The Blu-ray Blog » James Cameron

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.

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

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 November 16

Brenden — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:34:29 +0000

What a week! If not for the lack of 3D version of Avatar, I think we could officially claim this as the most massive outing for the new three-dimensional format do date. Even still, with eight films new on 3D Blu, James Cameron‘s Pandoran epic, with its multiple cuts, bevy of extras and near perfect presentation, still reigns supreme.

1. AVATAR EXTENDED COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Nothing beats the heavyweight champ. The biggest film of the year or possibly even of all time. James Cameron’s Avatar makes its triumphant return to Blu-ray this week in a 3-disc set that’s bound to find its way under damn near every Blu-ray fan’s Christmas tree this year.

Not only is this Extended Collector’s Edition packed to the gills with the deleted scenes and extras you’ve been waiting the year to see but it also features three cuts of the award winning film, all demo-disc worthy. With the technical quality of the video and audio presentation off the charts (and surprisingly equal to the stand alone disc available earlier this year) this Blu-ray set has claimed the crown of high-def title to beat! Bring on the challengers!!

Special Features:

Disc One

Original Theatrical Version
Special Edition Re-Release
Collector’s Extended Cut
- 16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening)

Family Audio Track (All Objectionable Language Removed)

Original Theatrical Release
Special Edition Re-release

Disc Two

Capturing Avatar: An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
Deleted scenes: including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
Production materials (BD-exclusive)

Disc Three (BD-exclusive)

Open “Pandora’s Box” and go deeper into the filmmaker process
Interactive Scene Deconstruction: Explore the various stages of production through three different viewing modes
Production shorts: 17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring the film, 3D Fusion camera, stunts and much more
Avatar Archives, including original scriptment, 300 page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia
BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials

Amazon: $24.99

2. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER

On any other week, Charles Laughton‘s Night of the Hunter would have easily been in the number one slot. This nightmarish Mother Goose tale is sadly the only film the famous actor ever directed and it’s a damn shame. Because it’s a masterwork. Robert Mitchum has never been better or more creepy.

Criterion finally does the film justice, presenting it in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 as opposed to the 1.33 of previous presentations. Couple that with Criterion’s exceptional package of special features and this is clearly one of the finest releases of the year.

Special Features:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
Audio commentary featuring assistant director Terry Sanders, film critic F. X. Feeney, archivist Robert Gitt, and author Preston Neal Jones
Charles Laughton Directs “The Night of the Hunter,” a two-and-a-half-hour archival treasure trove of outtakes from the film
New documentary featuring interviews with producer Paul Gregory, Sanders, Jones, and author Jeffrey Couchman
New video interview with Simon Callow, author of Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor
Clip from the The Ed Sullivan Show, in which cast members perform live a scene that was deleted from the film
Fifteen-minute episode of the BBC show Moving Pictures about the film
Archival interview with cinematographer Stanley Cortez
Gallery of sketches by author Davis Grubb
New video conversation between Gitt and film critic Leonard Maltin about Charles Laughton Directs “The Night of the Hunter”
Original theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critics Terrence Rafferty and Michael Sragow

Amazon: $36.49

3. MODERN TIMES

Criterion does the Little Tramp justice as well this week. Charlie Chaplin‘s final outing as his most famous character has never looked better in this restored 2K-resolution digital transfer. Gone are the rounded corners and frayed edges of precious transfers, replaced with a rich, detailed image. There have been some nice editions of this film in the recent past but nothing bests this new one from Criterion. Recommended!

Special Features:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
New audio commentary by Chaplin biographer David Robinson
Two new visual essays, by Chaplin historians John Bengtson and Jeffrey Vance
New program on the film’s visual and sound effects, with experts Craig Barron and Ben Burtt
Interview from 1992 with Modern Times music arranger David Raksin
Chaplin Today: “Modern Times” (2004), a half-hour program with filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Two segments removed from the film
Three theatrical trailers
All at Sea (1933), a home movie by Alistair Cooke featuring Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, and Cooke, plus a new score by Donald Sosin and a new interview with Cooke’s daughter, Susan Cooke Kittredge
The Rink (1916), a Chaplin two-reeler highlighting his skill on wheels
For the First Time (1967), a Cuban documentary short about a projectionist who shows Modern Times to first-time moviegoers
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Saul Austerlitz and a piece by film scholar Lisa Stein that includes excerpts from Chaplin’s writing about his travels in 1931 and 1932

Amazon: $29.49

4. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)

Speaking of Charles Laughton, his turn as the cruel Captain William Bligh in the 1935 edition of Mutiny on the Bounty with Clark Gable is new on Blu this week. Warner‘s new restoration looks mostly fantastic (there is some damage on the print that has not been restored yet…but nevermind, this looks great!) on Blu-ray. Certainly the best its ever looked on home video. The disc is packaged in a nice hardcover digibook but includes sadly few special features.

