Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - (Page 30) NEWS www.homemediamagazine.com ‘Wall-E’ Expected to Impress on Video By Chris Tribbey PRODUCT PASADENA, Calif. — Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is expecting big things from Wall-E on DVD Nov. 18, evidenced by single-, double- and tripledisc offerings. But maybe more noteworthy is that Disney is offering twoand three-disc Blu-ray Disc versions. “What makes Wall-E so special on Blu-ray is it looks amazing … in high-definition, it’s stunning,” said Andy Siditsky, SVP of worldwide creative services and DVD production for Disney. The Blu-ray special features aren’t too shabby either: With the help of Pixar animators, Disney developed a suite of 8-bit games, a detailed and breathtaking flyover feature for settings in the film, a “Geek Track” commentary and a picture-in-picture option. On every version of the movie, consumers will get an exclusive DVD short, Burn-E, consisting of a comical day in the life of one of the lesserknown robots from the film, Burn-E. As for Wall-E, a film conceived at Pixar before the first “Toy Story” movie was even released, members of Pixar spent a lot of time working on relaying a story with almost no words, and giving emotion to a nonhuman character. “There were like 2,600 sound files made for WallE,” said Pixar sound guru Ben Burtt, best known for his work on Star Wars, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Raiders of the Lost Ark. “There’s so much detail in [Wall-E].” He demonstrated how he created sounds for the film with an old Army generator, a stretched-out spring and a punching bag being dragged across the ground. For the character designs, the Pixar team went all out, taking a trip in early 2006 to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to look at the robots created there for moon and Mars landings. And thanks to Wall-E and NASA, some lucky kid will get to name the next Mars Rover. Starting on the Wall-E street date, NASA will accept name suggestions and essays from kids, with the grand-prize winner also getting the chance to sign the rover before it’s shipped to Cape Canaveral, Fla. More details on the contest can be found at marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov. “They thought it looked cool, but they were much more interested in how the motor sounded,” Julie Townsend, a mars rover engineer, said of the Pixar team’s interest in one robot. “I thought in the repre- sentation of the robots [in Wall-E] you could see where they took their inspiration from [JPL] in the antennas and eyes.” Wall-E co-producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins said the JPL visit was just a small step in a long process in making Wall-E. “On all the Pixar films, but this one in particular, we do a lot of research and see how things work in the real world,” Morris said. “The more it feels grounded, the more it gives it a feel of believability … trying to give it a look that it had been filmed that there was a cameraman there.” Collins said that the film wasn’t made until recently because the technology hadn’t been there. She called the games on the Blu-ray “super cool” and praised the interactivity of BD Live. AMAZON OFFERING ‘WALL-E’ PRE-ORDER SPECIAL By Michael Lee mazon.com is offering a special pre-order deal for those shopping for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s Wall-E, which streets Nov. 18 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. A specially designed eco-friendly package will be given to the first 100,000 customers who purchase the title. The packaging is made from 100% recycled cardboard, and the packaging for Bluray has been designed to be 30% small- er than the standard DVD package. The three-disc special edition DVD will also include a digital copy of the film. “Based on initial customer reactions, we fully expect Wall-E to be one of our biggest sellers this holiday season,” said Peter Faricy, VP of movies and music at Amazon. “We also believe our customers will appreciate the convenience of release-date delivery and the new environmentally friendly packaging as well.” Disney’s ‘Caspian’ Blu-ray Offers 360-Degree Views By Chris Tribbey PRODUCT It’s a Disney idea that goes back to the 1950s — a Disneyland attraction gave visitors 360-degree visual tours of several countries. Images recorded on nine cameras were displayed on nine screens in a circle, taking viewers through images of China, Canada and, of course, the United States. Now, Circle-Vision has been adapted to the Blu-ray Disc format, premiering on the Dec. 2 releases of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. With a full-time DVD and Blu-ray