Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will continue its releases of classic animation with the August 6th, 2013 arrival of The Sword in the Stone on Blu-ray Disc.

This will be the 50th Anniversary year for The Sword in the Stone, which was originally released to theaters through Buena Vista on December 25, 1963.

The film is the 18th in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, and it was the last Disney animated film released before Walt Disney passed away.

The voice cast includes Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Sebastian Cabot, Norman Alden and Martha Wentworth.

The Sword in the Stone was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, who was also behind films like The Aristocats, The Rescuers, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Reviews for the film were predominantly positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 74%, and an IMDb score of 7.1/10.

Planned features for the disc include an 1080p encode presented at 1.75:1, along with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio with 5.1 channels.

The retail price is $36.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $25.89, saving 30%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Synopsis:

Disney proudly presents the 50th anniversary edition of a spellbinding and beloved animated classic. Conjure up magical family fun with the humor, adventure and Academy Award-nominated music (Best Score – Adaptation or Treatment, 1963) of The Sword In The Stone – now on Blu-ray Combo Pack for the first time ever! Take an amazing journey with a young orphan named “Wart” and the extraordinary wizard Merlin. According to legend, only someone with the purest character and inner strength can pull the enchanted sword from the stone and claim the throne of England. Armed with new found confidence and the power of friendship, Wart discovers his destiny and learns the best magic is the kind you find inside yourself!

Top title is the latest season of True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season from HBO Home Video.

Warner Home Video has quite a collection of titles this week, including the new movie Beautiful Creatures.

Lots of classic crime titles too, with the Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics, along with individual releases for White Heat, The Public Enemy, The Petrified Forest and Little Caesar.

There is also an Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Contemporary edition and a new anniversary edition of National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Great to see Warner re-releasing some of the earlier titles that didn’t get the best initial Blu-ray treatment this month.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has new titles too with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand and Stand Up Guys out this week.

Jason Statham fans will like his new film Parker from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment this week.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has a couple of key new Anime titles - My Neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has the Steven Soderbergh movie Side Effects out this week, and the Criterion Collection has Medium Cool this week.

Click on any cover to see the details for the title.

May 14th 2013 marked the Blu-ray release of the Warner Home Video title Cloud Atlas.

The film is a science fiction drama that was financed by European investors.

The overall budget was over $100M, making Cloud Atlas one of the most expensive independent films of all time.

The screenplay was adapted from the novel by David Mitchell, and the film features plotlines set across six different time periods.

Cloud Atlas the Movie

The film has six independent but interwoven stories spanning time and space.

Segments from the stories are all presented, all inter-cut, before the opening title, and this style of storytelling continues throughout.

For simplicity I will summarize the stories independently.

The first story is set in the South Pacific in the mid 1800′s.

Here Adam Ewing, an American lawyer from San Francisco, has come to the Chatham Islands to conclude business on behalf of his father-in-law.

A Moriori slave stows away on Ewing’s ship, and convinces Ewing to advocate for him to join the crew as a freeman.

All the while Dr. Henry Goose slowly poisons Ewing with the ‘cure’ for a parasitic worm, aiming to steal Ewing’s valuables.

In Scotland, 1936, a bisexual English musician Robert Frobisher finds work as an amanuensis to composer Vyvyan Ayrs, allowing him the time and inspiration to compose his own masterpiece, The Cloud Atlas Sextet.

But Ayrs aims to take credit for Frobisher’s work, and threatens to expose his sexual exploits if he resists.

Journalist Luisa Rey meets an older Sixsmith, Frobisher’s former lover, now a nuclear physicist, in San Francisco 1973.

Sixsmith tips off Rey to a conspiracy regarding the safety of a new nuclear reactor run by Lloyd Hooks, but is assassinated by Hooks’ hitman Bill Smoke before he can give her a report that proves it.

In the United Kingdom 2012, publisher Timothy Cavendish has a windfall when Dermot Hoggins, a gangster author whose book he has published, murders a critic and is sent to jail.

When Hoggins’ cohorts threaten Cavendish’s life for a share of the profits, Cavendish seeks help from his brother Denholme, who tricks him into hiding in a nursing home, where he is held against his will.

Sonmi-451 is a genetically-engineered clone server at a restaurant in Neo Seoul Korea 2144, and is interviewed before her execution.

She recounts how she was released from her compliant life of servitude by the rebel movement known as “Union”.

The final story is set on the Big Island, dated as 106 winters after The Fall, though is obviously further into the future.

Zachry lives with his sister and niece Catkin in a primitive society called ‘The Valley’, after most of humanity had died during The Fall.

