This has got to be some of the most exciting Blu-ray news so far this year. And that’s really saying something in a year jam-packed with incredible news and releases on the format! Lionsgate and American Zoetrope, Francis Ford Coppola‘s film studio, have announced a multi-year home entertainment distribution agreement which will see them bringing his acclaimed film Apocalypse Now to Blu-ray this October. Even more exciting, as far as I’m concerned, is that this deal will cover the eventual release of Coppola’s The Conversation, a film I consider to be his finest and one of my all-time favourites from any director.

From the press release:

“With new transfers supervised directly by Coppola, Apocalypse Now will premiere on Blu-ray in two deluxe editions: the 2-Film Set and the 3-disc Full Disclosure Edition. The 2-Film Set will include both Apocalypse Now – The 1979 Cut and Apocalypse Now Redux and will also include over nine hours of special features. The Full Disclosure Edition will include the seminal making-of documentary Hearts of Darkness, a 48-page collectible booklet and storyboard, photo and marketing archives.”

No word yet regarding the timing of the release of The Conversation on Blu but rest assured, we’ll stay on top of it and let you know as soon as we hear anything.

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APOCALYPSE NOW: TWO DISC SPECIAL EDITION

(October 19, 2010 – MSRP $39.95)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio

Special Features:

• Apocalypse Now – The 1979 Cut and Apocalypse Now Redux
• “A Conversation with Martin Sheen” interview by Francis Ford Coppola
• “An Interview with John Milius” interview by Francis Ford Coppola
• Complete Francis Ford Coppola interview with Roger Ebert at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival
• Monkey Sampan “lost scene”
• Additional Scenes
• “Destruction of the Kurtz Compound” end credits with audio commentary by Francis Ford Coppola
• “The Hollow Men,” video of Marlon Brando reading T.S. Eliot’s poem
• “The Birth of 5.1 Sound” featurette
• “Ghost Helicopter Flyover” sound effects demonstration
• “A Million Feet of Film: The Editing of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “The Music of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “The Synthesizer Soundtrack” article by music synthesizer inventor Bob Moog
• “Heard Any Good Movies Lately? The Sound Design of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “The Final Mix” featurette
• “Apocalypse Then and Now” featurette
• “The Color Palette of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “PBR Streetgang” featurette
• “The Color Palette of Apocalypse Now” featurette

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APOCALYPSE NOW: THREE DISC FULL DISCLOSURE EDITION

(October 19, 2010 – MSRP $59.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p (Features), 1.33:1 1080p (Documentary)
Audio: DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio

Special Features:

• Apocalypse Now – The 1979 Cut and Apocalypse Now Redux
• “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse” including optional audio commentary with Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola
• 48-page collectible printed booklet with special note from Francis Ford Coppola, never-before-seen archives from the set, behind the scenes photos and more
• John Milius Script Excerpt with Francis Ford Coppola Notes
• Storyboard Gallery
• Photo Gallery, including images from photographer Mary Ellen Mark
• Marketing Archive
• “A Conversation with Martin Sheen” interview by Francis Ford Coppola
• “An Interview with John Milius” interview by Francis Ford Coppola
• Complete Francis Ford Coppola interview with Roger Ebert at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival
• Monkey Sampan “lost scene”
• Additional Scenes
• “Destruction of the Kurtz Compound” end credits with audio commentary by Francis Ford Coppola
• “The Hollow Men,” video of Marlon Brando reading T.S. Eliot’s poem
• “The Birth of 5.1 Sound” featurette
• “Ghost Helicopter Flyover” sound effects demonstration
• “A Million Feet of Film: The Editing of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “The Music of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “The Synthesizer Soundtrack” article by music synthesizer inventor Bob Moog
• “Heard Any Good Movies Lately? The Sound Design of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “The Final Mix” featurette
• “Apocalypse Then and Now” featurette
• “The Color Palette of Apocalypse Now” featurette
• “PBR Streetgang” featurette
• “The Color Palette of Apocalypse Now” featurette

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It’s another hot one today, here in Montreal. A great day to stay inside, crank up the AC and enjoy a new Blu-ray disc. As has frequently been the case of late, we’ve got another new release from Criterion sitting in the top spot, followed by a Hollywood blockbuster. I hate to say it though, that I’m actually most excited about my #4 pick this week. Perhaps its a result of coming off a week of Comic Con updates or perhaps I’m just in the mood for something animated but I can’t wait to sink my teeth into DC Comics next superhero cartoon feature! Those things just keep getting better and better!

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1. THE SECRET OF THE GRAIN

The Secret of the Grain is one of the films that Criterion is bringing to Blu-ray through their deal with IFC. It’s a stirring drama charting the struggles of a complex French-Arab family in the French port town of Sète, where Tunisian immigrant Simane lives with his lover and her daughter, while opening a restaurant specializing in his ex-wife’s couscous and fish – a controversial decision that throws the family into anarchy.

Special Features:

• High-definition digital master, approved by director Abdellatif Kechiche with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• New video interview with Kechiche
• Sueur, Kechiche’s extended reedit of the climactic belly-dancing sequence, featuring a new video introduction by the director
• New video interview with film scholar Ludovic Cortade
• Excerpt from a 20 heures television interview with Kechiche and actress Hafsia Herzi
• Video interviews with Herzi, actress Bouraouïa Marzouk, and the film’s musicians
• Theatrical trailer
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Wesley Morris

Amazon: $30.99

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2. CLASH OF THE TITANS

Clash of the Titans – yes, the remake this time, not the Harryhausen original – arrives on Blu-ray without the much derided post-production 3-D process partly responsible for the unfavourable response to the film when it debuted in theatres. Will this high-octane retelling of the 80s classic film about the Gods of Greek myth fare better now that its on home video, safely tucked away from the competitive environment of the big screen?

Amazon: $24.99

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3. IP MAN

Who doesn’t love Donnie Yen? And really, who doesn’t love Bruce Lee? Just stop yourself if you’re about to answer in the negative, because I’d really like us to remain pals. Ip Man is the story of the Wing Chun master who would go on to teach Lee everything he knew. The film features some of the most stunning fight choreography you’re likely to see on film while remaining down-to-Earth and faithful to the real-life story of Ip Man. See this film before the sequel hits! Highly Recommended!

Amazon: $20.99

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4. BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD

The Purolator man literally just delivered my review screener of Batman: Under the Red Hood. And now I’m wishing that I didn’t have to go into the office and could stay home and geek out with this newest DC Comics animated hero-fest! I’ve heard great things about this film but, despite my enthusiasm, I’m not getting my hopes up too high for it to deliver. The story seems a little obvious to me, with the unfortunate inclusion of characters that break the vibe of the noir, realistic setting that Batman stories excel within (is Amazo, a robotic villain from the Universe spanning Justice League story really the right choice of adversary for this tale?) That said, bring it on! I can’t wait to watch!

Amazon: $19.99

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5. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON

You might recall that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was previously released on Blu-ray, exclusively in a 3-disc set from Sony (read my full review here.) Well, now it’s finally available on its own in a brand new Blu-ray edition that is identical in every way to the previous disc, with the exception that it adds a brilliant new commentary from cinematographer Peter Pau! Is it worth ditching your old disc for the new? Probably not. But completists and über-fans of the film should take note.

Amazon: $16.99

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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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It looks like IGN‘s Blu-ray reporters have nabbed the inside scoop on the layout and special features of the upcoming Complete Grindhouse Collection Blu-ray 2-Disc set. And let me tell you, it looks pretty sweet. But be warned, as “Complete” as the set might claim to be, it is missing one vital piece of the Grindhouse puzzle – Machete is nowhere to be found! That’s right folks, as Machete is no longer only a faux-trailer, and exists outside of the Grindhouse collection as a full-fledged feature film in its own right, Vivendi Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have yanked it from the playlist. Outside of that one glaring omission, everything seems to be in order here. I’m just curious how compressed the films are going to be, now that they’ll be squished together onto one disc. Time and review screeners will tell…

GRINDHOUSE

Temp German Package Art shown above
(October 5, 2010 – MSRP $39.95)
Video: 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

Disc 1 – Theatrical Exhibition:

• Grindhouse Feature (Planet Terror)
• Intermission Cards
• Don’t Trailer
• Werewolf Women of the S.S Trailer
• Thanksgiving Trailer
• Grindhouse Feature (Death Proof)

Disc 2

Planet Terror
• Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Film School
• The Badass Babes of Planet Terror
• The Guys of Planet Terror
• Casting Rebel
• Sickos, Bullets, And Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror
• The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent
• Planet Terror Poster Gallery

Death Proof

• Stunts On Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
• Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
• The Guys of Death Proof
• Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
• Finding Quentin’s Gals
• The Uncut Version of “Baby, It’s You” performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
• Introducing Zoe Bell
• Double Dare Trailer
• Death Proof Extended Music
• Death Proof Poster Gallery

Plus these all-new bonus features:

• Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Cooking School
• The Makeup Effects of Planet Terror
• The Hot Rods of Death Proof
• From Texas to Tennessee: The Production Design of Death Proof
• Trailers
• Extended Werewolf Women of The SS Trailer
• View Extended Cut Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer with Commentary by Director Rob Zombie
• The Making Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer
• Extended Don’t Trailer
• View Extended Cut Of Don’t Trailer with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
• The Making of Don’t Trailer
• Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison
• View Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
• Don’t Storyboards Still Gallery
• Don’t Poster
• The Making of Thanksgiving Trailer
• New York Times Talk with Quention Tarantino and Lynn Hirschberg at Comic Con 2006 Featuring the Directors and Cast of Grindhouse
• Grindhouse Trailer Contest Winner Hobo With A Shotgun

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I…don’t even know how to describe Tom Six‘s bat-shit crazy indie sensation The Human Centipede. It’s one of those schlocky yet inventive love-it-or-hate-it films that I’m certain you can categorize for yourself by nature of the title. It’s headed to Blu-ray in October and we’ve got the cover art for you. Details are pending (the list of special features below is from the Eureka UK release) but rest assured, we’ll update the article when we know more.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE

(October 5, 2010 – MSRP $29.98)
Video: 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features – TBA but may include:

• The Making of…
• Interview with Tom Six
• Casting
• Foley Session
• Deleted Scene
• Original Theatrical Trailer

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I stopped watching Heroes ages ago but admit to being morbidly curious about where the series ended up. This trailer, with its slightly out-of-sync audio doesn’t really offer me too much or make me want to rush out and spend $56 on Amazon to check it out. But if somebody wants to lend me their boxed sets for a couple of weeks, I certainly wouldn’t turn them down…

HEROES: SEASON 4

(August 3, 2010 – MSRP $79.98)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p VC-1
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

• U-Control
• Picture-in-picture: Video commentaries with Tim Kring, Nate Goodman, Charlie Lieberman, Adam Armus, Kay Foster and series stars, Robert Knepper, Adrian Pasdar and Greg Grunberg (BD-exclusive)
• Audio commentaries:
  • Once Upon a Time in Texas
  • Shadowboxing
  • The Fifth Stage
  • Brave New World
• Hero Connections (BD-exclusive)
• Featurettes:
  • Deconstructing Sylar: Discussion with Tim Kring, Adam Armus and Zachary Quinto.
  • Milo Speaks: Milo Vetimiglia talks about his career as an actor and his role on Heroes.
  • Heroes Revolution: Tim Kring and Heroes New Media Creatives discuss the importance of a web series for a hit television show and how New Media entertainment is created.
  • Genetics of Scene: An on-going series for fans. The cast and crew of “Heroes” provide an in-depth look at the production process of creating specific scenes.
  • Behind the Big Top: Dennis Hammer, Robert Knepper, Ray Park and Dawn Oliviera give a behind-the-scenes look at a hit television series with a perspective to joining the crew (BD-exlusive)
• Screensaver: Sullivan Brothers Design Gallery screensaver for your television.
• Deleted and extended scenes (some BD-exclusive)
• BD-Live
• My Scenes
• pocket BLU

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