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Boston Acoustics Launches a Limited Edition 5.1 System[teaser]The SoundWare XS 5.1 utilizes the smallest speakers ever produced by Boston Acoustics. [/teaser] There's something to be said for style and subtlety. While you may have a natural inclination to go bigger and better with your home theater, you have to think about the look of the thing - at least a little bit. The SoundWare XS 5.1 is for those preferring a speaker system that doesn't immediately catch the eye. It's Boston Acoustics' smallest speaker system ever, with each satellite speaker measuring just four inches on all sides. Each of the speakers boasts a 2.5 inch woofer and a half inch tweeter. The compact sub includes an 8 inch woofer. What separates the special edition from the traditional version is simple - a high gloss finish. Want your speakers shiny? Grab the special edition. Source: eCousticsPosted Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'12 Angry Men' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]We the jury find that the original 1957 classic directed by Sidney Lumet will be acquitted on Blu-ray in November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will proudly present '12 Angry Men' on Blu-ray on November 22. A behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system as riveting as it is spare, the iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose’s teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the initially dissenting member of a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. The Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, and supplements include: Frank Schaffner’s 1955 television version, with an introduction by Ron Simon, director of the Paley Center for Media Studies; “Twelve Angry Men”: From Television to the Big Screen, a video essay by film scholar Vance; Kepley comparing the Sidney Lumet and Schaffner versions; Archival interviews with Lumet; New interview about the director with writer Walter Bernstein; New interview with Simon about television writer Reginald Rose; New interview with cinematographer John Bailey in which he discusses cinematographer Boris Kaufman; Tragedy in a Temporary Town (1956), a teleplay directed by Lumet and written by Rose; Original theatrical trailer; and a booklet featuring an essay by writer and law professor Thane Rosenbaum. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for '12 Angry Men' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 22.Posted Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'The Ray Harryhausen Collection' Blu-ray $30.99 at Amazon[teaser]The Blu-ray boxed set of four stop-motion cult classics is over sixty percent off at Amazon! [/teaser] The online retailer is now offering 'The Ray Harryhausen Collection' for $30.99 (65% off suggested list price). This set contains 'It Came From Beneath the Sea,' 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers,' '20 Million Miles to Earth,' and 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.' Click here to cash in on this great deal!Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 02:52 PM PDT by: -
'Scrooged' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The 1988 Christmas guilty pleasure will spread the Blu-ray cheer this November! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount says 'Scrooged' is planned for a Blu-ray release on November 1. In this modernized adaptation of the Charles Dickens' classic, Richard Donner directs Bill Murray as a selfish and ruthless corporate executive who is visited by three ghosts from his past to show him the error of his ways. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and the only supplement appears to be the theatrical trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is set at $24.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Scrooged' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 1.Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
'Three Colors Trilogy' Bound for Blu-ray[teaser]All three films in Krzysztof Kieślowski's acclaimed trilogy are coming to Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection in November! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection is preparing the 'Three Colors Trilogy' for Blu-ray on November 15. This boldly cinematic trio of stories about love and loss from Krzysztof Kieślowski was a defining event of the art-house boom of the 1990s. 'Blue' - In the devastating first film of the 'Three Colors' trilogy, Juliette Binoche gives a tour de force performance as Julie, a woman reeling from the tragic deaths of her husband and young daughter. But 'Blue' is more than just a blistering study of grief; it’s also a tale of liberation, as Julie learns truths about her late composer husband’s life and attempts to free herself of the past. Shot in icily gorgeous tones by Sławomir Idziak ('The Double Life of Véronique') and set to an extraordinary operatic score by Zbigniew Preisner ('The Secret Garden'), 'Blue' is an overwhelming sensory experience. 'White' - The most playful but also the grittiest of Kieślowski’s 'Three Colors' films follows the adventures of Karol Karol ('The Pianist’s Zbigniew Zamachowski), a Polish immigrant living in France. The hapless hairdresser opts to leave Paris for his native Warsaw after his wife (Julie Delpy) sues him for divorce (her reason: he was never able to perform in bed) and then frames him for arson after setting her own salon ablaze. 'White,' which goes on to chronicle Karol Karol’s elaborate revenge plot, manages to be both a ticklish dark comedy about the economic inequalities of Eastern and Western Europe and a sublime reverie about twisted love. 'Red' - Krzysztof Kieślowski closes his 'Three Colors' trilogy in grand fashion with an incandescent meditation on fate and chance, starring Irène Jacob as a sweet-souled yet somber runway model in Geneva whose life intersects with that of a bitter retired judge, played by Jean‑Louis Trintignant. Their blossoming friendship forces each to open up in surprising emotional ways. Meanwhile, just down the street, a seemingly unrelated story of jealousy and betrayal unfolds. 'Red' is an intimate look at forged connections and a splendid final statement from a remarkable filmmaker at the height of his powers. The 3-disc Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtracks, and supplements include: Three cinema lessons with director Krzysztof Kieślowski; New interviews with composer Zbigniew Preisner; writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz; and actors Julie Delpy, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Irène Jacob; Selected-scene commentary for Blue with actress Juliette Binoche; Three new video essays, by film writers Annette Insdorf, Tony Rayns, and Dennis Lim; Kieślowski’s student short The Tram (1966) and his fellow student’s short from the same year The Face, which features Kieślowski in a solo performance; Two short documentaries by Kieślowski: Seven Women of Different Ages (1978) and Talking Heads (1980); Krzysztof Kieślowski: I’m So-So . . . (1995), a feature-length documentary in which the filmmaker discusses his life and work; Two multi-interview programs, Reflections on “Blue” and Kieślowski: The Early Years, with film critic Geoff Andrew, Binoche, filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, cinematographer Sławomir Idziak, Insdorf, Jacob, and editor Jacques Witta; Interviews with producer Marin Karmitz and Witta; Behind-the-scenes programs for White and Red, and Kieślowski Cannes 1994, a short documentary on Red’s world premiere; Original theatrical trailers; and a booklet featuring essays by critics Colin MacCabe, Nick James, Stuart Klawans, and Georgina Evans, an excerpt from Kieślowski on Kieślowski, and reprinted interviews with cinematographers Sławomir Idziak, Edward Klosinski, and Piotr Sobocinski. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray box set is $79.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Three Colors Trilogy' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 15.Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:30 PM PDT by: -
Big Lebowki Cast Reunites for Blu-ray Release[teaser]If you missed the live stream, you can catch the full Q&A when it's posted next week. [/teaser] Big Lebowski fans, get ready for some awesomeness. In honor of the Blu-ray release of the film, the main cast of 'The Big Lebowski' reunited for a Q&A and a special screening for those at Lebowski Fest. Lebowski stars John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore and John Turturro were in attendance as well as The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges. No Philip Seymour Hoffman or Sam Elliot, but you can't have everything. If you missed the Q&A, you'll be able to check it out on Live Stream next week. Until then you can satisfy your appetite with a quick clip on YouTube As cool as this whole thing is, you have to admit that it's a bit of a blessing and a curse. This panel is exactly the kind of thing that would have topped off the Blu-ray so wonderfully and though you'll still be able to see it, the chances are it won't still be online five or ten years down the road. Maybe BD-Live?Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:10 PM PDT by: -
Blu-ray Learns 'The Rules of the Game'[teaser]Jean Renoir's classic film is coming to high-definition at the end of November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will bring 'The Rules of the Game' to Blu-ray on November 15. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The Rules of the Game (La règle du jeu), by Jean Renoir, is a scathing critique of corrupt French society cloaked in a comedy of manners. The Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, a mono soundtrack, and supplements include: Introduction to the film by Jean Renoir; Audio commentary written by film scholar Alexander Sesonske and read by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; Version comparison: side-by-side analysis of the film’s two endings, and an illustrated study of Renoir’s shooting script; Selected-scene analysis by Renoir historian Christopher Faulkner; Excerpts from Jean Renoir, le patron: La Règle et l’exception (1966), a French television program directed by Jacques Rivette; Part one of Jean Renoir, a two-part 1993 BBC documentary by David Thompson; Video essay about the film’s production, release, and later reconstruction; Jean Gaborit and Jacques Durand discuss their reconstruction and rerelease of the film; Interviews with Renoir’s son and assistant cameraman Alain Renoir, set designer Max Douy, and actress Mila Parély; Written tributes to the film and Renoir by J. Hoberman, Kent Jones,Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders and others; and a booklet featuring writings by Sesonske, Renoir, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bertrand Tavernier, and François Truffaut. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'The Rules of the Game' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 15.Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Palisades Tartan Devastated by London Riots[teaser]The fires started by rioters have destroyed as many as a quarter of a million discs. [/teaser] "All of our inventory is gone, just gone. And we don’t know what we’re going to do next," says Palisades Tartan CEO Soumya Sriraman. "We’re not sure when we’re going to be back up." While Palisades Tartan may not be a household name, it should ring a bell to fans of horror or Asian movies. Tartan Asian Extreme has put out films like 'Audition,' 'The Eye,' and the 'Vengeance Trilogy' including the much loved 'Oldboy.' Tartan Terror, meanwhile, has distributed 'House of 1,000 Corpses' and the Dario Argento version of 'The Phantom of the Opera.' The company isn't going to be in good shape anytime soon according to Sriraman. "We’re going to lose sales every week, no matter what, and all we can do is keep our head down and deal with it." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'Dexter: The Complete Fifth Season' $34.99 at Amazon[teaser]Pick up the three disc Blu-ray set of the hit Showtime series' fifth season for nearly fifty percent off at Amazon![/teaser] The online retailer is selling 'Dexter: The Complete Fifth Season' starring Michael C. Hall on Blu-ray for $34.99 (46% off suggested list price). In season five, Dexter meets a woman named Lumen (played by Julia Stiles) who seems to have developed a "dark passenger" of her own after surviving a horrific ordeal and vowing vengeance upon her captors. Click here to order the latest batch of the episodes for this exceptional crime drama now!Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 10:47 AM PDT by: -
'Cop Land: Collector's Series' and 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind' Announced and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]Two more Miramax faves are coming to Blu-ray in November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate says 'Cop Land: Collector's Series' is coming to Blu-ray on November 1. A "knock-your-socks-off thriller" (CNN), this Director's Cut of the film features an incredible all-star cast including Oscar® nominees Sylvester Stallone and Harvey Keitel; Emmy® winners Ray Liotta and Edie Falco and dual Oscar® winner Robert De Niro. Written and directed by James Mangold ('Walk the Line'), this version of the film includes ten additional minutes of footage previously cut from the theatrical film in 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, plus deleted scenes, audio commentary, a "making of" featurette and a storyboard comparison. Lionsgate has also slated 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind' for Blu-ray on the same date. The Academy Award® winning actor and Oscar® nominated director, George Clooney, stars in and directs the film adaptation of Chuck Barris's cult classic memoir - the story of a television producer who moonlights as a CIA operative. The film also stars Sam Rockwell ('Iron Man 2'), Drew Barrymore ('Going the Distance'), Michael Cera ('Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'), Julia Roberts ('Eat Pray Love') and Maggie Gyllenhaal ('The Dark Knight'). Hailed as "sharp, funny, irresistible" (Entertainment Weekly), the screenplay was written by Oscar® winner Charlie Kaufman. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and will include audio commentary, deleted scenes, "The Real Chuck Barris" documentary, Sam Rockwell's original screen test and more. Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $14.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Cop Land: Collector's Series' and 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under November 1.Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by:
