Afternoon, Bits readers! Hope you’re all well. We’ve spent the weekend doing necessary updates to our website software and server here and things seem to be running smoothly. So let’s have a release news update...

First, Dennis has posted his thoughts on Ed Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn, coming soon to Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Also today, we’ve updated our Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.rom pre-order links, so be sure to give it a look.

Now then... here’s some great news: Netflix has revealed on social media that their Netflix Original films The Irishman, Marriage Story, American Factory, and Atlantics are all coming to Blu-ray later in 2020 from The Criterion Collection. As you know, The Irishman and Marriage Story are currently nominated for Best Picture in this year’s Academy Awards. Release dates and other details are still TBA. [Read on here...]

We’ve got several more new announcements to report today, so let’s get right to it...

First of all, Lionsgate has officially set Roland Emmerich’s Midway for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 2/18, with the Digital release expected on 2/4. The 4K version will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. Extras on the Blu-ray and 4K versions will include audio commentary by Roland Emmerich, 6 featurettes (Getting It Right: The Making of Midway, The Men of Midway, Roland Emmerich: Man on a Mission, Turning Point: The Legacy of Midway, Joe Rochefort: Breaking the Japanese Code, and We Met at Midway: Two Survivors Remember), plus the film’s theatrical trailer. You can see the cover artwork below.

Lionsgate has also announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out on 2/25, with the Digital release due on 2/7. Again, the 4K version will include Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. [Read on here...]

All right, we have some big release news for you today...

But first, we’ve got more new Blu-ray Disc reviews for you to enjoy, including...

Dennis’ look at Rian Johnson’s Brick (2005), newly released on Blu-ray Disc by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Tim’s take on John Frankenheimer’s Prophecy (1979) from Scream Factory.

And more reviews are coming tomorrow too, so be sure to stay tuned for those.

Now then, the big news today is that the Warner Archive Collection has officially announced the details of their Tex Avery Screwball Classics, Volume 1 Blu-ray! [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some GREAT Blu-ray release news today to close out the week for you. But first, we have a few more new Blu-ray reviews...

First, Dennis has posted his thoughts on Ernest B. Schoedsack’s Doctor Cyclops (1940) and Fritz Lang’s House by the River (1950), both newly released by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Tim has taken a look at Paolo Heusch’s Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory (1961) from Severin Films and Lucio Fulci’s The House by the Cemetary (1981) from Blue Underground.

Also, I’m currently working on 4K Ultra HD reviews of Zombieland: Double Tap, Gemini Man, and more which I expect to post soon, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]

Our friends at the Criterion Collection have just announced their April slate of Blu-ray and DVD titles, and it’s a nice line-up.

They include: A re-issue of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Army of Shadows (1969 – Spine #385 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/7, George Marshall’s Destry Rides Again (1939 – Spine #1024 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/14, Jura Herz’s The Cremator (1969 – Spine #1023 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/21, and Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005 – Spine #1026 – Blu-ray and DVD) and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014 – Spine #1025 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 4/28.

Naturally, we’ve updated our Criterion Spines Project pages here at The Bits accordingly. [Read on here...]

What a way to follow-up my state of the home video industry report circa CES 2020 yesterday!

The news is breaking this morning that Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures are going to be merging their physical media distribution operations. The combined venture will distribute Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD discs in North America over the next decade, beginning in early 2021.

The merger will first have to be approved by the United States Justice Department.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment president Eddie Cunningham will lead the new venture. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got some news and more perspective on CES and the state of physical media here at the start of 2020. But first, we have more new Blu-ray reviews for you...

First of all, Dennis provides another perspective on Todd Phillips’ Joker on BD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. He seems to have liked it a little more than I did. Do check out his thoughts.

Dennis has also turned in a look at Aaron Schimberg’s Chained for Life on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

And Tim has a review of Richard Franklin’s Road Games (1981), now available in a new Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory.

Speaking of Scream, the company has just announced that their forthcoming Blu-ray Collector’s Edition of My Bloody Valentine is going to include new 4K scans of both the original theatrical edition and also the Uncut version mastered from the original camera negative. [Read on here...]

As you may have heard, the 2020 Academy Award nominations have been made, and they’re causing a bit of a stir as usual both for who was nominated and who wasn’t.

But before we get to that, we’ve got a new review for you: I’ve taken a look at Todd Philips’ Joker on 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It’s a reference quality disc and a very good and well-made film that deserves its Best Picture nomination. I also think its star, Joaquin Phoenix, is likely to win a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the film. But Joker is not... I think... a masterpiece. You’ll have to read the review, in which I elaborate further. The disc definitely gets high marks for its A/V quality though—you 4K really don’t want to miss it.

Now then, we’ve got a couple of topics to cover today. First, as I mentioned, the Oscar nominations were announced this morning. [Read on here...]

All right, it turns out that other than the usual new models of 4K and 8K display—and the Filmmaker Mode announcement that we already covered—there’s not really a whole lot of worthy 4K UHD news to report from CES 2020.

So we’re working new disc reviews for you, including a number of 4K Ultra HD titles that we expect to start posting tomorrow.

We do have one new review for you for today: Tim has checked out Scream Factory’s new Blu-ray release of Val Guest’s The Abominable Snowman (1957), a Hammer Films title some of you may have missed. Do give it a look.

Now them... we do have some good new title announcements, as well as some new cover artwork to share with you today. [Read on here...]

We’re starting things off today with a pair of new Blu-ray reviews...

Dennis Seuling has turned in his thoughts on Robert Eggers’ acclaimed The Lighthouse. Sounds like both the film and the disc are pretty good, so do give it a look.

Also, Tim has offered his thoughts on Sergio Stivaletti’s The Wax Mask (1997) from Severin Films.

We’ve also updated our Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon pre-order links, so be sure to use the section if you’re interested in ordering any of those titles. (We certainly appreciate it!)

Now then… we have a little bit of CES news to report, but first we have some good new title announcements for you today... [Read on here...]