The Blu-ray Blog » Box set

All 4 Alien films on individual Blu-ray discs

Brenden — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:27:51 +0000

It’s tough for me to believe but some of you out there haven’t yet grabbed up the Alien Anthology Blu-ray boxed set. Weird. It’s only, like, the most killer set released in the last year, you know! Anyway, in all honesty, I actually get it – not everyone can validate paying for a box of four films when they’d only ever watch two. Cool. I’m a completest, meaning I don’t roll that way, but those of you who do will be happy to know that you can now pick and choose your fav Alien films as they’re now all available on individual Blu-ray discs (released last Tuesday, May 10th)!

Be warned, you’re not going to get all the goodies from the boxed set – a good deal of the special features are on the bonus discs in the box, not on the film discs themselves. But, at the end of the day, it’s the films that matter, right? And they’ve never looked and sounded better. And each individual Blu-ray disc will still feature a couple of cuts of each film, commentary tracks and more. So, if you only grab one or two of these discs, you’ll get your monies worth. If you think you’ll spring for three of the four movies, might as well cave and pick up the whole boxed set.

True Blood: Season 3 coming to Blu-ray

Brenden — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:05:16 +0000

Has it already been a year since I reviewed the second season box set of HBO‘s True Blood series? Well, not quite, but we’re close enough to the anniversary that Warner has announced the release of the follow up, the True Blood: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray boxed set. It doesn’t look too drop-dead impressive at first glance, what with only a single special feature, but the press release for the announcement explains that the PIP feature branches out to “Bonus Viewing Events” such as:

Character Perspectives, straight from the mouths of Jessica, Andy, Tommy, and Alcide; Flashback/Flash Forward, a move through time allowing for ‘Flashbacks’ to relive pivotal moments in the series or ‘Flash Forwards’ to reveal the significance of a certain scene; Vampire Histories/Character Bios, background stories on favorite characters in the show; and Hints/FYIs, for more trivia facts, show hints and clues

Seems pretty substantial to me. The season set will be in shops on May 31st.

TRUE BLOOD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON
(May 31, 2011 – MSRP $79.98)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p AVC
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Picture-inPicture Enhanced Viewing experience on all 12 episodes

Blu-ray Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Gift Sets

Brenden — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:52:46 +0000

Winter is upon us, the snow is falling and the holiday shopping season is well under way. Now, more than ever, we’re faced with such a vast selection of amazing Blu-ray discs packaged in special collector’s multi-disc sets that it can be tough to know just what to add to your wish list or what to buy for that special Blu-ray loving someone. Hopefully this list will provide you a nice place to start.

Tomorrow: TV on Blu-ray!

MORE GIFT IDEAS:

* TV ON BLU
* ANIMATION
* CLASSICS
* THE BEST OF THE YEAR

If you follow The Blu-ray Blog at all, you’ll know of my deep, sincere love for pretty much everything that comes out of the Criterion Collection. It’s easy to be a fanboy when damn near every disc they release features a picture-perfect presentation and is packed to the gills with extras. But this seven film box set aptly named America Lost and Found: The BBS Story is really something special. The studio has gone above and beyond here, releasing their biggest and best Blu-ray boxed set to date. All the films from the famous (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, The King of Marvin Gardens) to the less well know (Head, Drive He Said, A Safe Place) are handled with equal skill – each looking and sounding better than ever before and loaded with special features. Each film is housed in its own beautifully designed slipcase, complemented by the box packaging and the incredible 112-page illustrated book of essays on the films.

I can’t recommend this boxed set highly enough. It might very well be the release of the year.

AMAZON: $87.99

The Alien Anthology Blu-ray set is such a beautiful thing. Nevermind that it includes all four of the original films, two of which (the two that really matter) look mind-blowingly good, but the set also includes more special features than you’ll probably ever be able watch and listen to unless you’re as obsessive-compulsive about the films you love as I am. After spending time with this 6-disc set (one for each film and two for extras) I almost feel like each individual component is worth the price of the box on its own. I’m particularly knocked out by the extremely candid and thorough documentaries included in the set. The Alien 3 piece is such a revelation it might just knock you on your ass. All six discs are housed in a hardcover book (the discs are slipped within very firm pages with nested trays) which slips into a shiny, creepy Alien box package.

Highest possible recommendation!!

