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2013 Oscar Nominations AnnouncedThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its Oscar nominations this morning. Read about all about them in the blog now for a run-down of the nominees, as well as a chance to contribute your $0.02 about which movies deserve to win.Posted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 01:30 PM PST by: -
The Best Comedy Blu-rays of 2012by Aaron Peck [teaser]Looking back on 2012, some damn funny movies found their way to Blu-ray. [/teaser] Referring back to July, when we did our "So Far…" series, which chronicled the best Blu-rays for the first half of the year, I don't see any movies that I'd really like to remove from the list to insert new ones. This was an extremely hard list to compile. From catalogue films, to new day-and-date releases, 2012 was full of humor in high-def. Many of these films are outright comedies, while others walk the line between serious and funny. It doesn't matter whether it's a laugh-out-loud raunch-fest or a heart-touching dramedy, they all get included here. 15. 'Clue' It's a perennial classic; one of the most quotable movies out there. And now I can watch it over and over again in high definition. There aren't too many movies that you can watch repeatedly without them getting old. 'Clue' is one of them. I'm ecstatic to have it in my Blu-ray collection. 14. 'ParaNorman' I'm a sucker for stop-motion animation. It has a special look and feel that CG animation just can't duplicate. Watching 'ParaNorman' was one of the most pleasurable cinematic moments I had in 2012. It didn't hurt matters when the Blu-ray was released and it turned out to be simply stellar. The fine detail is extraordinary. 13. 'Cabin in the Woods' What a surprise this movie was. It appeared to be a generic horror movie with all the clichéd horror storytelling devices. But it was co-written by Joss Whedon, and what he ended up doing was skewering the entire genre while also paying homage to it. It still makes me laugh uncontrollably when I watch it. "He had the conch in his hands!" 12. 'Grosse Pointe Blank' It was a toss-up. Do I put 'High Fidelity' in this place, or 'Gross Pointe Blank'? If you want you can consider this a shared spot. Personally, I like 'GPB' just a little bit better. They're both fantastic comedies though, both of which were long overdue for Blu-ray releases. They're both solid releases from Disney, so take your pick. Or pick both. You can't go wrong with either. 11. 'Safety Not Guaranteed' I was fortunate enough to see this premiere at Sundance. I was awed by it then and I'm still mesmerized by it now. A dramatic-comedic hybrid, 'Safety Not Guaranteed' excels on every level. It has real, lifelike characters who have real challenges, fears, and dreams. The comedy is subtle and hilarious, while the dramatic moments are just as satisfying. If you haven't seen this little gem of a movie, do yourself a favor and seek it out. 10. 'Ted' A computer-animated teddy bear and Mark Wahlberg crack crass jokes for 90 minutes while maintaining an unhealthy obsession with the 'Flash Gordon' movie. If you're not completely on board after that sentence, then this movie isn't for you. It's the first movie written and directed by 'Family Guy' creator Seth McFarlane, and whoa buddy is it funny. "Thunder buddies forever!" 9. 'Young Adult' Comedy can be dark, and it doesn't get much darker than 'Young Adult,' the story of an egotistical misanthrope played by Charlize Theron who goes back to her hometown to win back her high school boyfriend. While there is plenty of drama in 'Young Adult' there are also plenty of laughs, albeit they're more like "should I really be laughing at that" laughs. Theron's performance here is reason enough to see it. 8. 'The Guard' Speaking of dark comedy, 'The Guard' has all the dry Irish wit you'll be able to handle. This is Gleeson's finest darkly comedic role since 'In Bruges.' Anyone who liked 'In Bruges' will adore 'The Guard' like I did. This is one of those movies that you have to watch multiple times because there are sure to be jokes you'll have missed the first time around. 7. '21 Jump Street' Did I expect this remake of a somewhat popular 80s television show to be any good? Hell no. Next thing I knew I was laughing and I couldn't stop. What was this? A remake with Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill that was genuinely funny? It was suddenly like the world didn't make sense anymore. I felt dizzy. '21 Jump Street' is the poster flick for not judging a movie before you have a chance to see it. 6. 'The Muppets' One of my favorite theatrical releases of 2011 became one of my favorite Blu-ray releases of 2012. Jason Segal's revival of 'The Muppets' franchise was spot-on in humor, comedic timing, and character understanding. You could tell that he was a fan of Jim Henson's Muppets long before he put pen to paper for this movie. His love for the characters shows. Plus, each of the movie's songs is borderline brilliant in humor and emotional tone. This spot could also be shared with 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' which is a great Christmas film and received a really well done Blu-ray release. 5. 'Airplane!' The best spoof movie ever. It's smart, clever, and transcends time periods. It's funny in whatever era you're watching it. Finally getting it on Blu-ray this year was a comedy lover's dream come true. I couldn't pick it up fast enough. 