Friday, July 24, 2009

Farscape Celebrates 10th Anniversary with DVD Megaset

"Farscape" fans will rejoice, as the award-winning series will commemorate its 10th anniversary with a deluxe DVD package of the beloved show. On November 17, 2009, the complete series, which ran from 1999-2003 on Sci-Fi, will be re-released in the "Farscape: The Complete Series Megaset". Featuring all 88 episodes on 25 discs, with original aspect ratios and 5.1 surround sound, the all-new Megaset delivers the venerated program to its legions of loyal fans and a new generation for the collectible price of $149.95. The deluxe box set will include over 15 hours of bonus material.

An imaginative fusion of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry, prosthetics and CGI, "Farscape," produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with RHI Entertainment, featured mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable characters - all brought to rich life by the creative minds at Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

The Complete Series Megaset Bonus Features:
• 29 Episode Commentaries (featuring such commentators as Rockne O'Bannon, Brian Henson, Ben Browder, Claudia Black, David Kemper, Anthony Simcoe, Lani Tupu, Peter Andrikidis, and others)
• Multiple featurettes and documentaries - including "In the Beginning: A Look Back with Brian Henson"; "Making of a Space Opera" and "Inside Farscape: Save Farscape".
• Multiple video profiles featuring archival clips and cast/crew discussing their characters and roles on Farscape.
• Over 90 minutes of deleted scenes.
• Slideshows and archival photo galleries, including character concepts and promo photos.
• Production design galleries featuring screenshots, rough drafts and concept slide shows.
• Behind-the-Scenes interviews with Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Virginia Hey, Gigi Edgley, Paul Goddard (Stark), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius) and more.
• Original TV promos and trailers.

In addition to the complete Megaset, on November 17th, FARSCAPE will also be available in single season sets. Each re-packaged DVD release in Farscape: The Complete Seasons 1-4 will feature over 18 hours of entertainment - 22 episodes on six discs filled with hours of revealing bonus materials - for $44.95 each.

Monday, July 20, 2009

The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth Come to Blu-Ray

Sony Home Entertainment is planning to honor two of Jim Henson's classic fantasy films with special Blu-ray High-Def releases this fall. The beloved films "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth" will hit Blu-Ray on September 29, 2009. These remastered films will sparkle in high definition; and aside from carrying over all the special features from 2007's "Anniversary Edition" DVDs, these discs will also include an array of exclusive Blu-ray special features.

The Dark Crystal Bonus Features:
• "Storyboard Track" - Picture-in-Picture storyboard track (New to Blu-Ray)
• "The World of the Dark Crystal"- Making of Documentary
• Audio commentary with Brian Froud
• "The Book of Thra" - Explore the world of the Dark Crystal (New to Blu-Ray)
• "SkekTek's Crystal Challenge" - Trivia Game (New to Blu-Ray)
• "Original Skeksis Language" - Test Scenes with all-new introduction by Screenwriter David O'Dell
• Deleted Scenes
• "Reflections of the Dark Crystal: Light on the Path of Creation" featurette
• "Reflections of the Dark Crystal: Shard of Illusion" featurette

Labyrinth Bonus Features:
• "The Storytellers" - Picture-in-Picture track with all-new interviews (New to Blu-Ray)
• "Inside The Labyrinth" - Making of Documentary
• Audio commentary with Brian Froud
• "Journey through the Labyrinth: Kingdom of Characters" featurette
• "Journey through the Labyrinth: The Quest for Goblin City" featurette

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sesame Street Explores Animals on New DVD

Sesame Workshop and Genius Products are planning to release a band-new direct-to-DVD feature entitled "Elmo's Animal Adventures" on October 6, 2009. This 45-minute DVD will feature three fun-filled adventures all about animals. The all-new video also features appearances by Patricia Arquette and Cameron Diaz.

In one story Elmo and Telly find Little Bo Peep’s missing cow by following clues and working together as a team. In another story Elmo and Abby use their knowledge of animal facts to succeed in the "Find The Amphibian Game." In the third story, Elmo goes on a camping trip and learns about the different types of food that animals eat.

The all-new DVD will tie-in to the 40th season of Sesame Street (which kicks-off in November); and aside from exploring the animal kingdom, the video will also address important issues - such as teamwork, sharing and problem solving. I will be sure to keep you posted with more information on this title as more details become available.