Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[lgans316]

Bill / Jeff,

Any idea if UNIVERSAL and DreamWorks are sharing their AV encodes for Gladiator release on Blu-ray ?

[Jeff Kleist]

don't know. If the DW disc comes in VC-1, then probably yes

I don't expect to see the disc in critic hands for another 2 weeks or so

[Batman1980]

Still not sure why Paramount is releasing 2 of their biggest movies EVER on one day instead of spacing the releases out more. Gladiator and Braveheart are similar, people may just buy one or the other instead of getting both.

[DMC86X]

hey guys any word on schindlers list, cape fear (scorsese version), taxi driver??? Thanx

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by Wolverine1980

Still not sure why Paramount is releasing 2 of their biggest movies EVER on one day instead of spacing the releases out more. Gladiator and Braveheart are similar, people may just buy one or the other instead of getting both.

I ain't complaining.

I think it's probably because they want to start of the Sapphire Series with a "bang".

[Billy Rickey]

Hey Jeff do you know any big titles coming next year

[Constitution 101]

You probably addressed this already, but what's the latest on Ben-Hur?

[Jeff Kleist]

next year on Ben Hur

Thought I would post this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BatVZKELvF0

This is our opening animation for this year, and the final work of director Takuji Endo, who passed away a week before it premiered. He was most famous for directing Patlabor WXIII, and worked on many titles like Captain Harlock, Street Fighter: The movie (the good anime one), and Disneys Stich! (Lilo and Stitch) series that only aired in Japan

http://www.animestylepro.com/index.p...blog&Itemid=85

A nice rememberance.

The project was done by MadHouse, who is probably most famous with this crowd for animating vRecord of Lodoss War, Satoshi Kon's films, Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Paprika, and a thousand other projects.

It stars many of my friends, but not me, (maybe next year )

[MerrickG]

Jeff,

Around this time last year MUCH was made as 2009 would the year that the floodgates open with titles for bluray.

Do you feel that 2009 has lived up to that (or will live up to that)?

My view:
No. All Ive see are "delays" and no exciting announcements.

Indiana Jones and Alien Quad being delayed are just brutal. If these two titles had made their way out I would have HAPPILY given a resounding yes.

Paramount so far is the only studio this year that has delivered thus far. True, no Indiana Jones, but that's probably Lucas fault not Paramount.

We got Star Trek and many of their classic comedy films. Will get Braveheart and Gump. So they delivered.

I guess Id have to give Warner 2nd place.

What do you and/or Penton think?

This isnt me *****ing but just a request to help set my expectations to be realistic.

[Jeff Kleist]

The plan was for this year, maybe next year. Catalog continues to dissapoint, and the floodgates can;t open if there's not enough riverbed to support it

[coolmilo]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

The plan was for this year, maybe next year. Catalog continues to dissapoint, and the floodgates can;t open if there's not enough riverbed to support it

Is the problem there is not enough riverbed to support catalog titles or is the problem the prices are too expensive for catalog titles (and especially new release titles)?

I hope that studios are paying attention to how well Watchmen sold. The BD was priced to sell on day 1.

[DMC86X]

hey guys any word on schindlers list, cape fear (scorsese version), taxi driver??? Thanx

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

The plan was for this year, maybe next year. Catalog continues to dissapoint, and the floodgates can;t open if there's not enough riverbed to support it

Catalog didn't disappoint me this year. Could it have been better? Sure but there were quite a few titles that came out this year that I got as you can see by my collection. Besides, there's still 4.5 more months to go so who knows what else will come out?

[Jellybeans]

Mr Kleist, will we ever see Scent Of A Woman and Leaving Las Vegas on Blu-Ray?


Thanks

[Jeff Kleist]

Just a reminder to everyone of the guidelines

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=32018

Before asking a question, please skim at least the last weeks worth of posts in order to make sure that the question hasn't already been asked or answered. Please also avoid asking "chicken little" questions or asking when unannounced titles will come out.

I don't mind answering the occasional stuff, but I need to remind people that I am not a studio rep, and while I may have foreknowlege of when titles are coming, I am a-usually not authorized to share that information publically, though I do so whenever possible and b- release schedules change all the time, and plenty of titles like Indy, Alien,The Crow or Ben Hur and others that people ask for get yanked for various reasons. Master problems, new tie-in opportunities, greenlit remakes and such

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Just a reminder to everyone of the guidelines

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=32018



I don't mind answering the occasional stuff, but I need to remind people that I am not a studio rep, and while I may have foreknowlege of when titles are coming, I am a-usually not authorized to share that information publically, though I do so whenever possible and b- release schedules change all the time, and plenty of titles like Indy, Alien,The Crow or Ben Hur and others that people ask for get yanked for various reasons. Master problems, new tie-in opportunities, greenlit remakes and such

Thanks for the reminder and your insight is always appreciated.

[Jellybeans]

I didn't wanna cause any problems!

I'm sorry Jeff

[jfcarbel]

I saw posts in other threads mentioning that New Line's contract is ending with international distributor Alliance and when that ends around Sept. that Warner the new owner of New Line will not allow renewal.

Any truth to this or is it rumor? And I imagine that Warner will then start releasing more New Line catalog, hopefully we see a Blade Trilogy soon.

[Jeff Kleist]

Well, yes and no.

Alliance and companies like Entertainment in Video in the UK were New Line's production partners for international release, so they were their standard go-to guys for all their movies for the most part. Is the co-production deal ending and WB won't renew it? Almost certainly. Does this affect anyh prior movies? Doubtful. The biggest problem you're seeing for small market companies like Alliance is that they can no longer buy-in to the US Blu-ray and just release that under their name

[Billy Rickey]

Jeff I read that their is a Crow remake coming sometime I was wondering why would they remake the first one when their is nothing wrong with it why not remake the sequels