Displaying items by tag: Predator

We’ve got one more new disc review to close out the week...

Stuart has turned in his take on Michel Boisrond’s Naughty Girl (1956) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics. It’s a French comedy starring Brigitte Bardot.

And more reviews are forthcoming, including possibly starting this weekend. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled both here and on our various social media (including @billhuntbits and @thedigitalbits).

Now then, the big news today is that our friends at Arrow Video have just unveiled their January Blu-ray and 4K slate.

And as you might expect, it includes a couple of long-awaited gems, as well as a few titles other labels have released previously (but Arrow always makes their own versions special). [Read on here...]

We’ve got some great news to report for you today folks: As we first reported here at The Bits last month, 20th Century Studios is officially announcing the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Dan Trachtenberg’s Hulu original film Prey (2022) today! And here’s the official word, straight from the studio...

FOR THE FIRST TIME ON 4K UHD, BLU-RAY AND DVD, ADD THE 6-TIME EMMY NOMINATED PREY TO YOUR MOVIE COLLECTION

The Newest Entry in the Popular Predator Franchise, Prey Arrives on October 3 With Over 2 Hours of Bonus Content

BURBANK, CA (August 14, 2023) – The chilling prequel to the critically-acclaimed Predator films, 20th Century Studios’ Prey, arrives on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on October 3. As part of a special artist line, a collector’s edition 4K SteelBook, designed by popular digital artist Attila Szarka, will also be available exclusively at Best Buy.

Nominated for six Emmys, including Outstanding Television Movie, the science-fiction film welcomes new viewers into the Predator story while entertaining long-time fans of the celebrated franchise. All formats include a full-length Comanche audio track and never-before-seen bonus content.

Film Synopsis

The epic Predator legacy continues with this action-thriller set in 1719 on the Great Plains with a band of Comanches. When Naru, a fierce and highly skilled young warrior, sets out to protect her people, the prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator—leading to a vicious and terrifying showdown. [Read on here...]

In reviews this morning, Dennis has taken a look at Raphael Sbarge’s 2022 Laemmle Theatres documentary Only in Theaters on DVD from Kino Lorber. The film chronicles the 80+ year history of the family-owned cinema chain, which is based in L.A., and looks at the family’s efforts to see it survive the current challenges facing the industry.

More reviews are coming, so be sure to watch for them.

Now then... the big news today is two-fold: First, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has just revealed that Babylon 5: The Complete Series is coming to Blu-ray Disc for the first time ever on 12/5! Of course, the series was originally produced and finished in SD resolution only. But its live-action footage was shot on film, so that’s been scanned in 4K and downsampled to HD, while the CGI and VFX shots have been upsampled to HD from SD. But if you’ve seen the series recently as it appears on the Max streaming app, you’ll be familiar with the quality. (Note that it’s presented in the original 1.33 broadcast aspect ratio, and will include English SDH subtitles.) All 110 episodes of the show will be included, along with the 1993 pilot film, The Gathering. It appears that this title will be available via online retailers only, so don’t expect to find it at your local brick-and mortar shop. SRP is $99.99. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. (Oddly, it doesn’t actually include an image of the Babylon 5 space station itself, which.. ahem... seems like very strange marketing choice.)

And second, here’s some exciting news for fans of 1980s animation: The great Ralph Bakshi has announced on his Facebook page that American Pop (1981) is finally coming to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on 8/22! [Read on here...]

This just in: Retail and industry sources are now telling us that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is going to be releasing John McTiernan’s original Predator (1987) on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray later this year, likely in August, to support the September theatrical release of the new Shane Black sequel film The Predator. We’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List accordingly.

We don’t have any additional information on this yet (this is NOT an officially announced title yet), but fans will know that this film has been plagued by terrible transfers on disc over the years. The original 2008 Blu-ray release was decent, though the 2010 Ultimate Hunter Edition Blu-ray (which included all the legacy special features) was a flat-out disaster of epic proportions, with so much of the film’s fine detail and grain texture removed through the excessive use of DNR (digital noise reduction) that it was unwatchable.

Fox certainly already knows this, but it’s worth saying regardless: The studio could score massive points with fans of the film if the 4K remastered package included a new and properly-remastered Blu-ray edition of the film as well… one with all those good special features too in one package. Fingers crossed.

Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)

Afternoon, folks! We’ve got a couple things for you today...

First up, Michael Coate has been busy again, this time with a new retrospective piece on John McTiernan’s Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which celebrates its 30th anniversary today. The piece features a great interview with film historian Eric Lichtenfeld. You’ll find it today in History, Legacy & Showmanship on The Bits. Enjoy!

In announcement news today, Shout! Factory has set Michael Schultz’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for Blu-ray release on 9/26. On 9/19, they’re also releasing Dudes and The Moderns on Blu-ray as part of their Shout! Select series. [Read on here…]

“It’s an amazing accomplishment for a director’s first studio film.” – Action movie authority Eric Lichtenfeld

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 30th anniversary of the release of Predator, John McTiernan’s sci-fi/action/horror film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Kevin Peter Hall and featuring Saturn Award-winning music, Golden Reel Award-winning sound effects and Academy Award-nominated visual effects. [Read on here...]