Get ready to head back to the Satellite of Love as Shout Factory is releasing Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie on blu-ray in September. The big screen spinoff of the cult comedy television series finds the halpless Mike (Mike Nelson) and his robot friends forced by evil scientist Dr. Forrester (Trace Beaulieu) to watch the 1950s sci-fi flick This Island Earth and they fight back the only way they know how – by mocking the film mercilessly.

The film had been previously released on DVD but Shout Factory, who handle the releases of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 series, is looking like it is loading the disc up with some goodies.

Here’s what has been announced as extras so far -

• The Making of Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie (the EPK that fans have probably seen around)
• Two new docs from Ballyhoo: “Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie: The Motion Picture Odyssey” (including new interviews with cast and crew and never-before-seen behind the scenes footage) and “This Island Earth: 2 1/2 Years In the Making.”
• Original trailer.
• Deleted scenes including the alternate ending and the removed sequences from the riffed motion picture.

Definitely sounds like a good package for fans, and I am speaking as one. The deleted scenes were screened once at a fan gathering years ago, and although they have shown up in badly grainy bootleg video shot at that event, they have never been officially released.

I think that some were surprised that Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers turned out to be more than the exploitation piece it certainly seemed to be. Stocked with former Disney Channel and ABC Family tween stars who spend a bulk of the film in bikinis, critics praised the film for its depth and its vein of social criticism. So it strikes me strange that the director may be re-editing the film for it’s DVD release.

The news comes from a tweet from the Los Angeles Times’ Chris Lee -

Harmony Korine told me he's "remixing" 'Spring Breakers' for DVD. "The whole film has been sizzurped. It's the 1st chopped & screwed movie"

— Chris Lee (@__ChrisLee) June 12, 2013

Now granted, not every critic was effusive with their praise for the film. Some thought that Korine was not able to raise above the exploitation elements of the film. The film currently has a rating of 65% at Rotten Tomatoes, but perhaps Korine is reacting to those critics who weren’t so kind to the film.

So what will this remixing entail? We’ll find out when the film hits DVD and blu-ray on July 9. Hopefully, the original theatrical cut will be included as well.

A few weeks back, we first learned of possible specifications for the upcoming DVD and blu-ray release for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. And as we can see from the press release issued by New Line today, that information was pretty much spot on. The film will have a DVD, 2D blu-ray and 3D blu-ray configurations.

The discs will be onsale on March 19, though the film itself will be available as a digital download a week earlier on March 12. Additionally, the Ultraviolet code included in all variations will also serve as a password to a special sneak preview of the next Hobbit installment, The Desolation Of Smaug, that will stream live online on March 24.

Here is New Line’s press release -

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), arriving on Digital Download on March 12th and on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD Special Edition on March 19th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. All disc versions feature UltraVioletÔ and over 130 minutes of bonus content.The first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which is nominated for three Academy Awards*, is an epic adventure that immerses audiences once again in the fantastical world of Middle-earth. The March 19th home entertainment release will be followed by an Extended Edition in time for the holidays.

In addition, Peter Jackson will host a live first look at “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second film in The Hobbit Trilogy, on Sunday, March 24th at 3:00PM Eastern/Noon Pacific. Content will be streamed live and an edited version will be archived on the Trilogy’s official website. Access to the live event will be limited to holders of an UltraViolet code available by purchasing “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack or 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. Select digital retailers will issue access codes upon purchase of the film. Visit www.thehobbit.com/sneak for more information.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” in “The Hobbit” Trilogy are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as Old Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The international ensemble cast also includes James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Manu Bennett and Conan Stevens.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a WingNut Films Production, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” All three films in “The Hobbit” Trilogy, also including “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and the final film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” was released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” releasing December 13, 2013, and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” slated for July 18, 2014.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be available on 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99, on 5-Disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, and on 2-Disc DVD Special Edition for $28.98. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray, and the theatrical version in standard definition on DVD. The 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition on Blu-ray, the theatrical version of the film in 2D high definition on Blu-ray and the theatrical version in standard definition on DVD. The Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the 2-Disc DVD Special Edition all include UltraViolet, which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the standard definition theatrical version of the film to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.

Marvel Studio’s recently delayed “Phase One” blu-ray set, comprising all of their films from Iron Man to The Avengers, finally has a new release date – April 2, 2012. We also now have a hint as to what some of the extras in the box will be, thanks to studio chief Kevin Feige, who told Entertainment Weekly -

We spent an embarrassing amount of time compiling the ‘Shield Files’ included in the box set to be sure that each character’s file was full of great, movie-accurate props and Easter eggs, which help tie all of the Phase one [Marvel Comics Universe] films together.

(Sounds like we’re going to have to do another draft of our Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline.)

Feige also stated that there will some new, previously unseen cut scenes from the films in the set.

We went back to the editor’s assembly of each film and discovered some rare moments that dropped out of the films early on and had not been released on prior discs

Rounding things out will be some teaser material for Marvel’s upcoming Phase Two films – Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians Of The Galaxy, The Avengers 2 and possibly Ant Man.

To whet your appetite for the new material, here is an alternate ending for Thor. If you listen closely to that dialogue, you’ll hear a reference to another Marvel Comics Universe intelligence organization, S.W.O.R.D. A pity that alternate scenes aren’t really canon for the Marvel Cinematic Universe,though I would not be surprised if S.W.O.R.D. were to eventually make their way on screen.

Over the last couple years, the Warner Archive Collection has done a great service for film fans by making available on DVD more than available more than 1,500 films, short subjects, TV movies and mini-series from the studio’s vault that might not have ordinarily received a home video release through an online-order/manufactured-on-demand system that was quickly imitated by a number of studios. The Warner Archive is not getting ready to step up to high definition this week as they release the first two titles of a newly announced blu-ray line.

The studio is kicking off the initiative with two titles – the 1982 thriller Deathtrap, starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve, and the 1962 musical Gypsy. Then, starting in February 2013, the studio will add two more titles a month, with their announcement hinting at the Coen Brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy (1993) starring Tim Robbins and the 1993 Jeff Bridges film Fearless being among some of the initial offerings.

You can access the Warner Archive’s blu-ray offerings here.

The release of Deathtrap will mark the first time that the film has been made available in its original widescreen aspect ratio. It’s 1999 DVD release was pan-and-scanned.

OK, there is a part of me that is a bit bummed that I won’t be able to see a film like Gypsy or my favorite Coen Brothers movie on the shelf at my local big box electronics store, but at least it is getting a high-def release. And that’s the whole point, and what’s pretty great, about the Warner Archive Collection.

Criterion has announced the four titles that they will be releasing in the first month of the new year and they range from Hitchcock to exploitation to an Academy Award winner to films from German and Russian masters of cinema. While I can honestly say that not every Criterion release is to my personal taste, January looks like a big month for my wallet in terms of what the botique label is putting out. Check it out -

Two-Lane Blacktop (Criterion Blu-Ray)
Monte Hellman
1971 • 103 minutes • 2.35:1 • United States
Spine: #414 Editions: DVD, Blu-ray

With its gorgeous widescreen compositions and sophisticated look at American male obsession, this stripped-down narrative from maverick director Monte Hellman is one of the artistic high points of 1970s cinema, and possibly the greatest road movie ever made.
8 Jan 2013

The Tin Drum (Criterion Blu-Ray)
Volker Schlöndorff
1979 • 163 minutes • 1.77:1 • Germany
Spine: #234 Editions: DVD, Blu-ray

The Tin Drum, is a visionary adaptation from Volker Schlöndorff of Nobel laureate Günter Grass’s acclaimed novel, characterized by surreal imagery, arresting eroticism, and clear-eyed satire.
15 Jan 2013

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Criterion Blu-Ray)
Alfred Hitchcock
1934 • 75 minutes • 1.33:1 • United Kingdom
Spine: #643 Editions: DVD, Blu-ray

This fleet and gripping early thriller from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, was the first film the director made after signing to the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation.
15 Jan 2013

Pina (Criterion Blu-Ray)
Wim Wenders
2011 • 103 minutes • 1.85:1 • Germany
Spine: #644 Editions: DVD, Blu-ray

The boundless imagination and physical marvels of the work of the German modern-dance pioneer Pina Bausch leap off the screen in this exuberant tribute by Wim Wenders.
22 Jan 2013

Ivan’s Childhood (Criterion Blu-Ray)
Andrei Tarkovsky
1962 • 95 minutes • 1.33:1 • Soviet Union
Spine: #397 Editions: DVD, Blu-ray, Hulu Plus, iTunes

The debut feature by the great Andrei Tarkovsky, Ivan’s Childhood is a poetic journey through the shards and shadows of one boy’s war-ravaged youth.
22 Jan 2013

If you’re a fan of the early talkie period of classic cinema, you will most definitely want to check out the upcoming blu-ray release from Warner Brothers of The Jazz Singer, the film that started it all.

The set won’t be out until January 8, but in the meantime the studio has released details of the set to get our mouth’s watering.

• Audio commentary by film historians Ron Hutchinson (founder of The Vitaphone Project) and Vince Giordano
• A collection of vintage cartoons and shorts (Al Jolson in A Plantation Act, An Intimate Dinner in Celebration of Warner Bros. Silver Jubilee, I Love to Singa, Hollywood Handicap and A Day At Santa Anita)
• The 1947 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast of “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson
• Theatrical trailer
• The feature-length The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk documentary
• 2 rare excerpts from Gold Diggers Of Broadway (a 1929 WB film, most of which is considered lost)
• Studio shorts celebrating the early sound era (Finding His Voice, The Voice That Thrilled The World, Okay For Sound, When Talkies Were Young and The Voice From The Screen)
• A collection of rare Vitaphone shorts (nearly 3 and a half hours worth) many considered lost for decades.

The set will be released as a blu-ray book with the below cover art. While I personally would like something similar to the original poster art as shown above, I think the overall package is amazing enough to ignore such a minor quibble.

We still have two months until the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first part of Peter Jackson’s three-part adaptation of J R R Tolkien’s The Hobbit but news of the film’s home video release plans is already starting to come out.

Much like Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings films, all three installments of The Hobbit will be released first in a theatrical version and then a longer, Extended Edition of the film a few months later.

Now I’m sure that there are some out there who have already been scratching their heads as to how Jackson was going to expand Tolkien’s book into three movies and are now really reeling as to how he is going to even further expand those three movies. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what more will be added. Now I’m a big fan of the Lord Of The Rings Extended Editions, so personally I can’t wait to see what material will make it in.

In the meantime, consider yourself warned that there will be two versions of the films coming to home video and plan your purchasing accordingly.

Via The Digital Bits

Last week, when we showed you some pictures of the various makeup designs that Al Pacino developed for his character Big Boy Caprice for the movie Dick Tracy, I mentioned that I hoped we would be able to experience the film on blu-ray soon. Well, if you shared that sentiment with me I have good news. A release date for the film’s high-def home video release has been set – December 11.

Now the Amazon listingdoesn’t mention any extras for the disc yet, but I would think that there should be a few things that could be put on there at least.

While the script might be a bit bare bones, the production design of the film is just flat out stunning. By replicating the look of a Sunday color comic strip (all the reds are the same red, all blues the same blue, etc…) star and director Warren Beatty created a film that was eye-catching and stylistically paved the way for films like Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City. And he was able to do it in the days before CGI.

You would think that when you are considered a grandmaster filmmaker, your work wouldn’t get screwed with by other people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Two years after a brouhaha over the proper aspect ratio for Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic Psycho for its blu-ray release comes word that another one of his films has also undergone some changes at the hand of technicians transferring the film from celluloid to digital.

This time the film in question is Frenzy, Hitchcock’s 1972 thriller and the changes may seem trivial but are nonetheless vexing. Nick Wrigley over at Enthusiasm.org (via Salon) has discovered that on the UK blu-ray release of the film there have been some changes made to the opening titles and credits as illustrated in the image below.

And it is not just on the UK blu-ray either. Wriggley confirmed to Salon that he had heard from someone in the US who had seen the film on an HD channel and it too had the same spelling errors.

The answer seems obvious. Whoever did the high-def transfer must have been working from elements that did not include the original titles. Rather than take the time to either find and restore the original titles they took a quicker and easier way out.

Now granted this does not equate any fundamental change to the film’s story, but it does represent a change to the film as Hitchcock had intended it. Plus, the misspelling of the crew’s names is insulting to them and their families. And unless Universal goes back and corrects these errors, this is the HD transfer we will be stuck with for a good while, perpetuating the error and compounding the insult to the craftspeople involved.

So what’s it going to be Universal?