BackDraft Coming to DVD September 18th

Posted by: Michael

Two-time Academy Award(R) winner Ron Howard ("The Da Vinci Code") directs an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Kurt Russell, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland in a new digitally remastered 15th anniversary edition of "Backdraft," coming to DVD and HD-DVD on September 19, 2006 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Nominated for three Academy Awards, "Backdraft" is an emotionally powerful action-thriller about the personal and professional lives of a group of Chicago firefighters. Ablaze with unmatched pyrotechnical effects and scorching heroics, the film paints an unforgettable portrait of the mystery, drama and devastation of fire. Acclaimed for setting a lofty standard for flaming special effects and white-knuckle stunt work, the new "Backdraft" two-disc edition contains over one and half hours of all new bonus material that illuminates the making of this fascinating story and the most spectacular fire sequences ever committed to film.

Sparks fly as Kurt Russell and William Baldwin heat up the stellar cast of "Backdraft," playing Stephen and Brian McCaffrey, sibling rivals working side by side at the Chicago Fire Department. A puzzling and deadly string of arson attacks forces the brothers to put aside their differences to find the perpetrator. Robert De Niro is a veteran arson inspector and Donald Sutherland plays a serial arsonist who may hold the key to the mystery. The two-disc DVD edition comes in premium, highly collectable packaging and is priced at $19.98 SRP; the single-disc HD-DVD version is priced at $29.98

FIVE ALARM BONUS FEATURES: The "Backdraft" two-disc set fuels the flames created by this dramatic thriller with exciting features that take audiences behind the scenes, including:

Ron Howard Introduction
Over 40 Minutes of Deleted Scenes
Igniting the Story -- Director Ron Howard, Academy Award(R)-winning producer Brian Grazer and others discuss the evolution of the film from script to screen.
Bringing Together The Team -- From the casting room to firefighter clinics see how director Ron Howard brought together a talented team of actors and real-life firefighters.
The Explosive Stunts -- Filmmakers reveal the state-of-the-art technology and heroic stunts that created the explosive action of the film.
Creating the Villain: The Fire -- See how an overwhelmingly talented team of special effects creators and stunt coordinators worked together to bring the fire to life.
Real-Life Fireman, Real-Life Stories -- Get an insider's perspective on what it takes to be a firefighter in this round-table discussion with the crew of Station 73, Santa Clarita.