Good news if you've been waiting to buy that big briefcase of cubes and discs other shapes that Marvel would like to sell you: it finally has an updated release date, and now there will be even more crap in there!
Looking to keep The Wizard of Oz reliably gimmicky for another seventy years strong, Warner Bros. has announced that now the 1939 classic will be converted to 3D for a new release to hit shelves on DVD and Blu-Ray next fall. Though the film, of course, originally hit theaters with the included gimmick of dramatically shifting to color partway in, this is the first new gimmick to be tacked on since someone thought to play Dark Side of the Moon over the visuals, so this is pretty big news as far as Wizard of Oz gimmicks go. That synchronized dwarf dancing is really gonna pop.
Arriving December 4, The Dark Knight Rises Blu-ray/DVD/digital combo release has been revealed, and, as reported by EW, the set will also include a documentary about the Batmobile, a collection of 17 behind-the-scenes making-of shorts, The Journey of Bruce Wayne featurette, as well as trailers and art galleries. More noticeably, it also comes with a recognizable chunk of rubber mask plopped on top. Your move, Mrs. Doubtfire Drive-By-Fruiting Platinum Edition.
As we learned last month, buying the so-called "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One" Blu-ray collection will get more than just the entire Marvel Universe movie lineup so far: you also get a big, shiny briefcase sadly likely to become the most-utilized business accessory you ever own. But what's inside this luggage? MTV (via) has the first look and the answer: some discs, a few fake manila folders, and--the ephemeral crown jewel--a GLOWING TESSERACT replica that shines from within as a beacon constantly reminding you that you probably can't change its batteries or anything, so get ready to eventually just own a clear-ish brick. As added incentive to re-buy these movies, Marvel also updated the covers for the included re-releases with some stylized art more like the minimalist, Saul Bass-inspired stuff that's so popular on the internet these days. Have a look below.
If you're tempted by the allure of a "collectible" home video experience that won't fit conveniently in your shelving system, you are probably going to have to buy this.
Those noble citizens who actually bother to leave the house and pay money for movies on disc will soon be rewarded with longer, more plentiful, more garish government-mandated anti-piracy warnings. These guys are really serious about unauthorized reproduction or distribution, okay? Just look at that high school mascot eagle!
The ridiculous Blu-ray alterations to the Star Wars films were met with heavy sighs and outrage from the online fan community and George Lucas of the past, as well, but in the end, George Lucas of the present could not give less of an ess, because everyone still bought all of the Star Wars Blu-rays. In fact, so many people bought these things that, after just a week of sales, already it's broken the worldwide sales record for the format, selling over one million units in over $84 million in sales. I believe $200 million was always George Lucas's Original Vision for how much money he'd make re-packaging his films for the nth time, but hey, maybe he can catch up at Christmas.
George Lucas's Original Vision of Star Wars continues to evade the writer/director/producer/action figure profiteer, but with each new release of his epic he comes ever closer to at last capturing that elusive, CGI white whale he's always intended. We've already seen that the updated Blu-ray release of the Star Wars saga will include a new, computer-generated Yoda to match the hollow lifelessness of the rest of the prequel trilogy, and now we're starting to hear about some other tinkering that bored ol' George has been doing in the Skywalker garage. Among the additional changes to the films: you know how Darth Vader ridiculously screamed "NOOOOOO!!!" at the end of Revenge of the Sith? Well, now that's Vader's catchphrase, and George Lucas is hoping the studio audience will erupt when they hear it shouted a couple more times at the end of Return of the Jedi:
The Star Wars saga at last comes to Blu-ray on September 12th, but as is so often the case when Star Wars journeys to a new format, there have been puppet casualties on the way. This time, it seems, we've lost one of our latex Yodas--the one in The Phantom Menace--replaced by a CGI version that will more closely resemble the hollow lifelessness of the rest of the post-Return of the Jedi Star Wars universe. Sorry, everyone who worked on that puppet, but your arduous labor no longer matches George Lucas's ever-evolving Original Vision--soon to be in 3-D, as it was now always intended.
See a before/after Yoda comparison over at /Film.
On September 12, the complete, six-film Star Wars saga once again returns to home video--this time on Blue-ray, allowing you to enjoy the enjoyable 40% or so for the first time in high definition. You can finally get a real good look at when that green-skinned dancer's boob pops out for a second. Sweetening the deal: Lucas somehow found even more "never before seen footage" to nag at the completist in you until you finally give into the human tube's request for you to pay for Star Wars again. But on the plus side, you can buy it as the complete saga or as just the individual trilogies, so no need to pay for Jar Jar portions unless your tastes demand Liam Neeson's hazy chemical explanation for The Force. Here's the just-released trailer, in case you forgot what Star Wars is:
James Cameron isn't the only director having a love affair with 3-D. Tommy Wiseau is loving it, too! In an interview with EW, the auteur behind The Room explained that he's "obsessed about 3-D right now, if you ask me," and revealed plans to convert his cult "black comedy" into three dimensions, thus eliminating The Room's least problematic removal from reality.
Apparently unable to just merge the footage he shot with two cameras mounted side-by-side into a stereoscopic image, Wiseau went on to say the conversion process is "very detail-oriented," but that we should see the results in theaters by late 2011 or early 2012, with a Blu-Ray release to follow. Finally, visual depth between Lisa and the inexplicable spoon art! Also: Wiseau's wan, dimpled ass cheeks in 3-D, as he confirmed, "My bottom will have to be in 3-D because I’m not changing anything." Nor should you, Tommy.
(Thanks, Sarah.)
Happy days, Star Wars fans. George Lucas and his Nerd Patronizer (Director of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet) have announced the new ways they're going to repackage the increasingly-diluted Star Wars franchise--not because it will wring a few more dollars out of the loyal, but because it's HIS ORIGINAL VISION. Star Wars was always meant to be seen in Blu-Ray and also in 3-D at some point. Sansweet told IGN:
"We have been at work for a couple of years working on—I won't call it the Ultimate Set because we keep finding stuff—but, a very full set of all six movies on Blu-ray with lots of extra material. We're finding all kinds of scenes from dailies that have never been seen before."We're not ready to announce exactly when it's coming out, but it won't be in the too distant future.
"George has publicly expressed an interest in doing Star Wars 3D. Right now there are a number of different technologies, there's some criticism out there about some of the movies that have quickly changed to 3D, so you have to pick the right technology, you have to get it to a cost that makes sense, and you have to have the time of the director and producer -- George -- to actually go in there, because you can't push a button and stuff goes in one end and comes out 3D…
"Saying all that, George remains very interested in doing the Star Wars movies, all six, in 3D, and I hope it will happen someday in the not too distant future."
You won't fool me this time, Lucas. I'm not buying another bullshit Star Wars release until Lucasfilm starts selling the one they exhume from your grave. And even then, only if it's in a cool case shaped like Darth Vader's helmet.
God, people really love that Batman character. Warner Bros. is projecting that, only a week after the home video release of the film, The Dark Knight has become the the top-selling DVD of the year and the best-selling Blu-ray thing EVER. Says Variety:
According to Warners, "The Dark Knight" sold more than 1.7 million Blu-ray discs worldwide its first week. Although comparisons are tricky given the elusiveness of worldwide sales data, "The Dark Knight" is now considered the undisputed Blu-ray champ, given the strong bow.The studio also projects that "The Dark Knight" will become the bestselling 2008 title overall this week. Consumers have bought more than 10 million copies of the pic, with the remainder of purchases by rental outlets.
And in one more home video record, my parents have told me they are "real excited" about taping this off cable, with anticipation reaching near-Shrek 2 levels.
Well, the so-called format wars are over. Despite holding the more culturally significant name, HD DVD has lost the battle against Sony's Blu-ray technology, with Toshiba formally announcing their resignation from the battle today. Early adopters of new technology, half of you have been f***ed yet again.
Now HD DVD faces another uphill struggle: winning the crown of most-comedically-referenced dead format from Betamax, the title-holder for over 20 years. Just as Warner's support proved crucial in the success of Blu-ray, HD DVD will need Family Guy on their side if they hope to win this one.
Toshiba bows out of HD DVD fight [Variety]
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I Watch Stuff is a movie and video blog dedicated to bringing you the best and worst that Hollywood and the Internet have to offer and then, more often than not, making fun of it because it sucks.
