So who knows how Harry Potter ended?
The big disc news this week is New Line’s announcement that they’ll be coming out with next-gen titles, even if the first title is the current musical of Hairspray. Lord of the Rings, here we come? Aside from that, the biggest disc release news appears to be related to discs that don’t have street dates attached to them yet. Warner says that there will be a box set of the first five Harry Potter films on HD DVD and Blu-ray, and there’s even pricing f…r them, but a date has yet to be announced, along with he extras (although expect lossless soundtracks for at least some). Much is the same for Blade Runner as well, including a massive five-disc treatment. For more normal material, Black Book comes to Blu-ray from Sony on 9/25 (along with Underworld and Memoirs of a Geisha), and a week later, Starz/Anchor Bay drops Dawn of the Dead, Evil Dead 2, Day of the Dead and Halloween. They also bring Volumes 1 and 2 of the Masters of Horror sets on 10/16, with Volume 3 coming out on November 13 and Volume 4 on December 11. Speaking of fourth quarter titles, the classic 20 Million Miles to Earth comes to Blu-ray on 12/4. Format neutral parties get to decide what version they want to see the Warner films The Wild Bunch, Gods and Generals and Wyatt Earp, all of which will be appearing on 9/25, along with Gothika. And finally, Cars will finally arrive on 11/6. Discs this week are an eclectic bunch, with HD DVD exclusivos seeing Scent of a Woman, Streets of Fire, The Bourne Identity, The Contract, In Good Company and Nutty Professor 2. Blu-ray campers decide if they want to pull the trigger on Season Two of Weeds, while format neutralities can decide on Purple Rain, Out For Justice and The Host.
That’s it for me this week, and as always high definers, keep the brightness low and the resolution high!
