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'Patrick' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]A spitting comatose psychic makes his Blu-ray debut next month. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Severin is working on 'Patrick' for a Blu-ray release on March 11. The original Ozploitation classic is back like you've never seen it before: Robert Thompson (THIRST) stars as a comatose killer seemingly unresponsive in a small private hospital. But when a hot new nurse (Susan Penhaligon of THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT) begins to question his condition, Patrick will unleash a waking nightmare of psychokinetic carnage. Sir Robert Helpmann (The Child Catcher in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG) co-stars in this international hit shocker produced by Antony I. Ginnane (TURKEY SHOOT, DEAD KIDS), written by Everett De Roche (ROAD GAMES, RAZORBACK) and directed by Richard Franklin (FANTASM, PSYCHO II), now transferred in HD from the original negative for the first time ever and loaded with new & archival Extras never before available in America. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Audio Commentary, Interviews, Trailers and TV Spots. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Patrick' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under March 11.Posted Wed Feb 12, 2014 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Poll: Do You Import Blu-rays from Other Countries?Have you imported movies from other countries, or do you stick to discs released in your own territory? Vote in today's blog poll.Posted Wed Feb 12, 2014 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Brian May & Kerry Ellis: The Candlelight Concerts Live at Montreux' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The intimate concert performance is coming to to Blu-ray in April. You can pre-order it now. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Eagle Rock is preparing 'Brian May & Kerry Ellis: The Candlelight Concerts Live at Montreux' for Blu-ray on April 1. Queen legend Brian May and first lady of the West End Kerry Ellis come together for 'The Candlelight Concerts.' This great performance is captured on CD and Blu-ray. Filmed at the renowned Stravinski Auditorium during the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 2013, this wonderfully intimate show blends Kerry Ellis' beautiful voice with the sympathetic guitar playing of Brian May for a largely acoustic performance of standards, ballads, Queen songs and cover versions. Also included in the set is the CD of 'Acoustic By Candlelight' recorded live on the UK leg of their tour in autumn 2012. Specs and supplements for the Blu-ray have not been announced yet Suggested list price for the Blu-ray/CD combo pack is $24.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Brian May & Kerry Ellis :The Candlelight Concerts Live at Montreux' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 1.Posted Wed Feb 12, 2014 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
HDD discusses 'The Americans' with Executive Producers Graham Yost, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frankby Jack Lilburn [teaser]Last week, HDD was invited to attend a pretty damn fun vokateur release party in Beverly Hills for FX’s breakout Cold War espionage hit 'The Americans'.[/teaser] The series, created and produced by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg, tells the story of Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), two undercover soviet KGB agents who assume the identities of a married American couple in the suburbs of 1980s Washington D.C. While we’ve seen a ton of spy material on the big over the last few years, 'The Americans' is a somewhat revolutionary take on the genre. Its heroes are also villains, leaving the audience with a fascinating moral quandary the likes of which I haven’t seen since Clint Eastwood’s 'Letters from Iwo Jima'. Smart, edgy and addictive, it was one of my small-screen favorite surprises of 2013 and highly worth your time. With Season 1 debuting on Blu-ray today, and Season 2 set to air February 26th, Executive Producers Graham Yost, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank were on hand to talk about the series, the espionage genre at large, and the cable series renaissance that’s reshaping the industry. On how Season 2 will top Season 1. YOST: Nuclear war! (laughter) You know what, the first season was really about a marriage. It was such an interesting way to tell the story of a marriage where two people have been together for 15 years, and they don’t really know each other and they don’t really love each other - and over the course of the season, the ups and downs. But they fall in love and we end with Elizabeth saying, “Philip, come home.” And season 2, spoiler alert, he comes home! He comes home and she’s waiting for her! You know, they’ve got their spy stuff to do and then something happens in the first episode that haunts them for the rest of the season and it leads to their fear that there could be an attack on their family. So where the first season was more