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Hulu Plus Launches At $7.99 a Month[teaser]A lower price for the official debut could make the service more attractive to consumers.[/teaser] The launch process for Hulu Plus has been a confusing one. The preview service was available upon request but only on certain devices and on the PS3 the market was further segregated by offering the service only to PlayStation plus subscribers. Now that things are official it gets a little easier. Hulu is now available on HDTVs, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, mobile phones, game systems and tablets. There's no invitation needed, just download the app and get streaming. It's easier on the wallet too, since the price dropped from $9.99 a month to $7.99 a month. It's not cheap enough to make the service a must-have, but it's a little more reasonable at least. Source: SmartBriefPosted Fri Nov 19, 2010 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Client-9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The documentary on the infamous political scandal is coming to Blu-ray this January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Magnolia will be bringing 'Client-9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer' to Blu-ray on January 25. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements will include a commentary track, deleted footage, and deleted interviews. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Client-9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 25.Posted Fri Nov 19, 2010 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' Dated for Blu-ray (UPDATED!)[teaser]Gordon Gecko will be sprung from high-definition prison this December. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox has just revealed 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' for Blu-ray on December 21. This sequel directed by Oliver Stone stars an all-star cast including Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, and Josh Brolin. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Commentary by Director Oliver Stone and A Conversation with Oliver Stone and the Cast; as well as the Blu-ray exclusive Money, Money, Money: The Rise and Fall of Wall Street - 5-Part Look at the real Wall Street and the challenges and changes that have impacted our economic climate over the last two decades; Deleted and extended scenes; Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character With - Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Cary Mulligan, Josh Brolin, Frank Langella; and a Digital Copy. Suggested list price for the 2-disc Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 21.Posted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 12:40 PM PST by: -
'Red Hill' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Patrick Hughes' independent Australian crime thriller is coming to high-definition this January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony has just revealed 'Red Hill' starring Ryan Kwanten of TV's "True Blood" will hit Blu-ray on January 25. On Constable Shane Cooper's first day with the Red Hill Police Department, a convicted murderer escapes from prison and seeks revenge on the men who put him there. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $30.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Red Hill' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 25.Posted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 11:30 AM PST by: -
Vizio Announces a New 3D HDTV Line[teaser]You'll get full LED backlighting on the top two, and Razor lighting on the other. [/teaser] Vizio has made a name for itself with inexpensive TVs with surprisingly good build quality, but the XVT32S is a departure. It's not that they're not well made TVs, just that they can't exactly be considered low priced. The new XVT32S TVs are 3D ready sets that boast up to a 480Hz refresh rate, built-in Dual Band WiFi and a Bluetooth remote with a QWERTY keypad that slides out. The largest two sets in the line feature full LED backlighting with smart dimming while the smaller one uses Razor LED backlighting. Vizio's entire XVT32S line comes equipped with Vizio Internet Apps which gives you access to Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora, Twitter, Facebook and more. Unfortunately, none of the sets in the line come with the needed Active Shutter glasses. The 42 inch set will run you $1,399, the 47 comes in at $1,799 and the 55 inch set sports an MSRP of $2,399. Source: eCousticsPosted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
'Fish Tank,' 'Senso,' & 'Sweet Smell of Success' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Three more Criterion titles will hit Blu-ray on February 22. [/teaser] First up is Andrea Arnold's 'Fish Tank' starring Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender. British director Andrea Arnold won the Cannes Jury Prize for the searing and invigorating 'Fish Tank,' about a fifteen-year-old girl, Mia (electrifying newcomer Katie Jarvis), who lives with her mother and sister in the depressed housing projects of Essex. The Blu-ray will feature a 1080p transfer, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: All three of Arnold's short films: Milk (1998), Dog (2001), and Wasp (2003) (Oscar-winning short); New video interview with actor Kierston Wareing; Interview with actor; Michael Fassbender from 2009; Audition footage; Stills gallery by on-set photographer Holly Horner; Original theatrical trailer; and a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Ian Christie. Criterion will also unveil the 1954 period romance 'Senso' starring Alida Valli and Farley Granger. This lush, Technicolor tragic romance from Luchino Visconti stars Alida Valli as a nineteenth-century Italian countess who, amid the Austrian occupation of her country, puts her marriage and political principles on the line by engaging in a torrid affair with a dashing Austrian lieutenant. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack, and supplements will include: The Making of Senso: a new documentary featuring Rotunno, assistant director Francesco Rosi, costume designer Piero Tosi, and Caterina D'Amico, daughter of screenwriter Suso; Cecchi D'Amico and author of Life and Work of Luchino Visconti; Viva VERDI: a new documentary on Visconti, Senso, and opera featuring Italian film scholar Peter Brunette, Italian historian Stefano Albertini, and author Wayne Koestenbaum; The Wanton Countess: the rarely seen English-language version of the film; Visual essay by film scholar Peter Cowie; Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti: a 1966 BBC special exploring Visconti's parallel masteries of cinema, theater, and opera direction; and a booklet featuring an essay by filmmaker and author Mark Rappaport and an excerpt from actor Farley Granger's autobiography, Include Me Out. And lastly we have the 1957 noir drama 'Sweet Smell of Success' starring Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster. In Alexander Mackendrick’s swift, cynical 'Sweet Smell of Success,' Lancaster stars as barbaric Broadway gossip columnist J. J. Hunsecker, and Curtis as Sidney Falco, the unprincipled press agent he ropes into smearing the up-and-coming jazz musician romancing his beloved sister. The Blu-ray will feature a 1080p transfer, a LPCM mono soundtrack, and supplements include: New audio commentary by film scholar James Naremore; Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away: a 1986 documentary featuring interviews with director Alexander Mackendrick, actor Burt Lancaster, producer James Hill, and more; James Wong Howe: Cinematographer: a 1973 documentary about the Oscar-winning director of photography, featuring lighting tutorials with Howe; New video interview with film critic and historian Neil Gabler (Winchell: Gossip, Power and the Culture of Celebrity) about legendary columnist Walter Winchell, inspiration for the character J. J. Hunsecker; New video interview with filmmaker James Mangold about Mackendrick, his instructor and mentor; Original theatrical trailer; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins, two short stories by Ernest Lehman featuring the characters from the film, notes about the film by Lehman, and an excerpt from Mackendrick's book On Film-making. Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Fish Tank,' 'Senso' & 'Sweet Smell of Success' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under February 22.Posted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 10:30 AM PST by: -
Vudu Comes to the PS3 – Interface Makeover on the Way[teaser]Unsatisfied with Netflix quality but still want streaming video? You're in luck. [/teaser] PlayStation 3 owners now have access to just about every video they could want. With Netflix streaming they get catalog titles galore, with Hulu Plus they get plenty of TV shows and now they can get new releases in HD thanks to Vudu. The service, which provides HD movies on the day of the DVD and Blu-ray release, will launch on the PS3 November 23, just in time for your extended weekend. You're in for another change shortly after, as Vudu has said that it will be revamping its interface before the year's up. This redesign should make it easier for everyone, whether you're using a mouse and keyboard, PS3 controller or Sony Move. " With our sleek new design and killer new discovery tools, we've been able to build on what people have always loved about VUDU and make it even better," says Vudu General Manager Edward Lichty. "Finding and enjoying a movie from our extensive library of HD movies has never been easier or more fun." Source: PlayStation BlogPosted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]More stand-up from the lovable pleasantly plump comedian is coming to Blu-ray in January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount says 'Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy' is planned for Blu-ray on January 11. The Comedy Central special was filmed at the Plaza Theater in El Paso, Texas. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include a deleted scene: High School Reunion, and a pair of featurettes: Fluffy's Friends Hit the Stage and Onstage Q&A with the Fans. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $22.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 11.Posted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Vizio Launches a Pair of 3D Blu-ray Players[teaser]The difference between them is anyone's guess. [/teaser] The VBR333 and VBR334 are the latest Blu-ray players from Vizio, both of which offer Full HD 3D. They're equipped with built-in WiFi for a simple connection to your home network and access to a huge array of services like Netflix, Vudu and Pandora. Companies often launch several similar products at once, but when it comes to Vizio's new Blu-ray players, it's tough to spot the difference. After all, the company doesn't offer them up and with a price difference of only $10, it's difficult to imagine what features could be added or subtracted. If we had to take a guess, we'd say that one of the players is going to be sold by everyone while the other will be exclusive to a specific retailer like Best Buy. Oh, and the VBR334 does come with an HDMI cable, while the VBR333 does not. Source: eCousticsPosted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Still Walking' and 'Amarcord' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Kore-eda and Fellini get the Criterion treatment this February. [/teaser] Criterion has revealed Hirokazu Kore-eda's 2008 drama 'Still Walking' for Blu-ray on February 8. The lyrical, profoundly moving 'Still Walking' is the most personal work to date from contemporary Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda, an extraordinary portrayal of the ties that bind us. The Blu-ray will feature a 1080p transfer, a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, and supplements include: Making Still Walking, Trailer, and a booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Dennis Lim and recipes for the food prepared in the film. Criterion will also be bringing Federico Fellini's 1973 film 'Amarcord' starring James Woods and Deborah Harry on the same date. In this carnivalesque portrait of provincial Italy during the Fascist period, Federico Fellini’s most personal film satirizes his youth and turns daily life into a circus of social rituals, adolescent desires, male fantasies, and political subterfuge, all set to Nina Rota’s classic, nostalgia-tinged score. The Academy Award–winning 'Amarcord' remains one of cinema’s enduring treasures. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video and supplements will include: Audio commentary by film scholars Peter Brunette and Frank Burke; American release trailer; Deleted scene; Fellini's Homecoming: new 45-minute documentary on the complicated relationship between the celebrated director, his hometown, and his past; Video interview with star Magali Noël; Fellini's drawings of characters in the film; "Felliniana," a presentation of ephemera devoted to Amarcord from the collection of Don Young; Audio interviews with Fellini, his friends, and family by Gideon Bachmann; New restoration demonstration; and a book featuring a new essay by scholar Sam Rohdie, author of Fellini Lexicon, and the full text of Fellini's 1967 essay, "My Rimini." Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Still Walking' and 'Amarcord' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under February 8.Posted Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 06:00 AM PST by:
