It looks like the Beowulf DVD will be upon us Feb 26! We get the following release details thanks to dvdactive (thx to Simon for the heads up):
Paramount Home Entertainment has announced theatrical and director’s cut releases of the Robert Zemeckis directed Beowulf which features the voices of Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. Each will be available to own from the 26th February. The film itself will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround tracks. The only extra feature on the theatrical cut will be A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf featurette. The Director’s Cut will include that, along with a Beasts of Burden featurette, a Origins of Beowulf featurette, a Creating the Ultimate Beowulf feaurette, an Art of Beowulf featurette, additional scenes (Wealthow Shows Beowulf the Sundial, Beowulf Boasts to the People of Herot, Celebration and Seduction, Wulfgar Greets Beowulf at the Stockade, Beowulf’s Day Unferth Finds the Horn, Cain on the Barrows), trailers, and eastereggs.
Also available from the 26th February will be a HD-DVD release of the film. This will feature a high definition transfer, along with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus, and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD tracks. All of the above extra material will be included, along with a Conversation with Robert Zemeckis, further featurettes on the stunts, art design, props (Lay of the Land, Givin’ Props, Scanners, Stunts and Rigs, Plan of Attack, Fight Me, Baby It’s Cold Inside, Beasts of Burden, The Origins of Beowulf, Creating the Ultimate Beowulf, The Art of Beowulf) and a couple of extra additional scenes (Grendel Runs Towards Herot, Hrothgar Awakened by Unferth, Scylding’s watch Escorts Beowulf).
I loved Beowulf, had an amazing time watching the film and am certainly looking forward to the release of the Director’s cut. I will take all the extra scenes I can get from this one, and it looks like there are a decent amount of them. What I do not like is the fact that the HD-DVD release of the film will have additional special features. I am not certain if this is due to space restrictions on the DVD as compared to HD-DVD or just a bullshit marketing ploy to push us towards the next gen players.
I wish there was a way we could watch the film in 3-D on our home televisions. In time, I hope that this option becomes available; I would love to watch 3-D film at home. I would get a specialty 3-D viewing helmet made, perhaps a stormtrooper mask with modified eye lenses or better yet a robocop helmet equipped for viewing excellence.
This DVD launches Feb 26, and I look forward to reviewing the special features!
I was very excited to hear that Beowulf would be released on DVD this month. Of particular interest is the featurette on the making of. Last August I had a visit from a film crew that was working on background features for the DVD. They came into our Viking encampment at the great Pennsic War. The pennsic war is an annual gathering of over 10,000 medieval recreationists and rumor has it that some of the artisans that helped create Beowulf have been involved with the group that sponsors the war. I was interviewed and tour guide for our camp that specializes in Viking times. Most of my friends are Vikings or Celts, but I don’t discriminate. At pennsic you can find people from ancient Rome to the 1600s and everything in between. If you’re curious about what was like to fight with swords and armor or make your own clothing or anything else medieval search for SCA, the society for creative anachronism. Share my misery if I don’t make the cut. Share my joy if I get 15 seconds of fame. Enjoy the movie. It’s a fantastic story from the old days.
What I want to find out is if the DVD release of this movie is going to be in 3D or just 2D. I hope 3D because then I can use my Samsung 3D ready TV and the 3D kit from DDD.com to watch 3D at home.
As 3D DVDs are routinely released, there is no excuse for this not coming with that option. Basically this film was conceived and built as a 3D spectacle; to render it as a 2D affair for mass-consumption is a sin against it.
Electronic LCD shutter-glasses or paper red and blue anaglyph version…I don’t care which, but make it accessible with the added dimension!
This movie sucks three levels of ass, people! Come on!
yea it does suck that you can’t watch it in 3D at home cuz the first time I saw it, it wasn’t in 3D and then the second time around, watching it in 3D, it was such a better experience and the 3D made the graphics just SOOOO much better.
Hmm, I wonder how people who went ga-ga over the 3D version will react to watching it plain. Will people still enjoy it? I watched it plain in theaters on purpose to see if the film could stand up without a gimmick to back it, and quite frankly, I wasn’t overly impressed. It’s okay, but I don’t have an urge to watch it again.
Oh, I’m definitely getting this in HD. I mean, one just can’t get enough of Beowulf dragging his bare balls and ass all over Grendal’s back! Attack! Double-hogback-grinner style!
I really enjoyed this film in Imax 3D and am not sure if it would be quite as fun without that element. I wish there was an effective way for 3D to be included for home viewing.