Day: March 21, 2011

Categories
Blu-ray

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!!!

The Lord of the Rings arrives in its extended editions
It has been available for pre-order on Amazonís website for some time but without details and specs, the info was not yet ready to be announced. Now Warner Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment have finally pulled the veil off the upcoming release of the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on Blu-Ray Disc.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy tells the story of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit who battles against the Dark Lord Sauron to save his world, Middle-earth, from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and his fellowship of friends and allies embark on a desperate journey to rid Middle-earth of the source of Sauron’s greatest strength, The One Ring — a ring that has the power to enslave the inhabitants of Middle-earth. The trilogy tells tales of extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth and reveals how the power of friendship, love and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.
Arriving on 15 discs, the Blu-Ray version will feature all three feature films in their extended versions in glorious 1080p high definition, supplemented by 6.1 DTS HD Master Audio tracks. To ensure the best possible quality, each film will be spread across two Blu-Ray discs, allowing for the best possible sound and picture remastered from the original 2k digital files. In addition, each film will feature three Commentary Tracks, by the director and writers, the design team, and one by the post production team.
The set boasts more than 26 hours of additional content, highlighted by the rare behind-the-scenes documentaries created by Costa Botes, the filmmaker given unprecedented access to the set of each production by Peter Jackson. Costa Botes was able to capture raw and riveting behind-the-scenes film footage. His unique approach to storytelling ñ allowing the footage to speak for itself ñ results in an intimate and candid backstage pass to the challenges, preparations and camaraderie that went into shooting one of the greatest cinematic adventures of all time. The feature-length documentaries, with more than four and a half hours of footage, focus on a number of complexities and circumstances that tested the filmmakers, cast and crew during the shoot, as well as a look at some of the comical antics and personal moments on the set. The Costa Botes documentaries accompany acclaimed special features by Michael Pellerin from the original extended cut releases to make this the most comprehensive ìThe Lord of the Ringsî compilation ever.
Countless Featurettes and Vignettes ó too numerous to recount here ó will be included also, along with Introductions, BD Live features, and a whole lot more.
ìThe Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: Extended Editionî will arrive in stores on June 28 for $119.99. As of this writing, Amazon has the title on sale for only $83.99, so you may want to head over there really quickly and place your pre-order before the price goes up!

Categories
Music

Cool, Always!!!

Dean Martin Renaissance On Deck with New CD, DVD, Book Launches
Hoping to extend the renaissance of Dean Martin that has occurred over the last five years, a collection of DVDs, CDs and a coffee table book will be released in late May and June, while a boxed set is in the works with an eye for a release late this year.
Universal Music Enterprises will release a hardcover book and musical collection titled “Cool Then, Cool Now” on June 7. Photos in the 60-plus page book were acquired from personal collections and family archives, featuring shots of Martin on movie sets and at home; the two-CD, 28-song collection spans Martin’s musical career.
Also on June 7, Capitol/EMI will release the 14-track “Classic Dino: The Best of Dean Martin,” an expanded version of the 2004 release “Dino: The Essential Dean Martin,” which has sold 1.3 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The new version has six added tracks.
Meanwhile, NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products and Time-Life will release “The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show,” the first time Martin’s popular show has been released on DVD, on May 24. The release will be available as a single DVD, double DVD set and six-DVD Collector’s Edition.
The single DVD includes four episodes with more than 15 musical performances; the double DVD set includes seven show episodes featuring more than 30 musical performances; and the six-DVD Collectors Edition includes more than 50 guests and 80 musical performances. “The Dean Martin Show” aired on NBC from 1965 to 1974. Guests featured on the DVDs include Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Gene Kelly, Roger Miller and Duke Ellington.
“We want to see more projects and we’re trying to figure that out now,” says Gail Martin-Downey, one of nine Martin heirs handling Dino projects. “When our children and grandchildren see dad (Martin) pop up on YouTube, we know there’s a growing audience out there.”
For the first time in the 15 years since Martin’s death, the Martin family is in talks to hire an agent to act as a clearing house for marketing and licensing of his likeness and works that the family controls. Martin’s centennial will be in 2017.
EMI has worked the Martin catalog consistently over the last several years, releasing “Amore” through Starbucks in 2006 and elsewhere in 2009 and creating an album of duets, “Forever Cool,” to commemorate his 90th birthday in 2007. “Amore has sold 145,000 copies while the duets disc moved 104,000 copies.
“The TV shows captured [Dean Martin] in his casual comfortable way,” Martin-Downey tells Billboard.com. “Most of the shows capture that, plus you get his serious side and the silly sketches. It really shows who he was at home.”

Categories
Games

Sure, but can I play “ANGRY BIRDS” on it?!?

