All right, today is Election Day here in the States, which means that partisans on both sides (and everyone in between) are feeling grumpy, nervous, or just over the whole damn thing. Some folks this evening or tomorrow—or at some point in the next two months—will be happy-ish. But while none of this feels normal, it may actually be the new normal, and that too is unsettling for lots of people.
Given all of that, I wanted to share a post today here at The Digital Bits that might actually serve as a balm or a ray of sunshine for movie and 4K fans—or at least a bit of welcome news—no matter what the outcome of today’s voting might be. So stay tuned for that in a moment.
First though, we’ve got a trio of new disc reviews to share with you here today, including...
Stephen’s take on Robert Rossen’s All the King’s Men (1949) in 4K Ultra HD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s new Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 5 box set.
Dennis’ review of Robert Rossen’s Body and Soul (1947) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And Stuart’s thoughts on Alberto Cavalcanti’s Nicholas Nickleby (1947) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
More reviews are definitely on the way soon, including my own look at Arcane: League of Legends in 4K UHD from GKids and Shout! Studios. So be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]
This is a quick post to let you all know that our Release Dates & Cover Artwork section here at The Digital Bits has just been updated with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Don’t forget that you can select to see just the Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, or even Criterion titles seperately if you like, to help you find exactly the ones you’re looking for. Just click on RELEASE DATES & ART on the menu bar above to visit the page, and use the search options in the red bar (at the top) to sort by format and date. Once you find a title you like, just click on the cover art and you’ll be taken right to the Amazon.com pre-order page. Thank you for shopping through our links and don’t forget that anytime you order from Amazon through our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it! And thanks to our own Russell Hammond for the update work!
- Bill Hunt
Heads up, Bits readers! We’ve got big breaking news to report this afternoon!
Our friends at the Warner Archive Collection are about to announce their first-ever 4K Ultra HD catalog release, and it’s none other than John Ford’s legendary Western classic The Searchers (1956)!
The film stars John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, and Ward Bond.
The title will be available on 12/17 as both a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo (SRP $29.99) and a separate Blu-ray Disc release (SRP $21.99), each meticulously restored and remastered from the film’s original VistaVision negative!
Better still, the 4K disc has been compressed and authored by the fine team at Fidelity in Motion (FIM), with encoding specifically designed to fit UHD100 and BD50 discs, thus allowing for maximum data rates.
The 4K disc itself will include only the film and the audio commentary, so the image will have plenty of room to breathe. And the 4K disc will also be compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range.
Both the 4K and Blu-ray will include the film’s original mono audio track, “restored from the best available source materials to provide a clean and dynamic audio presentation.” [Read on here...]
All right, we’ve got two new long-form disc reviews to share with you today...
The first is my look at Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing: The Complete Series (1999-2006), which is finally available in a new 28-disc Blu-ray box set from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. The package is far from perfect, but for fans it’s still mostly be worth a look.
Also today, Stephen is celebrating yesterday’s 70th anniversary of Ishirō Honda’s original Godzilla (1954) by reviewing the new 4K Ultra HD release from Toho Studios via the Criterion Collection here in the US, a title that officially streets tomorrow.
In announcement news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just revealed that John Frankenheimer’s Reindeer Games (2000) is coming soon to 4K Ultra HD. In addition, Melville Shavelson’s Houseboat (1958) is coming soon to Blu-ray Disc. [Read on here...]
All right, we have FIVE more new disc reviews for you to enjoy on this lovely Halloween, including...
My thoughts on Robert Harmon’s The Hitcher (1986) in 4K Ultra HD from both Second Sight in the UK and also the Warner Bros. 4K release here in the States.
Stephen’s review of William Friedkin’s ironic The Exorcist (1973) in 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition Steelbook 4K UHD from Warner Bros. in the UK.
And Tim’s look at Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) in 4K Ultra HD from New Line and Warner Bros, as well as Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat (2007) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.
As always, more news reviews coming over the weekend and next week, including significant titles. There are just so many titles to cover right now that it’s a little bit overwhelming!
By the way, if you haven’t yet subscribed to our Digital Bits Patreon, we have a really good post over there that fans of catalog 4K releases will be certainly be interested in. Patreon is a great way to help support our work here at The Bits, so we really appreciate it. [Read on here...]
We have no less than six new disc reviews for you today, including...
Stephen’s look at Dario Argento’s Opera (1987) in limited edition 4K Ultra HD from Severin Films.
Stuart’s take on Jean Negulesco’s Jessica (1962) on region-free Blu-ray from Imprint and Via Vision, as well as Fernando Di Leo’s Madness (1980) on Blu-ray from Raro Video and Kino Lorber.
Dennis’ thoughts on Curtis Bernhardt’s Conflict (1945) and George Stevens’ I Remember Mama (1948) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.
And Tim’s look at James Signorelli’s Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.
Note that we have several more reviews coming tomorrow that are specifically Halloween-themed. And watch for more on Friday and over the weekend.
Now then, the big news today is that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just set Seinfeld: The Complete Series for release on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on 12/17 in honor of the series’ 35th anniversary! And here’s the cool part: while the Blu-ray will feature the episodes reframed in 1.78:1, the limited edition 4K set will feature them in the original 1.33:1 broadcast ratio. [Read on here...]
We have no less than four new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, and--surprise!--I even managed to finish one for a change...
First, Tim has taken a look at Sidney Lumet’s excellent Murder on the Orient Express (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Hanna-Barbera’s animated Top Cat: The Complete Series (1961-1962) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.
And finally today, I’ve shared my thoughts on M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs (2003), a tense and effective alien invasion thriller, on 4K Ultra HD from Touchstone Pictures, Disney, and Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
As always, more reviews are forthcoming this week, so be sure to stay tuned for them!
In announcement news this afternoon, there is just not much to report. But we do have a couple things for you...
First, Paramount is reissuing Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo on 1/14, simply without the Paramount Presents packaging. It also looks like the studio is doing the same thing with Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974) that same day. We assume they’re the same 4K discs as before. (If otherwise, we’ll confirm and post an update here.) You can see the new cover art for the former at left and also below. [Read on here...]
We’ve got one more new disc review to close out the week...
Stuart has turned in his take on Michel Boisrond’s Naughty Girl (1956) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics. It’s a French comedy starring Brigitte Bardot.
And more reviews are forthcoming, including possibly starting this weekend. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled both here and on our various social media (including @billhuntbits and @thedigitalbits).
Now then, the big news today is that our friends at Arrow Video have just unveiled their January Blu-ray and 4K slate.
And as you might expect, it includes a couple of long-awaited gems, as well as a few titles other labels have released previously (but Arrow always makes their own versions special). [Read on here...]