-
First Alert: 'Kung Fu Panda' Headed to Blu-ray this November[teaser]DreamWorks Animation has yet to announce it, but early retailer reports are pegging an early-November Blu-ray bow for the box office smash 'Kung Fu Panda.'[/teaser] Featuring the voices of Jack Black and Angelina Jolie, 'Kung Fu Panda' beat expectations to earn over $200 million at the domestic box office this past summer, turning it into one of the season's biggest hits. Now retailers have begun listing a November 11 street date for the Blu-ray, day-and-date with the standard DVD. At press time, DreamWorks would neither confirm nor deny the date, though we're told full details will be coming shortly. There's also no further word on tech specs or supplement details, but as always we'll keep you posted. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.98. You'll find preliminary details for 'Kung Fu Panda' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 11.Posted Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
Paramount Offers Ten Dollar Rebate for Blu-ray Upgrades (UPDATED!)According to the representative who alerted us to this promotion, this offer will apply to applicable HD DVD titles as well. [teaser]Paramount is working to lure fans to their new slate of Blu-ray offerings by dangling a ten dollar carrot before their eyes.[/teaser] Beginning with the release of the 'Transformers' Blu-ray on September 2nd, the company will roll out a special promotion to customers who replace their Paramount and Dreamworks DVD’s with Blu-ray editions of the same titles. Consumers who mail in promotional certificates from inside the eligible Blu-ray products, along with the proof-of-purchase tabs from both the DVD and Blu-ray versions will receive a $10 rebate for the upgrade. Other eligible titles will include 'The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration,' 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Old School,' 'Stardust,' and 'Zodiac.' All of the pertinent details will be included on the inserts included with specially marked packages. Eligible titles must be purchased before December 31, 2009, with all rebate certificates post-marked by January 31, 2010.Posted Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 10:30 AM PDT by: -
Warner Boxes Up Four Holiday Blu-ray Faves as 'Essential Collection'[teaser]Warner has announced their latest Blu-ray bundle, packaging four Christmas classics as the 'Essential Holiday Collection.'[/teaser] Due on October 28, the four-disc set will include the Blu-rays of 'Elf' and 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,' and the standard editions of 'A Christmas Story,' and 'The Polar Express' (both of the latter titles will receive separate re-issue versions in Q4 of the year). Each is presented on an individual disc, and is identical to the previously-released stand-alone editions. (For complete specs, click the linked movie titles above.) Warner has not yet set a suggested list price for the 'Essential Holiday Collection,' but we'll keep you posted as soon as an MSRP is confirmed. You'll find a listing for the 'Essential Holiday Collection' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 28.Posted Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Rob Zombie's 'Halloween' Blu-ray Specs Unmasked[teaser]Weinstein Co. has confirmed final specs and box art for 'Halloween,' which will hit Blu-ray with a new four-hour documentary and a director's cut of the film with 11 minutes of unrated footage.[/teaser] As previously reported, Rob Zombie's hit remake will make its two-disc Blu-ray debut in time for trick-or-treating on October 21, two weeks after a three-disc standard-def DVD re-issue hits stores. (Weinstein previously-released single- and two-disc standard DVD versions of the film late last year.) Spread across two BD-50 dual-layer discs, the Blu-ray of 'Halloween' will include all of the same extras as found on the three-disc DVD, including the all-new four-hour-plus documentary "Michael Lives," three additional featurettes ("The Many Masks of Michael Myers," "Re-Imagining Halloween," "Meet the Cast"), an audio commentary by Zombie, 17 deleted scenes, casting sessions, screen tests, and a blooper reel. Finally, Weinstein has issued the final box art for 'Halloween,' which features a scary new look at Michael Myers: Suggested retail price for the Blu-ray has been set at $34.95. You'll find complete specs for 'Halloween (2007)' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 21.Posted Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Lionsgate Readying 'Monster's Ball' for Blu-ray[teaser]In an early alert to retailers, Lionsgate has announced it is planning to bring the Oscar-winning 'Monster's Ball' to Blu-ray in early November.[/teaser] Earning a Best Actress Oscar for Halle Berry, as well as featuring one of the most acclaimed performances from the late Heath Ledger, the Marc Forster-directed drama will make its high-def debut on November 4. There are no tech specs or supplemental details available at this early date. However, as 'Monster's Ball' was released as part of Lionsgate's "Signature Series" line of special edition DVDs, we'll hope for a comparable batch of extras. Watch this space. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $29.98. You'll find the latest specs for 'Monster's Ball' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 4.Posted Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Universal Announces 'Casino,' 'Gangster' Bundle for Blu-ray[teaser]Universal has announced a mid-October release for the Martin Scorsese crime classic 'Casino' on Blu-ray, as well as a bundle featuring three of the studio's top gangster favorites.