5 Shortcuts to Blu-ray Release

Doesn't it seem random, how some B-grade old flicks make it to Blu-ray first while classics wait in line? Here's five criteria studios use before giving a Blu the green light.

To the list of life's great mysteries — which already includes what's our purpose on earth, and how does Keanu Reeves keep getting work? — you can add one more: Just how in the name of 1080p do studios decide which titles to re-release on Blu-ray Disc?

The new releases are a no-brainer, but when it comes to the backcatalog, is there any rhyme or reason? Doesn't seem to be. After a two-year flirtation with HD DVD, Paramount recently came back to the Blu-ray fold and, with great fanfare, announced its first slate of titles, which included Bee Movie, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and . . . Face/Off?

One of the first titles Fox rolled out was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Say what? Are these really the movies fans have been saving their allowances for? Sean Connery probably doesn't even want a copy of League, and he's in it.

That said, the studios do put a lot of research and effort into choosing Blu-ray titles. They'll eventually get around to releasing the bulk of their catalog, but for now, because the technology is relatively new and the transfer process so expensive, they have to be judicious with the release slate.

Here are the elements the studios are looking for:

1. Stuff blows up
Quite simply, the most important criterion for choosing a Blu-ray release is a film that will best exploit the benefits of a high-end home system. "You want sexy-looking stuff that is going to make your system scream," says Steve Feldstein, spokesperson for Fox Home Entertainment. That means a movie with striking visuals and cinematography, jaw-dropping special effects, and booming sound. More often than not, these are big action movies, like Face/Off or Twister — the latter, one of the first titles released on DVD that's now getting a Blu-ray release. These are also the movies that the early adopters of Blu-ray (who are generally male) enjoy. In short, Feldstein says that what all of the Blu-ray titles have in common is great imagery. "In the early days of the format, it's key. It certainly was with DVD and laserdisc," he says.

2. There's a sequel out now
With a new installment of a franchise currently in theaters, studios will often look to release previous films. That's why Fox put out the first Die Hard movies, as well as the original Alien vs. Predator.

3. The title has proven popular in the past
George Feltenstein, senior VP of marketing for Warner Bros., says, "Films that have had a prior sales success in other media demand our attention." If it was a big hit on DVD, it's more likely to get the Blu-ray treatment.

4. Fans have been clamoring for it
True, a write-in campaign by the three fans of Nail Gun Massacre probably won't get any results, but the studios say they do take customer feedback into consideration. "I've been hearing from [fans] for 20 years," Feldstein says. "The Internet makes it even more democratic. We absolutely listen to our customers. We're looking at a lot of different properties."

The staff at Warner Bros. gets asked constantly about when titles from their voluminous library of classics will get the Blu-ray treatment. Sit tight. Feltenstein says indispensable titles, such as Gone With the Wind, Casablanca and Ben-Hur, are on the way.

5. The master doesn't need much cleaning up
"If we have a good looking hi-def master available, that would get a title out sooner than another title that might need full restoration," Feldstein says. "So quality elements is definitely a determining factor." Restoration is obviously time-consuming and expensive, and it's easier for the studios to release films that don't require much.

Which is not to say they aren't paying to have films restored. John Lowry, founder of Lowry Digital Images, says his company is working on an ever-increasing number of "important" titles, in preparation for a Blu-ray release. The list includes a number from Fox and Paramount, though Lowry declined to name names. The good news is that Lowry is scanning from the original camera negatives, not a duplicate, which should make for the best image quality you can get. And isn't that why you plunked down hundreds of dollars for that Blu-ray player in the first place?