Black Hawk down
(Blu-ray) 

Based on the book by Mark Bowden.

Originally released as a motion picture in 2001.

Special features: Audio commentaries with director Ridley Scott, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, author Mark Bowden & screenwriter Ken Noal and U.S. Special Forces veterans; "The essence of combat" featurettes.

Director of photography, Slavomir Idziak ; editor, Pietro Scalia ; music, Hans Zimmer ; costume designers, David Murphy, Sammy Howarth-Sheldon ; production designer, Arthur Max.

Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Jason Isaacs, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Ewen Bremner, Sam Shepard.

Details the near-disastrous mission in Somalia on October 3, 1993 where nearly 100 U.S. Army Rangers, commanded by Capt. Mike Steele. The troops were dropped by helicopter deep into the capital city of Mogadishu to capture two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord. The resulting action lead to a large and drawn-out firefight between the Rangers and hundreds of Somali gunmen. The battle led to the destruction of two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters and to the heroic efforts by various Rangers to get to them out. Centers on Sgt. Eversmann commanding one Ranger unit pinned down by the street fighting, to Warrant Officer Durant who was only survivor of the second black hawk crash site and subsequently captured. Lt. Col. McKnight leads a rescue convoy for the Rangers only to get lost within the hostile city. Lt. Perino leads the Rangers to the first black hawk crash site, while Staff Sgt. Yurek leads his decimated Ranger group through gunfire to safety.

MPAA rating: R for intense, realistic, graphic war violence, and for language.

HD DVD (1920 x 1080p); widescreen (2.40:1) presentation, mastered in high definition, Blu-ray Disc; Dolby Digital. Special features in standard definition.

Requires a Blu-ray player.

Closed captioned; audio in English or French; with optional subtitles in English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, or Thai.

Academy Awards, USA, 2002: Oscar - Best Editing (Pietro Scalia) ; Best Sound (Michael Minkler, Myron Nettinga, Chris Munro).

BLU-RAY