Posted Thu Oct 20, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by Dick Ward
by Dick Ward
It's been a big month so far, what with all the happenings and goings on. We finally get to see the trailer for 'The Avengers,' 'Arrested Development' is coming back, and Sony Bravia TVs are catching fire. Yeah, it's not all good news.
Blu-ray News
'Star Wars' and 'Thor' Mark a Dramatic Surge in Blu-ray Sales
We're giving some credit to 'Thor' here, but I think we can all tell which of the two brought record Blu-ray sales numbers.
'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Blu-ray Announced
Behind the scenes footage, documentaries, featurettes, and commentary from the director and writers are all on disc with 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes.' You can get your stinking paws on it December 13th, you damn dirty ape. Ha!
'Godzilla (1954)' Gets Criterion Blu-ray Treatment
Now that's what I'm talking about. Classic artsy fartsy movies may be enough for some, but a little Criterion love for 'Godzilla' is nice to see. You'll get features like crazy, a new 1080p digital transfer, and an uncompressed mono soundtrack when the disc hits shelves January 24th.
'Good Morning Vietnam' and 'Dead Poets Society' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray
January 17th will be a good day for Robin Williams fans, or anyone who likes good movies really. 'Good Morning Vietnam' delivers the comedy while 'Dead Poets Society' gets a little more serious with it. Both movies will carry an MSRP of $20.
'The Avengers' Official Trailer Now Available
Alright, so it's not technically Blu-ray news. But hey, it'll come to Blu-ray eventually and if it's anywhere close to as good as it should be, you'll be buying it. The music isn't great, but otherwise the trailer is incredibly cool. Watch it now, then watch it again and again until the movie is finally out.
Gear and Industry News
40 Inch Bravias May Catch Fire - Sony Issues Recall
If you have a 40 inch Bravia you need to click the link, check your model numbers, and make sure your TV isn't going to overheat and burn down your house. At the bare minimum, get one of those Jiffy Pop thingies with the handle and set it by the remotes. If you don't have this TV, move along - nothing to see here.
10 New Episodes of 'Arrested Development' are In the Works - Netflix Among Bidders
One of the most beloved comedies of all time (and yet another brilliant show canceled by Fox) is finally coming back on the air. Until that happens, feel free to watch the series again like I do once every few months.
Comcast Introduces "MyTV Choice" No-Contract Channel Packages Based on Interests Instead of Tiers
It ain't perfect, but it's a damn good start. Eliminating tier based packages in favor of these new interest-based packages makes a lot more sense for consumers. Now if only we could build our own cable packages by selecting only the channels we wanted then we'd have a winner on our hands.
Premium On Demand Version of 'Tower Heist' Cancelled Due to Theater Pressure
I was really interested to see how 'Tower Heist' performed as a premium on demand title - a good response could mean a step forward towards early home distribution. As it turns out, we're not going to know quite yet.
Netflix Changes Back - No Qwickster After All
Netflix is back to one service and Qwickster is canned. The newest problem is solved but the price change remains in place. Anyone else get the feeling this is a New Coke sort of scenario?
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