More reviews are on the way tomorrow, and all next week, so be sure to watch for them.
Now then, in announcement news today, Passion River has set the music documentary Punk the Capital: Building a Sound Movement for Blu-ray and DVD release on 6/12. The film traces the birth of the punk rock scene in Washington DC from 1976 to 1983, featuring bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Void, and more. That should be cool if you’re a music fan.
Also, Arrow Video is going to officially announce their August slate of titles tomorrow, among them the long awaited 4K Ultra HD release of David Lynch’s Dune. Some of the details leaked online early this morning (based Zavvi listings which have since been pulled down), but I’m told those details are not complete or fully accurate. We’ve posted the cover art on our social media (here, here, and here) but we’re going to wait to post anything on The Digital Bits until Arrow actually makes their official announcement to ensure accuracy. So watch for those details here tomorrow AM.
Finally today, the big news in the home video industry is, of course, Amazon announcing that they have officially closed their deal to purchase MGM for $8.45 billion. From the announcement: “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of [intellectual property] in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team,” Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, said in announcing the deal. “It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.” What this means for the Bond franchise is yet to be determined, though EON Productions says that No Time to Die will still remain a strictly theatrical release. Keep in mind that EON still controls 50% of the Bond franchise, including creative decision making. One thing we do hope is that the new infusion of cash from Amazon will encourage MGM to get much more active about restoring their catalog of classic film titles, some of which are in dire need of proper preservation. In any case, you can read more this afternoon here at Variety and here at Deadline Hollywood.
And that’s really all for now. Check back later for our Animal House 4K review, and tomorrow for Arrow’s August release slate details and more disc reviews.
Stay tuned...!
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