PlayStation LifeStyle » Blu-Ray

Star Wars Blu-ray Complete Saga Announced at CES

Joseph Peterson — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 10:31:14 +0000

Star Wars is easily one of the most recognizable franchises in history, and many have been waiting for a blu-ray release for the titles. CES 2011 made that finally happen, and those waiting only have a bit longer to wait.

This coming September fans will have their choice of which titles in the series they would like to purchase. For those that would love them all, Star Wars: The Complete Saga is your best bet, and this will retail for $139.99. For those that only want the newer or older films, there is Star Wars: The Original Trilogy, and Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy, both of these retail for $69.99 each. Preorders for the collections have already begun, as The Complete Saga can be preordered at Amazon for $89.99, and both the Original and Prequel trilogies can be preordered for $44.99 each.

So who plans on picking up these titles to add to their blu-ray collection?

This Week in Blu – Week of November 1st, 2010

Allen Tyson — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:28:25 +0000

This week in Blu: Flying cars are all the rage, Buzz and Woody fight back against tyrannical children, Connor MacLeod tries not to lose his head and if you find yourself crossing a bridge with a group of soldiers whistling…run.

It’s the weekend and that means it’s time to pick up a weekend movie. I almost want to call this “classics week.” There are only a few “new” releases with the headline titles all being classics. If you find it hard to catch up on the titles of yesteryear, a week like this is a good time for it. Also of note for the collectors out there is The Sound of Music has three different releases this week one of which is a digibook, The Bridge on the River Kwai has a nice collector set and the Toy Story Trilogy: Ultimate Toy Box Collection looks to be a nice set as well.

Now on to the list:

The Bridge on the River Kwai
Cars Toon: Mater’s Tall Tales
Centurion
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Dinosaurs Alive! – 3D
Disney’s WOW World of Wonder
ExTerminators
The Goonies: 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition
Highlander
Highlander 2
IMAX: Grand Canyon Adventure – River at Risk – 3D
IMAX: Van Gogh – Brush with Genius
Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax: The Big 4 – Live from Sofia, Bulgaria
Ocean Odyssey
The Pacific
Phil Collins: Going Back – Live at the Roseland Ballroom NYC
Salt (PBS)
The Sound of Music: Limited Edition Collector’s Set
The Sound of Music (Digibook) (Blu-ray)
The Sound of Music (Blu-ray)
Thomas Kincade’s Christmas Cottage
Toy Story 3
Toy Story Trilogy: Ultimate Toy Box Collection
V: The Complete First Season
White Christmas
Wild Ocean – 3D

What I’m watching:

Buzz and Woody are like Tango and Cash, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,Rambo and Troutman. Even though it’s not the best of the trilogy, it’s a feel good movie and fun for the family.

Long before Sir Alec Guinness was a Jedi, he starred in one of the best World War II films ever made. It’s long, tragic, has an all-star cast and is part of modern cinema. While you may have never seen it, I’m sure the theme song has played over and over in your head even if you didn’t know where it was from.

So what are you watching? Share your film choices and why you’re watching them with PlayStation LifeStyle community in the comments below.

This Week in Blu – Week of October 25, 2010

Allen Tyson — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:11:25 +0000

This week in Blu: 1.21 gigawatts isn’t that hard to come by, if you can’t kill the Aliens you might as well become one, seeing dead people is OK if you can work out a suitable business arrangement with them, and it’s safe to say that school will forever be out for summer.

Only a few signature titles arrive this week with Michael J. Fox showing up in a whopping 4 films. This is nice lull to the huge number of titles arriving in the coming weeks as we approach holiday season:

Alice Cooper: Theatre of Death – Live at Hammersmith 2009
Alien Anthology
Altitude
Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy
Elf: Ultimate Collector’s Edition
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Going the Distance
House
Los Angeles Lakers – 2010 NBA Finals Series: Collector’s Edition
Maniac (1980)
NFL: Ultimate NFL
Paths of Glory
Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express
Santa Claus: The Movie
Score
Sex and the City 2
Slings and Arrows: The Complete Collection
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Complete Season Two
Winter’s Bone

What I’m Watching:

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Doc, uh… Are you telling me that you built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?” Of all the time travel movies made, The Back to the Future series stands out for me as one of, if not the best of its genre. Combing comedy, drama, action and all-star cast, I just can’t help but feel good and root for the underdog Marty McFly. While the series does suffer from “The first one is the best” syndrome, it still keeps you entertained and is definitely worth watching; it just never gets old.

Ellen Ripley is one of the strongest female lead characters to grace the screen. Long before the heroines of today where fighting zombies or raiding tombs Ellen Ripley was facing off against Aliens in space. Again, we have another case of the “Why didn’t they stop at the second film?” blues but even the bad films have some scenes done extremely. Besides, watching Sigourney Weaver as a cloned half-human, half-alien hybrid playing basketball while she beats up a group of mercenaries will always be cool.

So what are you watching? Anything you would like to see from this feature? Please share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to use the new social features of the site to contact me or any of the staff at PlayStation LifeStyle.

This Week in Blu – Week of October 18, 2010

Allen Tyson — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 15:14:15 +0000

This week in Blu: Akira Kurosawa gives us one of the greatest films ever made, an all-star cast converges on Vietnam, three dots in triangle configuration on your head doesn’t end in a good-time, and if you’re travelling cross country and need a hotel to stay at make sure you pick a chain… trust me.

A relatively small number of titles released this week, but a few big names and classics made the cut:

Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now: Full Disclosure Edition
Assault Girls
Black Christmas
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Ultimate Edition
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Ultimate Edition
The Howling Trilogy
Mirrors 2
Moulin Rouge!
Night of the Demons
Oceans
Please Give
Predators
Psycho: 50th Anniversary Edition
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Romeo + Juliet
Seven Samurai
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
Video Games Live: Level 2
Wallander

What I’m watching:

I like being scared. Maybe not of the terrifying Saw-esque variety, but a suspenseful, nail-biting story is something I can’t turn down. Even though I’ve seen Psycho who knows how many times, it always freaks me out. When it comes on TV if it’s just starting, I have to finish it. No I’m not creepy or maladjusted — the PSLS staff might disagree — it’s just that Alfred Hitchcock knows how to pull you in and keep you there. This is one that should certainly be in your library or at least on your watch list.

Mamoru Oshii has had a profound effect on the animé genre. Directing what is, in the minds of many, one of the more defining animé films made: Ghost in the Shell. When I heard he had directed and written Assault Girls, I started searching for it; wasn’t I surprised to see it’s live action. From the trailer it’s hard to tell if I will enjoy it, or initiate a lawsuit against Oshii-san and request 2 hours of my life back.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Blade Runner, Metropolis (1927), Star Wars; movies like these have defined modern cinema. At the very least, they’ve pushed the industry in a direction it might have never gone without their influence. A movie that is just, if not more influential to modern cinema is Seven Samurai. Akira Kurosawa’s epic masterpiece about seven unemployed Samurai has some of the most amazing cinematography and fight sequences to grace the screen.

So what are you watching? Any suggestions for our PSLS community?

This Week in Blu – Week of October 11, 2010

Allen Tyson — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:34 +0000

This week in Blu: Echo said her last goodbye, find out why Jonah Hex was a “smashing success” at the box office making literally hundreds of dollars, and Steve Blum shows why no one but him is qualified to be the voice of Weapon X.

One of the trends that is continuing, is timed exclusives. For example, Deep Blue Sea was a previous Best Buy timed exclusive which is now available at all outlets. To keep things less confusing, I won’t cover the timed exclusives until they are widely available; unless they are Collector’s Editions or Steelbooks.

Not a huge release week, but still a few big name titles:

The BBC High-Definition Natural History Collection 2

Callas Forever

The Darjeeling Limited

Deep Blue Sea

Dio: Holy Diver – Live

Dollhouse: Season 2

The Hangover: Extreme Edition

I Am Love

Jonah Hex

Kevin Hart: I’m a Little Man

Ladies and Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones

The Lost Boys: The Thirst

Rudolph: The Red-Nosed Reindeer

S&Man

Score: Uncut & Uncensored

Sex and Lucia

Three Kings

Warren Miller’s Dynasty

Wolverine and the X-Men: The Complete Series

How to Train Your Dragon (10-15-2010)

What I’m watching:

Dollhouse is, among other things, unique. It’s hard to describe, and as equally hard to recommend. If you like Joss Whedon, want to see something different, or simply want to see a different take on the use of future technology, start with Season 1. Personally I like it, but it’s not for everyone.

The X-MEN have been animated in various forms many times. I will go on record and say that Wolverine and the X-MEN is probably the best one to be have been released. This is about as close to the calibre of the straight to video releases – which are in a class of their own – that you’re going to get from a marvel property. You could argue X-MEN Evolution was better (if for no other reason than giving us X-23), and while I would almost agree, I would be forced to respectfully declare shenanigans on that.

A movie everyone in your house can watch is a rarity. With all the heavy subject matter we deal with sometimes, it’s nice to just sit back, and have a good laugh with a fun movie. In my best Agent Smith from Matrix Revolutions: “Dragon’s really aren’t so bad… once you get to know them.”

Those are my picks of the week. How far off base am I? And what are you watching?

This week in Blu – 10/5/10

Allen Tyson — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:15:59 +0000

Rockatansky is losing his connection with humanity, OCP proves they are more corrupt than Enron, Linus has a security blanket that is not to be trifled week, Cobra Kai is so not sweeping the leg, and a Disney classic comes home–this week in blu 10/4/10.

With a large number of titles releasing this week, no matter what your taste is, you should find something to watch.

2001 Maniacs
30 Days of Night: Dark Days
Bad Lieutenant
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
Beauty and the Beast (Diamond Edition)
The Blair Witch Project
Blue Mountain State: Season One
Bones: Season 5
Delgo
The Exorcist: Extended Director’s Cut
Fingerprints
Grindhouse: Special Edition
Hard Candy
High Tension
The Human Centipede
The Karate Kid (2010)
The Last of the Mohicans
Mad Max
The Maltese Falcon
The Mission
My Bloody Valentine
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Ocean’s 11: 50th Anniversary Edition
Open Water/Open Water 2: Adrift
Peanuts Holiday Collection
Robocop Trilogy
Rocky
Rocky II
Rocky III
Rocky IV
Rocky V
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead
The Secret of Kells
Secretary
Sisters
Splice
Stargate Universe – SGU: Complete Season One
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Troll 2: The 20th Anniversary Nilbog Edition
Wolf Creek
Wonderland
The Year Without a Santa Claus

Things I’m Checking Out:

Robocop, even after all these years, has carved out a place in sci-fi as a classic. If you haven’t seen Robocop 2, it’s good to watch once, and it’s the last time Peter Weller plays the part. As far as 3 goes, think, Back to the Future III without Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox…yeah that bad. Having said all that, if you can get a good price on the trilogy, do it.Trust me, at some point in your life a reference to the Prime Directives will be made and you will owe me one.

Long before he was trying to figure out “What Women Want”, or flying off the handle at police officers, he defined what it meant to be hardcore and enforce the law. You’ve probably heard the references to this film for years and may not have even known it–take a moment and see what started it all.

OK, no it’s high-tech nor does it have the latest special effects. Beauty and the Beast is a timeless classic. Come on, even Dexter Morgan has this in his library

So what are you watching this week?

The Treasure

of the Sierra Madre

Blu-ray Present in 1 Out of Every 5 Households, Thanks in Part to PS3

Kishen Patel — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 03:07:37 +0000

Ever since Blu-ray Disc won the format war over HD-DVD, the disc-based format’s adoption rate was the highest of any previous format, including VHS, CD, and DVD. However, the format was not entirely recognized as a household item. Despite the PlayStation 3 platform bringing the format to the mainstream public, the video game console has proved to provide the gift of Blu-ray to a large portion of the US market.

According to the Home Media Magazine, Blu-ray has made its present in 17% of US households; roughly nearing a one-in-every-five households ratio. While this figure is still a far ways off from the penetration of DVD, which is at 95%, Blu-ray has successfully succeeded the popularity of Netflx and oddly enough Apple computers, which stand at 15% and 12% respectively.

Also worth noting is that the number of Blu-ray players present in homes has double in size since year 2008. Back then, PS3 consoles outsold dedicated Blu-ray players two-to-one whereas today, the PS3 accounts for 47% of all Blu-ray devices. This is most likely due to the fact that the PlayStation 3 no longer remains the cheapest solution for Blu-ray but it is still undoubtedly the most economical and future-proof solution given all the features it sports, including firmware upgradability making it the first 3D enabled Blu-ray player.

[Source]

Advent Children Goes Bargain Basement

Allen Tyson — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:25:48 +0000

If you’re a fan of the Final Fantasy Universe, you probably already have a copy Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children in one form or another – or you have at least seen it. If you don’t have the best version available, or have held out to buy it, now is absolutely the time.

Amazon now has Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete for the cheapest price we have seen: $10.49. Even if you are not a fan, it’s hard to argue with home theater reference material at this price.

This Week in Blu – 9/27/10

Allen Tyson — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:05:06 +0000

Just A Rather Very Intelligent System is back up and running, Commander Keith Kogane and Air Team Commander Jeff put their rivalry aside to take out the trash, the real “King of Kong” makes an appearance, and two best friends wonder who really is the last Kryptonian on earth – this week in Blu 9/27/10.

Even for what would be considered a “slow” week, quite a few releases shipped this week:

Babies
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
Eden of the East: The Complete Series
Frozen
Get Him to the Greek
Good
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 (Target Exclusive Metal Case)
The Killer Inside Me
King Kong (1933)
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Prey
The Private Eyes
Rock & Rule
Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums
Suck
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
The Thin Red Line
Voltron: Fleet of Doom

What I’m watching this week:

For all it’s flaws, Iron Man 2 was quite entertaining. I can’t have Tony Stark’s tech, but at least I can watch it in all it’s high-definition glory. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to say – in a sarcastic sort of way – “You can’t have it” you will be glad you watched this film.

Jeph Loeb’s run on the Superman/Batman comic is one of my favorites; I think it defines the relationship between Bruce and Clark. His 2nd arc which reintroduced Supergirl impressed me as well, and to see it animated is a must see.

Yes Voltron. Having actually ordered Fleet of Doom on VHS years ago, seeing it on Blu-Ray – even though I am not sure why they released it – is going to be a top priority. Vehicle Force Voltron, and Lion Force Voltron on the same screen… I rest my case.

So what are you watching this week?

Microsoft Still Scoffs At The Idea of Blu-ray

Ray Conley — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:16:02 +0000

It appears that Microsoft continues to refuse backing down on their rejected stance on Blu-ray disc. Microsoft’s UK boss, Stephen McGill, is willing to turn a blind-eye towards the dominant success of the standard HD format, and shrugs it off as a passing format.

In spite of Sony’s HD format taking over the HD market, Microsoft tries to play down its success by essentially calling it a fad. McGill had few words to justify their stance on the matter.

“I think people may have spoken about [Xbox's lack of a Blu-ray drive] originally, but that’s long gone. I think people now recognize what a smart decision it was to keep the pricing low, and actually Blu-ray is going to be passed by as a format. People have moved through from DVDs to digital downloads and digital streaming, so we offer full HD 1080p Blu-ray quality streaming instantly, no download, no delay. So, who needs Blu-ray?”

I can tell you who, Mr. McGill. Over 37 million people not only need, but want Blu-ray. And that’s not including movie sales either. Perhaps its me jumping the gun on this, but I think Microsoft would’ve been singing a much different tune had their format (HD-DVD) became the standard for HD.

In my opinion, Microsoft needs to embrace Blu-ray and start figuring out a way to make it work for them. Developers have already praised Blu-ray and the storage space that has allowed them a much larger working capacity. Continuing to show stubbornness over the period of 3 years is starting to look ridiculously childish and is holding back the rest of the industry from progressing forward.

[Source]

What’s New on Blu – September 14, 2010

Allen Tyson — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:41:42 +0000

Jet Li lays the smack down, Leonard Nimoy pulls double duty, Rod Serling is still the man after all these years, Van Damme gives us a look at the good old days, of, well Van Damme, and Gandalf, the White, tells a hobbit to keep a stiff upper lip – that’s this week in Blu.

Releases of the week:

From a pop-culture perspective, here are a few personal picks

Bloodsport/Timecop

Once upon a time there was this guy named Van Damme and he was truly awesome. If you blinked, you missed it. One could argue he came back strong with JCVD and that would be true. This is him at his best. Timecop must be seen for the classic “splits on the counter” scene. After that, stop the movie.

Fringe

It’s not the X-Files, but it always tows the line of mysterious technology which at times is pretty cool.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

It’s old, it’s campy, but it has an all-star cast and believe it or not, it’s downright creepy at the end. Nicole Kidman’s remake has nothing on this one – which, ok, is a remake itself.

A Cinderella Story/Another Cinderella Story

Just kidding. But if you have a daughter, give it a try.

The Lord of the Rings

You probably bought the box set by now. If not, the singles aren’t a bad choice – if you don’t care about the lack of digital copy.

The Twilight Zone: Season 1

Yes, it’s extremely dated, but you must watch at least one episode. When Rod Serling comes up someday in a job interview, you will thank me.

Unleashed

Jet li lays the smack down the like’s of which is rare to see. Not heavy on the story, but the last 30 minutes is impressive.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: 35th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Jack Nicholson is a legend, and this arguably one of his best roles outside The Shining. Trust me, at some point someone will make reference to this movie, you will reply, and earn yourself valuable street cred.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

As a card-carrying member of the gaming community, our responsibility is to watch all game-based movies. This one isn’t too bad, but it’s not too great either.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Third Season

Geek humor at it’s finest. Easily on par with The IT Crowd.

So what are you watching this week? What should people have seen at least once? Sound off in the comments. Feel free to call me out on my choices as well…the PSLS staff does all the time.

Blu-ray Association Offers Olive Branch to Xbox, Microsoft Declines

Mike Hartnett — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:24:40 +0000

The Blu-ray Association, made up of several high-profile entertainment companies along with Sony, have extended friendly offers to Microsoft over the past year in an attempt to get the company to adopt Blu-ray, or at least consider adopting the format for their next console.

Several members of the Blu-ray association have spoken to Microsoft about the possibility of a Blu-ray capable Xbox, only to have their words fall on def ears, as the company is still, apparently, looking for other alternatives. European BDA chairman, Graham Heaton, stated the following:

Already games such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves are pushing the limits of the Blu-ray 50GB discs. The infrastructure for broadband throughout the world varies greatly and is a long way from being able to support the downloading and streaming of 50GB games in a consumer friendly format.
It will be a very long time before this changes, so Blu-ray is in a ideal position to ensure that the best games are available to all gamers.
Any company willing to join would be welcome.

When asked whether or not Microsoft would, at some point, adopt Blu-ray, Heaton replied:

That is up to Microsoft to decide.

Microsoft has been nothing but vocal regarding their unwillingness to adopt the format, but perhaps as time goes on and PS3 exclusive after PS3 exclusive dominates the market due to the capacity of Blu-ray and the power of the PS3, Microsoft will reconsider. Until then, we’ll just keep on enjoying, as Kevin Butler put it, the “PS3 sugar”.

[Source]

What’s New on Blu — Week of 9/6/10

Allen Tyson — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:02:33 +0000

This week Leslie Nielsen tries his hardest to not make you laugh, Kal-El still isn’t flying, they’re finally “here”, and Tom Jones proves that when you beat the Martians it’s totally fine to sing “It’s Not Unsual”; that’s this week in Blu.

The Black Dahlia
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Chuck: The Complete Third Season
Forbidden Planet
Hatchet: Unrated Director’s Cut
In Cold Blood
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Killers
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
Lost in Space (1998)
MacGruber
Mars Attacks!
Megadeth: Rust in Peace Live
Numb
The Office: Season 6
The Phantom (2010)
The Player
Poltergeist
Pulse
The Skeleton Key
Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season
Solitary Man
Stardust
Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season
That Evening Sun
That Evening Sun [Night Cover]
Thomas and Friends: Misty Island Rescue
THX 1138: The George Lucas Director’s Cut
Tommy
Wonders of the Solar System

If you’re a sci-fi fan, THX-1138 is definitely worth a view.

PS3 3D Blu-Ray Update Now Planned for October

Anthony Severino — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:08:23 +0000

Earlier today at Sony’s IFA press conference in Berlin, Sony revealed some rather disappointing news regarding the PlayStation 3 and a planned firmware update enabling 3D Blu-Ray playback…

The firmware update, originally set to release this September, won’t be hitting the PlayStation 3 until October. Although it’s only one month, this is definitely disheartening news for any PlayStation 3 owners with a 3DTV who have been patiently waiting to be able to play some 3D Blu-Rays on their future proof home console.

What’s New on Blu – Week of 8/30/10

Allen Tyson — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:30:59 +0000

Vampires, Anarchists, News Reporters and Sharks are vying for your hard earned dollars this week. Someone gets “Caught Stealing”, Alice goes Steelbook, and LL Cool J will more than likely tell you “Don’t Call it a comeback”. Let’s take a look at the releases for 8/30/10:

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy – The Rich Mahogany Edition – Best Buy Exclusive until 10/5/10

2001 Maniacs - Best Buy Exclusive until 10/5/10

9th Company

Bad Lieutenant – Best Buy Exclusive until 10/5/10

Beatdown

The Blair Witch Project – Best Buy Exclusive until 10/5/10

Black Blood Brothers: The Complete Series

Carnivorous

Deep Blue Sea – Best Buy Exclusive until 10/5/10

The Evil Dead Limited Edition

Glacier National Park

Hard Candy – Best Buy Exclusive until 10/5/10