It’s a big week for Blu-ray. The long awaited Ultimate Matrix Collection (previously available on HD DVD) and the recent box office hit Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull are just a couple of the highly anticipated Blu-ray releases today. Other new BD titles include 90’s classic Casino and soon-to-be-classic American Gangster (both previously released on HD DVD.) Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist, never before released in hi-def is just in time for Halloween.
My pick of the week is Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan which promises to be as visually stunning on Blu-ray as Frank Miller’s 300. It starts by following young Mongol Temudjin who later becomes the feared conqueror Genghis Khan. The film takes you to remote places in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Russia and is filled with hyper-realistic battle effects. This is part one of a planned trilogy by Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov.
There are quite a few more mentionable releases not on the list below that fall into the “Documentary” or “Special Interest” category. Some of those titles now on Blu-ray include: Space Station/Mission to Mir Imax; Coral Reef Adventure with Jean-Michael Cousteau and Liam Neeso; and Living Sea narrated by Meryl Streep.
Here are the Blu-ray Disc releases for today along with the suggested retail and current price* on Amazon.com.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Blu-ray]
Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf
Retail: $39.99 Current Price: $26.95
The Ultimate Matrix Collection [Blu-ray]
Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Laurence Fishburne
Retail: $129.95 Current Price: $74.95
American Gangster [Blu-ray]
Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin
Retail: $29.98 Current Price: $19.95
Poltergeist [Blu-ray]
Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, and Dominique Dunne
Retail: $34.99 Current Price: $24.95
Constantine [Blu-ray]
Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, and Djimon Hounsou
Retail: $28.99 Current Price: $19.95
Casino [Blu-ray]
Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and James Woods
Retail: $29.98 Current Price: $20.95
Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]
Zhang Jiong, Amadu Mamadakov, Ji Ri Mu Tu, and Amarbold Tuvshinbayar
Retail: $35.99 Current Price: $24.95
Eastern Promises [Blu-ray]
Josef Altin, Mina E. Mina, Aleksandar Mikic, and Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse
Retail: $29.98 Current Price: $20.95
Romancing the Stone [Blu-ray]
Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, and Zack Norman
Retail: $34.98 Current Price: $25.95
War, Inc. [Blu-ray]
John Cusack, Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei, and Joan Cusack
Retail: $34.98 Current Price: $22.95
The Gangster Gift Set [Blu-ray]
Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and James Woods
Retail: $89.98 Current Price: $61.95
Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag [Blu-ray]
John Stratton (III), Robert Novotny (II), and Sam Morgan (II)
Retail: $24.98 Current Price: $16.95
The Jewel of the Nile [Blu-ray]
Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, and Spiros Focás
Retail: $34.98 Current Price: $25.95
*Please note the prices were grabbed at the creation of this article and are subject to change.
What is the difference between the HD DVD release and Blu-ray. Any added features?