We’re kicking off the new week with a pair of new disc reviews here at The Bits...

It starts with my thoughts on Rian Johnson’s fantastic ‘Whodunnit?’ Knives Out, which streets on 4K Ultra HD tomorrow from Lionsgate. Not only is it a great film, it’s one of the best special editions for a new-release film I’ve seen since The Last Jedi, with a terrific feature-length documentary by our old friend Cliff Stephenson. Don’t even hesitate—just buy the disc right now here and you won’t regret it.

I’ve also reviewed Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ new Blu-ray edition of Guy Hamilton’s Force 10 from Navarone, the 1978 sequel to J Lee Thompson’s original The Guns of Navarone some 18 years in the making. The film stars Harrison Ford, Robert Shaw, and Carl Weathers. The disc streets on March 17th.

There’s not a lot in the way of release news today, but we’ve got a couple things to report... [Read on here...]

All right, we have a major new title announcement for you today, plus a significant Star Wars 4K update.

Let’s start with the announcement: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just set Sam Mendes’ 1917 for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 3/24, with the Digital release expected on 3/10.

The film was finished as a native 4K digital intermediate, and the 4K SKU will include HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision high dynamic range, with Dolby Atmos audio.

Extras will include feature commentary with director/co-writer Sam Mendes, a second feature commentary with director of photography Roger Deakins, and 5 featurettes (The Weight of the World: Sam Mendes, Allied Forces: Making 1917, The Music of 1917, In the Trenches, and Recreating History). [Read on here...]

This is a quick post to let you all know that Russell Hammond has just posted the weekly update of our Release Dates & Cover Artwork section here at The Digital Bits with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As a NEW feature, the section now lets you search for upcoming Blu-ray titles, DVD titles, AND 4K Ultra HD titles seperately 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!

- Bill Hunt

[Editor’s Note: This news post has been updated with final art for ALL of the Star Wars single-film 4K SKUs and Amazon.com pre-order links as available.]

All right, we expected it and now it’s finally here: Disney and Lucasfilm have just officially set JJ Abrams’ conclusion to the Star Wars saga, The Rise of Skywalker, for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 3/31—just as we thought—with the Digital release due via Movies Anywhere on 3/17. Audio will be Dolby Atmos on the 4K and 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio on Blu-ray. There’s no mention of HDR, so assume HDR10 only on the UHD disc.

The extras on the Blu-ray and DVD will include over two-hours worth of bonus content, starting with a feature-length documentary, The Skywalker Legacy.

Also included on all versions of the disc will be the featurettes Pasaana Pursuit: Creating the Speeder Chase, Aliens in the Desert, D-O: Key to the Past, Warwick & Son, and Cast of Creatures. There will also be the usual wide-release Digital exclusive featurette, The Maestro’s Finale, with composer John Williams reflecting back on his work for the saga. [Read on here...]

All right, what were we just saying about European studio and retail leaks? LOL. Here’s a big one for you…

Disney has yet to officially announce them (though we do expect the official word any day now), but the Swedish retailer CDON.se has just posted cover artwork for all of the catalog Star Wars films in 4K… not just the front cover art but the back details too…

… and they include special features details! So, let’s get right into them all, film by film and disc by disc… [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks! We’ve got some interesting announcement news to cover today, along with an interesting rumor, and some new cover artwork to share with you too.

First up, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just announced that Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple is returning to theaters on 2/23 for one day only in honor of the film’s 35th Anniversary. This could mean that a 4K Ultra HD release is planned for later in the year (the official anniversary is in December).

That would make sense given that both Paramount and Universal are planning physical 4K releases of Spielberg catalog films later this year (War of the Worlds and Jaws). We’ve added the title to our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits as a possibility. [Read on here...]

[Editor’s Note: This week, our very own Tim Salmons is celebrating his tenth year as a member of The Digital Bits team, so we’re handing him the mic for occasion! Congrats Tim—we're proud of you!]

How the time flies! It doesn’t seem like that long ago when I first inquired with Bill Hunt about writing disc reviews for The Digital Bits website. At that time, there was a fairly steady set of folks writing for him, including Adam Jahnke, Todd Doogan, and the late Barrie Maxwell. Working me in was not easy, but it paid off. I had been an avid reader of The Bits for a number of years, even occasionally emailing them with little tidbits of information that came my way about future releases. The thought of being where I am now, one of the main contributors for the site... needless to say, it’s mind-boggling, and I never take it for granted.

Before I came to The Bits, I was just a regular guy with dreams of doing more than hopping between jobs at restaurants, factories, and places that required janitorial work. I had been obsessed with film since I was a kid, which I thank my Father for. He made home copies of movies all the time, and as such, it was the first film library that I ever had access to. Right through to my twenties, I was watching anything and everything I could get my hands on. I was also reading a lot of film books and, thanks to the Internet, researching everything about movies as much as possible. I don’t want to say I was an expert though because that would be a lie. I didn’t have a 100% understanding of the home video industry and how it functioned, only a working knowledge. Even to this day, I learn new things all the time, which is good. I’d hate to be in a position where there was nothing left to learn. How boring would that be? [Read on here...]

All right, we’re closing out the week with a big news update. But first, we have some new disc reviews for you...

I’ve just finished my look at Taika Waititi’s Oscar-winning satire Jojo Rabbit in 4K Ultra HD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

I’ve also taken a look at Mike Flanagan’s surprisingly good sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, now in Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. (This one is a reference-quality 4K A/V experience.)

Tim has turned in his thoughts on Don Sharp’s Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966) on Blu-ray from Scream Factory.

And in case you missed it the other day, we have a review of Paramount’s new Steelbook 4K edition of The Hunt for Red October that’s being released in honor of the film’s 30th anniversary. [Read on here...]