Optimum Blu-ray in August
06-07-2008 12:55 | 13372 views | Dave Foster | Show Backlinks
Optimum Home Entertainment have announced the UK Blu-ray Disc release of a bumper crop of catalogue titles on 4th August 2008. All titles are priced at £19.99 each. Please read on for updated information on these releases, including region coding and details on extras which have changed on Terminator 2, Total Recall and The Fog.
Please also note the following updated region coding info on Optimum's "New Release" titles for June, July and August:
My Blueberry Nights, Diary of the Dead, Son of Rambow - Region B
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, The Orphanage - All Regions
First up is a series of titles released under a “Blu-ray Action Icons” banner. These comprise of…
Stargate (Special Edition) - With the DVD release now a plain vanilla offering the Blu-ray Disc edition has survived somewhat intact, losing the Theatrical Cut and the commentary along the way. Coded for Region B and using a dual-layer disc, features include:
Total Recall - Arriving the same day as a new Schwarzenegger DVD collection, the Blu-ray is a dual-layer barebones release coded for Regions A and B with the film presented in 1080P 2.35:1 Widescreen (VC1) with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The disc was previously announced with extras - please note Optimum have informed us these will no longer be included.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Director's Cut) - The Blu-ray is a dual-layer barebones release coded for Regions A and B with the film presented in 1080P 2.35:1 Widescreen (VC1) with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Other language options are Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Dutch subtitles. The disc was previously announced with extras - please note Optimum have informed us (and we can confirm) these will no longer be included.
Cliffhanger - A dual-layer disc coded for Region B, features include:
Arriving alongside the above Action Icons titles are two John Carpenter titles on Blu-ray…
Escape From New York - The Blu-ray is a single-layer disc coded for all regions (A, B and C). Features include:
The Fog - The Blu-ray is a dual-layer barebones release coded for Regions A and B with the film presented in 1080P 2.35:1 Widescreen (VC1) with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The disc was previously announced with extras - please note Optimum have informed us these will no longer be included.
John Carpenter's They Live was also previously announced for 4th August, but is now scheduled for 22nd September. Extras will include an 8-minute EPK making-of featurette and commentary.
Look out for updates closer to the releases.
Please also note the following updated region coding info on Optimum's "New Release" titles for June, July and August:
My Blueberry Nights, Diary of the Dead, Son of Rambow - Region B
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, The Orphanage - All Regions
First up is a series of titles released under a “Blu-ray Action Icons” banner. These comprise of…
Stargate (Special Edition) - With the DVD release now a plain vanilla offering the Blu-ray Disc edition has survived somewhat intact, losing the Theatrical Cut and the commentary along the way. Coded for Region B and using a dual-layer disc, features include:
- 1080P Widescreen (AVC)
- English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Director’s Cut (129mins) version with a brand new transfer
- Making Of (52’)
- Trailer
- Is There A Stargate? Doc (36 mins)
- Original Stargate previews focusing on Story, Cast, Production, Design, Director
- B-roll selection (6 mins)
Total Recall - Arriving the same day as a new Schwarzenegger DVD collection, the Blu-ray is a dual-layer barebones release coded for Regions A and B with the film presented in 1080P 2.35:1 Widescreen (VC1) with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The disc was previously announced with extras - please note Optimum have informed us these will no longer be included.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Director's Cut) - The Blu-ray is a dual-layer barebones release coded for Regions A and B with the film presented in 1080P 2.35:1 Widescreen (VC1) with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Other language options are Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Dutch subtitles. The disc was previously announced with extras - please note Optimum have informed us (and we can confirm) these will no longer be included.
Cliffhanger - A dual-layer disc coded for Region B, features include:
- 1080P Widescreen (VC1)
- English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
- English Dolby Digital Stereo and 5.1 audio
- Personal Introduction From Renny Harlin
- The Making Of "Cliffhanger"
- Making Of "Cliffhanger" (EPK)
- Deleted Scenes
- Storyboard Comparisons
- Special Effects: How it was done
- Interviews with Sylvester Stallone, Renny Harlin, Janine Turner, John Lithgow and Michael Rooker
- Trailers
- TV Spots
Arriving alongside the above Action Icons titles are two John Carpenter titles on Blu-ray…
Escape From New York - The Blu-ray is a single-layer disc coded for all regions (A, B and C). Features include:
- 1080P 2.35:1 Widescreen (AVC)
- English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Return to Escape from New York (23 mins)
- New and exclusive John Carpenter interview (31 mins)
- 3 x original trailers
- Snakes Crime (deleted original intro)
- Commentary with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell
The Fog - The Blu-ray is a dual-layer barebones release coded for Regions A and B with the film presented in 1080P 2.35:1 Widescreen (VC1) with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The disc was previously announced with extras - please note Optimum have informed us these will no longer be included.