AMAZON: $69.99

I’ve got two admissions to make here. The first is that I’ve never cared for The Sound of Music. The second is that this new Blu-ray edition of the film blew my mind and made me a fan. It’s true! Swear to God. The Sound of Music is, hands down, the best looking restoration of the year. Want to impress your friends with your home video setup? Got a couple of jerks in your circle of pals who insist that there’s no point in buying older films on Blu? Pop in The Sound of Music and make their eyes jump out of their heads. The edition you see pictured above is the full-on gift set, complete with soundtrack, books and goo-gahs. The film is also available in a simple 3-disc combo-pack (Amazon: $18.99.)

AMAZON: $59.99

One Flew over the Cukoo’s Nest was previously released in a nice, hardcover digibook edition Blu-ray. Warner’s newest release of the film features a very similar presentation but extends the “making of” documentary. Sadly, the audio is still only presented in the compressed version found on the previous disc. Still, this is an amazing film in a beautiful box that contains playing cards, posters, character cards, pre-production correspondence and movie trivia.

AMAZON: $34.49

Oh. Em. Gee. Do you remember how I went off about the Harry Potter Ultimate Edition Box sets last year? Well, get ready for another barrage of praise, this time tempered with a hint of disappointment.

Both The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire get the full-on, Ultimate Edition Blu-ray treatment this year, joining the wonderful Philosopher Stone and Chamber of Secrets sets of 2009. Both films carry over their nearly-perfect high-def presentations and extras from previously issued discs while adding a host of brand new special features and collectibles all housed in magnetically latched box packaging. ‘The World of Harry Potter‘ 8-part documentary continues with parts three and four in these sets and is, once again nearly worth the price of purchase alone. The accompanying hardcover books are a nice compliment to each part of the doc. Missing from the Ultimate sets this time around are alternate cuts of the films (both directors have gone on record stating that the theatrical cuts are the only ones they care to present) and the picture-in-picture tracks.

AMAZON: $33.99 each

This toy box of Toy Story is a really great gift for those who haven’t picked up any of the individual Blu-ray releases from the series. It’s essentially just a bundling of the combo-pack discs from each film with nothing new added aside from the handsome box. So, if you’ve already got the 3-disc Toy Story and Toy Story 2 and the 4-disc Toy Story 3, there’s not much to see here. But if you’ve been holding out for whatever reason, or if you know someone who has, now is the time to dive in to the toy box!

AMAZON: $64.99

I still haven’t managed to get my hands on the Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary boxed set but by all accounts this is one of the best Blu-ray releases of the year. I understand that the new high-def transfers are gorgeous and the 2-hours of brand new special features are worth watching. I’ve got this one on my list and hope to see it under the tree in a couple of weeks!

AMAZON: $49.99

I’m not personally a big fan of the Shrek films but my four-year old niece certainly is. This Shrek: The Whole Story Boxed Set is like a dream come true for her, packaging together all of the films with over 7-hours of special features.

AMAZON: $39.99

I’m a huge, unabashed fan of Robocop – the film, not the franchise. So, this boxed set is a bit of a bittersweet release. I was hoping for a better transfer of the first film and the special features from the 2-disc DVD set but alas, the set only features bare-bones editions of the films. It’s a great gift for fans of the character or the series as a whole, as this is the first time the sequels are available in high-def and they both look and sound pretty great.

AMAZON: $36.49

Here’s another set on my wish list this year – the Goonies: 25th Anniversary set comes jam-packed with a lot of collectibles I’m not interested (ok, maybe I’d play that Goonies board game once or twice over the holiday season) but I genuinely love this film and remain excited to see it in high-def.

AMAZON: $34.99

Oh boy. If Santa brings me anything this year, I hope it’s a stocking full of Apocalypse! I’ve been longing for this 3-disc deluxe ‘Full Disclosure Edition‘ set ever since we caught wind of it earlier this year and I swear, I’m buying it on boxing day if I don’t unwrap it the day before. It contains both cuts of Apocalypse Now, the Hearts of Darkness documentary and a crap-ton of special features. Drool drool drool…

AMAZON: $37.99

MORE GIFT IDEAS:

* TV ON BLU
* ANIMATION
* CLASSICS
* THE BEST OF THE YEAR

[VIDEO] HBO Holiday Blu-ray ads: True Blood, Entourage

Brenden — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:33:41 +0000

With new HBO boxed sets like The Pacific and the incredible Deadwood: The Complete Series freshly unleashed upon the public it’s very possible to forget that the studio released some truly great gift-worthy titles earlier in the year. To make certain that you don’t overlook both the True Blood and Entourage Blu-ray season boxed sets, the studio has hit us with these fairly entertaining, if not mildly confusing ads. What do you think? Will you be putting either on your wish list this year or giving either as a gift?

Blu-ray Boxed Set of the Week: Alien Anthology $70.49

Brenden — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:59:28 +0000

Did you pick up a copy of the Alien Anthology on Blu-ray yet? If you answered no or if you plan on buying the boxed set this holiday season for someone you love, you need to sit up, pay attention and order yourself some Blu-rays this week while this exceptional discount applies!

The Alien Anthology is on sale this week for a mere $70.49 at Amazon.com. That’s 50% off the regular price!! It’s also come to light that a promotional discount of $20 still applies at the checkout if you purchase BOTH The Alien Anthology and The Last of the Mohicans together! That’s a cost of $70.49 for Alien + $14.99 for Mohicans with a $20 discount applied at checkout, which will give you a total of $65.48 – LESS than the Alien deal alone!

$70.49 + $14.99 – $20 = $65.48.

The Alien Anthology will be on sale all week. No word on how long the additional discount will be in effect.

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of October 26

Brenden — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:23:11 +0000

You know it’s a massive week of important Blu-ray releases when there are two new titles from Criterion and neither is in the number one position on our Top 5 list! Shocking! We’ve had some big weeks lately but this might just be the most incredible one of all. Hope you’ve been saving up.

1. THE ALIEN ANTHOLOGY

The brand new Alien Anthology Blu-ray set from Fox is perhaps the finest collection of films and supplemental material ever assembled in a single home video package! Special Edition disc producer Charles de Lauzirika, the genius behind the endlessly impressive ultimate Blade Runner set from a few years back, has really outdone himself here. In addition to brand new, stunning high-def transfers of the first two films, de Lauzirika has reassembled and recreated sound elements for the Alien³: Special Edition audio track, including re-recording dialogue with the original actors from those unfinished scenes that were inserted into the cut, to deliver an experience far more akin to a polished, final release film than has ever been seen before. Oh, and did I mention that each film is afforded two different cuts? And did I mention that there are over 60 hours of extras spread over the 6-discs? And did I mention that this is probably the best boxed set, perhaps even the best Blu-ray title of the entire year?

Yeah, the Alien Anthology Blu-ray set is pretty much the best thing ever. You need to grab it up today. Right now. Get going!!

The special features are too voluminous to list here. For full details, read our breakdown of the set: Alien Anthology Blu-ray Boxed Set Officially Announced and Detailed

Amazon: $89.99

2. BACK TO THE FUTURE: 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRILOGY

If this Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy Blu-ray set had been released on any other day of the year, it most likely would have won the crown and taken the top spot on my Top 5 list. But competing against the juggernaut that is the Alien Anthology, Marty McFly and Doc Brown will have to settle for number two. Universal won’t send me a review copy, so I’m relying on the reviews of others here, to recommend this set on anything other than the fame of the films alone. But for all intents and purposes, it looks like this set is a pretty good one, featuring all new high-def transfers for the three films and a crap-load of new special features.

Amazon: $47.99

3. HOUSE

Without the two killer boxed sets of popular films warring it out for the top slots, this would easily have been my number one pick of the week. As I said in the Top 10 New Blu-ray Discs for Halloween 2010 list, it feels like I’ve been awaiting the Criterion Collection edition of House for almost a year now. It’s not a particularly scary film for modern audiences but it is incredibly imaginative and super-fun for a horror film. Criterion has, of course, pulled out all the stops here, delivering a stunning, cleaned up transfer and crisp, clean audio, along with a host of brand new special features that are sure to please any fan.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
Constructing a House, a new video piece featuring interviews with director Nobuhiko Obayashi, story scenarist and daughter of the director Chigumi Obayashi, and screenwriter Chiho Katsura
Emotion, a 1966 experimental film by Obayashi
New video appreciation by director Ti West (House of the Devil)
Theatrical trailer
New and improved English subtitle translation
PLUS: An essay by Chuck Stephens

Amazon: $34.99

4. PATHS OF GLORY

I don’t think I really need to push Paths of Glory too hard on any film fans out there. This is a brand new Criterion Blu-ray disc of a classic Stanley Kubrick film starring Kirk Douglas. That should be enough hot button keywords right there to tell you that you need to grab this one up as soon as possible! As per Criterion’s usual treatment, the film has never, ever looked this brilliant and vivid and has never been afforded so many insightful special features as on this Blu-ray disc. Paths of Glory is a must for every film fan!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
New audio commentary by critic Gary Giddins
Television interview from 1979 with star Kirk Douglas
New video interviews with Kubrick’s longtime executive producer Jan Harlan, Paths of Glory producer James B. Harris, and actress Christiane Kubrick
Excerpt from a French television program about real-life World War I executions similar to the events dramatized in Paths of Glory
Theatrical trailer
PLUS: An essay by Kubrick scholar James Naremore

Amazon: $29.49

5. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS – THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO

I’d really love to say that I’m so over Star Wars, after the years of suffering through the dreadful prequel films but damn, if these animated Clone Wars episodes don’t keep me coming back for more! Why can’t I quit you, Star Wars?! Why?!

This new Complete Season Two boxed set picks up directly from the Season One set we reviewed last year, with fantastic transfers in the never-before-seen, director approved aspect ratio, amazing digi-book packaging full of artwork and a ton of great special features.

Amazon: $41.99

WARNER DIRECTOR COLLECTIONS: Oliver Stone Collection, Martin Scorcese Collection

Warner is releasing two new Director Collections today, featuring three films each from Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese. At a discount, both are a good value for the money. Each box consists of a single Blu-ray case with three trays inside. The discs are all re-packaged from previous releases. I’ve only gotten my hands on the Scorsese set so far and can confirm that Goodfellas, The Departed and The Aviator all match up to the versions already in stores, with the same transfers and all the special features intact. I’ll update the post when I get a look at the Stone set in the near future.

If you already own any of these films, you’ll probably want to give these sets a pass and pick up the remaining titles on a holiday sale or something. If you don’t have any three in either box and you can find a good deal on a set, grab it up!

Amazon: $42.49, $54.99

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:

[VIDEO] Fox Blu-ray Demo features Alien Anthology, Sound of Music, Moulin Rouge and more!

Brenden — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:46:03 +0000

If you’re reading The Blu-ray Blog, you most likely don’t need to be sold on the benefits of the technology. And if you follow us at all, you most likely don’t need to be sold any further on Fox‘s amazing slate of recent and upcoming releases on the format. We’ve published a crap-ton of articles on the Alien Anthology, The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition, Moulin Rouge and The Rocky Horror Picture Show Blu-ray discs. Having just received them a couple of days ago, I can personally speak to the outstanding quality of the Moulin Rouge and Rocky Horror releases on the format. I’m simply blown away by the high-standard of the transfers, extras and packaging of these discs and can easily place them amongst the finest of the year.

As to the video above, well, clearly there’s a little something lost in the translation from the high-bandwidth, high-def Blu-ray presentation to the crunched down, compressed YouTube stream you see here. But hey, you get the point, right? Blu-ray rocks! High five!

Via: Bleeding Cool

Alien Anthology Blu-ray Screen Captures

Brenden — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:21:42 +0000

We haven’t gotten our hands on Fox‘s upcoming Alien Anthology Blu-ray disc set yet but after seeing these screen grabs from the films, the verdict is in, as far as I’m concerned – this is the must-have boxed set of the season!

There are a hell of a lot more shots to see over at TechRadar.com’s Home Cinema Choice site but the images below will give you a taste of what you’re in for on October 26th, when these discs hit the streets (for full details on the Alien Anthology Blu-ray boxed set, read our previous post here.)

Click on the images below to see them in all their detailed high-def glory:

ALIEN:

ALIENS:

ALIEN 3:

ALIEN RESURRECTION:

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of August 24

Brenden — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:47:57 +0000

This weeks best Blu-ray releases deliver us a healthy dose of TV shows, classic films and animation. But nothing can compete with the juggernaut of a series that is Lost! It’s an easy call for the number one slot this week.

1. LOST: THE COMPLETE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON

Well, this is a no-brainer. If the final Blu-ray season collection of the Lost tv series isn’t on your radar this week you’re missing out. This is one of the strongest releases of the year, featuring one of the best shows ever to air on network television in a damn-near perfect video and audio presentation. Not to mention the incredible and robust set of special features included in the set. I’ll save my musings about this final season of the series for a full review of the season set where I can go on at length about the controversial decisions the production team made to bring the series to a close along with my thoughts on the story in general.

But!

If, by chance, you happen to be one of those rare people who hasn’t had a chance to watch any of the series yet, you’re in luck…

Amazon: $47.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY TODAY -

LOST: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

…because the entire series, all six-seasons are now available in one amazing and convenient boxed set! Owners of individual seasons may even want to trade up to this big, bad-boy as it offers an extra secret disc of bonus content as well as tons of collectibles and goo-gahs.

