Blu-Ray X3 Press Release (1 Viewer)

Fox’s 1st BD Release Featuring 100% High-Def Content Also Includes A Cool, Graphically Spectacular Marvel Trivia Feature
-- On Blu-Ray November 14, Perfect For The Playstation 3 on November 17 –


CENTURY CITY, Calif. (November 2, 2006) – Continuing its unwavering commitment to the Blu-ray Disc format (BD), the only high-definition packaged media platform broadly supported by the film, music, gaming, computing and consumer electronics industries, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE) today announced the North American Blu-ray debut of X-MEN: THE LAST STAND on November 14, timed and demographically perfect for the launch of Sony’s much-anticipated Playstation 3 on November 17. The three X-MEN movies are among the studio’s most popular and successful, collectively grossing over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and selling over 45 million DVD/VHS units. Reigning as one of the biggest films of the year and the industry’s biggest BD release ever, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND features 100% HD content in AVC (MPEG4) including the film and the bonus features – a first for Fox. It carries a suggested retail price of $39.98 U.S. / $49.98 Canada.

The BD release of X-MEN: THE LAST STAND on November 14 joins Fox’s stellar, action-packed line-up of initial BD releases, which includes BEHIND ENEMY LINES, FANTASTIC FOUR, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director’s Cut), KISS OF THE DRAGON, THE OMEN (2006), THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, SPEED and THE TRANSPORTER. These releases also carry a suggested retail price of US$39.98/CAN$49.98.

The following week bring the Studio’s first day-and-date DVD and BD release with the concurrent release of ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN on November 21 in North America. This inaugural day-and-date release will benefit from the comprehensive, multi-million dollar marketing campaigns already in place for ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, which will tout the availability of the title on both DVD and BD.

Authored in HDMV with AVC (MPEG 4 compression) and exceptional 6.1 DTS ES HD Lossless Master Audio, the X-MEN: THE LAST STAND BD release boasts two commentary tracks (director Brett Ratner with writers Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg; separate track featuring producers Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter), 12 alternate / extended scenes presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital audio (with optional director / writer commentary) and enhanced Marvel Trivia Track – with this feature activated, color graphics pop up throughout the film giving inside information from the Marvel universe on characters and events, plus favorite Marvel Comics are referenced and Marvel characters and graphics are incorporated into the presentation.

Fox’s commitment to emerging technologies is dedicated to enhancing the consumer experience of its products and providing for backward compatibility with their existing home entertainment libraries while also aggressively protecting its intellectual property from piracy. The Blu-ray companies fully embrace the Studio’s steadfast commitment to the fight against piracy and the preservation of the integrity of its properties. Twentieth Century Fox is a member of the Board of Directors of the Blu- ray Disc Association.

A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets -- from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce - throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.




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BD50 as well...

Man, that sounds awesome. I'm hoping the first two films will follow suit.

How I wish that Fox would've released X-Men and X2 on Blu-Ray before this film. They're giving the worst one the special treatment. Sigh....

I'm sure X1 & X2 will get the same, if not better treatment.

I will bet it will be more like the MI series, with III getting all of the treatment, and MI I and MI II just getting standard releases.

Is this the first discrete 6.1 track to hit HD?

And in lossless format?

Hope those firmware upgrades are coming!

It's natural they'd put the most recent box office smash of the saga on HD first. And I liked this movie enough for what it was, so I must say I'm pretty happy about this release. There wouldn't have been so many people pissed off about the deleted scenes fiasco if there wasn't a following for this film. The fact they're not including all the deleted scenes on the HD version yet (which I have on my copy of the DVD) pretty much screams there will be a spectacular trilogy set down the line.

And despite the rants against the Fox/Blu-Ray machine (they're not one and the same, but people sure act like it), Fox DOES have a lot of titles to offer. So many franchises they've relased and re-released before. And their DVD's went from disappointing to spectacular quality. Even Paramount's transfers on SE re-releases were far from perfect for a long time, with even the quality of the more recent Star Trek films being inconsistent (though generally better than the initial releases).

So I'm very excited to see Fox releasing their product and can understand why they've scoffed at the HD-DVD camp tooting its horn before Fox had any product out. No side is more pompous than the other. It's like a political campaign.

It still amazes me that Fox and Paramount were the slowest of the major studios to jump onboard DVD, and they're both doing HD right off the bat, and Fox Blu-Ray exclusively. And now with lossless 6.1 tracks and seamless branching for both cuts of Alien vs. Predator (again not the greatest movie, but likely an indicator those franchises will receive grand treatment in the future), it looks like Fox is ready to deliver.