Zachry is plagued by hallucinations, which cause him to cower in fear when his brother-in-law and nephew are attacked and killed by the cannibalistic Kona tribe.

Zachry’s village is visited by Meronym, a member of the Prescients, a society holding on to remnants of technology from before The Fall.

In return for saving Catkin from death, Zachry agrees to guide Meronym into the mountains in search of a communications station where she can get a message to Earth’s colonies.

In many ways Cloud Atlas redefines the term epic.

As well as an almost three hour run time, the movie spans time and space in ways that has never been done before.

Each of the stories stands alone well enough, each with its own genre, though with enough similarity to wind together throughout the movie.

The original novel written by David Mitchell was considered by many, including the author himself, to be impossible to adapt to film.

However the film makers have not only managed to adequately translate the stories to the screen, they have masterfully taken the themes of the book even further in the film version.

A number of recurring themes play throughout the stories, including the music of the Cloud Atlas Sextet, which in many ways parallels the sex stories of the movie.

Another mechanism to convey themes through the six stories was the use of the same actors throughout the six stories.

Sometimes it was obvious that the actors were the same, and other times not so much, though it was clear that a number of the characters were ‘reincarnations’ of previous ones.

A number of other more subtle ties exist between the stories also, and as such the audience can take new things from the film with multiple viewings.

Personally I loved the film and recommend it to fans of films that dare to go beyond the Hollywood standard fare.

The film contains excellent performances from Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw and James D’Arcy.

Cloud Atlas was directed by Tom Tykwer, who directed Run Lola Run and The International, as well as  Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski, the film makers behind the legendary Matrix series as well as Bound and Speed Racer.

The film received predominantly positive reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 66%, and had a strong IMDb score of 7.8/10.

Cloud Atlas earned $27.1M at the US box office, though exceeded $100M in the foreign box office.

So while it didn’t do especially well domestically, it was much more appreciated by international audiences.

Cloud Atlas on Blu-ray Disc

The video on the disc is an AVC 1080p encode at 22 Mbps, and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1.

The movie was shot on film though obviously also has a lot of special effects shots as well.

Overall the film looks great, with just a hint of grain throughout.

See the details page for Cloud Atlas for full resolution PNG screen captures taken directly from the disc.

The main audio is lossless DTS-HD Master Audio with 5.1 channels – 24 bits resolution at 48 kHz.

The disc is a dual layer BD50, with 43.5 GB used and is coded for All Regions.

Cloud Atlas on Blu-ray Disc – The Bonus Features

This release features a collection of featurettes, that all contain interviews with the directors and cast, along with clips and behind the scenes footage.

A Film Like No Other discusses some of the unique aspects of the movie.

From the crossing of genres, to the actors playing multiple roles, to multiple filming units, the film broke new ground in many ways.

It is not often that you see a big budget experimental film that is shot in multiple countries.

The actors and the crew all weigh in on the unique experiences they have experienced.

The interconnectedness of the stories is covered in the Everything is Connected featurette.

The cast and crew talk about the elements from each of the stories and the connections that tie the stories together.

Each of the six worlds even embody a different film genre, though they also tie in together.

The author of the novel also discusses the genesis of each of the stories.

The Impossible Adaptation talks about the seemingly impossible task of taking the novel into the cinematic space.

The author David Mitchell claimed that he never had any expectation that the novel could be adapted for the big screen.

He also discussed his creative method and the genesis and development of the original novel.

The structure of the novel is also covered, and how it differs somewhat from how the film version was presented.

The actors each playing as many as six roles in this film is the focus of The Essence of Acting.

A lot of the time the actors are wearing  prosthetics  to change their age, gender and race.

This of course led to the actors having to cover a much wider range of characters which is a huge challenge.

As much as it was a challenge to identify the actors in all of their roles in the film, the actors themselves faced the same challenge during production, not always recognizing each other.

Spaceships, Slaves & Sextets is all about the six stories and how they are intercut, as well as other sextets that appear in the film.

The technique allows for connected moments to be matched up and for synergies to be exploited.

The mysteries and recurring themes and visuals are also discussed here.

Certainly some of the characters evolve throughout the film as the stories progress, while others get worse over time.

The Bold Science Fiction of Cloud Atlas naturally covers the film’s cutting edge futuristic concepts that include cloning and extra-planetary space travel.

The Cloud Atlas vision of the future has many themes, both positive and negative extrapolations of lives today.

Eternal Recurrence: Love, Life and Longing in Cloud Atlas explores the different stages of love and relationship throughout the film.

There are a number of relationships which develop across the time periods, whereas others are extremely complex and twisted over time.

This segment highlights the complexity of the interplay between the different stories that allows for a great depth of theme and subtext.

Running 7 to 10 minutes each, this collection of supplements gives great insights behind the film’s production.

This release additionally includes a DVD Copy for legacy players and an UltraViolet Digital Copy code.

Cloud Atlas on Blu-ray – Final Thoughts

Cloud Atlas is an excellent film that transcends the normal bounds of film as we commonly know it.

The Blu-ray release from Warner Home Video features a solid transfer and a nice collection of behind the scenes featurettes.

Of course the DVD and UltraViolet Copy Code are included for good measure.

The retail price is $35.99, or order it right now at Amazon for $24.99, saving 31%!

Extras:

• A Film Like No Other: See how three visionary directors come together, divided their tasks and created a cohesive masterpiece
• Everything Is Connected: The cast and filmmakers delve deeper into the connections that tie the story together
• An Impossible Adaptation: The genesis of the novel and the unlikely adaptation to the big screen
• The Essence of Acting: The actors portray multiple roles in the film
• Spaceships, Slaves & Sextets: Unravel the mysteries, themes and subtext of cloud atlas with the cast, filmmakers, author and producers
• The Bold Science Fiction of Cloud Atlas: Explore the film’s cutting edge future with tales of cloning and extraplanetary exploration
• Eternal Recurrence: Love, Life and Longing in Cloud Atlas – The different stages of love and relationship throughout the film

Synopsis:

Future. Present. Past. Everything is connected. From the creators of the Matrix trilogy and the director of Run Lola Run. An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution. The story is a time-shifting weave of six interlinking narratives, with diverse settings from the savagery of a Pacific Island in the 1850s to a dystopian Korea of the near future. Based on the best-selling novel “Cloud Atlas” written by David Mitchell.

May 7th, 2013 marked the release of the first of Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray 3D conversion of a regular 2D movie with Gamer 3D.

Perhaps Gamer was the ideal choice since they considered shooting in 3D from the get go, and also considered conversion for the theatrical release.

However neither were considered commercially viable at the time, and now that it is, Lionsgate has opted to release it for the 3D Home Theater.

Gamer 3D the Movie

It is the year 2020, and inventor Ken Castle has revolutionized the gaming industry.

By using self-replicating nanites that replace  human brain cells, giving full control of all motor functions to a third party.

The first application of this technology is a game called Society, which allows gamers to control a real person in a pseudo community similar to The Sims.

The game allows players to engage in what would normally be considered inappropriate behaviour through their ‘characters’.

As a result, those who work as ‘characters’ in Society are well paid.

With Society‘s huge success and profits, Castle created a second multiplayer game called Slayers.

In this game, the ‘characters’ are death-row inmates who fight lethal battles with real weapons on specially created battlefields.

If an inmate survives 30 matches, he earns his freedom.

John “Kable” Tillman is the most famous and the best soldier in Slayers, having survived 27 matches in the game, far more than any other player.

Kable is exclusively controlled by Simon, a seventeen-year old superstar gamer.

Things are complicated though by an activist organization called ‘Humanz’ that occasionally hijacks the broadcast links to claim that Castle can use the nanite technology to control people against their will.

In addition to this a faceless female visits Tillman in his prison, giving him a picture of his family and taking some of his blood.

A new inmate named Hackman arrives at the prison, and it soon becomes clear that he is not controlled by a player and therefore has an edge since there is a control lag between the player’s commands and the character’s response.

It also becomes clear that Hackman is there with the sole purpose of killing Tillman before he earns his freedom.

As the game plays on, it becomes Castle and Hackman versus Tillman and the mysterious Humanz, but who will have the upper hand?

Gamer is a violent but fun film that follows in the footsteps of Crank and Crank: High Voltage,

As with these films, sometimes the movie is a bit ‘tongue in cheek’, but the action and style play very well and have a strong impact.

If you start asking questions, in some ways the story doesn’t hold so well, but if you don’t dig too deeply you will probably have a good time with it.

The movie is definitely pretty edgy, both with the fight scene violence in Slayers and the sexual nature of the Society game – certainly not suitable for younger family members.

The style is slick, especially in the editing, with super fast cuts and a lot of interesting visual effects in the games and futuristic User Interface for the game users.

All in all I have to say that I liked the movie a lot – it is certainly quite a trip watching it – though with the high level of violence, it is not for everyone.

The cast includes Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Amber Valletta, Logan Lerman, Terry Crews, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges and Kyra Sedgwick.

Gamer was directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the team behind films like Crank and Crank: High Voltage, as well as the 3D feature Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

The critical response to the film tended towards the negative, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 29%, though it did better at the IMDb with a score of 5.7/10.

Gamer didn’t do so well at the cinema, earning only $20.5M at the US box office when the budget was $50M.

That said I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a cult classic on home video formats.

Gamer 3D on Blu-ray 3D

The video on the disc is an MVC 1080p stereo encode at 21.5 Mbps, and is presented at 1.78:1 aspect ratio, filling the HDTV screen.

Apparently the film was originally intended to be a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, though after doing the edits in 16:9, the directors decided to retain that aspect ratio.

Being shot on Red, the images are very crisp and clear, and come across very well on the Blu-ray.

There are a lot of excessively stylized looks used in the film, so that you instantly understand if you are in the Slayers or the Society game, or in the ‘real life’ locations like the prison or the city.

The Blu-ray 3D conversion is interesting and calls for further discussion.

The conversion appears to be a little flawed in places – perhaps most obviously, there appears to be depth on some of the poster images that should be flat.

Another possible concern is the 3D tracking through all of the fast cut fighting scenes.

While the 3D effect is no doubt accurate in each shot, the constant changing of angles and magnifications is hard for the brain to track and as such the 3D effect can be a bit hard on the senses.

I think you do become somewhat ‘numb’ to the ’3D abuse’ we are exposed to here, though for some viewers it will find it difficult to cope with.

Typically films designed for 3D use slower cuts and techniques that allow the brain to track the 3D depth queues, allowing for a more comfortable experience.

That said, folks who watch a lot of 3D content might not be so disturbed by the quick cuts.

In any case, the relentless nature of the cutting is part of the style of the film and the 3D only highlights the tension and potentially unsettling effect that this editing style creates.

See the details page for Gamer 3D for full resolution PNG screen captures taken directly from the disc.

The main audio is lossless DTS-HD Master Audio with 7.1 channels – 24 bits resolution at 48 kHz.

The disc is a dual layer BD50, with 45.9 GB used and is coded for Region A.

Note that while this is a Blu-ray 3D title, it will play in a regular Blu-ray player in 2D.

Gamer 3D on Blu-ray 3D – The Bonus Features

On the surface, this release only has a single supplement.

That said, the ‘making of’ featurette called Inside the Game: Controlling Gamer is an extensive documentary about the production of the film.

All in all the featurette runs for almost an hour and twenty minutes, and features interviews with writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.

Each of the major cast members are interviewed and discussed in depth, as well as many of the key crew members.

You also get extensive behind the scenes footage here, as well as cast and crew discussion on the nature of Neveldine and Taylor.

This included the fact that Neveldine and Taylor like to operate the cameras as well as direct, and that Mark Neveldine’s favourite dolly technique is to shoot while on rollerblades.

The production was shot largely on Red cameras, and while shooting stereo 3D was preferred, it was decided during production that the Red workflow was challenging enough, without adding the complication of 3D stereo capture.

The decision to shoot in New Mexico is also covered, as well as the challenges of shooting the key action scenes in ‘run and gun’ fashion.

Special effects, blood and gore are discussed, and the extensive range of weapons made for the film get special attention.

All in all the documentary is extensive and well worth a look if you have the time.

For additional formats, this release includes an UltraViolet Digital Copy code.

Gamer 3D on Blu-ray 3D – Final Thoughts

Gamer 3D is a fun action movie that is and edgy and modern marriage of science fiction, action, thriller and crime genres.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has put together a technically strong Blu-ray 3D release here, including a highly detailed behind the scenes documentary.

The retail price is a budget friendly $19.99, and you can get it at Amazon for $14.99, saving 25%.

Extras:

Game: Controlling Gamer ‘Making Of’ Featurette

Synopsis:

Gerard Butler stars as Kable, condemned criminal and globally famous super-soldier in the ultimate multiplayer game, Slayers. Human controllers direct each thought and move of real-life prison inmates battling in hyper-intense environments – where the goal is freedom and the penalty is death. But when Kable suddenly decides he wants out, his rebellion threatens the twisted plans of game creator Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall, TV’s Dexter) who will stop at nothing to crush the renegade commando in this taut, adrenaline-packed action-thriller.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has dug into their action comedy catalog for a double feature release of Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights, new to Blu-ray on May 7th, 2013.

The films were part of Jackie Chans’ move to Hollywood films, and take the Chinese style Kung Fu movie into a Western movie environment.

Of course Jackie also brings his own brand of humour into these action films as well, along with co-star Owen Wilson.

Shanghai Noon / Shanghai Knights the Movies

Shanghai Noon opens in the Forbidden City, where Princess Pei-Pei is abducted and taken to the United States.

The Emperor of China sends his three top guards to pay the ransom and retrieve her.

A fourth guard named Chon Wang feels responsible for the kidnapping, and he is also allowed to go also.

Over to Nevada, Roy O’Bannon is an outlaw with a gang who plans to hijack the train that the Chinese entourage are on.

When a member of Roy’s gang kills Wang’s uncle, Wang chases the outlaws down, though the gang is well armed and Wang is forced to escape.

After their paths have crossed a number of times, Chon Wang and Roy O’Bannon join forces in order to save Princess Pei-Pei and recover the Emperor’s gold.

Shanghai Knights also opens in the Forbidden City, where Chon Lin is drinking tea with her father, who is the Keeper of the Imperial Seal of China.

Lin tells her father that Chon Wang is doing well as a sheriff in Carson City, Nevada.

Suddenly a British Lord named Nelson Rathbone attacks the City, steals the seal and murders the Keeper.

Back in the Wild West, Chon Wang is a successful sheriff, while Roy O’Bannon has become a famous fictional character in a series of books.

Wang receives a parcel, which contains the puzzle box and a letter from Lin, telling him their father is dead and that she has tracked the murderer to London.

Chon Wang goes to New York City to find his friend Roy O’Bannon, needing his share of the spoils to buy his ticket to London.

Roy has fallen on hard times, and is now a hotel waiter and part-time gigolo.

After a run in with a number of New York police officers, and Wang and Roy hide in a shipping crate bound for London.

On the ship Wang tells Roy about his father, and Roy swears to help reclaim the seal.

Little do they know that the culprit they seek is in fact 10th in line to the throne, and is hatching a plot take the British throne, as well as imperial China!

Can Roy and Wang find Lin and put a stop to the plan, against all the odds?

Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights were part of Jackie Chan’s move into Hollywood films.

Jackie brought the idea of combining the kung-fu action movie with a western when he was working on Rush Hour.

The combination of comedy and action in the two films along with a strong chemistry results in a pair of fun films.

If I had to pick, I would say that Shanghai Noon is the better film, though Shanghai Knights certainly has its moments as well.

The action sequences in both movies are incredible, with Jackie Chan’s penchant for using a wide variety of props in the fight choreography.

Along with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, the cast for the two films include Donnie Yen, Lucy Liu and Aidan Gillen.

Shanghai Noon was directed by Tom Dey, whose films include Failure to Launch and Marmaduke, while Shanghai Knights was directed by David Dobkin, who went on to make The Change-Up, Fred Claus and Wedding Crashers.

Shanghai Noon received very positive reviews for a comedy, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 79% and an IMDb score of 6.5/10.

Shanghai Knights didn’t do quite as well, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 66% and an IMDb score of 6.1/10.

Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights had a fairly good run in the cinema, earning $56.9M and $60.5M respectively at the domestic box office.

Shanghai Noon / Shanghai Knights on Blu-ray Disc

The video on the disc is an AVC 1080p encode at 22 Mbps, and the films are presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

All in all the video presentation is pretty strong for the two films, though Shanghai Knights certainly has a lot more grain than the Shanghai Noon.

So as long as you are not averse to films that look like film, you should be happy with these transfers.

Check out the details page for Shanghai Noon / Shanghai Knights to see full resolution PNG screen captures taken directly from the disc.

Sadly the main audio for both films is Dolby Digital with 5.1 channels, so no lossless audio here.

The disc is a dual layer BD50, with 48.4 GB used and is coded for All Regions.

I am guessing that DTS-HD Master Audio would not fit on the disc without degrading the video quality.

Shanghai Noon / Shanghai Knights on Blu-ray Disc – The Bonus Features

The extras for the two movies are essentially those presented on the DVD releases for the films, all in standard definition.

Shanghai Noon can be watched with an optional audio commentary by Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and director Tom Dey.

Chan is not actually in the room with the others, though his commentary is edited into the dialog from Wilson and Dey.

Tom Dey is the main contributor here, and he offers a lot of insight into the production and his film making process.

There is also a bunch of extra footage presented in a collection of eight deleted scenes.

Most of these are simply excess, with a number featuring more of Roy’s gang.

There is a featurette collection that covers pretty much all aspects of the film’s production.

Development, stunts, casting, special effects, and Jackie Chan’s comedic style are covered in different segments.

Definitely worth a look for all of the behind the scenes footage and interviews, though a ‘play all’ option would have been nice.

I particularly liked the model train they made for the the train crash scene, which can be seen in the deleted scenes.

Action Overload is pretty much all of the action scenes cut together into one big sequence, though it is less than 3 minutes long in total.