4. 'The Artist' Sure it's got its emotional tugs here and there, but deep down, 'The Artist' is one of the most wonderfully made romantic comedies out there. There are plenty of laughs to go along with the tears. As far as I'm concerned its Academy Award was well deserved. Who says comedies don't have a chance at the Oscars? 3. 'The Gold Rush' (Criterion) There aren't many black-and-white 87-year-old films that can still reproduce the same joy and heartfelt laughter that they inspired when they were first released. High-Def Digest reviewer Luke Hickman watched Charlie Chaplin's 'The Gold Rush' with his five-year-old daughter who laughed all the way through it. Consider that for a second. In a world filled with seizure-inducing cartoons and unfunny kid-oriented sitcoms, a kid can still find joy in a black-and-white movie from the 20s. That's amazing and a true testament to Chaplin himself. 2. 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' Ah, the comedic Holy Grail itself. I could spend the rest of this paragraph quoting its immortal lines one after the other, and you'd soon realize that this is indeed one of the funniest movies ever filmed. 'Holy Grail' is one of those films that no matter how much you've watched it, you can stick it in and watch it again (like 'The Princess Bride'). 'Holy Grail' offers endless enjoyment so it was rather nice to see it finally offered in high definition this year. 1. 'Moonrise Kingdom' I was completely enamored by Wes Anderson's film about young love. I think it's his best work to date. It got absolutely everything right, but still kept that quirky Anderson spirit that we've come to know and love. The splendor of the movie's visuals is presented so well here that the entire film feels like one gorgeous still photo after another. The way the director symmetrically frames his shots is really a sight to behold, made all the better by the intricate Blu-ray presentation. Yes, it looks amazing even though Anderson opted to shoot with Super 16 film. Honorable mentions go to 'Butter,' 'Men in Black 3,' 'Arthur Christmas,' 'A League of Their Own,' 'Carnage,' 'Arachnophobia,' 'Ed Wood,' 'The Five Year Engagement,' 'High School,' 'Goon,' and 'Pillow Talk.' After looking over the year, what were some of your favorite comedic Blu-rays that were released this year? Please, click on the link below and let us know in the forums.Posted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 12:42 PM PST by: -
HDD Interviews 'Frankenweenie' Producer Allison Abbateby Luke Hickman In my seven years as an entertainment writer, I have interviewed professionals in all sorts of filmmaking roles – from animators and special effects coordinators, to actors, writers and directors – but I have never interviewed a producer. Through my interview with 'Frankenweenie' producer Allison Abbate, I learned that this role is (or, should be) filled by someone with a true passion for a project. Allison Abbate is the BAFTA award-winning producer of 'The Iron Giant.' 'Frankenweenie' wasn't her first bout with stop-motion cinema nor her first collaboration with Tim Burton, as she produced both 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' and 'Corpse Bride' and worked as an artistic coordinator on 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' This interview was conducted just days before Christmas. Allison and I were both preparing for distant travels. At the end of the interview, she apologizes for the background noise of her packing her bags. Truthfully, I didn't hear any clatter and the inflection of her voice and strings of thoughts were so smooth and fluid that I never would have known. I would have assumed that she was sitting down with all attention directed to the call had she not confessed otherwise. That's the type of naturally charismatic, energetic, and enthusiastic person she is. It is my hope that Abbate's personal love for 'Frankenweenie' is just as evident in the text that follows as it was during our chat. If you would like a sense of the voice behind the words that follow, I recommend checking out the special features found on the 'Frankenweenie' Blu-ray prior to reading this interview. Abbate serves as the host of the special features "Miniatures in Motion: Bringing 'Frankenweenie' to Life" and "'Frankenweenie' Touring Exhibit." You will see visual testaments of how much she personally cares for this project. HDD – Luke Hickman: Hi, Allison! Allison Abbate: Hi, Luke! How are you? HDD: Not bad at all. I understand that you're in the middle of travels. Allison Abbate: I'm about to travel, so it's perfect timing. HDD: Are you going to be mixing business with your holiday travels? Allison Abbate: No, this is purely a family visit – so I'm not sure which category that falls into, but it's going to be busy and fun. HDD: That's great. I know that we're limited on time, so let's dive into 'Frankenweenie.' Allison Abbate: Did you like it? HDD: I liked it when I saw it in theaters and liked it even more when I re-watched it at home. It's such a great little film. I think it's one of Tim Burton's best family flicks. Both my 5-year-old daughter and I love it. Allison Abbate: Oh, I'm so glad! I love to hear that kids saw it and loved it. Tim was a kid when he had the idea, so it's great to hear their reactions. HDD: Now, were you involved