Heads-up, Bits readers... we’ve got an important announcement for you.

But first, a quick bit of regular site business: We’ve got a bunch of good new disc reviews for you, including Tim’s take Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XI on DVD from Shout! Factory, The Body Snatcher on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, and The New York Ripper: Limited Edition on Blu-ray from Blue Underground, along with Dennis’ take on Three Coins in the Fountain on Blu-ray from Twilight Time and Swing Time on Blu-ray from Criterion. More are on the way. Enjoy!

Now then... Sony Pictures has asked The Bits for our readers’ opinion on which of the studio’s recent and classic catalog titles you’d like to see them release on 4K Ultra HD. They’ve created an online poll where you can weigh in here until June 30th. And you can write in titles too (we added Lawrence of Arabia, District 9, and Elysium to their list as write-ins). So be sure to click here and respond if you’re a fan of their 4K catalog product. [Editor’s Note: It appears the survey is open in US residents only.] [Read on here...]

Okay, we’ve got a couple things for you today...

First, Tim has posted his thoughts on Teruo Ishii’s Yakuza Law (1969) on Blu-ray from Toei via Arrow Video. And Dennis has turned in a look at a Richard Dreyfuss film from 1979, The Big Fix on Blu-ray via Twilight Time.

Also today, the big announcement news is that Lionsgate has set Hellboy (2019) for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 7/23, with the Digital release expected on 7/9. The film employs a native 4K digital intermediate, so resolution should be very good indeed. The Ultra HD will also feature Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. Extras will include deleted scenes, Previsualizations, and the 3-part Tales of the Wild Hunt: Hellboy Reborn documentary. You can see the cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]

Morning, folks! Hope you all had a great weekend.

We’ve got an early post for you today with a few things, not the least of which is that we now know what the packaging for HBO’s long-awaited From the Earth to the Moon Blu-ray set will look like. You can see that at left and also below. It’s now available for pre-order on Amazon (click here or on the cover below) with a street date of 7/16 (SRP $39.99 but Amazon has it for just $22.99).

We don’t yet know all the details of the set, but we know that you’ll get all 12 parts on 3 Blu-rays. As you can see from the packaging, it notes that the episodes have been digitally remastered. And we know that the set will include the Inside the Remastering Process featurette. Watch for an official announcement any day now.

We’ve also just posted the weekly update of our Release Dates and Artwork section here at The Bits, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K cover art and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order literally anything after clicking to Amazon from one of our links, you’re helping to support our work here at the site and we really appreciate it very much. [Read on here...]

All right, we have a quick late breaking news update for you today.

We’ve gotten a flurry of release information from our retail sources this afternoon, including both U.S. and international sources.

Based on that, we now predict the following U.S. street dates for upcoming Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD titles.

Keep in mind, these titles are not yet officially announced, but are likely to be in the coming weeks.

These are in addition to those titles already announced by the studios.

If Amazon pre-order links are available, we’ve added them to the titles (we expect more to go live soon).

• 8/20 – Avengers: Endgame (BD/4K), Iron Man (4K), Iron Man 2 (4K), Iron Man 3 (4K)
• 8/27 – Godzilla: King of the Monsters (BD/4K), Rocketman (BD/4K), Secret Life of Pets 2 (BD/4K)
• 9/17 – Dark Phoenix (BD/4K)
• 9/TBA – Aladdin (2019 – BD/4K), 007: The Daniel Craig 4K Collection (4K), Thor (4K), Thor: The Dark World (4K)
• 10/1 – Pan’s Labyrinth (4K)
• 10/TBA – Ant-Man (4K), Guardians of the Galaxy (4K), Doctor Strange (4K)

We’ll post further updates here on The Bits, in our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at the site, and on our social media channels as new information comes in.

Stay tuned and have a great weekend!

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)

All right, we’ve got a few reviews for you, a little bit of announcement news, and a couple of big street dates from our retail sources...

First up, those reviews... I’ve posted my thoughts on a couple of interesting sci-fi titles on Blu-ray, including Prospect from Gunpowder & Sky and Lost in Space: The Complete First Season from Netflix by way of 20th Century Fox. Also, Dennis has posted his thoughts on Karyn Kusama’s Destroyer from Fox. And Tim has offered his thoughts on the Frankenstein Created Woman: Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory and Happy Death Day 2U from Universal and Blumhouse. Enjoy!

