It’s been a hell of a week. I don’t know if you’ve been following Twitter as we suffer through the odyssey that is keeping The Blu-ray Blog online, but I’ve been forced to take the site down and rebuild it TWICE in the last seven days! You know Blu-ray disc has finally hit the big-time when little sites that talk about it, like this one, become targets. I’m really sorry if the non-stop barrage of spam ads has upset your enjoyment of the site. I’m desperately trying to fend these jerks off and promise to keep on top of it, as best as I can. So, that said, seeing as how this post is already a day late and I’m totally wiped out keeping up with all of this nonsense, I’m just going to lay this list out for you without much, if any insightful commentary. Here we go…

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1. THE LEOPARD

My god. Look at that. Even the compressed YouTube clip above, culled from Criterion‘s latest release, Visconti‘s 1963 film, The Leopard looks ridiculously brilliant! YouTube isn’t supposed to look that good! Drool…

I’m sure you’re not surprised that I’m recommending that you spend your hard-earned cash on another Criterion title, but this one, according to reports, might very well be a contender for Blu-ray Disc of the Year. I haven’t picked it up yet so I’m not speaking from first hand knowledge here but my money is on this new release of The Leopard being pretty damn spectacular. Check out the special features:

SPECIAL EDITION:

• High-definition digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Giuseppe Rotunno, with restored image and sound and presented in the original Super Technirama aspect ratio of 2.21:1 (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• The 161-minute American release, with English-language dialogue, including Burt Lancaster’s own voice
• Audio commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie
• A Dying Breed: The Making of The Leopard, an hour-long documentary featuring interviews with Claudia Cardinale, screenwriter Suso Ceccho D’Amico, Rotunno, filmmaker Sydney Pollack, and many others
• Video interview with producer Goffredo Lombardo
• Video interview with professor Millicent Marcus on the history behind The Leopard
• Original theatrical trailers and newsreels
• Stills gallery of rare behind-the-scenes production photos
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film historian Michael Wood

Amazon: $36.49

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2. EVERLASTING MOMENTS

That’s right…another Criterion Collection Blu-ray has been released this week. Everlasting Moments by Swedish director Jan Troell, exhibits a striking visual style modeled after turn of the century photography. Absolutely gorgeous!

Amazon: $29.99

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3. THE WHITE RIBBON

If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. And if you can’t handle being disturbed and unsettled by a film, you’d best avoid Michael Haneke‘s latest unflinching gaze into the darkest heart of mankind, The White Ribbon. Great, ghostly black and white visuals add the sinister tale a layer of subtle depth. Highly recommended for those who can handle it.

Amazon: $36.99

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4. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

Yep. Hot Tub Time Machine. How do we go from Haneke to this? Sigh…

Anyway, look, I haven’t even seen this yet. Fox literally just sent me a copy so I’ll most likely be checking it out tonight. But I’ve heard pretty god things about the film – doesn’t even try to take itself seriously, great performances, all around fun – you know the drill. And as it’s new, I expect the transfer to be top notch.

Amazon: $24.99

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5. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF

This is another one of those Blu-ray discs that just showed up at my doorstep, courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment. So, no, I haven’t seen it yet either. I include Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief here solely on the basis of my 10-year old nephew’s recommendation. Max absolutely loved the film. I’ve read elsewhere that it’s abominable. As long as it hits its target market, I guess it can’t be all bad, right? Urgh…

Amazon: $24.99

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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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After at least a years worth of solid rumours, Universal has finally just confirmed the upcoming Blu-ray release of the Back to the Future Trilogy boxed set! We had pretty decent studio confirmation that the discs would street sometime in 2010, after the fake trade ad debacle of a few months back but now we’ve got all the details and a firm release date of October 26th straight from the horses mouth!

As excited as I am to check out these new “restored” editions of the films in their brand spanking new high-def transfers, I’m equally as jazzed to sink my teeth into the 2-hours worth of newly produced special features! I know that the ‘Tales from the Future‘ six-part doc will be a highlight for me (if you read The Blu-ray Blog with any frequency, I’m sure you’re aware of my deep appreciation for a feature length behind-the-scenes documentary) but I’ve got to say that I’m especially thrilled to see what physicist Dr. Michio Kaku has to say in ‘The Physics of Back To The Future‘. I remember him fondly from his appearances on The Screen Savers with Leo Laporte, back in the glory days of Tech TV before it got chewed up and spit out as G4. Sigh…memories…

BACK TO THE FUTURE: 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRILOGY

(October 26, 2010 – MSRP $79.98)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

• U-Control (BD-exclusive):
  • Setups & Payoffs: As you watch each of the three films, each “set up” showcases items in the scene that prepare you for a future plot point. When you get to that moment in the film, the “payoff” is shown to complete the correlation.
  • Storyboard Comparison: Compare key scenes in the movie with the original storyboards.
  • Trivia Track: Get inside trivia and facts while you watch the movies
• Q&A commentaries with director Robert Zemeckis and producer Bob Gale
• Feature commentaries with producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton
• Back to the Future Night: hosted by Leslie Nielson, this original 30-minute special aired on NBC prior to the first television screening of the Back to the Future (new, BD-exclusive)
• Tales from the Future: new six-part retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Director Robert Zemeckis, Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton, plus Executive Producer Steven Spielberg*
  • In the Beginning…: Delve into the genesis of the project, casting, re-casting, the DeLorean, sets and overall pre-production.
  • Time to Go: Production stories through the release of the first film.
  • Keeping Time: The score and the songs of the Back to the Future Trilogy.
  • Time Flies: Learn more about how the sequel came about, the futuristic look, the special and visual effects, recreating 1955 and more.
  • Third Time’s the Charm: Learn about building a western town, Doc Brown’s love story, the casting of Mary Steenburgen, the train sequence and completing the Trilogy.
  • The Test of Time: Back to the Future becomes a phenomenon! President Reagan quotes the film, the Back to the Future ride opens at Universal Studios theme park and fans rebuild the iconic DeLorean. The film’s cast and crew take a look back and discuss why these beloved movies live on.
• The Physics of Back to the Future: A discussion with celebrity best-selling author and physicist Dr. Michio Kaku about the overall appreciation of the science in the Back to the Future Trilogy*
• Nuclear test site ending storyboard sequence: Storyboard sequence of the original proposed ending of the film.*
• Sixteen deleted scenes
• Michael J. Fox Q&A
• Archival featurettes:
  • Making the Trilogy: Chapters One, Two & Three: Original 2002 DVD documentary that takes a look back in time.
  • The Making of Back to the Future Part I, II & III: Provides a vintage and historic first look at the making of all three films.
  • The Secrets of the Back to the Future Trilogy: a televised special hosted by Kirk Cameron addressing fans unanswered Back to the Future questions.
• Behind-the-scenes:
  • Outtakes
  • Original makeup tests
  • Production design
  • Storyboarding
  • Designing the DeLorean
  • Designing time travel
  • Hoverboard test
  • Designing Hill Valley
  • Designing the campaign
• Back to the Future: The Ride
• Music Videos:
  • Huey Lewis and the News “Power of Love”
  • ZZ Top “DoubleBack”
• Photo galleries, including production art, additional storyboards, photographs, marketing materials and character portraits
• Theatrical trailers
• BD-Live
• My Scenes
• pocket BLU: USHE’s pocket BLU app uses iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Blackberry, Android, Windows and Macintosh computers and more to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray player and offers advanced features such as:
  • Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.
  • Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in their favorite episode.
  • Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
  • Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
  • Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray player with your device’s easy and intuitive keyboard.

* Denotes new footage debuting on the 25th Anniversary Trilogy

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Blu-ray.com has been digging deep, scouring the Euro-web for every whiff of a hint of information regarding the impending Alien Anthology Blu-ray boxed set from Fox. And thanks to mega-sites Planete HD and DVD Duell they’ve come up with the gold – a long, long list of potential bonus features, packaging ideas and a possible French release date. BAM! Well done, guys. Details below:

Those pics up there are concepts for the possible Alien: Ultra Collector’s Limited Edition boxed set that is said to feature 6-Blu-ray discs and 4-DVDs! Now, who can say for sure, at this point, if this will come to pass, but Blu-ray.com is reporting that the set above, as well as the regular, plain vanilla Collector’s Boxed Set (containing only the 6 BDs in boxed-set packaging we previewed a few months back) will be on French shelves on October 6th, listing for €129.99 and €59.98 respectively.

The lengthy list of special features they’ve compiled is, no doubt incomplete but provides an early look at what we might expect to see in a few months time. I’m personally hoping that most of the items listed below are chapter headers for a longer-form documentary, instead of a ton of tiny shorts. I hate clicking through those trivial tiny things, bit by bit, over and over again, just to get behind-the-scenes goodies that would have been better off in a doc. You hear me, Disney?!

Ahem…

Keep in mind, the packaging, details and dates are all still unofficial but we’ll let you know if any confirmation crops up from the studio.

Special Features:

Alien

• Director’s audio commentary, plus cast and technical crew
• Display Graphics (5’36″)
• Display Graphics (4’05″)
• Isolated score (composer’s original)
• Isolated score (final theatrical)
• Multi-angle sequence: Chestburster (with optional commentary by Ridley Scott)
• Shock & Awe: The Return of Alien with Danny Boyle (25’01″)
• Sigourney Weaver Screen Test: Cockpit Scene, Take 1 (2’48″)
• Sigourney Weaver Screen Test: Planning Scene, Take 2 (1’50″)
• Spaceballs Clip (1’45″)

Aliens

• Becoming Vasquez (1’07″)
• Building Hadley’s Hope (3’28″)
• Cameron’s Cutting Edge (1’32″)
• Cameron’s Design Philosophy (2’15″)
• Cameron’s Military Interests (1’26″)
• Colonial Marines Helmet-Cams (5’08″)
• Dailies: James Remar as Hicks (3’46″)
• Deleted Scenes (4’05″)
• Family Guy Clip (0’27″)
• Fighting the Facehugger (1’17″)
• Finding an Unused Power Plant (2’08″)
• The First Casting of Hicks (4’44″)
• From Producer to Stunt Double (2’03″)
• I Can’t Breazhe (0’38″)
• The Importance of Being Bishop (1’27″)
• Isolated score
• Main Title Explorations (2’59″)
• More Tales from Tea Time (6’44″)
• On Set: Infiltrating the Colony (3’14″)
• Origins of Ascheron (2’05″)
• Paul Reiser on Carter Burke (1’01″)
• The Paxton/Cameron Connection (2’17″)
• POD Credits (0’25″)
• Praising Stan Winston (1’40″)
• Previsualizations: multi-angle videomatics (with optional commentary by Pat McClung)
• Props: Personal Light Unit (0’36″)
• Re-Enlisting with Cameron (1’23″)
• Ride at the Speed of Fright (Sim. Ride Video/Pre-Show Video) (10’20″
• Ripley’s Heartbreak (3’49″)
• Sigourney Weaver’s Triumph (1’38″)
• Simon Atherton talks Weapons (2’00″)
• Stan Winston’s Challenge (1’46″)
• Stan Winston’s Legacy (2’35″)
• Test Footage: Chestburster (1’19″)
• Test Footage: Facehugger (7’27″)
• Test Footage: Queen Alien (4’47″)
• Weyland -Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers (3’45″)
• Without Sigourney Weaver (1’29″)
• Working with Sigourney Weaver (5’25″)

Alien 3

• The Art of Storyboarding (2’32″)
• Bald Cap Blues (2’40″)
• Bragging Rights (1’01″)
• Costuming the Character (1’37″)
• Creating Alien Sounds from the Scratch (2’23″)
• Dangerous Location Recording (1’47″)
• Detailing the EEV Miniature (1’27″)
• Explaining the Wooden Plant (2’44″)
• Ezra Swerdlow’s Concerns (1’08″)
• Fincher’s Alienation (3’40″)
• Head Casting with Charles Dutton (2’51″)
• Hick’s Alternate Future (1’54″)
• How to make Alien Acid Saliva (1’10″)
• Intimidating Baldies (1’58″)
• Lance Henriksen returns in Style (1’19″)
• Matte Painting Memories (8’01″)
• Mixed Reactions (3’50″)
• On Set: Filming the Alien’s POV (2’24″)
• On Set: Filming the Oxburster (3’10″)
• Painful Low End Frequencies (0’45″)
• POD Credits (0’25″)
• The Power of Silence (3’13″)
• Renny Harlin quits (1’51″)
• Ripley’s Evolution (2’12″)
• Roaming the Fury 161 Set (3’59″)
• Sausage-motivated Alien Whippet (2’01″)
• Stealing Sigourney’s Top (0’55″)
• Sucking up to Fincher (6’30″)
• The Sulaco’s Cameo (1’05″)
• Theatrical isolated score
• The Weaver Wagger (2’26″)

Alien Resurrection

• Abandoning the Bug Opening (4’08″)
• Alien Resurrection POD Credits (0’25″)
• Animating Underwater Aliens (3’12″)
• The Art of Slime (2’30″)
• Becoming a Film Composer (1’34″)
• Breaking the Language Barrier (4’39″)
• The Burden of Temp Music (1’55″)
• The Cloning Process (4’44″)
• Considering Giger’s Legacy (3’03″)
• Costuming the Betty Crew (1’23″)
• Creating Ripley’s New Look (3’18″)
• Designing the Newborn (1’35″)
• Downsizing the Design (1’58″)
• Dueling Design Sensibilities (1’54″)
• Ending after Ending after Ending (5’26″)
• The Evolution of the Alien (4’10″)
• Future Franchise Directions (6’33″)
• HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
• Intentially Uncomfortable Costumes (1’47″)
• Newborn Dick Removal (1’43″)
• Preparing for Action (2’49″)
• Remembering the Premiere (1’57″)
• The Storyboard Bible (1’20″)
• Surviving the Shoot (4’13″)
• Swimming with Aliens (2’25″)
• Theatrical isolated score
• VFX: Knifing Ripley’s Hand (2’11″)
• VFX: Shooting Miniatures (1’21″)
• Winona Ryder answers the Call (2’10″)

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I’ve been waiting for Stardust to be released on Blu-ray for what seems like an age. I was so upset to have missed out on seeing it in the cinema but dead set against picking it up on home video at the time it was initially released. You see, it was only released on DVD and HD-DVD. And, though I had yet to purchase my PS3, I knew it was in the cards for me. I was already a Blu-ray guy, way back then. So, it’s with great relief to me that Paramount has finally given in and announced the impending release of Matthew Vaughn‘s adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess‘ Stardust. It better live up to all my pent up expectations…or else!

STARDUST

(September 7, 2010 – MSRP $29.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

• Commentary by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman
• Crossing the Wall: The Making of Stardust (in HD)
• Nothing Is True…
• Deleted scenes
• Blooper reel
• Theatrical trailer (in HD)

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This has been a frustrating week. I’ve had to perform something of an exorcism on The Blu-ray Blog over the last couple of days, as some jerk (or jerks, as the case may be) had taken over the RSS feed, replacing Blu-ray titles and details with pharma-spam. It’s only fitting then that we return, now playing a little announcement catch-up, by giving you the rundown of Warner‘s upcoming 2-Disc Blu-ray release of William Friedkin‘s The Exorcist!

Included in the set are both versions of the famous 1973 film. Friedkin says, “After my final cut of the original The Exorcist, I took out 12 more minutes before we actually released it in theatres. Years later, Bill Blatty asked if I’d consider reviewing some of that rejected footage (which he always felt should have remained) with an eye towards putting it into a new version. Bill gave me the best piece of material I’ve ever received and because of that and because the film had such a major reputation over some 25 years, I agreed to revisit all these scenes. When I saw them, I came to realize that Bill was, in fact, right. With technical advances, scenes that didn’t work then could now be fixed with CGI and there were others that I thought strengthened the spiritual aspect of the film. Warner agreed and released a whole new theatrical print in 2000 which we called The Exorcist: The Version You’ve Never Seen. And I now agree with Blatty that this is the best and most complete version.”

And apparently both edits will look and sound pretty decent on Blu, at least according to WHV Executive VP & General Manager, Theatrical Catalog, Jeff Baker, “Generally speaking, sourcing relevant and provocative film assets for older films (30 years and older), is difficult, and more often than not, proves to be unsuccessful. The never before seen behind the camera treasure trove of material that consumers will see in The Exorcist Blu-ray release is one of the great finds in modern day home entertainment history. Laurent Bouzereau, an acclaimed documentarian, has blended this archival rare footage with updated present day interviews to create a masterpiece that will be treasured and studied for decades to come.”

Now, there’s always the chance that Friedkin has butchered the films for their Blu-ray presentation, as he did The French Connection release a couple of years back. Let’s pray that it won’t be the case but rest assured the Bouzereau docs and bonus features alone will make this set worth owning, whatever the state of the films.

THE EXORCIST

(October 5, 2010 – MSRP $34.99)
40-page Hardcover Digibook
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

Disc 1 – Extended Director’s Cut (2000)

• Commentary by William Friedkin
• NEW BD Exclusive: Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist — set footage produced and photographed by Owen Roizman, camera and makeup tests, and interviews with director William Friedkin, actress Linda Blair, author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty and Owen Roizman.
• NEW BD Exclusive: The Exorcist Locations: GeorgetownThen and Now — Featuring a tour of the iconic locations where the film was shot.
• NEW BD Exclusive: Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist — with director William Friedkin and author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty discussing the different versions of the film and featuring outtakes from the film.
• Trailers, TV Spots & Radio Spots from the film’s 2000 release
• Trailers
  • The Version You’ve Never Seen
  • Our Deepest Fears
• TV Spots
  • Most Electrifying
  • Scariest Ever
  • Returns
• Radio Spots
  • The Devil Himself
  • Our Deepest Fears

Disc 2 – Theatrical Cut (1973)

• Introduction by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
• The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist [1998 BBC documentary
• Additional Interviews with William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty
  • The Original Cut
  • Stairway to Heaven
  • The Final Reckoning
• Original Ending
• Sketches & Storyboards
• Trailers
  • Nobody Expected It
  • Beyond Comprehension
  • Flash Image
• TV Spots
  • Beyond Comprehension
  • You Too Can See The Exorcist
  • Between Science & Superstition
  • The Movie You’ve Been Waiting For
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