about the marriage, the second season is more about the family, and there’s also a threat from within. There’s a crack that’s developing within them and their kids, so it’s both from within and without. Last year was more about Star Wars, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). This year there’s Afghanistan. There’s the Contras in Nicaragua. There’s stealth technology. There’s the beginnings of the ARCnet which was before the internet, which was a defense project and what that represented. So there’s a lot of information for them to get. Small spoiler alert [Elizabeth and Philip] don’t have “the talk” this year [with their kids]. This is something Joe Weisberg talked about which is something for CIA officers posted overseas. Their kids wouldn’t know what their parents did. And at a certain age, and it was hard to decide when, they would have what they called “the talk”, where they would sit the kid down and say “Mommy and Daddy are spies” or “Dad is” or “Mom is”. I was doing a thing with Howard Rosenberg (retired TV critic for the Los Angeles Times) at USC and we were talking about ‘The Americans’ and with the questions afterwards a girl in the audience was laughing and said, “My parents were in the CIA”. And I said, “What was the talk?” And she said, “They took us out to see ‘Spy Kids’.” (laughter) There were like 10, 11, 12 – something like that. And the coolest thing was then someone raised their hand and said, “I am from the Ukraine. My uncle was in the KGB.” This was awesome. I think [the two kids] had a talk afterwards. On making a less action-oriented spy story: YOST: American filmed entertainment goes more to action with something like spies, if you consider the James Bond films American films. There’s often a reliance on the big action set pieces, but there is the tradition of, especially in Europe, in Britain, of the John LeCarre, Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy, that kind of thing. It’s funny because television is perfect for that. We don’t have the budget to blow crap up every week, and we don’t really want to, so it’s just all about the moods and what are people doing, suspicions. And I think the great thing that Joe got - working with Daryl and Justin – I mean, you guys were talking about the idea for the show before I really signed on, but the idea of doing it with this family, about this marriage – and then the other brilliant thing was saying, “Oh let’s set this in 1981” and start it there. FRANK: And that was all Joe’s idea. Because he knew when this Russian spy ring was busted in the suburbs on the east coast, he had friends, and we asked him about it, he knew those people got sent back, because they didn’t really have any information that was valuable. The first thing he said was, “You know, it would be much more interesting to set this during the cold war.” Because if you caught one of those people then, they’d have real information that really meant something. The stakes were much higher. On their favorite spy films/show that influence their creative sensibilities: YOST: I was a LeCarre fan, but I got into it through the British mini series, 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy', directed by John Irvin with Alec Guinness. And that got me to read The Honorable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People. Those were pretty awesome. And I read Ian Fleming as a teenager because they had spicy stuff in them! FALVEY: ‘The Saint’. My dad and I used to watch that one. YOST: I’m older than these guys, so for me, in the 60s, ‘Man from U.N.C.L.E’ was a must watch TV show. On quality writing moving away from movies to TV: FALVEY: [Graham] is a perfect example. This guy’s written some of the biggest features, one of the biggest action features ever ('Speed'). YOST: Well, one (laughter). FALVEY: We were talking about this today in a meeting. A lot of the 20-50 million dollar films are simply not being made. So writers, good writers, who are writing real characters, real story for actors kind of had no choice and it’s paying off. And I think what they’re finding is there’s not a more satisfying medium than television because it’s more of a challenge in a way because you’re setting up characters, stories and arcs that are taking place over multiple years but crossing over with greater payoff. YOST: That’s it. And I think one of the other big things is that with 'The Sopranos' and ever since then, the ability to do a show that’s only 10 episodes, or 12 episodes, or 13 episodes a year. You can really craft something in that time. You know, 'The Americans' and 'Justified' both FX shows, both work on a 7-day schedule, so we’ve gotta move very fast. HBO is a whole different thing. They’d be doing 25 days on an episode of ‘The Sopranos’ and that kind of thing. But, writing wise, you can get your head around a season of 10 or 13, whereas I’ve got a friend who’s working on 'The Good Wife' which is perhaps the best network show on television and one of the best shows in any measure. But boy oh boy, to do 22 of those a year. That’s a brutality. I mean, people get well paid and we’re lucky to do it, but