Displaying items by tag: Shout! Factory

All right Bits readers, we’ve got a pretty significant news update for you today...

We’ve been tracking many of these titles, but a few of the 4K catalog titles we’re going to talk about today are breaking news, thanks to our old friends over at Media Play News.

They’ve just issued the September 2020 Digital edition of their magazine, which features an extensive look at the recent surge of 4K Ultra HD catalog releases. The publication’s editor, Stephanie Prange (who, full disclosure, I’ve known for many years), wrote a great longform piece for the issue called 4K Ultra HD: Into the Vaults about the process of preparing classic catalog films for release on the format.

Not only is it informative (and I should note that I was among the people interviewed therein), it includes some great news about forthcoming titles. [Read on here...]

All right, we’re working on reviews here at The Bits today, so the news post is going to be a quick one.

First things first: Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just set The Office: The Complete Series for release on Blu-ray Disc on 11/10. The SRP on Amazon is current listed as $119, but we expect their usual discount to be added soon.

What’s interesting about this is that the show has become a hit among Millennials especially during COVID isolation, with Netflix and other streaming services featuring it prominently. But it’s not only Millennials—my wife and I had never watched it when it was on NBC and we binged it a few months ago on recommendation from fellow Gen-X friends who had just done the same.

Hats off to Universal for noticing this trend and taking advantage of it. I’m sure there are LOTS of fans who would love to have it in HD on disc. So now’s your chance. [Read on here...]

All right, it’s been a busy week here at The Bits so far and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.

First of all, sorry for the lack of daily updates. The reason is three-fold. First, we’ve been working on reviews here at the website—more on that in a moment. Second, we had 110° heat here in SoCal this past weekend, with which our AC could not keep up. That meant my home theater was close to 90°, which made reviewing unpleasant, plus there was the danger of power outages. The good news is that we’ve made up for it since the heat broke—again, more on that in a moment. (The bad news is that our skies this afternoon are an unnatural shade of apocalyptic yellow-orange due to the California wildfires, but that’s neither here nor there.) The third reason is more complicated.

We’ve been hearing from many of our readers based in the Netherlands that you’re unable to see The Bits website. The cause of this is that—apparently—a very large portion of the Internet’s DDoS attacks and cyber shenanigans either come from, or are routed through—Netherlands IP addresses. So our server team is working on a solution to block the riff-raff while allowing the rest of you actual readers to see the site. Please be patient while we sort it all out. Unfortunately, this kind of thing seems perfectly in keeping with the whole 2020 milieu. [Read on here...]

We’ve got another quick update for you as we work on new disc reviews today. Speaking of which...

I’ve just posted my in-depth thoughts on GKids and Shout! Factory’s new Blu-ray release of Hayao Miyazaki’s 2013 animated masterpiece The Wind Rises. It streets on 9/22, and like all of these new GKids/Shout! Studio Ghibli Blu-ray reissues, it’s absolutely the definitive release of the film on disc for fans in the US. Don’t miss it.

My review of Bill & Ted 4K is up next, and over the weekend I’ll be looking at Goonies and Beetlejuice 4K as well. Tim and Dennis are hard at work on reviews too. So be sure to watch for those.

Now then... the big 4K announcement news today is that StudioCanal has officially set the 4K Ultra HD release of Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall: 30th Anniversary Edition in the UK for 23 November. The 16-bit 4K scan and remaster was done from the original camera negative, with color grading in HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR. [Read on here...]

All right, today’s post is a quick one because I’m spending the disc and evening working on new disc reviews.

BUT... we’ve got something fun for you fans of Friday the 13th today—the complete list of extras that Shout! Factory and Scream are packing into their forthcoming Friday the 13th Collection: Deluxe Edition box set, which is due on 10/13.

So here’s the text of their press release with the complete list:

“LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Scream Factory has just announced the full list of exciting and shockingly extensive bonus features that will be included in the Friday the 13th Collection: Deluxe Edition, to be released on October 13th, 2020 (see full list below).

“In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the original and groundbreaking 1980 film Friday the 13th, the 16-disc set is the definitive Blu-ray collection of one of the most influential horror franchises ever created and includes all 12 original films from Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema. [Read on here...]

