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Porchlight Brings Kid Vid to Blu-ray with 'Animalia'
Fri May 09, 2008 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements (all tags)
Indie Porchlight Home Entertainment has announced their debut high-def release, bringing the acclaimed PBS kid vid series 'Animalia' to Blu-ray this September.
Produced in high-definition, 'Animalia' is a popular PBS production based on the books by Graeme Base. The series mixes live action and computer animation as it follows two 11 year-olds who discover a portal to a world of talking animals via their local library.
Marking Porchlight's first foray into the next-gen arena, 'Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom' will compile four half-hour episodes ("Forget-Me-Not," "Goodbye, We Must Be Staying," "Hello, We Must Be Going" and "The Mist of Time") on a single-disc set, and hit stores on September 23 (day-and-date with the standard DVD).
There are no tech specs or supplement details as of yet, but we'll keep you posted.
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $29.98.
You'll find preliminary specs for 'Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 23.
We've also set up a dedicated thread for Porchlight's high-def debut in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom' Blu-ray release.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom (Blu-ray)
Echo Bridge Announces Next Wave of Low-Priced Blu-rays
Fri May 09, 2008 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Direct-to-High-Def Premieres, Echo Bridge (all tags)
Echo Bridge has unveiled its latest wave of bargain-priced Blu-ray releases, with a trio of video premiere horror and comedy titles due in late July.
Due for release on July 29, the diverse mix of direct-to-video feature films includes the horror yarns 'Salvage' and the Tobe Hooper-directed 'Mortuary,' plus the little-seen indie comedy 'The Big White,' which stars Woody Harrelson, Holly Hunter, and Robin Williams.
Like Echo Bridge's first wave of affordable Blu-ray titles (which the company released this past April), each title will carry a suggested retail of only $14.95.
The company has not announced any tech or supplement details for its July line-up, but expect similar specs to past releases, which featured 1080i/MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 Surround tracks.
You'll find preliminary specs for 'Salvage,' 'Mortuary,' and 'The Big White' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under July 29.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Salvage (Blu-ray)
- Mortuary (Blu-ray)
- The Big White (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Echo Bridge Plans Line of Low-Priced Blu-ray Discs (Feb 06, 2008)
Criterion Launches Blu-ray Support
Thu May 08, 2008 at 01:50 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements (all tags)
The leading distributor of classic cinema on DVD has gone Blu, with the Criterion Collection announcing the release of their first high-def titles beginning in 2008.
Blasting out of the starting gate strong, Criterion has confirmed via their official email newsletter that they have hand-picked over a dozen initial titles to receive the Blu-ray treatment, with the first releases due by the second half of the year.
The thirteen titles confirmed to be a part of Criterion's first Blu-ray wave include: 'The Third Man,' 'Bottle Rocket,' 'Chungking Express,' 'The Man Who Fell to Earth,' 'El Norte,' 'The 400 Blows,' 'Gimme Shelter,' 'The Complete Monterey Pop,' 'Contempt,' 'Walkabout,' 'For All Mankind,' 'The Wages of Fear,' and both stand-alone and deluxe box set editions of 'The Last Emperor.'
According to Criterion, the new editions will feature "glorious high-definition picture and sound," and all the supplemental content of their companion DVD releases.
Although the company has not set any exact pricing information for any of the titles, MSRPs are expected to match the standard-def editions.
Needless to say, we'll keep you posted as soon as further details and specs are announced, as well as of all future Criterion announcements. Stay tuned!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Warner Bumps 'Otis: Uncut' Blu-ray to October
Thu May 08, 2008 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Street Date Changes, Warner (all tags)
Horror fans will have to wait a little longer for the high-def premiere 'Otis: Uncut,' which Warner says will now hit Blu-ray this October, four months later than expected.
As previously reported, Warner had originally set a June 10 arrival for 'Otis: Uncut,' day-and-date with the standard-def DVD. The studio has now set a new date of October 7 for the next-gen version.
Extras remain the same, including an audio commentary by director Tony Krantz and screenwriter Erik Jendresen, the "Twisted World of Otis" featurette, an alternate ending, and "Suite 16," aka "the home movie of Otis’ fantasies made by Otis himself."
Tech specs include 1080p video and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and subtitle tracks in English and Spanish.
As previously announced, Warner has set the suggested retail price for the Blu-ray at $28.95.
You'll find specs for 'Otis: Uncut' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under its new date of October 7.
We've also set up a dedicated thread for Raw Feed's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Otis: Uncut' Blu-ray release.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Otis: Uncut (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Warner Premieres 'Otis: Uncut' on Blu-ray this June (Mar 10, 2008)
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Sony Planning 'Persepolis' Blu-ray for June
Thu May 08, 2008 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Sony (all tags)
Making an early announcement to retailers, Sony has set a late-June bow for the critically-acclaimed animated film 'Persepolis.'
Nominated for the 2007 Best Animated Film Oscar, the wildly-imaginative French import 'Persepolis' became an instant cult classic upon its release last year, and scored almost unanimously positive reviews from the nation's critics. Sony will release the film on June 24, day-and-date with the standard DVD.
Due to the early nature of the announcement, there are no tech specs or supplement details as of yet.
Sony has set a suggested retail price of $38.96 for the Blu-ray.
You'll find preliminary specs for 'Persepolis' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 24.
We've also set up a dedicated thread for Sony's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Persepolis' Blu-ray release.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Persepolis (Blu-ray)
'There Will Be Blood' Blu-ray Specs, Box Art Revealed
Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Paramount (all tags)
Paramount has unveiled full specs and box art for 'There Will Be Blood,' which will hit Blu-ray this June with Dolby TrueHD audio and several bonus features.
As previously reported, Paramount's long-awaited return to Blu-ray includes a June 3 format debut for P.T. Anderson's critically-acclaimed epic, which also boasts an Academy Award-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. (The studio previously announced an HD DVD version of 'There Will Be Blood,' only to cancel the title following the demise of the format)
Extras shared with the recently-released DVD edition include a making-of featurette, four deleted scenes, and two theatrical trailers.
Tech specs include 1080p video and audio tracks in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.
Finally, Paramount has unveiled the Blu-ray box art for 'There Will Be Blood':
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Suggested retail price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.95.
You'll find specs for 'There Will Be Blood' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 3.
We've also set up a dedicated thread for Paramount's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'There Will Be Blood' Blu-ray release.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- There Will Be Blood (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Breaking: Paramount Unveils Blu-ray Launch Plans (Apr 29, 2008)
Neil Young Planning Multi-Disc Archive Series for Blu-ray
Wed May 07, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Music on High-Def, Warner Music Group (all tags)
There's no date yet, but Neil Young has unveiled plans to bring his Archives project to Blu-ray beginning this year with a ten disc compilation of his early and rare recordings.
The rock legend and Hall of Famer announced preliminary details of the eagerly-anticipated (and oft-delayed) project at a Sun Microsystems conference held yesterday in San Francisco. Spanning Young's career from 1963 to 1972, tentative plans call for the first installment to be released late this year via the Warner Music Group label.
In addition to high-resolution audio recordings of Young's music, each Blu-ray will boast videos, handwritten notes from the artist, rare photos, and more. Young also announced that the still-unnamed series will take full advantage of the Blu-ray format's BD-Live and BD-Java capabilities with advanced interactive features that can allow for additional updates to each release over time.
"Previous technology required unacceptable quality compromises." said Young. "I am glad we waited and got it right."
There are no further specs or supplement details for the as-yet-untitled Blu-ray series, but we'll certainly keep you posted on this precedent-setting release.
In the meantime, you'll find a preliminary listing for 'Neil Young: Untitled Archive Project' added to the "Release Dates Pending" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Amazon Offers Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale (Updated: Runs through May 14)
Wed May 07, 2008 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Amazon, High-Def Retailing (all tags)
Editor's Note: We just received word from Amazon that the sale will be running through May 14.
Amazon is offering its latest Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale, with a mix of 34 popular and recent releases.
Amazon began sending emails out to customers this week giving them the heads up on their latest sale. For a "limited time only" you can get three Blu-ray discs for the cost of two. Just add three titles to your shopping cart and you'll be credited the price of the least expensive disc.
Be sure to check the promotion page for the full list of titles to see if there's anything you've been wanting to snag.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Get Three Blu-ray Discs for the Price of Two [Amazon]
'Girls Gone Wild' Reveals 'Hottest Moments Ever' on Blu-ray
Wed May 07, 2008 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Mantra Films (all tags)
Mantra Films will deliver the latest installment in their video vixens high-def series 'Girls Gone Wild' with the compilation 'Hottest Moments Ever' which hits Blu-ray this June.
Love 'em or hate 'em, Mantra keeps churning out the titles in their 'Girls Gone Wild' franchise, which features the no-holds-barred exploits of busty beauties. 'Girls Gone Wild: Hottest Moments Ever' will feature the company's favorite scenes and other fan favorites, and is set to hit Blu-ray on June 10 (day-and-date with the DVD).
Tech specs are as minimal as past Mantra releases, with 1080i/MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio.
There are no announced supplements.
Suggested retail for the Blu-ray has been set at $24.95.
You'll find preliminary specs for 'Girls Gone Wild: Hottest Moments Ever' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 10.
We've also set up a dedicated thread for Mantra's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Girls Gone Wild: Hottest Moments Ever' Blu-ray release.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Girls Gone Wild: Hottest Moments Ever (Blu-ray)
Paramount to Re-Issue Entire Blu-ray Back Catalog
Wed May 07, 2008 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Paramount (all tags)
Only days after Paramount announced it would be re-issuing a select number of discontinued Blu-ray catalog titles this Spring, the studio has confirmed it is returning its entire Blu-ray back catalog to store shelves by the end of May.
As we first reported last week, Paramount announced plans to re-issue eight previously-discontinued catalog titles on the format on May 20. Now there's even more good news for fans who have been unable to find past Paramount Blu-ray titles at retailer locations, as the studio will re-issue their entire Blu-ray back catalog.
Word from Paramount is that the titles are identical to the original releases (even the catalog IDs and SKUs remain consistent), so expect the same tech specs, supplement details, and packaging.
The complete list of newly-reactivated titles includes: 'Black Rain,' 'Coming to America,' 'Disturbia,' 'Failure to Launch,' 'Flags of Our Fathers,' 'Four Brothers,' 'Freedom Writers,' 'Hustle & Flow,' 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,' 'The Italian Job (2003),' 'Letters from Iwo Jima,' 'The Manchurian Candidate (2004),' 'Mission: Impossible,' 'M-i-2,' 'M:i:III,' 'Mission: Impossible - Ultimate Missions Collection,' 'Nacho Libre,' 'Norbit,' 'Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut,' 'Reds,' 'Shooter,' 'Trading Places,' 'We Were Soldiers,' 'World Trade Center' and 'U2 Rattle & Hum.'
These nearly three-dozen titles join the previous eight announced by Paramount last week: 'Aeon Flux,' 'Babel,' 'Black Snake Moan,' 'Dreamgirls,' 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow,' 'Sleepy Hollow,' 'The Untouchables' and 'The Warriors.'
Paramount has not yet confirmed suggested list prices for the Blu-ray re-issues, but we'll keep you posted.
To read our original reviews of all of Paramount's past Blu-ray re-issues, click on the links below.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Four Brothers (Blu-ray)
- U2: Rattle and Hum (Blu-ray)
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Blu-ray)
- Mission: Impossible (Blu-ray)
- M:I-2 (Blu-ray)
- Mission: Impossible III (Blu-ray)
- Mission: Impossible - Ultimate Missions Collection (Blu-ray)
- Reds (Blu-ray)
- The Italian Job (2003) (Blu-ray)
- Nacho Libre (Blu-ray)
- World Trade Center (Blu-ray)
- The Manchurian Candidate (2004) (Blu-ray)
- We Were Soldiers (Blu-ray)
- Black Rain (Blu-ray)
- Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut (Blu-ray)
- Failure to Launch (Blu-ray)
- Flags of Our Fathers (Blu-ray)
- Letters from Iwo Jima (Blu-ray)
- Freedom Writers (Blu-ray)
- Norbit (Blu-ray)
- Trading Places (Blu-ray)
- Coming to America (Blu-ray)
- Hustle & Flow (Blu-ray)
- Shooter (Blu-ray)
- Disturbia (Blu-ray)
- Aeon Flux (Blu-ray)
- Babel (Re-Issue) (Blu-ray)
- Black Snake Moan (Re-Issue) (Blu-ray)
- Dreamgirls (Re-Issue) (Blu-ray)
- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (Re-Issue) (Blu-ray)
- Sleepy Hollow (Re-Issue) (Blu-ray)
- The Untouchables (Re-Issue) (Blu-ray)
- The Warriors: Ultimate Director's Cut (Re-Issue) (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Paramount Reactivates Blu-ray Catalog (Apr 30, 2008)
