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Tuesday, 23 February 2016 17:31

Krampus, Alexander the Great, Exodus & Susan Slept Here, plus Force Awakens possible on BD3D & more

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[Editor’s Note: Be sure to follow us on Twitter @thedigitalbits @BillHuntBits and on Facebook here and here. And you can help support The Bits by pre-ordering Blu-rays and other items from Amazon through this link.]

Tim kicks things off this afternoon with another of his Pick-Ups Blu-ray reviews. This time he’s checking out Scream Factory’s recent double feature release of The Dungeonmaster and The Eliminators. Do give it a look.

In announcement news today, Universal has just officially set Krampus for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/26, with the digital HD release due on 4/12. Both disc versions will include audio commentary with director/co-writer Michael Dougherty and co-writers Todd Casey, and Zach Shields, an alternate ending, deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, image galleries, and The Naughty Ones: Meet the Cast featurette. To this, the Blu-ray will exclusively add 5 additional featurettes (including Krampus and His Minions, Practical Danger, Inside the Snowglobe: Production Design, Behind the Scenes at Weta Workshop: Krampus, and Dougherty’s Vision). You can see the cover artwork below.  [Read on here…]

The Warner Archive will release Susan Slept Here (1954), directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds, for Blu-ray release on 4/19.

Twilight Time has just released details on their March Blu-ray release slate, due on 3/15 (with pre-orders set to open on 3/2 at 1 PM Pacific here at Twilight Time Movies). Look for it to include Robert Rossen’s Alexander the Great (1956 – includes an isolated music & effects track, the Claire Bloom on Alexander the Great featurette, and the original theatrical trailer – see the cover artwork above left), Anatole Litvak’s Anastasia (1956 – includes an isolated score track, audio commentary with film historians Julie Kirgo and David Del Valle, audio commentary with screenwriter Arthur Laurents, actor James MacArthur, and film historians Jon Burlingame and Sylvia Stoddard, Fox Movietone Newsreels, a song demo, and the original theatrical trailer with isolated score track), Otto Preminger’s Exodus (1960 – includes an isolated music & effects track and the original theatrical trailer), Ralph Nelson’s Lilies of the Field (1963 – includes an isolated score track (with some effects), audio commentary with film historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman, and the original theatrical trailer), and Richard Fleischer’s 10 Rillington Place (1971 – includes an isolated score track, audio commentary with actress Judy Geeson, and film historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman, audio commentary with actor John Hurt, and the original theatrical trailer).

Olive Films is releasing Roger Corman’s previously censored drug film The Trip (1967) on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/22. The film was written by Jack Nicholson and stars Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, Dennis Hopper, and Susan Strasberg.

CBS and Paramount have set Have Gun Will Travel: The Complete Series, The Untouchables: The Complete Series, and Beauty and The Beast: The Third Season for DVD only release on 5/10. They’ve also set The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official First Season for DVD release on 4/26.

Well Go USA has set Lost in Hong Kong for Blu-ray, DVD, and digital release on 3/1.

Magnolia will release the Ukraine is Not a Brothel documentary on digital on 3/8, followed by NOMA: My Perfect Storm on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/22.

Dark Sky Films has Cherry Tree coming to Blu-ray and DVD on 4/5.

Also, here’s something interesting, but we qualify it as rumor until it’s officially confirmed by the studio: We’re hearing from some of our industry and retail sources that you shouldn’t discount the idea of a Blu-ray 3D version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens from Disney, despite the recent decline of BD3D support by Hollywood and the leading CE manufacturers. We don’t know if a 3D version would be a wide-release or a retailer exclusive, or if it would be released day and date with the regular Blu-ray version or held for a later date. But don’t give up on a 3D version of Force Awakens in 2016 just yet. If there’s any title that would sell well in Blu-ray 3D, it’s this one (much like the Marvel films) and Disney certainly knows this. We expect an official announcement of the title in the 2 or 3 weeks.

Speaking of 3D, Ars Technica has an interesting article up today on a new autostereoscopic 3D display from Ultra-D, mostly designed for gaming use. The technology is still a ways away from being reading for primetime in the home theater arena, but it’s another indication that display manufacturers are continuing to work on the concept.

And in other news today, Fox has just launched a new Q’s Workshop VR experience tied to the release of SPECTRE on Blu-ray, DVD and digital. You can experience it here via Google Cardboard.

We’ll leave you with a look at a little new more Blu-ray cover artwork (with Amazon pre-order links if available)…

Krampus (Blu-ray Disc)    Susan Slept Here (Blu-ray Disc)    Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-ray Disc)

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt (@BillHuntBits)