We’ve got several new disc reviews for you to enjoy here at The Bits today, including…
My thoughts on Anthony Harvey’s The Lion in Winter (1968) in 4K Ultra HD from StudioCanal, as well as Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) in 4K Ultra HD from 20th Century Studios.
Stuart’s look at Mitchell Leisen’s The Lady Is Willing (1942) on Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Films’ Indicator label.
And Stephen’s take on David Twohy’s Below (2002) in 4K Ultra HD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
More reviews are forthcoming all this week, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them.
In announcement news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has officially set John Frankenheimer’s Prophecy (1979) for 4K Ultra HD release on 5/20. As expected, the company has also revealed that Ken Finkleman’s Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) is coming soon to 4K UHD.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just set Starman (1984) for 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release on 5/27. Previously the disc has only been available on the format in the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 4 box set, released in early 2024. You can read our review of that disc here at The Bits now. [Read on here…]
Our friends at the Warner Archive Collection have just announced a batch of new Blu-ray titles for release in April, including Hanna-Barbera’s Wacky Races: The Complete Series (1968), Glenn Gordon Caron’s Clean and Sober (1988), Gordon Parks, Jr.’s Three the Hard Way (1974), Andre de Toth’s Springfield Rifle (1952), Anthony Mann’s Side Street (1950), and Charles Walters’ Lili (1953). All are expected to street on 4/29. You can see the cover artwork below (Amazon links will be added when they’re available, but it could be a few weeks).
Also today, news is just breaking that Hayao Miyazaki’s animated Studio Ghibli classic film Princess Mononoke (1997) has officially been remastered in 4K, and it will be returning to theaters in IMAX on 3/26 from GKids! Per the company’s press release, “The IMAX version of the film was created from a new 4K restoration directly overseen by Studio Ghibli’s own Atsushi Okui, who has been involved in nearly every major Studio Ghibli project since he first started at the studio in 1993.” Here’s a trailer for the release…
And based on their track record, I think it’s safe to assume that GKids will deliver a new 4K Ultra HD release of the film on disc sometime later this year as well, distributed by Shout! Factory. We’ll post any details as soon as we learn of them.
Finally today, our friends at The Screening Room AV in Colorado Springs, Colorado have just announced that they’ll be holding their annual TSR Projector Shootout on Saturday and Sunday, April 5-6, 2025! Here are the official details…
Yes, THE SCREENING ROOM is doing another one of its FAMOUS level playing field controlled Projector Shootouts, and it’s coming up SOON!
SEE!!! JVC, SONY, EPSON and VALERION projectors compared SIDE BY SIDE!
SEE!!! LUMAGEN AND MadVR video processors compared SIDE BY SIDE!
Projectors and video processors to be set up and calibrated by:
- KRIS DEERING – Deep Dive A/V
- SAMMIE PRESCOTT JR. – Projector Central
Projectors scheduled to be tested:
- Sony Bravia9 XW8100ES
- JVC DLA-RS4200 (aka the DLA-NZ900)
- JVC DLA-RS1200 (aka the DLA-NZ500)
- Epson QB1000
- Epson QL7000
- Valerion VisionMaster Pro2
Please click here (or on the logo below) for more details and to RSVP – limited seating available!
That should be a lot of fun, so if you’re interested in attending be sure to respond quickly.
All right, that’s all for now. Stay tuned!
– Bill Hunt
(You can follow Bill on social media on Twitter, BlueSky, and Facebook, and also here on Patreon)