Amazon: $194.99

2. THE SIMPSONS: THE 13TH SEASON

Hardcore fans might look at this thirteenth season of the long-running animated show as something of a mixed bag as it marks the beginning of Al Jean‘s first season as Show Runner and the subtle (to some, drastic to others) shift in tone from The Simpsons of previous seasons to the style of stories we still see from Jean’s team today. Either way, collectors will be happy to add another season to their shelves and fans will praise the return of creator commentary tracks. Here’s hoping Fox gets us more Simpsons on Blu-ray soon!

Amazon: $39.99

3. SHOGUN ASSASSIN (30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR’S EDITION)

I used to collect the Lone Wolf and Cub comic books back in the 80s, when they were first issued in English with those great Frank Miller and Bill Sienkewicz covers (yeah, I’ve still got ‘em!) Shogun Assassin is an American edit of the first two Japanese film adaptations of the series, smushed together into one slick package with a brand new rock soundtrack. It might not be as pure as the original versions but it’s still all kinds of fun. Read all about it in our previous post, here: Shogun Assassin coming to Blu-ray.

Amazon: $14.99

4. MACHINE GUN MCCAIN

Okay, this is a gangster film you’ve probably never seen. Why should you care about Machine Gun McCain? I’m going to throw some names at you here to see if I can can convince you – the film stars John Cassavetes, Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands and the always stunning Britt Ekland, with music by…get ready… the master, Ennio Morricone!!! The disc is produced by the Criterion of b-movies, Blue Underground so you’re guaranteed something nice to look at. I mean, aside from the lovely miss Ekland.

Amazon: $17.49

5. HANDMADE FILMS COLLECTION – TIME BANDITS, MONA LISA, WITHNAIL AND I, THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY

Oh man, I was so so so excited for these four classic British movies produced by Handmade Films to make their way onto Blu-ray. But not like this. All four of these should be Criterion releases. Hell, they’ve all been Criterion titles at some point and I wish they would goddamn well get their asses back there, to a studio that will treat them with some respect. Image has just chucked them all unceremoniously onto single-layer discs, compressed to hell with very few extras. And the worst offense? Time Bandits is only presented in 1080i. That’s right. Interlacing on a disc of a movie shot on film, in this day and age. Despite my reservations about the quality of the discs, all of these films are wonderful and most have never looked as good as they do on these cheapo discs.

Amazon: $12.99 each

ANIME OF THE WEEK: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 2

If you picked up Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 1 back in May (it was one of our recommended Blu-ray discs for the week of May 25th!) you’ve no doubt been counting the days until you could get your hands on the follow-up thirteen episodes. Well, anime fans, the day has come and let me tell you, if you’re into this sort of thing, this second boxed set featuring the adventures of the Elric brothers is going to blow your mind!

While the first thirteen episodes were all about set-up, covering familiar ground and essentially condensing the first 30-or-so episodes of the original series into a small, more palatable chunk, the episodes found on the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 2 Blu-ray discs find their way into new, unexpected and exciting territory. Al and Ed Elric are Alchemists – young magicians of a sort – who lost some significant body parts to their forbidden experiments. Their quest to find the mysterious Philosopher’s Stone which can make them whole again now takes a dark turn, leading them to lose dear friends and face painful secrets that could lead the boys to ruin. To speak more specifically about the story would spoil a host of surprises but rest assured, if anime is your thing, you won’t feel cheated by Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 2.

The Blu-ray discs look pretty good, for upconverted content and sound great in both Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1. I only wish there were more substantial bonus materials in the Blu-ray set, beyond the two commentary tracks from the English language voice cast.

Amazon: $33.99

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:

[VIDEO] Alien Anthology Blu-ray Trailer

Brenden — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:37:10 +0000

You’ve got to know by now that I’m just bursting to get my hands on Fox‘s upcoming Alien Anthology Blu-ray boxed set. Well, this new trailer promoting the discs might not provide any new information but it has managed to ramp up my anticipation ten-fold. October 26th can’t come soon enough, if you ask me!

For full details on the 6-disc set read our article here: Alien Anthology Blu-ray Boxed Set Officially Announced and Detailed

Also, check out the previously released teaser trailer here: [VIDEO] Alien Anthology Blu-ray Teaser

And finally, if you have any interest in the $199.99 “Guardian” collector’s set, the limited edition version of the Alien Anthology featuring a sculpt by Sideshow with the discs hidden inside the base of an Alien egg, you’ll want to have a gander at the little visualization below, which provides a good look at how the statue works as packaging. Pretty cool, but I think I’ll stick to the modest box pictured above.

The Blu-ray Blog » Box set

All 4 Alien films on individual Blu-ray discs

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