Paramount announces two catalog films “Escape from L.A.” and “K-19: The Widowmaker” for Blu-ray release in May

Tags: Harrison Ford, John Carpenter, Kathryn Bigelow, Kurt Russell, Liam Neeson, Paramount, Steve Buscemi

Paramount has announced plans to bring two catalog films to Blu-ray Disc on May 4th. The first title is John Carpenter’s “Escape from L.A.” (the sequel to “Escape from New York“) from 1996 starring Kurt Russell as well as co-starring Steve Buscemi and Peter Fonda. The second film is the 2002 Kathryn Bigelow directed film “K-19: The Widowmaker” starring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. Neither of the titles are yet available for pre-order but stay tuned and we will keep you updated. Tech specs for both titles include full 1080p Hi-Def video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. No bonus materials are mentioned to be included on “Escape from New York” aside from a theatrical trailer (according to the PRESS RELEASE) but “K-19: The Widowmaker” is set to include the following bonus materials.

· Commentary by director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth
· The Making of K-19: The Widowmaker
· Exploring the Craft: Make-Up Techniques
· Breaching the Hull
· It’s in the Details
· Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Paramount bringing the 1998 Steven Spielberg film “Saving Private Ryan” starring Tom Hanks to Blu-ray in May

Tags: Barry Pepper, DreamWorks, Edward Burns, Jeremy Davies, Matt Damon, Paramount, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel

Paramount (distributor for DreamWorks) has announced plans to bring the 1998 World War II film “Saving Private Ryan” directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks to Blu-ray Disc on May 4th. The title is already available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $27.99 price tag. No word yet on tech specs or bonus materials but stay tuned and we will keep you updated.

Sony bringing the 2009 film “An Education” starring Peter Sarsgaard and Carey Mulligan to Blu-ray Disc in March

Tags: Alfred Molina, Carey Mulligan, Emma Thompson, Lone Scherfig, Olivia Williams, Peter Sarsgaard, Sony

Sony, in an (another) early alert to retailers, has announced plans to bring the 2009 film “An Education” directed by Lone Scherfig to Blu-ray Disc on March 30th. The film stars Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan and Alfred Molina to just name a few cast members. The title is available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $26.99 price tag. Tech specs we can assure you will include full 1080p and likely DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound.

UPDATE: So far, bonus materials are set to include the following listed below.

* Commentary with director Lone Scherfig and actors Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard
* The Making of An Education
* Walking the Red Carpet
* Deleted scenes

Sony apparently bringing the 2009 film “The Young Victoria” starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend to Blu-ray in April

Tags: Emily Blunt, Jean-Marc Vallée, Paul Bettany, Rupert Friend, Sony

Sony, in an early alert to retailers, apparently has announced plans to bring the 2009 Jean-Marc Vallée directed film “The Young Victoria” starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend and Paul Bettany to Blu-ray Disc on April 20th. The title is already available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $23.99 price tag. Tech specs we can assure you will include full 1080p and likely DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound. No word yet regarding bonus materials but stay tuned and we will keep you updated.

Couples Retreat – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: BD-Live, Digital Copy, Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Jean Reno, Jon Favreau, Kali Hawk, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Malin Akerman, Peter Billingsley, Pocket Blu, Universal, Vince Vaughn

has an average rating of 5.6 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
include exclusives & Digital Copy
–
– 2009
– 114 minutes
– Universal
–
This uses 35.2GB for the movie out of 43.3GB total.

Overall Verdict – Worth A Look

Buy it for $22.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review written by: Brendan Surpless

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Goodfellas [20th Anniversary Edition] – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: DigiBook, Frank Sivero, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Martin Scorsese, Paul Sorvino, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Warner

has an average rating of 8.8 on IMDb
1080p in VC-1 on a 25gb disc
Dolby Digital 5.1 @640kbps?!
DVD ports, DigiBook & a bonus DVD
–
– 1990
– 146 minutes
– Warner
–
This uses 19.2GB for the movie out of 22.8GB total.
Street Date: February 16th, 2010

Overall Verdict – A No Good Lousy “Double-Dip”

Buy it for $23.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review by: Justin Sluss & Brendan Surpless —

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The Last King of Scotland – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: Adam Kotz, Forest Whitaker, FOX, Gillian Anderson, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Kevin Macdonald, Simon McBurney

has an average rating of 7.8 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
are DVD ports
–
– 2006
– 123 minutes
– FOX
–
This uses 27.9GB for the movie out of 37.5GB total.

