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7/3/2008 11:29:17 AM, by Guido Henkel

MGM Home Entertainment has just added an 8-disc DVD set called the Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection to their October release line-up.
Nominated collectively for a total of 23 Academy Awards, the films included in this DVD set are beautifully restored and remastered and feature titles that have been out of print on DVD for several years. The eight-disc set is highlighted by Hitchcock’s Oscar winner for Best Picture Rebecca, starring Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier in a dark tale of love and obsession. Silver screen siren Ingrid Bergman makes an appearance in two Hitchcock classics; first alongside Gregory Peck in Spellbound, as a young doctor in pursuit of the truth and next alongside Cary Grant in Notorious, a tale of crime, passion and espionage. Rounding out the collection is Peck once again in The Paradine Case as a lawyer defending a beautiful woman accused of poisoning her husband, the spy thriller Sabotage, the romantic murder-mystery drama Young and Innocent, the suspenseful high seas thriller Lifeboat and one of Hitchcock’s earliest films, the terrifying whodunit The Lodger featuring an all-new anniversary score.
Each of the films will include incredible new extras some of which have never been seen before. “Rebecca” for example comes with a Commentary Track by film historian/author Richard Schickel, Screen Tests the Featurettes “Making of Rebecca,” “The Gothic World of Daphne Du Maurier,” and Audio Interviews in which Peter Bogdanovich interviews Hitchcock, and another one in which François Truffaut Interviews Hitchcock.
Also included is the Original 1938 Radio Play of “Rebecca” starring Orson Welles,, the 1941 Radio Play presented by Cecil B. DeMille and the 1950 Radio Play with Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. The film will be rounded out by a Four-page booklet
“The Lodger” comes with the 1999 Score by Ashley Irwin presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround, the 1997 Score by Paul Zaza presented in Mono, a Commentary Track by film historian Patrick McGilligan, the Featurettes “The Sound of Silence” and “Hitchcock 101.” You will also find the 1940 Radio Play directed by Alfred Hitchcock on the release, as well as the Audio Interviews with Peter Bogdanovich François Truffaut interviewing Hitchcock and a Restoration Comparison.
“The Paradine Case” comes with a Commentary by film historians Stephen Rebello and Bill Krohn and an Isolated Music and Effects Track. Also included is the 1949 Radio Play starring Joseph Cotton, the Audio Interview by Peter Bogdanovich, a Restoration Comparison and a Still Gallery.
“Spellbound” arrives with Commentary by film historians Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg. The Featurettes “Guilt by Association: Psychoanalyzing Spellbound,” “A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming,” and “Dreaming with Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali” are included as well as the 1948 Radio Play directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Also look for an Audio Interview in which Peter Bogdanovich interviews Hitchcock, and one in which film historian Rudy Behlmer interviews composer Miklós Rózsa. A Still Gallery and a 4-Page Booklet round out this disc.
“Notorious” comes with a Commentary by film historian Rick Jewell, a Commentary with film historian Drew Casper and an Isolated Music and Effects Track. Featurettes on this disc include “The Ultimate Romance: The Making of Notorious,” “Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Spymaster,” and the AFI Tribute to Hitchcock. The 1948 Radio Play starring Joseph Cotton and Ingrid Bergman is included also, as well as Peter Bogdanovich and François Truffaut Audio Interviews. rounding out the disc is a Restoration Comparison, a Still Gallery and a 4-Page Booklet.
“Young And Innocent” comes with a Commentary with film historians Stephen Rebello and Bill Krohn, an Isolated Music and Effects Track as well as Peter Bogdanovich and François Truffaut Audio Interviews and a Restoration Comparison.
“Sabotage” will feature a Commentary Track by film historian Leonard Leff, an Audio Interview by Peter Bogdanovich, a Restoration Comparison and a Still Gallery.
“Lifeboat” arrives with a Commentary Track by University of Southern California School of Cinema & Television Hitchcock professor and film critic, Drew Casper, the Featurette “The Making of Lifeboat,” the film’s original Trailer and a Still Gallery.
MGM Home Entertainment will unleash this incredible DVD set on October 14 for $119.98. “Rebecca,” “Spellbound” and “Notorious” will also be available as singe discs for a suggested retail price of $19.98 each.

7/3/2008 10:48:51 AM, by Guido Henkel

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has added a Blu-Ray Disc version of the Wesley Snipes actioner 7 Seconds to their release line-up.
Action star Wesley Snipes is a professional thief whose high-stakes caper goes murderously wrong in this explosive, brilliantly unpredictable crime thriller. Captain Jack Tolliver (Snipes) is an ex-Delta Force commando leading what should have been a clockwork-perfect armored car heist. Instead, he ends up with a priceless Van Gogh painting - and one of his crew ends up held hostage by the sadistic Russian gangsters who muscled in on the heist. Tolliver's only option: a suicidal rescue mission where enemies become allies, your best friend can be your worst nightmare, and survival is deadliest art of all.
Without any bonus materials the film will arrive with a 1080p high definition transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 TrueHD audio tracks in a variety of languages.
Look for “7 Seconds” in a store near you on August 12 for $28.98.

7/2/2008 11:35:09 AM, by Guido Henkel

Warner Home Video has just added Risky Business for a DVD Deluxe Edition re-release and on Blu-Ray Disc for the first time.
Meet Joel Goodson. Industrious, college-bound 17-year-old. Responsible, trustworthy son. But he's been good for too long. Joel's parents are away and he's in charge of the house. They trust him. Maybe they shouldn't.
The Tom Cruise comedy arrives as single-disc Deluxe Edition and a single-disc Blu-Ray Disc. No extras have been announced yet but we will keep you posted as new information comes in, of course.
“Risky Business” makes an appearance on September 16 for $19.97 on DVD and $28.99 on Blu-Ray.

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7/2/2008 10:52:19 AM, by Guido Henkel

It has been out on HD-DVD for some time now, but this morning Warner Home Video finally announced a Blu-Ray version of the 1938 swashbuckling Errol Flynn movie The Adventures Of Robin Hood.
In this rousing family adventure, nobleman Robin, the Earl of Locksley (Errol Flynn), becomes an outlaw when he opposes Prince John’s (Claude Rains) attempt to capture the throne from brother Richard the Lionhearted (Ian Hunter), King of England. Robin escapes to Sherwood Forest where he recruits his band of Merrie Men to help with the resistance. Assuming the name of Robin Hood, he robs the rich to aid the poor, heavily taxed at the hands of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper). At the same time, he falls in love with Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland). When Marian is captured, Robin and his men storm Nottingham Castle, rescue her and win back the crown.
Packed with extras, the release will not only contain a 1080p high definition transfer of the movie, but also a Commentary Track by film historian Rudy Behlmer and an Introduction by Leonard Maltin. The release serves up a series of Featurettes, such as “Welcome to Sherwood: Story of the Adventures of Robin Hood,” “A Journey of Sherwood Forest,” “Robin Hood Through the Ages,” and the 1998 TCM Documentary “Glorious Technicolor.”
Also included is Newsreel and Freddie Rich and His Orchestra as well as a selection of Cartoons and Shorts which were part of the original theatrical presentation of the movie or later re-releases, such as “Katnip Kollege,” “Robin Hood Daffy,” “Rabbit Hood,” “Breakdowns of 1938,” “Cavalcade of Archery,” and “The Cruise of the Zaca.” All of these will actually be presented in high definition on the disc.
A Music Only Track will also be part of the disc, as well Audio Presentations of “Erich Wolfgang Korngold Piano Sessions” and a Radio Broadcast of the “Robin Hood Radio Show.” In addition, look for Splitting the Arrow Galleries. Outtakes and no less than 13 Trailers!.
“The Adventures Of Robin Hood” will arrive on Blu-Ray on August 26 for only $28.99.

7/1/2008 9:23:55 AM, by Bill Binder

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street finally makes it's way from the DVD realm to the world of Blu-ray thanks to Paramount Home Entertainment.
The latest Tim Burton film will arrive in 1080p and Dolby TrueHD. No extras have been announced yet, but will probably be roughly the same as the DVD.
Vengence will be served on October 21st.

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6/30/2008 9:11:24 AM, by Bill Binder

Paramount Home Entertainment will be releasing their highest profile title yet with a fantastic new box set of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration on DVD and Blu-ray.
The original DVD release was exciting for DVD owners who had waited for years for the crown jewel of cinema to arrive in digital, but it was hardly a comprehensive set. The new set contains the films beautifully restored and with quite a few new extras.
All three films will be presented on DVD and Blu-ray on a single disc with an audio commentary and will be sold seperately. A box set will be available on both formats with a large number of supplements on two additional DVDs (or one Blu-ray).
Extras on the new Blu-ray include all the supplements of the existing DVD set including the featurettes The Godfather Family: A Look Inside, On Location, Francis Coppola's Notebook, The Music of the Godfather, Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting and Gordon Willis on Cinematography, storyboards from II and III and the special The Godfather: Behind the Scenes 1971, aditional scenes, acclaim and response, trailers (in HD), a photo gallery, a rogues gallery and info on Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo, Gordon Willis, Dean Tavoularis, Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola.
New features for the Blu-ray set include the featurettes Godfather World, The Masterpiece that Almost Wasn't, ... when the shooting stopped, Emulsional Rescue: Revealing The Godfather and The Godfather on the Red Carpet (all in HD), the short films The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II, Cannoli, Riffing on the Riffing and Clemenza (also in HD), plus a crime organization chart and Connie and Carlo's Wedding Album.
Quite an amazing set.I will avoid the obvious pun about offers and refusing them, but the set will be a great deal on September 23rd when it arrives for $72.99 on DVD and $119.99 on Blu-ra. The DVDs will be available seperately for $19.99.

6/30/2008 9:11:05 AM, by Bill Binder

Pirates of the Carribean is currently available on Blu-ray, but Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is getting ready to release a box set of the trilogy.
If you're a current owner of the discs, fear not. The new set contains nothing new for the discs, it simply packages them together for new customers. The new box arrives on September 16th.

6/30/2008 9:10:00 AM, by Bill Binder

It's been known for a while that Timur Bekmambetov's Night Watch and Day Watch were coming to Blu-ray from Twntieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, but new details are finally arriving.
Night Watch will arrive on a BD-50 with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Russian track and an English Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. The Russian track is a nice addition not available in the DVD release. Extras will include an audio commentary a subtitle commentary by Night Watch novelist Sergei Lukyanenko, featurettes on making-of, charactes and the trilogy, seven deleted scenes and extended ending, a comic book still gallery, a poster gallery and a trailer.
Day Watch also comes with a commentary and featurette along with Russian TV spots and a trailer.
Both titles will arrive on September 9th, 2008.