Displaying items by tag: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

We’re back!

Sorry for the absence of news posts over these last few days, folks. It’s been a busy and chaotic week here at The Bits—not so much work wise, but personal life. Our family’s had a flurry of doctors appointments (all routine, thanks goodness, but still disruptive) and I’ve had to run a car in for servicing. Man, I hate it when real life intrudes on my 4K disc time! Anyway, things seem to be settling down, so it’s time to catch up on news, and then I’ll be working on some new disc reviews myself over the coming days as well.

First though, we do have a couple of reviews to share with you from the team, including...

Tim’s look at Tarsem Singh’s The Cell (2000) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video—something of a complicated title to review, given its unique production characteristics, as well as the fact that Arrow implemented a disc replacement program.

And Stephen’s thoughts on Robert Wise’s The Andromeda Strain (1971) in 4K Ultra HD, also from Arrow Video, a terrific sci-tech thriller adapting Michael Crichton’s influential 1969 novel of the same name.

Also here at the site this week, we’ve posted a new update of our Release Dates & Artwork section featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking through to them from one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at the site and we really do appreciate it! [Read on here...]

Afternoon, Bits readers! We’re starting the week with more new disc reviews, as always, including...

Stuart’s thoughts on Daniel Petrie’s The Betsy (1978) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

Dennis’ look at Todd Field’s In the Bedroom (2001) on Blu-ray also from Imprint Films.

And Tim’s take on Imprint’s new Blaxploitation (1972-1973) Blu-ray box set, which includes Martin Goldman’s The Legend of Black Charley (1972), Larry G. Spangler’s The Soul of Black Charley (1973), Ron O’Neal’s Superfly T.N.T. (1973), and Arthur Marks’ Detroit 9000 (1973). (Note that two of those films are using their less controversial titles, one of which was apparently changed for use in newspaper theatrical listings and for its original 1970s TV broadcast.)

Also… on Friday, Stephen turned in a detailed look at Mel Brooks’ trail-blazing comedy Blazing Saddles (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

And finally, Tim also reviewed Arrow Video’s excellent Inside the Mind of Coffin Joe Blu-ray box set, which was released in March.

More reviews are forthcoming this week, so be sure to stay tuned for them.

In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just revealed a new 4K Steelbook edition of David Ayer’s Fury (2014) for release on 7/15. The title will now include Dolby Vision HDR, whereas the previous 4K release (from May of 2018) had HDR10 only. (You can read our review of that disc here.) All the extras will be the same, with the sole exception that the 4K disc no longer includes the 46-minute Smithsonian Channel documentary The Tanks of Fury. (Nor is it on the Blu-ray in the package, which seems to be identical to the previous Blu-ray.) Presumably, this omission allows for the inclusion of Dolby Vision and perhaps a higher overall 4K data rate. In any case, you can see the Steelbook cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]

We have three more new disc reviews for you today, including…

Stephen’s look at both the regular 4K Ultra HD and 4K Steelbook versions of Clint Eastwood’s Pale Rider (1985) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

And Dennis’ take on Kirk Douglas’ Posse (1975) on Blu-ray from Paramount via Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

In release news today, Vinegar Syndrome has announced a trio of new 4K Ultra HD titles as part of their Halfway to Black Friday event, including Bob Saget’s Dirty Work (1998), Michael Ritchie’s The Golden Child (1986), and William Friedkin’s Jade (1995)! All three will include Dolby Vision HDR and substantial extras.

What’s more, our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics have just set George Stevens’ Shane (1953) for 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release on 7/15! That’s a Paramount title, and it’ll include Dolby Vision HDR. [Read on here...]

We’ve got four new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, including…

Dennis’ look at Frank Wisbar’s Lighthouse (1947) on Blu-ray from Film Masters.

Stuart’s take on James Goldstone’s Swashbuckler (1976) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

And last but not least, Stephen’s in-depth thoughts on Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) in both 4K Ultra HD and 4K Steelbook from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

More reviews are forthcoming, so be sure to stay tuned for them.

Also here at The Bits today, we’ve just updated our Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, anytime you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at the site and we really appreciated it! [Read on here...]

We have two more new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, including...

Stephen’s take on Peter Hyams’ Timecop (1994) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Factory.

And Dennis’ look at Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man (2025) on Blu-ray from Blumhouse via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

In announcement news this afternoon, our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics have revealed a pair of new 4K Ultra HD catalog titles for release on 6/17, including Billy Wilder’s Sabrina (1954)—a Paramount title—and Sean S. Cunningham’s DeepStar Six (1989)—a Carolco Pictures/Tri-Star Pictures film. Both will include Dolby Vision HDR.

Also today, Imprint Films has announced their fiftieth wave of catalog titles for Blu-ray release in June, including Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980) and New York, New York (1977), John Huston’s The Man Who Would Be King (1975), John Milius’ The Wind and the Lion (1975), Gordon Parks’ Leadbelly (1976), Cliff Robertson’s J.W. Coop (1971), and Harold Becker’s The Onion Field (1979). The street date is 6/25, and each is limited to 1500 copies. [Read on here...]

We start today with three new disc reviews, including...

Stephen’s look at Lucio Fulci’s Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.

Stuart’s take on Stephen Soucy’s Merchant Ivory: The Documentary (2023) on Blu-ray from the Cohen Media Group via Kino Lorber.

And Tim’s thoughts on Shane Black’s The Nice Guys (2016) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

We’re all working on more new disc reviews here this week as well, including yours truly. So watch for those over the coming week.

Over on The Digital Bits’ Patreon on Sunday afternoon, I shared another new 30-minute My Two Cents: A Video Blog update with our subscribers, talking more about Tombstone and Dogma, as well as other recent industry developments. And we’re now taking questions for an Ask Me Anything session we’re planning next weekend. Supporting The Digital Bits via Patreon is a great way to help ensure that we can keep bringing you all great industry coverage here on the site. Do keep in mind that since we’ve been covering this industry since the very beginning of the DVD format back in 1997, nobody has better connections, sources, and knowledge of this industry that we do here on The Bits. So thank you all very much for reading and for your support!

Now then... in release news today, we’ve got exclusive details on the next pair of Lionsgate Limited 4K Ultra HD Steelbook titles, due to become available in May! Look for the studio to release Breck Eisner’s The Crazies (2010) and Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass (2010) on 5/13! Both will include Dolby Vision HDR and new Dolby Atmos mixes, and they’ll both be released on 100GB discs. Each will also include new and legacy special features! [Read on here...]

Afternoon, friends! We have three new disc reviews for you today, including...

Stephen’s look at Ramón Menéndez’s Stand and Deliver (1988) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

An update of our old friend Todd Doogan’s 2010 Blu-ray review of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) by Tim Salmons, to cover the Criterion Collection’s new 4K Ultra HD release.

And finally today, Dennis’ look at Anand Tucker’s The Critic (2023) on good old fashioned DVD from Greenwich Entertainment and Kino Lorber.

In terms of announcement news this afternoon, the big news is that HBO has made its planned 4K Ultra HD Steelbook Limited Edition re-release of The Last of Us: The Complete First Season official for 3/18, in anticipation of the debut of Season Two on Max in April.

Also, the A24 shop is releasing an exclusive Blu-ray version of Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing (2023) with an expected street date TBA for March. You can pre-order it here. The disc will include audio commentary with the director, producer, editor, and cinematographer, 2 featurettes (Trust the Process and Sing Sing Correctional Facility Premiere), deleted scenes, and a gallery of behind-the-scenes photography by Greg Kwedar, Dominic León, Daniel Order, and Pat Scola. [Read on here...]

Cheers, Bits readers! Here’s our latest batch of new disc reviews for today…

Stephen has taken a look at Michael Mann’s The Keep (1983) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.

Dennis has reviewed Robert Florey’s The Beast with Five Fingers (1946) and Anthony Mann’s The Tall Target (1951), both on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Stuart has offered his thoughts on Zoltán Korda’s Sahara (1943) on Blu-ray from Indicator and George Seaton’s The Proud and Profane (1956) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And not to be outdone, Tim has shared his look at Russ Meyer’s Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens (1979) on Blu-ray from Severn Films.

