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Reminder: 'Texas Chainsaw 3D' Contest Ends TodayIf you haven't already, don't forget to enter our 'Texas Chainsaw 3D' contest. You have until the end of the day today to get your entries in for your chance to win this free Blu-ray. See our contest rules in the blog now.Posted Fri May 17, 2013 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Theatrical Review: 'Star Trek into Darkness'This week, Kirk, Spock and the crew of the Starship Enterprise return in one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year. Can the strangely-titled 'Star Trek into Darkness' live up to fan expectations? Our theatrical reviewer weighs in. Read his review in the blog today.Posted Fri May 17, 2013 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Seconds' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1966 sci-fi thriller starring Rock Hudson is bound for Blu-ray in August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion will be bringing 'Seconds' to Blu-ray on August 13. 'Seconds,' directed by John Frankenheimer, concerns a middle-aged businessman dissatisfied with his suburban existence, who elects to undergo a strange and elaborate procedure that will grant him a new life. The Blu-ray will feature a 4K 1080p digitally restored transfer, uncompressed monaural soundtrack, and supplements include: Audio commentary featuring director John Frankenheimer; Actor Alec Baldwin on Frankenheimer and Seconds; New program on the making of Seconds, featuring interviews with Evans Frankenheimer, the director's widow, and actor Salome Jens; Interview with Frankenheimer from 1971; New visual essay by film scholars R. Barton Palmer and Murray Pomerance; and an essay by critic David Sterritt. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Seconds' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under August 13.Posted Fri May 17, 2013 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'Flashdance' Blu-ray Supplements Detailed[teaser]Check out the bonus features for the 1983 dance flick getting the high-definition treatment in August. [/teaser] As previously reported, Warner Brothers will be releasing 'Flashdance' on Blu-ray on August 13. A hit movie that became a sensation, 'Flashdance' delivers an electrifying mix of music, drama and dance that dazzles the senses as it touches the heart. Jennifer Beals stars as Alex Owens, a fiercely determined 18-year-old with one all-consuming dream: to study at the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance. Working during the day as a welder and at night as an exotic dancer, Alex bravely pursues her dream, undertaking an unforgettable journey that reveals the power of her convictions and teaches her the meaning of love. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: The History of Flashdance; The Look of Flashdance; Flashdance Music and Songs; Flashdance Choreography; Releasing the Flashdance Phenomenon; Teaser and Theatrical Trailers; and an Exclusive 6-Track Music CD: Includes "Flashdance - What A Feeling". Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Flashdance' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 13.Posted Fri May 17, 2013 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'Marathon Man' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]John Schlesinger's 1976 classic will find a home on Blu-ray in September. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers will be releasing 'Marathon Man' on Blu-ray on September 10. Doc Levy (Roy Scheider) is an American secret agent who has been running interference between the US government and escaped Nazi war criminal Szell (Laurence Olivier). Believing that Doc has stolen a valuable cache of gems, Szell emerges from his South American hi ding place and heads for New York. He has Doc killed, then kidnaps Doc's in-the-dark brother Babe (Dustin Hoffman). Repeating the ph rase "Is it safe?" over and over, Szell, a onetime concentration camp dentist, tries to extract information from Babe. 'Marathon Man' traces Babe Levy's progression from pacifistic naif to cynical street-smart scrapper. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Marathon Man' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 10.Posted Thu May 16, 2013 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
'The Talented Mr. Ripley' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]Anthony Minghella's 1999 thriller will be released on Blu-ray in September. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers is preparing 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' for Blu-ray on September 10. Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is a bright and charismatic sociopath who makes his way in mid-50s New York City as a men's room attendant and sometimes pianist, though his real skill is in impersonating other people, forging handwriting, and running second-rate scams. After being mistaken for a Princeton student, Tom meets the shipping tycoon father of Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), who has traveled to the coast of Italy, where he's living a carefree life with his father's money and his beautiful girlfriend, Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow). Dickie's father offers to pay Ripley $1,000 plus expenses if he can persuade Dickie to return to America. As Ripley and Dickie become friends, Tom finds himself both attracted to Dickie and envious of his life of pleasure. In time, he decides that he would rather be Dickie Greenleaf than Tom Ripley. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 10.Posted Thu May 16, 2013 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Body Bags' Blu-ray in the Works[teaser]The 1993 anthology directed by John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper is planned for Blu-ray later this year. [/teaser] In a surprise announcement on their Facebook page, Scream Factory will be bringing 'Body Bags' to Blu-ray before the end of 2013. The horror anthology presents three tales: The first about a serial killer, the second about a hair transplant going wrong, and the third about a baseball player. Specs, supplements, and a release date have not been set yet, and suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Body Bags' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING.Posted Thu May 16, 2013 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
A Flaw and a Fix for OLED Brightness[teaser]NHK has theorized a way to fix an OLED exposure issue with iOLED.[/teaser] The National Broadcasting Corporation of Japan, NHK, is troubled by one aspect of OLED. But rather than introduce a problem, NHK has theorized a solution. OLED pixels, when exposed to open air, can suffer a quick and severe degradation of brightness. In one example from NHK, the OLED pixels fell to 50% of original brightness in just 100 days. Naturally, part of the current challenge for OLED production is to prevent this kind of open air exposure by ensuring that OLED products are correctly sealed. In contrast, NHK's solution is a two-step shift in OLED design. First the cathode layer needs to be covered with a new material that is less susceptible to moisture and oxygen. This new cathode layer then needs to exchange position with the anode layer in order to display correctly. This exchange in positions is referred to as an inversion, for which NHK has dubbed the design iOLED. NHK has promised to release full report on its findings at the end of the month, at which time critical analysis by engineers the world can be applied. Source: Engadget Author: Brian HossPosted Thu May 16, 2013 at 09:30 AM PDT by: -
TCL Announces New "Super-Smart" 4K UHD MoVo UD[teaser]MuVo UD is the first 4K set with Google TV software.[/teaser] TCL has announced the MuVo UD, the first Ultra HD set to feature Google TV. While nothing about the set's display characteristics was revealed, including the size, the set will feature Android 4.2.2, and more significantly, TCL's Personal Box Office version of Google TV. Also described as "Lazy TV," here is TCL's breakdown of their Personal Box Office and MoVo TV features, "Based on Google's powerful search engine and combining TCL's proprietarily developed PBO (Personal Box Office, commonly known as the "Lazy TV") innovative technology, MoVo can automatically identify a user with its motion sensor-transmitter and proactively comprehend the user's preference by analyzing his behavior and habit. Its content recommendation engine can integrate the user analysis and its content searching module to recommend automatically exciting content that accommodates the user's preference. In so doing the user can enjoy a real "Lazy TV" super smart experience without operating a remote control or initiating voice recognition. This better serves the current needs of busy consumers and brings TVs back to the centre of home entertainment." Admittedly, TCL 's triumph over the assumed difficulty of combining a 4K display with Google's TV platform does not seem like an astounding breakthrough. The company nevertheless seems to be beating to market both Samsung and LG, industry leaders who ought to have the edge in deploying Android functionality. TCL has not yet shared whether or not the MuVo UD will see a release in the west, but with the company making noise with splashy products on the high-end of the spectrum, can a TCL breakthrough to North American homes be far off? Source: Engadget & PRNewswire Author: Brian HossPosted Thu May 16, 2013 at 08:30 AM PDT by: -
'12 Rounds: Reloaded' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]Another WWE superstar will face 12 rounds of action-packed mayhem on Blu-ray this summer. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is working on '12 Rounds: Reloaded' for Blu-ray on June 4. As paramedic Nick Malloy, Randy Orton jumps into overdrive in this pulse-pounding, thrill ride filled with gripping suspense! Malloy receives a terrifying call from a vengeful psychopath connected to his past, and the maniac (Brian Markinson) threatens to unleash a murder spree unless Nick can complete a series of 12 challenges without involving the cops or missing a single deadline. With no time to spare — and his own wife’s life on the line — Nick must piece together cryptic clues and hunt down the killer before it’s too late! The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and the disc will include: Audio Commentary; Randy Orton Reloaded; The Action of 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded; and Locations: From Heller's Lair to the Sugar Factory. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for '12 Rounds: Reloaded' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 4.Posted Thu May 16, 2013 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
