Also today, our own Russell Hammond has just updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking through any of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we truly appreciate it.
In release news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has confirmed the 10/4 Blu-ray and DVD release of AMC’s Preacher: Season One. Look for the Blu-ray to include deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, and 4 featurettes (The Unfilmable Pilot, The Stunts of Preacher, Chainsaw Fight Breakdown, and Behind the Killing Machine: Saint of Killers).
Sony has also set Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 10/4, with a Digital HD release expected on 8/30. Extras will include 4 featurettes.
Best of all, Sony has just announced the 10/4 Blu-ray release of Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town: 80th Anniversary Edition, complete with DigiBook packaging, audio commentary by Frank Capra Jr., a vintage advertising gallery, the original theatrical trailer, and the Frank Capra Jr. Remembers… Mr. Deeds Goes to Town featurette.
Moving on this afternoon, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has set Vikings: Season Four, Volume One for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 10/4 as well. You’ll get exclusive extended episodes on the Blu-ray, the BD exclusive The Sons of Ragnar Interactive Piece, as well as 2 featurettes (The Transformation of Rollo and The Viking Seafaring Prowess).
Paramount and DTS have announced that they’ve been working together (and will continue to going forward) to include DTS:X audio mixes on new Blu-ray titles from the studio, among them Daddy’s Home, The Big Short, Zoolander No. 2, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Speaking of Paramount, they’ve announced along with CBS and the Roddenberry Vault the release of Star Trek: The Original Series – The Roddenberry Vault on Blu-ray later this year, featuring all kinds of rare behind-the-scenes material from the Roddenberry Vault, much of it never seen before. The set will also include 12 classic episodes of The Original Series.
Arrow Video in the U.K. has announced the Region B Blu-ray/DVD Combo release of Joe Dante’s Matinee (1993) on 9/12. Click here for more details.
Here’s some more interesting news from director James Cameron: It seems he’s recently completed work on a new digital intermediate for the 3D re-release of Terminator 2 in theaters in October. It’s possible this could find its way to Blu-ray 3D at some point as well. More here via Variety.
I’d like to take a moment today to acknowledge the fine work being done lately by our friends over at FUNimation, who are delivering all kinds of great and rare Japanese anime titles to Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming. Anime isn’t something we talk about here at The Bits all that often, but the genre is huge, hugely popular, and hugely creative, and no one is delivering its gems on disc like FUNimation. Do check out their website here and I think you’ll see what I mean.
Finally today, I wanted to take a moment to talk about an exciting new development between The Criterion Collection and TCM Classic Movies. Together, they’re launching a new digital subscription streaming service, called FilmStruck, dedicated to making more independent, art-house, and international cinema titles and extras available to a wider audience. Criterion is also creating their own Criterion Channel streaming service, and the two will work hand-in-hand. Once The Criterion Channel is launched, it will offer digital access to Criterion’s carefully curated library of more than 1,100 films titles and extras, as well as newly created content that celebrates the cinephile love of film. Criterion’s Peter Becker explains more about this service today here in his introductory blog post. Do check it out.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt (@BillHuntBits)