All right, we’ve got one more Star Trek 4K post for you today...

In addition to confirmation that the Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition is finally being restored in 4K Ultra HD (see our post here), Paramount Home Entertainment has officially announced that (as expected) the Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection will indeed arrive in stores on 9/7 (9/6 in the UK, 9/8 in France, 9/9 in Germany).

An 8-disc set, it will include the newly-remastered films in BOTH 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Disc formats (scanned in 4K from original elements), along with Digital codes for the Theatrical Cuts of each film. The remastered films will also be available as Blu-ray singles.

All of the 4K discs will include Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 high dynamic range. We’re working to confirm the audio formats, but we believe that each will also include new Dolby Atmos sound mixes. [Editor’s Note: Scratch that. We’ve heard back officially from Paramount and have learned that each of the discs will include audio in 7.1 Dolby TrueHD format, as found on the previous Blu-ray releases.] [Read on here...]

Heads-up, folks!

No sooner did I post here on The Bits about that Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection cover artwork leak, I got an email back from Paramount with a link to the official Star Trek website with this news:

“Paramount and Paramount+ are excited to announce that a full restoration of the Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture has been greenlit.”

From the website... [Read on here...]

Here’s a quick update with a bit of breaking news. Very early this morning, I noticed on the online retail website Bull Moose that their listing for Paramount’s Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD box set—which is now widely (yet still unofficially) known to be set for release on 9/7—had been updated to include the cover artwork you see at left (and also larger below).

After sharing this on my own personal Twitter and Facebook pages (and also on our Bits Twitter and Facebook pages), I contacted Paramount directly to ask about it. It’s now been several hours and the studio has not (as yet) responded to my inquiry. Within an hour of contacting them, however, the entire title listing (artwork and all) was pulled down by Bull Moose. But of course that artwork has already been shared far and wide online. (The Tribbles are most certainly out of the bag, so to speak.)

So here’s the deal: This now represents at least the third online retailer to leak the basic details of this release. As such, official or not, it does indeed appear that Paramount is releasing a Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection box set in 4K Ultra HD on 9/7. In case you missed it when we first posted this in yesterday’s news column here at The Bits—which included a big update of the 4K UHD catalog titles we expect for the remainder of 2021—here are the details as we understand them based upon the best available information from our industry sources... [Read on here...]

All right, it’s been a busy last several days here at The Bits. For one thing, just personally, I had my mother visiting from North Dakota all last week for the first time in over two years given the pandemic. And that was great, but of course it set me back on 4K review work (which I intend to catch up on this week).

I’ve also just spent most of today on the phone with industry sources, gathering information for our big preview of 4K Ultra HD catalog releases that are coming in the second half of 2021. And that’s the crux of today’s post here at The Bits, but more on that in a minute.

First, we have a couple more new disc reviews to share with you...

Dennis has posted his thoughts on Andrew V. McLaglen’s 1965 Civil War drama Shenandoah, which stars Jimmy Stewart. The film arrives on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics on 7/27.

And Stephen has offered a look at John Sturges’ acclaimed 1959 western Last Train from Gun Hill, a VistaVision classic newly released on Blu-ray as part of the Paramount Presents line-up. [Read on here...]

All right, we’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews for you to enjoy today, as well as a round-up of the latest release news. Let’s start with the reviews first...

Tim has posted his in-depth look at Severin Films’ The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection, an 8-disc Blu-ray box set that includes Castle of the Living Dead, Challenge the Devil, Crypt of the Vampire, Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism, and the horror TV program Theatre Macabre.

Meanwhile, Dennis has taken a look at Wesley Ruggles’ The Bride Comes Home (1935) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. He’s also reviewed Criterion’s new Blu-ray release of Samuel Fuller’s Pickup on South Street (1953).

And Stephen has shared his thoughts on George Lautner’s The Road to Salina on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, as well as Universal’s 4K Ultra HD release of Phil Alden Robinson’s Field of Dreams.

More reviews are on the way, so be sure to check back for them soon. [Read on here...]

We’re kicking off the new week with more disc reviews...

