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Paramount's HD DVD movie releases rescheduled: July 25
After being rather unceremoniously dropped with no release date in sight, Paramount's HD DVD lineup is now back on track with the first four movies due July 25th. Those movies will be Sahara, Tomb Raider, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. A week later on August 1, Four Brothers, We Were Soldiers and The Manchurian Candidate follow, with U2: Rattle and Hum, Aeon Flux and The Italian Job rounding things out on the 10th. No word on any special features for any of the movies yet, although they will all carry an MSRP of $29.95. The only movies included in their High Definition Series yet to get a release date are the Mission: Impossible trilogy, hopefully girding for a day-and-date release with M:i:III later this year. The high-def trailers looked great on Apple.com, Super Bowl commercials and Xbox Live.It's a little behind the original schedule, but we finally have a third major player in the HD DVD camp. Like their counterparts over at Warner, Paramount has not yet announced a Blu-ray release schedule although they are expected to support both formats.
Apple logo on Sony PS3 site a mystery
Joystiq, a sister blog, has been following an odd story about an Apple logo and a Sony PS3 site. As you can see from the image, an Apple logo *blips* at the beginning of a PS3 Flash promo movie at Sony's site (it has since been 'fixed', but Joystiq links to a copy of the original movie here). Their investigation has more or less resulted in dead ends; at first the logo was thought to be a watermark left by creating the movie in a trial version of Shake. As it turns out, trial versions of Shake don't allow saving to begin with.The issue has turned into a bit of a mystery, as Apple (of course) hasn't made any sort of comment, and Sony apparently promised a statement but has yet to deliver.In the meantime, we'll forgo speculation and leave the rumoring up to you readers.[thanks to everyone who sent this in]
WoW Moviewatch: The Warlock & the Warrior
With all the parodies & ridiculous movies people crank out using WoW, it's almost rare to see someone trying to make an actual fantasy short for a change. This is a well-made little flick that gets bonus points from me for paying homage to The Sword & the Sorceror, possibly the coolest movie of my childhood...
Bullet Witch blows things up real good
Xboxyde has a new and very long gameplay video from AQ Interactive's Bullet Witch. I'll say one thing: inanimate objects run in fear from the Bullet Witch. At least they would if they weren't inanimate. After the less than impressive E3 video, this one shows a much better looking game with some impressive gunplay and bigger 'splosions. The video is highly reminiscent of Otogi on the original Xbox, which isn't a bad thing at all.The game will hit Japanese shelves on July 27th. Any would be importers out there?
HDTV Listings for July 8, 2006
What we're watching: Steve Carell tops our Saturday lineup, however not in an episode of The Office as usual, but The 40 Year Old Virgin tonight on HBO. As far as other movies go ABC & Disney bring us The Princess Diaries while personal fave Swingers is airing on HDNet.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
WoW Moviewatch: Eternal Legend
Well, since I don't speak the Taiwanese language (I think that's what this is in), I have no idea what they're singing about, but this is definitely one of the best-edited WoW fan videos I've seen in some time. It's called Eternal Legend, and even unintelligible, it's still quite enjoyable. Kudos to the creator; check it out below.
Superman Returns HD trailers on Xbox Live Marketplace
Supes is back, and he's on Xbox Live (he cheats at Halo 2, that flying thing is a total glitch). Sure you can download HD trailers on your PC but that might not be hooked up to your TV. Superman Returns, one of the first movies made with HD DVD in mind, hits theaters on the 28th.Via Major Nelson, the HD content available is: Superman Returns Trailer #2 (480p/720p) Superman Returns Trailer #3 (480p/720p) Superman Returns: Action (480p/720p) Superman Returns: Ride (480p/720p) Superman Returns: Greatest American Hero (480p/720p) Superman Returns: Power (480p/720p Now a whole new generation of kids can jump off their garage roof w/ homemade capes and costumes learning the very important life lesson: You can't fly. Or maybe that was just us.
Bruce Lee and Dukes of Hazzard coming to HD DVD
Warner Home Video isn't showing off their September HD DVD releases just yet, but they have added two movies for release July 11. HDTV owners have been clamoring for bigger and better titles on high definition DVD formats and while these may not be the special-effect loaded killer titles we would like to see, they aren't bad either. Dukes of Hazzard did pretty well at the box office last year starring the guy from Jackass, Stifler and a pop singer as the Dukes family. Now it comes to HD DVD with Warner's In Movie Experience (IME) feature promising a "trouble-making, car-crashing, barroom-brawling in-movie viewing experience". We were hoping for a silent version of Jessica Simpson's music video, but this will have to do.The other movie announced is Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, originally released just after his death and possibly his most popular movie in the U.S. Both movies will feature the same extras as their DVD counterparts and carry an SRP of $28.99. Warner is still expected to release on Blu-ray as well, but we haven't received any information on dates or titles.
Superman In Azeroth?
As the momentum for the Warcraft film (I'm just taking a wild stab & guessing that it will indeed be called simply Warcraft, and not World of Warcraft...but who knows) continues to build up, an interesting bit of news came to light on Aintitcool.com yesterday. In a conversation with Brandon Routh (the new Superman, for those of you who live under a rock), the topic of the WoW film came up, prompting Routh to proclaim his love for the game, and to voice his interest in being a part of the project. The exchange in part went:Harry – ...as soon as I read the news, knowing that you were a Warcraft guy, I just had to bring it up cuz you're the title character of Legendary's biggest film to date and that's their movie.Brandon – Yeah, I know. They told me they went down and met with BLIZZARD's guys, that's pretty... that's interesting.Harry – Get your agent on it immediately.Brandon – YEAH! My manager is right here, he's perked up.I haven't seen Routh in action yet, as most of you haven't, but he's been getting rave write-ups for his performance as the Man of Steel, and his star will almost certainly be on the rise after Superman Returns is released next week. His potential involvement could bring a lot of buzz to the project, so it will be interesting to see how this develops.In any case, I'm reminded of one of the endlessly quotable lines of dialogue from William Peter Blatty's The Ninth Configuration: "Would you please tell this idiot that there is no room in any of Shakespeare's plays for Superman?"
Spielberg to Helm WoW Movie? 'Fraid Not...
As Elizabeth reported earlier, the rumor about Spielberg directing the new Warcraft film flew across my desk yesterday, but I hesitated to report it, as I was convinced that it couldn't possibly be true. And after seeing this article today on Gamespot, it appears that, for the 134th time this week, I was right. Since the news first hit, debate has raged as to the plausibity of such a rumor, with some fans claiming Spielberg to be an avid fantasy fan who would be a perfect match for the project, and others claiming that he wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole.Well, as of this morning, it looks like no pole will be needed, as nothing in today's Variety (the reputed source of the news) mentions the WoW film or makes any mention of Spielberg's involvement, and if it was happening, it would very likely be in there. So, it's looks like this one is more kindling for the rumor pile. Personally, I'm still crossing my fingers for John (Conan) Milius's Warcraft: The Motion Picture, but that may be too much to hope for.
Spielberg to Direct Warcraft Movie?
Apparently, Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg will be directing the upcoming live action World of Warcraft movie. It seems a little unreal to hear a big name like Spielberg's mentioned in connection with a video game-based project, but if anyone could make this crazy combination work, it would be Blizzard. With the success of other fantasy projects (i.e. Lord of the Rings) and World of Warcraft's immense existing fan base, perhaps it really is the type of project that could attract this level of talent.Update: This has been found to be pure fiction.
Nacho Libre coming to the DS
Truly, on this day we are blessed. Jack Black's cook-turned-wrestler Nacho Libre will be coming to the Nintendo DS, courtesy of Majesco Entertainment. Now, yes, we all know the general quality of movie-to-game adaptations. But look at that man in the picture. Look at him. Is this game not a gift? According to the press release, the title will play as a fairly standard wrestling game, with a few touch screen bonuses thrown in for good measure. But it has Nacho. Surely, it shall be wonderful.The movie itself opens on June 16th, and will surely leave you with a wanton desire to perform a full nelson while wearing spandex and a cape. If you don't own a cape, however, you can always grab your DS.
Official Sony Pictures Blu-ray launch list updated
With five days to go until the release of the first Blu-ray movies from Sony, things are proving to remain fluid. The Samsung BD-P1000 will definitely make an appearance June 25 (unless of course you already have one), however the movies you can buy have changed, according to the latest press release. Our earlier source appears to have been correct, several movies have come off the list completely, while others are slightly delayed. The good news is that the launch titles are definitely set, as none of those have changed however the successive releases seem prone to slippage.Legends of the Fall, Kung Fu Hustle, Black Hawk Down, Sense and Sensibility, The Big Hit and Resident Evil: Apocalypse are all still MIA, we will keep you updated as launch approaches. The updated list follows.
HDTV Listings for June 14, 2006
What we're watching: The NHL Finals could be over tonight with a win by Carolina over Edmonton at home in Game 5. Puck drops on NBC at 8 p.m. On ABC, there is a new episode of Commander in Chief, otherwise it is mostly a night of reruns once again. We'll probably watch Ocean's Twelve for the millionth time and then Jet Li in Unleashed at 10 p.m. on Cinemax.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
MovieBeam gets a boost from Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures, friendly day-and-date releasers of such HD flicks as Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Bubble, have announced support for the MovieBeam platform. According to VideoBusiness, despite already having support from the major studios, MovieBeam thinks they can find a niche delivering HD flicks to film buffs who want to avoid the messiness of finding an arthouse actually showing limited release movies. Combined with Magnolia's unorthodox release strategies, they seem to make a good match. Also of note, if you want to check out the service without laying down $199 for the box up front, our friend Dave Zatz mentioned a coupon code (PR49B) that drops the price to $49, although we don't know if that is still valid. Ben wasn't very impressed with the quality of the HD when he reviewed MovieBeam, while Dave had a better impression of its SD capabilities. If you get your HDTV OTA, this may be the VOD service for you.
Universal cuts HD DVD prices, announces two combo HD DVD/DVDs
Call it the Blu-ray effect. With the other high definition DVD format set to release in a few days, Universal is dropping prices on all their HD DVD releases from $34.95 to $29.95. Since retailers rarely sell the movies for the actual MSRP, we'll see what this translates to on store shelves and if when Blu-ray launches, it is actually cheaper than HD DVD.In the second bit of Universal HD DVD news, also from High Def DVD Digest, they are following Warner Bros. lead and releasing hybrid HD DVD/DVD discs. Their first releases on the format will be National Lampoon's Animal House and Unleashed. They will continue to be listed at $34.95. Looks like competition is benefiting the consumer already. We'll be a little happier when we see price drops on the hardware and more content available however. Also, will Warner drop the prices on their movies, and what about Paramount's indefinitely delayed titles?Read - Universal cuts prices on HD DVDRead - Universal schedules two combo HD DVD/DVD movies
Warner adds three movies for HD DVD in late June
Syriana, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Lethal Weapon have been added to the slate of HD DVD titles scheduled as Blu-ray's debut continues to draw closer. With Samsung's BD-P1000 slated for June 25 and the first Blu-ray titles hitting shelves on the 20th, the high definition DVD format war will soon become a reality. Syriana is a day-and-date release with the DVD edition on June 20, carries an SRP of $34.99, and will contain two featurettes exclusive to the HD DVD version. Also released the same day is Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the fourth combination HD DVD/DVD disc released and having an SRP of $39.99. Lethal Weapon will follow on June 27 with an SRP of $34.99. The latter two movies will have the same bonus features as the standard-def DVD editions.
WoW Moviewatch: Brokeback Spire
Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. Don't look so shocked...you should be surprised I haven't posted any Brokeback Mountain parodies until now. Not the most skillfully made of films, but then neither was the real thing...
Flip4Mac begins beta testing Universal Binary WMV QuickTime components
For Intel Mac users who either love or hate WMV but have to deal with it one way or another, Flip4Mac has just begun beta testing the long-awaited Universal Binary version of their WMV QuickTime components. Announced in their forums today, it is more or less an invite-yourself program, as I had to contact them weeks ago to get on their email announcement list.After briefly testing on my MacBook Pro, it seems like everything is working just fine. I'm able to play embedded WMV files with no problem, but I unfortunately don't have any locally saved WMV's to try at the moment. So far, the beta seems like a success, and while I hate the WMV format just as much as the next Mac user, it's nice to no longer receive that 'plug-in not found' error.
Pac-Man: The Movie, not coming to any theaters near you
In my opinion, the concept behind this home-made trailer for a fictional Pac-Man movie surpasses that of any other full length movie based on a game. Not that it's got much competition. Choice quote: "It looked like some kind of man, some kind of... Pac-man."[Thanks, Justin]