Overall Verdict – Highly Recommended

Buy it for $20.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review written by: Brendan Surpless

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Whip It – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: Alia Shawkat, Carlo Alban, Daniel Stern, Digital Copy, Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Eve, FOX, Jimmy Fallon, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, Landon Pigg, Marcia Gay Harden, Sarah Habel, Zoe Bell

has an average rating of 7.3 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
partially Hi-Def with a Digital Copy
–
– 2009
– 111 minutes
– FOX
–
This uses 32.6GB for the movie out of 36.6GB total.

Overall Verdict – Recommended

Buy it for $23.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review written by: Danielle Byington —

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Warner officially has plans to bring the HBO series “True Blood: The Complete Second Season” to Blu-ray in May

Tags: Alan Ball, Anna Paquin, HBO, Nelsan Ellis, Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten, Sam Trammell, Stephen Moyer, True Blood, Warner

Warner has officially announced plans today, confirming previous reports that they planned to bring the HBO series “True Blood: The Complete Second Season” to Blu-ray Disc on May 25th. The title is available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $52.99 price tag. Tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound.

UPDATE: We have received a PRESS RELEASE with details regarding the bonus materials which you will find below.

It contains all the bonus materials found on the SD version along with True Blood Enhanced Viewing on all 12 episodes. Enhanced Viewing provides an amplified picture in picture experience with original, interactive content that extends the fiction of the series. With triple the content found on the Season One BD, Season Two offers “Character Perspectives” – straight from the mouths of Hoyt, Pam, Karl and Steve Newlin; “Flashback/Flash Forward” – allowing the viewer to relive pivotal moments and revealing the significance of certain scenes; “Pro/Anti- Vampire Feeds” – news updates and information from the American Vampire League and the Light of Day organization that helps fans decide which camp they support; and “Hints/FYI” – featuring trivia facts, show hints and clues. Additionally, viewers will also be able to skip from bonus event to bonus event as they watch an episode.

Universal bringing three catalog titles “The Jackal” , “Out of Africa” and “Traffic” to Blu-ray as DVD combos in April

Tags: Benicio Del Toro, Bruce Willis, Flipper Discs, Meryl Streep, Michael Caton-Jones, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Robert Redford, Steven Soderbergh, Sydney Pollack, Universal

Universal has announced plans to bring three more catalog films to Blu-ray Disc as DVD combo-style “flipper discs” (Blu-ray on one side, DVD on the other side) on April 27th. The first of the three films (in alphabetical order) is “The Jackal” directed by Michael Caton-Jones from 1997 starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere. Next you have the Sydney Pollack directed film “Out of Africa” from 1985 (in a “25th Anniversary Edition“) starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. The last film is the
Steven Soderbergh film “Traffic” from 2000 starring Benicio Del Toro and Michael Douglas.

Tech specs for all three of these releases include full 1080p Hi-Def video and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound. Bonus materials for each release are pretty minimal, obvious DVD ports and listed below.

“The Jackal” bonus materials:

• The Making of The Jackal
• Feature Commentary with Director Michael Caton-Jones

“Out of Africa” bonus materials:

• A Song of Africa
• My Scenes
• Feature Commentary with Director Sydney Pollack

“Traffic” bonus materials:

• Inside Traffic

UPDATE: All three titles are now available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with each carrying a $18.99 price tag. Click the titles or cover art above for pre-order links.

The Hurt Locker – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraght, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly, Grace Wang, Guy Pearce, Jeremy Renner, Kathryn Bigelow, Ralph Fiennes, Summit, Summit Entertainment

has an average rating of 8.0 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
are in Hi-Def but way too short
–
– 2008
– 130 minutes
– Summit
–
This uses 35.1GB for the movie out of 41.4GB total.

