Human Centipede Limited Edition Steelbook Pictures

The movie has been out on Blu-ray for a while, however aside from the standard edition found in stores, there was a very limited Steelbook release too.  Given its rarity - set at 4000 copies - I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of the special edition and provide a run down of the feature list.

Human Centipede's Steelbook has a matt feel to it, but the image is shiny in places, and has no certification logos.  The rear of the case doesn't have a picture, but continues the dark green pattern seen on the front.  Opening the case reveals two discs - a Blu-ray and a DVD - and although there is an image behind the disc holders, it's very difficult to make out what it is!

The set had a removable paper rear cover describing the film as 'uncut, uncensored director's cut' and the regulatory BBFC rating symbols.  The Blu-ray has the following features:

• Audio commentary with director Tom Six.
• Q&A with Tom Six and star Dieter Laser.
• Two interviews with Tom Six.
• Theatrical trailer.
• Behind the scenes.
• Foley session.
• Casting session.
• Deleted scene.

It's a great Steelbook and unlike many other so-called 'limited' releases, it's truly limited!  If you can find it for a good price and enjoyed the satircal nature of the movie, it's well-worth adding to your collection.

 

Final Big Lebowski Blu-ray Details Released

Earlier this week we showed you the artwork for the newly announced The Big Lebowski Blu-ray, but at the time we had no information on the special features, or whether the new edition would be remastered or not.  Universal has now sent out a press release confirming all these details, plus it appears the Digibook packaging will make Lebowski a limited edition, but it makes sense they'll revert to standard packaging when the Digibooks run out.

Anyway, the good news is the film has been remastered for its Blu-ray debut, plus the set will include a digital copy too.  Here is the list of bonus features for the movie:

• Jeff Bridges Photo Book.  Photos taken on set by the actor with accompanying commentary.
• The Dude's Life.  The stars of the film look back at their performances.
• The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later.  A retrospective conversation with the cast.
• The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever's Story.  An in-depth look at the Lebowski Festival.
• Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude.  A look at how the key dream sequences were made.
• The Making of The Big Lebowski.  A behind-the-scenes featurette.
• U-Control.  Including cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and more. 
• Mark it Dude.  An onscreen counter to keep track of the swearing and 'dudeisms'.
• The Music of The Big Lebowski.  Identify songs and purchase them via iTunes.
• Photo Gallery.
• Interactive Map.
• An Introduction.  A restoration of the 'toe scene', with a twist.

The booklet inside the Digibook pacakging will be 28-pages long and include an interview with Jeff Dowd, the real-life inspiration for The Dude.  The Big Lebowksi will be presented in 1080p with a DTS-HD audio track, and will be released on the 16th August 2011.

 

Extended Sucker Punch Blu-ray in June for the US, July for the UK

Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch has been announced for Blu-ray, and there will be 18 minutes of previously unseen footage included in an 'extended cut'.  During a chat with MTV, the director indicated the majority of the cut footage was action removed to get a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.  Interestingly, Snyder says 'I would say that the very things that they didn't like were the very things that you needed to see in order for you to understand the content of the scene'.

The film didn't do well theatrically, however it could find its audience on Blu-ray, especially as many will want to see what the additional footage contains.  Presented in 1080p with a DTS-HD audio track, the extended cut will run to 127 minutes, plus the shorter theatrical cut will also be included.

Exact details on the bonus features have yet to be revealed, however the teaser poster promises Maximum Movie Mode - a feature Snyder did for the Watchman Blu-ray too - and some animated prequel stories too.  A triple play edition with the Blu-ray, DVD and a digital copy is advertised, plus a Steelbook has been teased by HMV in Canada (which could also mean an HMV UK exlusive too), and Amazon in Germany.

In the US, Sucker Punch will be released on the 28th June, while a preliminary 25th July date has been given for the UK release.

New Philips BDP7600 Out Now

Philips has launched a new Blu-ray player in the UK, the BDP7600.  Taking its design cues from the Sony S370 and upwards, the 7600 has a flat front panel with an angled lower lip where the controls are housed, plus the mirrored finish gives it a very modern, classy style. 

The player is 3D capable and has Wi-Fi built-in, plus it supports both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.  Around the back you'll find 7.1 analogue audio outputs along with both an optical and a coaxial audio out, plus an Ethernet port and an SD memory card slot.

Of course, the 7600 outputs 1080p HD video, plus it supports several video codecs inlcuding DivX Plus HD, MKV and Xvid files.  Philips have added its CinemaPerfect HD engine for an improved image and less video noise.  The player's feature list continues with DLNA certification and Philips' own Net TV service.

If you're interested, the Philips BDP7600 should be out now and for around £200, it's well priced for a 3D Wi-Fi Blu-ray player.

First Look at The Big Lebowski Blu-ray

It's strange that one of the Coen Brothers' most popular films hasn't made it on to Blu-ray yet, however an early announcement has seen this change this week, as The Big Lebowski will be coming to Blu-ray on the 16th August.  The news comes from Universal Canada, but we can assume the release will be for the US too.  Unsuprisingly, there is still no indication of a Region B release.

Rather than provide any information on the bonus features, Universal have unveiled the cover-art, which also shows it will be a digibook release.  Who else, upon studying the picture, agrees that the ridiculous cut-and-paste image of John Turturro's Jesus Quintana ruins an otherwise good-looking cover?  Oh well.

Extras and cover-art aside, will Universal have treated Lebowski to a new transfer, or will they re-use the old HD version seen on the HD-DVD release a few years ago?  We're hoping it's the former.

Source Code Out on Blu-ray in July

Duncan Jones' follow-up to the brilliant Moon has been announced for Blu-ray, along with the special features which will accompany the feature.  The film has had a strong theatrical showing around the world, but that hasn't stopped it making a fairly speedy Blu-ray appearance, as it's out at the end of July - the 26th to be precise.

Summit Entertainment hasn't revealed the cover art yet, but the extra features are as follows:

• Audio commentary with Duncan Jones, Jake Gyllenhaal and writer Ben Ripley.
• Access: Source Code.  A series of scene specific interviews, opinions on time travel, trivia and more.
• Cast interviews.
• Science Focal Points.
• Trivia Track.  This is listed as a DVD extra, and could be a a part of the Access: Source Code feature exclusive to the Blu-ray.

The July release date is for the US and although placeholders have appeared on UK retailer sites, not date has been attached.  Sounce Code is also a prime candidate for a special edition of some sort, perhaps a Steelbook?  We'll bring you more news when we get it.

Warner to Give Citizen Kane the Ultimate Collector's Edition Treatment

Citizen Kane's Blu-ray release has finally been confirmed via an Amazon pre-order page.  An official Warner statement has yet to appear, so the details provided by the online retailer could change between now and release.

The film's video and audio has been restored and remastered, an exciting prospect for fans, and will be presented in a box set with a press book and a collection of art cards.  If you decide to purchase Citizen Kane from Amazon, you'll get Welles' Magnificent Ambersons as a bonus disc too.

Amazon list the following as extra features:

• Bonus DVD: The Magnificent Ambersons
• Bonus DVD: RKO 281
• Bonus DVD: American Experience: The Battle Over Citizen Kane
• Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich
• Commentary by Roger Ebert
• The Battle Over Citizen Kane Documentary
• Opening: World Premier of Citizen Kane Vintage Featurettes
• Interview with Ruth Warrick
• Interview with Robert Wise
• Storyboards
• Call Sheets
• Still Photography with Commentary by Roger Ebert
• Deleted Scenes
• Ad Campaign
• Press Book
• Opening Night
• 10/30/38 Mercury Theatre Broadcast of War of the Worlds (Audio Only)
• 10/28/40 KTSA, San Antonio Broadcast of H.G. Wells Meets Orson Welles (Audio Only)
• Theatrical Trailer

Even if you're only a passing fan of the film, you'll recognize the fact those extras have all been seen before.  What a shame Warner couldn't have included some of the lesser seen Kane material - it's not as if no-one has talked about the film, is it - to truly make this worthy of its 'ultimate' tag.  Still, providing the image and audio are top-notch, I won't be too upset.

Ther release date has yet to be confirmed, but September is a possibility.

Apocalypse Now Nears UK Blu-ray Release, Artwork Revealed

The USA has been enjoying Apocalypse Now on Blu-ray since October last year, and although UK fans could have picked up the region-free set from an importer, many will have chosen to wait after seeing small, blurry pictures of the alternative artwork. 

Personally, I liked the Full Disclosure set's cover, but it's not a patch on the UK edition - which has now been properly revealed.  Using a far more iconic image from the film, the Full Disclosure edition will contain the same extras as its US counterpart, including the Hearts of Darkness documentary.

It appears to be a digipack complete with a collectible booklet and a series of artcards, and will contain three discs; one for the theatrical cut, one for Redux and the other for Hearts of Darkness.  You can see the full list of extra features here.

Optimum will be releasing Apocalypse Now on the 13th June, plus they will be re-releasing the film theatrically from the 17th May, for a limited time, too.

New MGM/Fox Digibooks Released This Week, Including Terminator, Rocky and The Usual Suspects

Rather than release flashy limited editions before the regular ones, MGM and Fox have decided to do it the other way around, as this week sees the re-release of several catalogue titles wrapped up in digibook packaging.  I like digibooks, with The Exorcist being the best I've seen so far, so lets take a look at the films and the artwork.

This first wave consists of The Terminator, The Usual Suspects, Rocky, Patton, Master & Commander and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  By all accounts they're simple re-releases of previous editions, with no remastering or other adjustments to the discs, however you will get the digibook's booklet.

That said, if you don't already own any of these, one or two are worthwhile picking up, although there have been complaints concerning the quality of the transfer for Patton and Master & Commander.  If you're a digibook collector outside of the US and don't own a region-free Blu-ray player, then you're probably out of luck, as the packaging indicates they're all region A locked.

We can expect digibook re-releases of the four X-Men movies later on this year too.

Panasonic Introduce Two New Blu-ray Recorders in the UK

Ensuring their range is as wide as possible, Panasonic have announced two new Blu-ray recorders in the UK.  The DMR-BWT700 and DMR-BWT800 both sit at the upper end of the market and while they have extensive feature lists, they have a price tag to match.

The difference between the two machines is small but significant.  The BWT800 has a 500GB drive instead of the BWT700's 320GB, along with twin HDMIs and some audio tweaks too.  Otherwise they share the exact same spec, which includes twin HD terrestrial tuners so you'll be able to record two digital broadcasts at the same time, plus their 5.1 audio tracks an subtitles too. 

These are 3D capable players with the added ability to convert 2D into 3D and both have Wi-Fi built-in along with Skype too.  They'll record onto dual-layer Blu-rays, both from broadcast material and content taken from an SD card.  The players are also DLNA certified and will stream content to other compatible devices, and Panasonic have added their PHL Chroma Processor Plus technology to ensure images are reproduced in as higher quality as possible.

Both should be available now, but you'll have to part with £499 for the BWT700 and £799 for the BWT800.  They look worth it though, don't they!