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HDD Deal of the Week: Fox Blu-ray Digibooks $11.99 at Amazon[teaser]Choose from five great classics at over sixty percent off this week at Amazon! [/teaser] Amazon has reduced the price of 'Tora! Tora! Tora!,' 'The Hustler,' 'Patton,' 'The Comancheros,' and 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' to $11.99 each (66% off suggested list price). Click here to order your favorite(s) while the price is hot now through February 26.Posted Sun Feb 19, 2012 at 09:59 AM PST by: -
Bonus View Digest - February 17, 2012[teaser]We here at High-Def Digest and The Bonus View hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day this week, and if you didn't have a special person to share it with, we hope you spent your time watching as many awesome action movies as possible.[/teaser] Even though love was in the air this week The Bonus View didn't slow down when it came to covering just about everything you'd like to know about the world of theatrical releases, Blu-rays, and yes, even video games. Did you miss out on a few articles this week? Well here's your chance to look back through what was posted and find those tidbits you may have passed over. Blu-ray News This week Josh covered the weekly Blu-ray releases with his Blu-ray Highlights post, while Tom let us in on the info about the new 'War of Arrows' collector's steelbook case in his Full Metal Jackets column. If you're looking to revisit a title that's been sitting on your shelf for a while, check out Off the Shelf where Aaron took another look at 'Deep Blue Sea' and remembered just how silly it is. Theatrical News Luke covered two of the three big releases for this week. 'Ghost Rider 2' wasn't screened for critics, I wonder why. However, you can catch up with Luke's reviews of the new rom-com 'This Means War,' and the new Hiromasa Yonebayashi film 'The Secret World of Arrietty,' which just so happens to be written by the famous Hayao Miyazaki. Along with movie reviews, Luke also took a look at the state of movies and Hollywood in his article entitled Diagnosing and Treating Hollywood’s Disease. Check it out. It's a great read. TV Recaps It was a big week in television, mainly because the popular AMC zombie show, 'The Walking Dead' finally ended its hiatus and started up with all-new episodes. Aaron recapped the returning episode. Find out if you agree with the lethargic feeling Aaron has about the series. Along with the new episode of 'The Walking Dead' Aaron also continued with his Character Guide column which spells out the characters who are left on the show and their chances of surviving. We also covered a variety of other shows including, 'The River,' 'Grimm,' 'Fringe,' and 'Alcatraz.' Special Features Josh discussed a very sensitive issue this week. Apparently George Lucas is now saying that Han never shot first in the first place. Yet another insult to his already beleaguered fanbase. The Weekend Roundtable involved us talking about the worst titles ever given to movies. What are some of yours? Let us know. This week in the Mid-Week Poll we asked you who will win the Best Director at the Oscars and who you think should win. That's it for this week. Continue to tune into The Bonus View for insight, intrigue and a healthy stream of contests. Have a great weekend everyone.Posted Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Top Sales and Rentals: Week Ending February 12th[teaser]It's not surprising that 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1' is dominating the sales charts, but it is a little disappointing to see that the Blu-ray share of those sales was just 25 percent. The reissue of 'Lady and the Tramp,' had around 30 percent of the sales, but since its only available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, that means it actually put more Blu-rays into homes. [/teaser] The rest of this week's top five sales came in below a 50% Blu-ray share. 'A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas' was the highest after Disney's classic with a 38% share. Nine percent of those 'Harold & Kumar' purchases were 3D Blu-rays. Rental data isn't split between Blu-ray and DVD, but it's interesting to note that three movies ranked higher than 'Twilight' - 'In Time,' 'Drive,' and 'Real Steel.' Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 10:45 AM PST by: -
'The Adventures of Tintin' Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Announced and Detailed[teaser]The hit CGI animated film will bring the adventure to Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D next month. [/teaser] As previously reported, Paramount Is preparing 'The Adventures of Tintin' and 'The Adventures of Tintin - 3D' for a home video release and now the official date looks to be March 13. From Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson comes the epic adventures of Tintin. Racing to uncover the secrets of a sunken ship that may hold a vast fortune -- but also an ancient curse -- Tintin and his loyal dog Snowy embark on an action-packed journey around the world that critics are calling “fun for the whole family.”* *ABC-TV (Chicago). The Blu-rays will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, and supplements includes Toasting Tintin: Parts 1 & 2, The Journey of Tintin, The World of Tintin, The Who's Who of Tintin, Tintin: Conceptual Design, Tintin: In the Volume, Snowy: From Beginning to End, Animating Tintin, Tintin: The Score, and Collecting Tintin. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $44.99 and the Blu-ray 3D is $54.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Adventures of Tintin' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 13.Posted Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Study Shows Significant First Weekend Box Office Estimate Inflation[teaser]One film in particular was estimated at three times the actual amount. [/teaser] It's a strange way of doing business, but box office success or failure is judged on estimates, rather than the actual numbers - at least for the first weekend. The upside to this is, of course, is that results are able to be reported much more quickly than if studios had to wait for the actual tally. This does lead to a bit of an issue though, when the estimates are as far off as they've been in the last few years. According to a study by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, estimates are off by an average of 7.9% above the actual take. The 2008 movie 'Delgo' was estimated at $568,240 while the actual take was $164,160. 'Extraordinary Measures' was bad too, with an estimated $2.14 million and an actual $1.15 million. Neil Malhotra, associate professor of political economy at Stanford, says that the current model leads to optimistic estimates. "We also argue that there may be some strategy behind the inflation, [because] inflation is substantially higher in the first weekend of release, when the incentives are greatest to generate positive word-of-mouth." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Hit!' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Revenge is a dish best served as cold as a frosty glass of Colt 45 on Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Olive Films has revealed 'Hit!' starring Billy Dee Williams will be available on Blu-ray on April 24. Williams stars as a federal agent whose daughter dies of a heroin overdose and is determined to destroy the drug ring that supplied her. He recruits various people whose lives have been torn apart by the drug trade and trains them. Then they all leave for France to track down and destroy the ring. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray will be $29.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Hit!' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 24.Posted Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Sharp Announces a Pair of New Blu-ray Players[teaser]They offer built-in Wi-Fi, USB connections, and one offers an MHL input for your mobile devices. [/teaser] Sharp has announced a pair of new Blu-ray players, both of which offer the sort of things you'd expect from Blu-ray players in 2012. They pack Wi-Fi connectivity for video streaming, a Super Picture setting designed to improve video from DVDs and streaming content as well as a DLNA interface. The Sharp BD-AMS10U ($179) offers all that plus a front USB port so you can pull media from cameras and external hard drives. Stepping it up a bit, the Sharp BD-AMS20U ($199) gives you an MHL connection that lets you watch video from your phone on your TV. Sharp's BD-AMS10U will be available in March, while the BD-AMS20U will be coming this April. Source: eCousticsPosted Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Phil Collins: Live at Montreux 2004' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Phil Collins' 2004 live-performance is coming to Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Eagle Rock Entertainment says 'Phil Collins: Live at Montreux 2004' is getting a high-definition release on March 27. There's no word on tech specs or supplements yet, but the release will also include his set from 1996 with his big band in standard-definition. A full track listing can be viewed here. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Phil Collins: Live at Montreux 2004' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 27.Posted Fri Feb 17, 2012 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
High-Def Digest's Complete Coverage of Sundance 2012It's been almost a month now since Luke and Aaron visited one of the world's biggest and most prestigious independent film festivals. Over the past few weeks we've been releasing a long line of Sundance coverage on the main High-Def Digest page and over on The Bonus View. Sundance routinely premieres movies whose hype continues all the way to award season. Movies like 'Precious,' 'Winter's Bone,' '(500) Days of Summer,' and 'The Guard' all recently premiered at the festival. After attending the festival Luke and Aaron have a pretty good idea of what movies will end up being talked about as the year goes on. [teaser] If you missed any of our Sundance coverage here's your chance to catch up on it. Find out what movies will be hotly talked about for months to come. What movies might be around come the 2013 Academy Awards. And most importantly, what movies you'll be excited to see once they finally get released.[/teaser] Aaron's Sundance 2012 Journals Each day of the festival Aaron wrote a detailed journal entry chronicling the movies he'd watched, the celebrities he'd seen milling about town, and the overall experience of a film lover attending one of the best film festivals in the world. Sundance 2012 Journal– Day 1: The festival begins; Aaron sees Malin Akerman standing in line for the premiere for 'Your Sister's Sister'; A very informative Q&A follows one of the best movies at the festival. Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 2: A film festival is the only place strangers will ask you about the movies you've seen that day and how much you enjoyed them; Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, and Rashida Jones were spotted at the 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' Q&A; Snowpocalypse arrives in Park City and engulfs the town in towering mountains of white snow. Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 3: Aaron is already starting to feel the all-too-familiar film festival burn-out as he starts skipping his planned movies for the day; 'Red Lights' turns out to be one of the most disappointing films at the festival; Later that night Aaron is treated to a great Q&A by Ice-T talking about his new rap documentary called 'Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap.' Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 4: Aaron performs the fatal mistake of leaving the bus when he knows for sure it's going to take him to where he needs to go, but it isn't going fast enough; Josh Radnor is just like his Ted persona on 'How I Met Your Mother'; Aaron has one of his most uncomfortable moments of the festival when he watches a very sexually-explicit movie sitting just a few seats away from the main actress. Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 5: A fight is picked about the silly way balloting is done at Sundance; Luke gets his haircut by the Axe people, but is booted from his seat so David Duchovny can come down and have a photo op; Aaron stays way too late to take in a screening of 'John Dies at the End' and regrets it the next morning. Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 6: Ty Burrell, Vera Farmiga, and David Duchovny show up for the Q&A of 'Goats'; Mountains of free sandwhiches; and a Parker Posey nightcap. Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 7: The third, or fourth, sighting of Brie Larson happens; Quentin Dupieux – director of 'Rubber' – uses Aaron's pen to sign autographs for fans; Aaron finally sees 'The Beasts of the Southern Wild' which is the festival darling, which will indeed be talked about when the Oscars roll around again; Finally, the night is spent watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt talk about his hitRECord.org project. Sundance 2012 Journal – Day 8: Aaron laments about his busted camera and how bad his luck is with cameras at Sundance; Another festival darling, 'Smashed' is seen and liked; The festival comes to a close. Sundance 2012 Interviews Along with seeing movie after movie and taking in all that Sundance has to offer, Luke found time to interview some of the big names at Sundance 2012. Check out the chats below. 'Community's Alison Brie on 'Save the Date' 'Robot and Frank' Writer Christopher Ford 'The End of Love' Star and Director Mark Webber Paul Dano and Jon Heder of 'For Ellen' 'For Ellen' Director So Yong Kim 'Frank & Robot' Director Jake Schreier Jocelin Donahue and Frankie Shaw of 'The End of Love' 'Save the Date' Director Michael Mohan Lizzy Caplan from 'Save the Date' Luke's Sundance Reviews 'The Words' – 4.5 Stars 'Goats' – 2 Stars 'For a Good Time, Call…' – 3 Stars 'For Ellen' – 4 Stars 'Smashed' – 5 Stars 'Lay the Favorite' – 1 Star 'The Raid' – 4.5 Stars 'The End of Love' – 4.5 Stars 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' – 4 Stars 'Robot & Frank' – 3.5 Stars Aaron's Sundance Reviews 'Safety Not Guaranteed' – 4.5 Stars 'Liberal Arts' – 3.5 Stars 'John Dies at the End' – 3 Stars 'Young and Wild' – 3 Stars 'Price Check' – 2 Stars 'Shadow Dancer' – 4 Stars 'The Surrogate' – 4.5 Stars 'Red Lights' – 2 Stars 'Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap' – 4 Stars 'The Beasts of the Southern Wild' – 5 Stars 'Black Rock' – 1 Star 'The Ambassador' – 1.5 Stars 'The Queen of Versailles' – 3.5 Stars 'Your Sister's Sister' – 4 StarsPosted Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 12:10 PM PST by: -
'We Bought a Zoo' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The heartfelt family drama based on a true story is coming to Blu-ray this Easter. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox will be releasing 'We Bought a Zoo' on Blu-ray on April 3. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe ('Say Anything,' 'Almost Famous,' 'Jerry Maguire') and starring Matt Damon ('Contagion,' 'True Grit'), Scarlett Johansson ('Iron Man 2,' 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona') and Thomas Haden Church ('Easy A,' 'Sideways'), 'We Bought a Zoo' is “a sweet-natured tale…that you’ll want to see with your kids” (Liz Braun, Jam! Movies). Benjamin Mee (Damon) is a Los Angeles newspaper columnist and adventure writer who, as a single father, faces the challenges of raising his two young children. Hoping that a fresh start and a new life will restore their family spirit, Mee quits his job and buys an old rural house outside the city with a unique bonus feature: a zoo named the Rosemoor Animal Park, where dozens of animals reside under the care of head zookeeper Kelly Foster (Johansson) and her dedicated team. With no experience, limited time and a shoestring budget, Mee sets out with the support of his family and the local community to reopen the zoo. Now, Benjamin is no longer reporting an adventure story; he’s living it in his own backyard. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio Commentary with Director Cameron Crowe, Star J.B. Smoove and Editor Mark Livolsi; Deleted and Extended Scenes; Gag Reel; The Real Mee; We Shot a Zoo; and Their Happy is Too Loud. The release will also include a DVD and digital copy. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'We Bought a Zoo' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 3.Posted Thu Feb 16, 2012 at 12:00 PM PST by:
