What the hell? Do these studios think we’re made of money? Dec. 2nd is shaping up to be a huge day for Blu-Ray releases. We have The Dark Knight, Prince Caspian, X-Files and now this, one of the all time great Sci-Fi flicks The Day The Earth Stood Still. Just in time to remind us how the upcoming Christmas Keanu remake will inevitably fail by comparison. Whooaaa…. The new Blu-ray version looks like an nice package. It’ll contain, as the press release says, “two amazing new Blu-ray games,” (can you smell the suckage?)  Gort Command!,” an arcade-style shooting gallery game and “Interactive Theremin: Create Your Own Score,” where viewers can re-score the film’s opening sequence.  Both the BD and DVD versions of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL Special Edition feature all-new and exclusive bonus materials including legendary composer and Academy Award®-winner*** Bernard Herrmann’s isolated score; film and sci-fi featurettes – including a “Making Of The Day The Earth Stood Still” and “Decoding Klaatu Barada Nikto: Science Fiction As A Metaphor” – an audio presentation of the original short story; commentaries from Robert Wise and other film and music historians; and more.  I will say, DVD games suck, but the Create Your Own Score thing, intrigues me. The Blu-ray and DVD versions will also include:

•    New:  Exclusive First Look At The New Movie The Day The Earth Stood Still Starring
Keanu Reeves And Jennifer Connelly
•    New & Exclusive To BD:  Interactive Theremin:  Create Your Own Score
•    New & Exclusive To BD:  Gort Command!:  Interactive Game
•    Commentary by Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer
•    New:  Commentary by Film & Music Historians John Morgan, Steven Smith, William Stromberg and Nick                         Redman
•    New:  Isolated Score Track
•    New:  The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin
•    New: The Day The Earth Stood Still Main Title Live Performance By Peter Pringle
•    New:  The Making of The Day the Earth Stood Still
•    New:  Decoding “Klaatu Barada Nikto”: Science Fiction as Metaphor Featurette
•    New:  A Brief History of Flying Saucers Featurette
•    New: The Astounding Harry Bates Featurette
•    New: Edmund North: The Man Who Made the Earth Stand Still Featurette
•    New To Disc:  Race To Oblivion:  A Documentary Short Written And Produced By Edmund North
•    New To Disc: Farewell To The Master:  A Reading By Jamieson K. Price Of The Original
Harry Bates Short Story; Audio Only
•    New:  Interactive Pressbook
•    Fox Movietonews from 1951
•    Original Theatrical Trailer & Teaser Trailer
•    Advertising Gallery
•    Behind-The Scenes Gallery
•    Portrait Gallery
•    Production Gallery
•    Spaceship Construction Blueprints
•    Shooting Script

I’m not a fan of triple dips, but MGM and Fox Home Video have done an amazing job on the newly released James Bond Blu-ray set. I was generally skeptical about this dip because I already own three different versions of all the Bond films. But these Blu-ray versions are the definitive set. The picture transfer/upgrade is beautiful. I put on Dr. No and it was an eye-opening experience. The colors were deep, reach and sharp. There is so much more depth now it’s hard to believe this film is over 30 years old. It looks like it was shot on HD last week. The blacks are black which make the colors pop on my Vizio HDTV set. The hours and hours of extra features (in Standard Def) are the same ones from the Ultimate Collection from a few years ago with some neat little Blu-ray additions like a 42 Minute HD Feature called Inside Dr. No and a 18 minute feature on Terrance Young, the director of Dr. No.

The one area where they dropped the ball is on the Menu navigation system. It reminds me of the early days of DVD where the one thing you could always count on was Fox Home Video totally screwing up the menu. This is one of the ugliest and most unfriendly systems I’ve seen in awhile. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to play the movie and access the special features.  The Pop Up/Menu button doesn’t work once you select a feature. If you select a feature to watch, while viewing the film, it kicks you out and doesn’t return to the point you left off.  Each film are on a 50 GB Dual Layer disk, is in Widescreen 1.66:1 (No letter boxing!) and Lossless Audio. The movie sounds amazing on my Sony Crossbar.  I sampled a few of the other titles in this collection and it’s safe to say all six of these releases and must own.  The Six disk set includes Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Thunderball, For Your Eyes Only, Die Another Day and Live and Let Die. I’m not going to bother reviewing the movies or giving you the TPS, come on it’s Bond! You’ve all see these a million times. My only, minor complaint with this set, beyond the menu system is the lack of Profile 1.1 or BD-Live support. Yeah BD-Live sucks, but I would still like to see them implemented as standard features in all Blu-ray releases.  After watching a slew of lackluster Blu-ray releases (I’m looking at you Iron-Man!) this release restores my faith.

Movie Grade (All 6 Films, except Thunderball) - A

Features - A

Picture - A

Audio - A

Final Overall - A

EM Review by
Michelle Alexandria
Originally Posted 10.21.08

The Incredible Hulk is out on DVD and Blu-ray this week in a super dooper 3 disk special edition and it includes digital copy. I actually kind of liked this version. I thought it was a solid, no brainer, popcorn flick with a horrible last act. I’m actually going to be speaking with the SFX honcho from this sometime in the next few days. Here are a couple of clips from the extras.

Making of the Opening Chase Scene.

Becoming the Abomination

I’m such a freaking sucker for Bond that I’ve purchased almost all of MGM’s triple dip set of Bond films - I have three versions of all 21 movies. There was the regular non-restored collection, then the ultimate restored collection, then the super dooper ooper special edition collection and like a moron get suckered in, I refuse to buy into the hype on this new Blu-ray set, but this one looks so tasty…. But no, I’m going to turn away this time.  But wait, for a change MGM is going to send me a set for review, so I don’t have to shell out my own dollars. But still…. This set is packed to the gills with features - all of the ones from the S.D.O.S.E. set from two years ago and some Blu-ray exclusives.  The initial set includes Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Thunderball, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only and Die Another Day. Not bad at all (except the unwatchable Thunderball).  I wish MGM would release these things in chronological order though. I understand their need to do a sampling of all the Bonds - but where’s poor Timothy Dalton? As an added bonus you get a free ticket to the new Bond flick. This set hits the street next week for $89.98. Which isn’t bad, that’s less than $20 a flick and considering the individual retail price is $35 dollars, it’s obvious you get the set.  But really, what Bond fan doesn’t already own one of the previous sets? You can read the full press release after the break.

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The legendary Ray Harryhausen is finally getting his due this week when Sony releases the Ray Harryhausen collection on Blu-ray. This collection includes the Sci-Fi classics - "It Came From Beneath the Sea," "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers," "20 Million Miles to Earth: 50th Anniversary Edition," and "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad".  This should give any self respecting some good geek gasms and it’s all in beautifully restored HD.  Each disk is chock full of features and includes audio commentaries from Ray himself.  Check out the full press release, features and some clippage after the break. 

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One of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather is getting the full restoration treatment and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD, September 23rd.  Check out these two new video clip after the break. 

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Presented by David Fincher and Spike Jonze, and from acclaimed Director Tarsem comes THE FALL, starring Golden Globe® nominee Lee Pace.  On Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD September 9th! Filmed over a period of 4 years in 18 different countries, Tarsem’s The Fall is an unforgettable movie experience. In 1920s Los Angeles, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a 5-year-old girl hospitalized from a fall, strikes up an unlikely friendship with Roy (Lee Pace, TV’s “Pushing Daisies”), a Hollywood stuntman shattered by a near-fatal movie set accident and his lover’s betrayal.

To pass the time, he tells Alexandria the epic story of Governor Odious and the 5 remarkable heroes determined to defeat him – a dazzling world of magic and myth. Only when the line between reality and fantasy begins to dissolve does Alexandria realize how much is truly at stake. Presented by David Fincher (FIGHT CLUB) and Spike Jonze (ADAPTATION), THE FALL is an awe-inspiring, cinematic tour de force. Check out the clippage.

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I love Joss Whedon and I loved the Serenity movie. But for some reason, I could never get into the Firefly TV Series. The pilot episode puts me to sleep every time I’ve tried to watch it. Maybe if I watch it Hi-Def, that’ll make the difference. Fox Home Video is bringing the complete series to Blu-ray this fall. Set 500 years into the future, in the wake of a universal civil war, “Firefly” centers on the crew of Serenity, a small transport spaceship that does not have a planet to call home.  Captain Malcom “Mal” Reynolds, a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the totalitarian governed Alliance, will undertake any job – legal or not – to stay afloat and keep his crew fed. 

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All three Austin Powers films are coming to Blu-ray in a beautiful looking collector’s edition package.  Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Name: Austin Danger Powers. Sex: Yes, please! Combine the swinging ’60s, spy movies, talented Mike Myers in dual roles and one hilariously well- placed champagne bottle and you get Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Say “Yeah, baby!” for laughs as Flower Power-era superspy Austin (Myers) is thawed from a 30-year cryogenic freeze to stop the world-dominating scheme of bald baddie Dr. Evil (also Myers). Elizabeth Hurley, shagadelic style and Austin’s randy attempts to find ’60s-style free love in a very different, uptight time add to the groovy fun of this mad, mod, Myers world.  

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I never understood the vitriolic hatred fanboys had for the Daredevil movie and the irrational loathing of Ben "Mumbles" Affleck. Yes, they took a lot of liberties with the material. Colin Farrell and Jennifer Gardner were terrible. But then I never liked Colin or Jennifer. But I thought the film maintained the basic tone of the books, Ben was almost perfect casting for DD, he fit the part and the story was a good one. Again, except for the whole blind man fighting a female Ninja in broad daylight in a Playground, no less.  The funny thing about the Disc cover is they are hyping Iron Man director Jon Favreau.  This release is feature packed, but I’m really starting to get annoyed that these companies are still ignoring the Picture in Picture spec and the BD Live stuff. It’s one of the reasons I liked the HD-DVD format that was a uniformity of features. And a release like this should have some cool BD-Live and PnP. Check out the full press release below.

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