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'Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The long-awaited remastered edition arrives on Blu-ray in September! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay is working on 'Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition' for Blu-ray on September 24. 'Halloween' stars Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut role and tells the now iconic story of Michael Myers, who, as a child, butchered his sister with a kitchen knife. Committed to a mental institution and watched over by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance), the madman engineers his escape 15 years later, returning to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night to terrorize anyone who gets in his way, including babysitter Laurie Strode (Curtis). In 1978, Compass International Pictures released an indie horror film by an up and coming director and a largely unknown cast. Presented by the late Moustapha Akkad, the film cost $325,000 and ended up not only becoming one of the most successful independent motion pictures of its time, but single handedly created the genre of the modern horror film along with the first iconic (via a painted-over William Shatner mask) cinematic slasher. Its global success spawned seven sequels, a reboot directed by Rob Zombie, and a sequel-to-the-reboot, as well as created generations of grateful fans. "Anchor Bay Entertainment has been home to Halloween for almost 20 years," noted Malek Akkad, President of Trancas International Films and son of Moustapha Akkad. "I'm so happy that we're partnering with them to present the definitive edition of what is widely acknowledged as one of the seminal horror films of the 20th century." The Blu-ray will feature a brand-new 1080p personally supervised by Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Dean Cundey, a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack (plus original mono), and the disc will include: All-new commentary track with writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis; "The Night She Came Home" new featurette with Jamie Lee Curtis (HD); On Location; Trailers, TV & Radio Spots; and Additional Scenes from TV Version. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under September 24.Posted Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Defiance: Season One' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]All twelve first season episodes of the sci-fi series will hit Blu-ray in October. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal is preparing 'Defiance: Season One' for Blu-ray on October 15. Defiance is the first of its kind. A convergence of television and multi-platform videogame featuring an interconnected world that evolves together -- series and videogame -- into one story. The year is 2046 and more than three decades have passed since aliens arrived, changing life on Earth forever. In the frontier town of Defiance, a drifter-turned-lawkeeper, Nolan (Grant Bowler, True Blood), and Mayor Rosewater (Julie Benz, Dexter) attempt to lead the human and alien residents through the prejudices and politics that threaten the fragile peace they've fought for. The three-disc set will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Defiance: A Transmedia Revolution; Behind the Scenes with Jesse Rath; Making Defiance; Deleted Scenes; Gag Reel; and Ultraviolet Digital Copies. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $69.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Defiance: Season One' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under October 15.Posted Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Goes Behind the Scenes on 'Oblivion' Vehicles, VFX, and Propsby Michael S. Palmer [NOTE: if you missed 'Oblivion' theatrically and loathe even minor spoilers, you might want to avoid this article and its forum thread. Akin to watching Blu-ray special features before seeing the movie, this backlot tour was designed to get a behind-the-scenes peak at the vehicles, special effects, and props used to create the final film. As such, there are allusions to sequences that may, or may not, be obvious plot twists. Cheers.] With 'Oblivion' set to make its Blu-ray debut next week (August 6) here in the states, HDD's own Aaron Peck has already given the Blu 5-stars for video and audio, calling this release "highly recommended on all fronts. Even if you don't like the movie, the demo material this disc provides is some of the best you'll find anywhere." To promote the film, which is already available as an HD digital download from services like Amazon Instant, [teaser]Universal invited foreign and domestic press to its backlot for three separate behind-the-scenes displays.[/teaser] We got to check out the film's Bubble Ship, with a brief presentation by designer, Daniel Simon. Then Digital Domain's Eric Barba and PIXMONDO's Bjorn Mayer took us through the film's visual effects. And finally, NBC-Universal Production Archivers, Deidre Thieman and Natalie Taylor, were on hand to give us a quick tour through the film's props, costumes, and smaller vehicles. Here's what we saw: Daniel Simon -- Bubble Ship Designer We first met Daniel Simon, a German concept designer. Supercar enthusiasts might know Daniel's work for Bugatti; the rest of us might recognize his vehicles from 'Tron: Legacy', 'Captain America: The First Avenger', 'Prometheus' and, of course, the 'Oblivion' Bubble Ship (and Drones). I have to say, in person, this thing looks like it could fly. Only when Daniel physically moved the hand-adjustable engines did it become clear this beautifully-built ship was only a prop. Though the initial idea only took two minutes to draw, Daniel worked on the Bubble Ship from 2009 through 2012. The first stage was for Director Joseph Kosinki's Oblivion graphic novel. Then, all the way through the script's development and the film's pre-production stages. Visual Effects Companies Digital Domain and PIXMONDO (see below) used Daniel's original CAD designs to build their fully CG versions of the ship. Kosinski's core idea behind the Bubble Ship was to do a futuristic cross between a Dragonfly and a Bell 47 Helicopter. This silhouette helps audience immediately understand what the Bubble Ship is on an gut level, despite being future technology. As Daniel's team built multiple prototypes and, eventually, the final version, Tom Cruise visited many times. The ship was customized for Cruise, who on certain days would spend up to eight hours in its cockpit (co-star Olga Kurylenko "just had to deal"). Walking around the Bubble Ship, Daniel discussed everything from the landing gear to the cockpit controllers. The landing gear was always a tripod, but it was original one leg in the front; two in the back. However, this configuration proved too challenging for entering and exiting the cockpit. So they put two legs up front with a built-in step. The one rear leg also needed to fork to ensure the Bubble Ship did not tip over while in windy Iceland. As a piece of TET technology, the Bubble Ship needed to be futuristic, yet reminiscent of Old Earth (our world). Hand controls were inspired by space shuttles and yacht parts, and custom made to meet Kosinski's design aesthetics. There are two exceptions if you look close enough. First, the Bubble Ship's seat belts had to be fully functional to keep the actors safe on various gimbal rigs. Second, Daniel's least favorite part is the passenger seat's "oh shit" handle. This was put in to give Olga Kurylenko something by which to brace herself when the Bubble Ship was on the gimbal. Another cool design detail, which you may have noticed in the film and can check out below in the Props section, is that every TET-designed gun is aesthetically congruous. The Bubble Ship and Drones were created first, followed by Tom Cruise's pistol and rifle. Eric Barba & Bjorn Mayer -- Visual Effects Next we went to a short presentation from the film's two VFX houses, Digital Domain ("DD") and PIXOMONDO. 'Oblivion' features approximately 804 VFX shots, with Digital Domain taking 370 and PIXOMONDO taking 434. If you were to break the film down, it's about 85% live action (shot in Hawaii, Iceland, and Louisiana) and 15% fully CGI, though about 50% of the film has some CG element(s). Bjorn Mayer, the Visual Effect Supervisor for PIXOMONDO who has worked on 'Red Tails' and 'Hugo', spoke first. PIXOMONDO was responsible for Ice Canyon Bubble Ship / Drone chase sequence, the CGI Sky Tower set, and the Front Projection footage used while shooting the live action Sky Tower scenes. That's right, when you're inside the Sky Tower with Tom Cruise, that's not a CGI back ground. Let me explain. To make the sets feel real for the actors, Kosinski and Bjorn decided to use an old school technique, Front Projection, in a 21st century way and on a much larger scale. They built a projection system six times larger than an IMAX screen, powered by 21 Full HD projectors. This screen could be moved to different parts of the set, the footage could instantly change the time of day and, miraculously, the projections actually lit the whole set with little to no additional lighting. How did they do it? Bjorn's team went to the top of a volcano in Hawaii to get above the clouds. There, they recorded 32 hours of 5K footages covering a 180-degree field of view. They then took the footage and sped it up -- to see the clouds boil and sun rise -- while painting out mountains and any passing airplanes. They ended up with 130 clips, each of them four minutes long. On set, Kosinski could choose a clip, which area within it to see behind the actors, and work around specific time codes. Because there were so many reflective surfaces, this technique saved the production time and money that would have gone to costly visual effects. Next, Bjorn spoke about the Ice Canyon chase sequence. Kosinski's idea was that it would be through a glacier that had been carved by lava flow. It's supposed to be more like a cave than a canyon so Tom Cruise's character couldn't escape easily. Bjorn's team went to Iceland to shoot reference footage; footage by which to compare their CG for authenticity. They couldn't shoot the live action "plates" because the helicopter wasn't fast enough, and it wasn't safe to fly one close to the real glaciers. The final CG set is 20km long, and made up of a hundred or so "block" variations. Digital Domain's Visual Effects Supervisor, Eric Barba, then took the stage. Eric previously worked on 'Tron: Legacy' and 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons'. On 'Oblivion', DD was responsible for creating the TET, the drones, the hydro rigs, and the "Jack vs. Jack fight." They also designed (and/or extended) a few key locations, such as the post apocalyptic New York Public Library, the Odyssey crash site, and the Scavs' base camp Drone attack sequence. Eric talked at length about Drone 166, who is a key character in the story. DD's VFX artists first used Daniel Simon's designs to make concept art featuring the Drones (and the other vehicles and locations). The filmmakers also built a practical Drone 166 for the set to aid composition, light reference, and framing. And though the practical piece looked great, it didn't have enough life to be the final character. Other than a few shots where Drone 166 is motionless in the background, it's the CGI version (basically, anytime a Drone moves, it's CG). After building the CG Drone 166, which they very much wanted to be a big killing machine and not a Pixar character, Eric's team worked on making it look as real as possible. They did multiple tests to see how Drone 166 interacted with its environment -- we're talking heat, smoke, and muzzle flashes. Then, they rendered out various Drones in multiple environments to makes sure they matched the practical props in every environment. The Drone attack on the Scav base took many months to sort because the longest take was realized in a fully CG environment. For a while, that shot was cut from the film, which Eric appreciated because it was quite complex. But, when the shot was put back in, Eric's team of 100 artists rose to the challenge. The Jack vs. Jack Fight was planned out over two weekends with Tom Cruise and his stunt double. On set, with temperatures soaring over 100 degrees, it was Eric's job to know which visual effect they would use for each shot. To keep the seems as hidden as possible, Eric's team used multiple VFX tricks, including split screen, "face paste", and full head replacement to make sure they were always matching Cruise's very recognizable features and profile. Funny enough, because Eric doesn't animate individual shots himself, as this sequence was nearly finished, Eric got to the point where he started to forget which Tom Cruise was the real one and which one was CG-modified. Finally, Eric and Bjorn talked about their preference for using blue screens rather than green screens for VFX work. Apparently, green is easy, but ruins skin tones because it neutralizes reds. Basically, green screen VFX shots have a tendency to make people look less natural because you can't put the red back in once it's been neutralized. Blue is more natural, not such a foreign color, and you can leave a little of it in. Interestingly, if you look in the Odyssey Space Ship scenes, because the production designer used a blue color too close to "blue screen" blue, the filmmakers utilized green screens. When you pick up your Blu-ray, you'll have to see if you can see a difference in skin tones. Deidre Thieman & Natalie Taylor -- Props Our last behind-the-scenes tour was with Deidre Thieman, Manager of Production Archives for NBC-Universal, and Natalie Taylor, the Assistant Archivist, Loans & Exhibits. These two remarkable women acquire, catalog, preserve, and exhibit props and costumes from NBC-Uni film and television properties. Deidre (pictured next to the prop case) began by showcasing the film's three distinct prop styles below blueprints for the Sky Tower's set. In 'Oblivion', the three prop styles consist of TET tech, Old Earth Things, and Scavs tech. TET is futuristic, clean, forward-looking technology. It resembles the things we know, but is further beyond our time. Kosinski set out to make "daytime science fiction" as a direct counterpoint to most sci-fi, which takes place and night or the dark reaches of space. Oblivion's color palette is bright and monochromatic as seen in the drone parts as well as the rifle, sets, and costumes. FYI, if you look closes, all TET technology has at least one TET logo. Old Earth Things are leftovers from our time. The things Tom Cruise's Jack collects even though he's not supposed to. Yankee caps, the bobble heads, etc. Scavs props and costumes were designed to evoke a very science fiction feeling. Dirty, gritty, rugged technology. And though it takes hours to suit up in one of these costumes, the helmets are held together by magnets so they are much easier to take on and off between takes. Deidre then took us to see the Bubble Bike and Jack's costume, which was designed by Marlene Stewart. The Bubble Bike is a real bike (built on a Honda, they believe), and it was used in stunts and jumped 30-50 feet during production. Jack's costume is all original, built from the ground up. This one, and its 26 variations, is made of leather, but interspersed with stretch panels to make sure Tom Cruise could be mobile. Next, we met Natalie (pictured behind the drone), who showed us Drone 109, a couple more costumes, and a Sleep Pod. Drone 109 represents a drone with its shell off because it's in for repairs at the Sky Tower. This one weighs 500-600 pounds and took four months to build. The eye actually works (editor's note: so creepy!) and the fuel cell in the center is hard-wired. Finally, we got a close look at the Sleep Pod where Jack finds Olga Kurylenko's character, Julia. This particular one is the "light weight Sleep Pod", designed for actors to drag it around set. It's made of fiberglass and, though it opens, doesn't have anything inside of it. The "Stasis Costume" was designed to be comfortable, warm, stretch, and breathe very easily -- everything you'd want for a long time in stasis. ### Well, there we have it, 'Oblivion' fans. An all-too-short look behind the scenes at the vehicles, props, visual effects, and costumes used in one of this year's best Blu-rays. Speaking of, pre-order your copy today or pick up one up starting August 6.Posted Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 08:45 AM PDT by: -
'Prince of Darkness' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]John Carpenter's 1987 cult classic heads to Blu-ray in September. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Scream Factory will be releasing 'Prince of Darkness' on Blu-ray on September 24. A group of graduate students and scientists uncover an ancient canister in an abandoned church, but when they open the container, they inadvertently unleash a strange liquid and an evil force on all humanity. As the liquid turns their co-workers into zombies, the remaining members realize they have released the most unspeakable of horrors, Satan himself, thus paving the way for the return of his father-the all-powerful anti-God. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include: Audio Commentary with John Carpenter; Sympathy For The Devil – An all-new Interview with Writer/Director John Carpenter; Alice at the Apocalypse - An all-new interview with Actor & Rock Legend Alice Cooper; The Messenger – All-new interview with Actor & Special Visual Effects Supervisor Robert Grasmere; Hell On Earth – A look at the film's score with Co-Composer Alan Howarth; Horror's Hallowed Grounds with host Sean Clark; Alternate Opening from TV Version; and Original Theatrical Trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.93. You can find the latest specs for 'Prince of Darkness' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under September 24.Posted Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Blu-ray Highlights: Week of July 28th, 2013They say that knowing is half the battle. If that's the case, you should know that this is another slow week for new Blu-ray releases, with only one major title that's not even particularly great. But hey, who doesn't love ninjas? Read about the week's new discs in the blog today.Posted Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Slap Shot' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]Old-time hockey will be bodychecking Blu-ray this October! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal Studios says 'Slap Shot' will have a Blu-ray release on October 15. Paul Newman stars as the coach of the Chiefs, a struggling minor-league hockey team that brings violence to the ice to boost attendance. To pull it off, management signs the Hanson Brothers, three hard-charging players whose job is simple: demolish the opposition. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Feature Commentary with the Hanson Brothers; The Hanson Brothers' Classic Scenes; Puck Talk with the Hansons; and Theatrical Trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Slap Shot' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 15.Posted Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: 'ESPN 30 for 30' Blu-ray $34.99 at Amazon[teaser]The 6-disc Blu-ray set of 30 sports films is sixty five percent off this week at Amazon![/teaser] Amazon is selling 'ESPN 30 for 30' for $34.99 (65% off the suggested retail price). 'ESPN Films 30 for 30' Limited Edition Collector Set, includes the complete collection of films from the ESPN award-winning 30 for 30 series. Featuring a remarkable group of directors from Academy Award-winners Barry Levinson and Barbara Kopple to Academy Award-nominees John Singleton, Steve James, Ron Shelton, as well as two-time MVP Steve Nash and legendary rapper Ice Cube, each filmmaker provides their unique perspective to some of the most extraordinary sports stories in the last 30 years. Time Magazine applauds this thrilling collection and The Los Angeles Times calls them some of the best films of 2010. Several films were official selections by the Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca Film Festivals. The 12-disc set includes all 30 films from the series: Kings Ransom, The Band That Wouldnt Die, Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL?, Muhammad & Larry, Without Bias, The Legend of Jimmy The Greek, The U, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, Guru of Go, No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, Silly Little Game, Run Ricky Run, The 16th Man, Straight Outta L.A., June 17th, 1994, The Two Escobars, The Birth of Big Air, Jordan Rides The Bus, Little Big Men, One Night in Vegas, Unmatched, The House of Steinbrenner, Into The Wind, Four Days in October, Once Brothers, Tim Richmond: To The Limit, Fernando Nation, Marion Jones: Press Pause, The Best That Never Was and Pony Excess. Click here to order yours today! This offer is available from now through August 4.Posted Sun Jul 28, 2013 at 08:30 AM PDT by: -
'Weird Science' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Another classic John Hughes' comedy will come alive on Blu-ray this October! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal will be taking part in some very 'Weird Science' on Blu-ray on October 15. The Frankenstein legend takes an uproarious twist in this outrageous special effects-laden comedy from the writer-director of 'Sixteen Candles' and 'The Breakfast Club.' Critically acclaimed filmmaker John Hughes is at it again, giving nerdy computer whiz Ilan Mitchell-Smith and his best friend, Anthony Michael Hall, power to create the "perfect woman" (Kelly LeBrock). Like a computer-generated fairy godmother, the duo's out-of-this-world creation guides the pair through the pleasures and pitfalls of adolescence. With a rock beat supplied by many music superstars including Oingo Boingo, this far-out sci-fi fable brings everyone's favorite teen fantasies to life through the miracle of 'Weird Science.' The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: It's Alive!: Resurrecting Weird Science; Weird Science TV Pilot Episode; and Theatrical Trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Weird Science' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under October 15.Posted Fri Jul 26, 2013 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Corruption' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1968 cult classic starring Peter Cushing is bound for Blu-ray this October. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Grindhouse Releasing will be bringing 'Corruption' to Blu-ray on October 8. Grindhouse Releasing is proud to present the FIRST-EVER U.S. home video release of the wildest, sickest and sleaziest swinging-sixties British horror thriller -'Corruption.' The legendary Peter Cushing stars as a surgeon driven to murder and madness as he attempts to restore the beauty of his hideously disfigured fashion model wife. Co-starring Sue Lloyd and Hammer Horror beauty Kate O'Mara ('The Vampire Lovers'). This special edition contains shocking scenes of GORE and NUDITY previously deemed too strong for American audiences. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will include both the original uncensored version - PLUS - the "International Version" of the movie with bloody violence and nudity presented for the very first time in America, and a wealth of supplements will include: Interviews with stars Wendy Varnals, Billy Murray, Jan Waters and Peter Cushing; Audio commentary by acclaimed UK horror journalist Jonathan Rigby and Peter Cushing biographer David Miller; Isolated music and effects track; Liner notes by Allan Bryce, editor of the celebrated British horror magazine THE DARK SIDE; Extensive still galleries, trailers, TV spots and radio spots; The original annotated director's shooting script and production notes; Shocking reversible cover with original art by notorious illustrator Rick Melton; Grindhouse Releasing prevues of coming attractions; AND OTHER SURPRISES! Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Corruption' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under October 8.Posted Fri Jul 26, 2013 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'A Hijacking' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The Danish thriller from filmmaker Tobias Lindholm will take Blu-ray hostage this October. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Magnolia will be releasing 'A Hijacking' on Blu-ray on October 15. The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Amongst the men on board are the ship's cook Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk) and the engineer Jan (Roland Møller), who along with the rest of the seamen are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company (Søren Malling) and the Somali pirates. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'A Hijacking' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under October 15.Posted Fri Jul 26, 2013 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
