Displaying items by tag: Back the Bits

Heads-up Bits readers! I’ll be participating in a Facebook Live stream later this afternoon (November 9, at 5:30 PM PST), hosted by our friends John Schuermann and Steve Crabb of THE SCREENING ROOM AV, and joined by famed AV calibrator Kris Deering (of DEEP DIVE AV) to talk about:

• The future of physical media – DVD vs. Blu-ray vs. UHD Blu-ray
• The future of “special features”
• Licensing titles to the boutique labels
• The latest on upcoming releases
• Best Buy’s actual market share
• How good is streaming vs. physical / Kaleidescape / “Purestream”?
• Plex / Zappiti
• ...and more! We’ll also be doing Q&A, taking live viewer and listener questions.

You can read more here at The Screening Room A/V’s promo page for the event:

https://www.thescreeningroomav.com/tsrav-video-podcast

And you can join us live this afternoon at this link:

https://fb.me/e/4VLzZ79RE

We hope to see you all there! –BH

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)

We have three more new disc reviews for you today…

First up, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Lucio Fulci’s The House by the Cemetery (1981) on 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video in the UK.

Also, Tim has posted his thoughts on Jess Franco’s Lorna the Exorcist (1974) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classic via their new Kino Cult line.

And finally, Stuart has weighed in with a review of Jack Smight’s Number One with a Bullet (1987), starring Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams, a Cannon title on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

There’s not a lot in the way of announcement news to report today, but we do have this: Paramount is releasing Lindsey Anderson Beer’s Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023) on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 12/19. Extras will include 5 featurettes (among them Origins, Fresh Blood, Death’s Design, Method to the Madness, and War Comes Home). You can see the 4K cover artwork at left.

CBS and Paramount are also preparing to release Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season Four on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/19. We don’t have the final cover artwork yet, but you can now pre-order the title on Amazon here. [Read on here...]

All right, I certainly hope you all had a lovely weekend. We’ve got some great new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, as well as some terrific release news.

Before we get to that, however, I wanted to make another pitch for those of you who’ve long read and enjoyed our work here at The Digital Bits to consider supporting the site via our new Patreon (or PayPal, if you prefer). We’re up to 127 subscribers now (with nearly 50 more followers), and we appreciate each and every one. (Next stop… 200!) So if you value what we do here—if you find that our work regularly brings a little bit of joy into your life as a fan of physical media—please consider subscribing to help us keep The Bits going indefinitely. I’m making regular—really almost daily—blog posts on Patreon, most of which are exclusive to our backers, and I’m trying to ensure that those complement what we do here on the website. So please consider joining us, and we thank you for the support!

Now then, let’s get to those reviews...

First, I’ve posted my thoughts on Apple TV’s For All Mankind: Season One, which is new on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, as well as For All Mankind: Season Two, which was released on Region B Blu-ray by Dazzler a few months ago. This is shaping up to be one of the great science fiction series, one that’s worthy of the legacy and spirit of optimism about the future that we all loved about classic Star Trek. It’s well worth your time.

Also, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Tod Browning’s Sideshow Shockers on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection, a disc that includes Browning’s Freaks (1932), The Unknown (1927), and The Mystic (1925).

And Stuart has delivered his take on Dan M. Kinem and Levi Peretic’s Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector (2013) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Note that I’m also working on a review of Sony’s new Rudy 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release, which is pretty great. More on that here soon. [Read on here...]

All right, today’s news update here is going to be a quick one, as I’ve got a couple disc reviews to start working on this afternoon. But first, we’ve got a couple more reviews to share with you this afternoon...

Tim has delivered an in-depth look at Brian De Palma’s Carlito’s Way (1993), which is now available in 4K Ultra HD from our friends at Arrow Video.

Tim’s also just posted his thoughts on Menahem Golan’s Enter the Ninja (1981), a Cannon Films actioner new on Blu-ray from the good people over at Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And I’m about to start work on reviews of Sony’s For All Mankind: Season One on U.S. Blu-ray, as well as their new 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release of David Anspaugh’s Rudy (1993), both titles I have a great deal of affection for. So watch enjoy today’s reviews, and watch for more here on Monday.

In terms of release news on this lovely Friday afternoon, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just signaled that their long-awaited 4K Ultra HD release of Ivan Reitman’s Kindergarten Cop (1990) is going to street on 1/23/24. It looks like they’re just awaiting the final cover artwork to share the news on their social media, but we expect that to happen anytime now. And thanks to Bits reader Brian B. for the heads-up. [Read on here...]

Good afternoon (or evening as the case may be), Bits readers! My wife and I had a houseguest here visiting yesterday, so today’s post is a little later than usual. But we’re starting as always with some new disc reviews...

First of all, on Monday I posted my thoughts on Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) on 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, and just today I added a couple of additional Editor’s Notes discussing one of the film’s key story points as well as the 4K video quality (which I’ve revised downward just a tad from A to A-, the reason for which is explained in my review).

Also, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Hideaki Anno’s (et al) Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) in 4K from GKids and Shout! Factory, and for those of you who aren’t familiar, he also gives you a good little primer on the topic.

Meanwhile, Stuart has weighed in with looks at William Dieterle’s The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and Richard Brooks’ The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s The Worst Ones (2022) on DVD from Kino Lorber.

Dennis has offered his take on Julian Schnabel’s Before Night Falls (2000) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive as well as Mark Pellington’s The Severing (2022) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

And finally, Tim has delivered an in-depth review of Kevin Connor’s Motel Hell (1980) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, Bits readers and welcome to the new week and, of course, Halloween Eve!

We’ve got a little bit of ground to cover here today, but first I wanted to personally thank all those of you who have signed up to support The Digital Bits via Patreon. Since we first launched our Patreon five days ago, we’re up to 77 backers (and 104 members total), and we really appreciate your support. It means a lot, and it will make a real difference here, let me tell you.

Already, I’ve decided on a couple things: I’m making regular (almost daily) blog posts exclusively for our Patreon supporters that are a little different than the kind of thing I post here and on our social media. For example... my first-take thoughts on things I’m hearing from sources (release news, industry developments, and the like), first impressions on new review discs that I’ve had the chance to look at (before I publish the full in-depth reviews here on the site), and other odds and ends—the kinds of things that offer you a essentially a more personal and candid look behind the scenes here at The Bits. I’m also making the occasional public post for all members there, with information that’s relevant to all our readers—the kind of thing I’m going to share here in a minute today (disc replacement news, a PS5 firmware update of relevance to disc fans, the occasional piece of significant breaking news). And we’ll add more Patreon-exclusive features over time as we get used working there, learning what kinds of perks are possible, and what we can do without dramatically increasing our workload.

Anyway, just know that we really, really appreciate those of you who are willing to support our work with your hard-earned money. Thanks to all 77 paying backers (here’s to reaching 100!) and thanks to all of you who are following us there.

Now then... I’m going to be spending the rest of my day working on a review of Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in 4K UHD for posting here hopefully tomorrow. But first, there’s some important breaking news... [Read on here...]

All right, we have just a couple of quick updates for you here at The Bits today, but first we have a new disc review...

Stephen has taken a look at Stephen Sommers’ G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) as newly-released on 4K Ultra HD by Paramount. Sounds like it’s a modest but decent upgrade over the existing Blu-ray, so do give it a look if you’re a fan.

Now then, in terms of announcement news, Lionsgate has set writer-director Janicza Bravo’s Zola for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on 9/14. Extras will include audio commentary with Bravo and editor Joi McMillon, the Y’all Wanna Hear a Story: Making Zola featurette, and deleted scenes with optional audio commentary.

Lionsgate will also release Twist on Blu-ray and DVD on 9/28. The film stars Lena Headey and Michael Caine. Extras will include The Artful Dodger: Twist’s Underworld featurette. [Read on here...]

All right folks, this is a day a lot of us have been waiting a very long time for. Let’s get right into what is arguably the year’s biggest news...

Our friends at The Criterion Collection have finally announced that their first titles on the physical 4K Ultra HD format will include David Lynch’s Mulholland Dr., Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, Jane Campion’s The Piano, Allen and Albert Hughes’s Menace II Society, Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell’s The Red Shoes, and Richard Lester’s A Hard Day’s Night! The first of these is expected to arrive in November (we believe it will be Mulholland Dr.) and will be officially detailed next week when Criterion announces its full November slate. The rest will follow in subsequent months (starting—we believe—with Citizen Kane in December, given that 2021 is the film’s 80th anniversary). Per Criterion, each of their 4K titles will include the film on both 4K and Blu-ray (with most extras on the Blu-ray, allowing the 4K disc to have maximum room for video and audio data). Select films will also feature Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.

Any way you slice it, this is outstanding news. We actually knew (thanks to our longtime industry sources) about three of those titles and had a pretty good line on a fourth. But by our reckoning, the fact that the company has announced no less than SIX 4K titles tells us that Criterion is seriously ALL IN on the Ultra HD format at long last. And that is the best news we’ve had all year for physical media.

But that’s not all of the news we have for you today, so let’s keep going! [Read on here...]

We’re starting today’s post as always with more new disc reviews...

In anticipation of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (I should have that 4K disc in hand for review sometime in the next few days), I’ve gone back to take a look at the director’s recently-remastered new 4K edition of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Ultimate Edition which was released in March by the Warner Archive Collection. The disc includes a revised HDR grade and a new variable aspect ratio presentation that includes 1.43 IMAX framing for select scenes. There’s a new commentary with the director as well, so it’s definitely worth a look if you’re a fan of the film.

Also today, I’ve given Gunpowder & Sky’s new US 4K release of the indie sci-fi film Prospect a look (an Ultra HD release that’s being distributed by Vinegar Syndrome). It offers a higher video bitrate than the German 4K release I’ve reviewed previously here, along with newly-produced extras and a nifty little in-universe booklet in the packaging. It’s highly recommended for fans of the film.

And because we’ve been getting a lot of questions about it: Yes, I will be reviewing Paramount and Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones: 4-Film Collection in 4K Ultra HD. The disc streets next Tuesday, we should have our review copy in hand sometime over the next several days. Rest assured, as soon as we have it, I’ll get that title reviewed here on The Bits post-haste. [Read on here...]

Let’s close out the week today with another new disc review and more release news...

First, Dennis has just turned in his thoughts on Cecile B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment, the 16th title in their Paramount Presents line. It sounds as if the remaster is a nice one, so do give it a look.

A quick disc update: FUNimation is now shipping out fixed replacement discs for their recent release of Akira in 4K Ultra HD. As some of you know, the original discs lacked the HDR option they were supposed to include. The new fixed discs correct this. My own replacement copy arrived a couple of days ago and I’m really pleased with the HDR grade overall, so I’m going to try to get a review of the fixed version up here at The Bits next week.

On a similar note, Amazon UK has just listed Speed for pre-order in 4K and naturally the cover artwork they’ve posted has caused still more confusion in that it correctly lists DTS-HD MA audio in the features grid on the back, but also (incorrectly) shows a Dolby Atmos logo. What’s more, there’s no mention of any special features. [Read on here...]