The most unusual aspect of NIGHT WATCH -- by Russian standards -- was the exceptional scope of its visual effects. Producing several hundred digital effects shots in an industry that had never produced any "visual effects movie" represented a major challenge for the director. The task of putting Bekmambetov's vision on screen was assigned to visual effects supervisor Vladimir Leschinski.

"It is true that we didn't have much experience in terms of vfx for feature films, but when we started NIGHT WATCH, we had more than 10 years of experience of creating CGI for commercials, Leschinski said. "So, there was a real pool of talents out there. The problem was that there was no existing structure that could handle the whole project. So, we decided to gather 16 different vendors and several freelancers, all based throughout the country. The work was split among them based on the know-how of each studio and each freelancer in a particular technology or in certain types of vfx.

"We didn't use the western approach of awarding complete sequences to individual studios. Instead, we turned the whole Russian effects industry into one giant virtual studio in which everybody was doing what he did the best on any given shot. It meant, for instance, that one artist in Saint Petersburg would rotoscope and match-move a shot, another one in Ukraine would do the character animation for the same shot, and the whole thing would be put together by a third artist in Moscow."


Special Features Include:
--Commentary by director Timur Bekmambetov
--Subtitle commentary by novelist Sergei Lukyanenko
--Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Timur Bekmambetov
--Night Watch trilogy featurette looks at planned sequels, including DAY WATCH.
--Making-of featurette (in Russian with subtitles) with cast and crew interviews and on-set footage
--"Characters, Story and Subtitles" featurette
--Comic book still gallery
--Poster gallery
--Fox Trailers

DAY WATCH On Blu-ray

Like THE MATRIX, DAY WATCH combines cutting-edge digital effects and mind-blowing action to create a stunningly original world. This Unrated Edition from 20th Century Fox takes you on an even wilder ride with more intense thrills and incredible effects.

Only one thing stands between peace and Armageddon: the supernatural agents of Day Watch, who fight to control the armies of light and darkness. When the son of a senior Day Watch officer turns to the darkness, forces beyond the imagination are unleashed and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Visual effects supervisor and owner of Moscow-based vfx company Dr. Picture Studios, Vladimir Leschinski spoke to VFXWORLD about DAY WATCH.

"We used a lot of 3D for wide shots of the castle in the beginning. Again, for the airplanes and for the red car, a Mazda. As far as character animation, again we have the spider doll from NIGHT WATCH. And we have a lot of castle guardians and a lot of riders who are taking the castle. Technology-wise, it was the same as NIGHT WATCH and the management was oriented around the headquarters in the production house where [director] Timur [Bekmambetov] was doing his cut. Again, we got together maybe 20 vendors to do the job and 180 people altogether. We had 800 shots compared to NIGHT WATCH's 400 shots. So it took about a year to finish the visual effects. Color correction was done here at Encore Hollywood. It was a large amount of work but pretty much the same challenge," Leschinski said.

Special Features Include:

--Commentary by director Timur Bekmambetov
--Russian Trailers
--Making-of featurette with interviews with cast, producers and the technical crew with on-set footage
--U.S. Trailer
--Russian TV Spots

KILL BILL: VOL.1 On Blu-ray

Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, The Bride (Uma Thurman) emerges from a coma and decides it's time for payback... with a vengeance. Having been gunned down by her former boss (David Carradine) and his deadly squad of international assassins, it's a kill-or-be-killed fight she didn't start... but is determined to finish.