Enlarge Your Blu-ray Library

Amazon has a great deal cooking for all Blu-ray collectors.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Amazon has put on a great promotion for customers wishing to increase the size of their Blu-ray libraries. For a limited time Amazon is offering a special buy-two-get-one-free deal on a large assortment of Blu-ray discs. There are 58 eligible titles and many of which are already marked down at least 30% off. So, if you're in the market to buy 3 Blu-ray titles for a grand-total of roughly $40-$45 this deal's for you.



58 titles may not seem much but Amazon has made sure to include an array of top quality discs. Blade Runner (Five Disc), Pan’s Labyrinth, The Fifth Element, 300, Run Lola Run, The Departed, Unforgiven, Reservoir Dogs, Big Fish, Crash, Halloween, Evil Dead 2, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Masters of Horror Season 1, and a whole lot more. It's a great deal that's worth checking out.

Click HERE to check out Amazon's 3-for-2 Blu-ray sale. I'll definitely be picking up a few titles.

Cheers.

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Cloverfield Alternate Endings

Two alternate endings found on the upcoming Cloverfield DVD have made their way onto YouTube.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Two alternate endings found on the upcoming April 22nd DVD release of Cloverfield have found their way onto YouTube. While neither ending differs too much from the theatrical ending they are both worth the watch. The first unused ending cuts from the rubble to Rob and Beth flirting at a subway station. The second is very similar to the ending used theatrically but features a clip of someone, possibly the government, removing the camera from the rubble. Check out the alternate endings below.



The Cloverfield DVD hits shelves in a few weeks on April 22nd. Paramount has not yet revealed any details on a Cloverfield Blu-ray release but it's only a matter of time before the film hits the High-def format. It was originally speculated that Paramount was rushing out a barebones Blu-ray disc to coincide with the April 22nd DVD release but that no longer seems the case.





What do you guys think of these alternate endings? Would you have preferred to see one of these instead of the ending that was used theatrically? Post a comment and we'll start up a discussion.

Cheers.

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Spaced Region 1 DVD Due Out This Summer

Simon Pegg has revealed that a North American DVD release of Spaced will hit this July.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Finally. I've been waiting for Spaced to hit DVD in North America for what seems like ages. The UK discs have been out for years but I, like many fans over here, don't have a region-free player. Thankfully I no longer have to fret. Simon Pegg has revealed that a North American DVD release of Spaced will hit shelves this July.



While Pegg didn't drop too many specifics about what would be found on the discs he did give out some juicy details. There will be quite a few commentary tracks on the disc. Director Edgar Wright has recorded a few along with Pegg. Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino, Diablo Cody, and Matt Stone have also recorded commentary tracks for the DVD.

Pegg also stated that he will be in San Diego for this year's Comic-Con to promote his upcoming films along with the Spaced DVD release. Hopefully I see him there this summer.

Cheers.

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Adam West's Batman Headed to Blu-ray

Fox will release Batman: The Movie in HD this summer.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

In what appears like an attempt to cash in on the success of The Dark Knight Fox has announced the release of Batman: The Movie on Blu-ray. The film will hit the format two weeks before TDK is released this July.



Fox isn't skimping out when it comes to the extras on this disc. The Blu-ray will ship with a scaled Batmobile, feature two commentary tracks, an isolated score track, six featurettes, pop-up trivia, a Batmobile 360-degree interactive tour, trailers, and six different galleries.

While I can't say I've been waiting anxiously for Batman: The Movie to hit Blu-ray I'll have a hard time resisting this purchase. The scaled Batmobile alone is almost a good enough reason to drop $40 on this disc.

Adam West's Batman: The Movie will hit shelves on July 1st.

Cheers.

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I Am Legend Alternate Ending

An alternate ending of the film has leaked its way onto YouTube.

One of the special features planned for the March 18 release date of I Am Legend on DVD and Blu-ray is an alternate ending. Originally director Francis Lawrence and Warner Bros had shot and planned to use a different ending but test audiences made them change their mind. A video of the alternate ending has leaked onto YouTube just two-weeks prior to the DVD release. The video file was pulled by YouTube's staff but has been uploaded elsewhere online, check it out below.



While this ending doesn't come close to saving what I thought was a poor film I like this finale a lot more than the one used theatrically. It leaves more open for interpretation and feels like better suited end to Robert Neville's character arc. However, I would have preferred the ending used in the book over both of the filmed conclusions. Also, how do Robert and Anna drive out of New York? I thought it was established that all the bridges had been shot down to quarantine the city?



I Am Legend hits DVD on March 18th. There will be a single-disc DVD, a special edition featuring a theatrical and alternate version of the film, and Blu-ray and HD DVD versions featuring everything found on the special edition. It is unclear whether or not the alternate version of the film is completely re-cut or whether it just uses the different ending.

Did you see I Am Legend? Which ending do you prefer?

Cheers.

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Making the Switch to Blu-ray

The time has come to dust off my DVD rack and start fresh.

It appears that Sony has won the high-definition war. Toshiba has dropped their format out of the running and it looks like Blu-ray will take over as the accepted step up from DVD. While Blu-ray discs aren't yet flying off the shelves at the same rate as DVDs they are no doubtably picking up steam. Consumers can now buy Blu-ray with confidence now that Sony controls the entire market. I too have jumped on the Blu-ray bandwagon and have decided that it's time to clean house and embrace the new format.

I've been an avid DVD collector for roughly eight or nine years. I make it a habit to pick up the DVDs of films I enjoyed in theatres and would rather buy a movie than rent one. My collection is a humble one peaking around 150 flicks but I'm proud of the titles I've accumulated over the years. However, I feel it's time to let the majority of my collection go in an attempt to kick start my library of Blu-ray discs.



As of now roughly half of my DVD collection has been listed on eBay. I'm mostly selling the titles that can be replaced on Blu-ray or one's that I'm not very inclined to keep. I'm holding on to all my box-sets and my favourite films but I'll probably end up selling those as soon as I pick them up in high-def. I understand these eBay auctions won't make me anywhere close to the amount of money I spent on these DVDs over the years but that's just the way things work. I figure I'll make more selling them now than I would if I waited; the sooner the better. Selling my collection looks like a good idea right now but could easily backfire.

For starters, who says Blu-ray is going to be the format of the future? Sure, Sony has beaten HD DVD but who's to say another format, say digital downloads, won't come in and steal the spoils? I would hate to sell all my DVDs and end up with a sizable collection of discs from a a format no longer supported. While I'm confident that Blu-ray can stick around for the long haul I still have my doubts.

Has anyone else sold off their entire DVD collection yet and embraced Blu-ray disc? Where did you sell them? How many titles did you sell? Am I making a poor decision by selling my DVD collection? Post a comment and let me know.

You can view and bid on my eBay listings HERE.

Cheers.

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Conroy to Voice Batman in Gotham Knight

The Batman veteran will once again lend his voice to the Dark Knight.

MediaZEALOT ran an article a week ago about the confirmation Christian Bale may not voice The Bat in the upcoming Batman: Gotham Knight. Well, today DC and Warner Home Entertainment have revealed Kevin Conroy will once again be the man behind the voice of Batman.



As much as I love Kevin Conroy's Batman I am disappointed by this announcement. Bale should be the one doing this project. Gotham Knight is about Batman in Christopher Nolan's universe, not the one found in Batman: The Animated Series. Bringing Conroy into the mix just blurs the line between what has come before and what is now.

I'm still enthusiastic about Batman: Gotham Knight. However, quite a bit of my excitement has been lost due to Bale not taking part.

Batman: Gotham Knight hits DVD and Blu-ray disc on July 8th.

Cheers.

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Cloverfield Blu-ray Speculation

Is Paramount overlooking the extras as it rushes to pump out a Cloverfield Blu-ray disc?

Paramount was well into the HD DVD development of their 2008 blockbuster hit Cloverfield and the studio was aiming for an April shelf-date. Over a month's work was put into HD special features including new story content and viral campaign back story. It now appears that these features may never see the light of day.



