Displaying items by tag: Tim Salmons

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...]

We’ve got a quick rundown of release news for you to close out the week today, and some new reviews as well. I suspect some of you are interested in a follow-up to the State of 4K and Physical Media editorial we posted on Wednesday. Rest assured, there will be a follow-up, and I hope to get that posted here sometime next week. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, we have several new disc reviews for you to enjoy this afternoon...

Tim has posted his thoughts on John Hughes’ Weird Science (1985) in 4K Ultra HD from our friends at Arrow Video.

Stephen has shared his take on Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 in 4K UHD from Lionsgate, Brian De Palma’s Blow Out (1981) in 4K UHD from Criterion, and also John Henry Johnson’s Curse of the Blue Lights (1990) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Dennis has delivered a look at Charles Walters’ Dangerous When Wet (1953) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And Stuart has weighed in with a look at René Clément’s Joy House (1964) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Now then, the big news today is that Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has set Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/15, with the Digital release due next week on 8/11. Extras will include the 4-part The Making of Asteroid City documentary (which includes Desert Town, Doomsday Carnival, Montana and Ranch Hands, and The Players), as well as 2 additional Digital-exclusive features (The Alien and The Roadrunner). You can see the cover artwork at left and also below the break. [Read on here...]

In reviews today, Stephen has taken a great in-depth look at Terry Gilliam’s acclaimed Time Bandits (1981) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection.

And Tim has weighed in with his thoughts on Chris McKay’s horror comedy Renfield (2023) on Blu-ray from Universal. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, and Awkwafina.

As far as title announcements, the big one today is that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set the animated sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 9/5. The Digital version becomes available on 8/8. The 4K will include Dolby Atmos audio, while the Blu-ray will feature 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Extras will include audio commentary with the filmmakers, a deleted scene (Miguel Calling), lyric videos, and 10 behind-the-scenes featurettes (Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs, I’mma Do My Own Thing, Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions, Designing Spiders and Spots, Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse, Escape from Spider-Society, Across the Comics-Verse, Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie, Raising a Hero, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast). You can see the final cover artwork for the 4K UHD at left and also below, along with the wide release Blu-ray cover. Note that there will also be retail-exclusive packaging SKUs, including a Steelbook at Best Buy.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has also set Cobra Kai: Season 5 for DVD only release on 9/12. [Read on here...]

We’re starting the week off here at The Digital Bits this afternoon with a great new disc review, this one featuring Tim and Stephen’s tag-team take on Arrow Video’s fantastic Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray box set, which includes The Dungeonmaster (1984), Dolls (1986), Cellar Dweller (1987), Arena (1989), and Robot Jox (1990). It’s a boxed release that’s well worth checking out if you can get your hands on a copy—the title is sold out and basically only available on the secondary market. One hopes that the films will be released individually on Blu-ray from Arrow in the future.

In announcement news today, Paramount has revealed a new School of Rock: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Steelbook for release on 9/26. The disc will include audio commentary with Jack Black and director Richard Linklater and nearly an hour of legacy special features.

Paramount will also release a new Halloween H20: 20 Years Later 4K Ultra HD Steelbook Edition on 9/26, celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary. You can see the packaging below the break.

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has officially set Lewis Teague’s Cujo (1983) for 4K Ultra HD release on 10/24, complete with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Dolby Vision HDR, and a great new special feature, Cujo Revisited, which is a never-before-seen 2014 roundtable discussion with Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh Kelly, and the director.

The company has also revealed that Harold Becker’s Sea of Love (1989) is coming to 4K Ultra HD in the months ahead.

And coming to regular Blu-ray from KLSC are Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath (1963) on 10/24 and Jules Dassin’s Topkapi (1964), the street date for which is still TBA. [Read on here...]

All right... as one might expect, we’ve got a lot to talk about again today here at The Bits.

First of all, we don’t have any new information on Manta Lab’s “disc-less” WandaVision packaging, except to reiterate that while this is a licensed Disney Consumer Products item, it’s most definitely not an official Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment physical media product. And while some you deluxe packaging collectors might think that’s splitting hairs, for the vast majority of disc consumers around the world it’s a very important distinction. Disney is not suddenly getting in the business of releasing Steelbook packaging for titles they have no intention of actually releasing on disc, and making it okay by including a Digital copy code. Just to be clear. In any case, we hope to hear more on this in the next few days.

As to the matter of today’s other Disney hot topic, I’m afraid, the news is not good. Despite the fact that Sanity has now pulled down their original Facebook post announcing it, we at The Digital Bits have confirmed today with multiple industry, distributor, and retailer sources in the region that Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is indeed pulling out of the Australian market in terms of physical media. This follows similar moves in Asia (save for Japan) and Latin America, and the reason is apparently down to the gradual collapse of physical disc sales in the region, the growth of Disney+ Starz streaming, and also the rise of global retailers (think Amazon, Zavvi, etc). None of that will be of any comfort to disc fans in Australia, who will now have to pay a hefty shipping premium to import titles from outside the country. But it is true that Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3 will be the last new-release Disney title to get a physical release in the region. Previously-released titles may continue to be available for purchase until the end of the year, but that will be up to individual retailers.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, folks, but there it is.

Now then, before we shift to a bit of announcement news, we have several new disc reviews here at The Bits that are worth mentioning today...

Here’s the big one: Stephen has just turned in his in-depth thoughts on William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) in 4K Ultra HD, as newly-released by our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics. It’s a great disc, with the best A/V presentation of the film to date, and it includes nearly all of the previously-created special features. [Read on here...]