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'Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Complete Third Season' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The Caped Crusader will protect Blu-ray in March.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Archive is preparing 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Complete Third Season' for Blu-ray on March 21. Join the Caped Crusader and a wealth of DC’s finest as they team up to battle injustice in the third and final season of this cutting-edge series! Evil never sleeps in these diabolical schemes plotted by the world’s most infamous criminals including the Joker, Lex Luthor, Equinox and Ra’s Al Ghul! Thankfully, Batman and his many allies, including Superman, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Wonder Woman, are always up for the challenge! Circle this globe and others, and even travel through time in these 13 action-packed, fun-filled episodes! Supplements have not been detailed, but the Blu-ray will feature 1080p video and a DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $21.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Complete Third Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 21. Order the Blu-rayPosted Mon Mar 6, 2017 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Mars: The Series' Headed for Blu-ray[teaser]The National Geographic series from executive producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard is planned for Blu-ray next month.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'Mars: The Series' for Blu-ray on April 11. MARS follows a crew of courageous international astronauts on its exhilarating maiden voyage to Mars and quest to colonize the fourth planet from the sun. In a unique blend of scripted drama intermixed with documentary sequences and feature-film-caliber visual effects, the series presents what the greatest minds in space exploration are doing to make traveling to Mars a reality, featuring Big Thinkers like Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Stephen Petranek. Experience MARS in breathtaking high-definition. The must-own National Geographic sci-fi docudrama is jam packed with two hours of extras, including prequel BEFORE MARS, Living on Mars, Cast & Crew Interviews and more. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Making MARS; BEFORE MARS – A Prequel; BEFORE MARS Behind the Scenes; Getting to MARS Featurettes; Living on MARS Featurettes; More MARS Featurettes; Behind-the-scenes Featurettes; and Cast & Crew Interviews. You can find the latest specs for 'Mars: The Series' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 11. Order the Blu-rayPosted Mon Mar 6, 2017 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
John Lee Hancock's 'The Founder' Planned for Blu-ray[teaser]The film starring Michael Keaton is headed for Blu-ray on April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay says 'The Founder' will be available on Blu-ray on April 18. Directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side), The Founder features the true story of how Ray Kroc (Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. Writer Robert Siegel (The Wrestler) details how Kroc maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire. The film also stars Laura Dern as Ray Kroc's first wife Ethel, John Carroll Lynch as Mac McDonald and Nick Offerman as Dick McDonald. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: "The Story Behind the Story" Featurette; "Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc" Featurette; "The McDonald Brothers" Featurette; "The Production Design" Featurette; "Building McDonald's: Time Lapse Video"; Press Conference with Filmmakers and Cast. You can find the latest specs for 'The Founder' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 18.Posted Fri Mar 3, 2017 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
'Hidden Figures' Blu-ray & Ultra HD Blu-ray Dated & Detailed[teaser]Theodore Melfi's acclaimed drama is rocketing toward Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray this April.[/teaser] As previously reported, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'Hidden Figures' for Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray, and now the official release date has been set for April 11. The incredible untold true story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) – brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big. Each release will feature a lossless 7.1 soundtrack and supplements include: It All Adds Up – The Making of Hidden Figures; Deleted Scenes; Hidden Figures: Filming in Georgia; Audio Commentary by Theodore Melfi and Taraji P. Henson; and Gallery. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. Suggested list price for the Ultra HD Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Hidden Figures' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule and our Ultra HD Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING. Order the Ultra HD Blu-ray Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Mar 3, 2017 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Lasse Hallström's 'A Dog's Purpose' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The 2017 drama starring Dennis Quaid and Britt Robertson will be available on home video this May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal is preparing on 'A Dog's Purpose' for Blu-ray on May 2. A Dog's Purpose shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Deleted Scenes; Outtakes; A Writer's Purpose; and Lights, Camera, Woof! You can find the latest specs for 'A Dog's Purpose' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 2. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Mar 3, 2017 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Colm McCarthy's 'The Girl with All the Gifts' Blu-ray Bound[teaser]The science fiction horror film starring Sennia Nanua, Gemma Arterton, and Glenn Close is headed for Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate is working on 'The Girl with All the Gifts' for Blu-ray on April 25. Humanity has been all but destroyed by a fungal disease that eradicates free will and turns its victims into flesh eating "hungries." Only a small group of children seems immune to its effects. At an army base in rural England, these unique children are being studied and subjected to cruel experiments. When the base falls, one little girl escapes and must discover what she is, ultimately deciding both her own future and that of the human race. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, lossless audio, and supplements include: Unwrap the Secret World of The Girl with All the Gifts - Featurette. You can find the latest specs for 'The Girl with All the Gifts' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 25. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Mar 3, 2017 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Dallas Jenkins' 'The Resurrection of Gavin Stone' Blu-ray Bound[teaser]The comedy will be available on Blu-ray this May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal Studios is working on 'The Resurrection of Gavin Stone' for Blu-ray on May 2. Former child star Gavin Stone (Brett Dalton) must perform 200 hours of community service after trashing a hotel in his Illinois hometown. Temptation strikes when Stone learns that the church he's assigned to clean is staging a lavish religious production. After landing the lead role of Jesus Christ, Gavin finds himself drawn to the show's director (Anjelah Johnson-Reyes), a young woman who also happens to be the daughter of the affable pastor (D.B. Sweeney). Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Deleted Scenes; Church Uniform Advice - Featurette; and Cast Interviews with James MacDonald. You can find the latest specs for 'The Resurrection of Gavin Stone' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 2. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Mar 3, 2017 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
M. Night Shyamalan's 'Split' Blu-ray Dated and Supplements Detailed[teaser]The horror/thriller is coming to home video in April.[/teaser] As previously reported, Universal Studios is working on 'Split' for Blu-ray later this year, and now the date has been set for April 18. Heralded as "one of his best films – period" (Alex Welch, IGN), M. Night Shyamalan returns to the screen with SPLIT. Kevin Crumb's (James McAvoy) fractured mind has revealed 23 personalities, but one remains dangerously submerged, set to materialize and dominate the others. McAvoy delivers "the role of his career" (Peter Debruge, Variety) as Kevin reaches a war for dominance among all those that rage within him, threatening his stability and impacting the survival of everyone around him. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Alternate Ending; Deleted Scenes; The Making of Split- Filmmakers, cast, and crew discuss what attracted them to the project and how they were able to bring such a unique premise to life; The Many Faces of James McAvoy- A look at how James McAvoy approached the challenge of playing so many different identities; and The Filmmaker's Eye: M. Night Shyamalan - Director and writer M. Night Shyamalan has a singular, big-picture vision of his projects. Producers, cast, and crew discuss how Night's process gives them the freedom to execute their roles to the fullest. You can find the latest specs for 'Split' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 18. Order the Blu-rayPosted Thu Mar 2, 2017 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
'A League of Their Own: 25th Anniversary Edition' Announced and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]Penny Marshall's 1992 baseball comedy is getting a 25th anniversary edition in April.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony will be bringing the PG film 'A League of Their Own' to Blu-ray on April 18. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of this hilarious and beloved comedy starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna. Hanks stars as Jimmy Dugan, a washed-up ballplayer whose big league days are over. Hired to coach in the All-American Girls Baseball League of 1943 – while the male pros are at war – Dugan finds himself drawn back into the game by the hearts and heroics of his all-girl team, led by the indomitable Dottie Hinson (Davis). Lori Petty, Rosie O'Donnell and Jon Lovitz round out the all-star roster. Based on the true story of the pioneering women who blazed the trail for generations of athletes. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include Commentary with Penny Marshall, Lori Petty, Megan Cavanagh, and Tracy Reiner; deleted scenes with video introductions by Penny Marshall; Nine Memorable Innings Pre-Game; and "This Used to Be My Playground" music video; along with an ALL-NEW featurette: "Bentonville, Baseball & The Enduring Legacy of A League of Their Own". Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for 'A League of Their Own: 25th Anniversary Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 18. Order the Blu-rayPosted Thu Mar 2, 2017 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
High-Def Digest Essentials: February 2017Every month, dozens of Blu-rays hit shelves, littering stores with High-Def temptation. New releases, catalog titles, complete TV seasons, and elaborate box-sets all vie for attention, and with so many worthy releases targeting our wallets, choosing which discs to spend our hard earned cash on can be rather tricky. To make things a little easier, we here at High-Def Digest thought it might be helpful to bring you our top three must own recommendations for the month. From important classics to contemporary blockbusters, these are the discs that we consider to be the absolute cream of the crop. High quality releases with great video, audio, and supplements, these are the Blu-rays that are truly worth every penny. Last month we spotlighted a quintessential screwball comedy, a harrowing disaster film, and a delicate animated adventure. Be sure to check out the Essential Picks for November 2012, December 2012, January 2013,February 2013, March 2013, April 2013, May 2013, June 2013, July 2013, August 2013, September 2013, October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, January 2014, February 2014, March 2014, April 2014, May 2014, June 2014, July 2014, August 2014, September 2014, October 2014, November 2014,December 2014, January 2015, February 2015, March 2015, April 2015, May 2015, June 2015, July 2015, August 2015, September 2015, October 2015, November 2015, December 2015, January 2016, February 2016, March 2016, April 2016, May 2016, June 2016, July 2016, August 2016, September 2016, October 2016, November 2016, December 2016, and January 2017. [teaser]For February, we're covering a romantic trilogy, a sci-fi drama, and a super hero adventure.[/teaser] Please be aware, that if you haven't already seen them, there are some SPOILERS for the discs listed. If you only buy three titles that hit Blu-ray in February, here's what we suggest you pick up, starting with the most essential... 