Displaying items by tag: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

We’ve got a trio of new disc reviews to round out the week today, including...

My thoughts on David Anspaugh’s Rudy (1993) which streets in 4K Ultra HD from Sony next Tuesday (11/14), featuring not only the original Theatrical Version but also a new Director’s Cut that’s 13 minutes longer.

Stephen’s take on Chuck Russell’s 1988 remake of The Blob in 4K UHD from Shout! and Scream Factory.

And Dennis’ take on Ron Winston’s The Gamblers (1970) on Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment.

More reviews are on the way, including my own look at Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17 (1953) in 4K from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. So be sure to watch for those soon.

Also today, over on our Patreon we’ve kicked off an in-depth poll asking our supporters what video, audio, special features, and packaging options 4K Ultra HD fans value most on their catalog titles on the format. The poll will remain open until next Friday (11/17) at Noon Pacific, so if you sign up as a supporter between now and then, you can weigh in with your picks. And we’ll share the results here on the website.

We’re going to run these kind of polls regularly on Patreon, both for our own edification and also to provide that information to studio sources who might ask for it, so this is a great chance to make your opinions heard. [Read on here...]

I’ve been thinking a lot, in recent days, about the future of physical media.

Frankly, I can’t recall a time in this industry that’s offered greater cognitive dissonance than this past week, which began with the news that Best Buy is exiting the disc business—and saw a Digital Bits headline on the subject appear in Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show monologue—but ended not only with the release of Barbie and The Exorcist in 4K, but also with the Ultra HD announcement of Titanic, The Color Purple, and Oppenheimer, to say nothing of the revelation (by Kino Lorber Studio Classics) that Stanley Kubrick’s earliest films are coming to the format!

What’s the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities again? “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.” Charlies Dickens was nothing if not a visionary.

This coming December, I’ll mark my twenty-sixth year as editor of The Digital Bits, and my thirty-fifth as a working professional in the business of media more generally. For most of that time, I’ve had a front row seat from which to view the ebbs and flows of the disc business—both its public-facing portion, as well a singularly-unique insider’s perspective. I launched The Bits website in 1997, at the height of LaserDisc and the dawn of DVD, to create a nexus between fans of these formats and the industry professionals who create them.

Soon afterwards, I gave the world its first look at Circuit City’s pay-per-view DIVX format, then led the crusade against it. I co-led a campaign that convinced George Lucas to begin releasing his beloved Star Wars films on DVD. I reported from the trenches on—and correctly predicted the outcome of—the high-definition format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. And I’ve covered every minute of the Golden Age of Physical Media, the rise and stumbles of Digital and streaming, and the continuing adventures of our favorite little format that could… 4K Ultra HD. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some ground to cover today here at The Bits, so first things first. We have a trio of new disc reviews for you to enjoy this afternoon, including...

Tim’s take on Amando de Ossorio’s Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) on Blu-ray from Synapse Films.

And Dennis’ thoughts on William A Wellman’s Westward the Women (1951) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as James Foley’s After Dark, My Sweet (1990) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Don’t forget, Amazon’s Prime “Big Deal” Days Sale continues until the end of the day today, so be sure to take advantage of all the great prices on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD titles, box sets, and collections. Click here and here to see what’s on sale and act fast!

For the record, some of today’s deals include...

• Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror 4K UHD (regularly $79.99) Now $29
• The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K UHD (regularly $69.98) Now $38
• The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection #2 4K UHD (regularly $69.98) Now $38

• Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection 4K UHD (regularly $219) Now $94
• Batman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray (regularly $79) Now $24
• Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray (regularly $69) Now $19
• The Last of Us: The Complete First Season Blu-ray (regularly $49) Now $26
• Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray (regularly $99) Now $49
• Bonanza: The Complete Series DVD (regularly $244) Now $159

• Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy 4K UHD (regularly $55) Now $23
• The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended & Theatrical) 4K UHD (regularly $89) Now $39
• Harry Potter: 8-Film Collection 4K UHD (regularly $178) Now $59
• Mission: Impossible 6-Movie Collection 4K UHD (regularly $83) Now $50
• The Godfather Trilogy 4K UHD (regularly $90) Now $54
• The James Bond Collection 24-Films Blu-ray (regularly $144) Now $54

So be sure to act fast if you’re interested.

Also today here at the site, we’ve got word on some long-awaited 4K Ultra HD catalog titles... [Read on here...]

We’ve got some interesting release news for you today, as well as updates on forthcoming 4K catalog titles we’ve been tracking for a while, and of course more new disc reviews. So let’s get to the latter first...

Our own Stephen Bjork has posted his in-depth review of Loki: The Complete First Season in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Marvel Studios and Disney. The short version is that the studio really does seem to have done this title right, in terms of AV quality, which bodes well for forthcoming Disney+ streaming series in 4K UHD.

Stephen has also turned in a look at Barry Levinson’s Rain Man (1988) in 4K Ultra HD from the MVD Marquee Collection.

And Stuart has delivered his take on Kino Lorber Studio Classic’s Audie Murphy Collection II on Blu-ray, which features Sierra (1950), Kansas Raiders (1950), and Destry (1954).

In terms of new release news, we’re hearing from retail sources that Universal’s forthcoming Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer (2023) will arrive in stores on 12/19.

Lionsgate has also delayed their 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray release of Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt (1963) from 9/26 to 10/24. Adjust your plans accordingly. [Read on here...]

The big release news today, of course, is that Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie on 10/17. The Digital version is already available. Now the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros’ 100-year history (per the studio’s own press release), the 4K will include HDR10 high dynamic range, along with English Dolby Atmos audio (the Blu-ray will include Atmos as well). Both discs will also offer six behind-the-scenes featurettes (including Welcome to Barbie Land, Becoming Barbie, Playing Dress-Up, Musical Make-Believe, All-Star Barbie Party, and It’s a Weird World). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below.

Warner Bros. has also officially set The Nun II for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 11/14, with the Digital version set to become available for purchase today (10/3). Extras will include two featurettes (Demons in Paradise and Handcrafter Nightmares). Audio on both the Blu-ray SKUs will be Dolby Atmos.

And in international release news, our friends at Turbine Medien GmbH in Germany have just set Chris McKay’s Renfield for release on 4K Ultra HD Steelbook in December. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a bunch of great title announcement news and “revels” to report today, so let’s get right to it...

First up, our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics have just revealed on their social media that they’re working on a new 4K Ultra HD release of Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad (1987)! And we have street date: Look for it to arrive on 11/28, complete with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR on a UHD-100 disc. The 3-disc set will also include the film remastered in 1080p HD on Blu-ray (which will also be available separately) and you’ll get a bonus disc with the Wolfman’s Got Nards (2018) documentary. Plus the set will include a ton of legacy special features. You can see the 4K cover artwork at left.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has also just revealed the Region A/US Blu-ray release of Ron Moore and Apple TV+’s fantastic alternate/near future science fiction series For All Mankind: Season One. Look for that to street on 11/14. Unfortunately, no 4K Ultra HD release is currently planned. Also, the cover artwork leaves a lot to be desired; it’s identical to the key art used on Dazzler’s UK release (which we reviewed here) but it shares nothing in common with the show’s actual logo or promotional artwork, causing a number of fans we’ve heard from to say it looks like a bootleg. In any case, it’s a great series—one of my favorites actually, along with Apple TV’s Foundation—and it’s great to finally have a legit US Blu-ray option. You can see the cover (with the Amazon pre-order link) below the break.

Sony has also just set FX’s Justified: City Primeval – Season One for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 11/14. And we’ve got that cover artwork for you below as well. [Read on here...]

Welcome to the new week, Bits-ers! We’re starting as always today with a trio of new disc reviews for you to check out...

Stuart has offered his thoughts on Andrei Konchalovsky’s Duet for One (1986) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis has delivered a look at Renato Polselli’s Delirium (1972) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Tim rounds things out with his review of George A. Romero’s Creepshow (1982) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory.

We also have several more reviews currently in the works for the next few days, so be sure to keep checking back for them.

The big news this morning is that the Criterion Collection has just unveiled its December slate of titles, including one new 4K Ultra HD release. The slate includes an upgraded version of Allen Baron’s Blast of Silence (1961) (Spine #428 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 12/5, followed by The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse (1951-1965) (Spine #1200 – Blu-ray and DVD – includes Bim, the Little Donkey, White Mane, The Red Balloon, Stowaway in the Sky, and Circus Angel) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) (Spine #1201 – 4K UHD + Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD) on 12/12.

You can see the cover art for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio at left and all three of them below the break. [Read on here...]

We’ve got one more quick update for you today here at The Bits. But first, we have two new disc reviews from Stephen...

He’s taken a look at Thom Eberhardt’s Night of the Comet (1984) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout and Scream Factory. And he’s also reviewed Scott Walker’s The Tank (2023) on Blu-ray from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Now then, the quick bit of news we have to report today is a follow up on something we predicted was coming here at The Bits several months back, which is that Universal Studios Home Entertainment is officially releasing the next wave of Alfred Hitchcock 4K Ultra HD titles on 10/31!

You’ll get the next box set of five films—The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection: Volume 3—as well as 4K single-film SKUs of each of the films in the set, including Rope (1948), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Torn Curtain (1966), Topaz (1969), and Frenzy (1972). You can see the cover art for the box at left, and the singles below the break. [Read on here...]

Greetings, Bits-ers! Sorry I missed posting my usual news column yesterday here at the site, but it turned out to be an incredibly busy day of working on reviews and communicating with our industry sources to chase down details and confirm some interesting forthcoming titles. As such, we’ve got a bit of ground to cover today and all of it should prove interesting. First though, let’s start with our latest new disc reviews, as always...

Longtime Bits contributor Adam Jahnke has returned for an in-depth review of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), new on 4K Ultra HD from Disney. The UHD image is spectacular, and we’ve confirmed that the studio went back to the original camera negative for a new 4K scan, remaster, and HDR grade, all of which were approved by director Henry Selick. Most but not all of the legacy special features carry over on the accompanying Blu-ray as well, which also offers better encoding and a higher data rate that the previous BD edition. This title seems to be one more sign that Disney is starting to turn things around with their physical media. So do give it a look.

Also today, Stephen has taken a good look at Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing (1982), which is new on 4K Ultra HD from our friends at the MVD Rewind Collection.

And Dennis has posted a review of Wesley Ruggles’ classic film epic Cimarron (1931) on Blu-ray from the good people at the Warner Archive Collection.

All of these are worth your time, and more new disc reviews are already in the works. In fact, I’m going to be posting my take on Universal’s new Battlestar Galactica (1978) 4K Ultra HD—which streets today—sometime later this evening or early tomorrow. So be sure to watch for that. [Read on here...]

We’re closing out the week with a bunch of new disc reviews and a ton of significant new title announcements as well from the likes of Arrow, Imprint, Sony, Shout! Factory, and more. But first, here are those reviews...

First, Stephen has delivered his in-depth takes on James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 (2023) on 4K Ultra HD from Marvel and Disney, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) on 4K UHD from Paramount, Russell Mulcahy’s Razorback (1984) on 4K UHD from Umbrella Entertainment, Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead (1980) on 4K UHD from Cauldon Films, and Dario Argento’s Tenebrae (1982) on 4K UHD from Synapse Films.

Stuart has chimed in with his thoughts on Henry Koster’s My Man Godfrey (1957) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Fred Zinnemann and John Sturges’ The Old Man and the Sea (1958) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Dennis has taken a look at Laura Tarruso’s About My Father (2023) on Blu-ray from Lionsgate, along with Cauleen Smith’s Drylongso (1998) on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.

Rest assured, we have even more new disc reviews coming next week, including Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, and several other titles.

Now then... in announcement news over the last couple of days, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set Frank Oz’s The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/24. Look for the film to be mastered in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos sound mix, both approved by Oz (the original English 5.1 and mono audio are also included). The 4K disc will also include a new audio commentary with Oz. This will be accompanied by a Blu-ray disc featuring the remastered film with 5.1 audio and 3 legacy special features (including an Interview with Jim Henson, Muppetisms: Miss Piggy & Kermit the Frog, and Muppetisms: Pepe and Fozzie Bear). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]