that’s really tough. FRANK: The best talent from movies is coming to TV. YOST: Yeah, I don’t like that. I don’t like that. I wish they would stop that. (laughter) FRANK: We’re doing a show with Halle Berry and the advantage to do only 13 episodes a season of this show and then have her do that for only 4 months a year and then be able to spend time with her family and do movies the other time. And to have feature directors like Gavin O’Connor who shot the pilot. For him, he can do a movie and then come in and do a pilot, a movie – and it’s incredible the kind of talent that’s coming to television. I think they see that to be able to grow a character beyond 2 hours – to grow them beyond 13 hours, or 60 hours or 80 hours – they see an advantage to that. TV is not the redheaded stepchild anymore. (laughter) YOST: I think there’s still great movies being made. I think what’s interesting is that there’s so much more flexibility in the form [with TV]. Especially when you get things like BBC, with 'Sherlock', where their season is three episodes and 90 minutes each. Who came up with that model? But it works. It’s great. FALVEY: There’s enough avenues out there that it feels like the creative is driving the reigns as opposed to programming. You start with, “What is the most satisfying way to tell the story?” So many of these networks now, emerging networks like Amazon and Netflix, where you can have that flexibility and pitch what’s best for the concept artistically. YOST: And something that’s happening which is part of that, because so much of the secondary market is on streaming services now where there’s Netflix or my personal favorite, Amazon Prime because both 'Justified' and 'The Americans' are on that, with an FX show like 'Sons of Anarchy', there are episodes there where the airing length was over 60 minutes. So I called up and asked “Essentially, do you guys care how long an episode is anymore?” (laughter) And they were like “Eh, try to keep it to the 42. It makes it easier for the affiliates and stuff.” We still have to do act breaks, but that’s fun because you get to add punctuation to the story. It’s like a poem and you write a quatrain. But we did an episode that’s 55 minutes. Americans has a good long one. Boy, the fifth episode of the second season? One of the best things I’ve ever seen. That is about a 50-minute episode and it is a 50-minute movie. It’s just this great little spy movie. A huge thanks to the awesome folks at FX and Think Jam for putting together such a great event. I can’t wait to see where Season 2 takes things later this month.Posted Tue Feb 11, 2014 at 03:30 PM PST by: -
'Mysterious Skin' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Gregg Araki's 2004 drama heads to Blu-ray next month. Pre-orders are available on Amazon. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Strand Releasing is working on 'Mysterious Skin' for Blu-ray on March 18. Brian Lackey (Brady Corbet) went missing for five hours when he was eight-years-old, an event that he remains convinced was the result of alien abduction. In the same small Kansas town, teenage hustler Neil McCormick (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a confused outsider with a promiscuous mother (Elisabeth Shue) and who was abused as a child by his Little League coach (Bill Sage). Locked into their own obsessions, both young men pursue a self-destructive path that will lead them towards each other, and will result in each of them trying to exorcise the demons of their past. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Commentary Track with Gregg Araki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Brady Corbet; Deleted Scenes (SD); Book Reading (SD); Audition Tape (SD); and International Trailer (SD). Blu-ray exclusives include: Isolated Score & Effects Track (DTS-HD); Conversation between Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Brady Corbet at Sundance 2014 (HD); Director Introduction (HD); Novelist Scott Heim Reflects 10 Years Later (HD); Script/Sketches Gallery; Photo Gallery Featuring Never Before Seen Photos; and US Trailer (HD). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Mysterious Skin' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under March 18.Posted Tue Feb 11, 2014 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The 2002 animated feature trots to Blu-ray in May. Click here to order! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, DreamWorks is readying 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron' for Blu-ray on May 13. Join Spirit, a wild young mustang, as he sets out on an action-packed quest against impossible odds to regain his freedom and save his homeland. In his courageous and thrilling journey across the majestic wilderness of the American frontier, Spirit forms a remarkable friendship with a young Lakota brave, outwits a relentless squadron of soldiers, and falls for a beautiful paint mare named Rain. Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award in 2002 and featuring the voices of Matt Damon and James Cromwell, 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron' boasts glorious traditional animation and a soaring, adventure-filled story that's perfect for the entire family. Specs have yet to be revealed for the Blu-ray/DVD combo, but supplements include a director's commentary, featurettes, and a drawing tutorial. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $14.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under May 13.Posted Tue Feb 11, 2014 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
CBS Expands Hulu Plus Lineup[teaser]More classic and contemporary CBS shows are coming to Hulu's streaming service. [/teaser] CBS has revealed an expanded collection of programming for Hulu Plus users, including many beloved sitcoms and even some popular contemporary series. In total, the new partnership will give subscribers access to more than 5,300 episodes from CBS' digital library of content. As part of the deal, Hulu Plus will now be home to nostalgic favorites like 'Cheers,' 'The Brady Bunch,' 'Laverne and Shirley' 'Happy Days,' and 'The Odd Couple.' In addition, several popular 90s series like 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' 'Wings,' '7th Heaven,' and 'Melrose Place' will be available as well. And the last decade won't be ignored either, as more recent shows like 'The United States of Tara,' 'The L Word,' 'Everybody Hates Chris,' 'Jericho,' and 'Ghost Whisperer' are included in the expanded partnership too. Finally, Hulu Plus subscribers will also soon be able to stream current CBS programs such as 'Blue Bloods' and 'Elementary.' All of these classic and contemporary series will join the current crop of CBS shows like 'The Good Wife,' 'The Amazing Race,' 'Star Trek,' and 'I Love Lucy' which are already available for streaming. Source: HuluPosted Tue Feb 11, 2014 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
'47 Ronin' Blu-ray & Blu-ray 3D Dated and Detailed[teaser]The fantasy action flick starring Keanu Reeves slashing its way toward Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D has been fully detailed. [/teaser] As previously reported, Universal is preparing '47 Ronin' for Blu-ray and 'Blu-ray 3D' in 2014, and now the date has been set for April 1. From ancient Japan's most enduring tale, the epic 3D fantasy-adventure '47 Ronin' is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors. '47 Ronin' is helmed by visionary director Carl Erik Rinsch. Inspired by styles as diverse as Miyazaki and Hokusai, Rinsch will bring to life the stunning landscapes and enormous battles that will display the timeless Ronin story to global audiences in a way that's never been seen before. Each combo pack will feature 1080p video, lossless 5.1 audio, and Re-Forging the Legend. The 3D package includes three exclusives: Keanu & Kai; Steel Fury: The Fights of 47 Ronin; and Myths, Magic, and Monsters: The FX of 47 Ronin. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.98 and suggested list price for the Blu-ray 3D is $49.98. You can find the latest specs for '47 Ronin' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 1..Posted Tue Feb 11, 2014 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Contest: Win 'The Americans: The Complete First Season' on Blu-ray!Isn't it about time we had another contest around here? This week in the blog, we're giving away one of last year's best new TV shows. Get your entries in today for your chance to win 'The Americans: The Complete First Season' on Blu-ray.Posted Tue Feb 11, 2014 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Walking with Dinosaurs - The Movie' Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Dated[teaser]Both versions of the Jurassic-sized CGI animated feature are now available for pre-order! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'Walking with Dinosaurs - The Movie' Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack and 'Walking with Dinosaurs - The Movie - 3D' Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo pack for March 25. The gigantic voice talents of Justin Long (Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise) and John Leguizamo (Ice Age franchise) take you on a thrilling prehistoric journey the whole family will enjoy! In a time when dinosaurs rule the Earth, the smallest of the pack — a playful Pachyrhinosaurus named Patchi — embarks on the biggest adventure of his life. As he tries to find his place in a spectacular world filled with fun-loving friends and a few dangerous foes, Patchi will discover the courage he needs to become the leader of the herd...and a hero for the ages. The releases will feature 1080p video and supplements will include: Ultimate Dino Guide, Interactive Map, Match the Call game, Brainosaur Trivia Track, and Nickelodeon Orange Carpet Dino Rap. The Blu-ray 3D will also include Cretaceous Cut (the movie in its "natural" version). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is set at $39.99 and the Blu-ray 3D is $49.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Walking with Dinosaurs - The Movie' and 'Walking with Dinosaurs - The Movie - 3D' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're both indexed under March 25.Posted Tue Feb 11, 2014 at 06:00 AM PST by:
