Displaying items by tag: Denis Villeneuve

We’ve got two more new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, including...

My take on Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Team America: World Police in 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, which streets this coming Tuesday.

Also, my review of Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity (2013), which is available in a new reissue Blu-ray (essentially a repackage of the 2015 Diamond Luxe Edition with Dolby Atmos audio) from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

I’m working on more disc reviews for early next week, including South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999) and also The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024), both in 4K UHD. And the rest of the review team will be back next week as well with a bunch more.

In announcement news today, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has officially set Ishana Night Shyamalan’s The Watchers (2024) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 8/27. Expect the Digital release to become available on 6/28. Extras will include 4 featurettes (Welcome to the Show: The Making of The Watchers, Creating The Watchers, Constructing the Coop, and Ainriochtán and the Irish Fairy Folklore) as well as a deleted scene. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

We’re starting this week off with a pair of major new disc reviews here at The Bits...

Stephen has taken a deep dive into Jonathan Demme’s legendary concert film, Stop Making Sense (1984), newly-restored in 4K Ultra HD and available exclusively from the A24 online shop. This is arguably the greatest concert film ever produced, featuring the music of Talking Heads and the cinematography of Jordan Cronenweth (he shot this right after completing work on Blade Runner and Buckaroo Banzai).

I’ve also finished my in-depth review of Denis Villeneuve’s magnificent Dune: Part Two (2024) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. It’s an epic pure-cinema masterpiece and, along with Dune: Part One, rightly takes its place alongside Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. And while one could pick a few nits with Warner’s 4K release, the A/V quality is demo-worthy.

Both films are absolutely not to be missed on disc, so be sure to give the reviews a look. And more reviews are on the way this week, so be sure to watch for those.

In release news today, the big item worth mentioning is that Paramount has just set Alexander Payne’s Election (1999) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 7/30 as a new Paramount Presents title. You can see the cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]

As always, we’re rounding out the week with more new disc reviews here at The Bits, including...

Tim’s take on producer Roy Huggins’s Colt .45: The Complete Series (1957-60) and Hanna-Barbera’s Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose (1987), both on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Dennis’ look at Dorothy Davenport and Melville Shyer’s The Road to Ruin (1934) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics and Something Weird.

And Stuart’s thoughts on Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s Allonsanfàn (1974), Pietro Germi’s The Facts of Murder (1959), and Damiano Damiani’s Goodbye & Amen (1977), all on Blu-ray from Radiance Films.

I’ve also just received Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two (2024) in 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros., so watch for my in-depth review of that here at The Bits tomorrow sometime. [Read on here...]

Before we get to today’s release news, we’ve got a few new disc reviews for you to enjoy here at The Bits...

Tim has reviewed the Looney Tunes: Collector’s Choice – Volume 2 Blu-ray set from the Warner Archive Collection.

Dennis has reviewed R.O. Blechman and Christian Blackwood’s The Soldier’s Tale (1984) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics, along with Jerry London’s Rent-a-Cop (1988) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Stuart has offered his thoughts on Édouard Molinaro’s The Road to Shame (1959) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics, as well as Guy Green’s Diamond Head (1962) on Blu-ray from our friends at Imprint Films.

More reviews are on the way, as always, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them!

Now then... the big news today is that Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has officially set Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two (2024) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, and 4K UHD + Blu-ray Steelbook on 5/14, just as we expected. The Digital release is due on 4/16, which is just a week away.

Look for the 4K disc to include Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos audio. Unfortunately, we’ve confirmed with the studio that the aspect ratio for all of these SKUs will be 2.39:1 only, matching the previous release of Dune: Part One (2021) on disc. These discs will not replicate the variable IMAX aspect ratio in 1.78:1, like the studio’s past 4K releases of Christopher Nolan’s films do (including TENET, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight, etc).

This is something that a LOT of Dune and 4K fans very much want. Since the discs went up for pre-order a few weeks ago, I’ve gotten many hundreds of questions about it. And since I shared the 2.39 confirmation on Twitter yesterday, the post has been seen by more than 1 million people! So there is clearly very keen interest in a disc release that does have the IMAX ratio. Hopefully, Warner is planning an IMAX 4K and BD disc re-release in the future. [Read on here...]

All right, I hope all of you guys here in the States checked out the solar eclipse this morning! Here in Southern California, the Moon only covered about 54% of the Sun at maximum, but I took the scope out this morning anyway and got a couple good pictures that I’ll share below the break.

In the meantime, the big news today is unofficial, but it comes from enough retail sources now that I’m confident it’s accurate: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will release Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two (2024) on Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, and 4K UHD Steelbook on 5/14. And while we’ll have to wait for the official press release (expected anytime now) to be sure, based on the promo images the studio is sharing with some of the pre-order listings, it looks like the aspect ratio for the title may be full 1.78:1. This would replicate the maximum IMAX image area for home viewing. Again, that’s not certain yet. So fingers crossed, we’ll know more very soon. You can see the 4K Steelbook art at left and also below the break.

[Editor’s Note: The 5/14 date is now official per WBHE, but we’ve confirmed that the aspect ratio will be 2.39:1 only. Don’t attack the messenger please; we’re only passing on what we’ve learned.]

Also newly announced today by Lionsgate is Francis Ford Coppola’s One from the Heart: Reprise (1982), which will finally arrive here in the States in 4K Ultra HD on 5/7. The entire film has been restored from the original camera negative and six minutes of footage have been added back to the film by Coppola himself. The 4K package will include a UHD disc of the new cut plus the original 1982 Theatrical Version on Blu-ray, with all of its legacy special features. [Read on here...]

We have several new disc reviews to begin the week here at The Bits, starting with...

Stuart’s take on Raoul Walsh’s Gentleman Jim (1942) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Dennis thoughts on Michael Epstein’s LennonNYC (2010) on Blu-ray from Via Vision Entertainment and Peter Yates’ Murphy’s War (1971) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

Stephen’s look at Bill Plympton’s The Tune (1992) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And finally, Tim’s review of Ardman Animations’ Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series on Blu-ray from Shout! Studios.

We also have a bunch of new announcement news for you today, but first this: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has listed Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two for Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and 4K Steelbook pre-order on Amazon. The street date is TBA, but is likely due in May or June. There will also be a 2-Film Collection in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray.

Now, a lot of you have asked what aspect ratio Dune: Part Two will be in on disc. As many of you know, Dune: Part One was shot mostly in 2.39:1 but about an hour was in full 1.90:1. Yet Warner’s Blu-ray and 4K release were both in 2.39 only. Meanwhile, most of Dune: Part Two was shot in 1.90:1, with about forty minutes in the full 1.43:1 IMAX ratio. So people are wondering if the Blu-ray and 4K will preserve that variable IMAX ratio, and if Part One will ever be re-released on both formats with the variable ratio as well. I’ve asked Warner for clarification on this and will share it here when they reply. Meanwhile, you can find the studio’s temp cover art (with Amazon links) below the break. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some more new announcement for you today, including a few interesting ones. And we have new disc reviews today as well. But first, I saw Dune: Part Two last night. So let me just share some very quick and non-spoiler comments. Here’s my initial reaction posted on social media afterwards...

“You see a film like DUNE: PART TWO and you think: That’s either the last great film of a dying Hollywood, or proof that there’s still a bit of life left in this industry. Either way, it’s a wonder. And absolutely perfect. Don’t look now, but Denis Villeneuve has just casually knocked out three of the greatest science fiction films of all time. See it on the BIGGEST POSSIBLE SCREEN.”

I guess “three of the greatest” depends on whether you calculate Dune as a single film or not. But Arrival, Blade Runner: 2049, and the combined Dune adaptation are all superb. I would rank them right up there with Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Alien, and the Wachowskis’ The Matrix. Maybe I’d add Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind in there as well. All extraordinary pieces of hard science fiction cinema.

Honestly, if you liked Dune: Part One—and particularly if you loved Frank Herbert’s original novel, which is rightly regarded as the greatest work of science fiction literature—Villeneuve has just nailed the landing. [Read on here...]

A funny thing happened on the way to yesterday’s My Two Cents post! For some reason, I lost track of a day this week, so I thought yesterday was Friday. Then I wake up and here’s Friday again, much to my surprise. LOL. So anyway, while a bit of yesterday’s post still applies this afternoon, we’ve got some great breaking release news to share with you all today...

First up, the fine Imprint Films (down in Australia) has just announced their March 2022 Blu-ray slate, which is due to street on 3/30/22. It will include Sam Peckinpah’s The Osterman Weekend (1983 – mastered from new 2K scans of the director’s cut negative and the theatrical cut, so it will include both versions), Buzz Kulik’s The Hunter (1980 – starring Steve McQueen), Samuel Fuller’s China Gate (1957), Byron Haskin’s Conquest of Space (1955 – produced by George Pal), John Sturges’ Marooned (1969), Robert Wise’s Audrey Rose (1977), and Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun (1971). Not bad at all!

As usual, all of these Blu-rays should be region free. You’ll find them available here on the Imprint website.

But here’s the whopper today... Arrow Video has just announced its March 2022 slate as well, which includes no less than three new 4K UHD catalog titles! [Read on here...]

We’re wrapping up the week today with another new disc review, a major piece of announcement news, and some very interesting things to check out around the Interwebs. We’ll start with the review...

Tim has posted his thoughts on Alfred E. Green’s The Fabulous Dorseys: Special Edition, which is newly available on Blu-ray from our friends at The Film Detective. The film is essentially a biopic about big band leaders Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, staring themselves along with Janet Blair. Do give it a look if you’re interested.

Now then, the big release news today is that Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution and Marvel have just officially announced the 2/15 release of Chloé Zhao’s The Eternals on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD, with the Digital release expected on 1/12. (Note that I haven’t yet seen any indication of an international Blu-ray 3-D release, but one may appear eventually.)

This film was actually finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate and should feature HDR10 high dynamic range on UHD, with Dolby Atmos audio (the Blu-ray will feature 7.1 DTS-HD MA). Note that the aspect ratio for both disc and digital on this title will be 2.39:1, though it’s likely to appear as IMAX enhanced at 1.90 as a Disney+ streaming exclusive. Extras will include an audio commentary (with Chloé Zhao, Stephane Ceretti, and Mårten Larsson), 4 deleted scenes, a gag reel, and 2 featurettes (Immortalized and Walks of Life). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

We’ve got more new disc reviews for you this week, with still more on the way...

Tim has reviewed Scream Factory’s new 4K Ultra HD releases of Halloween (1978) and Halloween II (1981), along with Arrow Video’s Deep Red 4K UHD, and Synapse Films’ recent Demons I & II: Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD release.

Meanwhile, Stephen has checked out Free Guy in 4K UHD from 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, along with Bluebeard (1963) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Dennis has offered his thoughts on Jack Arnold’s The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) on Blu-ray, as newly-released by the Criterion Collection.

We’ll have more reviews over the next few days, including more of the Halloween sequels in 4K,Scream in 4K, Old, the Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection and more, so be sure to stay tuned for them. [Read on here...]