THERE WILL BE BLOOD
d. Paul Thomas Anderson
c. Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano

Let’s start off with the best news at the top of the column. One of the best movies of 2007 is getting its Blu-ray release this week. There Will be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterwork of cinema, will be hitting high definition. And, while it won’t have any extra features beyond what you saw on the standard edition DVD, it’s a must buy simply for the opportunity to own the film in all of its glorious visual magnificence. With only the slim special features (all offered in HD), I can only imagine what the picture and sound will look like, since they are releasing this on one of the BD-50 Dual Layer Discs. The aspect ratio is 1.85:1 and the audio options will be English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 or English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. The supplements are:

  • 15 Minutes: The Making of There Will be Blood (HD)
  • Dailies Gone Wild (HD)
  • The Story of Petroleum (HD)
  • 4 Deleted Scenes (HD)
  • Theatrical Trailers (HD)

CLOVERFIELD
d. Matt Reeves
c. Lizzy Kaplan, Jessica Lucas, Mike Vogel, T.J. Miller

The second big Blu-ray release of this week is for Cloverfield. The movie has been called “intense, scary, and effective as a genre film” (SEE HERE), “as entertaining as it is shameless” (SEE HERE) and “impressive in scale and presentation” (SEE HERE). Hey, have you guys noticed that all our reviews are in alphabetical order now? The redesign is coming together nicely. For those living in a cave, Cloverfield is about a giant freaking monster that attacks New York. It is one part Godzilla and one part The Blair Witch Project. I avoided the movie in theaters since I was nervous of getting motion sickness (‘cause I’m a big ole weenie). I grabbed the DVD when it came out and “even the folks who didn’t get into the film will enjoy the special features” (SEE HERE). I will definitely be grabbing this Blu-ray for one reason – the “Special Investigation Mode” picture-in-graphics track. I love the shit out of these tracks. The one on Rambo is spectacular, by the way. Tech info includes: BD-50 Dual Layer Disc, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround and English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. The supplements are as follows:

  • Audio Commentary by Director Matt Reeves
  • Document 01.18.08: The Making of Cloverfield (HD)
  • Cloverfield Visual Effects (HD)
  • I Saw It! It’s Alive! It’s Huge! (HD)
  • Clover Fun (HD)
  • 4 Additional Scenes (HD)
  • 2 Alternate Endings w/optional commentary (HD)
  • 14 Easter Eggs
  • Special Investigative Mode picture-in-picture graphics track (HD Exclusive)

More Blu-Ray Releases

PATTON
d. Franklin J. Schaffner
c. George C. Scott, Karl Malden

  • 2 Disc Set
  • 50GB Dual-Layer/DVD-9 Dual-Layer Disc
  • 2.20:1 Aspect Ratio (1080p/AVC MPEG-4)
  • DTS HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround / Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround
  • Introduction by Francis Ford Coppola
  • Audio Commentary with Francis Ford Coppola
  • History through the Lens: Patton, A Rebel Revisited (SD)
  • Patton’s Ghost Corps (SD)
  • The Making of Patton (SD)
  • Behind-the-Scenes Stills Gallery (SD)
  • Production Still Gallery (SD)
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • NO HD BONUS CONTENT

BEE MOVIE
d. Steve Hickner
c. Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger

  • BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
  • 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 (1.85:1)
  • Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround
  • Audio Commentary roundtable chat
  • Lost Scenes and Endings (HD)
  • Inside the Hive: The Cast of Bee Movie (HD)
  • TV Juniors (HD)
  • Tech of Bee Movie (HD)
  • Live Action Trailers (HD)
  • Jerry’s Flight Over Cannes (HD)
  • Meet Barry B. Benson
  • Music Video “We Got the Bee” (HD)
  • DreamWorks Animation Video JukeBox
  • DreamWorks Kids
  • Trailers (HD)
  • Picture-in-Picture Storyboard Track (HD Exclusive)
  • Pop-Up Trivia Track (HD Exclusive)
  • Interactive voice-actor-factoid Track (HD Exclusive)
  • Build-a-Bee Avatar Creator (HD Exclusive)

    

DIRTY HARRY ULTIMATE
COLLECTOR’S EDITION

    

The classic Clint Eastwood flicks Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact and The Dead Pool will be released in both Blu-ray and Standard Edition Collector’s Sets. There is no exclusive HD content on the Blu-ray editions, so this is just a matter of individual taste on which version you buy. Individually, Dirty Harry will get a Blu-ray Special Edition release as well. The other films, along with Dirty Harry, will be released individually as standard edition DVDs. This means if you want all the movies in high definition, you have to buy the collector’s set. The Blu-ray will be a six disc set with the sixth disc containing the documentary Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows. The standard set will be a seven disc set, with Dirty Harry stretched over two discs.

Dirty Harry
d. Don Siegel
c. Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson

  • Audio commentary by Richard Schickel
  • “The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry”
  • “Dirty Harry: The Original”
  • “Dirty Harry’s Way”
  • Interview Gallery
  • 1993 TV Special: “Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso”
  • Trailer gallery

Magnum Force
d. Ted Post
c. Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Tim Matheson, Robert Urich

  • Audio commentary by writer John Milius
  • “A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry”
  • “The Hero Cop: Yesterday and Today”
  • Trailer gallery

The Enforcer
d. James Fargo
c. Clint Eastwood, Tyne Daly

  • Audio commentary by director James Fargo
  • “The Business End: Violence in Cinema”
  • “Harry Callahan/Clint Eastwood: Something Special in Films”
  • Trailer gallery

Sudden Impact
d. Clint Eastwood
c. Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle

  • Audio commentary by renowned film critic Richard Schickel
  • “The Evolution of Clint Eastwood”
  • Trailer gallery

The Dead Pool
d. Buddy Van Horn
c. Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson

  • Audio commentary by producer David Valdes and Cinematographer Jack N. Green
  • “The Craft of Dirty Harry”
  • Trailer gallery

Box Set Exclusives (Bonus Disc)

  • Bonus documentary: “Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows”
  • 40+ page hardcover book
  • Wallet w/metal badge and removable laminated I.D. card
  • Five 5”x 7” Reproduction Lobby Poster Cards plus an exclusive UCE card
  • Scorpio Portrait of a Killer Poster-Sized (19” x 27”) map of San Francisco detailing Harry’s hunt for the killer
  • Never-Before-Seen Production Correspondence

THE MIRIAM COLLECTION

The Weinstein brothers add another release to their The Miriam Collection label (named after their mother) this week. The first film released under this label was El Cid in January. The Miriam Collection is advertised to “issue deluxe releases of classic, foreign and modern cinema. The label will also restore and re-release older classics as well as foreign films and some modern favorites. Many of these releases will include extra features including never before seen footage that will surely satisfy the appetite of classic film lovers worldwide.” The ultimate plan is for this film line to rival that of Criterion for prestige releases. The brothers also hope to use the label to release newer independent prestige features as well.

Control is an independent film from 2007 film starring Samantha Morton and Sam Riley. It delves into the life of Ian Curtis, the former lead singer of Joy Division who exploded onto the music scene only to flame out and commit suicide at the age of 23. The film is directed by Anton Corbijn, a renowned still photographer who has worked with such bands as Joy Division, Depeche Mode, U2 and REM. He directed such music videos as Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana) and Hero of the Day (Metallica). Control is his first feature film. There is also a documentary called Joy Division coming out in two weeks, also released under the Miriam Collection label. Extra features for Control will include:

  • Audio Commentary with Anton Corbijn
  • Making of Control
  • Music Videos
  • …and more

THE MERIDIAN COLLECTION

The Weinstein’s aren’t the only one’s getting in on the prestige game. Lionsgate has also announced the formation of its own prestige label in The Meridian Collection. Lionsgate is planning to release two high-end DVDs every three months, drawing from its own library, which includes more than 2,000 European films from Studio Canal. This week marks the start of this new label with the release of the first two Meridian titles, Diva and The Red Violin, both from France. From 1981, Diva is a stylish thriller which follows a young postal worker who illegally records a concert by a reclusive opera singer. This brings about many problems. The Red Violin, starring Samuel L. Jackson, is a great little film about a man who finds a prized violin and then traces its storied history across generations. As a label that is targeting art house films and that genre’s fans, the extras for Meridian Collection films will focus on the making of the films and not on gimmicks, games or frills. The special features are as follows:

Diva

  • Digitally Mastered Transfer Approved by Director Jean-Jacques Beineix
  • Remastered French Dolby Monaural Audio
  • Scene-Specific Audio Commentary with Jean-Jacques Beineix
  • Interview with Director of Photography Philippe Rousselot
  • Interview with Set Designer Hilton McConnico
  • Interview with Composer Vladimir Cosma
  • Interviews with cast members Frederic Andrei, Richard Bohringer, Dominique Besnehard, Dominique Pinon and Anny Romand
  • Introduction to Interviews by Phil Powrie, author of Jean-Jacques Beineix
  • Additional Interviews with cast/crew
  • 16×9 Widescreen

The Red Violin

  • Digitally Remastered Transfer
  • Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Director Francois Girard and Co-Writer Don McKellar
  • “The Oscar(r)-Winning Chaconne” Featuring Composer John Corigliano
  • “The Auction Block” Depicting Record-Breaking Violin Auctions and the Appeal of Stradivarius Violins
  • 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
  • English and Spanish Subtitles
  • English Close Captions

But, hey, not everyone cares about prestige pictures. A lot of people just want to watch movies that make them laugh or hide their eyes in fear. Or both.

    

SEMI PRO

  • “Love Me Sexy – The Story Behind the One-Hit-Wonder”
  • “Recreating the American Basketball Association (ABA)”
  • “Four Days in Flint”
  • “The Man Behind Semi-Pro”
  • Behind-the-Scenes Footage with Bill Walton, Bob Costas and “Dick Pepperfield”
  • “Love Me Sexy Music Video”
  • Trailers
  • “Bill Walton Visits the Set” Bonus Footage (HD ONLY)
  • “Super Agility Trainer” interactive game (HD ONLY)

THE EYE

  • Digital Copy of the Film
  • “Birth of the Shadowman”
  • “Becoming Sydney”
  • “Shadow World: The Paranormal Past”
  • “Dissecting a Disaster”
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Theatrical Trailer

TV on DVD

Weeds – Season Three
Rescue Me – The Complete Fourth Season
The Andromeda Strain Miniseries
Dante’s Cove – Season 3
Dead Zone: The Final Season
CHiPs – The Complete Second Season
The Incredible Hulk – The Complete Third Season
The Incredible Hulk – The Complete Fourth Season
Brotherhood – The Complete Second Season

OTHER DVDs

Houdini
The Skull
Meet The Spartans – Pit Of Death Edition (Unrated)
The Beast – Special Extended Edition
Mandingo
Flawless
Villa Rides
Boarding Gate
Student Bodies
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show
City Slickers (Collector’s Edition)

COMING SOON

The Big Lebowski will be getting yet another release, this time to commemorate its 10th anniversary. No word yet on the extra features or cover art. The one release here that does have the cover art is the Reno 911: Miami More Busted Than Ever! Unrated Cut!. I am confused, because I thought there already was an unrated cut. This will include commentary by writer/director Robert Ben Garant and writers Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver, an intro to “The Lost Version” by Lt. Jim Dangle, Deputy Travis Junior & Deputy Trudy Wiegel, extended scenes with optional commentary, a blooper reel, public service announcements, the theatrical trailer, and a digital copy of the film. Both discs hit the street September 9th. (Thanks to DVDActive for the info.)

Hey, children of the 80s, prepare for an onslaught of releases called the Flashback Editions on August 5th. Weird Science will be getting a special edition release, but it’s low on “special features.”  Only an It’s Alive!: Resurrecting Weird Science featurette, a Weird Science TV Pilot Episode, and the theatrical trailer will be included. No cover art has been confirmed yet. Sixteen Candles will only include a Celebrating Sixteen Candles featurette. The Breakfast Club seems to be the best of the three and will include a commentary with Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson, a Sincerely Yours feature, a Most Convenient Definitions feature, and the theatrical trailer. (Thanks to DVDActive.)

Here is something to watch for: Beowulf Director’s Cut Blu Ray. Featurettes: A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf, The Volume, “T” Time, What is the E.O.G.?, Lay of the Land, Givin’ Props, Scanners, Stunts and Rigs, Plan of Attack, Fight Me, Baby It’s Cold Inside, Beasts of Burden, The Origins of Beowulf, Creating the Ultimate Beowulf, The Art of Beowulf, A Conversation with Robert Zemeckis, Eleven Additional Scenes, Theatrical Trailer, Easter Eggs: Coffee Break with John Malkovich. I can’t imagine how this will look in High Definition. (Thanks to DVDActive.)

Due on August 12th, Sony Pictures will release four top action catalog titles on Blu-ray for the first time, including the Ice Cube sequel XXX: State of the Union, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Maximum Risk, the Steven Seagal urban thriller Half Past Dead, and Wesley Snipes in 7 Seconds. Tech specs will see all four titles presented in their original aspect ratios, with 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround soundtracks. (Thanks to High-Def Digest.)

Beetlejuice is getting a 20th Anniversary release on September 16th in both standard and Blu-ray. It sounds like a pretty shitty special edition as well with only three Beetlejuice cartoons (A-Ha, Skeletons In The Closet, Spooky Boo-tique) from the TV series. The Blu-ray will have a remastered picture. (Thanks to DVDActive.)

Disney has set the release date for Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas as August 26th, scheduling a day-and-date with a new standard DVD re-issue. Complete specs have not yet been released, but the studio is promising several new featurettes on the Blu-ray and DVD, including a look at the making of the film and a tour of the famed Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, a spoken-word poem narrated by Christopher Lee, plus Burton’s early short film Vincent. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release will be a new introduction from Burton. (Thanks to High-Def Digest.)

Dark Sky Films has announced that they will release the horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre for Blu-ray on September 30th. Full specs for the release are still forthcoming, but word is the release will include never before seen bonus features. (Thanks to Blu-ray.com.)

I’ll end with some minor news. Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro recently conducted an online chat to answer the fans’ questions about The Hobbit. During that chat, Jackson revealed that work is being done to bring his Lord Of the Rings films to Blu-Ray high-definition. “We are working on a Blu-ray version of the LOTR trilogy with Warner Bros at the moment, not sure when it is due for release. It certainly won’t be this year,” said Jackson during the online chat session. (Thanks to movieweb.com.)

THE BARGAIN BIN

The Eye  $15.99
The Eye: 2 DVD Special Edition w/Digital Copy  $22.99
Dirty Harry: 2 DVD Special Edition  $14.99
Magnum Force  $9.99
The Enforcer  $9.99
The Dead Pool  $9.99
Sudden Impact  $9.99
Journey: Greatest Hits  $14.99 (CD / DVD)
Radiohead: The Best Of  $14.99
The Andromeda Strain (2008)  $19.99

Semi-Pro  $15.99 *
Semi-Pro: 2 DVD Sweaty Balls Edition  $22.99 *
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show  $19.99 *
Mama’s Boy  $19.99 *
* Save $5 when you purchase SemiPro and either Mama’s Boy or Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show DVDs together on the same receipt

Meet The Spartans  $17.99 *
The Onion Movie  $17.99 *
* Buy both marked titles and Save $5 when purchased together on the same receipt

$4.99 DVDs:
City Heat, Blood Work, Tight Rope, Bronco Billy, Clear & Present Danger, Patriot Games, Caddyshack, Syriana, Total Recall / Terminator 2: Judgement Day Double Feature, The Doors, The Dukes Of Hazzard, Good Night And Good Luck, Grumpy Old Men, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Pelican Brief, Sleepers, Starsky & Hutch, Tenacious D & The Pick Of Destiny, Capote, Layer Cake, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Spiderman 2, Black Hawk Down

$6.99 DVDs:
Purchase Any Of These DVDS For a Free Movie Ticket to see The Incredible Hulk
Alpha Dog, Backdraft (Looks Like 1st Pressing), Breach, Carlito’s Way (1st Pressing), Children Of Men, Dead Silence, Riddick, The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, Smokin’ Aces, Happy Gilmore, The Hitcher (2007), Serenity (1st Pressing), Land Of The Dead, Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels (2002 Edition), Miami Vice: Unrated, Meet The Parents: Collector’s Edition, Orgazmo: Special Edition, American Pie: Unrated Collector’s Edition

$8.99 DVDs:
The Illusionist, Robocop (Steelbook Pictured), Family Guy: Blue Harvest, The Comebacks: Unrated, 12 Angry Men: Special Edition, Battle Of Britain, The Boondock Saints, A Bridge Too Far, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid: 2 DVD Collector’s Edition, Family Guy: Presents: Stewie Griffin – The Untold Story, Fight Club, I, Robot, Office Space (Looks Like 1st Pressing), Red Dawn: Collector’s Edition, Reno 911: The Movie – Unrated, Transporter 2, X-Men 3: The Last Stand, Revenge Of The Nerds: Panty Raid Edition

Blu-Ray
Meet The Spartans  $29.99
SemiPro  $29.99
Dirty Harry  $29.99
There Will Be Blood  $29.99
Cloverfield  $29.99
The Eye w/Digital Copy  $29.99
Untraceable  $29.99
National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets  $29.99
Rambo: The Fight Continues  $29.99
Casino Royale  $29.99
Weeds: Season 3  $29.99
Planet Earth  $64.99
Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector’s Edition  $89.99

DVD Sets:
Chips: Season 2  $29.99
Weeds: Season 3  $24.99
Weeds: Season 1 / 2  $19.99 each
Rescue Me: Season 4  $32.99
Rescue Me: Season 1 / 2 / 3  $19.99 each
Star Wars Trilogy  $59.99
Rocky: The Complete Saga  $29.99
The King Of Queens: The Complete Series (Truck Packaging)  $109.99
Seinfeld: The Complete Series (Refrigerator Packaging)  $129.99
The West Wing: The Complete Series  $179.99
Rambo: The Complete Collector’s Set  $39.99
Planet Earth  $54.99
James Bond Ultimate Edition: Volume I / II / III / IV  $29.99 each
The Incredible Hulk: Season 3 / 4 w/Lenticular Packaging  $29.99 *
The Incredible Hulk: Season 1 / 2  No Price Listed *
* Buy any 2 Seasons of The Incredible Hulk together on the same receipt and get both sets for $40

Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector’s Edition  $59.99 *
* Best Buy Exclusive Scorpio Criminal Dossier Included

Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show  $19.99
The Onion Movie  $13.99
The Eye  $13.99
The Eye: Special Edition  $22.99
SemiPro  $13.99
SemiPro: 2 DVD Special Edition  $22.99
National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets $19.99
Rambo: The Fight Continue  $19.99

Meet The Spartans: Unrated Pit Of Death Edition  $13.99 *
* Circuit City Exclusive: Free Meet The Spartans T Shirt With purchase

$6.99 DVDs:
Dodgeball, Young Frankenstein, Big Momma’s House: Special Edition, Big Momma’s House 2, Idiocracy, Taxi (Fallon / Latifah), Eragon, A Fish Called Wanda (1st Pressing), Mannequin / Mannequin 2: On The Move Double Feature, Teen Wolf / Teen Wolf Too Double Feature, Porky’s The One Size Fits All Edition, Weekend At Bernie’s, There’s Something About Mary, White Men Can’t Jump, Shallow Hal, Grandma’s Boy: unrated, Super Troopers, Date Movie: Unrated, The Ringer, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, I Think I Love My Wife, The Girl Next Door: Unrated, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The 300 Spartans

$7.99 DVDs:
Purchase Any Of These DVDS For a Free Movie Ticket to see One Of These Movies: The Incredible Hulk // Wanted // Hellboy II: The Golden Army // Mummy: The Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor, Alpha Dog, Backdraft (Looks Like 1st Pressing), Breach, Carlito’s Way (1st Pressing), Riddick, The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Good Shepherd, Smokin’ Aces, Waist Deep, The Hitcher (2007), Serenity (1st Pressing), Land Of The Dead, Lock, Stock & @ Smoking Barrels (2002 Edition), Miami Vice: Unrated, Meet The Parents: Collector’s Edition, Meet The Fockers, American Pie: Unrated Collector’s Edition, American Pie 2 Collector’s Edition

BluRay High Definition Discs:
SemiPro  $29.99
The Eye  $29.99
Meet The Spartans: Unrated Pit Of Death Edition  $29.99

Buy Two BluRays From This Section – Get One Free:
Rescue Dawn
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Blazing Saddles
The Getway (Steve McQueen)
The Last Samurai
Deliverance
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Predator
I, Robot
Fantastic 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer
Lethal Weapon
Die Hard
Live Free Or Die Hard

DVD Sets:
Weeds: Season 3  $27.99
Rescue Me: Season 4  $29.99
Rescue Me: Season 1 / 2 / 3  $19.99 each
The Incredible Hulk: Season 4  $29.99
The Incredible Hulk: Season 3  $29.99 *
* Free Movie Ticket to see The Incredible Hulk Movie when you purchase Season 3 of The Incredible Hulk on DVD // Season 3 set also has a Collectible Lenticular package