I bought my nephew the opening multi-part saga of the new Transformers Prime animated show on DVD for Christmas this year. We watched the Darkness Rising disc on boxing day (see the trailer embedded up above) and I’ve got to say, outside of the clunky, chunky and unattractive character designs of the human children, this show knocked my socks off! Great story, fun animation and plenty of awesome Transformers action. Oh, and zombie-robots. There are zombie-robots in this thing!! Awesome! I’m glad to see that Shout! Factory is biting the bullet and putting this series on Blu-ray. I’m looking forward to watching the remaining episodes when the Transformers Prime: Season One Blu-ray arrives in shops on March 6th.

From the press release:

“Prepare to experience the world of TRANSFORMERS PRIME like never before with perfect picture visuals and the purest digital sound available when the entire first season of the award-winning CGI animated series TRANSFORMERS PRIME arrives in stores everywhere in North America on March 6, 2012 in a deluxe 4-DVD set and a Limited Edition 4-Disc Blu-ray™ collection from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios.

Both the DVD and Blu-ray collections of TRANSFORMERS PRIME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON boast all 26 action-packed episodes (including the 5-part miniseries Darkness Rising) and special bonus content. For a limited time only, TRANSFORMERS PRIME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Limited Edition 4-Disc Blu-ray contains a 96-page IDW graphic novel based on this hit series.

Delivering a new level of heavy metal action and family entertainment for all ages, the limited edition Blu-ray collection is priced to own at $64.99 SRP. The deluxe 4-DVD set is sold separately and has a suggested retail price of $ 29.93 SRP.

The TRANSFORMERS saga starts a new chapter as old foes return, legendary heroes rise, and new ones are found in unlikely places. The new EMMY Award winning series TRANSFORMERS PRIME, A Hasbro Studios production, currently airs on The HUB television network in the U.S. and Teletoons in Canada, deepens the epic mythology of both the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS, while starting a new chapter for a new generation of fans.

In early 2011, loyal TRANSFORMERS fans, as well as families and kids, were introduced to this visually stunning five-part miniseries on The HUB. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, AUTOBOT Ratchet, Bulkhead, and many others are back to “roll out” against Megatron’s latest attempt to conquer Earth. And Megatron proves to be more powerful than ever, having acquired a rare element that allows him mastery over life itself. OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTBOTS may be few against the Decepticon hordes, but they find increased strength through bonds forged with three human teenagers.

Season One of TRANSFORMERS PRIME boasts an all-star voice cast, including Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Steve Blum, Jeffrey Combs, Adam Baldwin, Markie Post, Ernie Hudson, among other notables. TRANSFORMERS PRIME is produced by Hasbro Studios, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Kline serving as executive producers. Kurtzman and Orci served as writers for the feature films TRANSFORMERS and TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME recently garnered two Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation and six Emmy nominations. “

TRANSFORMERS PRIME: SEASON ONE
(March 6, 2012 – MSRP $64.99)
Video: 1080p
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1

Special Features:

• Original Making of Special
• 15 Audio Commentaries with the Creative Team and Voice Cast
• Toy Featurette
• Season Two Teaser Debuted at New York Comic-Con 2011

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Said to be one of last year’s finest horror films and one of the best films of 2011 all around, Pedro Almodovar‘s The Skin I Live In comes to Blu-ray in a months time. The UK disc hit shops over a month ago, during the holidays, and is apparently quite fantastic to look at but is somewhat lacking in the special features department. Sony appears to have rectified that issue for the North American release, which includes Red Carpet footage, a Q&A with the director and a 7-part ‘Making Of’ doc. Really looking forward to this one. I loves me some Almodovar just about as much as I loves me some horror films!

THE SKIN I LIVE IN
(March 6, 2012 – MSRP $45.99)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features

• The Making of The Skin I Live In seven-part documentary
• Q&A with Pedro Almodóvar
• On the Red Carpet: New York Premiere featurette

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After the reveal this week of Universal‘s package art for their upcoming March release of the new Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy film on Blu-ray, I can’t help but think that perhaps they should look to Acorn‘s art for their BD release of the 1979 6-episode series of the same name for some design cues. Whoo! The Universal cover is a real stinker. I mean, did the home video arm of the studio not bother to give their own promo art for the theatrical release a cursory look to see how things went on their end? (Hint: it went pretty well!) Oy. Bad news. Good thing the film itself is the bomb. I’m excited to get my hands on the disc, and praying that eOne, the Canadian distributor of the film will make the cover art look a little prettier up here, north of the 49th. Either way, I know Acorn will deliver with their handsome looking Blu-ray release of the TV version a month later, on April 24th. Details of that release are still pending but will most likely match their previously released DVD version in the feature department.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011)
(March 20, 2012 – MSRP $34.98)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features

• Feature commentary with Tomas Alfredson and Gary Oldman
• Behind-the-scenes featurette
• Interviews with Tomas Alfredson, Peter Straughan, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy
• Interview with author John le Carré
• Deleted scenes

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1979)
(April 24, 2012 – MSRP $59.99)
Video: 1.33:1 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features

• TBA

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Oh man, I can’t believe Scorsese‘s Hugo has already been announced for release on Blu-ray. Didn’t it just make its theatrical debut a few weeks ago? I’m going to be gutted if I don’t get a chance to see it in 3D in the cinema, as this one was shot in the format and, apparently, takes subtle advantage of it. These shorter release windows are killing me. In any case, check out the disc details below, as Hugo will be available in two flavours at two different prices – a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo and a 3-disc set with the 3D version.

HUGO
(February 28, 2012 – MSRP $44.99 [2-disc], $54.99 [3-disc])
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

Special Features:

• Shoot the Moon (The Making of Hugo)
• The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès
• The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo
• Big Effects, Small Scale
• Sacha Baron Cohen: Role of a Lifetime

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TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON 3D
(January 31, 2012 – MSRP $54.99)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: 7.1 Dolby TrueHD

Disc 1 (Blu-ray):

• Feature film in high definition

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

• Above and Beyond: Exploring Dark of the Moon
  • Rising from the Fallen: Development and Design
  • Ready for Prime Time: Filming Across America
  • Battle in the Heartland: Shooting in Chicago
  • Attack of the Birdmen: Aerial Stunts
  • Shadow of the Sentinel: Post-Production and Release
• Uncharted Territory: NASA’s Future Then and Now
• Deconstructing Chicago: Multi-Angle Sequences
  • Previsualizations with optional commentary by director Michael Bay and previsualization supervisor Steve Yamamoto
  • Previsualizations/Final Shot Comparison with optional commentary by director Michael Bay and previsualization supervisor Steve Yamamoto
  • Visual Effects with optional commentary by visual effects supervisors Scott Farrar and Matthew Butler
  • Visual Effects/Final Shot Comparison with optional commentary by visual effects supervisors Scott Farrar and Matthew Butler
• The Art of CYBERTRON AUTOBOTS
• DECEPTICONS
• Environments
• Weapons and Gear
• Ships

Disc 3 (Blu-ray 3D):

• Feature film in high definition 3D

Disc 4 (DVD):

• Feature film in standard definition
• Digital Copy—Compatible with iTunes® and Windows Media

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It’s like all my fondest and wildest Blu-ray dreams are coming true all at once!! First the Universal Monsters films, then the Macross anime series and now a good portion of Hammer Films‘ catalogue films have all been announced for release this year. Is everyone celebrating an anniversary, or what? This is nuts! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining but my bank account is going to be mighty drained by the time December rolls around if all of these releases come to pass as they’ve been announced.

Hammer films have apparently met with the rights-holders for most (if not all) of their films and are planning a massive restoration effort, along with accompanying home video releases. Don’t ask me how they’ve managed this miracle because this sort of cross-studio planning is usually the thing of nightmares and more often than not, completely impossible. No new North American Blu-ray releases have been announced yet but the studio has made clear that the UK will be getting handsome new HD editions of Dracula, Prince of Darkness (March 5th – complete with licensed Christopher Lee, Suzan Farmer, Francis Matthews and Barbara Shelley commentary track from the 1998 Anchor Bay DVD!), The Reptile (May 7th) and Plaque of the Zombies (May 7th) through partnership with Studio Canal and Optimum Home Entertainment in the next few months. Count those discs, along with the already released (and apparently quite stunning) Quatermass And The Pit (October 2011) and Paranoiac (July 2010) discs and the UK is absolutely spoiled with Hammer Blu-ray discs, relative to our paltry (but very fine) two domestic releases – Vampire Circus and The Man Who Could Cheat Death.

Hammer have stated that North American release news is forthcoming with a Dracula, Prince of Darkness disc (that apparently matches the UK release in every way) a certainty in the coming months. I’ll post an update as soon as I hear anything. In the meantime, keep up with the Hammer restoration effort over on the studio’s excetional blog: blog.hammerfilms.com. There are already great pieces up there about their releases schedule and the issue of their films Original Aspect Ratios in both the UK and US. Bookmark and read now!

From the press release:

” 19 January 2012: In a landmark collaboration, Hammer today announced that STUDIOCANAL, Anolis Entertainment (Germany), Pinewood, illuminate Hollywood fka HTV and others are coming together to undertake a major restoration of the iconic Hammer film library. The project will bring over 30 movies into HD format for Blu-ray and new media exploitation in the 21st Century. This represents substantial investment by Hammer and its key partner STUDIOCANAL, and is testimony to the extraordinary regard with which the Hammer legacy is held internationally, with some materials for the project being provided by Hammer’s original US production partners Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures.

Dracula Prince of Darkness is the first title scheduled for release in the global restoration project and will be released in the UK in conjunction with STUDIOCANAL in March 2012. The partnership continues throughout the spring for the releases of The Reptile and The Plague of The Zombies, and will also include The Devil Rides Out, Rasputin the Mad Monk and The Mummy’s Shroud during the course of the year.

Hammer will also release definitive versions of its three hugely-influential original Gothic classics in the UK: The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy.

As well as featuring a fully-restored HD picture and restored sound, the remastered films will boast a host of newly-filmed extras, including interviews with cast members. These documentary extras are being produced by Hammer expert and historian, Marcus Hearn – author of the recent “The Hammer Vault”.

Pinewood Studios carried out the restoration of the first three Studiocanal titles after housing the original negatives for the films, restoring the original UK title sequence to The Plague of The Zombies as well as the UK title cards to Dracula Prince of Darkness.

Recently-discovered footage that was originally cut from the British version of Dracula has been restored by Molinare to the BFI’s 2007 restoration courtesy of The National Film Center at The Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. The Japanese footage features an extended and particularly gruesome death scene for Dracula, as well as a moment considered too erotic by the censors of the day.

Following the discovery and restoration of the Japanese footage to Dracula, Hammer is keen to unearth further “lost” scenes and on-set footage from The Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy and other titles in their library, and hope that any private collectors with viable unseen elements will contact the company.

In addition, Hammer will regularly be posting to a “Restoration Blog”, which will give a unique insider’s view on the entire process, from material selection right the way through to release. The blog can be followed at: http://blog.hammerfilms.com

Other companies involved in the restoration project include Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and Thought Equity Motion in the US and Cineimage and Deluxe 142 in the UK.

Simon Oakes, President and CEO of Hammer commented, “Our decision to restore some of Hammer’s most famous titles not only allows existing fans to experience the films again in high definition, but also encourages a new global audience to discover Hammer for the first time – especially as we get ready to release our next exciting new Hammer project The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe. We have a busy year ahead but are confident that our Blu-ray plans will ensure that Hammer’s legacy will live on for generations to come.”

John Rodden, General Manager UK Home Entertainment for Studiocanal added, “The great Hammer films are uniquely stylish and ceaselessly entertaining. Like the vampires and other supernatural forces they depict, they appear to be deathless, re-emerging relentlessly to thrill and terrify new generations of film fans. STUDIOCANAL is immensely proud to continue its investment in the best of British cinema both past and present by restoring and re-releasing these films.”“

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One of the bestestest and funniestest flicks ever made is coming to Blu-ray in just over a month’s time. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is probably the least likely film to benefit from a transfer to high-def but I’m anxious to see what Grover Crisp and his wizards over at Sony digital can do with the muddy, low-def elements of the 1975 no-budget comedy film. It’s a favourite of mine and if it can benefit from the format, I’ll be the first to trumpet that fact to the world.

The studio is also launching an iPad app on the same day that is said to offer further insights into the making of the film. As far as I know, this is Sony’s first foray into the iApp world, so it’s tough to say how this will work out. I will say that as a $4.99 supplement, they’ll be hard pressed to rope the more moderate Python fans in, even with the $5 rebate coupon. More details in the PR below…

From the press release:

“From the fertile minds of the 20th Century’s most brilliant and outrageous comedy troupe comes their most highly regarded comedy classic – Monty Python and the Holy Grail – debuting on Blu-ray™ March 6th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada. Their second feature film stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin as we follow King Arthur and his knights in their search for the Holy Grail. Encounter the Black Knight, the Killer Rabbit, The Knights Who Say ‘Ni’! and the Black Beast of Aaaargh! The Blu-ray set is brimming with coconuts, shrubberies and swallows (African or European), OOPS, we mean loads of bonus materials, including over thirty minutes of new Blu-ray exclusive special features. This medieval madness will be available on Blu-ray for $19.99 SRP.

Also debuting on March 6 is the first Monty Python interactive iTunes app. “The Holy Book of Days” is a rich companion to the film, letting fans explore each of the 28 days of the filming of the movie through outtakes, diaries, audio recordings, scripts, and scores of stills. New illustrations, animations, and the story of the filming in the Pythons’ own words make each day of the Holy Grail come alive. The app offers a second screen experience too, letting users control and navigate the Blu-ray™ from the iPad. “The Holy Book of Days” will be available for $4.99 in the App Store. For a limited time, Sony is offering a $5 mail-in rebate when consumers purchase both the Blu-ray and iTunes app. “

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
(April 6, 2012 – MSRP $19.99)
Video: 1.66:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features

Blu-ray Exclusive:

• The Film re-mastered to high definition standards never before seen
• The Holy Book of Days Second Screen Experience
• Lost Animations with introduction by Terry Gilliam
• Outtakes & Extended Scenes with introduction by Terry Jones

Blu-ray Features:

• Scintillating commentaries by Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones and even more revealing commentaries by John Cleese, Eric Idle & Michael Palin
• Quest for the Holy Grail Locations with Michael Palin & Terry Jones
• Lego Knights: The Knights of the Round Table in Lego
• Special Japanese Version
• How To Use Your Coconuts (an educational film)
• BBC Film Night on location
• Three Songs to sing-along
• Cast Directory Photo Gallery

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Continuing on with Blu-ray news that’s totally blowing my mind, the Japanese arm of Bandai Visual has revealed that they’re planning to unleash a massive Blu-ray boxed set of the original Macross series in honour of its 30th Anniversary (the first episode aired back in October of 1982.) This show, in the guise of the first third of the Robotech saga, as we saw it here in North America back in the ’80s, was instrumental in shaping my love for anime, the giant robot genre and for serial storytelling in general. I don’t think it’s too far fetched to say that some aspect of the story, the design or the legacy of the series is present in my life on an everyday basis (aside from the fact that I’m perpetually gazing at the three large character models I have sitting above my television.) The news that all 36 of the series’ original episodes will be available on Blu-ray this May is throwing me into something of a fit. As I’m sure the obsessive amongst you will understand, I need to own these discs. The problem, however, is twofold – the boxed set is prohibitively expensive and there’s no hint of English on it, either by way of dub or subtitle. What’s a fanboy to do?

Two Macross Blu-ray boxed sets will ship in Japan on May 25th – the regular set priced around $500 USD and the deluxe ‘COMPLETE’ boxed set that includes an additional disc of extras and a bunch of extra printed material, priced at around $600 USD. I’ve detailed the ‘COMPLETE’ set below (via: animenewsnetwork)

SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS: 30TH ANNIVERSARY COMPLETE EDITION BLU-RAY BOX
(May 25, 2012 – MSRP ¥47,250)
Video: 4:3 1080p
Audio: Japanese Linear PCM Monaural (no subtitles)

Special Features:

• All 36 episodes
• a booklet (with staff interviews, pre-production designs from when the creators were working on early series concepts called “Genocidas” and “Megaload/Megaroad”)
• a box illustrated by character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto
• inner jacket covers illustrated by mechanical artist Hidetaka Tenjin
• a music video collection (edited from pachinko and pachi-slo machine footage)
• the 30th anniversary special that ran on the Family Gekijō channel
• promotional videos from the Macross PlayStation 2 game
• the “Macross Special” version of the first two episodes that aired in the original premiere
• the original broadcast version of episode 11
• the credit-less opening and ending animation sequences
• the opening and ending sequences from “Macross Special”
• the super-deformed version of the opening sequence
• commercials of the time
• additional materials
• Replicas of the 1983 tome Macross Perfect Memory, the scenario script for the first episode, storyboards (for the opening sequence, episode 1, and episode 27), and a collection of illustrations (from DVDs, LDs, plastic models packages, and elsewhere)

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Anchor Bay looks to be on a roll with their Japanese imports early in this new year, following up this coming week’s awesome Redline release with a 4-disc Battle Royale: The Complete Collection Blu-ray set in March. The boxed set includes several flavours of the original along with the sequel and a ton of bonus goodies. For those only interested in Battle Royale sans sequel, it’ll be available on its own, uncluttered. If you want to get your hands on the sequel, though, you’re stuck with buying the whole shebang. I’m really looking forward to this set. I’ve yet to sit down with the sequel (which has been kicking around the house on DVD for some time) but count myself among the many fans of the original, bloody, student-massacring affair. And Takeshi Kitano (here, in his guise as actor “Beat” Takeshi) is god. March 20th can’t come too soon!

From the press release:

“Battle Royale. A title that has shocked, thrilled and unnerved audiences. A film whose fiendishly simple premise has inspired many imitations,including the upcoming The Hunger Games motion picture. Based on the 1999 global best-seller by Koushun Takami, thefuturistic tale first came to the screen in 2000, directed by the legendary Kinju Fukasaku. Authors, filmmakers and film fans the world over consider the film and its 2003 sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem sacred cinematic classics. And now, fans can own them on high-definition Blu-ray™ and DVD!

On March 20th, Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly brings the Battle Royale: The Complete Collection to Blu-ray™ and DVD for the first time in North America. Featuring state-of-the-art HD transfers, hi-res audio and a wealth of bonusfeatures that delve deep into this truly international phenomenon – as the three disc Blu-ray™ plus bonus DVD and a four disc DVD. Battle Royale will also be released separately on Blu-ray™ and DVD, and will also be available digitally via select outlets including iTunes® and Xbox LIVE®.

42 students, Three days, One survivor – No Escape. Welcome to the world of Battle Royale!

Battle Royale

In the near future, the economy has collapsed, unemployment has soared and juvenile crime has exploded. Fearful of their nation’s youth, the Japanese government passes The BR Law: Each year, a 9th grade class is sent to a remote island where they will be locked into exploding neck collars, given a random weapon, and forced to hunt and kill each other until there is only one survivor left. Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill) and screen legend Takeshi Kitano (Boiling Point, Brother) star in the movie that has been argued, acclaimed and banned around the world. More than a decade later, it remains one of the most savage, shocking and emotionally powerful films of all time. Now experience the complete Director’s Cut of Kinji Fukasaku’s uncompromising masterpiece – nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards® – available uncensored and unrated for the first time ever in America.

Battle Royale: The Complete Collection

In 2000, director Kinji Fukasaku unleashed Battle Royale, his violently poetic epic about an innocent group of Junior High students forced by the government to hunt and kill their classmates for sport. It was nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards®, launched a global phenomenon, and banned from screens by frightened civic groups and distributors across America. Three years later, the equally disturbing sequel – featuring a new class, new rules, and a brutal terrorist plot by the first film’s young survivors – triggered its own tragic firestorm around the world. Now for the first time ever, you can see it all: Experience the entire Battle Royale saga on 4 discs that forever blasts open one of the most potent, shocking and savagely influential sagas in motion picture history.

With impeccable direction by three-time ‘Director of the year’ Kinji Fukasaku, and featuring high-quality acting performances from every angle, Battle Royale: The Complete Collection is as cunning as it is ruthless, offering a unique and brutal depiction of what people are capable of when imminent death is everywhere you look.“

BATTLE ROYALE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
(March 20, 2012 – MSRP $49.99)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Battle Royale: The Complete Collection’s four disc set in collectible high-end packaging will include:

• Battle Royale Director’s Cut with both Japanese and English language tracks and English subtitles
• Battle Royale Theatrical Cut with both Japanese and English language tracks and English subtitles
• Battle Royale II with Japanese language and English subtitles
• Battle Royale Bonus Content with Japanese language and English subtitles

Special Features:

• The Making Of BATTLE ROYALE
• BATTLE ROYALE Press Conference
• Instructional Video: Birthday Version
• Audition & Rehearsal Footage
• Special Effects Comparison Featurette
• Tokyo International Film Festival 2000
• Battle Royale Documentary
• Basketball Scene Rehearsals
• Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
• Filming On-Set
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Special Edition TV Spot
• TV Spot: Tarantino Version

Also available:

BATTLE ROYALE
(March 20, 2012 – MSRP $29.99)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1

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More great news! Paramount has announced that they’re finally ready to unleash Roman Polanski‘s finest film on Blu-ray. Chinatown, one of my favourite films of all time and possibly the best and most influential modern noir, makes its HD debut this coming April 3rd, complete with “a new high definition transfer” and a surprisingly robust set of special features that includes a three part documentary and a commentary track by screenwriter Robert Towne and – wait for it – David Fincher?!

