Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. One DVD/Blu Ray Release Date and Details

Though I wasn’t a fan of the recent Hunger Games movie, and disagree that the last movie warranted two films, there’s no denying its success at the box office.  Mockingjay Pt. 1 just passed Guardians of the Galaxy to become the highest grossing domestic film of 2014.  That’s two years in a row for Hunger Games, but this year I think a little film called Episode VII is going to steamroll anything else released.  I also applaud Lionsgate for the treatment they’ve given all the films in the series on Blu Ray.  Hours and hours of extras and as someone who watches a lot of extras, they were really well done on the first two movies, so I can say, with no doubt, that if you liked the film, this is one to buy on Blu Ray.  The official press release and specs from Lionsgate are below:

Now You See Me Blu Ray Release Date and Details

 

Killing Time’s favorite film of the year so far, Now You See Me, will be headed to Blu Ray/DVD/UV on September 3rd with a mess of extras including an extended cut of the film.  I doubt I’d like that better since the relentless pacing is one of the things that make the movie so much fun, but then again, Louis Letterier is the director that cut the 30 minutes out of The Incredible Hulk that would have made it a freaking powerhouse instead of an ok film.  Why is there no director’s cut of that?  GIMME!  The press release on specs from Summit Entertainment below:

Summit Entertainment has announced that their recent ensemble hit, Now You See Me, is going to arrive on home video in a variety of formats including as a Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD, Digital Copy and Digital UltraViolet), DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet), Video on Demand and Pay-Per-View on September 3. The film will also be available for Digital Download August 30th, four days prior to the Blu-ray and DVD release.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Extended Director’s Cut of the film featuring 16 minutes of never-before-seen footage. Directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans), Now You See Me stars Academy Award nominees Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and Woody Harrelson (The Messenger) alongside Isla Fisher (The Great Gatsby) and Dave Franco (Warm Bodies) as the magicians known as “The Four Horsemen.” The film also stars Academy Award winners Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) and Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules), plus Mark Ruffalo (Marvel’s The Avengers) and Mélanie Laurent (Beginners) as the law-enforcement team hot on their tails. The screenplay is by Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin & Edward Ricourt, with a story by Boaz Yakin & Edward Ricourt.

The Four Horsemen, a magic super-group led by the charismatic J. Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg), perform a pair of high-tech, high-profile magic shows. First amazing audiences by remotely robbing a Paris bank while in Las Vegas, and then exposing a white-collar criminal and funneling his millions into the audience members’ bank accounts, baffling the authorities. FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) is determined to make the magicians pay for their crimes—and to stop them before they pull off what promises to be an even more audacious heist. But he’s forced to partner with Alma (Laurent), an Interpol detective about whom he is instantly suspicious. Out of desperation, he turns to a famed magic debunker, who claims the Paris bank trick was actually a meticulously planned illusion. Dylan and Alma begin to wonder if the Horsemen have an outside point person. If so, finding him (or her) would be the key to ending the magicians’ crime spree. But who could it be? Or…could it really be…magic?

The Blu-ray Combo Pack, along with the extended director’s cut with sixteen minutes of never-before-seen footage, includes an audio commentary, two “making of” featurettes and deleted scenes. The DVD bonus materials include an audio commentary and a “making of” featurette. The Now You See Me Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.

Full special features are listed as follows:

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
• Extended Director’s Cut Featuring 16 Minutes of Never-Before-Seen Footage
• Audio Commentary with Producer Bobby Cohen and Director Louis Leterrier (Theatrical Cut Only)
• “Now You See Me Revealed” featurette
• “A Brief History of Magic” featurette
• Deleted Scenes

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
• Audio Commentary with Producer Bobby Cohen and Director Louis Leterrier
• “A Brief History of Magic” featurette

Star Trek Into Darkness – Blu Ray/DVD Date and Details

 

I haven’t typically been reporting on Blu Ray/DVD news, but it occurs to me that as the big summer releases start to announce when they’ll be pillaging our wallets again, that I should pass along release dates and goodies that will be accompanying the year’s big films.

I really liked Star Trek Into Darkness (if you want to read my original review: http://wp.me/p36nPa-Cf) and, despite the problems I had with the back third of the movie, I thought it was a blast and I’ll definitely be adding this to my Blu Ray library when it hits stores on September 10th.  JJ Abrams was very invested in making the Blu Ray a worthwhile purchase for the fans and talked about some of the things in the set.  I’ll follow his quote with the official release specs for the special features (which is what we really want to know about).

“I’m excited for viewers at home to check out Star Trek Into Darkness on Blu-ray and DVD,” said J.J. Abrams. “They did a great job and I’m thrilled with how everything looks and sounds. We also have some really fun behind-the-scenes special features that we shot on the Red and created entirely in-house at Bad Robot. They really look amazing and unlike anything I’ve seen on DVD or Blu-ray before.” Abrams added “I hope fans enjoy seeing the process that went into making the movie and the truly amazing work of our most spectacular cast and crew.”

The Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray/DVD and Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo packs with UltraViolet™ are bursting with behind-the-scenes material detailing how the filmmakers delivered a rousing epic filled with both spectacle and soul. For the first time, the special features included in the combo packs were produced entirely by Abrams’
Bad Robot Productions and captured in spectacular high quality on Red Epic cameras for a uniquely intimate perspective of the filmmakers’ process.

Blu-ray Special Features:
– Feature film in high definition
– Creating the Red Planet – Experience the creation of a never-before-seen alien world, as featured in the action-packed opening sequence of the film.
– Attack on Starfleet – Go behind the scenes with the cast and filmmakers and witness the creation of the shocking attack on Starfleet Headquarters.
– The Klingon Home World – Discover the stunning world of Kronos, and see how the filmmakers reinvented the Klingons for a new generation.
– The Enemy of My Enemy – Find out how, and why, the identity of the film’s true villain was kept a mystery to the very end.
– Ship to Ship – An in-depth and thrilling look at the filming of the iconic space jump sequence, which both defied the laws of physics and pushed the limits of visual effects.
– Brawl by the Bay – Sit in with Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch as they revisit their intense preparation for the film’s breathtaking climax.
– Continuing the Mission – An inspiring look at the partnership between the film’s crew and the organization that assists returning veterans to find meaningful ways to contribute on the home front.

Xbox Live’s Major Nelson » Details on Xbox One Connectivity, Licensing and Privacy

http://majornelson.com/2013/06/06/details-on-xbox-one-connectivity-licensing-and-privacy-features/ Xbox releases more information on how connectivity, privacy and game sharing will work. The thing that stood out to me was that you can only play offline for 24 hours before you’re required to be back online. So this IS an always on device despite the spin. The regulations on game sharing make my head hurt and would seem to doom game rentals. Microsoft just isn’t getting why the overwhelming majority are balking at this. Stop telling us about Skype and TV and all the things I can’t do with this. Give a compelling game driven argument FOR it if you ever want to stop the growing avalanche of outrage and disappointment.