My Two Cents
Wednesday, 17 March 2021 21:27

Disney makes Jan de Bont’s Speed official for 4K on 5/4, plus Raya and the Last Dragon, Nomadland & Final Countdown 4K delayed

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We have some good breaking release news to cover today here at The Bits. First though, we’ve got more new disc reviews for you...

Tim has given Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me (1971) a look, as recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And I’ve just posted my thoughts on Andrew Niccol’s neo-noir, science fiction classic GATTACA (1997), which is coming next week on 4K Ultra HD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film looks and sounds every bit as good as you’d hope, so don’t miss it.

Now then, the big news today is that Disney has officially confirmed the much-anticipated 4K Ultra HD release of director Jan de Bont’s Speed (1994) on 5/4. Mastered from a recent 4K scan, the disc will include a new Dolby Atmos sound mix along with high dynamic range in HDR10 format. [Editor’s Note: Disney’s press materials now suggest that only the Digital 4K will have Atmos. We’ve asked the studio for official confirmation and will post an update here when we hear back.]

Perhaps most interestingly, it appears that at least some of the extras from Fox’s 2002 Five Star Collection DVD are being carried over—many of these were omitted from the previous Fox Blu-ray release. [Read on here...]

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Speed: Five Star Collection (DVD)These include audio commentary by Jan de Bont, audio commentary by Graham Yost and Mark Gordon, 7 featurettes (On Location, Stunts, Visual Effects, Bus Jump, Metrorail Crash, Action Scenes—which might be the DVD’s collection of multi-angle stunt footage—and HBO First Look: The Making of Speed), and 6 extended scenes (Jack Shoots Payne in the Neck, Payne Lives/Cops Party, Annie’s Job, After Helen’s Death, Ray’s Crime, and the edited “airline version” of the Cargo Jet Explosion—that last one was an Easter egg on the DVD). Note that Best Buy will have exclusive Steelbook packaging for this release.

Keep in mind, the DVD also included multi-angle storyboards for several scenes, screenplay text, interviews with several members of the cast, the trailer, numerous TV spots, and an extensive image gallery. So those of you who have that DVD may wish to hang on to it until we know if all of that material will carry over to the new 4K release.

Meanwhile, the cover art for the 4K release is pictured above left and also below. We’ve also included the art for the Five Star Collection DVD release on the right there to bring back a few memories.

The good news about this is that it appears that Disney intends to go forward with at least a few 4K UHD releases a year from the Fox (now 20th Century Studios) catalog. The next anticipated title is expected to be Michael Mann’s Heat later in 2021.

Also on the Disney front, the studio has set their animated Raya and the Last Dragon for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 5/18, with the Digital release expected on 4/2. The 4K disc will include HDR10 high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos audio. Extras will include the US Again animated short with an introduction by director Zach Parrish, 7 featurettes (Taste of Raya, Raya: Bringing it Home, Martial Artists, We are Kumandra, Outtakes, Fun Facts & Easter Eggs, and The Story Behind the Storyboard with John Ripa), and 5 deleted scenes (The Bridge, Escaping Naamaari, Dragon Blade, Meet Boun, and The Heart of the Dragon) with introduction by the film’s head of story, Fawn Veerasunthorn. You can see the cover artwork below.

And while we’re still on the subject of Disney, the studio is expected to release Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland on Blu-ray and Digital on 4/27, with the Digital release expected on 4/13. Extras will include The Forgotten America featurette, 2 deleted scenes (Lunch Interrupted and A Gift from God), and footage of the Telluride premiere Q&A with Zhao and star Frances McDormand.

Finally today, our friends at Blue Underground have informed us that, due to a manufacturing delay, their planned release of The Final Countdown in 4K Ultra HD is being delayed from its original 4/27 street date to 5/25. Adjust your plans accordingly. But to help tide you over, here’s a look at the film’s restored trailer...

All right, we’ll leave you all with a peek at the cover artwork all three of the Disney titles mentioned above (Amazon pre-order links will be added when they become available)...

Speed (4K Ultra HD) Raya and the Last Dragon (4K Ultra HD) Nomadland (Blu-ray Disc)

Don’t forget that the long-awaited Zack Snyder’s Justice League drops at Midnight tonight on HBO Max (that’s Pacific time, in case you were wondering).

And I’ll be back tomorrow with my review of Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla (2014) in 4K Ultra HD.

Stay tuned...!

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