Items filtered by date: July 2023

We’re starting this week out with another pair of new disc reviews, including...

Stephen’s take on Eugène Lourié’s Gorgo (1961) on 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome, along with his thoughts on Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Ultraman (2022) on Blu-ray from Cleopatra Entertainment.

In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set Gene Stupnitsky’s No Hard Feelings for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 8/29, with the Digital release coming next week on 8/15. Extras will include Outtakes & Bloopers, A Motley Crew: Meet the Characters, and A Little Wrong: Making No Hard Feelings. The films stars Jennifer Lawrence.

Paramount has announced that the Paramount+ original series Rabbit Hole: Season One, featuring Kiefer Sutherland, will arrive on DVD only on 10/17.

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is releasing Blue Collar TV: The Complete Series, Step by Step: The Complete Series, and Pinky and The Brain: The Complete Series, all on DVD only on 9/26. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a quick rundown of release news for you to close out the week today, and some new reviews as well. I suspect some of you are interested in a follow-up to the State of 4K and Physical Media editorial we posted on Wednesday. Rest assured, there will be a follow-up, and I hope to get that posted here sometime next week. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, we have several new disc reviews for you to enjoy this afternoon...

Tim has posted his thoughts on John Hughes’ Weird Science (1985) in 4K Ultra HD from our friends at Arrow Video.

Stephen has shared his take on Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 in 4K UHD from Lionsgate, Brian De Palma’s Blow Out (1981) in 4K UHD from Criterion, and also John Henry Johnson’s Curse of the Blue Lights (1990) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Dennis has delivered a look at Charles Walters’ Dangerous When Wet (1953) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart has weighed in with a look at René Clément’s Joy House (1964) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Now then, the big news today is that Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has set Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/15, with the Digital release due next week on 8/11. Extras will include the 4-part The Making of Asteroid City documentary (which includes Desert Town, Doomsday Carnival, Montana and Ranch Hands, and The Players), as well as 2 additional Digital-exclusive features (The Alien and The Roadrunner). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below the break. [Read on here...]

Today’s editorial is going to be brief, because frankly some of us here at The Digital Bits have grown a bit frustrated at this point. Disheartened by the state of things, as it were. So too—we suspect—have many of you, our dear readers and fans of physical media. But lately, after nearly twenty-six years of passionate advocacy for film, TV, and special edition content on disc, it’s come to our attention that a couple of the major Hollywood studios don’t seem to have quite that same passion for the subject anymore.

One of these—let’s call ‘em Garner Brothers—just announced a long awaited 4K Ultra HD catalog release with almost no special features. Certainly no newly-created special features, because this studio doesn’t seem to do many of those anymore, and almost no special features on the actual discs, which is where disc fans tend to prefer them. Instead, most of this title’s special features are included as Digital extras only.

Nor does this title include the most obvious extra that fans have been wanting for years, which is the uncut 81-minute “Festival Version” of a certain making-of documentary about this film. Why? Honestly, we’re not sure there’s many people left at this studio who even know that it exists or why fans might care about it. (And if there is, that person should definitely be given a bigger role in making these decisions.)

Now, all of this is particularly frustrating, because if you pre-order this same title on 4K UHD in the United Kingdom, you do get those extras on disc. What’s more, you get a couple of different deluxe packaging options with swag in the UK, both of them terrific, whereas here in the States, the packaging’s artwork simply makes fans of this film weep, created—as it seems to have been—by an intern and novice Photoshop user for reasons unknown (rather than using the film’s already existing poster or production art, which… again… is the kind of thing this studio’s best customers would actually prefer.) [Read on here...]

I’m happy to say that we have a little bit of late-breaking announcement news today, and it’s one we’ve all been waiting for. Here’s the full text of Warner’s press release...

THE EXORCIST COMES TO 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL

TO CELEBRATE THE ICONIC SUPERNATURAL FILM’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY, THE EXORCIST WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR)

Purchase the film on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital on September 19

Burbank, Calif., August 1, 2023 – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, the iconic supernatural film The Exorcist from Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin (The French Connection) will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time this September.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1973 release, on September 19 The Exorcist will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters. [Read on here...]

In reviews today, Stephen has taken a great in-depth look at Terry Gilliam’s acclaimed Time Bandits (1981) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection.

And Tim has weighed in with his thoughts on Chris McKay’s horror comedy Renfield (2023) on Blu-ray from Universal. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, and Awkwafina.

As far as title announcements, the big one today is that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set the animated sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 9/5. The Digital version becomes available on 8/8. The 4K will include Dolby Atmos audio, while the Blu-ray will feature 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Extras will include audio commentary with the filmmakers, a deleted scene (Miguel Calling), lyric videos, and 10 behind-the-scenes featurettes (Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs, I’mma Do My Own Thing, Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions, Designing Spiders and Spots, Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse, Escape from Spider-Society, Across the Comics-Verse, Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie, Raising a Hero, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast). You can see the final cover artwork for the 4K UHD at left and also below, along with the wide release Blu-ray cover. Note that there will also be retail-exclusive packaging SKUs, including a Steelbook at Best Buy.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has also set Cobra Kai: Season 5 for DVD only release on 9/12. [Read on here...]