[/teaser] Due for release on October 14, 'Casino' trails by almost a year an HD DVD version of the Robert De Niro-Sharon Stone starrer (which netted multiple Oscar noms, including a Best Supporting Actress nod for Stone). Tech specs will see a BD-50 dual-layer presentation with 1080p video (codec TBA) and DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround. There are no supplemental details as of yet, but a package comparable to the previous HD DVD is expected. Also due for release on October 14 is the 'Gangster Giftset,' a three-pack bundle that includes 'Casino' plus the recently-announced 'American Gangster' and 'Eastern Promises.' Specs and extras are identical to the stand-alone versions. Suggested list price has been set at $29.95 for 'Casino,' and $89.98 for the 'Gangster Giftset.' You'll find the latest specs for 'Casino' and the 'Gangster Giftset' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 14.Posted Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Anchor Bay Bundles Up 'Masters of Horror,' Zombie Classics[teaser]Anchor Bay has announced two new Blu-ray bundles for a September release, boxing together the first season of 'Masters of Horror' and three of its biggest zombie classics.[/teaser] Marking the first such bundles for the company, Anchor Bay will bring 'Blu-ray Masters of Horror Bundle (Season One)' and 'Blu-ray Zombie Bundle' to the format on September 9. 'Masters of Horror Bundle' will see all four volumes of the hit series packaged together for the first time, each identical to the previous stand-alone versions Anchor Bay released last year. 'Zombie Bundle' will contain 'Dawn of the Dead (1979),' 'Day of the Dead (1985)' and 'Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn,' which are also identical to the currently-available versions. Offering no discount versus buying each title separately, suggested list price for 'Masters of Horror Bundle' is $119.88, and $89.84 for the 'Zombie Bundle.' As always, you'll find listings for the 'Masters of Horror Bundle' and 'Zombie Bundle' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under September 9.Posted Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Disney to Debut Two Versions of 'Prince Caspian' on Blu-ray[teaser]Walt Disney has announced it is bringing two versions of 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' to Blu-ray in early December, including a "DisneyFile" edition with Digital Copy.[/teaser] Following a first alert to retailers last week (which originally pegged the release date as late-November), Disney has now officially confirmed a December 2 Blu-ray arrival for the $100-plus million-grossing hit, day-and-date with the standard DVD). Set for release in standard two-disc and 'DisneyFile' editions, each will feature an identical presentation of two BD-50 dual-layer discs with matching tech specs and supplements. The 'DisneyFile Edition' will also contain a bonus third standard-DVD disc with a Digital Copy of the film. Extras shared by both editions include audio commentary with director Andrew Adamson, a suite of featurettes ("Inside Narnia: The Adventure Returns," "Sets of Narnia: A Classic Comes to Life," "Big Movies Comes to a Small Town," "Previsualizing Narnia," "Talking Animals," "Walking Trees: The Magical World of Narnia," "Secrets of the Duel," "Becoming Trumpkin," "Warwick Davis: The Man Behind Nikabrik"), deleted scenes, and "The Bloopers of Narnia." Tech specs for the main feature boast 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and a DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround track. In a break from the industry-standard practice of including Digital Copy at no extra cost to the consumer, Disney will retail the standard two-disc edition of 'Prince Caspian' for $34.95, and the 'DisneyFile Edition' for $39.98 (an increase of $5). You'll find the latest specs for both versions of 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 2.Posted Wed Aug 20, 2008 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Universal to Go 'Green-Ray' with 'Incredible Hulk'[teaser]Though Universal has yet to announce it, a new trade ad has leaked the first details for 'The Incredible Hulk,' which will come to Blu-ray with limited edition "Green-ray" packaging and BD-Live features.[/teaser] Appearing in this week's Home Media Magazine, the ad offers a sneak peek at 'The Incredible Hulk's green-band packaging, which will feature a limited edition 3-D lenticular cover. Also promised on the upcoming release will be BD-Live connectivity, including a "My Chat" feature allow multiple users to watch the movie simultaneously, as well as possible additional web-enabled features to be announced at a later date. Missing from the ad, however, is any word on the previously-touted "director's cut" version that reportedly contains as much as 70 minutes of additional footage. According to the trade ad, the runtime for the Blu-ray of the 'Hulk' is 114 minutes, identical to the theatrical cut. At press time, Universal has not yet issued a press release for 'The Incredible Hulk,' but early retailer alerts have pegged an October 21 street date for the Blu-ray, day-and-date with the standard DVD. As always, we'll keep you posted as soon as further word comes to us. In the meantime, you'll find a preliminary listing for 'The Incredible Hulk' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 21.Posted Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Amazon Launches Latest Blu-ray Sale[teaser]Amazon is at it again, this time launching a sale with savings of up to fifty percent off for a selection of 83 recent releases and old favorites[/teaser] The latest sale, which runs through August 29th, runs the gamut of genres, from horror to comedy to suspense. Highlights include 'The Bank Job,' 'Mad Men,' and 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets,' among many others. To check out the full list of titles, just follow this link.Posted Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by:
