Displaying items by tag: Ars Technica

Welcome, disc fans, to a new week and the start of a new month!

We’ve got some good 4K Ultra HD release news to share with you today.

First up, Universal and Focus Films have set Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet (2025) for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 3/3.

Our friends at Vinegar Syndrome are now taking orders for Emmett Alston’s Demonwarp (1988), Tonino Ricci’s Bakterion (1982, aka Panic), Uli Edel’s Body of Evidence (1993) (starring Madonna and Willem Dafoe), and Martin Scorsese’s Boxcar Bertha (1972) in 4K.

These are all in stock and now shipping.

Shout! Studios has set a 4K Steelbook edition of Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter (1978) for release on 4/7, followed by similar editions of Kerry Conran’s Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars (2001) and Prince of Darkness (1987) for 4/21.

The company also has another HK Cinema Classics title— Lau Kar-leung’s Tiger on the Beat I & II (1988-1990)—coming to 4K UHD + Blu-ray on 4/28.

And I’ve confirmed with industry sources that Shout is also working on 4K Ultra HD releases of George Romero’s Day of the Dead (1985) and Joe Dante’s The ‘Burbs (1989). Street dates are TBA for later this year. [Read on here...]

We have a quick news column for you here at The Bits today. But first, a couple more disc reviews...

Dennis has taken a look at Basil Dearden’s The Blue Lamp (1950), an Ealing Studios film noir now available on Blu-ray Disc from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

He’s also posted his thoughts on Florian Zeller’s The Father (2020), the recent film drama that won Anthony Hopkins an Oscar for Best Actor, newly-available on Blu-ray from Lionsgate. Enjoy!

Now then... our friends at Severin Films have announced four new Blu-ray titles due to street in August (on 8/24), including Cannibal Man (1972), No One Heard the Scream (1973), Eloy de la Iglesia’s Quinqui Collection (1980-84 – which includes Navajeros, El Pico, and El Pico 2), and—surprise!—Overboard (1987), the MGM film starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. You can visit their website here for additional details. [Read on here...]

Over the weekend, I’ve had a mighty interesting experience. Thanks to a friend in the industry, I’ve had the opportunity to revisit Star Wars on Blu-ray as I first experienced it many years ago – unaltered, in 720p high-definition, and with the original audio mixes. As some of you may know, I’m speaking of Harmy’s infamous “despecialized” edition of Star Wars – the most recent 2.5 version (early 1.0 versions of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are available online too – this thread at Original Trilogy.com is a good place to start).  [Read on here…]