Holey Moley! This is just about the greatest piece of announcement news we’ve EVER heard here at The Digital Bits. It should go without saying, to those of you who have been reading this site for any length of time, that we’re huge fans of the Japanese Zatoichi films.  In fact, we published one of the first guides to this classic samurai series on DVD here on The Bits back in 2003. Well, now Criterion has just announced a massive 27-disc/25-film Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman dual format Blu-ray/DVD box set for release on 11/26 (SRP $224.95)!  [...]

We’ve got two more Blu-ray Disc reviews for you this afternoon.  Our own Tim Salmons has checked out a pair of recent titles from Shout! and Scream Factory, including Dark Angel (a.k.a. I Come in Peace) and the double feature of X-Ray / Schizoid.  Enjoy!

In announcement news today, Disney has officially set the Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition for release on Blu-ray Combo on 12/10.  The film has received an “all-new digital restoration” for this release.  Newly-produced extras will include Mary-OKE (a sing-along feature to 4 songs from the film) and the Becoming Mr. Sherman featurette featuring actor Jason Schwartzman and Richard Sherman (designed to promote the new film Saving Mr. Banks).  One hopes all the vintage bonus material will also carry over, but the press release doesn’t indicate.  You’ll find the final cover artwork below (and the title is now available for pre-order on Amazon by clicking on the cover).  […]

We’ve got a new column and a couple more Blu-ray Disc reviews for you today…

First, Dr. Jahnke has turned in a new installment of his Burnt Offerings column with a look at the latest MOD DVD offerings for this week.  Don’t miss it!

Doogan has checked in with a look at Kino Lorber’s Requiem for a Vampire, a classic Jean Rollin title from 1982 that’s been released as part of their Redemption Films label.  Be sure to give it a look.

Also, Tim Salmons has delivered a review of Shout! Factory’s recent Blu-ray release of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, a classic comedy if ever there was one.  Enjoy!

And our own Russell Hammond will have the weekly Release Dates & Artwork update available soon here.  As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon in the same session after clicking through to them from our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we surely do appreciate it.

Now then, we’ve got some interesting release news for you this afternoon… […]

This will be a quick one, updating you all on the week’s newest releases from Warner Archive, so let’s dive right on in.

The Frozen Dead (1966) – An early JET’s Most Wanted pick finally makes its official DVD debut!  Mad scientist Dana Andrews had the forethought to cryogenically freeze the heads of some of the top Nazi leaders of WWII.  Now it’s time to bring them back and get the old Third Reich going again.  Your Nazi Zombie collection isn’t complete without this one, folks.  [...]

All right, this is just a quick post this afternoon.  I journeyed out to Joshua Tree National Park last night to see the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.  I have to say, it was pretty spectacular – in four hours of viewing I managed to take in some 363 meteors, including some really big bright ones.  Lovely show.  If you’ve got clear skies this evening, do yourself a favor and take a peek out at the sky tonight – the shower’s still going for the next couple nights.

Meanwhile today, I’ve got a Blu-ray review double-feature for you Star Trek fans, featuring my take on CBS’ recent Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Four and also the new Star Trek: Enterprise – Season Two, which streets next Tuesday (8/20).  Both are good, but I have to say you Enterprise fans are going to be really blown away by the extras on Season Two.  Check out the reviews for all the details.  I’ll tell you, it’s sure a good time to be a fan of TV Trek.  […]

We’ve got a quick Sunday post for you with a bit of breaking release news...

As expected FUNimation officially announced at the Otakon convention yesterday that they’re going to release Shinichiro Watanabe’s landmark sci-fi anime series Cowboy Bebop on Blu-ray and digital (via Daisuki) in 2014.  There’s no other details available yet other than “coming in 2014” but no matter – we can’t wait to see it.  Meanwhile, here’s the official trailer (below).  Be sure to watch in 720p.  Sure looks good in HD!  3... 2... 1... Let’s jam!  [...]

All right, in case you missed it when we posted it late yesterday, please check out our Virtual Tour of Bob’s Basement!  Our dear friends Bob and Kathy Burns are the “keepers of Hollywood’s attic” and they’ve cared for and preserved a treasure trove of film props and movie artifacts over the years, including the original 1933 King Kong stop-motion armature, the classic Time Machine and so many more cool items it’s impossible to list them all here.  But we photographed a bunch of these amazing treasures and with Bob and Kathy’s permission we’ve created a gallery of 150 of the best photos so that you can all share in the experience of a typical visit to Bob’s Basement.  Bob e-mailed this morning to say he’s thrilled with how it came out: “This is wonderful as now so many folks can see the collection.”  So we really hope you all take the time to check it out and enjoy it.

Also here at The Bits today, we’ve got another Blu-ray review for you – my own thoughts on Fox’s recent Von Ryan’s Express, an old favorite WWII film from 1965.  It’s a fine film but… well, best to read the review.  Do check it out.

Now for some announcement news…  […]

Here at The Bits, we’ve been so fortunate and honored to meet and befriend the legendary keepers of Hollywood’s attic, Bob and Kathy Burns.  Hell, the truth is, we love them dearly – they’re like family to us by now, and we’re certainly not alone in feeling that way.

Anyone who read Starlog magazine back in the day knew of Bob and Kathy, but we first met them through our old friend Paul Prischman and the folks at Dave’s Video in Burbank.  Paul worked on one of the last Halloween Extravaganza shows – based on the classic sci-fi/horror film The Thing from Another World – that Bob and Kathy held back in 2002.  [...]

All right, first up this afternoon here at The Bits, our very own Dr. Adam Jahnke has turned in a new Burnt Offerings column featuring a round-up of the last couple week’s MOD release news from the Warner Archive, as well as news of returning Paramount catalog titles (via Warner Archive) and new releases from 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives too!  Don’t miss it.

Also today, we’ve got a triple-threat review Smackdown for you… [...]

This week’s Burnt Offerings include titles from Paramount returning to print courtesy of Warner Archive and a quartet of classics from 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives.

Let’s kick things off with the latest from the Warner Archive Collection.

WARNER ARCHIVE – NEW THIS WEEK

Going Hollywood (1933) – Marion Davies and Bing Crosby star in this musical from director Raoul Walsh.  Crosby plays a radio crooner (quite a stretch, I realize) who goes to L.A. to make his movie debut.  Davies is a schoolteacher with a crush who follows him, determined to win him over.  Evidently restraining orders weren’t around back in 1933.  [...]