Displaying items by tag: Robert Rodriguez

We’ve got some MAJOR announcement news to share with you all today, we’re starting things off as always with four new disc reviews...

Tim has checked in with his thoughts on Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass’ animated The Last Unicorn (1982) in 4K Ultra HD and 4K Steelbook from Shout! Studios.

And Dennis has weighed in with this take on Norman Z. McLeod’s My Favorite Spy (1951) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Serge Bourguignon’s Two Weeks in September (1967) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.

Now then, our friends at Shout! Studios and the Warner Archive Collection have announce major slates of Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD catalog titles for release in November and December!

The Warner Archive Collection has revealed 6 new classic Blu-ray titles for release on 11/26, including Jean Negulesco’s Humoresque (1946)—mastered from a 4K scan of original nitrate camera negative—Jack Haley Jr. That’s Entertainment! (1974)—re-constructed from original negatives and preservation elements—The Complete Thin Man Collection (1934-47)—a 6-disc set mastered from 4K scans of the best surviving elements, featuring WS Van Dyke’s pre-Code The Thin Man (1934), After the Thin Man (1936), Another Thin Man (1939), and Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), as well as Richard Thorpe’s Song of the Thin Man (1944), and Edward Buzzell’s The Thin Man Goes Home (1947)—Hanna-Barbera’s animated Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972-74) TV series—featuring 48 episodes on 6 discs—Gary David Goldberg’s Must Love Dogs (2005), and finally the Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice: Volume 4 (1937-64)—including 27 classic Looney Tunes fully restored and remastered shorts, including Friz Freleng’s Streamlined Greta Green (1937), Double Chaser (1942), Meatless Flyday (1944), Peck Up Your Troubles (1945), Along Came Daffy (1947), A Bone for a Bone (1951), Muzzle Tough (1954), Stork Naked (1955), Hyde and Go Tweet (1960), Lighter Than Hare (1960), D’ Fightin’ Ones (1961), Devil’s Feud Cake (1963), and Road to Andalay (1964), Tex Avery’s The Sneezing Weasel (1938) and Dangerous Dan McFoo (1939), Tex Avery and Bob Clampett’s The Cagey Canary (1941), Chuck Jones’ Fox Pop (1942), Mouse-Warming (1952), Double or Mutton (1955), and Hopalong Casualty (1960), Robert McKimson’s The Mouse-Merized Cat (1946), Henhouse Henery (1949), Leghorn Swoggled (1951), Muscle Tussle (1953), and Quack Shot (1954), Arthur Davis’ Holiday for Drumsticks (1949), and Norm McCabe’s The Impatient Patient (1942). Whew! [Read on here...]

Our second news update of the day starts with a little bit of breaking news: Paramount has just made David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker’s Top Secret! (1984) and David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007) available in 4K Digital on Apple TV, Vudu, Kaleidescape, and more. Given the amount of effort Fincher puts into his remasters, we believe it’s safe to assume that Zodiac will be coming to physical 4K Ultra HD from Paramount sooner than later as well.

Zodiac, it should be remembered, was shot mostly in 10-bit RAW in 1080p HD (4:4:4) using the Thomson Viper FilmStream camera, along with some footage in 35 mm photochemical film (Super 35 format). But anyone who doubts that it could look great upscaled and remastered in 4K would do well to take a look at HBO’s Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season in 4K UHD (which we’ve reviewed here). The advantages of high data rate and low compression, combined with an HDR grade, could really make a difference. Zodiac in particular was very well lit and photographed. Personally, I’m eager to get a look at it.

Also today, Arrow Video has announced their August slate, which includes a UK-only 4K Ultra HD release of Michael Lehmann’s Heathers (1988) on 8/5, followed by a slew of titles on 8/26. Among them are Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado (1995) in 4K Ultra HD and The Mexico Trilogy box set (both in the UK, US, and Canada), which includes El Mariachi (1992) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) in Blu-ray, as well as the Desperado 4K. [Read on here...]

Today’s post starts with three new disc reviews, including...

Stuart’s take on the Film Focus: George Peppard box set from Imprint, which includes John Guillermin’s P.J. (1968), George Schaefer’s Pendulum (1969), Sam Wanamaker’s The Executioner (1970), and Richard T. Heffron’s Newman’s Law (1974).

Dennis’ look at Val Guest’s Assignment K (1968), also new on Blu-ray from Imprint.

