Displaying items by tag: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion’s January slate, plus Stand by Me, Super Mario Bros (1993) & Kubrick’s Fear and Desire in 4K, Neon’s Oldboy & more!
We’re starting our first big news update of the week here at The Bits with some new disc reviews, as always. So now available for your reading enjoyment are...
Stephen’s in-depth reviews of both the wide release 4K Ultra HD and the Disney Movie Club-exclusive “quad” 4K Ultra HD release of Walt Disney’s classic animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The good news is that Disney’s positive change in direction with 4K catalog releases is officially no fluke—the disc features absolutely beautiful 35mm film remastering with lovely grain structure and wonderfully vibrant colors.
Stephen has also turned in a review of Michael Cimino’s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, which also features terrific new remastering.
And Stuart has delivered a look at Norman Taurog’s Spinout (1966) on Blu-ray from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.
As always, more new reviews are on the way later this week, so be sure to watch for them.
Now then... in announcement news today, the Criterion Collection has officially revealed their January 2024 release slate. [Read on here...]
- Paramount Home Entertainment
- Oldboy: Deluxe Edition 4K
- Neon
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- The Warner Archive Collection
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- James Cameron
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Bluray
- Support The Bits
- Titanic 4K
- Snow White 4K review
- Stuart Galbraith IV
- Stephen Bjork
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 4K review
- Spinout BD review
- The Criterion Collection January 2024 slate
- The Apu Trilogy 4K
- Blood Simple 4K
- Chantal Akerman Masterpieces BD
- Mudbound BD
- Trainspotting 4K
- Lone Star 4K
- Stand by Me 4K Steelbook
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- The Man Who Wasn't There BD3D
- Running Scared BD
- House of the Long Shadows BD
- The Quartermass Xperiment BD
- Suspect Zero 4K
- Scarlet Street
- Fear and Desire 4K
- Stanley Kubrick
- Flying Padre 4K
- Day of the Fight 4K
- The Seafarers 4K
- Underworld 4K
- Clive Barker
- Kino Cult
- Super Mario Bros (1993) 4K
- Umbrella Entertainment
- Trust the Fungus
- Imprint Films
- The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg DVD
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: The Ultimate Trip in Print [UPDATED FOR 2023!]
[Editor’s Note: Since the original publication of this column back in 2016, a new book on 2001 has been published that deserves to be mentioned here—Michael Benson’s Space Odyssey. I’ve added a new section at the end to address it. There is also an excellent 2018 Michael Coate retrospective on the film here at The Bits that we’ve included as well.]
–Originally published on The Digital Bits on 9/28/2016–
I decided that I wanted to do something a little different with today’s My Two Cents column on The Digital Bits, so I thought I’d review a few new and/or recent books that may be of interest to cinephiles, especially those of you who are fans of Stanley Kubrick’s legendary 2001: A Space Odyssey.
As many of you would agree, I’m sure, 2001 is a landmark of filmed science fiction. Based loosely on a short story by visionary author Arthur C. Clarke, it depicts an AI-guided but manned journey through deep space, first to Earth orbit, then the Moon, and eventually out to the distant gas giant Jupiter and beyond, in response to the discovery of an alien artifact on the Moon’s surface, apparently having been buried there millions of years ago.
Not only was Kubrick’s film notable for its realistic depiction of the Moon’s surface fully a year before NASA’s Apollo astronauts actually landed there, it’s been lauded ever since for its realistic approach to depicting future spaceflight technology. Indeed, some of those who contributed designs to the project were actually involved in the space program. [Read on here…]
- Bluray
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- Bluray Disc
- BD
- Stanley Kubrick
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Apogee Books
- Taschen
- Reel Art Press
- 2001: The Ultimate Trip in Print
- Frederick I Ordway III
- Harry Lange
- 2001: The Lost Science The Frederick I Ordway III Collection
- 2001: The Lost Science The Scientists Influences & Designs
- 2001: The Heritage and Legacy of the Space Odyssey
- The 2001 File: Harry Lange and the Design of the Landmark Science Fiction Film
- The Making of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
- 2010: A Scrapbook Odyssey
- Adam K Johnson
- Robert Godwin
- Sir Christopher Frayling
- Piers Bizony
- Jean Marc Deschamps
- Michael Benson
- Space Odyssey
Army of Darkness 4K details official, plus E.T. 40th, Running Man, Rise of Gru, Punisher: War Zone, The Police Story Trilogy & much more
All right, sorry for the lack of an update over the last couple of days. We’ve been very busy here at the site, working on reviews, preparing for some big upcoming reviews, and finishing a few more site upgrades. But the major reason is that there’s a ton of breaking and evolving release news to cover, and getting to the bottom of it all—collating all the details, checking in with sources, confirming key pieces of release information—takes a huge amount of time. But I’m always up for a challenge.
