Blu-ray releases on April 20th 2010

Avatar comes out on Thursday and honestly we could end this post like that. Sure it isn't the most refreshing plot line, but 221k people voted on IMDB, and despite the new movie prejudice, it is ranked number 72 of all time -- which isn't easy to do. Although the 2D presentation of the movie in the theater was 2.35, the Blu-ray disc is 1.78, and no it isn't cropped. We know many out there will post in protest over the apparent double dipping, but we have little doubt that Avatar will rule every chart on every format it's available on. Also this week is a personal favorite, Minority Report, as well as the 80's and 90's Batman series which we have to say really doesn't hold up.

Avatar (Fox)
Crazy Heart (Fox)
Minority Report (DreamWorks)
The Lovely Bones (DreamWorks)
44 Inch Chest (Image)
The Young Victoria (Sony)
Batman & Robin (Warner)
Batman (1989) (Warner)
Batman Forever (Warner)
Batman Returns (Warner)
Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This (Weinstein)
Summer Hours (Criterion)
Vivre Sa Vie (Criterion)
The Telling (Terra)
The Basketball Diaries (Palm)

[LazarusDark Posted Apr 19th 2010 9:51PM]

I didn't want to get this 2d version of Avatar and just wait for the 3d (and a 3d projector) ... until I saw a Rifftrax is coming for it. I will totally pick up the 2d for riffing. I loved this movie and saw it 5 times in 3d, once in Imax... but we all know how unoriginal the story is... and in 2d the Navi don't look like real living creatures, they look like blue cartoon cat-fauns.

[JustAnnuthaDewd Posted Apr 20th 2010 12:11AM]

"Although the 2D presentation of the movie in the theater was 2.35, the Blu-ray disc is 1.78, and no it isn't cropped."

Well if it isn't cropped, then why the discrepancy? Either the theatrical presentation was stretched out, or the BD version will be squished in some.

[Scarabaeus Posted Apr 20th 2010 11:57AM]

@JustAnnuthaDewd
The 2.35:1 version was cropped from the 1.78:1 image. Look up "Super35".

[JustAnnuthaDewd Posted Apr 20th 2010 12:23PM]

@Scarabaeus Thanks for replying. I actually did a little reading earlier and found an interview with James Cameron where he explained that it was the theatrical version that got cropped, and the BD version will be "as intended". I'm actually rather pleased and a bit more excited for this. While I'm long used to letterboxing and don't really mind it, getting it sized as intended for my HDTV without losing anything is a huge plus. Part of his rationale was the increased sensation of depth when looking down in scenes from the sky.

[engadgetcomexcludeengadget Posted Apr 20th 2010 12:23AM]

No obscene comments about "44 inch chest"?

[ChiWax Posted Apr 20th 2010 12:38AM]

Gotta luv RiffTrax!! I wonder if they would ever tackle the Cheech & Chong tho? Q.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 20th 2010 12:44AM]

The blu kittehz iz coming!

[ack154 Posted Apr 20th 2010 9:59AM]

Soooo... pretty much nothing worth getting today then?

[Rick James Posted Apr 20th 2010 10:21AM]

On a separate note, I was over on IGN and they have a post saying that all six Star Wars movies will be out on Blu-Ray in the not too distant future.

[n2whyteguyz Posted Apr 20th 2010 3:11PM]

The Drawn Together Movie is being released today with an exclusivity window at Best Buy (an even odder choice than Boogie Nights).

[techlord Posted Apr 20th 2010 3:57PM]

Avatar is releasing April 22 not 20 because they wanted to be relesae same date as Earth Day.

[iTapThat Posted Apr 21st 2010 11:53AM]

A "Cheech & Chong" release on 4-20. How poetic.

[RiversideGuy Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:45PM]

Uh, in real (full sized) IMAX theaters, we saw it in 4:3.

The REAL issue is when with the "extended" version come out? Followed by the "director's cut" version. Followed by the "ultimate" version...

I'm waiting for the version that includes tickets to visit Pandora, I seriously would love to vacation there.