My Two Cents
More new announcements today… DreamWorks Animation has officially announced Rise of the Guardians for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/12.
Warner Home Video has set The Great Gatsby (1974) for Blu-ray release on 4/23 (SRP $19.98).
Sony will release A Dark Truth on DVD only on 3/5.
Shout! Factory has set Cold Prey II for DVD release on 4/23. The film is the sequel to the Norwegian thriller Cold Prey. Bet you couldn’t have guessed that, right? Anyway, SRP is $19.97. Shout! Factory has also set Route 66: The Complete Fourth Season for 5-disc DVD release on 4/2 – it’s available on ShoutFactory.com or Amazon.
Image and RLJ Entertainment will release Magic Journey to Africa on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/23.
Han’s Tooth Video is releasing Another Country on DVD on 5/7. The film stars Rupert Everett and Colin Firth.
CJ Entertainment America has set Black Eagle for DVD release on 3/12.
Don’t forget that Anchor Bay and the Weinstein Company will release the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated on Blu-ray and DVD next Tuesday, 2/19.
Also today, Criterion has made all of their titles available for free streaming on Hulu Plus today through Monday 2/18 – over 800 titles including hundreds that have never been released on Blu-ray and DVD in the States. Do check them out. (Though Criterion, we do still wish you’d re-issue the first two Zatoichi films on DVD in anamorphic widescreen like the others, thank you very much. I’m almost to the point where I’m just going to purchase the Japanese DVDs – which are NTSC and anamorphic – and re-engineer them with English subtitles for my own viewing pleasure. I have little hope of Blu-ray, sadly.)
And finally, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln is now available for pre-order on 4-disc Blu-ray Combo, 2-disc Blu-ray Combo and DVD on Amazon.com (see the cover art links below), though no street date is yet announced. That said, industry sources are suggesting a street date of 3/26. Watch for official announcements soon.
Here’s the cover artwork for both versions of Disney’s Lincoln (though it may yet be subject to change), along with Warner’s The Great Gatsby…
Stay tuned (and Happy Valentine’s Day!)…
- Bill Hunt
All right, we’ve got lots of odd and ends to report announcement-wise today…
First, Paramount Home Entertainment has set The Guilt Trip for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 4/30. Extras will include an interview with Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogan, a gag reel, deleted and alternate scenes and 4 featurettes (Barbra’s World, Guilt Trip: Real Mother of a Road Trip, In The Driver’s Seat and Not Really a Road Trip Movie).
Warner Home Video has set Maverick: The Complete Second Season for DVD only release on 4/23 (SRP $39.98). The 6-disc set will include all 26 episodes. Warner will also release LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu – Season Two on DVD on 3/5.
Lionsgate has set Abducted: The Carlina White Story for DVD release on 3/5. Counting Cars: Season 1 will follow on DVD only on 4/16, along with The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia on Blu-ray and DVD. Finally, Assassins Run will arrive on DVD from Lionsgate on 4/23.
Well Go USA Entertainment has set director Jean-Marc Mineo’s Bangkok Revenge for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/27.
Sony has set Lake Placid: The Final Chapter on DVD on 2/19.
Green Apple Entertainment has announced Sins for DVD release on 2/26.
Virgil Films will release Gun Hill Road on DVD on 3/5.
PBS is releasing American Masters: Philip Roth Unmasked on DVD on 4/2. PBS has also set Masterpiece: Mr. Selfridge for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/23.
Image Entertainment will release State of Emergency on DVD on 4/16, followed by The Wicked on DVD on 4/30.
TLA Releasing has Sagat and Molly’s Girl coming on DVD only on 3/12.
Artsploitation Films has announced the acquisition of Horror Stories, Memory of the Dead and Wither for theatrical and DVD release in 2013. Street dates are TBA.
Shout! Factory has announced the Scandinavian noir-thriller ID:A for release on DVD only on 5/7. Shout! has also set the animated Kaijudo: Rise of the Dual Masters – Dragonstrike for DVD release on 4/30. And the company also has Quincy M.E.: Season 5 coming on DVD on 3/19 as well.
Finally, Danger After Dark will release Death Penalty.com/Death Penalty.com: A New Beginning on DVD on 3/12.
