Morning folks! We’ve got some good release news for you today, along with more new disc reviews as always. The reviews include…
Tim’s take on Jonathan Liebesman’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video, as well as Jim Stenstrum’s animated Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) on Blu-ray from Hanna-Barbera via Warner Bros. “Terror Time” line.
Also today, we’ve just posted our latest update of the Release Dates & Cover Art section featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD covers with Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you purchase 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 appreciate it!
Now then, we’ve been talking about this next title on our Patreon page for subscribers for a few months at this point, but here’s some great news: William Wyler’s epic Ben-Hur (1959) is officially coming to 4K Ultra HD disc from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment! [Read on here...]
This is a quick post to let you all know that our Release Dates & Cover Artwork section here at The Digital Bits has just been updated with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Don’t forget that you can select to see just the Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, or even Criterion titles seperately if you like, to help you find exactly the ones you’re looking for. Just click on RELEASE DATES & ART on the menu bar above to visit the page, and use the search options in the red bar (at the top) to sort by format and date. Once you find a title you like, just click on the cover art and you’ll be taken right to the Amazon.com pre-order page. Thank you for shopping through our links and don’t forget that anytime you order from Amazon through our links, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it! And thanks to our own Russell Hammond for the update work!
- Bill Hunt
All right, we’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews for you today, including…
Tim’s looks at Marcus Nispel’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and Michael Gornick’s Creepshow 2 (1987) both in 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video, as well as Mike Hodges’ Get Carter (1971) in 4K Ultra HD from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection.
Stephen’s thoughts on Tsui Hark’s Peking Opera Blues (1986) in 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Studios’ new Hong Kong Cinema Classics line.
Dennis’s take on Daniel Petrie’s Lifeguard (1976) on Blu-ray from Paramount via Imprint Films, as well as Ryan Archibald’s Screamityville (2025) on Blu-ray from MVD Entertainment.
And finally, Stuart’s review of Peter Fleischmann’s Weak Spot (1975) on Blu-ray from Gaumont Distribution via Radiance Films.
Trust me when I say this next bit: We have a LOTN more reviews in the works from the entire Bits review team, so definitely be sure to keep checking back over the coming days.
Now then… my apologies for not sharing a My Two Cents post here on the site yesterday. I’d fully intended to have one up, and suddenly a bunch of calls, emails, and messages came in from sources and I found myself going down a rabbit hole of chasing down some really interesting bits of industry news and title release rumors. You’ll see the result of that effort here over the next couple of weeks.
In terms of today’s news items, here’s the big one: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has just finally officially announced the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital release of the animated The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) on 12/9, just as we expected and have been reporting for a few months now. [Read on here...]
We’ve got two more new disc reviews to share with you today, including…
Stephen’s look at Dario Argento’s The Card Player (2004) in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.
And Dennis’ thoughts on Cliff Owen’s The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
In terms of announcement news today, Lionsgate has set its own 4K Ultra HD release of George Hickenlooper, Fax Bahr, and Eleanor Coppola’s Hearts of Darkness (1991) documentary—on the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979)—for release here in the States on 12/9. It will include The Making of Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse as a special feature. This film was recently restored in 4K by StudioCanal, and you can read my review of their 4K release here at The Bits.
Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just announced that their 4K Ultra HD release of Chris Noonan’s Babe (1995) and George Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City (1998) will officially street on 12/16. [Read on here...]
More news and more reviews are the order of the day today here at The Bits. Starting with the latter first, as always, we’re pleased to bring you…
Stephen’s take on Ken Russell’s Altered States (1980) in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from our friends at the Criterion Collection.
And Tim’s look at Glen A. Larson’s classic Knight Rider: The Complete Series (1982-1991) on 4K Ultra HD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment!
Also, yesterday we posted the following as well…
Stuart’s look at Anthony Asquith’s French Without Tears (1939) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
And Tim’s reviews of Severin Films’ High Tension: Four Films by Lamberto Bava Blu-ray box set and also the final films in Arrow Video’s Shawccope: Volume Two Blu-ray box set.
More reviews are definitely on the way, so be sure to keep checking back.
Also today, speaking of the Criterion Collection, they’re holding a quick 24-hour flash sale today that runs for about the next 19 hours as of the time of this writing. The sale is good for 50% off all in-stock titles on their website here. So if there’s something you’ve been looking for, now might be a good time to pick it up if you act fast! [Read on here...]
Welcome to a new week, Bits readers!
We have a couple of new disc reviews for you all this afternoon, plus some great release news as well. First, those reviews…
Dennis has taken a look at Dan Curtis’ Late-Night Mysteries (1974) on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, featuring four films from ABC’s 1970s late night-anthology series The Wide World of Mystery.
Dennis has also offered his thoughts on Lisa D’Apolito’s Shari & Lamb Chop (2023) documentary on DVD from Kino Lorber.
More reviews are forthcoming all this week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them!
Now then, the big news today is that director Kevin Smith’s Dogma (1999) finally appears on the Lionsgate Limited website today (if it’s not up by the time you read this, it should be up soon). [Editor’s Note: It’s up now.] There will be a Lionsgate Limited exclusive Steelbook as well as a wide release Amaray version, both of them 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital. The official street date is 12/9. Pre-orders on the Lionsgate Limited website will open on 11/11. [Read on here...]
I’ll be back on Monday with the usual news and reviews here at the site, but today I wanted to do a little something different.
As long time Bits readers will no doubt be aware, every once in a while I review something other than a physical media release. In fact, in the past, I’ve reviewed great books about cinema, film production, and the like.
Some of you may remember that back in 2016, I posted a feature called Stanley Kurbick’s 2001: The Ultimate Trip in Print, covering all of the great books dedicated to the making of Kubrick’s science fiction landmark 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)—a piece I then updated in 2023 to cover an additional book on the topic that I thought worth mentioning released in the years since.
Longtime readers will also know that I am a lifelong fan of human spaceflight, and that I’ve reviewed many physical media releases related to the topic, including the films 2001, The Martian (2015), Apollo 13 (1995), and First Man (2018), HBO’s From the Earth to the Moon (1998) dramatic series, and documentaries like Apollo 11 (2019) and For All Mankind (1989).
If you’re interested in human spaceflight, there are of course many great non-fiction books that cover the topic in exhaustive detail, but I would certainly recommend beginning with Andrew Chaikin’s A Man on the Moon (1994). (It’s worth noting that this book was the basis for the HBO series I just mentioned.)
But there’s a new book that just arrived in stores last week—and a second book by the same author published a couple of years ago—that I think is absolutely indispensable to anyone interested in humanity’s first voyages beyond the Earth. Published by Black Dog & Leventhal here in the States (part of the Hachette Group) and Particular Books in the UK, Andy Saunders’ Gemini and Mercury Remastered (2025) and Apollo Remastered: The Ultimate Photographic Record (2022) are large and substantial coffee table books. By large, I mean 12 inches by 12 inches each, and by substantial I mean they weigh in at 5.28 and 6.92 pounds respectively. These are serious tomes. [Read on here...]
We’ve got three more new disc reviews for you today, including…
Tim’s look at Gary Sherman’s Raw Meat (aka Death Line) (1972) in 4K Ultra HD from Blue Underground.
And Stuart’s thoughts on Imprint’s Blu-ray double feature of Don Sharp’s The Thirty-Nine Steps (1978) and Anthony Page’s The Lady Vanishes (1979), as well as Charles Brabin’s The Beast of the City (1932) on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.
Also, we’ve done more updating of our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits today, and we’ve also uploaded the latest update of our Release Dates & Artwork section here at the site. So please do check those out. And remember that anything you order from Amazon after clicking through one of our affiliate links in either of those sections goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we appreciate it!
In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/23. The film stars Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. [Read on here...]