I’ve made no secret of my love of Disney Home Videos Blu-ray stuff. They really get the format and generally do an amazing job on their disks. This summer they are planning a Blu-ray “Summer of Blu-ray” and have some interesting disks coming out including A Bug’s Life, Miracle, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Lost 1 and 2, and The Waterboy. Here’s the official Press Release.
BURBANK, Calif., 5/15/09 — This summer, beat the heat with the coolest line-up of movies and television series to debut in the breakthrough Blu-ray high definition format! Beginning in May Buena Vista Home Entertainment proudly presents an all-new collection of Blu-ray releases, each digitally re-mastered with mind blowing high definition picture and sound that will keep you entertained for hours on end. These releases are must-owns for fans and serve as the highest quality introductions to some of America’s most celebrated pieces of entertainment for film and television lovers everywhere.
Expanding its ever growing Blu-ray catalog library, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment brings three family favorites to the strong summer line-up of Blu-ray high definition releases with A Bug’s Life (Disney/Pixar) on May 19th; Miracle (Walt Disney Pictures) and The Greatest Game Ever Played (Walt Disney Pictures) on June 16th. In addition Buena Vista Home Entertainment unleashes the exciting releases of Lost: The Complete First and Second Seasons (ABC) on June 16th; Sling Blade (Miramax) and The Waterboy (Touchstone) on August 4th.
The Blu-ray wave kicks off May 19th from Walt Disney Home Entertainment with the eagerly anticipated release of Disney/Pixar’s A Bug’s Life. The zany adventures of Flik the ant and his bug friends in eye-popping color and with buzz-worthy sound. The disc also includes never-before-seen bonus features created exclusively for this Blu-ray release, including an introduction by director John Lasseter, a “Filmmakers Round Table,” in which the creative minds behind the film discuss advances in computer animated technology since Bug’s release, and “A Bug’s Life: The First Draft,” in which viewers can see existing storyboards from Pixar’s original story treatment. Additional exclusive Disney BD-Live Network features include Movie Chat, Movie Mail, Movie Challenge and Movie Reward. This release also includes a DisneyFile™ Digital Copy. Let A Bug’s Life into your life this May, for epic adventure of miniature proportions!
The wave continues to build with the Disney Blu-ray release of the winning sports dramas Miracle and The Greatest Game Ever Played on June 16th also from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Experience again the excitement of these true-life underdog sports tales, now with fully immersive Hi-Def picture and stadium-worthy sound! Kurt Russell stars as the coach who led the 1980 U.S. Men’s Hockey Team to unexpected Olympic Victory against the Russians in Miracle, while a young Shia LaBeouf won audience’s hearts with his charismatic performance as an amateur golfer who rose up to win the U.S. Open in The Greatest Game Ever Played.
Summer gets even hotter June 16th for TV fans with the release of Lost: The Complete First Season and Lost: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Featuring hours of behind-the-scenes footage and revealing bonus features, the Blu-ray editions show off this epic series’ gorgeous island settings and intricate sound design like never before with crystal clear picture and 5.1 uncompressed sound. Ride the Blu-ray wave to this unforgettable island of adventure and mystery this June with these all new editions of the Emmy® winning series starring Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly and Michelle Rodriguez!
Cool off in August with the comedic splash of The Waterboy, the zany Adam Sandler comedy available for the first time on Blu-ray hi-def August 4th from Touchstone Pictures Home Entertainment. This hilarious tale of a misfit waterboy who becomes the hero of his local football team now delivers high quality H20 and laughs. It’s America’s favorite funny man in the smash comedy hit you’ll cheer for again and again! Also debuting on Blu-ray August 4th is Billy Bob Thornton’s Academy Award® winning classic Sling Blade from Miramax Home Entertainment. Rediscover the haunting beauty of this uniquely American tale of redemption and unlikely friendship. Featuring an all-star cast, including Billy Bob Thornton in his Oscar® nominated lead performance, plus Robert Duvall, John Ritter and Dwight Yoakham, this is high caliber entertainment worthy of its stunning new Blu-ray presentation. Plus, go behind the scenes of this modern classic with hours of insightful bonus features, including interviews, an Audio Commentary by director, writer and star Billy Bob Thornton and assorted making-of featurettes, in which the film’s talent reflects on its surprise success and enduring appeal.