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Blu-ray Goes to 'Hell'[teaser]The post-apocalyptic thriller from producer Roland Emmerich will try to survive on Blu-ray in August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Arc Entertainment will send Blu-ray to 'Hell' on August 21. It was once the source of life, light and warmth. But now the sun has turned the entire world into baked and barren wasteland. Forests are scorched. Animal carcasses line the roads. Even the nights are dazzling bright. Marie, her little sister Leonie and Phillip are heading for the mountains in a car with covered windows. Rumor has it there is still water there. Along the way they run into Tom, a first-rate mechanic that becomes indispensible. But can they trust him? Tension grows in the small group. As if things weren´t bad enough, they are lured into an ambush. Their real battle for survival begins... Specs and supplements are still forthcoming, and suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $20.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Hell' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 21.Posted Wed Aug 8, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Hysteria' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The pleasurable R-rated comedy will tickle Blu-ray in September![/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony has set 'Hysteria' for Blu-ray on September 18. 'Hysteria' is a romantic comedy wrapped around the surprising story of the first electro-mechanical vibrator, invented by happenstance at a time when the very peak of Victorian prudishness coincided with the dawn of the electrical age. London. 1880. Dr. Mortimer Granville (Hugh Dancy) is torn between the "proper" doctor's staid and static world of success and acceptance and a more progressive and fulfilling, but frowned upon, experience. Tossed out for his forward-thinking ideas by the medical establishment, Granville finds a position with Dr. Robert Dalrymple, a highly respected and successful doctor, with a very popular private practice specializing in treating women diagnosed with Hysteria. In his new position, Dalrymple finds Granville a proper suitor for his beloved daughter Emily, the epitome of "English virtue and womanliness," with her lovely face, demure manner and artistic and intellectual accomplishments, but it is the elder daughter Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a firebrand social reformer, arguing passionately for women's rights to be educated, vote, and live independent lives that secretly excites him. Although Granville is somewhat shocked by Charlotte's lack of propriety, he feels kinship with her conviction to help those in need. They snipe at each other's views, but he earns her grudging respect when he treats a poor settlement house woman with a broken ankle. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Commentary with director Tanya Wexler; An Evening with Tanya Wexler, Hugh Dancy, and Jonathan Pryce; Hysteria: Behind the Scenes; Passion & Power: The Technology of Orgasm; and deleted scenes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $45.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Hysteria' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 18.Posted Wed Aug 8, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'A League of Their Own' Announced and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]Penny Marshall's 1992 baseball comedy makes a pitch to Blu-ray this October.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony will be bringing the PG film 'A League of Their Own' to Blu-ray on October 16. Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna star in this major-league comedy from the team that brought you 'Big.' Hanks stars as Jimmy Dugan, a washed-up ballplayer whose big league days are over. Hired to coach in the All-American Girls Baseball League of 1943, while the male pros are at war, Dugan finds himself drawn back into the game by the heart and heroics of his all-girl team. Jon Lovitz adds a scene-stealing cameo as the sarcastic scout who recruits Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis), the baseball dolly with a Babe Ruth swing. Teammates Madonna, Lori Petty and Rosie O'Donnell round out the roster, taking the team to the World Series. Based on the true story of the pioneering women who blazed the trail, on the fields and off, for generations of athletes. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include Commentary with Penny Marshall, Lori Petty, Megan Cavanagh, and Tracy Reiner; deleted scenes with video introductions by Penny Marshall; Nine Memorable Innings Pre-Game; and "This Used to Be My Playground" music video. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for 'A League of Their Own' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 16.Posted Tue Aug 7, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Auteur Theory: 'Twin Peaks' Pilot EpisodeJosh Zyber continues his David Lynch marathon by revisiting the legendary pilot episode for 'Twin Peaks'. Read all about it on the blog this week, and be sure to catch up with Josh's Blu-ray reviews from the Lynch marathon, from 'Eraserhead' through (so far) 'Blue Velvet'. "Auteur Theory" Article Index 'Eraserhead' (UK Import Blu-ray) 'Eraserhead' (Japanese Import Blu-ray) 'The Elephant Man' (French Import Blu-ray) 'Dune' (UK Import Blu-ray) 'Dune – Extended Edition' (German Import Blu-ray) 'Blue Velvet' (UK Import Blu-ray) 'Twin Peaks: Pilot Episode' (VUDU) 'David Lynch Images' (Book)Posted Tue Aug 7, 2012 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
'Lawrence of Arabia: 50th Anniversary Edition' Blu-ray Details[teaser]David Lean's Academy Award-winning epic starring Peter O'Toole arriving on Blu-ray in November has been detailed! [/teaser] As previously reported, Sony has revealed 'Lawrence of Arabia: 50th Anniversary Edition' will be released on the high-definition format on November 13. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won seven: Best Original Score (Maurice Jarre), Best Film Editing (Anne V. Coates), Best Sound (John Cox), Best Cinematography (Frederick A. Young), Best Art Direction (John Box, John Stoll, and Dario Simoni), Best Director (David Lean) and Best Picture. "We wanted to return this film to as pristine a condition as possible to honor its anniversary release," says Grover Crisp, EVP of Asset Management, Film Restoration and Digital Mastering for SPE. The original camera negative was scanned at 8K and the film went through a painstaking process of repairing problems inherent to the 50-year old film elements. Using the latest digital imaging technology, the color grading and re-mastering was completed in 4K at Colorworks, Sony Pictures Entertainments' digital intermediate facility. "The original negative was seriously damaged in a number of ways, some problems dating from the original release and some accumulated over the years." says Crisp. "But, until now, we did not have the tools available to address these issues. We think fans of the film will be as amazed as we are at the detail and resolution in the imagery captured by cinematographer Freddie Young to compliment David Lean's immaculate direction." The 2-Disc set will include: Secrets of Arabia: Picture-in-Graphic Track; "Peter O'Toole Revisits Lawrence of Arabia" All-New Interview; "The Making of Lawrence of Arabia" documentary; "A Conversation with Steven Spielberg"; "The Camels Are Cast"; "In Search of Lawrence"; "Romance of Arabia"; "Wind, Sand and Star: The Making of a Classic" (1970 version); Newsreel Footage of the New York Premiere; and Advertising Campaigns. But for the ultimate fan, a 4-Disc Collector's Set will also be available adding a third disc with even more supplements: Never-Before-Released Deleted Scene with Introduction by Anne Coates; "The Lure of the Desert: Martin Scorsese on Lawrence of Arabia" All-New Interview with Martin Scorsese; "In Love with the Desert"; "King Hussein Visits Lawrence of Arabia Scene"; "Wind, Sand and Star" (original version, 1963); Archival Interviews with William Friedkin, Sydney Pollack, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg; Trailers/TV Spots. The boxed set will also include: Authentic 70mm Film Frame; 88-Page Coffee Table Book; and an exclusive Lawrence of Arabia Soundtrack CD. Suggested list price for the 4-Disc Collector's Blu-ray set is $95.99 while the 2-Disc set has yet to be revealed. You can find the latest specs for 'Lawrence of Arabia: 50th Anniversary Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 13.Posted Tue Aug 7, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'Dark Star: Thermostellar Edition' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]John Carpenter's 1974 sci-fi film is getting the Blu-ray treatment in October. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, VCI will be bringing 'Dark Star: Thermostellar Edition' to Blu-ray on October 2. In the mid twenty-first century, mankind has reached a point in its technological advances to enable colonization of the far reaches of the universe. DARK STAR is a futuristic scout ship traveling far in advance of colony ships. Armed with Exponential Thermosteller Bombs, it prowls the darkest reaches of space on a mission to seek out and destroy unstable planets ahead of the colonist. But there is one obstacle that its crew members did not count on -- one of the ship's thinking and talking bombs is lodged in the bay, threatening to destroy the entire ship and crew! 'Dark Star' was originally intended to be a 68 minute film. Jack Harris, the Hollywood producer, convinced the filmmakers to shoot 15 minutes of extra footage and he released the expanded version theatrically in 1975 through Bryanston Pictures. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed 2.0 soundtrack, and supplements include: Let There Be Light: The Odyssey of Dark Star The Extended Version; Interview with Sci-Fi author Alan Dean Foster (in SD); 3D Guide to the DARK STAR ship (in SD); and full-length audio commentary by super fan Andrew Gilchrist. Suggested list price for this release is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Dark Star: Thermostellar Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 2.Posted Tue Aug 7, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Sushi Girl' Blu-ray in 2013[teaser]The hotly anticipated genre-bending thriller by director Kern Saxton is coming to Blu-ray next year. [/teaser] In an early announcement to the press, Magnolia/Phase 4 Films have revealed they've acquired the North American distribution rights to 'Sushi Girl' and plan on bringing the film to Blu-ray in early 2013. Mark Hamill ('Star Wars' Franchise) and Tony Todd ('Candyman') lead a cast of cult heroes including Noah Hathaway ('The NeverEnding Story'), James Duval ('Donnie Darko'), Andy Mackenzie ('MacGruber'), David Dastmalchian ('The Dark Knight') and Cortney Palm ('Superbad'). 'Sushi Girl' also includes feature appearances by Michael Biehn ('Aliens'), Sonny Chiba ('Kill Bill Vol. 1'), Jeff Fahey ('Grindhouse') and Danny Trejo ('Machete'). The film centers on the compelling character of a man called “Fish,” just released after six years in jail after successfully not ratting on those involved in the robbery that sent him to prison. The night he is released, the men he protected with silence celebrate his freedom with a congratulatory dinner. The meal is a lavish array of sushi, served off the naked body of a beautiful young woman. The sushi girl seems catatonic, trained to ignore everything in the room, even if things become dangerous. Sure enough, the unwieldy thieves can’t help but open old wounds in an attempt to find their missing loot, with violent results. “'Sushi Girl’s all-star ensemble of fan favorite actors will resonate with the Magnet audience,” said Head of Magnolia Home Entertainment Randy Wells. “Kern and the 'Sushi Girl' production team have put together an incredibly cool, well-crafted thriller, and Mark Hamill’s performance will leave fans buzzing.” You can find the latest specs for 'Sushi Girl' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING.Posted Tue Aug 7, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
High-Def Digest's Olympic Games Movies Listby Aaron Peck If you're like me you've been glued to your television set (and computer screen) watching every single piece of Olympic competition your mind can possibly take in. Even as I write this article the U.S. men's basketball team is pounding Nigeria into the ground 132 to 66 on my minimized Internet browser window. It's a brutal game to watch (especially if you're Nigerian), but it's the Olympics and the Olympics are great no matter what the sport. [teaser]We decided to put together a must-see list of Olympic-themed movies that you can watch in between those blistering handball matches.[/teaser] There are a few problems with the field of Olympic movies though. Many of them are really old, really obscure, or both. There aren't nearly enough movies focused on the more unknown events of the Olympics (you're not going to find a thrilling edge-of-your-seat sporting drama about skeet shooting). Instead, most of the movies are centered on inherently dramatic sports like figure skating or track and field. Olympic Movies On Blu-ray Another problem with Olympic-themed movies is the fact that not too many of them have had Blu-ray releases. Only a select few have been given the HD treatment, for that reason, we've had to be a little creative in developing this list. 'Blades of Glory' Sure it's Olympic satire, and the games here are called something generic like the World Winter Sport Games, but it's one of the handful of movies that has actually found its way to Blu-ray. 'Blades of Glory' is a love it or hate it type of movie. You can love it for all of the Will Ferrell antics (him lifting Jon Heder up by the crotch is a personal favorite), or you can hate it for Heder's "I'm really trying to leave 'Napoleon Dynamite' behind me but I just can't shake it," acting style. I prefer to travel along the Love It route though, if not simply for Jenna Fischer winning a gold medal in the Lingerie Wearing event. 'Chariots of Fire' Sometimes I find myself wondering why 'Chariots of Fire' is as highly regarded as it is. I really don't understand it's huge appeal, but my personal reservations aside it's one of the most memorable Olympic-themed films, not to mention it spurred one of the most iconic movie scores ever. Just sitting here writing this, I can't help but hum dun, dunnn, dunnnn, dunnnnn; dun, dunnn, dunnnn, dunnnnn, … to myself... 'The Cutting Edge' Does anyone else think "Hey, Paul Rudd is in an ice skating movie?" when they see the cover for 'The Cutting Edge'? Is it just me? D.B. Sweeny could easily stand in for Paul Rudd or vice-versa. Now I'm thinking of how great a Paul Rudd ice skating movie would be. Please make it happen Hollywood. Please. My favorite weird fact about 'The Cutting Edge,' an over-the-top dramatic figure skating movie, is that it was penned by 'Bourne' writer Tony Gilroy. No, really. It was. 'Miracle' This, for my money, is the best Olympic-themed movie of the bunch because it features the most improbable Olympic wins of all time. A win that was tailor-made for a feel-good Hollywood sporting drama. Why is 'Miracle' so awesome? Well, just think of the original Miracle on Ice. A team of Americans defeated the big bad Russians, a group of hockey players who were considered by EVERYONE to be the best players in the world. The Americans winning that gold medal game seemed just as improbable as poor Nigeria beating up on the U.S. men's basketball team. If those teams played ten times you'd bet that the Kobe, LeBron and the rest of the gang would win all ten games. You could say the same thing about the 1980 U.S. ice hockey team against the Russians. Desperately Needs a Blu-ray Release 'Cool Runnings' "Feel the rhythm. Feel the rhyme. Get on up its bobsled time! Cool runnings!" Thanks 'Cool Runnings' for producing the best "Why Did I Just Quote That?" quote of all time. It's a quote that spontaneously rolls of the tongue at the weirdest times. All you need to do is hear someone talking about rhythm or rhyme and it automatically pops into your head like a particularly annoying Justin Bieber song. Suddenly you start saying it, then everyone around you begins saying it with you, then you suddenly have an urge to watch a movie about Jamaicans bobsledding. Crap, now I want to watch it.Posted Mon Aug 6, 2012 at 02:45 PM PDT by: -
'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part One' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]Full details are now in for the next DC Universe animated movie based on Frank Miller's graphic novel arriving this September. [/teaser] As previously reported, Warner Brothers has slated 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part One' for Blu-ray on September 25. It is ten years after an aging Batman has retired, and Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness. Now, when his city needs him most, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory. Joined by Carrie Kelly, a teenage female Robin, Batman takes to the streets to end the threat of the mutant gangs that have overrun the city. And after facing off against his two greatest enemies, the Joker and Two-Face, for the final time, Batman finds himself in mortal combat with his former ally, Superman, in a battle that only one of them will survive. The Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy combo pack will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: The Dark Knight Returns digital comic; Her Name is Carrie...Her Role is Robin; Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story; Two bonus Batman cartoons from the WB vault; and a sneak peek at The Dark Knight Returns: Part Two. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray combo is $24.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part One' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 25.Posted Mon Aug 6, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Futurama: Volume 7' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The next batch of episodes from Matt Groening's cult animated series is planned for Blu-ray in December. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox will be releasing 'Futurama: Volume 7' on Blu-ray on December 11. The boxed set will include 13 hilarious episodes spread across two Blu-ray discs. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Futurama: Volume 7' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 11.Posted Mon Aug 6, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by:
