Displaying items by tag: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

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’ve got two new disc reviews for you on this lovely Tuesday afternoon, both of them by our own Stephen Bjork...

First up, he’s taken a look at Universal’s CG-animated prequel Minions: The Rise of Gru in 4K Ultra HD.

Stephen has also offered his thoughts on Fernando Di Leo’s The Violent Breed (1984) on Blu-ray from Code Red via Kino Lorber.

As mentioned yesterday, more new disc reviews are on the way including a few great new 4K catalog titles, among them The War of the Worlds from Paramount and The Lost Boys from Warner Bros. So watch for those and more in the coming days.

Now then, in announcement news, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set David Leitch’s Bullet Train (2022) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 10/18, with the Digital release expected on 9/27. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a big title announcement to report on today, but first another new disc review...

Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle: Collector’s Edition in 4K Ultra HD from GKids via Shout! Factory. It sounds like a pretty incredible collection of content, both disc and swag-based, so it’s well worth a look for fans of anime and this particular film.

Speaking of animation, Criterion has just dropped something of a surprise: They’ve licensed Pixar’s WALL•E from Disney and will be releasing it as a 4K UHD + Blu-ray combo title on 11/22, with both Dolby Vision HDR (which was not available on the previous Disney 4K release) and HDR10, as well as Dolby Atmos audio.

The package will include both existing and new special features. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

And... we’re back! My wife Sarah and I spent the long holiday weekend here in the States up in rustic Portland, Oregon, where—through the power of the Interwebs—I officiated my niece’s wedding. It was a lovely ceremony, a wonderful trip, and a good time was had by all, as they say.

But, while I was away, The Bits’ team turned in a bunch of great new disc reviews, including...

Stephen’s take on The Incredible Melting Man (1977) in 4K UHD, and Creature from Black Lake (1976), the Vampyr: Limited Edition (1932), and Fire in the Sky (1993) on Blu-ray.

Tim’s thoughts on The Beast (1988) and The Black Phone (2021) on Blu-ray, and Child’s Play (1988) in 4K UHD.

And Dennis’ look at Bright Victory (1951), The Last Train from Madrid (1937), and Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World (1961) all on Blu-ray.

As always, lots more new disc reviews are on the way over the coming days so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them.

We’ve also got some pretty significant catalog 4K release news to catch you all up on this afternoon, and some TV Blu-ray news too... [Read on here...]

All right, folks. This will be our last post until Wednesday next week, as it’s not only the long Labor Day weekend here in the States but by wife and I are also celebrating our thirty-second wedding anniversary. So we’re going to take a little time to relax here in sweltering-in-a-heatwave Southern California.

But, we’ve got a TON of release news to talk about, as well as a pair of new disc reviews to start things off today...

Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Gaspar Noe’s intriguing and doubly-experimental Lux Aeterna (2019) on Blu-ray from Yellow Veil Pictures via Vinegar Syndrome.

And Tim has posted his thoughts on Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter’s The Kindred (1987), now available in a new Special Edition Blu-ray release from Synapse Films.

And we’ve got lots more disc reviews coming over the weekend and early next week, so be sure to check back for them.

Meanwhile, our friends at Via Vision Entertainment down under are releasing a Saw: The Ultimate Collection 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set on 11/9 that’s not only comes in an exclusive “reverse bear trap” replica, but is limited to just 1500 copies. The 13-disc set includes Saw, Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Jigsaw, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, plus a Bonus Disc packed with extras. You can see the packaging at left. Be sure to visit their website here for all the details and to pre-order. [Read on here...]

We’ve got news, news, and only news here at The Bits today, and we’re starting with the big announcement: Criterion has just unveiled their November Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release slate...

It kicks off with Věra Chytilová’s 1966 Czech New Wave classic Daisies (Spine #1157 – Blu-ray only) and a 4K update of Wong Kar Wai’s evocative 2000 gem In the Mood for Love (Spine #147 – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD) on 11/1. Following on 11/8 is Jane Campion’s cold but captivating The Power of the Dog (Spine #1158 – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD). On 11/15, look for Andrew Lau Tak-wah and Alan Mak’s The Infernal Affairs Trilogy (Spine #1159 – Blu-ray only – includes Infernal Affairs, Infernal Affairs II, and Infernal Affairs III). Finally, Spike Lee’s Malcolm X round out the month’s slate on 11/22 (Spine #1160 – 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray).

