Displaying items by tag: BFI

Okay, folks... we’ve got a LOT of ground to cover today, and I’m seriously not kidding, so strap in and hold on tight...

First up, it broke last night on the Interwebs that a company called Manta Lab in Hong Kong, which is a legit Disney licensee, was taking pre-orders for a “disc-less” Steelbook Blu-ray package for Marvel’s Disney+ streaming series WandaVision. Now, as you can imagine, that’s caused a great deal of surprise and consternation.

Some context... Manta Lab creates deluxe and custom packaging for lots of legit studio home entertainment releases, which are extremely popular with collectors, especially in the Asian market. However, since Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment officially exited the Asian market (apart from Japan), all of these licensing deals are made with Disney Consumer Products. The problem with this WandaVision release is that this is a title for which no authorized Blu-ray release exists anywhere in the world. So outside of the Steelbook packaging’s value as an objet d’art in and of itself, there’s no practical use for this packaging apart from holding people’s bootleg Blu-rays. And unfortunately, the proliferation of bootleg copies of Disney+ streaming titles has exploded online. (Don’t believe me? Visit Etsy and search for “WandaVision Blu-ray”—or just click here.)

In any case, when this news broke last night, too many otherwise respectable geek and movie news outlets online reported it as “Marvel and Disney have announced...” when nothing of the sort was true. This is a product licensed by Disney Consumer Products, but it is not in any way shape or form a licensed Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment release. I immediately contacted my sources at Disney last night, who assured me that this was the case, and who have this morning provided us with this statement:

“While Manta Lab is a legit licensee of Disney, and does create custom Steelbooks for Disney Blu-ray titles through Disney Consumer Products, the pre-order for a disc-less WandaVision was a surprise to some and we are looking into it as well as speaking to our partners in market.”

I expect to hear more back from Disney in the next day or so, so be sure to check back here on The Bits, and you can also follow us @BillHuntBits and @thedigitalbits on Twitter/X for the latest updates as I get them. Suffice it to say, this has generated an enormous amount of confusion outside of Manta Lab’s usual collector customer base. I’ve gotten literally hundreds of emails and messages in the last 24 hours from readers asking why Disney and Marvel would be releasing Steelbook packaging for a title they don’t appear to have any plans to actually release on physical media. (They aren’t, and stay tuned for further information.) [Read on here...]

Morning, everyone! We start today with no less than three new disc reviews, including...

Stephen’s in-depth look at Stuart Rosenberg’s Cool Hand Luke (1967) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, as well as his thoughts on John Frankenheimer’s Black Sunday (1977) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

We’ve also got my take on Paramount’s new Star Trek: The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection box set in 4K Ultra HD—just an overall summary to go along with my detailed reviews of each of the individual films in 4K.

Now then, we’ve got a bunch of great announcement news today, and some updates on titles we’ve mentioned previously here at The Bits, starting with news from the Warner Archive Collection!

On the latest installment of Tim Millard’s excellent The Extras podcast, our friend George Feltenstein has revealed more of Warner Archive’s May Blu-ray titles, which will include Rouben Mamoulian’s Queen Christina (1933), Joseph Losey’s The Boy with Green Hair (1948), Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton’s King Solomon’s Mines (1950), Vincente Minnelli’s The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), and Joseph Barbera and William Hanna’s Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear! (1964). All of these are new negative scans (The Boy with Green Hair and King Solomon’s Mines from the original Technicolor negatives).

Also coming later this year are Howard Hawks’ Land of the Pharaohs (1955) and Robert Wise’s Helen of Troy (1956). [Read on here...]

We’ve got three new disc reviews for you today, starting with my take on Paramount’s new George Pal Double Feature of Byron Haskin’s The War of the Worlds (1953) on 4K Ultra HD and Rudolph Maté’s When Worlds Collide (1951) on regular Blu-ray Disc. Unfortunately, both discs are... problematical... as you may have heard here and elsewhere. (And I should note that we have Paramount’s official position on War of the Worlds in the review text.) But they may still be worth your consideration so do check it out.

Also today, Tim has posted his thoughts on Jack Bender’s Child’s Play 3 (1991) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory.

And Stephen has chimed in with his thoughts on Jeff Kanew’s Natural Enemies (1979) on Blu-ray from Fun City Editions via Vinegar Syndrome.

