Rick Blaine owns a nightclub in Casablanca during World War II. Ilsa, a woman Rick was once in love with when he lived in Paris and never quite got over, walks into his nightclub. She’s in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo, a...
Casablanca is hands down one of the best films that has ever been churned out by a Hollywood studio.
Take Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, a story of war and love, a fantastic piano player, and put them all together, and you have the makings of a terrific film: this film is, of course, Casablanca.
The new 4K video transfer is gorgeous, and while the previous transfer was not bad, this new transfer looks much more film-like and true-to-source. It looks like a 1940s film should.
The audio on this is good too; of course, there isn't any real sound effects work here to blow those 5.1/7.1/9.1 setups, but it gets the job done nonetheless.
The extras on this set are great, very informative and a vast assortment. Disc One contains primarily extras on the film, while Disc Two is more studio-related but still very good and thorough. The "swag" included with this limited edition UCE box is awesome, too, what with the poster, the coasters, and the uber-informative coffee table book. You also get a DVD copy of the film.
If a box of swag isn't your thing, Target is selling a currently-exclusive (until 4/24/12) single-disc version, which cuts out the DVD and the second blu-ray disc of Warner-related special features: this will likely do the job for people who just want the film, but for those who are rabid Casablanca fans, this UCE is a must.
I can see Casablanca being on a few collectors' best-of-2012 lists, so be sure to pick this one up if you don't already own it!
DigiBook
Warner Bros. | 1994 | 142 min | Rated R | Region free
| Dec 02, 2008
Framed for murder, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at Shawshank prison, where he slowly comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older lifer named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense...
This is my hands-down pick for the best picture of all-time, and thankfully it has earned a fantastic blu-ray release to accompany its large, well-deserved reputation.
This film touches on so many great themes: human nature, friendship, hope, loss, grieving, inspiration, prejudices. There really is something in this film for absolutely everyone. As a movie, it just doesn't get better than Shawshank.
The transfer is gorgeous for the drab nature of Shawshank Prison, and we're given a great audio soundtrack and a nice assortment of extras, too.
If you don't yet own The Shawshank Redemption or have yet to see it, I urge you to do so right now!
The Criterion Collection
Criterion | 1957 | 96 min | Not rated | Region A (locked) | Nov 22, 2011
In what seems to be an open and shut murder case, twelve jurors slowly begin to take serious
interpretation of the "beyond a reasonable doubt" clause and over the course of an hour and a
half debate their impending verdict on...
I blind bought this, basically knowing I was going to love it, but still a blind buy nonetheless. 12 Angry Men has turned out to be one of the best blind buys I have ever made.
The acting, writing, and direction are all impeccable, but the surprise here is the cinematography. The entire movie is filmed in a drab juror's room, and yet the movie is not dull in the least. The camera work makes a boring juror's room seem like the most exciting and interesting place that the world has seen. 12 Angry Men is an enduring classic about the reality of human nature, and it earns its well deserved 5/5.
Add in an excellent transfer, a terrific monaural soundtrack, and a healthy slew of extras, and this is easily one of the best Criterion releases to date.
