My Two Cents
Monday, 28 March 2016 16:11

Warner sets The Iron Giant: Signature Blu-ray for 9/6, plus Batman v Superman: Ultimate details & Garry Shandling RIP

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[Editor’s Note: Be sure to follow us on Twitter @thedigitalbits @BillHuntBits and on Facebook here and here. And you can help support The Bits by pre-ordering Blu-rays and other items from Amazon through this link.]

We hope you all had a nice holiday/WonderCon weekend... or just a weekend for the rest of you.

We’ve got a couple of new Blu-ray Disc reviews for you today. Our own Jim Hemphill has offered up his thoughts on Richard Brooks’ 1969 drama The Happy Ending, which is now available from Twilight Time. And, in case you missed it when I first posted it on Friday evening, I’ve completed my in-depth look at Disney and Lucasfilm’s forthcoming Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film looks fantastic and, let me tell you, Laurent Bouzereau’s new Secrets of The Force Awakens behind-the-scenes documentary is terrific. The Happy Ending is now available, while The Force Awakens arrives in stores here in the States next Tuesday. [Read on here…]

The big news today is that Warner Home Video has just officially announced the long-awaited Blu-ray release of The Iron Giant: Signature Edition and The Iron Giant: Ultimate Collector’s Edition on 9/6 (SRP $14.97 and $74.99)! Both versions will include the Theatrical and Signature Editions of the film, the all-new The Giant’s Dream documentary on the making of the film, audio commentary on the theatrical cut by director Brad Bird, additional scenes including the alternate opening, mini-documentary segments, the Signature Edition trailer, a Brad Bird trailer, a Motion Gallery, and 3 additional featurettes (Teddy Newton: The X Factor, Duck and Cover Sequence, and The Voice of the Giant). Meanwhile, the Ultimate Collector’s Edition will also include both films on DVD (in addition to Blu-ray), a personal letter from Bird, a hardcover art book, collectible Mondo art cards, and a 4-inch plastic articulated Iron Giant statue. Here’s a look at the final cover artwork for the UCE box (click on the image to pre-order on Amazon.com – click here for the Signature Edition BD link)...

The Iron Giant: Ultimate Collector's Edition (Blu-ray Disc)

In other news today, our friends over at Collider (and as it happens, I spoke with editor Steve “Frosty” Weintraub about this very subject at WonderCon on Saturday) have confirmed with director Zack Snyder that the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Ultimate Edition Blu-ray (which we mentioned on Friday is due on 7/16) will include both the theatrical cut and his longer R-rated Ultimate Cut of the film. [Editor’s Note: We’re aware that 7/16 is a Saturday, but that’s the date Amazon listed briefly when they first posted the SKUs. They have since taken the date down. We still expect a mid-July street date and we’re awaiting the official WHV announcement for confirmation.] It apparently runs about a half an hour longer, includes a little bit of additional action/violence and apparently a lot of additional character material. I’m looking forward to seeing it. You can pre-order it on Amazon via these links (click here for the regular Blu-ray Ultimate Edition, here for the Blu-ray 3D Combo Ultimate Edition, and below for the Amazon exclusive versions – the 4K UHD link will be added as soon as it goes live)...

Batman v Superman (Amazon Blu-ray exclusive - Batman version)    Batman v Superman (Amazon Blu-ray exclusive - Superman version)

Meanwhile today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has finally confirmed the 4K Ultra HD release of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on 5/31, day and date with Blu-ray and DVD (note that the digital release is expected on 5/10). The DVD release will include 2 featurettes (Courtship, Class and Carnage: Meet The Cast and From Austen to Zombies: Adapting a Classic). To this, the Blu-ray and Digital versions will add deleted scenes, Mr. Collins Line-o-Rama, a Gag Reel, and 2 more featurettes (The Badass Bennet Sisters and Creating the Unmentionables). The 4K Ultra HD version will include HDR and Dolby Atmos audio, plus the Blu-ray version will all its extras. Here’s a look at the packaging (click to pre-order on Amazon, the 4K link will be added when it goes live)...

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Blu-ray Disc)    Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (4K Ultra HD Blu-ray)    Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (DVD)

By the way, Sony has also set Outsiders: Season One for DVD only release on 5/24, followed by Never Back Down: No Surrender on DVD on 6/7.

And Dark Sky Films will release Emelie on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/3.

Finally this afternoon, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of the comedian and actor Garry Shandling (see this link at Variety). Gary was a very, very funny man and we admired him tremendously. His stand-up bona fides are obviously without question and his TV work, which includes It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show, is as influential as it gets. Others online have remembered him in far more detail, but we fondly tip our hats today in his memory. He will be dearly missed.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt (@BillHuntBits)

 

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