Displaying items by tag: VCI Entertainment

We’ve got a trio of new disc reviews to round out the week today, including...

My thoughts on David Anspaugh’s Rudy (1993) which streets in 4K Ultra HD from Sony next Tuesday (11/14), featuring not only the original Theatrical Version but also a new Director’s Cut that’s 13 minutes longer.

Stephen’s take on Chuck Russell’s 1988 remake of The Blob in 4K UHD from Shout! and Scream Factory.

And Dennis’ take on Ron Winston’s The Gamblers (1970) on Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment.

More reviews are on the way, including my own look at Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17 (1953) in 4K from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. So be sure to watch for those soon.

Also today, over on our Patreon we’ve kicked off an in-depth poll asking our supporters what video, audio, special features, and packaging options 4K Ultra HD fans value most on their catalog titles on the format. The poll will remain open until next Friday (11/17) at Noon Pacific, so if you sign up as a supporter between now and then, you can weigh in with your picks. And we’ll share the results here on the website.

We’re going to run these kind of polls regularly on Patreon, both for our own edification and also to provide that information to studio sources who might ask for it, so this is a great chance to make your opinions heard. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some interesting release news for you today, as well as updates on forthcoming 4K catalog titles we’ve been tracking for a while, and of course more new disc reviews. So let’s get to the latter first...

Our own Stephen Bjork has posted his in-depth review of Loki: The Complete First Season in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Marvel Studios and Disney. The short version is that the studio really does seem to have done this title right, in terms of AV quality, which bodes well for forthcoming Disney+ streaming series in 4K UHD.

Stephen has also turned in a look at Barry Levinson’s Rain Man (1988) in 4K Ultra HD from the MVD Marquee Collection.

And Stuart has delivered his take on Kino Lorber Studio Classic’s Audie Murphy Collection II on Blu-ray, which features Sierra (1950), Kansas Raiders (1950), and Destry (1954).

In terms of new release news, we’re hearing from retail sources that Universal’s forthcoming Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer (2023) will arrive in stores on 12/19.

Lionsgate has also delayed their 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray release of Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt (1963) from 9/26 to 10/24. Adjust your plans accordingly. [Read on here...]

All right, we have several more new disc reviews for you to close out the week today, and a bit more release news as well...

To start, Tim has turned in his thoughts on Paul Schrader’s Cat People (1982) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory.

He’s also reviewed Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness (1990) in 4K Ultra HD in both wide-release Amaray and Steelbook packaging, also from Scream Factory.

Stephen has taken a look at Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins (2021) on Blu-ray from Well Go USA Entertainment, as well as Jack Cardiff’s The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, and also Sergio Bergonzelli’s Blood Delirium (1988) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Dennis has offered his thoughts on Rick Rosenthal’s Distant Thunder (1988) on Blu-ray from Paramount via Imprint Films.

All of these tiles are worth a look, and as always more reviews are forthcoming in the days ahead. [Read on here...]

Today’s My Two Cents update begins as always with more new disc reviews...

Tim and I have taken a look at Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ new 4K Ultra HD upgrade of the classic Joseph Sargent heist thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), which stars Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau. Among other things, it’s a great New York City movie and if you’ve ever wondered where director Quentin Tarantino got the idea for his character names in Reservoir Dogs, look no further.

Also today, we’ve gone in-depth on Via Vision’s new Dirty Dancing: Limited Edition Steelbook 4K Ultra HD release, which takes Lionsgate’s already fine remastering work on the title and adds a few more extras via their own exclusive bonus Blu-ray Disc.

And Tim has also reviewed Bob Clark’s Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things: 50th Anniversary Edition in 4K Ultra HD from VCI Entertainment, which includes a new 4K scan and remaster but only Standard Dynamic Range, as well as Nico Mastorakis’s Nightmare at Noon (1988) on Blu-ray from our friends at Arrow Video.

More reviews are on the way tomorrow and beyond, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some great catalog 4K Ultra HD news to report today, but first we have one more new review...

