Items filtered by date: October 2014

No list again this week – and no stroll down memory lane, either. This week is straight column with a full disc review on the side.

22 Jump Street – I can’t say I am too much of a fan of these films. The first one was cute and I remember scenes more than the movie itself. This one, I couldn’t remember a day after seeing it. Or did I see it? I don’t remember. See?   [Read on here…]

“Somewhere under the sea and beyond your imagination is an adventure in fantasy”

The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the silver anniversary of the release of The Little Mermaid, The Walt Disney Company’s musical-fantasy based upon the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.

The movie, Disney’s 28th feature-length animated production and winner of two Academy Awards (for Alan Menken’s score and Menken & Howard Ashman’s song Under the Sea), was the most successful for the company on an initial theatrical release and sparked an animation renaissance for both the company and the film industry.  [Read more here...]

We have some sad news to report this morning, but let’s get this out of the way first…

We’ve got a couple of new Blu-ray reviews for you today. Tim has given Criterion’s recent Blu-ray release of John Ford’s My Darling Clementine a look – a fantastic film and one of my favorite westerns. And I’ve chimed in as well with my thoughts on another favorite: Yoji Yamada’s The Twilight Samurai, a samurai classic from 2002, available now on Blu-ray from Twilight Time. Both films are well worth your time.

We also have a quick new History, Legacy & Showmanship column from our own Michael Coate for you today, taking a look back at Disney’s The Little Mermaid on the week of its 25th anniversary. Do give it a look. [Read on here…]

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All right, you fans have been waiting for this for a very long time, but I’m happy to report at long last that this is official folks. Space: 1999 – The Complete Second Series is now planned by Network Distributing for release on remastered Blu-ray and DVD in Q3 of 2015 (so about this time next year). Episodes will be HD remastered in the original 1.33:1 TV aspect ratio. There will be lots of special features. Further details will be available in the months ahead. Meanwhile, for fans that can’t wait that long, Network is taking a page from CBS and releasing the second series two-part episode The Bringers of Wonder as a Blu-ray special edition on 12/8 of this year. It will only be available via the networkonair.com website and is limited to just 1,999 copies. Preorders are on now. (Note that this is a Region B release, but we’re confirming whether it will be released here in the States and who the distributor is. Possibly Lionsgate. We’ll let you know.) Of those who purchase this Blu-ray, all will be entered in a special drawing to win one of three copies of The Complete Second Series when it’s finally released. [Read on here…]

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We’ve got a few more new pieces of release news for you today...

First, CBS and Paramount are releasing Mork & Mindy: The Complete Series and Mork & Mindy: Season Four on DVD for the first time ever on 12/9. Extras on The Complete Series will include the 2 Happy Days episodes that featured Mork. SRP is $129.99 for The Complete Series and $39.99 for Season Four.  [Read on here…]

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First up today here at The Bits, our own Tim Salmons has posted a pair of new Blu-ray reviews featuring George Romero’s The Dark Half and Monkey Shines from Shout! and Scream Factory.

I’ve also added a pair of Blu-ray reviews from the old Bits website, both Christopher Nolan films released on BD by Warner Bros, including Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. So if you’re still in a Batman mood after watching the ‘66 TV series version, there’s a little more for you.  [Read on here…]

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All right, we’ve got a great piece of release news for you today, but first… we face the end of an era…

I’m sad to say that our dear friend and family member, Dr. Adam Jahnke, the inventor of the peanut butter-based scratch proof coating himself, is officially retiring from The Bits. [Read on here…]

On April 7, 2000, we posted my very first piece for The Digital Bits. It was a review of Joe Dante’s Piranha on DVD from New Concorde Home Entertainment. I don’t have that disc today. It’s been upgraded and replaced by Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray. New Concorde’s not even around anymore. Now it’s New Horizons and they’re not in the home entertainment business themselves. Things change. [Read on here...]

Not only am I a huge movie fan – I also love to read. Novels, short stories and comics; I’ll read the back of a can of ravioli – I don’t care. My mother is mostly responsible. In my summers growing up, she would assign me books to read and for some reason I did it without argument. It was mostly the classics: Robinson Crusoe, Moby Dick, 20,000 Leagues – the good stuff. She would also filter in things like Jaws because she knew I loved monsters. When I started to read stuff on my own – unassigned – I gravitated to Stephen King, gobbling up his stuff like it was going out of style.  [Read on here…]

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Well… it’s taken all weekend to get it finished, but I’ve posted my in-depth review of Warner’s new Batman: The Complete Television Series – Limited Edition Blu-ray box set here at The Bits. The episodes certainly look and sound better than you’ve ever seen them before. The set’s extras are a little bit of a mixed bag, but the packaging and swag are terrific. The set streets tomorrow (get your orders in here). Do give the review a look. I think classic Batman fans will be pleased.

In announcement news today, 20th Century Fox has just set Maze Runner for Blu-ray and DVD release on 12/16.  [Read on here…]