VB High-Def Update E-Newsletter

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Welcome to the premier issue of Video Business' new High-Def Update, featuring recent product news, reviews and a listing of upcoming titles on both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. As a subscriber to Video Business magazine or enewsletter, we would like to provide you with a free weekly subscription. For customer support or to stop receiving this enewsletter, please scroll to the bottom for instructions.


Here are Video Business' most recent high-def stories.

Two towers in four configurations

Paramount will deliver all three formats on Dec. 12.
Following its multi-platform release of Mission: Impossible III, Paramount Home Entertainment will issue Oliver Stone's World Trade Center on all three DVD platforms -- standard, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc -- on Dec. 12 (prebook Oct. 31).

The two-disc World Trade Center Commemorative Edition releases will include two feature-length commentaries -- one by director Stone and a second by real-life 9/11 survivor Will Jimeno and real-life rescuers Scott Strauss, John Busching and Paddy McGee.

Other supplements include nine deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by Stone and numerous featurettes on the film's adaptation, production and visual effects. Click here for the full story.
Smallville first high-def TV DVD title

The set will be priced at $79.98.
Warner Home Video is set to release the first high-definition TV DVD title, Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season, on HD DVD on Nov. 28.

Smallville (prebook Oct. 24), priced at $79.98, will contain such format-exclusive features as a documentary that viewers can enjoy while they simultaneously watch the TV series.

Also included in the HD DVD set are unaired scenes, a 100th episode featurette, commentaries and a Webisode gallery.

HBO Video, which is distributed by Warner, announced The Sopranos on HD DVD earlier but has since delayed those plans. Click here for the full story.
Wallpaper high-def-style

DVD International's title helps calibrate high-def video.
DVD International, a division of DVD Acquisition and Development Group, is taking its wallpaper-style DVDs to high-definition.

The line will offer eight titles, released as combination discs with HD DVD on one side and standard-def DVD on the other.
 
Featured in the series, which are distributed under the HDScape brand, are Exotic Saltwater Aquarium (street Nov. 8) and, coming in early December, Antarctica Dreaming, Fireplace and an HDScape Sampler.
 
Also on the release schedule for 2007 is Digital Video Essentials, which is produced by renowned audio/video expert Joe Kane. DVE offers a collection of audio and video test signals that can be used for a variety of home entertainment system tune-ups. Click here for the full story.
50GB Blu-ray Discs not at potential
Studios are rolling out the first high-capacity 50GB Blu-ray Discs but with muted bells and whistles that mostly don't yet exploit the format's interactive potential.

Some of the 50GB titles coming to market have exactly the same extras as their standard DVD counterparts, with extras in standard-definition. Others have the same features as standard DVD but with the extras in high-def. On some 50GB discs, the space is required just for the movie, like in the case of unusually long films such as 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment's nearly 3½-hour Kingdom of Heaven.

Meanwhile, some titles that are being released with Sun Microsystems' Java interactive technology are on the more common 25GB Blu-ray discs, rather than the heftier 50GB versions. Click here for the full story.




Out of Sight
Out of Sight HD DVD
Universal, HD DVD, available now, $29.98, reviewed on LG 26-inch widescreen DLP HDTV with HDMI connection

Universal doesn't add any new high-def features to its HD DVD release of Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight, but the chance to see George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez up close in high-def is reason enough to check out this new transfer. The 1998 all-star crime caper, based on an Elmore Leonard novel, pairs Clooney and Lopez (in her pre-J Lo, pre-Jenny From the Block days) as romantic interests on opposite sides of the law. The HD DVD version brilliantly shows off the warm oranges and reds of Miami in the first half and the dank blues and snowy whites of Detroit in the second half. It also brings more clarity to the sun-filled rooms of Miami and depth to the dark boxing rings and bars of Detroit. Click here for the full review.



Legends of Jazz With Ramsey Lewis Showcase
Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 and Legends of Jazz With Ramsey Lewis Showcase Blu-ray
Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 -- EagleVision, Blu-ray Disc, available now, $24.98, reviewed on Samsung 61-inch widescreen DLP HDTV with HDMI connection

Legends of Jazz With Ramsey Lewis Showcase -- LRS Media, Blu-ray Disc, available now, $34.99, reviewed on Samsung 61-inch widescreen DLP HDTV with HDMI connection

High-definition disc beckons to music connoisseurs like a seductive, sonic frontier, weaving its aural spell to ensnare those who dare to take a taste. Grab 'em by the eyes and ears, it seems to say, and the rest will follow. Music-oriented labels EagleVision and LRS Media are eagerly making their first significant steps forward in the high-def arena with their fall live Alice Cooper disc and jazz performance compilation, respectively. It's no surprise that both titles sound—Oh, how do we say it? It's hard to keep coming up with the words—rich, full, crisp (at times) and full. There's a strong, surrounding echo effect that one gets in the 5.1 mix (particularly on the Cooper disc) that was never as effectively recreated before high-def. Click here for the full review.



Below is a list of upcoming titles on HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Nov. 7
Black Hawk Down Sony; order now; 50GB BD $28.95
War: Ridley Scott's dramatization of the near-disastrous mission in Somalia on Oct. 3, 1993, grossed $109 million.
Bonuses: 50GB with custom "Blu-Wizard" menu; three commentaries, deleted scenes, History Channel documentary "The True Story of Black Hawk Down," two featurettes, interviews

Little Man Sony; order now; BD $38.95
Comedy: A 3-foot criminal disguises himself as a baby in this Wayans brothers movie, which grossed $58 million in theaters.
Bonuses: deleted scenes, making-of featurette, behind-the-scenes featurette, commentaries.

Nacho Libre Paramount; order now; BD/HD $29.99 MAP
Comedy: Jack Black stars as a Mexican wrestler in the $80 million-grossing movie.
Bonuses: commentary, five featurettes, deleted scenes

Reds: 25th Anniversary Edition Paramount; order now; BD/HD $36.99
War: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson star in this movie about a love affair in war-torn Russia.
Bonuses: featurettes, trailer on both formats

Nov. 8
Exotic Saltwater Aquarium DVD International; order now; HD $29.95
Special interest: Attractive video of fish.

Nov. 14
Accepted Universal; prebook Oct. 10; HD Combo $39.98
Comedy: Rather than tell his parents he hasn't been accepted to college, a teenager creates his own university.
Bonuses: picture-in-picture commentary, production photographs, featurettes, music video, deleted scenes, gag reel

Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! Image; order now; HD $24.99
Music: Manilow is backed by a 30-piece orchestra in this sold-out performance filmed in Nashville.

Behind Enemy Lines Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Action: Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson star in this 2001 film, which grossed $59 million.
Bonuses: two commentaries, high-def trailers

Casablanca Warner; order now; HD $28.99
Drama: Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman star in this 1942 romance.

Chicago/Earth Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek Image; order now; HD $24.99
Music: The bands teamed for a tour in the summer of 2004, ending in this concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.

Cream: Royal Albert Hall Rhino; order now; HD $29.99
Music: Cream performs at London's famous Royal Albert Hall.
Bonuses: interviews

Eagles: Farewell 1 Tour—Live From Melbourne Rhino; order now; HD $29.99
Music: The Eagles's 2004 farewell tour features all of their hits.
Bonuses: interviews

Fantastic Four Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Science-fiction: The comic book turned movie grossed $155 million at the box office.
Bonuses: cast commentary, high-def trailers

Forbidden Planet Warner; order now; HD $28.99
Science-fiction: The 1956 space film stars Leslie Neilsen and a dutiful robot called Robby.

Forbidden Planet Ultimate Collector's Edition Warner; order now; HD $59.92
Science-fiction: The 1956 space film stars Leslie Neilsen and a dutiful robot called Robby.

Heart: Alive in Seattle Image; order now; HD $24.99
Music: Ann and Nancy Wilson perform in a special hometown concert.

James Taylor: Musicares Person of the Year Tribute Rhino; order now; HD $19.99
Music: Tribute to Taylor for his commitment to music and philanthropic efforts.

Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut Fox; order now; 50GB BD $39.98
War: Ridley Scott's cut of his $47 million-grossing period adventure starring Orlando Bloom.

King Kong Universal; order now; HD $39.98
Action: Peter Jackson's $218 million-grossing update to the giant ape story stars Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody.
Bonuses: Offers "U-Control" bonus features, including "My Scenes" feature, in which users can bookmark scenes; also cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage playable while the movie plays

Kiss of the Dragon Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Action: Jet Li and Bridget Fonda star in this 2001 movie, which grossed $37 million in theaters.
Bonuses: commentary, high-def trailers

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Adventure: This 2003 movie based on the graphic novel series grossed $66 million in theaters.
Bonuses: two commentaries, trivia track, content search, personal scene selection, game

Mutiny On the Bounty Warner; prebook Oct. 24; HD $28.99
Drama: The men on the HMS bounty overthrow the captain after spending six months in Tahiti.
Bonuses: alternate prologue and epilogue sequences, new featurette "After the Cameras Stopped Rolling: The Journey of the Bounty", four vintage featurettes, Marlon Brando movie trailer gallery

The Omen Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Horror: The remake of the classic horror story made $55 million at the box office and stars Julia Stiles and Live Schreiber.
Bonuses: commentary, two featurettes, two extended scenes, trivia track

Speed Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Action: The 1994 film starring Dennis Hopper, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock grossed $121 million.
Bonuses: two commentaries, trivia track, game, content search, personal scene selection, high-def trailers

A Stained Glass Christmas With Heavenly Carols WEA; order now; HD Combo $29.99
Music: Christmas carols sung for the holidays.

