There Once Was Blu-ray Disc...Then There Were The Archives
Disc News Update 3.26
by Mike Restaino
Mar 26, 2009

Well, as of yesterday afternoon, it's official: Criterion will indeed be charge of releasing Paramount's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Blu-ray Disc and a 2-DVD Special Edition (a slimmed-down single-disc will be less regally released by Paramount alone). The Oscar-winner will arrive on Blu-ray Disc with a 1.85:1 1080p transfer, a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound mix, a Fincher commentary, a huge slate of featurettes,and a stills gallery. SRP is $39.95.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Anchor Bay will release Children of the Corn on Blu-ray Disc on 28 July. This iconic slasher flick based on the killer Stephen King story will arrive with a 1.85:1 1080p transfer, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound mix, a commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains, a trivia track, stills galleries, a slate of featurettes and the film's trailer. SRP is TBD.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Warner has announced a 2 June DVD release for Spring Breakdown. This comedy starring Amy Poehler and Parker Posey will arrive with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix, and a slate of features that have yet to be confirmed. SRP is $27.95.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

First Look will bring Direct Contact to DVD on 2 June. This Dolph Lundrgen actioner will arrive with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby DIgital 5.1 sound mix and a TBD set of bonus goodies. SRP is $28.98.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in bigBIGBIG Blu-ray Disc News, we have not only a confirmed release date but full specs for the wildly ambitious BD release of Neil Young Archives: Vol. 1 (1963-1972) from Warner/Reprise. After nearly twenty years of preparation - Neil hates the digital noise of CD sound, so he's been waiting for a format to fuse full kick-ass sound and complete interactivity - this 10-BD collection will hit stores on 2 June.
 
Each disc will be presented in 1920x1080 high definition picture quality, ultra-high resolution 24-bit/192 kHz stereo PCM master quality sound and follows the singer from his earliest recordings with The Squires in '63 through his stunning Harvest album in 1972. Also included, for the first time on official release, is Young's film Journey Through the Past, which this writer has only seen in bootleg form - and it is WILD, man! It'll be presented with a 1080p transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound mix. A 236-page hardcover book will also be included. SRP is $299.99.
 
Check out the Archives page for more info - including a cool trailer.
 
[As an aside for fellow Neil Young music lovers, your buddy Mike has never anticipated a title like this one on Blu-ray Disc (or DVD, for that matter) - and it's supposedly the first of FIVE (the mind reels...). There will be official Archives-Watch updates here at DVDFile quite often as we anticipate this release. Stay tuned, and Viva Neil!]