John Carpenter's They Live was also previously announced for 4th August, but is now scheduled for 22nd September. Extras will include an 8-minute EPK making-of featurette and commentary.
Look out for updates closer to the releases.
Comments
Member
Posts: 47
Already own the sony BR from Stargate.
Total Recall may be cool but the dutch HD-DVD wasn't very good so i wonder if this will be.
T2 disappointing in the extras department, any info on which cut this is?
Cliffhanger is a movie i really like so i'll probably guy these.
Escape from New York, the Fog and They Live are must-haves (for Me) if the picture quality is good.
Paul
Administrator
Posts: 2301
On the subject of Optimum Blu-ray...
Son of Rambow has moved to 11th August (from 28th July).
The Orphanage has moved to 21st July (from 14th July).
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane has moved to 21st July (from 14th July).
Diary of the Dead is still 30th June, but we now know it will have all of the DVD extras with the exception of a 90-min documentary on George Romero (which has just been confirmed for the 2-Disc DVD).
Spiny Anteater
Posts: 181
They Live! Nice! Wasn't expecting that one.
Member
Posts: 847
It's great to see T2, The Fog and Total Recall getting extras this time. The HD-DVDs were barebones.
The Total Recall European HD-DVD is better than the USA Lionsgate BD. I expect the new French/UK BD to look the same or better again. The Stargate USA BD is pretty poor, it was an early BD and I think it's only a BD25.
Dave: Any idea which cut T2 is? And what the Audio spec is? Any word on region coding for these Optimum BDs (and the others you mention)? Optimum have used both Region Free and Region B.
Lastly has it been confirmed if The Orphanage does in fact have TrueHD and DTS-HD HR?
Thanks
myersfan73
Posts: 15
Great set of releases there, all the Carpenter's for me! Cliffhanger as well cause it rocks. Finally Blu-ray's on the rise.
Administrator
Posts: 2301
Sorry guys, this is all the info we have right now. I'll ask a few questions though and see if they can enlighten us on a few things.
Blu-ray.com
Posts: 189
Dave,
Optimum appear to be bringing a portion of Canal's upcoming BR slate:
Studio Canal:
July 2[/u]
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
Administrator
Posts: 2301
They are owned by Studio Canal, so it makes sense.
Blu-ray.com
Posts: 189
Precisely, that is what I meant.
Pro-B
Member
Posts: 270
I bet T2 will be the theatrical cut, unfortunately.
I am an agent of chaos!
Posts: 408
Originally Posted by tonyleung:
Dave: Any idea which cut T2 is?
A quick Google reveals this forthcoming blu-ray version of T2 to have a runtime of 147mins i.e. the SE. If the audio spec is comparable to the US version, you may be disappointed.
Member
Posts: 11
Not interested in T2 as I keep meaning to buy the German HD-DVD. Others all look great (bar Stargate not a fan). I wonder if they will resubmit Cliffhanger to BBFC as I think its cut at the moment in the UK.
Member
Posts: 402
Originally Posted by Rubber Duck:
Not interested in T2 as I keep meaning to buy the German HD-DVD. Others all look great (bar Stargate not a fan). I wonder if they will resubmit Cliffhanger to BBFC as I think its cut at the moment in the UK.
I have the German HD-DVD and its great. The picture is first class and so is the sound. Its DTS HR instead of MA but sounds great. The extras mirror the ones on the old R1 UE DVD.
I will pick up Escape from New York and Cliffhanger if both look, sound good and if Cliffhanger is uncut. I can't see it causing any problems with the modern BBFC. An uncut 15 is what I think it would get.
Member
Posts: 402
Didn't see They Live thats a must buy.
I have one Studio Canal HD-DVD and thats Rambo First Blood part II and it suffers from PAL speed up audio problems. These should not exist in HD but for what ever reason Rambo suffers from this. The Lionsgate Blu-ray does not have this problem.
Will any of these Blu-ray's suffer from that problem I wonder. The region encoding issue is one I am keen to find out. I have a Region A player so would love these discs to be region free or Ill have to wait for US or Japanese releases.
Member
Posts: 847
Originally Posted by DaveF:
Sorry guys, this is all the info we have right now. I'll ask a few
questions though and see if they can enlighten us on a few
things.
Thanks anyway Dave and thanks for asking.
Originally Posted by DaveF:
They are owned by Studio Canal, so it makes sense.
Momentum are too right? Many of these new BDs were put out by Momentum on HD-DVD.
It seems Optimum and Momentum are basically one and the same now.
Originally Posted by gasteropod:
I bet T2 will be the theatrical cut, unfortunately.
I bet it will be the Special Edition. The existing Studio Canal HD-DVD features both but only the Special Edition was used outside of France.
It swims, it eats and it makes little sharks!
Posts: 94
ESCAPE, THEY LIVE and maybe RECALL and STARGATE for us. If the PQ is good.
------
You catch a shark, cut off its fins and tail, throw it back into the water ALIVE, but now unable to swim - so it slowly drowns - only to dry then boil those fins down to make a tasteless watery broth that costs the earth and is nothing more than a status symbol.
Ignorance personified.
I am an agent of chaos!
Posts: 408
Originally Posted by tonyleung:
I bet it will be the Special Edition.
Correct. See above.
Member
Posts: 847
Can you post your source please? I'm sure it won't just have regular DTS/DD5.1 like the USA BD.
Personally it's the Special Edition that interests me.
Administrator
Posts: 2301
OK, I asked a few questions and the only relevant information I received is that "From now on all our titles will be Region B".
Audio formats etc. we'll just have to wait. They've provided all the information they have or are willing to provide (to us at least) at this time.
Member
Posts: 847
Originally Posted by DaveF:
OK, I asked a few questions and the only relevant information I received is that "From now on all our titles will be Region B".
Grrrr. Surely they realise that will lose them sales? :(
Originally Posted by DaveF:
Audio formats etc. we'll just have to wait. They've provided all the information they have or are willing to provide (to us at least) at this time.
It would be nice if they used the correct terminology instead of constantly calling TrueHD "Dolby Digital 5.1 Lossless" and then so far not even include it anyway.
Thanks a lot Dave, for your continued assistance.
Member
Posts: 402
Thanks Dave for the info.
Does anyone know who has the rights to They Live in North America and Japan. I am more gutted about All The Boys Love Mandy Lane and Diary of the Dead as apparently they are DVD only in North America.
Member
Posts: 11
Oh well least it saves me some money with these all being region B, smart move Optimum.
Member
Posts: 847
They Live looks to be Universal or Image Entertainment (depending who now owns the rights):
http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=2234
If it's Universal I cannot see it coming any time soon. They never got around to releasing it on HD-DVD and I'd guess their release order will be roughly the same.
Member
Posts: 213
Originally Posted by filmfan316uk:
I have the German HD-DVD and its great. The picture is first class and so is the sound. Its DTS HR instead of MA but sounds great.
The UK HD DVD of T2 is DTS MA however. Says HR on the cover, but the player definitely picks it up as MA
The Fog UK HD DVD is DTS HR according to the cover, and the player just says 'DTS' (which I guess is the same thing, probably 1.5mbps DTS).
I understand the european releases of Total Recal on HD DVD are also DTS-HD MA.
So thes
Originally Posted by tonyleung:
Originally Posted by DaveF:
OK, I asked a few questions and the only relevant information I received is that "From now on all our titles will be Region B".
Grrrr. Surely they realise that will lose them sales?
Guess it's licence reasons though. Lionsgate having the rights in the US.
It's one of my main annoyances over region coding really. I'm not fussed about pricing really, it's just that you get regional differences due to distribution rights. With DVD I found it's not just the US who get the best versions, and that's going to be the same with Blu-Ray.
Member
Posts: 847
I'm sure all the Studio Canal HD-DVDs ported around Europe (including The UK) were all sourced from the French Studio Canal HD-DVDs and all those have DTS-HD MA, therefore they all have DTS-HD MA.
Like you say some of the UK covers have misprints. The German HD-DVD as again I'm sure most know isn't a Studio Canal port, it's different.
Regarding licensing. I'm not so sure, if I read Dave's comment correctly, it looks like a blanket statement, from now on, no matter who the licensee is.
If only BD Region Free was as widespread as DVD became.
Page: 1, 2, 3