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Blade Runner, Close Encounters high-def
July 30, 2007

Two sci-fi classics will be released in high-definition in the fourth quarter.

At the annual Comic-Con convention held last week in San Diego, Warner announced it would bring a new version of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner to HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, and Sony set plans for the Blu-ray release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the first Steven Spielberg movie on either high-def format.

Close Encounters arrives Nov. 13 (prebook Oct. 11) in a 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition on DVD ($39.95) and BD ($49.95) with three versions of the film—the 1977 original, the 1980 re-edited special edition and the 1998 collector’s edition—plus extras.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut bows Dec. 18 (prebook Nov. 13) in a Two-Disc Special Edition DVD ($20.97), a Four-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD ($34.99) and a Five-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition on DVD ($78.92), HD DVD and BD (prices not yet determined) in limited “Deckard Briefcase” packaging. The Ultimate set—which includes four versions of the film: the 1982 original, the 1982 international version, the 1992 director’s cut and the new final cut—also will be available on the high-def formats without the collectible briefcase.

PLUS: Sony will release the newly colorized 20 Million Miles to Earth 50th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray on Dec. 4 (prebook Nov. 1; $28.95), with the original B&W version and a version colorized under the supervision of filmmaker Ray Harryhausen.

Posted by Samantha Clark on July 30, 2007 | Comments (0)