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Thursday, 30 July 2015 14:24

Blu-ray News – The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki, plus Nakatomi Plaza on Amazon, Billy Elliot Live & more

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[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]

Okay, first things first: You may have noticed that we’ve added a new Amazon graphic to The Bits homepage (above right, in the sidebar column). What that widget allows you to do is to see the best of the day’s Blu-ray and DVD deals on Amazon. You can scroll through them and new ones are added all the time. Shopping through that widget helps support The Bits. We’ll be adding more such widgets gradually, as we see what you find useful, so please e-mail us or message us on Facebook and let us know what you think. We really do appreciate it.  [Read on here…]

Speaking of Amazon, Russell Hammond has also updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray and DVD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order thinks. Thanks as always for your support via our Amazon links!

Click here to support The Bits by shopping through our Amazon links!

Now then... here’s something awesome: On 11/17, Disney and Studio Ghibli are releasing a Blu-ray box set called The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki, which is a repackage of a similar set already released Ghibli in Japan (seen here at CD Japan). Only available on Amazon.com (SRP TBA), the set will feature Miyazaki’s 11 animated feature films, including Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises. You’ll also get a bonus disc that highlights other rare work by Miyazaki, including the 1972 animated TV pilot Yuki no Taiyo (Yuki’s Sun) and three episodes from the 1972 Akado Suzunosuk (Little Samurai) animated series, as well as his uncut retirement press conference. You’ll also get the Tomohiro Machiyama book The Great Dichotomy: Looking at the Works of Hayao Miyazaki and selected notes from Miyazaki’s creative proposals for each film in the set. Very nice. Hopefully, some of the terrible English “dubtitles” used by Disney on previous BD releases will be corrected to the proper English subtitle translations too. Here’s what it looks like (click to visit the Amazon pre-order, which isn’t quite live yet but should be soon)...

The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki (Blu-ray Disc)

Meanwhile, here’s an animated tribute to Miyazaki that just appeared on Vimeo that you might enjoy...

In other announcement news, Universal Studios has just set Billy Elliot: The Musical Live for Blu-ray release on 10/13 (SRP $26.98).

Fox’s Nakatomi Plaza: The Die Hard Collection Blu-ray set now also now available on Amazon for release on 10/13 (SRP $129.99). Here’s what that looks like (again click on the cover to pre-order)…

Nakatomi Plaza: The Die Hard Collection (Blu-ray Disc)

And Lionsgate has set Target for DVD only release on 10/6, along with Duck Dynasty: Season 8 on DVD and Blood and Glory: The Civil War in Color on both Blu-ray and DVD.

Also, Barnes and Noble has officially extended their 50% off Criterion sale until 8/3. Just FYI.

Don’t forget to follow The Bits on Facebook! You can find my personal page on Facebook as well here, though do keep in mind that isn’t typically where I post Blu-ray news. I do post about a lot of science and movie related stuff there to discuss with family and friends though, and you’re welcome to join in (provided you leave partisan politics at the door). If you give either page a “friend/like” be sure to click on the “Following” and “See First” buttons at the top of the pages there, otherwise Facebook will bury our updates so deep in your Facebook news feed that you’ll never see them. Curse you, Facebook!

Click here to like The Bits on Facebook for breaking news, discussion & more!

All right, back tomorrow with more. Stay tuned…

Bill Hunt