Why So Blu?

Safe House Explodes Onto Blu-ray This June!

I have to admit.  I know it sounds cheesy, but this film really was an adrenaline rush from start to finish for me.  I’m talking about the Denzel Washington/Ryan Reynolds vehicle, Safe House, that is.  I actually saw it twice in the theaters.  Unless it’s The Dark Knight, that’s something I usually don’t do, but I will be breaking that tradition with another screening of Cabin in the Woods this weekend.  But anyway, the year’s most explosive action blockbuster will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack with UltraViolet and Digital Copy (I love that Universal provides you an option here) as well as DVD and On-Demand on June 5th.  I can’t wait.  The film has some minor flaws, but it’s a Day 1 for me!  Check out the full press release below from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and pre-order your copy today!

Universal City, Calif. (April 9, 2012) – A rogue CIA operative is targeted for assassination and an idealistic rookie agent must prove himself by keeping them both alive in the exhilarating and explosive action-thriller Safe House, available June 5, 2012 on Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet^™ and Digital Copy and DVD as well as On Demand from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Two-time Academy Award^®winner Denzel Washington (Training Day, Unstoppable) and Ryan Reynolds (The Change-Up, Green Lantern) star as unlikely allies up against an unknown enemy in an adrenaline-pumping game of cat and mouse.

Washington and Reynolds are joined by an impressive roster of actors including Academy Award^® nominee Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, The Guard), Academy Award®-nominee Sam Shepard (Black Hawk Down, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford),  Ruben Blades (All the Pretty Horses, Once Upon a Time in Mexico), Nora Arnezeder (Paris 36, The Words) and Robert Patrick (Flags of Our Fathers, Terminator 2: Judgment Day).

The Safe House Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack delivers the film in perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound and features extensive bonus content including a “making of” featurette, interviews with cast and crew, and exclusive looks behind the scenes of the stylish and intense spy thriller.

The Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack also includes UltraViolet^™, a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film – so consumers can truly enjoy the movie anytime, anywhere, on the device of their choice!  UltraViolet^™ is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows in the cloud to instantly stream and download to computers, tablets and smart phones.  In addition, consumers can redeem a Digital Copy of the film from a variety of retail partners, who offer many viewing options including iTunes®, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod^™ touch, Android, connected televisions, Blu-ray^™ player apps and much more!

BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAY^™ & DVD:

• Making Safe House—This featurette is filled with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage revealing how director Daniel Espinosa, stars Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds and the rest of the team came together to bring this thrilling story to life.
• Hand-To-Hand Action— Renowned fight choreographer Olivier Schneider (Taken) puts the actors through the intense training and rehearsal required to create the film’s powerful scenes of deadly hand-to-hand combat. Schneider, along with Ryan Reynolds and Daniel Espinosa, explain how the high-intensity, character-based approach to the action informed the final film and share the brilliant raw versions of the scenes (with a special direct-to-camera set-up by Schneider).
• Building the Rooftop Chase—Filmed in hardscrabble Langa, Cape Town’s oldest township, this riveting stunt sequence required a massive amount of precision, a little bit of politics and a lot of planning. Featuring cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and a first-person perspective of Denzel Washington’s rooftop run, this piece showcases the intense preparation and focus necessary to pull off one of Safe House’s most pivotal and dangerous sequences.
• Inside The CIA—Technical advisor Luis Falcon III, a 30-year CIA veteran who has gone undercover in some of the hottest zones in the world, talks about working with the cast and collaborating with the director. He leads audiences on a walk and talk through the CIA offices and explains just how closely this film matches up to reality.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVELY ON BLU-RAY^™:

• Behind The Action—Legendary stunt coordinator Greg Powell, fight choreographer Olivier Schneider and tactical advisor Dan Hirst lead viewers through key action sequences involving dangerous driving stunts, heavy gun play and frenetic fight choreography.
• Safe Harbor: Cape Town—A popular tourist destination, Cape Town is rapidly becoming one of the most-photographed cities in cinema. The creators of Safe House reveal the reasons they set this intense action thriller in Africa’s multicultural hub.
• Shooting the Safe House Attack—Every detail behind the creation of the film’s epic initial attack is revealed in a featurette that includes interviews with Academy Award-winning production designer Brigitte Broch, plus the film’s cast and crew. From the initial rehearsals to the final takes, director Daniel Espinosa and his spectacular stunt team combined artistry with tactical perfection for a chillingly realistic sequence.
• UltraViolet™: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, store them in the cloud, and download and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smartphones.  Currently available in the United States only.
• Digital Copy: Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie from a choice of retail partners to watch on an array of electronic and portable devices.

• U-Control:

o   Picture-in-Picture – featuring pre-visualization and storyboard comparisons of some the film’s most exciting scenes.

• pocket BLU^™ App: The popular free pocket BLU^™ app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad^®, Android^™ tablets, PC and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays.

o   Journey Inside The Safe House: This exclusive Second Screen feature will highlight an in-depth walk and talk through the film’s safe house location with the production designer and CIA technical advisor as they discuss the creation and authenticity of the set.

o   Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray^™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live^™ functions with ease.

o   Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.

o   Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray^™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

o   Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU^™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray^™. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.

o   Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.

• BD-LIVE^™ – Access the BD-Live^™ Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content and more!

SYNOPSIS

Tobin Frost (Oscar® winner Denzel Washington), one of the CIA’s most dangerous traitors, resurfaces in South Africa after eluding capture for almost a decade.  During his interrogation, the safe house is attacked by brutal mercenaries forcing rookie agent, Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) to take the infamous Frost on the run.  As the masterful manipulator toys with his reluctant protégé, shaking the young operative’s morality and idealism, the unlikely allies must fight to stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them both dead.  Packed with intense action and thrilling suspense, Safe House takes you on a deadly ride through a covert world where no one and no place is ever safe.