Displaying items by tag: Bob Clark

We’re back as promised this morning with another big announcement news round-up (and definitely be sure to check out our packed news update from yesterday evening as well, if you missed it)...

We’ll start with Barbie news (and there’s a phrase I officially never imagined I’d say): Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has just set Greta Gerwig’s pink-hued box office bonanza for “Premium Digital” release on 9/12 (SRP $29.99). Extras will include 6 behind-the-scenes featurettes (Welcome to Barbie Land, Becoming Barbie, Playing Dress-Up, Musical Make Believe, All-Star Barbie Part, and It’s a Weird World). The physical media release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD will be announced at a later date (but our sources are still telling us to expect it on 10/3).

Also today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has officially announced that Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17 (1953) is coming on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 11/21! Also coming that day on Blu-ray only is Clive Donner’s Babes in Toyland (1986), featuring both 1.33:1 and 1.78:1 aspect ratio versions. And coming on 11/14 on Blu-ray only will be Monte Markham’s Neon City (1991).

Stalag 17 will include a new 4K scan of the original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR. The Blu-ray will also be mastered from the new 4K scan. Each disc will include new audio commentary with film historians Steve Mitchell and Steven Jay Rubin, as well as a second commentary with film historian Joseph McBride. You’ll also get the legacy commentary with Richard Erdman, Gil Stratton, and Donald Bevan, as well as 2 featurettes (Stalag 17: From Reality to the Screen and The Real Heroes of Stalag XVII B).

In terms of titles that are coming soon from KLSC, a 4K Ultra HD release of Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me (1971) is in the offing. And the company has revealed that Kino Cult and Something Weird are working together on a Two Cult Classics by Betty Page Blu-ray double feature of Varietease (1954) and Teaserama (1955). Look for that to street sometime in 2024. [Read on here...]

We’re kicking things off this week with a pair of new disc reviews...

Tim has posted his thoughts on Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves (1984) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory.

And Stephen has checked in with his take on Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s Best Picture-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) in 4K Ultra HD from A24 via Lionsgate.

In announcement and release news today, we have several interesting items for you...

First, our friends at MVD Entertainment have revealed the first 4K title in their MVD Rewind Collection, and it’s none other than Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing (1982)! Look for it to arrive on 7/25, and it will include both the Unrated International Version as well as the US Theatrical Version (which is rated PG). The title is also coming to Blu-ray that same day. You can see the cover artwork above left and also below.

Both versions are restored from new 16-bit 4K scans of the original camera negative, presented in the correct 1.85 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision HDR and audio in English 2.0 mono in DTS-HD Master Audio format (as well as Spanish mono). [Read on here...]

“A Christmas Story should be remembered as a small film that had a very large impact.” – Caseen Gaines, author of A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 35th anniversary of the release of A Christmas Story, the humorous and now-classic Christmas-themed film based upon the writings of Jean Shepherd and directed by Bob Clark (Black Christmas, Porky’s).

Featuring Melinda Dillon (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Darren McGavin (Kolchak: The Night Stalker) and Peter Billingsley (The Dirt Bike Kid) as Ralphie, A Christmas Story opened in theaters across North America 35 years ago this month, and for the occasion The Bits features a Q&A with a trio of historians and pop culture authorities who discuss the film’s enduring appeal. [Read on here...]

Welcome to our newest column addition Scream for a Week!

We here at The Digital Bits are big fans of Shout!’s Scream Factory division and, not unlike Todd Doogan’s Criterion Spines Project, we wanted to cover Scream Factory’s releases by catching up on a bunch that we’ve missed while acknowledging the previous ones. We’ll also be covering new ones here as well. This column will go up on a bi-weekly basis, so be sure to check back in another two weeks for another pile of Scream Factory goodness.

First up is a double feature of Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror, both terrific horror anthologies. Tales from the Crypt in particular contains one of the creepiest and more effective Christmas horror stories. Speaking of Christmas, new on the slate is a Collector’s Edition of Black Christmas, a title long sought after by Scream Factory fans and one that I believe many will feel was worth the wait. Also new on the chopping block is Jack’s Back, a great little thriller mostly forgotten by genre fans. Next is George A. Romero’s Monkey Shines, one of his most enjoyable non-Dead movies. And last but not least is a double feature of TerrorVision and The Video Dead, one of Scream Factory’s earliest releases and still one of their most fun. [Read on here…]