Posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 by Brendon Connelly
It was about time Fox spoke up and put James Cameron’s wagging tongue to rest. Finally, we have the officially announced plans for Avatar on DVD and Blu-ray, and they’re trying something a little bit different…
Posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010 by David Chen
In October 2006, Netflix launched a contest that challenged entrants to improve its recommendation algorithm by 10%. The winner(s) would receive $1 million, dubbed the Netflix Prize. It was a win-win: Netflix received relatively cheap R&D, while everyday statistics enthusiasts had a shot at making a big payday. The results of the competition came down to a buzzer-beating finish, with a group called BellKor Pragmatic Chaos submitting the winning entry just four minutes before the contest was over.
The Netflix Prize was a resounding success. It generated tons of publicity for Netflix and BellKor Pragmatic Chaos was obviously glad to take home the prize. This past August, Netflix announced it would follow up the Netflix Prize with a sequel.
But the initial contest also attracted the attention of the FTC and of certain Netflix users, who were concerned that the anonymized data Netflix provided to contest entrants compromised Netflix users’ privacy. Today, Netflix announced on its company blog that it would be canceling its Netflix Prize Sequel, after completing negotiations with the FTC and settling a private lawsuit.
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Posted on Monday, March 8th, 2010 by Peter Sciretta
During the filming of Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air, I saw a set photo where George Clooney was dressed in a full-on NASA space suit, walking in an airport. That scene didn’t make the final film, and I’ve always wondered what it was about, and where it fit. Up in the Air hits DVD and Blu-Ray on March 9th (On Amazon: $27 for Blu-ray, $17 on DVD), and we’ve been given a look at the deleted scene in question, in which Ryan Bingham goes about his disconnected routine in a spacesuit. You can watch it now, embedded after the jump. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend watching the clip unless you’ve already seen the film, as the deleted scene in question was to be set late in the film.
It’s a crazy, mixed up world and we are thankful for movies that offer proof. Slashfilm’s Weekend Weirdness examines such flicks, whether in the form of a New York premiere for a provocative indie, a mini review or an interview.
Home Media Magazine is reporting that the Blockbuster Video movie rental chain will be quietly reinstating late fees in their brick-and-mortar locations, with a capped rate. Members who pay the $4.99 for a new release DVD will have five days to return the movie, instead of seven. A $1-per-day late fee will be assessed for every movie is late, for up to 10 days. This $1 per day charge also applies to Blu-ray rentals as well.
Posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 by Peter Sciretta
HackingNetflix is reporting that Netflix has begun surveying customers asking if they would be interested in an application for the iPhone which would allow customers to instantly watch movies anf tv shows without an additional fee.
Posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 by David Chen
You might think that the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy on Blu-Ray might be an exciting time for Middle Earth fans. Finally, a chance to see Peter Jackson’s legendary trilogy in high definition, and without having to switch discs in the middle, no less! Head on over to the disc set’s Amazon page and you’ll see that the trilogy, which is scheduled to go on sale on April 6, 2010, has already garnered over 2,083 reviews. But look closer, and you’ll find that over 1,800 of those reviews are 1-star only, leaving the overall total languishing at around the 1.5 stars. These reviewers are pissed about something. Hit the jump to hear the nature of their grievances.
Posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 by Peter Sciretta
Spike Jonze has produced a new live-action/animated adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life. The film, a collaboration between the National Film Board of Canada and Warner Home Video, will be included on the Blu-Ray release of Where The Wild Things Are, which hits stores on March 2nd. The 23 and a half minute short film was created by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, the Oscar-nominated team behind the short Madame Tutli-Putli, and features the voices of Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Spike Jonze.
Once Jennie had everything. She had two bowls to eat from, two pillows, and for cold weather, a red wool sweater. She even had a master who loved her. But Jennie didn’t care. In the middle of the night she packed everything she had in a black leather bag with gold buckles and looked out of her favorite window for the last time… Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life follows Jennie’s surreal, suspenseful and unexpectedly moving journey to gain new experiences and realize her dream of becoming the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre.
Warner Bros Home Video has supplied us with some photos, posters and clips from the film, which you can see after the jump.
Posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 by Peter Sciretta
Could we be seeing Spider-Man, Ghostbusters, District 9 and 2012 in Digital 3D in 2011? Maybe…
Last month it was reported that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment would begin to release 3D movies on Blu-ray for the first time, beginning this summer with the computer animated release Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (with additional 3D Blu-ray titles expected to also appear this summer).
Bloomberg is now reporting that Sony Pictures might even begin upconverting older catalogue films to 3D, but not for theatrical rerelease, but instead to promote the new digital 3D Blu-ray technology. While no titles have yet to be announced, it is expected that Sony would feature popular catalog titles like Spider-Man, Ghostbusters, Men in Black, Gladiator, and possibly newer blockbuster films like 2012, District 9 and Zombieland.
Posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 by Russ Fischer
I’ve become fascinated by the war going on between movie studios like Universal and Fox, Redbox and Netflix. The DVD is such an important part of the studio finance equation that these companies are jumping through all sorts of hoops to control how discs are disseminated to the public. Fortunately for us, those hoops are on fire, and the result is a little digital media circus played out before our very eyes.
One of the most entertaining stories of late is that Redbox has circumvented studio litigation by sending employees out to buy large quantities of DVD at retail. Fox and Universal won’t currently sell discs to the company, but Wal Mart will sell DVDs to anyone, including Redbox employees. But now Wal Mart and Target will only sell five discs to any one person during a specified window. And they’re going to enforce this…how? Read More »
