Blu Ray releases questionable
12-02-08 | 09:08 AM
#51
Keep in mind, BD has only had full studio support for a little over 4 months, even though the format has been on store shelves for 2 1/2 years. I think the selection we have is pretty damn good. How great was the DVD selection during its first 2 1/2 years? And...plenty of those releases were recycled, non-anamorphic transfers.
12-02-08 | 09:19 AM
#52
DVD Talk Special Edition
Really. I watch a couple movies every week (plus TV series) and I can't keep up.
I have BDs I bought during the 2007 BOGOs still sealed! And I have a dozen more discs coming up any minute now!
I have BDs I bought during the 2007 BOGOs still sealed! And I have a dozen more discs coming up any minute now!
12-02-08 | 01:11 PM
#53
Member
Honestly, I'm surprised at how much has already been released on BD. I wouldn't mind if they just focused on new releases, and scaled back on old already-on-DVD movies getting the BD treatment.
I don't see an excuse for any new movie to get DVD, but no BD.
12-03-08 | 04:09 PM
#54
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' 'bout!!!!
from The Digital Bits Rumor Mill, 12/3/08:
Our sources have reported to us that Universal and DreamWorks are working on a Blu-ray version of Ridley Scott's Gladiator for release sometime in the first half of 2009. We've actually been hearing this from our sources here for a while, but Bits reader Christian O. e-mailed us this morning from Germany to report that copies of Universal's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor there include a promotional flyer that reveals the title as "coming soon" to the format, so we felt this would be a good time to mention it.
We've also been hearing recently that the folks at Disney and Pixar are already hard at work on the eventual Blu-ray releases of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (possibly due in late 2009, but more likely 2010), which are designed be part of the build-up to the theatrical release of Toy Story 3 in 2010.
And our studio sources have confirmed that Warner Home Video is getting ready to bow a Gremlins: 25th Anniversary Edition Special Edition Blu-ray in sometime in early 2009 as well. We're also told that a similar edition of The Goonies is not far behind. (The Goonies is already available in Japan - it streeted there in October).
For those of you who have recently made the leap to Blu-ray Disc, we thought we'd give you a little round-up/update/summary today of some of the great titles you can look forward to on the format in the next year or so. Many of these titles we've reported here at The Bits previously, while a select few of them we're revealing for the first time. All are known to us to be in the planning or production stages for release on Blu-ray, and much of this information has come to us directly from studio sources... though please keep in mind that none these titles are as yet set in stone. That said, titles to watch out for in the next 12 months or so include Escape from New York, The Silence of the Lambs, a Star Trek "Kirk and Spock" box set (including films 1-6), six more catalog Bond titles (see Monday's Rumor Mill post), the theatrical versions of The Lord of the Rings films, possibly some or all of the Alien films, Sin City, Chinatown, Deep Impact, The Ten Commandments, Sunset Boulevard, Apocalypse Now, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance, The Elephant Man, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), possibly Titanic, Gigi, An American in Paris, Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on the River Kwai, Dr. Strangelove, Ghostbusters 1 & 2, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Matix: 10th Anniversary, a more elaborate version of 300, the original King Kong, Rush Hour, Forbidden Planet, Grand Prix, Excalibur, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Woodstock, North by Northwest, Ben-Hur, all the major theatrical releases for the next year and much, much more. The point is, if you love Blu-ray, there's a LOT of great titles in the works.
As always, keep in mind that these titles and dates ARE unofficial and are subject to change until they're actually officially announced by the studios in press releases and retail solicitations.
Our sources have reported to us that Universal and DreamWorks are working on a Blu-ray version of Ridley Scott's Gladiator for release sometime in the first half of 2009. We've actually been hearing this from our sources here for a while, but Bits reader Christian O. e-mailed us this morning from Germany to report that copies of Universal's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor there include a promotional flyer that reveals the title as "coming soon" to the format, so we felt this would be a good time to mention it.
We've also been hearing recently that the folks at Disney and Pixar are already hard at work on the eventual Blu-ray releases of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (possibly due in late 2009, but more likely 2010), which are designed be part of the build-up to the theatrical release of Toy Story 3 in 2010.
And our studio sources have confirmed that Warner Home Video is getting ready to bow a Gremlins: 25th Anniversary Edition Special Edition Blu-ray in sometime in early 2009 as well. We're also told that a similar edition of The Goonies is not far behind. (The Goonies is already available in Japan - it streeted there in October).
For those of you who have recently made the leap to Blu-ray Disc, we thought we'd give you a little round-up/update/summary today of some of the great titles you can look forward to on the format in the next year or so. Many of these titles we've reported here at The Bits previously, while a select few of them we're revealing for the first time. All are known to us to be in the planning or production stages for release on Blu-ray, and much of this information has come to us directly from studio sources... though please keep in mind that none these titles are as yet set in stone. That said, titles to watch out for in the next 12 months or so include Escape from New York, The Silence of the Lambs, a Star Trek "Kirk and Spock" box set (including films 1-6), six more catalog Bond titles (see Monday's Rumor Mill post), the theatrical versions of The Lord of the Rings films, possibly some or all of the Alien films, Sin City, Chinatown, Deep Impact, The Ten Commandments, Sunset Boulevard, Apocalypse Now, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance, The Elephant Man, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), possibly Titanic, Gigi, An American in Paris, Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on the River Kwai, Dr. Strangelove, Ghostbusters 1 & 2, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Matix: 10th Anniversary, a more elaborate version of 300, the original King Kong, Rush Hour, Forbidden Planet, Grand Prix, Excalibur, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Woodstock, North by Northwest, Ben-Hur, all the major theatrical releases for the next year and much, much more. The point is, if you love Blu-ray, there's a LOT of great titles in the works.
As always, keep in mind that these titles and dates ARE unofficial and are subject to change until they're actually officially announced by the studios in press releases and retail solicitations.
12-03-08 | 06:52 PM
#55
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,389
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Damn. Aside from BSG and Woodstock, I want every title mentioned in that post! I am especially jazzed about the possibility (inevitability?) of Toy Story. Hey Disney- Incredibles, now.
12-27-08 | 12:48 AM
#60
Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Batman Begins (DONE! Woohoo!)
Ray
Billy Madison
Fletch
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
Evan Almighty
12-27-08 | 02:15 AM
#61
DVD Talk Special Edition
Why would Joe Six-Pack buy a Blu-Ray player to begin with? I don't get why someone would drop 200 bucks on a player to watch The Contract or Step Brothers. Wait..... I'm forgetting the intelligence level of humans.
But.... If this is the logic then why are companies releasing standard dvds without a Blu-Ray counterpart?
While the films I listed aren't exactly classic-classics they are very popular flicks from years ago. I'm sure anyone with a blu-ray player would pick up Ghostbusters and Gremlins.
But.... If this is the logic then why are companies releasing standard dvds without a Blu-Ray counterpart?
While the films I listed aren't exactly classic-classics they are very popular flicks from years ago. I'm sure anyone with a blu-ray player would pick up Ghostbusters and Gremlins.
12-27-08 | 03:41 AM
#62
DVD Talk Gold Edition
You know, I watched Step Brothers tonight. Pretty funny, I think. Good stupid rental. Awful lot of body hair and dog poop and penis & ball jokes, though.
We will of course get every last new movie well before many decent classics hit the format. Hopefully the studios will put out some more excellent titles next year.
-beebs
We will of course get every last new movie well before many decent classics hit the format. Hopefully the studios will put out some more excellent titles next year.
-beebs
12-27-08 | 08:47 AM
#63
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 540
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It only makes sense that studios are focusing on new releases instead of catalog titles. Studios make more money off of new releases. For one, there's more excitement (over the overall public) over new releases. That's what draws people to a new format. And for MOST people, there isn't the excitement of getting an older movie on a new format when they have it already on DVD. Though there are select titles that even the average person would jump on, it's the new releases that draw the most in (and as mentioned already, a studio would rather wait to release a catalog title when they can make the most of it). Plus studios can charge more for a new release because of that excitement. They couldn't release a catalog title at the same price as a new release (though they try) and hope to get that many sales. The same went for DVD several years after it came out. And many of the huge catalog releases only came out in the last 5 years or so (use the Back to the Future trilogy, for example, it was 2005 before we got it). It's only after a major amount of people own Blu-Ray players that it becomes cost-effective for them to invest in a Blu-Ray release of a catalog title. And being that Blu-Ray has been the new actual format of choice for less than a year and full studio support for only a few months, it's expected that it's too early to have a lot of catalog releases. As you can see, 2009 is bringing us a lot as studios have been working hard to get them made after Blu-Ray won the format war, and the process takes a while (they can't snap their fingers and the movie is on Blu-Ray even if there is an HD transfer already made).
Now as to why they are releasing new DVD releases without Blu-Ray versions can be for several reasons. One is that the DVD release was probably planned before Blu-Ray won the format war. Another is whether they have the support of the director, producer, etc. (after all, Spielberg has a huge say in video releases of his movies). Yet another is how easy it is to make a new DVD release. Many new version releases are just repackaged releases of the old DVD. And some are the same with a new special feature or two and maybe a different menu. There's no new transcoding to do for the movie itself (which you would need even if you had an HD version already made).
But whatever the reasons, just look at the year ahead at the releases already scheduled. I think the amount of catalog titles being released in the next year surpass those of DVD in the first few years. I say, in a year from now, people won't have this complaint as much (though it will still be there as that complaint is still there with DVD).
Now as to why they are releasing new DVD releases without Blu-Ray versions can be for several reasons. One is that the DVD release was probably planned before Blu-Ray won the format war. Another is whether they have the support of the director, producer, etc. (after all, Spielberg has a huge say in video releases of his movies). Yet another is how easy it is to make a new DVD release. Many new version releases are just repackaged releases of the old DVD. And some are the same with a new special feature or two and maybe a different menu. There's no new transcoding to do for the movie itself (which you would need even if you had an HD version already made).
But whatever the reasons, just look at the year ahead at the releases already scheduled. I think the amount of catalog titles being released in the next year surpass those of DVD in the first few years. I say, in a year from now, people won't have this complaint as much (though it will still be there as that complaint is still there with DVD).
12-27-08 | 12:11 PM
#64
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 6,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From: Mpls, MN
12-27-08 | 01:32 PM
#65
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Don't extrapolate your wants and desires to being the same as those of others. While there are several movies in your list of 22 titles in the OP that I enjoyed, I only own one of them on DVD and wouldn't buy a single one on BD. Not one.
And I have no illusion that the titles I'd most like to see on BD would be of interest to you or most of those who post here.
12-28-08 | 01:13 AM
#68
DVD Talk Special Edition
I was just saying that Stepbrothers seems all of a sudden the lowest film on BD. You might aswell say the HDTV is great but don't bother making HD sitcoms!
12-28-08 | 03:49 AM
#72
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,921
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
From: AUSTIN - Land of Mexican Coke
For me Walk Hard was funny, watched at a $1 movie theater but wouldn't have felt ripped off if I'd seen it at full price. Talladega Nights I caught on HBO in Beijing. Not very funny to me. It's against forum poiicy to mention how I viewed Step Brothers a few weeks ago. 
I would never consider purchasing any of the films on BRD, but it's all about choice. Glad someone who loves those movies can buy them in the format of their choice.
I would never consider purchasing any of the films on BRD, but it's all about choice. Glad someone who loves those movies can buy them in the format of their choice.