I’m not complaining about Fincher’s inclusion in the commentary – if anything, he’ll probably be more willing to dive into the controversial aspects of the work than anyone present during filming – but it seems an odd choice to feature a filmmaker on a commentary track when said filmmaker wasn’t involved in the creation of the film. That said, some of the best commentaries out there are by critics and scholars and not the directors, writers, producers or actors themselves. Anyway, I’m excited about this disc and, if the transfer manages to impress, anticipate it being one of my favourite discs of the year.

From the press release:

“Teeming with murder, corruption, greed and sex, director Roman Polanski’s unforgettable classic CHINATOWN arrives for the first time ever on Blu-ray April 3, 2012 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston, the film follows an intricate web of deception as private investigator Jake Gittes (Nicholson) unravels a mystery involving water rights that are critical to the development of Los Angeles, as well as unspeakable family secrets. Written by Academy Award® winner Robert Towne, CHINATOWN was nominated for 11 Oscars® and was named by the AFI as one of the top 25 American films ever made.

With a new high definition transfer, the CHINATOWN Blu-ray sports packaging that features the original theatrical poster and includes a collectible booklet. The disc includes over 2 ½ hours of bonus material such as an illuminating, feature-length commentary by screenwriter Robert Towne and director David Fincher (Zodiac); an in-depth, three-part documentary on the history and impact of the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the continuing efforts to cultivate water resources for the metropolis; an appreciation of the film by prominent filmmakers; a look at the filming; an exploration of the legacy of this cinematic masterpiece; and more.“

CHINATOWN
(April 3, 2012 – MSRP $26.98)
Video: 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1/mono

Special Features:

• Commentary with Robert Towne and David Fincher— Towne and Fincher offer unique insights into this classic film. No matter how many times you’ve watched Chinatown, this commentary will open your eyes to a whole new experience.
• Water and Power (HD)— In this three-part documentary, Robert Towne visits sites along the original Los Angeles Aqueduct for the first time. He is informed of the social and environmental impacts and given insight into the major issues around the creation and ongoing operation of the aqueduct.
  • The Aqueduct (HD)— The City of Los Angeles completed the 233-mile gravity-fed aqueduct from the Owens Valley in 1913, under the leadership of a self-taught engineer named William Mulholland. L.A. Department of Water and Power representatives along with Catherine Mulholland, granddaughter of the engineer, discuss the development of the aqueduct and its contribution to the growth of the nation’s second-largest city.
  • The Aftermath (HD)— For decades a large rural community was desiccated under the management of water rights by the City of Los Angeles over a vast area of the Owens Valley. Legal victories beginning in the 1970’s lead to successful reductions in environmental damages and the restoration of some natural habitats. Historians, local ranchers and activists discuss the up-to-date impacts of the aqueduct and struggle to maintain a stable environment and community.
  • The River & Beyond (HD)— Prior to the building of the first aqueduct a century ago Los Angeles relied solely on its own local water supply: the Los Angeles River and its aquifer. Today the river as a water resource is largely forgotten. Currently there are plans to re-develop the river to reduce L.A.’s dependence on imported water, reducing the environmental impact on distant communities, while creating parks and open spaces for the city.
• Chinatown: An Appreciation— Chinatown has been hailed as a perfect film.
  Robert Towne’s cynical labyrinth of secrets and sin, Roman Polanski at the top of his form, Jack Nicholson in all his glory, Faye Dunaway at her sexiest and most mysterious, John Huston as one of the creepiest and most unrepentant villains of all time, the great cinematography, the wonderful score, the bandage on the nose…

  In this featurette, prominent filmmakers express their personal admiration for the film:

  • Steven Soderbergh – Director – Traffic
  • James Newton Howard – Composer – The Dark Knight
  • Kimberly Peirce – Writer/Director – Boys Don’t Cry
  • Roger Deakins – Cinematographer – No Country For Old Men
• Chinatown: The Beginning and the End
• Chinatown: Filming
• Chinatown: The Legacy
• Theatrical Trailer (HD)

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