Let’s start with the big news today... Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Studios have just officially set Star Wars Rebels: The Complete Fourth Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/31. The Disney XD series, which just won a Saturn Award last night for this its final season, wraps up with all 15 episodes in 1080p HD and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

Extras on the Blu-ray set will include six audio commentaries with executive producer Dave Filoni, 3 featurettes (Ghosts of Legend, Force of Rebellion, and Kevin Kiner: The Rebel Symphony), plus 8 Rebels Recon segments. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below.

Before we continue, a quick note: We’ve just updated the Release Dates & Artwork section once more here at the site with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-orders. As always, any time you order literally anything from Amazon or Amazon.co.uk (click here) through our links it goes to help support our ongoing work on The Bits and we appreciate it. [Read on here...]

The 43rd Annual Saturn Awards were held last night in Burbank, California, and we got the list of winners for you today. More on that in a moment.

First though, Tim has turned in a look at George Bowers’ horror film The Hearse (1980) on Blu-ray, newly released by Vinegar Syndrome.

Also, in a brief bit of announcement news, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just set unveiled a big slate of catalog 4K Ultra HD titles due for release in September. On 9/5, Minions will arrive on the format, followed on 9/12 by Jordan Peel’s Get Out , single-film 4K editions of The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, The Purge: Three-Movie Collection, Van Helsing, and Dracula Untold. We’ll post additional details and cover artwork as soon as its available. [Read on here…]

“Rocky deserves to be celebrated first because of how it’s always made people feel: capable and empowered. Then there’s the fact that it’s also a cultural landmark. Rocky gave us the fanfare, the song, and the proper use of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s front steps.” — I, of the Tiger author Eric Lichtenfeld

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective article commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of Rocky, the award-winning and franchise-inspiring boxing classic starring Sylvester Stallone as the titular character.

Directed by John G. Avildsen (The Karate Kid, Lean on Me) and produced by Irwin Winkler & Robert Chartoff (Raging Bull, The Right Stuff), Rocky showcased memorable performances by Carl Weathers as opponent Apollo Creed, Talia Shire as love interest Adrian, Burgess Meredith as trainer Mickey, and Burt Young as friend and Adrian’s brother Paulie. Nominated for ten Academy Awards (and winning three including Best Picture), the film made a star out of Stallone, featured Bill Conti’s rousing music, turned millions of moviegoers on to boxing, and created a newfound purpose for the steps leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. [Read on here...]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to follow us on Twitter @thedigitalbits @BillHuntBits and on Facebook here and here. And you can help support The Bits by pre-ordering Blu-rays and other items from Amazon through this link.]

Okay, we’re rounding out the week with a little title announcement catch-up. My plan had been to post a new UHD review each day all week, but then of course it became obvious that the Star Wars Blu-ray announcement was about to happen and that threw off the plan, as such things often do. I do have a review of Sony’s 4K UHD Blu-ray of Chappie in the works, which is a true 4K title, and I’ll have that for you Monday. Look for more UHD reviews next week as well.

That said, our own Tim Salmons has just posted a review of one of my favorite films of 2015, Ryan Coogler’s Creed, which is now available on Blu-ray from Warner Home Video. It’s a great film with tons of heart – a Rocky sequel that actually stands on its own beautifully. Stars Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone really shine in it. Do give it a look.  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

I am very hard at work on my review of The X-Files: The Complete Series on Blu-ray, so today’s update will be brief.

But our own Tim Salmons has turned in his Pick-Ups thoughts on Lionsgate’s outstanding Hannibal: Season Three on Blu-ray, complete with a superb batch of special features produced by our own friend Cliff Stephenson. Don’t miss it!  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

All right, we’ve got a busy week ahead of us! First of all, this is Comic-Con week down in San Diego, so we expect a lot of good genre titles to be announced or promoted on Blu-ray this week at the convention.

Speaking of which, Terminator Genisys is now officially available for pre-order on Blu-ray 3D Combo and Blu-ray on Amazon.com (sale price $31.99 and $22.99). No street date is official yet, but we expect one to be announced in the weeks ahead.  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

We’ve got a bit of good Blu-ray release news for you today, and a new Bits staffer too! First the news…

Anchor Bay Entertainment has set The Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/25 (SRP $79.99 and $69.98). That’s the regular edition and, as always, there will be another McFarlane Toys Limited Edition too that will be announced shortly.  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

We’re closing out the week today with official details about our Digital Bits panel down at San Diego Comic-Con! As many of you know, the Con announced the Thursday (7/9) program schedule yesterday, and we’re on it. Here’s our official panel description:

1:00-2:00 (Thursday, 7/9/15) Digital Bits Blu-ray Sneak Peek: Star Trek: Axanar

Join Digital Bits editor Bill Hunt, veteran Blu-ray/DVD producers Charles de Lauzirika (Twin Peaks, The Martian), Cliff Stephenson (Hannibal, The Hunger Games), and Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation Blu-rays), and executive producer Alec Peters (Star Trek: Axanar), as they discuss major upcoming Blu-ray titles and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray developments, and explain the groundbreaking process of creating studio-quality independent Blu-ray releases, including the new Prelude to Axanar: Special Edition. We’ll have audience Q & A and lots of great giveaways – don’t miss it! Room 23ABC   [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

Well... the last 24 hours have been a little crazy for movie fans, haven’t they? I attended Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim yesterday for the big panel of the morning, at which the new Episode VII teaser trailer was revealed by producer Kathleen Kennedy and director J.J. Abrams. Some background on my personal experience: The night before, great friends both old and new gathered for a pre-convention dinner. My wife Sarah and I were there, along with veteran Blu-ray producers Charles de Lauzirika and Cliff Stephenson, and Alec Peters and Diana Kingsbury of Propworx and Star Trek: Axanar fame. (Unable to attend because of work, BD producer Robert Meyer Burnett was there in spirit.) We learned that fans had actually started lining up to attend the panel earlier that morning so, somehow or other, it was decided that we should probably get in line ourselves around 5 AM in order to make sure we made it into the room. And, somehow or other, everybody was game for it. So get in line we did, along with thousands of others: Myself, Alec, Diana, Charlie and Cliff, joined by Chris Gore of Film Threat. We posed for a selfie to commemorate the insanity (at left – taken by Alec).  [Read on here…]

Anyone interested in some new Blu-ray reviews to start the week?  Our own Tim Salmons has checked in today with a pair of them featuring a look at a couple of Criterion titles in high-definition, including David Maysles and Albert Maysles’ Rolling Stones concert film Gimme Shelter and also the new special edition of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights.  Both are now available on BD, so enjoy!

Meanwhile, pre-orders are now on for Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips from Sony at this link on Amazon.  Disney’s Thor: The Dark World and Summit Entertainment’s Ender’s Game are also both up for pre-order on BD on Amazon.  [Read on here…]