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Buena Vista Puts 'The Hoax' Blu-ray on Hold

Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 11:59 AM ET
Tags: Buena Vista, Disc Announcements (all tags)

Only days after it was announced for next-gen release, Buena Vista Home Entertainment has indefinitely delayed the Blu-ray release of 'The Hoax.'

The Richard Gere drama was first announced earlier this week for a simultaneous release on standard-def DVD and Blu-ray disc, with an expected street date of October 16.

However, we've just received word from Buena Vista that the film will now only debut on standard-def DVD, with no word on when -- or if -- the film will see high-def release.

No reason was given for the bump, but we'll keep you posted if a new date is officially announced.

In light of the news, we've moved 'The Hoax' to the "Release Dates Postponed" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule. Watch this space for further updates.

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)
The Hoax (Blu-ray)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Buena Vista to Play 'Hoax' on Blu-ray (Jul 09, 2007)

Buena Vista to Play 'Hoax' on Blu-ray

Mon Jul 09, 2007 at 11:59 AM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has announced it will bring the acclaimed Richard Gere drama 'The Hoax' to Blu-ray day-and-date with the DVD this fall.

Directed by Oscar nominee Lasse Hallstrom, 'The Hoax' stars Richard Gere as (in)famous writer Clifford Irving, who nearly pulled off one of the most audacious media scams in history when he published his "autobiography" of Howard Hughes.

The film will hit Blu-ray simultaneous with the standard-def DVD release on October 16.

Specs include a 1080p transfer and uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround audio (at 48kHz/16-bit/4.6mbps).

Extras for the critically praised title include an audio commentary, two making-of featurettes and deleted and extended scenes.

Buena Vista has set a retail price of $34.95.

We've added a listing for 'The Hoax' to our Blu-ray Release Schedule under October 16, where it joins 'The Invisible,' which Buena Vista just announced for Blu-ray late last week.

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)
The Hoax (Blu-ray)
The Invisible (Blu-ray)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Disney to Make 'The Invisible' Visible on Blu-ray (Jul 06, 2007)

Buena Vista Officially Announces Unrated 'Badder Santa' for Blu-ray

Fri Jun 22, 2007 at 07:55 AM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

In the latest case of disc announcement whiplash, Buena Vista Home Entertainment has officially announced a next-gen release for 'Badder Santa,' only weeks after denying it was planning the title for Blu-ray.

The twisty-curvy story first began in late May, when Disney, via its Buena Vista Home Entertainment division, made a retail announcement for a November 20 Blu-ray release of 'Badder Santa,' the unrated edition of the Billy Bob Thornton flick featuring footage too racy for the theatrical release.

That was followed a day later by word from the studio's PR division that 'Badder Santa' was not, in fact, headed to Blu-ray, and that any previous reports were "innaccurate."

Now it turns out the original retail announcement was correct after all, as Buena Vista has sent us an official press release for two upcoming Blu-ray fall titles, 'Badder Santa' and 'Scary Movie' (the latter of which was previously announced and confirmed for Blu-ray release in late May).

Mirroring the original retail announcement, 'Badder Santa' is due on November 20. Tech specs include a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer, plus an uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround track.

While there are no Blu-ray exclusives currently planned (aside from Disney's standard Movie Showcase scene access feature), the studios says the next-gen edition will boast the same extras as the standard-def DVD version, including a featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes and a gag reel.

Retail price is a suggested $29.95.

So, given this new press release, why all the earlier denials? While studio PR groups generally withhold comment on retail announcements, industry sources have indicated to us that Buena Vista's strenuous denials of the 'Badder Santa' Blu-ray may have stemmed from concerns that earlier published reports suggested that the unrated 'Badder Santa' would be released under the family-friendly Disney name. As such, it is important to note that the Blu-ray will in fact be distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and words "Walt Disney" will not appear anywhere on the packing or the disc.

In any case, we've added complete specs and cover art for 'Badder Santa,' which can now be found in our Blu-ray Release Schedule, under November 20. Hopefully this formal announcement signals the end of the 'Santa' saga, but we'll certainly keep you posted on any further updates to the story.

