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HDD Deal of the Week: 'Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection' Blu-ray $98.99 at Amazon[teaser]Save big on the master of suspense's Blu-ray boxed set this week at Amazon![/teaser] Amazon is selling 'Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection' for $98.99 (67% off the suggested retail price). Universally recognized as the Master of Suspense, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock directed some of cinema’s most thrilling and unforgettable classics. Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection features 15 iconic films from the acclaimed director’s illustrious career including Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest and many more. Starring Hollywood favorites such as James Stewart, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Paul Newman, Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery and Kim Novak, this definitive collection showcases a true cinematic master at his best. Featuring over 15 hours of insightful bonus features plus an exclusive collectible book, each film has been digitally restored from high resolution film elements for the ultimate Hitchcock experience. Click here to order your copy (if you haven't already) today! This offer is available from now through March 29.Posted Sun Mar 22, 2015 at 07:02 AM PDT by: -
Richard LaGravenese's 'The Last Five Years' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]The musical drama starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan arrives on Blu-ray in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay will be releasing 'The Last Five Years' on Blu-ray on May 5. 'The Last Five Years' retraces a tumultuous love affair between Jamie Wellerstein, a talented up and coming novelist (Jeremy Jordan), and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress (Anna Kendrick), through the ups and downs of their turbulent five-year relationship. Told almost entirely through song, Cathy's story begins at the end of their marriage and moves backwards in time to the beginning of their relationship, while Jamie's starts at the beginning and moves forward to the end of their marriage. They meet in the middle when Jamie proposes. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include a sing-a-long version and a conversation with composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Last Five Years' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 5.Posted Fri Mar 20, 2015 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Jean-Luc Godard's 'Goodbye to Language - 3D' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The Best Picture of 2014 according to the National Society of Film Critics and a winner of the Cannes Jury Prize is planned for Blu-ray 3D in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Kino is set to release 'Goodbye to Language - 3D' on Blu-ray on April 14. Goodbye to Language continues the master filmmaker's long tradition of cinematic innovation that goes all the way back to his explosive debut feature, Breathless, his work in the French New Wave style with such classics as Contempt and A Woman is a Woman, his challenging and provocative political films, and his pioneering use of video. Constantly expanding and experimenting with the limits of film form, Godard uses 3D to create stunning new visual effects, including separate images visible in each eye, which Scott Foundas in Variety said result "in a series of strange superimpositions that almost seem to enter a fourth, unclassified dimension." Using 3D technology to mind-bending effect, the film follows a couple whose relationship breaks down along with the images, which in its second half takes a dog's-eye view of the world. It is a meditation on history and illusion that creates 3D effects more spectacular than any Hollywood blockbuster, figures merging and weaving across the screen along with the film's ideas about romantic love and being-in-the-world. It has the feeling of a final statement, but knowing Godard's penchant for re-invention, hopefully it is yet another beginning to an extraordinary career. Kino Lorber released the film theatrically in 2014, opening at New York's IFC Center to tremendous critical acclaim, before moving on to screen in over 50 national markets including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland, Chicago, Seattle and Boston, and playing to sold out houses and repeat bookings by popular demand. Kino Lorber also released Godard's previous feature, Film Socialisme, in 2011. The 2-disc set will feature both the 3D and 2D versions of the film and supplements will include a booklet essay on the film by film scholar David Bordwell, the theatrical trailer, and the Canon Europe Interview with Jean-Luc Godard. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Goodbye to Language - 3D' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 14. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Mar 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
The Black Comedy 'Home Sweet Hell' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The film starring Katherine Heigl and Patrick Wilson arrives on Blu-ray next month. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony will be releasing 'Home Sweet Hell' on Blu-ray on April 7. Don Champagne (Patrick Wilson) seems to have it all: a successful business, a perfect house, perfect kids and a perfect wife. Unfortunately, when his wife, Mona (Katherine Heigl), learns of Don's affair with a pretty new salesgirl (Jordana Brewster), this suburban slice of heaven spirals out of control. Don soon realizes that Mona will stop at nothing, including murder, to maintain their storybook life where perception is everything. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Suburban Butchery: Making Home Sweet Hell featurette, Nine Deleted Scenes (seven exclusive), as well as Blu-ray exclusive Outtakes and Champagne Furniture Store Commercial. You can find the latest specs for 'Home Sweet Hell' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 7. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Mar 20, 2015 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Masaomi Ando's 'Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse: Collection 2' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Episodes 13 to 24 of the anime series will hit Blu-ray in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Section23 is preparing to release 'Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse: Collection 2' on Blu-ray on May 12. Even in the face of annihilation by the invading BETA forces, the persistent hostilities between the surviving nations continue to undermine mankind's chances for survival. Desperate to gain the Type 99, the Soviet Command puts not only their own pilots but the rest of the human race on the firing line as they sabotage the Kamchatka base self-destruct codes in an attempt to salvage the railgun for their own purposes. Caught in the crossfire, Yuuya, Yui, and the other TSF pilots must fight their way to safety through a nightmarish series of traps and counter-traps before the base is bombed or the BETA take them all. Only a series of heroic sacrifices can save them, and that's just the beginning of the danger. The mysterious arrival of an unidentified TSF and an escalating competition to dominate the new world's power and military structures ignite a new chain of events that further threaten to undercut humanity's chances. The 2-disc set will feature 1080p video, lossless 2.0 soundtracks (in English and Japanese) and supplements will include clean opening and closing animations. You can find the latest specs for 'Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse: Collection 2' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 12. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Mar 20, 2015 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Criterion's June Blu-ray Titles Now Available for Pre-Order![teaser]The distributor has revealed its upcoming slate of June releases, including Terry Gilliam's 'The Fisher King' and Louis Malle's 'My Dinner with Andre.' [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion is preparing 'My Dinner with André,' 'A Master Builder,' 'André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films,' 'The Bridge,' 'The Fisher King (Criterion),' 'Valerie and Her Week of Wonders,' and 'Five Easy Pieces' for Blu-ray throughout the month of June. 'My Dinner with André' (June 16) - In Louis Malle's captivating and philosophical 'My Dinner with André,' actor and playwright Wallace Shawn sits down with friend and theater director André Gregory at an Upper West Side restaurant, and the two proceed into an alternately whimsical and despairing confessional on love, death, money, and all the superstition in between. Playing variations on their own New York–honed personas, Shawn and Gregory, who also wrote the screenplay, dive in with introspective, intellectual gusto, and Malle captures it all with a delicate, artful detachment. A fascinating freeze-frame of cosmopolitan culture, My Dinner with André remains a unique work in cinema history. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Interview from 2009 with actors and cowriters André Gregory and Wallace Shawn, conducted by their friend the filmmaker Noah Baumbach; "My Dinner with Louis," a 1982 episode of the BBC program Arena in which Shawn interviews director Louis Malle; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Amy Taubin and the prefaces written by Gregory and Shawn for the 1981 publication of the film’s screenplay. Order the Blu-ray 'A Master Builder' (June 16) - Twenty years after their brilliant cinema-theater experiment 'Vanya on 42nd Street,' Wallace Shawn and André Gregory reunited to produce another idiosyncratic big-screen version of a classic play, this time Henrik Ibsen’s Bygmester Solness ('Master Builder Solness'). Brought pristinely to the screen by Jonathan Demme, this is a compellingly abstract reimagining; it features Shawn (who also wrote the adaptation) as a visionary but tyrannical middle-aged architect haunted by figures from his past, most acutely an attractive, vivacious young woman (the breathtaking newcomer Lisa Joyce) who has appeared on his doorstep. Also featuring standout supporting performances from Julie Hagerty, Larry Pine, and Gregory, 'A Master Builder,' like 'Vanya,' is the result of many years of rehearsals, a living, breathing, constantly shifting work that unites theater, film, and dream. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: New interview with director Jonathan Demme, director and star André Gregory, and screenwriter and actor Wallace Shawn, conducted by film critic David Edelstein; New conversation between actors Julie Hagerty and Lisa Joyce; New program featuring Gregory, Shawn, and their friend the author Fran Lebowitz in conversation; Trailer; PLUS: An essay by film critic Michael Sragow. Order the Blu-ray 'André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films' (June 16) - When André Gregory and Wallace Shawn—theater directors, writers, actors, and longtime friends—sat down for a stimulating meal in 1981’s 'My Dinner with André,' they not only ended up with one of cinema’s unlikeliest iconic scenarios but launched a film collaboration that would continue to pay creative dividends for decades. The subsequent projects they made together for the screen—1994’s 'Vanya on 42nd Street,' a passionate read-through of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, and 2014’s striking Henrik Ibsen interpretation 'A Master Builder'—are penetrating works that exist on the edge of theater and film, and that both emerged out of many years of rehearsals with loyal troupes of actors. Gregory and Shawn’s unique contributions to the cinematic landscape are shape-shifting, challenging, and entertaining works about the process of creation. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English LPCM Mono soundtrack (My Dinner with Andre), English LPCM 2.0 soundtrack (Vanya on 42nd Street), and English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack (A Master Builder), and supplements will include: Interview from 2009 with André Gregory and Wallace Shawn about My Dinner with André, conducted by their friend the filmmaker Noah Baumbach; "My Dinner with Louis," a 1982 episode of the BBC program Arena in which Shawn interviews director Louis Malle; Documentary from 2012 about Vanya on 42nd Street, featuring interviews with Gregory; actors Lynn Cohen, George Gaynes, Julianne Moore, Larry Pine, Shawn, and Brooke Smith; and producer Fred Berner; New interviews about A Master Builder with Gregory, Shawn, director Jonathan Demme, and actors Julie Hagerty and Lisa Joyce; New program featuring Gregory, Shawn, and their friend the author Fran Lebowitz in conversation; Trailers for Vanya on 42nd Street and A Master Builder; PLUS: Essays on the films by critics Amy Taubin, Steve Vineberg, and Michael Sragow; the prefaces written by Gregory and Shawn for the 1981 publication of My Dinner with André’s screenplay; and a 1994 report by Taubin from the set of Vanya on 42nd Street. Order the Blu-ray 'The Bridge' (June 23) - The astonishing 'The Bridge,' by Bernhard Wicki, was the first major antiwar film to come out of Germany after World War II, as well as the nation's first postwar film to be widely shown internationally, even securing an Oscar nomination. Set near the end of the war, it follows a group of teenage boys in a small town as they contend with everyday matters like school, girls, and parents, before enlisting as soldiers and being forced to defend their home turf in a confused, terrifying battle. This expressively shot, emotionally bruising drama dared to humanize young German soldiers at a historically tender moment, and proved influential for the coming generation of New German Cinema auteurs. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed German mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New interview with writer Gregor Dorfmeister, on whose autobiographical novel the film is based; New interview with filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff about the film’s impact on German cinema; Interview from 1989 with director Bernhard WickiExcerpt from a 2007 documentary by Elisabeth Wicki-Endriss, Wicki’s wife, featuring test reel footage from the shoot; PLUS: An essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty. Order the Blu-ray 'The Fisher King' (June 23) - A fairy tale grounded in poignant reality, the magnificent, Manhattan-set 'The Fisher King,' by Terry Gilliam, features Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams in two of their most brilliant roles. Bridges plays a former radio shock jock reconstructing his life after a scandal, and Williams is a homeless man on a quest for the Holy Grail—which he believes to be hidden somewhere on the Upper West Side. Unknowingly linked by their pasts, the two men aid each other on a fanciful journey to redemption. This singular American odyssey features a witty script by Richard La Gravenese, evocative cinematography by Roger Pratt, and superb supporting performances by Amanda Plummer and an Oscar-winning Mercedes Ruehl, all harnessed by Gilliam into a humane, funny modern-day myth. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary featuring Gilliam; New interviews with Gilliam; producer Lynda Obst; screenwriter Richard La Gravenese; and actors Jeff Bridges, Amanda Plummer, and Mercedes Ruehl; New interviews with artists Keith Greco and Vincent Jefferds on the creation of the film’s Red Knight; Interview from 2006 with actor Robin Williams; New video essay featuring Bridges’s on-set photographs; Deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Gilliam; Costume tests; Trailers; PLUS: An essay by critic Bilge Ebiri. Order the Blu-ray 'Valerie and Her Week of Wonders' (June 30) - A girl on the verge of womanhood finds herself in a sensual fantasyland of vampires, witchcraft, and other threats in this eerie and mystical movie daydream. 'Valerie and Her Week of Wonders' serves up an endlessly looping, nonlinear fairy tale, set in a quasi-medieval landscape. Ravishingly shot, enchantingly scored, and spilling over with surreal fancies, this enticing phantasmagoria from director Jaromil Jireš is among the most beautiful oddities of the Czechoslovak New Wave. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Czech mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Three early shorts by director Jaromil Jireš: Uncle (1959), Footprints (1960), and The Hall of Lost Steps (1960); New interview with Czechoslovak film scholar Peter Hames; Interviews from 2006 with actors Jaroslava Schallerová and Jan Klusák; Alternate 2007 psych-folk soundtrack to the film by the Valerie Project, and a new video piece on the music's origins; PLUS: An essay by critic Jana Prikryl. Order the Blu-ray 'Five Easy Pieces' (June 30) - Following Jack Nicholson's breakout supporting turn in 'Easy Rider,' director Bob Rafelson devised a powerful leading role for the new star in the searing character study Five Easy Pieces. Nicholson plays the now iconic cad Bobby Dupea, a shiftless thirtysomething oil rigger and former piano prodigy immune to any sense of responsibility, who returns to his upper-middle-class childhood home, blue-collar girlfriend (Karen Black, in an Oscar-nominated role) in tow, to see his estranged ailing father. Moving in its simplicity and gritty in its textures, 'Five Easy Pieces' is a lasting example of early 1970s American alienation. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary featuring director Bob Rafelson and interior designer Toby Rafelson; Soul Searching in “Five Easy Pieces,” a 2009 video piece with Rafelson; BBStory, a 2009 documentary about the legendary film company BBS Productions, with Rafelson; actors Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Ellen Burstyn; directors Peter Bogdanovich and Henry Jaglom; and others; Documentary from 2009 about BBS featuring critic David Thomson and historian Douglas Brinkley; Audio excerpts from a 1976 AFI interview with Rafelson; Theatrical trailer and teasers; PLUS: An essay by critic Kent Jones. Order the Blu-ray Suggested list price for each single-disc Blu-ray is $39.95. Suggested list price for 'André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films' is $99.95. You can find the latest specs for all of the titles listed above linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed throughout June.Posted Thu Mar 19, 2015 at 12:30 PM PDT by: -
Scream Factory Reveals More Summer Blu-rays[teaser]More 1980s films will be getting the Blu-ray treatment this summer. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Scream Factory will be releasing 'The Outing / The Godsend' and 'Cellar Dweller / Catacombs' on Blu-ray on July 14, 'The Outing / The Godsend' and 'Ghost Town' on July 28, and 'Nomads' and 'Jack's Back' on a date still to be determined. The Outing - An ancient genie is released from a lamp when thieves ransack an old woman's house. They are killed and the lamp is moved to a museum to be studied. The curator's daughter is soon possessed by the genie and invites her friends to spend the night at the museum, along with some uninvited guests. The genie kills them off in an attempt to fulfill her ultimate wish. The Godsend - An English family of six takes in a pregnant woman who disappears shortly after giving birth. They raise the baby girl as their own, but over the years the strange deaths of their children make them consider whether the little girl is more than she appears. Cellar Dweller - In the 1930s a horror-comic artist's creations come alive and kill him. Years later a new cartoonist revives the creatures in his house, now part of an artist's colony. Catacombs - A demon is trapped in a monastery. 400 years later a young girl arrives at the monastery to study. Ghost Town - A dusty ghost town, seemingly abandoned, holds the lives of its original inhabitants in an animated netherworld for 100 years. When a modern sheriff is lured to the town in search of a missing beauty, he comes face to face with this evil from the past. Nomads - They creep. They kill... and no one knows who they are or where they came from. But when these rootless, demonic spirits descend on a determined doctor, all hell breaks loose. Bitten by a dying madman named Jean Pommier, Dr. Eileen Flax becomes the vessel for his turbulent and insane thoughts. Thrust into his last days, she is shocked to discover the existence of mysterious and murderous demons on a quest for destruction... and begins her own quest to somehow stop them before she joins Pommier in his horrifying fate. Jack's Back - The 'Jack' who's 'back' in this contemporary chiller is none other than Jack the Ripper. The scene is Los Angeles: the time is August of 1988, exactly 100 years after the Ripper's original reign of terror in Whitechapel. When several LA prostitutes turn