I’ve also just gotten my hands on Imprint Film’s new all-region Blu-ray of Akira Kurosawa’s Dersu Uzala (1975) and it’s pretty terrific. I’ve never seen the film looking better than it does here, and there are some nice extras on board as well, including a cracking new audio commentary by Japanese film expert Stuart Galbraith IV. I’ll have a full review here on The Bits in the next day or two. [Read on here...]

We have four new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, as follows...

Stephen has taken a look at Vinegar Syndrome’s new 4K Ultra HD double feature release of Schizoid and X-Ray here at The Bits, each an early 1980s B-grade slasher film.

Stephen has also reviewed Tom DeSimone’s Reform School Girls (1986) from Vinegar Syndrome, as well as George Marshall and Edward F. Cline’s You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, each on standard Blu-ray.

And finally, Tim has checked in with a look at the Blu-ray 3D release of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania from Sony Pictures Animation.

As always, more reviews are on the way this week so be sure to check back for them. [Read on here...]

We’re wrapping up the week here at The Digital Bits with a trio of additional disc reviews and a bit more release news too. First up, those reviews...

Tim kicks things off with a look at Jacques Tourneur’s 1964 horror-comedy classic The Comedy of Terrors, starring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre. It’s coming to Blu-ray on 8/31 from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Also, Dennis has offered his thoughts on Frank Perry’s Mommie Dearest, recently released as a new Paramount Presents Blu-ray edition.

And Stephen rounds things out today with his take on Robert Aldrich’s The Choirboys (1977) on Blu-ray also from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Now then, in terms of release news, the British Film Institute has just surprised us all by announcing its very first 4K Ultra HD release and it’s a good one: Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957). You can see the cover artwork at the left there. [Read on here...]

So... did you guys happen to see/enjoy/rage at last night’s penultimate episode of Game of Thrones? It was doozy, that’s for sure. But more on that in a minute (and I assure you, there will be no spoilers).

First, we have some new Blu-ray reviews for you... Tim has posted his thoughts on Nicolas Roeg’s Track 29 (1988) in a new Region B Blu-ray release from Indicator and Powerhouse Films. Meanwhile, Dennis has offered his thoughts on Tom O’Horgan’s Rhinoceros (1974) from Kino Classics.

Now then, in release news, Lionsgate has just announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital debut of Claire Denis’ new high-concept science fiction film High Life on 7/9. I actually hope they’ll consider releasing this in 4K, because the film’s visuals certainly deserve it. In the meantime, the Blu-ray will include 2 featurettes (Audacious, Passionate, and Dangerous: Making High Life and Visualizing the Abyss: The Look of High Life) with audio in 5.1 DTS-HD MA. You can see the cover artwork at the left and also below. [Read on here...]

All right, we’re starting the week with a new Blu-ray review from Tim Salmons, who has checked out Criterion’s The Kid for you today. Do give it a look.

I’m currently working on my reviews of Batman v Superman, Watchmen, and Man of Steel in 4K, but it might take a few days to get them finished. Sarah and I have had a never-ending stream of family visitors here in SoCal this summer, so it’s been tricky to get a lot of work done. The last of these visitors arrives tonight for a few days, so I appreciate your patience.  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to follow us on Twitter @thedigitalbits @BillHuntBits and on Facebook here and here. See you there!]

We’ve got a few interesting odds and ends for you today...

First up, there’s word from no less an authority than director George Miller (via the Screen Daily website), they there may be a theatrical and Blu-ray re-release of Mad Max: Fury Road in black and white, which was his original intent for the film. [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

Tim Salmons’ Halloween Hangover “leftovers” continues today with a review of Twilight Time’s new Scream and Scream Again on Blu-ray Disc.

In announcement news this afternoon, Universal has set The Green Inferno for Blu-ray and DVD release on 1/5/2016.

Universal will also release Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood on Blu-ray and DVD on 11/17.  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

All right, we’ve quite a bit to get through today, so let’s get to it…

Dr. Jahnke’s Hell Plaza Oktoberfest review for today is none other than a 1988 horror classic, directed by the great Stan Winston and now available from Scream Factory on Blu-ray. I’m speaking, of course, of the lovely new Pumpkinhead: Collector’s Edition. Enjoy!  [Read on here…]