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)
Bad Santa: The Unrated Version and Director's Cut (Blu-ray)
Scary Movie (Blu-ray)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
'Badder Santa' to Make Unrated Debut on Blu-ray (Updated) (May 30, 2007)
Disney Says No to 'Lost,' 'Badder Santa' on Blu-ray (May 31, 2007)
'Scary Movie' Heading to Blu-ray This Fall (May 31, 2007)

'Primeval,' 'Bridge to Terebithia' and 'Apocalypto' Set to Join Buena Vista Summer Blu-ray Slate

Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 03:54 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has officially announced the horror flick 'Primeval' for Blu-ray release, while a new trade advertisement from the studio is offering a preview of two other upcoming Blu-ray summer releases, 'Bridge to Terebithia' and 'Apocalypto.'

The Disney trade ad (click here to view) appears in this week's print issue of Home Media Magazine and features box art and street dates for a number of new release and catalog gems, including the already-announced 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' and 'Cars.'

Also tucked away in the ad are Blu-ray listings for both 'Bridge to Terebithia,' which is apparently due June 19, and 'Apocalypto,' which is expected on May 22, day and date with the standard-def DVD.

Note that Disney has not officially announced these two titles to the press, but the distributor is expected to do so in the coming days. Retail announcements ahead of an official press announcement are quite common, and are sometimes subject to change. We'll keep you posted as official announcements, specs and supplement details come in.

Meanwhile, the studio has separately (and officially) announced 'Primeval,' for May 22. Specs are expected to include 1080p video and a PCM 5.1 audio track, with a supplement package including an audio commentary with the director and visual effects supervisor, Deleted Scenes, and a behind-the-scenes doc, "Croc-Umentary: Bringing Gustave To Life."

We've added all three titles to our complete Blu-ray Release Schedule, under their respective new release dates.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Blu-ray, Meet 'The Queen'

Fri Mar 02, 2007 at 12:40 AM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

Boasting an Oscar-winning performance by Dame Helen Mirren, 'The Queen' will see a speedy post-awards Blu-ray release when Buena Vista Home Entertainment debuts the film day-and-date with the standard-def DVD on April 24.

Though not exactly getting the blu-carpet treatment, Buena Vista will gift 'The Queen' with a 1.85:1 widescreen/1080p transfer and uncompressed PCM surround track (at a full 48 kHz/24-bit).

Extras include an audio commentary from director Stephen Frears, a making-of featurette, and the film's theatrical trailer.

The disc will retail for a royal $34.95 suggested list.

We've added the latest specs to our Blu-ray Release Schedule under April 24. Stay tuned for complete specs, including box art, in the days ahead.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Buena Vista Brings 'Deja Vu' to Blu-ray

Fri Feb 16, 2007 at 07:16 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

Bringing another top-tier day-and-date release to Blu-ray, Buena Vista Home Entertainment will debut the Denzel Washington thriller 'Deja Vu' on April 24.

Grossing over $70 million at the domestic box office, the Tony Scott-directed hit will arrive on Blu-ray simultaneous with the standard-def DVD release.

Tech specs look to be quite impressive. Video will be presented in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, along with uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround audio encoded at full 48 kHz/24-bit.

Supplemental features include the "Surveillance Window" multi-part featurette, deleted and extended scenes, and the theatrical trailer.

Buena Vista has set the disc's list price at $34.95.

Complete specs for 'Deja Vu,' including box art, have been added to our complete Blu-ray Release Schedule.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Buena Vista Brings 'Deja Vu' to Blu-ray

Fri Feb 16, 2007 at 07:16 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

Bringing another top-tier day-and-date release to Blu-ray, Buena Vista Home Entertainment will debut the Denzel Washington thriller 'Deja Vu' on April 24.

Grossing over $70 million at the domestic box office, the Tony Scott-directed hit will arrive on Blu-ray simultaneous with the standard-def DVD release.

Tech specs look to be quite impressive. Video will be presented in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, along with uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround audio encoded at full 48 kHz/24-bit.

Supplemental features include the "Surveillance Window" multi-part featurette, deleted and extended scenes, and the theatrical trailer.

Buena Vista has set the disc's list price at $34.95.

Complete specs for 'Deja Vu,' including box art, have been added to our complete Blu-ray Release Schedule.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Specs in for 'Reign of Fire,' 'Ladder 49' and 'The Prestige' on Blu-ray

Wed Dec 27, 2006 at 04:12 AM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment has released specs for their trio of February Blu-ray releases, including news of two BD-50 upgrades.

As we've previously reported, both 'Reign of Fire' and 'Ladder 49' are scheduled to hit shelves on February 13, while 'The Prestige' will bow a week later on Feb 20, day-and-date with the standard-def DVD release.

The Joaquin Phoenix/John Travolta flick 'Ladder 49' will be released on a 50GB Blu-ray disc, and is set to feature a set of bonus features from the the standard-def DVD, including commentary from Director Jay Russell, Deleted Scenes, the featurettes "The Making Of Ladder 49" and "Everyday Heroes," and the "Shine Your Light" Music Video by Robbie Robertson.

'Reign of Fire,' the fantasy thriller starring Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey will also feature several direct ports of bonus features from the standard-def DVD, including the featurettes "Breathing Life into The Terror: The Making of The Dragons," "Below The Line: If You Can't Stand The Heat" "A Conversation with Director Rob Bowman," and the original theatrical trailer.

Probably most eagerly anticipated of the three releases is 'The Prestige,' starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson (pictured above). Like 'Ladder 49,' the Christopher Nolan-directed film will also be released on a BD-50 disc and is set to include the DVD bonus features "The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand Of Christopher Nolan" and "The Art of The Prestige."

None of the three releases are expected to include any exclusive high-def supplements beyond Disney's usual Blu-ray "Movie Showcase," which is designed to provide easy access to the most impressive high-definition picture and sound moments on each disc.

We've added these additional specs to the disc details pages for all three releases, which can all be found listed under Feb 13 and Feb 20 in our comprehensive Blu-ray release schedule.

We've also set up dedicated threads for each of these titles in our Forums area -- click the following links to discuss the 'Reign of Fire' Blu-ray release, the 'Ladder 49' Blu-ray release or the 'Prestige' Blu-ray release.

Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Disney Brings 'Reign of Fire,' 'Ladder 49' to Blu-ray in February (Dec 22, 2006)
'Prestige' to Work Its Magic on Blu-ray This February (Dec 17, 2006)

Disney Brings 'Reign of Fire,' 'Ladder 49' to Blu-ray in February

Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 02:32 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Buena Vista (all tags)

In what is likely the studio's last announcement of the year, Buena Vista Home Entertainment has set a February arrival for 'Reign of Fire' and 'Ladder 49' on Blu-ray.

Both of the action-oriented, special effects-laden dramas will be the latest Disney catalog titles to hit the next-gen format on February 13, 2007.

No specs yet, though we expect the usual 1080p transfers and uncompressed PCM surround tracks, and at least a few extras.

Retail will list for $34.95 a pop, and stay tuned for more details as they come in.

In the meantime, we've added cover art and basic specs for both titles to our Blu-ray Release Schedule.

We also set up dedicated threads for these latest Paramount titles in our new Forums area -- click the following links to discuss the 'Reign of Fire' Blu-ray release and the 'Ladder 49' Blu-ray releases.


Buena Vista Quietly Goes VC-1 With 'Flightplan' Blu-ray

Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:51 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, BD-50, Buena Vista (all tags)

Due in stores today, Disney's latest wave of Blu-ray titles features the studio's first VC-1-encoded title, the Jodie Foster thriller 'Flightplan.'

As first announced last month, Buena Vista has three new Blu-ray titles arriving in stores today: 'Flightplan,' 'Pearl Harbor' and 'Invincible.' But while all of the studio's previous Blu-ray titles have utilized the MPEG-2 and AVC MPEG-4 codecs exclusively, they've snuck 'Flightplan' in under the radar with a 1080p/VC-1 transfer (the studio's press release for the title incorrectly stated that the disc would be released with MPEG-2) .

The 'Flightplan' experiment comes amid continued online controversy over the use by some Blu-ray-supporting studios of the more space-hungry MPEG-2 codec over VC-1, limiting the amount of high-def content that can be squeezed onto a standard BD-25 disc. While the recent introduction of the BD-50 disc has provided some much needed breathing room (the new disc packs in twice the storage space of a BD-25), some would still like to see Disney and other Blu-ray backing studios support the seemingly more efficient VC-1 codec (which was developed by HD DVD supporter, Microsoft).

Though Disney has not made any announcements of an official codec switch for its upcoming Blu-ray titles, sources say the studio has already lined up its second VC-1 release, 'Casanova,' which is due for release in early 2007.

As always, we'll keep you posted on the latest Blu-ray releases and codec information, and you can check out our full review of 'Flightplan,' which is up now -- watch for full reviews of 'Pearl Harbor' and 'Invincible' beginning later today.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Disney Unveils First BD-50 Titles (Oct 23, 2006)


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