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Bonus View Digest - August 19, 2011Technical problems aside, the weeks are just flying by. We're getting closer to the fall movie season where we start seeing Oscar contenders getting released in theaters. [teaser]In order to keep up with everything going on in the biz, turn to The Bonus View where we're always covering the latest and greatest in news, reviews, and more.[/teaser] Theatrical News It was a genre fight at the box office this past week. Luke Hickman tracked the box office and let us know how well movies like 'The Help', '30 Minutes or Less', and 'Glee 3D Concert' stacked up against 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'. Josh discussed a new happening in Hollywood. Has the 3D backlash become so large that studios now have to disclose that people can also see the movie in 2D if they want? Home Theater News Josh has got a good handle on his 3D TV and the way he's set up his new home theater, but he's wondering where that all-important 3D "pop-out" is. Join in on the discussion and see if we can figure out what's going on together. Video Game News Wayne discusses the relatively new idea of preorder bonuses and how some game studios are withholding exclusive content if people go out and buy a used game. Is it fair? Let us know what you think. TV Recaps Before we rundown the list of episode recaps we have for you this week, take a look at this news post. Frank Darabont has been fired from AMC's 'The Walking Dead'. Is this good or bad news for the show? As for episode recaps, we have all your favorite summer shows lined up: 'True Blood' , 'Burn Notice', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', 'Haven' , 'Project Runway', 'Covert Affairs', and 'Alphas'. Special Features Finally, we have this week's Weekend Roundtable where we discussed which actors should just give up, well, acting. The Mid-Week Poll asked a question about kids and at what age do they become cognizant about movies. Thanks for joining us for another week of fun and frivolity here on The Bonus View. We strive to have a little something for everyone, no matter what your tastes are.Posted Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'It's a Wonderful Life' Double Dip for Blu-ray[teaser]Another Blu-ray repackage job with a few additional trinkets is planned for November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount has revealed 'It's a Wonderful Life: Collector's Edition Gift Set' will take a high-definition bow on November 1.[/teaser] The release will be exactly the same as the previously released edition, which included both the original black-and-white and colorized versions, it will just add an ornament, commemorative booklet, and new packaging. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'It's a Wonderful Life: Collector's Edition Gift Set' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 1.Posted Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
'Bad Teacher' Announced and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]Cameron Diaz will send Blu-ray to detention this October. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony will release 'Bad Teacher' on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on October 18. A single disc edition will also be available on the same date. The comedy about a slacker school teacher co-stars Justin Timberlake and Jason Segel and is directed by Jake Kasdan. The Blu-rays will feature 1080p video, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks, and supplements will include: Bad Teacher PS3 Wallpaper/Theme; JAMS Yearbook- Hidden Moments; Boner; The Bachelor; Extended Russell Rejection; Way Behind The Scenes with Jason Segel and Justin Timberlake; Raising More Than Funds; A Very Odd Blacksmith Story; Swimming With The Dolphins; and Good Teacher. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99 and $45.99 for the combo pack. You can find the latest specs for 'Bad Teacher' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 18.Posted Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'Fanny and Alexander Box Set' Planned for Blu-ray[teaser]The theatrical and extended television versions of Ingmar Bergman's powerful drama is planned for Blu-ray in November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection is working on 'Fanny and Alexander Box Set' for Blu-ray on November 8. Ingmar Bergman intended Fanny and Alexander as his swan song, and it is the legendary director’s warmest and most autobiographical film, a four-time Academy Award–winning triumph that combines his trademark melancholy and emotional intensity with immense joy and sensuality. 'Fanny and Alexander - The Theatrical Version' - Through the eyes of ten-year-old Alexander (Bertil Guve), we witness the great delights and conflicts of the Ekdahl family, a sprawling, convivial bourgeois clan in turn-of-the-century Sweden, in Ingmar Bergman’s intended swan song, Fanny and Alexander. 'Fanny and Alexander - The Television Version' - Ingmar Bergman has described Fanny and Alexander as “the sum total of my life as a filmmaker.” And in this, the full-length (312-minute) version of his triumphant valediction, his vision is expressed at its fullest. 'The Making of Fanny and Alexander' - Directed by Ingmar Bergman himself, this feature-length documentary chronicles the methods of one of cinema’s true luminaries as he labors to realize his crowning production. The Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, monaural soundtracks, and supplements include: Ingmar Bergman Bids Farewell to Film, a sixty-minute conversation between Bergman and film critic Nils Petter Sundgren recorded for Swedish television in 1984; Audio commentary on the theatrical version by film scholar Peter Cowie; A Bergman Tapestry, a documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew; Costume sketches and footage of the models for the film’s sets; Stills gallery; Theatrical trailer; Optional English-dubbed soundtrack for the theatrical version; and a booklet featuring essays by documentarian and film historian Stig Björkman, novelist Rick Moody, and film scholar Paul Arthur. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray box set is $59.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Fanny and Alexander Box Set' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 8.Posted Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'12 Angry Men' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]We the jury find that the original 1957 classic directed by Sidney Lumet will be acquitted on Blu-ray in November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will proudly present '12 Angry Men' on Blu-ray on November 22. A behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system as riveting as it is spare, the iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose’s teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the initially dissenting member of a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. The Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, and supplements include: Frank Schaffner’s 1955 television version, with an introduction by Ron Simon, director of the Paley Center for Media Studies; “Twelve Angry Men”: From Television to the Big Screen, a video essay by film scholar Vance; Kepley comparing the Sidney Lumet and Schaffner versions; Archival interviews with Lumet; New interview about the director with writer Walter Bernstein; New interview with Simon about television writer Reginald Rose; New interview with cinematographer John Bailey in which he discusses cinematographer Boris Kaufman; Tragedy in a Temporary Town (1956), a teleplay directed by Lumet and written by Rose; Original theatrical trailer; and a booklet featuring an essay by writer and law professor Thane Rosenbaum. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for '12 Angry Men' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 22.Posted Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'The Ray Harryhausen Collection' Blu-ray $30.99 at Amazon[teaser]The Blu-ray boxed set of four stop-motion cult classics is over sixty percent off at Amazon! [/teaser] The online retailer is now offering 'The Ray Harryhausen Collection' for $30.99 (65% off suggested list price). This set contains 'It Came From Beneath the Sea,' 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers,' '20 Million Miles to Earth,' and 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.' Click here to cash in on this great deal!Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 02:52 PM PDT by: -
'Scrooged' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The 1988 Christmas guilty pleasure will spread the Blu-ray cheer this November! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount says 'Scrooged' is planned for a Blu-ray release on November 1. In this modernized adaptation of the Charles Dickens' classic, Richard Donner directs Bill Murray as a selfish and ruthless corporate executive who is visited by three ghosts from his past to show him the error of his ways. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and the only supplement appears to be the theatrical trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is set at $24.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Scrooged' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 1.Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
'Three Colors Trilogy' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]All three films in Krzysztof Kieślowski's acclaimed trilogy are coming to Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection in November! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection is preparing the 'Three Colors Trilogy' for Blu-ray on November 15. This boldly cinematic trio of stories about love and loss from Krzysztof Kieślowski was a defining event of the art-house boom of the 1990s. 'Blue' - In the devastating first film of the 'Three Colors' trilogy, Juliette Binoche gives a tour de force performance as Julie, a woman reeling from the tragic deaths of her husband and young daughter. But 'Blue' is more than just a blistering study of grief; it’s also a tale of liberation, as Julie learns truths about her late composer husband’s life and attempts to free herself of the past. Shot in icily gorgeous tones by Sławomir Idziak ('The Double Life of Véronique') and set to an extraordinary operatic score by Zbigniew Preisner ('The Secret Garden'), 'Blue' is an overwhelming sensory experience. 'White' - The most playful but also the grittiest of Kieślowski’s 'Three Colors' films follows the adventures of Karol Karol ('The Pianist’s Zbigniew Zamachowski), a Polish immigrant living in France. The hapless hairdresser opts to leave Paris for his native Warsaw after his wife (Julie Delpy) sues him for divorce (her reason: he was never able to perform in bed) and then frames him for arson after setting her own salon ablaze. 'White,' which goes on to chronicle Karol Karol’s elaborate revenge plot, manages to be both a ticklish dark comedy about the economic inequalities of Eastern and Western Europe and a sublime reverie about twisted love. 'Red' - Krzysztof Kieślowski closes his 'Three Colors' trilogy in grand fashion with an incandescent meditation on fate and chance, starring Irène Jacob as a sweet-souled yet somber runway model in Geneva whose life intersects with that of a bitter retired judge, played by Jean‑Louis Trintignant. Their blossoming friendship forces each to open up in surprising emotional ways. Meanwhile, just down the street, a seemingly unrelated story of jealousy and betrayal unfolds. 'Red' is an intimate look at forged connections and a splendid final statement from a remarkable filmmaker at the height of his powers. The 3-disc Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtracks, and supplements include: Three cinema lessons with director Krzysztof Kieślowski; New interviews with composer Zbigniew Preisner; writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz; and actors Julie Delpy, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Irène Jacob; Selected-scene commentary for Blue with actress Juliette Binoche; Three new video essays, by film writers Annette Insdorf, Tony Rayns, and Dennis Lim; Kieślowski’s student short The Tram (1966) and his fellow student’s short from the same year The Face, which features Kieślowski in a solo performance; Two short documentaries by Kieślowski: Seven Women of Different Ages (1978) and Talking Heads (1980); Krzysztof Kieślowski: I’m So-So . . . (1995), a feature-length documentary in which the filmmaker discusses his life and work; Two multi-interview programs, Reflections on “Blue” and Kieślowski: The Early Years, with film critic Geoff Andrew, Binoche, filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, cinematographer Sławomir Idziak, Insdorf, Jacob, and editor Jacques Witta; Interviews with producer Marin Karmitz and Witta; Behind-the-scenes programs for White and Red, and Kieślowski Cannes 1994, a short documentary on Red’s world premiere; Original theatrical trailers; and a booklet featuring essays by critics Colin MacCabe, Nick James, Stuart Klawans, and Georgina Evans, an excerpt from Kieślowski on Kieślowski, and reprinted interviews with cinematographers Sławomir Idziak, Edward Klosinski, and Piotr Sobocinski. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray box set is $79.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Three Colors Trilogy' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 15.Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:30 PM PDT by: -
Big Lebowki Cast Reunites for Blu-ray Release[teaser]If you missed the live stream, you can catch the full Q&A when it's posted next week. [/teaser] Big Lebowski fans, get ready for some awesomeness. In honor of the Blu-ray release of the film, the main cast of 'The Big Lebowski' reunited for a Q&A and a special screening for those at Lebowski Fest. Lebowski stars John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore and John Turturro were in attendance as well as The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges. No Philip Seymour Hoffman or Sam Elliot, but you can't have everything. If you missed the Q&A, you'll be able to check it out on Live Stream next week. Until then you can satisfy your appetite with a quick clip on YouTube As cool as this whole thing is, you have to admit that it's a bit of a blessing and a curse. This panel is exactly the kind of thing that would have topped off the Blu-ray so wonderfully and though you'll still be able to see it, the chances are it won't still be online five or ten years down the road. Maybe BD-Live?Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:10 PM PDT by: -
Blu-ray Learns 'The Rules of the Game'[teaser]Jean Renoir's classic film is coming to high-definition at the end of November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will bring 'The Rules of the Game' to Blu-ray on November 15. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The Rules of the Game (La règle du jeu), by Jean Renoir, is a scathing critique of corrupt French society cloaked in a comedy of manners. The Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, a mono soundtrack, and supplements include: Introduction to the film by Jean Renoir; Audio commentary written by film scholar Alexander Sesonske and read by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; Version comparison: side-by-side analysis of the film’s two endings, and an illustrated study of Renoir’s shooting script; Selected-scene analysis by Renoir historian Christopher Faulkner; Excerpts from Jean Renoir, le patron: La Règle et l’exception (1966), a French television program directed by Jacques Rivette; Part one of Jean Renoir, a two-part 1993 BBC documentary by David Thompson; Video essay about the film’s production, release, and later reconstruction; Jean Gaborit and Jacques Durand discuss their reconstruction and rerelease of the film; Interviews with Renoir’s son and assistant cameraman Alain Renoir, set designer Max Douy, and actress Mila Parély; Written tributes to the film and Renoir by J. Hoberman, Kent Jones,Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders and others; and a booklet featuring writings by Sesonske, Renoir, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bertrand Tavernier, and François Truffaut. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'The Rules of the Game' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 15.Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by:
