Displaying items by tag: Douglas Trumbull

Afternoon, Bits readers! We’ve got something very special to share with you today here at the site, but first we also have some more new disc reviews...

Our very own Tim Salmons has delivered his thoughts on Roy William Neill’s Black Moon (1934) on Blu-ray from Columbia Pictures and Via Vision’s Imprint Films label. Tim has also taken a look at Jay Levey’s UHF (1989) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Studios in honor of the film’s 35th anniversary!

And Stuart has offered his take on another classic film, Arthur Ripley’s The Chase (1946) on Blu-ray from the good people at Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Enjoy!

Now then, some of you may remember that way back in 2010, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull proposed an elaborate documentary on the making of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Unfortunately, he was never able to get Warner Bros. to fund the project, which was known as Beyond the Infinite, and the man sadly passed away in 2022 (you can read our salute to him here).

You may also remember that back in 2016, I published an in-depth look at the various behind-the-scenes books on the making of the film, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: The Ultimate Trip in Print, here at The Bits website.

Well... back in September I was honored to be contacted by my friends Michael and Denise Okuda (of Star Trek fame) to participate in a new documentary they were producing on 2001 with the team at OTOY. So I spent a lovely evening up in Burbank with Mike, Denise, and my old friend Roger Lay, Jr. (who created many of the excellent documentaries on Paramount’s Star Trek Blu-rays in recent years) shooting an interview about the film and its place in cinema history. Today, I am very pleased to say that the result of their work is finally available for all of you to see for yourselves! [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some interesting Blu-ray and 4K news for you today, but first...

Bill & Ted Face the Music is now officially available via multiple digital/streaming services. Amazon currently has it on their Prime Video service for a $19.99 rental and a $24.99 digital purchase, both in full 4K (click here for that).

The good news is that Rotten Tomatoes shows an 82% “fresh” score this afternoon, and word I’ve heard from friends who have seen it is that it’s a worthy and enjoyable sequel. And I would expect nothing less from Dean Parisot, the director of Galaxy Quest. So great news indeed.

Now then, our friends at Arrow Video have just announced their November slate of Blu-ray and 4K titles, and there are some good ones.

For the US, Canada, and the UK, they’ve got Lake Michigan Monster and Burst City coming to Blu-ray (on November 2 and 9, respectively). For the US and Canada only, they have Silent Running coming to Blu-ray on November 17. Then for the UK only, they have Abel Ferrera’s King of New York coming to Blu-ray and 4K on November 16, followed by David Cronenberg’s Crash on Blu-ray and 4K on November 30. [Read on here...]

“2001 is Kubrick’s crowning achievement. It’s the movie that launched him into ’superstar’ status that placed him alongside the likes of Welles, Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Ford...” — film historian and author Raymond Benson

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick’s acclaimed science-fiction adventure starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.

Featuring groundbreaking visual effects and memorable usage of classical music (and decades of analysis), 2001 premiered 50 years ago this week, and for the occasion The Bits features a compilation of statistics and box office data that places the movie’s performance in context; passages from vintage film reviews; and a reference/historical listing of the movie’s limited-market 70-millimeter and roadshow engagements. [Read on here...]

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Today’s update is going to be a quick one, as business outside of the Matrix calls this afternoon. Nevertheless, we will have Russell Hammond’s weekly Release Dates & Artwork section update posted shortly, so be sure to stay tuned for that.

In release news today, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has set Night at the Museum 3 for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/10. Details to follow.  [Read on here…]