Items filtered by date: August 2019

We’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews coming over the next week or so, starting with a couple later today. So be sure to watch for them.

We do have a new History, Legacy & Showmanship column from our own Michael Coate today, celebrating the 50th anniversary of TV’s classic The Brady Bunch. It features a new interview with historian Herbie J. Pilato, and is well worth a read if you’re a fan. You’ll find it here.

Meanwhile, we’ve got a bunch of release news to report today, so let’s get started...

First up, our friends at The Home Theater Forum have revealed that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is going to be releasing Farscape: The Complete Series – 20th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray on 11/19. The set will include all 88 episodes of the series along with 15 hours of extras and – at long last on BD here in the States – the series finale miniseries Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. The aspect ratio is 1.33 for most of the series, but the last season and film are 1.78. Audio will be DTS-HD MA 5.1. Extras will include audio commentary, featurettes and documentaries, director’s cuts, TV promos, etc. We don’t know if this will be a complete carry-over of the previous DVD and BD extras, but we’ll have to wait and see. You can see the cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]

“The Brady Bunch is ’comfort TV’ to the highest degree.” — Classic TV historian Herbie J Pilato

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the premiere of The Brady Bunch, the classic family sitcom which originally ran on ABC from 1969 to 1974 and starred Florence Henderson as Carol/Mom, Robert Reed as Mike/Dad and Ann B. Davis as housekeeper Alice.

The series (and ultimately franchise) — created by Sherwood Schwartz (Gilligan’s Island, It’s About Time) and featuring as the memorable Brady kids Barry Williams (Greg), Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Christopher Knight (Peter), Eve Plumb (Jan), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) — premiered 50 years ago this month, and for the occasion The Bits features a Q&A with classic television historian Herbie J Pilato, who offers some recollections and insight into the timeless series. [Read more here...]

All right. So first things first: Apologies for the lack of a post yesterday and on Friday. My wife and I have both been dealing with different types of family crises over the past week, so those have been demanding my attention.

But… in order to get a little bit of a break from the stress of it all, I went to see Ad Astra yesterday in Dolby Cinema.

WOW, do I wish I had my $20 back.

Now, I love the realistic spaceflight/science fiction genre. It’s kind of my whole milieu.

And I was really looking forward to Ad Astra, encouraged by all the rave reviews and the promising trailers.

But having now seen it, I really have to get my thoughts about it out before I have a brain aneurysm. [Read on here...]

We’ve been talking about this release for months now based on industry sources and retail leaks, but it’s finally official: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and MGM have set 007: The Daniel Craig Collection for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/22.

The set will include Casino Royale (in its extended unrated version), Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and SPECTRE.

Audio is DTS-HD Master Audio, but the discs will include Dolby Vision HDR.

Extras will be limited to audio commentary by the crew on Casino Royale, and two audio commentaries (one by director Sam Mendes and another by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and production designer Dennis Gassner) on Skyfall. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a couple interesting bits of release news for you today...

We’ve learned that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing a Cobra Kai: Seasons 1 & 2 – Collector’s Edition DVD set on 11/12, complete with bonus scenes, gag reels, Easter eggs, and 4 featurettes (Fists & Fury: Fight Choreography, Into the Dojo: The Characters, Cast Chemistry Reads, and Exploring the Musical Identities of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do with Composers) as well as Musical Performances at the Whiskey a Go-Go with Guest William Zabka. And the package will include a reversible headband. You can see the cover artwork at left.

The title will also be available digitally that day, but – and this is confirmed – there is no Blu-ray release planned. (Please direct your complaints to the relevant studio via social media.) [Read on here...]

All right, the big news today is that our friends at the Criterion Collection have just announced their December Blu-ray and DVD release slate. And it includes a film that I’ve been waiting for a long time on Blu-ray... the extended director’s cut of Wim Wenders’ melancholy sci-fi road movie Until the End of the World.

I have so much love for the film and managed to record a TCM showing of it a couple years ago on my DVR. I’m glad I’ll finally be able to free up the drive space! Here’s the full slate...

Look for Stephen Roberts’ The Story of Temple Drake (Spine #1006 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Ronald Neame’s Tunes of Glory (Spine #225 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 12/3, followed by Wim Wenders’ Until the End of the World (Spine #1007 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy (Spine #1008 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 12/10. We’ve updated the relevant pages of our Criterion Spines Project here at The Bits accordingly. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some more new reviews for you today, and some interesting news as well. So let’s get to it.

First up, the reviews...

I’ve offered my thoughts on Luc Besson’s Anna on 4K Ultra HD from Summit and Lionsgate.

And Tim has turned in looks at Roy Ward Baker’s Scars of Dracula (1970) on Blu-ray, a Hammer title from Scream Factory, as well as Scream’s Humanoids from the Deep Steelbook Blu-ray.

With a little luck, we’ll have at least a couple more reviews tomorrow as well, so be sure to check back.

We’ve also got a street date update for you on a few titles: Look for Warner’s It: Chapter Two on BD, DVD, and 4K on 12/10. Lionsgate will release Red Heat on 4K on 10/8 (coming from Studio Canal in the UK). And Fox is expected to release The Art of Racing in the Rain on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K on 11/5. [Read on here...]

All right, we have more new disc reviews for you today... and we’ll have a few more tomorrow as well. On tap this afternoon are...

My thoughts on Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2 on 4K Ultra HD from Marvel and Disney. (And yes, I am working on Iron Man3, and I’ll be reviewing Dr. Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the original Ant-Man in 4K when they street early next month too.)

Dennis’ take on Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy The Dead Don’t Die on Blu-ray from Focus Films and Universal.

And Tim’s look at Aldo Lado’s 1972 giallo film Who Saw Her Die? from Arrow Video.

Enjoy, and be sure to check back tomorrow for more disc reviews! And now for some release news... [Read on here...]

We’ve got no less than three new disc reviews today, including my own thoughts on Disney’s classic animated Aladdin (1992) in 4K Ultra HD.

We also have Dennis’ take on Guy Ritchie’s new remake of Aladdin (2019) on both Blu-ray and (with my assistance on the technical side) 4K Ultra HD. We hope you enjoy.

And just so you know, there will be more disc reviews every day this week, including both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD titles. So be sure to watch for the next batch starting tomorrow morning.

In announcement news today, Paramount has just set Night Hunter for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 10/15. The film stars Ben Kingsley, Henry Cavill, and Alexandra Daddario. [Read on here...]

We’ve got more new disc reviews for you today, including...

My thoughts on Marvel’s new Thor and Thor: The Dark World on 4K Ultra HD.

My thoughts on the Disney Movie Club’s exclusive new Blu-ray release of The Black Hole (1979).

Tim’s take on Second Sight Film’s new all-region Blu-ray release of Disney’s Flight of the Navigator (1986).

And Dennis’ thoughts on Universal’s new Blu-ray release of Tate Taylor’s Ma.

Don’t forget that Tim also posted his thoughts on Warner’s Scooby-Doo: Where Are You? – The Complete Series Blu-ray box set on Monday as well. More reviews are in the works. [Read on here...]