Displaying items by tag: 4K restoration

First things first today: The Criterion Collection has just announced their April Blu-ray and 4K release slate and—as always—it’s another great list of titles.

Look for Alex Cox’s Walker (Spine #423 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/12, Vittorio De Sica’s Miracle in Milan (Spine #1119 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Frank Tashlin’s The Girl Can’t Help It (Spine #1120 – Blu-ray only) on 4/19, and Arie and Chuko Esiri’s Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (Spine #1121 – Blu-ray and DVD), Bertrand Tavernier’s ‘Round Midnight (Spine #1122 – Blu-ray and DVD), and Al Reinert’s For All Mankind (Spine #54 – 4K Ultra HD – Blu-ray and DVD already available) on 4/26. You can see the 4K art for For All Mankind on the left, and we’ll post the rest of the cover artwork over the next few days as the titles become available for pre-order on Amazon.

Here’s some more great breaking news: Our friends at Powerhouse Films have just informed us that their outstanding Indicator label—which already delivers fantastic special edition Blu-ray titles to the UK and European market—is officially coming to the US!

The company has partnered with Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment, to ensure that retailers throughout North America will be able to carry Indicator releases. These will include Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sunrise, Critics Choice, and DiabolikDVD. The first Indicator titles should start becoming available here in the US starting this week. [Read on here...]

Well, this has been a bit of a head-spinning and confusing series of developments so far today (as I’m sure you’ll all agree).

You see... not long after we posted Paramount’s official press release for The Godfather Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD this morning (see our earlier post here), it quickly became clear that the text didn’t answer all of our questions.

So we’ve had multiple rounds of confirmation emails with the studio, not to mention forensic photo examinations, as well as a significant bit of retailer listing sleuthing to try to sort out all the important details of this 4K release. We originally thought that this Godfather Trilogy 4K release included 3-disc and 5-disc 4K SKUs.

Then surprise... not long after all that investigation, international retailer listings made the situation even more complicated, suggesting that it’s actually 5-disc and 9-disc 4K SKUs!

No kidding.

But... I just got off the phone with Paramount, and they’re now telling me that—at least here in the US—what’s actually coming is a 5-disc set, and the same 5-disc set just with more swag in the packaging.

SO… here’s what we now THINK is included in each version that’s coming to 4K Ultra HD on 3/22... [Read on here...]

Here’s Paramount’s official press release announcing the theatrical and home video release of The Godfather Trilogy...

Paramount Pictures Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Cinematic Masterpiece

Experience the Acclaimed Classic in Theatres and on Home Entertainment Platforms

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – January 13, 2022 — In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award®-winning* masterwork The Godfather, Paramount Pictures announced today that the film will have a limited theatrical release in Dolby Vision beginning February 25, 2022 exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres in the U.S., as well as in international territories around the world. All three films in the epic trilogy have been meticulously restored under the direction of Coppola and will be made available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever on March 22, 2022. [Read on here...]

We’ve got another quick update for you as we work on new disc reviews today. Speaking of which...

I’ve just posted my in-depth thoughts on GKids and Shout! Factory’s new Blu-ray release of Hayao Miyazaki’s 2013 animated masterpiece The Wind Rises. It streets on 9/22, and like all of these new GKids/Shout! Studio Ghibli Blu-ray reissues, it’s absolutely the definitive release of the film on disc for fans in the US. Don’t miss it.

My review of Bill & Ted 4K is up next, and over the weekend I’ll be looking at Goonies and Beetlejuice 4K as well. Tim and Dennis are hard at work on reviews too. So be sure to watch for those.

Now then... the big 4K announcement news today is that StudioCanal has officially set the 4K Ultra HD release of Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall: 30th Anniversary Edition in the UK for 23 November. The 16-bit 4K scan and remaster was done from the original camera negative, with color grading in HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a pair of new Blu-ray reviews for you to start the new week off today…

Our own Tim Salmons has checked in with his thoughts on Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, now available as a new Collector’s Edition from our friends at Scream Factory. Tim has also checked out Lionsgate’s new Vestron Video Collector’s Series release of Mark Lester’s Class of 1999. Do give them a look.

Meanwhile, Michael Coate has just posted a new History, Legacy & Showmanship column, featuring an interview with filmmaker Vincent Pereira on the subject of Dario Argento’s classic giallo film Suspiria, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.

The film was recently restored in 4K by Synapse Films and released in terrific new Blu-ray editions (one of which is reviewed here). It’s a great interview, so be sure to check that out as well. [Read on here…]

“Horror movies are often overlooked or seen as being ‘less than’ other genres, but Suspiria truly is a work of art. Visually and sonically, it’s a beautiful piece of cinema.” — Vincent Pereira, Synapse Films’ Suspiria Blu-ray Original 4.0 LCRS Audio Supervisor/Producer

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of Suspiria, Dario Argento’s influential “giallo” (Italian horror) film starring Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini and Flavio Bucci.

The acclaimed film, and first entry in Argento’s Three Mothers trilogy, recently turned forty, and for the occasion The Bits features a Q&A with Vincent Pereira, who discusses the film’s virtues and influence as well as his involvement with the recently issued Blu-ray release (reviewed here). [Read on here...]

All right, this just in from our industry sources...

Universal is confirmed to be preparing to release a new Marx Brothers set, The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection – Restored Edition on Blu-ray on 10/18, set to include The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and Duck Soup. This will be a 3-disc set and an upgrade of the existing DVD edition (first released by the studio in 2004). As many of you know, Universal has recently completed the 4K restoration of all five films (see here) and those restorations will be the source material for this release. [Read on here…]

[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.]

Okay, folks… we’re closing out the week with just a little bit of release news and some new cover artwork too.

But first, I know many of you Trek fans out there have been waiting for the official word on Paramount’s new Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Director’s Cut Blu-ray, and I’m here to give it to you. The new BD, which streets next week (on 6/7), includes both the original theatrical cut and the long-awaited Director’s Cut in full HD, both remastered from a new 4K scan of the original film elements. And it looks fan-freaking-tastic. In fact, it’s more than fair to say that The Wrath of Khan has simply never looked better. The disc also includes all of the extras from the previous Blu-ray and DVD editions and adds a new 28-minute featurette too. RUN, don’t walk, to read my in-depth review here… and then to buy it on Amazon (for just $23) here!  [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note: This article was originally scheduled to appear a year ago for the film’s 50th anniversary. The article was delayed so that it could be published to coincide with the delayed but now available Blu-ray Disc release.]

“My Fair Lady is probably the greatest popular smart musical ever made. The melodies soar, the characters endear and engage, and the wit of so much pointed commentary on social class, gender, money, and surface appearances never lapses into self-conscious cleverness.” — film historian and author Matthew Kennedy  [Read on here...]

“This was the world of Spartacus…when Antoninus traded the luxury of Rome’s most palatial household to battle by the side of Spartacus…and learned that a slave can live, fight, die better than any Roman!”

The Digital Bits presents this retrospective on Spartacus, commemorating the 55th anniversary of its original release and the recent release of the film on Blu-ray.  [Read on here...]