Disney goes Blu in September

Some titles to include exclusive high-def short films

By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 7/17/2006

JULY 17 | Buena Vista Home Entertainment will debut its first four movies on Blu-ray on Sept. 19 with new high-definition film shorts, the studio announced Monday.

The first films include Dinosaur, Eight Below, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and The Great Raid.

Dinosaur and Eight Below will include BVHE’s new Blu-Scape high-def shorts inspired by the films and shot by cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg (Erin Brokovich, Any Given Sunday).

BVHE’s second wave of Blu-ray titles, due Oct. 17, will include Glory Road, Haunted Mansion and Gone in Sixty Seconds, all three of which will offer Blu-Scape shorts. The wave also includes Dark Water and The Brothers Grimm, which won’t feature Blu-Scape.

The studio said most of its first Blu-ray movies will carry a suggested retail price of $34.99.

In addition to its Blu-Scape feature, BVHE films on the format also will contain new menus that can be accessed while the movie is playing, similar to what other studios have done with their high-def DVD menus.

“The Blu-ray Disc represents a major technological breakthrough in our industry, and just as DVD revolutionized home entertainment, the Blu-ray Disc promises to deliver a new and unparalleled consumer experience,” BVHE president Bob Chapek said in a statement. “The possibilities are endless, and we’ve just begun to bridge the future of this exciting new paradigm.”