2012 already looking like a good year for blu-ray catalog

It's not even the New Year, but with the announcement of certain titles in past couple of weeks, 2012 is sure looking to be a great year for blu-ray, especially on the catalog front.

Several academy award winners, special anniversary editions of a few classic and several films from directors Alfred Hitchcock, Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg are expected to debut next year.

The big news is that both Universal and Paramount are celebrating their 100th anniversary's in 2012. As part of their centennial celebration, both studios are planning to release elaborate blu-ray (and in certain cases, DVD-reissue) editions of some of their most award winning and beloved films.

Coming to blu-ray and DVD Jan 24, 2012

The biggest surprise from Paramount is the announcement of the award winning silent, Wings (1927), which has never been released on DVD before in the United States. The film, a drama about WWI fighter pilots, was the winner of one of the first (and only) Oscars in the history of the Academy Awards for Best Production--a precursor to the modern Best Picture award.

Paramount has extensively restored Wings in high definition from the best possible 35mm film elements--the original camera negative was lost long ago--located in the National Archives. The blu-ray edition will include the original Gaylord Carter score in Dolby Digital 2.0 and a new high-res 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix with updated sound effects supervised by Ben Burtt and Sykwalker Sound. Special features include three feaurettes: Grandeur in the Sky, Dogfight! and Restoring the Power and Beauty of Wings.

Paramount plans to release Wings--the only silent film to ever win an Oscar--on Jan. 24, 2012, on both blu-ray and DVD.

Although details--or an official announcement from the studio--have yet to surface, 2012 is also expected to see the release of several Paramount keystones, including the blu-ray bow of James Cameron's Titanic (1997) and the long-awaited arrival of the three unreleased Indiana Jones films.

Indy 4 was released on blu-ray in 2009.
Will the rest of the franchise finally see release in 2012?

Titanic, which turns 15 next year, was recently remastered in 4K resolution by Cameron and is set to be re-released in theaters for a brief 3D engagement in April in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the original disaster. A blu-ray can probably be expected sometime in late Q3 or Q4 for the holiday shopping season.

At a 30th anniversary screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) in September, director Steven Spielberg discussed (among other things) the upcoming blu-ray edition of the entire Indy trilogy--the fourth film is already avaialbe on the high def format. LaserPacific, which remastered the director's film Minority Report (2002) for blu-ray release in 2010, lists a restoration of Raiders on their projects page. It's also worth noting that, during the DVD lifecycle, LucasFilm, which recently released the entire Star Wars saga on blu-ray, followed up their holiday 2003 Indy boxset with a box of the Star Wars Trilogy in 2004.

Universal's release slate is even more impressive, with a massive catalog push celebrating Carl Laemmle's founding of the studio in 1912.

In January, expect a new-to-format Blu-ray+DVD combo edition of Billy Elliot (2000). Several blu-rays will also be re-issued in similar packaging including: Field of Dreams (1989), American Graffiti (1973), Babe (1995), Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1984) and Apollo 13 (1995)--along with other titles. All of these will be released on Jan. 10.

The long-awaited release of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) will street on Jan 28, in a 50th Anniversary Edition. 

To Kill A Mocking Bird will debut on Jan 28

According to Universal, the film has been remastered in 1080p high definition and will include DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 mono DTS sound. Special features include: feature commentary with director Robert Mulligan and producer Alan Pakula, Fearful Symmetry feature-length documentary, A Conversation with Gregory Peck feature-length documentary, 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics featurette on the film's restoration process, Gregory Peck's 1963 Academy Award acceptance speech, Excerpt from Cecilia Peck's Tribute To Gregory Peck, Scout Remembers featurette with actress Mary Badha and the original theatrical trailer.

A special commemorative blu-ray digibook edition of To Kill A Mockingbird, featuring photos, essays and biographies presented in a hardcover book packaging, will also be available for a limited time.

In February, the studio will release All Quiet On The Western Front (1930), the Academy Award winning adaptation of the Erich Maria Remarque novel of the same name. The film, directed by Lewis Milestone, will debut in blu-ray in both digibook and blu-ray combo packages on Feb 12.

All Quiet of the Western Front in digibook packaging

The blu-ray has been remastered from the 35mm elements and will be presented in 1080p (original 1.2:1 aspect ratio) with 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. Bonus materials will include an introduction to the film by Robert Osborne, two 100 Years of Universal featurettes--Restoring the Classics and Academy Award Winners--and, as an added bonus, a complete transfer of the rarely seen silent version of the film shot alongside the sound version.

In huge news, according to Jawsmovie.com, Steven Spielberg's breakout blockbuster will finally see a high def release next year. The film will reportedly be released on Aug. 14. This news of Jaws (1975) coming to blu-ray is supported by comments the director made earlier this year in June. A blu-ray of the 3D sequel, Jaws 3 (1983), is expected at the same time.

Spielberg's family favorite E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2012, so I'd expect that to come out some time next year too. Again, the director talked about a blu-ray release at the premiere of the restored Raiders of the Lost Ark--see link above--and suggested the possibility that the controversial Special Edition version of the movie would be left off the disc.

MGM has already revealed plans to release a number of classic film's on blu-ray in January. Billy Wilder's The Apartment (1961), Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1978) and Manhattan (1979) and Alfred Hitchcock's  Rebecca (1940), Spellbound (1945) and Notorious (1946) will all street on Jan. 24.

The cover art for both Allen films include the phrase The Woody Allen Collection. I'd assume that means MGM has plans to release more of the director's films in the future.

Although technical specs have yet to be announced, expect all six films to feature 1080p video and some flavor of DTS-HD Master Audio--probably in the original mono. Allen famously hates special features, so I wouldn't expect any on his two films. The Apartment was released barebones on DVD. The three Hitchcock's were released on remastered Special Edition DVD by MGM in 2008 with extensive special features. I would expect most of that bonus content to be carried over.

In February, MGM is set to issue Stanley Kramer's epic comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) and the awesomely-awful James Bond parody Casino Royale (1967) starring Peter Sellers, David Niven and Orson Welles (as La Chiffre) in wide release. Both films are already available as retailer exclusives at Walmart and Best Buy respectively, but will be available in additional stores Feb. 7.

Lionsgate will continue to fulfill their distribution deal with Miramax, and has plans to release several award winning films in time for the Oscars. The Piano (1993), The English Patient (1996), Shakespeare In Love (1998), Frida (2002) and Cold Mountain (2003) will all debut on Jan 31. Each film will feature 1080p high definition video and DTS-HD Master Audio sound. Special features vary depending on the film.

This beloved classic debuts in February

Animation fans will probably be thrilled to learn that Disney are releasing a Diamond Edition blu-ray of The Lady and the Tramp (1955) on Feb. 7.

The film will be available in three configurations: 2-Disc Blu-ray+DVD combo pack in blu-ray packaging, a 2-Disc Blu-ray+DVD combo pack in DVD packaging and a 3-Disc set, which also includes a digital copy. Special features on all three versions will include an Inside Walt's Story Meetings feature, audio commentary, three never-before-released deleted scenes, The Lady's Pedigree: The Making of The Lady and the Tramp documentary, Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard featurette, the original 1943 Storyboard version of the film, trailers, excerpts from vintage Disneyland TV shows and more. 

The Lady and the Tramp will be presented in 1080p AVC MPEG high definition and its original 2.55:1 widescreen aspect ratio with 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound. 

A Diamond Edition of Cinderella (1950) is also expected in 2012. 

On a semi-related note, Disney is re-releasing several of their animated films in limited 3D theatrical engagements starting in 2012. Disney/PIXAR's Finding Nemo (2003) is scheduled for 3D re-release on Sept. 14, and I'd expect a blu-ray to follow shortly, similar to The Lion King (1994), which was re-released in select 3D theaters and then on blu-ray two weeks later on Oct. 4 of this year. 

Perhaps even more interesting is news that Disney is digging into the woefully neglected live action Touchstone catalog this January to bring two film's starring Robin Williams to blu-ray. The Dead Poet's Society (1989) and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) will both bow Jan. 17. Tech specs include 1080p video and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks for each film. In terms of special features, both discs will duplicate their DVDs with several featurettes, trailers and raw behind-the-scenes footage (and additional audio commentaries on Dead Poet's Society).

Finally, Warner Brothers plans to roll out special anniversary editions of several films from their catalog. These include a new 70th Anniversary Edition of Casablanca (1942), a 4-film boxset of the Lethal Weapon (1987-1998) series which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, a 20th Anniversary Edition digibook of Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992) and a 50th Anniversary Edition digibook of director Elia Kazan's A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).

After long delay, Warner's
Malcolm X will finally see the light of day

Lee's mammoth 202-minute biopic Malcolm X was originally slated for release last February, as part of Warner's cross-promotion with The Color Purple (1985) during Black History Month. The title was later delayed, reportedly due to a problem with obtaining music rights for the new home video format. Whatever issue Warner had that led to last years cancellation seems to have been remedied. The film will be released on Jan 31 in a 2-disc set with several hours of bonus content. 

The more recently announced blu-ray of A Streetcar Named Desire will arrive on April 10, in a 40-page digibook featuring biographies, photos and essays in a hardcover book package. Special features will include commentary with Karl Malden, film historian Rudy Behlmer, and Jeff Young, Elia Kazan movie trailer gallery, movie and audio outtakes, Marlon Brando screen test, Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey documentary, A Streetcar on Broadway featurette, A Streetcar in Hollywood featurette, Desire and Censorship featurette, North and the South featurette, and An Actor Named Brando featurette.

In 2010, Warner announced they had put the DVD editions of three titles on moratorium in advance of blu-ray re-issues in 2012. Expect those discs--a 60th Anniversary Edition of Singin' In The Rain (1952), the 50th Anniversary Edition of Robert Aldrich's Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and a 45th Anniversary Edition of Camelot (1967)--next year. 

Lastly, the studio has made known plans to release new special edition blu-rays of Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). Both films have been previously issued on the format, but the current editions lack the exhaustive special features present on many other Kubrick films.