Blu-ray, in General

[fdm]

Huh? So the blu-ray menus are rewritable through Sun's java technology?

Probably means that disc will point to internet location and/or website with content updates. Probably like hd-dvds where internet content can be downloaded to blu-ray player's memory. So profile 2.0 blu-ray player for that stuff, since extra memory would be needed, as well as an ethernet connection.

[exte]

Makes total sense... though I doubt seeing myself do that with every movie, no?

[pro-bassoonist]

Info courtesy of LLC:

Studio Canal:

July 2
Les Bronzés (BRD - Studio Canal)
Les Bronzés font du ski (BRD - Studio Canal)
Les Bronzés 3 (BRD - Studio Canal)

August 5
Atonement
Rambo (BRD - Studio Canal)
Rambo 2 (BRD - Studio Canal)
Rambo 3 (BRD - Studio Canal)

September 23
Terminator 2 : le Jugement Dernier (BRD - Studio Canal)
Total Recall (BRD - Studio Canal)
Basic Instinct (BRD - Studio Canal)
Le Pacte des Loups /Brotherhood of the Wolf (BRD - Studio Canal)
Babel (BRD - Studio Canal)
Fog (John Carpenter) (BRD - Studio Canal)
Million Dollar Baby (BRD - Studio Canal)
La Grande vadrouille (BRD - Studio Canal)
The Pianist (BRD - Studio Canal)
Voyage au bout de l'enfer (BRD - Studio Canal)
La Haine (BRD - Studio Canal)
Hot Fuzz (BRD - Studio Canal)

October 2
Cliffhanger (BRD - Studio Canal)
Escape from New York (BRD - Studio Canal)
Evil Dead 2 (BRD - Studio Canal)
Stargate (BRD - Studio Canal)
Highlander (BRD - Studio Canal)

September 2
Paris (BRD - Studio Canal)

Pro-B

[miless]

any idea if those Studio Canal discs will be region encoded? (or whatever they're calling it for BRD) or if the non-English language titles will have English subtitles?

Most of those don't seem that interesting, but I've been holding out on The Pianist for ages (because Kino's disc is non-anamorphic)

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Most of those don't seem that interesting, but I've been holding out on The Pianist for ages (because Kino's disc is non-anamorphic)

Canal's Pianist is the Polanski film. If you want the Haneke you should just get the Artificial Eye version -- I would be slightly surprised if it gets a BD release anytime soon.

[pro-bassoonist]

Just to clarify...

The Pianist - Roman Polanski, property of Canal.

The Piano Teacher - Michael Haneke, property of MK2.

As to the specs question, the only bit of news known at this point is that starting in August Canal releases will be set at 19.99 Euro to match SDVD releases.

Pro-B

[miless]

right right... I was confused because the French title for The Piano Teacher, of course, is La Pianiste (and most of the other films were listed by their French titles)

Id love The Pianist, however. It is probably my favorite of all the holocaust films I've seen (certainly much better than Spielberg's overrated film). I especially love the cinematography. Polanski's only worthwhile film since The Tenant.

[pro-bassoonist]

Id love The Pianist, however. It is probably my favorite of all the holocaust films I've seen (certainly much better than Spielberg's overrated film). I especially love the cinematography.

I could not agree more with you. I will update with more as the release date approaches.

Pro-B

[Donald Brown]

Toshiba is itching to lose more money:

Toshiba to unveil Blu-ray killer
Upscaling extension to DVD player planned within 6 months

If you are a little nostalgic for the red versus blue mud-slinging days of the next-gen disc format war then take heart with this news out of Japan - Toshiba is prepping Blu-ray killing tech for launch later this year.

The company is working on "an extension to the DVD format" which will offer video quality comparable to that produced by Blu-ray and the now defunt HD DVD discs, a Japanese newspaper reports.

[Darth Lavender]

That upscaling thing could actually be successful.

I recently tried out WinDVD's "ALL2HD" upscaling; it basically does things like amping up color-saturation, etc. and for a serious film-fan, I don't like it (in some ways it actually improves the image, but mostly it's one of those things like edge-enhancement and black-level boosting, that seems to work, but basically ruins the original 'film' type image. Increases color-saturation, boosts white levels, etc.)
But, at a quick glance, sitting from a reasonable distance, I can definitely see an average buyer being very impressed by it. And upscaling will definitely have more appeal than re-buying one's entire catalogue in blu-ray.

For any serious film fan, I'd still recommend blu-ray (or, at least, I will be in a few more months when things like The Last Emperor and Lawrence of Arabia hit the shelves) But I think Toshiba's upscaling could actually hold more appeal to the average buyer.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Why would it be any more appealing than the upscaling players that have been out for years? And why would it require a special "extension to the DVD format"? The entire point of upscaling is that it doesn't require a change to the existing format. The article doesn't make any sense.

[Donald Brown]

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata confirmed for Blu-ray from MoC.

[fdm]

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata confirmed for Blu-ray from MoC.

The article doesn't really say that Tokyo Sonata will definitely be a blu-ray title. It only indicates that there will be some blu-ray titles, Mad Detective being among the first. But anything MoC has mastered in hi-def is certainly a candidate for blu-ray, just like Criterion.

[Cosmic Bus]

After a theatrical release this Winter, the film will be released on UK DVD and Blu-ray in the Masters of Cinema Series.

Is that not definite?

[Flike]

Does anyone know what the deal is with Casablanca on Blu-ray? It doesn't make any sense to me that they are essentially just sitting on this (and The Adventures of Robin Hood).

[Luke M]

Does anyone know what the deal is with Casablanca on Blu-ray? It doesn't make any sense to me that they are essentially just sitting on this (and The Adventures of Robin Hood).

There's a joke in there somewhere about the PS3 being the only reasonably priced Blu-ray player and being a game system and all and 300 being the best selling Blu-ray...somewhere there's a joke there.

[fdm]

Does anyone know what the deal is with Casablanca on Blu-ray? It doesn't make any sense to me that they are essentially just sitting on this (and The Adventures of Robin Hood).

The Warner HD-DVD only titles are slowly trickling out to Blu-Ray. Just have to give it some time. I mean they're just getting to some of the more popular titles at this point (V for Vendetta and Batman Begins come to mind, I think the former is a pretty straightforward port, and the latter may be getting some additional features (maybe an enhanced soundtrack and/or a video remaster) (I'm not going to check)). Original word was they'd all make it to Blu-Ray at some point in time.

Does anyone know what the deal is with Casablanca on Blu-ray? It doesn't make any sense to me that they are essentially just sitting on this (and The Adventures of Robin Hood).

There's a joke in there somewhere about the PS3 being the only reasonably priced Blu-ray player and being a game system and all and 300 being the best selling Blu-ray...somewhere there's a joke there.

Can't seem to find it...

[stwrt]

I was looking forward to getting hold of the Gangs of New York Blu-Ray disc due out soon. The SD DVD disc had some of the worst ever edge-enhancement from a big studio release, making it almost unwatchable but unfortunately similar problems are seen on the new release (see Robert Harris' posting on HTF)

DNR was definitely one of the hi-definition "features" which distinguished some Blu-Ray discs from DNR-free HD-DVD discs during the recent skirmish. We'll have to pray that the companies don't fully buy in to DNR in order to please the grain-hating hi-def disc buyers.

[s.j. bagley]

that's really disappointing.

[Schkura]

I guess this is where this goes.

Blu Ray to overtake DVD by 2012.

Pioneer reveals Super Blu Ray.

[Donald Brown]

Young Frankenstein coming to Blu-ray October 7.

* Inside The Lab: Secret Formulas in the Making Of Young Frankenstein BonusView picture-in-picture mode featuring all-new on-camera interviews with Mel Brooks, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman and others (BD Exclusive)
* It's Alive! Creating A Monster Classic featurette (BD Exclusive)
* Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris featurette (BD Exclusive)
* The Franken-Track: A Monstrous Conglomeration of Trivia (BD Exclusive)
* 17 Deleted/Extended Scenes in HD (BD Exclusive)
* The Brain Game - set-top game (BD Exclusive)
* Blucher Button - interactive feature (BD Exclusive)
* Isolated Score Track (BD Exclusive)
* Commentary by Director Mel Brooks
* Making FrankenSense of Young Frankenstein featurette
* Outtakes/Bloopers
* Deleted Scenes
* Interviews with Marty Feldman, Gene Wilder & Cloris Leachman
* Still Galleries ? 19 individual production photograph galleries
* Theatrical trailers
* TV spots

[chaddoli]

I just got a PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4 and There Will Be Blood on BluRay. I am very happy, obviously. But after searching for more BR titles I've been kind of disappointed. There just aren't that many films on the format yet that I want. Two of the recent American films I loved, I'm Not There and Zodiac, aren't on BR at all (anyone hear any news about these?).

Anyway, I suppose I'll have to be patient until Criterion starts releasing them. In the meantime, anyone have any BR recommendations I might have overlooked?

[Magic Hate Ball]

In the meantime, anyone have any BR recommendations I might have overlooked?

I'd spring for the Kubricks, if I were you, mostly because his films really gain an advantage in hi-def.

[davebert]

Agreed, I really liked The Shining on Blu-ray, and I have a feeling that if I liked 2001, I'd probably like it even more in hi-def, given the scope.

[chaddoli]

Yes I am definitely interested in the Kubricks, especially Eyes Wide Shut. But why isn't there a box? And what about the missing titles? It's annoying, and it seems like something they might release in the future. Warner is just insisting on fucking up the Kubrick releases in some way, shape or form.