I have not read about it much, but I remember that some DVD's had a couple more deleted scenes. Wish they were included. I do remember they came back to shoot some scenes just for DVD, so I have a feeling that a different cut is coming later on.

First I've heard about shooting more for the DVD. I have one of the DVDs with the 21 or 22 deleted scenes. I was one of the lucky ones. Interestingly, a lot of the slightly more controversial scenes seemed to be dropped off the discs with less deleted scenes.

I was at my local Fry's today and they comfirmed that they would be getting X-Men 3 on Blu-ray this Novermber 14th. I also saw somewhere where X-Men 3 would include a DTS-HD track. I hope the other two films get the DTS-HD treatment as well.

yup Dave 6.1 track

It occurs to me that Fox really does have a lot of "popcorn movies," don't they?

Their first wave has a lot of titles few would consider masterpieces, but look/sound really cool and provide escapist entertainment.

I would think Independence Day would be a natural summer release, but should they wait that long? Hmm...I can almost smell the Die Hard movies, especially with the 4th installment on the way.

There's a very "movies for guys that like movies" air, which might not be an altogether unwise strategy, especially if they're going after the audience who will be using the PS3's as their breakthrough to HD, possibly those whose older siblings did the same with PS2.

Anyone ever wonder how many copies of "Lost in Space" sold, considering few actually liked that movie? I think I got it as a 3 for $1 deal back in the day at 800.com. But it was a nice showcase for DVD. At least there are titles like MI3 out already for showcasing. I got tired of hearing "50 First Dates looks amazing!"

I agree that X3 is a good release, but the remainder of the Fox lineup is pretty mediocre. This is not to say the releases from Universal are much better, because they are not.

Oh well, I will take what ever few tibits they want to throw my way.

IMHO the Fox line up is not all that bad. Most of Fox's releases also have DTS-HD as icing on the cake.

Behind Enemy Lines (Fox)
Speed (Fox)
The Transporter (Fox)
X-Men: The Last Stand (Fox)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (Fox)
Entrapment (Fox)

At least there not releasing titles like:

Nacho Libre (Paramount)
Eight Below (Disney)
Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room (Magnolia)
Haunted Mansion (Disney)
Species (MGM)
Ultraviolet (Sony)
Kingdom of Heaven (Fox)
The Descent (Lionsgate)

and HD-DVD titles are not imune from this list ether.
Army of Darkness (Universal)
Dazed and Confused (Universal)
The Dukes of Hazzard (Warner)
Jarhead (Universal)
That’s the Way of the World (BCI)
The Thing (1982) (Universal)
Accepted (Universal)
The Fast and the Furious (Universal)

At least they didn't release these Fox titles first:
Speed 2
Thank You For Smoking
Date Movie
Dr Dolittle 3

If we are going to mention subpar to popcorn movies, then these titles go from bad to ehhh ok.

hmm I didnt saw Kingdom of heaven SE, and I read that the movie with extra footage is 100% better compare to theatrical one....

I am very looking forward this one from FOX
(dts from DVD was very nice...so DTS HD loosless can be AMAZING )

Marek

Dave, did you just put Army of Darkness and The Thing in the same class as The Fast and the Furious? That's just nuts, man.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. IMHO, anyone that thinks one studios releases (with the exception of maybe Warner) has been better that the others has there head stuck in the ground. As a rule of thumb, the title the studios have released have been very mediocre, and January and February are looking not much better.

Out of the 35 or so HD and BD movies I currently own, if it were not for the newness effect, I would have purchased only 6.

MPEG4, bleech. Every time I get excited about a Blu-Ray title, there's always a 'gotcha'.

I was listing poor movies and popcorn movies on HD formats. For first round Fox titles I think they are doing a decent job so far. When will we see the other two X-Men movies on Blu-ray? And when will we see Star Wars on HD? Ya I know, when ever Lucas thinks he can maximize the money he can make off of it. I bet it doesn't hit HD video until mmmmm let me see 2009?

Actually, I can only find one or two titles listed IMHO are 'good' titles in either your Fox or Universal list. As far as what is poor or good, it is completly subjective, but from Universal, both The Thing and Army of Darkness are somrthing of cult classics.

From the Fox list, only Ice Age and X3 will be on my buy list.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=747226

somebody over avs, picked up X-MEN3 today, it's strange on the cover he posted there is info - 25GB single layer ???... and other interesting info AVC 18MBPS

I think it's error on the cover, they can't put all extras in HD plus movie and DTS HD MASTER on single layer ?

Marek