The music video for the song Yeah, Yeah, Yeah by Uncle Kracker is included for good measure, along with the original theatrical trailer.

Shanghai Knights also has a director’s commentary, this time with David Dobkin, though it also has a screenwriter’s commentary with writers Alfred Gough & Miles Millar.

There is also a large collection of deleted and extended scenes for the sequel movie.

The main featurette for Shanghai Knights is called Fight Manual.

This supplement is a 9 minute behind the scenes documentary based on an interview with Jackie Chan and director David Dobkin.

There is also behind the scenes footage of the production included along with clips from the finished product.

Again there is an Action Overload compilation of the action scenes for Shanghai Knights.

Shanghai Noon / Shanghai Knights on Blu-ray – Final Thoughts

Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights are a pair of fun action comedies featuring Jackie Chan.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has put together a visually strong Blu-ray presentation for the films, though lossy compression audio is used in order to fit both films on one disc.

Supplements here are also strictly DVD fair, though you do of course get both movies together in this collection.

The retail price is $26.50, though you can get it at Amazon for $18.96, saving 28%!

Extras:

• Shanghai Noon
• Audio Commentary by Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Director Tom Dey
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes featurette on the film’s production, stunts, special effects, Jackie Chan’s unique comedic style and more…
• Action Overload – A Fresh Look At The Film’s Most Exciting Action Sequences
• Yeah, Yeah, Yeah – Music Video performed by Uncle Kracker
• Theatrical Trailer
• Shanghai Knights
• Director’s Commentary by David Dobkin
• Screenwriter’s Commentary by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
• Deleted Scenes
• Fight Manual – Special documentary with Jackie Chan and director David Dobkin
• Action Overload – All the action, music video-style

Synopsis:

East meets West in two wildly hilarious comedies starring legendary action star Jackie Chan and funnyman Owen Wilson. Experience Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights for the first time on Blu-ray, featuring new digital restoration with enhanced picture and sound.

Showtime Entertainment has the latest Dexter: The Seventh Season on Blu-ray this week.

The Texas Chainsaw 3D remake is also out this week in the Blu-ray 3D format from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has the first of their ‘Mastered in 4K’ series with extended colour gamut, which includes the classic comedy Ghostbusters, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, Scorcese’s Taxi Driver, Da Vinci Code sequel Angels & Demons, the remake of The Karate Kid and crime comedy The Other Guys.

The Criterion Collection has a couple of classic western’s this week, with Jubal and the original 3:10 to Yuma.

Click on any cover to see the details for the title.

May 7th, 2013 marked the Blu-ray release of the recent Tom Cruise’s action thriller Jack Reacher from Paramount Home Entertainment.

The film is an adaptation of Lee Child’s 2005 best selling novel One Shot, and was renamed for the main character from the story.

While Tom Cruise lacked the stature of the character from the novel, author Lee Child believed that he could make up for it with his screen presence.

Jack Reacher the Movie

The film opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a man drives a van into a parking garage across the river from PNC Park.

After paying for parking, he prepares a sniper rifle and shoots five seemingly random people in the stadium area before escaping in the van.

The police soon arrive, headed by a Detective Emerson, and they discover a shell casing as well as the coin used to pay for parking.

A fingerprint taken from the coin belongs to James Barr, a former U.S. Army sniper.

The police raid his house and find the van, as well as equipment for making bullets and the rifle used in the shooting.

Barr is arrested and during an interrogation by Emerson, he mysteriously writes ‘Get Jack Reacher’ on a notepad.

Jack Reacher was a U.S. Army Military Police Corps investigator, though now as a civilian he lives completely off the grid, with no record of his whereabouts.

Reacher sees a news report about Barr and the shooting, inspiring him to head directly to Pittsburgh.

The police deny Reacher’s request to view the evidence, but agree to let him see Barr, who is in a coma after being attacked by other inmates.

Reacher also meets Barr’s defense attorney, counselor Helen Rodin, who is trying to save Barr from the death penalty.

Rodin says she will arrange for Reacher to see the evidence if he will become her lead investigator.

Reacher however is not interested in clearing Barr – rather he has come to help ensure that justice is served.

When Reacher visits the crime scene and finds inconsistencies with this location, he starts to question the validity of the so called facts.

He becomes more convinced of a potential frame job when he is attacked in a seemingly random bar fight.

As the film plays out, Reacher investigates the inconsistencies, though a conspiracy this complex is has considerable resources, which are all now focused on Jack Reacher!

Jack Reacher is easily one of the best action thrillers I have seen in quite a while.

No doubt part of the success is due to the well crafted story from a best selling novel.

However the characterization of the lead role plays an important part as well.

Cruise embodies the no nonsense Reacher in a flawless and uncompromising fashion.

Jack Reacher is never the weak party.

Even when faced with impossible odds, Reacher takes control and has the upper hand.

This results in a character we believe can achieve incredible feats of strength and cunning.

While I wouldn’t call myself a Tom Cruise fan, he certainly shines in this movie and the film was quite a lot better than I expected.

I recommend it to crime genre fans and for Cruise fans it is a must own title!

In addition to Cruise, the cast includes Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Robert Duvall and an excellently cast Werner Herzog as the Zec.

Jack Reacher was directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who also directed The Way of the Gun and worked with Cruise on Valkyrie.

The film received predominantly positive reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 62% and an IMDb score of 7.2/10.

Jack Reacher was also had a decent run in the cinema, earning $79.7M at the US box office and even more again in overseas markets.

Jack Reacher on Blu-ray Disc

The video on the disc is an AVC 1080p encode at 27.5 Mbps, and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

A lot of the film is dark throughout, though the presentation is strong and enjoyable.

See the details page for Jack Reacher for full resolution PNG screen captures taken directly from the disc.

The main audio is lossless DTS-HD Master Audio with 7.1 channels – 24 bits resolution at 48 kHz.

Always pleased to see a 7.1 presentation and am happy that it is becoming more common!

The disc is a dual layer BD50, with 43.8 GB used and is coded for All Regions.

Jack Reacher on Blu-ray Disc – The Bonus Features

This release includes a pair of audio commentaries that optionally play along with the feature.

The main commentary features Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie, while the other has composer Joe Kraemer.

Chris and Tom are obviously together in the same room, and as such they offer a lot of insights as they bounce off each other.

This also helps to present a nice dense commentary that has a good level of energy.

Joe Kraemer naturally discusses the score and the music used throughout the film.

When Kraemer is not speaking, this track features the isolated score.

The first featurette is When the Man Comes Around, which discusses the development of the film and the motivations behind the choices.

Interviews and behind the scenes footage are combined with clips from the film to convey how the novel was translated to the screen.

This is a pretty extensive featurette, coming in at around 25 minutes.

You Do Not Mess with Jack Reacher has a specific focus on the fighting and the weapons in the movie.

Reacher’s brutal street fighting technique is discussed along with how it was brought to the big screen.

Along with the typical director and actor interviews, we also hear from the stunt coordinators and see parts of Tom’s fight training.

Three of the major fight scenes for the movie are covered in this 10 minute supplement.

Lastly The Reacher Phenomenon talks about the character of Jack Reacher and the uniqueness of the character.

There are already seventeen books in the series, each with a completely new story.

With a nomadic nature and no ground base, the Reacher stories take place all over North America.

Author Lee Child discusses the character and book series in depth in this 11 minute segment.

This release includes a DVD Copy for legacy players, along with an UltraViolet Digital Copy code that can also be used for iTunes.

Jack Reacher on Blu-ray – Final Thoughts

Jack Reacher is an excellent film that I exceeded my expectations on many levels.

Paramount Home Entertainment has put together a strong presentation with a good collection of supplements.

DVD and both UltraViolet and Digital Copy formats are also included.

The retail price is $39.99, though it is a bargain right now at Amazon for only $21.99, saving 45%!

Extras:

• Commentary by Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie
• Commentary by Composer Joe Kraemer
• When the Man Comes Around
• You Do Not Mess with Jack Reacher: Combat & Weapons
• The Reacher Phenomenon

Synopsis:

Ex-military investigator Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) leaps off the pages of Lee Child’s bestselling novel and onto the big screen in the explosive thriller the critics are calling “taut, muscular, gruff and cool.” When an unspeakable crime is committed, all evidence points to the suspect in custody who offers up a single note in defense: “Get Jack Reacher!” The law has its limits, but Reacher does not when his fight for the truth pits him against an unexpected enemy with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.

A new 20th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition for The Fugitive has been announced by Warner Home Video, scheduled for a September 3rd, 2013 release.

This 1993 thriller film was based on the 1960s television series of the same name.

The story is about Dr. Richard Kimble, who is wrongfully convicted for his wife’s murder.

Kimble escapes from custody and sets out to prove his innocence and bring those who were responsible to justice.

As a fugitive, he is also pursued relentlessly by a team of U.S. Marshals.

The cast includes an ever popular Harrison Ford in the lead role, along with Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas and Jeroen Krabbe.

Tommy Lee Jones won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.

The Fugitive was directed by Andrew Davis, who was also directed films like Under Siege, The Guardian, Chain Reaction, Above the Law, Collateral Damage, Code of Silence, and A Perfect Murder.

The film was met with stromg reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% and an IMDb score of 7.8/10.

The Fugitive was also a huge success in the cinema, earning $183.9M at the US box office, well in excess of the $44M budget.

Extras will include a new featurette called The Fugitive: Thrill of the Chase, which will feature Andrew Davis, Harrison Ford, and Tommy Lee Jones, and the pilot for the television series on the WB.

The retail price is $19.98, or pre-order it from Amazon for $13.99, saving 30%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Extras:

• New Featurette – The Fugitive: Thrill of the Chase featuring Andrew Davis, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones and more
• Introduction by Andrew Davis and Harrison Ford
• Commentary by Andrew Davis and Tommy Lee Jones
• On the Run with the Fugitive Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
• Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
• New to Release – The Fugitive (2000 WB Pilot)
• Theatrical Trailer

Synopsis:

Catch him if you can. The Fugitive is on the run! Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones race through the breathless manhunt movie inspired by the classic TV series. Ford is prison escapee Dr. Richard Kimble, a Chicago surgeon falsely convicted of killing his wife and determined to prove his innocence by leading his pursuers to the one-armed man who committed the crime. Jones (the 1993 Academy Award Golden Globe and Los Angeles Film Critics Award winner as Best Supporting Actor) is Sam Gerard, an unrelenting bloodhound of a U.S. marshal. They are hunted and hunter. And as directed by Andrew Davis (Under Siege), their nonstop chase has one exhilarating speed: all-out.

August 27th, 2013 will mark the arrival of the classic animated movie The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on Blu-ray from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Blu-ray.

The was originally released in March 1977 and is the 22nd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.

The voice cast includes Sterling Holloway, John Fiedler, Junius Matthews, Paul Winchell, Howard Morris, Bruce Reitherman, Jon Walmsley and Timothy Turner.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was directed by John Lounsbery and Wolfgang Reitherman, who were behind other films including The Rescuers and The Aristocats.

The film has a very strong critical reception, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91% and an IMDb score of 7.6/10.

Planned features for the disc include an 1080p encode presented at 1.66:1 and Disney Enhanced Home Theater audio (probably DTS-HD Master Audio).

The retail price is $36.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $25.89, saving 30%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Extras:

• Disney Intermission – Press “pause” during the movie and find out what happens! The narrator invites younger viewers to play along with the Hundred Acre Wood friends in a variety of engaging activities.
• Pooh Play-Along – In this bonus feature, the narrator invites viewers to play along with Pooh and his friends.
• 5 “Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” Shorts: “If I Wasn’t So Small,” “Piglet’s Drawings,” “The Expedition,” “Geniuses” & “The Honey Song”
• “A Day for Eeyore” – Classic Animated Short
• “The Story Behind the Masterpiece” – Making of Featurette
• “The Winnie the Pooh Theme Song” – Performed by Carly Simon

Synopsis:

Experience the very first time Tigger “pounces” Pooh; laugh out loud when Pooh’s rumbly tumbly gets him stuck in a hilariously sticky situation… All your favorite Hundred Acre Wood characters come alive in this timeless motion picture overflowing with rich animation, masterful storytelling and unforgettable songs. Stuffed with extraordinary bonus features including the beloved theatrical short film “A Day For Eeyore,” five “Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh” shorts, Disney’s groundbreaking “Intermission” activity and much more, The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh: The Original Classic will make fans of all ages shout “Hip Hip Pooh-Ray!”

Top title is the crime thriller Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise from Paramount Home Entertainment.

MGM Home Entertainment has the classic war film The Great Escape this week.

Warner Home Video has a huge slate of titles this week, including  Fringe: The Complete Fifth Season the full series collection with Fringe: The Complete Series.

Warner also has a huge collection of Steelbook releases this week for their top titles, including Watchmen, Batman , and Batman Returns, and Paramount titles including Gladiator, Chinatown, and Face/Off.

Warner also has a catalog release for An Officer and a Gentleman.

Fox Home Entertainment has the new release Safe Haven this week, along with catalog titles like The Verdict and One Hour Photo.

Also watch for thriller Mama from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, along with catalog releases In the Name of the Father and Hitchcock movies Shadow of a Doubt and Saboteur this week.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has their first 3D conversion release with Gamer 3D this week.

Indie releases include Upstream Color from New Video DVD, Goddard’s Band of Outsiders from Criterion Collection.

Echo Bridge Home Entertainment has a wide range of Miramax catalog titles this week too, including The Grifters , The Hoax , Fresh , Heaven , and Steven Soderbergh’s Full Frontal.

Click on any cover to see the details for the title.