Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Warner Home Video Announces Transcendence (July 22), GWTW: 75th Anniversary (Sept. 30) And More!


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Warner Home Video was very busy this past week with announcements for director Wally Pfister’s sci-fi thriller, Transcendence and special editions of such film vault treasures as Gone With The Wind, On Any Given Sunday and Once Upon a Time in America.

The Johnny Depp/Rebecca Hall sci-fi film, Transcendence, will be available on July 22 as Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack (with UltraViolet) and DVD editions.  The ARR is a zippy 95 days and the box office take was $22.9 million.

Way back in 1970 Dennis Feltham Jones’ novel, "Colossus," was adapted for the screen by scripted James Bridges and director Joseph Sargent.   Titled Colossus: The Forbin Project, it was a chilling tale of a super computer becoming sanctioned and then plots to take over the world.  

In 1984 writer/director James Cameron tracked a similar storyline with Skynet turning on the human race in The Terminator.   

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
In both cases humans developed computer systems to the point of self-awareness and then found that there was hell to pay for their hubris.

In the case of Transcendence, we find Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) working on the same concept … create a self-aware computer that will experience a “technological singularity.”  

There are, however, human beings out to stop him and they call themselves R.I.F.T (short for: “Revolutionary Independence From Technology”) and they come within a whisper of doing him in.   Ironically, by murdering him they set in motion what they feared most as Caster, mortally wounded, infuses his consciousness into the mainframe of the supercomputer that he has designed.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph TribbeyRegenerated into robot form (looking exactly as he did before) Caster systematically hooks into the internet and becomes exponentially more and more intelligent until he arrives at the conclusion that all human being must be assimilated into his worldwide network!!!

When will we ever learn?   Can he be stopped … and at what price?

Bonus features include two featurettes — “What Is Transcendence?” and “Wally Pfister: A Singular Vision.”   Exclusive to the Blu-ray SKU are five additional featurettes — “Guarding the Threat,” “The Promise of A.I.,” “R.I.F.T.,” “It’s Me” and “Singularity.” 

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
On Sept. 30 Gone With The Wind will be rereleased as Gone With The Wind: 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition.  Bonus nuggets with the Blu-ray collectible edition include footage of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh attending the film’s premiere in Atlanta, a newly-prepared 32-page booklet on the styles of GWTW and the extended featurette titled “Old South/New South,” which takes a look at the sites depicted in the film and how they are today.

Also streeting on Sept. 30 are two Blu-ray SKUs of Sergio Leone’s 1984 film, Once Upon a Time in America.   There are two buying options for Once Upon a Time in America: Extended Director's Cut — one with and one without the original theatrical cut.

Bonus features include commentary by film historian and critic Richard Schickel, the documentary titled “Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone” and a 32-page booklet highlighting the restoration of the film to its current status.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph TribbeySpecial features (available on all the editions) include commentary by film historian and critic Richard Schickel, and a making-of documentary, “Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone.”
Elsewhere on the release schedule from Warner Home Video this week are the Sept. 9 Blu-ray release of director Oliver Stone’s On Any Given Sunday: 15th Anniversary Edition - Director's Cut.

Bonus features include commentary from filmmaker Oliver Stone and actor Jamie Foxx, the featurette titled “Anything Can Happen,” a gag reel, unused and extended scenes and screen tests.

A Blu-ray edition of Dreamcatcher will be available on Sept. 16 and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and DVD editions of the newest Scooby Doo! original animated feature film, Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy will debut on Aug. 19.

To download this week's complete edition of the DVD and Blu-ray Release Report:  DVD & Blu-ray Release Report



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