-Newsletter est. 4/15/97- -Website est. 12/15/97-	page updated: 8/8/08 My Two Cents (Archived Posts 7/28/08 - 7/1/08) Back to Previous Archives Back to Current Posts (LATE UPDATE - 7/28/08 - 5 PM PDT) Okay, there's LOTS of DVD and Blu-ray news to report from Comic-Con, in addition to the tidbits we mentioned earlier. So here goes... Here's the BIG news: Warner Home Video has just started pulling the veil off The Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-ray Disc. We know that the 7-disc set will street on 10/14 (SRP $129.95), and it will include The Animatrix in high-definition as expected, along with presumably all the extras from the previous DVD and HD-DVD editions. You'll find the cover artwork below, and we'll post all the details from the official press release as soon as it comes in. The other big title everyone is wondering about is Paramount and Lucasfilm's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We expect an official announcement in the next couple weeks, but word from our sources is that you will get the film on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc on (or about) 10/14. The rest of the Indiana Jones films are being planned, but you probably won't see them on Blu-ray until at least next year. Also on the Lucasfilm front (via Warner), we're hearing that the CG-animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (which arrives in theaters next month) could hit both DVD an Blu-ray just in time for the holidays. It'll be interesting to see how it does in terms of box office. And while we're talking Warner again, the studio has just announced that Chuck: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray Disc as well as standard DVD on 11/11 (SRP $49.99). Also, from New Line via Warner, look for a Sex in the City: The Movie - Special Edition on both DVD and Blu-ray, likely on 9/23. Again, we'll post more details as they come in. From our panel at Comic-Con, DVD producer Cliff Stephenson told the audience that he'll be working on an extended cut of Sylvester Stallone's Rambo for DVD and Blu-ray release sometime in 2009. Speaking of our panel, Home Media Retailing has posted a couple of stories with great coverage (here and here). They include a nice summary of other DVD and Blu-ray news and events at the Con, in addition to what you'll find here at The Bits, so do check them out. In other release news, Fox has set Young Frankenstein for release on Blu-ray Disc on 10/7 (SRP $39.98). The disc will include the Inside the Lab: Secret Formulas in the Making of Young Frankenstein Bonus View picture-in-picture commentary (featuring all-new on-camera interviews with Mel Brooks, Terri Garr, Cloris Leachman and others), a pair of new behind-the-scenes featurettes (It's Alive! Creating a Monster Classic and Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris), 17 never-before-seen deleted/extended scenes (some 25 minutes worth in all), an on-screen trivia track, The Brain Game set-top game, an interactive Blucher Button feature and an isolated score track, PLUS all of the previously released DVD extras (including commentary by Brooks, outtakes and much more). FYI, MGM has The Amityville Horror and Carrie soon to be announced for Blu-ray release on 10/7 as well. Fox has also announced the DVD release of new TV series titles, including Back to You: Season One (due 10/14), How I Met Your Mother: Season Three (10/7), My Name is Earl: Season Three (9/30), Boston Legal: Season Four (9/23), Family Guy: Volume 6 (10/21) and The Simpsons: Season 11 (10/7). MGM has finally revealed its Casino Royale: Collector's Edition DVD, due on 10/21 (SRP $19.98). This is the David Niven film, not the recent Daniel Craig release. Extras will include audio commentary with James Bond historians Steven Jay Rubin and John Cork, 6 featurettes (The Making of Casino Royale, Bond, James Bond?, A 3 Ring Circus, More Directors, More Stars, The Big Climax and It's a Wrap!), the film's theatrical trailer and a photo gallery. No Blu-ray version has been announced. Universal has set R.L. Stine's Mostly Ghostly for DVD release 9/30, with Dog Gone due on 10/7 and The Strangers following on 10/21 on both DVD and Blu-ray. Meanwhile, we've confirmed with Genius Products and The Weinstein Company that The Mist: Two-Disc Collector's Edition will street on Blu-ray on 9/16 (SRP $34.95). The disc will contain everything from the DVD, including the theatrical version of the film, the black and white version, commentary with Frank Darabont, deleted scenes with optional commentary, all the DVD's featurettes, webisodes and more. Audio will be available in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and standard Dolby Digital 5.1. Also coming to Blu-ray on 9/16 is 1408 (SRP $29.95), again with all the DVD extras. Newly announced by Genius and Weinstein for Blu-ray are George Romero's Diary of the Dead (SRP $29.95) and Rob Zombie's Halloween: Collector's Edition (SRP $34.95), both for release on 10/21. As with the other titles, audio will be Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital, and all the DVD extras will be included. Disney has revealed a new Schoolhouse Rock!: Election Collection DVD for release on 9/23 (SRP $19.99). It will include 14 classic songs about U.S. history, government and the electoral process, along with the all-new Presidential Minute song and an Interactive Election Tracking Kit for kids. Blue Underground has announced that it will release The Stendhal Syndrome on Blu-ray Disc on 11/18 (SRP $34.95). It'll be a BD-50, with DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio. From the studio's press release, the film is presented "in stunning High Definition, transferred under the supervision of cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno (All That Jazz, Amarcord) from the original Italian 35mm interpositive." Extras will include 5 featurettes (Director: Dario Argento, Inspiration: Psychological Consultant Graziella Magherini, Special Effects: Sergio Stivaletti, Assistant Director: Luigi Cozzi and Production Designer: Massimo Antonello Geleng) and the film's theatrical trailer. And there's great news from Sony - they've set The 7th Voyage of Sinbad: 50th Anniversary Edition for DVD and Blu-ray Disc release on 10/7. Extras will include audio commentary with Ray Harryhausen, visual effects experts Phil Tippett and Randall William Cook, author Steven Smith and Arnold Kunert, as well as the Remembering The 7th Voyage of Sinbad featurette. Also due on 10/7 is a 6-disc Ray Harryhausen DVD Giftset (SRP $80.95) set to include 20 Million Miles to Earth, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers and It Came from Beneath the Sea, along with a collectible Ymir figurine based on Ray Harryhausen's original 1957 hand-crafted design and signed by Harryhausen himself. [Editor's Note: I've just gotten a look at Sony's official press release and have learned that a Ray Harryhausen High-Definition Four-Pack will also be available on 10/7 (SRP $107.95) including Blu-ray editions of It Came from Beneath the Sea, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, the 20 Million Miles to Earth: 50th Anniversary Edition, and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad: 50th Anniversary Edition. The street date for all of these Harryhausen releases is 10/7.] FYI, Sony was also promoting BD-Live and the yet-to-be-officially-announced holiday release of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 on Blu-ray Disc in their booth at Comic-Con. Okay, here's the cover art for Warner's The Ultimate Matrix Collection and Chuck: The Complete First Season, Fox's Young Frankenstein and Blue Underground's The Stendhal Syndrome on Blu-ray, along with Warner's Quo Vadis: 2-disc Special Edition (DVD due 11/11, Blu-ray early in 2009) and MGM's Casino Royale: Collector's Edition on standard DVD... I'm sure I missed a few things, but if so I'll catch up with them in tomorrow's post. And if there are any errors in the above, I'll fix them as I spot 'em. As I said earlier, I'm pretty wiped out today. Ya just gotta roll with it, you know? Stay tuned! (EARLY UPDATE - 7/28/08 - 2 PM PDT) Well... we're back from Comic-Con. Barely. We might have left a few people behind, I'm not sure. Things are still a bit foggy right now. Goodness, I'm exhausted. I think I slept like 14 hours last night and I'm still not recovered. Comic-Con is one of those things that, every year after it's over, you say... "Never again, man. It's just too much." And that feeling lasts about six months, and then you end up going down there the next year anyway. The Con has just gotten way too big, too commercial and too crowed to really be fun, but it's still a blast to hang out with so many friends all at once, some of whom you don't get to see more than once or twice a year. That makes up for anything the Con itself lacks. So anyway, I think a good time was had by (most) everyone. Our Bits DVD/Blu-ray panel was a lot of fun, as usual. We had a full house, and got a lot of good questions from the audience. Thanks to all those of you who were there. It's always great getting the chance to meet some of you guys in person. I'd like to say one last word of thanks to Scott, Constantine, Charlie, Rob, Cliff, Andy, Javier (who couldn't make it because a schedule change meant that he had to record Guillermo del Toro's commentary for the Hellboy II DVD and Blu-ray on Thursday), Dr. Jahnke, Dr. Girlfriend, Doogan, Sarah, Meegan, Ryan, Megan, Russell, Dustin, Winston, Jeff, Eddie (at Comic-Con), Amy, Lyndsey and Andrew (of the DEG - thanks again for your support!), Steve, Ben, "The Sweeds" and all the great folks from Blu-ray.com, Vince, Ed and many, many more too numerous to mention, who either helped make the panel possible, were just a blast to hang with for the weekend, or both. Here's Sarah's annual post-panel group shot (sans Andy Mangels, who had to blast off right when we were done to moderate another panel)... The next day, Doogan and I were also on a "Remembering King Kong" panel with Mark Altman and Jeff Bond (the captains of Geek Monthly), Robby "The Wristband" Burnett and the good Daren Dochterman. At the very end of that panel, a gentleman in the audience informed us that his grandmother was the woman in the movie who the natives sacrificed to Kong right before Fay Wray. VERY cool. And there were a few other cool moments too. I took in the Battlestar Galactica panel on Saturday, with most of the cast and the show's creators. Kevin Smith hosted, so it was pretty blue, but also very fun and funny. Ron and David showed off a teaser trailer for the remainder of the season, and holy crap! All hell seems to break loose in the coming episodes. The cast all made a special point of saying that the final two episodes of the show are really terrific - very satisfying, sublime, and the perfect way to end the series. At one point, they described their table read of the final scenes, which left them all in tears. It was pretty cool. They got a nice long 'thank you' standing ovation from about 5,000 fans at the end. It was a nice moment that I'm glad I experienced. There was also a pretty badass trailer shown by Pixar and Disney for Tron 2 (a.k.a. Tr2n). It's been up on YouTube briefly, but as fast as it goes up, Disney pulls it down. (If any of you have it in good quality, I'd love to see it again) That, Terminator Salvation and the Watchmen panel (which I missed unfortunately) were the buzz of the Con, or so it seemed. I also got to meet and speak with Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz briefly, who told me that they're going to be packing the Blu-ray editions of both X-Files movies with TONS of new material. Fox hasn't officially announced them yet, but we've mentioned them before in The Rumor Mill. Frank confirmed that they were going to be out in December. I still haven't seen the new movie, but I'll be checking it out soon, I'm sure. Last but not least, much fun was had by all at the Wrath of Con party on Saturday night, but that's a WHOLE other story... Here's one quick little DVD news tidbit worth noting: We've heard from reliable sources that Adam West is now working on special features for the 1960s TV version of Batman. So it looks as if Fox and Warner may have finally made peace over the series' long-awaited DVD release. Fingers crossed. You've probably already seen them but, if not, Sarah's posted a gallery of pictures from the Con. There's some very cool stuff in there, including more pictures from our panel and lots of shots from the convention floor. Be sure to check it out. I'll be back in a couple hours to catch you up all up on the DVD and Blu-ray announcement news from the Con. Beyond that, we've got a lot of reviews coming this week, and Barrie Maxwell's new High-Definition Matters column should be up tomorrow. Finally (for now), if you're trying to reach me via e-mail, PLEASE be patient while I try to sort my way through the 1500-odd messages in my inbox... goodness. Stay tuned! 7/23/08 As promised, we've got one last post for you today before we all head on down to San Diego for Comic-Con. We're pleased today to offer you Rob Siegel's latest Golden Hollywood column, featuring a look at the making of Fox's The Longest Day, as well as MGM's A Bridge Too Far and Battle of Britain. There's a ton of great information and artwork to check out, so enjoy! In release news today, Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders for Paramount's DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Iron Man. There will be single-disc and two-disc special edition DVD releases (SRP $34.99 and $39.99), as well as a Blu-ray edition (SRP $39.99). The discs will street on 9/30 according to the retailer, confirming our Rumor Mill report from a few weeks ago (here and here). We expect an official announcement soon, and word is that Marvel will be promoting the title in its booth at Comic-Con. You can read more here at Video Business. The story also confirms our report that Indiana Jones IV is expected in October, with Kung Fu Panda set to follow in November. Now then... we'll be out of the office at the Con until Sunday, so our next major update will be on Monday morning. However, Sarah may check in on Friday with a gallery of fun pictures from Comic-Con for you all to enjoy. So check back in on Friday afternoon (at this page) for those. Also, we wanted to mention that we've been getting a TON of reader e-mails over the last few weeks, and we appreciate all the feedback and comments. We try to answer as many e-mails as we can, but there's just no way we can respond to everyone. We do, however, try to read them all... just so you know. We're actually NOT going to be checking our mail while we're down in San Diego, however. Sometimes you just need to unplug, you know? Anyway, we'll see some of you at our Comic-Con panel on Thursday afternoon (one last time, it's on from 3-4 PM in room 5AB at the Convention Center). For the rest of you, watch for Sarah's Con photos on Friday, and we'll check back as usual on Monday with an update on all the latest DVD and Blu-ray developments from the convention, as well as a new High-Definition Matters from Barrie Maxwell. Meanwhile, don't forget that Fox's The X-Files: I Want to Believe feature film hits theatres on Friday (see the official website here), so check that out if you're interested and let us know what you think. Also, for you Battlestar Galactica fans, Sci-Fi.com has just posted the first promo spot for the upcoming prequel series, Caprica. Looks PRETTY damn interesting, I have to admit. I'm far more intrigued than I expected to be, based on the early descriptions of the series. Fingers crossed on this one, but I like what I see so far... Have a great weekend, everyone! Stay tuned! 7/22/08 Okay, we're pleased today to bring you a whole bunch of new Blu-ray Disc reviews. I've given Warner's Batman Begins: Limited Edition Giftset a look, as well as Paramount's Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition and Patriot Games, and Sony's new Starship Troopers. And when I get back from Comic-Con next week, I've got more Blu-ray reviews coming, as well as reviews of a number of new and recent DVDs from Criterion and other studios. So stay tuned for that. Also today, we've updated the Upcoming DVD Cover Art section as well today, with all the latest DVD and Blu-ray Disc cover scans and Amazon preorder links. In announcement news today, Universal has set The Strangers for release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 10/21. Also announced by the studio is Dog Gone for release on DVD on 10/7. Sony has set a Can't Hardly Wait: 10th Anniversary Edition for release on DVD and Blu-ray on 9/30, along with new Blu-ray versions of My Best Friend's Wedding, Maid in Manhattan and Mona Lisa Smile, and Buried Alive on DVD only. And Warner Home Video has announced the BBC's Primeval: The Complete Series 1 & 2 on DVD on 11/4, as well as Quo Vadis: Special Edition on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 11/11. [Editor's note: We're hearing that the Quo Vadis Blu-ray may street early in 2009 - we'll work to confirm that.] Also finally coming to Blu-ray from Warner is Constantine on 10/14 (SRP $28.99, includes In-Movie Experience and all extras from the HD-DVD version) as well as Oliver Stone's JFK (SRP $34.99) in 'hardbook' packaging on 11/11. A 3-disc JFK: Ultimate Collector's Edition will also be available on DVD (SRP $39.98) on 11/11, as we've revealed previously (we posted the artwork here a few weeks ago). Meanwhile, Amazon.com has posted the cover art for MGM's forthcoming James Bond Blu-ray Disc releases (due 10/20), and now has them available for pre-order. Available are individual versions of Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Thunderball, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only and Die Another Day, along with a pair of collections including the James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack: Volume 1 (Dr. No, Die Another Day and Live and Let Die) and the James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack: Volume 2 (For Your Eyes Only, From Russia with Love and Thunderball). Word is, Sony is also working on a new Blu-ray Deluxe Edition of Casino Royale for release around the same time. Additional details are available at the excellent MI6 U.K. Bond website. (Thanks to Bits reader Tim H. for the link.). Here's a look at the covers... And the Japanese Amazon site has revealed that Warner's Matrix Trilogy Blu-ray Disc set (due in Japan on 11/19) will come packaged in a replica of the Nebuchadnezzar. (Thanks to Bits reader Jim J. for that link.) Warner has acknowledged to The Bits that it's coming this year, so we expect The Matrix Trilogy to be announced for release here in the U.S. very soon. We'll be back tomorrow with a new Golden Hollywood column from Rob Siegel, as well as a new High-Definition Matters from Barrie Maxwell, in what will be our last post before we head down to Comic-Con in San Diego. Stay tuned! 7/21/08 Well... looks like Warner Bros. had a pretty good weekend with The Dark Knight. Guess it makes up for Speed Racer earlier this summer. In any case, the film now owns the biggest opening weekend in Hollywood history with a reported $158 million, besting Spider-Man 3's $151 million from just last year. It'll be interesting to see how The Dark Knight continues to track over the next month or so... and how soon the studio announces the DVD and Blu-ray releases, which you can be will be out in time for the holidays. In terms of announcement news today, Universal has set The Fast and the Furious: 2-Movie Collection for release on DVD on 9/9 (SRP $19.98). No Blu-ray version has yet been announced. Also, the original Knight Rider: The Complete Series has been set for DVD release on 10/21 (SRP $139.98). The 24-disc set will feature collectible packaging in the form of a K.I.T.T. gift box, complete with flashing lights and sound. Extras will include a Knight of the Phoenix's audio commentary with David Hasselhoff and writer/creator Glen Larson, a photo gallery, a "blueprints" gallery, a K.I.T.T. Owners Manual, original blueprints for K.I.T.T., a bonus episode (Knight of the Rising Sun), 5 featurettes (Knight Moves, Knight Sounds, Knight Rider 2000, Knight Rider: Under the Hood and The Great 80's TV Flashback). Universal also has a 2-disc National Lampoon's Animal House: 30th Anniversary Edition due on 10/28 (SRP $19.98). Extras will include Scene It? games, the Where Are They Now? A Delta Alumni Update featurette, an A&E documentary and the film's theatrical trailer. Also coming that day is a Limited Edition Gift Set version in yearbook packaging (SRP $34.98). No Blu-ray version is planned at this time. Meanwhile, Fox has set That 70s Show: The Complete Series for release on DVD on 10/14 (SRP $199.98). The 32-disc set will come in "record box" packaging (each disc will be in a custom "record sleeve"), along with a yearbook and a finale script signed by the cast. Genius Products and The Weinstein Company have set The Mist: Two-Disc Collector's Edition and 1408 for release on Blu-ray on 9/16. Warner has announced an election-themed Peanuts DVD release for 10/7 (SRP $19.98): The You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown: Deluxe Edition. Included will be The Polls Don't Lie: The Making of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown featurette and a bonus Peanuts short: He's a Bully, Charlie Brown. Warner has also revealed the SRP for their 16-disc Batman: The Complete Animated Series box set. It's $107.92. Finally, the studio has set the Warner Bros Classic Holiday Collection: Volume 1 and Warner Bros. Holiday Collection: Volume 2 box sets both for release on 11/11 (SRP $29.98 each). Volume 1 will include Boys Town (1938), A Christmas Carol (1938), A Christmas in Connecticut (1945) and The Singing Nun (1966). Volume 2 will include All Mine to Give (1957), Holiday Affair (1949), It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) and Blossoms in the Dust (1941). And just a last quick announcement: We'd just gotten our spiffy Digital Bits/Comic-Con 2008 T-shirts back from the printer and they look great. They're just $14.99 each, so click here to order! Back tomorrow with more. Stay tuned! (LATE UPDATE - 7/18/08 - 5 PM PDT) Well... we're back and mostly recovered from The Dark Knight (although Matt is current at ANOTHER screening of the film with his son even as I write this, as is Doogan, who overslept the 4 AM showing he was originally going to). Even Weatherman Dave went today and was all caught up in the excitement afterwards. I'll be taking Sarah at some point today or Sunday as well. Seems like everyone we know has seen, or is seeing, the film this weekend. And word is it's already broken a box office record - Star Wars: Episode III's all-time Midnight haul - with about $18.5 million. That's JUST the Midnight shows mind you, not including the rest of the early morning screenings. Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting that the film is on pace to take in a whopping $60 million today. I wonder if that's in addition to the Midnight haul? Whew... Speaking of which, the Irvine Spectrum here in Orange County was absolutely mobbed last night - there were several very long lines for the Midnight and post-Midnight screenings. By the time Matt, his nephew Glen and I got there at 4 AM for the 6:15 show, the theatre was down to just one line, but it grew around the block. And as we were leaving the jam-packed IMAX theatre, multiple long lines had formed again for late morning and early afternoon showings. There were plenty of costumes, as expected, and lots of enthusiasm. Ahhhh... now that's good fun. We should mention that the first trailers for the next Harry Potter and Zach Snyder's Watchmen are tacked onto the front of The Dark Knight (you can also see the latter here today), and darned if the film doesn't look pretty damn good. Zach, you're doing a bang-up job, man. Team Bits can't wait to see more. Maybe we'll see you down at Comic-Con. And on that note, industry trades Home Media Retailing and Video Business have both run stories today on next week's Comic-Con convention, highlighting all of the DVD and Blu-ray-related stuff that will be on display. Several studios will be showing Blu-ray demos in their booths, including Sony (Starship Troopers: Marauder) and Paramount (Transformers). I was interviewed for the Home Media piece, and both mention The Digital Bits' annual DVD/Blu-ray Producers panel on Thursday (it's the DEG sponsored panel listed in Video Business). Okay... we have just a couple of quick pieces of announcement news: Warner has set New Line's Run, Fat Boy, Run for DVD and Blu-ray Disc release on 9/23 (SRP $27.95 and $35.99). Also newly announced for DVD release by Warner (for Lightyear Entertainment) is Get Thrashed on 9/16. And finally, our friends over at The Criterion Collection has revealed a terrific slate of DVD releases for October, including Jean-Pierre Melville's Le doulos (Cat #447) and Le deuxieme souffle (#448), individual releases of John Cassavetes' A Woman Under the Influence (#253) and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (#254) previously only available in the John Cassavetes: Five Films box set, a reduced price for Robert Altman's Short Cuts (#265 - now just $29.95) and Costa-Gavras' Missing (#449). Here's the cover art for the new titles... That's all she wrote. Have a great weekend, everyone! See you Monday... (EARLY UPDATE - 7/18/08 - 12:01 AM PDT) Evening, folks! Or morning. One of those. It's actually like 10:30 PM as I write this, but I'm just going to call this Friday's first post for the heck of it, because tomorrow's ACTUAL early post may come a bit later than normal. You see, like many thousands of other intrepid movie fans today, Matt and I are slated to attend an early morning IMAX showing of The Dark Knight here in Irvine. As in 6:15 AM early. Why? Because the film is just that damn good, and all the earlier shows were sold out (not to mention all the later IMAX shows this weekend). Doogan's doing it too - he's taking in a 4 AM screening in Atlanta. In fact, I'm betting that as you read this, some of YOU might actually be standing in a theatre line even now, eagerly awaiting your chance to see the film. Or, you might be getting ready to call into work tomorrow (er, excuse me... later this morning) with a bad case of Bat flu. Hey, it happens. And good for you! Times like these are what summer blockbuster fun is all about, and all those of you who (like us) grew up standing in lines with friends to see great summer movies know how important and cherished the tradition is. It's funny... Time posted a story yesterday pondering why anyone would want to attend an early morning movie showing like this, and it's clear from the tone of the piece that the author doesn't get it. WE, on the other hand (and I mean the collective 'we' naturally), know that a movie like this is BEST seen with an enthusiastic audience of people who are going to laugh, cheer and gasp at all the right moments, and who will get all the insider references. You see... a true blockbuster connoisseur relishes the kind of collective 'energy in the room' that only an absolutely dedicated audience can provide. And no audience is more dedicated than one that turns out in the wee early hours of the morning for a film, often in costume and with reinforcements. Plus, it's just a great way to get primed and ready for all the Comic-Con fun next week. So there. All of this is a long-winded way of saying that, should our Friday post be a tad bit later in the day than normal, you'll know why and you'll just have to excuse us. Movies like The Dark Knight are a rare thing to be savored, and we mean to take full advantage. So until we return, stay tuned... (and enjoy the movie!) (LATE UPDATE - 7/17/08 - 1 PM PDT) Okay... we've got a few more announcements today (we're still waiting to hear about Warner's Speed Racer BD, but our fingers are crossed)... Universal has just set the Dawn of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut, the George A. Romero's Land of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut and John Carpenter's The Thing for release on Blu-ray Disc on 9/30 (SRP $29.98 each). All three will also be available in a Halloween Starter Pack for the SRP of $59.98. According to Universal's press site, each is a BD-25 with audio in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Dawn of the Dead will include a U-Control PiP track and commentary with director Zack Snyder and producer Eric Newman. The Thing will include a U-Control PiP track, BD-Live enhancement and commentary with Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter. Land of the Dead will include a U-Control PiP track, commentary with director George Romero, producer Peter Grunwald and editor Michael Doherty, and 6 featurettes (The Remaining Bits, When Shaun Met George, Scenes of Carnage, Zombie Effects: From Green Screen to Finished Scene, Bringing the Storyboards to Life and Scream Tests: Zombie Casting Call). Universal has also announced those other two individual comedy BD catalog titles we said were coming a couple days ago, including The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Watch for them also on 9/30 (SRP $29.98 each). Both are BD-50s and appear to be loaded with all (or nearly all) the extras that were included on the previous DVD versions. Each will also include both the theatrical and unrated versions of the films, as well as English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. While we're talking about the 9/30 street date, Paramount has informed retailers that Iron Man will street on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on that date, just as we predicted in The Rumor Mill a few weeks ago. We expect an official announcement shortly. Also on the subject of Rumor Mill worthy information, industry sources are telling us this week that at least Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be announced soon for release on Blu-ray Disc in October (and DVD as well obviously - the street date we're hearing consistently is 10/14). Watch for official word from Lucasfilm soon, possibly at Comic-Con next week. One quick Warner announcement: The studio has just set The Batman: The Complete Animated Series for release on DVD on 11/4 (SRP TBA). Stay tuned... (EARLY UPDATE - 7/17/08 - 11 AM PDT) Okay folks... I've got some very good news for you all. I've been having conversations with senior personnel at Warner Home Video this morning, about all this panic and concern regarding the rash of Blu-ray Disc titles recently announced with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio only and also set to be released on BD-25s rather than BD-50s. As you all know, this is a legitimate issue to be concerned about, because it directly reflects the potential A/V quality of the release, and Warner's commitment to the format. The titles in question at the moment are Blow, L.A. Confidential and Speed Racer, all of which were indicated to be BD-25s with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio only in the press releases. And here's the good news: Warner's senior catalog team has confirmed to me directly that Blow and L.A. Confidential at least are actually being released on BD-50s with Dolby TrueHD audio. I'm awaiting a similar update on Speed Racer. It seems that incorrect information has been finding its way into the recent press releases for these titles (and the studio's press website) - a situation which we presume is going to be rectified. Warner is absolutely aware of all your concerns over this (I expressed them directly to the studio myself, and Warner has been monitoring the discussion groups as well), and they asked me to let everyone know that they get it, they understand the concerns and they're 100% committed to quality on Blu-ray. I was told just moments ago, in fact, that the intention is for all Warner catalog titles to feature lossless audio and for all previously-released DVD extras to carry over to the Blu-ray editions if at all possible. Like I said, I'm still waiting to hear more regarding Speed Racer and new release BD product in general, but the news on the catalog side is all good: Blow and L.A. Confidential ARE BD-50s with Dolby TrueHD audio. So for all those of you who've been sending me understandably angry or concerned e-mails about this issue, you can now rest easy on that score at least. Back with more in a little while... 7/16/08 Here's some official details for Warner's Speed Racer, set to debut on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 9/16. The DVD will be available in anamorphic widescreen and full frame versions (SRP $28.98 each), each with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Extras will include 2 featurettes (the Spritle in the Big Leagues tour of the set with Paulie Litt, and a Speed Racer: Supercharged! featurette on the drivers, cars and tracks of the World Racing League). The Blu-ray Disc version will include that, along with a Speed Racer: Car-Fu Cinema featurette on the special effects, the Speed Racer: Crucible Challenge interactive game and a Digital Copy version of the film. Unfortunately, we've confirmed that the Blu-ray is a BD-25 with just Dolby Digital 5.1 audio rather than TrueHD, which is a real shame. If ever a film deserved BD-50/TrueHD treatment on Blu-ray, it's this one. I suppose, however, in light of how badly the film tanked, it shouldn't be unexpected. In any case, we can also confirm that the Blu-ray will be a 3-disc set (though sadly, not as good as it sounds), including the BD disc and 2 DVD discs, one with the Digital Copy and one with the Speed Racer: Crucible Challenge interactive game. Here's the cover art for all three versions... Also newly announced by Warner Home Video is The Smurfs: Season 1, Volume 2 for release on 10/7, re-issues of George Balanchine's Nutcracker (1993) and Jack Frost for 10/28, and NFL History of the New England Patriots and National Geographic's Creatures of the Deep on 11/4. Meanwhile, Sony has set $ (Dollars), The Garment Jungle, Affair in Trinidad, The Anderson Tapes and The New Centurions for release on DVD on 9/23. Anchor Bay has The Last Days of Left Eye planned for DVD release on 9/9 (SRP $19.97). FYI, it's a VH1 Rock Docs effort on Lisa Lopes of TLC. Genius Products is releasing director Israel Adrián Caetano's Chronicle of an Escape on DVD on 8/19 (SRP $24.95). The film was nominated for the Golden Palm Award at Cannes in 2006 and for best foreign film last year at the Independent Spirit Awards. And Fox has set How I Met Your Mother: Season 3 for DVD release on 10/7. I'm sure you guys are all familiar with that series, so enough said. In other Blu-ray release news, Image Entertainment has set Human Body: Pushing the Limits for 7/29, Then She Found Me on 9/2, When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions on 9/30, Stuck on 10/7, the Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection on 11/4, both Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity and Jeff Dunham: Very Special Christmas Special for 11/18, and IMAX Super Speedway on 11/25. Also, we're hearing from readers that some copies of Universal's recent Jet Li's Fearless: Director's Cut 2-disc DVD release here in the States include two of the same disc in the packaging. If you're having this problem, Universal asks that you contact their customer service folks so they can make things right for you (call: 888-721-7210, email: USHE.ConsumerRelations@bydeluxe.com). We've got one last music-related bit of news for you today: If any of you are fans of The Police, you'll be pleased to know that drummer Stewart Copeland has confirmed to Billboard that a live CD and DVD release from the current tour is coming later this year from Universal Music. There's no word yet what it will be called, but it will feature material recorded at two shows in Buenos Aires, Argentina from last December (on 12/1-2). The DVD will also feature a behind-the-reunion-tour documentary by Copeland's son Jordan, called Better Than Therapy. We've got our fingers crossed that a Blu-ray Disc release might be coming as well, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything. We've also got an update for you on this year's Digital Bits panel down at Comic-Con in San Diego next week. We've added some new panelists, so the event is going to be a lot of fun. And don't forget, we're going to spend almost the entire hour answering YOUR questions. Here's the official revised details: "THURSDAY, JULY 24TH - 3-4PM - DVD/Blu-ray Producers 2008 - Join Bill Hunt, Todd Doogan and Adam Jahnke (The Digital Bits.com, Geek Monthly) as they discuss the latest DVD and Blu-ray Disc developments, and look ahead at upcoming releases. Panelists will include Javier Soto (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army), Charles de Lauzirika (Blade Runner, Twin Peaks), Andy Mangels (The Real Ghostbusters, Slimer), Cliff Stephenson (Rambo, Crank 1 & 2), Scott Devine (Hitman, Teen Titans), Constantine Nasr (The Mist, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) and Robert Meyer Burnett (Shoot 'Em Up, Free Enterprise 2). There will be LOTS of Q&A so be sure to bring your questions! Room 5AB" This is your best chance each year to talk directly with people producing some of your favorite DVD and Blu-ray releases, so again, BRING LOTS OF QUESTIONS. We hope to see you there! Stay tuned... 7/15/08 Okay... so I had a pretty good evening last night. An opportunity presented itself yesterday that I couldn't turn down, cold be damned. So I cleaned up and made my way to Universal CityWalk for an IMAX press screening of Warner's The Dark Knight. And let me just say... wow. This is the best film of the summer, and it's arguably the finest superhero movie to date. Actually, calling The Dark Knight a superhero movie seems to cheapen it somehow. This is simply a great piece of filmmaking - sophisticated, intelligent and uncompromising. It grounds the boilerplate comic-book trappings in a context that seems more real and immediate that we've seen before, even in the first film. It delivers everything you'd hope for in terms of action, and then it delivers on a whole other level as well. Without spoiling anything, the plot can perhaps best be described as a psychological dissection of the nature of good and evil, and the perilously fine line that often separates the two. This film is truly dark. This is Batman for adults, so don't bring the younger kiddies to this one. Every single piece of the chain holds tight: acting, production design, direction - all of it. I don't want to say too much about Heath Ledger's Joker, because you just really need to experience it yourself. But I will say I think the posthumous Oscar talk is well founded. His performance makes Nicholson's Joker seem almost cartoonish by comparison... and I loved Nicholson's take. But Ledger's is a cinema villain for the ages. If you can, see the film in IMAX format, because it really gives the action scenes that little extra punch when suddenly the image expands to fill the complete IMAX screen (something we hear the Blu-ray will replicate). More than once an audible gasp passed through the audience when it happened in the screening I attended. The Dark Knight is like an origami made out of black construction paper, that keeps unfolding and revealing itself right to the very end. If it's not quite a true masterpiece of cinema, it certainly (and legitimately) deserves recognition amid the ranks of other classic big-screen crime dramas. And it's without question the new masterpiece of the 'superhero' genre, raising the bar for everything that comes next. The film opens this Friday, and I'm betting it's going to break all kinds of records, because I defy you to see it once and not want to see it again. Absolutely don't miss it. By the way, Larry King was at the screening last night too, so I suspect he'll soon call Dark Knight: "The best superhero movie I ever saw!" For once, he'll be right. Okay... here's an announcement I've been waiting for: Warner has just revealed that The Wachowski Brothers' live-action/CG blended Speed Racer will be coming to DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 9/16. The DVD will be available in full frame and anamorphic widescreen versions (SRP $28.98 each). The Blu-ray will obviously feature 1080p anamorphic widescreen (SRP $35.99). I expect to have artwork and official specs shortly, so I'll update this post as soon as they come in. If Warner's gotten the transfer right, this could well be (and I'm hoping it is) THE demo Blu-ray release of the year. Fingers crossed. Now then... elsewhere here at The Bits today, our own Russell Hammond has once again updated the Upcoming DVD Cover Art section with all the latest DVD and Blu-ray cover scans and Amazon pre-order links (your use of which helps support The Bits, so we appreciate it). Speaking of Amazon, for you music fans, the online retailer is offering an Amazon-exclusive box set of the first three U2 albums remastered on CD. You might have seen the news on U2.com. Remastered 2-disc versions of Boy, War and October street on 7/21. Each features the original album remastered on the first disc, with a second disc of outtakes and demo tracks. You also get a book reproducing the original album artwork, with new, expanded liner notes. You can buy them individually for $27.99 each, but Amazon has a special slipcase box set that contains all three, plus an exclusive poster, for just $63.99. The box also has room to add a fourth 2-disc remastered CD from the band, due to be released on 9/23 - Under a Blood Red Sky. Pretty cool stuff if you like the band as much as we do. Here's hoping that U23D gets released on Blu-ray Disc soon. Finally this morning, we have official details on Warner's L.A. Confidential: Special Edition (due 9/23 on DVD and Blu-ray). Both versions will feature audio commentary by film critic Andrew Sarris, a music-only track, the Show West reel, various trailers and TV spots, a soundtrack promo, 7 featurettes (Whatever You Desire: Making L.A. Confidential, Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of L.A. Confidential, A True Ensemble: The Cast of L.A. Confidential, L.A. Confidential: From Book to Screen, Off the Record, Photo Pitch and The L.A. of L.A. Confidential), as well as 14 deleted scenes and the 2000 L.A. Confidential TV pilot episode. Here's a little bit of new cover art... the full frame DVD art for Warner's Speed Racer (you can also now pre-order the widescreen and Blu-ray versions), along with the Blu-ray artwork for Fox's What Happens in Vegas and Dude, Where's My Car? (both 8/26)... Stay tuned... 7/14/08 Hey, guys... hope your weekend was swell. I'm unfortunately fighting off a bit of a cold today, so asking for your patience, today's post is going to be a brief one. There's little worse than a cold in 90 degree weather. Okay, maybe there IS worse, but it still sucks. Anyway, first up, we've got THREE Giveaways running, giving each of you the chance to take home DVD copies of Warner's Batman Begins: Limited Edition Gift Set, Batman: Gotham Knight, The Dukes of Hazzard: Two Movie Collection, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!: Volume 2, The Wiggles: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Pete Kelly's Blues, Bird, Blues in the Night, Round Midnight, Wild China, Earth: The Biography (BBC) and Dallas: The Complete Ninth Season, as well as Sony's Just Add Water. Two of the giveaways will run until 7/20, and the other one will run until 7/27. Good luck! In release news today, Anchor Bay has announced the DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of The Visitor on 10/7. Both versions will include a featurette, the theatrical trailer and the Playing the Djembe music video. Warner has announced New Line's Blow for release on Blu-ray on 9/23 (SRP $28.99). Extras will include all the standard DVD features, but unfortunately the audio is only Dolby Digital 5.1. Warner has also announced 5 new catalog Blu-ray Disc titles for release on 9/2 (SRP $28.99 each), including Eraser, Outbreak, Under Siege 2, Every Which Way But Loose and Gauntlet. We'll post more details as they come in from the studio. And Warner has finally set the L.A. Confidential: Special Edition for release on DVD (SRP $20.97) and Blu-ray Disc ($28.99) on 9/23. Again, additional details will follow shortly, but look for the cover art below. Meanwhile, Paramount has announced more DVDs for October and November. Look for South Park: The Cult of Cartman on 10/7, The 4400: The Complete Series on 10/28, JAG: The Seventh Season and The Wild Wild West: The Complete Series on 11/4 and 7th Heaven: The Seventh Season, Streets of San Francisco: Season Two, Volume Two and The Boys in the Band on 11/11. Universal has announced Baby Mama for DVD and Blu-ray release on 9/9. The DVD (SRP $29.98) will include deleted scenes, an alternate ending, audio commentary (with writer/director Michael McCullers, producer Lorne Michaels and cast members Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) and 2 featurettes (Saturday Night Live: Legacy of Laughter and From Conception to Delivery: The Making of Baby Mama!). It looks like the Blu-ray (SRP $39.98) will only include the commentary. Universal has also announced Forgetting Sarah Marshall for DVD and Blu-ray release on 9/30. The DVD will be available in both standard ($29.98) and Unrated Collector's Edition ($34.98) versions. Both standard DVD versions will contain the theatrical version of the film as well as an extended version, plus extras. The UCE will add an exclusive bonus disc with additional extras. Not done with Universal - they've also set an Ultimate Unrated Comedy Collection for release on DVD (SRP $64.98) and Blu-ray Disc ($89.98), that will include Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. No word yet on individual BD versions of the latter two titles, but we assume they're coming eventually. Hopefully, we'll have BD specs on the other two soon. Finally, Lionsgate has revealed to Video Business that a long-awaited Speed Racer: The Complete Series DVD set is on the way on 10/7 (SRP $49.98), presumably timed to the DVD and Blu-ray release of Warner's Speed Racer feature film (TBA). The set will come packed in a plastic replica of the Mach V, and it MAY include a new bonus disc of exclusive extras (although the bonus disc has yet to be confirmed). You can read more here thanks to our friends at TVShowsonDVD.com. Here's a look at the cover art for both versions of Warner's L.A. Confidential, along with Blow (New Line via Warner) and Fox's Daredevil: Director's Cut (9/30), Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile (both 10/14) on Blu-ray... By the way, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is pretty damn good. Matt and I saw a screening on Saturday, and we both enjoyed it quite a bit. It's worth seeing if you haven't yet. Hhmmmm... guess today's post wasn't so brief after all. Doogan, you called it. Stay tuned... (LATE UPDATE - 7/11/08 - 3:30 PM PDT) We've got one last quick post for you today... with some good news on two fronts. First, our friends over at TVShowsonDVD.com have chimed in with unofficial word that Universal will likely release Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0 on DVD on 12/30. We'd been told by those close to the production to expect the title to be released very late this year, and a 12/30 street date would not only meet that expectation, but it would fit with Universal's past history of debuting the DVD release about a month prior to the broadcast start of the next half-season of the series. Our own sources are telling us that Season 4.5 - the final 11 episodes of the show - are set to debut in late January or early February on Sci-Fi... and also that you're likely going to see the 2-hour pilot for the Battlestar prequel series Caprica debut on Sci-Fi sometime prior to that, likely in November or December. No word yet on Blu-ray versions of any of the BSG titles, but rest assured we're letting the studio know how badly people want them. The other bit of good news is that Warner Home Video is apparently going to be dropping the price of their Blu-ray Disc software in the 4th quarter, as part of an aggressive holiday sales push. Starting in September, consumer prices for many older catalog titles should drop well below $20, with additional discounts and rebate being offered on more recent titles as well. Video Business has more details. Enjoy the weekend! (EARLY UPDATE - 7/11/08 - NOON PDT) Ah... the weekend's here at last. And thank goodness too. I don't know why, but for some reason this one's been a real slog, work-wise. It's been one of those weeks where I end up spending so much time on the phone with the studios and industry sources, that it's hard to get much else done. Anyway, Home Media Retailing has a brief story up today on director Guillermo del Toro's plans for the eventual DVD and Blu-ray release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army (which hits theatres today). The gist is that his goal is to top the awesome 3-disc set for the first Hellboy film. We should mention that Javier Soto, del Toro's producer on the DVD project, will be participating in our DVD/Blu-ray Producers 2008 panel discussion down at Comic-Con later this month. Also, word broke later yesterday that the Screen Actors Guild and the producers union failed to reach an agreement, making a strike more likely. Yes... another one. Read more here at Variety. Here's a quick question to ponder: What if Hollywood went on strike... and nobody cared? Tiny little bit of announcement news: Warner has just set the Peanuts Holiday Collection for release on DVD on 9/23 (SRP $44.76). The set will include new deluxe editions of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas. The latter two titles will then be available individually on 10/7 (SRP $19.98 each). Also newly announced by Warner are Martin: The Complete Fifth Season, a Jack Frost: Deluxe Edition (1979) and the Classic Christmas Favorites box set (3 discs - SRP $39.72 - contains How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Leprechauns Christmas Gold, The Little Drummer Boy, Book II, The Stingiest Man in Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus: Deluxe Edition, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, Nestor, the Long Eared Christmas Donkey, Frosty's Winterwonderland, Twas' the Night Before Christmas and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July) all on 10/7. One other thing: You remember how we said in The Rumor Mill the other day that Firefly: The Complete Series on BD would be pushed into 2009? Rest assured, the information came from the highest levels in the home video department at Fox. Yeah, well... now the highest levels are telling us the title MIGHT make it out in very late 2008 after all. What are you gonna do? Some days, you eat the bear... some days the bear eats you. Finally, here's your 'human interest' story for the day. Sort of. Maybe 'geek interest' would be more accurate. Our pal Mojo's just released his annual Sci-Fi Dance Mix. It's a hoot, my friends. Check it. Yeah, slow news day. We gotta get through this impending actor's strike somehow... Have a great weekend, folks. Go see Hellboy - we hear it's pretty great. See ya! 7/10/08 There's some good news to report this morning: Yesterday, we'd mentioned that the forthcoming Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume Six would be Warner's last Golden Collection release. That is, in fact, true. However, rest assured that this doesn't mean the studio is finished with Looney Tunes and other classic animation releases. Animation historian Jerry Beck, who has been working with the studio on the series (and is also the editor of the fine Cartoon Brew website), had this to say yesterday over on The Animated Show forums: "This is indeed the last GOLDEN COLLECTION. However, It is NOT the last Looney Tunes DVD release from Warner Home Video. In fact, we have huge plans for 2009 and beyond for Looney Tunes DVD releases. I'm not allowed to say any more at this time." So there you go, folks. More classic Warner animation IS on the way. We've got our fingers crossed for a nice big Blu-ray collection. We'll post official details as we have them from the studio. In release news today, 20th Century Fox has set Pathology for DVD release on 9/23 (SRP $27.98). Extras will include audio commentary by director Marc Schoelermann and writers/producers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, The Cause of Death: A Conversation with Pathologist Craig Harvey featurette, Legion of Doom vs Triune's Unintended Consequences music video, and deleted an alternate scenes. Also newly announced by Fox is The Unit: Season 3 on 10/14 and My Name is Earl: Season 3 due on 9/30. The Unit: Season 3 (SRP $39.98) will include 11 episodes on 3 discs, plus audio commentary on 8 episodes with members of the cast and crew, The Writers' Roundtable featurette and deleted scenes. My Name is Earl: Season 3 (SRP $49.98) will include 22 episodes on 4 discs, plus Under the Shell: The Mr. Turtle Commentary, the Those Guys from Those Episodes: Creating the Characters featurette, a gag reel and deleted scenes. Video on each is anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Finally, Warner has announced a number of Polychrome titles for release on 9/30, including The Utopian Society, Lockout, Chapters, Grindin', Close Call, Hip Hop Legends and Americanizing Shelley. Also announced by the studio are Over Her Dead Body on 8/19 (for New Line) and Charlie and Lola: The Absolutely Completely Complete Seasons One and Two on 10/14 (for the BBC). Here's a look at Genius Products/Weinstein's Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? DVD (8/26), as well as their forthcoming Blu-ray releases of The Mist and 1408 (both TBA for September)... Stay tuned... 7/9/08 Okay... so, first up today, we've got an awesome new Golden Hollywood column from our own Robert Siegel for you. In this installment, Robert takes a look back at the production of Disney's The Sword in the Stone, which was just released on DVD last month as a new 45th Anniversary Edition. It's another great column, and there's lots of amazing artwork to see, so don't miss it. More from Robert is on the way, so keep checking back! Also today, we've got an update in The Rumor Mill on more specifically when you can expect some of those Fox catalog BD titles we've spoken of in recent days. There's also an unofficial (but retail sources say accurate) street date for Indy IV, so be sure to check it out. And in announcement news, Genius Products and The Weinstein Company have officially set Morgan Spurlock's Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? for release on DVD on 8/26 (SRP $24.95). You'll get the film in anamorphic widescreen video with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, and extras including an alternate ending (Western Showdown) and what look to either be deleted scenes or featurettes, including Three Girls Saudi, Martin McGuinness, Watergate, Saad Ibrahim, Shimon Peres and Afghan Animation. When this film was first being shopped around, there was all this brilliant buzz about how Spurlock might have actually done what the U.S. Government couldn't do, and managed to find and interview Bin Laden. Ultimately, such was not the case, and like Snakes on a Plane, the film itself couldn't possibly like up to the hype. Still, I hear it's a decent flick, so there you go. Finally today, Warner has just set the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume Six for DVD release on 10/21 (SRP $64.92). Sadly, this is going to be the last entry in the series, at least according to the studio. The 4-disc set will be broken into four parts (one per disc): Looney Tunes All Stars, Patriotic Pals, Bosko, Buddy & Merrie Melodies and Most Requested "Assorted Nuts". Here's the disc by disc breakdown of the specific shorts: Disc One (Looney Tunes All Stars) - Hare Trigger, To Duck... or Not to Duck, Birth of a Notion, My Little Duckaroo, Crowing Pains, Raw! Raw! Rooster, Heaven Scent, My Favorite Duck, Jumpin' Jupiter, Satan's Waitin', Hook, Line and Sinker, Bear Feat, Dog Gone South, A Ham in a Role, Often an Orphan Disc Two (Patriotic Pals) - Herr Meets Hare, Russian Rhapsody, Daffy - The Commando, Bosko the Doughboy, Rookie Revue, The Draft Horse, Wacky Blackout, The Ducktators, The Weakly Reporter, Fifth Column Mouse, Meet John Doughboy, Hollywood Canine Canteen, By Word of Mouse, Heir-Conditioned, Yankee Dood It Disc Three (Bosko, Buddy & Merrie Melodies) - Congo Jazz, Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!, The Booze Hangs High, One More Time, Bosko's Picture Show, You Don't Know What You're Doin'!, We're in the Money, Ride Him, Bosko, Shuffle Off to Buffalo, Bosko in Person, The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, Buddy's Day Out, Buddy's Beer Garden, Buddy's Circus, A Cartoonist's Nightmare Disc Four (Most Requested "Assorted Nuts") - Horton Hatches the Egg, Lights Fantastic, Fresh Airedale, Chow Hound, The Oily American, It's Hummer Time, Rocket-Bye Baby, Goo Goo Goliath, Wild Wife, Much Ado About Nutting, The Hole Idea, Now Hear This, Martian Through Georgia, Page Miss Glory, Norman Normal Also coming the same day is the usual Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume Six (SRP$26.99) which is basically just the first two discs of the Golden Collection. And here's the cover artwork for both, as well as Warner's Risky Business: Deluxe Edition on Blu-ray (9/16)... Stay tuned... 7/8/08 Afternoon, folks! We've got a couple of things to report for you today. First up, Russell Hammond has posted his weekly update of the Upcoming DVD Cover Art section. Lots of new stuff in there as usual, and again anything you pre-order through our Amazon links helps to support our work here at The Bits (so thank you). In news today, we have word that Universal's Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles titles (announced yesterday) are DVD only for now, however more catalog Blu-ray announcements are on the way from the studio. Speaking of Hitchcock, a lot of you have asked about the audio formats that will be available on the new Vertigo: Special Edition. For the record, you'll get remastered English Dolby Digital 5.1 as well as the original 2.0 mono. Also, file this in the Rumor Mill category, but we have more word from our industry sources that Fox is working to deliver not just The X-Files: I Want to Believe on Blu-ray Disc later this year (it debuts theatrically later this month on 7/25), but the previous film as well, The X-Files: Fight the Future. Producer Frank Spotniz has also confirmed the forthcoming BD release of both theatrical films in his online blog (click here and there's another entry in there too, but I can't find it yet). More soon. Warner Home Video has just officially announced that deluxe new box set of A Christmas Story (that we first mentioned here last week) for DVD and Blu-ray release on 11/4 (SRP $39.99 and $49.99 respectively). Note that the disc-based content will be identical to the previously released DVD and Blu-ray special editions, but you get lots of new swag in the box. And in other news from around the Net, if any of you are interested in learning more about what happened at our Blade Runner screening with Ridley Scott for Paul's Brain Trust last month, Jay West (of the excellent Alien Experience website) has done a great write-up of the event. Do check it out. Also, our good friend Mojo over on the Battlestar Galactica VFX crew has another couple of great entries up on his blog - one with interesting inside information on that devastating cliffhanger image from the mid-season finale, and another on the recent wrap party for the series with the cast and crew. Enjoy (but beware some minor spoilers)! Stay tuned... 7/7/08 Okay, we've got a couple posts coming today. I've just gotten my hands on Warner's new Batman Begins: Limited Edition on Blu-ray, as well as the first round of Universal's new Blu-ray titles, so I'm going to be looking at those for you over the next couple days (and in particular, letting you know what DVD features are included and what isn't). First up for this afternoon, a reminder: Just in case you missed it, we wanted to let you all know that we posted Barrie Maxwell's new Classic Coming Attractions column on Thursday afternoon, featuring 12 new classic DVD reviews. Do check it out. Also this afternoon, we wanted to announce that The Digital Bits is going to be at Comic-Con '08 down at the San Diego Convention Center again this year (7/24-28). We'll be hosting our annual DVD/Blu-ray Producers Panel discussion on Thursday afternoon (7/24). Here's the official Comic-Con catalog blurb for the event: 3-4PM - DVD/Blu-ray Producers 2008 - Join Bill Hunt, Todd Doogan and Adam Jahnke (The Digital Bits.com, Geek Monthly) as they discuss the latest DVD and Blu-ray Disc developments, and look ahead at upcoming releases. Panelists will include Javier Soto (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army), Charles de Lauzirika (Blade Runner, Twin Peaks), Andy Mangels (The Real Ghostbusters, Slimer), Cliff Stephenson (Rambo, Crank 1 & 2), Scott Devine (Hitman, Teen Titans) and Robert Meyer Burnett (Shoot 'Em Up, Free Enterprise 2). There will be LOTS of Q&A so be sure to bring your questions! Room 5AB - And we're serious about the questions part - nearly the ENTIRE hour will be devoted to audience Q&A, so we're not kidding when we say to bring your DVD and (especially) Blu-ray questions. To commemorate the event, we've got another great new Digital Bits Comic-Con T-Shirt design for you. They're just $14.99 each, and they've been put together by Sarah, Todd and artist Ryan Agadoni. If you've ever driven down to San Diego from the L.A. area and back, you'll get the joke (and recognize the road signs we're spoofing). Here's the design (below). Note that these shirts will ONLY be available here online - we will not have them for sale at the event. Click here, or on the image below, to visit the order page... Anyway, we're going to have a great time down at the Con as always, so we hope to see you there! Now then... we've got some MAJOR new DVD and Blu-ray announcements for you today... First up, speaking of Universal, the studio has just set George Clooney's Leatherheads for release on DVD (full frame and anamorphic widescreen versions) and Blu-ray Disc on 9/23. The DVD versions (SRP $29.98 each) will include audio commentary with Clooney and producer Grant Heslov, deleted scenes, visual effects sequences and 3 featurettes (Football's Beginning: The Making of Leatherheads, No Pads, No Fear: Creating the Rowdy Football Scenes and George Clooney: A Leatherheaded Prankster). The Blu-ray (SRP $39.98) will include a PiP "visual" version of the commentary. Universal has also got something cool for you Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles fans coming on 10/7, but so far (unfortunately) they've only been announced for release on DVD (we've got a call into the studio to confirm whether or not Blu-rays are coming). These include a Psycho: Special Edition, a Rear Window: Special Edition, a Touch of Evil: 50th Anniversary Edition and a Vertigo: Special Edition. Each of these will be a 2-disc set (SRP $26.98). Here's the rundown... Psycho (anamorphic widescreen video) will include audio commentary with Stephen Rebello (author of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho), newsreel footage: The Release of Psycho, The Shower Scene, The Shower Scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass, The Psycho Archives, posters and Psycho ads, lobby cards, behind-the-scenes photographs, production notes, the theatrical trailer and re-release trailers, The Making of Psycho documentary, In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy, Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts and Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Lamb to the Slaughter. Rear Window (anamorphic widescreen video) will include audio commentary with John Fawell (author of Hitchcock's Rear Window: The Well-Made Film), production photographs, production notes, the theatrical trailer, the re-release trailer narrated by James Stewart, Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary, A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes, Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Master, Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts, Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock and Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Mr. Blanchard's Secret. A Touch of Evil will include 3 versions of the film - the 96-minute theatrical version, the 111-minute restored version and the 109-minute preview version (anamorphic widescreen video). You'll also get a replica of Orson Welles' legendary 58-page memo to the studio, Bringing Evil to Life, Evil Lost & Found, audio commentary with Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and restoration producer Rick Schmidlin (restored version), a second commentary with Schmidlin (restored version), the theatrical trailer, audio commentary featuring writer/filmmaker F.X. Feeny (theatrical version) and audio commentary featuring Welles historians Joanthan Rosenbaum and James Naremore (preview version). And Vertigo (anamorphic widescreen) will include audio commentary with associate producer Herbert Coleman, restoration team members Robert A. Harris (yes, our very own), James C. Katz and other participants, a second commentary with director William Friedkin, the foreign censorship ending, The Vertigo Archives, production notes, the original theatrical trailer, the restoration theatrical trailer, Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock's Masterpiece, Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators, Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts and Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Case of Mr. Pelham. Meanwhile, Sony has set Seinfeld: Season One for re-release on DVD on 9/16 for just SRP $14.94. Also newly announced for DVD by Sony are Made of Honor, Redbelt, 88 Minutes, Kabluey and Tortured. All are due 9/16 except Redbelt, which is due on 8/26. Sony has set Made of Honor, Redbelt and 88 Minutes for release on Blu-ray Disc as well, each day and date with the DVD version. Here's a bit of new cover art... Universal's Leatherheads on DVD and Blu-ray, and Criterion's cover art for their amazing new 2-disc High and Low on DVD (due 7/22)... Back with more in a little while, so stay tuned... (LATE UPDATE - 7/3/08 - 3:30 PM PDT) All right... we've got one last post for you today, because this just couldn't wait until Monday. We've just heard back from our friends over at Kino International. The good news is that they have officially confirmed that the newly-discovered footage from Fritz Lang's original version of Metropolis (which we mentioned yesterday) WILL be a part of the forthcoming special edition Blu-ray Disc release in 2009. What's more, the new special edition will be released on standard DVD format as well on the same day. Watch for more details on this sure-to-be-amazing release in the weeks and months ahead. We think that's just about the best news we could close out the week with, don't you? So with that, enjoy the weekend! (EARLY UPDATE - 7/3/08 - 3 PM PDT) Okay... this will be the last post for the week, given the 4th of July holiday hereabouts. But it's a good one. First, as promised we've got a new Classic Coming Attractions column from our own Barrie Maxwell. In this piece, Barrie reviews 5 DVD box sets including Warner's The Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Collection, Frank Sinatra: The Early Years and Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume Three, and Fox's The Carmen Miranda Collection, as well as 7 other DVD releases including The Weinstein Company's The Fall of the Roman Empire, Image Entertainment's Fanny, and MGM's Day of the Outlaw, The Gunfight at Dodge City, Morning Departure, The One That Got Away and Carve Her Name with Pride. Barrie also runs down the latest classic release announcements as usual. Enjoy! Also today, we've got a fun little update of The Rumor Mill, with word on upcoming Paramount DVD and Blu-ray titles and street dates (including Iron Man and MUCH more), as well as forthcoming Fox and MGM Blu-ray titles. In other release news today, 20th Century Fox has set Boston Legal: Season Four for release on DVD on 9/23 (SRP $59.98). The 5-disc set will include all the episodes in anamorphic widescreen along with The New Kids on the Courtroom Floor featurette. Meanwhile, MGM has set the Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection for DVD release on 10/14 (SRP $119.98). The set will include Rebecca, Spellbound, Notorious, The Paradine Case, Sabotage, Young and Innocent, Lifeboat and The Lodger, as well as a 32-page notebook with trivia, production notes and more. Rebecca, Spellbound and Notorious will also be available separately for $19.98 each. Each disc in the set will include significant extras, including audio commentaries by film historians, screen tests, featurettes, original vintage radio plays, vintage audio interviews of Hitchcock, isolated scores, still galleries, restoration comparisons, booklets and more. CBS and Paramount have set My Three Sons: Season One, Volume One for release on DVD on 9/30. Also coming on 11/18 is Charmed: The Complete Series in both standard and 'limited deluxe edition' packaging. Universal has set 30 Rock: Season 2 for release on DVD on 10/7 (SRP $39.98). The 2-disc set will include anamorphic widescreen video on all episodes, audio commentary on every episode with the cast and crew, deleted scenes, a table read and 3 featurettes (30 Rock Live at the UCB Theater, Tina Hosts SNL and The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Presents: An Evening with 30 Rock). Warner has just announced the DVD release of Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord and Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius on 10/7 (for the BBC), The Edwardians on 10/14 (1972 - also for the BBC), Ben 10 Alien Force: Season One, Volume One and National Geographic's Atmospheres: Earth, Air and Water (also on Blu-ray) on 10/21, and Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens and The Flintstones The Complete Series (see packaging in this post) on 10/28. Better still, the studio has finally revealed the long-awaited Blu-ray Disc release of The Adventures of Robin Hood on 8/26 (SRP $28.99). Extras will include everything that was on the DVD and HD-DVD versions (including the two Looney Tunes shorts in high-definition). Finally, Blue Underground has confirmed officially that The Final Countdown will street on Blu-ray on 10/28 (SRP $34.95). The disc will be a BD-50 release with audio in English 7.1 DTS-HD, 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX, as well as English, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras will include audio commentary with director of photography Victor J. Kemper, 2 featurettes (Lloyd Kaufman Goes Hollywood and Starring the Jolly Rogers), theatrical trailers, TV spots and D-Box motion control support. We've posted the art before, but here it is again... And just for the fun of it, here's a little more cover art to round out the week: Paramount's My Three Sons: Season One, Volume One DVD, Warner's The Adventures of Robin Hood Blu-ray and MGM's Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection DVD set... Okay, that's it for this week. We wish you all a great and safe holiday with your family and friends, and we'll see you back here on Monday! 7/2/08 Do you want to hear something EXTREMELY cool, especially if you're a serious film fan? Film archivists at the Museo del Cine (Cinema Museum) in Buenos Aires have recently uncovered the lost footage from Fritz Lang's original 1927 version of Metropolis in 16mm negatives! You can read more on this news here at ZEIT Online and here as well. Apparently a copy of the long version of the film was sent to Argentina in 1928 for a theatre screening. Shortly thereafter, a local film critic came into possession of the film reels and added them to his private collection. They were later sold to Argentina's National Art Fund, and were eventually donated to the Museo del Cine, where they were eventually rediscovered by the museum's new curator this past January. (And what a nice way to start a new job!) The footage isn't apparently in the greatest shape, but it CAN be restored to the point where Lang's original vision can finally be appreciated by audiences in theatres and on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. As fans of the film are no doubt aware, some 20% of the footage from Lang's original version was considered lost until this discovery. This is just extremely cool news! You can read our review of Kino's previous (and outstanding, we might add) DVD release here. Let's hope Kino is able to include the new footage in their forthcoming Blu-ray edition due sometime in 2009. Special thanks to Bits reader David J. for bringing our attention to this! We can't WAIT to see it for ourselves. We'll be back with a new Classic Coming Attractions column from Barrie Maxwell tomorrow morning, as well as lots of release news. Stay tuned! 7/1/08 All right... boy, it's a crazy day here at The Bits. LOTS going on behind the scenes. So much that I'm already wiped out, even without making a single post here on the site. But hey, that's how it is some days. What can you do? Today's post is all about cover art. So on that note, we begin by telling you that our very own Russell Hammond has once again updated the Upcoming DVD Cover Art section with all the latest DVD and Blu-ray cover scans, as well as Amazon pre-order links. Do check it out. Also, here's the final revised Godfather Blu-ray Disc cover, straight from Paramount. The left image is the revised outer slipcase art for the Blu-ray (note the correct logo on the spine) and the right image is the Blu-ray case itself (note that you can now pre-order the title at Amazon, though the retailer currently has the wrong artwork posted)... Now here's Paramount's DVD cover art for the individual remastered movie editions (should you choose to buy them that way), as well as This American Life: Season One (9/23), the Star Trek Collective: Alternative Realities (9/16) set and Universal's Baby Mama (street date TBA, but industry sources tell us it'll be 9/9)... More news tomorrow. Stay tuned... More Archived Posts Back to Current Posts
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