'The Before Trilogy' - Love is an ongoing conversation. It can be exciting and awkward and scary to start. And it requires work and effort and active participation from all parties to keep going and growing and evolving. Fully examining this notion in ways both figurative and quite literal, Richard Linklater's 'Before Trilogy' captures one couple's romance through three distinct yet irrevocably connected phases -- creating one unified cinematic conversation about love, change, and human connection. Blending a dialogue heavy presentation with a loose narrative construction and understated visuals, Linklater essentially crafts three movies that more or less follow one couple, Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy), as they walk and talk their way through Vienna, Paris, and Greece. All the while, they discuss the general mysteries of existence while they fall in love, part ways, reconnect, get together, and ultimately face the mounting flaws in their once idyllic romance. Shifting nine years with each new installment, the trilogy sees the characters and cast age from their twenties to their thirties to their forties, weaving in real life inspirations from the cast and filmmaker's own experiences in love, marriage, and parenthood. A perfect encapsulation of the director's unassuming, everyday approach to arthouse cinema, the trilogy ultimately paints a deceptively striking and realistic picture of relationships through an affecting tug of war between romanticism and cynicism. With 'The Before Trilogy,' Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy form one of contemporary film's most rewarding collaborations, resulting in a perfectly complementary fusing of their individual artistic gifts and perspectives, elevating the material in ways that would simply be impossible if one link were removed. Collected in a comprehensive boxset complete with a wealth of interesting supplements and an authentic technical presentation, these three films have been given the special treatment that they deserve, giving viewers the opportunity to revisit Jesse and Celine's ongoing conversation whenever they want. Buy the Blu-ray 'Arrival' - Within a linear interpretation of time, the concept of cause and effect couldn't be any simpler. Make one action first, and another incident will occur as a direct consequence. But what if this chain of events was far less rigid and concrete? What if choices and their results existed as sustainable paradoxes, with the response coming at the same time or even before the question? If you already knew the answer would you still ask it? If you already knew the destination and its cost, would you still embark on the journey? Fueled by an emotionally charged examination of memory and communication, Denis Villeneuve's 'Arrival' probes deep into these heady ideas, fully exposing the power of cinematic language and its unique ability to reshape time. Placing a more intimate spin on typical big-screen first contact scenarios, the movie uses its high-concept premise to weave a fundamentally human tale, using the heptapods' arrival and their unique perception to comment directly on our own species' larger struggles to communicate and on one woman's deeply personal journey. As Louise (Amy Adams) gradually unravel the aliens' unconventional language, she begins to experience their nonlinear relationship with time, shifting and rearranging the nature of her choices, allowing Villeneuve to cut in and out of the present and future while simultaneously revealing new meaning within the movie's own structure. As the film's delicately emotional climax unfolds, cause and effect are shed in a new light, forcing us to weigh one tragic result against the immeasurable value of all that leads us there in the first place -- fusing grief and joy into one inseparable amalgam of the human condition. Through memories of the future, 'Arrival' creates an absorbing and emotionally affecting twist, balancing an intimate portrait of love and loss with a larger commentary on the potentially world-saving effects of proper communication. In other words, this is sci-fi at its best. Thankfully, whether viewed on Blu-ray or Ultra HD Blu-ray, this release features solid video, demo-worthy audio, and a great selection of supplements -- making this disc an essential new arrival to any film fan's shelf. Buy the Blu-ray Buy the Ultra HD Blu-ray 'Doctor Strange' - Over the last nine years, Marvel has brought various aliens, gods, monsters, superheroes, and talking raccoons to the silver screen -- but with Doctor Strange, the studio finally opens the door to the world of magic and mysticism. Bringing the legendary Sorcerer Supreme into their cinematic universe, the studio has once again presented an engaging origin story. And though certain elements of the narrative formula are growing stale, the movie features some of Marvel's most striking and engaging visuals yet -- filling the frame with enough mind-bending imagery to put a smile on even the most skeptical Steve Ditko fan's face. Yes, the character's overall arc is undeniably familiar -- turning an arrogant selfish man into an honorable selfless hero -- but that doesn't make the journey any less thrilling and entertaining, especially when a perfectly cast Benedict Cumberbatch serves as its star. And with a generous helping of imaginative effects, the runtime does a great job of introducing audiences to the mystical side of Marvel's world. To be honest, when I first saw the trailers, I thought the flick's visuals made it look like a generic 'Inception' rip-off, but in the practice, the city-folding imagery leads to some very creative set pieces, adding a welcomed sense of scope and scale to the production. Likewise, the filmmakers aren't afraid to embrace the source material's appropriately "strange" elements, leading to one particularly trippy voyage through the multiverse that is sure to leave audiences breathless… and questioning what's in their popcorn. Ending with a rather clever spin on the usual "let's destroy an entire city" superhero finale, the movie leaves us with an unconventional, timey-wimey solution to defeating the big bad -- fully cementing Cumberbatch's take on Doctor Strange as a force to be reckoned with. Likewise, with a great technical presentation (especially in 3D) and a nice assortment of special features, this disc itself is quite a force to be reckoned with as well. Now, let's hurry up and get Strange on screen with the rest of The Avengers. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't wait to see Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. finally meet goatee to goatee. Buy the Blu-ray Buy the Blu-ray 3D So, there you have it. While there were many titles worth picking up this February, those are our top three must own recommendations. We'll be back next month with three more essential picks, but for now, what do you think of our selection? What are your choices for February's must own titles?Posted Thu Mar 2, 2017 at 10:00 AM PST by:
