Displaying items by tag: Via Vision Entertainment

We start as always today with several new disc reviews, including…

Sam Cohen’s take on Poul Bang and Sidney W. Pink’s Reptilicus (1961) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.

Stuart’s look at Something Weird Video and Kino Classic’s double-feature Blu-ray of The Pace that Kills (1928) and its “talkie” remake The Cocaine Fiends (1935).

Dennis’ reviews of Clarence Brown’s Idiot’s Delight (1939) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and Chad Ferrin’s Night Caller (2021) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Stephen’s thoughts on Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.

And last but definitely not least, Tim’s review of Arrow Video’s new UK-only release of Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991) in 4K Ultra HD, which corrects the color space issues that plagued the Kino Lorber Studio Classics 4K disc from 2021.

More reviews are forthcoming tomorrow, so be sure to watch for them!

Now then, the big news today is that Franklin J. Schaffner’s Planet of the Apes (1968) has just been upgraded to 4K on all your favorite Digital services, including Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Movies Anywhere, Kaleidescape and more! It actually has Dolby Vision HDR on Apple TV (and it may elsewhere as well). Naturally, we’ve asked about the possibility of a physical 4K release of this film. I suspect there are no current plans, but I also suspect that if the title does well on Digital, that could change. [Read on here...]

We’re starting Tuesday off here at The Bits with three new disc reviews for all of you to enjoy, including...

Dennis’ look at Arkasha Stevenson’s The First Omen (2024) on Blu-ray from 20th Century Studios.

Stuart’s thoughts on Teruo Ishii’s Prison Walls: Abashiri Prison I-III (1965) on Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment.

And Stephen’s take on Don Seigel’s original sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

In announcement news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has revealed a few more great new catalog releases, including Sidney Lumet’s Garbo Talks (1984) and Claude Autant-Lara’s Enough Rope (1963) on Blu-ray on 10/15, followed by William Friedkin’s Rules of Engagement (2000) and Peter Collinson’s Fright (1971) on 4K Ultra HD, as well as Carlo Carlei’s Fluke (1995) and Andre Gower’s Wolfman’s Got Nards (2018) on Blu-ray on 10/22. And coming soon to 4K Ultra HD from the company is Roy Ward Baker’s Scars of Dracula (1970), while coming soon to Blu-ray is the Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXV box set which features John H. Auer’s The Flame (1947), City That Never Sleeps (1953), and Hell’s Half Acre (1954). [Read on here...]

Morning folks! We’ve got some great release news for you today! And unfortunately, my neighborhood here in SoCal is experiencing some kind of major power disruption (I’m looking at like 20 utility tricks outside my office window right now) or I’d have had this up for you all last night.

First, some new disc reviews, as always…

Stuart has taken an in-depth look at Imprint’s excellent new Blu-ray box set of the classic British sci-fi TV series The Prisoner: The Complete Series (1967-1968). In short: It’s excellent. Do give it a look.

Also, our new team member Sam Cohen has reviewed Peter Hyams’ Narrow Margin (1990) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Tibor Takács’ Sabotage (1996) on Blu-ray from the MVD Rewind Collection!

And more reviews are on the way this week, including (but not limited to) Furiosa and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in 4K, so be sure to watch for those soon.

Now then… Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has just officially announced the 4K Ultra HD release of two popular M. Night Shyamalan films on 10/22! Here’s the official press release (which continues below the break)…

TWO ICONIC M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN FILMS, THE SIXTH SENSE
AND SIGNS, ARRIVE ON 4K UHD FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!

IN ADDITION, A SPECIAL BUNDLE INCLUDING UNBREAKABLE WILL
BE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT DIGITAL RETAILERS

THE SIXTH SENSE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS!

BURBANK, CA. (August 26, 2024) – The Sixth Sense and Signs, two iconic thrillers from Oscar-nominated director, M. Night Shyamalan, will be available for the first time ever in stunning 4K UHD digital on August 27, and 4K UHD Blu-ray disc on October 22. The original negatives for both films were scanned at 4K resolution and restored in High Dynamic Range (HDR). [Read on here...]

We’ve got two new disc reviews for you today, as well as some great release news. But first those reviews...

Dennis has turned in his thoughts on director Leslie Fenton’s Saigon (1948) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. The film stars Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.

And Tim has taken a look at the new Wes Craven Film Collection on Blu-ray from Via Vision Entertainment down under, a region-free box that includes Deadly Blessing (1981), The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), and The People Under the Stairs (1991).

And now for that great piece of release news: We’ve been wondering for a while now who was going to be releasing Toho’s outstanding Godzilla Minus One (2023), directed by Takashi Yamazaki, on physical media here in the States, and now we know... it’s Toho themselves!

Toho has decided to release their excellent 4-disc box set Godzilla Minus One: Blu-ray Deluxe Japan Collector’s Edition to US customers exclusively on Godzilla.com! For $65, you’ll get the exact same box set that was released in Japan (and that our own Stephen Bjork reviewed here at The Bits back in May) in the same packaging, simply re-authored with English menus and the option to select the theatrical release English subtitles for Godzilla Minus One and Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color. [Read on here...]

We start today with more new disc reviews, including...

Stephen’s look at John Flynn’s Rolling Thunder (1977) and Kimberly Peirce’s Carrie (2013) in 4K Ultra HD, as well as Jonathan Kaplan’s Over the Edge (1979) on Blu-ray, all from Shout! Factory.

Stuart’s take on Ken Loach’s documentary The Spirit of ‘45 (2013) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome and Alain Cavalier’s Le Combat dans l’île (1962) on Blu-ray from Radiance Films.

And Dennis’ thoughts on Kino Classics’ Vitagraph Comedies Blu-ray, featuring 40 classic shorts on three discs.

Now then, in terms of actual announcement news, we’ve got a couple of items for you and they’re pretty great. But there’s even more unofficial news, that’s no less exciting! Let’s get to the actual announcement news first...

It starts today with word that Janus Films will be debuting a brand new 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s legendary epic Seven Samurai (1954) next month in New York and Los Angeles! You’ll be able to see it on 7/5 at the Film Forum in NYC and on 7/7 at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles. This is only my favorite film of all time. I will absolutely be at that Egyptian Theatre screening, and the fact that this restoration is now complete surely means that a physical 4K Ultra HD is coming later this year from Criterion as well. You can see the poster for this release at left, and the trailer is available for reviewing below the break. [Read on here...]

Our second news update of the day starts with a little bit of breaking news: Paramount has just made David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker’s Top Secret! (1984) and David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007) available in 4K Digital on Apple TV, Vudu, Kaleidescape, and more. Given the amount of effort Fincher puts into his remasters, we believe it’s safe to assume that Zodiac will be coming to physical 4K Ultra HD from Paramount sooner than later as well.

Zodiac, it should be remembered, was shot mostly in 10-bit RAW in 1080p HD (4:4:4) using the Thomson Viper FilmStream camera, along with some footage in 35 mm photochemical film (Super 35 format). But anyone who doubts that it could look great upscaled and remastered in 4K would do well to take a look at HBO’s Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season in 4K UHD (which we’ve reviewed here). The advantages of high data rate and low compression, combined with an HDR grade, could really make a difference. Zodiac in particular was very well lit and photographed. Personally, I’m eager to get a look at it.

Also today, Arrow Video has announced their August slate, which includes a UK-only 4K Ultra HD release of Michael Lehmann’s Heathers (1988) on 8/5, followed by a slew of titles on 8/26. Among them are Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado (1995) in 4K Ultra HD and The Mexico Trilogy box set (both in the UK, US, and Canada), which includes El Mariachi (1992) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) in Blu-ray, as well as the Desperado 4K. [Read on here...]

We’ve got three new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, including...

Tim’s take on Halloween II (1981) and Halloween III (1982) on Blu-ray from Via Vision Entertainment, as well as Hanna-Barbera’s animated Rockin’ with Judy Jetson (1988) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Watch for more reviews coming over the next few days.

In announcement news today, we have a few things to report. First, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has made Jan de Bont’s Twister (1996) official for 4K Ultra HD and 4K UHD Steelbook release on 7/9. As we’ve reported previously, look for Dolby Atmos audio, HDR10 high dynamic range, the new The Legacy of Twister: Taken by the Wind retrospective featurette with the director, and the legacy Blu-ray and DVD extras. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below.

Warner Bros. has also set Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers (2024) for Blu-ray and DVD release on 7/9, for Amazon MGM Studios. There’s no indication of special features on the release.

But we’re not yet done with Warner & MGM. Though they haven’t officially been announced yet, the studios have also just listed John G. Avildsen’s Rocky V (1990) and Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa (2006) for 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release on 7/16. The latter will include both the original Theatrical Version and Stallone’s new Director’s Cut. Both will offer HDR10 high dynamic range and DTS-HD Master Audio. Also listed for release that same day is a brand new Rocky: Ultimate Knockout Collection in 4K, which we expect will include Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, and Rocky Balboa. [Read on here...]

We have a new disc review for all of you to enjoy today here at The Bits...

Our own Tim Salmons has just weighed in on the Warner Archive Collection’s Looney Tunes: Collector’s Choice – Volume 1 Blu-ray, which includes 20 classic animated shorts from 1945 to 1959, among them some real rarities. Tim will be reviewing Volume 2 and Volume 3 on Blu-ray soon as well, so watch for those to follow in the coming days.

We’ve also updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits today with some new titles and Amazon.com pre-order links, so you’ll definitely want to check that out here.

And over on our Patreon page today, I’ve shared a feature entitled Steelbooks (And Why Hollywood Loves Them)! that looks back at the origins and history of Steelbook packaging, and why it’s become so popular with both the Hollywood studios and retailers. This post is free and open to everyone for a couple of reasons.

First, we want to give you all a taste of the kinds of content we’re creating exclusively for our paying supporters on Patreon. And second, we’re going to be running a poll on our Patreon page on behalf of a major Hollywood studio that wants your opinion on a Steelbook project they’re considering. That will appear in the next couple days there and it too will be free and available to all. [Read on here...]

We’re closing out the week with a bunch of new disc reviews and a ton of significant new title announcements as well from the likes of Arrow, Imprint, Sony, Shout! Factory, and more. But first, here are those reviews...

First, Stephen has delivered his in-depth takes on James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 (2023) on 4K Ultra HD from Marvel and Disney, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) on 4K UHD from Paramount, Russell Mulcahy’s Razorback (1984) on 4K UHD from Umbrella Entertainment, Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead (1980) on 4K UHD from Cauldon Films, and Dario Argento’s Tenebrae (1982) on 4K UHD from Synapse Films.

Stuart has chimed in with his thoughts on Henry Koster’s My Man Godfrey (1957) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Fred Zinnemann and John Sturges’ The Old Man and the Sea (1958) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Dennis has taken a look at Laura Tarruso’s About My Father (2023) on Blu-ray from Lionsgate, along with Cauleen Smith’s Drylongso (1998) on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.

Rest assured, we have even more new disc reviews coming next week, including Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, and several other titles.

Now then... in announcement news over the last couple of days, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set Frank Oz’s The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/24. Look for the film to be mastered in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos sound mix, both approved by Oz (the original English 5.1 and mono audio are also included). The 4K disc will also include a new audio commentary with Oz. This will be accompanied by a Blu-ray disc featuring the remastered film with 5.1 audio and 3 legacy special features (including an Interview with Jim Henson, Muppetisms: Miss Piggy & Kermit the Frog, and Muppetisms: Pepe and Fozzie Bear). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do in terms of release news today, in the wake of the recent Disney and Fox title announcements. So let’s get right to it...

Paramount has just set a pair of fan-favorite catalog films for release on 4K Ultra HD on 11/7... John Landis’s Trading Places (1983) and Richard Donner’s Scrooged (1988). We haven’t seen official announcements yet, so we don’t know for sure what the details are, but they’re now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. You can see the cover art at left and also below the break, where we’ll include the Amazon links. If the studio follows their usual release pattern however, the discs should include Dolby Vision HDR, DTS-HD MA soundtracks, and (possibly) the previously-released extras. It appears that Scrooged will not include a Blu-ray copy however—it’ll will be 4K UHD + Digital Code only.

Speaking of Paramount, their previously-announced South Park: The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season is finally available for pre-order on Amazon and you can see the cover art below.

Lionsgate has just announced a new John Wick: Chapters 1-4 Blu-ray collection for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on 10/17. All of the previous special features will be included.

Also newly-announced by Lionsgate for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital that same day is The Twilight Saga: The Complete Collection – 15th Anniversary Edition. Included will be Twilight (2008), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and the Breaking Dawn: Part 1 – Extended Edition (2022), as well as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012). The package will also include “three alternative artwork cards that can be swapped into the front cover of the package” and most or all of the previous legacy extras.

And here’s the big one: Lionsgate and AMC are releasing a massive The Walking Dead: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set on 10/17. SRP for this one is $209.97. You can see the cover artwork for all three of these Lionsgate sets below the break. [Read on here...]