In Contention

Tag: Blu-ray

  • ‘First Class’ Friday

    Which will you choose? Via press release:

    LOS ANGELES (July 19, 2011) – Before they were superheroes, the fate of humanity depended on an extraordinary group of youngsters who went on to become X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Based on the international bestselling Marvel Comics franchise, this box office hit bursts onto Blu-ray and DVD Friday, September 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. For the first time ever, “X-Men” fans will have the power to choose a side between Professor X and Magneto with two versions of premium collectible Blu-ray packaging. Also exclusively on Blu-ray, fans receive access to over two hours of special interactive features PLUS ten Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics including a never-before-seen “X-Men: First Class” backstory— redeemable through each Blu-ray’s unique packaging code…

    The first 1,000 fans to pre-order their Blu-ray or DVD copy of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS during San Diego Comic-Con (July 21 – 24) will receive a free limited edition T-shirt, showing their support for either “Team Charles” or “Team Erik.” Fans can pre-order their copy in person at the Fox booth #4313 or online at www.FoxConnect.com. During this time, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS will be available on Blu-ray and DVD at the exclusive price of $25.00 for Blu-ray and $18.00 for DVD.

    More on specs after the jump.

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  • ‘Lion King’ Father’s Day PSA

    The film will be re-released theatrically in 3D September 16 with an October 4 Blu-ray and DVD Special Edition close behind (trailer after the jump). Meanwhile, speaking of today, I figure I’ll shout-out a two-year-old list to commemorate.

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  • Toasting the ‘Social Network’ DVD release

    Sony pulled out all the stops last night with a big to-do soiree on behalf of the DVD/Blu-ray release of “The Social Network.” You go to these things, you expect a certain level of restraint, and then I’m pulling up to Spago and they’ve got the red carpet rolled out and the flashbulbs are popping and, well — it wasn’t an intimate Il Cielo thing, that’s for sure.  It was a great time, though.

    Tons of cast and crew were on hand.  I finally got some face time with Jesse Eisenberg, who made me totally nervous, to be quite honest.  He has a flustered (but endearing) way about him, and is a true gentleman.  Nevertheless, it seemed to me he wanted out of there.  Hey, it’s a lot to deal with for a young, unassuming actor like him.  He’s right at the front of a massive Oscar campaign for a highly successful film.  What can you say?  Good luck to him.

    I’ve of course already spoken to composer Atticus Ross and film editor Kirk Baxter, but it was nice to put faces to the names.  Trent Reznor couldn’t attend.  Also from the crew was cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, a great guy.  His first film was Fincher’s “Fight Club” back in 1999.  And Fincher was there.  Didn’t get a chance to speak with him.  Aaron Sorkin and Armie Hammer as well.  A brief exchange with Andrew Garfield.  Most everyone turned out.

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  • Seven years to the day

    Sony’s campaign for “The Social Network” sure is moving along swimmingly.  As if the critics’ groups didn’t give the film enough of a headwind going into the voting frame of phase one, the film is hitting DVD and Blu-ray January 11, a scant three months after theatrical release and right in the middle of the buzz maelstrom.

    Of course, it’s all by design, and a DVD release party being held at Spago in Beverly Hills Thursday night, press naturally invited en masse, will keep the good word spreading.  An Oscar run is all about timing, and so far, this one has it in spades.

    There’s something else that’s key to that date, though.  Film writer William Goss alerted me over the weekend to the fact that, on January 11, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg began this epic, defining journey when he bought the domain (“thefacebook.com”) that would become, after a slight tweak, the most-visited website on the internet.  Coincidence?

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  • Extended ‘Avatar’ is the home video event of the year

    The most exciting Blu-ray/DVD release of the year (perhaps more so than the Criterion release of Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line”) might be the three-disc Extended Collector’s Edition of James Cameron’s “Avatar.”

    I watched the nearly three-hour film this weekend and found it, without a doubt, a better, more fully realized experience than the film we saw in theaters a year ago.  Some of the material was already included in a “special edition” theatrical re-release in August.  Those elements mostly include bits and pieces here and there that certainly fill the film out a bit.

    However, in the early moments of the extended edition (which has been on shelves since Tuesday), we’re met with a sequence set on a ruined earth that provides a visual effects feast different than the rest of the film.  I loved this stuff mostly for the character-building moments provided for Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully.

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  • Toasting the DVD release of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’

    If you haven’t heard by now, Paramount Pictures is launching full speed into a Best Picture campaign for the animated hit “How to Train Your Dragon,” and why not?  When you’re talking about Pixar-level acclaim and a highly respectable box office take, it’s worth it to test those waters.

    A lovely soiree last night toasting the forthcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of the film was an early stop on that journey.  Last year you’ll recall the studio put together a similar event for the “Star Trek” home video release.

    The party was held at the new Red O restaurant on Melrose and among those in attendance were DreamWorks honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg and voice talents Craig Ferguson and America Ferrera.  Ferrera was a delight to chat with, eager to dive into the recently announced sequel.  I also had a nice talk with her fiancee, Ryan Piers Williams, a film buff and himself a filmmaker (Edinburgh hit “The Dry Land”).  The film’s directors, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, were also in the crowd, as well as, randomly, actor Robert Forster.  Mostly though it was a room full of BFCA, LAFCA and HFPA members, so the aim was clear.

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  • Malick’s ‘Thin Red Line’ shines on Criterion Blu

    If you’re sitting there right now, reading these words, killing time, nothing much to do this afternoon, do yourself a favor — go out and buy the new Criterion Blu-ray release of Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line.”

    I’ve been delighting in this top 10 all-timer all week, probably my most anticipated home video release since, oh, “Batman” hit VHS during the holidays in 1989?  Naturally, there is no on-screen involvement from Malick, but there is plenty to explore.

    First, let’s start with the film itself.  John Toll’s gorgeous, mesmerizing photography pops with crystal clarity as, finally, his work on the film gets the treatment it deserves.  The sound is also striking (though let me know if I’m the only one who notices it pop in suddenly over the title screen), the mix of elements and Hans Zimmer’s score truly immersive.

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  • We all got it comin’

    What was the last truly immortal Best Picture winner?  Cases can be made for this or that throughout the years, but for my money, the last film to win the Academy’s top prize that is absolutely a film for the ages was Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven.”

    And you can get the Blu-ray on Amazon for less than eight bucks.  Do it!

    Anyway, nothing other than that on a lazy Sunday.  Though it inspired me to dig up Eastwood’s acceptance speech for his Best Director win back in March of 1993.  Naturally, the Academy is stingy with embeds, but have a look and listen here if you’re bored.

    Oh, and here is Eastwood introducing the film at the AFI’s 40th anniversary celebration a few years ago.  And Gene Hackman winning Best Supporting Actor.  And Eastwood on Hackman’s character, Little Bill Daggett.

    Sorry, I could go on forever about this one.  After the jump, a few choice selections.

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  • Cover art for ‘Thin Red Line’ Criterion release

    A few weeks ago we told you about the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray Criterion release of Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line,” perhaps one of the most anticipated Criterion announcements yet.  The information came with sell sheet cover art, but today we get a look at the actual cover art, and as one would expect, it’s gorgeous.  Check out the full image after the jump.

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  • Malick’s Pacific theatre makes its way to Criterion

    I haven’t picked up a copy of Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line” on DVD because I’m so OCD.  As in, I can’t stand the “Fox war classics” thing at the top of the case.  It’s the same reason I have a love/hate relationship with my “John Wayne classics” version of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” I know, weird, but I also thought Malick’s film, one of the very best ever made, needed a big to-do from Criterion or SOMEONE willing to dig in.

    It looks like I’m finally getting my wish, as Criterion will be releasing the DVD and — ZOMG! — Blu-ray this September.  This follows the recent Criterion release of “Days of Heaven” from the director.  And it’s just in time for all the forthcoming “Tree of Life” buzz.

    Count me stoked.  REALLY stoked.  I’m not sure what the specifics of the release are, actually, but I long for the day someone digs up all the footage and gives us that six-hour cut.  Is all of that lost to the winds?  I’m out of the loop.

    Anyway, the sell-sheet cover art hit today, which typically eschews any poster art in favor of something more singular.  Check it out after the jump, but keep an eye on the official page for the film at Criterion for updates and, eventually, the “official” cover art for the release.

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  • Got a chuckle out of me

    Cover of Avatar Blu-ray

    There’s zero extras! There’s so few extras that you put it in, you push play, and the movie starts. There are no trailers, there’s no bullshit at the beginning that you have to endlessly go through. I have a deal with the studio and it goes like this: Any movie I make that makes over a billion dollars goes out without a bunch of crap trailers for your other movies.

    James Cameron, discussing the DVD/Blu-ray release of “Avatar” (which drops tomorrow).

    Check out the rest at Entertainment Weekly.

  • Stab me in the eye

    I’m over the moon that “Minority Report” and “Collateral” are finally making their way to Blu-ray, and I look forward to owning “Up in the Air,” but I don’t understand why home video departments feel a need to rape and pillage well-considered and often times singular marketing materials in favor of such generic nonsense as this, the kind of artwork you’d expect to find at the bottom of the $5 bin at Wall Mart.

    Alright, no, I get it. Let’s make sure the star’s face is as apparent as humanly possible. But how many more dollars are they really making by sacrificing the visual identity of these films, anyway?

    CollateralMinority ReportUp in the Air

  • Great track

    “The Hurt Locker” hits shelves today on DVD and Blu-ray and I’ve been meaning to mention the film’s commentary feature, which I gave a listen over the weekend.  It’s an awesome track, wall-to-wall info and plenty of insights from director Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal throughout, who never let off the throttle.  Boal adds a number of wonderful notes from his own experience, how he came around to certain scenarios on the film that are based in real life, etc.  Anyway, just thought I’d mention it.  It’s well worth a look, though unfortunately, there are no other extra features besides a flimsy 12-minute behind-the-scenes featurette.  But anyway, go get it.

  • ‘Star Trek’ under the stars

    Griffith ObservatoryThe swank, spare-no-expense shin-dig last night at the historic Griffith Observatory was officially a DVD release party for one of the summer’s biggest critical and fiscal hits.  But with nearly the entire Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s membership on hand, the general vibe of awards season in the air and the obvious implications of a fall DVD release for an early-year hopeful, it’s fair to say it was ostensibly a call to Oscar arms for a film that has a pretty good shot at one of this year’s 10 Best Picture slots.

    Most of the “Star Trek” cast was on hand — Zachary Quinto, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, John Cho, Clifton Collins Jr. — but Leonard Nimoy and Walter Koenig were the ones causing the biggest stir, as of course they would.  A specialty drink menu (Spock’s Mind Meld Mojito, Red Matter, Romulan Ale), little red matter balls in giant flower vases, telescopes trained on Jupiter, bright in the Southwest sky (including one of the big ones in the Observatory), the Observatory itself lit up by projected galactic imagery, the whole thing had a nifty, novel, interstellar vibe.

    And it might pay off.  After all, it only takes a little wining and dining to get the HFPA on your side, right?  But seriously speaking, there are a couple of Best Picture slots that, to my mind, are up for grabs.  Should the big anticipated films miss with the awards constituencies, then it’s just as well for a film like “Star Trek,” still one of the year’s best films.