Nintendo 3DS puts 3-D world at your fingertips
Nintendo is looking to conjure up a little March Madness of its own.
The gamemaker’s new Nintendo 3DS handheld system hits stores Sunday. The $250 successor to the 7-year-old Nintendo DS ó the most popular portable game system ever, with nearly 145 million units sold ó displays 3-D games and other content without the need for special glasses.
That wow factor ó the first consumer 3-D-without-glasses application ó is expected to make the system hard to find, even though retailers such as Best Buy and GameStop plan to host midnight launch events. Prices have already hit $500 for some 3DS systems on eBay. “Consumers are going to have to expect for at least the first year that possibly finding a 3DS might be difficult,” says EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich.
Nintendo aims to ship 4 million 3DS systems globally by the end of March. On Feb. 26, the first day it was available in Japan, consumers bought more than 400,000. The system also launches in Europe on Friday.
In addition to Nintendo’s own titles, such as submarine game Steel Diver, flying game Pilotwings Resort and nintendogs + cats, there are 15 others, including Electronic Arts’ Madden Football, Capcom’s Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, and Ubisoft’s Rayman 3D. (Games cost about $40.)
“We think that the 3DS is an awesome machine,” says Tony Key of Ubisoft, which has three other 3DS games out Sunday and more than 15 in development. “It has a lot of features, including an accelerometer and gyroscope (to sense motion and speed) and the 3-D, that really make it … a unique piece of hardware.”
Built into the system are several games as well as other features, including three cameras (a 3-D pair and a single one) that let you take 3-D pictures and create Mii avatars. Face Raiders puts your face or that of another person onto flying enemies that attack you from all sides ó you move the system left, right, up and down to target them.
Also included: “augmented reality” games that spawn characters and enemies as you aim the 3DS’ lens at cards placed on your coffee table. In an augmented-reality archery game, “looking down into your table, it looks like there is a pit,” says Brian Crecente of game news site Kotaku.com. “You actually have to walk around to see all sides of this pit because there is an underground chamber” from which targets emerge.
A built-in pedometer rewards you with virtual coins for walking with the 3DS; the device’s StreetPass mode exchanges information between two 3DS systems and adds new game data. “They have done this great job of intertwining the physicality of this new type of gaming with their games,” Crecente says. “It speaks to (the 3DS’) potential.”
Nintendo recommends children ages 6 and under not play in 3-D mode (the display has a depth slider that adjusts the effects, with a low setting of standard 2-D). “That non-3-D option is very smart,” Divnich says. “I think Nintendo is just being cautious. But we don’t really know what the short-term or long-term effects of watching 3-D are, not just games but movies as well.”
Those lucky shoppers who get the early 3DS systems will play a critical part in the product’s future, says Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime. “As they show off content like the (augmented-reality) games and the Mii Maker, I do think that will get non-gamers to say, ‘Wow, I need to give this a look.’ ”

Categories
Awards

He was awful…but so were Vilanch’s jokes!!!

James Franco Strikes Back at Oscar Writer Bruce Vilanch
James Franco fired back at Bruce Vilanch after the Oscar writer told Vulture that the actor was outside of his comfort zone when it came to hosting this year’s Academy Awards.
In an interview posted Monday, Vilanch took aim at Franco’s performance, saying Franco “didn’t get there.”
“I have to call James Franco and tell him the show’s over,” Vilanch joked. “He doesn’t know. He took a nap and he woke up in class.”
Vilanch also debunked speculation that Franco was high during the ceremony, and said that a comedian might have been a wiser choice. “The only people who know how to host those shows are people who get up onstage every night and say, ‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. A funny thing happened … ,'” he said. “Or people like Bette [Midler] who get up and sing all night and tell stories.”
Franco tweeted shortly after the interview was posted online, writing, “Bruce, he let me down” and linking to a picture that was later removed ó but not before another site picked up the image, which features a 2011 copyright by Franco in the bottom left corner. In the photo, Franco and Vilanch are smiling on the red carpet. A Perez-style scrawl over the image reads: “James f—ed up the Oscars. Trust me, I know comedy. I mean, come on, I write for Bette Midler.”
Franco, who was also nominated for best actor for his work in 127 Hours, was widely criticized for not being energetic enough during the three-hour ceremony, which he co-hosted with Anne Hathaway.

Categories
Awards

Well done, Adams!!

Bryan Adams gets Hollywood star
LOS ANGELES ñ Bryan Adams is now enshrined in concrete.
The Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and producer got his Hollywood Walk of Fame star Monday in front of the Musicians Institute.
His hits included “Cut Like a Knife,” “Summer of ’69,” “Run to You,” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You.”
Adam recalled visiting Hollywood Boulevard at 16 and marveling at the stars. He said he was humbled by seeing his own star.
Retired hockey star Wayne Gretzky was on hand for the dedication. Adams sang Canada’s national anthem’ before Gretzky’s final game.
The Grammy-winning singer is currently on tour.
His charitable foundation, The Bryan Adams Foundation, provides grants for projects supporting the elderly, victims of wars and natural disasters, and those suffering from mental or physical abuse.

Categories
Concerts

Many people do, Nick!! Many people do!!!

Nick Mason: ‘I live in hope that Pink Floyd will play again’
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has said he hopes the band will play live together again in the near future.
Speaking to BBC 6Music, Mason said he believed it would be “very unlikely” that the band will ever tour, but that he hoped they would take to the stage again “for the right reasons”.
“I live in hope that we will play together again,” he said, “but it is very unlikely that we will go out on tour.”
He also spoke about the charity gig the band were due to play late last year, that they ended up pulling out of.
“It would have been entirely wrong to do such a small charity gig as Pink Floyd,” he said, adding that he didn’t think it would have benefited the charity concerned if they had played.
Pink Floyd last played together at 2005’s Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London.