Before we get to that, however, let’s share those disc reviews we’ve been working on over the past few days...
First up, I’ve posted my thoughts on John Milius’ Red Dawn (1984) from Shout! Factory and also Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) from Universal, both in 4K Ultra HD.
Tim has delivered a look at Joel Schumacher’s Flatliners (1990) in 4K UHD from Arrow Video, as well as John Carpenter’s Escape from New York (1981) in 4K from Scream Factory.
Dennis has reviewed a number of regular Blu-ray titles in the last few days, including Lon Chaney: Before the Thousand Faces – Volume 2 from Undercrank Productions, Josh and Benny Safdie’s Daddy Longlegs (2009) from Criterion, and Jack Gold’s The Tenth Man (1988) and Ken Hughes’s The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And finally, Stephen has delivered in-depth looks at Paul W.S. Anderson’s Event Horizon (1997)—a Steelbook release that’s getting hard to find here in the States—and Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) both in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, along with Michael Findlay’s Shriek of the Mutilated (1974) on Blu-ray from American Films via Vinegar Syndrome.
As always more disc reviews are on the way in the coming days. [Read on here...]
- Paramount Home Entertainment
- ET the Extra Terrestrial 40th Anniversary 4K Steelbook
- Steven Spielberg
- Warner Bros Home Entertainment
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- Top Gun: Maverick 4K
- Red Dawn 4K review
- Jurassic World: Dominion 4K review
- Tim Salmons
- Dennis Seuling
- Stephen Bjork
- Flatliners 4K review
- Escape from New York 4K review
- Lon Chaney: Before the Thousand Faces V2 BD review
- Daddy Longlegs BD review
- The Tenth Man BD review
- The Trials of Oscar Wilde BD review
- Event Horizon 4K review
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 4K review
- Shriek of the Mutilated BD review
- Michael Coate
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Stanley Kubrick
- A Clockwork Orange 50th anniversary
- Raymond Benson
- John Cork
- Sheldon Hall
- Peter Krämer
- Army of Darkness: Collector’s Edition 4K
- Shout! Factory
- Scream Factory
- Sam Raimi
- The Running Man 4K
- Paramount
- Steelbook
- ET: The Extra Terrestrial 40th Anniversary 4K
- Universal
- Minions: The Rise of Gru 4K
- DC League of Super Pets 4K
- Middle Earth: Ultimate Collector's Edition
- Lionsgate
- Punisher: War Zone 4K
- Blue Underground
- The Final Countdown 4K
- The Police Story Trilogy 4K
- Eureka!
- Jackie Chan
The Ludovico Technique: Remembering “A Clockwork Orange” on its 50th Anniversary
“Quite simply, A Clockwork Orange is significant because it’s a Stanley Kubrick film.” – Raymond Benson, Cinema Retro
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the release of A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick’s (Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey) critically acclaimed film based upon Anthony Burgess’s novel and starring Malcolm McDowell (Time After Time, O Lucky Man!) as gang leader Alex whose principal interests of rape, ultra-violence and Beethoven occupy his life before the government attempts a rehabilitation.
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Picture), and in 2020 the Library of Congress selected A Clockwork Orange for preservation in the National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” Its most recent home media release, on 4K UHD, was in 2021 (and is reviewed here). [Read on here...]
Spider-Man: No Way Home is coming to Blu-ray 3D from Random Space Media, plus StudioCanal brings Cat’s Eye & Red Sonja to 4K
We’ve got four more disc reviews for you all to enjoy today, including three new 4K Ultra HD titles...
Tim has turned in his look at Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys in 4K UHD from Arrow Video, a fine upgrade of their previous Blu-ray edition (but one that’s going to require a disc replacement program—the details are in the review).
Stephen has offered his thoughts on Michael Winner’s Death Wish II (1982) as well as Bill Hunzman’s FleshEater (1988), both in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.
