My Two Cents
Afternoon, folks. We’ve got a few things for you today to close out the week.
First up, we have a trio of new Blu-ray reviews...
Tim has posted his thoughts on Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ Haunt (2019) from Ronin Flix.
And Dennis has taken a look at Jan de Bont’s The Haunting (1999) from the Paramount Presents line, as well as Herbert Ross’ The Secret of My Success (1987) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
I’m also about to get my hands on a pretty significant Q4 4K Ultra HD release later today, so (with luck) I’ll be working on a review of the title over the weekend.
No, it’s not Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, but let’s just say winter is near. So watch for an update over the next few days. [Read on here...]
All right, first things first today: I’m pleased to report that we did not have to evacuate from these wildfires here in SoCal after all. But it was a long night while we waited to find that out. Thankfully, when I stepped out this morning, it appeared that the fires had moved farther away from us, not closer. And this afternoon the evacuation orders all around us were lifted. So... whew!
It’s going to take a couple days to get back to normal around here, but I count that as a good problem to have, considering the alternative.
Now then... the big news today is that our industry and retail sources are telling us that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is quietly preparing to release Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium, Rian Johnson’s Looper, and Andrew Niccol’s GATTACA in 4K Ultra HD early in 2021. Elysium and Looper are already available digitally in 4K, and a few European retailers have listed GATTACA for physical 4K release in March. [Read on here...]
Okay, we’ve just heard back from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on that audio issue with The Flintstones: The Complete Series on Blu-ray (see our review here, which notes the specific issue with the audio on Episode 17 found on Disc One). Warner has confirmed the issue, corrected it, and is now setting up a disc replacement program. They ask people to contact this email address to arrange a replacement disc:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Include in your email the following details:
- Full Name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Mailing address where the replacement disc should be shipped
It sounds like the fixed discs are being produced now. [Read on here...]
We have a little bit more interesting release news for you to check out today (by way of closing out the week)...
First of all, our friends at Arrow Video have just announced their January 2021 slate of home video titles, and it’s pretty terrific. It starts with UK only Blu-ray releases of Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza’s [Rec] and Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. Oldboy will also be released on 4K Ultra HD (in the UK only), but remember that 4K discs are not region locked.
Next up, Arrow is releasing Park Chan-wook’s JSA: Joint Security Area and Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales on Blu-ray Disc in the UK, US, and Canada.
Finally, those of you who missed out of Arrow’s recent (and fast selling) Gamera box set (reviewed here on The Bits) will be pleased to know that its films are being reissued on Blu-ray (again in the UK, US, and Canada) in a more wide-release configuration. Three SKUs will be available: Gamera: The Heisei Era (3 films plus a documentary and the Gamera the Brave film as a bonus) as both a wide-release box set and as a Steelbook, and Gamera: The Showa Era (8 films) as a wide-release box set. Obviously, you won’t get all the swag their original big box included, but at least this gives more of you access to the films in HD. [Read on here...]
We’ve got a pair of new disc reviews for you to read today...
Tim has taken a look at Steve Beck’s Ghost Ship (2002), now available on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
Also today, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on Simon Langton’s The Whistle Blower (1986) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
Meanwhile, I posted my in-depth thoughts on Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy on 4K Ultra HD from Universal on Monday, so do check that out in the event you missed it.
In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set Roland Emmerich’s 2012 for release on 4K Ultra HD on 1/19. [Read on here...]