Displaying items by tag: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Well, the big news this week is so big that we’re going to address it right off the top: In a sudden and unexpected move, Disney’s board of directors has ousted CEO Bob Chapek and re-hired Bob Iger. The news came out of the blue on Sunday night and seems to have taken everyone by surprise. Bob Iger of course was the company’s previous CEO, who took over for Michael Eisner—the man who’d served in that role for over two decades at that point—back in 2005. It was under Iger’s watch that Disney acquired Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and the film division of 20th Century Fox. He also laid the groundwork for the launch of Disney+ in 2019.

Chapek was no stranger to Disney, having joined the company in 1993 as the director of marketing for Buena Vista Home Entertainment. In this capacity he helped steer Disney through the “Golden Age” of DVD and eventually the launch of Blu-ray, which is how I came to know him. He was so successful in that capacity that he was promoted to president of Home Entertainment in 2006, and eventually took over at Disney Consumer Products (in 2011) and Parks and Resorts (in 2015), which seemed to make him a natural fit to become CEO of Disney himself when Iger eventually stepped down.

But apparently, Iger and Chapek did not often see eye to eye. Iger, who could (and probably should) have worked more aggressively to groom a clear successor to lead the company in his own image, failed to do so, resulting in Chapek’s elevation to CEO in 2020. But Chapek’s reign was troubled from the very start, stricken first by the COVID-19 pandemic and next by a series of public “self-owns” and media missteps. [Read on here...]

We’re finishing the week here at The Bits with a spate of new disc reviews for you to check out and enjoy...

First, I’ve taken a look at Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) which is finally available in a long-awaited new 4K Ultra HD release from 20th Century Studios. The new 4K master is impressive, though not reference-quality.

It’s important to note, however, that Mann made creative changes to the film’s color grading in 2017, as he was preparing his new Director’s Definitive Edition (see his own comments on this at the time here). This means the film is somewhat darker looking, with slightly-desaturated color, than it was before—even with the new HDR grade. This in turn has caused a host of “fan” reviewers to claim that the disc is defective, when the truth is that they simply don’t like the new color grade. Meanwhile, professional reviewers have almost all praised the disc’s image improvements, while acknowledging the darker grading. Those of you with genuinely bright 4K displays (with effective tone-mapping) will appreciate the new color grade the most. The point is, you’re going to see a lot of diverse opinions about this title out there on the Interwebs and social media. It’s only by understanding that these changes were initiated by the director himself that you can sort the reality from opinion. Anyway, I break it down in the review.

Also today, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 4K Ultra HD from Marvel and Disney. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some great catalog 4K Ultra HD news to report today, but first we have one more new review...

I spent some time this weekend looking at Stanley Kubrick’s landmark war film Paths of Glory (1957) thanks to a fine new 4K Ultra HD release from our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics. For the first time, the image has been scanned from the original camera negative in native 4K—Criterion’s 2010 Blu-ray release was only a 2K scan of a fine-grain master positive—so this is unquestionably the best the film has ever looked at home. It’s a beautiful presentation and not to be missed by Kubrick fans and cinephiles.

All right, now for that catalog news... VCI Entertainment has set Bob Clark’s Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/11 as a new 50th Anniversary Edition. The release will include a new video introduction and Q&A with actor Alan Ormsby, along with a new 90-minute documentary on Clark’s horror films called Dreaming of Death. You’ll get lots of legacy special features as well. And you can see the cover artwork below the break. [Read on here...]

All right, sorry for the lack of an update yesterday, but I had a bunch of personal life stuff to take care of, as happens now and again. We’ve got some more disc reviews for you today, along with a bunch of good catalog 4K Ultra HD news. So let’s get to those reviews first, as always...

Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Moustapha Akkad’s The Message (1976) on 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Factory.

Dennis has offered his thoughts on Robert Z. Leonard’s Ziegfeld Girl (1941) on regular Blu-ray Disc from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.

And Tim has checked in with a look at Nathan H. Juran’s The Brain from Planet Arous (1957) newly restored on Blu-ray from the good folks at The Film Detective.

All three titles are worth a look and more disc reviews are on the way.

Now then, we’ve got some 4K UHD announcement news for you today... [Read on here...]

We’ve got a quick update for you this morning with word from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment that the long-delayed Blu-ray release of Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back documentary has finally been rescheduled for 7/12, as we first reported a couple of days ago.

The title had originally been set to street on 2/8, but was pulled at the last minute due to an unspecified problem with the audio mix (after review discs had already been dispatched to members of the press, and after some discs had briefly made it to retail shelves as well).

The error required the discs to be corrected, but the packed replication schedule these days—not to mention the sheer number of discs that needed to be produced—meant a long delay. [Read on here...]

We have another pair of new disc reviews for you to check out today...

First up, Tim and Stephen have jointly reviewed David Gordon Green’s Halloween Kills (2021) in 4K Ultra HD from Universal. And well... suffice it to say they didn’t care for it much. It is, however, an impressive 4K disc. You can read all about it here.

Tim has also taken a look at Richard Fleischer’s Mr. Majestyk (1974), which is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Speaking of KLSC, the company has been working overtime lately to announce more of their upcoming Blu-ray and 4K catalog titles, so now is a good time to provide a quick round-up of the titles they’ve revealed in recent weeks for release in March and April...

3/8 – Billy Wilder’s The Apartment (1960 – 4K & BD), Howard Hawks’ Man’s Favorite Sport? (1964), Melvin Frank’s Strange Bedfellows (1965), Jerry Jameson’s Starflight One (1983 – for Code Red) [Read on here...]

We’ve got a few more interesting pieces of release news for you all today, as well as more new disc reviews. Let’s get to the latter first...

Stephen has reviewed Robert Schwentke’s Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021) on 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, along with Norman Z. McLeod’s It’s a Gift (1934) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, and William A. Fraker’s A Reflection of Fear (1972) on Blu-ray from Imprint.

Also, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Mark Robson’s Isle of the Dead (1945) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and Stuart Heisler’s Among the Living (1941) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

More reviews are on the way over the next several days, so be sure to watch for them.

Now then... in announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just officially set Andy Serkis’ Venom: Let There Be Carnage for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 12/14, with the Digital release due on 11/23. The 4K disc will include HDR10 high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos audio. Extras on both the Blu-ray and 4K will include outtakes & bloopers, 6 deleted scenes, and 4 behind-the-scenes featurettes (Eddie & Venom: The Odd Couple, Sick and Twisted Cletus Kasady, Concept to Carnage, and Let There Be... Action). You can see the cover artwork above-left and also below. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a couple things for you today, but first more reviews...

On Friday I posted my in-depth thoughts on Warner’s Middle-Earth 31-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray box set, which includes the previous 4K discs of both The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (both the theatrical versions and Extended versions), along with the previous Hobbit Trilogy Blu-rays (again both versions) and newly-remastered Lord of the Rings Trilogy Blu-rays (sourced from the new 4K remasters, again both versions of each film). It also has a new bonus disc of content, but omits almost all of the previous content save for the audio commentaries. It’s actually a nice set for those who don’t already have any or all of the previous disc releases, but for diehard fans it’s going to be pretty frustrating. Anyway, click here for a lengthy and detailed review.

I’ve also posted my review of J. Lee Thompson’s The Guns of Navarone in 4K Ultra HD from Sony, which is a fine release of a classic WWII film.

Also, Stephen has posted his thoughts on Tony Randel’s Ticks (1993) in 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Tim has posted his thoughts on the He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefe Collection re-release on Blu-ray from Arrow Video, which includes six classic films from the Florida-based low budget filmmaker. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a little more announcement news for you today here at The Bits. But first, a new feature...

Our own Michael Coate has just posted a new History, Legacy & Showmanship column celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Dick Van Dyke Show. It features a great Q&A with television historian Herbie J. Pilato, who reflects on the series’ appeal, impact, and legacy six decades after its debut. We hope you all enjoy it!

Now then, let’s get to the announcement news...

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has just announced Wes Anderson’s latest film, The French Dispatch, for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/28, with the Digital release (including 4K) set for 12/14. Audio will be DTS-HD MA. There’s no indication of special features, but you can reasonably imagine that a Criterion special edition is forthcoming next year. The film stars Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Christoph Waltz, Edward Norton, and Jason Schwartzman. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

All right, I’m finally feeling better after my recent brush with an allergic reaction, so I’ve got a good My Two Cents update for you all today with some exciting 4K UHD release news and more new disc reviews as well.

First up is Stephen’s look at Joe Dante’s The Howling, now available in a new 40th anniversary release in 4K Ultra HD from Studio Canal in the UK. The 4K disc in the package will work on any UHD player, but the Blu-ray is Region B only and the DVD is Region 2 only.

Also today, Stephen has taken a look at Anthony Mann’s The Naked Spur (1953) on Blu-ray from MGM via the Warner Archive Collection.

And Tim has reviewed Camillo Mastrocinque’s An Angel for Satan (1966) on Blu-ray from Severin Films, as well as Don Siegel’s Coogan’s Bluff (1968) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. [Read on here...]