More reviews are forthcoming, as always, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them!

Now then, the big release news today is that Universal has officially set Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (2024) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, and 4K Steelbook on 2/18. The Digital version is now available. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a good bit of ground to cover here at The Bits today, so let’s start as always with new disc reviews...

Now available here are Stephen’s take on Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from StudioCanal, David Allen’s The Primevals (2023) as released on Blu-ray by Umbrella Entertainment, and the Blu-ray Audio version of Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense (1984) live album, which includes Dolby Atmos.

Stuart’s look at the Philo Vance Collection on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics—which includes The Canary Murder Case (1929), The Greene Murder Case (1929), and The Benson Murder Case (1930)—as well as George King’s The Shop at Sly Corner (1947) and the Columbia Film Noir #6: The Whistler box set—which includes The Whistler (1944), The Mark of the Whistler (1944), The Power of the Whistler (1945), Voice of the Whistler (1945), Mysterious Intruder (1946), The Secret of the Whistler (1946), The Thirteenth Hour (1947), and The Return of the Whistler (1948)—both on Blu-ray from Indicator.

Dennis’ thoughts on Basil Dearden’s The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970) on Blu-ray from Imprint and Welcome Back, Kotter: The Complete Series (1975-1979) on DVD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

And finally, Tim has taken a look at Arch Oboler’s Bwana Devil (1952) on Blu-ray 3D from Kino Lorber Studio Classics with the help of the 3-D Film Archive.

More reviews are forthcoming, so stay tuned!

Now then, before we get to the big release news today, I wanted to alert you all to the fact that we’ve just posted a big update to our Cover Art section here at The Bits, aka the Release Dates & Artwork section (thanks to our own Russell Hammond)! It now features TONS of new Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art, all with Amazon.com pre-order links. You can browse and sort the titles by street date and format, and of course The Bits is an Amazon Affiliate, so anytime you click through one of our Amazon links and order literally anything from them, you’re helping to support our work and we really do appreciate it. It makes a real difference for us. [Read on here...]

We’re starting the new week as always with more new disc reviews…

First, our own Tim Salmons has turned in his thoughts on Imprint Films’ new double feature of The Uninvited (1944) and The Unseen (1945) on region-free Blu-ray, a pair of film noir titles both directed by Lewis Allen.

And Stephen has weighed in with a look at a hefty title of his own: Full Moon Features’ new The Primevals: Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray box set, featuring the restored 2023 David Allen film, which was originally greenlit in 1978 but wasn’t filmed until 1994. Sadly, Allen passed away in 1999 before the film was completed. But thanks to an Indiegogo campaign, it’s finally completed as much as is possible and available on disc. And what a nice package it is too.

More reviews are on the way of course, but today we’ve got a TON of Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release news to catch up all up on. It starts with Arrow’s Friday morning announcement of their October slate, which includes John Boorman’s Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) on Blu-ray (in the UK only) on 10/7, William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist III (1990) on 4K (in the UK only) on 10/7, the Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment box set—which includes Clive Barker’s Hellraiser (1987), Tony Randel’s Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), Anthony Hickox’s Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), and Kevin Yagher’s Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)—on Blu-ray and 4K (in the US and Canada only, it was already released in the UK) on 10/22, Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat (2007) on 4K (in the UK, US, and Canada) on 10/28, and the J-Horror Rising: Limited Edition Blu-ray box set—which includes Shunichi Nagasaki’s Shikoku (1999), Toshiyuki Mizutani’s Isola: Multiple Personality Girl (2000), Masato Harada’s Inugami (2001), Ten Shimoyama’s St. John’s Wort (2001), Kōji Shiraishi’s Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007), Takashi Komatsu’s Persona (2000), and Koji Shiraishi’s Noroi: The Curse (2005)—on Blu-ray (in the UK, US, and Canada) also on 10/28. [Read on here...]