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Fox Sets 'French Connection' Blu-ray Specs, Adds Exclusives

Fox has confirmed final specs for its Blu-ray releases of the 'French Connection' films, which will come to high-def with hours of all-new exclusive features.

As previously reported, Fox will bring the 1971 Best Picture Oscar-winner 'The French Connection' to Blu-ray on January 13, to be followed several weeks later by the sequel 'The French Connection II' on February 24.

The studio has now released final specs, which boast an impressive array of bonus features and all-new high-def exclusives.

Each stand-alone Blu-ray release will present the film on a BD-50 dual-layer disc with 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround audio, plus French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks and English, Spanish, French, Cantonese and Mandarin subtitles.

Extras on 'The French Connection' include a pair of audio commentaries (by director William Friedkin, and stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider), a Blu-ray-exclusive trivia track and isolated score (in DTS-MA 5.1 Surround), the theatrical trailer, and all-new introduction by Friedkin.

New to the Blu-ray is a second disc of bonus features, including deleted scenes introduced by Friedkin, and a host of featurettes all in full HD video ("Anatomy of a Chase," "Gene Hackman on Popeye Doyle," "Friedkin and Grosso Remember the Real French Connection," "Scene of the Crime," "Color Timing The French Connection," "Cop Jazz-The Music of Don Ellis," "Rogue Cop-The Noir Connection"). Carried over from the previous DVD is the BBC documentary "The Poughkeepsie Shuffle," and the featurette "Making the Connection: The Untold Stories of The French Connection."

'The French Connection II' will be a single-disc release, and extras include audio commentary by John Frankenheimer, an isolated score (in DTS-MA 5.1 Surround), a still gallery, and pair of Blu-ray-exclusive featurettes ("Frankenheimer in Focus," "A Conversation with Gene Hackman").

As previously reported, suggested retail for the Blu-rays has been set at $34.99 each.

You'll find the latest specs for 'The French Connection' and 'The French Connection II' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under January 13 and February 24, respectively.

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Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)

The French Connection (Blu-ray)

French Connection II (Blu-ray)

Earlier on High-Def Digest:

Fox Sets 'French Connection' Two-Punch for Early 2009 (Oct 31, 2008)

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