Displaying items by tag: Film Masters

All right, we’ve got three new disc reviews for you to finish out the week, plus some more great new title announcements. The reviews first...

Stephen has taken a look at David Twohy’s The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) in 4K Ultra HD, as released by our friends at Arrow Video.

Tim has reviewed the Warner Archive Collection’s new Hanna-Barbera Double Feature of Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) and Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019) on Blu-ray.

And Stuart has turned in his thoughts on Francis Ford Coppola’s You’re a Big Boy Now (1996) on Blu-ray, also from the Warner Archive Collection. And how fitting it is that we’re reviewing Coppola’s first feature film, even as what may be his last—Megalopolis (2024)—is now in theaters.

As always, more reviews are on the way, so be sure to watch for them.

Now then... the big news today is all on the classic TV front: First, Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS have officially set I Love Lucy: The Complete Series for release on Blu-ray for the first time ever! Expected on 11/5, the 33-disc set will include all 180 episodes of I Love Lucy (1951-57), plus all episodes of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-60) remastered with long-missing footage restored, plus the newly-colorized episode Lucy and the Loving Cup. In addition, the series’ opening and closing credits have been restored along with many original cast commercials. Three long-lost “flashback” scenes have been remastered. And a portion of the 1959 CBS Fall Preview Special has been included. You’ll also get the original I Love Lucy pilot episode (remastered from original 35mm kinescope), I Love Lucy: The Movie, audio commentaries on select episodes, Lucy on the Radio broadcasts, flubs, slideshows, cast bios, photo galleries, and production notes. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]

We’re starting today with a bunch of new and recent disc reviews here at The Bits, including...

Stephen’s look at Michael Mann’s Collateral (2004) in a new 4K Steelbook from Paramount, The Flash: The Original Series (1990) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, and Bosco Lam and Kin-Nam Cho’s A Chinese Torture Chamber Story 1 & 2 (1994 & 1998) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Tim’s thoughts on Park Chan-wook’s JSA: Joint Security Area (2000) in 4K Ultra HD from Umbrella Entertainment.

Dennis’ take on Philip Kaufman’s Twisted (2004) on Blu-ray from Paramount via Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And finally, Stuart’s reviews of George King’s Tomorrow We Live (1943) and Barbet Schroeder’s Single White Female (1992) on Blu-ray from Powerhouse Films’ Indicator label.

Speaking of Indicator, they’ve just unveiled their November slate, which includes a UK-only box set called Pryor & Wilder that features Sidney Poitier’s Stir Crazy (1980), Arthur Hiller’s See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Maurice Phillips’ Another You (1991) on Blu-ray. Look for that on 18 November. In the US, Indicator will release Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat’s Left Right and Centre (1959), Ken Loach’s Family Life (1971), and John Krish’s The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1970) all on Blu-ray on 11/19. [Read on here...]

We have a few good bits of release news for you today...

First up, our friends at Lionsgate have announced four new Walmart-exclusive 4K Ultra HD Steelbook titles for release on 4/1, including Cutthroat Island, Rambo: First Blood, Rambo: Last Blood, and a Red 2-Film Collection (including both Red and Red 2). All the Blu-ray extras should carry over. Note that these are essentially the same discs released previously.

Lionsgate has also set Kristoffer Borgli’s Dream Scenario (2023) for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/27. The film stars Nicolas Cage.

Film Masters is releasing Bert I. Gordon’s Tormented (1960) on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/23, restored in 4K from original 35mm archival elements. SRP will be $24.95 and $19.95 respectively. In terms of special features, look for:

“an unreleased TV pilot of Famous Ghost Stories, made by Bert I. Gordon and hosted by Vincent Price; the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of Tormented (1992), full feature (1:33.1), with captions; new documentary by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, Bert I. Gordon in the 1950s & 1960s: Bigger Than Life, featuring C. Courtney Joyner; archival interview with writer-producer-director Bert I. Gordon, Bert I. Gordon: The Amazing Colossal Filmmaker; feature essay by Tom Weaver with a bonus essay by John Wooley, former president of the Susan Gordon fan club and a personal friend of the actress; commentary provided by film historian-writer-filmmaker Gary Don Rhodes; new, visual essay by The Flying Maciste Brothers, The Spirit is Willing: CineMagic and Social Discord in Bert I. Gordon’s “Tormented”; original trailer, scanned in 4K from 35mm archival elements, presented in its raw format; as well as a recut trailer using restored film elements.” [Read on here...]

Evening, folks! Sorry about the lack of an update yesterday, but I was A) busy working on several new disc reviews, and B) roped into doing the Thanksgiving grocery shopping here. And you know how that goes: It’s a zoo out there!

But as a result of our work, we’ve got no less than five new disc reviews for you to enjoy today...

First, Tim has taken a look at Brett Ratner’s The Silence of the Lambs prequel Red Dragon (2002), which is new on 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis has offered his take on William Kaufman and Johnny Strong’s Warhorse One (2023) on Blu-ray from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Stephen has delivered a look at Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City (2023) on Blu-ray from Universal, as well as Béla Ternovszky’s animated Cat City (1986) on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile and Vinegar Syndrome.

And I’ve posted my thoughts on Andrew Davis’ The Fugitive (1993) which just arrived today in a terrific new 4K Ultra HD release from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, mastered from a new 8K scan of the original camera negative no less!

I’m also working on a review of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023) in 4K for posting very soon. The title streets today, but I’m still waiting on my review copy from Universal, which should be here in the next couple days. (FedEx is a little slow, what with the holiday week and all.) My review of the film itself is already complete, and as soon as the disc arrives I’ll dive right in and get the review posted ASAP. So be sure to watch for it. [Read on here...]

All right, today’s update is going to be brief, because of a couple factors. First, I’m talking with a number of sources about some forthcoming and exciting 4K Ultra HD catalog titles, which I’ll talk about here when I can. Second, I’m dealing with replacing my recently defunct Epson 5040ub projector. And more on that soon as well.

In the meantime, we have some very exciting 4K Ultra HD news today that I know a lot of you will be pleased about. And of course, we have more new disc reviews for you as well. So let’s start with those first...

Stephen has posted his thoughts on Warner’s long-awaited 4K Ultra HD release of Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm’s animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)! And it appears the title has been worth the wait.

Stuart has also weighed in with a look at Robert Mulligan’s The Spiral Road (1962) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films and Via Vision Entertainment.

Dennis has offered his two cents on Jacques Tourneur’s Wichita (1955) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Charlotte Le Bon’s Falcon Lake (2022) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And last but not least, Tim has shared a review of Luca Bercovici’s Ghoulies (1985) in 4K Ultra HD from the MVD Rewind Collection, as well as Ray Kellogg’s The Giant Gila Monster (1959) and The Killer Shrews (1959) in a new double-feature Blu-ray release from Film Masters.

More disc reviews are forthcoming, so be sure to stay tuned for them. Now then, let’s get to the big release news... [Read on here...]

We’re closing out the week this afternoon with some newsy odds and ends, a few more tidbits about forthcoming titles from our industry sources, and of course more new disc reviews. Today’s reviews include...

Tim’s take on Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs (1991) in 4K Ultra HD from our friends at Scream Factory.

His look at Craig R. Baxley’s Stone Cold (1991) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Stuart’s thoughts on Richard Thorpe’s The Truth About Spring (1965) on Blu-ray, also from the good folks over at Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

In 4K Ultra HD release news, you might recall that yesterday we mentioned that Sony was bringing Martin Campbell’s The Legend of Zorro (2005) to the format on 8/22. Likewise, Universal was working on a 4K release of Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman (2020) for that same day. [Read on here...]