Affenheimtheater » Blu-ray

Batte Royale & Battle Royale: Requiem on US Blu-ray Disc

Ulrik — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:27:52 +0000

I already added these two discs some time ago to the Asian Blu-ray Guide database, but since the great cover artwork has only been revealed some days ago, I thought I should mention the upcoming US Blu-ray Disc releases of Battle Royale here as well.
Anchor Bay will release two edition of Kinji Fukasaku’s cult hit Battle Royale on March 20th. The single-disc regular edition comes with the director’s cut version of the first film while the Complete Collection will include both versions of Battle Royale, the director’s cut of Battle Royale: Requiem plus several bonus features on four discs.
The converted 3D version of the original film is still only available in Japan and Germany withouth English subtitles…

Pre-order Battle Royale and Battle Royale: The Complete Collection @ Amazon.com

REDLINE ab Oktober in Deutschland auf DVD und Blu-ray Disc

Ulrik — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:07:56 +0000

This article is about the German DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Takeshi Koike’s REDLINE Anime. Because it won’t include English subtitles or audio the full article is only available in German. Manga Entertainment UK will release two (Standard and Double Play) English friendly Blu-ray Disc versions on November 14th.

Da habe ich vor einiger Zeit so oft von Studio Madhouses Racing Anime Redline berichtet und dann vergesse ich doch glatt hier auch mal etwas über die kommende deutsche Veröffentlichung zu schreiben.
Kaze wird “das krasseste Rennen des Universums” ( ) von Regisseur Takeshi Koike nämlich am 28. Oktober hierzulande auf Blu-ray Disc (und DVD) auf den Markt bringen. Wie so oft stattet Kaze seine Veröffentlichungen europaweit gleich aus, weshalb die BD im Amaray neben dem japanischen Originalton auch eine deutsche, französische und italienische Tonspur enthält. Für Leseratten gibt es Untertitel auf Deutsch, Französisch, Niederländisch, Italienisch und Polnisch.
Wer eine schönere Verpackung möchte, muss entweder bis zum November auf die UK Double Play Veröffentlichung von Manga Entertainment warten oder tiefer in der Tasche grabebn und zur englisch untertitelten japanischen Limited Edition greifen. Die liegt übrigens seit ca. einer Woche aufgrund akutem Zeitmangel und noch nicht aufgebauter Heimkinoanlage noch jungfräulich verpackt irgendwo in meiner neuen Wohnung herum…

Masters of Cinema @ Blu-ray Disc Region Lock

Ulrik — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:07:44 +0000

Komatta na! Now that’s a statement…

[via The Digital Fix]

5 Centimeters per Second: Global Edition Blu-ray Disc with English Subtitles

Ulrik — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:07:56 +0000

Probably because Western distributors (I’m looking at you, Manga Entertainment!) just can’t find the time to release Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters per Second anime on Blu-ray Disc with English subtitles, the Japanese distributor decided to release the film on his own…again.
The “Global Edition” Blu-ray Disc will not only include the main feature, but also Shinkai’s Voices of a Distant Star and his 5 minutes short film She and Her Cat.
5 Centimeters per Seconds will come with Japanese and English audio plus Japanese, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portugese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Arabic subtitles. Voices of a Distant Star will have Japanese and English audio with English subtitles. She and Her Cat plus all bonus material will be English subtitled.
[via Can you Moe?]

Howl’s Moving Castle, Tales from Earthsea and Ponyo Japan Blu-ray Disc

Ulrik — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:07:28 +0000

Studio Ghibli is about to start a massive assault on the credit card accounts of HD anime lovers on November 16th. Together with Disney Home Entertainment, the studio will release three of their titles on Blu-ray Disc in Japan.
While Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is already available on Blu-ray Disc since 2009 and will only be re-released to match the package of the current Studio Ghibli BD releases, his 2004 feature Howl’s Moving Castle has never been available in high definition except for one obscure Mexican release. Judging from the screenshots taken from the Joe Hisaishi in Budokan – Miyazaki Anime to Tomo ni Ayunda 25 Nenkan Blu-ray Disc this should be a real treat! Hayao’s son Goro Miyazaki will get the chance to show off Tales from Earthsea (Gdo Senki), his first feature for the studio.
All three discs will include English subtitles and the English dub. French, Italian, German, Korean and Chinese language options are also available on some of the releases. See the Asian Blu-ray Guide listings below for more details.

Howl’s Moving Castle – Tales from Earthsea – Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Re-release) @ Asian Blu-ray Guide

[via Can you Moe? & WTK]

Full Trailer for Sion Sono’s Guilty of Romance

Ulrik — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:46:26 +0000

Full Trailer for Sion Sono’s latest film Guilty of Romance. Eureka will release it on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 31st, even before its theatrical opening in Japan!

Synopsis:

Izumi is married to a famous romantic novelist but their life seems just a simple repetition without romance. One day, she decides to follow her desires and accepts to be a naked model that fakes sex in front of the camera. Soon she meets a mentor and starts selling her body to strangers but at home, she is still the wife she is supposed to be.One day a brutally murdered body is found in the love hotels district. The police tries to understand what happened.

[via Wildgrounds]

Makoto Shinkai’s Hoshi o Ou Kodomo: Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below on Blu-ray Disc and DVD with English Subtitles

Ulrik — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:27:14 +0000

A few hours after my little rant on Facebook about the lack of English subtitled Japanese Blu-ray Disc releases of interesting anime series and movies, Can you Moe? reports this:
The latest work of director Makoto Shinkai (5 Centimeters Per Second, The Place Promised in Our Early Days and Voices of a Distant Star), Hoshi o Ou Kodomo: Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below will be released with English (plus Japanese and Chinese) subtitles in Japan on November 25th. A Regular and a Limited Blu-ray Disc Edition plus a noteworthy DVD version are already listed on CDJapan. The limited edition will include a special features disc and several bonus items like a film stip, a comic, an image board collection and a booklet.
Shopping
Hoshi o Ou Kodomo (Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below)
BD Regular Edition – BD Limited Edition – DVD Edition @ Amazon.co.jp

A Better Tomorrow Trilogy on HK Blu-ray Disc in August

Ulrik — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:57:08 +0000

While the South Korean remake is already available in high definition for some time now, Kam & Ronson finally decided to release all three parts of John Woo and Tsui Hark’s HK classic A Better Tomorrow series on Blu-ray Disc. All three films will be released in Hong Kong on August 5th and will probably be locked to Region A.
I really hope K&M will use better material for these films than they did for their Police Story and Once Upon A Time in China releases, but knowing K&M I bet they won’t…

A Bittersweet Life: Korean Limited Edition Blu-ray Disc

Ulrik — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:01:52 +0000

After several delays from distributor Contents Zone, Asian retailer YesAsia finally listed the South Korean Blu-ray Disc release of A Bittersweet Life.
Kim Ji-Woon’s thriller starring Lee Byung-Hun will hit the shelves on August 30th in two editions with different packages but both including the Director’s cut and English subtitles. The standard edition comes with a simple slipcover while the limited Coffee Book edition keeps the disc in a thick hardcover book. Both editions will also be packaded with four stills from the film.

Stars Wars on Blu-ray Disc: Deleted Scenes Trailer

Ulrik — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:07:16 +0000

20th Century Fox has released a trailer for the upcoming Blu-ray Disc release of the Star Wars Trilogies that shows some legendary deleted scenes (like the Wampa attack on Hoth Echo Base, Tatooine sand storms etc.) from the classic trilogy.
Of course these deleted scenes will only be available in the Complete Collection Set that includes all six films instead of those three you actually want to see again and again…

[See full post to watch this video]

[via Rope of Silicone]

I Saw The Devil: International and Theatrical Cut on Blu-ray Disc

Ulrik — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:57:36 +0000

Good news for those who can’t or just don’t want to decide if they prefer the international or theatrical cut (check out wildgrounds’ comparison) of Kim Ji-Woon’s bloody thriller I Saw The Devil (악마를 보았다 ). The South Korean distributor Blue Kino announced to release a Blu-ray Disc set that will include both versions and English subtitles on July 27th.
Judging from the product image I stole from YesAsia, the set consists of two standard amarays packed inside a (limited) slipcase. Too bad they didn’t use the nice fold-out package from the already released DVD set…

STAR WARS: Blu-ray Disc Cover Artwork

Ulrik — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:37:23 +0000

To celebrate Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox released technical details and the cover artwork for the three Star Wars Blu-ray Disc collections that will hit the stores (and our wallets) on September, 12th (16th for the US):

REDLINE: English-friendly Japan DVD & Blu-ray Disc in August

Ulrik — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:07:44 +0000

Fans of high octane racing rejoice! TC Entertainment announced to release Takeshi Koike’s Studio Madhouse racing anime REDLINE on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Japan with English subtitles on August 10th.
Both versions will be available in a regular and Collector’s edition. While the regular editions come in a standard amaray package, the more expensive editions will be packed in a digibook plus sleeve with a bonus SD DVD with several extra material and a never released bonus film (without English subtitles).

