The Dark Knight

Woohoo! The # 1 movie of 2008 and best reviewed film of the year is now on DVD! Good thing I found this while supplies last since there were a lot of people buying. I guess many of you guys already have seen the film, and will defnitely agree that any collector wouldn't hesitate to buy this as part of their collection. Will be watching this right now, and I'm curious what the IMAX sequences look like. My only quip is that the included slipcase kinda looks too reflective and the text and the pictures look too dark. Anyways, better than nothing. "Why So Serious?"

Transformers (Blu-ray)

Woohoo! My first Blu-ray purchase! While I only got to borrow a PlayStation 3, I can't help but purchase this beauty. One of my favorties films of 2007 and one of the best-rated Blu-ray discs, this is one of the discs that I have to have on High Definition. I've used it as a demo disc at work, and the picture quality was superb! And the sound...? Let's just say the Dolby TrueHD track bought tears to my eyes. This is a definite must-have! It will now join my standard definition DVDs for now, while I plan to upgrade my standard definition setup on High Definition - which probably would take another year. Unless someone gives me a PS3... Hehe!

Casino Royale

I actually bought a copy of Casino Royale back when it was released. The older two-disc edition has a superior dts track along with superb picture quality. However, it falls a little flat on special features. That is why Sony is releasing another Deluxe Editon of the James Bond reboot. This new edition has three discs, along with a whole new batch of special features, including commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes. Being a fan of the last film, I'm easily lured in double dipping with this title. Can't wait for Quantum of Solace when it opens next week.

Iron Man

Woohoo! Another steelbook purchase! The first movie of the summer is now on DVD. Good thing I was able to buy Iron Man in a nice 2-disc steelbook casing. I have seen the movie a couple of times, and it never gets tiring, since Robert Downey, Jr. accurately portrays the superhero with such humour and depth. The DVD also includes deleted scenes, one of them in which Tony Stark hosts a party in Dubai. The DVD also a long making-of documentary on the movie making process. This is one of the DVDs I'll be watching over and over again.

New Purchases

I recently went on a business trip to Madrid, Spain - and guess what? Instead of buying buying myself some cool souveneirs from the country, I ended up buying DVDs again. I just found out that Dubai's Duty Free store sells some Region 1 DVDs, and I just went crazy seeing all of them. I got myself a copy of The Ring and Joy Ride, both US imports. En route to Madrid via London-Heathrow, I found the Special Edition of Fight Club which I have been looking for a long time. I still have time to watch them though with the amount of work I have to make...

Star Wars Trilogy

Finally! I have in my hands one of the best movie trilogies of all time! This 2004 DVD ddition of Star Wars finally puts the classic movie on the belowed format. The 4 disc collection comes with remastered audio and video, along with a plethora of special features. This DVD is a comes in a special collectible tin, which makes it even more likeable. Guess this is going to be a long weekend for me. May the force be with you!

Vacation Purchases

I guess I can't hold off buying DVDs... even when I am on vacation. Here's a roundup of the DVDs I have bought during my summer vacation:

Ratatouille

The Simpsons Movie

Troy: Director's Cut

What Lies Beneath

The Devil Wears Prada

Enchanted

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Face/Off

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Cloverfield

The number may be small but I'm just trying to complete the sequels and threequels in my collection. Maybe on my next vacation the number will double... ;-)

Gladiator: Extended Edition

Alright, another month another DVD purchase. This time I finally got my hands on Gladiator: Extended Edition. It's 3-discer with tons of behind-the-scenes footage along with the movie itself was incorporated with 17 minutes of previously deleted scenes. The casing comes in digipack and features headshots of the main characters. Another Academy award winner in my collection. I'm still finding time to watch the 2 hour and 44 minute movie though. ;-)

Alien Quadrilogy

Finally! I now hold in my hand one of the best DVD box sets to come out. Any collection would not be complete without this one. The Alien Quadrilogy! Back in the Philippines I had no way to get this set since I had no credit card and the price was a little too expensive for me. Good thing I found this copy online and I was able to buy it at bargain price. And it's Region 1! Why so excited? The Region 2 version, which is selling here for a much higher price, apparently has less special features than it's US counterpart. Woohoo for that!

4 Films. 9 Discs. 1 Incredible Collection.

Here are the list of Special Features for each Disc:

Disc 1

• Alien 1979 Theatrical version (117 min.)
• 2003 Director's cut (116 min.)
• Audio commentary by director Ridley Scott, actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt, writer/producer Ronald Shusett, co-writer Dan O'Bannon and editor Terry Rawlings
• Deleted/extended scene index
• Introduction by director Ridley Scott

Disc 2

• Special Features: The Beast Within: The Making of Alien
• Pre-production: Star Beast (developing the story), First Draft of Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon, The Visualists (direction and design), Ridleygrams (original thumbnails and notes), storyboard archive, Art of Alien (Cobb, Foss, Giger, Moebius), Truckers in Space (casting), Sigourney Weaver's screen test with optional commentary by Ridley Scott, cast portrait gallery
• Production: Fear of the Unknown (Shepperton Studios, 1978), production gallery, The Darkest Reaches (Nostromo and alien planet), The Sets of Alien, The Eighth Passenger (creature design), The Chestburster (creature design)
• Post-production: Future Tense (music and editing), eight deleted scenes, visual effects gallery (photo archive), A Nightmare Fulfilled (reaction to the film), poster explorations, special shoot, premiere footage
  

Disc 3

• Aliens 1986 Theatrical version (137 min)
• 1991 Special edition (154 min)
• Audio commentary by director James Cameron, actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn, alien effects creator Stan Winston, visual effects supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, miniature effects supervisor Pat McClung and producer Gale Anne Hurd
• Deleted/extended scene index
• Introduction by director James Cameron
  

Disc 4

• Special Features: Superior Firepower: The Making of Aliens
• Pre-production: 57 Years Later (continuing the story), Original Treatment: by James Cameron, Building Better Worlds (from concept to construction), The Art of Aliens (conceptual art portfolio), Pre-Vis Anamatics, Preparing for Battle (casting & characterization), Cast Portrait (still gallery)
• Production: This Time It's War (Pinewood Studios, 1985), Production Gallery (photo archive), Continuity Polaroids, The Risk Always Lives (weapons and action), Weapons and Vehicles (photo archive), Bug Hunt (creature design), Beauty and the Bitch (Power Loader vs. Queen Alien), Stan Winston's Workshop (photo archive), Two Orphans (Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
• Post-production: The Final Countdown (music, editing and sound), The Power of Real Tech (visual effects), Visual Effects Gallery (photo archive), Aliens Unleashed (reaction to the film), Film Finish and Release, Easter egg (A Boy and His Power Loader)
  

Disc 5

• Alien 3 1992 Theatrical version (114 min.)
• 2003 Special edition (restored work print version) (155 min.)
• Audio commentary by cinematographer Alex Thomson B.S.C., editor Terry Rawlings, alien effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., and actor Paul McGann
• Deleted/extended scene index
  

Disc 6

• Special Features: The Making of Alien 3
• Pre-production: Development (concluding the story), Tales of the Wooden Planet (Vincent Ward's vision), The Art of Acheron (conceptual art portfolio), pre-production part III featurette, storyboards, Art of Fiorina, Xeno-Erotic (H.R. Giger's redesign featurette)
• Production: Production part I featurette, Production Gallery (photo archive), Furnace Construction (time-lapse sequence), Adaptive Organism (creature design), ADI Workshop, E.E.V. Scan Multi-Angle Vignette, Production part II
• Post-production: Post-Production part I, Optical Fury (visual effects), Music, Editing and Sound, Visual Effects (photo archive), Post-Mortem (reaction to the film), Special Shoot
  

Disc 7

• Alien: Resurrection 1997 Theatrical version (109 min.)
• 2003 Special edition (119 min.)
• Audio commentary by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, actors Dominique Pinon, Ron Perlman and Leland Orser, editor Herve Schneid, A.C.E., alien effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., visual effects supervisor Pitof, and conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz
• Deleted/extended scene index
• Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet introduction
  

Disc 8

• Special Features: One Step Beyond: The Making of Alien Resurrection
• Pre-production: From the Ashes (reviving the story), First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon, French Twist (direction and design), Under the Skin (casting and characterization), Test Footage #1 (hair/makeup), ADI Effects, Mark Caro Image Gallery, The Art of Alien Resurrection (conceptual art gallery), storyboards, Pre-Visualizations (multi-angle rehearsals)
• Production: Death from Below (underwater photography), In the Zone (the basketball scene), production gallery (photo archive), Unnatural Mutation (creature design), ADI Workshop, ADI Test Footage
• Post-production: Genetic Composition (music), Virtual Aliens (computer generated imagery), A Matter of Scale (miniature photography), Visual Effects Gallery (photo archive), Critical Juncture (reaction to the film), Special Shoot (promotional photo archive), Easter egg (Alien extra)
  

Disc 9

• Bonus disc Alien: Alien Legacy, Alien Evolution, Experience in Terror (promotional featurette '79), Ridley Scott Q&A, Alien Laser Disc Archive: Part I (pre-production), Part II (production), Part III (post-production), theatrical trailer A, theatrical trailer B, TV spot (Egg), TV spot (Now Playing)
• Aliens: Aliens Laser Disc Archive: Part I (pre-production), Part II (production), Part III (post-production), theatrical trailer A, teaser trailer, domestic trailer, international trailer, TV spot (Now Playing)
• Alien 3: six trailers, seven TV spots
• Alien: Resurrection: Theatrical teaser, two theatrical trailers, four TV spots
• Bob Burns Alien Collection
• Dark Horse Still gallery
• DVD-ROM (script to screen comparison)
  

Whew! With all those features and 8 different cuts of the films, I'm wondering when will I be able to finish watching all the discs...

Bad Boys II

I was a big fan of this film way back when it was shown in 2003. Despite the harsh criticisms and the lack of plot, I still enjoyed the film. This 2-Disc special edition was a great buy since I found it on sale. Superb action scenes, pretine picture and a rockin' soundtrack. I have another movie to watch this weekend.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Extended DVD Versions

Finally! After years of oggling at pics from the internet and getting myself bootleg copies, I finally have the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy! Each film comes in 4 discs(!) and features new and never-before-seen footage! That comes to total of 12 discs! Wow! This is gonna one looooong weekend. Here are pics of the set:

The main box

The other side

Individual films

Insides of the boxsets

12 discs!

Transformers (Double-Dip)

Double-dipping usually is the term for buying multiple relases of a certain title. But weird thing is, this instance of double-dipping was all an accident. I ordered a copy of the Transformers DVD from the U.S., but since it never arrived, I just bought a copy here instead. Long story short, I ended up buying 3 copies of the film. While it was my favorite film of 2007, I was overwhelmed at the DVDs I've got for the film. Anyways, I've promised one copy will just go to my good friend Vinsonits. Plus you know what the good thing is? I just paid for one of them. Hehehe!

300

Ah, finally I've been able to grab myself a copy of 300. Even though I wanted the steelbook edition, I bought the title since it was already on sale. Haven't opened it though, but word of mouth said that this particular release (Region 2) omits director Zack Snyder's commentary on Disc 1 even though it was listed at the back of the DVD's special features. Ah well, better just enjoy the movie instead. At least I'm better off watching this film than that horrible Meet The Spartans spoof. "This... Is.. Sparta!"

Hairspray

My first DVD for 2008! I finally got the 2 Disc Shake and Shimmy Edition of Hairspray! it was one of my favorite films of 2007 and I can't wait to see it again on video. The DVD comes in a cool-looking clear slipcase with the pictures of the cast.