My Two Cents
All right, we’ve got another new Blu-ray Disc review for you today. Our own Joe Marchese has given Twilight Time’s new The Rains of Ranchipur a spin and has his thoughts for you here. Watch for more reviews over the next few days from Joe, Tim Salmons and others.
The big announcement news today is that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has finally set the Cleopatra: 50th Anniversary Collection for release on Blu-ray here in the States on 5/21. The 2-disc set includes the 243-minute version of the film fully restored, along with audio commentary with Chris Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky, 6 documentary featurettes (Cleopatra Through The Ages: A Cultural History, Cleopatra’s Missing Footage, Fox Movie Channel presents Fox Legacy with Tom Rothman, The Cleopatra Papers: A Private Correspondence, Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood and The Fourth Star of Cleopatra), 2 Fox Movietone News segments (archival footage of the New York and Hollywood premieres) and theatrical trailers. The set comes packaged in a full-color book featuring rare images from the making of the film. You’ll find cover artwork below.
In addition, Fox has set American Horror Story: Season Two (a.k.a. Asylum) for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 9/24 (SRP $59.99 and $49.98). Fox has also set Sons of Anarchy: Season Five for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/27 (SRP $69.99 and $59.98), as well as Homeland: The Complete Second Season (SRP $69.99 and $59.98 – for Showtime). And Fox will also release Wilfred: Season Two on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/18.
Fox and Anchor Bay have also set a number of new deep catalog titles for BD release on 5/28, including Bedazzled, Airheads, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Dying Young, The Star Chamber, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, The Newton Boys, Chasing Papi, Black Knight, Best Laid Plans and Simply Irresistible.
Meanwhile, Warner Home Video has announced an Enter the Dragon: 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition gift set for Blu-ray release on 6/11 (SRP $49.99). Extras will include audio commentary by producer Paul Heller, 3 all-new featurettes (No Way As Way, The Return to Han’s Island and Wing Chun: The Art that Introduced Kung Fu to Bruce Lee), an interview gallery featuring Bruce Lee’s wife Linda Lee Caldwell, 5 vintage featurettes (Backyard Workout with Bruce Lee, Curse of the Dragon, Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon, Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon and Personal Profile Bruce Lee: In His Own Words), 5 trailers and 7 TV spots.
Universal has set 30 Rock: Season 7 and Royal Pains: Season Four for DVD only release on 5/7. They’ve also announced Márcio Garcia’s Open Road for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/21.
Sony has set Revenge for Jolly, Left to Die: The Sandra and Tammi Chase Story and Lifetime’s modern updating of Steel Magnolias for DVD only release on 5/7 as well.
Well Go USA Entertainment has the “martial arts fantasy epic” The Four due for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/9.
Image Entertainment begins releasing individual seasons of The Dick Van Dyke Show on Blu-ray on 4/9 starting with Season One (SRP $59.98).
Image Entertainment and Acorn Media are releasing the George Gently Collection: Series 1-4 and George Gently: Series 5 on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/28.
CBS has set Rawhide: The Sixth Season, Volumes One and Two for DVD only release on 6/4.
And in news from around the Net today, our friend Adam Walker over at TrekCore has posted a great multi-part interview with producer Roger Lay, Jr. about the fine work that he and Robert Meyer Burnett are doing on the Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: The Next Generation Blu-ray special features. I’m a big fan of Enterprise in particular, and I’ll tell you – their documentary work on the upcoming Season One set (and it sounds like the future seasons too) is second to none. Everything you ever wanted to know about the show is being explored in these features they’re producing. Hats off to TrekCore for a great interview.
Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Fox’s Cleopatra: 50th Anniversary Collection and American Horror Story: Asylum, and Disney’s Shanghai Noon/Shanghai Knights double feature (due 5/7)…
Stay tuned…
- Bill Hunt
Happy Friday, folks! Hope you’re all ready for the weekend. Sorry for missing yesterday’s post – lots of things going on behind-the-scenes at The Bits this week. Good stuff, but stuff that kept us all away from the office yesterday. Life happens!
Meanwhile here at the site today, our own Tim Salmons has posted another new Blu-ray Disc review for you from Scream Factory: it’s the Prison: Collector’s Edition – an early Renny Harlin film (from 1988) starring a fellow you might recognize… Viggo Mortensen. Do check it out!
In announcement news today, Lionsgate has set The Last Stand for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/14 (SRP $39.99 and $29.95). Extras will include 4 featurettes (Not in My Town: Making The Last Stand, Cornfield Chaos, The Dinkum Firearm and Historic Weaponry Museum and Actor-Cam Anarchy: with Johnny Knoxville and Jaimie Alexander) and deleted, extended and alternate scenes.
Lionsgate will also release Texas Chainsaw on Blu-ray 3D Combo and DVD and A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/14 as well. Extras on A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III will include audio commentary with writer/director Roman Coppola and 2 featurettes (The Making of Charles Swan and A Glimpse Into the Mind of Charles White).
Inception Media Group will release the Brit comedy On Approval on Blu-ray on 3/19.