Also today, given all of the TV promotional shorts and spots that Disney is currently running for Lincoln, one would expect it to be announced shortly after the Oscar broadcast on 2/24, probably for release in April. Note that it’s set to be a Disney (Touchstone) release here in the States and a Fox release overseas.
Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Paramount’s The Guilt Trip, Warner Archive’s The Hudsucker Proxy (due to ship on 2/16) and Universal’s Hyde Park on Hudson (due 4/9)…
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt
We’ve got some good stuff for you today!
First up, our own Joe Marchese has just posted a new Blu-ray Disc review featuring Suddenly (1954) in high-def from Image Entertainment. The film stars Frank Sinatra and the disc is now available, so enjoy!
Also today, Russell Hammond has completed the Release Dates & Artwork update for this week, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, you can help support our work here at The Bits by ordering stuff (pretty much anything) from Amazon after clicking through to them from our links and we really do appreciate it!
In announcement news today, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has officially set Les Misérables (2012) for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/22 (SRP $34.98 and $29.98). Both versions will include audio commentary with director Tom Hooper, 3 featurettes (The Stars of Les Misérables, Creating the Perfect Paris and The Original Masterwork: Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables) and the usual Digital Copy, UltraViolet and interactive options. To this, the Blu-ray will exclusively add 4 additional featurettes (Les Misérables Singing Live, Battle at the Barricade, The West End Connection and Les Misérables on Location). You’ll find the cover artwork below.
Also we’ve got another big title announcement for you today: Sony has just set Zero Dark Thirty for release on Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 3/19 (SRP $40.99 and $30.99). Extras will include 4 documentary featurettes (No Small Feat, The Compound, Geared Up and Targeting Jessica Chastain) and that’s it. Again, see the cover artwork below.
Meanwhile, Warner Home Video has set New Line’s Driven (the Stallone film) and Running Scared for Blu-ray release on 6/11 (SRP $19.98).
And Lionsgate has set Gamer for re-issue as a Blu-ray 3D release on 5/7.
Here’s a look at the BD cover art for Universal’s Les Misérables, Sony’s Zero Dark Thirty and Lionsgate’s Gamer 3D…
Don’t forget that Skyfall officially hits stores on Blu-ray and DVD today. Stay tuned!
- Bill Hunt
All right, first things first today… our own Jeff Kleist has turned in a review of Echo Bridge and Miramax’s Fortress on Blu-ray. The disc is currently available only as a Best Buy exclusive but will become widely available on 5/7. Enjoy!
Now then… Warner Archive is starting to take pre-orders on select limited “manufactured in small batches” Blu-ray titles and the first up is the Coen Brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy! SRP is $19.95 and the disc is expected to start shipping on 2/26. There’s no word on extras if any (perhaps a trailer) but audio will be in DTS-HD 2.0. We expect more titles to be available soon. [Editor’s Update: Hudsucker is actually the third such title after Gypsy and Deathtrap - just FYI.]
Meanwhile, Warner Home Video has officially set their Clint Eastwood: 40 Film Collection DVD box set and Clint Eastwood: 20 Film Collection Blu-ray box set for release on 6/4 (SRP $178.98 and $129.95). You may remember that we first revealed these titles way back in October at Warner’s 40th Anniversary press event. Each set will include the exclusive new Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story documentary in addition to all the bonus content on the individual film discs. Click here for the complete list of titles.
Warner is also releasing A&E’s Longmire: The Complete First Season on DVD only on 5/28. The 2-disc set will include all 10 episodes along with The Slow Burn: Shooting Longmire featurette, a still gallery and deleted scenes. Presumably that means the second season will start airing on A&E in June.
Speaking of the Coen Brothers, Shout! Factory is getting ready to release Sam Raimi’s Crimewave on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 5/14 (SRP $26.99). The film was written by the Coens. Bonus content is still TBA.
Shout! has also officially announced the DVD release of the animated Beetlejuice: The Complete Series on 5/28. The 12-disc set will include all 94 episodes. Note that this set will only be available at Amazon.com. See the cover artwork below.
In other news, Sony has set Rust and Bone for Blu-ray and DVD on 3/19. Extras audio commentary with director/writer Jacques Audiard and co-writer Thomas Bidegain, 6 deleted scenes with commentary and 3 featurettes (Making Rust and Bone: A Film by Antonin Peretjatko, VFX Breakdown by Mikros and On the Red Carpet: Toronto International Film Festival).
Sony has also set Pegasus vs. Chimera for DVD only release on 4/23.
Anchor Bay Films has set Girls Against Boys for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/26. The film was an official selection at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival. Extras will include audio commentary.
Anchor Bay has also set Pawn for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 4/23 (SRP $29.99 and $24.98). Both will include a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Lionsgate and Miramax are releasing Robert Rodriguez’s Curandero: Dawn of the Demon on DVD only on 3/12.
Here’s a look at the cover art for Sony’s Rust and Bone Blu-ray, Warner’s Fringe: The Complete Series (due 5/7) and Shout! Factory’s Beetlejuice: The Complete Series DVD…
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt
All right, we’re rounding out the week with a bit more announcement news…
First up, Lionsgate has officially announced the DVD only release of Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection on 4/30 (SRP $26.98), as well as the Blu-ray release of Strictly Ballroom the same day (SRP $14.99 – we posted the cover art for this one a couple days ago). Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection will include audio commentary with director/co-writer James Plumb, director of photography/co-editor James Morrissey, 1st assistant director Victoria Rodway, sound recordist Paul Brookes and actress Mel Stevens. Strictly Ballroom will include 2 featurettes (Strictly Ballroom: From Stage to Screen, Samba to Slow Fox Dance), a deleted scene, a design gallery and audio commentary with director Baz Luhrmann, production designer Catherine Martin and choreographer John “Cha Cha” O’Connell.
For you music fans, Eagle Rock Entertainment has set Pat Metheny Group: We Live Here – Live in Japan for DVD only release on 3/12 (SRP $14.98).
Disney will release Private Practice: The Complete Sixth Season on DVD on 5/7 (SRP $39.99). Extras will include outtakes, deleted scenes and the Saying Our Goodbyes featurette.
Blue Underground has announced a 4-film Spaghetti Westerns Unchained DVD box set for release on 5/21 (SRP $29.98), set to include Django, Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot!, Keoma and Texas, Adios. The set will include interview featurettes, commentary, trailers and still galleries. Also coming on that day from Blue is director Giancarlo Santi’s Grand Duel on DVD, staring Lee Van Cleef (SRP $14.98). It’s mastered from a new HD transfer of the original negative, and will include commentary, a trailer and a Spaghetti Westerns trailer reel.
Warner Home Video has announced a 5-film Hats Off to Dr. Seuss: Collector’s Edition for release on both Blu-ray and DVD on 2/19 (SRP $59.99 and $44.98). The set will include The Lorax, Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Cat in the Hat and Horton Hears a Who!, along with new original bonus content and a booklet of rare Dr. Seuss artwork.
And Warner has also announced official release details for their forthcoming Tom and Jerry: The Golden Collection – Volume 2, which is due on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/11 (SRP $34.99 and $26.99 – we posted the BD cover art yesterday). The 2-disc set will officially include 42 remastered shorts plus bonus content. The shorts included are Polka-Dot Puss, Nit-Witty Kitty, The Little Orphan, Cat Napping, Hatch Up Your Troubles, The Flying Cat, Heavenly Puss, The Duck Doctor, The Cat and the Mermouse, The Two Mouseketeers, Love that Pup, Smitten Kitten, Jerry’s Diary, Triplet Trouble, Tennis Chumps, Little Runaway, Little Quacker, Fit to be Tied, Saturday Evening Puss, Push-Button Kitty, Texas Tom, Cruise Cat, Jerry and the Lion, The Dog House, Safety Second, The Missing Mouse, Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl, Jerry and Jumbo, The Framed Cat, Johann Mouse, Cue Ball Cat, That’s My Pup!, Jerry and the Goldfish, Just Ducky, Jerry’s Cousin, Two Little Indians, Sleepy-Time Tom, Life with Tom, His Mouse Friday, Puppy Tale, Slicked-Up Pup and Posse Cat.
Finally, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of legendary film make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, who passed away in London on Tuesday at the age of 98. Freeborn is of course best known as the co-creator of Yoda of Star Wars fame, though he also crafted the look of key characters in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove , Fagin from David Lean’s version of Oliver Twist and the infamous “Dawn of Man” ape sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey. He will surely be missed. More here at The New York Times.
Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt