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30th March 2017 ZETA MINOR NEWS As promised yesterday, today we're announcing that one of the site's Cult Television features, our guide to the various audio and video clips that survive from the BBC's science-fiction anthology series Out of the Unknown, has been given a significant overhaul. You can find the introduction page here. It's been updated with new images and new information (in the wake of the BFI's excellent DVD box set). My thanks to Colin Cutler for all his efforts, and patience! We hope you enjoy the revised guide! 29th March 2017 ZETA MINOR NEWS Well... it's been a while! Six years, in fact. You probably noticed that the site hasn't been updated recently... Various factors conspired to cause the site to become dormant, including a change in my working hours, and dwindling support from several of the PR companies that used to provide us with review copies and competition prizes. The site's message board, Roobarb's Forum, continues to thrive, however, and still provides a very useful source of information about new DVD and Blu-ray releases (and a million other topics). So, what's spurred this resurrection... check back tomorrow, for the announcement of a major update to one of our Cult TV features... 23rd March 2011 INCOMING The press release details for a number of May releases from 2 Entertain have been added to Incoming. They include: The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: The Murder at Road Hill House (a period detective drama starring Paddy Considine); the ninth series of Waking The Dead; psychological thriller Case Sensitive: Point of Rescue (which features Olivia Williams and Rupert Graves); the Doctor Who double bill Mannequin Madness (which contains two early 70s adventures starring Jon Pertwee, one of which features his first appearance, the other introduces Roger Delgado as the Doctor's nemesis The Master); the tenth series of The Two Ronnies (their 1983 run); the third season of classic BBC shipping drama The Onedin Line; the 1984 Doctor Who story Frontios (which stars Peter Davison as The Doctor); and the second series of the wonderful children's comedy Horrible Histories. I've also added the press release for Entertainment in Video's long-awaited release of the Lord of the Rings - Motion Picture Trilogy: Extended Edition Blu-ray box set. The set appears to mirror the recently-announced US edition. The set features a whopping fifteen discs: two Blu-rays apiece for each of the movies, and three DVDs of bonus features each. This means that you'll have to swap discs mid-way through watching each film, but EiV have done this to maximise the bit-rate for optimum picture quality. There have already been howls of protest about this decision, but it is, I think, very sensible. Putting the bonus features on DVDs, instead of offering them on Blu-ray (in standard definition), seems like a poor choice, though. It's probably cheaper to make three DVDs than it is to make one Blu-ray, and, no doubt, it's easier to justify the price of the set if it contains fifteen discs, than it is if it contains nine discs. I'm glad that this new set will contain the documentaries from the limited edition DVDs. That's essentially new bonus content for me. EVENTS Kim Newman will be signing copies of his novel Anno Dracula (Titan Books) at the Forbidden Planet shop in Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on the 26th of May, between 6 and 7pm. Signed copies can be ordered from the mail order department on 020 7803 1900. 4th March 2011 INCOMING Press releases for a number of forthcoming 2 Entertain and Acorn DVD and Blu-ray titles have been added to Incoming. They include: a Blu-ray release for Kenneth Clark's landmark arts documentary series Civilisation; a set containing series eleven and twelve of Silent Witness; new Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner; the current BBC science fiction series Outcasts on DVD and Blu-ray; Sky Living's supernatural drama series Bedlam; the heavily-promoted new adaptation of South Riding (only on DVD, as far as I can see); the third season of BBC Three hit Being Human (on DVD and Blu-ray); Peter Bowker's excellent Morecambe and Wise biographical drama Eric and Ernie (on DVD only, but modestly priced); Brian Cox's much-anticipated follow-up to his acclaimed documentary series Wonders of the Solar System, Wonders of the Universe (on DVD and Blu-ray); and Acorn's terrific collection of plays written by Jack Rosenthal, including Spend Spend Spend and Bar Mitzvah Boy, Jack Rosenthal at the BBC. 28th February 2011 ZETA MINOR NEWS I've added an index to some of the soundtrack CD reviews that have appeared in the News pages over the last year or two. You can find it via the Reviews Index link, left. 20th February 2011 ZETA MINOR NEWS I've spent some time updating our guide to Hammer movies available on DVD (and now Blu-ray, too). This was long overdue, so there are a lot of changes. Any corrections welcome, via the Email link, left. 14th February 2011 INCOMING Titles added to the Incoming database this week include no fewer than six releases for Tron: Legacy (the film on DVD, the film on Blu-ray + DVD, the film on Blu-ray in 3D, the film on Blu-ray paired with the original movie, a Play.com exclusive offering both films on Blu-ray, in special packaging with some added nick-nacks), and an HMV-exclusive DVD set containing both movies. Also up this week: Fright Fest favourite Primal on DVD and Blu-ray; survival thriller Travellers; star-studded British gangster movie London Boulevard, on DVD and Blu-ray; the re-scheduled WWII drama Operation Valkyrie; ; Mike Leigh's acclaimed BAFTA and Oscar-nominated drama Another Year, which, astonishingly, is not being released on Blu-ray; the third season of Law & Order: UK (another delayed title); and Vietnam war movie Massacre at My Lai Four. We've also re-listed the tongue-in-cheek assassin action film Operation: Endgame (aka Rogue's Gallery) (which was produced by Donnie Darko's Richard Kelly) on Blu-ray and DVD. This title was originally scheduled for release last year. 26th January 2011 ZETA MINOR NEWS We have two new competitions starting this week, offering you the chance to win a copy of the latest Doctor Who DVD, the Jon Pertwee adventure The Mutants, courtesy of BBC DVD; or the acclaimed thriller Winter's Bone on Blu-ray, courtesy of Artificial Eye. Click on the images, above, to go to the competition pages! 10th January 2011 INCOMING
I've also added Australian gangster movie Aggravated Assault; the BFI documentary collection Tales From The Shipyard - Britain's Shipbuilding Heritage on Film; the final season of Murder She Wrote; the second season of America's answer to Hustle, Leverage; Hattie Jacques biopic Hattie; ITV's recent Trevor Eve crime thriller series Kidnap and Ransom; FrightFest hit Damned by Dawn, billed as an Australian horror comedy in the Evil Dead vein (DVD only - it's available on Blu-ray in other territories); WWII drama The Final Sacrifice; Blu-ray and DVD editions of The Girl Who Played With Fire (out today!); a collection of eight films made by Japanese Director Kenji Mizouguchi (including one of the best ghost movies ever made, Ugetsu monogatari), in a box set titled Late Mizouguchi; and Oliver Stone's sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (on DVD and Blu-ray). BLU-RAY NEWS
Twentieth Century Fox formally announced the release of the Star Wars movies at the Consumer Electronics Show last week. They'll be available in two sets, one for the 'Original' trilogy, and another for the Prequel trilogy, each with an RRP of £44.99, or as a bumper set of all six films, with an extra three discs containing extensive bonus material (including previously-unseen deleted scenes from the movies), which has an RRP of £89.99. All three have been added to our Incoming database (see links below). Here's the press release in full, anglicized for your convenience: The most anticipated Blu-ray release ever - the Star Wars Saga - emerges from light speed this September 2011. For the first time, all six of George Lucas' epic films (Episodes I-VI) are united in one complete set. Fans are able to pre-order now at Amazon. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Star Wars in three distinct sets to meet the needs of every Star Wars fan: - Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set inc. all six films) - Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set inc. Episodes I-III) - Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set inc. Episodes IV-VI) Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more. Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will be available for £89.99 (RRP) and the Star Wars: Trilogy Sets for £44.99 (RRP). Flanked by a legion of his finest Imperial Stormtroopers, Darth Vader himself joined Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment President Mike Dunn at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce the release, vowing "The forces of the Empire will be at your disposal to assure the success of this endeavour.'' "The Star Wars Saga is the most anticipated Blu-ray collection since the launch of the high-def format," Dunn said. "The epic franchise pioneered sound and visual presentation in theatres and is perfectly suited to do it again in the home, with a viewing experience only possible with Blu-ray." "With all six episodes available for the first time in one collection, this is a great way for families and home audiences to experience the complete Saga from start to finish," said Doug Yates, Vice President of Marketing, Online, Distribution, Lucasfilm Ltd. "And with the quality of high-definition, Blu-ray provides the most immersive home experience possible." "The Star Wars franchise has been one of the most anticipated Blu-ray releases by Amazon's customers," said Bill Carr, Vice President of Music and Video at Amazon. "We think that Star Wars will be incredibly popular with our customers, and we expect pre-orders to be very strong." May - December 2010's Zeta Minor News can be viewed here. Jan - May 2010's Zeta Minor News can be viewed here. Previous Zeta Minor News entries can viewed here. |
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additions to our database of forthcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases,