Note that Malcolm X and The Power of the Dog will include Dolby Vision HDR (In the Mood for Love appears to be HDR10 only), while The Power of the Dog will also feature Dolby Atmos audio.

You can see the cover artwork for all of these titles at left and also below. We’ve also updated our Criterion Spines Project and 4K Ultra HD Release List pages here at the site accordingly. And more detail about the special features included on these titles is available here at the Criterion website. [Read on here...]

All right, we have big release news to report today, but first we’ve got three more new disc reviews for you all to enjoy…

Stephen has given an in-depth look at Dario Argento’s Tenebrae in 4K Ultra HD, as newly released in a terrific and loaded special edition package from our friends at Synapse Films. If you’re a fan of Argento, the gaillo genre, or this film in particular, this is a great package that you’re not going to want to miss.

Stephen has also taken a look at an under-appreciated Soviet classic by director Alexandr Ptushko, a filmmaker considered by many to be the Russian George Pal… Sampo (1959) new on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile and Vinegar Syndrome. This is an interesting piece of cinema that also deserves a look.

Last but not least, Dennis has offered his thoughts on Graham Mason’s Inspector Ike (2020), which presents itself as a “lost 70s telefilm” and detective story spoof, a-la The Naked Gun. That’s available on Blu-ray from Factory 25 via Vinegar Syndrome, so be sure to check it out.

Now then, the biggest box office hit of the year… and what is likely to be the biggest home media title of the year as well… has finally been made official: Paramount Home Entertainment will release Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/1 (a date that our sources have been suggesting for a few weeks now). But here’s the real surprise: The Digital release will drop next Tuesday on 8/23! [Read on here...]

We begin our Friday My Two Cents installment here at The Bits with a trio of new disc reviews…

Stephen has turned in his in-depth thoughts on George Stevens’ 1956 Hollywood classic Giant, starring James Dean, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Taylor, as recently released on 4K Ultra HD by Warner Bros.

Also, Dennis has checked in with this thoughts on Lyndall Hobbs’ Back to the Beach (1987) from Paramount and Joe Wiezycki’s Satan’s Children (1974) from AGFA and Something Weird Video.

Now then, the big release news today is that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has finally officially announced two major catalog titles for 4K Ultra HD...

First, they’ve just set Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist (1982) for release on 4K UHD and Digital on 9/20. The disc will feature HDR10 high dynamic range, with the previous 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The package will include the previous Blu-ray extras on disc, including They Are Here: The Real World of Poltergeists, Part 1 – Science of the Spirits, They Are Here: The Real World of Poltergeists, Part 2 – Communing with the Dead, The Making of Poltergeist, and the film’s theatrical trailer.

And of course, the studio has just officially set Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys (1987) for release on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on 9/20 as well. Once again, you’ll get HDR10 high dynamic range and the previous 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Both the 4K disc and the Blu-ray in the package will include audio commentary with Schumacher. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a couple of announcements to report today...

First, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just officially set its Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 3 for release on 10/25. And just as we first reported here at The Bits a few weeks ago, the package will include Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (1934), Fred Zinnemann’s From Here to Eternity (1953), James Clavell’s To Sir, with Love (1967), Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show (1971), John Huston’s Annie (1982), and James L. Brooks’ As Good As it Gets (1997).

Each film will include Dolby Vision HDR and all-new Dolby Atmos mixes. All of them will carry over the legacy Blu-ray special features, as well as bonus content that’s new to release.

The new content will include... [Read on here...]

Today’s update at The Digital Bits is a relatively brief one, as I have family visiting here from North Dakota this week. But we do have some new disc reviews, as always, as well as some interesting release announcements and rumors.

First up, those reviews...

Dennis has offered his take on Robert Siodmak’s Time Out of Mind (1947) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Stephen has reviewed Rene Daalder’s Massacre at Central High (1976) on Blu-ray and Steelbook Blu-ray from Synapse Films.

And Tim has taken a look at Rod Serling’s Night Gallery: Season One (1969-1971) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

FYI, Tim is working on a review of Season Two of the series as well, so watch for that to be posted very soon. [Read on here...]