Displaying items by tag: Tim Salmons

Good afternoon (or evening as the case may be), Bits readers! My wife and I had a houseguest here visiting yesterday, so today’s post is a little later than usual. But we’re starting as always with some new disc reviews...

First of all, on Monday I posted my thoughts on Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) on 4K Ultra HD from Paramount, and just today I added a couple of additional Editor’s Notes discussing one of the film’s key story points as well as the 4K video quality (which I’ve revised downward just a tad from A to A-, the reason for which is explained in my review).

Also, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Hideaki Anno’s (et al) Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) in 4K from GKids and Shout! Factory, and for those of you who aren’t familiar, he also gives you a good little primer on the topic.

Meanwhile, Stuart has weighed in with looks at William Dieterle’s The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and Richard Brooks’ The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s The Worst Ones (2022) on DVD from Kino Lorber.

Dennis has offered his take on Julian Schnabel’s Before Night Falls (2000) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive as well as Mark Pellington’s The Severing (2022) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

And finally, Tim has delivered an in-depth review of Kevin Connor’s Motel Hell (1980) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory. [Read on here...]

All right, I’d like to start today’s post out by saying a big thank you to everyone who’s signed up to support our Digital Bits Patreon, or expressed the intent to do so soon, or made a PayPal donation, or simply sent us good wishes. Thanks also to those among you who are using our Amazon affiliate links whenever you shop or pre-order new Blu-ray and 4K titles. The overall response has been very encouraging and very understanding, and we appreciate each and every one of you. So thank you!

Now then, we’re going to catch up on some news, plus we’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews for you here, and then I’m going to spend the next few days working on a few Blu-ray and 4K reviews myself. But first, here are some reviews our team has posted for you all to enjoy in the last few days...

Stuart has chimed in with reviews of Henry Hathaway’s Nevada Smith (1966), John Cassavetes’ Gloria (1980), and Ida Lupino’s Outrage (1950) all on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, François Ozon’s Everything Went Fine (2021) on Blu-ray from Cohen Media Group, and John Mackenzie’s Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1971) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

Dennis has offered his thoughts on Dorothy Arzner’s Christopher Strong (1933) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, Harley Cokeliss’ Malone (1987) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Chalit Krileadmongkon and Pakphum Wongjinda’s Creepy Crawly (2022) on Blu-ray from Well Go USA, and Brian Paulin’s At Dawn They Sleep (2000) on Blu-ray from Saturn’s Core and Vinegar Syndrome.

Stephen has taken an in-depth look at Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby (1978) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Godfrey Ho’s Undefeatable (1993) on 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome, and Allen Plone’s Night Screams (1987) also in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Tim has reviewed Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha’s direct-to-video animated finale Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar (2023) on Blu-ray from Adult Swim and Warner, as well as Amy Holden Jones and Deborah Brock The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) and The Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some ground to cover today here at The Bits, so first things first. We have a trio of new disc reviews for you to enjoy this afternoon, including...

Tim’s take on Amando de Ossorio’s Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) on Blu-ray from Synapse Films.

And Dennis’ thoughts on William A Wellman’s Westward the Women (1951) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, as well as James Foley’s After Dark, My Sweet (1990) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Don’t forget, Amazon’s Prime “Big Deal” Days Sale continues until the end of the day today, so be sure to take advantage of all the great prices on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD titles, box sets, and collections. Click here and here to see what’s on sale and act fast!

For the record, some of today’s deals include...

• Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror 4K UHD (regularly $79.99) Now $29
• The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K UHD (regularly $69.98) Now $38
• The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection #2 4K UHD (regularly $69.98) Now $38

• Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection 4K UHD (regularly $219) Now $94
• Batman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray (regularly $79) Now $24
• Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray (regularly $69) Now $19
• The Last of Us: The Complete First Season Blu-ray (regularly $49) Now $26
• Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray (regularly $99) Now $49
• Bonanza: The Complete Series DVD (regularly $244) Now $159

• Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy 4K UHD (regularly $55) Now $23
• The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended & Theatrical) 4K UHD (regularly $89) Now $39
• Harry Potter: 8-Film Collection 4K UHD (regularly $178) Now $59
• Mission: Impossible 6-Movie Collection 4K UHD (regularly $83) Now $50
• The Godfather Trilogy 4K UHD (regularly $90) Now $54
• The James Bond Collection 24-Films Blu-ray (regularly $144) Now $54

So be sure to act fast if you’re interested.

