Elysium Invades Blu-Ray & DVD: Today In Science & Science Fiction
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Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium was one of our most anticipated movies of the summer. After all, he amazed us with how far he stretched a $30,000 budget with 2009’s District 9, so the thought of how much he could accomplish with Elysium’s $115,000. And from a visual and design standpoint, he certainly didn’t disappoint, serving up a gorgeously detailed dystopian future world where the rich live on a lavish orbiting space station while the poor wallow in overcrowded misery on the earth below. The story itself, starring Matt Damon as a terminally ill blue-collar dude who attempts to infiltrate the titular station in order to use its advanced technology to cure his cancer, didn’t fire on all cylinders the way he had hoped, but we’ll take an ambitious Blomkamp semi-success over most other movies any day of the week.
The film is hitting home video today, and if you’re eager to dig into the details and making of Blomkamp’s latest science fiction epic, the Blu-ray won’t disappoint. You can order it from Amazon on Blu-ray or DVD, and we’ve got a breakdown of the bonus features below.
Bonus Materials Exclusive to the Blu-ray Include:
- Extended Scene
- Visions of 2154 – An interactive exploration of the art and design of Elysium.
- The Journey to Elysium:
- Envisioning Elysium – This pre-production diary explores all facets of pre-production.
- Capturing Elysium – With production in Vancouver, Mexico, and on huge green screen stages, the challenge of filming was nothing short of massive. The filmmakers and cast discuss the journey through the film’s production.
- Enhancing Elysium – This post-production diary explores the editing process.
- In Support of Story: The Visual Effects of Elysium – An in-depth look at the process of shooting visual effects scenes and incorporating CGI environments and vehicles into those scenes in post-production.
- The Technology of 2154 – From independently functioning Droids to next-generation military tech that gives humans machine-enhanced power, get insight from the filmmakers on the technology of Elysium.
Bonus Materials Included on Both the Blu-ray and DVD:
- Collaboration: Crafting the Performances in Elysium – Meet the dynamic cast and get insight into how they prepared for their roles.
- Engineering Utopia: Creating a Society in the Sky – A look at designing and creating the utopian space station.
Today in TV
Black Mirror (DirecTV, 9/8c) — “White Bear”
Victoria wakes up and cannot remember anything about her life. Everyone she encounters refuses to communicate with her and enjoys filming her discomfort on their phones.
Futurescape (Science, 10/9c) — “How to Be a Superhuman”
Advancements in genetic engineering are spotlighted.
How Sherlock Changed the World (PBS, 9/8c)
How the investigative techniques used by the fictional Sherlock Holmes influenced real-life criminal investigations. Included: remarks from forensic scientists, including Dr. Henry Lee, and author Anthony Horowitz (The House of Silk).
Person of Interest (CBS, 10/9c) — “Lethe”
Flashbacks to Finch’s adolescence provide insight into his creation of The Machine. Also, the team receives the number of an already dying man, and Reese leaves the POI team behind in the aftermath of the war with the crime organization, HR.
Today in DVD
Alien Uprising (Blu-Ray, DVD & Digital)
Hey, look, it’s Jean-Claude Van Damme!
A group of friends awake one morning to find all electricity and power shut off, and an immense alien aircraft hovering in the air above their heads. Suddenly this regular group of friends is battling to survive, as the entire human race is threatened by the alien army hovering ominously above.
Timeslingers (DVD)
In case you thought Cowboys & Aliens had a great concept but you really wanted it to have a fraction of the budget and nobody in the cast you’d ever heard of, Timeslingers is for you!
SARA and TOM JOHNSON are two very bored teenagers. But that’s all about to change. During a family vacation to an old western ghost town, the bickering siblings stumble upon a portal which catapults them back in time to the old west. As if that wasn’t odd enough, they meet a friendly baby alien whose ship has just crash landed in this prairie of the past. The creature’s mother has been captured by some greedy locals and can only survive for a few hours in the Earth’s atmosphere. The kids must somehow find a way to help the scared space visitor and his mom escape the planet before time runs out – and they’re transported back to the future.
