Displaying items by tag: Criterion

All right, we’ve got just a quick update for you here at The Bits today, but it’s a good one.

Our friends at the Criterion Collection have just unveiled their final titles of 2026, and the December slate is a dandy!

On December 1, look for Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975) (Spine #683 – 4K + BD and BD) and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style (1961) (Spine #286 – 4K + BD and BD).

Following on December 8 are Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man (2005) (Spine #1339 – BD) and Anthony Minghella’s Best Picture-winning The English Patient (1996) (Spine #1338 – 4K and BD)!

And on December 15, look for Eclipse Series 50: Sara Gómez’s Revolutionary Cuba on Blu-ray—which includes 15 films (One Way or Another, I’ll Go to Santiago, Excursion to Vueltabajo, Guanabacoa: Chronicle of My Family, And… We’ve Got Sabor, On the Other Island, An Island for Miguel, Treasure Island, Local Power, Popular Power, A Documentary About Transit, On Sugar Workers’ Quarters, My Contribution, Year One, Prenatal Care, and About Extra Hours and Volunteer Work)—as well as Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner (1940) (Spine #1340 – 4K + BD and BD).

Not half bad!

It seems to me that The English Patient is one of the few modern Best Picture-winners not yet available on 4K disc, so it’s great to see it finally (licensed from Miramax via Paramount). It’s also a personal favorite of mine. [Read on here...]

We’ve got lots of new disc reviews for you to enjoy here at The Bits today, including…

Tim’s look at John Guillerman’s King Kong (1976) in 4K UHD from Paramount, Charles Lamont’s Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) in 4K UHD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Mikael Håfström’s 1408 (2007) in 4K UHD from Via Vision, and Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night (1967) in 4K UHD from Criterion.

Stuart’s thoughts on John Ford’s Sergeant Rutledge (1960) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and the Tales of the Wild West: Collection Two Blu-ray box set from Imprint.

Dennis’ take on William Keighley’s Torrid Zone (1940) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, Mario Caiano’s Weapons of Death (1977) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, and Bret Wood’s Hell’s Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films (2003) on Blu-ray from Kino Cult.

And finally, Todd’s review of Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay’s Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire (1988) on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro.

Stephen has been on vacation for the last week, but he’ll be back to reviewing in a few more days, and of course we have lots more reviews forthcoming from the rest of the team.

Also today here, our own Russell Hammond has posted the latest update of our Release Dates & Cover Art section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we greatly appreciate it! [Read on here...]

We’re starting the new week, after the long holiday weekend here in the States, with more new disc reviews from The Bits’ team, including…

Tim’s thoughts on Gary Goddard’s Masters of the Universe (1987) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow’s new Toy Robot Video sub label, as his thoughts on Kevin Reynolds’ Robin Hood: Price of Thieves (1991) in 4K UHD from Arrow Video proper.

Dennis’ look at Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection (with an assist by Tim), his take on Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ Death Ship/Terror Train Double Feature DVD (1980) (again, with an assist by Tim), and Burt Kennedy’s The War Wagon (1967) on Blu-ray also from KLSC.

And Todd’s take on Paul Wendkos’ Cannon for Cordoba (1970) on Blu-ray from Imprint, Nicanor Loreti, Fabián Forte, and Luca Castello’s Portraits of the Apocalypse (2024) on DVD from Cleopatra Entertainment, and John Williams’ Watch Me Sleep (2023) on DVD from Wild Eye Releasing.

Watch for more reviews all this week!

Now then… we’ve got a couple of things to talk about today…

First, Amazon MGM Studios and Alliance Home Entertainment have officially set The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Seasons One and Two for Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 11/3. There will also be an Amazon-exclusive Limited Edition 4K Steelbook release on 12/1. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews for you to check out today, including…

Tim’s take on Charlie Chaplin’s A Woman of Paris (1923) on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection, Taylor Wong’s Buddha’s Palm (1982) on Blu-ray from Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume Three box, and J. Lee Thompson’s 10 to Midnight (1983) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Stephen’s thoughts on Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963) in 4K Ultra HD from Scream Factory, John “Bud” Cardos’ Mutant (1984) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome, and Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (1990) in 4K from Arrow Video.

Todd’s review of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (2025) on Blu-ray from A24, Timur Bekmambetov’s Mercy (2026) on Blu-ray from Amazon MGM, and Tony Scott’s The Fan (1996) and David Greene’s Hard Country (1981) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

Stuart’s look at Hobart Henley’s Night World (1932), Anthony Mann’s Bend of the River (1952), Allen Smithee’s Death of a Gunfighter (1969 – actually directed by Robert Totten and Don Siegel), and Christian-Jaque’s The Second Twin (1966) all on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Dennis’ thoughts on William Keighley’s The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Also today, be sure to check out my recent special feature articles on Apple TV’s For All Mankind and Star City series, as well as Warner’s remastering the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer (2008) in 4K Ultra HD! [Read on here...]

We’ve got BIG 4K news to cover here at The Bits this afternoon, so let’s get right into it…

First up, reviews! Today we have for you…

Stephen’s look at Delmar Daves’ 3:10 to Yuma (1957) in 4K from Criterion, Hal Ashby’s Being There (1979) on Blu-ray as recently reissued by Warner Bros., and Marcell Jankovics’ Song of the Miraculous Hind (2002) on Blu-ray from our friends at Deaf Crocodile Films. (And we have more Deaf Croc reviews forthcoming!)

Tim’s thoughts on Don Coscarelli’s The Beastmaster (1982) in 4K Ultra HD, both the new release from Imprint Films and also the Scream Factory edition from November of last year.

And Tim has also reviewed the Warner Archive’s new Looney Tunes: Collector’s Vault – Volume 2 (1934-63) on Blu-ray, Guy Magar’s Retribution (1987) in 4K from Severin Films, and he’s tag-teamed with Dennis for a review of Kenneth Branagh’s Dead Again (1991) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classic.

Also here at The Bits today, our own Russell Hammond has just shared the latest update of our Release Dates & Artwork section, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover art and Amazon pre-order links. Don’t forget, The Bits is an Amazon Affiliate, so literally anything you order after clicking to them from of our links (like this one) goes to help support our work here at the site and we appreciate it!

Now then… the big release news here today is something that those of you who are subscribers to our Patreon site already knew was coming: Disney has just officially announced the classic animated Alice in Wonderland (1951) for 4K Ultra HD release on 5/5! [Read on here...]

This has been a very busy week here at The Bits, tracking upcoming titles, talking with industry sources, and the like, thus the lack of posts.

But we’ve definitely got both new disc reviews for you today as well as some release news worth sharing. Let’s start with the latter first.

Today we’ve got…

Tim’s reviews of Chor Yuen’s The Sentimental Swordsman (1977) on Blu-ray from Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume Three box set, Severin Films’ Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection in 4K Ultra HD, and Michael Curtiz’s Captain Blood (1935) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion.

Stephen’s reviews of Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire (1981) on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment, Dario Argento’s Sleepless (2001) in 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndrome, Michael Cacoyannis’ Iphigenia (1977) on Blu-ray from Radiance Films, Corey Yuen’s She Shoots Straight (1990) on Blu-ray from 88 Films, and John Woo’s Once a Thief (1991) in 4K from Shout’s HK Cinema Classics line.

And Dennis’ take on Raoul Walsh’s Manpower (1941) and David Butler’s By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) both on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Now then… before we get started on news today, I’m going to be joining my friend Tim Millard on his next The Extras podcast to talk about the latest developments in the ongoing Paramount/Skydance, Warner Bros., Netflix saga. Looks like we’re going to be recording the episode this weekend, so be sure to check Tim’s social media for news on the episode drop, and I’ll share the details on my own as well when I have them. [Read on here...]

All right, as you might expect based on the title of this column, I have a few things to say today here at The Digital Bits. But we’ve got a little bit of regular site business to take care of this morning before we get to that.

First, we have a number of new and recent disc reviews for you all to enjoy, including…

Stephen’s take on Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek (2005) in 4K Ultra HD from Imprint, Richard Stanley’s Dust Devil (1992) in 4K UHD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Emma Tammi’s Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) in a limited edition 4K box set from Blumhouse and Universal, and Howard Hawks’ His Girl Friday (1940) in 4K UHD from Criterion.

Tim’s look at The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion’s The Wes Anderson Archive.

Dennis’ thoughts on Ruggero Deodato’s The Barbarians (1987) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Mike Nichols’ Carnal Knowledge (1971) in 4K UHD from Criterion, and W.S. Van Dyke’s Manhattan Melodrama (1934) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

And finally, Stuart has a few words to about the Warner Archive Collection’s new Joan Crawford Collection on Blu-ray, which includes Grand Hotel (1932), The Women (1939), Possessed (1939), and The Damned Don’t Cry (1950).

Also today, our own Russell Hammond has just shared our newest update of the Release Dates & Cover Art section here at The Bits with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything from Amazon after clicking to them through one of our links first (like this one), you’re helping to support our work here at the site and we greatly appreciate it. [Read on here...]

All right, this is going to be a quick post, because there’s a LOT going on in Hollywood this week—as you may have seen, and which we’ll get to in a moment—and I’m spending a lot of time today (and especially over the next few days) talking with studio and industry friends, colleagues, and sources for insight and context on all of it.

First though, we have some great new disc reviews here at The Bits for you to enjoy today, including…

Stephen’s reviews of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999) in 4K Ultra HD from the Criterion Collection, as well as John Woo’s The Killer (1989) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Factory via their HK Cinema line.

Tim’s look at Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976) in 4K Ultra HD from Imprint Films and Via Vision Entertainment.

And Stuart’s thoughts on Kayo Hatta’s Picture Bride (1995) on Blu-ray, also from Imprint (via their Imprint Asia line) and Via Vision Entertainment.

We’ll have more new disc reviews next week, so be sure to check back for them!

Now then, the first big piece of news we want to address here today broke early last night: Netflix appears to have won a three-way bidding war (against Comcast and Paramount Skydance) to purchase Warner Bros., in a “megadeal” that’s reportedly worth nearly $83 billion. [Read on here...]

We’ve got six more new disc reviews for you to enjoy today here at The Bits, including…

Tim’s thoughts on The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) in 4K Ultra HD from Criterion’s Wes Anderson Archive box set, as well as Sam Firstenbeg’s Revenge of the Ninja (1983) and Menahem Golan’s Ninja III: The Domination (1984) both in 4K from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Stuart’s review of Alfred E. Green’s The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics and Sam Wood’s The Quiet American (2002) on Blu-ray from Imprint Films.

And Dennis’ take on Mervyn LeRoy’s Lovely to Look At (1952) on Blu-ray from MGM via the Warner Archive Collection.

Now then, I’m making an effort to catch up on a bunch of announcement news that’s happened over the last couple of weeks. As many of you know, I’ve had a couple of challenges here at The Bits lately, including recovering from prostate surgery and also my PC died on the Friday before Thanksgiving, which has necessitated buying a replacement, getting it set up, installing all my old software, reorganizing my files, etc., all in an effort to get back up to speed. And I’m getting there—right now, even the simplest tasks are just a little bit different, and taking just a little bit more time and effort than usual to accomplish, as I settle into the new machine. But within a couple weeks, things should be back to normal. So thanks for your patience in the meantime! [Read on here...]

We’re starting the week with a few more new disc reviews here today, including…

Stephen’s look at William Friedkin’s Rampage (1987/92) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Tim’s thoughts on Menahem Golan’s Enter the Ninja (1981) in 4K also from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Rushmore (1998) in 4K from Criterion’s The Wes Anderson Archive box set!

Dennis’ takes on William Keighley’s The Master of Ballantrae (1953) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection as well as Jess Franco’s Death Packs a Suitcase (1972) on Blu-ray from KLSC’s Kino Cult line.

And Stuart’s look at Sam Wood’s For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) on Blu-ray from Paramount via Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

More reviews are on the way all this week, so be sure to check back for them!

Now then, today is Cyber Monday Week online, so there are still lots of good deals to be had if you’re looking for Blu-ray and 4K titles online. So a quick reminder: Please consider shopping through one of our affiliate links when you shop via Amazon, as it helps to support the work we do here at The Bits. Appreciated! [Read on here...]