On September 23rd, Paramount will release both DVD and Blu-ray Disc editions of the newly restored and remastered Godfather trilogy. Francis Ford Coppola personally supervised the restoration of the first film in the series; all restorations were executed with loving care by notable restorationist Robert Harris to reproduce the theatrical experience. The collection will feature all the extras from previous releases plus a new disc dedicated to bonus materials. The DVD set will have an SRP of $72.99, but each film’s DVD will be sold separately for an SRP of $19.99. On that same day, a Blu-ray Disc collection will be released; expect 1080p transfers, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks, and some – perhaps all – of the DVD’s supplements. The SRP for the high definition set is expected to be $119.99.












16 September will bring the Buena Vista Blu-ray Disc release of the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy. This repackaging of the three highly successful Johnny Depp films offer no new bonuses – and their specs are identical to their previously-released Blu-ray Disc editions – but will have a shiny new box. SRP is $82.98.
















Paramount has announced a 7 October release date for Mission: Impossible: The Fifth TV Season. This latest release of the classic adventure series will arrive on DVD with 1.33:1 transfers and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound tracks. No bonuses will be included. SRP is $49.99.


















Warner will release The New World: Extended Edition on 14 October. This 172-minute cut of the acclaimed period adventure from Terrence Malick will arrive on DVD with a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, and a ten-part making-of documentary. SRP is $19.97.

















MGM will release Child’s Play: 20th Anniversary Edition on 9 September. This movie, which started the amazingly profitable Chucky horror franchise, will come with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, a mono sound track, a commentary with Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, and SFX designer Kevin Yagher as well as another commentary with producer David Kirschner and writer Don Mancini, a making-of documentary, a select-scene Chucky commentary (!), three featurettes, a stills gallery, and a set of trailers. SRP is $14.98.















Sony will release Redbelt on Blu-ray Disc on 26 August. This unique drama from writer/director David Mamet will arrive with a 1080p transfer and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound track. No bonuses have been confirmed. We’ll keep you updated. SRP is $38.96.



Paramount has announced plans to release The Sarah Silverman Program: Season Two, Volume One on 14 October. This hit Comedy Central show starring the inimitable comic will arrive with 1.33:1 transfers, stereo sound tracks, a commentary track, and a few featurettes. SRP is $26.98.

















Final specs have been announced for Universal’s 2 September release of The Office: Season Four. The Steve Carrell comedy’s fourth go-round will arrive on DVD with 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers, Dolby Digital 5.1 sound tracks, three commentary tracks with various cast and crew members, some deleted scenes, a gag reel, and five featurettes. SRP is $49.98.

















Full specs have been announced for Fox’s 9 September Blu-ray Disc release of Night Watch. This successful Russian thriller will arrive with a 1.85:1 1080p transfer, a Russian Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound track, a commentary track with director Timur Bekmambetov, a subtitled commentary with writer Sergei Lukyanenko, three featurettes, some deleted scenes (with optional director’s commentary), a pair of stills galleries, and the film’s trailer. SRP is $39.98.















We also have full specs for the Fox 9 September Blu-ray Disc release of Night Watch’s sequel, Day Watch. This one will arrive with a 2.35:1 1080p transfer, an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound track, a commentary by director Timur Bekmambetov, a featurette, some Russian TV spots, and a set of trailers. SRP is $39.98.
















The creep-out The Wizard of Gore will be released by Genius Products and Dimension Extreme on 19 August. This horror flick starring Crispin Glover will arrive with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, a commentary track (participants TBD), three featurettes, some stills galleries, and a set of deleted scenes. SRP is $19.97.

















We don’t have much to confirm, but we have it on good authority that Universal is preparing a Blu-ray Disc release of the recent Edward Norton film The Incredible Hulk on 25 November. There are rumors that there are upwards of an hour of additional scenes reincorporated into this high-def release, but again, it’s all conjecture at this point. Stay tuned.
















We have full specs for The Omen Collection’s release on Blu-ray Disc, coming on 9 September from Fox. This classic collection of horror flicks will come with 1080p transfers, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound tracks, and extras. On The Omen, we get two commentaries – one by director Richard Donner and editor Stuart Baird; another by Donner and writer Brian Helgeland – a deleted scene (with optional commentary), five featurettes, a trailer, a stills gallery, and BD-exclusive content including another featurette, a trivia track, an isolated score track, and a third commentary by film buffs Lem Dobbs, Nick Redman, and Jeff Bond. Damien: Omen II has a commentary by producer Harvey Bernhard and its trailer. Omen III: The Final Conflict has a commentary by director Graham Baker and its trailer. The Omen remake has a commentary by director John Moore, producer Glen Williamson, and editor Dan Zimmerman, two featurettes, some deleted scenes, and a BD-exclusive trivia track. SRP is $129.98.









We have word of a 12 August Blu-ray Disc release of Felon from Sony. This thriller’s high-def debut – arriving day-and-date with its previously-announced DVD edition – will come with a 1.85:1 1080p transfer, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound track, and a making-of featurette. SRP is $38.96.



A&E will release Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series Megaset on 28 October. This comprehensive package of the hit Jane Seymour series will contain all episodes of the show as well as every one of the Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman TV movies. We don’t have final word on whether there will be new bonus material on this set. SRP is $229.95.












Fox will release Charlie Chan: Volume Five on 16 September. This final collection of films featuring the cagey Chinese detective will include Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum, Murder Over New York, Dead Men Tell, Charlie Chan in Rio, Charlie Chan in Panama, Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise, and Castle in the Desert. All the films will come with 1.33:1 transfers, mono sound tracks, a handful of trailers and stills galleries, and a feature-length The Era of Chan documentary. SRP is $49.98.















The Weinstein Company will release The Mist on Blu-ray Disc on 5 August. This Frank Darabont-directed adaptation of a Stephen King short story starring Thomas Jane will arrive with a 2.35:1 1080p transfer, an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound track, a commentary track by Darabont, some deleted scenes (with optional commentary), six featurettes, some webisodes, trailers, and (with a Darabont introduction) the entire film in a black and white presentation. SRP is $34.98.



9 September will bring the DVD release of CSI Miami: The Complete Sixth Season from Paramount. This David Caruso-led drama will arrive with 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers, Dolby Digital 5.1 sound tracks, four featurettes, and a pair of audio commentaries by various cast and crew members. SRP is $79.99.

















Warner will release a special edition of Watership Down on 7 October. This animated crowd-pleaser featuring the voice talents of John Hurt and Michael Graham Cox will arrive on DVD with a handful of featurettes and a storyboard-to-film comparison. No tech specs have yet been released; we’ll keep you updated. SRP is $19.97.



The Helen Hunt drama Then She Found Me will be released by ThinkFilm on 9 September. Starring Hunt, Colin Firth, and Bette Midler, the film will arrive on DVD with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, a commentary track by Hunt, some featurettes, and the film’s theatrical trailer. SRP is $27.98.

















The Weinstein Company will release the Stephen King thriller 1408 on Blu-ray Disc on 16 September. This John Cusack/Samuel L. Jackson creep-out will arrive with a 1080p transfer and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track (no word yet on bonuses). SRP is $29.98.



Fox will release Street Kings on 19 August. This Keanu Reeves/Forest Whitaker cop drama will arrive on DVD with a 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, a commentary by director David Ayer, a set of deleted/alternate scenes, and twelve featurettes. SRP is $34.98.

















7 October will bring the Image Entertainment Blu-ray Disc release of Stuck. This unique thriller starring Mena Suvari will arrive with a 1080p transfer and a DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 sound track. No bonuses will be included. SRP is $35.98.



14 October will bring the release of Nash Bridges: The First Season from Paramount. This debut season of the hit Don Johnson drama/adventure series will arrive with 1.33:1 transfers, stereo sound tracks, and a featurettes or two. We’ll keep you updated as to final specs when they come in. SRP is TBD.



The Laurence Fishburne thriller Tortured is coming to DVD from Sony on 16 September. Also starring Cole Hauser and James Cromwell, the film will arrive with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, and a making-of featurette. SRP is $24.96.



Paramount will release CSI:NY: The Fourth Season on 23 September. This latest installment of the hit CSI spinoff starring Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes will arrive on DVD with 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers, Dolby Digital 5.1 sound tracks, a commentary track, and four featurettes. SRP is $69.99.
 
















Sony will release The Shield: Season 6 on 26 August. This latest season of the hit FX series starring Michael Chiklis will arrive on DVD with 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers, stereo sound tracks, commentary tracks by cast and crew members on a handful of episodes, deleted scenes (with optional commentary), three featurettes, and a set of trailers. SRP is $59.95.

















Full specs and a firm release date are not yet available, but it looks like Kino International is preparing a 1Q 2009 Blu-ray Disc release of Fritz Lang’s masterwork Metropolis. We await word on tech specs and whether or not this high-def edition will offer all the goodies that accompanied the film’s most recent DVD release.



















Final specs have been announced for Sony’s 5 August release of The Counterfeiters on Blu-ray Disc. This Oscar-winner for last year’s Best Foreign Film will arrive with a 1.85:1 1080p transfer, a German Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound track, a commentary track by director Stefan Ruzowitzky, seven featurettes, and a set of deleted scenes. SRP is $38.96.
















We also have final specs for Sony’s 5 August Blu-ray Disc release of Starship Troopers. This modern classic from genius Paul Verhoeven will arrive with a 1.85:1 1080p transfer, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound track, two commentaries – one by Verhoeven and screenwriter Ed Neumeier, and another with Verhoeven, Casper van Dien, Dina Meyer, and Neil Patrick Harris, an isolated score feature, five featurettes, some storyboard-to-film comparisons, still galleries, some scene deconstructions with Verhoeven, deleted scenes, filmographies, a set of trailers, and BD-exclusives like a picture-in-picture reference track, a set-top game, and some BD Live goodies. SRP is $28.95.













7 October will bring the Blu-ray Disc debut of the cult favorite Faces of Death from MPI. This collection of snuff material (or is it all faked?) will arrive with a 1080p transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, two featurettes, some deleted scenes, a set of outtakes, and some trailers for other MPI titles. SRP is $29.95.



We have early word that Paramount will release Charmed: The Complete Series on 21 October. All episodes from the eight-season set will get 1.33:1 transfers and stereo sound tracks (no word on bonuses yet). We do know, however, that there will be both standard- and deluxe-edition versions of the set available for purchase.



We have final specs (and a bizarre addition) for Fox’s Blu-ray Disc release of Prison Break: Season Three on 12 August. The show will be presented in 1.78:1 1080p transfers, with DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound tracks (as previously announced), and will come with three featurettes and thirteen Director’s Takes. But here’s the odd thing: The Prison Break: Season Three DVD release will house a bonus episode of The Unit and the Blu-ray Disc release will not. Hmmm… SRP for the Blu-ray Disc release is $79.98.














Sony will release The Art of War II: Betrayal on 12 August. This sequel to the hit action film stars Wesley Snipes and Athena Karkanis and will arrive on DVD with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, and some alternate fight scenes. SRP is $24.96.


















Lionsgate will release Will & Grace: Season Eight on DVD on 16 September. This hit sitcom’s final season will arrive with 1.33:1 transfers, Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, a commentary track by David Kohan, Max Mutchnick, James Burrows, and Eric McCormack, outtakes, and a slate of featurettes. SRP is $44.98.



City Lights Home Entertainment has announced a unique Blu-ray Disc release of Kiss of the Spider Woman on 22 July. This Oscar-winning William Hurt/Raul Julia drama based on the amazing novel by Manuel Puig will only be available through Amazon.com. We have no additional word whether or not the BD will be sold elsewhere. We also don’t have complete specs yet, but we know the film will come with a 1080p transfer and a new making-of documentary. SRP is $39.98.