Displaying items by tag: Russell Hammond

We’ve got a bunch of ground to cover today, including a TON of new and recent disc reviews, lots of 4K Ultra HD catalog and new release news, and some regular Blu-ray news as well. I’ve been so distracted over the last week or so, what with all of the major announcements and the time required to track down and confirm release rumors, that I’ve neglected to mention the many disc reviews that we’ve posted here at the site during that time. So, let’s tackle those first...

Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch (2021) and Scott Cooper’s Antlers (2021) from 20th Century Studios, James C Wasson’s Night of the Demon (1980) from Severin Films, and Dario Argento’s Trauma (1993) from Vinegar Syndrome, all on Blu-ray Disc.

Tim has looked at Barry Sonnenfeld’s The Addams Family (1991) from Paramount, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001) from Criterion, Dennis Donnelly’s The Toolbox Murders (1978) from Blue Underground, and William Lustig’s Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993) from Blue Underground, all in 4K Ultra HD, as well as the Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection from Severin Films, John Hancock’s Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971) from Imprint Films, Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) from Paramount, and Brian Trenchard-Smith’s Turkey Shoot (1982) from Umbrella Entertainment, all on Blu-ray.

And Dennis has delivered his take on Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) as recently re-issued by Paramount, as well as Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude (1971), also from Paramount and both released on regular Blu-ray.

All of these titles are worth a look and there’s certainly something for everyone in that line-up. If you’re a fan of It’s a Wonderful Life, don’t forget that our own Michael Coate recently profiled the film for its 75th anniversary in his most recent History, Legacy and Showmanship column here at The Bits—it’s definitely worth a look if you missed at Christmas time. [Read on here...]

All right, this is our final Bits post of 2020. And it’ll be a quick one.

This has certainly been a difficult year for all of us here and no doubt it has been for all of you, our readers, as well. But a new year at least brings the hope that things can and will get better on Planet Earth going forward.

On a personal note, I’m pleased to say that—though it’s been a struggle—The Digital Bits is still here. We’ve made it through some difficult times, we’re still alive and ticking. And we intend to keep cracking on in 2021 and beyond.

I’ve also been working on a second science fiction novel, and hope to see my first actually published sometime in 2021—something I’ve had to put on the back-burner this past year in order to keep the site going. But the writing process has certainly been personally satisfying, and it’s kept me going in dark moments. That, plus having a telescope to look at the stars a few times a month, and of course great family and friends—even though we’ve only been able to see them from afar.

In any case, I know I speak for all of us here at the site when I say that we’re grateful to have each and every one of you as readers of The Digital Bits.

So with that, we’d like to wish you all a very happy and safe New Year! And together we’ll make 2021 a better time for all of us.

See you back here on Monday. Peace out!

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

To kick things off today here at The Bits, we start with some daily site business: Tim has turned in his thoughts on Shout! Factory’s new Blu-ray release of Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie. It’s certainly worth a look if you’re a fan of the film.

Also here at The Bits today, we’ve got the weekly update of the Release Dates & Artwork section, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking through any one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at the site and we really do appreciate it.

One last reminder: Be sure to follow Bits editor Bill Hunt (aka, yours truly) on Twitter and Facebook if you’re plugged into social media. I’m trying to be a little more active there, as it’s often a better way to communicate with you guys than e-mail. Social media is also usually the first place I share new BD/4K reviews and breaking industry news before it gets written up into a Bits post. Plus, you’ll get my observations on other areas of interest. Hope to see you there! [Read on here…]

We’ve got a bunch of good stuff for you today here at The Bits so let’s get right to it...

First up, Tim has just posted his review of Tibor Takacs’ The Gate from Lionsgate, part of their new Vestron Video Collector’s Series. The disc is now available in stores.

Meanwhile, Michael Coate has chimed in with a new History, Legacy & Showmanship column, celebrating today’s 40th anniversary of the hit ABC sitcom Three’s Company. It features an interview with author and series authority Chris Mann. Do give it a look. [Read on here…]

Here at the site today, Tim has turned in a new Blu-ray review, this time featuring Criterion’s recent release of Carnival of Souls (1962). It’s a terrific package, with an amazing transfer and fine extras too.

We’ve also got Russell’s weekly update of the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover artwork as well as Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order anything at all after clicking to Amazon through any of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it very much.  [Read on here…]

We’ve got just a quick update for you today, as we’re busy working on site upgrades...

First up, we have a pair of new Blu-ray reviews for you this afternoon. Tim has checked out Scream’s outstanding The Exorcist III: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and found it more than worth the wait. Also, Jim Hemphill offers his thoughts on Abel Ferrara’s Napoli Napoli Napoli from Raro Video. Do give them both a look.  [Read on here…]

All right, we’ve been busy here at The Bits these last couple days. Just a quick note first: Tomorrow is my birthday, so I’m not working. I turn 49, if you can believe it, which I can’t. But that’s how these things go. In any case, to make up for it, we’ve got a bunch of good stuff for you all to enjoy today. So let’s get to it...

First, I’ve just spent the last six months putting Samsung’s launch 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, the UBD-K8500, through its paces and I have my full review for you to check out today. Suffice it to say that there’s never been a debut player for any format (that I know of) that offers so much quality and performance for such a low price. If you’re thinking about upgrading to 4K Ultra HD and you’re looking for the best value for your dollar, this is the player for you. [Read on here…]

We’re kicking off the day today with a couple of new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews... my thoughts on Shout! Factory’s recent Rocky Mountain Express, which is terrific, and Wonders of the Arctic, which is also a nice release. It’s fun to watch these 4K titles mastered from IMAX source material. They really look spectacular. Anyway, I may have at least one more review up today as well if you check back later, which would be Shout!’s Flight of the Butterflies in 4K. So do watch for that.

Here at The Bits today, our own Russell Hammond has just updated the Release Dates & Cover Art section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover art, as well as Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, anytime you order product from Amazon – literally anything at all – through any of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it.  [Read on here…]

Warner Bros Home Entertainment has just set a new Mad Max High Octane Collection for Blu-ray and DVD release on 12/6 (SRP $79.99 and $54.97). Both will include Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), plus 5 hours of bonus content and the Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition. The Blu-ray set will also include a 4K Ultra HD and UV Digital Copy versions of Mad Max: Fury Road. You’ll also get a new George Miller Introduction to the Mad Max Fury Road: Black and Chrome Edition, the new Road War featurette (with George Miller, Terry Hayes and Mel Gibson), and the previous Madness of Max (1979) documentary.

Mad Max: Fury Road and the Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition will also be released as a Blu-ray 2-pack on 12/6 (SRP $29.98) with the previous extras as well as the new George Miller introduction.  [Read on here…] 

All right, we’ve got a couple things for you today...

First, as promised, we’re very proud today to present Michael Coate’s latest History, Legacy & Showmanship column here at The Digital Bits, entitled Still Boldly Going: Celebrating “Star Trek” on its 50th Anniversary! In this lengthy piece, Michael moderates a great roundtable discussion on the history of the beloved franchise with Trek luminaries Mark A. Altman, Jeff Bond, Robert Meyer Burnett, Marc Cushman, Daren R. Dochterman, Dorothy Fontana, Gary Gerani, David Gerrold, Edward Gross, Bill Kraft, Herbie J. Pilato, and Melinda Snodgrass. It’s a terrific discussion and a rare opportunity to hear from so many leading Treksperts all in one place. We hope you enjoy it and, as always… “Live Long and Prosper!”  [Read on here…]