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Warner Readying 'Goonies' for Blu-ray?[teaser]An overseas website is reporting that Warner has announced a French Blu-ray of 'The Goonies' for this October, fueling speculation that a domestic next-gen release is soon to follow.[/teaser] According to a report from PlanetaHD, Warner has issued an October 15 Blu-ray release date for the Richard Donner cult classic, even going so far as to release an advert with box art to the overseas trades. Reported specs for the release include 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio. Supplements will mirror the previous standard DVD, with a video commentary with Donner and the film's young cast, a featurette, deleted scenes and a Cyndi Lauper music video. At press time, Warner has neither confirmed nor denied plans for a 'Goonies' debut on Blu-ray, but with the overseas release looming, indications certainly look good that the studio will soon be announcing a companion domestic release. As always, we'll keep you updated as any official news comes in. In the meantime, we've added 'The Goonies' to the "Release Dates Pending" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule.Posted Wed Jun 25, 2008 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'300,' 'JFK' Lead Warner Blu-ray Fall Catalog Brigade[teaser]Warner has given a sneak peek of its upcoming fall line-up of next-gen catalog releases, unveiling plans to bring 'JFK,' 'Casablanca' and a redux of '300' to Blu-ray this year.[/teaser] During a presentation at the Entertainment Merchants Association Conference held yesterday in Las Vegas, Warner execs revealed plans to bring newly-remastered and feature-laden Collector's Editions of Oliver Stone's 'JFK' and the Oscar-winning classic 'Casablanca' (previously released on HD DVD) to standard DVD and Blu-ray this Fall. Also due this year is a new Limited Collector's Edition of the blockbuster '300,' which should boast the numerous exclusive features found on the HD DVD edition of the film that were dropped from the previous Blu-ray version. (A double dip of the top-selling next-gen title has long been rumored, but had yet to be confirmed by the studio.) Finally, Warner/HBO also reiterated their announcement earlier this year that the award-winning epic miniseries 'Band of Brothers' would be making its much-anticipated high-def bow this year. No street dates, or any further tech specs, were issued by the studio, but needless to say, watch this space for the latest news on all future Warner announcements. In the meantime, we've added listings for all of Warner's announced titles to the "Release Dates Pending" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule. Stay tuned!Posted Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Cirque du Soleil to Make Blu-ray Bow with 'Corteo'[teaser]Acclaimed theatrical troupe Cirque du Soleil is set to make their high-def debut this September, when Sony Pictures releases their latest live spectacular 'Corteo.'[/teaser] Inspired by the Italian cortege, which combines a festive parade with the physicality of clowning, 'Cirque du Soleil: Corteo' brings the troupe's acclaimed acrobatics together with imaginative visuals and dramatic staging. Sony Pictures will debut the Blu-ray on September 2, day-and-date with the standard DVD. The studio has yet to issue any tech specs or supplemental details for 'Corteo,' though given the rather bare bones presentations on previous Cirque du Soleil DVD releases, extras will likely be minimal. We'll keep you posted. Suggested retail for the Blu-ray has been set at $29.95. You'll find the preliminary specs for 'Cirque du Soleil: Corteo' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 2.Posted Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Sony Plots 'Felon' Blu-ray for August[teaser]Sony Pictures has announced it is bringing the dark indie crime drama 'Felon' to Blu-ray this August.[/teaser] Starring Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff, 'Felon' had not even received a theatrical release date at press time, indicating that the film is likely to go directly to video when Sony issues the Blu-ray on August 12 (day-and-date with the DVD. Tech specs include 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video (1.85:1) and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround options in English, French and Portuguese. Extras include only a single making-of featurette, "The Shark Tank: A Look Inside 'Felon.'" Suggested retail for the Blu-ray has been set at $38.95. You'll find the latest specs for 'Felon' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 12.Posted Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
First Look Bows Low-Priced Blu-rays with 'The Breed'[teaser]First Look Studios is kicking off a new series of low-priced Blu-rays with the October debut of 'The Breed.'[/teaser] Priced at a new company-low of only $19.98 (considerably cheaper than First Look's usual $39.98 MSRP), the indie will debut 'The Breed' on Blu-ray October 21. (The title will be trailed a week later by another discount Blu-ray release, the just-announced direct-to-video sequel 'Prince & Me 2,' with further titles at the new price point to follow.) A "nature run amok" horror film in the tradition of 'Cujo,' 'The Breed' stars Michelle Rodriquez, Taryn Manning and Oliver Hudson as would-be victims of rampaging, genetically-engineered canines. First Look has not yet revealed tech specs,for 'The Breed.' Needless to say, we'll keep you posted as more details come in. You'll find the latest specs for 'The Breed' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 21.Posted Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'Metropolis' Coming to Blu-ray in 2009[teaser]There's no date yet, but Kino International says it is planning to bring the Fritz Lang classic 'Metropolis' to Blu-ray in early 2009.[/teaser] Oft-cited as an inspiration for everything from 'Star Wars' to 'Blade Runner' to '2001: A Space Odyssey,' 1927's 'Metropolis' has had a lasting influence on the genre and, with a budget equivalent of nearly $200 million today, is widely considered to be the first true cinematic spectacle ever produced. Although the film's legacy has long been marred by poor quality early video editions, the film was rescued by a glorious, frame-by-frame restoration in 2002. Though the company has yet to commit to a hard release date, they have confirmed that a first-ever Blu-ray edition will kick off the indie's just-announced next-gen support in early 2009 There are no tech specs or supplemental details available as of yet, but the previous DVD was loaded with extras so expectations remain high. We'll certainly keep you posted as soon as more details come to us. In the meantime, we've added 'Metropolis' to the "Release Dates Pending" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule. Stay tuned!Posted Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Prince & Me' Double Header Coming to Blu-ray[teaser]First Look Studios has announced a late-October release for the direct-to-video premiere sequels to the teen romance 'The Prince & Me.'[/teaser] Originally released by Paramount Pictures in 2004, 'The Prince & Me' was only a modest hit at the box office, but the film subsequently developed a modest cult following on video. Two direct-to-video sequels have followed, first with 'The Prince & Me 2: Royal Wedding' in 2006, and due later this year, 'The Prince & Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon.' First Look will debut both sequels on Blu-ray as stand-alone releases on October 28, with 'Prince & Me 3' due day-and-date with the standard DVD. There are no tech specs yet, and First Look has not announced any bonus features for either title. Suggested retail price for 'Prince & Me 2' is a bargain-priced $19.98, with 'Prince & Me 3' listing for $34.98. You'll find preliminary specs for both 'Prince & Me' sequels linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under August 28.Posted Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
First Look: 'Transformers' Blu-ray Box Art[teaser]The Blu-ray won't arrive until September, but Paramount'/DreamWorks has released a first look at the box art for the Michael Bay blockbuster.[/teaser] As previously reported, Paramount/DreamWorks set a September 2 Blu-ray bow for 'Transformers,' nearly a year after the HD DVD version became that format's all-time top-seller. Confirmed specs for the Blu-ray sees a matching set of bonus features, including audio commentary with Bay, a pair of four-part documentaries ("Our World," "Their War"), the "From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack" featurette, a "Concepts" still gallery, theatrical trailers, and multiple easter eggs. Although Paramount has yet to detail whether all of the exclusive content found on the HD DVD (including PIP, a GPS tracking feature and more) will be included on the Blu-ray, the studio has confirmed the release will be BD-Live-enabled with exact details to be announced soon. Tech specs include 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio -- a bump up from the non-high-res audio Dolby Digital track found on the HD DVD. Finally, Paramount/DreamWorks has revealed final box art for 'Transformers,' which will also mirror the HD DVD and DVD releases: As previously announced, suggested retail for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.98. As always, you'll find final specs for 'Transformers' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 2.Posted Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Warner Planning Winter Launch for BD-Live[teaser]Warner is preparing to launch its first BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray titles in time for the Winter holidays, the company revealed at a press event held this past Friday.[/teaser] During the keynote address at the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy conference, president of Warner Bros. Technical Operations Darcy Antonellis confirmed that the studio's first Blu-ray titles to feature web-enabled interactivity are being readied for release as soon as the end of 2008. Among the cutting-edge BD-Live interactivite features planned for the as-yet-unnamed titles include real-time viewing, a search engine, library access, and a "recommendation tool" for other titles complete with e-mail reminders. More standard features also planned include real-time and downloadable content such as picture-in-picture, deleted scenes and trailers, as well as ringtones and wallpapers. Predicting quicker adoption of web-enabled content versus DVD-ROM features on standard DVD, Antonellis cited videogame adoption and the success of personal networking websites as key to mass consumer acceptance. "I think it [BD-Live] has the ability to compete [with MySpace and YouTube] for a user's time because you are taking them online and you're able to create a community that we have never been able to do before," she said. 'That's huge for us." Although the studio declined to confirm any specific titles slated to receive the BD-Live treatment, Antonellis pointed to the upcoming 'The Dark Knight' as a likely candidate, hinting that an online chat activity for the release is being considered. "These are exclusive opportunities that can be offered through this small community that is created with these [Profile 2.0] players," Antonellis said. "We are no longer limited by finite capacity on the disc." We'll certainly keep you posted on this story as it develops. Stay tuned!Posted Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Smile! 'Faces of Death' Coming to Blu-ray[teaser]In an auspicious next-gen debut, MPI has announced plans to bring the notorious documentary 'Faces of Death' to Blu-ray in time for Halloween.[/teaser] "Often imitated, never equaled," the legendary 1978 cult oddity is responsible for igniting the short-lived "snuff" craze of the late '70s (as well as inspiring a string of even tackier sequels). Although a good portion of the film's footage has since been revealed as fake, 'Faces of Death' remains banned in several countries and is sure to ignite more debate when it hits Blu-ray on October 7. Comprised entirely of grainy video and 8mm film footage, MPI has nevertheless newly-remastered 'Faces of Death' in 1080 video and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio for its high-def debut. Extras include two featurettes ("Choice Cuts with Editor Glenn Gurner," "The Death Makers with Special Make-Up FX Creators Allan A. Apone and Douglas J. White" -- the latter revealing many of the film's staged illusions), deleted scenes, even more grisly outtakes, and theatrical trailers for all of the installments of the 'Faces of Death' series. MPI has set a suggested list price of $29.98 for the Blu-ray. Don't say we didn't warn you, but you'll find specs for 'Faces of Death' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 7.Posted Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by:
