My Two Cents
Friday, 15 June 2018 15:59

Criterion September, Predator & more 4K news, Uni Monsters, Warner TV, a new So-Cal Jaws exhibit & more

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All right, we’ve got a few interesting things for you today...

First up, be sure you check out the reviews we’ve posted over the last couple days. To recap, my take on Sony’s Fury and Universal’s Pacific Rim: Uprising in 4K, plus Tim’s look at A Pistol for Ringo/The Return of Ringo from Arrow and Zombie 4: After Death from Severin. Enjoy!

Also here today, we’ve updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all kinds of new Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com links. Shopping through our links helps us keep going here at The Bits, so please do (and we appreciate it)!

And we have a couple of 4K Ultra HD title updates for you. First, it looks like 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is releasing the original Predator in 4K on 8/7. Zavvi currently has it available for pre-order in the UK on 8/6, and Amazon US has a new Predator Trilogy Blu-ray box set listed for 8/7, so it’s likely that the 4K disc will be available then as well. Zavvi is also listing a Predator 3-Movie Collection 4K set that would include Predator, Predator 2, and Predators for release that same day. We’ll have to wait and see if Fox announces this officially. [Read on here...]

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Speaking of Fox, we also expect Deadpool 2 to street on or around 8/21 according to retail sources.

Meanwhile, a number of retail sources are suggesting that Warner will finally release Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in 4K Ultra HD in late September or early October (European retailers are listing 10/8).

We’re also starting to see European retail listings for The Matrix Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD with a street date of 9/26. So you can reasonably expect the two sequel films (and maybe a Trilogy box set too) here in the States around then. Naturally, we’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits accordingly.

And it appears that Disney and Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War is due on 8/14, per retail sources. Many retail sources are also listing Solo: A Star Wars Story for release on 4K on 12/31, but that’s likely a placeholder date until the official announcement is made.

Now then… on the standard Blu-ray front today, our friends at The Criterion Collection have just unveiled their September release slate, which is set to include the following titles. Look for an updating of Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage (Spine #229 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 9/4, Olivier Assayas’ Cold Water (Spine #944 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 9/11, an updating of Gregory La Cava’s My Man Godfrey (Spine #114 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 9/18, and Daniel Petrie’s A Raisin in the Sun (Spine #945 – Blu-ray and DVD) and an updating of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev (with both the director’s preferred 185-minute cut and the extended cut that was suppressed by Soviet censors – Spine #34 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 9/25. We’ve updated The Criterion Spines Project here at The Bits to includes these titles.

Are there any fans of the classic Japanese anime Legend of the Galactic Heroes? Hey, Sentai Filmworks has you covered. They’re releasing the complete 162 episode/3 film series in an exclusive 26-disc box set that’s limited to 1000 copies. And it will only set you back $799.98. It’s pictured below and you can learn more here.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: The Complete Series (Blu-ray Disc)

By the way, not only is Universal releasing the final two Classic Monsters box sets on Blu-ray on 8/28 (Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Invisible Man), they’re also releasing an ultimate Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection on Blu-ray that same day. It’ll only set you back $183.07. You can see that below.

Note that Universal is also releasing a bunch of catalog horror titles on 8/28, including Psycho II, Psycho III, Psycho IV: The Beginning, the Chucky films, the Child’s Play films and more.

And look for the Breaking In: Unrated Director’s Cut from Universal on Blu-ray and DVD on 8/7, with the Digital release due on 7/24.

It looks like Disney is re-issuing The Muppet Movie on Blu-ray on 8/28 as well, though we don’t yet know if there will be any new content.

Lionsgate has set their remake of Overboard for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/31, with the Digital release due on 7/17. The studio has also set Traffik for release on Blu-ray and Digital on 7/10.

IndiePix is releasing the Brazilian sci-fi film Blue Desert on DVD only on 7/10.Also, Warner has just announced The Originals: The Fifth and Final Season for DVD only release on 10/2 (SRP $24.98). The Originals: The Complete Series will also be available on DVD that day including all 92 episodes (SRP $89.99). The 100: The Complete Fifth Season will follow on DVD on 10/9 (a Blu-ray version will be available via the Warner Archive). And look for The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season on both Blu-ray and DVD on 9/11. You’ll get all 24 episodes plus 3 featurettes, a gag reel and the 2017 Comic-Con panel (this last item exclusive to the Blu-ray).

One other product note: Taschen has announced that they’re going to be releasing a great new coffee table book on the original Star Wars films on 11/7. It’s called The Star Wars Archives: Episodes IV-VI – 1977-1983, edited by Paul Duncan. It will feature 620 pages of rare script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters prepared with the assistance of director George Lucas. SRP is $200, but Amazon is currently taking pre-orders on it for $10 off. You can see the over artwork below. Thanks to Bits reader Eric J. for the heads-up!

The Star Wars Archives: Episodes IV-VI – 1977-1983 (Book)

Here’s a look at the cover artwork for a few of the titles mentioned above. Click on the images to visit the Amazon.com pre-order pages, if available...

Andrei Rublev (Criterion Blu-ray) Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Legacy Collection (Blu-ray Disc) The Big Bang Theory: Season 11 (Blu-ray Disc)

Finally today, I wanted to recommend a fun Southern California experience for movie fans. The museum on Catalina Island is currently hosting a great exhibit called Jaws: The Art of Fear in Filmmaking which features a collection of rare artwork, props, and photographs from the archives of production designer Joe Alves. The exhibit runs until 9/16 and I highly recommend you check it out if you get the chance. Here’s a couple pix (you’ll find a lot more on my personal Twitter and Facebook pages) and here is a link to the official museum website...

Joe Alves/Jaws exhibit - Catalina Island Museum

That’s all for today. Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)

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