My Two Cents
All right, there’s one more big title announcement we need to cover today here at The Bits.
And this one is a catalog title that we first revealed was coming to 4K Ultra HD nearly a year ago now.
Warner Bros. has just announced Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated drama The Color Purple (1985) for release on 4K Ultra HD... you guessed it, on 12/5!
Look for the disc to include HDR10 high dynamic range and the previous 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.
Here is the full text of the studio’s official press release today featuring all of the relevant details...
THE COLOR PURPLE
COMES TO 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL
THE ACCLAIMED FILM WHICH WAS NOMINATED FOR
11 ACADEMY AWARDS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR)
Purchase the film on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital on December 5th
Burbank, Calif., October 17, 2023 – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, the epic coming-of-age period drama The Color Purple from Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan) will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time this December.
On December 5th The Color Purple will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. [Read on here...]
All right, Bits readers... this is another title we know that many of you have been waiting for released on, particularly on 4K Ultra HD, but now it too is finally official.
Universal has just announced Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed OPPENHEIMER (2023) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/21!
And the good news is that the 4K disc will be a 100GB disc, for maximum video and audio data rates, with HDR10 high dynamic range and DTS-HD Master Audio.
The video is also presented in a variable aspect ratio.
Here are all the details…
OPPENHEIMER
Universal City, California, October 17, 2023 – From celebrated writer and director Christopher Nolan comes the must-see cinematic masterpiece about the man and the moment that changed the world forever. As it continues its dominant global box-office run, OPPENHEIMER will be available to own just in time for the holidays on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, & Digital on November 21, 2023 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. [Read on here...]
All right folks... this is a title we know that many of you have waited a very long time to see released on this format, but now it’s finally official.
Paramount has just announced James Cameron’s TITANIC (1997) for release in 4K Ultra HD & 4K Limited Collector’s Edition on 12/5!
Here are all the details…
TITANIC
Debuts on 4K Ultra HD December 5th
Limited-Edition Collector’s Box Set Also Available
Revisit James Cameron’s epic masterpiece TITANIC when it arrives for the first time ever remastered on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc December 5, 2023 from Paramount Home Entertainment.
[Editor’s Note: The title will be released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment internationally, so watch for a separate announcement by them outside the U.S.]
The beloved, worldwide phenomenon won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and continues to attract new fans 25 years after it was originally released. Now, viewers can experience all of the drama and spectacle in stunning 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack for the finest visual and audio presentation at home.
TITANIC will be available nationwide in a two-disc set that includes the film on 4K Ultra HD, plus a Blu-ray Disc boasting more than five hours of new and legacy bonus content, including new interviews with James Cameron, star Kate Winslet, and producer Jon Landau. The set also includes access to a Digital Ultra HD copy of the film. [Read on here...]
We’re starting our first big news update of the week here at The Bits with some new disc reviews, as always. So now available for your reading enjoyment are...
Stephen’s in-depth reviews of both the wide release 4K Ultra HD and the Disney Movie Club-exclusive “quad” 4K Ultra HD release of Walt Disney’s classic animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The good news is that Disney’s positive change in direction with 4K catalog releases is officially no fluke—the disc features absolutely beautiful 35mm film remastering with lovely grain structure and wonderfully vibrant colors.
Stephen has also turned in a review of Michael Cimino’s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, which also features terrific new remastering.
And Stuart has delivered a look at Norman Taurog’s Spinout (1966) on Blu-ray from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.
As always, more new reviews are on the way later this week, so be sure to watch for them.
Now then... in announcement news today, the Criterion Collection has officially revealed their January 2024 release slate. [Read on here...]
All right, folks! Last week was busy with big news, and this week will be no different.
We’re going to be back with a larger post later this morning to cover it all, but first we wanted to break in here early with official word that James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) is now available for pre-order on Amazon!
This fulfills at least part of a promise made to us by producer Jon Landau and first reported here at The Bits all the way back in March (see our report from the time here, complete with video we shot of Landau breaking the news). Note that we’ve included the video I shot at Lightstorm that day below the break as well.
Paramount’s street date is 12/5, just as we’ve been predicting for a while now. According to the packaging, which you can see at left and also below the break, the release will be a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K Ultra HD, along with a Blu-ray disc of bonus features.
The set will include over 15 hours of content (most of it on the Blu-ray), including a new documentary, Titanic: Stories from the Heart, featuring new interviews with James Cameron, Jon Landau, and Kate Winslet, as well as a new fan art gallery. [Read on here...]