Amazon: $25.99

5. SHERLOCK JR./THREE AGES

Kino‘s new Blu-ray with both the short films Sherlock Jr. and Three Ages is a welcome addition to the studios Buster Keaton collection. While the visuals are nowhere near as reference quality as The General or even Steamboat Bill Jr., Sherlock Jr is certainly impressive. Three Ages doesn’t fare quiet as well but is still a treat in high-def. The disc has a host of extra features such as multiple music tracks, a commentary track, documentary and more!

Amazon: $25.99

6. ROBO-GEISHA

Another week, another sixth entry in the Top 5 list. I haven’t seen FUNimation‘s new Robo-Geisha film yet but based on the sheer entertainment value and disc quality of the studio’s recent Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl I thought this release was probably worth a mention. I’ve seen the trailer and I haven’t been the same since. I haven’t been able to get the image of geisha girls shooting ninja stars from their butts out of my head since…

Amazon: $21.99

NEW THIS WEEK ON 3D BLU-RAY:

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:

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

Avatar Extended Collector’s Edition Blu-ray details

Brenden — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:52:45 +0000

Yeah, I know you’ve all heard about this Avatar Extended Collector’s Edition Blu-ray by now – the one we all predicted earlier in the year, when the initial release of the film on Blu-ray turned up to be a tad light on the special features – but this wouldn’t be a proper Blu-ray Blog without giving you a run-down of all the details of the 3-disc set, due to hit shops on November 17th, now would it?

Take note that Fox has yet to officially announce a 3D Blu-ray edition of Avatar but according to reports, you can expect to see it eventually turn up as a Panasonic exclusive, only available to those who buy a 3D plasma TV.

AVATAR EXTENDED COLLECTOR’S EDITION
(November 16, 2010 – MSRP $54.99)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Disc One

Original Theatrical Version
Special Edition Re-Release
Collector’s Extended Cut
- 16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening)

Family Audio Track (All Objectionable Language Removed)

Original Theatrical Release
Special Edition Re-release

Disc Two

Capturing Avatar: An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
Deleted scenes: including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
Production materials (BD-exclusive)

Disc Three (BD-exclusive)

Open “Pandora’s Box” and go deeper into the filmmaker process
Interactive Scene Deconstruction: Explore the various stages of production through three different viewing modes
Production shorts: 17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring the film, 3D Fusion camera, stunts and much more
Avatar Archives, including original scriptment, 300 page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia
BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials

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:

[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.

Alien Anthology Blu-ray Boxed Set Officially Announced and Detailed

Brenden — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:52:32 +0000

Oh god oh geez oh god oh geez. This is fracking amazing! Fox has officially (finally!) announced their mega-awesome Alien Anthology Blu-ray boxed set and it appears to be everything we’ve been praying for and more!

Along with all of the bonus content from every single previous incarnation of the Alien films on home video (including the old Laserdisc release!!) Fox has included over four hours of previously unseen exclusive material including deleted scenes (the “Burke Cocoon” scene!), Sigourney Weaver‘s original screentests, thousands of photographs and a previously unseen cut of “Wreckage and Rage: Making Alien³” (adding over 30-minutes of excised and new footage from the doc that was originally titled “Wreckage and Rape“!) Combine that bounty of Alien goodness with two cuts of each film and you’ve got an absolutely killer boxed set that should be on every film enthusiast and fanboy’s holiday wish list.

The Alien Anthology Blu-ray boxed set is already available for pre-order at Amazon.com for only $97.99.

NOTE: BIll Hunt over at thedigitalbits.com has received art (above) and some limited details regarding the special “limited edition” version of the boxed set, which comes packaged in a “an exclusive illuminated statue sculpted by Sideshow Collectibles (SRP $149.99)” available for pre-order next week at Comic Con. This seems very much in line with images we previously published of the Alien Anthology boxed set in this post. I’m sure we’ll learn more about the set next week, once Comic Con kicks into high gear…

ALIEN ANTHOLOGY
(October 26, 2010 – MSRP $139.99)
Video: 1.85:1, 2.39:1 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

Disc One: Alien

1979 Theatrical Version
2003 Director’s Cut with Ridley Scott Introduction
Audio commentaries:
- Director Ridley Scott, writer Dan O’Bannon, executive producer Ronald Shusett, editor Terry Rawlings, and actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt
- Ridley Scott (on theatrical cut only)
Final theatrical isolated score by Jerry Goldsmith
Composer’s original isolated score by Jerry Goldsmith
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

Disc Two: Aliens

1986 Theatrical Version
1991 Special Edition with James Cameron introduction
Audio commentary by director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, alien effects creator Stan Winston, visual effects supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, miniature effects supervisor Pat McClung, and actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
Final theatrical isolated score by James Horner
Composer’s original isolated score by James Horner
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

Disc Three: Alien3

1992 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint Version)
Audio commentary by cinematographer Alex Thomson, B.S.C., editor Terry Rawlings, alien effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., and actors Paul McGann and Lance Henriksen
Final theatrical isolated score by Elliot Goldenthal
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

Disc Four: Alien Resurrection

1997 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre Jeunet introduction
Audio commentary by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, editor Herve Schneid, A.C.E., alien effects creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects supervisor Pitof, conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz, and actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser
Final theatrical isolated score by John Frizzell
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

Disc Five: Making the Anthology

The Beast Within: Making Alien
- Star Beast: Developing the Story
- The Visualists: Direction and Design
- Truckers in Space: Casting
- Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978
- The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet
- The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design
- Future Tense: Editing and Music
- Outward Bound: Visual Effects
- A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film
- Enhancement Pods
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens
- 57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
- Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
- Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
- This Time It’s War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
- The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
- Bug Hunt: Creature Design
- Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
- Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
- The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
- The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
- Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
- Enhancement Pods
Wreckage and Rage: Making Alien3
- Development Hell: Concluding the Story
- Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent Ward’s Vision
- Stasis Interrupted: David Fincher’s Vision
- Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger’s Redesign
- The Color of Blood: Pinewood Studios, 1991
- Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
- The Downward Spiral: Creative Differences
- Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox Studios, L.A. 1992
- Optical Fury: Visual Effects
- Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing and Sound
- Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
- Enhancement Pods
One Step Beyond: Making Alien Resurrection
- From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
- French Twist: Direction and Design
- Under the Skin: Casting and Characterization
- Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
- In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
- Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
- Genetic Composition: Music
- Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated Imagery
- A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography
- Critical Juncture: Reaction to the Film
- Enhancement Pods
- MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to Access and Control Enhancement Pods

Disc Six: The Anthology Archives

Alien
- Pre-Production
  - First Draft Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon
  - Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and Notes
  - Storyboard Archive
  - The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art Portfolio
  - Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with Select Director Commentary
  - Cast Portrait Gallery
- Production
  - The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle Sequence with Commentary
  - Video Graphics Gallery
  - Production Image Galleries
  - Continuity Polaroids
  - The Sets of Alien
  - H.R. Giger’s Workshop Gallery
- Post-Production and Aftermath
  - Additional Deleted Scenes
  - Image & Poster Galleries
  - Experience in Terror
  - Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
  - The Alien Legacy
  - American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott Q&A
  - Trailers & TV Spots
Aliens
- Pre-Production
  - Original Treatment by James Cameron
  - Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics with Commentary
  - Storyboard Archive
  - The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
  - Cast Portrait Gallery
- Production
  - Production Image Galleries
  - Continuity Polaroids
  - Weapons and Vehicles
  - Stan Winston’s Workshop
  - Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
  - Video Graphics Gallery
  - Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
- Post-Production and Aftermath
  - Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
  - Deleted Scene Montage
  - Image Galleries
  - Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
  - Main Title Exploration
  - Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
  - Trailers & TV Spots
Alien3
- Pre-Production
  - Storyboard Archive
  - The Art of Arceon
  - The Art of Fiorina
- Production
  - Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse Sequence
  - EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette with Commentary
  - Production Image Galleries
  - A.D.I.’s Workshop
- Post-Production and Aftermath
  - Visual Effects Gallery
  - Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
- Alien3 Advance Featurette
- The Making of Alien3 Promotional Featurette
- Trailers & TV Spots
Alien Resurrection
- Pre-Production
  - First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon
  - Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop with Commentary
  - Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and Makeup
  - Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Rehearsals
  - Storyboard Archive
  - The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character Designs
  - The Art of Resurrection: Image Galleries
- Production
  - Production Image Galleries
  - A.D.I.’s Workshop
- Post-Production and Aftermath
  - Visual Effects Gallery
  - Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
- HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
- Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
- Trailers & TV Spots
Anthology
- Two Versions of Alien Evolution
- The Alien Saga
- Patches and Logos Gallery
- Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
- Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns Collection
- Parodies
- Dark Horse Cover Gallery
- Patches and Logos Gallery
- MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience
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