Those of you who don’t want to pay the premium Japanese prices just have to wait until September 12th when Manga Entertainment UK plans to release the film on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. US releases have also been announced, but so far without a proper release date.
Preorder REDLINE on DVD or Blu-ray Disc @ Amazon.co.jp
[via Can you Moe? & WTK]

Whisper of the Heart : Blu-ray Disc in July

Ulrik — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 05:57:29 +0000

This Summer could become really expensive for Studio Ghibli fans. This weekend Disney Home Entertainment Japan announced to release Yoshifumi Kondo and Hayao Miyazaki’s 1995 Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) on Blu-ray Disc on July 20th to follow the home video release of Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s The Borrower Arrietty (Karigurashi no Arrietty) in June.
Next to the original Japanese dub and subtitles, AV Watch also mentions English, German, Korean and Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) dubs with English, Korean and Chinese subtitles.
[Thanks to WTK for the heads-up!]
Preorder Whisper of the Heart Blu-ray Disc @ Amazon.co.jp

The Borrower Arrietty (Karigurashi no Arrietty): Japan DVD and Blu-ray Disc in June!

Ulrik — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:47:35 +0000

Amazon and CDJapan just added the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of Studio Ghibli’s latest film The Borrower Arrietty (Karigurashi no Arrietty) to their stock!
The full specs haven’t been announced yet, but CDJapan tells us that the disc will include English, French and Japanese subtitles with the French, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese dub next to the original Japanese audio track. The supposed release date is set for June 17th.
Judging by the cover artwork from Amazon.co.jp, this one will look great next to the Japanese releases of Nausicaä, Laputa and My Neighbors the Yamadas.

See you Space Cowboy! Cowboy Bebop: The Movie US Blu-ray Disc in June

Ulrik — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 07:07:07 +0000

Three years after the English-subtitles-lacking Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Image Entertainment finally announced to bring the film to US shores in high definition!
According to AnimeOnDVD, the release is set for June 28th and will include the original Japanese and the often praised English dub in 5.1 DTS-HD MA with English and Spanish subtitles.
An image comparison between several DVD releases and the Japanese Blu-ray Disc is available in the Bullets ‘n’ Babes forum.
[Thanks to Damon!]
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door @ Asian Blu-ray Guide
Pre-order Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door from Amazon.com

AKIRA: UK Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combi Steelbook [Update]

Ulrik — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:07:23 +0000

Manga Entertainment UK just tweeted a high resolution product shot for the UK Blu-ray Disc release of Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA.
The BD/DVD combi will hit the shelves in a nice steelbook package (probably because the Brits had to wait so long for their ‘own’ release) for a limited time on June 27th. I guess the BD itself will be the same as the one in the amazing US and Japanese release that I told you about maaaany times before…

Pre-order AKIRA UK Blu-ray Disc/DVD Steelbook @ Amazon.co.uk

Confessions: HK Blu-ray Disc with English Subtitles

Ulrik — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:37:34 +0000

YesAsia.com has listed the Hong Kong Blu-ray Disc release of Tetsuya Nakashima’s Confessions (告白 Kokuhaku) coming March 3, 2011 from CN Entertainment. This will be the first Blu-ray Disc release of the Oscar-nominated thriller from the director of Kamikaze Girls, Memories of Matsuko, and Paco and the Magical Book with English subtitles.
According to most retailers, the disc will be locked to Region A, so some of you might have to wait for the announced UK release from Third Window Films.
[Thanks again to AnimeOnBlu!]

Cover Artwork for Universum Anime’s upcoming Ponyo Blu-ray Disc unveiled

Ulrik — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:57:11 +0000

Nice one! Looks like German distributor Universum Anime decided to mimick the amazing cover style of Studio Ghibli’s Blu-ray Disc releases for their own upcoming Blu-ray Disc of Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo.

[Thanks to droppingpenny for the heads-up]

Blu-ray Disc Spotlight: Laputa Castle in the Sky [Japan]

Ulrik — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:27:49 +0000

Laputa Castle in the Sky – WDHE

Specifications [BD50]
Region: ABC
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video 1080p 23,976fps
Audio: Japanese: DTS HD MA / 1732kbps / 2.0 / 48kHz / 16bit
English: Dolby Digital / 640kbps / 5.1 / 48kHz
German: Dolby Digital / 192kbps / 2.0 / 48kHz
French: Dolby Digital / 192kbps / 2.0 / 48kHz
Mandarin: Dolby Digital / 192kbps / 2.0 / 48kHz
Cantonese: Dolby Digital / 192kbps / 2.0 / 48kHz
Korean: Dolby Digital / 192kbps / 2.0 / 48kHz
Subtitles: English, Japanese, French, Finnish, Korean, Traditional Chinese
BDInfo Report
Screenshots

Laputa Castle in the Sky @ Asian Blu-ray Guide

I Saw The Devil: Ab April auf Blu-ray Disc und DVD

Ulrik — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:07:55 +0000

Splendid Entertainment will release Kim Ji-Woon’s (A Tale of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life, The Good, the Bad, the Weird) Thriller I Saw The Devil (악마를 보았다 ) starring Choi Min-Sik and Lee Byung-Hun (A Bittersweet Life) on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Germany on April 15th. These releases won’t have English subtitles, so if you don’t understand German I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for an International release…which haven’t been announced yet.

Star Wars on Blu-ray Disc in September

Ulrik — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:07:41 +0000

What a nice start into the new year. During the CES, Lord Vader himself announced that the Star Wars saga will finally be available on Blu-ray Disc this September!
As expected from Mr. Lucas, there will not only be one complete box set including all six films of the saga with loads of bonus material on three discs but also individual box set with the films of the ~~old~~ original and prequel trilogy. All three sets are already available for pre-order at Amazon.com. To celebrate the announcement, Lucasfilm has created a short trailer with some random footage from all six films:

Shopping
Star Wars: Complete Saga I-VI – Star Wars: Trilogie I-III – Star Wars: Trilogie IV-VI

FUNimation Anime Blu-ray Disc Sale @ Amazon.com

Ulrik — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:17:32 +0000

Just in time for New Year’s Eve, Amazon.com gives us another chance to max out our credit cards. The retailer is running a nice Anime on Blu-ray Disc Sale with 26 titles from FUNimation including box sets, single releases and some niché live-action films.
Check the FUNimation studio listing at the Asian Blu-ray Disc Guide to see, which of these releases are locked to Region A and which will also play on European machines (some are Region A and B). In the comment section you should also see if these are just upscales or proper HD releases.
FUNimation Anime Blu-ray Disc Sale @ Amazon.com
[Thanks to Baitrunner for the heads up!]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: US Blu-ray Disc in March 2011

Ulrik — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 15:17:35 +0000

US fans of Studio Ghibli rejoice! Walter Disney HE announced to finally bring Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to North America on Blu-ray Disc on March 8, 2011.
The 1984 masterpiece is already available on Blu-ray Disc in Japan, UK and Australia. While latter ones are locked to Region B (confirmed for the UK disc, but I bet Madman will use the same for their Australian release), the amazing Japanese release is region free but could put many fans off because of its high price. So the upcoming US Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack with the following features and temporary specs should please most region A buyers. Hopefully Disney will add a losless Japanese audio track this time…

Bonus features:
Blu-ray Disc
* The World of Ghibli? Visit Nausicaa’s world in this enchanted interactive experience
* Behind the Studio: Discover the film’s fantastic origins in this fascinating documentary, including an interview with Hayao Miyazaki.
* Enter the Lands: Explore the many worlds of Studio Ghibli
* Studio Ghibli Trivia Challenge: Test your Knowledge
* Original Japanese Storyboards
DVD
* Behind the Microphone: With A-list voice talent
* The Birth Story of Studio Ghibli
* Original TV Trailers

Technical Specs
* 1080p High Definition/1.85:1; DVD: 1.85:1
Blu-ray Disc: English, French and Japanese
DVD: English, French and Japanese

Shopping
Preorder Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Disc Combo Pack from Amazon.com
[Thanks to Priscilla & W0m6at!]

Reign of Assassins: HK DVD and Blu-ray Disc in November

Ulrik — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 07:07:00 +0000

Some time ago I decided not to report every upcoming home video release of films I mention on this site, but I think most of you (who don’t regularly check the Asian Blu-ray Guide) might be interested in this.
YesAsia just listed the Hong Kong DVD and Blu-ray Disc of John Woo’s Reign of Assassins for November 25th. Just as expected from Mega Star, both versions will include English subtitles. YesAsia states that the Blu-ray Disc will be locked to Region A, but knowing Mega Star there’s a good chance that this might be region free after all.
[Thanks to Supavince for the heads up!]

Shopping:
Preorder Reign of Assassins on DVD or Blu-ray Disc from YesAsia

Battle Royale: Limited Edition Blu-ray Disc Cover & Features

Ulrik — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:27:16 +0000

Arrow Video has released package shots and further details for their upcoming (November 29th) Blu-ray Disc (and DVD) release of Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale. The Blu-ray Disc edition is limited to 10.000pc and is currently available at Amazon.co.uk for £16.99. According to a tweet (can’t find the link right now) from Arrow, the Blu-ray Disc will be region free!

Brand new restored transfer in high definition 1080p of both theatrical and director’s cut
Brand new subtitle translation on both features
Limited edition packaging numbered #/5000 with certificate
Limited edition exclusive special features

Disc 1 – Theatrical Cut
Original theatrical trailer, The making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students, Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra

Disc 2 – Special Edition (Director’s Cut)
Special Edition Trailer, TV Spot: Tarantino Version, Shooting the Special Edition, Takeshi Kitano interview, The correct way to make Battle Royale [Birthday Version], Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation

Disc 3 – Special Features
Opening day at Maru no Ichi Toei Movie Theatre, The Slaughter of 42 High School Students, Premiere Press Conference, The Correct way to fight in Battle Royale, Royale Rehearsals, Masamichi Amano conducts Battle Royale, Special Effects Comparison, Behind the Scenes featurette, Filming on Set, TV Spots, Promos and Commercials, Kinji Fukasaku Trailer Reel

32 Page Comic
36 page booklet including: ‘A Battle Without An End’ by Tom Mes, author of ‘The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film’, Printed interview with director Kinji Fukasaku, ‘Today’s lesson is… you kill each other’ by Jay McRoy, author of ‘Japanese Horror Cinema’ [LE Exclusive], Extract from Koushun Takami’s original novel [LE Exclusive], Original promotional material including director’s statement, cast and crew biogs [LE Exclusive]

16 page booklet including: Concept artwork and drawings for the limited edition set [LE Exclusive]

[via DVD Times & Amazon.co.uk]

“…bash ‘em in the head!” Shaun of the Dead Blu-ray Disc Steelbook

Ulrik — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:47:26 +0000

I stopped (re)buying films just because of a nice package some time ago, but I just love the cover design on the Canadian Blu-ray Disc steelbook (re)release of Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead coming from Alliance Pictures on November 2nd…

[via amazon.ca]

FUNimation’s Theatrical Trailer for Summer Wars

Ulrik — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:17:00 +0000

FUNimation posted the dubbed theatrical trailer for Mamoru Hosoda und Satoko Okudera’s Summer Wars on their YouTube channel. The film will get a limited theatrical release in December and will also be available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Spring 2011.

German Trailer for Mamoru Oshiis The Sky Crawlers

Ulrik — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:27:33 +0000

The Sky Crawlers isn’t exactly a hot topic, but just in time for the upcoming German DVD and Blu-ray Disc release, Universum Anime brings us a dubbed trailer for Mamoru Oshii’s latest theatrical anime. You may not understand a word if you’re reading the English version of this site, but let me tell you that this trailer is quite different from the misleading US trailer from Sony Pictures that tries to sell the film as a Top Gun type action flick.

[See full post to watch this video]

Evangelion 1.11 und 2.22 auf Blu-ray Disc gewinnen!

Ulrik — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:57:34 +0000

Sorry, but this is another contest that is only open for readers living in Germany…
Es gibt mal wieder was feines abzustauben im Affenheimtheater!
Universum Anime hat mir freundlicherweise jeweils zwei Exemplare der deutschen Blu-ray Disc Veröffentlichungen der Neon Genesis Evangelion Neuinterpretationen Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone und Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance zur Verfügung gestellt.
Um eine der netten Blauscheiben (besonders 2.22 braucht sich nicht vor den internationalen Veröffentlichungen zu verstecken) zu gewinnen, braucht ihr einfach bis Dienstag Mitternacht (21.09.2010 23:59 Serverzeit) hier einen Kommentar hinterlassen, in dem ihr kurz erläutert wer euer liebster EVA Pilot bzw. Pilotin ist. Bei kritischen Details bitte Spoilertags benutzen, Danke!
Schreibt bitte auch dazu ob als Gewinn die Blu-ray Disc von Evangelion 1.11 oder 2.22 bei euch im Briefkasten landen soll. Viel Glück!