Sony Blu-ray Disc Detail Roundup

• 20th Jul 2011

Sony are releasing a host of new Blu-rays over the next couple of months of both old and new varieties. Here’s a few:

Stand By Me: 

In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends-sensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant Teddy (Corey Feldman), and scaredy-cat Vern (Jerry O’Connell) -are in search of a missing teenager’s body. Wanting to be heroes in each other’s and their hometown’s eyes, they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into an odyssey of self-discovery. They sneak smokes, tell tall tales, cuss ’cause it’s cool and band together when the going gets tough. When they encounter the town’s knife-wielding hoods who are also after the body, the boys discover a strength they never knew they had. Stand By Me is a rare and special film about friendship and the indelible experiences of growing up. Filled with humour and suspense, Stand By Me is based on the novella ‘The Body’ by Stephen King.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:`

• BD Exclusive: 25 Years Later: A Picture-in-Picture Commentary. Retrospective Rob Reiner, Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman sit down together, after 25 years, to talk about their memories while filming Stand By Me.

• Audio Commentary with Director Rob Reiner
• Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand By Me  Featurette
• Stand By Me Music Video, featuring River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton.

Das Boot:

At the height of WWII, a young submarine crew heads out to sea on a top-secret mission that all but ensures most will never make it home alive. Ordered to patrol the Atlantic and destroy an allied armada bringing supplies to Britain, these raw recruits must band together, bracing themselves against a depth-charge assault from an unseen enemy.  Oscar®-nominated director Wolfgang Petersen’s epic adventure deftly explores tension as pressure builds to an explosive climax, packing a visceral punch few movies can match. 

2-Disc Blu-ray Special Features:

• Wolfgang Petersen-Back To The Boat – Exclusive to the Blu-ray
• Going Deeper: – Exclusive to the Blu-ray
  • Maria’s Take
  • The Perfect Boat
• Captain’s Tour – Exclusive to the Blu-ray
  • Rooms Overview
  • Entry Conning Tower
  • Torpedo Room & Crew Quarters
  • Captain’s & Officers’ Rooms
  • The Control Room
  • Petty Officers’ Room & Galley
  • Diesel & Electric Motor Rooms
• Historical Material
  • Behind the Scenes (1981)
  • Battle of the Atlantic (1983)

• Director’s Commentary – Wolfgang Petersen

Boyz N The Hood:

BOYZ N THE HOOD is the critically acclaimed story of three friends growing up in a South Central Los Angeles neighborhood, and of street life where friendship, pain, danger and love combine to form reality. In South Central, harmony coexists with adversity, especially for three young men growing up there: Doughboy (Cube), an unambitious drug dealer; his brother Ricky (Chestnut), a college-bound teenage father; and Ricky’s best friend Tre (Gooding, Jr.), who aspires to a brighter future beyond “The Hood.” In a world where a trip to the store can end in death, the friends have diverse reactions to their bleak surroundings. Tre’s resolve is strengthened by a strong father (Fishburne) who keeps him on the right track. But the lessons Tre learns are put to the ultimate test when tragedy strikes close to home, and violence seems like the only recourse.

BOYZ N THE HOOD was produced by Steve Nicolaides (A Few Good Men, Misery, When Harry Met Sally). It was released by Columbia Pictures and has a run time of approximately 112 minutes. It is rated 15.

Blu-ray Special Features Include:

• BD EXCLUSIVE: The Enduring Significance of Boyz N the Hood
• Commentary with Director John Singleton
• Friendly Fire: Making Of An Urban Legend
• Audition Videos Featuring Ice Cube, Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut & Tyra Ferrell
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Videos from Compton’s Most Wanted and Tevin Campbell

Priest

PRIEST, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

PRIEST was written by Cory Goodman (upcoming Apollo 18) and produced by Michael De Luca (The Social Network), Joshua Donen (upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man) and Mitchell Peck (upcoming Crooked Arrows). Executive producers are Glenn S. Gainor (Vacancy, Quarantine), Stephen H. Galloway, Stu Levy and Josh Bratman. The production team includes Oscar®-nominated director of photography Don Burgess, ASC (Best Cinematography, 1994’s Forrest Gump), production designer Richard Bridgland Fitzgerald (Resident Evil), Oscar^®-nominated editor Lisa Zeno Churgin, A.C.E. (Best Editing, 1999’s The Cider House Rules), costume designer Ha Nguyen (Super 8) and composer Christopher Young (Spider-Man 3).

PRIEST was distributed by Screen Gems and has a run time of approximately 87 mins and is rated 15.

DVD

• Commentary with Director Scott Charles Stewart, Writer Cory Goodman, Paul Bettany and Maggie Q
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• The Bloody Frontier: Creating the World of Priest
• Tools of the Trade: The Weapons and Vehicles

Blu-ray Exclusives

• Bullets and Crucifixes: Picture-in-Picture Experience
• movieIQ

Blu-ray 3D Exclusive Bonus Material

• Weapons and Vehicle Exploration in 3D:  Get 360-degree views, explore key highlights and see Priest’s weaponry in action!

The Roommate:

She’s cute. She’s loyal. She’s psychotic. And, unfortunately for college freshman Sara (Kelly), she’s her new roommate. When Sara arrives at school, she finds new romance with Stephen (Gigandet) and forms a fast friendship with her roommate Rebecca (Meester). What begins as camaraderie soon turns creepy, and Sara comes face-to-face with the terrifying realization that her new best friend is obsessive, unbalanced…and maybe even a killer!

THE ROOMMATE marks the screenwriting debut of producer Sonny Mallhi (The Strangers, Shutter). It was produced by Doug Davison (The Grudge, The Ring) and Roy Lee (The Grudge, The Ring). Executive producers are Beau Marks (Mardi Gras, Straw Dogs) and Sonny Mallhi. The film co-stars Billy Zane (Sniper: Reloaded, Titanic), Danneel Harris (The Back-Up Plan, Fired Up!), Frances Fisher (Titanic, Unforgiven) and Tomas Arana (Gladiator, L.A. Confidential). THE ROOMMATE has a run time of 91 mins (BD) and 88 mins (DVD). It has been rated 15.

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Material

• Commentary with Director Christian E. Christiansen
• Alternate Opening Sequence
• Deleted Scenes

Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Material

• Obsession: The Making of The Roommate
• The Roommate: Next Generation of Stars
• Dressing Dangerously
• movieIQ®+sync

Also out soon from Sony are Quarantine 2: Terminal (Aug 15^th) and Tucker & Dale vs Evil (Sept 26^th).