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Charles Walters' 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1964 musical starring Debbie Reynolds is planned for Blu-ray next month. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Archive will be releasing 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' on Blu-ray on June 21. "Be sure the story is something you cannot resist," Richard Rodgers once advised Meredith Willson. After considering 100 projects for a successor to The Music Man, Willson found one that was irresistible. And unsinkable. Debbie Reynolds plays the title role, inviting all to Belly Up to the Bar, Boys for the whoop-and-holler film of Willson's 1960 Broadway hit. Reynolds won a 1964 Best Actress Oscar nomination as the backwoods heroine who survives the Titanic and the snobbery of Denver society. Screen-debuting Harve Presnell reprises his stage role of Johnny, who has heartful-and-a-half of love for Molly. Johnny wasn't alone. Astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young so admired the movie they named their Gemini 3 spacecraft Molly Brown. No other details have been revealed at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under June 21.Posted Fri May 20, 2016 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'Deadpool' 4K HDR Demo with Director Tim MillerThis is my final 'Deadpool' post this week, I swear!After getting some hands on time with the stunning 'Deadpool' Ultra HD Blu-ray (and the very strong Blu-ray) over the previous weekend, our friends at the Fox Innovation Lab invited journalists for a direct UHD vs HD demonstration. Unlike our previous demo, this time we were treated to consumer grade encodes as both the HD and UHD sources played on IDENTICAL Samsung Ultra HD displays.Hashtag: Science!For an in-depth understanding as to how this demo went, please check out the video portions of my Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray reviews.The short version is this: the Ultra HD Blu-ray absolutely CRUSHES the Blu-ray in side-by-side comparisons. To be fair, this effect wanes slightly in A-to-B comparisons with any sort of time delay, so don't feel too bad if you haven't upgraded yet. But side-by-side? Shoot. This is the release the earlier adopters have been waiting for. The Ultra HD offers deeper black levels, more vivid colors (hello, red!), and oodles of added highlight and CGI detail. I was really impressed. [NOTE: the above cellphone pic is to show the demo configuration ONLY. NOT to judge either format, let alone the fine details instantly visible in UHD HDR material.] To help take us through what we were observing on the two displays, 'Deadpool' director, Tim Miller, as well as the film's colorist, Tim Stipan, lead a panel discussion moderated by Schawn Belston, EVP of Media and Library Services, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, where they chatted about their post-production process, the benefits of HDR, and answered a few questions. The entire panel is a little too long to transcribe here, so what I've done is broken down key information using direct quotes. Enjoy! Our Demo Setup Schawn Belstin: These are two identical monitors that have been calibrated to match each other. The content on one is HD, standard dynamic range, compressed the same way it is on the Blu-ray. And on the other monitor is the HDR 4K compressed the same way it is on the UHD disc. Two Firsts for Fox Ultra HD Blu-ray Schawn Belstin: This is our first disc that features all HDR content, so the menus and logos and everything are in HDR. Also, object-based audio. Dolby Atmos is on the entire disc. This might not seem like that big a deal, but trust me when I say it was. We had to re-imagine all of our technical work flows behind the scenes to make this actually possible. To give you an example, we spent two months rendering and re-rendering, trying to figure out the best way to render the Fox logo in 4K, in open EXR, to get the most out of this HDR experience, and that was just the logo. So you can imagine what goes into an entire movie. But you didn't come here to hear me talk about the logo so let's get to the movie. Deadpool's Multiple DI Timeline Tim Stipan: First we did the normal theatre pass, which is called P3 color space. Concurrently we also did two version of IMAX; we did a Xenon bulb and then we did a laser pass also. Then, actually, we did the Rec 709 HD pass. And then we did the HDR pass.Tim Miller: Actually, so it's