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DVD Releases for June 3, 2008

SIGNS On Blu-ray

After captivating audiences with THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE writer/director M. Night Shyamalan created his next mind-blowing movie event: SIGNS -- now more tantalizing than ever on Blu-ray Disc from Disney (vfx by Animal Makers and ILM). SIGNS is the gripping story of an ordinary family as they encounter the possibility that Earth is being invaded by creatures from another planet. When Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his family awaken to find a 500-foot crop circle in their backyard they're told extraterrestrials are responsible. As they watch with growing dread news reports tell of similar "signs" suddenly appearing all over the world. Don't even blink as razor-sharp high definition transports you to a new dimension of awe and terror. Jump out of your skin as the spectacularly enhanced audio quality intensifies every gasp heartbeat and otherworldly echo.

Bonus Features:--Extras from the Disney Vista release--Six Making-of Featurettes--Five deleted scenes--Multi-angle feature covering two scenes from the film (final cut and storyboard)

WONDER PETS!: SAVE THE NURSERY RHYME

WONDER PETS!: SAVE THE NURSERY RHYME is now out on DVD from Nickelodeon. The Wonder Pets must help the Young Cow jump over the moon and save Itsy Bitsy Spider from being washed away in these episodes. Not rated, 97 minutes run time.

BLADES OF GLORY On Blu-ray

BLADES OF GLORY, now on Blu-ray from DreamWorks/Paramount with vfx from Rainmaker, supervised by Mark Breakspear, is pure hilarity a gold medal comedy winner staring comic superstar Will Ferrell (TALLADEGA NIGHTS) and John Heder (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE). Bitter figure skating rivals Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) brawl after tying for the gold medal at the world championships. Banned for life from men's competition, these archrivals beat the system thanks to a loophole that allows them skate again in pairs competition. Co-starring Crag T. Nelson, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Jenna Fischer.

Key to the film's success was making sure the audience believed at all times that Ferrell and Heder were on the ice executing moves that take real skaters years to learn, let alone master. Greenscreens and editing tricks wouldn't cut it, leading directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck to take on Mark Breakspear of Rainmaker as their visual effects supervisor.

"We wanted to show Will Ferrell skating in the frame, full frame, skating all the way around and then doing a jump and landing and see him act and see him be Will Ferrell," said Breakspear. Rainmaker started off with a test to see if their techniques would work, and ended up developing a proprietary system that used facial performance capture to create 3D digital faces that could be placed on the body of the doubles who did the actual skating, often replacing the entire head. "That way, Will Ferrell could skate in any angle in any scene," he said.

Bonus Features (In Standard Definition):--Moviefone Unscripted session with Will Ferrell, Jon Heder and Will Arnett--TV spots

Bonus Features (In HD):--"Return to Glory: The Making of BLADES OF GLORY"--"Celebrities on Thin Ice"--"Cooler Than Ice: The Super Sexy Costumes of Skating"--"A Family Affair"--"20 Questions with Scott Hamilton"--"Hector: Portrait of a Psycho Fan"--Gag Reel--Four deleted scenes--High resolution still gallery

THE INCREDIBLE HULK: The Complete Third Season and THE INCREDIBLE HULK: The Complete Fourth Season

From Universal Home Ent. comes THE INCREDIBLE HULK: The Complete Third Season and THE INCREDIBLE HULK: The Complete Fourth Season on DVD for the first time on June 3, starring Emmy Award nominee Bill Bixby and bodybuilding icon Lou Ferrigno respectively as the mild-mannered scientist Dr. David Banner and his alter ego, the Incredible Hulk. Relive all 23 episodes from Season Three and 18 episodes from Season Four plus all-new exclusive DVD bonus extras that provide compelling insight into one of television's most popular action heroes. Both releases will be available in specially created lenticular packaging that transforms Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk.

As an additional bonus that will appeal to HULK fans, contained inside specially marked DVDs are a free movie ticket and an exclusive sneak-peek featuring Edward Norton in one of this summer's upcoming Universal Pictures release THE INCREDIBLE HULK also starring Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt.

Bonus Features - Season Three:--Remembering THE INCREDIBLE HULK: An American Classic: The continued success of THE INCREDIBLE HULK is explored, including the audience's visceral connection to the main character, the superb behind-the-scenes writing and production, the music, and the visual "look" of the show.

Bonus Features - Season Four:--Audio Commentary On Two-Part Season Premiere "Prometheus," with Creator/Producer Kenneth Johnson--Creating An Iconic Character: The Hulk: A featurette that dissects the creation of the character of The Hulk, the fascinating casting search that ultimately led to Lou Ferrigno in the part, the makeup and costume, dubbing of the Hulk's voice/growl, and the artistic visual transformation of the "Hulk Out", which occurred in each episode.-- Inside An Episode: "Prometheus" Photo Gallery: With captions by Creator/Producer Kenneth Johnson

Bonus Features - Seasons Three and Four:--THE INCREDIBLE HULK Sneak Peek: Get an exclusive sneak-peek of the all-new upcoming Universal theatrical release of THE INCREDIBLE HULK, featuring behind the scenes footage and interviews with Edward Norton, Marvel Executives and Director Louis Leterrier.

TWISTED: A BALLOONAMENTARY

WGBH Boston Video will premiere a quirky new documentary about the lives of professional balloon twisters on DVD June 3, 2008.

From competitive balloon conventions to everyday life, TWISTED: A BALLOONAMENTARY follows a core group of eight people whose lives have been forever changed by the art of balloon twisting. This wildly hilarious film, created by Sara Taksler and Naomi Greenfield, also includes breathtaking and over-the-top balloon sculptures as well as an animated segment about the history of balloon twisting narrated by THE DAILY SHOW host Jon Stewart.

A flying octopus. A Trojan horse. Two 100-foot-tall soccer players. All made out of balloons. These are just some of the masterful creations you will see as TWISTED: A BALLOONAMENTARY takes you into the heart of Twist and Shout, one of the world's premier balloon twisting conventions.

One young woman learns to twist so she can get out of the trailer park and go to medical school. Another character discovers the gospel with balloons and twists to find salvation and move away from a life of crime. Exploring how the lives of eight balloon twisters are dramatically changed by a little piece of latex, this hilarious and heartwarming film is about passion, salvation, love, death, race, religion, and a whole lot of balloons.

Special DVD Features Include:--Audio commentary by filmmakers Sara Taksler and Naomi Greenfield--A Q&A session with the filmmakers at the TWISTED World Premiere--The TWISTED trailer--Instructional video demonstrating how to make a balloon dog--Deleted scenes--A downloadable balloon dog screen saver

THE ANIMATION SHOW Volume 3

Mike Judge (BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD, KING OF THE HILL, OFFICE SPACE) and Don Hertzfeldt return with another collection of incredible animated short films when THE ANIMATION SHOW: Volume 3 arrives on DVD June 3 from MTV Home Ent. and Paramount Home Ent.

This DVD brings together the best work from THE ANIMATION SHOW'S 2007 theatrical program, as well as additional groundbreaking shorts. The collection compiles some of the latest work from today's leading independent animators including Mike Judge, Don Hertzfeldt, Bill Plympton, Joanna Quinn and PES, showcasing an enormous array of great animation rarely seen in the United States.

THE ANIMATION SHOW DVD series will continue to bring more artists and unseen classics into the spotlight. In addition, Mike Judge is set to launch the all-new 2008 theatrical tour of THE ANIMATION SHOW in June of 2008. After personally handpicking two dozen of his favorite animated shorts from around the world, Judge has assembled an incomparable collection of work from some of the great animators of today, as well as some up-and-comers. Top-notch animators such as PES, Smith & Foulkes, Dave Carter and Joel Trussell were commissioned to create some new work expressly for this tour, while emerging comic talent Steve Dildarian (THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TIM) will premiere his work theatrically for the first time. In addition, some of the greatest work from abroad will see U.S. audiences for the first time. The 2008 tour promises to be every bit as groundbreaking for adult animation fans as the 2007 collection. For more information on the theatrical tour and local dates, visit www.animationshow.com.

THE ANIMATION SHOW: Volume 3 has a suggested retail price of $19.99.

THE ANIMATION SHOW: Volume 3 DVD Shorts:--BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD INTRODUCTION by Mike Judge--RABBIT by Run Wrake--CITY PARADISE by Gaelle Denis--EVERYTHING WILL BE OK by Don Hertzfeldt--COLLISION by Max Hattler--ASTRONAUTS by Matthew Walker--CARLITOPOLIS by Nieto--NO ROOM FOR GEROLD by Daniel Nocke--GUIDE DOG by Bill Plympton--ONE D by Mike Grimshaw--TYGER by Guilherme Marcondes--VERSUS by François Caffiaux, Noel Romain and Thomas Salas--LEARN SELF DEFENSE by Chris Harding--ABIGAIL by Tony Comely--SHUTEYE HOTEL by Bill Plympton--DREAMS AND DESIRES by Joanna Quinn--GAME OVER by PES

DVD Special Features:--Gaelle Denis interview--Max Hattler interview--ABIGAIL Animatic--Joanna Quinn interview--11 full-length text interviews with the artists--Introduction to MTV's THE MAXX

CLOVERFIELD On Blu-Ray

Discover more clues and unravel the mystery of producer J.J. Abrams' and director Matt Reeves' monster hit when CLOVERFIELD smashes its way onto Blu-ray June 3 from Paramount Home Ent. with vfx by Tippett Studio and Double Negative. CLOVERFIELD thrilled critics and audiences alike with its shocking, first-person video account of a horrifying attack on Manhattan by an unknown -- and seemingly unstoppable -- force.

While the gimmick of a first person POV witnessing a monster attack is compelling, CLOVERFIELD's success lies in the execution and visuals of the monster. Visual Effects Supervisor Kevin Blank says they were gratefully given enough money to get the right vendors to do the job. "Even though the movie was low budget, the visual effects budget we had was a good size. We were dealing with big movie vendors and we hired Double Negative in London [under the supervision of Mike Ellis] and Tippett Studio [under the supervision of Eric Leven]. Tippett has a terrific reputation as a creature house and they made the monster. They brought it to life. But the thing I was trying to do, though, is that I've always had a philosophy of matching the talent with the task. Tippett is a full-service visual effects company capable of doing lots of things and, obviously, we went to them for their creature work but they ended up doing a lot more. With Double Negative, I was really impressed with their work on BATMAN BEGINS and CHILDREN OF MEN."

But the tight budget also meant that more vfx had to be utilized to fill the production gaps. "We were trying to shoot on a small set with a bunch of greenscreen and make everyone believe it," Blank continued. "I give a lot of credit to Production Designer Martin Whist because he had the least amount of resources to produce something believable. We kept saying to him, give us the front 10 or 20% in front of camera for real and we'll do the rest. A lot times you would expect on a movie like this for the set to comprise 50 to 60% of what is going on and visual effects is completing the lower half. But visual effects were doing a lot more than that. For example, we had a very large sequence on the Brooklyn Bridge. What was created was basically a 150-foot stretch for the board planks, a few benches and then lighting fixtures were in place where they would be on the bridge, but the railing, the lamps and everything is CG. In New York, we shot helicopter plates on the side of the Brooklyn Bridge to make the environment, but the actual structure of the bridge was 99% visual effects. The only thing that was not was the ground these people were walking on."

The CLOVERFIELD Blu-ray will include an exclusive feature-length "Special Investigation Mode" with added details about the film. Additional features include a director commentary, Making Of featurettes, deleted scenes, alternate endings with commentary and new navigational features.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD On Blu-ray

Director Paul Thomas Anderson's critically-acclaimed epic THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paramount Vantage, vfx by Digital Backlot and ILM) arrives on Blu-ray June 3. The film was named by more than 200 critics as one of the top 10 movies of 2007 and stars Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis. The Blu-ray features a slideshow of vintage photos selected by the director and set to the unforgettable score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, deleted scenes and a featurette on dailies (same extras as the DVD).

THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN

Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton, the A&E miniseries event THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN arrives on DVD in this special 2-disc collection from Universal Studios Home Ent. with vfx by UPP Prague, supervised by David Vana.

Two-time Academy Award nominee Mikael Saloman (BAND OF BROTHERS) directs a powerhouse cast, including Benjamin Bratt (LAW & ORDER), Christa Miller (SCRUBS), Eric McCormack (WILL & GRACE), Ricky Schroder (NYPD BLUE), Andre Braugher (CITY OF ANGELS), Viola Davis (DISTURBIA) and Daniel Dae Kim (LOST) in this thrilling sci-fi adventure.

When a mysterious virus is brought to Earth by a returning satellite, an elite and dedicated squad of scientists assembles to search for the truth and stop the mutating killer before it ends life on Earth. Presented by three-time Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott (AMERICAN GANGSTER) and Primetime Emmy award winner Tony Scott (NUMB3RS), THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN includes all four televised hours, four hours of exclusive bonus materials and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.

Bonus Features Include:--"Terra Incognita: The Making Of THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN"--Visual Effects Breakdowns--Photo and Design Gallery--Feature Audio Commentary With Director Mikael Salomon, Executive Producers David W. Zucker and Tom Thayer and Editor Scott Vickrey.

BEE MOVIE On Blu-ray

BEE MOVIE from DreamWorks Animation, out on Blu-ray on June 3, is a comedy that will change everything you think you know about bees. Having just graduated from college, a bee by the name of Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice: honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time he breaks one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human -- a New York City florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger). He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bees' honey for centuries. He ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race. That is, until the ensuing chaos upsets the very balance of nature. It is up to Barry to prove that even a little bee can spell big changes in the world. Blu-ray features the same bonus features as the DVD release.

Bonus Features (In HD) Include:

--Alternate endings--Lost Scenes--Commentary by Jerry Seinfeld and the filmmakers--"TV Juniors" segments that aired on NBeeC--Jerry Seinfeld's in-costume flight over the Cannes Film Festival--"Inside the Hive: The Cast of BEE MOVIE"--Music Video--DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox--"Tech of BEE MOVIE--Early live-action trailers.

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