More reviews are coming on Monday and into next week, including my take on Captive State on Blu-ray, more 4K, etc, so be sure to watch for them. [Read on here...]

Sorry for our absence yesterday. We’ve been dealing with various and sundry server issues over the weekend and we’re just starting to get back to normal. Honestly, it’s a wonder the Internet still works at all these days. So anyway, thanks for your patience.

We have a bunch of title announcements to cover today, but first, today marks the 20th anniversary of our friends Robert Meyer Burnett and Mark A. Altman’s film Free Enterprise. So we wanted to call your attention to Michael Coate’s retrospective on the film from its 15th anniversary back in 2014. You can read Still Loving Long & Partying: Remembering Free Enterprise on its 15th Anniversary right here. The film isn’t on Blu-ray yet and so it’s always surprising how many people haven’t see it. But if you’re a fan of classic Star Trek, pop culture, and actors William Shatner and Eric McCormack, we think you’ll really enjoy it.

Meanwhile, we’re starting to get back to reviews. I still have two more Batman 4Ks coming, plus Tim and Dennis have some Blu-rays they’ve reviewed for you too. I’ve also got a trio of science fiction Blu-ray releases I’m going to try to cover soon as well. So be sure to watch for those. [Read on here...]

We’ve got a couple interesting things for you this afternoon before we get to today’s release news...

First up, reviews... I’ve posted my in-depth thoughts on Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) in 4K Ultra HD here at The Bits and will have reviews of Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin in 4K over the next few days. The upshot of this first Batman film in 4K is that Warner’s new transfer and Atmos mix are terrific, but the HDR may take a little getting used to and a few of the sound effects have been changed for reasons explained in the review. You can read that here.

Also, Tim has posted a review of Archer: Danger Island – The Complete Season Nine on DVD from Fox and Dennis has looked at Isn’t It Romantic on Blu-ray from Warner.

And some of you may know that this past weekend was the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s original Alien (1979). So our own Michael Coate has posted a new History, Legacy, and Showmanship retrospective column looking back at the film’s theatrical release. It includes a great new roundtable of experts to discuss the film, including authors Chris Barsanti, Paul M. Sammon, and J.W. Rinzler (whose new book The Making of Alien is coming in July). You can read the piece here and if you’re a fan of the film, I think you’ll really enjoy it. [Read on here...]

“Alien (like other 1970s films such as Jaws, Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Godfather, and Star Wars) was a seminal landmark in the upgrade of shopworn B-movie clichés — monsters, comic book characters, flying saucers, gangsters, Saturday afternoon serials — into major A-movie assets.” — Paul M. Sammon, author of Ridley Scott: The Making of His Movies

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of Alien, the sci-fi/horror classic about the five-man, two-woman (and one cat) crew of the Nostromo, who got more than they bargained for after investigating a distress signal from a mysterious planet.

Suspense, atmospheric moodiness and Oscar-winning visual effects were among the highlights of Alien, directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator) and starring Tom Skerritt (Top Gun), Veronica Cartwright (The Right Stuff), Harry Dean Stanton (Repo Man), John Hurt (The Elephant Man), Ian Holm (Chariots of Fire), Yaphet Kotto (Live and Let Die), and Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters) as Ellen Ripley. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a pair of new Blu-ray reviews for you to check out today...

Late yesterday I posted my thoughts on Paramount’s Jack Ryan: Season One, as well as Eagle Rock Entertainment’s Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out documentary. And I’m working on a review of Kino’s Hannibal 4K and more for Monday.

The big news today is that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC have announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Shazam! on 7/16, with the Digital version expected on 7/2.

The 4K Ultra HD version will include Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision HDR. [Read on here...]

It’s been long awaited by film fans, especially after its extensive 4K restoration (from the original negative and 35mm 4-track audio masters) in 2012, which premiered at the TCM Classic Film Festival that year.

(You can read about the audio portion of that effort here at the Disney Digital Studio Services website.)

But Richard Fleischer’s beloved 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) has never appeared on Blu-ray. The film stars Kirk Douglas, James Mason, and Peter Lorre, and is beloved by generations of movie buffs.

The reason for its absence on Blu-ray is that Disney has, for many years, been trying to remake the film.

Bryan Singer was involved at one point, then James Mangold, and David Fincher, along with a host of actors including Brad Pitt and more recently Johnny Depp. [Read on here...]