Displaying items by tag: Criterion Collection

All right, we haven’t had a lot of news updates this week, because frankly there just hasn’t been a lot of news to report. And also because we’ve all been working on a lot of disc reviews for you to enjoy. In fact, today we have no less than TEN to share with you, including...

My thoughts on Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) in 4K Ultra HD from Lionsgate, Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990) in 4K UHD from The Criterion Collection, and Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) in 4K UHD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Tim’s review of Ernie Fosselius’ Hardware Wars (1978) on Blu-ray and Albert Band’s Ghoulies II (1987) in 4K UHD from the MVD Rewind Collection, Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi’s Goodbye Uncle Tom (1971) in 4K from Blue Underground (which is definitely not for the faint of heart), and Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) in 4K UHD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Dennis’ take on Ted Geoghegan’s Brooklyn 45 (2023) on Blu-ray from Shudder.

And Stephen’s look at Mark Waters’ Mean Girls (2004) on 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, as well as the import version of Michael Mann’s Ferrari (2023) in 4K UHD from Neon and Sky via Universal in UK.

More reviews are on the way for Monday, including my look at Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikika (1990) in 4K from Sony, and Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024) in 4K from Lionsgate, so be sure to watch for them.

Also, just a heads up: Our very own Russell Hammond has posted the new update of our ever-popular Release Dates and Cover Art section (see Cover Art above), which includes all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, you can sort by date, by format, even isolate the Criterion titles! And as an Amazon Affiliate, literally anything you order from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links (like this one) goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we greatly appreciate it! [Read on here...]

We’re starting the new week here at The Bits, as always, with more new disc reviews...

Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Albert Magnoli’s celebration of all things Prince, Purple Rain (1984), in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discover Home Entertainment. The film celebrates its 40th anniversary this summer, and the city of Minneapolis has been partying all weekend in honor of it (more on that here).

Also, I’ve shared my thoughts on Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount Home Entertainment. I’m not sure the title actually needed a 4K upgrade, but what the heck—blame Canada. You can read all the details here.

And Dennis has shared his perspective on The Wachowskis’ Bound (1996), which is new on Blu-ray (and 4K UHD) from our friends at The Criterion Collection.

More reviews are forthcoming this week, so be sure to stay tuned for them.

Now then... we’ve got a pretty significant piece of industry news to share with you today. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has completed an “umbrella” distribution deal with Studio Distribution Services (SDS) that covers not only their own Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD product, but also titles from Lionsgate and Disney (along with 20th Century Studios, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, and the other Disney-owned labels), which Sony produces for those studios. We first broke the news of this for our Patreon subscribers over the weekend.

The reason this deal is important is that it guarantees Sony, Disney, 20th Century Studios, and Lionsgate a direct and stable distribution channel for their physical media product into Walmart stores. And as we’ve reported previously, Walmart is the biggest disc retailer in North America with a whopping 45% share of the disc sales market (as of earlier this year—that number may have grown a bit with the recent exit of Best Buy, which had approximately 4% of the business). [Read on here...]

We have four new disc reviews to share with you today, as well as some exciting catalog 4K release news! But first those reviews...

Stephen has taken a look at Jack Nicholson’s Goin’ South (1978) in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount and Vinegar Syndrome via their new Cinématographe label.

Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Henry Hathaway’s western 5 Card Stud (1968) on Blu-ray also from Paramount via Vinegar Syndrome.

Stuart has reviewed Franklin J. Schaffner’s Islands in the Stream (1977) on Blu-ray via Imprint Films.

And I’ve just given Peter Gabriel: Back to Front – Live in London (2014) a review in 4K Ultra HD from Real World and Eagle Rock via Mercury Studios.

Now then, the big news today is that StudioCanal has set a new 4K restoration of Francis Ford Coppola’s neo-noir thriller The Conversation (1974) for release on 4K Ultra HD on July 15 in the UK. This is in honor of the film’s 50th anniversary. The film is also returning to theaters in the UK on July 5.

The legendary film stars Gene Hackman as San Francisco surveillance expert Harry Caul, who finds himself confronted with a moral dilemma when his wiretapped conversation recordings reveal a possible murder. The supporting cast includes John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Robert Duvall, and Harrison Ford. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some great release news for you today to start out the new week.

And we’ve also got more new disc reviews for you, so let’s get to the latter first...

Over the weekend, Stephen posted his thoughts on Disney+ and Marvel’s new release of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Complete First Season (2024) in 4K Ultra HD. He’s also given Riccardo Freda’s The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962) a review in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.

Not to be outdone, Tim has reviewed Hanna-Barbera’s animated The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987) on Blu-ray from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Paul Leni’s The Cat and the Canary (1927) on Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment.

Lots more reviews are on the way this week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them!

Now then, in announcement news, let’s start with the big one first... GKids and Shout Factory have officially set Hayao Miyazaki’s animated The Boy and the Heron (2023) for release on Blu-ray + DVD, 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray, and 4K UHD + BD Steelbook on 7/9! The Digital release expected on 6/25. [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...]

Well, I forgot that today marks the President’s Day holiday here in the States, so it’s unlikely that there will be any major studio announcements today. But we do have some good release news today and more new disc reviews for you as well...

Tim has posted his take on Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s The House That Screamed (1970) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

Dennis has taken a look at Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle (1987) on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.

And Stuart’s offered his thoughts on Mario Monicelli’s Let’s Hope It’s a Girl (1986) on Blu-ray from Raro Video.

Now then, we’ve confirmed with Disney that the wide-release version of their Cinderella (1950) 4K Ultra HD release is coming on 8/1. And we have the official cover artwork for you, which you can see at left and also below the break. But again, this title will be available first from the Disney Movie Club starting on 3/28. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some major catalog release news for you today to start the new week off right…

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just set Tom Holland’s Fright Night (1985) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/4. The release will feature a new 4K scan from the original camera negative, with Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos mix along with the previous 5.1 mix and the original stereo as well.

The title will come a Blu-ray version of the film mastered from the new 4K scan that will feature all-new Deleted Scene Storyboards and the never-before-seen alternate Holland/Beyda Spec Trailer, along with legacy extras that include audio commentary by Holland, actors Chris Sarandon and Jonathan Stark, and filmmaker Tim Sullivan, a second commentary with Holland, actors William Ragsdale and Stephen Geoffreys, FX artist Randall Cook, journalist Jeremy Smith and Tim Sullivan, and 3 featurettes (You’re So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night, What is Fright Night, and Tom Holland: Writing). [Read on here...]

We’ve got some reviews to catch up on here at The Bits this afternoon...

Over the past couple of days, we’ve posted a number of new Blu-ray reviews, including Stephen’s thoughts on Kensuke Sonomura’s Hydra (2019) from Well Go USA, Savage Steve Holland’s One Crazy Summer (1986) from the Warner Archive Collection, and Jacques Deray’s The Outsider (1983) and Harold Becker’s The Black Marble (1980) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Tim has turned in his thoughts on Tom McLoughlin’s One Dark Night (1983) from the MVD Rewind Collection, the Friday the 13th: 8-Movie Collection from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, and Umbrella Entertainment’s Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict, which feature a whopping 181 classic film trailers. All of these titles are well worth a look, so do give the reviews a try.

In announcement news today, Criterion has revealed that they’re adding a physical 4K Ultra HD release of Uncut Gems to their November release slate. The Blu-ray and DVD release are moving to 11/23, which is the date the 4K will arrive as well. And all three are getting new cover artwork, which you can now here see on the left and also below. [Read on here...]

We have a new Blu-ray review to close out the week here at The Bits:

Dennis has posted his thoughts on Paramount’s Urban Cowboy: 40th Anniversary Edition, now available on Blu-ray Disc. Do give it a look.

Also, in announcement news today, our friends at Arrow Video have just revealed a nice batch of Blu-ray titles for release in September.

Among them are Kevin Smith’s Mallrats (1995), Miguel Llansó’s striking and surreal film Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway (2019), a box set of Kinji Fukasaku and Takashi Miike’s Japanese yakuza classics Graveyards of Honor (1975 and 2002), and Bernard Rose’s film business satire Ivansxtc (2002). [Read on here...]

Today’s is a quick update, but we do have a couple interesting items to report...

First, Tim has turned in another new Blu-ray Disc review, this of Gene Fowler Jr.’s B-movie classic I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) from Paramount via Aussie indie Imprint Films/Via Vision Entertainment. The disc is ALL REGION.

In announcement news today, Warner Bros. and DC have just officially set the DC Universe animated movie Superman: Man of Tomorrow for release on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 9/8 (the Digital release is set for 8/23).

Extras on both disc versions will include Lobo: Natural Force of Chaos, Martian Manhunter: Lost and Found, Look Back: Justice League vs. The Fatal Five, Look Back: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, From the DC Vault: Superman: The Animated Series – The Main Man, Part I, From the DC Vault: Superman: The Animated Series – The Main Man, Part II, trailers for Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, and Superman: Red Son, and A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie. You can see the cover artwork above left and also below. [Read on here...]