My Two Cents
Thursday brings two more new disc reviews, and more release news—this time including some pretty great catalog 4K titles for Hitchcock fans.
First, Stephen has taken a look at Ruggero Deodato’s House on the Edge of the Park (1980) on Blu-ray from Severin Films.
And Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Michael Anderson’s Shake Hands with the Devil (1959), which stars James Cagney. The film is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
A quick note: We’ve just gotten our hands on Sony’s new Ghostbusters Ultimate Collection 4K set and Tim is neck deep in work on an in-depth review. So watch for that coming soon here at The Bits.
Now then, in 4K Ultra HD catalog news, Spanish retail sources are indicating that Universal is planning another big wave of Alfred Hitchcock titles for release in 4K UHD this year. [Read on here...]
Today’s update is a quick one, with two more new disc reviews, two rather significant pieces of release news, and some additional release news as well. First, the reviews...
Dennis has turned in a look at Ronald Neame’s Gambit (1966) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, which stars Michael Caine and Shriley MacLaine.
And Stephen has reviewed Nadia Tass’ The Big Steal (1990) on Blu-ray from Columbia Pictures via Umbrella Entertainment’s Sunburnt Screens line.
A quick note: I’ve taken a bit of a break from reviewing discs myself as I’ve been focused on planning The Bits site upgrade that we’re going to be doing in the coming months. But I expect to get back to reviewing more in the next couple of weeks, and I’ll definitely catch up on specific titles then. So thanks for your patience in the meantime.
Now then... Disney has informed us today that their 2/8 Blu-ray and DVD release of the Peter Jackson documentary The Beatles: Get Back is being delayed. Apparently, the studio caught an audio glitch in the release at the last minute and needs to correct it. So just be aware of the delay, and we’ll post updates here direct from the studio when they reschedule the title with a new street date. [Read on here...]
We begin the day with a pair of new Blu-ray reviews from Stephen... Bill Forsyth’s Breaking In (1989) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics and Harry Watt’s The Overlanders (1946) from Umbrella Entertainment.
Also here at The Bits today, we’ve got another “bonus” History, Legacy & Showmanship column for you that’s leftover from 2021, in which Michael and film historian/author Raymond Benson celebrate the 50th anniversary of Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show (1971). Enjoy!
In title announcements today, the big news is that Scream Factory has officially set Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U for release on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo on 4/26, just as we’ve been expecting for the last week or so.
Expect at least HDR10 high dynamic range and we’ll post the other AV details when we have them. [Read on here...]
We’ve got just one quick final news post for you here at The Bits this week to report that Arrow Video has officially announced their April Blu-ray and 4K slate, and there are some real gems in the mix as well as a pair of great new Ultra HD releases.
On Blu-ray in the US and Canada only, look for The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984) in two different cover art SKUs (original theatrical art and new artwork) on 4/5.
In the UK only, look for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) on both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 4/18.
And in all three regions, look for Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys (1995) on 4K Ultra HD on 4/26, as well as Twisting the Knife: Four Films by Claude Chabrol—which will include The Swindle (1997), The Color of Lies (1999), Nightcap (2002), and The Flower of Evil (2003)—also on 4/26 on Blu-ray only, and Rogue Cops and Racketeers: Two Crime Thrillers by Enzo G. Castellari on Blu-ray only—which includes the films The Big Racket (1976) and The Heroin Busters (1977)—on 4/19. [Read on here...]
We have another pair of new disc reviews for you to check out today...
First up, Tim and Stephen have jointly reviewed David Gordon Green’s Halloween Kills (2021) in 4K Ultra HD from Universal. And well... suffice it to say they didn’t care for it much. It is, however, an impressive 4K disc. You can read all about it here.
Speaking of KLSC, the company has been working overtime lately to announce more of their upcoming Blu-ray and 4K catalog titles, so now is a good time to provide a quick round-up of the titles they’ve revealed in recent weeks for release in March and April...
3/8 – Billy Wilder’s The Apartment (1960 – 4K & BD), Howard Hawks’ Man’s Favorite Sport? (1964), Melvin Frank’s Strange Bedfellows (1965), Jerry Jameson’s Starflight One (1983 – for Code Red) [Read on here...]