Warner Home Video to Release Eight Additional High Definition DVD Titles Including Four New Blu-rays, Four New HD DVDs; Studio Offering Largest Selection of New HD Format Titles Debuts Latest September 5 and 12
Continuing in their mission to provide consumers with the broadest choices for next generation home viewing, Warner Home Video will debut Blu-ray high definition versions of Lethal Weapon, Firewall, Blazing Saddles and Full Metal Jacket. On September 12 four more HD DVD titles will be released: Troy, Lethal Weapon 2, House of Wax and Space Cowboys. All titles will be available for $28.99 SRP, except Firewall, which will be available for $34.99 SRP.
Troy will make its HD DVD debut with In-Movie Experience (IME), the new interactive feature allowing viewers to enjoy new ways of accessing interviews and other material — while the movie is running. Troy’s IME has director Wolfgang Petersen and his creative team leading the viewer on an audio-visual tour of their epic recreations of Greece and Troy.
“Based on the reaction from consumers and writers alike, it’s safe to say that everyone agrees that these exceptional new technologies afford viewers the best home theater there is,” said Stephen Nickerson, WHV’s Senior Vice President, Market Management. “The picture from true 1080p high definition provides a sharpness, a clarity and texture, superb shadow detail, great flesh tones and deep blacks — all of which far exceed any previous visual experience. Finally, the outstanding dynamic range of sound provides a level of authenticity that brings new life to the audio experience in home.”
Warner Home Video HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, as well as extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound. The new formats also provide a higher level of interactivity, with instant access to extra features via a seamless menu-bar where viewers can enjoy features without leaving or interrupting the film.
Blu-ray Discs
Lethal Weapon — Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star as Riggs and Murtaugh, two L.A. detectives who uncover a huge drug-smuggling operation, and as their success rate grows so does their friendship.
Firewall — Stars Harrison Ford as Jack Stanfield, whose perfect life is shattered when his wife and children are kidnapped and held for $100 million ransom, plunging him into a cyber-edged race against time.
Blazing Saddles stars Cleavon Little as an unlikely sheriff in the town of Rock Ridge, Harvey Korman as the villain, Madeline Kahn as a Marlene Dietrich-style chanteuse, Gene Wilder as the wacko Waco Kid and Brooks himself as a not-too-sharp politico.
Full Metal Jacket is Stanley Kubrick’s definitive film about the Vietnam War which follows an 18-year-old marine recruit — from boot camp to heavy fighting during the 1968 Tet Offensive.
HD DVDs
Troy — Brad Pitt brings a muscular, brooding presence to the role of the Greek warrior Achilles in this spectacular retelling of Homer’s classic tale, The Iliad.
Lethal Weapon 2 — Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are at it again (with more than 4 added minutes) in this blockbuster sequel. Joe Pesci makes his first appearance in the series as Leo (“OK, OK”) Getz.
House of Wax (2005) — Six college-age friends’ road trip to a big college football game takes a turn for the worse when sidetracked into an eerie backwater town. Once there, they’re drawn to the town’s main attraction — Trudy’s House of Wax, filled with wax-coated corpses. The kids must find a way out before they too become permanent exhibits.
Space Cowboys — Clint Eastwood’s rocket-powered action hit stars Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones. Donald Sutherland and James Garner as the bravest, boldest and fastest test pilots this country had to offer. Now, more than four decades later, a Russian satellite has suffered a systems failure and it’s up to the four outdated heroes to finally go into space with the hopes of fixing a piece of equipment that’s every bit as outdated as they are.
All bonus materials on the Standard Definition versions of these titles will be included on the HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions.
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.
