Warner bringing 300 (again), JFK and Casablanca to Blu-ray this fall
By Richard Lawler 
posted Jun 26th 2008 8:01AM
posted Jun 26th 2008 8:01AM
Blu-ray 300 fans should finally experience those HD DVD-exclusive bonus features, since Warner has announced a Limited Collector's Edition release of the best seller this fall, along with JFK and Casablanca. Also notched in the "confirmed" column is Band of Brothers, although there's no word if any/all of these flicks will be among those getting the BD-Live treatment. We'll keep an eye out for any new announcements, as much as we enjoy watching people getting booted into a bottomless pit, we're not sure if rehashed PiP and ringtones alone will have buyers reaching into their pockets again.
They should call this "Limited Edition" release the "HD DVD Edition"!
Need a Kleenex?
This is BS... I bought the damn thing the first time it came out on Blu. Damn ripoff, I tell ya!
And I'll have to pass on BoB... bought it on DVD for 90 bucks when it first came out. I won't be spending another 100+ bucks on the Blu version.
@ TrentD -- let it go, man!
I...I...but I can't! I need somebody to do the "It's not your fault" speech from Good Will Hunting to help me break through my painful memories!
:)
You'd have to be a king to eat a Sbarro. $3 for a slice of their shitty pizza is outrageous.
Hence, Leonidas picture
$3 slice of shitty pizza? That is madness!
Welcome to repurchasing technique by BDA and studios.
5 versions of the same HD title you pay $25-$30 for initially.. I guess Blu-Ray diehards will find some kind of explanation like it's ok to re-release the same movie 3 times.
Thank god I got this on HD DVD.. otherwise I would be spending about $60 on Blu-Ray versions until I get the quality of HD DVD one.
Don't be stupid. No one is forcing you to buy the same movie again. And indeed no one would just for a PIP commentary track and a handful interactive games that separated the previous incarnations on HD DVD and Blu Ray. The video and audio were otherwise identical. So you missed out on a PIP track, whoopdy do.
And where does it say $60?
No kidding. I got the HD-DVD on half.com for $5.
Wow, an early FAIL for you huh NFINITY? It has nothing to do with the format. DVD's have been triple released over the years, so this is nothing new.
Nfinity, this is a studio decision and has absolutely nothing to do with the BDA. Studios have been multi-dipping since the LaserDisc days, and they'll keep doing it until the end of time. They even do it on PPV movies. They'll release the initial movie-only version, then later they'll have a version with pop-up trivia that plays along with the movie.
My question is: How good is the PiP track? If it's really excellent I might consider selling my copy of 300 and getting the new one.
Mr. E, The PiP track is really cool. You see how everything looked before any special effects were added. It goes a long way in explaining what they did, and how they did it to get the final picture. And seeing it next to the finished product makes it easy to compare the two. The coolest PiP feature I've seen in my HD DVD collection.
Thanks EvilWaterman! I'll have to check it out. Darn you Warner, got me again! :)
@DrXym
I think the 300 re-release should settle once and for all whether people really are interested in extras or not. If it hits 100k+ sold this year, that's a pretty good indication that the extras are important to some people. If it can't break 50k? That's proof it doesn't matter.
I say "this year" because I don't know if this version is truly "limited" or if it's actually going to replace the other version, and if it does, a person wanting 300 wouldn't have a choice but to buy this version.
I don't have a problem with re-releases, but I hope they clean up that swarm of bees graininess on the new release. It is a great movie with great sound and picutre, but it is not demo material with that weird efect.
300 was heavily manipulated that if there is any "grain" it is intentional noise added there during production. Virtually every single scene is shot in front of a green screen with all the backdrop added in.
The grain and sepia tones are part of the movie. It was an effect added on post-production.
That "weird effect" is completely intentional, to convey a gritty, dirty feeling to the movie. To remove it would remove a big part of the intended atmosphere.
Please, studios, stop removing grain and fine detail, which changes the original artistic intent of movies, in the name of "quality!"
More info here: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/robertharris/harris062408.html
The first version of 300 I bought is fine and dandy with me. All the "extra" features is not worth rebuying it.
As for Band of Brothers, that is a must re-purchase. I have it on DVD and *WILL HAVE IT* on blu-ray! I want Saving Private Ryan as well. BoB is the best WWII movie/series ever. I'll probably give away my DVD version to a family or friend...but the blu-ray version will be mine!
Don't start with this "the BD camp is trying to rip you off by making you buy the same titles over and over again." The studios have been doing this with standard DVD for years! First a bare-bones edition to get it in stores as soon as possible. Then the Collector's/Director's Cut edition with added footage and bonus material. Then the Super Deluxe edition with the same added footage but new extras. Then the You Can't Live Without This Edition with every single piece of film and video ever shot spread across two or three disks. So let's not start pointing fingers at the BD folks, because guess what? They're the same people at the studios who have done this to you with standard DVDs as well. It's a business. They will find new way to re-sell their product. You expect them to just put out one video and call it a day? Grow up. Warners is not holding a gun to your head and forcing you to re-buy 300, and besides, those early disks you have to figure will be reissued to include features that previously weren't available in the Profile 1.0 configuration, just like anyone who bought a Profile 1.0 player is either going to want to upgrade or not, but no one is forcing the issue on you!
Yeah, I might rent it and watch the PiP and what ever else they might throw in to not get bashed with Negative PR when it re-releases.
If it really is all that I might upgrade.
Good thing I waited on buying 300 on Blu-ray. I refused to pay the same price for less.
I am still waiting for a worthwhile version of Terminator 2 to be released on Blu-ray.