I spent some time this weekend looking at Stanley Kubrick’s landmark war film Paths of Glory (1957) thanks to a fine new 4K Ultra HD release from our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics. For the first time, the image has been scanned from the original camera negative in native 4K—Criterion’s 2010 Blu-ray release was only a 2K scan of a fine-grain master positive—so this is unquestionably the best the film has ever looked at home. It’s a beautiful presentation and not to be missed by Kubrick fans and cinephiles.

All right, now for that catalog news... VCI Entertainment has set Bob Clark’s Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/11 as a new 50th Anniversary Edition. The release will include a new video introduction and Q&A with actor Alan Ormsby, along with a new 90-minute documentary on Clark’s horror films called Dreaming of Death. You’ll get lots of legacy special features as well. And you can see the cover artwork below the break. [Read on here...]

We have three more new Blu-ray reviews for you to enjoy today, starting with Stephen’s take on Daisuke Miyazaki’s Videophobia (2019) from Vinegar Syndrome.

Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Ulu Grosbard’s Straight Time (1978) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Dennis has also reviewed Patricia Birch’s Grease 2: 40th Anniversary Edition in the form of a new Blu-ray Steelbook from Paramount.

In announcement news today, Paramount has finally made their 8/9 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release of Event Horizon (1997) official. The title will include both Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range, 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio, and the following extras: Commentary by director Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt, the 5-part The Making of Event Horizon documentary, The Point of No Return featurette with director commentary, The Unseen Event Horizon featurette, Secrets (deleted and extended scenes with director’s commentary), the theatrical trailer, and a video trailer. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a quick update for you today, to report that Criterion has just announced their January 2020 Blu-ray and DVD titles.

They include: George Cukor’s Holiday (Spine #1009 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 1/7, Sidney Lumet’s The Fugitive Kind (Spine #515 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 1/14, Jean-Luc Godard’s Le petit soldat (Spine #1010 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 1/21, and Sidney Lumet’s Fail Safe (Spine #1111 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother (Spine #1012 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 1/28.

We’ve updated our Criterion Spines Project page here at The Bits to include them, and you can read more about each title on the Criterion website. You can also see the cover artwork below. [Read on here...]

All right, folks... we have some release news for you this afternoon.

But first, I’ve posted a review of Rob Reiner’s classic coming of age film Stand by Me on 4K Ultra HD. It streets on 8/27 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and it’s well worth a look. You can read more here.

The big release news today is that the Criterion Collection has announced their November Blu-ray and DVD slate, which is set to include Greg Mottola’s The Daytrippers (Spine #1001 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 11/12, Jean-Jacques Beineix’s Betty Blue (Spine #1002 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Paweł Pawlikowski’s Cold War (Spine #1005 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 11/19, and Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s All About Eve (Spine #1003 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Irving Rapper’s Now, Voyager (Spine #1004 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 11/26. [Read on here...]

(As I am writing this month’s column, word spread that the world had lost Nick Redman, a man of incomparable vision and love of classic films. He was a friend of mine and this entire website. I’ll write more next time.)

Maybe it was the mustache. Or the unscripted quips. Or the genteel Southern manner.

Or just maybe it was that laugh, a bombastic cackle delivered by one comfortable in his own skin – inviting his audience gut bust with him, as though they were all in a private joke.

That’s our Burt. And he’s, unbelievably, gone. [Read on here...]

Here at the site today, Tim’s got another new Blu-ray review for you: A look at The Lawnmower Man: Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory. The disc includes both versions of the film plus some very nice extras, so do give it a look.

In announcement news today, Warner Bros Home Entertainment has just unveiled their new Hanna-Barbera Diamond Collection line of DVD and digital releases, set to include a wave of “over 70 seasons of the most popular animated titles of the 50s, 60s and 70s, many of which have not been released on DVD and digital until now.” Some of these rebranded DVD packages have been available previously, including the likes of The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, and Yogi Bear, with more set to come through December of this year. All of this is being done to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s iconic animation studio. The WB press release doesn’t really indicate what may be coming that hasn’t yet been released, but I guess we’ll have to watch for announcements in the months ahead. [Read on here…]