The Transporter Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Action: Jason Statham stars in this 2002 movie, which earned $25 million.
Bonuses: commentary, high-def trailers

Waterworld Universal; prebook Oct. 10; HD $29.98
Drama: Kevin Costner's epic film about a future world in which everyone lives in the water rather than on land.

Nov. 21
Annapolis Buena Vista; order now; BD $34.99
Drama: A young man's dream comes true when he is accepted into a naval academy.
Bonuses: commentary, deleted scenes

Casanova Buena Vista; order now; BD $34.99
Drama: Heath Ledger plays the famed ladies' man who meets his match when he fails to win over a woman.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas Universal; order now; HD Combo $34.98
Family: Based on the well-known children's book, this movie stars Jim Carrey as the Grinch.

Enemy of the State Buena Vista; order now; BD $34.99
Action: Will Smith and Gene Hackman's 1998 thriller is released on a 50GB Blu-ray disc.
Bonuses: deleted scenes, making-of featurette, "All Access: The Showdown" featurette

Flightplan Buena Vista; order now; BD $34.99
Action: Jodie Foster stars in this film about a woman whose daughter vanishes on a plane.
Bonuses: commentary, visual effects featurettes, Blu-Scape "Jet Stream"

Goal! The Dream Begins Buena Vista; order now; BD $34.99
Drama: A man finds himself competing for the soccer team Newcastle United.
Bonuses: commentary, "Behind the Ptich" featurette

Ice Age: The Meltdown Fox; order now; BD $39.98
Animated: The ice starts to melt in this $195 million-grossing sequel.
Bonuses: commentaries, short films, historical films on the ice age period, outtakes, sound effects lab, artist gallery, two games

Sky High Buena Vista; order now; BD $34.99
Family: At Sky High, the students are superheroes trying to live normal lives.
Bonuses: alternate opening, featurettes

The Wild Buena Vista; order now; BD $34.99
Animated: When a young lion is accidentally shipped to Africa, his zoo friends must rescue him.
Bonuses: deleted scenes, music video, featurettes

You, Me and Dupree Universal; prebook Oct. 10; DVD $29.98, HD $39.98
Comedy: Owen Wilson stars as an unwelcome houseguest who pesters two newlyweds, played by Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon, in this movie, which grossed $74 million at the box office.
Bonuses: TBA

Nov. 28
An American Werewolf in London Universal; order now; HD Combo $34.98
Horror: Two Americans are attacked in London by a werewolf.

Dune Universal; order now; HD $29.98
Science-fiction: This 1984 film is based on Frank Herbert's epic novel.

Meet the Parents Universal; order now; HD $29.98
Comedy: This 2000 film stars Ben Stiller, who's intimidated by his girlfriend's ex-CIA father, Robert De Niro.

The Mummy Universal; order now; HD $29.98
Adventure: Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz star in this 1999 movie, an update of the 1932 horror classic.

Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season HD Warner; order now; HD $79.98
Action: Clark Kent struggles with his superpowers as a teenager.
Bonuses: format-exclusive features including documentary that viewers can watch with TV series, unaired scenes, 100th episode featurette, commentaries, Webisode gallery

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut Warner; order now; HD $28.99
Action: Superman sacrifices his powers in order to marry Lois Lane.
Bonuses: commentary by Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz, intro by Donner, new featuree "Superman II: Restoring the Vision", deleted scenes

Superman: The Movie Warner; prebook Oct. 24; HD $28.99
Action: Christopher Reeve stars as the Man of Steel in the 1978 movie.

Superman Returns Warner; prebook Oct. 24; DVD/BD $34.99, HD $39.99
Action: This $197.4 million-grossing blockbuster reignited the Superman franchise.

Windtalkers MGM/Fox; prebook Nov. 1; BD $39.98
War: Two soldiers are in charge of protecting Navajo codetalkers in this John Woo movie.

Online Editor: Samantha Clark
VideoBusiness.com


This message was sent to smclark@reedbusiness.com.



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