Now then, are any of you fans of the HBO Max streaming series Hacks, staring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder? It hasn’t been released on Blu-ray or DVD here in the States, but Via Vision Entertainment is releasing the first season of the series on DVD in Australia on 12/22.
If any of you older Bits readers remember the old Raymond Burr TV series Ironside, Via Vision is releasing that show on DVD as well, starting with Ironside: Collection One (available now) which includes the first four seasons on 29 discs.
In other news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just officially set Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 2/22/22.
It appears that Universal is finally going to release Downton Abbey: The Motion Picture on physical 4K Ultra HD here in the States on 3/8/22, no doubt as a way to promote the forthcoming theatrical release of its sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era, on 3/18.
Lionsgate has set a Steelbook 4K version of The Punisher (2004) for release on 1/25/22.
A little sooner than that, The Cinema Guild is expected to release Hong Sangsoo’s The Woman Who Ran on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/28.
RLJE Films will release The Dry, starring Eric Bana, on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/18/22.
And the MPI Media Group will release Woody Allen’s Rifkin Festival in theaters and on Digital on 1/28.
A couple of follow-up notes on titles we’ve discussed previously... Warner Bros. is now indicating that its Mad Max 2 4K replacement program should start shipping corrected discs in February if all goes smoothly with replication.
Also, it seems that there’s an audio problem with Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ recent 4K Ultra HD release of Hard Target (1993) as well. They’re producing a corrected disc and expect to have it available in the next 30-45 days. If you have the original disc and would like to receive the new fixed one, you can request a copy via their website here. Note that the Blu-ray included in the packaging is just fine as it is—the issue only impacts the 4K disc.
Finally today, a bit of sad news: It seems that Monkees singer and guitarist Michael Nesmith has died. He passed away today of heart failure at his home in California. As it happens, Nesmith and fellow Monkee Mickey Dolenz had just completed a “farewell” tour this year, with their last show here in LA less than a month ago. Nesmith was 78. You can read more here at The New York Times.
That’s all for this week. Have a good weekend, everyone. Peace out.
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