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'Road to Nowhere' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The indie thriller screened at the 2010 Venice Film Festival will debut on Blu-ray this August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Monterey Video says 'Road to Nowhere' is in the works for high-definition on August 23. Independent filmmaker Monte Hellman's first feature film in over twenty years tells the tale of a young director who gets caught up in a crime while shooting his own movie. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is set at $34.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Road to Nowhere' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under August 23.Posted Thu May 26, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Kathryn Bigelow's Bin Laden Movie Set for 2012 Release[teaser]Sony is negotiating for the rights and the script is being finalized. [/teaser] Kathryn Bigelow's latest movie is in for a bit of a change. It was originally a flick about SEAL Team 6 trying and failing to kill Osama bin Laden, but due to the recent death of the Taliban leader, it's going to be a little less 'Valkyrie' than originally intended. The script is being finalized now and shooting is expected to begin this fall. It's a very quick turnaround for a movie that's undergoing a significant script change, especially since it's expected to release in 2012 - though probably in the later part of the year. Of course, the big question in the minds of many is whether this should be made into a movie in the first place. While the focus will certainly be on the team that carried out the task, the movie still seems to focus on the celebrated death of a man. Bigelow's film isn't the only one to jump on this train either - Disney and Universal both have similar projects in the works. Source: DeadlinePosted Thu May 26, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Take Me Home Tonight' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]The 1980s flashback comedy bound for Blu-ray this July has been detailed. [/teaser] As previously reported, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'Take Me Home Tonight' for Blu-ray on July 19. The raunchy R-rated film is set in 1988 and stars Topher Grace as a college grad chasing his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party. The movie co-stars Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, and Teresa Palmer. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: 7 Deleted Scenes; Cast Get Together; Music Boombox: "Video Killed the Radio Star" – The Buggles, "Hungry Like the Wolf" – Duran Duran, "Situation" – Yaz, "Kickstart My Heart" – Mötley Crüe, "Straight Outta Compton" – NWA, "Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes, "Safety Dance" – Men Without Hats, "Come on Eileen" – Dexy's Midnight Runners, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" – Wang Chung, "Let My Love Open the Door" – (E. Cola Mix) Pete Townshend, "Live if Life" – Opus, "Don't You Want Me" – Human League / New Version by Atomic Tom Take Me Home Tonight Music Video; Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots; and a Blu-ray exclusive digital Copy and Digital Copy "How to." Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Take Me Home Tonight' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 19.Posted Thu May 26, 2011 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Bloodrayne: The Third Reich' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]Full details are in for Uwe Boll's vampires vs. Nazis flick planned for a July Blu-ray release.[/teaser] As previously reported, Phase 4 Films is working on 'Bloodrayne: The Third Reich' for Blu-ray on July 12. Natassia Malthe now stars as the titular heroine (instead of the original's Kristanna Loken) who faces off against an army of undead Nazis led by Clint Howard ('The Waterboy'). The Blu-ray will include the unrated director's cut in 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Making of BloodRayne: The Third Reich, Writer-Director Commentary, Interview with the Writer, Official Trailer, and an Alternate Trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Bloodrayne: The Third Reich' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under July 12.Posted Thu May 26, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Top 5/Bottom 5: Tom Cruiseby Aaron Peck [teaser]'The Firm' is finally coming to Blu-ray next week! Best Buy has an exclusive on it for now, and the suspense-filled Grisham adaption will be available on the 29th. As has become custom here at High-Def Digest, we like to dive into the careers of major stars and dissect the choices they've put into their roles. Today, we'll take a look at one of the world's biggest movie stars with one of the most infamous grins, Tom Cruise.[/teaser] You may, like me, think Tom Cruise is a nut job in real-life. He's certainly earned such branding with his ridiculous statements he's made over the years, on everything from the evils of psychotropic drugs to his wild outburst on Oprah when he announced his undying love for Katie Holmes. Putting aside his real-life craziness, I still think Tom Cruise is a great actor. Sure, he's had a few roles that he's completely phoned in, but who hasn't? Sure, he's picked some stinkers to be in, but again, nobody's perfect. The truth is, Cruise has starred in some classic films and has been able to grow into one of the few worldwide Hollywood superstars. Note: Some people have assumed that my listings in the Best and Worst sections implied I was ranking each movie. I haven't been ranking each movie within their sections, just a simple list of the best and worst. To squash any subsequent confusion the lists will simply be alphabetized. The Best 'A Few Good Men' One of Tom Cruise's very best films is his military courtroom drama 'A Few Good Men,' where he played the not-so-by-the-book lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee. You may be noticing by now that I didn't put 'Rain Man' on Cruise's Best list, and that's because I'd argue that 'Rain Man' is Dustin Hoffman's show and not really Crusie's film. Even though Nicholson has some great scenes in 'A Few Good Men', and some may argue it's Nicholson's film, I think Cruise gives this film its energy. He goes toe-to-toe with Nicholson in the famous "You can't handle the truth!" scene and never backs down. Scripted by Aaron Sorkin, 'A Few Good Men' sits near the top of Cruise's illustrious filmography. 'Collateral' We were so used to seeing Cruise as the good guy, the atypical hero-type, that we never thought what it would be like to see him in the bad guy role. I didn't know what to think of Cruise taking on the role of an antagonist, but after I laid eyes on Michael Mann's tale about a cab driver who comes face-to-face with an assassin and becomes an unknowing accomplice in his night of death dealing. Cruise is perfect as a bad guy here. I was surprised at how easily he melted into the role of Vincent the hitman. 'Minority Report' Truthfully, I think 'Minority Report' is one of the best science fiction movies I've ever seen. Spielberg and crew were able to create a highly detailed and amazing looking future where we could believe that these people could predict future crimes. The movie raises pertinent issues of freedom and if we can deter someone from committing a crime, the question is should we? Also, should that person be imprisoned for a crime they haven't actually committed? While Cruise steps back into his comfortable role of quintessential good guy here, I have a hard time believing there's a lot of actors out there that could've pulled off this role. I mean, controlling that interactive computer could have turned out extremely silly, but Cruise and his determined facial expressions make it work. 'Mission: Impossible' The original is one of the best suspense/espionage thrillers out there. This movie that came out in 1996 still holds up even today as an intense and thrilling, twisting-turning whodunit. 'Mission: Impossible' remains, to this day, one of my favorite movies of all time. It's paced perfectly, and keeps you guessing all the way up until the end. I still have no idea why spikes come down at the top of an elevator shaft to impale Emilio Estevez, but besides that weird scene 'Mission Impossible' is one of the most enjoyable spy thrillers out there. 'Risky Business' Tom Cruise's top-rated film on RottenTomatoes.com. It sits at 98 percent on the TomatoMeter. While that may not be an accurate barometer for everyone, I think those high praises are well deserved for 'Risky Business'. This is the movie that rocketed Tom Cruise into the position of a notable leading man. A few years later he did 'Top Gun' and that solidified his super stardom. While Cruise has spent much of his recent movies running around, shooting guns, and diving away from explosions, 'Risky Business's coming-of-age tale showed us that the young Cruise could really act in a dramatic role. The Worst 'Cocktail' Every time I see this movie on basic cable early Saturday morning I just laugh. Cruise has done a lot of good movies, but him as a bartender in Jamaica who falls in love is just ridiculously awful. There's not much else to say other than this one is a chore to sit through, and as soon as it's over you find yourself wishing you had two hours of your life back -- and/or someone to pour you a very stiff drink. 'Days of Thunder' Isn't Cole Trickle one of the best stock car driver names you've ever heard of? It's perfect! Sadly, that's about the only thing this movie got right. 'Days of Thunder' is a shallow, pathetic movie that never attempts to ever mean anything more than watching hunks of metal fly around an oval track. 'Lions for Lambs' I actually liked some parts of 'Lions for Lambs', but overall it felt like Redford's film becomes mired in murky politics and ideas that are always there on the surface, but never really resonate. Halfway through it seems to lose its steam, meandering on in sort of a free association of differing ideals and political values. In the end, it's a frustrating movie to watch due to the way it's so disjointed and inconclusive. 'Mission: Impossible 2' If the first 'Mission: Impossible' movie is one of the best spy thrillers out there, then its sequel is one of the worst. John Woo took over the directing chair and everything went down the crapper. Even Cruise's faux mullet hairdo got in the way. The movie was a bloated, unrealistic mess that resembled a really bad 'Bond' film rather than a more down-to-earth espionage thriller. Don't even get me started on the dove scene. John Woo drives me nuts.. 'Vanilla Sky' I have to apologize to fellow HDD writer Luke Hickman here, because 'Vanilla Sky' happens to be one of his favorite movies. Unfortunately, I have to say that I don't agree. Not only is this one of the many films where you can't understand a word Penelope Cruz says, it's also a messy – and at times pretentious – movie. My favorite critical quote about 'Vanilla Sky' comes from Rex Reed who said, " A good example of what self-destructive cinematic havoc can be wrought by handing over millions of dollars to movie stars to produce their own ego trips." I feel like that sufficiently describes this American remake of a Spanish movie ('Abre Los Ojos') that wasn't all that great to begin with. Of course, there are notable releases that I ended up leaving out. It's only a total of ten movies that I am able to pick, but Cruise has an extended filmography that spans decades now. Honorable mentions for the Best section could include 'Tropic Thunder' (one of Hollywood's best cameos ever), 'Magnolia', 'The Last Samurai', and 'Jerry Maguire'. What do you think? What are your favorite or least favorite Tom Cruise movies?Posted Wed May 25, 2011 at 01:45 PM PDT by: -
Save $8 on Disney's 'Prom' and 'Bambi II'[teaser]Once again, get additional savings on Disney titles by pre-ordering with Amazon! [/teaser] Amazon is currently offering an instant $8 off 'Prom' and 'Bambi II' with a coupon! And as usual, if the price drops further between now and the September 20 release date, Amazon's price guarantee will ensure the lowest price is passed on to the buyer! Click here to access the page where you can clip the coupons!Posted Wed May 25, 2011 at 12:52 PM PDT by: -
'Sheryl Crow: Miles from Memphis' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]The concert from the musician's 2010 tour rocking Blu-ray in June has been fully detailed. [/teaser] As previously reported, Eagle Rock Entertainment is prepping 'Sheryl Crow: Miles from Memphis' for a high-definition release on June 7. This stunning 18-song two-hour+ concert was captured last year at the spectacular art-deco Pantages Theater in Hollywood, California. Sheryl Crow, touring in support of her 100 Miles From Memphis album, performs a set filled with all her hits, deep catalog cuts and current songs, an 18-year trip. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and uncompressed stereo soundtracks, and supplements include a “Behind-The-Scenes” segment wherein she preps for the show, introduces the band and soundchecks two more tracks—“Eye To Eye” and “Stop.” Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Sheryl Crow: Miles from Memphis' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 7.Posted Wed May 25, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Dexter: The Complete Fifth Season' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The fifth season of the hit Showtime series will slice into high-definition this August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount will be bringing 'Dexter: The Complete Fifth Season' to Blu-ray on August 16. The series picks up immediately after season four's chilling finale and introduces a new main character played by Julia Stiles. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but this season will likely match the previous ones with all twelve episodes on three BD-50 discs with 1080p/AVC video, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio as well as BD-Live connectivity. Here's a peek at the fifth season's Blu-ray packaging: Suggested list price for the Blu-ray season is $64.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Dexter: The Complete Fifth Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under August 16.Posted Wed May 25, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
3D Lenses are Messing Up 2D Movies in Theaters[teaser]The misuse of 3D lenses on 2D movies is sucking all the light out of your theatrical experience. [/teaser] If you've been going to 2D movies at theaters that also show 3D, you may have noticed a trend. 3D movies are the main focus of theater owners at the moment, but paying exclusive attention to that new tech may be working against those who prefer their movies in two dimensions. The problem stems from projectionists using the same lens for showing 3D movies as they do for 2D movies. By keeping the dual lens and polarizer in the mix, movies become very dark - to the point that the image can be difficult to see. Part of the reason for the issue, according to one AMC projectionist, is that changing a lens is much more than a simple mechanical operation. Apparently, the change requires security clearances, passwords, and a bit of know-how that most employees don't have. If you're at a 2D movie that's looking dark to you, turn around and check the projector. If you see two beams of light, you're getting a much darker picture than you should be. Source: Boston.comPosted Wed May 25, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Insidious' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The ghostly thriller will possess Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony says 'Insidious' is in the works for high-definition on July 12. Directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell -- the creative minds behind the original 'Saw,' the indie horror film stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as the parents of a comatose child haunted by evil spirits. The Blu-ray will have 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include Horror 101: The Exclusive Seminar, On Set With Insidious, and Insidious Entities. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is set at $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Insidious' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under July 12.Posted Wed May 25, 2011 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
