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So skimming over the rumor (and confirmation) mill, October looks to be an absolute wicked month for DVD and Blu-ray releases. Starting with the top shelf Criterion releases, much highly anticipated titles are getting the pristine SD and/or Blu-ray treatment…
Terrence Mallick’s The Thin Red Line (September 28)
New audio commentary featuring Toll, production designer Jack Fisk, and producer Grant Hill
Outtak
Video interviews with several of the film’s actors, including Kirk Acevedo, Jim Caviezel, Tom Jane, Elias Koteas, Dash Mihok, and Sean Penn
New video interview with casting director Dianne Crittenden, featuring original audition footage
New interview with composer Hans Zimmer
New video piece featuring interviews with editors Billy Weber, Leslie Jones, and Saar Klein
An interview with writer James Jones’s daughter Kaylie Jones
World War II newsreels featuring footage from Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands
Original theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt and a 1963 essay by James Jones on war films
Ingmar Bergman’s The Magician (October 12)
New visual essay by Bergman scholar Peter Cowie
Brief 1967 video interview with director Ingmar Bergman about the film
Rare English-language audio interview with Bergman, conducted by filmmakers Olivier Assayas and Stig Björkman
A booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoff Andrew, a reprinted essay by Assayas, and an excerpt from Bergman’s autobiography Images: My Life in Film
Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited (October 12)
Anderson’s short film Hotel Chevalier (part one of The Darjeeling Limited), starring Natalie Portman, with commentary by Anderson
Audio commentary featuring Anderson and cowriters Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola
Behind-the-scenes documentary by Barry Braverman
Anderson and filmmaker James Ivory discussing the film’s music
Anderson’s American Express commercial
On-set footage shot by Coppola and actor Waris Ahluwalia
Audition footage, deleted and alternate scenes, and stills galleries
Original theatrical trailer
A booklet featuring an essay by critic Richard Brody and original illustrations by Eric Anderson
Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (October 19)
Two audio commentaries:
Film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie
Japanese film expert Michael Jeck
A 50-minute documentary on the making of Seven Samurai, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
My Life in Cinema, a two-hour video conversation between Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima produced by the Directors Guild of Japan
Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences, a new documentary looking at the samurai traditions and films that impacted Kurosawa’s masterpiece
Theatrical trailers and teaser
Gallery of rare posters and behind-the scenes and production stills
A booklet featuring essays by Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Kenneth Turan, Stuart Galbraith, Arthur Penn, and Sidney Lumet and an interview with Toshiro Mifune
Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (October 26)
New audio commentary by critic Gary Giddins
Television interview from 1979 with star Kirk Douglas
New video interviews with Kubrick’s longtime executive producer Jan Harlan, Paths of Glory producer James B. Harris, and actress Christiane Kubrick
Excerpt from a French television program about real-life World War I executions similar to the events dramatized in Paths of Glory
Theatrical trailer
An essay by Kubrick scholar James Naremore
Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Hausu (October 26)
Constructing a House, a new video piece featuring interviews with director Nobuhiko Obayashi, story scenarist and daughter of the director Chigumi Obayashi, and screenwriter Chiho Katsura
Emotion, a 1966 experimental film by Obayashi
New video appreciation by director Ti West (House of the Devil)
Theatrical trailer
An essay by Chuck Stephens
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Beyond the good ol Criterion stuff, it’s sounding less and less like just a wishful thinking rumor that Tarantino/Rodriguez’ full Grindhouse experience is set to have a Blu-ray release (October 5). I remain skeptical and will wait to believe it when it is actually sitting on my shelf behind bulletproof glass and non color-fading accent lamps.
A few other exciting releases in October for Blu-ray lovers:
Alien Anthology(!)
Back to the Future (25th Anniversary set)
Three Kings
The Excorcist
The Human Centipede
Now all we have to wait and hope for is Criterion’s Antichrist and Fantastic Mr. Fox. What a beautiful and double bill that would be! Chaos reigns!
how many times can a person purchase Seven Samurai?!
Thin red Line, Darjeeling Limited and Grindhouse… heaven.
Not to mention I have to buy Alien again. Though I’m not exactly complaining about that!
Good God I wish I had a decent multi-region Blu Ray/DVD player!
The Thin Red Line on Criterion. That is gold. Alien Quad and The Exorcist on blu-ray are cool as well.
@David Brook
Check out these multi-region Blu Ray/DVD players. Your problems might be solved:
http://promovieblogger.com/movie-tech/
Goes without saying that I’m psyched for the long-awaited announcement of “House”. I already have the Region 2 Masters Of Cinema disc, but it’ll be great to finally see it out there on Region 1 in all its glory.
Haven’t seen “Paths Of Glory” in ages. That’s gonna look gorgeous I bet. Also very curious to see “The Magician”.
Holy Smokes! Check out the info on The Alien Quad (Blu-ray). Copy and paste job from Blu-ray.com:
IGN has the scoop on the release date and details for the Alien Anthology, which will come out in the US on October 26. This six-disc set contains about 60 hours of special features and over 12,000 images, including material from the legendary early 1990s LaserDisc release, the “Legacy” release and the Quadrilogy DVDs. 20th Century Fox claims that the four Alien films have been “reinvigorated for an intense Blu-ray high-definition viewing experience.”
New, previously unreleased content includes original screen tests of Sigourney Weaver prior to filming the original Alien, unseen deleted scenes, and the previously unseen original cut of “Wreckage and Rage: The Making of Alien3″ (so far only available in truncated form).
This edition will incorporate the “MU-TH-UR Mode,” an interactive feature that lets you access the special features on all six discs and provides an index of all available content.
The Anthology offers nearly five hours of additional video Enhancement Pods created exclusively for this collection, presenting behind-the-scenes footage, raw dailies and interview outtakes from all four films. At relevant points in the documentaries, you may access these pods to enhance your experience – or watch them on their own from the separate Enhancement Pod index.
As previously reported (see blu-ray.com, April 6), the Anthology will initially be available in a limited edition with alien-egg packaging.
Disc contents and special features include:
Disc One: Alien
1979 Theatrical Version
2003 Director’s Cut with Ridley Scott Introduction
Audio commentaries:
Director Ridley Scott, writer Dan O’Bannon, executive producer Ronald Shusett, editor Terry Rawlings, and actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt
Ridley Scott (on theatrical cut only)
Final theatrical isolated score by Jerry Goldsmith
Composer’s original isolated score by Jerry Goldsmith
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Two: Aliens
1986 Theatrical Version
1991 Special Edition with James Cameron introduction
Audio commentary by director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, alien effects creator Stan Winston, visual effects supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, miniature effects supervisor Pat McClung, and actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
Final theatrical isolated score by James Horner
Composer’s original isolated score by James Horner
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Three: Alien3
1992 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint Version)
Audio commentary by cinematographer Alex Thomson, B.S.C., editor Terry Rawlings, alien effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., and actors Paul McGann and Lance Henriksen
Final theatrical isolated score by Elliot Goldenthal
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode interactive experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Four: Alien Resurrection
1997 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre Jeunet introduction
Audio commentary by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, editor Herve Schneid, A.C.E., alien effects creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects supervisor Pitof, conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz, and actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser
Final theatrical isolated score by John Frizzell
Deleted and extended scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream
Disc Five: Making the Anthology
The Beast Within: Making Alien
Star Beast: Developing the Story
The Visualists: Direction and Design
Truckers in Space: Casting
Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978
The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet
The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design
Future Tense: Editing and Music
Outward Bound: Visual Effects
A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens
57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
This Time It’s War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
Bug Hunt: Creature Design
Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
Wreckage and Rage: Making Alien3
Development Hell: Concluding the Story
Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent Ward’s Vision
Stasis Interrupted: David Fincher’s Vision
Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger’s Redesign
The Color of Blood: Pinewood Studios, 1991
Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
The Downward Spiral: Creative Differences
Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox Studios, L.A. 1992
Optical Fury: Visual Effects
Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing and Sound
Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
One Step Beyond: Making Alien Resurrection
From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
French Twist: Direction and Design
Under the Skin: Casting and Characterization
Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
Genetic Composition: Music
Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated Imagery
A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography
Critical Juncture: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to Access and Control Enhancement Pods
Disc Six: The Anthology Archives
Alien
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon
Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and Notes
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art Portfolio
Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with Select Director Commentary
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle Sequence with Commentary
Video Graphics Gallery
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
The Sets of Alien
H.R. Giger’s Workshop Gallery
Post-Production and Aftermath
Additional Deleted Scenes
Image & Poster Galleries
Experience in Terror
Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
The Alien Legacy
American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott Q&A
Trailers & TV Spots
Aliens
Pre-Production
Original Treatment by James Cameron
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics with Commentary
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
Weapons and Vehicles
Stan Winston’s Workshop
Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
Video Graphics Gallery
Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
Post-Production and Aftermath
Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
Deleted Scene Montage
Image Galleries
Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
Main Title Exploration
Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
Trailers & TV Spots
Alien3
Pre-Production
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Arceon
The Art of Fiorina
Production
Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse Sequence
EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette with Commentary
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.’s Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
Alien3 Advance Featurette
The Making of Alien3 Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots
Alien Resurrection
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon
Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop with Commentary
Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and Makeup
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Rehearsals
Storyboard Archive
The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character Designs
The Art of Resurrection: Image Galleries
Production
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.’s Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots
Anthology
Two Versions of Alien Evolution
The Alien Saga
Patches and Logos Gallery
Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns Collection
Parodies
Dark Horse Cover Gallery
Patches and Logos Gallery
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience
Blu-ray.com just reviewed this release of The Thin Red Line and basically said it’s breathtaking; perfect on every level. Can’t wait to check this out!