HD DVD Exclusives Yet To Hit Blu-ray

[The_Doctor]

Confirmed and added to the list. Here are the details...

Dragonheart Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary this year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will offer special re-issues of selected catalog titles, and the Dragonheart Blu-ray will arrive in the March wave. This adventure stars Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow) as Bowen, a medieval knight who forges an unusual partnership with the realm's last dragon (Sean Connery, From Russia with Love) in an effort to defeat a corrupt king (David Thewlis, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).

Directed by Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious), the film features an all-star cast that includes Pete Postlethwaite (The Lost World), Dina Meyer (Starship Troopers), Jason Isaacs (The Patriot), and Julie Christie (Hamlet).

Universal's Blu-ray presents the film in its 2.39:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. Besides the studio's pocket BLU and My Scenes functionality devices, the disc also contains the following supplement:

The Making of Dragonheart featurette

Dragonheart streets on March 27th.

Pete Postlethwaite passed away recently, an interesting actor. Much more so than his lone Lost World credit.

[Super-VHS]

"Meet Joe Black" is coming May 1.

[TomSelleck]

Looks like Criterion is knocking one off the list for Universal.



Being John Malkovich (May 15th, 2012)

New high-definition digital restoration
5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
New selected-scene audio commentary featuring filmmaker Michel Gondry
New behind-the-scenes documentary by filmmaker Lance Bangs
Conversation between John Malkovich and humorist John Hodgman
Director Spike Jonze discusses Being John Malkovich via photos from its production
Two films within the film:
- 7½ Floor Orientation
- American Arts & Culture Presents John Horatio Malkovich, "Dance of Despair and Disillusionment"
An Intimate Portrait of the Art of Puppeteering, a documentary by Bangs
Trailer and TV spots
Booklet featuring a conversation between Jonze and pop-culture critic Perkus Tooth

[TomSelleck]

Looks like Mr. Pacino is all caught up now.

Scent of a Woman Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary this year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will offer special re-issues of selected catalog titles, and the Scent of a Woman Blu-ray will arrive in the June wave. Al Pacino (Dog Day Afternoon) won an Academy Award for his work in the film as Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a free-spirited blind man who enlists the services of poor prep school student Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell, Batman Forever) over the Thanksgiving holiday.

While Charlie assumes his duties will be limited to chauffeuring the lieutenant colonel around and avoiding his profanity-filled verbal tirades, Slade has other ideas, and he coerces Charlie into accompanying him on a wild week in New York City, an experience that slowly develops into a valuable journey of self-discovery for the two men.

Directed by Martin Brest (Meet Joe Black), the film has an impressive supporting cast that includes James Rebhorn (Independence Day), Gabrielle Anwar (Burn Notice), Frances Conroy (Stone), Bradley Whitford (Billy Madison), and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead).

Universal's Blu-ray presents the film in its 1.85:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The studio has not yet listed any bonus supplements.

Scent of a Woman streets on June 5th.

Sea of Love Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary this year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will offer special re-issues of selected catalog titles, and the Sea of Love Blu-ray will arrive in the June wave. Director Harold Becker's gritty thriller stars Al Pacino (Heat) as Frank Keller, an NYPD detective hunting a brutal serial killer.

The case takes an unusual turn, however, when Keller falls in love with a beautiful woman (Ellen Barkin, Ocean's Thirteen) who may have a dangerous connection with the murderer that could put Keller's own life at risk.

Written by acclaimed crime novelist and screenwriter Richard Price (Clockers), the film also features John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), John Spencer (The Rock), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead), William Hickey (The Name of the Rose), Paul Calderon (Out of Sight), and an early appearance from Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction).

Universal's Blu-ray presents the film in its 1.85:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The disc also contains the following supplements:

The Creation of Sea of Love featurette
Commentary with director Harold Becker

Sea of Love streets on June 5th.

[TomSelleck]

A week late but The Nutty Professor and The Deer Hunter removed and officially available on Blu-ray disc everywhere.

[DigitalFreakNYC]

Smokey and the Bandit and Erin Brockovich have both been announced for 6/5 as well as The Sting.

[TomSelleck]

Smokey and the Bandit and Erin Brockovich have both been announced for 6/5 as well as The Sting.

Will update. Here are all the details...



The Sting Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary this year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will offer special Blu-rays of selected catalog titles, and The Sting should arrive in the June wave. Director George Roy Hill's classic crime comedy reunites Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stars Robert Redford (Out of Africa) and Paul Newman (The Color of Money) as two con men operating in 1930s Chicago.

After his mentor (Robert Earl Jones, Trading Places) is killed, small-time hustler Johnny Hooker (Redford) decides to go after Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw, Jaws), the gangster responsible for the murder. However, Hooker quickly realizes that he can't get revenge on his own, and with the help of legendary grifter and part-time drunk Henry Gondorff (Newman), Hooker plans an elaborate con that will bankrupt Lonnegan - provided that the cops, duplicitous fellow con men, and Lonnegan's men don't figure out Hooker's scheme first.

Written by David S. Ward (Major League), the film features an impressive ensemble that includes Ray Walston (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Eileen Brennan (Clue), Harold Gould (Silent Movie), Dana Elcar (2010: The Year We Make Contact), and Charles Durning (O Brother, Where Art Thou?).

The Sting was also a huge success at the 1974 Academy Awards Ceremony, winning the following Oscars:

Best Picture: Tony Bill, Michael Phillips, and Julia Phillips
Best Director: George Roy Hill
Best Original Screenplay: David S. Ward
Best Art Direction: Henry Bumstead and James W. Payne
Best Costume Design: Edith Head
Best Film Editing: William H. Reynolds
Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation: Marvin Hamlisch

In addition, the picture received further nominations for:

Best Actor: Robert Redford
Best Cinematography: Robert Surtees
Best Sound: Ronald Pierce and Robert R. Bertrand

Universal offers two HD versions of the film - a Blu-ray/DVD Collector's Edition digibook and a single-disc Blu-ray copy. Both editions present the film - digitally restored from high resolution 35mm film elements - in its 1.85:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track alongside these bonus supplements:

Three-part The Art of the Sting documentary
Three 100 Years of Universal featurettes:
- The Lot
- The '70s
- Restoring the Classics
Theatrical trailer

The Sting is expected to street on June 5th.



Erin Brockovich Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary this year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will offer special re-issues of selected catalog titles, and the Erin Brockovich Blu-ray will arrive in the June wave. Julia Roberts (Ocean's Eleven) won an Academy Award for her work in the film as the title character, a feisty single mother who intimidates her way into a job as a legal clerk for her beleaguered lawyer, Ed Masry (Albert Finney, Big Fish).

Erin quickly realizes the gravity of her position, however, when she uncovers that the Pacific Gas and Electric Company has a history of dumping illegal toxic waste into a small California town. With Ed's reluctant support, Erin puts her own life - and the life of her family - on the line as she begins to help the townspeople fight for justice.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic), this docudrama boasts an impressive supporting cast that includes Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Marg Helgenberger (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), Joe Chrest (Out of Sight), Cherry Jones (Signs), William Lucking (Sons of Anarchy), Tracey Walter (Something Wild), and Peter Coyote (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial).

In addition to Roberts' Oscar win, Erin Brockovich received the following four nominations at the 2001 Academy Awards Ceremony:

Best Picture: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, and Stacey Sher
Best Director: Steven Soderbergh
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Finney
Best Original Screenplay: Susannah Grant

Universal's Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack presents the film in its 1.85:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The disc also contains a number of bonus supplements, such as:

Two behind-the-scenes featurettes:
- Erin Brockovich: A Look at a Real Life Experience
- Spotlight on Location: The Making of Erin Brockovich
Two 100 Years of Universal featurettes:
- The Lot
- Academy Award Winners

Erin Brockovich streets on June 5th.



Smokey and the Bandit Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary this year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will offer special re-issues of selected catalog titles, and the Smokey and the Bandit Blu-ray will arrive in the June wave. Burt Reynolds (The Cannonball Run) stars in director Hal Needham's action-comedy as the Bandit, a daredevil truck driver who accepts a near-impossible challenge - he must transport 400 cases of beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in just twenty-eight hours.

Along with his best friend and fellow driver Cledus (Jerry Reed, The Waterboy), Bandit tears across the country, drawing the attentions of both a spirited runaway bride (Sally Field, Forrest Gump) and the speed-hating lawman Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason, The Hustler).

Universal's Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack presents the film in its 1.85:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The disc also contains the following bonus supplements:

Loaded Up and Truckin': Making Smokey and the Bandit behind-the-scenes featurette
Snowman, What's Your 20? - The Smokey and the Bandit CB Tutorial
Two 100 Years of Universal featurettes:
- The Lot
- The '70s

Smokey and the Bandit streets on June 5th.

[TomSelleck]

Dragonheart removed now on Blu-ray everywhere kiddies.

[TomSelleck]

Born on the Fourth of July Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary this year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is offering special Blu-rays of selected catalog titles, and Born on the Fourth of July will arrive in the July wave. This adaptation of Ron Kovic's memoir stars Tom Cruise (The Color of Money) as Kovic, an idealistic young man whose patriotic fervor motivates him to enlist in the Vietnam War.

However, the realities of battle prove far more murky than Kovic expected, and he returns to the United States both psychologically and physically crippled. Permanently confined to a wheelchair, Kovic undergoes an odyssey of self-discovery, an experience that results in his emergence as a highly regarded antiwar activist.

Directed by Oliver Stone (Platoon), the film features an impressive ensemble that includes Kyra Sedgwick (Gamer), Raymond J. Barry (Justified), Frank Whaley (Vacancy), Stephen Baldwin (The Usual Suspects), and Willem Dafoe (Antichrist).

The Sting was also a huge success at the 1974 Academy Awards Ceremony, winning the following Oscars:

Best Director: Oliver Stone
Best Film Editing: David Brenner and Joe Hutshing

In addition, the picture received further nominations for:

Best Picture: A. Kitman Ho and Oliver Stone
Best Actor: Tom Cruise
Best Adapted Screenplay: Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic
Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Best Original Score: John Williams
Best Sound: Michael Minkler, Gregory H. Watkins, Wylie Stateman, and Tod A. Maitland

Universal's Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack presents the film in its 2.39:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track alongside these bonus supplements:

Commentary with Oliver Stone
Backstory: Born on the Fourth of July archival documentary
Two 100 Years of Universal featurettes:
- The '80s
- Academy Award Winners

Born on the Fourth of July streets on July 3rd.

[TomSelleck]

Mystery Men Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will re-issue selected catalog titles, and the Mystery Men Blu-ray will arrive in the July wave. The action-comedy focuses on a group of superhero wannabes who band together after supervillain Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech) kidnaps costumed crusader Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear, Little Miss Sunshine).

In addition to Rush and Kinnear, the film has an all-star ensemble cast that includes Ben Stiller (Tower Heist), Hank Azaria (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), William H. Macy (Shameless), Janeane Garofalo (Ratatouille), Paul Reubens (Pee-wee's Big Adventure), Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans), Ricky Jay (Deadwood), and Tom Waits (Down By Law).

Universal's Blu-ray presents the film in its 1.85:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The disc also contains the following supplements:

Commentary with director Kinka Usher
The Making of Mystery Men featurette

Mystery Men streets on July 24th.

[TomSelleck]

Meet Joe Black now available on Blu-ray disc!!! Also another one added...

Evan Almighty Blu-ray
As part of its 100th Anniversary, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will re-issue selected catalog titles, and the Evan Almighty Blu-ray will arrive in the August wave. The sequel to the Jim Carrey comedy hit Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty stars Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) as Evan Baxter, an ambitious newscaster-turned-congressman who unwillingly puts his political aspirations on hold after God (Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption) instructs him to follow in the footsteps of Noah and build an ark.

Directed by Tom Shadyac (The Nutty Professor), the film features an impressive ensemble cast that includes Lauren Graham (Bad Santa), Wanda Sykes (Rio), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Harve Presnell (Fargo), Molly Shannon (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby), and John Goodman (The Big Lebowski).

Universal's Blu-ray presents the film in its 2.39:1 original aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The disc also contains the following supplements:

Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
- The Ark-itects of Noah's Ark
- Steve Carell Unscripted
- Animals on Set Two by Two
- The Almighty Green Set
My Scenes functionality

Evan Almighty streets on August 7th.

[mrkiller]

Some nice gems still exclusive to HD DVD, namely Breach, Sneakers, The Pianist, and The Game. The Interpreter and The Good Shepherd are pretty good as well. I'm wondering why Universal hasn't announced releasing any of these.

[TomSelleck]

I wouldn't be surprised if Sneakers, The Pianist, and The Game made it to Blu-ray before the end of the year. Breach was a decent flick...but for some reason it is in the weird complicated area with getting released...much like Carlito's Way: Rise to Power. The Good Shepherd...while such an amazing cast...had to have been one of the most boring films I have seen in the past 10 years. I zoned out constantly on it.

[dommie]

Agree on The Game and The Interpreter. These two, along with Streets of Fire, are my only remaining HD DVD's that are unannounced and in need of a Blu release. C'mon Universal.

[LettuceJUMP]

Liar liar!