Also today here at the site, we’ve got word on some long-awaited 4K Ultra HD catalog titles... [Read on here...]

We’ve got another big title announcement for you here at The Bits today, as well as more new disc reviews. So let’s get to the latter first...

Tim has posted his thoughts on Kevin Reynolds’ The Beast (1988) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Brian Tenchard-Smith’s Day of the Panther (1988)/Strike of the Panther (1989) double feature from Umbrella Entertainment (via Vinegar Syndrome).

Dennis has shared his take on Jack Conway’s Saratoga (1937) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart has offered his reviews of Russell Rouse’s The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) and Joseph Losey’s The Boy with Green Hair (1948) on Blu-ray from Warner Archive, along with Kino Lorber Studio Classic’s excellent Anna May Wong Collection, a Blu-ray box set that includes the films Dangerous to Know (1938), Island of Lost Men (1939), and King of Chinatown (1939). Enjoy!

Now then, the big piece of announcement news this afternoon is that Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has just officially set Andrew Davis’ The Fugitive (1993) for 4K Ultra HD and Digital release on 11/21. The 4K disc will include HDR10 high dynamic range, as well as a new Dolby Atmos sound mix. [Read on here...]

Boy, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover here at The Bits over the next few days! It’s been very busy here around the office these past several days. For one thing, my wife and I have had family staying with us for the weekend. I’ve also finally replaced my defunct Epson 5040UB home theater projector here at The Bits with a brand new JVC DLA-RS1100/NP5, and have spent time installing and calibrating it. (I’ll definitely have more to say about that later this week, though I’ll just note for now that I’m very pleased with the choice.)

But I would like to take this opportunity to thank my good friends John Schuermann (of The Screening Room AV, the fantastic home theater design and equipment retailer well known for their annual Projector Shootouts) and Kris Deering (the outstanding ISF calibrator, formerly of Sound and Vision magazine as well as his own Deep Dive AV) for their help and advice in selecting the RS1100 and getting it up and running. (Your counsel is very much appreciated, my friends!) If you’re ever in the market for home theater hardware or calibration, there’s no better place to start.

Needless to say, while I’ve been occupied with all that, our dedicated team here at The Bits has posted a number of great new disc reviews. So let’s quickly run them all down...

First of all, Stuart has offered his thoughts on Anthony Mann’s A Dandy in Sapic (1968) and Abraham Polonsky’s Force of Evil (1948) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Suzanna Raes’ documentary Close to Vermeer (2023) on DVD from Kino Lorber.

Dennis has shared his thoughts on Peter Hall’s Three Into Two Won’t Go (1969) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Luis Valdez’s La Bamba (1987) on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.

Stephen has delivered his reviews of Jean Renoir’s legendary classic The Rules of the Game (1939) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion, along with Jiří Barta’s The Pied Piper (1986) on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile (via Vinegar Syndrome), and Ulli Lommel’s The Boogey Man (1980) in 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndrome.

And finally, our hard-working reviews editor Tim Salmons has posted his own take on David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997) in 4K Ultra HD, also from Criterion.

As always, more new disc reviews are forthcoming all week, so be sure to check back for them.

All right… now let’s move on to the latest release news. And there’s quite a lot of it today. In fact, it’s fair to say that it’s going to be a very expensive Q4 for fans of Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD! [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 starting the new week with a trio of disc reviews...

First up, I’ve posted my look at Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey (2022), which streets in long-awaited 4K Ultra HD on 10/3 from 20th Century Studios and Buena Vista Home Entertainment. And I’m pleased to say that the disc does not disappoint in terms of A/V quality.

Also today, Stuart has offered his thoughts on Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton’s King Solomon’s Mines (1950), as recently released on Blu-ray by The Warner Archive Collection.

And Tim has turned in his take on Ryan Meade’s Tom Sullivan documentary Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist (2014) on Blu-ray from Synapse Films.

In terms of announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just announced a new Resident Evil: 6-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD in Steelbook packaging. That’s due on 11/21. The set includes all 6 films in both Blu-ray and 4K, and all of the 4Ks will feature Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio, plus the previous 5.1 mixes. You can see the cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]

Welcome to the new week, Bits-ers! We’re starting as always today with a trio of new disc reviews for you to check out...

Stuart has offered his thoughts on Andrei Konchalovsky’s Duet for One (1986) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Dennis has delivered a look at Renato Polselli’s Delirium (1972) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Tim rounds things out with his review of George A. Romero’s Creepshow (1982) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory.

We also have several more reviews currently in the works for the next few days, so be sure to keep checking back for them.

The big news this morning is that the Criterion Collection has just unveiled its December slate of titles, including one new 4K Ultra HD release. The slate includes an upgraded version of Allen Baron’s Blast of Silence (1961) (Spine #428 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 12/5, followed by The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse (1951-1965) (Spine #1200 – Blu-ray and DVD – includes Bim, the Little Donkey, White Mane, The Red Balloon, Stowaway in the Sky, and Circus Angel) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) (Spine #1201 – 4K UHD + Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD) on 12/12.

You can see the cover art for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio at left and all three of them below the break. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a lot of announcement news to cover today, so we’re going to share some of it here now, and then we’ll come back early tomorrow morning with the rest of it. But first, as always, here are some new disc reviews that we’ve posted recently...

Tim has taken a look at Albert Band’s Ghoulies II (1987) on Blu-ray from the MVD Rewind Collection.

Stephen has reviewed Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Michael (1924) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber via their Kino Classics label.

And Stuart has offered his thoughts on Max Ophüls’ There’s No Tomorrow (1939) on Blu-ray also from Kino Classics, as well as Otto Preminger’s Angel Face (1953) and Anthony Mann’s Border Incident (1949) both on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Now then! Let’s get to that release news...

First up, just as we predicted the other day, Paramount has set David Zucker’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) for release in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook format on 11/28. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. It’s not up for pre-order yet, but the Amazon listing is there, so we’ll include the link below. The 2-disc set will include the film in 4K UHD and also Blu-ray. We don’t yet know if the Blu-ray is remastered as well, and if there will be any new extras, but you can certainly expect many of the legacy extras to carry over. The release is timed to honor of the film’s 35th anniversary, which takes place on 12/2. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a bunch more great new 4K Ultra HD catalog news to report today, and more new disc reviews as well...

As expected, I posted my review of producer Glen A. Larson’s original Battlestar Galactica (1978) in 4K Ultra HD from Universal late last night, and it’s a pretty detailed look at the film and its history.

Also today, Tim has gone in-depth on Martin Scorsese’s Hugo (2011), which is now available in a terrific new 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray 3D package from the good people of Arrow Video.

Dennis has checked in today as well with a look at Robert Wise’s Helen of Troy (1956) on Blu-ray from the always excellent Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart rounds things out this afternoon with his thoughts on Marcel Ophul’s fascinating documentary on the Nazi occupation of France during World War II, The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

Back to Arrow briefly: The company has just revealed on their social media feed that—in response to customer requests—they’re going to be including Michael Mann’s excellent Blackhat: Director’s Cut on Blu-ray in their forthcoming 4K UHD and Blu-ray packages! Thus the street date is going to be pushed back from 10/31 to 11/28. But the Director’s Cut—which has never been released on home video—is significantly different that the other two cuts of the film already being included on the release, so this is a terrific and welcome addition. Tip of the hat to Arrow for going the extra mile on this one. [Read on here...]