Displaying items by tag: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
No, Marvel hasn’t announced a WandaVision Blu-ray, plus WDSHE reportedly exits Australia & updates on The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, Scream 3 & more in 4K Ultra HD
Okay, folks... we’ve got a LOT of ground to cover today, and I’m seriously not kidding, so strap in and hold on tight...
First up, it broke last night on the Interwebs that a company called Manta Lab in Hong Kong, which is a legit Disney licensee, was taking pre-orders for a “disc-less” Steelbook Blu-ray package for Marvel’s Disney+ streaming series WandaVision. Now, as you can imagine, that’s caused a great deal of surprise and consternation.
Some context... Manta Lab creates deluxe and custom packaging for lots of legit studio home entertainment releases, which are extremely popular with collectors, especially in the Asian market. However, since Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment officially exited the Asian market (apart from Japan), all of these licensing deals are made with Disney Consumer Products. The problem with this WandaVision release is that this is a title for which no authorized Blu-ray release exists anywhere in the world. So outside of the Steelbook packaging’s value as an objet d’art in and of itself, there’s no practical use for this packaging apart from holding people’s bootleg Blu-rays. And unfortunately, the proliferation of bootleg copies of Disney+ streaming titles has exploded online. (Don’t believe me? Visit Etsy and search for “WandaVision Blu-ray”—or just click here.)
In any case, when this news broke last night, too many otherwise respectable geek and movie news outlets online reported it as “Marvel and Disney have announced...” when nothing of the sort was true. This is a product licensed by Disney Consumer Products, but it is not in any way shape or form a licensed Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment release. I immediately contacted my sources at Disney last night, who assured me that this was the case, and who have this morning provided us with this statement:
“While Manta Lab is a legit licensee of Disney, and does create custom Steelbooks for Disney Blu-ray titles through Disney Consumer Products, the pre-order for a disc-less WandaVision was a surprise to some and we are looking into it as well as speaking to our partners in market.”
I expect to hear more back from Disney in the next day or so, so be sure to check back here on The Bits, and you can also follow us @BillHuntBits and @thedigitalbits on Twitter/X for the latest updates as I get them. Suffice it to say, this has generated an enormous amount of confusion outside of Manta Lab’s usual collector customer base. I’ve gotten literally hundreds of emails and messages in the last 24 hours from readers asking why Disney and Marvel would be releasing Steelbook packaging for a title they don’t appear to have any plans to actually release on physical media. (They aren’t, and stay tuned for further information.) [Read on here...]
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Manta Lab
- WandaVision Discless Steelbook
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Disney Consumer Products
- Marvel Studios
- Sanity
- WDSHE exits Australian market
- Paramount Home Entertainment
- Rosemary's Baby 4K
- Scream 3 4K
- Scream 3 Steelbook 4K
- Scream: The Original Trilogy 4K
- SpiderMan: Across the SpiderVerse 4K
- The Exorcist 4K
- Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment
- BFI
- Shrek the Third 4K
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Uncle Buck 4K
- The Ballad of Little Jo BD
- Follow @BillHuntBits on Twitter
Marvel & Disney set Guardians 3 for BD & 4K on 8/1, plus I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Staying Alive, an Avatar Blu-ray 3D update & more!
We have a few major title announcements to report today...
First up, the big one: Disney and Marvel have officially set James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 8/1, with the Digital release expected on 7/7. You can expect Dolby Atmos audio and HDR10 high dynamic range on the 4K SKU. The Blu-ray Disc will include 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. But here’s the most interesting thing: For the first time, a Disney/Marvel title has included a variable aspect ratio that switches from 2.35 to 1.85! [Editor’s Note: Per studio reps, this replicates not the IMAX presentation but rather the wide-release presentation of the film as seen in some regular, non-IMAX theaters. Just FYI.]
Extras on all SKUs will include 2 featurettes (The Imperfect, Perfect Family and Creating Rocket Raccoon), a gag reel, 8 deleted scenes (A Bit Much, A Lending Hand, Drax’s Analogies and Metaphors, The Perfect Society, The Search for 89P13, Annoyed Peter, A Burning Escape, and Knowhere After the Battle), and audio commentary with James Gunn. You can see the cover artwork at left and also below. [Read on here...]
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- Turbine Media Group in Germany
- Marvel Studios
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- James Gunn
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 4K
- variable aspect ratio
- I Still Know What You Did Last Summer 4K
- Sylvester Stallone
- Staying Alive 4K
- Battlestar Galactica (1978) 4K
- Black Phone 4K
- Pearl 4K
- Infinity Pool 4K
- Renfield 4K
- Avatar: The Way of Water 3D
EXCLUSIVE: Producer Jon Landau confirms that AVATAR, THE ABYSS, TRUE LIES & TITANIC are all planned for Blu-ray & 4K Ultra HD release this year!
