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'Red Dwarf X' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Six episodes from the returning cult series are bound for Blu-ray in January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers/BBC is preparing 'Red Dwarf X' for a Blu-ray release on January 8. The most inept band of space travelers ever to roam the interstellar highway; return with an all-new season of misadventures! The brand new series, written and directed by Doug Naylor, begins with the Dwarfers mining ship still creaking though the wastelands of unchartered deep space, but the posse soon stumbles upon the mysteriously abandoned SS Trojan. As they inspect the ship Rimmer receives an SOS distress call from an old foe and is suddenly faced with the dilemma of his life. 'Red Dwarf X' reunites the much loved original cast of Chris Barrie (Rimmer), Craig Charles (Lister), Danny John-Jules (Cat) and Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) and promises to be a huge hit amongst the Sci Fi sitcom’s cult following of devoted fans. The release will include six episodes on 2 BD-50 Blu-ray discs. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Red Dwarf X' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under January 8.Posted Fri Nov 2, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'The Amazing Spider-Man' Blu-ray $19.99 at Amazon[teaser]Save 50 percent on the superhero actioner swinging to Blu-ray next week![/teaser] The online retailer is now selling 'The Amazing Spider-Man' on Blu-ray for $19.99 (51% off suggested retail price). The franchise reboot directed by Marc Webb (pun not intended) stars Andrew Garfield as your friendly neighborhood webslinger. Click here to order your copy and save!Posted Fri Nov 2, 2012 at 08:27 AM PDT by: -
'Bloodstone: Subspecies II' & 'Bloodlust: Subspecies III' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The vampire Radu from the cult franchise returns to high-definition in 2013! [/teaser] In an early announcement to their fans, Full Moon Pictures has revealed that 'Bloodstone: Subspecies II' and 'Bloodlust: Subspecies III' will be released on Blu-ray next year. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but it sounds like new interviews and audio commentaries are being produced for these releases. Suggested list price for the Blu-rays is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Bloodstone: Subspecies II' & 'Bloodlust: Subspecies III' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under PENDING.Posted Fri Nov 2, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Deadly Blessing' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]Full details are now in for Wes Craven's 1981 cult classic in the works for Blu-ray this January. [/teaser] As previously reported, Scream Factory is readying 'Deadly Blessing' for Blu-ray on January 22. When a former member of a religious cult dies in a mysterious accident, his wife Martha (Maren Jensen, 'Battlestar Gallactica'), who now lives alone and close to the cult’s church, begins to fear for her life and the lives of her visiting friends (Susan Buckner, Sharon Stone). Strange and deadly events begin to happen… Could she be the target of the evil cult and its fanatical leader Isaiah (Ernest Borgnine)? The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono soundtrack, and supplements include: All-new audio commentary with Wes Craven; Say Your Prayers! – An all-new interview with Actor Michael Berryman; Secrets Revealed – An all-new interview with Actress Susan Buckner; Rise of the Incubus – An all-new interview with Creature Designer John Naulin; So It Was Written – A look at the film’s screenplay with Writers Glenn Benest and Matthew Barr; Original Theatrical Trailer, TV & radio Spots. The Blu-ray also contains a collectible cover featuring newly rendered retro-style artwork, a reversible wrap with original theatrical key art. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.93. You can find the latest specs for 'Deadly Blessing' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 22.Posted Fri Nov 2, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'V/H/S' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The spooky found-footage horror film will play on Blu-ray in December. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Magnolia is working on 'V/H/S' for Blu-ray on December 4. V/H/S is a point of view, found-footage horror film from the perspective of America's top genre filmmakers. In V/H/S, a group of misfits are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. Upon searching the house, the guys are confronted with a dead body, a hub of old televisions and an endless supply of cryptic footage, each video stranger and more inexplicably terrifying than the last... Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Deleted Scenes, Visual Effects, Behind the Scenes, AXS TV: A Look at V/H/S, and Trailers. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'V/H/S' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under December 4.Posted Thu Nov 1, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Hit & Run' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The 2012 action/comedy will crash into Blu-ray in January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal Studios says 'Hit & Run' will have a Blu-ray release on January 8. A nice guy with a questionable past, Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard), risks everything when he busts out of a witness protection program to drive his girlfriend (Kristen Bell) to Los Angeles for the job opportunity of a lifetime. Their road trip grows awkwardly complicated, however, when they're chased by an inept federal agent (Tom Arnold) and Charlie's ex-pal (Bradley Cooper), a vengeance-crazed criminal he helped put behind bars. Also starring Beau Bridges ('The Descendants'), Joy Bryant ('Parenthood'), David Koechner ('Paul') and Jason Bateman ('The Change-Up'). The Blu-ray/DVD/UV Digital Copy combo will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Street Legal: Behind the scenes look with writer/co-director/star Dax Shepard and star Kristen Bell; Run and Gun: An in depth explanation of the plot of Hit and Run with Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell; Love on the Run: Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell discuss the romantic aspects of Hit and Run; and Deleted Scenes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Hit & Run' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under January 8.Posted Thu Nov 1, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'House at the End of the Street' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The suspense-thriller starring Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence gets an unrated extended cut on Blu-ray this January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'House at the End of the Street' for Blu-ray on January 8. The film is about a mother and daughter who move to a new town and find themselves living next door to a house where a young girl murdered her parents. When the daughter befriends the surviving son, she learns the story is far from over. The Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo will feature an unrated extended cut with 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Sneak Peeks and Promos, plus the Blu-ray exclusive Journey Into Terror: Inside the House at the End of the Street. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'House at the End of the Street' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under January 8.Posted Thu Nov 1, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Outpost: Black Sun' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Another wave or zombie Nazis will be marching to Blu-ray next Tuesday. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Arc Entertainment will be releasing 'Outpost: Black Sun' on Blu-ray on November 6. The year is 1945, the closing stages of WWII, and a German scientist is working on a frightening new technology that has the power to create an immortal Nazi army. Flash-forward to present day, and a NATO task force is deployed to Eastern Europe, where a sinister enemy is mercilessly killing everything in its path. But this is no ordinary foe…it's a super-human army of zombie Nazi Stormtroopers. Defying overwhelming odds, a small band of soldiers venture deep behind enemy lines to uncover the source of this evil power and prevent the rise of the Fourth Reich. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will include a making-of featurette. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $20.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Outpost: Black Sun' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 6.Posted Thu Nov 1, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Attends a Virtual Roundtable to Discuss 2D to 3D Film ConversionsWe've been covering the Blu-ray Disc Association virtual roundtables as they happen. We've already been able to cover Disney's thoughts on the format with the first one, and what goes into the process in restoring some of Warner Bros. classics. With the third roundtable we got to talk to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment about 2D to 3D conversions. [teaser]This roundtable was convened to talk about 2D to 3D conversions of past films. [/teaser]It was specifically targeting and promoting Fox's re-release of 'I, Robot' which has now received an after-the-fact conversion to 3D. The people present at this roundtable included Andy Parsons, Chair, BDA US Promotions Committee and Ian Harvey, Senior Vice President, Advanced Technology for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. After a short introduction of the participants and their expertise in the field, we dove right into the Q&A session. With the growth of 3D technology finding its way into people's homes, this seems like an apropos Q&A session. The session answers questions about future 3D conversions and what we can expect to see from studios moving forward with 3D technology. [Note: The text has been cleaned up for grammar and spelling errors from a live chat environment.] Q: Is this one of first major studio movies to get this treatment -- is this a new strategy for studios and the industry? How many 2D-to-3D conversions of catalog titles do you expect in 2013, and which ones might be coming next? Also, how did this movie get chosen for conversion? Andy Parsons: My understanding is that this is the first live action film to be directly converted to 3D for release on Blu-ray 3D. As Ian mentioned [referring to the introduction], they select films for conversion based on a number of factors, including the existing fan base and the nature of the content itself. As for what's coming down the line, I'll leave that for individual studios to answer. Q: How and why was this movie chosen to be converted to 3D, and what other 2D movies are being targeted for 3D conversion? Ian Harvey: As I mentioned, 'I, Robot' has an existing fan base and it is also a perfect 3D title, in that it has many scenes that are ideal for 3D action. Q: With 4k getting more attention, does the BDA have plans to introduce 4k to the space and is it possible to have 4k, 3D? Andy Parsons: The BDA recently decided to form a new task force to study just this sort of possibility. It's called the format extension study task force, and it will do exactly what its name suggests: to study new technologies such as 4K, high frame rate, color enhancements, etc. Each technology that will be studied needs to be evaluated to determine technical feasibility, market demand, and potential impact on the installed base of Blu-ray players already in the marketplace, projected to be in excess of 50 million in the U.S. alone by the end of 2012. Q: Is there a special process needed to ensure that curved surfaces still have a "roundness" to them, rather than having a "cardboard cutout in 3D space" look and feel? Ian Harvey: Yes, this is a very good question. One of the things we focus on is the natural look of the content. In order to achieve this, we use a very sophisticated 3D model within the conversion tool. This helps provide that "roundness" and detail to the features. This can be done by manual methods by additional roto and paint, however our process has automation for this feature. Q: Do you think it is possible to bring a conversion up to the quality of a film that's shot in 3D from the outset? Ian Harvey: I think this will be a consumer decision, we feel that our process can provide an excellent experience for the consumer on titles that were not originally shot in 3D. We believe that both conversions and natively shot content will exist for some time, our focus is on high quality conversion of catalog titles for now. Q: Any info on market for Blu-ray 3D sales for older titles that have been converted for theatrical release, like 'Lion King,' 'Titanic,' 'Toy Story 1,' and '2'? Andy Parsons: I don't have data on hand at this moment about Blu-ray 3D titles, but we're hearing that the consumer response has been very positive for these existing titles due to their high popularity and existing audiences. One of the points that came out of our discussion today is that having a chance to experience a film that people love in a new way is a key objective of Blu-ray 3D. Q: I heard you say the depth is still approached as window-into-world philosophy -- has there been any consumer tests for more dynamic 3D that pushes out of screen more? Ian Harvey: I think this is very dependent on the approach and the content in question. We want people to enjoy the content and be immersed in the content, not wowed by the gimmick of 3D. Some titles may benefit from 3D popping out of the screen, however the titles we have considered do not fall into this category. Q: Do you think 3D will ever become common place, or will it be a novelty piece of the format? Andy Parsons: As with any format, the opportunity for market success is highly driven by content availability -- the more titles that are available, the better the chances of mass market adoption. This is one of the reasons we wanted to focus on 2D to 3D conversion today, as the enormous catalog of 2D titles is a logical way to build up 3D content more quickly instead of having to wait for new theatrical releases only. I think Ian has shown that "good 3D" is something that can be accomplished if it's done correctly, so this is a good sign for the growth of 3D titles and increasing the adoption rate. Q: What are some of the specific challenges when you convert a film to 3D? Ian Harvey: Special effects in the original content is usually a challenge. Depending on the sophistication of the effects, adding 3D to the effect can require different ways of handling the effect. Smoke, steam, rain are obvious examples of challenges. Q: There was a lot of talk about 3D broadcast, but it doesn't seem to have taken off as anticipated, how does that affect adoption? Can BD 3D drive adoption without broadcast? Andy Parsons: I think Blu-ray 3D provides the very best possible way to experience 3D in the home, so it's the best medium to drive adoption, especially when we consider the care and attention to detail that Ian discussed today (i.e., making "good 3D" is vital to achieving broad consumer acceptance). Q: How is 3D doing in the marketplace, in terms of TV's, Blu-ray players and titles? Andy Parsons: The sales of TVs and playback devices has been strong, partly because it's become virtually a standard feature. As I mentioned in a previous answer, I think the adoption rate of 3D will be mostly driven by content availability, as all of that hardware is not useful without something to watch on it. To that end, our session today was focused on conversion of existing titles that can help build up the library as rapidly as possible, which should help to increase adoption of 3D, both on Blu-ray and in general. That's it for this Q&A. Did you learn some new things? Did something catch your eye that you'd like to discuss with your other 3D enthusiast friends? Then click on the link below and head on over to our forums to join in on the conversation.Posted Wed Oct 31, 2012 at 02:50 PM PDT by: -
'The Possession' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The supernatural thriller produced By Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and J.R. Young will haunt Blu-ray in January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate is set to release 'The Possession' on Blu-ray on January 15. Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie Brenek (Kira Sedgwick) see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em (Natasha Calis) becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. But as Em's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, the couple fears the presence of a malevolent force in their midst, only to discover that the box was built to contain a Dibbuk, a dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include Audio commentary with director Ole Bornedal; Audio commentary with writers Juliet Snowden and Stiles White; and "The Real History of the Dibbuk Box" featurette. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Possession' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 15.Posted Wed Oct 31, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by:
