Now then, the big announcement news today is that the Criterion Collection has revealed its July slate of Blu-ray titles, which is set to include the 6-film Dietrich & Von Sternberg in Hollywood box set (Spine #930 – Blu-ray and DVD – includes the films Morocco, Dishonored, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress, and The Devil Is a Woman) on 7/3, followed by Ron Shelton’s Bull Durham (Spine #936 – Blu-ray and DVD) and King Hu’s Dragon Inn (Spine #937 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 7/10, Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape (Spine #938 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 7/17, and Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death (Spine #939 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 7/24. You can see the cover artwork for all below. We’ve updated our Criterion Spines Project pages here at The Bits accordingly.

Also today, Paramount has officially announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Alex Garland’s Annihilation on 5/29. The Digital version is expected on 5/22. It appears that the 4K Ultra HD release, which will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio, will be a Best Buy exclusive initially. (Note that the film was also finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate.) Both Blu-ray versions will include a multi-part “making of” documentary (Part I – Southern Reach: Refractions and For Those That Follow, Part 2 – Area X: Shimmer and Vanished into Havoc, and Part 3 – To the Lighthouse: Unfathomable Mind and The Last Phase). You can see the final cover artwork to the left and below.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has also announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Red Sparrow on 5/22. Both Blu-ray versions will include audio commentary with director Francis Lawrence, 10 deleted scenes with optional commentary, and 6 featurettes (A New Cold War: Origination and Adaptation, Agents Provocateurs: The Ensemble Cast, Tradecraft: Visual Authenticity, Heart of the Tempest: On Location, Welcome to Sparrow School: Ballet and Stunts, and A Puzzle of Need: Post-Production). Both Blu-ray versions will also include Dolby Atmos audio, and the film was again finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate.

Not done yet: Lionsgate has set The Hurricane Heist for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 6/5, with the Digital release expected on 5/29. Extras on the Blu-ray editions will include audio commentary with director Rob Cohen, deleted scenes, and 3 featurettes (The Eye of the Storm, Hollywood Heist: A Conversation with Rob Cohen, and a VFX Reel). The Blu-rays will both feature Dolby Atmos audio. We’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits with all of these new 4K titles accordingly.

And one more announcement: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has set TNT’s The Last Ship: The Complete Fourth Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/5. Extras on the Blu-ray will include a 13-minute documentary, character featurettes, and Inside Season 4.

Finally today, we need to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of actor Harry Anderson, of Night Court fame, who passed away unexpectedly on Monday. He was just 65. You can read more here via The New York Times.

We’ll leave you with a look at all of the new Criterion Blu-ray cover art, plus Annihilation on Blu-ray (the 4K art is above left). Click on each to pre-order them on Amazon.com...

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)