And Dennis has a look at Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright (1950), as recently released on Blu-ray by our friends at The Warner Archive Collection.
As always, more reviews are on the way so be sure to stay tuned for them. [Read on here...]
- Krypto the Superdog: The Complete Series DVD
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- Cover Art update
- Stephen Bjork
- Tim Salmons
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- 4K Ultra HD Release List
- Dennis Seuling
- 12 Monkeys 4K review
- Death Wish II 4K review
- FleshEater 4K review
- Stage Fright BD review
- Vinegar Syndrome
- Arrow Video
- The Warner Archive Collection
- Random Space Media
- Spider Man: No Way Home 3D
- Stephen King's Cat's Eye 4K
- StudioCanal
- Red Sonja 4K
- The Killing 4K
- Killer's Kiss 4K
- Out of Sight 4K
- Stanley Kubrick
The Batman is official for disc on 5/24, plus Turning Red, new catalog 4K titles & For All Mankind: Season 3
We’re starting the new week off today with no less than SEVEN new disc reviews that have been posted since Friday, including...
My takes on Al Reinert’s For All Mankind in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection, Byron Haskin’s Conquest of Space (1955) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films, and Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations – Volume 5 on Blu-ray from ClassicFlix, and Spider-Man: No Way Home in 4K Ultra HD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Marvel Studios.
Also, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Craig Singer’s 6:45 on Blu-ray from Well Go USA and Stuart Heisler’s Blue Skies (1946) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
Lots more reviews are on the way this week, so be sure to stay tuned for them.
Now then... in announcement news today, the big revelation is that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially set Matt Reeves’s The Batman for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 5/24, with the Digital and HBO Max release slated for 4/18. [Read on here...]
- Marvel
- Warner Bros Home Entertainment
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- The Batman
- Matt Reeves
- For All Mankind BD review
- Conquest of Space BD review
- Imprint Films
- The Criterion Collection
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 4K review
- Spider Man: No Way Home 4K review
- The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations Volume 5 BD review
- 6:45 BD review
- Dennis Seuling
- Blue Skies BD review
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- Cyrano BD
- Turning Red 4K
- Disney
- Pixar
- Kin: Season 1
- Jackie Gleason
- Men in Black 4K
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 4K Steelbook
- Out of Sight 4K
- Killer's Kiss 4K
- Stanley Kubrick
- Ron Moore
- For All Mankind: Season 3
- Apple TV+
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 4K
Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing & Killer’s Kiss are coming to 4K, plus more reviews, new Blu-ray & Ultra HD announcement news, and Betty White RIP
Welcome to 2022, folks! As usual, we’ve got some new reviews and a bunch of Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release news to report today. So we’ll start with those reviews first...
Tim has posted his thoughts on Giorgio Ferroni’s 1060 Italian Gothic horror title Mill of the Stone Women, which is now available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video. He’s also taken a look at Ronin Flix’s new 4K Ultra HD release of Meir Zarchi’s controversial I Spit on Your Grave (1978).
Also, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Mitchell Leisen’s Golden Earrings (1947) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And Stephen has offered a look at George Nierenberg’s Say Amen, Somebody (1982) on Blu-ray from Milestone Video and Kino Lorber proper.
More reviews are forthcoming all week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them. [Read on here...]
- Ghostbusters Ultimate Collection 4K box set
- Dennis Seuling
- Stephen Bjork
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- Tim Salmons
- Stanley Kubrick
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- The Killing 4K
- Killer's Kiss 4K
- Mill of the Stone Women BD review
- I Spit on Your Grave 4K review
- Ronin Flix
- Golden Earrings BD review
- Say Amen Somebody BD review
- Zeroes and Ones BD
- Liar's Moon BD
- Yellowstone: Season 4 BD
- Annie Live! BD
- The Warner Archive Collection
- Song of the Thin Man
- Edge of Darkness
- Stage Fright
- Gold Diggers of 1933
- The Three Musketeers
- Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
- The Spine of Night 4K
- Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City 4K
- Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 2
- Betty White RIP
Kino Lorber Studio Classics reveals Kubrick’s Paths of Glory 4K, plus Lionsgate’s Requiem 4K Steelbook & LOTS of new Ultra HD Amazon pre-orders
Today’s update is a quick one, as we’re doing a lot behind-the-scenes work here at the site today. (I’m personally digging into some interesting upcoming title rumors.) But we do have some good updates for you on forthcoming 4K Ultra HD titles, and there’s a bunch of new 4K titles available for pre-order.
First up... a great piece of announcement news: Our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics have just revealed that they’re going to be releasing Stanley Kubrick’s B&W war classic Paths of Glory (1957) on 4K Ultra HD sometime early in 2022. Street date is listed as “coming soon.” As many of you will already know, the film stars Kirk Douglas as a French army commander in World War I. It’s a brilliant piece of work, and should look great in 4K.
While we’re talking Kino Lorber Studio Classics, the company has also provided updates on other classic catalog titles that are coming soon to 4K. Out of Sight (1998) is currently due in Spring 2022. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) is awaiting the attention of director William Friedkin to grade and approve the Dolby Vision HDR master. And Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958) is now set to arrive on 4K UHD in February. [Read on here...]
It’s official: The Universal Classics Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection hits 4K on 10/5, plus A Clockwork Orange on Ultra HD & The Sheik on Blu-ray
All right, we’re starting today with a quick new disc review, and then we’ve got some big new release news to report on...
First though, I’ve just reviewed Rian Johnson’s excellent 2012 science-fiction thriller Looper on 4K Ultra HD, as recently released in the UK by Entertainment One. The title is expected on UHD here in the States from Sony later this year or early next, but in the meantime, if you’re willing to import for just the 4K experience, this eOne release is a great option.
Now then, the big breaking news today is that Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has finally officially announced their long-expected Universal Classics Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/5.
The set will include the 90th anniversary editions of Dracula and Frankenstein, along the 80th anniversary edition of The Wolf Man, and also The Invisible Man, all in 4K Ultra HD. There’s no indication of Dolby Vision, so we expect HDR10 high dynamic range along with the existing audio mixes. [Read on here...]
- UK import
- Arrow Video
- Paramount Home Entertainment
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Bluray
- The Sheik: Paramount Presents BD
- A Clockwork Orange 4K
- Warner Bros Home Entertainment
- Stanley Kubrick
- Rian Johnson
- Looper 4K review
- Entertainment One
- The Universal Classics Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection 4K
- Dracula 4K
- The Invisible Man 4K
- Frankenstein 4K
- The Wolf Man 4K
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Warner bows The Flash: Season 7 on Blu-ray, plus Imprint Films’ September slate & major new 4K Ultra HD pre-orders
Today’s update is a quick one, but we have some new disc reviews for you, a bit of announcement news, and word of new Amazon pre-orders that are now live. First let’s get to those reviews...
Stephen has posted a look at Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct, which is now available in a new 4K Ultra HD edition from StudioCanal that includes the remastered Director’s Cut version of the film. It’s worth a look.
Also, I’ve given Lionsgate’s recent Steelbook release of Dirty Dancing (1987) a look on 4K Ultra HD. As many Bits readers will know, the title has long been a favorite of home video enthusiasts, selling well in virtually every format it’s ever been released in. The UHD is currently only available at Best Buy stores, but we suspect it’s going to get a wider release in 4K later this year or early next (probably in standard Amaray packaging).
Speaking of retail-exclusive Steelbook 4K titles from Lionsgate, we now know that the studio will be releasing Akira Kurosawa’s Ran at Best Buys stores later this year (we believe in November, but the title is still TBA). You can read my review of the recent Studio Canal 4K release here. [Read on here...]
- The Shawshank Redemption 4K
- Ran 4K review
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Bluray
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- Basic Instinct 4K review
- Dirty Dancing Steelbook 4K review
- A Clockwork Orange 4K
- The Silence of the Lambs 4K
- Misery 4K
- Imprint Films
- Via Vision Entertainment
- The Flash: The Complete Seventh Season BD
- Warner Bros Home Entertainment
- Underworld: Limited Edition 5 Movie Collection 4K
- The Thing 4K
- Smallville: The Complete Series BD
- Space: 1999 The Complete Series BD
- Stanley Kubrick
- Akira Kurosawa's Ran 4K
- Stephen Bjork
- The Harry Palmer Collection
- Big Screen British Comedy Collection
- The Browning Version
- A Reflection of Fear
- Ned Kelly
- The Assassination Bureau