with 'Frankenweenie' from the beginning? Allison Abbate: Certainly not with the [original] short film from many years ago (which is included in the Blu-ray's special features), but when Don (presumably executive producer Don Hahn) came and talked about the movie with Tim, it was right after 'Corpse Bride.' We were thinking about what to do next, so it was perfect timing for this. And that was back in 2005. HDD: Was it difficult to get Disney to re-do the original short? Allison Abbate: You know, I really feel like it wasn't difficult. [Disney] loves Tim and you can tell by the significance of the short how classic it is and how it really showcased Tim's amazing talents right from the start. They were excited about it. HDD: Nothing against Disney, but I assumed that any studio would be against making a contemporary black & white kids film. Allison Abbate: Black & white was always on the table. It was never a question of not doing it in black & white. Tim's vision is very clear and the studio was always very supportive of it. I think Tim, from the very beginning, said, "The only way that I will do this is if I can do it the way that I have always wanted to," and he laid out all the parameters and they were totally on-board with it. I think they knew that the way that Tim would do black & white would feel fresh and amazing, so they were very supportive. HDD: 'Frankenweenie' is your first 3D film, right? Allison Abbate: Yes. Absolutely. HDD: I know that shooting standard films in 3D opens a can of worms. Were there any changes that you had to make to the stop-motion process in order to adapt to 3D? Allison Abbate: We actually didn't shoot in 3D. HDD: You had me fooled! It's such a great conversion that I never would have known otherwise. Allison Abbate: Tim likes to do it as a post process because it gives you more control. It doesn't damper the filmmaking part of telling the story. We were always cognoscente of it, aware of it, planning for it – but it didn't hold us up or trip us up in any way. It was more like, "What would be a fun way to pull people into this scene, or pull people into this moment?" We really approached it that way and it became more of an organic way to plan some of these sequences. HDD: Because of your background, I must tell you that two of my daughter's very favorite films are 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' and 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' You have a great track record with her. Allison Abbate: (laughs) Ah, that's so great! They're both fun movies. HDD: Were there any challenges that were presented with 'Frankenweenie' that you didn't have in either of those two past stop-motion experiences? Allison Abbate: The thing about 'Frankenweenie' is having the main character be a certain tiny dog. It sort of has huge scale issues because we had to basically design the dog puppet so that we could get it to do everything that we needed it to do, then scale everything up to that. We had some physical challenges based on that. The black & white was more challenging than we had anticipated just because we don't think in black & white. We had to change the way we composed shots, the way we painted things and how we designed things just so it would work. The value became paramount. It was a little learning curve for everyone to get into the black & white headspace. Otherwise, the process hasn't really changed since the old days of Ray Harryhausen. It just seems like we have embraced technology to take us into the future and make the process a little easier, but fundamentally it's still such a classic mood that we kept some of that classic stuff. HDD: I enjoyed watching the part of the "Miniatures in Motion" Blu-ray special feature that explains how all of the sets and characters were initially designed in color, but had to be adjusted to get the desired black & white look. Allison Abbate: We thought, "You know that Ginger Rogers' hair wasn't really white. That's just how it came out in the black & white." So, we were painting things in regular color, then we'd see them in black & white and find that things were pulling tricks on us. Red would go one way in a certain shot, then a completely different way in another shot. It was becoming hard to wrangle, so we starting painting things in shades of gray. Once we really embraced that, it became a lot – not easier, but – clearer. We were working within the value palette. It was nice for the animators because they were living in the world that they were creating. The whole set became a sort of black & white set. It was kind of neat to look at it. HDD: All in all, how long did the shooting process last? Allison Abbate: I think it was basically three years from the beginning to end – about a year of pre-production, a year and a half of shooting and about half a year of post. The shoot can overlap a lot of things, but it was about three years in total to make the film. HDD: On the Blu-ray, there's the new stop-motion short film 'Captain Sparky vs. the Flying Saucers.' Was this shot congruently with the main feature? Allison Abbate: Absolutely. We worked it in towards the end of shooting so that as we were peeling crew off the feature film, we started putting them onto the short. The animation supervisor (Mark Waring) ended up directing it. Tim's co-producer (Derek Frey) wrote it. It became a family affair and we ended up wanting to