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Latest Video: FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, and Premonition in this episode of FilmCrunch.
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This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 29, 2008

Life of Brian Blu-rayHappy Tuesday, all!

The big news this week is the release of Monty Python’s Life of Brian on Blu-ray. The classic film, walking the hyper-sensitive line between important social issues and side-splitting comedy, is easily one of the best from the Python team, and should have a place on every movie lover’s shelf. Why not own it in gorgeous 1080p resolution and Dolby 5.1 surround sound? The harmless religious satire is that much better.

On a side note, am I crazy, or has Warner started consistently releasing films on HD DVD weeks later than those released on Blu-ray? For instance, this week’s Blu-ray release, The Invasion, won’t come out on HD DVD until February 19. And it’s not this one time either—the list of upcoming titles from High-Def Digest shows a serious lag in Warner HD DVD releases. I realize that Warner is phasing the format out, but have they officially put HD DVD on the back burner?

Check out the full list of high-def releases after the jump.

Click to continue reading This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 29, 2008


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Thousands Sign Petition to Save HD DVD

HD DVD Blu-ray clashImpassioned high-definitionites are still fighting to save their precious HD DVD with an online petition. Beginning January 5, the outcry had hoped to urge Warner Home Entertainment to reconsider its recent decision to go Blu-ray, after long-time indecisiveness regarding the format war.

Petitioners also hope the two remaining studios, Paramount and Universal, will see that HD DVD has many supporters and shouldn’t be relegated to history along with Betamax.

Many people have left comments vilifying Warner for allegedly choosing money over consumer choice. Some even swore to never buy another Warner-related film. To be sure, the decision dealt a mighty blow to HD DVD owners; it is clear they feel passionately.

As of this writing, the petition had topped nearly 14,000—not bad considering its short existence—though one wonders what it would take to convince a monolithic conglomerate like Warner.

If you want to do your part to keep HD DVD alive, or if you simply like the competition, sign the petition. Or if you’re ready for the format war to end— eschewing consumer choice and embracing monopoly—you can always sign the Let HD DVD Die Petition.


This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 08, 2008

Zodiac HD DVDThis week marks the release of the first batch of high-definition DVDs since on-the-fence Warner landed decidedly on the Blu side; I must admit, as an HD DVD man, the day feels a bit colder than normal. But no matter—the format war is far from over.

On a lighter note, both formats have some exciting titles to speak of, including the Blu-ray release of one of my favorite movies from 2007, Sunshine; Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning film, The Pianist, on HD DVD; and the long-awaited special edition of David Fincher’s Zodiac, also on HD DVD. The DVD release from July contained nary a special feature, so this two-disc director’s cut ought to please those Fincher fans waiting for a decent version.

Check out the full list of high-def releases after the jump.

Click to continue reading This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 08, 2008


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