Meanwhile, Warner Home Video and TNT have set Falling Skies: The Complete Second Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/4 (SRP $49.99 and $39.98). The BD will be a 2-disc set and the DVD a 3-disc set, but each will include all 10 episodes plus extras. No word yet on extras. Season Three of the series is set to begin airing this summer, so you can probably expect the 6/4 street date is designed to let people catch up beforehand.
Universal has announced a trio of new catalog films for release on Blu-ray on 5/7, including Babe: Pig in the City, Jesus Christ Superstar and In the Name of the Father.
And Magnolia Home Entertainment has A Royal Affair coming on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/19.
Here’s a look at the cover art for Lionsgate’s The Last Stand, Warner’s Falling Skies: Season Two and Universal’s Promised Land (street date 4/23 – retail temp art)…
Have a great weekend and see you Monday! Stay tuned…
- Bill Hunt
All right, here at the site this morning, our own Joe Marchese has turned in a new Blu-ray Disc review of Twilight Time’s Experiment in Terror, directed by Blake Edwards. Enjoy!
Now for some release news…
First up today, Amazon.com is finally taking pre-orders on all three versions of Warner’s The Hobbit (due 3/19). Just click on the cover artwork to visit the pre-order pages...
Moving on... this is yet to be officially announced by Sony (so consider it unconfirmed for the moment), but Amazon.com has just listed Funny Girl (1968) as coming on Blu-ray on 4/30 (SRP $19.98). See the cover art below.
20th Century Fox meanwhile has set Hello Dolly for release on Blu-ray on 4/2 (SRP $24.99 – again, cover art below). Also coming to BD that day from Fox is That Thing You Do. And the classic Panic in the Streets arrives on BD on 3/26.
Weinstein Company and Anchor Bay have Django Unchained currently set for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/16, at least according to Amazon (SRP $39.99 and $29.98). They’re also expected to release Silver Linings Playbook on both formats on 4/30 according to retail sources.
Paramount will release Not Fade Away on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/30.
Warner has announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite on 5/21.
Lionsgate has set Felicity: Season Three and Felicity: Season Four for DVD release on 5/7, along with Power Rangers Samurai: The Sixth Ranger – Volume 4 on DVD on 5/14.
Shout! Factory has set American Masters: Mel Brooks – Make a Noise for DVD release on 5/21. The documentary premieres on PBS the day before.
Anchor Bay Entertainment and RADiUS-TWC have set the Chinese actioner Dragon for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/16. The film stars Donnie Yen.
Universal will release Frankie Go Boom on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/14.
And in other news, you Battlestar fans will be interested to learn that retail BD copies of Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome include an insert with word that the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica feature film is coming to Blu-ray in 2013.
Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Warner’s Mad Max Trilogy (due 6/4), Fox’s Hello Dolly and Sony’s Funny Girl…
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt
Morning, folks! Hope you all enjoyed The Bitsy Awards yesterday. We’ve got some announcement news and a new Blu-ray review for you this morning here at The Bits.
But first, our very own Russell Hammond has once again updated the Release Dates and Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon after clicking through to them from our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we surely do appreciate it.
All right, time for that review. Tim Salmons has checked in with a look at another fun Scream Factory title in high-definition – The Nest! Enjoy and be sure to watch for more new BD reviews every day here at The Bits all this week.
Warner Home Video has just announced a new Mad Max Trilogy Blu-ray collection for release on 6/4 (SRP $49.99). The set come in limited tin packaging and will include Mad Max (1979), The Road Warrior (1982) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985 - new to Blu-ray). The latter two will be released as BD singles on 6/4 as well. No word yet on extras. As some of you may know, George Miller has returned to direct a fourth film in the series, Mad Max: Fury Road, which should hit theaters sometime later this year.
Warner Home Video has also set the animated Superman: Unbound for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/7, featuring actor John Noble as the voice of Brianiac.
Sony would like to remind you all that the newly-crowned and Oscar-winning Best Documentary Feature, Waiting for Sugar Man, is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. We hear it’s pretty good.
Well Go USA Entertainment has set Takashi Shimizu’s Tormented for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/2. This will be followed by Deadball on both formats on 4/9.
Cohen Media Group will release The Other Son on both Blu-ray and DVD on 3/19.
And here’s a cool bit of news: Severin Films is releasing the 1970s classic Zulu Dawn on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/12 (SRP $29.95). Extras will include “new featurettes with Zulu War expert Ian Knight, the film’s historical advisor Midge Carter, a visit to the actual locations of the battle of Isandlwana hosted by Knight, and a selection of rare out-takes.” You can see the cover artwork below.
We’ll leave you with a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Severin’s Zulu Dawn, Warner’s Superman: Unbound and Kino’s Little Fugitive (due 3/26)…
Stay tuned...!
- Bill Hunt
All right, we’ll be back tomorrow with the usual cover artwork update, the latest announcement news and even a new Blu-ray Disc review. But first… it’s time for The 10th (Semi) Annual Digital Bits Bitsy Awards! We’ve nominated, we’ve voted and now here are our picks for the Best of the Blu-ray format in 2012. Enjoy!
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt