Displaying items by tag: Michael Coate

“[Batman Returns is] the first auteur superhero movie. I think the execs at Warners realized that you just let Tim Burton alone and let him make a Tim Burton movie and people will see it in droves.” — Danse Macabre: 25 Years of Danny Elfman and Tim Burton author Jeff Bond

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the silver anniversary of the release of Batman Returns, Tim Burton’s follow-up to the immensely popular 1989 Dark Knight adventure, starring Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer. [Read on here...]

We’ve got another History, Legacy & Showmanship column from Michael Coate here at The Bits today, this one looking back at the classic James Bond film You Only Live Twice on its 50th Anniversary. It features another great roundtable discussion with film historians John Cork, Bill Desowitz, Lee Pfeiffer, Bruce Scivally, and Matt Sherman. Don’t miss it!

Also here at the site today, Tim Salmons has a review of Arrow Video’s new Madhouse: Special Edition Blu-ray that’s well worth your time.

The big release news today is that Lionsgate has set The Circle, starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson, for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/1, with the Digital HD version due on 7/18. [Read on here…]

“Ken Adam’s production design is a work of genius. Incredibly, he was not nominated for an Oscar, but the people who designed the living room set for Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner were.” — 007 historian Lee Pfeiffer

The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the release of You Only Live Twice, the fifth (official) cinematic James Bond adventure and first of three directed by Lewis Gilbert.

As with our previous 007 articles (see Diamonds Are Forever, Casino Royale, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball, GoldenEye, A View to a Kill, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Goldfinger, and 007… Fifty Years Strong), The Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship continue the series with this retrospective featuring a Q&A with an esteemed group of James Bond scholars, documentarians and historians who discuss the virtues, shortcomings and legacy of You Only Live Twice. [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks! We’ve got a couple things for you today...

First up, Michael Coate has been busy again, this time with a new retrospective piece on John McTiernan’s Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which celebrates its 30th anniversary today. The piece features a great interview with film historian Eric Lichtenfeld. You’ll find it today in History, Legacy & Showmanship on The Bits. Enjoy!

In announcement news today, Shout! Factory has set Michael Schultz’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for Blu-ray release on 9/26. On 9/19, they’re also releasing Dudes and The Moderns on Blu-ray as part of their Shout! Select series. [Read on here…]

“It’s an amazing accomplishment for a director’s first studio film.” – Action movie authority Eric Lichtenfeld

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 30th anniversary of the release of Predator, John McTiernan’s sci-fi/action/horror film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Kevin Peter Hall and featuring Saturn Award-winning music, Golden Reel Award-winning sound effects and Academy Award-nominated visual effects. [Read on here...]

All right, we’re back here at The Bits with another great film retrospective column from our own Michael Coate, who’s celebrating the 35th anniversary of Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist today in History, Legacy & Showmanship. As always, Michael details the film’s initial theatrical release and he’s got an interview with film historian Michael Matessino as well. Enjoy!

In new release news today, Paramount has set a John Wayne Double Feature on Blu-ray on 8/8, featuring Rio Lobo and Big Jake. Both films have been available on BD individually for a few years now.

HBO has set Crashing: The Complete First Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/1. [Read on here…]

“It knows what scares you.”

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective article commemorating the 35th anniversary of the release of Poltergeist, Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed horror film starring Jobeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson and Zelda Rubinstein and featuring Academy Award-nominated Visual Effects, Music and Sound Effects Editing. [Read on here...]

All right, I hope you all had a great long holiday weekend – those of you in the States at least. And for the rest of you, I hope you had a great weekend plus Monday.

Here at The Bits today, we’ve got a few things for you to enjoy. First, reviews: We have four new Blu-ray reviews for you to check out, including Tim’s take on Universal’s Split and Smokey and the Bandit: 40th Anniversary Edition, as well as Paramount’s Saturday Night Fever: Director’s Cut. And I’ve taken a look at Madman Entertainment’s Region Free import Blu-ray of Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon – well worth checking out if you’re a fan of the film. [Read on here…]

“What we have here is a total lack of respect for the law!”

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective article commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of Smokey and the Bandit, the popular action comedy starring Burt Reynolds as Bo (aka Bandit), Sally Field as Carrie (aka Frog), Jerry Reed as Cledus (aka Snowman), and Jackie Gleason as the unforgettable Sheriff Buford T. Justice of Portague County. [Read on here...]

All right, I shouldn’t have tell any of you what today is... it’s Towel Day!

And also, of course, the 40th anniversary of a little film called Star Wars. Not Episode IV. Not A New Hope. Star Wars.

To recognize the occasion, we’ve got a couple things for you here at The Bits today.

First up, our very own Michael Coate has updated and expanded his excellent History, Legacy & Showmanship retrospective column, A Force to Be Reckoned With: Remembering “Star Wars” on its 40th Anniversary. He’s combed newspaper archives all across North America to produce a definitive history of the film’s debut theatrical release back in 1977-1978. Every theater that showed the film, the day it opened in that theater, all of it. Trust me, I’ve learned from personal experience that one’s memory of seeing the film back in 1977 is not as accurate as Michael’s exhaustive research – he’s sent me the vintage microfilmed newspaper clippings to prove it. [Read on here…]