up murdered and disemboweled, young physician James Spader is accused of emulating Spring Heel'd Jack. Before the film is half over, Spader is killed, and so far as the police are concerned, the case is closed. But then, Spader's twin brother appears on the scene, determined to track down the genuine culprit (if it doesn't turn out to be him, that is!). Handled with restraint, Jack's Back covers much of the same ground as the classic Robert Bloch tale Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper,' though its crucial plot twist is a tad more clever (if a bit silly out of context). No other details have been revealed at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Outing / The Godsend' 'Cellar Dweller / Catacombs,' 'Ghost Town,' 'Nomads,' and 'Jack's Back' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule.Posted Thu Mar 19, 2015 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Power: The Complete First Season' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The crime drama series from creator Courtney Kemp Agboh and executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is planned for Blu-ray in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay will be releasing 'Power: The Complete First Season' on Blu-ray on May 12. James "Ghost" St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite; the famous and infamous boldface names that run the city that never sleeps. As its success grows, so do Ghost's plans to build an empire. However, Truth hides an ugly reality. It's a front for Ghost's criminal underworld, a lucrative drug network, serving only the wealthy and powerful. As Ghost is seduced by the prospect of a legitimate life, everything precious to him becomes unknowingly threatened. Once you're in, can you ever get out? Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $69.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Power: The Complete First Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 12.Posted Thu Mar 19, 2015 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
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'Styx: Live At The Orleans Arena' Planned for Blu-ray[teaser]The 2014 concert will rock Blu-ray in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Eagle Rock is working on 'Styx: Live At The Orleans Arena' for Blu-ray on May 26. Filmed in High Definition on July 25, 2014, Live At The Orleans Arena Las Vegas is a sonic showcase of Styx's live prowess and razor-sharp musicianship. This show features the band, backed by huge video screens, performing a set list packed with hit songs, classic tracks, and fan favorites, including "Lady," "Too Much Time On My Hands," "Rockin' The Paradise," "Come Sail Away," "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)," "Renegade," and "Suite Madame Blue." The evening also held a special surprise when Don Felder – former Eagles guitarist – took the stage to join the band on "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)". In addition to the live set, Live At The Orleans Arena Las Vegas features a bonus interview with band members Tommy Shaw (vocals/guitar), James "JY" Young (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Todd Sucherman (drums), Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards), Ricky Phillips (bass, backing vocals), and Chuck Panozzo (bass guitar). Formed in Chicago in 1972, Styx played a key role in defining the AOR genre, and established themselves as one of America's greatest rock bands. Their blend of soaring melodies, hard rock guitar, and prog-rock elements led to millions of global record sales and numerous platinum and multi-platinum albums. With over 40 years of rockin' under their belt, the band isn't slowing down any time soon, and will embark on a national tour this summer with Def Leppard and Tesla. See below for dates. Tracks include: 1) The Grand Illusion 2) Too Much Time On My Hands 3) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) 4) Lady 5) Suite Madame Blue 6) Light Up 7) Crystal Ball 8) Superstars 9) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) 10) Come Sail Away 11) Rockin' The Paradise 12) Renegade You can find the latest specs for 'Styx: Live At The Orleans Arena' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 26.Posted Thu Mar 19, 2015 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Loft' Starring Karl Urban & James Marsden Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Director Erik Van Looy's thriller is heading to Blu-ray in May, and you can pre-order the movie here. [/teaser]In an early announcement to retailers, Universal is preparing 'The Loft' for Blu-ray on May 26. Five married guys conspire to secretly share a penthouse loft in the city--a place where they can carry out hidden affairs and indulge in their deepest fantasies. But the fantasy becomes a nightmare when they discover the dead body of an unknown woman in the loft, and they realize one of the group must be involved. Specs and supplements have not been detailed yet. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.98. You can find the latest specs for 'The Loft' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under May 26. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Mar 18, 2015 at 12:00 PM PDT by:
