Fox is releasing one of its most successful movies of all time, The Passion of the Christ, on Blu-ray on Feb. 17. Back when Fox released the title on DVD in 2004, the studio was hoping the movie would spur a late rush of DVD player adoption. With its serious religious themes, Passion's big screen debut wound up attracting many people who normally attend church activities over mainstream entertainment. 
It's understood that many of these first-time movie fans also likely bought players in order to enjoy Passion whenever they wanted at home. 
I wonder if this same core Passion fan base will return to stores to pick up Blu-ray players now? Their DVD players are a good four years old now, and may be in need of an upgrade. Passion's extreme imagery will also likely prove most moving in the Blu-ray ...Read More

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With Juliana Margulies and Aiden Quinn, what's not to like?

Apparently quite a bit, because this TV show was canceled after only a few airings. I watched it and liked, though, and Canterbury's Law: The Complete Series will now be available in a two-DVD set on Feb. 24 (prebook Jan. 22; DVD $29.95).

Sony has left the discs pretty sparse, offering just the six episodes and previews.

In case you didn't catch it, the show's about an attorney (Margulies) who puts her career on the line to take unpopular cases. All this while her and her husband deal with the death of their son.

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In a quick turnaround, Weinstein will bring out Soul Men, starring the late Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, on Feb. 3, just 13 weeks after it debuted in theaters.

The musical comedy is about two soul legends (Mac and Samuel L. Jackson) reuniting at the Apollo Theater for a one-night-only performance as a tribute to their old bandleader, who has died. Sean Hayes and Jennifer Coolidge also star in this $11.7 million-grossing movie.

The DVD will be priced at $28.95, and the Blu-ray will be priced at $34.99. Prebook is Dec. 23. Genius distributes Weinstein product.

With the story about a tribute, the DVD and Blu-ray will include their own tributes to Mac and Hayes.

Here's the rest of the special features menu:

...Read More

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Dakota Fanning stars in the acclaimed The Secret Life of Bees, which will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Feb. 3 (prebook Jan. 7).

Based on the award-winning bestseller by Sue Monk Kidd, the family movie tells the a 14-year-old (Fanning) who's haunted by her late mother and escapes her troubled relationship with her father to life in a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. It has grossed $36.6 million in theaters, and Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys also star.

Fox's movie will be available for $29.98 on DVD and $39.99 on Blu-ray, and both will offer the theatrical cut of the film as well as an extended director's cut.

Here's the rest of the special features list:

...Read More

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Just in time for Valentine's Day, Warner will release the romance Nights in Rodanthe on Feb. 10 (prebook Jan. 6) on DVD and Blu-ray.

Richard Gere and Diane Lane (both great in romances) star in the $41.5 million-grossing movie, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks, who also wrote The Notebook.

Rodanthe will not come out in Warner's usual triple offerings. Instead, it will be available only as a single DVD, priced at $28.98, and on Blu-ray ($35.99).

Blu-ray will come with digital copy as well as alternate scenes with director's commentary, featurettes and a music video.

In case you missed the movie, check our Gere and Lane sparking up the romance in...Read More

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Tanya York, president of indie studio York Entertainment, is passing on her secrets.

Her book How to Make Money Making Movies: The Secrets of Becoming a Profitable Filmmaker will be in stores Jan. 22, published by W Business Books.

Written with Randall Frakes, the book shows how a good strategy can make a movie successful.

A History of Violence ...Read More

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Yesterday I gave you the heads up for the Edward Norton/Colin Farrell dream team movie Pride and Glory debuting on DVD and Blu-ray on Jan. 27. Today, here's the skinny on the dream team of Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in Body of Lies, arriving on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 17 (prebook Jan. 13).

The $38.9 million-grossing movie will be released in Warner's usual: single DVD for $28.98, two-DVD for $34.99 and Blu-ray for $35.99, with digital copy on the two-DVD and Blu-ray versions.

The two-DVD set will include a making-of featurette. I don't have complete details on the Blu-ray special features, but Warner says it will have more than two hours of bonus content, including interactive features, interviews with the cast, and BD Live...Read More

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Edward Norton and Colin Farrell seem like a dream cast to star in a thriller, but their names weren't enough of a pull at the box office: Pride and Glory grossed $15.6 million.

Not to worry, because those names should be enough of a draw to pull in consumers browsing DVD shelves.

Pride and Glory will be released Jan. 27 (prebook Dec. 23) on DVD (single disc $28.98, two-disc 34.99) and Blu-ray (35.99).

Warner's two-DVD and Blu-ray versions will include digital copy and a 67-minute making-of featurette.

Check out the trailer:

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Juno's Michael Cera and The 40-Year-Old Virgin's Kat Dennings drove Nick & Norah's Inifinite Playlist to a $31 million gross in theaters, decent for a small comedy. Sony will deliver the movie to DVD, Blu-ray and PSP on Feb. 3 (prebook Jan. 1).

Prices will be $28.96 for DVD, $39.95 for Blu-ray and $24.94 for PSP.

Based on the book by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Nick & Norah follows the adventures of two music-loving strangers from New J...Read More

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Oliver Stone's W., about current President George W. Bush, will be released by Lionsgate Feb. 10 (prebook Jan. 14) priced at $29.95 on DVD and $39.99 on Blu-ray.

The movie, starring Josh Brolin as W., grossed $25 million in theaters.

Its extras package won't be huge, but should be interesting:

• "Dangerous Dynasty: The Bush Presidency" featur...Read More

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Although it grossed less than many action/videogame movies of its kind, Max Payne will have a lot going for it when it hits DVD and Blu-ray on Jan. 20 (prebook Dec. 24).

The Mark Wahlberg starrer (one thing it has going for it) will be released by Fox as a single DVD ($29.98), two-DVD special edition ($34.99) and Blu-ray ($39.99).

The $40.3 million-grossing Max Payne also stars Forgetting Sarah Marshall babe Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Prison Break's Amaury Nolasco and Quantum of Solace Bond girl Olga Kurylenko.

The special edition DVD and Blu-ray versions will offer both the theatrical and an extended unrated cut of the action movie (another good thing for the home market); plus commentary b...Read More

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MGM will release its $19 million-grossing animated family movie Igor on DVD ($17.99) and Blu-ray ($39.99) on Jan. 20 (prebook Dec. 24).

The movie has an all-star voice cast, including John Cusack as Igor, John Cleese as Dr. Glickenstein, Steve Buscemi as Scamper, Will & Grace's Sean Hayes as Brain, Eddie Izzard as Dr. Schadenfraude, Jay Leno as King Malbert and Molly Shannon as Eva.

Extras on the low-priced DVD will include deleted scenes, bloopers and a "Be an Igor" featurette. Blu-ray will offer an alternate opening and commentary with director Tony Leondis, writer Chris McKenna and producer Max Howard.

Fox distributes MGM product.

...Read More

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