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'Of Gods and Men' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]The Oscar-nominated French drama is planned for Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an announcement to retailers, Sony has revealed Xavier Beauvois' 'Des hommes et des dieux,' better known as 'Of Gods and Men,' will hit Blu-ray on July 5. The film also won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The release will be a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include The Sacrificed Tibéhirine: Further Investigation and Merrimack College Augustine Dialogue IX with Author John W. Kiser. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $38.96. You can find the latest specs for 'Of Gods and Men' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 5.Posted Wed Jun 1, 2011 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Blockbuster Jumps on the 99 Cent Rental Bandwagon[teaser]A new pricing structure from the company is aimed to keep rentals moving and encourage customers to reconsider in-store rentals. [/teaser] Up until now, renting from Blockbuster has been a bit of a risk/reward scenario. If you need a movie for a whole weekend, then the $4.99 price for five days really doesn't sound too bad, but how often is that the case? It's still roughly a dollar a day - much like Redbox kiosks - but essentially with a five day minimum. The new rental pricing from Blockbuster is quite a bit friendlier, and should encourage customers to rethink the company. New release movies will cost $1.99 or $2.99 for the first night, but after that, you'll be paying $0.99 a night, just like you would through the popular kiosks. Older films will be priced at $0.99 a night without the upfront fee. This is a big move for Blockbuster, and the company hopes that it will encourage more one or two day rentals and keep movies moving. It's also big for consumers, who can now pick up new movies for even less without having to wait for Netflix and Redbox availability. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Wed Jun 1, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Ward' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Blu-ray will be sent to the loony bin this August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, XLrator Media is working on 'The Ward' for Blu-ray on August 16. This 2010 independent thriller is directed by master of horror John Carpenter ('Halloween'). 'The Ward' stars the gorgeous Amber Heard ('Pineapple Express') as a young woman who finds herself institutionalized against her will at a mental hospital where she's soon terrorized by a ghost. Specs and supplements haven't been confirmed yet, but suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Ward' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under on August 16.Posted Wed Jun 1, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Crow' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The cult film that tragically ended Brandon Lee's life will be released on Blu-ray stateside in September. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate says Alex Proyas' 'The Crow' is coming to Blu-ray on September 6. Catch the explosive hit that thrilled moviegoers and critics everywhere! Brandon Lee ('Rapid Fire') plays Eric Draven, a young rock guitarist who, along with his fiancée, is brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals. Exactly one year after his death, Eric returns - watched over by a hypnotic crow - to seek revenge, battling the evil crime lord and his band of thugs, who must answer for their crimes. Nate Boss has already reviewed the pricey Japanese import which can be viewed here. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and there's no word yet on the supplements. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Crow' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 6.Posted Tue May 31, 2011 at 02:30 PM PDT by: -
True Grit/No Grit - A Review of Westerns on Blu-rayBy Michael S. Palmer 'True Grit' is more than an Oscar-nominated Western by filmmakers Joel and Ethan Cohen starring Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon and the astonishing Hailee Steinfeld. It's more than a 1969 film starring John Wayne in an Oscar-winning role. Heck, it's more than a renowned novel by Charles Portis. For our purposes, True Grit is a state of being... A bench mark by which all westerns should be judged (not to say either adaptation of' True Grit' is a perfect film, or the best westerns ever made). True Grit, as defined by 14-year-old Mattie Ross, is being tough enough to take down the fiercest foe. A broken past. A roughian. A darkness. A gritty edge. [teaser]True Grit Westerns are films with imperfect heroes and worthy antagonists. Films that feel real in the worlds they present and in the lives at stake. Films that stand alone in their true toughness and badass'dom.[/teaser] On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have No Grit westerns. Not necessarily Bad films at all, No Grit Westerns lack a certain toughness and roughness. In one way or another, they're too light around the edges. Too safe, perhaps. Or too comedic. [It should also be said that a "No Grit" ranking also means "Not Enough Grit".] With that criteria, we embark on the first step of a Blu-ray journey, ranking available westerns as to whether or not they have True Grit or No Grit. I've tossed in some odd sub-genres just for fun; you may be a little surprised about what titles have been included. CLASSIC WESTERNS 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' No Grit. This might be a controversial ranking -- I'm open to changing it -- but the overall feeling and tone of this film is light and larger than life. For me, it's borderline Grit, falling down the side of too much fun for a True Grit ranking. 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' True Grit. This iconic western masterpiece looks fantastic on Blu-ray and may be one of the best examples of True Grit. In fact, just about every Clint Eastwood western has some serious Grit. 'How the West Was Won' No Grit. I love Jimmy Stewart, but this movie is more about the Cinerama than being a great western. 'The Searchers' True Grit. One of Martin Scorses's favorite Blu-rays, 'The Searchers' is among the first gritty revenge westerns. A departure for John Wayne and director John Ford from their earlier work. 'The Wild Bunch' True Grit. Sam Peckinpah is King Grit. MODERN ERA WESTERNS '3:10 To Yuma' True Grit. Every once and a while a western actually gets made in Hollywood, reminding us why they were once the town's most popular genre. '3:10 To Yuma' features great characters who are constantly tested by how much Grit they truly possess. 'Hidalgo' No Grit. Another borderline ranking... In a movie where a man (Viggo Mortensen) must test his Grit in just about every scene. Yet, for me, the film is a little too safe and clean to be True Grit, which is definitely okay. It's a family film. 'Jonah Hex' No Grit. This disaster of a film fits just about all of the requirements for True Grit except it's boring and makes little sense. The Mask of Zorro' / 'The Legend of Zorro' Doulbe-ought No Grit. While the first film may be an adventurous, swashbuckling ride, these re-imaginings of the hero with the black mask don't have much Grit at all. 'The Proposition' True Grit. A fantastic, leather-tough Australian western, directed by John Hillcoat, with startling bleakness and realism. So much Grit. 'Unforgiven' True Grit. Clint Eastwood's Best Picture Oscar winner redefined westerns, given them a fresh life, by showing us what it's like for an older cowboy. Personally, this is my favorite western, and also the western that first got me interested in the genre (I still have so much to see). 'Young Guns' No Grit. The Brat Pack goes to the old west. It's violent, but in the end it's a little too Rock N' Roll to be considered True Grit. POST-APOCALYPTIC WESTERNS 'The Book of Eli' True Grit.Everything about this film is True Grit, from the world itself, to Gary Oldman as Carnegie, to the bandits roving the wasteland hunting and killing and... eating. 'The Postman' No Grit. Too earnest and silly to have any real Grit. 'The Road Warrior' True Grit. On the borderline. There's so much over-the-top acting here, but in the end, Mel Gibson's performance grounds this violent after-world. And like all films with True Grit, the anti-hero finds something worthy to protect. CONTEMPORARY WESTERNS 'Brokeback Mountain' No Grit. A film brimming with solid performances, but at the end of the day, I personally find all Ang Lee films to be utterly boring, including this one. You may love it, and that's okay too. 'Dirty Harry' No Grit. Let me be clear, I love this movie. It's awesome, but it's also revenge porn like another one of my personal favorites, 'Man on Fire'. In the end, it's a little too easy to shake off the film's violence because of how big and fun it is. Also, Scorpio is a bit silly. So close to True Grit, but not quite there for me. How about you? 'No Country For Old Men' True Grit in this case means most Grit in recent history (including the Cohen Brothers' follow up film, 'True Grit' which of course, also has True Grit). It's not a perfect film -- for me at least -- but Anton Chigurh (as played by Javier Bardem) is the scariest character captured on celluloid since perhaps Hannibal Lecter. Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones complete the Grit character-trilogy on display here. Nothing in 'No Country' is simple, easy, or safe. Epic Grit. 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada' True Grit. Available only as an import Blu-ray, this is another, lesser known, Tommy Lee Jones film that is almost pure Grit. Jones plays a man who forces an accidental killer on a long, horseback journey to return a murdered immigrant's body to his hometown for reburial. It's tragic, and deeply moving. Hopefully it will soon find a US Blu-ray release. Has anyone seen any of the imports? Let us know in the forum. SCIENCE FICTION WESTERNS 'Alien' and 'Aliens' True Grit. Though these two classics are better known in the horror and action genres, respectively, 'Alien' and 'Aliens' are full blown westerns. 'Back to the Future Part III' No Grit. Alas, I'm an unabashed fan of the entire BTTF trilogy. I love it, even the goofier aspects (the Cubs winning the World Series?), but in terms of Western authenticity, this one falls very short of having any Grit. That being said, "This isn't a holdup, it's a science experiment", may be one of my favorite lines ever. 'Serenity' No Grit. Sorry, Whedon fans. This film pays a lot of homage to the western genre, but it's a little too tongue-in-cheek to have any real Grit. 'Star Wars' No Grit. Okay, I'm cheating with this one, as it's not out on Blu-ray just yet, but the pre-order's up so that has to count for something, right? 'Star Wars' (the original trilogy) is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's also clearly a Western in Space. But alas, this blockbuster franchise doesn't have an ounce of Grit. *** That's a pretty good start to a list, going off the movies A) I've seen and B) are available on Blu-ray. Hit up the forums to tell us where you agree, disagree, and more importantly, what you're adding to the list -- there are so many Westerns still in need of an official True Grit/No Grit ranking.Posted Tue May 31, 2011 at 02:00 PM PDT by: -
'United 93' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The real time account of one of the hijacked planes during 9/11 is coming to Blu-ray in September. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal Studios is preparing 'United 93' for a Blu-ray release on September 6. The 2006 film was nominated for two Oscars including Best Achievement in Editing and Best Achievement in Directing (Paul Greengrass). The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include Feature Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass, United 93: The Families And The Film, Chasing Planes - Witnesses To 9/11, Memorial Pages, Twin Towers, Flight 93 National Memorial, My Scenes, and Pocket BLU. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.98. You can find the latest specs for 'United 93' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under September 6.Posted Tue May 31, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Blu-ray $7.99 at Amazon[teaser]Get your very own Canadian mutant with one hell of a temper for only $8! [/teaser] The online retailer is selling 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' for only $7.99 (73% off suggested list price). Click here to lace your Blu-ray collection with indestructible adamantium today!Posted Tue May 31, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
'House: Season Seven' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The seventh season of the quirky medical drama will be admitted onto Blu-ray this August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal has dated 'House: Season Seven' for Blu-ray on August 30. Two-time Golden Globe-winner Hugh Laurie returns to high-definition as the brilliant (and often self-medicated) Dr. Gregory House -- the head diagnostician at Princeton--Plainsboro Medical Center in New Jersey. This season also apparently marks the departure of actress Lisa Edelstein, who plays House's one true love - Dr. Cuddy, from the show. The box set will contain all 23 episodes on five BD-50 Blu-ray discs with 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: • Meet Martha Masters: Amber Tamblyn, executive producer Katie Jacobs, writer and executive producer David Shore, and casting executives discuss Tamblyn's character and her important contribution to Season Seven. • Huddy Dissected: Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, executive producer Katie Jacobs, and writer and executive producer David Shore discuss the longtime love-hate-relationship between House and Cuddy, giving viewers the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the new couple. • Anatomy of an Episode - "Bombshells:" This documentary-style featurette peels back the layers to reveal the astounding collaboration between the cast and crew that allowed "House" to pull off episode 15 ("Bombshells") of Season 7. This episode is complete with period flashback sequences and a musical number. • Thirteen Returns: Olivia Wilde returns as Dr. Remy 'Thirteen' Hadley. • Commentary on selected episodes: "Bombshells" - Featuring director Greg Yaitanes and Lisa Edelstein, "The Dig" - Featuring writers Sara Hess and David Hoselton, and "Moving On" - Featuring executive producer David Shore and director Greg Yaitanes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $74.98. You can find the latest specs for 'House: Season Seven' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under August 30.Posted Tue May 31, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'Super' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Another action-packed superhero comedy will come to the rescue of Blu-ray this August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, MPI has slated 'Super' for Blu-ray on August 9. When sad-sack loser Frank (Rainn Wilson, 'The Office'), a short-order cook, sees his ex-addict wife (Liv Tyler, 'The Lord of the Rings') willingly snatched away by a seductive drug dealer (Kevin Bacon), he finds himself bereft and unable to cope. But he decides to fight back under the guise of a do-it-yourself superhero called Crimson Bolt. With a red hand-made suit, a wrench, a crazed sidekick named Boltie (Ellen Page, 'Juno') - and absolutely nothing in the way of superpowers - Crimson Bolt beats his way through the mean streets of crime in hopes of saving his wife. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Super' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under August 9.Posted Tue May 31, 2011 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Maverick' & 'Wild Wild West' Blu-ray Best Buy Exclusives[teaser]Two action-packed, comedy westerns from Warner's catalog are now available on Blu-ray at Best Buy. [/teaser] Warner Brothers has apparently released 'Maverick' and 'Wild Wild West' on Blu-ray on May 29 exclusively at Best Buy stores. 'Maverick' starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, and James Garner was nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design while the guilty pleasure 'Wild Wild West' was nominated for nine Razzie Awards winning five -- Worst Original Song (Wild Wild West by Stevie Wonder, Kool Moe Dee, and Will Smith), Worst Director (Barry Sonnenfeld), Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Couple (Will Smith and Kevin Kline) and Worst Picture. Specs and supplements are still unknown but suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Maverick' & 'Wild Wild West' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under May 29.Posted Tue May 31, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by:
