Displaying items by tag: Raro Video

We have a big new disc review for you here at The Bits: Stephen has just taken an in-depth look at the Japanese-import version of Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One (2023) in 4K Ultra HD from Toho. I should not there that there are no English subtitles, but the package is pretty spectacular.

We don’t yet know when the film will be released on disc here in the States, but we’re digging into it and hope to learn more soon.

Meanwhile, we also have more new disc reviews up for you today, including...

Stuart’s reviews of Yūzō Kawashima’s Elegant Beast (1962) on Blu-ray from Daiei via Radiance Films, Jean Renoir’s The Golden Coach (1952) on Blu-ray via Raro Video, and André Melançon’s The Dog Who Stopped the War (1984) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Dennis’ thoughts on Lou Breslow’s You Never Can Tell (1951) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Stephen’s look at the Disney+ series Moon Knight: The Complete First Season (2022) in 4K Ultra HD from Marvel and Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

In terms of announcement news today, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment and Legendary Pictures have officially set Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 6/11, with the Digital release expected on 5/14. Both the Blu-ray and 4K will feature Dolby Atmos. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some more new announcement for you today, including a few interesting ones. And we have new disc reviews today as well. But first, I saw Dune: Part Two last night. So let me just share some very quick and non-spoiler comments. Here’s my initial reaction posted on social media afterwards...

“You see a film like DUNE: PART TWO and you think: That’s either the last great film of a dying Hollywood, or proof that there’s still a bit of life left in this industry. Either way, it’s a wonder. And absolutely perfect. Don’t look now, but Denis Villeneuve has just casually knocked out three of the greatest science fiction films of all time. See it on the BIGGEST POSSIBLE SCREEN.”

I guess “three of the greatest” depends on whether you calculate Dune as a single film or not. But Arrival, Blade Runner: 2049, and the combined Dune adaptation are all superb. I would rank them right up there with Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Alien, and the Wachowskis’ The Matrix. Maybe I’d add Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind in there as well. All extraordinary pieces of hard science fiction cinema.

Honestly, if you liked Dune: Part One—and particularly if you loved Frank Herbert’s original novel, which is rightly regarded as the greatest work of science fiction literature—Villeneuve has just nailed the landing. [Read on here...]

We’ve got some interesting release news for you today, as well as updates on forthcoming 4K catalog titles we’ve been tracking for a while, and of course more new disc reviews. So let’s get to the latter first...

Our own Stephen Bjork has posted his in-depth review of Loki: The Complete First Season in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Marvel Studios and Disney. The short version is that the studio really does seem to have done this title right, in terms of AV quality, which bodes well for forthcoming Disney+ streaming series in 4K UHD.

Stephen has also turned in a look at Barry Levinson’s Rain Man (1988) in 4K Ultra HD from the MVD Marquee Collection.

And Stuart has delivered his take on Kino Lorber Studio Classic’s Audie Murphy Collection II on Blu-ray, which features Sierra (1950), Kansas Raiders (1950), and Destry (1954).

In terms of new release news, we’re hearing from retail sources that Universal’s forthcoming Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer (2023) will arrive in stores on 12/19.

Lionsgate has also delayed their 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray release of Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt (1963) from 9/26 to 10/24. Adjust your plans accordingly. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a bunch of great title announcement news and “revels” to report today, so let’s get right to it...

First up, our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics have just revealed on their social media that they’re working on a new 4K Ultra HD release of Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad (1987)! And we have street date: Look for it to arrive on 11/28, complete with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR on a UHD-100 disc. The 3-disc set will also include the film remastered in 1080p HD on Blu-ray (which will also be available separately) and you’ll get a bonus disc with the Wolfman’s Got Nards (2018) documentary. Plus the set will include a ton of legacy special features. You can see the 4K cover artwork at left.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has also just revealed the Region A/US Blu-ray release of Ron Moore and Apple TV+’s fantastic alternate/near future science fiction series For All Mankind: Season One. Look for that to street on 11/14. Unfortunately, no 4K Ultra HD release is currently planned. Also, the cover artwork leaves a lot to be desired; it’s identical to the key art used on Dazzler’s UK release (which we reviewed here) but it shares nothing in common with the show’s actual logo or promotional artwork, causing a number of fans we’ve heard from to say it looks like a bootleg. In any case, it’s a great series—one of my favorites actually, along with Apple TV’s Foundation—and it’s great to finally have a legit US Blu-ray option. You can see the cover (with the Amazon pre-order link) below the break.

Sony has also just set FX’s Justified: City Primeval – Season One for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 11/14. And we’ve got that cover artwork for you below as well. [Read on here...]

Well, there’s a little bit of release news to close out the week here at The Bits, plus we have a few more new disc reviews...

Tim has turned in his thoughts on Ezio Greggios’ The Silence of the Hams (1994) on Blu-ray from Turbine Media.

Dennis has reviewed Gary Whitson’s Hung Jury (1994) on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Stuart has offered his take on Alfonso Brescia’s Italian gangster film The New Godfathers (1979) on Blu-ray from Raro Video.

In announcement news, Imprint Films has revealed their planned September release slate, which is set to include Sam Peckinpah’s Cross of Iron (1977) on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Combo and also Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) on Blu-ray, along with the Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles TV series (1980) on Blu-ray, and finally a new Film Focus: George Peppard (1968-1974) Blu-ray box set, which includes P.J. (1968), Pendulum (1969), The Executioner (1970), and Newman’s Law (1974). The Executioner is a Blu-ray format debut. Street date for all of them to ship is 9/27. [Read on here...]

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...]

We’ve got a bunch more great announcement news for you this afternoon, along with new disc reviews as always. So let’s start with the latter first...

Stuart has posted his take on Paolo Heusch and Brunello Rondi’s A Violent Life (1962) on Blu-ray from Raro Video.

Stephen has offered his thoughts on Stuart Gordon’s From Beyond (1986) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.

And Tim has gone way down the rabbit hole with Turbine Media’s fantastic new Knight Rider: The Complete Series – 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray box set, a whopping 23-disc release that includes all four seasons of the original Knight Rider with (for the first time ever on home video) all of the original music re-instated. You also get Knight Rider 2000, Knight Rider 2010, and Team Knight Rider: The Complete Series, as well as a bonus disc with legacy extras and new material. This is truly the ultimate collection for fans of the film, and the best part is that it’s an ALL-REGION release. But it’s only available directly from Turbine’s online shop, so act fast if you want it. And don’t miss Tim’s review!

Now then, the big announcement news today is something I’ve personally been lobbying the studio for behind the scenes for well over a decade. And I am absolutely thrilled to see that it’s finally happened: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has officially set Max Fleischer’s Superman 1941-1943 for Blu-ray and Digital HD release on 5/16! [Read on here...]

Well, I forgot that today marks the President’s Day holiday here in the States, so it’s unlikely that there will be any major studio announcements today. But we do have some good release news today and more new disc reviews for you as well...

Tim has posted his take on Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s The House That Screamed (1970) on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

Dennis has taken a look at Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle (1987) on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.

And Stuart’s offered his thoughts on Mario Monicelli’s Let’s Hope It’s a Girl (1986) on Blu-ray from Raro Video.

Now then, we’ve confirmed with Disney that the wide-release version of their Cinderella (1950) 4K Ultra HD release is coming on 8/1. And we have the official cover artwork for you, which you can see at left and also below the break. But again, this title will be available first from the Disney Movie Club starting on 3/28. [Read on here...]

We’ve got no less than four new disc reviews for you today, starting with...

Stephen’s looks at Valerio Zurlini’s Le Soldatesse (1965) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber and Raro Video, Robert Siodmak’s The Devil Strikes at Night (1957) on Blu-ray from Kino Classics, and Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield: 15th Anniversary Limited Edition in 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Paramount.

And our old friend Dr. Adam Jahnke and yours truly have taken a look at John Sturges’ classic Western, The Magnificent Seven (1960), coming soon on 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Factory.

Be sure to watch for more new disc reviews over the coming days.

Now then, it seems to be a rather slow day in terms of title announcements and new disc release news, but we do have one interesting item for you... [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got three things for you today to close out the week…

First, our own Michael Coate has turned in a fine new History, Legacy & Showmanship column, celebrating today’s 35th anniversary of the theatrical debut of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Included in the piece is a rundown of the initial 70 mm theatrical engagements, trivia, and a pair of interview with film historians Jon Lewis and Lee Pfeiffer. Enjoy!

Also today, Tim Salmons has turned in a review of Raro Video’s The Year of the Cannibals (1970) on Blu-ray, an Italian film from director Liliana Cavani.  [Read on here…]