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Original 'Lost Boys' to Join Sequel on Blu-ray This July[teaser]Warner has announced a late-July Blu-ray bow for the original vampires of 'The Lost Boys.' [/teaser] The beloved '80s cult hit starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric and the two Coreys (Haim and Feldman) will hit Blu-ray on July 29, timed to coincide with the high-def release of the just-announced sequel 'The Lost Boys: The Tribe.' Tech specs include 1080p/VC-1 video (2.35:1) and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio, plus English, French and Spanish subtitles. Mirroring the previously-released standard DVD release, 'The Lost Boys' will feature audio commentary with director Joel Schumacher, a making-of documentary, five additional featurettes, deleted scenes, an interactive map of 'Lost Boys' locations, a music video and the theatrical trailer. The disc will also include the same picture-in-picture video commentary (with the two Coreys and actor Jamison Newlander) that appeared on the previous DVD. At press time there was no word on whether Warner would be updating the track to take advantage of the Blu-ray format's BonusView capabilities. Needless to say, we'll keep you posted. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $28.99. As always, you'll find specs for 'The Lost Boys' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 29. We've also set up a dedicated thread for Warner's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss 'The Lost Boys' Blu-ray release.Posted Wed Jun 4, 2008 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Disney Unwraps 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Specs[teaser]Full specs are in for 'Nightmare Before Christmas,' which is due to hit Blu-ray this Summer with hours of all-new bonus material, including an exclusive introduction from Tim Burton.[/teaser] As we've previously reported, late last week Disney set a August 26 Blu-ray arrival (day-and-date with a new standard DVD re-issue) for the Tim Burton holiday masterpiece. The studio has now issued the full press announcement, with tech specs set to include 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video (1.66:1), English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio (both 48kHz/24-bit), and English, French and Spanish subtitles. Supplements new to both the Blu-ray and DVD re-issue include audio commentary with Burton, director Henry Selick and composer Danny Elfman, the "What's This? Jack's Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour" interactive tour of Disneyland's Holiday Haunted Mansion, a "Tim Burton Original Poem" narrated by Christopher Lee, and "Introduction To Frankenweenie!" (a new un-cut version of Burton's classic short). Extras carried over from the previous standard DVD special edition release include "The Making of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" documentary, the "The Worlds of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" featurette, deleted scenes, a storyboard-to-film comparison, Burton's complete original short film 'Vincent,' and theatrical trailers and posters. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release will be a special introduction by Burton. Finally, as previously reported -- in a first for Disney -- both the Blu-ray and the standard DVD will include a Digital Copy of the film (dubbed "DisneyFile") for use on portable video devices. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.99. You'll find final specs for 'Nightmare Before Christmas' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 26. We've also set up a dedicated thread for Disney's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Blu-ray release.Posted Tue Jun 3, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Report: Universal Plotting 'Back to the Future' Blu-ray Release[teaser]'Back to the Future' fans got a sneak peek this past weekend at an apparently in-the-works Blu-ray release of the '80s favorite.[/teaser] As first reported by the site BTTF.com, 'Future' producer Bob Gale surprised fans at a special screening near Orlando with a new digital remaster of the flick, which he said had been produced for an eventual release on Blu-ray. "What you're going to be seeing today is the digital master for the upcoming high-definition Blu-ray version of 'Back to the Future,'" Gale told the crowd. "I don't know when it's coming out yet, but I was involved in the mastering of this tape, so I can tell you that it looks absolutely beautiful!" Gale also spoke to potential supplemental features on a Blu-ray version of the trilogy, saying only that never-before-seen bonus materials may appear, though he stopped short of offering any specifics At press time Universal had not confirmed nor denied plans for a 'Future' release on Blu-ray, but as always we'll keep you updated as any official news comes in. (Thanks to Mike for the tip!)Posted Tue Jun 3, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Rolling Stones to 'Shine a Light' on Blu-ray[teaser]Rock legends the Rolling Stones will make their Blu-ray debut in late July with the acclaimed concert film, 'Shine a Light.' [/teaser] Directed by Martin Scorsese, 'Shine a Light' earned rave reviews and big grosses during its theatrical run last year, including an IMAX release that broke house records for a concert film. Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, the studio has set a July 29 street date for the Blu-ray, day-and-date with the DVD. Confirmed extras include a making-of featurette, plus four music videos ("Undercover Of The Night," "Paint It Black," "Little T and A," "I'm Free"). Tech specs have yet to be revealed, but we'll keep you posted. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.95. As always, you'll find the latest specs for 'Shine a Light' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 29. We've also set up a dedicated thread for the Rolling Stones' high-def debut in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Shine a Light' Blu-ray release.Posted Tue Jun 3, 2008 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Blue Underground Previews Blu-ray Launch Titles[teaser]A new promo released by indie horror distributor Blue Underground reveals it will kick off its Blu-ray support with a host of grindhouse classics later this year.[/teaser] As we've previously reported, Blue Underground announced this past March that they were jumping into Blu-ray, although at the same they stopped short of issuing any exact titles. Now the distributor has revealed their initial title line-up via a video promo on their official website, promising the high-def debut of seminal exploitation fare from such filmmakers as Dario Argento, Ralph Bakashi and William Lustig. The nine titles confirmed to be part of Blue Underground's initial Blu-ray wave include: 'The Final Countdown,' 'The Bird With The Crystal Plumage,' 'The Stendhal Syndrome,' 'Maniac (1980),' 'Vigilante (1983),' 'Fire & Ice,' 'Dead & Buried,' 'Two Evil Eyes,' and 'Uncle Sam: I Want You... Dead!' According to Blue Underground, all of their initial Blu-ray titles will be presented on BD-50 dual-layer discs with full 1080p encodes and DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround and/or Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Surround audio. The company has not yet revealed dates, bonus features or exact pricing for any of the announced titles, but we'll keep you posted with further details and specs as they're confirmed. In the meantime, we've added listings for all nine of Blue Underground's launch wave to the "Release Dates Pending" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule. Stay tuned!Posted Tue Jun 3, 2008 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Sony Plans Blu-ray Action Wave for August[teaser]Action fans, mark your calendars: Sony Pictures has announced it will bring a quartet of high-octane hits starring the likes of Ice Cube, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal to Blu-ray this Summer. [/teaser] Due on August 12, Sony Pictures will release four top action catalog titles on Blu-ray for the first time, including the Ice Cube sequel 'xXx: State of the Union,' Jean-Claude Van Damme's 'Maximum Risk,' the Steven Seagal urban thriller 'Half Past Dead,' and Wesley Snipes in '7 Seconds.' Tech specs will see all four titles presented in their original aspect ratios, with 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround soundtracks. Thus far, supplements have only been announced for 'Half Past Dead,' which is slated to include a filmmaker commentary, making-of featurette and deleted scenes. We'll keep you posted as details for the remaining releases are revealed. Suggested retail price has been set at $28.95 each. As always, you'll find the latest specs for all four action titles inked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under August 12.Posted Mon Jun 2, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Lost Boys: The Tribe' to Bite Into Blu-ray this Summer[teaser]Warner Premiere has announced that the bloodsuckers of 'Lost Boys: The Tribe' will sink their fangs into Blu-ray this July.[/teaser] Reuniting the two Coreys (Haim and Feldman), and starring a host of newcomers including Angus Sutherland (Kiefer's younger brother), the direct-to-video sequel to the '80s cult classic will receive a July 29 debut on Blu-ray (day-and-date with the standard DVD). Announced supplements include a pair of featurettes ("Action Junkies: Extreme Sports-Like Stunt Choreography," "Edgar Frog's Guide to Coming Back Alive"), alternate endings, and four music videos (including a new cover of the original 'Lost Boys' theme song "Cry Little Sister"). Tech specs include 1080p/VC-1 video (2.40:1) and standard Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (at press time there was no word yet on any high-res audio options). Suggested retail for the Blu-ray has been set at $28.99. As always, you'll find the latest specs for 'Lost Boys: The Tribe' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 29. We've also set up a dedicated thread for Warner Premiere's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Lost Boys: The Tribe' Blu-ray release.Posted Mon Jun 2, 2008 at 10:02 AM PDT by: -
DreamWorks Plans 'Madagascar' Blu-ray for September[teaser]In an early alert to retailers, DreamWorks Animation has announced a mid-September bow for the animated hit, 'Madagascar.'[/teaser] Timed to hit stores only days before the theatrical release of the sequel 'Madagascar 2,' the original Ben Stiller/Chris Rock-voiced comedy will hit high-def for the first time on September 16. DreamWorks has yet to confirm tech specs or supplement details for 'Madagascar,' but if the studio's past Blu-ray releases are any indication, the extras should match the previous DVD release. You'll find preliminary specs for 'Madagascar' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 16. We've also set up a dedicated thread for DreamWorks' latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Madagascar' Blu-ray release.Posted Mon Jun 2, 2008 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Nightmare Before Christmas' Blu-ray Gets Date, Digital Copy[teaser]Disney has set an August bow for Tim Burton's 'Nightmare Before Christmas,' which will be the studio's first Blu-ray release to include Digital Copy.[/teaser] The studio first teased us with news of a 'Nightmare' next-gen release this past April when they included a teaser spot on several Blu-ray releases that showed off clips from the release but stopped short of issuing an actual street date. Disney has now confirmed an August 26 bow for the Blu-ray via an article in Video Business, scheduling the next-gen release day-and-date with a new standard DVD re-issue. Complete specs have not yet been released, but the studio is promising several new featurettes on the Blu-ray and DVD, including a look at the making of the film and a tour of the famed Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, a spoken-word poem narrated by Christopher Lee, plus Burton's early short film 'Vincent.' Exclusive to the Blu-ray release will be a new introduction from Burton. Also included on both the Blu-ray and DVD editions will be a Digital Copy of the film, which Disney is dubbing "DisneyFile" and is a first for the studio on high-def. The studio has yet to announce a suggest list price for the Blu-ray, but we'll keep you posted as further details are announced for this hotly-anticipated release. In the meantime, you'll find preliminary specs for 'Nightmare Before Christmas' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 26. Thanks to Jack for the tip!Posted Fri May 30, 2008 at 12:32 PM PDT by: -
'Shrek the Third' Headed to Blu-ray This September[teaser]DreamWorks is bringing the green to Blu, announcing a feature-packed September release of the monster hit 'Shrek the Third.'[/teaser] Grossing over $300 million at the domestic box office, 'Shrek the Third' first hit HD DVD and DVD day-and-date last November. Paramount says it will now debut the eagerly-anticipated Blu-ray version on September 16. Extras will include all of the standard supplements found on the previous HD DVD and standard DVD versions, including a filmmaker audio commentary, nearly a dozen featurettes ("Shrek's Guide to Parenthood," "Tech of Shrek 3," "Worcestershire Academy Yearbook," "Merlin's Magic Crystal Ball," "Learn the Donkey Dance," "How to be Green"), a gag reel, "lost" alternate scenes, music videos and a theatrical trailer. Paramount has not yet announced tech specs, or whether the Blu-ray will also include the high-def exclusives originally produced for the HD DVD. Stay tuned. Suggested retail price has been set at $39.95. You'll find the latest specs for 'Shrek the Third' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 16. We've also set up a dedicated thread for DreamWorks' latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Shrek the Third' Blu-ray release.Posted Fri May 30, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by:
