Lord in Blu amid fireworks at Best Buy

Ten years after its debut, “The Lord of the Rings The Motion Picture Trilogy: Extended Edition” ($119.98) debuts again this week for the first time in HiDef for home viewing in Warner Home Video’s new 15-disc Blu-ray Disc collection.

The long-awaited debut was celebrated in a manner befitting the magnitude of this trilogy franchise that was equally commercially successful and critically-acclaimed — fireworks/laser show at the stroke of midnight at a Best Buy store in Santa Monica in California. Actors from the movie were on hand to sign autographs for costumed fans as the discs went on sale.
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The new Blu-ray set is packaged with typical stylish detail by Warner. The entire remastered extended edition of each movie looks pleasingly clear and contemporarily crisp in HiDef.
The 26-hours of extras are the same as previous editions, and only in standard-def on none DVDs.

Those standard-def DVDs won the DVD Premeire and DVD Exclusive Awards each year for Best Special Edition, Best Audio Commentary, Best New, Enhanced or Reconstructed Movie Scenes, Best Original Retrospective Documentary, and Best Overall New Extra Features.

– By Scott Hettrick

Kubrick’s Clockwork, Barry in Blu HiDef..

Warner’s May 31 (2011) HiDef Blu-ray releases of a couple of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s best movies are magnificent (and also tied to $149 package of nine of Kubrick’s films on Blu-ray, including “Dr. Strangelove,” “2001″ and first Blu-ray version of “Lolita”):

* A Clockwork Orange 40th Anniversary Editon (Warner, $34.99) is a beautiful rendition of the 1971 controversial story of youth obsessed with sex and violence and extreme governmental attempts at deterrence and rehabilitation – originally rated X.

  • Mezmerizing peformance by then-unknown Malcolm McDowell
  • Equally mezmerizing electronic soundtrack by Walter Carlos who later became Wendy Carlos
  • Another amazing successful genre shift for Kubrick with a low budget after nearly bankrupting MGM during production of big budget of “2001: A Space Odyssey” three years earlier.
  • Blu-ray offers immaculate presentation of vivid and bright colors and dazzling, innovative sets.
  • Beautiful double-disc set with color 40-page booklet of great photos and essays.
  • Two fascinating new documentaries/interview about the movie and McDowell and two feature-length documentaries about the life and careers of McDowell and Kubrick
  • Numerous informative background trivia anecdotes by McDowell during audio commentary – Kubrick ordered the film banned from theaters and TV-home video in the UK until his death due to threats on his family.

* Barry Lyndon (Warner, $19.98) is perhaps one of the most visually exquisite films ever shot, with an equally powerful classical music score, yet the three-hour groundbreaking period film starring Ryan O’Neal (he and Farrah Fawcett named their son after his character) as an 18th century Irish scoundrel who manages to turn his series of failings and missteps mostly relating to his quick temper and penchant for deceit into an unlikely rise through the military ranks of the Seven Years War and eventually aristocracy was mostly dismissed by audiences and some critics in 1975. Yet director Martin Scorsese still considers it one of Kubrick’s best films and delivers a “profoundly emotional experience.”
It remains atop my list of the best films ever made.

  • Finally, a wider screen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (formerly 1.66:1)
  • First HiDef Blu-ray edition is improved but still a little grainy
  • Still no bonus features included, as ever — maybe Scorsese will see to remedying that for a 40th anniversary edition in a few years.

– By Scott Hettrick

 

Lion King 3D for theaters/Blu-ray

Disney’s 3D version of “The Lion King” is finally set for release, but while it is getting a theatrical run on Sept. 16, it will be short-lived as the Blu-ray 3D version follows quickly on Oct. 4.

It was Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment that announced a two-week domestic run of “The Lion King: Diamond Edition” in more theaters than any of its releases since its debut in 1994, and this time for the first time in Disney Digital 3D.

