Displaying items by tag: Robert Wise

First things first this afternoon: I posted a review here at The Bits yesterday of John Sturges’ 1969 spaceflight drama Marooned on all-region import Blu-ray from the good folks at Imprint Films. It’s definitely worth tracking down for fans.

And I’ll have more new reviews this week as well, including my take on Criterion’s For All Mankind in 4K, which will be posted here on The Bits tomorrow.

Now then, let’s get to the main event for today’s My Two Cents update...

Last night I had the privilege of attending the debut screening of Robert Wise’s 4K-remastered Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition at Paramount, some 21 years after attending the premiere of the 2001 DVD version in the same theater. And I’m thrilled to report that it’s absolutely spectacular. [Read on here...]

All right, folks... it’s finally official! Here’s Paramount’s full press release for the Star Trek title we’ve all been waiting for...

Fully Restored Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture Makes Its Long-Awaited Debut

The Definitive Vision of Director Robert Wise Debuts Exclusively on Paramount+ April 5, 2022, in Celebration of First Contact Day

Film Arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in September with Extensive New Bonus Content

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – March 24, 2022 – Eagerly anticipated by Star Trek fans for over two decades, Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition will make its long-awaited debut exclusively on Paramount+ on April 5, 2022, in celebration of First Contact Day. [Read on here...]

We’ve got more new disc reviews for you today, starting with Tim’s look at the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D Combo from Random Space Media in Australia.

Also, Dennis has checked in with his thoughts on Robert Aldrich’s The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.

And I’ve turned in my thoughts on Umbrella Entertainment’s new all-region Blu-ray release of the Frank Herbert’s Dune Collection, which includes both Frank Herbert’s Dune (2000) and also Children of Dune (2003).

More reviews are on the way for tomorrow and all throughout the week, so be sure to check back for them.

Now then, neither Paramount, nor Paramount+, nor StarTrek.com have posted that trailer for the Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition yet, but they keep blocking trailer leaks on YouTube and social media, so one assumes it’s coming soon. In any case, we’ll be sure to share it here and on our social when it’s finally official. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some great new disc reviews for you today, along with some terrific announcement news as well. But first, as always, those reviews...

I’ve just posted my in-depth look at Francis Ford Coppola’s legendary The Godfather Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount. And let me tell you, the image restoration is breathtaking—as good as the 2008 Blu-rays were, this is almost a night and day difference. It’s really something. Best of all, the set includes all three films, including Coda (and two alternate versions of Part III as well), not to mention a wealth of new and legacy special features. There’s even restored mono audio on The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. This may very well be the 4K release of the year, so don’t miss it.

Also today, I’ve taken a look at Volume 3 and Volume 4 of ClassicFix’s 2K restorations of The Little Rascals shorts on Blu-ray. It appears that there will be 7 volumes total to release all 80 of the classic Hal Roach sound shorts, and Volume 5 is already slated for release on 4/5.

We’ve got more new disc reviews coming tomorrow and all this week, including Madman and The Sword and the Sorcerer in 4K and much more, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for those. [Read on here...]

We’ve got three more new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, starting with Tim’s look at Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run (1998), as recently released on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment. It’s an Aussie import title, but all-region.

Also today, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Alan J. Pakula’s The Parallax View (1974), which is newly released on Blu-ray from Imprint Films in Australia, also a region-free disc.

And Stephen has offered his thoughts on Shinsuke Terasawa’s animated Catwoman: Hunted in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the latest installment in their DC Animated Universe.

What’s more, we have another “bonus” film retrospective from our own Michael Coate today in his History, Legacy and Showmanship column, as he takes a look back at Robert Wise’s original West Side Story (1961) in honor of the film’s 60th anniversary. Michael is joined by film and musical experts Matthew Kennedy, Bruce Kimmel, and Mike Matessino for a great roundtable discussion. Enjoy! [Read on here...]

“West Side Story stands as a prime example of successfully rendering a stage musical in cinematic terms.” – Matthew Kennedy, author of Roadshow!

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 60th anniversary of the release of West Side Story, Robert Wise (The Sound of Music, Star!) and Jerome Robbins’ (The King and I, Gypsy) screen adaptation of the popular musical stage production inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and starring Natalie Wood (Rebel Without a Cause, Brainstorm) as Maria and Richard Beymer (The Diary of Anne Frank, Twin Peaks) as Tony.

The winner of ten Academy Awards including Best Picture, the most popular movie of 1961 and one of the most popular musicals ever also featured Russ Tamblyn (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) as Riff, Rita Moreno (The King and I) as Anita, and George Chakiris (The Young Girls of Rochefort) as Bernardo. [Read on here...]

We’ve got another new review for you today: Stephen has taken a look at Lewis Gilbert’s The 7th Dawn (1964), which stars William Holden and Susannah York. It’s now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Stephen has also posted a first for The Bits—A Blu-ray Review Supplemental—this one for his review from yesterday of Allan Arkush’s Get Crazy on Blu-ray, also from KLSC. After reading Stephen’s review, Arkush himself was generous enough to provide some additional background information on the remastering work and the making of the disc and its special features. If you’re a fan of the film, I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Now then... some release news: Kino Lorber Studio Classics has officially set their 4K Ultra HD of In the Heat of the Night for release on 4/19. You can see the cover artwork on the left. Note that this is one of KLSC’s 4K titles that will have SDR only, along with 5.1 and the original 2.0 mono audio. Extras on the UHD disc will include a new audio commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, along with Robert Mirisch (nephew of Walter Mirisch, and son of the Mirisch Company founder Harold Mirisch). You’ll also get the existing commentary with director Norman Jewison, cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and actors Rod Steiger and Lee Grant. [Read on here...]

A funny thing happened on the way to yesterday’s My Two Cents post! For some reason, I lost track of a day this week, so I thought yesterday was Friday. Then I wake up and here’s Friday again, much to my surprise. LOL. So anyway, while a bit of yesterday’s post still applies this afternoon, we’ve got some great breaking release news to share with you all today...

First up, the fine Imprint Films (down in Australia) has just announced their March 2022 Blu-ray slate, which is due to street on 3/30/22. It will include Sam Peckinpah’s The Osterman Weekend (1983 – mastered from new 2K scans of the director’s cut negative and the theatrical cut, so it will include both versions), Buzz Kulik’s The Hunter (1980 – starring Steve McQueen), Samuel Fuller’s China Gate (1957), Byron Haskin’s Conquest of Space (1955 – produced by George Pal), John Sturges’ Marooned (1969), Robert Wise’s Audrey Rose (1977), and Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun (1971). Not bad at all!

As usual, all of these Blu-rays should be region free. You’ll find them available here on the Imprint website.

But here’s the whopper today... Arrow Video has just announced its March 2022 slate as well, which includes no less than three new 4K UHD catalog titles! [Read on here...]

Today’s post here at The Bits is a quick one, as we have family visiting this week. However, we do have a little bit of release news and a couple more new reviews for you as well...

First up, I’ve given Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical love letter to rock music, Almost Famous, a look in a fantastic new 2-disc 4K Ultra HD Steelbook edition from Paramount. The remaster is gorgeous, the set includes two UHD discs—one each for the different versions of the film—it carries over all of the legacy extras, and it adds some new ones too. It’s a great set, so do give it a look if you’re a fan of the film.

Also, Stephen has reviewed Tony Scott’s True Romance as newly-released on 4K Ultra HD by Arrow Video, a UK import title that’s also apparently a pretty great remaster and worth considering.

And if you check back tomorrow, I’ll have a review of another 4K import title: Rian Johnson’s Looper from Entertainment One. [Read on here...]

Heads-up, folks!

No sooner did I post here on The Bits about that Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection cover artwork leak, I got an email back from Paramount with a link to the official Star Trek website with this news:

“Paramount and Paramount+ are excited to announce that a full restoration of the Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture has been greenlit.”

From the website... [Read on here...]