do many of them. We figured, "Victor and Sparky make home movies. Let's see another one." It was a great idea and I'm really glad that we made the sci-fi one, the little space one. It was so cute – and having Mr. Whiskers make a cameo appearance was pretty genius. HDD: Watching the special features on the Blu-ray, you are basically the host. How is it going from being producer to being in front of the camera? Allison Abbate: Oh! (laughs) That was not good! The thing is, I love talking about this process and I love talking about the people, the amazing artists who create everything. For me, it was not as hard as when I look at myself on the camera. I see myself and say, "Yikes! What is my hair doing?!" (laughs) That's all I can think about when I play it back. But it's really my pleasure when I get to walk people back through the process. I pretty much give tours constantly as if we are still making the movie. I'm trying to bring people in and explain to them the process and show them the magic behind making one of these movies. It was such a privilege to be able to showcase that magic to the people who watch the Blu-ray. HDD: Do you have the desire to ever direct a film? Allison Abbate: You know, producing for me is a very creative and satisfying job. If there was a story that I really loved and I felt like I could tell it, I would not rule anything out. I feel like producing, and especially animation, is so satisfying because you are really there at the making of every decision for every frame. I get great satisfaction at stepping back and seeing the group that I have helped pull together and the amazing artists that we have put into positions to shine and creating an environment for them to shine in. I really think that producing one of these movie is pretty addictive stuff. It would be hard to give that up. HDD: So, what are you doing next? Allison Abbate: Right now I'm executive producing a Lego movie for Warner Bros., but Tim and I are talking about doing other stop-motion movies. He has a number of ideas. I'm also working with Guillermo Del Toro and Henson on a 'Pinocchio' movie. There are lots of things on the horizon, I just have to figure out which one is the best one to move forward on first. HDD: Well I really look forward to seeing what you decide to do next – especially if it's another stop-motion film. Allison Abbate: They're fun. They're fantastic. It's a medium that's really so conducive to telling great stories and telling them artfully. For me, it's my first love, so you will see more. Definitely. … This style is magical. It's Santa's workshop. There's magic to the process. I'm glad that you appreciate it. HDD: Well, thanks for taking time right before the holiday to talk with me. I know how hectic this time can be. Allison Abbate: You're hearing me put things in suitcases and throwing things in boxes, so thank you for your patience. HDD: I never would have known that's what you were doing if you hadn't told me!Posted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 12:40 PM PST by: -
HDD Interviews 'Frankenweenie' Animation Supervisor Mark Waringby Luke Hickman As much I try staying neutral while conducting interviews, those that I recently conducted with the filmmakers of 'Frankenweenie' made it hard to not get too excited and get off topic. How so? Well, while the role of Animation Supervisor on a family film is a relatively unsung hero, it's the legacy and the credentials of that artist that can make it hard to stay on track. Mark Waring was not only the Animation Supervisor on 'Frankenweenie' – which I love – but he also carried the same title on what just might be my favorite stop motion film of all time, Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr. Fox.' When the person that you're speaking with has worked with one of your favorite directors, it's hard to keep the questions to the film at hand. Luckily, I also adore 'Frankenweenie,' so I was able to keep it together. Barely. I especially enjoy being able to interview the folks who do the work that isn't always recognized, the worker who doesn't get at all the praise he deserves. I couldn't name a single Animation Supervisor before interviewing Mark Waring, but now that I know the name of the person who brought Sparky the Dog to glorious black & white undead life, I'll never forget it. I hope that reading his words will convey the amount of professionalism, drive, and energy that one of Hollywood's unsung heroes puts into his unique line of work. Being on the other end of the phone from him, that's how he came across to me – which is why it is no surprise that he was chosen to direct the new 'Frankenweenie' short film that is included on the Blu-ray special features, 'Captain Sparky vs. the Flying Saucers.' The feature film begins with Victor showing off a homemade monster movie to his family, something that I did as a kid and that I believe more and more kids do every day. 'Captain Sparky vs. the Flying Saucers' is another one of Victor's homemade films that isn't shown during the feature film. There is an interesting filmmaking aspect to take into consideration with Waring's short film, so I hope you will enjoy the discussion about it and 'Frankenweenie' that he and I had over the phone this week. HDD – Luke Hickman: Hi, Mark! How are you? Mark Waring: I'm well, thanks. Are you well? HDD: I'm great, thanks. I'm glad that we were able to make this interview happen because I'm a fan of 'Frankenweenie.' The mixture of black & white with 3D stop-motion animation was quite unique. Did that combination provide any unique challenges for this production? Mark Waring: I think it did, but it depends on which department, really. From an animation point of view, it's just an image. From a technical point of view, we had playback monitors so that we could watch what we do as we animate and go along. Although it's quite strange because the design of it is obviously black & white, some of the set designs and things like that were left in color – not all of it, but a lot of it. Things like the grass, say for instance, is made of that stuff that – I don't know if you can get it in The States like we have here in the Green Grocers (I imagine it is a chain of stores in the UK) and stores like that – rather than painting all that to be gray and black and white, we left it green. We might buy material to fix some curtains, like a red drape, and they were all left like that. There was a bit of a weird mix because when we were watching it, playing it back, it was like a sepia tone. It's actually kinda nice to look at (laughs). It gave us an interesting viewpoint as to how [black & white] is. I think the black & white definitely had more to do with the design side of it, the Art Department, because they had to adapt things. If something's in color, it won't register as color. The reds completely crushed the black, so they had to adapt their palettes because they know that it was going to be turned into a black & white film. It was the same thing with some of our puppets. They had to be painted in a certain sort of way that mimicked skintones. I think that some of the cameramen were actually using old books about how to light like the classic '20s and '30s black & white films. They were referencing how to do it. That side of it had to really be taken onboard when we were shooting it just to make it work because we knew that it would be going into the black & white format. HDD: Had you shot anything in 3D prior to 'Frankenweenie?' Mark Waring: Personally, no. HDD: I know that the film was shot in 2D for a 3D post-conversion. Did that change the way you had to shoot? Mark Waring: The 3D was always planned as a post-production thing. That was a decision that was made in the early stages. Obviously, we could have shot it in 3D since we basically shot just stills, but it was the time factor involved with shooting in 3D that was against us. With the release date and how that was going to work, we had to factor in the actual physicality of moving the camera to other positions. All of those sorts of technical things would have had to have been taken into consideration. It takes time to do all of that on the floor, which is great if you have the time – but we didn't have it. I think with Tim Burton having done 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' as a post 3D conversion before this – and I think he was quite happy with how that went – the decision to make it a 3D thing in post effects was a decision that was made because of those sort of practical things. When we were shooting it, there were setups that we had to do to take the 3D into consideration – that placing of the characters within the depths, how much focus are we going to get on this – so a lot of things were actually shot separately. If something was really really in the foreground deliberately, then we had separate elements shot so that during the conversion process, they could actually piece the shots together and give that depth that was required. The post guys were always around to see if they could get what they wanted from the set – "Oh, that needs to be shot separate." HDD: Were there any challenges that 'Frankenweenie' posed that weren't present in any of your past films, like 'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' for example Mark Waring: I think that all of the films that I – obviously, all are stop-frame films – all of them have their own style that throw out their own challenges. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, but they all present different problems that you have to overcome. I'm trying to think if there was anything specific. The scale of the world that was created for 'Frankenweenie' was quite interesting. Because of the nature of stop-filming, a whole world can be created, but it tends to be fairly small. It's very unusual to break up and break out of that into a huge world that's round. That was one of things that was hard, it was trying to figure out how to do that and the best way to do that – especially with all of the characters, their design and how to make them work. All of these elements had to be worked out. Technically, I suppose the main one was basing a whole film around a dog, which was one of the things that was discussed from the start. "Sparky is the main character and we have to get that right. Now, who is that dog?" You can understand how a boy would act or how an adult would behave, but a dog has to have a character, a personality. So, we had to create that. We studied dogs. We went to dog shows. We had dogs coming into the studio. We filmed them. We tried to work out how they move, how Sparky moves. Is he young? Is he old? Does he jump around? All of those things we had to work out. Most animators would have to learn that; it's part of their job. There has to be a group of 30 people who knows how he moves. That was quite a challenge. HDD: Stop motion is quite a unique craft. Is there any aspect of 'Frankenweenie' that you're particularly proud of that the layman might not notice? Mark Waring: That's actually an interesting question. Something that I'm proud of? I think the telling of the story. It's such a nice thing. You feel the story through this boy and his dog. It's a simple path that it follows, but it's got a shape to it and characters that it's based around. It's a nice form of storytelling. There's something strong and – what's the word that I'm trying to think of? It's a piece of storytelling and it works very very well. I think they're all very individual and strong characters, so to be able to get the characters to come through is great. You can follow them through the whole film, so that's nice. It's all about characterization and how you can bring things to life. It's basically a pile of metal and silicon and foam, but it can make you laugh, it can make you cry. For people like animators to be able to bring characters to life by doing that, I think that's an interesting process to go through. I think that 'Frankenweenie' shows that in quite a few characters. HDD: Being someone who grew up playing with VHS cameras and making home movies, I especially enjoyed the opening of 'Frankenweenie' amd was even more excited to see another one of Victor's films on the Blu-ray – 'Captain Sparky vs. the Flying Saucers.' Mark Waring: (laughs) It's the same with me. I actually had a camera when I was younger and I went out and made little films. So, when the idea for 'Captain Sparky' came up, I thought, 'This is great. This is the perfect chance to get to do another similar sort of thing.' Getting the chance to direct that myself was a really nice end to the film – which took two years from start to finish. It was a nice thing to round everything off. It rung quite a lot of bells. It was something exciting having childhood memories tied up with that. HDD: Was it challenging shooting 'Captain Sparky?' As the director, you basically had to revert to a kid making a movie. Mark Waring: That's it! That was the great thing. When you actually think about it, you think, 'OK. I've got to make a childlike film here.' But the problem is that you don't want to make it childlike – as in really bad. (laughs) You can make something that makes everyone go, "That was a terrible piece of filmmaking," and that's not what you're trying to do. I kept trying to come up with tricks that would suggest that Victor was making the film. He wasn't that great, but he tried his best. He was reasonably proficient, but was still making mistakes. So, we ended up with the hand coming in [frame] holding a stick, leading wires in and other deliberate mistakes that he would have made as a child. The problem was trying to do that without making ourselves, as professional filmmakers, look like we're making a bad piece of work. (laughs) HDD: I've got to tell you that you've won both me and my five-year-old daughter over with 'Frankenweenie' and 'Captain Sparky.' We're fans. Mark Waring: That's great! That's the thing – I think it works for all ages. My niece is just over four and she went over Christmas to watch it with my sister and she was laughing, crying – not in a bad way – and she was cheering them on in the end. "Come on, Sparky! Save the day!" HDD: That's awesome. Do you have any any other collaborations with Tim Burton lined up in the future? Mark Waring: I'd love to work with him again. If there were more films lined up – you know, the process takes such a long time. In an ideal world, the goal is to run from one film to another, but he's a busy man that's got a lot of things going on. If there was to be another Tim Burton feature, then even if it was starting now, by the time the process got through – the development, the writing and all that sort of stuff up to filming it – since that's such a long process, that would be a ways out. Keep your fingers crossed, I'd love to be involved in more of his productions. I love what he does. I'm a big fan, so to work on his film is a thrill in itself. And it's good that the film itself works well. It's a win-win situation.Posted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 12:30 PM PST by: -
'Hemingway & Gellhorn' Blu-ray Delayed[teaser]The acclaimed TV drama won't be available on Blu-ray until April. [/teaser] As previously reported, HBO was readying 'Hemingway & Gellhorn' for Blu-ray on March 19, but now the date has been changed to April 2. Academy Award® and three-time Golden Globe® winner Nicole Kidman and Academy Award® nominee and Golden Globe® winner Clive Owen star in HBO Films' 'Hemingway & Gellhorn,' under the direction of Academy Award® nominee Philip Kaufman ('The Unbearable Lightness of Being'). Nominated for 15 Emmy® Awards, winning two, the film was hailed as "poignant...Kidman and Owen bring real pathos and power to their portrayals" (Newsweek) and "intoxicating...the star power is formidable" (TV Guide). Specs have yet to be revealed, but the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will include Making Hemingway & Gellhorn - From casting to costumes to editing, the cast and crew provide a detailed view of the production process; Behind the Visual Effects - The cast and crew discuss the special effects and how they enriched the film's historical accuracy; and Audio Commentary with director Philip Kaufman and Academy Award® winning editor Walter Murch. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $24.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Hemingway & Gellhorn' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under April 2.Posted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Panasonic is Working on a UHD OLED[teaser]It seemed like Panasonic was staying out of the 4K game, but as it turns out, they're going to be right in the thick of it. [/teaser] Well we were wrong on this one. Panasonic's initial press information suggested that they were staying out of the whole 4K thin until the dust settled, but that's not the case at all. Just like Sony, they'll be bringing out a OLED UHDTV. Also like Sony, they've only got a prototype thusfar. The set is 56 inches, which technically makes it the largest. By an inch. The most important details – pricing and a release date – are still unclear, but you can be sure that Sony and Panasonic are going to be watching eachother closely. Source: CnetPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 11:50 AM PST by: -
'Arrested Development' Returns May 4th[teaser]According to the creator, a movie is already in the works. Again. [/teaser] 'Arrested Development' may not have generated huge ratings when it first aired, but the series has found a great deal of success on home video and even more on streaming sites like Netflix – a service that's been looking for some original programming. The opportunity to pair up is one that the two couldn't pass up and the show is finally set with a release date – May 4th. Each episode of the show will revolve around a different character and other characters will have smaller roles. If you're watching a Gob episode – how cool will that be? – you'll still see the other Bluths, but they won't necessarily take up as much time as in traditional episodes. All 14 episodes will be available on May 4th, so fans will be spending their Saturday inside, glued to the set. It will also be the day that we start to see whether the moves Netflix is making will pay off. Source: Tech CrunchPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 11:30 AM PST by: -
Samsung's 55 Inch OLED is Coming Out This Year[teaser]Sadly, a price and date have not yet been announced. [/teaser] The new KNF559500 from Samsung is something that certain people have been waiting on for a long time now. It's one of the first OLED sets to be released in a reasonable size and, hopefully, a price range that's not too far out of the budget. Samsung has given their 55 inch OLED the full Smart TV treatment, equipping it with a quad-core processor, Smart Hub access, gesture controls and everything else the company's 2013 sets are getting. The big difference is, of course, the OLED tech behind it, which should provide much improved video quality. The KNF559500 also supports multi-view, which allows two users wearing 3D glasses with built-in headphones to watch two different things at the same time. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 11:15 AM PST by: -
Samsung Announces a First – a Soundbar with a Vacuum Tube[teaser]The HW-750 is designed to bring some warmth into your audio setup. [/teaser] Soundbars are traditionally thought of an option that's only to be turned to when a traditional 5.1 or 7.1 setup won't work for your space, but companies have been doing what they can to improve them and make them more attractive to potential customers. The latest bar from Samsung tries something completely new. The new HW-750 is also known as the Vacuum Tube Soundbar, and for obvious reasons. It's the first soundbar around to pack a tube amplifier to give you the kind of warmth you'd expect. That's not all it's got though – it packs a gyroscopic sensor that allows it to detect height, rotation and slope to automatically correct for positioning and optimize sound quality. Samsung's Vacuum Tube Soundbar doesn't have a release date or pricing yet. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
'Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]An animated film based on the popular Games Workshop tabletop miniature game will be storming Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay is working on 'Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie' for Blu-ray on March 5. It is 41st Millennium, and the only force that stands between humanity and the alien hordes are the Space Marines. Genetically enhanced, clad in power armor and knowing no fear, they are the angels of death. And the greatest of them are the Ultramarines. But when a select squad of scarred veterans and raw recruits responds to a distant planet's distress beacon, they discover that a horrific evil has been unleashed. And amidst a living nightmare of chaos, carnage and daemonic fury, these steel battle-brothers must now survive the ultimate enemy: themselves. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include Into The Void: Making of Ultramarines; Between Chaos & Darkness: The World Of The Space Marines; Creating the Daemon; and an Ultramarines prequel animated on-screen graphic novel. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $24.97. You can find the latest specs for 'Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 5.Posted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 10:00 AM PST by:
