4K+BD, BD & DVD) and Richard Pryor’s Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) (Spine #1247 – 4K+BD & BD). On 1/21, look for Stephen Frears’ The Grifters (1990) (Spine #1246 – 4K+BD & BD). And finally, 1/28 will bring Anthony Mann’s Winchester ‘73 (1950) (Spine #1247 – 4K+BD & BD). You can see the cover artwork at left and below the break. [Read on here...]

Morning everyone!

Today is a holiday here in the States, so we’re giving the team a break. But we do have a bunch of new reviews that we’ve posted recently, including...

Tim’s look at Thomas Schlamme’s So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) in 4K Ultra HD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Dennis’ reviews of Alvin Rakoff’s Crossplot (1969) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films and Via Vision, and Harmony Korine’s Mister Lonely (2007) on Blu-ray from IFC Films and Vinegar Syndrome.

Sam’s thoughts on Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker (2022) on Blu-ray from Altered Innocence.

And finally, Stuart’s look at Philip Kaufman’s The White Dawn (1974) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics and Luchino Visconti’s L’Innocente (1976) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Meanwhile, in announcement news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has set a pair of much-loved Universal live action films for release on 4K Ultra HD, including Chris Noonan’s Babe (1995) and George Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City (1998). Both are “coming soon” to the format, with details TBA. [Read on here...]

Heads up Digital Bits readers: A bunch of new Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD titles have now become available for pre-order on Amazon.com, which has also been having sales on select titles this week for Prime members as well.

What’s more, it looks like the listed sale prices on some of the Disney and 20th Century Studios 4K titles are finally starting to creep down a little bit.

Knowing that many of you like and appreciate these pre-order links when we shared them (because boy—do we ever hear from you about them), here’s the latest batch...

(Don’t forget: The Bits is an Amazon Affiliate, so anytime you order literally anything from them after using our links, you’re helping to support our work at the site and we appreciate it.)

COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K UHD COLLECTION V3 (60% OFF!)
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0B9C847Z2/tag=thedigitalbits-20

COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K UHD COLLECTION V5
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0D9CJZCT7/tag=thedigitalbits-20

THE HITCHER (WARNER 4K)
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DJ3J6DQK/tag=thedigitalbits-20

THE HITCHER (WARNER BD)
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DJ3GLJG5/tag=thedigitalbits-20

ALIEN: ROMULUS (4K+BD)
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0D8LG1W31/tag=thedigitalbits-20

ALIEN: ROMULUS (4K+BD STEELBOOK)
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0D8LH17QL/tag=thedigitalbits-20

ALIEN: ROMULUS (BD)
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0D8LC2DJ6/tag=thedigitalbits-20.

Continued below the break... [Read on here...]

We’ve got several more new disc reviews for you here at The Bits today, including...

Tim’s look at Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers (2008) in 4K Ultra HD and Kevin Tenney’s Night of the Demons (1998) in 4K Ultra HD, both from Shout! Studios and Scream Factory.

Stephen’s look at Peter Hyams’ Capricorn One (1978) on Blu-ray from Via Vision’s Imprint Films and also their new Two Films by Wayne Wang box set which includes Smoke (1995) and Blue in the Face (1995) on Blu-ray.

Dennis’ thoughts on Basil Dearden’s Woman of Straw (1964) on Blu-ray also from Imprint.

And finally Stuart’s review of Elijah Drenner’s That Guy Dick Miller (2014) on Blu-ray from Dekanalog and Vinegar Syndrome.

More reviews are on the way, so be sure keep your eyes peeled from them.

Also here at The Bits today, we’ve posted our weekly update of our Release Dates & Cover Art section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD cover art 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 appreciate it. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some good 4K catalog news for you guys today, plus some more new disc reviews. But first, please allow me a brief diversion...

It’s been kind of a roller coaster week for me here at Digital Bits HQ. Last Tuesday, it became clear that one of our cats, a 17-year-old tortie named Maddie, was ailing and my wife and I needed to take her to the vet. We did immediately, and learned that she was in kidney failure—common for cats of that age. The vet recommended that we do sub-q fluids and feed her a special diet to try to get her to bounce back, which I spent most of last week administering. But by Friday, it became clear that she just wasn’t strong enough to. She’s always lived with a heart murmur, so when we adopted her the vet said she probably wouldn’t live a long time. Yet she almost made it to 18. Maddie definitely lived life on her own terms.

Anyway, we had to let her go on Friday, which was rough. Then on Saturday night, some friends invited us to join them for their 35th anniversary celebration, and that was wonderful. Then I got up at 6 AM to watch the Vikings play the Jets in London, and my team squeaked out a win—I’m a lifelong Vikings fan, having grown up in North Dakota, so their 5-0 record seems surreal. (And I’m just going to enjoy it while it lasts.) Last night, I convinced a friend—who is visiting his brother in Fargo—to drive out of town to see the Northern Lights; something he’s always wanted to experience. Well, experience it he did, and he shared pictures of it with me in real time. And today is my 57th birthday. So, it’s been a lot of good this past week, with a bit of really terrible. But I suppose that’s life.

All right, let’s knock out those disc reviews...

Stuart has offered his thoughts on Bert I. Gordon’s Empire of the Ants (1977) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Tim has taken a look at Roland West’s The Bat (1926) on Blu-ray from Undercrank Productions.

More are on the way, including my look at The Hitcher in 4K and also The West Wing: The Complete Series on Blu-ray, so do watch for those this week. [Read on here...]