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  • Sneek peek at the ‘Coraline’ DVD

    Neil Miller over at Film School Rejects has an exclusive clip from one of the special features on the forthcoming “Coraline” Blu-ray/DVD. “This little sequence is called ‘Wrapping Up Coraline,’” Miller writes, “and it focuses on director Henry Selick talking about the final stages of work that went into creating this wonderful little film. He also speaks a bit about the incredible amount of work that was turned in by countless artists and animators.”  Take a look below.  The disc hits shelves July 21:

  • 6/8 Web Round-up

    Cover of Batman and Robin #1• The “Oh yeah, what happened to her?” blurb of the week. [Associated Press]

    • Yours truly covers Grant Morrison’s latest monthly, “Batman and Robin.” [Batman on Film]

    • David Poland analyzes the brave new world of media ad buys. [The Hot Blog]

    • Tom O’Neil on Geoffrey Rush’s new acting triple crown with last night’s lead actor Tony. [Gold Derby]

    • Marcia Gay Harden won lead actress from “God of Carnage,” by the way, while the film won best play.  “Billy Elliot” cleaned up, though. [TonyAwards.com]

    • With “Brüno” on the way, Michael Deacon digs into the elusive Sacha Baron Cohen. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Mickey Rourke works “The Wrestler” across the pond. [The Guardian]

    • Out-of-the-blue story of the day: motorcycles big on the big screen have retailers hopeful. [Los Angeles Times]

    • Glenn Kenny sees no grain in the “Dr. Strangelove” Blu-ray release, thank you very much. [Some Came Running]

  • Lots of ‘Trek’ happening on Blu

    Cover of Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1If you’re like me, the bad-assery (yes, bad-assery) of J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” unlocked some eerie, deep, dark geek that you didn’t really know existed.  No, I’m not hitting the net looking for a life-sized Enterprise Captain’s chair (though they are certainly out there), but I’m quite interested lately in going back and discovering a franchise that never quite appealed to me as a youth.

    Luckily, Paramount and CBS Blu-ray is way ahead of you.  Landing in beautiful high definition are a slew of home video tie-ins that are sure to please old and new fans alike.

    First and foremost there is the massive six-film set — “The Original Motion Picture Collection” — which hits shelves today and includes the “Star Trek” films from the 1979 original to 1991’s “The Undiscovered Country,” which brought director Nicholas Meyer back to the material for the first time since “The Wrath of Khan.”

    If six films is a bit too much, you can pick up the “Motion Picture Trilogy”, also released today, which includes “The Wrath of Khan,” “The Search for Spock” and “The Voyage Home,” a series of films that works pretty well as a stand alone set (though tossing in the first installment would have been nice).

    I haven’t had a chance to dig into the films yet, but the crown jewel of all this “Trek” home video insanity has been spinning in my Blu-ray player for a number of days now: “‘Star Trek’: The Original Series — Season 1,” which released April 28.  Some will pick this up immediately for reasons of nostalgia and I imagine more than a few purists will shy away from the “view with enhanced effects” feature available on each episode.  I had fun bouncing back and forth, personally.

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  • ‘Button’ sparkles on Criterion Blu

    Cover of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Criterion Blu-rayThe Criterion release of David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a superlative piece of home entertainment to say the least, especially on Blu-ray.  Claudio Miranda’s photography was absolutely gorgeous as it was in cinemas, but being largely digital, the transition to high definition is seamless and probably belongs in the top tier of Blu-ray releases thus far from a visual standpoint.

    Technical attributes aside, I can’t say enough about the epic making-of documentary that is featured on the film’s supplemental materials disc.  At nearly three hours, it all but dwarf’s the film’s already massive running time.

    Opening with a rather emotional personal story from Fincher that recounts his father’s death at the hands of pancreatic cancer, the brief intro gives you more than enough insight into the director’s reasons for taking on the project, which of course had been bouncing around Hollywood for two decades when the wheels were finally put into motion.

    In fact, the doc does a brilliant job of showcasing the years of non-starts that producers Kathleen Kennedy and Gary Marshall had to suffer through on the way to finally realizing the project on screen.  No matter your opinion of the film, you have to respect that kind of dedication.

    There is an exceptional amount of behind-the-scenes footage stitched together by talking-head interviews with principles both above and below the line.  But most interesting were accounts of the day-to-day troubles of working in post-Katrina New Orleans, which ranged from a depleted trolley car fleet (which the production was dependent on for period correctness) to a lack of public works personnel to assist in the production (because the department had been whittled down considerably due to countless lay-offs).

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