Isn’t Clash of the Titans still playing in theatres? It really feels like these films are moving too quickly from the big-screen to the home-screen these days, doesn’t it? To tell you the truth though, in most cases, I’d just as soon watch them in my living room anymore. And it looks like I’ll get a chance to see this remake of Clash when it hits Blu-ray on July 27th, complete with a preview for next summers DC Comics superhero film, Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds!

According to the HD Room, the Green Lantern footage will premiere at the San Diego Comic Con mere days before it becomes available for all to see on the Clash Blu-ray disc. There will be a lot of excitement over this first footage from the film and its availability on the disc will keep those obsessives among us (read: me) from losing hours scouring YouTube for a blurry, handheld camcorder upload from the Con.

CLASH OF THE TITANS (2010)

(July 27, 2010 – MSRP $35.99)
Video: 2.35:1 1080
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

Special Features:

• Sam Worthington: An Action Hero for the Ages
• Harnessing the Gods: Maximum Movie Mode
• Deleted Scenes
• Alternate Ending
• BD-Live
• DVD and Digital Copy
• Green Lantern Sneak Peek

Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Clash of the Titans Blu-ray Disc Review

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ARMAGEDDON (1999, Blu-ray released April 27, 2010 – MSRP $29.99)

You probably won’t believe this but until a couple of nights ago I had never watched Armageddon. I had successfully managed to avoid Michael Bay‘s most famous ode to machismo and Americana for over a decade. It figures that it would take the new Blu-ray release of the film to finally break me down and force me into a screening. And after all was said and done, the film failed to leave me breathless…but it did render me speechless.

What a turd. Armageddon is not a good movie. I’ve been hearing and reading about the film for over a decade and, of course, had some expectations of it. The cheese, the plasticity, the…Bay-ness of it all. It’s all there in the relative abundance I expected it to be. But what I wasn’t anticipating was the generally engaging setup of the film that gives way to utter, unbelievably dated sci-fi comedy.

I was actually with Armageddon for the first half of the film. It almost had me. It’s got a pretty compelling opening act that trucks along at a good clip, trading character and plot in a fairly even-handed kind of way. But it lost me down the line. I had expected the ‘cheese’ – the trite contrivances abundant in any Bay film – to come solely from the script, from the melodrama in the story. And it does. It’s there. But when the mining team led by Bruce Willis arrives on the asteroid that’s rocketing toward Earth, threatening to obliterate all mankind, the film descends into a kind of science fiction-lite television production from the 60s! There wasn’t a single moment of the latter half of Armageddon where I found myself able to sufficiently suspend my disbelief to be able to accept what I was witnessing on screen. Marveling at the piss-poor stage set the actors were stuck upon, I almost expected to see William Shatner or Billy Mumy waltz around the corner to help save the day. What a letdown!

But don’t let my persnickety criticisms of the film rob you of any entertainment. I can see where most folks would enjoy Armageddon. It plays like a prequel to Bay’s Transformers films with lots of sweeping, well composed shots of military gear coupled with a tremendous amount of explosions. There is a child-like sense of wonder about it all but, unlike Transformers, it all ends up feeling a bit uneven to me, with a contrived yet down-to-earth beginning and very silly and silly-looking second half. But clearly I’m not the target audience. For those who are — those folks who enjoy the more melodramatic, ridiculous, chaotic and loud end of the cinematic spectrum — I imagine this film will most likely hit the mark.

The great news here is that Armageddon looks fantastic on Blu-ray! There’s a lot of detail on display in this new HD transfer, with deep, deep blacks and bold, yet accurate colours. Even if you don’t care for the film itself, I guarantee you’ll love the way it looks in 1080p. The DTS-HD Master Audio track may not rattle your bones to the extent that more modern films do, but it’s a solid effort that blows away the lossy track on the previously available DVD edition.

The special features come up a bit light on the Armageddon Blu-ray disc. This release of the film only includes a couple of trailers and the Aerosmith music video for their song “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, leaving behind the multitude of extras from the 2-disc Criterion Collection DVD. Fans of the film will definitely want to pick up the Blu-ray for the amazing upgrade in picture and sound. But don’t get rid of your DVDs if you care to listen to commentary or watch deleted scenes, interviews or featurettes.

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If I had the power to name this week, I think I would have to dub it “The Mighty Catalogue Release Week”…or something like that. I mean, there are a couple of major new releases this week but my god, there are a ton of amazing older titles hitting shelves today. It’s tough to be interested in a new title when so many of my favourite oldies are hitting Blu today. But to be truthful here, there isn’t really a clunker in this list. Including the discs that didn’t make my top 5. They’re all worth a look!

But if I had to put them in order of preference, to pick a Top 5, this is what I’d end up with:

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1. THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS

If you’ve read this blog in the past, you know that I’m an unabashed Terry Gilliam fan. And while there are a whole host of his films that just plain don’t work for me, I can’t count the The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus among them. It’s not his best flik, by far, but it manages to incorporate so many themes and images from his past work that I couldn’t help but feel warmly toward it. It’s good stuff. I may not have had a chance to check out the Blu-ray disc yet, but it’s so jam packed with goodies I’m willing to bet it’s the best new disc available this week!

Note: The Canadian release of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is still a week away. E1 Entertainment will get the Blu-ray into shops north of the 49th parallel on May 4th.

Amazon: $22.99

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2. DUNE

I can’t wait to get my hands on this Blu-ray edition of David Lynch‘s Dune! Not because there’s any new content on the disc, or additional cuts of the film, or anything fun or different here. Nope. It’s just the plain old vanilla original cut of the film with most of the extras from the last DVD incarnation. But you know what? That’s enough for me. I’m so excited to get a chance to see Dune in 1080p!

Amazon: $18.99

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3. TOMBSTONE

I love Tombstone! It’s far from a perfect film (there’s a lot of hokey, tired dialogue and melodrama) but this 1993 western about the famous showdown between Wyatt Earp and the Cowboys boasts a damn-near perfect cast – Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Billy Bob Thornton, Charlton Heston and the list goes on and on! The disc is stunning, the best the film has ever looked but far from textbook perfect. Still worth a purchase, if you’re a fan of the film or of westerns in general.

Amazon: $20.99

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4. ELIZABETH, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

I’m still dying to see Elizabeth: The Golden Age. It’s making the list this week only as a companion to the first film, which has been a favourite of mine for years now. Incredible costumes and production design, beautiful, rich photography and a riveting performance from Cate Blanchett are the obvious reasons to grab this disc but don’t overlook the fact that Elizabeth features a healthy dose of religious tension, political conspiracy, sex, violence, and war – the stuff that all epic stories are made of!

Amazon: $17.99, $19.49

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5. RIDE WITH THE DEVIL

I’ll admit that I wasn’t blown away by Ride with the Devil. I was expecting a lot more from it. I’m a big fan of Ang Lee and will gladly watch any film he makes but something about this one just didn’t click with me. That said, I’m more than excited to give it another shot on this brand new Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition. There aren’t as many special features as you’d expect from a Criterion disc, but a couple of commentary tracks, the one with Lee and writer James Shamus in particular, might shed some light on why I didn’t connect with this odd civil war epic. This one is a renter for me but totally worth a look.

Amazon: $26.99

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ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:

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[flv:BatmanUnderTheRedHood.flv 640 360]

I’ve been waiting for more news regarding the next DC Universe animated offering from Warner and finally, here it is! A press release outlining the details of Batman: Under the Red Hood just hit my inbox and I’ve got to tell you, I’m excited as hell about this film. These animated offerings from Bruce Timm and his crack team of 80-minute storytellers just keep getting better and better. And I’m sure this one will follow the pattern of providing the tightest superhero stories with the tightest animation this side of anime.

Because I’m a little short on time here (still haven’t had a chance to get the Top 5 list for the week written and posted!) I’m going to cut the commentary short and let this press release speak for itself.

UPDATE: Blu-ray package art!!

GOTHAM CITY MEETS A NEW VIGILANTE WITH A MYSTERIOUS, VIOLENT TWIST IN

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD

STELLAR VOICE CAST FEATURES BRUCE GREENWOOD, JENSEN ACKLES & NEIL PATRICK HARRIS IN
ALL-NEW DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE
FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO ON JULY 27, 2010 
SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY AND 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION DVD INCLUDE DC SHOWCASE SHORT, JONAH HEX
  
BURBANK, CA (April 27, 2010) – Batman confronts new enemies, old foes and painful memories when a powerful vigilante with a penchant for violence comes to Gotham City in the intense graphic-novel-come-to-life Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next entry in the popular ongoing series of DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movies coming July 27, 2010 from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The full-length film will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition version on Blu-Ray™ and 2 disc DVD for $29.99 (SRP) and $24.98 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP). The film will also be available On Demand and for Download.

The stellar voice cast has Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike in the 2009 blockbuster Star Trek) donning the famed cowl as the voice of Batman. Supernatural star Jensen Ackles is Red Hood, and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) voices Nightwing. John DiMaggio (Futurama) and Jason Issacs (the Harry Potter films) round out the main cast as The Joker and Ra’s Al Ghul, respectively.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is scripted by award-winning comics writer Judd Winick and based on his popular 2005 comics storyline and subsequent comics graphic novel of the same name. Animation guru Bruce Timm returns as executive producer, as he has for all eight DC Universe animated original movies. Director is Brandon Vietti, who served as co-director of Superman Doomsday and was responsible for the first one-third of that film, including the fatal battle between the two title characters.

In Batman: Under the Red Hood, Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following the same ethical code. Killing is an option. And when The Joker falls in the balance between the two, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened.

Fans will be treated to an incredible package of DC Universe storytelling as the Special Edition Blu-Ray and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD include the second animated short in the all-new DC Showcase series – which features the popular DC Comics character, Jonah Hex.  The short is scripted by renowned author Joe Lansdale and stars the voices of Thomas Jane (Hung), Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Michelle Trachtenberg (Mercy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder).

Batman: Under the Red Hood – 2 Disc Special Edition DVD will have more than two hours of fascinating bonus features, including:

• Featurette – Robin’s Story – It was decided it was time to add a fresh face into the story mix, which turned out to be Dick Grayson, aka Robin. This is the story of Dick Grayson and how he transformed into Robin, with Batman as his father-figure role model.
• Extended Sneak Peek at the next DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movie.
• Widescreen (1.78:1)
• Two title-themed episodes from of Warner Bros. Animation’s 20-year history of Batman television series, hand-picked by animation legend Bruce Timm.

Batman: Under the Red Hood Special Edition Blu-Ray will have more than three hours of bonus materials, including all the great extras from the 2-disc Special Edition DVD as well as:

• Featurette: Death in the House of Batman – The story of how DC Comics heard the fans’ cry that the new Robin was not going to fit the cape, and how the Boy Wonder was scheduled to die.
• Two additional bonus Batman-themed episodes personally selected by Bruce Timm
• Digital copy

“Batman: Under the Red Hood is another terrific entry in the groundbreaking series of DC Universe animated movies, a shining representation of the adult storytelling that comics-turned-to-film has to offer, and further evidence of the combined creative power within the collaboration of DC Entertainment, Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video,” said Matt Bierman, Senior Vice President Production, Warner Premiere.
“Judd Winick’s and Doug Mahnke’s story of a Robin gone wrong introduced Batman’s most personal enemy to date.  It’s unbelievably cool to see it brought to life like this,” said Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment.

“With each exciting new chapter of the DC UNIVERSE films, fans have come to expect more – and Batman: Under the Red Hood delivers with an action-packed tale of mystery and emotional struggle brought to animated life by an outstanding filmmaking crew and voiced by the all-star talents of Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, Neil Patrick Harris and John Dimaggio,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brand Marketing.

“In his feature length solo directorial debut, Brandon Vietti has brought this dark, psychological thriller to the screen with all the action and emotion of a great Batman story,” said Sam Register, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Animation. “

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Looks like Europe is getting another sweet batch of Studio Canal Collection Blu-ray discs! This group of six titles is set to hit shops this coming September and includes a number of titles that were hinted at in the trailer we saw earlier this year. No other information is available at this time, aside from names and month of release. However, we do have package art for all six Blu-ray discs.

As mentioned in our previous article, not all of these titles will make their way to North America, as the licenses for them are held by different studios in the various territories (for instance in the USA The Graduate is from MGM, The Pianist from Universal, etc.) But considering we may not see Mulholland Drive or Delicatessen on Blu here on this side of the Atlantic anytime soon, I can certainly see myself doing a little importing come September.

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