My Two Cents
We’re finishing the week here at The Bits with a spate of new disc reviews for you to check out and enjoy...
First, I’ve taken a look at Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) which is finally available in a long-awaited new 4K Ultra HD release from 20th Century Studios. The new 4K master is impressive, though not reference-quality.
It’s important to note, however, that Mann made creative changes to the film’s color grading in 2017, as he was preparing his new Director’s Definitive Edition (see his own comments on this at the time here). This means the film is somewhat darker looking, with slightly-desaturated color, than it was before—even with the new HDR grade. This in turn has caused a host of “fan” reviewers to claim that the disc is defective, when the truth is that they simply don’t like the new color grade. Meanwhile, professional reviewers have almost all praised the disc’s image improvements, while acknowledging the darker grading. Those of you with genuinely bright 4K displays (with effective tone-mapping) will appreciate the new color grade the most. The point is, you’re going to see a lot of diverse opinions about this title out there on the Interwebs and social media. It’s only by understanding that these changes were initiated by the director himself that you can sort the reality from opinion. Anyway, I break it down in the review.
Also today, Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 4K Ultra HD from Marvel and Disney. [Read on here...]
All right, we’ve got some great catalog 4K Ultra HD news to report today, but first we have one more new review...
I spent some time this weekend looking at Stanley Kubrick’s landmark war film Paths of Glory (1957) thanks to a fine new 4K Ultra HD release from our friends at Kino Lorber Studio Classics. For the first time, the image has been scanned from the original camera negative in native 4K—Criterion’s 2010 Blu-ray release was only a 2K scan of a fine-grain master positive—so this is unquestionably the best the film has ever looked at home. It’s a beautiful presentation and not to be missed by Kubrick fans and cinephiles.
All right, now for that catalog news... VCI Entertainment has set Bob Clark’s Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972) for release on 4K Ultra HD on 10/11 as a new 50th Anniversary Edition. The release will include a new video introduction and Q&A with actor Alan Ormsby, along with a new 90-minute documentary on Clark’s horror films called Dreaming of Death. You’ll get lots of legacy special features as well. And you can see the cover artwork below the break. [Read on here...]
We have two more new disc reviews for you today...
Tim has taken a look at Criterion’s recent Blu-ray release of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Tales of Hoffman (1951).
And Dennis has checked in with a look at Delbert Mann’s Marty (1955) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just revealed that they’re going to be re-releasing Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers as a new 4K Ultra HD Steelbook edition on 11/1, complete with a new feature: The Starship Troopers 25th Anniversary Reunion, a “virtual” reunion featuring screenwriter Ed Neumeier and actors Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Clancy Brown, Michael Ironside, Jake Busey, Patrick Muldoon, and Seth Gilliam.
The new edition will also include Dolby Vision HDR (the previous release included HDR10 only), along with the previous Dolby Atmos audio mix. And a Blu-ray copy in the package will carry over all of the legacy special features. You can see the cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]
All right, sorry for the lack of an update yesterday, but I had a bunch of personal life stuff to take care of, as happens now and again. We’ve got some more disc reviews for you today, along with a bunch of good catalog 4K Ultra HD news. So let’s get to those reviews first, as always...
Stephen has turned in his thoughts on Moustapha Akkad’s The Message (1976) on 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Factory.
Dennis has offered his thoughts on Robert Z. Leonard’s Ziegfeld Girl (1941) on regular Blu-ray Disc from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.
And Tim has checked in with a look at Nathan H. Juran’s The Brain from Planet Arous (1957) newly restored on Blu-ray from the good folks at The Film Detective.
All three titles are worth a look and more disc reviews are on the way.
Now then, we’ve got some 4K UHD announcement news for you today... [Read on here...]
We’ve got three more new disc reviews for you today here at The Bits, plus more new theatrical and catalog release news, including a fun catalog 4K title we’re looking forward to. Plus we’ve got word on a new film documentary series that’s now streaming and worth your time.
First those reviews...
Tim has turned in his thoughts on a great new Blu-ray release from our friends at ClassicFlix and the 3-D Film Archive: Jean Yarbrough’s Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The disc streets next week in honor of the film’s 70th anniversary and it includes a ton of great extras in addition to a terrific film restoration.
Stephen has taken a look at Ike Sanders’ Final Flesh (2009) on Blu-ray from AGFA via Vinegar Syndrome.
And Stephen has also offered his thoughts on a nifty little German thriller, Carl Schenkel’s Out of Order (1984), in 4K Ultra HD from Subkulture USA via Vinegar Syndrome.
All three titles are well worth a look. [Read on here...]