And finally, Stephen’s thoughts on Vincente Minnelli and Busby Berkeley’s Cabin in the Sky (1943) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Note that we have lots more new disc reviews on the way, so be sure to watch for them. Also here at The Bits today, we’ve posted a significant update of our 4K Ultra HD Release List with lots of new 4K UHD titles and Amazon links.

And for our Patreon supporters, we’ve recently shared our thoughts on Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica and how well the series holds up some fifteen years after it ended its run on the Sci-Fi Channel, along with some preliminary commentary on changes that are brewing within the home entertainment industry, as well as Stephen’s thoughts on the ethics of film alteration and the challenges in determining how films should look on Blu-ray and especially 4K. Supporting The Bits on Patreon is a great way to help us continue our work in service of physical media, and we surely do appreciate it. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some good title announcement news to start the week off today, along with a round-up of other release news odds and ends...

First up, Paramount and CBS have finally officially set Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season Four for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/16.

The 2-disc set contains all 10 episodes of the season, along with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary by Jack Quaid, Mike McMahan, and Brad Winters (Ep. 401)
• Audio Commentary by Tawny Newsome, Noël Wells and Gabrielle Ruiz (Ep. 404)
• Audio Commentary by Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Chase Masterson and Mike McMahan (Ep. 406)
• Audio Commentary by Dawnn Lewis, Tawny Newsome and Mike McMahan (Ep. 409)
• Audio Commentary by Robert Duncan McNeill and Mike McMahan (Ep. 410)
• Lower Decktionary: Setting Up Season 4 (featurette)
• Old Friends (featurette)

You can see the cover artwork at left and also below the break.

While we’re on the topic of Paramount, look for the studio to release Mark Waters’ original Mean Girls (2004) on 4K Ultra HD on 4/30. You can see that cover artwork below the break as well. [Read on here...]

We’re wrapping up the week today with another new disc review, a major piece of announcement news, and some very interesting things to check out around the Interwebs. We’ll start with the review...

Tim has posted his thoughts on Alfred E. Green’s The Fabulous Dorseys: Special Edition, which is newly available on Blu-ray from our friends at The Film Detective. The film is essentially a biopic about big band leaders Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, staring themselves along with Janet Blair. Do give it a look if you’re interested.

Now then, the big release news today is that Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution and Marvel have just officially announced the 2/15 release of Chloé Zhao’s The Eternals on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD, with the Digital release expected on 1/12. (Note that I haven’t yet seen any indication of an international Blu-ray 3-D release, but one may appear eventually.)

This film was actually finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate and should feature HDR10 high dynamic range on UHD, with Dolby Atmos audio (the Blu-ray will feature 7.1 DTS-HD MA). Note that the aspect ratio for both disc and digital on this title will be 2.39:1, though it’s likely to appear as IMAX enhanced at 1.90 as a Disney+ streaming exclusive. Extras will include an audio commentary (with Chloé Zhao, Stephane Ceretti, and Mårten Larsson), 4 deleted scenes, a gag reel, and 2 featurettes (Immortalized and Walks of Life). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

We’re wrapping up the week here at The Digital Bits with a trio of additional disc reviews and a bit more release news too. First up, those reviews...

Tim kicks things off with a look at Jacques Tourneur’s 1964 horror-comedy classic The Comedy of Terrors, starring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre. It’s coming to Blu-ray on 8/31 from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Also, Dennis has offered his thoughts on Frank Perry’s Mommie Dearest, recently released as a new Paramount Presents Blu-ray edition.

And Stephen rounds things out today with his take on Robert Aldrich’s The Choirboys (1977) on Blu-ray also from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Now then, in terms of release news, the British Film Institute has just surprised us all by announcing its very first 4K Ultra HD release and it’s a good one: Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957). You can see the cover artwork at the left there. [Read on here...]

Okay, this is just a very quick late Friday update to let you all know that director Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel will officially arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 7/23, with the Digital release expected on 7/9.

And the great news is that the 4K Ultra HD package will include a Blu-ray 3D version of the film too. (It appears that the 4K package will be the only way to get the film in 3D in the States, unless there’s a retail exclusive SKU we don’t know about yet.)

This is official from the Fox Movies website, and we would expect the home video press release to go out at any time now.

You can see the 4K cover artwork at left, and we have artwork for all three versions below. [Read on here...]