crew using a 360-degree high-def camera on the sets of the film, the castle raid portion of the film is broken down in a dozen ways, with every scene offering commentaries from different people, animatics, pop-up facts, behind-the-scenes musings, slide shows and more. “It’s totally unique to the Blu-ray format,” said Andy Siditsky, SVP of worldwide creative services and DVD production for Disney. “You’re actually on the set.” BD Live network exclusives and an interactive game also are included on the two-disc Blu-ray, with three-disc Bluray offerings including a digital copy of the film. The bare-bones DVD has a commentary, while a collector’s edition (and the Blu-rays) include bloopers, JUST ANNOUNCED A Weekly Product Update* several featurettes and deleted scenes. “They’ve been very imaginative in how they include all they can in there,” said actor Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian). “There are a lot of unsung heroes in a movie like this, and it’s nice to [show viewers] … how all the cogs work.” He said Blu-ray and DVD bonus features can often be more important than the film to viewers, and BD Live and high-def video are great upgrades. “The sound’s incredible, but the lighting is … what it picks up,” said actor William Mosley (Peter Pevensie). “It’s really interactive, you can find interviews with [everyone]. You can find how we shot every scene. You get so much more out of the movie.” He’s hoping Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment remembers to send him a copy when they’re available. “Just in time for Oscar consideration,” said Howard Berger of K.N.B. – EFX Studio about the Caspian releases. He said the creature creations his crew did for Prince Caspian stand up well under the 1080p glare of Blu-ray. “It scares you a little bit, the resolution people can see now,” he said, adding that lighting crews and cinematographers can help keep everything looking real. “We still have a lot of perfecting to do to complete what Blu-ray and highdefinition can do.” Lakeview Terrace STREET DATE Traitor BOX OFFICE (MILLIONS) The Children of Huang Shi TITLE PREBOOK GENRE PRICE Lakeview Terrace 1/27/09 12/25 $39.3 Thriller DVD $28.96, BD $39.95 Sony Pictures. 2008. Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington, Jay Hernandez. A young couple is harassed by a neighbor, an LAPD officer who wants to force them out of the neighborhood. Also available on UMD at $24.94. Traitor 12/19 Now $23.5 Thriller DVD $29.98, BD $39.98 Anchor Bay. 2008. Don Cheadle, Said Taghmoui, Guy Pearce, Neal McDonough, Jeff Daniels. An FBI agent tracks an ex-special-ops soldier who he thinks is part of an international conspiracy. The Children of Huang Shi 1/20/09 12/18 $1 Drama DVD $28.96 Sony Pictures. 2008. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Radha Mitchell, Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh. Based on true events, an English journalist, an American nurse and a leader of a Chinese partisan group rescue 60 orphans in war-torn China in the 1930s. The Lucky Ones 1/27/09 12/30 $0.27 Drama DVD $27.98 Lionsgate. 2008. Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña. Three soldiers on leave share a ride when their flights home are canceled and end up on an impromptu road trip across the United States. Includes “A Look Inside The Lucky Ones” featurette. Baghead 12/30 11/27 $0.14 Comedy DVD $28.96 Sony Pictures. 2008. Steve Zissis, Ross Patridge, Greta Gerwig, Elise Muller. An indie from Mark and Jay Duplass that satirizes horror films with the story of four struggling actors who go to a remote cabin to write a horror screenplay, only to have it come true. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired 1/27/09 12/27 $0.06 Documentary DVD $27.98 Image. 2008. Director Marina Zenovich explores the tragedies that may have influenced the behavior of infamous director Roman Polanski, who in 1977 was arrested and charged with a number of crimes including unlawful sexual intercourse and rape by use of drugs. * In order of box office, then prebook date Home Media Magazine November 16–22, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.amazon.com http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 Contents News HD-3 TV DVD Valentine’s Day Reviews Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 16, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - HD-3 (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Valentine’s Day (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Reviews (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - November 16-22, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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