Paramount presents premium Blu-ray 2-Disc "Sapphire Series" High-Def releases: BRAVEHEART, GLADIATOR, and FORREST GUMP

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—> See Links to our BRAVEHEAT and GLADIATOR Blu-ray reviews (further below)

Paramount Home Entertainment introduces the prestigius new "Sapphire Series" — Presenting Academy Award® winners in spectacular high definition for the first time ever!

BRAVEHEART, GLADIATOR, and FORREST GUMP — Blu-ray Disc Sapphire Series 2-Disc Special Editions

Highly-anticipated Blu-ray debuts of Gladiator and Braveheart kick off the series on September 1 (followed by Forrest Gump on November 3)

Hollywood, CA — Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) announced today that it will release some of the greatest films ever made for the first time in high definition as part of its exclusive new "Sapphire Series". The Sapphire Series will capitalize on the pristine picture and sound of the Blu-ray format to present each cinematic gem in the highest quality for the first time in two-disc, high definition sets. Suggested retail prices has not yet been announced.

The series will kick off on September 1 with two of the most requested Blu-ray releases, Braveheart and Gladiator — both winners of five Academy Awards® including Best Picture — followed later in the year by six-time Academy Award® winner Forrest Gump. Each release will include extensive, never-before-seen special features for the ultimate presentation.

"It's absolutely fitting that we're presenting the best films in the Paramount library on the finest home entertainment format available," said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman, Paramount Pictures. "Because of Blu-ray's phenomenal capabilities, the Sapphire Series will deliver the best pictures in the best picture."

"I'm delighted that Forrest Gump is going to be a part of Paramount's Sapphire Series so that fans can enjoy it at home with pristine picture and sound along with a wealth of special features to give the film context," said director Robert Zemeckis. "It's wonderful that Paramount is taking the time to produce exceptional Blu-ray presentations of these classic films."

The Sapphire Series release of Zemeckis' worldwide phenomenon Forrest Gump will arrive on November 3. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2009, Forrest Gump will feature new material including a brand new roundtable discussion. More details will follow later in the year.

—> BRAVEHEART Blu-ray Details:
Winner of five Academy Awards® including Best Picture, the exhilarating epic Braveheart is one of the most anticipated films on Blu-ray according to Amazon.com and continues to be beloved by fans and critics alike.

The film will be presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Among the more than two hours of new special features to be included on Braveheart are:

Presented on two discs
Interactive Timelines: Three distinct timelines featuring a combination of video, images, text and audio that can be accessed linearly or randomly:
• Production: A comprehensive chronology of the motion picture from conception through theatrical release, from a behind-the-scenes point of view
• Historical: Chronological modules feature Scotland's greatest patriot, along with historical places, figures and events surrounding his life and struggle.
• Fiction: A comprehensive timeline identifying the chronological events of the film
• Braveheart: A Look Back — Features new interviews with members of the cast and crew reminiscing about their experiences making the film and its enduring impact on cinema.
• Smithfield: Medieval Killing Fields — Relates the remarkable history of Smithfield, which for centuries was regularly filled with the roars of crowds, regal fanfares and rowdy games. Smithfield is also known as the site of William Wallace's execution, along with other terrifying spectacles when heretics, rebels and criminals were put to death.
• Battlefields of the Scottish Rebellion — Two major Scottish battlefields, Falkirk and Bannockburn, will be presented as 3D models that can be explored for further investigation into the military strategies and timetables employed in each. Topography, weapons, troop movements, and leadership data can also be accessed. An alternate playing mode will allow the story of each battle to unfold in an "automated" fashion, much like the interactive dioramas displayed at historical site museums around the world.

BRAVEHEART Sapphire Series — Explore further:
—> Blu-ray Review by John J. Puccio »
EXCERPT: The film deserved its five Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Makeup, and Sound Effects Editing. It also deserved this gorgeous Blu-ray high-definition transfer, giving videophiles material worth showing off their home-theater equipment.

The scenes of mass carnage involving thousands of men are bloody and brutal, yet the filmmakers choreograph them with an almost balletic grace. They come off spectacularly (with the help of the Irish Reserve Army), and, besides, we get to learn why the Scots wore their kilts into combat--to flash the enemy!

"Braveheart" is a big, epic movie on a vast, epic scale, not only brutally violent but brutally long. It's worth it. "Braveheart" is deserving of its popularity, praise, and awards. It's a big, old-fashioned, grand-scale blockbuster adventure, made all the better in Blu-ray high definition.

(Click thru the Link above for John's full review, including an in-depth examination of the HD audio and video quality, and bonus features)

—> GLADIATOR Blu-ray Details:
Director Ridley Scott's triumphant Gladiator is an unparalleled combination of vivid action and extraordinary storytelling that earned five Oscars® including Best Picture and is also on Amazon.com's top 10 list of most anticipated Blu-ray titles.

The Blu-ray presentation will include both the original theatrical version of the film as well as the extended version in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, as well as English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Korean subtitles. The two-disc set also will feature over four hours of bonus material including, but not limited to, the following:

Presented on two discs
• Includes both the original theatrical version and longer (extended) version!
• Audio Commentary — Two separate commentaries accompany the original theatrical version and extended version of the film.
• The Scrolls of Knowledge — The original trivia track has been newly enhanced with focus points allowing viewers to access a series of new behind-the-scenes featurettes exploring key scenes and how they relate to the historical accuracy depicted in the film. The extended version of the film also includes a deleted scene marker.
• Visions From Elysium: Topic Marker — Viewers can tag moments of interest throughout either version of the film, allowing them to create "shopping lists" of topics to learn more about. Thanks to the Blu-ray player's memory, the topics will automatically be loaded when Disc 2 is inserted, giving viewers immediate access to featurettes and galleries of interest.
• Strength And Honor: Creating The World of Gladiator — The definitive documentary on the origin, production and impact of the Oscar®-winning classic. The documentary includes an all-new Enhanced Viewing Mode allowing viewers access to additional interviews and behind-the-scenes material.
• The Making of Gladiator — HBO First Look special
• Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport — Learning Channel special
• Hans Zimmer: Scoring Gladiator — An exploration of the rousing soundtrack
• My Gladiator Journal — Personal diary of the young actor who played Lucius
• Image & Design — Featurettes and galleries covering the production design, storyboards, costumes and more
• Abandoned Sequences & Deleted Scenes
• VFX Explorations: Germania & Rome — Shot deconstruction with the visual effects artists

GLADIATOR Sapphire Series — Explore further:
—> Blu-ray Review by John J. Puccio »
EXCERPT: In terms of extras, "Gladiator" is the sure winner, with a ton of bonus materials and two different versions of the movie, the original theatrical rendering and an extended edition that adds almost twenty more minutes, mostly blood and carnage, to the proceedings. However, in terms of ultimate picture quality, it's surely "Braveheart" and not "Gladiator" that wins a place of honor in the high-def sweepstakes gallery.

GLADIATOR's primary claim to fame is its fight scenes, both in and out of the arena. Director Ridley Scott gets a lot of work from his participants, the warfare often reminding one in their energy and violence of the down-and-dirty conflicts on the football fields in Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday." Indeed, the comparison between the bloody Roman games of the past and the brutal sports of today is apt. In both cases, the combat is hot and heavy, with, naturally, the Romans coming out ahead in the blood-and-gore department. Nor is the film's R rating undeserved. Indeed, the film glorifies the very thing the Romans so loved and our modern, civilized world outwardly deplores--the spectacle of death and destruction as entertainment. I guess times haven't changed that much, after all.

In addition to its action, where "Gladiator" scores heavily is in its digital special effects, which will come off as either awesome or phony, depending on how you look at it. A studio no longer has to produce an outer-space, sci-fi adventure anymore to benefit from the miracles of the computer age. Here, the CGI shows us the glories of ancient Rome in vivid, extravagant detail, with all the city's multitude of people, its grand, imperial buildings, its central Forum, and its spectacular architecture. But will it convince everyone? Some viewers, for instance, will find the Roman coliseum in the film magnificent and persuasive to behold. Yet, the visual-effects folks constructed about three-quarters of it on a monitor screen, which may upset the sensibilities of viewers who find it looks too fake. The new high-definition picture quality will likely only fuel the fires of contention. Even if the high-definition video quality doesn't quite live up to its end of the bargain, "Gladiator" is an entertaining ride from beginning to end.

(Click thru the Link above for John's full review, including an in-depth examination of the HD audio and video quality, and bonus features)

—> Full Details on the Forrest Gump Blu-ray release will be announced later (we will update this article).

Film Synopsis: BRAVEHEART
His passion captivated a woman.
His courage inspired a nation.
His heart defied a king.
Every man dies, not every man really lives.

THE COURAGE TO FACE FEAR...

Mel Gibson stars on both sides of the camera, playing the lead role plus directing and producing this brawling, richly-detailed saga of fierce combat, tender love and the will to risk all that's precious for something more precious: freedom. In an emotionally charged performance, Gibson is William Wallace, a bold Scotsman who used the steel of his blade and the fire of his intellect to rally his countrymen to liberation. Filled with sword-clanging spectacle, BRAVEHEART is a tumultuous tapestry of history come alive, "the most sumptuous and involving historical epic since Lawrence of Arabia" (Rod Lurie, Los Angeles Magazine).

Film Synopsis: GLADIATOR
Father of a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife and I shall have my vengeance in this life or the next.
The general who became a slave.
The slave who became a gladiator.
The gladiator who defied an empire.

A HERO WILL RISE...

Discover the unparalleled power and glory of GLADIATOR in a dazzling combination of vivid action and extraordinary storytelling that critics called a "stunning, explosive, breathtaking epic!" (Bill Diehl, ABC Radio Network). Masterfully directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner), GLADIATOR features a riveting performance from Academy Award-nominated star Russell Crowe, hailed by Newsweek as "a genuine larger-than-life hero!"

Film Synopsis: FORREST GUMP
The world will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump.
Life is like a box of chocolates...
you never know what you're gonna get.

THE STORY OF A LIFETIME...

FORREST GUMP is the movie triumph that became a phenomenon. Tom Hanks gives an astonishing performance as Forrest, an everyman whose simple innocence comes to embody a generation. The winner of six Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Best Director (Robert Zemeckis) and Best Actor (Tom Hanks).

"Stupid is as stupid does," says Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks in an Oscar-winning performance) as he discusses his relative level of intelligence with a stranger while waiting for a bus. Despite his sub-normal IQ, Gump leads a truly charmed life, with a ringside seat for many of the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century.

Entirely without trying, Forrest teaches Elvis Presley to dance, becomes a football star, meets John F. Kennedy, serves with honor in Vietnam, meets Lyndon Johnson, speaks at an anti-war rally at the Washington Monument, hangs out with the Yippies, defeats the Chinese national team in table tennis, meets Richard Nixon, discovers the break-in at the Watergate, opens a profitable shrimping business, becomes an original investor in Apple Computers, and decides to run back and forth across the country for several years. Meanwhile, as the remarkable parade of his life goes by, Forrest never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), the girl he loved as a boy, who makes her own journey through the turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s that is far more troubled than the path Forrest happens upon.

Featured alongside Tom Hanks are Sally Field as Forrest's mother; Gary Sinise as his commanding officer in Vietnam; Mykelti Williamson as his ill-fated Army buddy who is familiar with every recipe that involves shrimp; and the special effects artists whose digital magic place Forrest amidst a remarkable array of historical events and people.
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Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.

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