Displaying items by tag: Universal

We’ve got three new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, all of them 4K Ultra HD titles…

Tim has offered his thoughts on Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To (1976), new from our friends at Blue Underground.

Stephen has taken a look at Bo Arne Vibenius’ Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973) from the good folks at Vinegar Syndrome.

And Stephen’s also reviewed Shout! Factory’s new 4K UHD of Moustapha Akkad’s Lion of the Desert (1981), which streets next week.

More reviews are on the way in the coming days, so be sure to watch for them!

Now then, we have a little bit of release news from industry and retail sources, as well as an actual 4K UHD catalog announcement. Let’s get to that last one first… [Read on here...]

We’ve got some ground to cover this afternoon to start the week off right, including some major release news. First though, as always, some new disc reviews…

Stephen has given Ena Sendijarevic’s Take Me Somewhere Nice (2019) a look on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Dennis has turned in his thoughts on George Seaton’s The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

Now then, the big news today is that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore for release on 6/28 (SRP $39.98, $34.98, and $49.98 respectively), with the Digital release and HBO Max streaming debut expected on 5/30. [Read on here...]

Before we kick off the day’s release news here at the site today, be sure to check out Stephen’s latest Blu-ray review, which features the Miklos Jancso Collection on from Kino Classics. It includes 7 films made by Jancso from 1966 to 1974.

Now then, Paramount has officially set Tarik Saleh’s The Contractor for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 6/7. The Digital version is widely available now. The film stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster. AV specs on the 4K are TBA.

Universal has made Michael Bay’s Ambulance official for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 6/14, with the Digital release expected next week on 5/23. Both the Blu-ray and 4K will feature Dolby Atmos audio. The latter will include Dolby Vision HDR as well. And look for extras to include 6 behind-the-scenes featurettes (Bayhem, Aerial Assault, Chase Capitol of the World, Pedal to the Metal, Finding Ambulance, and A Tribute to First Responders). [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...]

Today’s update is a quick one, with two more new disc reviews, two rather significant pieces of release news, and some additional release news as well. First, the reviews...

Dennis has turned in a look at Ronald Neame’s Gambit (1966) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, which stars Michael Caine and Shriley MacLaine.

And Stephen has reviewed Nadia Tass’ The Big Steal (1990) on Blu-ray from Columbia Pictures via Umbrella Entertainment’s Sunburnt Screens line.

A quick note: I’ve taken a bit of a break from reviewing discs myself as I’ve been focused on planning The Bits site upgrade that we’re going to be doing in the coming months. But I expect to get back to reviewing more in the next couple of weeks, and I’ll definitely catch up on specific titles then. So thanks for your patience in the meantime.

Now then... Disney has informed us today that their 2/8 Blu-ray and DVD release of the Peter Jackson documentary The Beatles: Get Back is being delayed. Apparently, the studio caught an audio glitch in the release at the last minute and needs to correct it. So just be aware of the delay, and we’ll post updates here direct from the studio when they reschedule the title with a new street date. [Read on here...]

We’re closing out the week today here at The Bits with a bit of announcement news, word of a few 4K title delays, and more new disc reviews.

First up, Tim has turned in reviews of Stephen King’s Children of the Corn (1984), directed by Fritz Kiersch and newly released on 4K Ultra HD by Arrow Video, as well as Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds which is new on 4K Ultra HD from Universal.

Also, Stephen has reviewed Nick Murphy’s The Awakening (2011) on Blu-ray from the Cohen Media Group, along with Nadia Tass’ Malcolm (1986) on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment.

More reviews are on the way, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them.

Now then, the big announcement news today is that Criterion has just revealed their January 2022 release slate, which is set to include Thomas Vinterberg’s The Celebration (Spine #1108 – Blu-ray) on 1/11, Garrett Bradley’s Time (Spine #1109 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Richard Lester’s A Hard Day’s Night (Spine #711 – Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K) on 1/18, and Kirsten Johnson’s Dick Johnson Is Dead (Spine #111 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Jane Campion’s The Piano (Spine #1110 – Blu-ray and 4K) on 1/25. We’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List and Criterion Spines Project pages accordingly. [Read on here...]

We’ve a little bit of release news to start the new week today.

First up, Shout! Factory has announced its December slate of titles, which is set to include...

Shirobako: The Movie (Blu-ray), Neon Genesis Evangelion (wide-release Blu-ray), and Krampus: The Naughty Cut (4K Ultra HD) on 12/7.

David Steinberg’s Going Berserk: Shout Select (1983 – Blu-ray) and Cartoon Saloon’s Irish Folklore Trilogy (Blu-ray – includes The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers) on 12/14.

And The Vampire Lovers: Collector’s Edition (1970 – Blu-ray), Trog (1970 – Blu-ray), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968 – Blu-ray), and Lady in a Cage (1964 – Blu-ray) on 12/21.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has set Superman & Lois: The Complete First Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 10/19. [Read on here...]

All right folks, this is a day a lot of us have been waiting a very long time for. Let’s get right into what is arguably the year’s biggest news...

Our friends at The Criterion Collection have finally announced that their first titles on the physical 4K Ultra HD format will include David Lynch’s Mulholland Dr., Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, Jane Campion’s The Piano, Allen and Albert Hughes’s Menace II Society, Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell’s The Red Shoes, and Richard Lester’s A Hard Day’s Night! The first of these is expected to arrive in November (we believe it will be Mulholland Dr.) and will be officially detailed next week when Criterion announces its full November slate. The rest will follow in subsequent months (starting—we believe—with Citizen Kane in December, given that 2021 is the film’s 80th anniversary). Per Criterion, each of their 4K titles will include the film on both 4K and Blu-ray (with most extras on the Blu-ray, allowing the 4K disc to have maximum room for video and audio data). Select films will also feature Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.

Any way you slice it, this is outstanding news. We actually knew (thanks to our longtime industry sources) about three of those titles and had a pretty good line on a fourth. But by our reckoning, the fact that the company has announced no less than SIX 4K titles tells us that Criterion is seriously ALL IN on the Ultra HD format at long last. And that is the best news we’ve had all year for physical media.

But that’s not all of the news we have for you today, so let’s keep going! [Read on here...]

All right, we have two things for you today…

The first, is that I’ve just posted my in-depth review of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989), newly released on 4K Ultra HD by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. It’s a great disc, with a beautifully-remastered transfer and a great new DTS:X sound mix as well. Do check it out here.

The other thing is a recommendation for a great TV series that’s streaming right now on Apple TV+: Ron Moore’s For All Mankind.

Trust me when I say that if you’re a fan of science fiction, or human spaceflight, or alternate history, or just great character drama, this is absolutely a series that you should be watching. So let me tell you why you should be, and I promise there will be no spoilers. [Read on here...]

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...]