Displaying items by tag: Bill Hunt

All right, we’ve got a couple things for you this evening here at The Bits…

First up, I’ve spent some time this afternoon talking with those involved in mastering and QC for Paramount Home Entertainment, and have just updated my review of Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival in 4K Ultra HD format with much new information about the transfer and HDR. There’s been some concern by other reviewers that the film image is too dark, and that there must be a mastering error, but having reviewed the 4K disc myself here at The Bits, it was my suspicion that the darker image on the 4K disc (compared to the Blu-ray) was a deliberate creative decision by the filmmakers, similar to the situation with Fox’s The Revenant. That suspicion, as it turns out, was correct. So the review has been fully updated with additional details and information that should help to illuminate the situation. You can find that here. [Read on here…]

All right, the tweaking continues today on the upgraded Digital Bits site backend, but we’ve got a new review for you regardless. I’ve taken a look at Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format from Paramount. The film is a new classic of cinematic science fiction. It’s certainly well worth a look, so please enjoy the review.

In announcement news today, we’ve confirmed that Universal’s A Monster Calls is now officially set for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/28, though no 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version seems to be planned. Extras on the Blu-ray will include 2 featurettes (The Making of A Monster Calls and Making of the Tales), English audio commentary with writer Patrick Ness and Spanish audio commentary with director J.A. Bayona.  [Read on here…]

All right, after several days of hard work (with lots more to go), The Bits is finally up and running on newly-updated database software. You may have noticed that The Bits looks a little different here today, and this is why. We’ve got lots more tweaking to do, and there will probably be some things that are broken around here that we’ll have to get around to fixing, but for now the basics seem to be working. Please bear with us as we dial everything in here at the site and get things buttoned up. Code and functionality updates like this are the bane of any webmaster, but you gotta get them done.

Meanwhile, here at The Bits today, we’ve got a pair of new Blu-ray reviews. Tim has checked out William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A.: Collector’s Edition from Shout Select, as well as Michael Anderson’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze from the Warner Archive.

And I’ve got a whole mess of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews coming, now that our server updates are nearly completed. Watch for those starting Monday with Denis Villeneuve’s The Arrival from Paramount first up on deck.  [Read on here…]

Afternoon, folks! Okay, we’re still working on website and server stuff off and on here, but I’m going to try and sneak updates in regularly.

Before we get started, our own Russell Hammond has just posted the Release Dates & Artwork section update, complete with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. A portion of any order you may through our links goes to help support our work here at the site and we do appreciate it.

First up today, Warner’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them finally has official cover artwork and is due to street on 3/28. There will be a Blu-ray ($24.99), a Blu-ray 3D ($29.99), a DVD ($17.99), and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray ($29.96) versions. According to the Blu-ray packaging, the set will include “Over an hour of expansive, multipart featurettes” listed as Before Harry Potter: A New Era Begins, plus deleted scenes. Not that it appears there will be an Amazon-exclusive version of the Blu-ray packed with a statuette of the character “Nifflers” from the film. You can see the 4K art to the left, and all of the BD art below, with Amazon.com pre-order links. [Read on here…]

There’s very little in the way of release news to report today, but we did want to check in with something else this afternoon…

First of all, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of actress Mary Tyler Moore on Wednesday. The bright star of The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and many other film and TV productions, Moore was a comedian, an actress, and an inspiration to many. She died of complications from pneumonia. She was 80 years old.  [Read on here…] 

All right, we’ve got a couple more bits of announcement news for you today...

First up, Scream Factory has offered details on their upcoming Firestarter: Collector’s Edition, which is due on Blu-ray on 3/14. The disc will feature a new 2K scan of the inter-positive film element, a new audio commentary with director Mark L. Lester, a pair of all-new documentary featurettes including Playing with Fire: The Making of Firestarter (featuring interviews with Lester, actors Freddie Jones and Drew Snyder, stuntman/actor Dick Warlock and Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream) and Tangerine Dream: Movie Music Memories (also featuring Schmoelling), an exclusive performance of Charlie’s Theme by Schmoelling, theatrical trailers, a radio spot, and a stills gallery. [Read on here…]

All right, we’ve had family visiting for a couple weeks but things have finally started to get back to normal here, so we’re back to our usual daily updates. And we have a bunch of new release news to report today...

First up though, our own Russell Hammond has just posted the weekly Release Dates & Artwork update with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Don’t forget, anytime you order titles through our links you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we appreciate it!

Now then, in announcement news today, Lionsgate has just revealed that their next Vestron Video Collector’s Series release will include the Wishmaster Collection: 4-Film Set on 3/28 (SRP $49.99). Wishmaster will include audio commentary (with director Robert Kurtzman and screenwriter Peter Atkins), audio commentary (with Kurtzman and stars Andrew Divoff and Tammy Lauren), an isolated score selections track with an audio interview of composer Harry Manfredini, 6 featurettes (Out of the Bottle, The Magic Words, The Djinn and Alexandra, Captured Visions, Wish List, and Making of Wishmaster), trailers, TV spots, image galleries & more. Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies will include audio commentary (with writer/director Jack Sholder), a trailer, and a still gallery. Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell will include audio commentary (with director Chris Angel and cast members John Novak, Jason Connery, and Louisette Geiss), the Making of Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell featurette, and the trailer. And Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy will include audio commentary (with director Chris Angel and cast members Michael Trucco and Jason Thompson), audio commentary (with Angel and actor John Novak), the Wishmasterpiece Theatre featurette, and the trailer. [Read on here…]

First up today, our own Russell Hammond has just posted the weekly Release Dates & Artwork update with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Don’t forget, anytime you order titles through our links you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we appreciate it!

Now then... in new release news today, Paramount has officially announced Robert Zemeckis’ Allied for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on 2/28, with the Digital HD release expected on 2/14. The WWII thriller stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. Extras on the Blu-rays will include 10 behind-the-scenes featurettes (among them The Story of Allied, From Stages to the Sahara: The Production Design of Allied, Through the Lens: Directing with Robert Zemeckis, A Stitch in Time: The Costumes of Allied, ’Til Death Do Us Part: Max and Marianne, Guys and Gals: The Ensemble Cast, Lights, Pixels, Action! The Visual Effects of Allied, Behind the Wheel: The Vehicles of Allied, Locked and Loaded: The Weapons of Allied, and That Swingin’ Sound: The Music of Allied). You can see the cover artwork to the left and below. [Read on here…]

This is just a quick update today to let you all know that The Criterion Collection has just announced their April slate of titles, which is set to include new editions of George Stevens’ Woman of the Year (Cat #867 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club (Cat #866 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/18, followed by Juzo Itami’s Tampopo (Cat #868 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish (Cat #869 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/25. You’ll also get updated versions of two existing Criterion titles, including Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Cat #716 – Blu-ray and DVD) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (Cat #717 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/11. You can see the cover artwork below. [Read on here…]

Afternoon, folks! I hope you all had a fine weekend. My wife and I have had family visiting for the past few days, so it’s been a nice to catch up. And it seems to have finally stopped raining here in Southern California, so we’ve had nice weather in which to do it.

We’ve got a bunch of interesting new announcement news for you this afternoon, as well as some interesting leaks and pre-order listings for titles that have yet to be announced but could be soon. Let’s get right to it...  [Read on here…]