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Bonus View Digest - August 3, 2012We've come to the end of July, but The Bonus View rolls on. [teaser]This week we had a few very popular posts that caused quite the stir in the comments section. Everything from terrible CGI effects to superhero-themed movie-tie-in video games were featured. Check it all out below.[/teaser] Blu-ray News With the release of the theatrical remake of 'Total Recall' this weekend, we have a brand-new, remastered release of Paul Verhoeven's original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. If sci-fi Ah-nold isn't your thing then check out all the Blu-rays that were released this week in Josh's Blu-ray Highlights post. Speaking of remastering, Josh takes on a sore subject when he looks behind the scenes of 'The French Connection' Blu-ray. What really happened? Was it a mistake that the first remastered Blu-ray turned out like a pastel nightmare? What about the newest remastering? Is it any better? Josh lets you know which 'French Connection' release you should own. Have you been looking for a way to organize your Blu-ray collection. Well, Aaron found a software called Movie Collector that he tried out and reviewed. Take a look at his review and see if this Blu-ray cataloging software will help you make sense of your endless shelves of Blu-rays. Theatrical News This week's biggest release is 'Total Recall' which Luke saw. Is the remake worth it, or is it just a remake for remake's sake? Also, Aaron saw a screening of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days' and tells you if this is a movie you should take the kids to. Video Game News Along with his weekly list of which video games are hitting store shelves, resident video game expert Brian Hoss discusses an interesting topic on the blog this week. What has happened to movie tie-in video games? Where have they gone? Are they coming back? Join the discussion. TV Recaps This week we recapped 'The Newsroom' and 'True Blood.' Are you still watching these shows? Let us know in the comment section. Also, on the TV front, Aaron talks about his two straight weeks of binge-watching 'Game of Thrones'. It's really the only way to watch the show. Forget waiting a week for each episode, locking yourself in your house and watching the first two seasons worth of episodes back-to-back-to-back is the only way to go. Special Features Have you been watching the Olympics? Let us know in the Mid-Week Poll. Last Friday on the Weekend Roundtable we talked about cinema's most embarrassing CGI effects. What do you think? What movies that you normally enjoy watching, have a couple of effects that take you right out of the movie? Let us know in the comments. That's it for this week. We're in August now, but there's still plenty to come on The Bonus View, especially as we enter these next two months. Two months that promise to be some of the most expensive Blu-ray buying months on record.Posted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
'Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The next wave of animated classics will be coming to Blu-ray this October! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers is preparing 'Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2' for Blu-ray on October 16. This collection has been digitally restored and remastered and contains some of the franchise’s most enduring shorts featuring all your favorite Looney Tune Characters! Disc 1 Episode Guide: "A Wild Hare" "Buckaroo Bugs" "Long-Haired Hare" "Ali Baba Bunny" "Show Biz Bugs" "The Wise Quacking Duck" "What Makes Daffy Duck?" "Book Revue" "Deduce, You Say" "Porky In Wackyland" "You Ought To Be In Pictures" "Porky In Egypt" "Back Alley Oproar" "Little Red Rodent Hood" "Canned Feud" "Gift Wrapped" "Birdy And The Beast" "Home, Tweet Home" "Going! Going! Gosh!" "Zipping Along" "Scent-Imental Romeo" "The Foghorn Leghorn" "The High And The Flighty" "Tabasco Road" "Mexicali Shmoes" Disc 2 Episode Guide: "Wabbit Twouble" "Rabbit Fire" "Rabbit Seasoning" "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" "Drip-Along Daffy" "My Little Duckaroo" "Barbary-Coast Bunny" "Tortoise Beats Hare" "Tortoise Wins By A Hare" "Rabbit Transit" "Porky's Hare Hunt" "Hare-Um Scare-Um" "Prest-O Change-O" "Elmer's Candid Camera" "Bugs Bunny Gets The Boid" "The Bashful Buzzard" "The Lion's Busy" "Strife With Father" "An Itch In Time" "A Horsefly Fleas" "Hollywood Steps Out" "Page Miss Glory" "Rocket-Bye Baby" "Russian Rhapsody" "Dough Ray Me-Ow" The 3-Disc Blu-ray set will include the following features: Bonus featurettes on selected shorts, commentaries by animation experts, alternate audio tracks:, King-Size Comedy: Tex Avery And The Looney Tunes Revolution, Tex Avery, The King Of Cartoons, Friz on Film, Friz at MGM, The World Of Leon Schlesinger, Real American Zero: The Adventures Of Private Snafu, and bonus cartoons (in SD): (Toonheads: The Lost Cartoons, The Best Of The Rest Of Tex Private Snafu, and Mr. Hook). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray set is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 16.Posted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
High-Def Digest-Digest: August 3rd, 2012by Dick Ward [teaser]July was a big month for gear and gaming, but Blu-ray announcements were what really drove the news. From 'Lawrence of Arabia' to 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space,' there is a variety of very cool stuff on the way.[/teaser] Blu-ray News 'The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection' Trailer Released One of the biggest Blu-ray releases this year is the 'Indiana Jones' box set, which is going to offer special features, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound and, of course, 1080p video. The recently released trailer tells you a little bit more. 'Lawrence of Arabia: 50th Anniversary Edition' Blu-ray Announced and Pre-orders Live! The Oscar winning epic film is finally hitting Blu-ray, just in time for its 50th anniversary. You'll be able to pick up this fully remastered release on November 13th. Yamaha Releases a Pair of New Blu-ray Players The $329 BD-S673 from the $229 BD-S473 give you plenty of features, but only the 673 has 3D, Wi-Fi and DACs for improved audio. Gear News Vizio’s $99 Google TV Box is Now Available for Pre-order The cheapest way to get into Google TV is on its way. Vizio gives you Google TV in a set-top at just $99. Google Kicks off Fiber Service at $120 for Gigabit Internet and TV The service doesn't quite have all the channels people will be looking for, but gigabit internet may be enough of a sway for interested folks. The 75-Inch Samsung ES9000 is Coming to America Samsung's massive new TV is hitting the US this month at a price of $9,999. That's around $8,000 cheaper than the Korean price. Game News ‘World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria’ Due Out September 25th The countdown has begun for the latest addition to Blizzard's 'World of Warcraft.' Three different versions of the game are now available to preorder. 'Borderlands 2' Takes 58 Hours to Complete a Single Playthrough According to a guide writer, you're looking at around 60 hours for a playthrough with a single character. "What we like to think about it is, Borderlands is a hobby," says Gearbox VP Steve Gibson. Kojima Will Reveal 'Metal Gear Solid 5' Engine in August The suspicion, and the hope, is that showing off the engine also means we'll be getting to see the game. We'll have to wait until August 30th to find out.Posted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Theatrical Review: 'Total Recall' (2012)Is twenty years too soon for a remake? Colin Farrell and director Len Wiseman attempt to bring a fresh digital makeover to the Schwarzenegger classic 'Total Recall'. Our theatrical reviewer Luke Hickman weighs in with his opinion of their results. Read his review today in the blog.Posted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 09:10 AM PDT by: -
Vann's Will File for Bankruptcy[teaser]Vann's retail locations are pulling in a profit but other owned stores and online sales aren't quite up to snuff. [/teaser] Vann's is a significant name on the electronics market, especially for those living in Montana, where the chain got its start. Vann's stores, which have a product selection similar to that of Best Buy, have been profitable but The ON Store and BigSkyCountry.com have not – both are retailers owned by Vann's. The company didn't speak explicitly about the Vann's website, but it can be implied from statements that it's not a major source of income. CEO Jerry McConnell says that the Vann's website will be a bigger focus for the company going forward. "My son shops online," he says. "I don't think he's ever been in a store. So, we need a different mindset for our Vanns.com business." Source: ABC MontanaPosted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Harold & Kumar: Ultimate Collector's Edition' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The complete stoner comedy trilogy will be getting a collector's boxed set just in time for the holiday season! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers is preparing a special 'Harold & Kumar: Ultimate Collector's Edition' for Blu-ray on November 13. The set includes: 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,' 'Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay,' and 'A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas.' The three films will also come packaged inside a collectible tin box with a White Castle scented air freshener, White Castle scented coasters, and other memorabilia. Suggested list price for the set is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Harold & Kumar: Ultimate Collector's Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 13.Posted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
DirecTV Faces its First Ever Loss of Customers[teaser]It appears the spat with Viacom had a significant effect on the company. DirecTV says the drop is due to policy. [/teaser] DirecTV is a company with an impressive track record. It loses customers and gains customers like any other, but it has never lost more than it gained. Until now. In the last quarter, DirecTV lost 52,000 subscribers. While it seems obvious to point at the recent loss and then renewal of Viacom programming as the issue, DirecTV claims that tighter credit restrictions and a new target of "higher quality" customers means that the loss was to be expected. Whatever the reason, you can bet folks at DirecTV aren't looking thrilled right now. Source: EngadgetPosted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Annie' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]Details are now in for the 1982 musical coming to Blu-ray in October. [/teaser] As previously reported, Sony is working on 'Annie' for Blu-ray on October 2. The charismatic little orphaned Annie's luck changes for the better when billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney, 'Erin Brockovich') arrives at the orphanage looking to take one of the children for a short time. Annie soon charms the billionaire with her lively, warm nature, and together they set out to search for Annie's parents. With the mean head of the orphanage, Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett, 'The Secret World of Arrietty') attempting to hinder their plan, Annie's search will prove to be quite a heartwarming journey. The Blu-ray/Ultraviolet combo will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn, Musical performance of "It's the Hard-Knock Life" by Play, original trailers and TV spots, and a Blu-ray exclusive Sing-Along with Annie! Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $14.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Annie' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under October 2.Posted Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Attends a Virtual Roundtable with Andy Parsons (BDA), Jeffery Baker (Warner Home Video), and Ned Price (Warner Technical Operations)[teaser]Last time the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) had a virtual roundtable, we discussed a wealth of information about Disney and their commitment to the Blu-ray format. This time around Warner Brothers is in the hot seat.[/teaser] The people present for this virtual roundtable were Andy Parsons of the BDA, Jeffery Baker of Warner Home Video, and Ned Price who is in charge of Warner Bros. Technical Operations. As soon as the roundtable was ready and all the journalists had joined in, the questions came fast and furious. As always the Q&A session is definitely the most informative part of these Q&As so we'll get right to it. Below are the questions that were asked during the session. Personally, I was impressed with the amount of information given about the restoration process and particularly how expensive it is to convert a 2D movie to 3D. Although, their explanation on the restoration behind 'Singin' in the Rain' could have been expounded on, a lot. [Note: The text has been cleaned up for grammar and spelling errors from a live chat environment.] Q: Jeff, does WB hold rights to the new restoration/reconstruction of an extended version of 'Once Upon a Time in America'? Jeffrey Baker: We do have the rights, a release date has not yet been determined. Q: How does 4k play a role in this effort and how will it fit on an expected 4k Blu-ray? Andy Parsons: We think that Blu-ray would be suitable for 4K content because of its high capacity and data throughput (particularly in comparison to streaming), and the BDA continues to explore new technologies, though at this time, no 4K development activities are taking place within the BDA. Q: Ned, could you please talk about new techniques that WB has been experimenting with to extract images from older films with damaged elements like 'Red Dust', 'Test Pilot', 'A Guy Named Joe'? Ned Price: One of our largest challenges is creating algorithms to correct density fluctuations from photo chemical processing of the films, density pulsation also occurs in color film as a result of dye fading, we lose density in the negative as well as color layer. The emulsion layers of a color negative deteriorate unevenly which creates color pulsation as well as density flicker. Q: Jeff, I know WB has been looking at 2D tests for 'The Wizard of Oz' for years. Are you encouraged this will be going forward in the near future? Jeffrey Baker: We are testing many films while watching consumer interest and demand from theatrical exhibition to the home on 3D, conversion costs from 2D to 3D are quite high ($4M to $6M), until they come down further it will continue to be a deterrent in our converting library films to 3D. Q: I would love to hear a little about the amazing restoration work that went into bringing 'Singin' in the Rain' to Blu-ray. Jeffrey Baker: We performed a 4K scan and took advantage of current state of the art color correction tools, we also enhanced the audio quite a bit. Q: It's been a long time since we've heard anything regarding Blu-ray and managed copy. Can you offer any update on the feature? Andy Parsons: We are hearing that AACS, the entity that is responsible for implementing managed copy, should be launching the capability soon. In the meantime, a great aspect of Blu-ray is that many titles are being offered in combo packs that include a DVD and "digital extensions" such as Digital Copy and Ultraviolet that allow us to extend our home theater experience to other locations like an airplane seat or hotel room or anyplace we want to watch movies. Q: When looking at the enhanced content aspect of your releases, what do you generally look for? Do you use outside archival sources or is it primarily internal as in the case with the 'Ben Hur'? Jeffrey Baker: We first look internally to mine assets, however, in the case of 'Ben Hur' and other films we have gone to third parties to help us source and or develop assets. Q: Are there any plans to start releasing Warner Archive titles on Blu-ray? And is there ever a time when you released a film on Blu-ray that may not have had the monetary stats to back up its release because Warner felt it was important? Is financial feasibility more important to a release than the film's impact on film history? Jeffrey Baker: We are not yet ready to convert archive titles to BD, we are hopeful that more economically viable tools in the near future will make this possible. Yes, I have green-lit numerous conversions to BD that did not meet short term financial thresholds, and we will continue to. We believe that the long term growth in BD will provide adequate ROI in the future. Q: Can you please tell me why some movies like 'Blade Runner' are given multiple releases while other classics fail to get one? Jeffrey Baker: Sometimes it's based on consumer inquiries and demand, other times it's based on finding new materials. In the case of 'The Exorcist', we released it on BD in 2010 (37 years old), we have plans although it has not been announced, to re-release 'The Exorcist' in 2013 with new extra content, I cannot disclose what it is, but it's rich! Q: To what extent is your selection of library titles to preserve/restore is filmmaker-driven (as for example the recent efforts with 'End of the Road' which were spearheaded by Steven Soderbergh? Ned Price: We approach library preservation from two angles; preservation work is primarily motivated and funded on behalf of the corporation, title selection in based on physical condition of materials rather than the current popularity of a title. The corporate preservation efforts are not motivated by sales, however the results of our corporate preservation efforts are made available for sales division use. Sales driven requests often initiate preservation as well as restoration use as was the case for 'End of the Road'. We often have film makers championing film which have influenced their work so that it's made available to the next generation of developing film makers. Q: I'm interested a bit more in what happens when a film is chosen for restoration and box set/special edition treatment such as 'Ben Hur' and a more bargain treatment that could hit the budget pricing category mentioned. Might the budget film not get a full restoration at, I think I heard 8K mentioned. Jeffrey Baker: Correct, we will render a less robust conversion on a budget priced BD release; however, to be clear the quality is still quite good and exceeds DVD. Q: Would you elaborate on your 3D strategy? Including restoration/remastering of classic titles made in 3D (i.e. 'Dial M for Murder') or 2D titles that might be converted to 3D (i.e. 'The Matrix'), as well as new 3D releases. Roughly how many 3D BD titles do you expect to release in say the next 2 years? Jeffrey Baker: More than one, less than 10! Q: How would you define the difference between preservation and restoration when it comes to Blu-ray? Is there one? Jeffrey Baker: It's 10 times more expensive to restore vs. preserve. Q: Jeff, will the next Blu-ray edition of 'A Star is Born' (1954) include the cut theatrical release version? A lot of us find the black-and-white stills in Ron Haver's restoration takes us "out of the movie" and we'd like to have this option. Jeffrey Baker: Not sure, however, I can tell you that the 1976 version of the film will be coming out on BD in the next 12 months. Q: What would you say to the argument that BD is simply another phase in the format world and soon we won’t have the need for physical items as everything will be avail via “cloud” tech? Andy Parsons: We think that Blu-ray and online distribution serve different needs, with Blu-ray offering the best possible HD picture and sound due to its very high capacity and bandwidth -- it has roughly ten times the data transfer rate as the average U.S. broadband connection. This makes it ideal for big screen home theater viewing. Streaming, on the other hand, is great for casual viewing of content on smaller screens or handheld devices such as tablets or smartphones. Also, since content tends to come and go from streaming services, your copy of a Blu-ray title will always be available to you. We believe Blu-ray sits, and will continue to sit, at the center of home entertainment for quite some time Digital extensions such as digital copy or Ultraviolet enable Blu-ray collectors to extend their content library to their mobile devices. And, a connected Blu-ray player not only plays CDs, DVDs, BDs, 3DBD's and BD Recordable, but also serves as a gateway to streamed content. It's not really a zero sum game -- physical media and online distribution can and will coexist for many years to come. Q: I know the Blu-ray format keeps adding new features. Can you tell us what we can expect in the future? Andy Parsons: We are always keeping an eye on new developments in theatrical and home entertainment, but for the moment, we are focusing on continuing to encourage adoption of the Blu-ray format we know and love to the widest possible audience around the world. Adding new capabilities is not something we do lightly, as we need to keep the millions of existing Blu-ray players in mind. It's important to maintain backward compatibility as much as we possibly can. Q: Which movie presented the most difficulty to restore for you and your team? Ned Price: The two most challenging, but ultimately most satisfying restorations were 'North by Northwest' and 'Ben-Hur' due to characteristics of the original camera negative stock and physical condition. Color fading was the most difficult hurdle; both features were shot on early single strip camera negative which was poor at capturing color and had poor dye retention, meaning that color faded very quickly. The negatives also sustained physical damage due to the popularity of the titles and multiple theatrical re-issues. Q: It is my understanding that the original negatives for 'Singin' in the Rain' were lost in a fire. How did you go about putting this film together again and with such high quality for Blu-ray? Ned Price: The studios maintain master positive protection elements on all titles, we scanned 35mm 3-strip nitrate master positives for 'Singin' in the Rain' which were manufactured by MGM at Technicolor in 1952. To their credit, Technicolor materials were extremely well made and the transition from protection masters to original camera negative. The original negative for the last reel which includes the "Broadway Melody" sequence, still survives. We did use a small amount of grain reduction on the optical sections from positive masters due to the heavy grain content due to generation loss. Q: Is there such thing as “too sharp” within the era of Blu-ray and restoration? How do you maintain the classic look within a technologically advanced format? Ned Price: There is no such thing as "too sharp" unless you are artificially enhancing the image. We never "dumb down" an image in order to make it look more like a theatrical release print as our goal is to mine the entire image inherent in the original photography. I've never encountered a film that did not hold up to scrutiny of high resolution, the craftspeople always exceeded the limitation of the capture medium, we do encounter the occasional wig line, but we find that the "fix" (hand painting) is typically worse than the problem. Q: Would you discuss any special challenges involved in restoring/remastering a 3D title such as 'Dial M for Murder'? Ned Price: The 3D titles produced in the 1950's have unique problems, the single strip titles are faded differentially, meaning that the left eye negative has faded differently than the right eye negative, so making them match seamlessly is quite challenging. On the positive side, the 3D camera work from the 50's is impeccable, so there was no need to manipulate the 3D design for the home market. Q: In a time when 35mm is slowly disappearing from exhibition, yet needs to be utilized to create these beautiful BR editions, is there any kind of thought on future restoration work down the line when we have no primary sources to go by? Ned Price: The current preservation medium for the studio is still 35mm film, we do archive the original digital production files, but until there is a long term, industry accepted digital archive solution, we will continue with creation of film materials. Q: What is your general policy on grain reduction? Ned Price: I've always been conservative when it comes to image processing for three reasons, the first being that grain reduction tools start to add artifacts before they effectively reduce grain. Secondly, I feel that grain carries image information and texture, similar to a noise floor in audio which in a way, help continuity of the shots. Also, I'm a great fan of the color information carried by the grain. That's it for the Q&A. Let us know what you thought about it in the forums by clicking on the link below. There's a lot of stuff to take in, so please continue the discussion in the forums.Posted Thu Aug 2, 2012 at 01:35 PM PDT by: -
'The Amazing Spider-Man' Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Features Added[teaser]Still no release date, but supplements are swinging in for the upcoming Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D editions of the Marvel Comics hit! [/teaser] As previously reported, Sony is preparing 'The Amazing Spider-Man,' 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (Combo Pack), 'The Amazing Spider-Man - 3D' (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack), and 'The Amazing Spider-Man - 3D' (Limited Edition Combo with Collectible Amazing Spider-Man and Lizard Figurines) for a release sometime in the coming weeks. In Marc Webb's action-packed franchise reboot, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Deleted Scenes and Alternate Takes, Audio Commentaries with Cast and Crew, The Oscorp Archives – Art and Promotional Materials Gallery, Screen Tests, Stunt Rehearsals, and Interactive 3D Film School with Director Marc Webb (Blu-ray 3D exclusive). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is set at $35.99, the Blu-ray combo pack is $40.99, the Blu-ray 3D is $55.99, and the Limited Edition Blu-ray 3D w/Figurines is $95.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Amazing Spider-Man' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING.Posted Thu Aug 2, 2012 at 01:00 PM PDT by:
