There are quite a few goodies included on the blu-ray release of The Princess and the Frog. For starters, there are two versions released on blu-ray — one is a single disc version, while the other is a combo that also includes a regular DVD and a digital download copy of the film (the latter of which is clearly the better buy). The blu-ray disc offers the most extra goodies. Besides a brilliant picture for the feature film, the bonus featurettes dive into the making of the animated movie.

The most comprehensive featurette is “The Making Of A Princess,” which takes a look at Disney’s return to hand-drawn animation, the story of The Princess and the Frog, and some of the voice actors (especially Anika Noni Rose, who voices Tiana). The subsequent featurettes dive a little bit deeper into the villain, our newest princess, and the music behind the film. We’re treated to lots of insight into the progression of the hand-drawn animation as well as some of the history of animation at Disney (including old photos of the original “Nine Old Men” who were the very first Disney animators!). The only thing I thought was missing was a little bit more interaction with the voice actors. But I’m, admittedly, a stickler for that. I love to get to know more about who voiced what characters and to hear them talk about their roles. I was pleased to see a little bit of Disney voice actor Jim Cummings talk about his role as firefly Ray, since Cummings has voiced characters in some of my favorite Disney cartoons of the 80s and 90s, including TaleSpin and Darkwing Duck. Unfortunately, it was exceptionally brief, but I was happy to see him in the flesh for a change.

Jim Cummings provided the distinctive voice for Raymond

One of the most intriguing featurettes is “Bringing Life To Animation,” which places live action reference footage, involving real actors acting out scenes to give the animators something to work with, side by side with the finished footage from the movie. Two scenes (including a musical number) are featured and it’s just enough to be satisfying without losing the viewer’s interest. And if the behind-the-scenes insights weren’t enough for you, there’s a feature-long version of the movie that allows you to view The Princess and the Frog with a picture-in-picture look at the rough sketches and pencil work on top of the finished product. Of course, this does take away the ability to see part of the actual movie since the rough work is literally shown in the upper corner on top of the feature film, but those familiar enough with the movie already will especially enjoy this bonus nugget. And it’s the kind of thing animation buffs will love.

All in all, Disney does a great job bringing home their return to hand-drawn animation to fans of the film company. Blu-ray is still the ultimate home viewing experience and Disney’s home video release of The Princess and the Frog looks especially great in high definition.

Samsung Redefines Home Entertainment with Global Availability of World’s First Full HD 3D LED TV and First-Time Offering of DreamWorks Animation’s Beloved Shrek Film Collection in 3D

First available offerings include LED TVs, Blu-ray Players and 3D Active Glasses

First-Ever Release of Most Successful Animated Film Series of All Time in 3D From DreamWorks Animation

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today made another stride toward redefining the home entertainment experience by officially announcing the world’s first-available Full HD 3D LED TV and full lineup of 3D home entertainment products to consumers worldwide. Samsung also announced today the expansion of its strategic alliance with DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) to feature an exclusive offering of the Company’s beloved Shrek film series – which to date has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide box office – in its entirety in 3D for the first time ever.

To make 3D TV more accessible for consumers globally, Samsung unveiled a promotional program where everyone who purchases a 2010 Samsung 3D TV and 3D Blu-ray Player or Home Theater System will receive a 3D starter kit that includes two pairs of Samsung 3D active glasses and a first time, feature-length 3D Blu-ray version of DreamWorks Animation’s 2009 release, Monsters vs. Aliens (exclusive to Samsung products). Additionally, during the second half of 2010, the most successful animated film franchise of all time – DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek film series – will be available in 3D Blu-ray for Samsung home solutions.

“Samsung has been the number one company in the global TV market for four straight years, and we remain committed to leading the market by deploying new categories of entertainment like Full HD 3D LED TVs, on which consumers around the world will be able to enjoy their favorite content, including DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek franchise, in their homes,” said Boo-Keun Yoon, President of Visual Display Business Unit at Samsung Electronics. “With the widest range of options for 3D home solutions ever, Samsung continues to lead the home entertainment industry by liberating 2D content to 3D, and creating new, immersive experiences for consumers.”

“It is an incredibly exciting time for the industry at large, as we continue to see the proliferation of 3D in theaters globally at unprecedented rates and now – thanks to Samsung’s innovation leading the charge – the capability to deliver a truly premium 3D experience for consumers in their homes. We are thrilled to be able to offer audiences the exciting opportunity to bring the world and characters of all of our Shrek movies home with them this year in 3D,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation.

The news was delivered at Samsung’s Full HD 3D LED TV global launch press conference held in New York City today, one of several global events this week created by the company to invite influencers and consumers to enjoy all the capabilities of Samsung’s 3D technology leadership.

Global Product Availability

Samsung will launch the broadest line of 3D home entertainment products in 2010. Its 3D TV lineup includes the LED 7000/8000/9000 Series, LCD 750 Series, and the Plasma 7000/8000 Series. Available this month are the 3D capable 46″ and 55″ LED C7000, with the remaining 3D TVs rolling out over the next several months. Samsung is delivering 3D the way it was meant to be watched, combining the Samsung BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray player or the Samsung HT-C6930W 3D Blu-ray integrated home theater system, stylish 3D active glasses and movie in Blu-ray 3D. The result: Full HD with lifelike depth and color clarity at home.

First to Market Full HD 3D LED TV Raises Bar for TV Excellence

This year’s premium LED TV models, the C7000, C8000 and C9000, feature Samsung’s Real240Hz™ refresh rate technology and Samsung’s proprietary built-in 3D processor that is compatible with major 3D format standards. Samsung’s 3D technology and a faster panel optimized for 3D work together to deliver an immersive viewing experience. When not in the 3D mode, you’re back to watching one of the best performing HDTVs on the market with the push of a button.

The LED TVs come with Internet@TV connectivity which includes the world’s first HDTV app store, Samsung Apps, allowing users to download and view applications on their TV screens. The 3D LED TVs are also the highest performing and most eco-conscious HDTV products Samsung has ever released, all exceeding the more stringent EnergyStar 4.0 guidelines.

Taking the Wonder of 3D to people’s home

In the US, Samsung is launching a holistic marketing campaign under the name “Dedicated to Wonder,” a high-profile marketing effort that includes television advertising and the first 3D Cinema advertising (Spot?) for a consumer electronics brand. Samsung assembled an elite production crew, including the Oscar-winning director of photography, Mauro Fiore, and is bringing the wonder of the 3D experience to life with this new marketing campaign. New commercials will begin hitting the air this week, highlighting Samsung’s 3D technology and the wonder it brings to the home entertainment experience.

Samsung’s in-store display plan is also key to exposing consumers to the technology and educating them on the value of 3D. Samsung’s internal research shows that while awareness of 3D technology is high, less than a third of consumers have had any experience with it. For this reason, Samsung is strengthening marketing activities in an effort to make it easier for consumers to experience 3D. In 2010, consumers can expect to experience this immersive experience in more than 5,000 stores across the nation. Displays will start being deployed later in the month.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of seven independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About DreamWorks Animation

DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series, live entertainment properties and online virtual worlds, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques. DreamWorks Animation has been named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by FORTUNE® Magazine for two consecutive years. In 2010, DreamWorks Animation ranks #6 on the list. All of DreamWorks Animation’s feature films are now being produced in 3D. The Company has theatrically released a total of 18 animated feature films, including the franchise properties, Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks Animation’s three feature film releases in 2010 are How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek Forever After and Megamind.

I remember sitting in the theater in November thinking Planet 51 would look amazing in Blu-Ray. Sure enough, it does and because of the intense detail in this film’s animation, it’s especially fun to watch at home.

The Blu-Ray isn’t exactly loaded with special features, but what they do have is done well. The deleted/extended scenes (2:50) are all brief moments cut from when Lem hides Chuck in his house. While all of it is pretty minor, it’s nice to at least see these bits in completely finished form. Most of the time, deleted scenes from animated films end up being just animated hand-drawn rough storyboards. Here, they’re finished in great detail. Because these bits are so brief, it would have been nice to have the option to watch them within the finished film. There’s also the Target 51 Game, which utilizes your player’s remote for directing your spaceship out of harm’s way. There are several gameplay modes once you start, the easiest being shooting alien ships out of your way, the hardest being a small pod needing to avoid and fire upon debri and alien ships coming at you. It’s not especially exciting, but kids might enjoy it.

The World of Planet 51 (2:54) – is merely a panning of the different backdrops and scenery from the film. It feels a bit thrown together / lifeless since there’s no narrative, but it does give fans of the film a chance to look a little closer at what’s going on behind the action: the detailed alien designs of the houses, the clever play on the 1951 stylizing, etc.

Life On Planet 51 (12:04) – This is the first real featurette. It opens with part of the trailer for the film, and then features Dwayne Johnson, the voice of Chuck, explaining the story. From there, the real meat of the featurette showcases the voice talent in the film, and gives a look at each central character and their performers. We then get a fun look into the animation process, storyboarding, and learn that this project has been seven years in the making!

Dwayne Johnson voicing astronaut Chuck Baker

Planetarium – The Voice Stars of Planet 51 (3:18) – This little featurette features a little more of Justin Long, Jessica Biel, and Dwayne talking about their individual characters, interwoven with actual footage from the movie. Oddly enough, some of the footage and interviews repeat slightly, but it’s still a fun bonus. It probably could have been made part of the “Life On…” featurette or expanded on more, but is still a nice little addition.

Planet 51 Music Video Montage (2:11) – This is kind of a pointless featurette, utilizing clips from the movie set to song clips.

Animation Progression Reels (15:53) – The final major bonus feature is a pretty cool look at the progression of animation for several scenes — from the drawn storyboards to two levels of groundwork animation, to the final film animation…. four full panels playing simultaneously on the sceen. Animation buffs will especially find this fascinating. It’s also really neat to see how the initial idea changed over time and the variations in details in the background, foreground, and characters.

All in all, Planet 51 makes a great Blu-Ray package. For Cloudy With a Chance Of Meatballs, Sony only allowed the digital download of the movie available for people with PS3 systems. Thankfully, the Planet 51 DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital Copy package fixes this by allowing it for iTunes as well as Windows Media Player. You can easily port this sucker to your iPod if you want to! And if you don’t have a blu-ray player just yet, a DVD combo like this one is a smart buy as you look to the future. Your family will be happy you have both versions if you ever make the hyperjump to HD.

The success of the Penguins of Madagascar spin-off TV series has led to a direct-to-DVD release featuring over 2 hours of “missions.” For faithful viewers of the Nickelodeon series, please be forewarned that this DVD is not a comprehensive collection of aired episodes, rather it contains a smattering of televised shows. However, fans will be glad to find two never-before-seen adventures, “Truth Ache” and “Command Crisis” as well as the television special “Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge” which is scheduled to air on Nick February 15, 2010.

Consequently, myself and my 9-year old have probably watched “Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge” a half-dozen times since receiving the DVD. We can’t seem to stop quoting the ever-quotable lemur King Julien. This episode leads off the DVD and certainly sets the tone for an overall fun ride.

Neil Patrick Harris shows amazing vocal range in bringing Penguins nemesis Dr. Blowhole to life

The full list of episodes are as follows:

• Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge
• Truth Ache
• Command Crisis
• Go Fish
• Roomies
• Needle Point
• Launchtime
• All Choked Up
• The Hidden
• Tangled in the Web

The special features are nothing more than promoting all things Nick and DreamWorks.  Really nothing offered in the way of anything too terribly captivating.  The disc contains previews for “Kung Fu Panda World” an online gaming experience still under construction last I checked, How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After trailers among other ads and previews.  There is an online game at Nick.com called “The Devious Dr. Blowhole Game” in which you attempt to thwart the evil dolphin’s “Rings of Fire.”  Ho hum. I don’t believe it would even keep the young ones satisfied for longer than 2 minutes.  And the other main feature is a DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox which allows you to cycle through short videos featuring songs from various DreamWorks films:  Shrek — “I’m a Believer,” Over The Hedge — “Rockin’ the Suburbs” (Over the Hedge Version), Madagascar — “I Like to Move It, Move It,” Kung Fu Panda — “Kung Fu Fighting,” Bee Movie — “Here Comes the Sun.”

In short, if you have kids that are Penguins of Madagascar fans…this purchase is a no-brainer.

If you have yet to see the Nick series, certainly go for it!

For those of us older folks who are young at heart, this disc is completely passable.  However, the inexpensive price tag may just be what you needed to warrant grabbing this up for the 2 episodes which never aired on Nick.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox will soon make its way into your home entertainment library — and into your heart — with the announcement of a March 23, 2010 Blu-ray and DVD release.  The ‘instant classic’ stop-motion feature from director Wes Anderson brings Roald Dahl’s whimsical childrens book to life, starring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe.

Click to enlarge cover art

Fox will be marketing Fantastic Mr. Fox on Blu-ray as a combo pack that will include the DVD version and a digital copy on a second and third disc. The remaining bonus features are as follows:

• Making Mr. Fox Fantastic
  • The Look Of Fantastic Mr. Fox
  • From Script To Screen
  • The Puppet Makers
  • Still Life (Puppet Animation)
  • The Cast
  • Bill And His Badger
• A Beginner’s Guide To Whack-Bat
• Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World Of Roald Dahl

Click here to pre-order your copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox from Amazon

Source(s):
Fantastic Mr. Fox Blu-ray Details and Cover Art [TheHDRoom]

Planet 51 is making its way onto Blu-ray and DVD on March 9, 2010 courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  Set in an alternate 1950s setting, Planet 51 tells the story of astronaut “Chuck” Baker (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) landing upon another galaxy inhabited by diminutive green beings, only to find out the residents deem him to be a highly dangerous alien life-form.

A DVD version and digital copy will be packaged into the two-disc Blu-ray set, along with a Blu-ray exclusive “Target 51″ game with optional iPhone controller App download. The remaining bonus features are shared between Blu-ray and DVD.

• Planetarium – The Voice Stars of Planet 51
• Extended Scenes
• The World of Planet 51 – Explore the Sights and Sounds of Planet 51
• Life On Planet 51 – Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
• Music Video Montage
• Animation Progression Reels

Click here to pre-order your copy of Planet 51 at Amazon

Source(s):
Sony’s Planet 51 Blu-ray Details and Release Date [TheHDRoom]

It’s been a very eventful week highlighted by ridiculous amounts of virtual food being tossed about in attempts at securing the newly released Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Blu-ray/DVD.  Today one person will walk away as the ultimate food fighting champion.

Before we announce the winner, we just want to take the time to give a huge gooey thanks to everyone who participated.  You all didn’t just participate, you took the contest way above and beyond what we could have possibly imagined.  Much appreciated.  Your level of interaction made for a really great time, and could lead to some great contests in the near future.

Now…on to the meat and potatoes (sorry, couldn’t resist).  It was a very, very close competition.  We truly wish we could choose multiple winners.  But alas, there can only be one…

The undisputed winner of the DTW Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Giveaway is…

Ian!

Commenter Ian used all methods of food warfare early and often, and although he tended to spiral into some weird tangents…he managed to come out on top with his sheer volume of food and overall creativity.

Congratulations Ian!  An email requesting your shipping info is on its way.

Again, thanks for a great first (official) contest.  I hope to see you all stick around for what we have in store for the rest of the year.  You were all awesome.

Oh, and did I mention that the runners-up have to clean up all this mess!?  Have fun with that.

As you can imagine, the film looks gorgeous in Blu-ray. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is an exceptionally colorful film, and it feels made for this kind of home viewing format. For those who don’t own a Blu-ray player but think they may take the plunge in the near future, the Blu-ray is packaged with a regular DVD as well, which features a full and widescreen version in addition to a downloadable copy of the film. It’s a great bang-for-your-buck if you want don’t want to double-dip in the future. If you have a Blu-ray player, this is the ideal package to grab. The digital copy is the only downer, however. While most other releases with a digital copy offer a Windows Media and iTunes friendly download, this digital copy is only workable with a Playstation 3 or PSP. If you have a PS3, you won’t really need the downloadable copy unless you absolutely want to store this on the player (which just uses up hard drive space). Otherwise, it’s really only a bonus if you’re a PSP user as well.

The Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs Special Features include some pretty fun little additions. For starters, there’s a “Splat-Mode” to enable when viewing the film. Basically, it’s a pop-up feature that allows you to literally hurl a slice of pie, egg, meatball, or cream pie at the screen at the mere push of a button. While in the Splat-Mode, you can also squeegee the screen clean at a click, or turn it off entirely. I can’t imagine it being something you’d want to keep on for the duration of the movie (and I’m sure it would get old quickly for anyone watching it while someone is playing with the feature). “Flint’s Food Fight Game” is a pretty fun little game in the same vein as the classic arcade game Galaga, where you are a little ship firing forks at food spiraling around a giant meatball.

In addition to the games, there are several behind-the-scenes featurettes. The first, besides a feature commentary by the directors (and the voice of Flint, Bill Hader), is “A Recipe for Success: The Making of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.” It’s the perfect glance into what went into making the movie, including interviews with the voice actors, directors, producers, and animators. Details from colorization and set design to even planning out how the food might fall and land in a given scene are covered in this revealing featurette. The next featurette is “Key Ingredients: The Voices of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.” Personally, when it comes to animated films I’ve enjoyed like this one, I’m often interested in learning more about the voice acting and even getting to see some footage from the recording sessions with the actors. “Key Ingredients” is a satisfying look into this, as Anna Faris, Hader, Andy Samberg, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, and even Mr. T and Al Roker all get to talk about their roles. It’s definitely the highlight of the special features.

Miranda Cosgrove singing "Raining Sunshine"

To round out the features, Two alternate/extended scenes are included, the best of which is the completed footage of a food fight between Flint and the Mayor. Two animated storyboard “Early Development” scenes are also included with audio to give a rough idea of some initial scene concepts. Another cool feature breaks down the lighting and visual effects of the film, giving art concepts versus final art scenes, and we see the layers of lighting used in several examples get peeled away to show how the scene was constructed. Miranda Cosgrove’s “Raining Sunshine” video is also included. Surprisingly, it’s the only feature that seems to not be in HD, and looks rather terrible compared to the rest of the HD features (the behind-the-scenes video doesn’t look any better either). It’s a rather corny video, but it’s something younger viewers will probably enjoy most. Lastly, the “Make It Rain Food” spot is a brief commerical for feedingamerica.org urging viewers to join the the fight against hunger.

In the end, Sony does a great job wrapping up Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs for fans of the film to take home and enjoy time and time again. It’s a fun animated film for the whole family and a great addition to your home video collection.

As we mentioned during last week’s impromptu giveaway, we are celebrating the Blu-ray/DVD release of Sony’s Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs — one of our faves here at DTW — by offering our readers a chance to win the Oscar-nominated film.  The winner will receive the 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo version.

Special Features:

• Directors’ Commentary with Bill Hader
• Interactive “Splat” Button (Throw Food at the Screen While You Watch the Movie!)
• A Recipe for Success: The Making of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Key Ingredients: The Voices of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Flint’s Food Fight Game – Enhanced for Blu-ray
• Extended Scenes
• Early Development Scenes
• Progression Reels with Introductions by Visual Effects Supervisor Rob Bredow
• Interactive “Raining Sunshine” Sing-A-Long
• “Raining Sunshine” Music Video by iCarly’s Miranda Cosgrove
• Make It Rain Food

Within the next few days, prior to its release, we will have our review of the special features. So keep an eye out for that.

As for the contest?  We’re instigating a food fight!

There will be 3 different methods of participation:

1. Comment on this post with the food item you are tossing. Your tasty (or not-so-tasty) morsel of choice can be directed toward another commenter, or you can just go in buns a’ blazin’
2. Twitter users can re-tweet the following message:  Throwing [enter food item here] @[enter target here] for a shot to win Cloudy w/Chance of Meatballs DVD #foodfight http://cli.gs/17WnbV In order to track entries properly the tweet needs to be copied and pasted as-is, editing only your action, food choice and target/recipient.
3. If you are not already, become a fan on our Facebook page and wage a grub war by commenting with your food item under the contest announcement.

Those are the battlefields.  You can choose whichever method you wish, but the winner will be awarded based on factors such as the amount of food thrown (number of comments), the types of food being splattered about (be creative) and in some cases, the target throughout the duration of the contest. So you would definitely benefit from commenting as often as you’d like from any or all options numbered above.

The competition is only open to U.S. residents and will run through to 1:00 PM EST on January 5. The winner will be announced and contacted immediately with the disc shipping out that same day. So remember to provide a valid email address when commenting so we can get your shipping information.

That’s it for now.  Enough chit-chat!  FOOD FIGHT!

*Congratulations to commenter ‘brenda’ who won last week’s Surf’s Up DVD contest. We hope you and your family enjoyed it.

DreamWorks Animation is looking to capitalize on the popularity of their “Penguins of Madagascar” by featuring the comical crew in their very first feature-length DVD. “The Penguins Of Madagascar – Operation: DVD Premiere!” is set for a February 9, 2010 release.  The film will have a runtime of 120 minutes and will contain several additional goodies for Madagascar/Penguins fans.

Operation: DVD Premiere features never-before-seen missions that continue the MAD-tastic adventure, plus favorite escapades from the highly-rated Nickelodeon series “The Penguins of Madagascar.” The MADAGASCAR franchise has earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and the Penguins’ Nickelodeon show was the #1 series premiere ever for the network and was the #1 animated program in October for kids 2-11.

THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR Operation: DVD Premiere also includes exclusive access to a brand-new, Penguins-themed online game on Nick.com, a DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox and sneak peeks at upcoming DreamWorks Animation and Nickelodeon releases.  The DVD arrives just in time for Valentine’s gift giving with a sweet anticipated retail price under $16.

Source(s):
DreamWorks Press Release [Home Theater Forum]