Items filtered by date: November 2016

Well, I’ve been fighting it for a few days now but it seems that I’ve finally come down with some kind of flu bug. Damn it. The upside is that I’m spending a lot of time watching movies, so I’m working on more 4K reviews here today.

Meanwhile, Tim has checked in with a new Scream for a Week column in which he delivers a pair of new Blu-ray reviews of his own: Scream Factory’s The Beast Within and the Ghoulies/Ghoulies II Double Feature. He also tosses in his thoughts on Vestron Video’s new C.H.U.D.: Bud the Chud. [Read on here…]

Welcome to our newest column addition Scream for a Week!

Starting things off is the great ‘Dolph Lundgren hunting a killer alien’ movie Dark Angel (a.k.a. I Come in Peace). New here is a terrific double feature of Ghoulies and Ghoulies II, a fun pair of Gremlins knock-offs that popped up during the Empire Pictures’ reign. Following that is another new review, this one of a neat but oddball monster movie called The Beast Within, written by Tom Holland and directed by Philipe Mora. Next we have Astron 6’s The Editor, a fun homage to the Italian Giallos of the 60s and 70s. Finally, New Year’s Evil is a Cannon Films slasher that seems an appropriate title to go out on for the year.  [Read on here...]

This is just a quick post to close out the week here at The Bits, but I wanted to chime in this afternoon with my non-spoiler comments about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which I saw last night in RealD 3D (via Barco Laser projection – no IMAX Laser 3D, but it’s good).

First of all, let me say: I really enjoyed the hell out of this film. I actually liked it more than I liked The Force Awakens, and I enjoyed that film too. Rogue One manages a nifty threading of the needle. On the one hand, it has to feel like authentic Star Wars (it certainly does to me) and it has to meet very high fan expectations (it mostly does this for me too). On the other hand, no film can possibly do that for everyone. Every longtime fan has likely imagined the story described in the opening crawl of the original Star Wars, and every one of those fans who is now connected to the film industry in one way or another has probably already directed that movie in their heads. So not everyone is going embrace everything about this film. Yet, it’s still a blast. [Read on here…]

All right, this will be a day long remembered! Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens tonight at theaters all across the States and around the world. But we’ll come back to that in a moment.

First, we’ve got more reviews for you. I’ve just posted my thoughts on Warner and DC’s Suicide Squad in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format. I don’t much care for the film myself, but it sure looks great and the 4K disc is pretty terrific in terms of A/V quality. There’s a nice batch of extras on the enclosed Blu-ray too. So that’s something.

Also, Tim has turned in his thoughts on Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur’s classic 1942 horror film Cat People, which has recently been released on Blu-ray Disc by our friends over at the Criterion Collection. It’s a great disc, so don’t miss it!  [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’re kicking things off this week with Tim’s in-depth thoughts on Well Go USA’s new Phantasm: Remastered Blu-ray release (see here). Sounds like the new transfer is pretty terrific, though you might want to keep those older versions of the film for all the previous extras.

In announcement news today, Lionsgate Home Entertainment is planning a Dirty Dancing: 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo release for 2/7, following a brief return to theaters for the film on 1/29 and 2/1 through Fathom Events. The home media release will include a regular Blu-ray/DVD Combo and a Limited Edition Collector’s Box set with swag. Both will feature new disc-based extras. You can see the regular version at the left there. We’ll post additional details as they become available.  [Read on here…]

Okay, just got a quickie post to close out the week here at The Bits, as I’m hard at work on more new disc reviews. Among the titles I’m working are Kubo and the Two Strings and UFO: The Complete Series on Blu-ray (the latter being a Region B title), and also Suicide Squad, Morgan, and The Magnificent Seven in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format. So watch this space over the next week or so for my thoughts on those.

Meanwhile, Tim has turned in a new Blu-ray review himself, in this case a look at Lucio Fulci’s Manhattan Baby: 3-disc Limited Edition, which is now available from our friends over at Blue Underground.  [Read on here…]

We have just a quick update for you this afternoon, as I’ve been working hard to get a number of important Blu-ray and 4K titles reviewed this week. As such, I’ve just finished my in-depth look at the wonders of CBS’ new Star Trek: The Original Series – The Roddenberry Vault on Blu-ray, which streets next week (12/13). I’ve also found Lionsgate’s recent Hell or High Water well worth your time on Blu-ray, as it’s one of the best films of 2016. Be sure to give both of them a look.

The big announcement news today is that 20th Century Fox has officially set The Birth of a Nation for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on 1/10. Extras on the Blu-ray will include audio commentary by director Nate Parker, deleted scenes with optional commentary (also included on the 4K), the #AmeriCAN short film with optional commentary, the Rise Up: The Legacy of Nat Turner documentary, 4 featurettes (The Birth of a Nation: The Making of a Movement, “Free God” Spoken Word, Celebration of Independent Voices: Nate Parker, and Shooting Script), and an image gallery. [Read on here…]

First up this afternoon, we have a trio of new disc reviews. I’ve given Sony’s The Da Vinci Code a look on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format and Tim has turned in a new Scream for a Week column with reviews of Jack’s Back and the Black Christmas: Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray Disc. All of them are worth your consideration, especially for fans of the films in question.

Also, our own Russell Hammond has posted the weekly Release Dates & Artwork update with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, anytime you order literally anything from Amazon in the same session after you click to them through one of our links, you’re not only getting a good deal but you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we greatly appreciate it. [Read on here…]

Welcome to our newest column addition Scream for a Week!

We here at The Digital Bits are big fans of Shout!’s Scream Factory division and, not unlike Todd Doogan’s Criterion Spines Project, we wanted to cover Scream Factory’s releases by catching up on a bunch that we’ve missed while acknowledging the previous ones. We’ll also be covering new ones here as well. This column will go up on a bi-weekly basis, so be sure to check back in another two weeks for another pile of Scream Factory goodness.

First up is a double feature of Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror, both terrific horror anthologies. Tales from the Crypt in particular contains one of the creepiest and more effective Christmas horror stories. Speaking of Christmas, new on the slate is a Collector’s Edition of Black Christmas, a title long sought after by Scream Factory fans and one that I believe many will feel was worth the wait. Also new on the chopping block is Jack’s Back, a great little thriller mostly forgotten by genre fans. Next is George A. Romero’s Monkey Shines, one of his most enjoyable non-Dead movies. And last but not least is a double feature of TerrorVision and The Video Dead, one of Scream Factory’s earliest releases and still one of their most fun. [Read on here…]