All right, we’ve some great announcement news today. We also have a MAJOR and exclusive 4K Ultra HD catalog scoop to share with you this afternoon here at The Digital Bits, and we’ve got the video to prove it! But first, a couple more new disc reviews...
Stuart has posted his thoughts on the BBC’s Maigret: Season 2 on Blu-ray from our friends at Network and Kino Classics.
And Dennis has offered his take on André Téchiné’s Wild Reeds (1994) on Blu-ray from the good people at Altered Innocence and Vinegar Syndrome.
So give those a look, and don’t forget that more reviews are on the way all week—be sure to check back from them. Now then, today’s great announcement news is that The Criterion Collection has just officially unveiled their June Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release slate. [Read on here...]
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD Release List
- Vinegar Syndrome
- Stuart Galbraith IV
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment
- James Cameron
- Jon Landau
- Lightstorm
- Avatar 4K
- Avatar: The Way of Water 4K
- The Abyss 4K
- True Lies 4K
- Titanic 4K
- Paramount Home Entertainment
- Kino Classics
- Dennis Seuling
- Maigret: Season 2 BD review
- Wild Reeds BD review
- The Criterion Collection's June 2023 release slate
- Terry Gilliam
- Time Bandits 4K
- The Servant
- Medicine for Melancholy
- Pasolini 101 BD box set
- The Rules of the Game 4K
- Jean Renoir
- Insidious 4K
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- James Wan
HBO sets The Last of Us: The Complete First Season for Blu-ray & 4K Ultra HD on 7/18, plus Mickey & Friends: Volume 2 & more!
We start things off today with a new review from Stephen Bjork, who checks out Jack Bomay and Sal Watts’ Solomon King (1974) on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile via Vinegar Syndrome.
And not to be outdone, Stuart has offered his thoughts on Marco Tullio Giordana’s One Hundred Steps (2000) on Blu-ray from Raro Video.
Now then, the big release news today is that HBO and Warner Bros have officially announced the physical Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of The Last of Us: The Complete First Season on 7/18 (SRP $44.98, $39.99, and $49.99 respectively), with the Digital version expected to drop on 4/11!
The package will include all 9 episodes, along with three hours worth of extras. Among them are 4 Getting to Know Me featurettes, 2 The Last Debrief with Troy Baker featurettes, 2 Is This a The Last of Us Line? featurettes, 9 Inside the Episode featurettes, and a pair of featurettes that are exclusive to the disc SKUs including The Last of Us: Stranger Than Fiction and Controllers Down: Adapting The Last of Us.
You can see the final 4K UHD cover artwork above left and the Blu-ray art below the break. [Read on here...]
- Dark Force Entertainment
- Scream (1981) 4K
- The Running Man 4K
- CBS
- Seal Team: Season Six DVD
- Mickey & Friends: 10 Classic Shorts Volume 2 BD
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- The Last of Us: The Complete First Season 4K
- Raro Video
- Stephen Bjork
- Stuart Galbraith IV
- One Hundred Steps BD review
- Vinegar Syndrome
- Solomon King BD review
- HBO
- 4K Ultra HD Release List
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Warner Bros Home Entertainment
- The Italian Job (2003) 4K
- Shooter (2007) 4K
Cinderella (1950) is coming to 4K Ultra HD from Disney this year, plus the Oscar nominations are in & more!
All right, it’s been a busy couple of days here at The Bits, and we’re starting as always with more new disc reviews for you to enjoy...
First up, Stephen has taken a look a pair of titles, including Matthew Bright’s Freeway (1996) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome, along with Dan Wolman’s Maid in Sweden (1971) on Blu-ray from Code Red.
Also, Dennis has reviewed Richard Pearce’s No Mercy (1986) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And Tim has offered his thoughts on Douglas Grossman’s Hell High (1989) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video, along with the first film from Arrow’s fantastic Shawscope: Volume One Blu-ray box set. He’s working his way through the set title by title, and today he covers Jeong Chang-Hwa’s King Boxer (1972, aka Five Fingers of Death).
As always, more reviews are on the way all week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them. [Read on here...]
- B’Twixt Now and Sunrise
- Oscar nominations
- The 95th Academy Awards nominations
- Cauldron Films
- Convoy Busters BD
- MVD Rewind Collection
- LA Wars BD
- Warner Archive Collection
- I'll Cry Tomorrow BD
- Camille BD
- Lee Pfeiffer
- The Boys from Brazil BD
- Reese’s Pieces Flying Bicycles and a Boy’s Life: Remembering ET on Its 40th Anniversary
- Steven Spielberg
- ET the Extra Terrestrial 40th anniversary
- King Boxer BD review
- Five Fingers or Death BD review
- Shawscope: Volume One BD review
- No Mercy BD review
- Arrow Video
- Hell High BD review
- Code Red
- Maid in Sweden BD review
- Freeway 4K review
- Disney Movie Club
- Cinderella (1950) 4K
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Tim Salmons
- Stephen Bjork
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Paramount
- Dennis Seuling
- Vinegar Syndrome
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment
- Michael Coate
- History Legacy & Showmanship
The Fabelmans is official for 2/14, plus new Warner 4K catalog titles & street dates, and a Titanic 4K update
We’re rounding out the week here at The Bits with a few more new disc reviews, and some release news as well, including word of new 4K catalog titles, and updates on a title or two that we’ve talked about here previously in recent weeks. But first those reviews...
I’ve posted my thoughts on Wim Wenders’ stunning Wings of Desire (1987) which is now available in 4K Ultra HD from Curzon Film in the UK. The 4K remaster, which was done by the Wim Wenders Foundation, is absolutely stunning. Fans of the film may not realize this, but by the time the film was completed and being shown in theaters back in ‘87, the version we all experienced then was fully six generations away from original camera negative. But now, every inch of this film—save for the little bit of historical and newsreel footage that appears within it—is first-generation right off the negative. And it makes a huge difference, even over the previous Criterion Blu-ray. So if you’re a fan, this 4K release is definitely worth a look.
I’ve also reviewed Jack Ryan: Season Two on 4K Ultra HD, which was released last month on the format by Paramount (along with Season One which we’ve reviewed here). Season Three of the series recently dropped on Amazon Prime and we have word that it’s coming to both Blu-ray and 4K as well later this year.
Also today, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Adam Rifkin’s The Invisible Maniac on 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.
And we have more reviews on the way as well. I’m personally working on Shout! Factory’s recent WarGames and HBO’s House of the Dragon: Season One, both in 4K Ultra HD. I hope to post those reviews over the weekend or early next week. And the rest of the review team is working on new titles as well, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]
- Curzon Film
- 12 Angry Men (1957) 4K
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- The Fabelmans
- Universal
- Paramount
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Wings of Desire 4K review
- Stephen Bjork
- Jack Ryan: Season Two 4K review
- The Invisible Maniac 4K review
- Wargames 4K
- House of the Dragon: The Complete First Season 4K
- Steven Spielberg
- Mill Creek Entertainment
- Turbine Media Group in Germany
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4K
- From Beyond 4K
- Vinegar Syndrome
- Stuart Gordon
- Tobe Hooper
- Warner Bros Home Entertainment
- The Departed 4K
- Martin Scorsese
- Harold Ramis
- National Lampoon's Vacation 4K
- Cool Hand Luke 4K
- The Maltese Falcon 4K
- Rebel Without a Cause 4K
- Titanic 4K
- James Cameron
- Sidekicks 4K
Disney bows Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Vol. 1, plus Confess Fletch, new KLSC/Curzon 4K titles & more
The big news today is that Walt Disney Animation Studios has just officially announced the first title in Disney’s planned 100th anniversary celebration this year. Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 will arrive on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 2/7. Unfortunately, we don’t have the complete list of shorts yet (it wasn’t included in the press release—we have requested the details) but we do know this much:
“Included is the iconic Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with synchronized sound, in which the character of Mickey Mouse was first introduced as a deckhand on a riverboat commanded by the tyrannical Captain Pete. Also included are Brave Little Tailor, featuring Mickey as a medieval tailor given a daunting task. In Mickey’s Delayed Date, the tardy mouse relies on his faithful pup Pluto to get him to a dance with Minnie. Hawaiian Holiday finds Mickey and his pals vacationing on a beautiful island. Then along with friends, Mickey and Minnie glide through a romantic date on a frozen river in On Ice. And catch five more delightful stories in this legacy collection.”
[Editor’s Update: Here are the other 5 shorts included in this release: Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip, Figaro and Frankie, Bath Day, Thru the Mirror, and The Little Whirlwind.]
You can see the cover artwork above-left. [Read on here...]
- Best Buy exclusive Steelbook 4K
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts Volume 1 BD
- Steamboat Willie
- Walt Disney Studios 100th Anniversary
- Disney 100
- Brave Little Tailor
- Mickey Mouse
- Chicago: 20th Anniversary Edition
- Paramount
- Confess Fletch
- Women Talking
- Universal
- The Fabelmans
- The Serpent Queen
- Lionsgate
- John Wick Trilogy: Stash Book Collection Steelbook Box Set
- Doctor Who: William Hartnell Complete Season Two
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- 12 Angry Men (1957) 4K
- Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 4K
- Imprint Films
- Severin Films
- The Five Days 4K
- Dario Argento
- King Kong Lives (1976)
- Umbrella Entertainment
- Curzon Film
- Three Colors Trilogy 4K
- The Double Life of Veronique 4K
- Krzysztof Kieślowski
BREAKING: Disney & Marvel set Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for Blu-ray, DVD & 4K Ultra HD on 2/7!
Morning, Bits-ers! We’re here with an early My Two Cents news post to start the new week to bring you some breaking news...
Disney and Marvel Studios have just officially set Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for release on Blu-ray, DVD & 4K Ultra HD on 2/7, with the Digital and Disney+ streaming debut planned for 2/1.
In terms of the 4K UHD package, there will be four different versions... a wide-release Amaray, two Best Buy-exclusive Steelbook designs—one by artist Dorothea Taylor that highlights Wakanda and another by Orlando Arocena that features Talokan—and a Walmart-exclusive package with custom artwork that includes a Black Panther enamel pin.
You can see the wide 4K packaging at left and all four different version below the break. [Read on here...]
Dear Bob Iger: Please fix Disney’s languishing Home Entertainment division! (Also, Warner sets Black Adam for BD & 4K in January)
Well, the big news this week is so big that we’re going to address it right off the top: In a sudden and unexpected move, Disney’s board of directors has ousted CEO Bob Chapek and re-hired Bob Iger. The news came out of the blue on Sunday night and seems to have taken everyone by surprise. Bob Iger of course was the company’s previous CEO, who took over for Michael Eisner—the man who’d served in that role for over two decades at that point—back in 2005. It was under Iger’s watch that Disney acquired Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and the film division of 20th Century Fox. He also laid the groundwork for the launch of Disney+ in 2019.
Chapek was no stranger to Disney, having joined the company in 1993 as the director of marketing for Buena Vista Home Entertainment. In this capacity he helped steer Disney through the “Golden Age” of DVD and eventually the launch of Blu-ray, which is how I came to know him. He was so successful in that capacity that he was promoted to president of Home Entertainment in 2006, and eventually took over at Disney Consumer Products (in 2011) and Parks and Resorts (in 2015), which seemed to make him a natural fit to become CEO of Disney himself when Iger eventually stepped down.
But apparently, Iger and Chapek did not often see eye to eye. Iger, who could (and probably should) have worked more aggressively to groom a clear successor to lead the company in his own image, failed to do so, resulting in Chapek’s elevation to CEO in 2020. But Chapek’s reign was troubled from the very start, stricken first by the COVID-19 pandemic and next by a series of public “self-owns” and media missteps. [Read on here...]
- Warner Bros
- DC Universe
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD Release List
- Stephen Bjork
- Dennis Seuling
- Bob Iger replaces Bob Chapek as Disney CEO
- Black Adam 4K
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Disney+
- Severin Films Black Friday 4K and Bluray
- Beast BD review
- The Deer King BD review
- GKids
- Detective Story BD review
- Lonelyhearts BD review
- Event Horizon 4K
- Paramount Home Entertainment
- Filmmaker Mode
Heat 4K & more reviews, plus Elvis, Columbia Classics V3, Outlander: S3 delayed, Highlander 4K in Italy & more
We’re finishing the week here at The Bits with a spate of new disc reviews for you to check out and enjoy...
First, I’ve taken a look at Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) which is finally available in a long-awaited new 4K Ultra HD release from 20th Century Studios. The new 4K master is impressive, though not reference-quality.
It’s important to note, however, that Mann made creative changes to the film’s color grading in 2017, as he was preparing his new Director’s Definitive Edition (see his own comments on this at the time here). This means the film is somewhat darker looking, with slightly-desaturated color, than it was before—even with the new HDR grade. This in turn has caused a host of “fan” reviewers to claim that the disc is defective, when the truth is that they simply don’t like the new color grade. Meanwhile, professional reviewers have almost all praised the disc’s image improvements, while acknowledging the darker grading. Those of you with genuinely bright 4K displays (with effective tone-mapping) will appreciate the new color grade the most. The point is, you’re going to see a lot of diverse opinions about this title out there on the Interwebs and social media. It’s only by understanding that these changes were initiated by the director himself that you can sort the reality from opinion. Anyway, I break it down in the review.
Also today, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 4K Ultra HD from Marvel and Disney. [Read on here...]
- Imprint Films
- Bluray
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Tim Salmons
- Stephen Bjork
- Heat 4K review
- Michael Mann Director's Definitive Edition color grade revisions
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K review
- Times Square BD review
- Night Ripper BD review
- Forbidden Love BD review
- A Night to Remember BD review
- Ants! BD review
- Elvis 4K
- Baz Luhrmann
- Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 3
- To Sir with Love 4K
- The Score 4K
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Mayor of Kingstown: Season 1 BD
- Paramount
- Ghoster
- Zavvi exclusive James Bond BD Steelbooks
- Outlander: Season Six BD
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High 4K
- Games of Thrones 4K
- Highlander 4K in Italy
- 48 Hours 4K
- Another 48 Hours 4K