We’re taking it a little easy here at The Bits this week, especially in this stretch between the holidays, so that our whole team can relax, unwind, and focus on family and whatnot. But we do have a good post today with release news, a new disc review, and a bit of a look ahead at a few new 4K UHD catalog titles that we expect to arrive sometime in the new year. As always, let’s start with the review first... adds another level of power to the bright whites present during a handful of hauntings. These moments are so dialed-in for contrast accuracy that First things first today: The Criterion Collection has just announced their April Blu-ray and 4K release slate and—as always—it’s another great list of titles. directed this piece), actor Craig T. Nelson, and director Tobe Hooper, as well as candid footage from the set including a few good looks at special effects

very little in the way of LFE and perceived width, but purists will certainly appreciate the option. The fact that both audio mixes have been not only That would be silly, of course, but Poltergeist is the kind of film where any possessory credit is dubious at best. It’s old-school Hollywood factory filmmaking, but in the best possible sense. Both Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg deserve fair credit, as does everyone else involved. There’s enough quality craftsmanship on display here that it overcomes any weaknesses in the story and the dialogue—the whole of Poltergeist is far greater than the sum of its parts. ever-present layer of film grain that clearly hasn't been subjected to excessive noise reduction. The HDR10 enhancement takes over in subtle but Strange and creepy happenings beset an average California family, the Freelings — Steve (Craig T. Nelson), Diane (JoBeth Williams), teenaged Dana (Dominique Dunne), eight-year-old Robbie (Oliver Robins), and five-year-old Carol Ann (Heather O’Rourke) — when ghosts commune with them through the television set. Initially friendly and playful, the spirits turn unexpectedly menacing, and, when Carol Ann goes missing, Steve and Diane turn to a parapsychologist and eventually an exorcist for help.“ format's capabilities. Poltergeist isn't a visually showy or even attractive production, as only a handful of wistful suburban pans arehas been granted a substantial bitrate boost from the old Blu-ray's lossy 192kbps Dolby Digital (that's DVD quality) to full-fledged The second option may be a more interesting "upgrade", as Poltergeist's original 2.0 mix (listed as "Original Theatrical English" on the menu) Subtitles: English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Spanish (Castilian), Dutch, Spanish (Latin American), Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish For a synopsis and very enthusiastic appreciation of Poltergeist, please refer to former Blu-ray.com reviewer Ben Williams' coverage very nice glimpse behind the scenes of the film with comments from writer-producer Steven Spielberg, producer Frank Marshall (who actually

Additional audio options include French, German, Italian, Spanish (Spain), and Spanish (Latin America) 2.0 Dolby Digital. Subtitle options include English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Spanish (Spain), Dutch, Spanish (Latin America), Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish. extra it isn't), this cheesy 2007 documentary features a few psychic mediums, paranormal investigators, and other frauds just trying to make aColor Reproduction: Colors are bold and and natural with a great palette on display. They are saturated very nicely into this image and look incredibly authentic. HDR glow comes in nicely with lights, displays and the haunting ghostly visual effects. Though there have been reams of discussion on who the real author of 'Poltergeist' is -- Spielberg or Hooper -- it's clear that thematically, this is Spielberg's show all the way. It displays in spades his penchant for generalized spirituality without overt religious allusion. Nowhere is this more clearly defined than in what may be the film's thematic centerpiece, when Straight explains to Diane and son Robbie Freeling (Oliver Robbins) the nature of "the other side." Rather than some sort of apocalyptic judgment day, Spielberg's afterlife comes off as a sort of heavenly paradise whose only requirement for entrance is that you die. There is no Christian fundamentalism or gooey new-agey gobbledygook at work in Spielberg's intentions -- just an all-encompassing, admirable wish-fulfillment fantasy in which a wondrous world of pure love awaits us on the other side. Now then, the big release news today is that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has finally officially announced two major catalog titles for 4K Ultra HD...

There are unquestionably many Spielbergian touches in Poltergeist; he did indeed co-write and produce it, after all. The suburban family milieu is pure Spielberg, as are the more melodramatic moments in the film. When Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams have their dramatic farewell before she plunges into the abyss, the camera cuts away to Beatrice Straight’s tearful reaction, and that’s one of Spielberg’s standard techniques to manipulate the audience by letting them know that it’s time to cry. Yet Hooper’s stamp is present on the final product as well, as there are numerous shots and bits of editing that didn’t quite fit into Spielberg’s house style at the time—for example, the repeated use of crash cut zooms onto faces, or the montage of Nelson screaming from different camera angles after the appearance of the ghost head. (Spielberg would go on to use similar setups two years later in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but he arguably learned the technique from Hooper and The Texas Chain S aw Massacre.)living by insisting the film's core mythology is plausible. There's a reason everyone failed the late, great James Randi's Million Dollar There is a great deal of detail on show, skin has good texture, with pores, wrinkles and hair lines, while clothing has decent weave. Overlooking the valley with the new houses is suitably expansive, while the lawns are crisp and defined, likewise the gloopy mud in the swimming pool and the rain are well seen as are furnishings, wall coverings (gaudy or otherwise), paranormal paraphernalia and TV screens; all are keen. Does show up the coarseness of the ‘tree’ though.