For those who missed it, I posted my thoughts on Wolfgang Petersen’s In the Line of Fire (from Sony) and Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong (from Warner Bros.) in 4K Ultra HD on Friday. They’re very different films, but each looks and sounds terrific, so do give them a look.

Also, Dennis has turned in his comments on George Sherman’s Larceny, a 1948 film noir that’s coming on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics on 7/13.

And Stephen has reviewed Arthur Barron’s Jeremy (1973) on Blu-ray, as recently released on the format by Fun City Editions.

We also have a brand new History, Legacy & Showmanship column from our own Michael Coate, which looks back at the theatrical release of Gordon Parks’ original Shaft in honor of the film’s 50th anniversary. The in-depth piece (four pages in all!) features a new roundtable interview with historians Josiah Howard and Lee Pfeiffer, as well as Shaft super-fan Chris Utley. You’ll find that here and it’s well worth a look. [Read on here...]

“It really was Shaft that proved the true value of the Black dollar. Up until then Hollywood hadn’t seriously considered the breadth, scope and power of the Black moviegoing audience.” – Josiah Howard, author of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide

“With Shaft, an underrepresented audience finally got the representation they were thirsty for.” – Chris Utley, Shaft fan

“While the Blaxploitation genre lasted less than a decade before burning out, I always thought the Shaft franchise could have endured indefinitely, as the Bond films did.” – Lee Pfeiffer, Cinema Retro

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this multi-page retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the release of Shaft, the groundbreaking, franchise-inspiring, crime thriller directed by Gordon Parks (The Learning Tree) and starring then-newcomer Richard Roundtree as the titular character.

Shaft, also starring Moses Gunn (Roots, Ragtime) and featuring Isaac Hayes’ memorable and award-winning music, was released to theaters fifty years ago this month. For the occasion The Bits features a package of statistics and box-office data that places the movie’s performance in context, along with passages from some of its film reviews, a reference/historical listing of its original theatrical engagements, and, finally, a roundtable interview segment with a trio of film historians and Shaft authorities who reflect on the movie (and franchise) five decades after its debut. [Read on here...]

This is just a very quick update with some important (and long-awaited) breaking news...

No sooner did I mention (in yesterday’s column) that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment was finally getting ready to release Zack Snyder’s Justice League on disc here in the States (likely in Q3 or Q4), the studio has just made it official.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League will indeed arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD here in the U.S. on 9/7.

The 4K release will be a 4-disc set including the complete film in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray in the same package.

Both versions will offer a Dolby Atmos sound mix. The 4K UHD will feature HDR10 high dynamic range.

There are no extras, and no Digital copy is included. [Read on here...]

All right, we’re starting this afternoon with a few more new disc reviews for you to enjoy...

Stephen has posted his thoughts on Curtis Bernhardt’s 1929 silent drama The Woman One Longs For, featuring only the second starring role for actress Marlene Dietrich. That’s now available on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.

Also, Dennis has offered a look at John Farrow’s 1949 film noir Alias Nick Beal, available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Do give both of them a look.

In Blu-ray release news today, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC have just set Batwoman: The Complete Second Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 9/21 featuring all 18 episodes along with deleted scenes, a gag reel, and 2 featurettes (Villains Analyzed and Never Alone: Heroes and Allies).

WBHE has also set the animated Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog for release on DVD and Digital on 9/14. [Read on here...]

All right, we’re kicking off the new week with three more disc reviews...

Stephen has posted his thoughts on FUNimation’s recent Akira release in 4K Ultra HD—the proper HDR fixed disc to be specific. You can find that here.

He’s also reviewed Edward F. Cline’s My Little Chickadee (1940), a WC Fields and Mae West classic which is due to be released on Blu-ray next week by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

And Tim has checked out Jill Gevargizian’s The Stylist on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

Of course, the big news is that today and tomorrow are officially Prime Day on Amazon, and what you all need to know is that there are a TON of great Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD deals to be had! The Lord of the Rings 4K Trilogy is just $59 (33% off), the Back to the Future Trilogy 4K is just $30 (46% off), Jaws 4K is just $9 (41% off), etc. Click here to start browsing and act fast if you’re interested! [Read on here...]