six if you count that, because then we did the Dolby [Vision] pass.Tim Stipan: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot that. I felt like every time we were going through it we were seeing more and more and more. And the last pass that we did was the [UHD Blu-ray] HDR pass, which you are seeing here, and we were just like, "wow, gosh, we wish we had that at the beginning because you're not seeing so much detail in the skies and flames and Colossus and Deadpool's suit." Things of that nature. [HDR] allowed me to be better at my job because I could see more color information, I could match things better. By seeing all that extra color information and detail, I felt like I was doing a better job being a colorist. I felt a lot of shots now had this painterly quality to them, which I didn't quite notice as much when we were doing the normal theatrical color grade. HDR First Impressions Tim Miller: For a first-time filmmaker every time I walked into DI, I'd get to see it on a big screen, thinking to myself, "I made a movie, fuck yeah!" [laughter] And then for this last pass they brought me in and sat me down in front of a monitor and I'm like, "well I've done this before..." But then it started playing and I truly thought it was the best looking -- format and display medium aside -- it's the best looking version of the movie by far.Tim Stipan: Yeah, the amount of detail you get in flames. You see so much more of actual flame. I wouldn't say [SDR] looked like a 2D image, but all of a sudden [with HDR] it has extra dimension to it, it's almost like 3D. HDR Extra Detail Tim Miller: Having done DIs for four different outputs, the Ultra HD is just fucking amazing at the level of detail. Especially since we did it at the end of the process. Especially the skies is where I noticed it most. In a lot of the shots, particularly on the freeway fight, there is just so much more detail. It's like suddenly the sky was not a white mass the way it had been in all the other formats. Also Deadpool's costume was the other big thing I noticed. It's got a really fine weave to it and, suddenly, all the detail in that costume comes out in a way that turns to mush in all the other formats. And VFX too. Explosions, fires, things like that, the fight in the lab looks particularly cool in this super high res format.Tim Stipan: We're taking advantage of the camera. The camera captures this and now with HDR you're allowed to see what the camera's actually capturing. HDR's Effect on Filmmaking Tim Miller: We shot ['Deadpool' in] 3K on the Alexa. If we shot in 6K, which is the newer stuff, or I could have shot on the RED, how much better would this [Ultra HD Blu-ray with HDR / WCG] look there? Where [the Blu-ray] wouldn't benefit from the extra resolution, [the Ultra HD Blu-ray] would. So aside from all the other compositional benefits, from being able to fuck around with framing, I think we'll get a huge bump in the level of detail. But to answer your question, [HDR] would probably have a negative effect on the filmmaking process because suddenly I'd be less forgiving about all that shit I know were going to see in the background.Tim Stipan: The thing I keep thinking about is the faces ... I think this happened when HD first came out is that people were all of a sudden saying, "we gotta put extra makeup on". That would be my only concern with HDR, but otherwise all the extra detail you're seeing is a huge benefit. HDR vs CGI Tim Miller: It could help or hurt depending on how good the CG is. If it didn't integrate well, it would excentuate ... and just more clearly illuminate where you fucked up. HDR vs SDR Color Timing Differences Tim Stipan: It was something that just happened. We saw [the big explosion during the film's climax] in HDR and there was more of a boldness, more detail to it. It's not that we didn't like what we did in the SDR version, but the HDR version looked great and we were like, "let's go with it." Could we have tweaked the SDR to get it closer to the HDR, yes, but it still wouldn't have the detail because there is a difference between the color of the flames.Tim Miller: But don't you just have more range to work with [in HDR]? If you had gone after that in [SDR], it would have fucked up other things.Tim Stipan: It's not something we were isolating. We didn't isolate the flames, but once we color corrected the image, they kinda fell into place. Thanks again to the Fox Innovation Lab for the invite. It's great to know, outside of our home theatre geek circles, filmmakers are as excited about this new format's capabilities as we are. Because, at the end of the day, HDR means audiences are experiencing more of a film's production than ever before.And for Heaven's sake, people, don't just sit there reading this, go check out the 'Deadpool' Ultra HD Blu-ray for yourselves... OR, if you're reading this on or before May 22, 2016, enter for a chance to WIN A FREE copy from your buds here at High-Def Digest.Posted Fri May 20, 2016 at 09:15 AM PDT by: -
'Rollercoaster' Blu-ray Dated and Supplements Detailed[teaser]The 1977 thriller starring George Segal and Henry Fonda is planned for Blu-ray in June.[/teaser] As previously reported, Shout Factory revealed 'Rollercoaster' will be coming to Blu-ray this summer, and now the date has been set for June 21. Thrills abound in this high-speed suspense yarn as Timothy Bottoms, a determined terrorist, begins to turn America's amusement parks into battlefields. The tension mounts as affable safety inspector George Segal attempts to track down the saboteur who as targeted the country's most popular rollercoaster, and its riders, for senseless destruction. The edge-of-the-seat excitement mounts as the battle of wits between Segal and Bottoms builds to an explosive climax. Co-starring Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda, the Jennings Lang production takes viewers on an unforgettable trip filled with sense-shattering twists and hairpin turns. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the release will includes the original SENSURROUND soundtrack; NEW Interview with associate producer/writer Tommy Cook (12 minutes); Still Gallery; Radio Spots; and Theatrical Trailer. You can find the latest specs for 'Rollercoaster' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under June 21. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri May 20, 2016 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Netflix Preps 'Wheelman' Starring Frank Grillo for 2017[teaser]The action thriller is speeding toward Netflix next year. [/teaser] Netflix has announced the acquisition of their latest original film. 'Wheelman' is written and directed by Jeremy Rush and is being produced by Joe Carnahan ('The Grey,' 'The A-Team'). The movie stars Frank Grillo ('The Purge,' 'Captain America: Civil War'). "Netflix is literally reinventing the game in terms of distribution and the sheer number of subscribers they reach and the amount of viewers that will ultimately see Wheelman is really exciting to me. I couldn't be happier and in terms of a creative partner, Ted Sarandos and his team are incomparable," added Carnahan. The wheelman is Grillo - a getaway driver thrust into a high stakes race-to-survive after a bank robbery goes terribly wrong. With a car full of money and his family on the line, the clock is ticking to figure out who double-crossed him, and the only person he can trust… his fourteen-year-old daughter. All reasons to think fast, and drive faster. Principal photography is scheduled to commence in fall 2016. Frank Grillo also joins Carnahan as producer, along with Myles Nestel. J Todd Harris, Chady Mattar and Scott Silver are on board as executive producers. "What Netflix and Ted Sarandos are allowing talent and independent film makers to do, is experience a freedom without the pressures of the conventional film model. I couldn't be more excited to be part of this," concluded Grillo. Other upcoming Netflix premieres include season two of 'Chef's Table' on May 27, 'Bloodline' season two on May 27, 'The Do-Over' on May 27, 'Voltron: Legendary Defender' on June 10, season four of 'Orange is the New Black' on June 17, 'The Fundamentals of Caring' on June 24, 'Marco Polo' season two on July 1, the documentary 'Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru' on July 15, 'Project Mc2' season two on August 12, and 'The Crown' on November 4. Likewise, the streaming platform is also prepping a new sci-fi series called 'Travelers' from writer Brad Wight. A current Netflix subscription starts at $10 for HD streaming and $12 for Ultra HD streaming. Source: NetflixPosted Thu May 19, 2016 at 05:30 PM PDT by: -
LG Kicks off Summer With OLED Ultra HD TV & SUPER UHD TV Deals & Bundles![teaser]Several OLED and SUPER UHD TVs are going on sale. [/teaser] In preparation for Memorial Day Weekend and Father's Day, LG is running a special promotion on its OLED 4K Ultra HD TV and SUPER UHD TV lineup. Starting May 22, select LG displays will be on sale along with special bundles that include options for soundbars, additional TVs, and gift cards. Here's a rundown of the upcoming deals: LG Curved OLED 4k Smart TV (65EG9600) & LG Flat OLED 4K Smart TV (65EF9500) - Normally $5,999 - EARLY BIRD: From 5/8 to 5/21 priced at $4,499 (a $1,500 savings) - From 5/22 to 6/11 priced at $4,999 (a $1,000 savings) and deal also includes choice of TV: 55UH6150/55UH6550; or Sound bar: LAS855M/SH7; or $300 Gift Card; or/$500 Instant Rebate LG Curved OLED 4K Smart TV (55EG9600) & LG Flat OLED 4K Smart TV (55EF9500) - Normally $3,999 - From 5/22 to 6/11 priced at $2,999 (a $1,000 savings) and deal also includes choice of TV: 43LH5000; or Sound bar: SH5B/SH4; or $200 Gift Card/$200 Instant Rebate LG Curved OLED 1080p Smart TV (55EG9100) - Normally $2,499 - From 5/22 to 6/25 priced at $1,999 (a $500 savings) and deal also includes choice of Sound bar: SH5B/SH4; or $100 Gift Card/$200 instant Rebate LG Curved OLED 1080p Smart TV (55EC9300) - Normally $3,499, now $1,799 (a $1,700 savings); while supplies last LG Super UHD 4K HDR Smart LED TV (65UH9500) - Normally $3,999 - From 5/29 to 6/18 priced at $2,799 (a $1,200 savings) LG Super UHD 4K HDR Smart LED TV (65UH8500) - Normally $2,999 - EARLY BIRD: From 5/22 to 5/29 priced at $1,999 with Instant Rebate (a $1,000 savings) LG Super UHD 4K HDR Smart LED TV (65UH7700) - Normally $2,799 - EARLY BIRD: From 5/22 to 5/29 priced at $1,799 with Instant Rebate (a $1,000 savings) Source: LGPosted Thu May 19, 2016 at 01:30 PM PDT by: -
CBS Reveals Teaser for New 'Star Trek' Streaming Series[teaser]The new streaming show is setting a course for CBS All Access in 2017. [/teaser] CBS has debuted the first teaser trailer for its new 'Star Trek' series. A special premiere episode of the show will air on CBS in January 2017. Following that initial broadcast, all first run episodes of the show will be available exclusively through the CBS All Access streaming platform in the US. 'Star Trek,' one of the most iconic and influential global television franchises, returns to television 50 years after it first premiered. The new series will feature new crews, new villains, new heroes and new worlds, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller, Heather Kadin, Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers. The series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman's Secret Hideout, Fuller' Living Dead Guy Productions and Roddenberry Entertainment. Check out the teaser below! CBS All Access offers next-day streaming for new episodes of many popular shows and a library of over 7,500 on-demand episodes, including content from current programs like 'Limitless' and 'Elementary,' and classic series like 'Star Trek' and 'Cheers.' Likewise, select customers can watch live local CBS broadcasts through the service in more than 110 markets. Live content and contemporary shows include commercials, but the classic programming is presented without ads. Unfortunately, some sporting events, including NFL games, are not a part of the service. CBS All Access currently costs $6 per month. The service is available through Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote, Roku devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox 360, and Windows 10, iOS and Android products. Source: CBSPosted Thu May 19, 2016 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
Twilight Time's July and August Releases Announced[teaser]A dozen more limited edition Blu-rays are on the horizon from Screen Archives this summer. [/teaser] Screen Archives has just announced that the following five titles: 'The Black Stallion Returns', 'The Russia House', 'Zelig', 'The Gang's All Here', and 'Miss Sadie Thompson - 3D' will be available on Blu-ray on July 12. On August 16, the following films will also be available on Blu-ray: 'Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Encore Edition', 'The Glory Guys', 'Theatre of Blood', 'Tony Rome', 'Lady in Cement', 'Hardcore' and 'La Moglie Piu’ Bella (Aka The Most Beautiful Wife) '. No other details have been revealed at this time. You can find the latest specs for these titles linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under July 12 and August 16.Posted Thu May 19, 2016 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Aleksandr Sokurov's 'Francofonia' Blu-ray Pre-Orders Live[teaser]Director Aleksandr Sokurov will take viewers on a unique tour of the Louvre Museum in June. [/teaser]As previously reported, Music Box Films is preparing 'Francofonia' for Blu-ray on June 28. Set against the backdrop of the Louvre Museum’s history and artworks, master director Alexander Sokurov (Russian Ark) applies his uniquely personal vision onto staged re-enactments and archives for this fascinating portrait of real-life characters Jacques Jaujard and Count Franziskus Wolff-Metternich and their compulsory collaboration at the Louvre Museum under the Nazi Occupation. These two remarkable men - enemies then collaborators - share an alliance which would become the driving force behind the preservation of museum treasures. In its exploration of the Louvre Museum as a living example of civilization, FRANCOFONIA is a stunning and urgently relevant meditation on the essential relationship between art, culture, and history. Specs and supplements have not been detailed yet. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.95 You can find the latest specs for 'Francofonia' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 28. Order the Blu-rayPosted Thu May 19, 2016 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Chuck Russell's 'I Am Wrath' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The revenge thriller starring John Travolta and Christopher Meloni will hunt down Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate will be releasing 'I Am Wrath' on Blu-ray on July 26. Unemployed engineer Stanley Hill (John Travolta) witnesses the murder of his wife Vivian (Rebecca De Mornay), who was attacked by thugs in a parking garage. Wracked with guilt, Stanley is haunted by the image of Vivian dying in his arms. When Detective Gibson (Sam Trammell) and other corrupt police officers are unable to bring the killers to justice, Stanley turns to his old friend Dennis (Christopher Meloni) and decides to take matters into his own hands. It is only then that Stanley and Dennis are found to have a mysterious past that, until now, they have kept very well hidden. As they inflict their revenge, those involved in the cover up realise that Stanley and Dennis are more dangerous than they could ever have imagined... No other details have been released at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'I Am Wrath' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under July 26.Posted Thu May 19, 2016 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Google Announces "Daydream" Android VR Platform & "Home" Voice-Activated Speaker[teaser]New Google tech and products have been revealed. [/teaser] During Google's I/O developer conference held this morning in Mountain View, CA, the company unveiled Daydream, a new platform for high quality Android virtual reality. In addition, Google also announced a new smart speaker dubbed Home. Daydream is an Android based virtual reality platform that covers both hardware and software, enabling Google and other manufacturers to create Daydream-optimized smartphones, headsets, and controllers. To this end, Google will be releasing its own Daydream headset and motion controller in the fall. To further enhance users' VR experiences, the company is also readying VR-enabled versions of many of its apps, including Google Photos, Google Street View, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Likewise, additional partners like HBO, Netflix, Hulu, IMAX, CNN, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts are also on board to bring apps and games to the Daydream VR platform. Finally, though exact models have not been detailed, Daydream-enabled smartphones are currently in development from Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei, Alcatel, ZTE, Xiaomi and Asus. Beyond its new virtual reality platform, Google also revealed a new voice-activated smart speaker, dubbed "Home." Using the new Google Assistant experience, Home lets customers ask questions, enjoy entertainment, stream music, and manage everyday tasks through conversational speech commands. Though an exact release date and price have not been detailed, Home will be available in customizable bases with different colors and materials later this year. More details on Google Daydream and Home are expected to be revealed in the coming months. Outside of Google, Samsung currently offers its own mobile Gear VR Headset. Likewise, Amazon has its own Echo smart speaker on the market using its Alexa voice-activated platform. Sources: Google, CNET, VarietyPosted Wed May 18, 2016 at 12:30 PM PDT by:
