We’ve got some great release news for you today to start out the new week.
And we’ve also got more new disc reviews for you, so let’s get to the latter first...
Over the weekend, Stephen posted his thoughts on Disney+ and Marvel’s new release of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Complete First Season (2024) in 4K Ultra HD. He’s also given Riccardo Freda’s The Horrible Dr. Hichco*ck (1962) a review in 4K Ultra HD from Vinegar Syndrome.
Not to be outdone, Tim has reviewed Hanna-Barbera’s animated The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987) on Blu-ray from our friends at the Warner Archive Collection, as well as Paul Leni’s The Cat and the Canary (1927) on Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment.
Lots more reviews are on the way this week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them!
Now then, in announcement news, let’s start with the big one first... GKids and Shout Factory have officially set Hayao Miyazaki’s animated The Boy and the Heron (2023) for release on Blu-ray + DVD, 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray, and 4K UHD + BD Steelbook on 7/9! The Digital release expected on 6/25. [Read on here...]
Of course, this marks the very first time a Studio Ghibli title has been released in 4K. Not only will the title include Dolby Vision HDR, you’ll get both Japanese and English Dolby Atmos audio mixes as well (subtitles will be included in English, English SDH, Spanish, and French). Special features will include feature-length storyboards, interviews with composer Joe Hisaishi, producer Toshio Suzuki, and supervising animator Takeshi Honda, the Drawing with Takeshi Honda featurette, the Spinning Globe music video, teasers, and trailers. You can see the cover artwork above left and also below.
But Shout! Factory has also revealed their entire July slate, which includes James Foley’s Who’s That Girl (1987) on Shout Select Blu-ray, Jay Levey’s UHF (1989) on 4K Ultra HD, and limited edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook editions of Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994), Eric Appel’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2023), and Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break (1991) all on 7/2, followed by Craig R. Baxley’s Dark Angel (1990) in 4K Ultra HD, Todd Solondz’s Storytelling (2001) on Blu-ray, and The Good Place: The Complete Series (2016-2020) on DVD all on 7/9 (The Good Place is already available on Blu-ray by Shout), Joe Chappelle’s Phantoms (1998) on 4K Ultra HD on 7/16, and Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci (2021) on 4K Ultra HD, Jesse Haaja’s Rendel: Cycle of Revenge (2024) on DVD, and Mark Mylod’s Ali G Indahouse: The Movie (2002) on Blu-ray all on 7/30. Note that Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series (1989-2008) and Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection (2012-2021) are also being released on DVD on 7/9 as well (they were also previously Blu-ray only from Shout). You can see the cover artwork for several of these titles below, with Amazon.com pre-order links.
Also today, Lionsgate has made Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024) official for Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and Amazon-exclusive 4K Ultra HD release on 7/9. We’re awaiting a press release with complete details in the coming days.
Note that Lionsgate has also set Moritz Mohr’s Boy Kills World (2023) for Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release on 7/9.
Paramount has made Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) official for release on 4K Ultra HD on 7/2, just in time to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. The 3-disc set includes the Theatrical Version of the film remastered in 4K UHD, as well as a Blu-ray featuring the Theatrical and Extended Versions via seamless branching, and a second Blu-ray with Wake Up Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie and tons of extras.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just officially set Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips (2013) for release on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Steelbook on 7/16. The film will include Dolby Vision HDR and both Dolby Atmos and English 5.1 audio, plus all of the legacy Blu-ray extras. You can see the cover artwork below.
And Criterion has officially announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of Wim Wenders’ documentary Anselm (2023) on 7/23 as part of its Janus Contemporaries line. The Blu-ray version will be a 2-disc set that includes the film in HD on regular Blu-ray and also Blu-ray 3-D (it was shot in 6K 3-D).
Finally today, we have word that Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is preparing to release Albert Magnoli’s Purple Rain (1984) in 4K Ultra HD, just as we first predicted here at The Bits many months ago (the title has been listed in our 4K Ultra HD Release List for quite a while now). We don’t have an official US street date yet, but Amazon UK now has the title listed for release on 6/24 in 4K and 4K Steelbook configurations. (The US street date is likely to be 6/25 or thereabouts, which was the release date for Prince’s original Purple Rain album back in 1984—the film arrived a month later on 7/27). Extras will apparently include audio commentary by Albert Magnoli, Robert Cavallo, and Donald E. Thorin, 3 featurettes (First Avenue: The Road to Pop Royalty, Purple Rain Backstage Pass: Behind the Scenes, and Riffs, Ruffles and a Revolution: The Impact and Influence of Purple Rain), the MTV Premiere Party Original Broadcast, a gallery of Prince movie trailers, and music videos for several songs from the film. You can see the UK cover art below.
We’ll leave you today with a look at that cover artwork, as promised. Click on each title to visit the relevant Amazon.com pre-order links if available (and know that doing so helps to support our work here at The Bits as an Amazon affiliate)...
Stay tuned...
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