Due to the death of Toshiba's HD DVD format, and the end of their exclusivity agreement with Paramount, the movie studio is now scrambling to release Cloverfield on Blu-ray disc. However, Paramount plans to keep their original release date of April this year. Many are speculating that, due to time constraints, the disc will be a bare-bones affair with no special features to be found. Paramount is putting all of their resources towards bringing the film to Blu-ray and rumour has it they don't have the time to port over any additional content.

If this rumour is true it is a very disappointing one. I loved Cloverfield when I saw it in theatres but would probably refrain from buying a disc without any extras. I'll wait for the double-dip with all the special features if there is one.

Paramount may be trying to cash in on a double-dip with a special edition Blu-ray release somewhere down the line. Maybe the studio is simply waiting for Blu-ray 2.0 so that they can get the most out of their film. Whatever the case a bare-bones Cloverfield Blu-ray disc won't be a good thing. The movie is priority, don't get me wrong, but additional content can make or break a great DVD release.

Paramount plans to release Cloverfield on Blu-ray in April. Stay tuned to MediaZEALOT as we'll keep you posted on whether or not this rumour is fact or fiction.

Cheers.

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30 Days of Night Blu-ray Review

30 Days of Night is well worth a look on Blu-ray disc.

I, for the most part, enjoyed 30 Days of Night when I saw it in theatres back in October. I'm a huge survival-horror fan and with vampires thrown into the mix it was hard for me not to be attracted to the film. However, the movie is far from perfect. The setup isn't that strong and a lot of the dialogue is too loaded to be taken seriously. I was entertained by 30 Days of Night but was disappointed it wasn't able to introduce anything new to the now-stagnant vampire genre. Regardless, I like the flick and made sure to pick it up on Blu-ray on Tuesday. Keep reading for a full review of what's on the disc.

PICTURE: 30 Days of Night has a very distinct visual style that looks amazing on Blu-ray disc. The transfer is nearly perfect and really shows off the film's desaturated imagery along with the vibrant red splashes of blood. The picture's detail is simply amazing as you can see every bump on someone's face or count every stitch in their uniform. If you thought the gore looked gruesome before wait until you see it in full detail on Blu-ray disc.



However, the picture does have a few problems. There is a slight halo effect due to edge enhancement in some scenes causing a thin white outline visible around some characters. It doesn't plague the entire film but is noticeable in some of the wide angle shots. There is also quite a bit of grain during some of the darker scenes but that isn't necessarily the fault of the transfer. Don't let these minor complaints fool you, 30 Days of Night looks breathtaking on Blu-ray and is one of the best looking HD transfers I've seen.

AUDIO: The audio quality of the disc is simply astounding. The audio is delivered in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround Sound which chills you to the bone. The dynamic range of the film's audio is expansive and as clear as can be. The movie's score sounds amazing here and really sets the mood and never dips too high or too low as to overwhelm the experience. A poor audio performance would ruin this movie before the opening titles were shown but 30 Days of Night sounds amazing.



DVD EXTRAS: 30 Days of Night has a few bonus features on the disc but I would have liked to see more. There's an awkward commentary track featuring Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, and producer Rob Tapert but it isn't that great and doesn't warrant a listen. I would have loved to hear director David Slade's thoughts on his film but we're unable to with this disc. The Blu-ray also features eight HD behind-the-scenes featurettes which provide a decent peek into the production of the film. They are pretty interesting and well worth a look but not as effective as they could have been.

One bonus feature on the disc that is pretty cool is a graphic novel-to-film slideshow comparison. Here you can flip through images from the film and see the original Ben Templesmith art that inspired it. It's interesting to see where the film copied Templesmith's layout exactly and where they changed things up.

FINAL THOUGHTS: If you're a fan of survival horror or just a casual vampire fan 30 Days of Night is a must watch on Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray transfer is almost perfect and really showcases what the HD format can do.

Click HERE to buy 30 Days of Night over at Amazon.

Cheers.

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Juno's Blu-ray Cover is Awesome

The Blu-ray cover for Juno's upcoming April 15th DVD release is well worth a second look.

I enjoyed Juno. I thought it was a good film and I had a good time watching it. However, I didn't buy into the hype. I think the film has been awarded a ton of recognition that it doesn't deserve but understand why it has gotten so much attention. I was therefore uncertain whether or not I'd be picking up the DVD come it April 15th shelf date. That was until I saw the Blu-ray cover.



The cover for Juno is by far the best cover currently out there for a Blu-ray disc. It's a great original piece of art that pops out at you all the while keeping with the film's forced independent feel. It's almost as good as the HD DVD cover for David Fincher's Zodiac. Many overlook the importance of a good cover when it comes to a DVD release. I'm often swayed by excellent cover art and can be completely turned off of a good film's DVD simply because of a poor presentation.

The Juno DVD also comes with a digital copy that you can upload to any computer with a valid iTunes account. The movie file can then be downloaded to your iPod or iPhone and viewed on the go. Whether or not the digital version will be in high-def has not been announced but I would assume it will be. Apple announced this feature last month and currently Fox is the only studio taking part.

Juno comes out on DVD on April 15th and will feature a single-disc and two-disc release along with Blu-ray. Click HERE to pre-order your copy at Amazon.

What are some of your favourite DVD covers? Post a comment and let me know.

Cheers.

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THIS WEEK ON DVD: February 26th

MediaZEALOT weighs in the top DVDs hitting shelves on February 26th.

While the list of films hitting DVD this week isn't as well-rounded as last week's there are still quite a few good titles worth picking up. Click either the DVD box-art or title to get paged through to Amazon.

30 Days of Night
David Slade's first movie since 2005's Hard Candy is the film adaptation of Steve Niles' horror comic book 30 Days of Night. The film is a decent suspense picture as Slade sets a dark mood and maintains it throughout the visually stylistic film. Josh Hartnett and Melissa George lend good performances while Ben Foster and Danny Huston are great as always. I'll be picking this one up on Blu-ray later today and will post a review as soon as I can.
VERDICT: Buy if you are a suspense fan.

The Darjeeling Limited
I really enjoyed The Darjeeling Limited when I saw it in theatres back in October and have been anticipating its release on DVD. The film's comedic in a way only Wes Anderson can be and feels right at home along with The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic. Darjeeling Limited was one of the best overlooked films of 2007 and I hope it gets the attention it deserves on DVD.
VERDICT: Buy if you enjoy Wes Anderson films.


Beowulf
I skipped watching Beowulf in theatres for reasons unknown. I wasn't that interested in the film then but wanted to catch it in Imax 3D. I don't mind Robert Zemeckis as he's a very talented director but I'm not sure this style of CGI filmmaking is for me. However, I will give this unrated DVD a rent and check it out. It's out on HD DVD and, while I don't recommend buying into the failed format, I do think this film would look amazing in HD.
VERDICT: Rent the HD DVD or wait for Blu-ray.

Justice League: The New Frontier
DC's animated adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's 2003 comic event of the same name arrives on DVD today. I haven't heard much about the disc but it looks pretty neat. The art looks like it has captured Cooke's style perfectly, let's hope the story can recreate what made the comic series so great. New Frontier is available as a single-disc, part of a two-disc special edition, or on Blu-ray and HD DVD.
VERDICT: Buy if you're a fan of the DC heroes.


Today's Other Releases:

Death at a Funeral - Frank Oz's comedy about a dysfunctional British family has had mixed reviews. The film stars Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, and Alan Tudyk.

Goya's Ghosts - Milos Forman's tale of painted Francisco Goya has flown under the radar after disappointing reviews and a mere $743,000 box office. However, with the recent Oscar win of Javier Bardem the film will most likely earn some attention on DVD. Natalie Portman also stars in the film.

The Last Emperor - Criterion Collection - Bernardo Bertolucci's oriental epic has withstood the test of time over the past 20 years and is well deserving of being a member of the Criterion Collection. The visuals in this film are truly remarkable. The film stars John Lone, Joan Chen, and Peter O'Toole.

That's all for this week. Check back next week for more DVD releases including Awake, Into the Wild, and Things We Lost in the Fire.

Buy a DVD today? Post a comment and tell us what you picked up or what you are planning to buy.

Cheers.

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