Universal and Paramount Go Blu

Well, it may have taken some time, but it appears that both Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks are really coming thru as far as Blu-ray is concerned. Both have a generous collection of new releases planned for 2008 and beyond. Not only that, but it appears that each of these titles will be filled with substantial special features and complete with lossless audio. Let’s start with Paramount/Dreamworks, having started re-releasing catalogue titles in May with Next and Face/Off, among others, and new Blu-ray titles in June with high profile titles such as Cloverfield, Bee Movie, and There Will Be Blood. Paramount/Dreamworks are really hit hard this autumn with some very highly anticipated titles.

The 23rd sees Paramount making us an offer we can’t refuse when they finally release the Godfather Trilogy on Blu. Not only have the movies themselves been painstakingly cleaned and restored and come with Dolby True HD, but they are also filled to the brim with added value. Here is the official press release:

DIRECTOR FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S EPIC TRILOGY DEBUTS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY IN ALL
NEWLY-REMASTERED VERSIONS

THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION

Cinematic Classics Return to their Original Pristine Glory with All-New Special Features
Must-Own Collections Arrive September 23, 2008

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (June 30, 2007) - More than three decades after they won the Academy Award® for Best Picture, director Francis Ford Coppola’s classic films The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II will once again be enjoyed by audiences as they originally were meant to be seen, thanks to a meticulous restoration by Paramount Pictures, overseen by Coppola himself. On September 23, 2008, both fully restored films will debut on DVD and Blu-ray, along with a newly remastered version of The Godfather Part III, to be included as part of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Collection. All three films will be available individually or in a five-DVD collection or four-disc Blu-ray collection, which are loaded with a host of all-new special features.

The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II underwent extensive frame-by-frame examination and restoration utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology in this historic preservation effort, which required more than a year to complete. Robert A. Harris of the Film Preserve supervised the restoration under the direction of Coppola and cinematographer, Gordon Willis. Harris’ restoration credits include Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, Vertigo and Rear Window, among others.

The new special features created by Kim Aubry, founder of Zoetrope Aubry Productions, explores the complexities of the restoration process and provides new insights and perspectives about how the film almost didn’t come to pass as we know it. The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t relates the unlikely events, intrigue, allegiances and luck that put together the unknown director with the “unwanted” cast and contains interviews with most of the living players and many of the film’ admirers. Other featurettes include …when the shooting stopped and Godfather World, which take a look at The Godfather’s influence on popular culture today. Each film includes a commentary by Coppola.

THE GODFATHER: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray four-disc set is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Mono (except The Godfather: Part III) and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The following special features are presented in high definition as noted:

Disc 1:
- The Godfather feature film
- Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 2:
- The Godfather, Part II feature film
- Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 3:
- The Godfather, Part III feature film
- Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 4:
- Godfather World (HD)
- The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t (HD)
- …when the shooting stopped (HD)
- Emulsional Rescue: Revealing The Godfather (HD)
- The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)
- Four Short Films on The Godfather

1. The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD)
2. Cannoli (HD)
3. Riffing on the Riffing (HD)
4. Clemenza (HD)

- The Family Tree
- Crime Organization Chart
- Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album

2001 DVD Archive:

• -Behind the Scenes
  1. The Godfather Family: A Look Inside
  2. On Location
  3. Francis Coppola’s Notebook
  4. The Music of the Godfather
  5. Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
  6. Gordon Willis on Cinematography
  7. Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II
  8. Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III
  9. The Godfather: Behind the Scenes 1971
• The Filmmakers
  1. Francis Ford Coppola
  2. Mario Puzo
  3. Gordon Willis
  4. Dean Tavoularis
  5. Nino Rota
  6. Carmine Coppola
• Additional Scenes
• Acclaim & Response
• Trailers (HD)
• Photo Gallery
• Rogues’ Gallery

The 2nd of September sees the long awaited release of the summer blockbuster hit from 2007, Transformers. If you’ve already been reading my posts, you’ll know all about this release along with the list of extras, but basically, all the extras that were on the HD DVD release will be on this 2-disc release, along with a new, Michael Bay-personally-approved, Blu-ray specific video encode. The movie will also come with an uncompressed PCM soundtrack, along with Lossless Dolby True HD audio and Lossy Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks.

Other popular titles due shortly are the Jack Ryan movies, The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears.

The hit movie Top Gun is set to blast off on 29th July. The BD version will be vastly superior to the previous HD DVD version in all respects. Firstly, the audio has received a major overhaul. Not only does it contain the Dolby True HD 5.1 audio from the HD DVD, but in a first for Paramount, Top Gun receives a blistering dts HD Master Audio 6.1 soundtrack that is guarenteed to raise the hackles on your neck. Its not known what the video encode will be. Unlike the bare bones HD DVD, this BD will be a fully loaded 2-disc affair, complete with Audio Commentary by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, and co- writer Jack Epps Jr., The Danger Zone: Making of Featurette, a Multi-Angle Storyboard Comparison, a Stills Gallery, Music Videos, and TV Spots.

Other titles yet to be announced but almost certainly due this autumn is The Indiana Jones Quadrilogy. The last movie Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull will almost certainly make it in time for the holidays, but hopefully the 3 previous classics will also be released, complete with Lossless audio and special features.

Surely the most antisipated title of 2008 has to be the HUGE summer hit starring Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man. Being due on the 30th September, this is the movie everyone and their dog wants to see in High-Definition. The BD should be a belter as there was tons of promotional material showing on TV and satellite at release time.

Finally, on 21st October, Blu-ray will see the release of the Tim Burton-directed Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street some six months after it appeared on DVD. Not a lot is known of its contents as we speak, but expect the extras to mirror the 2-disc DVD released in April. What is known is that audio will be supplied by way of Dolby True HD 5.1.

So there you have it, a very exciting 2nd half of 2008 as far as Paramount is concerned. With the fact that all their new releases have HD audio and video supplements are presented in Full HD, they can put the likes of Warner Bros to shame. And also the fact that their catalogue pricing policy puts Fox to shame, things can only get better in 2009 and beyond. Welcome back.

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