Well, the new week is here. And unfortunately, in the wake of our post on Friday about Walt Disney Home Entertainment’s catalog 4K plans (or lack thereof), the news today isn’t good either...

Per Deadline this morning, WarnerMedia has begun a round of layoffs and restructuring meant to help the company survive the pandemic and its resulting economic downturn. Jeffrey R. Schlesinger (President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution), Ron Sanders (President, Worldwide Theatrical Distribution & Home Entertainment and EVP, International Business Operations), and Kim Williams (EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment) are all “exiting” the company per this arrangement. Ron Sanders has been with the company for almost thirty years, going all the way back to the early days of DVD. So his departure is a big deal. (Our friends at Media Play News have a good profile on Sanders up today here.)

But here’s the rub from the linked Deadline piece... “about 600 employees across multiple divisions are expected to be let go, starting today. Warner Bros Entertainment is believed to be heavily impacted.” [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some more announcement news for you today...

First up, our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics have revealed that they’re releasing Clint Eastwood’s High Plains Drifter (1973) on Blu-ray on 10/27. It’ll include a new audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox, new interviews with actors Marianna Hill and Mitchell Ryan, a vintage promo for the film restored in HD, Trailers from Hell segments with Josh Olson and Edgar Wright, a poster and image gallery, 2 theatrical trailers (in HD), a TV spot, a radio spot, and a limited edition slipcase.

But that’s not all: Also coming to Blu-ray that day is Don Seigel’s Two Mules for Sister Sara, starring Eastwood and Shirley Maclaine, featuring new 4K restorations of both the 112-minute International Cut and the 104-minute Domestic Cut. Extras will once again include a new audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox, At Home with Clint (a vintage candid interview with Clint Eastwood in HD), a poster and image gallery, the theatrical trailer (in HD), 2 TV spots, 4 radio spots, and a limited edition slipcase.

Also coming soon from KL Studio Classics is Oz Scott’s Bustin’ Loose (1981) starring Richard Pryor. And the company has just kicked off its “Lazy Hazy Crazy Summer” sale on over 500 in-stock titles. It runs until 8/3. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a few good bits of news and such to wrap up the week...

First up though, we’ve just updated our Release Dates & Artwork section with tons of new Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you pre-order literally anything from our links here at The Bits, you’re helping to support our work and we surely do appreciate it.

Now then, we have word that Mamoru Oshii’s much-loved 1995 anime Ghost in the Shell will indeed street on 4K Ultra HD from Lionsgate on 9/8 (though do keep in mind that this date—while leaked by multiple retail sources now—is not yet officially announced by the studio). What’s more, it’s now available for pre-order on Amazon (here and also by clicking on the art below the break).

Also up for pre-order in 4K from Lionsgate is Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. No street date is yet listed, but sources tell us it’s likely to arrive on 10/13. Again, you can see the cover artwork below. [Read on here...]

All right, a quick update today with a bit more release news...

First up though, we have two more new disc reviews for you today. Tim has checked out Richard Jefferies’ Blood Tide (1982) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video. And Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Paul Wegener and Carl Boese’s classic German expressionist tale The Golem (1920) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics. Do give them a look.

Also, we’ve just posted a new update of the Release Dates & Artwork section here at The Bits thanks to our own Russell Hammond, and it’s full of all the recently-announced Blu-ray and 4K titles. As always, whenever you order anything from Amazon through our links, you’re helping to support The Bits and we really do appreciate it.

In other news today, here’s a nice surprise: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is releasing Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice in 4K Ultra HD on 9/1! It looks like two versions will be available: A wide release standard edition and an Amazon exclusive deluxe giftset. You can see the cover art at left and also below. [Read on here...]

Today, we’ve got just a very quick My Two Cents update for you, however not with release news.

But as promised, we’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews...

First, our own Tim Salmons has checked out Via Vision Entertainment’s new region-free Blu-ray import version of Police Squad! The Complete Series. (Note that the CBS/Paramount Blu-ray version has also been reviewed here.)

Speaking of Paramount, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on their new Alfred Hitchcock/Paramount Presents title, To Catch a Thief (1955). [Read on here...]