Overall Verdict – Highly Recommended

Buy it for $22.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review by: James Segars & Grace Wang —

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Universal bringing the 1995 Ron Howard Film “Apollo 13″ starring Tom Hanks to Blu-ray appropriately on April 13

Tags: BD-Live, Bill Paxton, Clint Howard, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise, Jim Lovell, Kevin Bacon, Pocket Blu, Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, Universal

Universal has announced plans to bring the 1995 Ron Howard film based on the real life story of “Apollo 13” starring Tom Hanks to Blu-ray Disc on appropriately enough on April 13th. If you don’t understand why that date is significant see why HERE on Wikipedia. The tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video on a BD-50 (50 gigabyte dual-layered Blu-ray Disc) and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound. The title is not yet available for pre-order but stay tuned and we will keep you updated. Bonus materials are set to include the following on what is the “15th Anniversary Edition” of the film.

• Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13
• Conquering Space: The Moon and Beyond
• Lucky 13: The Astronaut’s Story
• My Scenes
• Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard
• Feature Commentary with Jim and Marilyn Lovell
• pocket BLU

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

FOX is bringing the 1985 Ron Howard film “Cocoon” starring Brian Dennehy & Steve Guttenberg to Blu-ray in April

Tags: Brian Dennehy, Clint Howard, Don Ameche, FOX, Hume Cronyn, Ron Howard, Steve Guttenberg, Wilford Brimley

FOX officially has plans it seems to bring the 1985 Ron Howard directed film “Cocoon” to Blu-ray Disc on April 6th. The title is available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with a $17.49 price tag. Tech specs include full 1080p Hi-Def video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound. Bonus materials haven’t yet totally been confirmed but are said to include basically the DVD ports in Standard Definition (those consisting of an audio commentary with Ron Howard, featurettes, TV spots, and trailers). Stay tuned for any updates on this title.

FOX in no rush to bring “Avatar” to Blu-ray 3D but they do at least plan to bring it to Blu-ray in 2D by the end of June

Tags: 20th Century FOX, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 3D, Avatar, Blu-ray 3D, FOX, James Cameron, Rupert Murdoch

FOX apparently is “in no hurry to rush ‘Avatar‘ to retail release” is the word we are hearing from a report from the folks over at Home Media Magazine. In the article it mentions that the studio and mainly its CEO Rupert Murdoch have stated they are in no real rush to bring James Cameron’s blockbuster, billion-dollar grossing, Academy Award-nominated film to Blu-ray Disc (home video). They plan to keep it in theaters basically as long as possible and then at the technically end of the fiscal year (June 30th) they plan to bring it to home video (Blu-ray) but only in a 2D presentation. The head of FOX, Murdoch seems to not think that Blu-ray 3D is ready to handle the release or that his studio is ready, one of the two. This is a tragic shame in our honest opinion here at HighDefDiscNews, as we believe that “Avatar” is a film that will be vital to the launch and success of Blu-ray 3D. Stay tuned for more updates on this as we hear them and also stay tuned for a new article soon from our Lead Hardware Editor James Segars discussing even further how this could impact the future of 3D HDTV displays and especially Blu-ray 3D. Below is an excerpt from the article found over at Home Media Magazine.

With little slowdown to box office juggernaut Avatar, News Corp. said it is in no hurry to rush James Cameron’s fantasy film to DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Speaking Feb. 2 in a call with investors, CEO Rupert Murdoch said the movie will contribute significantly to 20th Century Fox Studios’ operating profits over the next two quarters with the DVD/Blu-ray releases slated at the end of the fiscal year in June.

The studio includes 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, among other ancillary properties.

Murdoch admitted that the studio’s operating income projections in the current fiscal year assume an Avatar DVD/Blu-ray release, but not in 3D.

“We’re not going to yank it out of theaters if it is doing $30 million a weekend,” News Corp. president Chase Carey said.

“We’ll keep it going,” added Murdoch, referring to the $95 million weekly box office Avatar is generating internationally.

Walk the Line – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: FOX, Gill Dennis, Ginnifer Goodwin, James Mangold, Joaquin Phoenix, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Patrick, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Shooter Jennings, Tyler Hilton, Waylon Payne

has an average rating of 7.9 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
are DVD ports but mostly in Hi-Def
–
– 2005
– 135 minutes
– FOX
–
This uses 27.9GB for the movie out of 37.5GB total.

Overall Verdict – Highly Recommended

Buy it for $19.49 @ Amazon.com

— Review by: Justin Sluss & Danielle Byington —

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