The Blu-ray release will be the first HiDef version of the movie that has not been available on any format since 2004. Even so, “The Lion King” is the best-selling home entertainment release of all time,” said Bob Chapek, president of distribution, The Walt Disney Studios.
The home Diamond Edition ($49.99 for the 4-disc Blu-ray 3D) will include interactive features and bonus content, including a new set of hilarious animated bloopers.
An eight-disc trilogy will also be available for $100, which includes the Blu-ray 3D “Lion King” and the first Blu-ray (2D) versions of the two DVD premiere sequels, “The Lion King 1 1/2″ and “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.”

Interestingly, Disney has yet to announce a specific release date for the 3D version of “Beauty and the Beast” in theaters or on Blu-ray other than to say it would be released on Blu-ray sometime in 2011. The Diamond Edition of the movie was released on Blu-ray only last October. That was originally to have been in 3D and to have followed the 3D theatrical release of “Beauty and the Beast,” which was converted to 3D prior to “The Lion King” two years ago. But Disney’s plans changed after the tepid reception for the theatrical release of the double-feature converted 3D release of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ in 2009.

Having released recent 3D theatrical releases “Tron Legacy,” “Tangled,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Step Up 3D,” and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” on Blu-ray 3D, Disney announced in January that the studio would also release “Bolt,” G-Force,” and earlier 3D movies “Chicken Little,” Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Meet the Robinsons” on Blu-ray 3D this year, among others.
Each release was said to include thematically linked 3D menus, and 3D previews of coming-attractions.

– By Scott Hettrick

Gnomeo and Ocean deep in Blu-ray 3D

Two notable new Blu-ray 3D titles are hitting stores today (May 24) and June 7, respectively:

* Gnomeo & Juliet (Disney, $49.99 for 3-disc Blu-ray 3D set) is a British animated comical modern-day twist on the Shakespeare story of tragic romance, this time amongst small porcelain garden gnomes, set to Elton John hits,  and with a more upbeat ending.

  • Cute and clever premise that will keep you mildly entertained and occasionally laughing
  • 3D once again better and more impactful on Blu-ray than in theaters.
  • Voice actors James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, and Michael Caine very engaging.
  • New Elton John songs Love Builds a Garden and Hello Hello (latter with Lady Gaga) pleasant new additions to John canon.
  • A John-like glam-gnome with sunglasses is hilarious.
  • Finale with characters dancing to pepped up Nelly Furtado version of “Crocodile Rock” feels like a rip-off of “Shrek,” but cute
  • Lots of fun extras, including John/Furtado music video, two alternate endings and six deleted scenes.

* Ocean Wonderland (Universal, $39.99) is a Jean-Michel Cousteau 40-minute IMAX underwater ocean life documentary.

  • Wonderful footage of fish and plant life
  • 3D is terrific, especially coral, dolphins, sea tortoise, and schools of fish swimming in circles with some drifters that appear to be swimming right up to your face.
  • Heavy-handed and slightly condescending (except for the youngest viewers) message of being environmentally conscious.
  • No bonus features is disappointing and makes this a pricey disc at only 40-min.

– By Scott Hettrick

Tron, Tangled, Tahiti; Top 7 Blu-ray 3D

Most movies released in 3D in theaters are being released for 3D in the home simultaneous with the standard Blu-ray release.
More than a handful of notable titles have been released on Blu-ray 3D (and even 3D DVD) in recent days.
Here is a breakdown in order of 3D quality, followed by the content itself:

  • Tangled” (Disney, $49.99, March 29) is as good or better on Blu-ray 3D than it was in theaters last year where it was named the best 3D movie of the year by 3DHollywood.net. Every frame offers obvious depth that enhances every scene, from the blades of grass that accentuate Rapunzel’s first tenuous touch, to the lovely floating lanterns over the boat and castle. This is a good example of a delightful movie that is truly more engaging and immersive because of the 3D.
    Bonus features (not in 3D): a fun 2-minute countdown of the first 50 Disney animated feature films, culminating with “Tangled”; two interesting alternate openings.
  • Yogi Bear” (Warner, $44.95, March 22) features really impactful 3D that is even more pronounced on the Blu-ray 3D than it was in theaters. Even better, this is one of the few Blu-ray 3D titles to feature bonus features in 3D, and there are five of them, including clever and amusing making-of featurettes that are sometimes funnier than the movie itself. There is also a Looney Tunes Road Runner cartoon called “Rabid Rider” that is one of three produced for theaters so far, all of which use 3D very effectively.
    As for the movie itself, it’s pretty silly but at least tolerable for parents whose young kids want to watch it.
  • The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D” (Image, $24.98, March 1) is a terrific surfing and underwater IMAX movie from last year that is impressively dynamic on Blu-ray 3D, from the spectacular surfing footage to shots aboard jet skis and outrigger canoes and stand-up paddleboarders. There is also quite a bit of eye-popping 3D of the lush island plants and topography as part of a lesson of the Polynesian island history and culture, as well as 3D graphics demonstrating how waves are formed. There are also lots of aerial and underater shots of coral and tons of fish and sting rays, as well as humans, all looking like they are swimming in your living room in 3D.
  • Ultimate G’s: Zac’s Flying Dream” (Image, 24.98, March 29) is another IMAX feature with astounding 3D imagery, this time in and outside of single-engine airplanes flying through majestic canyons. Unfortunately, the story and acting surrounding the aerial footage is amateurish and too long, but not so much that it isn’t worth sitting through to get to the flight sequences.
  • Kenny Chesney Summer in 3D” (Image, $24.98, March 29) will impress fans and even non-fans with its 3D images of Chesney introducing himself to stadium audiences by flying over the crowds in a harness. The shots throughout the concert film really show off and maximize the 3D effect.
    Bonus offerings include four additional songs.
  • Tron: Legacy” (Disney 5-disc combo pack, $79.98, April 5) offers the 3D version that may be slighter more crisp than the theatrical but sadly that still doesn’t deliver much. In fact, it is so subtle that the extra brightness of the image on the disc with the 2D image of the movie makes that a better experience.
    There are a couple 3D elements worth noting, however, including the menus that are more pronounced than the movie, and even pop out in front of the cursor if you’re watching on a computer. The two 3D trailers for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Cars 2” also offer decent 3D.
    Bonus Features (none in 3D): a 70-second teaser for the upcoming Disney XD channel cartoon series “Tron Uprising” looks very impressive and has voice actors that include the actor who plays Tron, Bruce Boxleitner, as well as Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman. Of the many extras, another notable one is “The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed,” featuring mysterious news-type footage filling in some holes about what happened to Flynn and Tron.
    “Tron: The Original Classic Special Edition” has been tweaked and looks better an more than ever, especially the colors which are much more vivid, though the extra clarity accentuates the grainy black-and-white faces of characters inside the game. The light cycles are far more colorful than in the new and much darker movie. Likewise, this original is much more fun in tone than the somber sequel.
  • Jackass 3D Unrated” (Paramount, $39.99, March 8) offers decent 3D considering it is the TrioScopics upgrade of the old-style of anaglyph 3D with the colored lenses. That makes it more accessible to everyone with any kind of TV. Some of the best gross-out and masochistic goofball stunts in 3D are the opening slow-motion mayhem including faces getting bashed, as well as scenes like the one in which the troupe of numbskulls tries putting all manner of objects and body fluids in the stream of a jet engine to see what happens.
    The 3D is only on theatrical release, not the unrated version.
  • Mummies: Secrets of the Pharoahs” (Image, $24.98, March 29) offers strong 3D visual images in the desert dunes and ruins but the informational aspect is so dry and the re-enactments are so silly that the 3D is not enough to recommend this one.

– By Scott Hettrick

Gnomeo Blu-ray 3D May 24

One of the biggest surprise theatrical releases of the year, “Gnomeo & Juliet,” will be released on Blu-ray 3D by Disney May 24.

The British computer-animated production featuring classic Elton John hits that was converted to 3D and has grossed nearly $100 million will be available as either a 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray 3D + DVD with Digital Copy), or a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 2D + DVD).

Among the hours of bonus features are deleted and alternate scenes, including two alternate endings, with filmmaker introductions, “Elton Builds A Garden,” “Frog talk with Ashley Jensen,” and “Crocodile Rock Music Video featuring Elton John and Nelly Furtado.”

– By Scott Hettrick

Jackass cast-crew in Blu-ray

Paramount Home Entertainment is releasing “Jackass 3” in 3D this week but not in the new industry HiDef 3D standard for Blu-ray. The anaglyph 3D version will make the movie available to play in 3D on any TV but only on DVD.
The Blu-ray version will offer an unrated version of the movie, 29 outtakes, 11 deleted scenes, and an MTV Making-Of special.

The four-minute video below features highlights from most of the cast and director/producers on the red carpet at the Paramount studio lot Wednesday night where they shared with HollywoodInHiDef.com / 3DHollywood.net their favorite 3D moments along with other celebrity Jackass fans such as Tony Hawk, between dealing with reporters emulating some of their wacky and masochistic stunts.

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– By Scott Hettrick

Megamind first Dolby TrueHD Blu

DreamWorks and Paramount may be holding back the 3D on the new Blu-ray Disc version of “Megamind” but the animated comedy features the world premiere of Dolby TrueHD Blu-ray, the home version of Dolby Surround 7.1 introduced in theaters last year..

A few days ago at Dolby Laboratories in Burbank, Dolby’s Craig Eggers introduced http://hollywoodinhidef.com/ and a few other media to Supervising Sound Editor Erik Aadahl, who explained the distinction of 7.1 sound in a screening room and demonstrated the contraptions created and used to make sounds such as a laser blast, as seen in the following video highlight.
– By Scott Hettrick

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Tron: Legacy 3D/Classic Tron, Blu-ray 4/5

Disney’s long-awaited plans for the release strategy of “Tron: Legacy” and its 1982 predecessor “Tron” call for releasing both at the same time on April 5 in all sorts of configurations, including a $99.99 gift set featuring the first HiDef version of the original and a Blu-ray 3D edition of the new film.

Tron: Legacy Limited Edition

Tron: Legacy 5-Disc Combo

A 5-disc collector’s set with the same discs as the gift set but no collector’s identity disc and special packaging will be available for $79.99.
Each movie is also available separately.

The original, now dubbed “Tron: The Original Classic Special Edition,” is available separately in a two-disc set for $39.99 and includes a new “Tron Phenomenon” documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew of both films, and “Photo Tronology,” featuring director Steven Lisberger and his son, Carl Lisberger, exploring Disney’s photo library and discovering materials taken during the making of “Tron,” plus previously released extras.

Tron: The Original Classic Special Edition

The new “Tron: Legacy” is also available in a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD set for $39.99 or as a four-disc combo pack including Blu-ray 3D for $49.99.

Tron: Legacy 3D 4-Disc Combo

Among the bonus features:

  • First Look at TRON: Uprising, the Disney XD animated series
  • Visualizing TRON – How did the filmmakers bring to life the gorgeous world inside the GRID?
  • Installing the cast – Hear from all the stars of TRON: Legacy and their experience in making the movie
  • The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed – What happens immediately following the end of the movie? What is Flynn Lives and who is responsible for their efforts?
  • TRON: Disney Second Screen – Using your iPad or computer, watch the movie with exclusive interactive elements available on your 2nd screen
  • Launching the Legacy – Beyond the amazing visuals is a rich story filled with an entire world’s history and mythology. Discover how the writers and filmmakers created this complex fiction
  • Disc Roars – Watch director Joseph Kosinski use the raucous crowd at Comic-Con to record actual ADR for the disc game stadium crowd
  • Music video – “Derezzed” written, produced, and performed by Daft Punk

– By Scott Hettrick

Fighter on Blu-ray March 15

The Fighter” will join the growing list of these year’s Oscar nominees on Blu-ray when it is released by Paramount Home Entertainment March 15 ($29.99).
Bonus features will include audio commentary by director David O. Russell and a making-of documentary called “The Warrior’s Code: Filming The Fighter,” as well as deleted scenes and “Keeping The Faith,” the real-life story of Micky and Dicky as told by family and friends.

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