1984 TV special “A Christmas Carol” Blu-ray in November

Tags: A Christmas Carol, Angela Pleasence, Charles Dickens, Clive Donner, David Warner, Edward Woodward, FOX, Frank Finlay, George C. Scott, Michael Carter, Susannah York

In an alert to retailers FOX has announced plans to bring the 1984 TV special (version) of Charles Dickens‘ “A Christmas Carol” starring George C. Scott to Blu-ray Disc on November 9th. Tech specs have not been announced but I’m betting you can expect full 1080p and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio — but then again, that is just my speculation. No word yet on bonus materials either but stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated once a press release is issued. The title is already available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $26.99 price tag.

MacGruber – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: Andy Mackenzie, BD-Live, D-Box, Jasper Cole, John Solomon, Jorma Taccone, Kristen Wiig, MacGruber, Maya Rudolph, Pocket Blu, Powers Boothe, Red One Camera, Rhys Coiro, Ryan Phillippe, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Timothy V. Murphy, Universal, Val Kilmer, Will Forte

has an average rating of 5.9 on IMDb
1080p in VC-1 on a 50gb disc
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
are too short but still very funny
– &
– 2009
– 151 minutes (theatrical) & 155 minutes (UNRATED)
– Universal
–
This uses 19.8GB for the R-Rated version of the movie.
This uses 21.1GB for the UNRATED version of the movie.
This uses 43.3GB total.
Street Date: September 7th, 2010

Overall Verdict – Recommended

Buy it for $26.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review written by: Danielle Byington —

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The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: Ben Stiller, Carmen Electra, Dan Castellaneta, Dana Gould, Delroy Lindo, FOX, George Takei, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, James Lipton, Jane Kaczmarek, Joe Montegna, Jon Lovitz, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julie Kavner, Marcia Wallace, Matt Groening, Matthew Perry, Michael Stipe, Nancy Cartwright, Olympia Dukakis, Pamela Hayden, Paul Newman, Phish, Pierce Brosnan, R.E.M., Reese Witherspoon, Richard Gere, Robert Pinsky, Stan Lee, The Simpsons, Trey Anastasio, Wolfgang Puck, Yeardley Smith

has an average rating of 9.2 on IMDb
4×3 1080p in AVC on THREE 50gb discs
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
are pretty decent this time around!
–
– 2001 – 2002
– 491 minutes
– FOX
–

Overall Verdict – Fans Will Be Pleased

Buy it for $39.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review written by: Justin Sluss —

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Blu-ray Disc Releases for August 31st, 2010

Tags: Weekly Releases

The following titles were released today August 31st, 2010 on Blu-ray Disc:

Beatdown (Lionsgate)

The Evil Dead (Anchor Bay/Starz)

Harry Brown (Sony)

House – Season Six (Universal)

Marmaduke (FOX)

NCIS: Los Angeles – The First Season (Paramount)

Red Riding Trilogy (IFC Films/MPI)

Sons of Anarchy: Season Two (FOX)

Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? (Lionsgate)

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season (Warner)

Hatchet – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: Adam Green, Anchor Bay, Deon Richmond, Hatchet, Joel David Moore, Joel Moore, Joel Murray, John Carl Buechler, Joleigh Fioravanti, Joshua Leonard, Kane Hodder, Mercedes McNab, Parry Shen, Patrika Darbo, Richard Riehle, Robert Englund, Starz, Tamara Feldman, Tony Todd, Victor Crowley

has an average rating of 5.8 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
Dolby TrueHD 5.1
includes DVD ports & new commentary
–
– 2006
– 84 minutes
– Anchor Bay (Starz)
–
This uses 20.7GB for the movie out of 25.7GB total.
Street Date: September 7th, 2010

Overall Verdict – Great Horror & Presentation

Buy it for $20.49 @ Amazon.com

— Review written by: Justin Sluss —

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FOX gives “The Sound of Music” Blu-ray a release date

Tags: BD-Live, Christopher Plummer, FOX, Julie Andrews, Robert Wise, Rodger, Rodgers & Hammerstein, The Sound of Music

FOX today has officially issued a PRESS RELEASE with a release date for the 1965 classic musical “The Sound of Music” on Blu-ray Disc. The title will street on November 2nd and features a whole new restoration. The tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video in the 2.20:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio as well as Dolby Digital 4.0 Surround sound. The release will come in both a 3-Disc “combo” set and also in the form of a “Limited Edition Collector’s Set“. Both of these are available PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with the 3-Disc “combo” set carrying a $31.49 price tag and the Limited Edition Collector’s Set carrying a $80.99 price tag. Below you’ll find a list of bonus materials set to be included on the 3-disc set as well as a list of bonus materials set to be EXCLUSIVE to the “Limited Edition Collector’s Set” and a glimpse of it and its contents. Also, after the break, you’ll find a trailer for this 45th Anniversary Edition that FOX had unveiled earlier in the year.

Blu-ray Disc 1:
• Feature Film Remastered in 1080p Hi-Def with 7.1 DTS-HD Sound
• Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration — All-New Immersive Viewing Experience with Behind-the-Scenes Images, On-Screen Lyrics, Trivia Track and Location Quiz
• Music Machine Sing-Along
• Audio Commentaries with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Director Robert Wise
• BD-LIVE**: Live Lookup™ Powered by IMDb®
Blu-ray Disc 2:
• Musical Stages: Creating The Sound of Music — All-New Interactive “Backlot Tour” with In-Depth Featurettes on the Songs, the Stage Show & Movie, the Film and Sound Restoration and the Real-Life von Trapp Family
• A City of Song — Virtual Map of Filming Locations in Salzburg, Austria
• Vintage Rodgers & Hammerstein and The Sound of Music Programs
• Screen Tests, Rare Treasures, Interviews, Photo Galleries & More!
DVD Disc:
• Feature Film In Standard Definition
• Newly Remastered Picture and Sound
• Optional Sing-Along Track
• Music Machine Sing-Along
• The Sound of Music Tour – A Living Story

Limited Edition Collector’s Set & bonus materials:

• 2-Disc Blu-ray with all extras as detailed below above
• Standard Definition DVD
• 45th Anniversary Soundtrack
• 100-Page “My Favorite Things” scrapbook
• Snapshots from Salzburg
• Reproduction of the original 1965 Souvenir program
• Exclusive “My Favorite Things” Music Box with letter of authenticity

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Adam Sandler as “Big Daddy” on Blu-ray in November

Tags: Adam Sandler, Allen Covert, Cole Sprouse, Dennis Dugan, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Leslie Mann, Peter Dante, Rob Schneider, Sony, Steve Buscemi

Sony has announced plans to bring the 1999 Dennis Dugan directed comedy “Big Daddy” starring Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jon Stewart to Blu-ray Disc on November 9th. Tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a lossless 5.1 mix (likely in DTS-HD Master Audio). The title is not yet available yet for pre-order over at Amazon but stay tuned and we will keep you updated. The bonus materials set to be included on the release are listed below.

• Two Music Videos:
- Garbage “When I Grow Up”
- Sheryl Crow “Sweet Child O Mine”
• HBO First Look: The Making of Big Daddy
• Making-of

“Lost in Translation” is coming to Blu-ray in December

Tags: Bill Murray, Francis Ford Coppola, Giovanni Ribisi, Scarlett Johansson, Sofia Coppola, Universal

In an early alert to retailers Universal has announced plans to bring the 2003 film “Lost in Translation” starring Bill Murray & Scarlett Johansson to Blu-ray Disc on December 7th. The film was written & directed by Sofia Coppola, daughter of famed director Francis Ford Coppola. The tech specs haven’t yet been announced but you can likely expect full 1080p Hi-Def and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound. No info regarding bonus materials yet but stay tuned and we will keep you updated. The title is already available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $18.99 price tag.

“Fantasia” and “Fantasia 2000″ on Blu-ray in November

Tags: BD-Live, Disney, Fantasia, Walt Disney

Disney has finally announced plans it seems to bring the films “Fantasia” and “Fantasia 2000” to Blu-ray Disc on November 30th in what’s being dubbed “Fantasia: 2 Movie Collection“. The tech specs for the release include each film getting its own disc with full 1080p Hi-Def video and DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound. The release itself will be a 4-disc “combo” set with the DVD versions of the films also included. The title is already available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $31.99 price tag. Below you’ll find a list of bonus materials set to be included on this release.

Fantasia DVD Bonus Features:

• New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley
• Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.

Fantasia Blu-ray Bonus Features:

• Everything on the DVD plus:
• Disney View – This viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.
• The Shultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) –An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook. The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view. Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animators until this notebook was recovered.
• Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.
• Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection
- With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
- Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.

Fantasia 2000 DVD Bonus Features:

• Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions. Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter. Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.

Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray Bonus Features:

• Everything on the DVD plus:
• Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time: 82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after its inception in 1946.
• Destino (running time: approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.
• Disney’s Virtual Vault — BD-Live Feature
Original DVD Bonus Features from Legacy Collection
• Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time: 84 minutes)
With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst.
Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment.

“Daughters of Darkness” is coming to Blu-ray in December

Tags: Andrea Rau, Blue Underground, Danielle Ouimet, Delphine Seyrig, Fons Rademakers, Georges Jamin, Harry Kümel, John Karlen, Joris Collet, Paul Esser

Blue Underground has announced plans to bring the 1971 Harry Kümel directed horror film “Daughters of Darkness” to Blu-ray Disc on December 21st. Tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD Mono sound. The title is not yet available for pre-order over at Amazon but stay tuned and we will keep you updated. Bonus materials set to be included are listed below.

• Audio Commentary #1 with Co-Writer/Director Harry Kümel
• Audio Commentary #2 with Star John Karlen and Journalist David Del Valle
• Locations of Darkness – Interviews with Co-Writer/Director Harry Kümel and Co-Writer/Co-Producer Pierre Drouot
• Playing the Victim – Interview with Star Danielle Ouimet
• Daughter of Darkness – Interview with Star Andrea Rau
• Theatrical Trailer
• Radio Spots

CONTEST! Win one of 3 copies of “Hatchet” on Blu-ray

Tags: Adam Green, Anchor Bay, Contest, Hatchet, Starz

We’ve got THREE copies of Adam Green‘s 2006 horror/comedy “Hatchet” in its UNRATED “Director’s Cut” on Blu-ray Disc from Anchor Bay up for grabs in a contest. Since this title doesn’t street until September 7th, that’ll be the day the contest will end. To enter the contest just leave a comment below with a working e-mail address and realize one important thing here though that makes you eligible, you MUST be a U.S. (United States) resident and not at a P.O. Box mailing address. If you qualify, proceed and leave a comment with a working e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.

Also, since just he’s a nice guy and I love his films I will add this bit of promo. Be sure to go out and see the sequel “Hatchet II” in its theatrical run. To sign up for updates on that and when and where it’ll be playing check out the official website HERE. Also, for those of you who have already seen the first film, I have included the trailer for the sequel (in HD) via YouTube embeded below (after the break). Enjoy and good luck in the contest. Also consider following the film’s writer & director himself Adam Green on Twitter for some updates about the theatrical run for the sequel and such.

Posted in Contest | 59 Comments »

Best Buy getting “Anchorman” on Blu-ray as an exclusive

Tags: Adam McKay, Anchorman, Best Buy, Chris Parnell, Christina Applegate, David Koechner, DreamWorks, Fred Willard, Judd Apatow, Kathryn Hahn, Paramount, Paul Rudd, Ron Burgundy, Steve Carell, The Rich Mahogany Edition, Will Ferrell

Best Buy is getting (via DreamWorks) the 2004 Adam McKay directed film “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” starring Will Ferrell on Blu-ray Disc come August 31st as an EXCLUSIVE to the retail chain and their online website (where it carries a $24.99 price tag). We’ve actually received this special 2-disc version dubbed “The Rich Mahogany Edition” for review and we’ll be bringing that to you soon, but in the time being we have a video clip from the bonus materials to share with you to wet your appetite. Enjoy the video embedded below (after the break).

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The Evil Dead – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: Anchor Bay, Besty Baker, Betsy Baker, Book of the Dead, Bruce Campbell, DVD vs. Blu-ray Screenshot Comparison, Ellen Sandweiss, Evil Dead, Hal Delrich, Richard DeManincor, Robert Tapert, Sam Raimi, Sarah York, Starz, The Evil Dead, Tom Sullivan

has an average rating of 7.6 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
Dolby TrueHD 5.1
new commentary & a DVD with extras
–
– 1981
– 85 minutes
– Anchor Bay (Starz)
–
This uses 18.6GB for the movie in 1.33:1 aspect.
This uses 18.7GB for the movie in 1.85:1 aspect.
This uses 38.8GB total.
Street Date: August 31st, 2010

Overall Verdict – A Classic Horror Done Justice

Buy it for $17.49 @ Amazon.com

— Review written by: Justin Sluss —

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Posted in Blu-ray Reviews | 5 Comments »

“The Wiz” with Michael Jackson on Blu-ray in November

Tags: Diana Ross, Lena Horne, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor, Sidney Lumet, Ted Ross, Universal

Universal has officially announced plans to bring the 1978 musical “The Wiz” starring Diana Ross as well as the late Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson to Blu-ray Disc on November 30th. Tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound on a BD-50 (50 gigabyte dual-layered Blu-ray Disc). The bonus materials set to be included here sadly are slim and only includes a featurette titled “Wiz on Down the Road“.

UPDATE: This title is now available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $18.99 price tag.

Below (after the break) you’ll find the trailer to this.

Posted in Blu-ray News | 1 Comment »

“The Disappearance of Alice Creed” on Blu-ray in November

Tags: Anchor Bay, Eddie Marsan, Gemma Arterton, J Blakeson, Martin Compston, Starz

Anchor Bay (A Starz company) has announced plans to bring the 2009 film “The Disappearance of Alice Creed” written & directed by J Blakeson to Blu-ray Disc on November 23rd. Tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. The title is available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $24.49 price tag. Bonus materials haven’t been fully detailed yet but are said to include audio commentary tracks featuring director J Blakeson, storyboard featurettes, extended scenes with audio commentary and more. Below (after the break) you’ll find the trailer to this film.

Posted in Blu-ray News | 1 Comment »

Blu-ray Disc Releases for August 24th, 2010

Tags: Weekly Releases

The following titles will be released today August 24th, 2010 on Blu-ray Disc:

$5 A Day (Image Entertainment)

Abandoned (Anchor Bay/Starz)

Ajami (Kino International)

The Back-Up Plan (Sony)

City Island (Anchor Bay/Starz)

Death Note Collection (Warner)

Dorian Gray (E1 Entertainment)

The Long Good Friday (Image Entertainment)

LOST: The Complete Collection (Disney/ABC)

LOST: The Complete Sixth Season (Disney/ABC)

Machine Gun McCain (Blue Underground)

Mona Lisa [1986] (Image Entertainment)

Shogun Assassin (AnimEigo)

The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season (FOX)

The Square (Sony)

Survival of the Dead (Magnolia Home Entertainment)

Time Bandits (Image Entertainment)

The Universe: Our Solar System (The History Channel/A&E)

Withnail and I (Image Entertainment)

FOX is bringing 2010 film “Predators” to Blu-ray in October

Tags: Adrien Brody, BD-Live, Danny Trejo, Digital Copy, FOX, Live Lookup, Nimrod Antal, Predator, Robert Rodriguez, Topher Grace

FOX has announced plans to bring the 2010 sequel/reboot of sorts “Predators” Produced by Robert Rodriguez, Directed by Nimrod Antal, starring Adrien Brody & Topher Grace to Blu-ray Disc on October 19th. The title is alredy available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $27.99 price tag. Tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Below you’ll see a list of bonus materials set to be included and even further after that (after the break) you’ll find the trailer.

• Commentary by Producer Robert Rodriguez and Director Nimrod Antal
• “Moments of Extraction” Motion Comics – Robert Rodriguez presents exclusive prequel vignettes voiced by the cast of Predators. Witness the secret adventures that turned our world’s most ruthless killers into the ultimate Predator prey.
Noland Intro (part 1)
Isabelle
Cuchillo
Hanzo
Mombasa
Noland Ending (part 2)
Crucified
• Evolution of the Species: Predators Reborn
Bloodline
De-Cloaking the Invisible: Alien Terrain
Intelligent Design: The Hunting Camp
Predators as Prey
Yuatja Transformed
Rite of Passage
• The Chosen Featurette
• Fox Movie Channel presents Making a Scene
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
Dead Man’s Parachute
Cuchillo and Isabelle
Team “Orientated” Group
Third Most Wanted
Cuchillo Unleashes
“Why Are You Here?”
“They’re Smarter Than That”
Stans and Isabelle Naked
“They’re Still Coming”
• BD-Live Extras
Exclusive Predator Features
Live Lookup – Powered by IMDB
• Digital Copy

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