Blu-ray.com - Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Logan's Run (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:22:07 -0500

Another classic Science Fiction film arrives on Blu-ray.

Run, runner!

So what does the world of Logan's Run really look like, that is, beyond the flowing and revealing singularly-colored garb, sterile indoor environments, and the ability to change faces on a whim? There's little-to-no baldness. Not bad! There are no cutesy little "Lordy, Lordy, Logan's 40!" quips in the newspaper. A definite plus! Grumpy Old Men doesn't exist. Eh, take it or ...

Video

Logan's Run jogs onto Blu-ray with a decent 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. Though the image looks consistently flat, much of that may be attributed to the mundane set design that doesn't do much to spruce up the image and populate it with objects that give more than a basic sense of depth to the frame. The sterility and smoothness of the dome play in contrast to the bowels of the forbidden zones behind the walls, and fine detail tends to become more visible as the movie mo...

Audio

Logan's Run arrives on Blu-ray with an uneven Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. As for the good, the surround channels are used to fine effect in several instances, particularly during some early overhead model shots of the dome. The clarity and precision of Jerry Goldsmith's score isn't to die for; it's a passable rendition but won't be mistaken for a fresh-out-of-theaters modern presentation. Several sound effects play far too loudly at reference volume, and Loga...

Supplements
Unfortunately, this Blu-ray release of Logan's Run delivers a rather paltry collection of extras. First up is a commentary track with Director Michael Anderson, Actor Michael York, and Costume Designer Bill Thomas. The three participants are recorded separately and have been cobbled together after the fact for flow. Each participant is well-spoken and informed, recalling plenty of interesting facts all these years later, from the design and special effects of Carrousel to the...

Final Words
Logan's Run turned 30 several years ago, and thankfully, the film wasn't lost to the brutal ritual of Carrousel. Instead, it's been reborn on Blu-ray as a quality release from Warner Brothers. Although neither the picture nor sound are going to rival G.I. Joe, Logan's Run probably won't look or sound worlds better in some future release than it does here. There are still some aggravating flaws, parti......

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Ugly Truth (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:09:58 -0500
'The Ugly Truth' looks beautiful on Blu-ray.

You have to be two people: the saint and the sinner.

What an appropriate title -- with an emphasis on the "ugly" -- for one of the lesser Romantic Comedies of the decade. The Ugly Truth waddles through genre clichés but does so not with spunk, spirit, or even a good old-fashioned sense of fun, but with generic, unlikable characters; a boring and predictable story; and not even a hint of charm. The Ugly Truth suffers not from genre overexposure but ra...

Video
One thing that's definitely not ugly about The Ugly Truth is Sony's gorgeous 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. It's becoming old hat to review these pristine and film-like transfers from the studio, but it never gets old watching them. This transfer instantly transports viewers to the local high-quality multiplex thanks to its incredible detail, rich color palette, stunning detail, crisp definition, and nice sense of depth. As typical of a Romantic Comedy, the colors thro...

Audio
The Ugly Truth features a strong DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's as good as the video transfer. Other than music, there's little more than dialogue and light atmospherics to be found herein, but each is so wonderfully presented that the general lack of a whiz-bang, action-packed soundtrack is soon forgotten once the various pop songs blare through the sound system. Music plays with fantastic power but also pitch-perfect clarity. It also comes with a good bit ...

Supplements
The Ugly Truth features several extras. First is a commentary with Director Robert Luketic and Producer Gary Lucchesi that covers only select scenes: Opening Sequence, Mike's First Broadcast, Abby Meets Colin, Mike Coaches Abby, The Baseball Game, Vibrating Panties, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Mike and Abby Dance, Mike's Disappointment, and The Hot Air Balloon. Next up is a collection of six del...

Final Words
A Romantic Comedy need not be meaningful but it does require its characters be affable and its story be charming to work, but The Ugly Truth instead goes for, well, the ugly, and the result is a movie that follows basic genre clichés but fails in its attempt to branch out and delve into raunchier territory that sacrifices the lighthearted innocence that defines the best the genre has to offer. Nevertheless, genre aficionados and fans of the film will love Sony's technical present......

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The Negotiator (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:44:10 -0500
Abandon disbelief all ye who enter here...

There's no greater cinematic sin than releasing a trailer that reveals the full width and breadth of a film. The Negotiator was billed as a shocking, unpredictable thriller designed to keep audiences guessing; a well-cast '90s powerhouse with rapidfire twists and turns aplenty. That is until its theatrical trailer, in just two minutes and twenty-three seconds, gave viewers a complete preview of every ...

Video
The Negotiator cozies up to your home theater with a solid 1080p/VC-1 transfer that, minor mishaps not withstanding, looks considerably better than its standard DVD counterpart. Russell Carpenter's palette tends to favor murky browns and chilly grays, but Warner's presentation still manages to impress, injecting stark reds, suitably resolved blacks, and natural skintones into the proceedings. Yes, delineation leaves something to be desired, but the level of foreground detail more than m...

Audio
The Negotiator's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track leaves something to be desired. Dialogue is generally intelligible and well prioritized, but sometimes slips beneath the waves of whirring helicopters and smashing glass. LFE support is aggressive during action sequences, but timid whenever guns are holstered. Moreover, the front-heavy soundfield doesn't leave much room for rear speaker activity. Granted, every time the police try to breach good ol' Sam's inner sanctum, a welcome flurry...

Supplements
Sadly, the supplemental package consists of just two featurettes. "The 11th Hour: Stories from a Real Life Negotiator" (SD, 7 minutes) gives LAPD Negotiator Todd Rheingold an opportunity to discuss the unique challenges he's faced over the course of his career. He's an engaging storyteller, but I would have rather listened to him dissect the scene-specific merits and factual inaccuracies of the film in an audio commentary. Elsewhere, a lengthier featurette called "On Location: Why Chicago" (S...

Final Words
The Negotiator routinely falls flat, riddled with plot holes, contrivances, and leap-frogging logic. However, Jackson and Spacey's scene-chewing performances -- as well as some crafty twists and turns in the screenplay -- save the film from bargain bin hell, making this decidedly '90s popcorn thriller worth a look. As for Warner's Blu-ray edition, it's comparable to the studio's other recent, second-tier catalog releases. In other words, a release that delivers a strong video transfer,......

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Christmas Carol (Scrooge) (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:08:12 -0500
Considered by many fans to be the definitive version of Dickens' immortal classic, the 1951 British film debuts on Blu-ray.

Its probably next to impossible for most of us to imagine a time when there wasnt an Ebenezer Scrooge, so ingrained has that indelible character become in our collective consciousness. And yet that despicable (if lovable) curmudgeon who made Bah, humbug! a retort of renown has only been around since 1843, a veritable blink of the eye in literary historical terms. Nonetheless, I think youd be hard pressed to find a more influential tome than Charles Dickens little Christmas novella, a b...

Video
There is a substantial upgrade in image quality on this new 1080p/MPEG-2 encoded Blu-ray from even VCI's excellently restored DVD release of a couple of years ago. I was immediately struck by the brilliant contrast, which offered wonderfully inky blacks and a similarly excellent grayscale. Whites bristle nicely in the snow scenes and never bloom. Sharpness and clarity are quite good as well, though the film grain does occasionally devolve into noisiness at times. All of this is not to say t...

Audio
Unfortunately, the audio options on this Blu-ray are not up to the standards set by the generally excellent image quality. Two Dolby Digital mixes are included, the original mono track as well as a repurposed 5.1 surround mix. Both choices sadly leave quite a bit to be desired. I frankly couldn't stand listening to the 5.1 for very long, as it is saddled with such bad chorusing and reverb that I personally found it unlistenable. That same chorusing effect is still apparent, though less bothe...

Supplements
VCI did a superb job a couple of years ago with their 2 DVD release of this title, which offered some wonderful bonuses, including a whole second version of the property (a 1935 Seymour Hicks starrer, also called Scrooge). For some reason VCI has chosen to offer this Blu-ray on a 25G disc, meaning bonuses on the Blu-ray itself are limited to the DVD commentary by Cole being ported over and the British and US trailers included (as well as a VCI promo).

A bonus DVD, which is<...

Final Words
It's never really Christmas without some version of A Christmas Carol. Viewers have so many choices with this source material that it would be arrogant for me to deign which is the best. But a lot of fans have maintained this is certainly one of the best, if not the all-time champ, and I certainly wouldn't argue with that. This Blu-ray offers a nice upgrade in image quality, if also troublesome audio, but if you're a fan of this version, you'll most likely be thrilled and won't ......

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Emmanuelle (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:32 -0500

Gallic director Just Jaeckin's classic erotic film "Emmanuelle" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of local distributors Studio Canal. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are the terrific documentaries "An erotic success" and "An interview with Emmanuelle". The disc has been coded for Regions A and B, which means that it is perfectly playable in North American PS3s and SAs. Additionally, the disc's main menu could be set in one of the following languages: English, French, Spanish, ...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Just Jaeckin's Emmanuelle arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Studio Canal.

This French release of Emmanuelle is a major upgrade over most every other release of the film that I have seen. Detail, especially during close-ups, is dramatically improved, clarity very good and contrast terrific. The color-scheme is fabulous. Red, greens, blues, yellows, brow...

Audio
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. I opted for the French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track for the purpose of this review.

The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Pierre Bachelet's beautiful score conveys terrific fidelity (the piano and guitar solos in particular are lov...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

An erotic success - a terrific documentary on the history of director Just Jaeckin's Emmanuelle. Producer Yves Rousset-Rouard, director Just Jaeckin, and critics tal...

Final Words
This is a wonderful Blu-ray package by French distributors Studio Canal - director Just Jaeckin's classic erotic film Emmanuelle looks and sounds very good. The English-friendly supplemental features included on the disc are also very informative. Most importantly, the Blu-ray disc is coded for regions A and B, which means that it is perfectly playable in North American PS3s and SAs. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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I Love You, Beth Cooper (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:51:33 -0500
Love is much, much too strong a word. In fact, the wrong word altogether.

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of reviewing Say Anything, Cameron Crowes classic coming-of-age teen romance, forever immortalized by the image of John Cusack holding a boom box over his head in an act of defiant love. As fans of the film knowand the film has many, many fans its touching and tender, funny, witty, and wholly original while still working within the confines of its genre. In short, its everything that I Love You, Beth Cooper is not. I hate to compare ...

Video
If I Love You, Beth Cooper has one thing going for it, its that the films 1080p/AVC- encoded transfer is vivid and detailed. It doesnt fall among the ranks of Blu-rays best, but for a film of this caliberand genreit looks swell. The opening graduation scene sets the tone for the films visual look; the cap n gowns are bright and colorful, with excellent depth, a warm cast saturates the image, and clarity is strong in both close-ups and mid-to-long range shots. In general, th...

Audio
Equally sufficient is the films DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which offers few opportunities for impressive audio action, but definitely pumps out the jams that the film so regularly employs to make us feel young and alive. The music does sound excellently loud and raucous here, especially when the kids are all driving around in the car, singing along to Alice Coopers Schools Out. Bass is weighty, the high end is detailed, and the music floods the soundfield from all sid...

Supplements
Alternate Ending (1080p, 6:59)
There's no way, no way, they could've ever seriously considering using this as the ending to the film. I know its the original ending to the book, but it just doesnt work at all here and I can see why they didnt use it. I won't give it away, but I will say it involves a bear costume, a shotgun, a canoe paddle wielded like a lightsaber, and the potential for a sequel. Scary stuff.

Deleted Scenes (1080p, 7:36)
The four dele...

Final Words
20th Century Fox has released two other relationship films this weekSay Anything and Two Girls and a Guyand either of them would make a better choice than I Love You, Beth Cooper. In fact, I urge you to pick up Say Anything; its one of the best teen love stories of the 80s. Stay away from Beth Cooper though. Its like a freeze-dried, desiccated, beef jerky version of Say Anything, if that makes any sense. ......

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It's a Wonderful Life (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:31:02 -0500
Paramount's Blu-ray release of this all-time classic is worth living for.

Please God, let me live again.

Recognized as a fine film but hardly considered the classic it's hailed as today upon its initial release in 1946, Director Frank Capra's (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) It's a Wonderful Life took a turn for the wonderful over the years, emerging not as merely a "good" or even "memorable" film, but an unmistakable classic not only because of its Christmas setting (at least in the final act) but because of its enduring message ...

Video
It's a Wonderful Life arrives on Blu-ray with a handsome 1080p, 1.37:1-framed transfer that preserves the film's original presentation by placing vertical black bars on either side of the image when projected on a 1.78:1 display. The image is consistently sharp, clear, and wonderfully detailed, with only the occasional shot going a bit -- but not distractingly so -- soft. Almost from the get-go, Parmaount's transfer impresses with the level of visible detail seen in the phar...

Audio
Though delivered with but a monaural soundtrack, It's a Wonderful Life's lack of a lossless or uncompressed 1.0 soundtrack option is something of a disappointment. Though this is certainly not the sort of material that's going to be leaps and bounds better one way or the other, one might reasonably assume a slight upgrade in clarity with a lossless mix. Nevertheless, the included Dolby Digital 1.0 track is sufficient in every regard. Limited to the original source material, the...

Supplements
It's a Wonderful Life features two bonus materials, both found on disc one, the same one housing the black-and-white version of the film. The Making of 'It's a Wonderful Life' (480p, 22:45), hosted by Tom Bosley, takes a surprisingly enthralling look at the history of the film. It begins with a glimpse at the greeting card -- "The Greatest Gift" -- that inspired the film and moves on to share Frank Capra's involvement and his style of positive and uplifting filmmaking, ...

Final Words
Certainly not a traditional Christmas Movie in the generic sense of the term, It's a Wonderful Life is nevertheless perhaps the one film that truly defines the spirit of the Holiday as it was meant to be understood. George's actions -- though he in no way sets out with such lofty ideals -- impacts the lives of all around him, and for the better, not because of power or wealth, but because of spirit and a sound heart. It's a Wonderful Life, then, states that being rich......

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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Concertos for Double Orchestra (Acoustic Reality Experience) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:02:57 -0500
A wonderfully immersive listening experience of Vivaldi's best known work, "The Four Seasons," coupled with two lesser known concerti which are similarly delightful.

Even those without any particular appreciation for classical music tend to love the compositions of Antonio Vivaldi. Effortlessly ebullient and never less than rapturously melodic, Vivaldis oeuvre has entered the public lexicon as few composers have. Even my relatively young sons recognized The Four Seasons, one of the offerings on this 2008 Surround Records Blu-ray release, as soon as it started playing. If youre no particular fan of classical music, or even Vivald...

Video
...

Audio
Surround Records licensed the original Naxos 5.1 source elements and repurposed them for this brilliantly effective DTS HD-MA 7.1 Blu-ray. Sampled at 96 kHz, this Surround offering also features a backward compatible 5.1 core with a bit rate of 1509 kbps. Though this is actually an older recording (1999), there's little to no age-indicative issues that wary listeners might be momentarily uptight about. Sitting in the middle of my 7.1 setup, I was generally enthusiastic about what ...

Supplements
No supplements are offered on this audio only Blu-ray....

Final Words
As I've mentioned in previous audio Blu-ray reviews, I'm still actually wrapping my head around Blu-ray as an audio only format. The list of failed multichannel surround audio formats doesn't augur well for audio only Blu-rays, and yet releases like this one show the potential of surround recordings to an impeccable degree. This is wonderful music, wonderfully played and recorded, and I highly recommend it.......

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Red Dwarf: Back to Earth (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:29:22 -0500
An anticipated rebirth falls painfully flat...

Before cable television wormed its way into every bedroom and basement, TV junkies like my teenage self survived on a slim diet of NBC, ABC, and PBS. And it was through snow-hazed public television that we discovered low-budget British gems like Doctor Who and Red Dwarf, series that relied on sharp storytelling and memorable characters to overcome their meager production values. It didn't matter what these shows were missing -- believable sets, convincing costumes, the latest spe...

Video
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth features a decent 1080i/VC-1 transfer that, relatively minor shortcomings aside, looks pretty good. Colors are vivid, contrast is strong, and detail sharper is than I expected. Fine textures aren't nearly as crisp as they are on other BBC television releases, but it isn't a distraction. Likewise, black levels occasionally fall short but, for the most part, remain fairly deep throughout. And while skintones bobble between pasty and chalky, rarely warming to the...

Audio
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth includes a DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 surround track (not to be confused with a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio mix) that isn't strong enough to match the vigor of the cast's performances. Dialogue is spotty -- sometimes clean and clear, sometimes thin and pinched -- but prioritization is passable and the track's dynamics are eager to please. Similarly, LFE support is a tad clumsy and oafish at times, but generally injects enough weight into the proceedings to show...

Supplements
The 2-disc Blu-ray edition of Red Dwarf: Back to Earth comes loaded with special features. Two audio commentaries, a hefty production documentary, and a series of featurettes, deleted scenes, and other goodies should leave any fan frothing at the mouth. As an added bonus, all of the video content is presented in high definition.

Audio Commentaries: Writer/director Doug Naylor sits down for a solo chat about the production and...

Final Words
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth is a misfire. Newcomers will be lost, diehards will be disappointed, and apologists will be left with little ammunition. The 2-disc Blu-ray release is better, offering fans a commendable 1080i video transfer, a capable but underwhelming DTS-HD HR audio track, and a wealth of supplemental content (all of which is presented in high definition). If you aren't familiar with Red Dwarf, skip this entire release. However, if you have fond memories of the class......

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Looking for Eric (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:04:06 -0500

Nominated for Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, British director Ken Loach's "Looking for Eric" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Icon Home Entertainment. Legendary Manchester United F.C. footballer Eric Cantona has a significant cameo performance in the film. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are the documentary "United We Stand" (with a special appearance by current Manchester United F.C. manager Sir Alex Ferguson); "Another City", a short...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ken Loach's Looking for Eric arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Icon Home Entertainment.

This is a lovely transfer! As intended by director Loach, many of the indoor scenes have a distinctively warm look, with natural light playing a very important part in them. Contrast varies but detail is consistent. The outdoor scenes are much more vibrant, though still...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1 (a descriptive audio track is included as well). I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.

Looking for Eric is primarily a dialog-driven feature, which is one of the key reasons why you would not detect a great deal of activity in your surroun...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

United We Stand - an informative documentary in which director Ken Loach talks about what it means to be a fan of the beautiful game. Current Manchester United F.C. manager...

Final Words
British director Ken Loach's Looking for Eric is a warm, hilarious yet genuinely sad film about a man trying to get back on his feet. The film harbors a few of the director's favored social overtones, but it is undoubtedly one of his least controversial works. Legendary footballer Eric Cantona has a key part in the film. Icon Home Entertainment's Blu-ray treatment of Looking for Eric is solid. Their disc also arrives with a number of terrific supplemental features. VERY HIGHLY RECO......

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Escaflowne: The Movie (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:24:01 -0500
Far different from the television series, the film offers a darker, menacing tone.

Thinking back on the theatrical anime releases unleashed on western shores in the early portion of this decade, Escaflowne ranks near the top of my list. Loosely based on the 26-episode television series titled The Vision of Escaflowne, the film was directed by Kazuki Akane (who also directed the prior series), and provided anime fans their first glimpse at the capabilities of the newly created BONES animation studio. Back at the time of the films production, it was rare for a theatr...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 28Mbps), Escaflowne looks almost as beautiful as I imagined it would in high-definition. Fine-object detail receives a dramatic upgrade over the prior standard definition version, revealing intricacies never before seen in the hand-painted backgrounds. Lines and textures on the characters in the foreground look nice and clear as well, though we still have a handful of scenes that appear slightly hazy in comparison with the re...

Audio
Continuing their excellent track record of offering lossless tracks in the native language of Japanese AND the dubbed English version, Bandai has once again given viewers the option of deciding which version they prefer. Switching back and forth between the two, Id conclude the Japanese version is slightly superior given the higher volume of the dialog on the track. The English version is still far from disappointing, but anime enthusiasts who prefer the native track will have little to compl...

Supplements
Staff Interviews (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 23:52 min): Containing interviews with several major players in the production of the film, this supplement is interesting more for the level of discomfort generated during multiple interviews. For instance, the second interview has director Kazuki Akane and English voice actor Kelly Sheridan in the same room, but Akane had not been given an opportunity to hear her work. The interviewer doesnt know they going in, and does his best to make them both a...

Final Words
Youd be hard pressed to find an anime fan that hasnt seen Escaflowne at some point in the past seven years. Back when it was released on DVD, the film was a day-one purchase for me, and Ive been equally excited to get my hands on the new high-definition release. Unlike some fans, I consider the darker tone of the film to be a welcomed change from the television series, and despite the confusing initial half hour of the film, newcomers to the Escaflowne franchise should be able......

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Killer Movie (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:49:14 -0500
What greater truth is there than reality, even when its scripted?

Do you ever sit down to watch a slasher film and wonder when well start witnessing new life in the stale genre? Im not sure why, but far too many aspiring filmmakers turn to routine blood-soaked fair to make their big splash on the world. Perhaps its the acceptance of poor acting in low-budget horror, or the belief that ripping off pieces of every slasher film released over the past 10 years will somehow go unnoticed, but Im continually let down by the lack of ingenuity on the part of thes...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 19Mbps), Killer Movie isnt one of the better Blu-rays Ive encountered. Fine object detail is average at best, with a handful of scenes appearing noticeably worse than others. Facial textures blend together, fibers on clothing arent well resolved, and character outlines are a touch on the hazy side. This is still far superior to a DVD, but the mere fact that I feel the need to include that statement should indicate ...

Audio
Similar to the visual experience, the audio presentation is a mixed bag. The level of clarity in the various elements that comprise the audio mix is impressive, and the volume balance rarely had me reaching for the remote control. However, I was a bit disappointed in the front-heavy nature of the mix, which doesnt generate a high level of surround activity. This clearly isnt a budget-blowing Hollywood presentation, so we cant expect the same intense sound design that wed find in the recen...

Supplements
Behind the Scenes of Killer Movie (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 13:15 min): Mostly consisting of interviews with the cast and director, this seems to be more of a marketing featurette that gives potential viewers an idea of what they can expect from the movie. If youve already wasted 90 minutes on the film, cut your losses and skip this supplement.

The only other extra included on the disc is a restricted trailer in standard definition....

Final Words
Killer Movie is a production with little redeeming value. Whether youre a fan of the horror genre or not, the film never generates enough laughs or chills to justify multiple viewings. Considering the abundance of newly released films arriving on Blu-ray to coincide with Halloween, there are much better ways to spend your hard-earned cash. Rent this only as a last resort.......

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season One (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:45:45 -0500
In the wake of a critically panned movie, Lucasfilm Animation gets it right...

Star Wars overmind George Lucas hasn't had it easy. Sure, he's raked in countless billions of dollars and forged a golden empire worthy of a principled rebellion or two, but his forays into expanding his own universe have been met with less than enthusiastic responses. After the glory that is the Original Trilogy left fanboys frothing at the mouth, Lucas turned his attention to animation, merchandising, videogames, and all manners of media; a marketing free-for-all that culminated in th...

Video
The Clone Wars: The Complete Season One blazes onto Blu-ray with a fit and faithful 1080p/VC-1 transfer that captures every splash of color, every Outer Rim texture, and every fine line that graces Lucasfilm Animation's CG canvas. Brilliant reds, vivid blues, swampy greens, and inky blacks lend depth and stability to the image, while picture-perfect contrast and direct-from-the-digital-tap details put it in the same league as other top tier animated releases. Granted, the animation itse...

Audio
The lone point of contention on Warner's impressive 3-disc release will be its lossy, 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track. Without a lossless or uncompressed mix to be heard, fans will certainly cry foul, bemoaning the studio's seeming unwillingness to take advantage of the full sonic potential of the series' dogfights and lightsaber battles. However, the track is a competent one. Dialogue is crisp, warm, and well-prioritized, and lines are never buried beneath the at-times bombastic act...

Supplements
The 3-disc Blu-ray edition of The Clone Wars: The Complete Season One is a beauty. I'm usually not a big fan of digibook packaging, but the folks at Warner have really outdone themselves with this one. Handsome, sturdy, and well-constructed, the hardcover case opens to reveal disc casings attached to the front and rear covers, an exclusive 68-page production journal nestled safely and comfortably between, and a generous collection of original sketches and notes spread throughout its pag...

Final Words
Whether you enjoyed the theatrically released Clone Wars film or despised every minute of it, be sure to give the first full season of the television series a fair chance. Its creators have a firm grasp on Lucas' characters and universe and, small missteps aside, have produced a compelling expansion of the Star Wars prequels' mythos. The 3-disc Blu-ray release of The Complete Season One is sure to upset some due to its lossy Dolby Digital surround track, but its near-perfe......

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Forrest Gump Chocolate Box Giftset: Sapphire Edition (with Book) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:19:21 -0500
You know what you're going to get with this stellar release from Paramount.

I don't know if we have a destiny or if we're all just floating around all accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both.

Few films perfectly symbolize that old phrase "movie magic," and Forrest Gump not only symbolizes it, it defines it. Director Robert Zemeckis' (Beowulf) complexly choreographed and seamless special effects-laden tale of extraordinary simplicity charmed; spoke ...

Video
Forrest Gump floats onto Blu-ray with a spectacular 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Aside from the occasional speckle over the image, Forrest Gump delivers a natural and film-like high definition transfer that should more than satisfy both longtime fans of the film and videophiles alike. The transfer reveals a strong sense of depth in most every scene, exceptional clarity and sharpness, high levels of fine detail, strong color reproduction, and a moderate layer of natura...

Audio
Just as good -- if not better -- than the video presentation is Forrest Gump's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Generally, Forrest Gump is a dialogue-heavy film with little room for aggressive and loud sound effects, but in those few moments where the track comes alive, is excels and proves itself just as good as anything else out there. The track does enjoy a few good directional effects early on, for instance a bicycle clacking across the front half of the soundstag...

Supplements
This "Box of Chocolates" Blu-ray release of Forrest Gump features a plethora of extra material spread over two Blu-ray discs, and it includes several bonuses found inside the packaging. Inside a box measuring approximately 11"x7.5"x1.25," buyers will find a "scratch-n-sniff" replica of assorted chocolates, a white feather, and a full-color, 14-page booklet containing quotes, trivia, and images from the film. Disc one of the set features two commentary tracks, the first...

Final Words
If Forrest Gump's genuine emotion, heartfelt honesty, and innocent tone doesn't bring a tear to the eye, the fates of several of the characters will. Though completely fabricated, the life of Forrest Gump makes for a moving tale of the strength of simplicity and heart in a time of great upheaval both personally and in the world at large, and it does so by juxtaposing two contrasting elements -- both fiction and nonfiction and gentleness and turmoil -- and thereby creating a sin......

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Forrest Gump (Sapphire Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:19:13 -0500
You know what you're going to get with this stellar release from Paramount.

I don't know if we have a destiny or if we're all just floating around all accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both.

Few films perfectly symbolize that old phrase "movie magic," and Forrest Gump not only symbolizes it, it defines it. Director Robert Zemeckis' (Beowulf) complexly choreographed and seamless special effects-laden tale of extraordinary simplicity charmed; spoke ...

Video
Forrest Gump floats onto Blu-ray with a spectacular 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Aside from the occasional speckle over the image, Forrest Gump delivers a natural and film-like high definition transfer that should more than satisfy both longtime fans of the film and videophiles alike. The transfer reveals a strong sense of depth in most every scene, exceptional clarity and sharpness, high levels of fine detail, strong color reproduction, and a moderate layer of natura...

Audio
Just as good -- if not better -- than the video presentation is Forrest Gump's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Generally, Forrest Gump is a dialogue-heavy film with little room for aggressive and loud sound effects, but in those few moments where the track comes alive, is excels and proves itself just as good as anything else out there. The track does enjoy a few good directional effects early on, for instance a bicycle clacking across the front half of the soundstag...

Supplements
This Blu-ray release of Forrest Gump features a plethora of extra material spread over two Blu-ray discs. Disc one of the set features two commentary tracks, the first with Director Robert Zemeckis, Producer Steve Starkey, and Production Designer Rick Carter. Discussions include the purpose of the feather that begins the movie, Tom Hanks' performance and his comfort with the character, Forrest's character traits, casting additional roles, the film's visual style, molding t...

Final Words
If Forrest Gump's genuine emotion, heartfelt honesty, and innocent tone doesn't bring a tear to the eye, the fates of several of the characters will. Though completely fabricated, the life of Forrest Gump makes for a moving tale of the strength of simplicity and heart in a time of great upheaval both personally and in the world at large, and it does so by juxtaposing two contrasting elements -- both fiction and nonfiction and gentleness and turmoil -- and thereby creating a sin......

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Aliens in the Attic: Special Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:41:00 -0500
If youre over 13, expect to feel alienated.

If you grew up in a large extended family, with a legion of siblings and cousins, you probably remember having imaginative adventures during get-togetherssnowball fights became epic wars between good and evil, trips to the lake played host to high-seas hijinks, and homemade table n blanket forts were envisioned as massive military complexes from which to stage food-raid invasions of the kitchen. Aliens in the Attic feels like that kind of make-believe playmakingOh no! There a...

Video
On the upside, Aliens in the Attic features a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer thats frequently visually arresting. The whole film displays an excellent sense of clarity and detail, but there are certain sceneslike when the family goes out on the lake, or when Bethany and Ricky flirt on the dockthat display stunning presence and dimensionality, where the screen really looks like a window into the movies world. This, of course, is aided by perfect contrast, satisfyingly deep black ...

Audio
Aliens in the Attic lands on Blu-ray with solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that, while not quite as involving as it could be, nonetheless broadcasts the film with a deep dynamic range and a well-balanced mix. Voices are stalwartly clear and crisp, indoor and outdoor acoustics are reproduced accurately, and the sound effects are generally excellent. I especially like the aliens anti-gravity grenade, which disperses a low LFE purring. The orchestral score isnt incredib...

Supplements
Introduction to Film with Ashley Tisdale (1080p, 21sec.)
Am I just old? Am I supposed to know who Ashley Tisdale is? It took me some IMDB'ing, but I eventually found out she's one of the key drama queens from High School Musical. Here, she warns the little ones that they might want to close their eyes. "Just kidding," she says, "it's not too scary."

Alternate Ending (1080p, 2:48)
I can see why they didn't go with this endingit's kind of clumsy. Do...

Final Words
Its sometimes difficult to judge kids movies. Looking back on some of my favorites when I was a kid, many seem completely trite in retrospect, but I remember intensely loving them at the time. I imagine the same will be true for kids who like Aliens in the Attic. Its not great filmmaking or storytellingby any means, but it offers up a few laughs and, lets face it, a kung fu grandma is pretty funny. Adults will want to find something else to do while their kids watch ......

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Heat (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:46:10 -0500
Michael Mann's magnum opus finally gets a Blu-ray release...

We writers are an easily distracted lot. Put Al Pacino and Robert De Niro together in a film and we'll wax poetic for 1500 words on their pairing alone. Unfortunately, that means we're quick to shortchange the finer points of a gritty cops-n-robbers masterpiece like writer/director Michael Mann's Heat. Don't get me wrong, Pacino and De Niro deliver the performances of their post-Godfather careers, and their two, scene-chewing confrontations singe the screen, but it's the strengt...

Video
Your appreciation of Warner's 1080p/VC-1 transfer will largely come down to the nature of your expectations. Anyone hoping for a faithful rendering of Mann's grim-n-gritty aesthetics, bleached palette, and oppressive shadows will be enamored with the results, while those looking for the latest and greatest high definition presentation will be slightly underwhelmed. I, for one, am more than happy with how it turned out. Colors and skintones are consistent with Mann's intentions, blacks are sui...

Audio
Heat is also packing an excellent Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track; one that makes Warner's previously released DVD mixes sound like relics of a bygone age. Dialogue is crisp and nicely prioritized, leaving little to the imagination. Some lines are lost in the chaos of Mann's firefights, but it's always a product of intention, never an issue with the lossless track itself. LFE output is staggering, lending gunshots immense weight and other soundscape elements natural presence. Hanna an...

Supplements
Heat's supplemental package doesn't offer the usual bells and whistles afforded such highly anticipated releases, but it is a strong one, granting viewers welcome access to Mann's mind and filmmaking process. Unfortunately, its video content is presented in standard definition. Hardly what I would expect for one of Warner's premiere films.

Audio Commentary: Director Michael Mann does a fine job filling three hours of film wit...

Final Words
Heat's long-awaited high definition release is finally here and, to Warner's credit, it's an impressive one. The film itself is powerful, its performances Oscar worthy, and its script an unforgettable, character-driven treat. The Blu-ray edition features a faithful video transfer, a commendable TrueHD surround track, and a generous supplemental package. At such a reasonable price, be sure to add this one to your cart post haste. ......

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Le Dernier Combat (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:31:50 -0500

Luc Besson's debut feature film "Le dernier combat" a.k.a "The Last Battle" (1983) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont. The only supplemental feature on this disc is the original French theatrical trailer for the film. Please note that unlike the UK Blu-ray release of "The Last Battle", which is Region-B "locked", this release is Region-Free and perfectly playable in North America. Optional English subtitles are not provided, but such are not needed. ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Luc Besson's The Last Battle arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont.

Gaumont's transfer looks practically identical to the one Optimum Home Entertainment used for their Blu-ray release in the UK (the UK distributors probably had access to the exact same elements Gaumont used). Once again, there is some mild flickering throughout the film, a bit of digital noise, an...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Gaumont have provided optional French HOH subtitles.

The Last Battle is basically a dialog-free feature. Eric Serra's score has a unique role in the film, but is very much restricted as well. With other words, the only activity that you would notice in your speakers is during the numerous action scenes. For the record, I could not hear much of a difference between the French DTS...

Supplements
Most unfortunately, the only supplemental feature on this Blu-ray disc is the original theatrical trailer for the film (in PAL). ...

Final Words
Gaumont's Blu-ray release of Luc Besson's The Last Battle appears identical to the one Optimum Home Entertainment put on the UK market. However, unlike the UK release - which is Region-B "locked" - this French release is Region-Free and perfectly playable in Region-A players. There are no optional English subtitles on the disc, but as I have noted elsewhere, they are not needed. RECOMMENDED. ......

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Say Anything...: 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:03:08 -0500
I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen.

That first real love is rough. Youre seventeen, eighteen years old, school has just ended, the most monumental summer of your life lies ahead, but you know that the girl of your dreams is headed off for college in a few short months. Your emotions are irrational and uncontainable. Shes a vision, a muse, an object of desire thats anything but obscure. Theres the sense that this is all there is, that this fleeting summer is life in miniscule, that nothing could ever possibly follow. Th...

Video
Twenty years after its debut, Say Anything arrives on Blu-ray with an excellent 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that gets just about everything right. Catalog titles often get the rushed-out-the-door treatment, but Say Anything looks phenomenal for its age. While obviously not as sharp and defined as a contemporary release, the film displays an impressive sense of clarity, depth, and detail throughout. Check out the scene where Lloyd is talking to his sister on the pay phoneb...

Audio
Cameron Crowe fans are well aware of the directors affinity for music, and Say Anythings DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does that love justice, reproducing the many pop/rock songs in the film with warmth, depth, and fidelity. Bass response is strong without being overpowering and the music is enveloping, especially during the big party scene. The films main theme sounds great, with swelling synth pads in the surround speakers while the guitar melody cuts cleanly through the mix....

Supplements
Commentary
Cameron Crowe, John Cusack and Ione Skye have so much to talk about here that they start the commentary track a full twenty minutes before the film begins! In this introductory section which covers the inspiration for the story and the castingstills from the film and on-set photos play onscreen so were not just listening to them talk. When the film actually begins, the three reminisce non-stop, give insights into the character and script, telling stories, and sha...

Final Words
I love Say Anything. Sweet, funny, charming, and full of relatable characters, its likely to echo your own post-high school experiences in one way or another. Its also one of the best teen romance films ever and Im glad to see it receive such a great treatment on Blu-ray. Highly recommended.......

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Subway (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:19:04 -0500

A quintessential 80s film, Luc Besson's "Subway" (1985) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont. The only supplemental feature on this disc is the original French theatrical trailer for the film. Please note that unlike the UK Blu-ray release of "Subway", which is Region-B "locked", this release is Region-Free and perfectly playable in North America. It is also English-friendly. ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Luc Besson's Subway arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont.

Gaumont's transfer looks very similar to that Optimum Home Entertainment used for their Blu-ray release in the UK (the UK distributors probably had access to the exact same elements Gaumont used). Once again, it is fairly easy to tell that Subway has not undergone a thorough restoration - there are ...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Gaumont have provided optional English and French subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame.

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 is practically identical to the French LPCM 2.0 track Optimum Home Entertainment have on their Blu-ray release. Eric Serra's lovely music score sounds quite impressive - the bass is potent while the high frequencies not overdon...

Supplements
Most unfortunately, the only supplemental feature on this Blu-ray disc is the original theatrical trailer for the film (in PAL, and therefore not playable on most North American TV sets). ...

Final Words
Gaumont's Blu-ray release of Luc Besson's Subway looks and sounds very similar to Optimum Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release. However, unlike the UK release - which was Region-B "locked" - this French release is Region-Free and perfectly playable in Region-A players. It is also English-friendly. RECOMMENDED. ......

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Gomorrah (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:06:13 -0500

Based on Roberto Saviano's controversial book, Matteo Garrone's "Gomorrah" (2008) arrives on Blu ray courtesy of Criterion. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are the documentary "Gomorrah: Five short stories", an exclusive interview with director Matteo Garrone, an exclusive interview with actor-director Tony Servillo, a lengthy interview with writer Roberto Saviano, deleted scenes and more. Region-A "locked".
In 2008, "Gomorrah" won seven David di Donatello awards, including...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

Supervised and approved by director Matteo Garrone and director of photography Marco Onorato, this new high-definition transfer has been made from a digital intermediate. Dirt, debris, chemical stains, and warps have been manually removed using MTI's DRS system and Pixel Farm's PFClean system.

...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

Gomorrah features a fully digital soundtrack. The audio for this Blu-ray release has been mastered at 24-bit from the original audio master using Pro Tools HD.

In my review for the UK Blu-ray release of Gomorrah, I noted how notably imp...

Supplements
"Gomorrah": Five short stories - an hour-long documentary from 2008, on the making of Gomorrah, directed and shot by Melania Cacucci for Fandango Productions. The same documentary appears on the UK release courtesy of Optimum Home Entertainment. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (63 min, 1080/60i).

Matteo Garrone - an interview with director Matteo Garrone shot exclusively for the Criterion Collection in July 2009 in Rome. In it, the Ita...

Final Words
Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah is one of the very best films to be released on Blu-ray in 2009. It is also the best Italian film I have seen in the last ten years (clearly better than Ferzan Ozpetek's La finestra di fronte, Marco Tullio Giordana's La meglio gioventù, and Nanni Moretti's acclaimed Il Caimano). Criterion's Blu-ray treatment is, as expected, fantastic. See this film! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:03:08 -0500
For it's a jolly good Blu-ray...

When all else fails, we don't.

Save for the names of the characters and the title of the movie, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, or GINO ("G.I. Joe In Name Only"), barely resembles the Saturday morning cartoon millions of red-blooded American boys and girls grew up with in the 1980s. In fact, the film is barely distinguishable from most any other big-budget, moderately kid-friendly, summer blockbuster action fare. This is the absolute ultimate in mindless en...

Video
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra storms onto Blu-ray with a strong 1080p. 2.39:1-framed transfer. It's usually easy to review a disc like this: summer blockbuster, Paramount new release, and high-octane Action and special effects extravaganza usually adds up to a stellar visual presentation, and that formula holds true for G.I. Joe. About the only complaint is that a few of the effects shots look rather fake, particularly under the 1080p spotlight, but considering Director...

Audio
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra explodes onto Blu-ray with a dazzling DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. As expected, the track delivers a full surround-sound extravaganza that makes excellent use of each speaker in the configuration, with special mention going to the hard work of the subwoofer in every action scene. The film's musical presentation is flawless, with crisp notes and a solid low end in every instance. Of course, G.I. Joe isn't about music; it's about hard-h...

Supplements
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra features an array of extras spread across two discs. Disc one features only a commentary track with Director Stephen Sommers and Producer/Editor Bob Ducsay. They deliver a good but somewhat unremarkable commentary that delves into the frenetic pace of the production and the writing thanks to the impending writers strike, the cast, shooting locations, the work of creating a big-budget Action movie, the extensive use of visual effects and the many...

Final Words
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra accomplishes what it sets out to do, namely rekindle a franchise, set up the obligatory sequel, and showcase plenty of good versus bad mayhem created primarily in the digital realm. A summer blockbuster Action picture in every sense of the term, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is loud, action-packed, and for the most part, fun. Though it has several glaring flaws, none are fatal to the film, and for those that can put aside any creative differenc......

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Spread (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:01:34 -0500
Spread out and enjoy this latest release from Starz.

Nice spread, man.

No matter the subject, no matter the actors, no matter the setting, it's nice to see a movie that goes against the grain and dares to look at an otherwise trite story from a different perspective. Spread does just that, the movie playing the game of role reversal with the young, attractive male luring seductive and rich women not only into a night of pleasure but an extended stay in their lavish "spreads." Director David Mackenzie's Spread<...

Video
Spread moves in on Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p transfer framed in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Crisp, sharp, and colorful throughout, the transfer reflects the glitzy and glamorous lifestyle of its characters nicely. The color palette is rich and inviting, and whether focusing on the clean lines and plush light-colored furnishing of Samantha's home or the beautiful blue swimming pool water out back, there's no shortage of visual eye candy throughout the film. Colors ...

Audio
Spread features a high quality Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. It's surprisingly active for a movie with a premise that promises more dialogue than action, but this lossless track delivers plenty of goods that make it a quality listen and a fine companion for the film. Music reproduction is its strongest asset; notes are crisp through the entire range, and the low end frequently enjoys an aggressive presence in several scenes, particularly those taking place in clubs whe...

Supplements
Spread sets up shop on Blu-ray with a decent collection of extras. First is a commentary track with Actor/Producer Ashton Kutcher and Actors Anne Heche and Margarita Levieva. As expected of a talent-based commentary, this one begins with a relaxed and rather informal tone, offering some scattered insights amongst mostly light observations that don't add much to the Spread experience. As the commentary moves on, however, the participants do manage to offer a few good ti...

Final Words
Something of a tale of two films, Spread proves passably interesting during its first two acts but takes a turn for the better once things get worse for the main character. Though star Ashton Kutcher seems right at home living it up, it's when his character finds himself down that his performance truly rises past the easy and mundane; he shows a necessary range of emotion that leaves the audience caring for his character despite his wayward lifestyle while wondering if he can f......

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Rocky: The Undisputed Collection (Rocky / Rocky II / Rocky III / Rocky IV / Rocky V / Rocky Balboa) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:37:24 -0500
Let's get ready to rumble!

As anyone whos seen the films knows, the Rocky series is not about boxing, just as Field of Dreams is not really about baseball. With few exceptions, sports films in general are less about the game being played, and more concerned with the game of life, and the universal themes of perseverance, hard work, and dedication. In this way, Rocky is just as archetypal as Star Wars, offering up a near-mythological tale of the underdog, an everyman of the streets wh...

Video
Rocky (3/5)
Arriving on the same disc from the 2006 Blu-ray version of the film, nothing has changed about this lackluster 1080p/MPEG-2 transfer. Dont get me wrong, Rocky looks better than ever, but this is one film that calls out for restoration, and a cleaner, more vivid print would go a long way in getting Rocky back in fighting form. Dull is a good way to describe the transfer, as colors seem weak (except for reds), textures are frequently soft, and black l...

Audio
Rocky (3/5)
Rocky steps into the HD home theater ring wearing a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that, like its video quality, lacks polish and shine. While sounding obviously fuller than the original mono track (which is also included), the 5.1 mix lacks bottom end density and comes off hollow and thin. It does give the film some added directionalityparticularly with trains passing on the tracks overhead and street kids singing around barrel firesbut if its a choice b...

Supplements
Rocky Balboa Disc

Commentary with Sylvester Stallone
I always enjoy hearing interviews with Stallonehe's frank, insightful, and well-spokenand this commentary track is full personal stories and windows into the making of the film. An excellent listen.

Deleted Scenes and Alternate Ending (1080p, 23:19)
Includes seven character-expanding deleted scenes and the slightly more victorious alternate ending.

Boxing's Bloop...

Final Words
Rocky Balboa is an undisputed American icon, a titan of boxing who is just as real to some folks as Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier. While the six films in the Rocky anthology vary in quality, taken as a whole they tell the entirety of a myth-inspired arc, the journey of a hero who surmounts fear and self-doubt, challenges himself, and follows his destiny, even if that means battling some hefty interior demonsnot to mention a series of powerful pugilistsalong the w......

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Love Actually (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:42:24 -0500
A snazzy, fan-favorite Brit romcom arrives on Blu-ray...

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the pho...

Video
Universal's 1080p/VC-1 transfer isn't particularly flashy or striking, but it is quite impressive, offering romcommers rich colors, natural skintones, deep blacks, and a notable upgrade from its standard DVD counterpart. While the film's scenes bound between starkly lit exteriors and warm interiors, Michael Coulter's ever-evolving Christmas palette is strong and stable throughout. Sure, contrast is a bit hot at times (especially during the first act), but the image remains altogether vibrant a...

Audio
Can a chatty romantic comedy and its faithful but front-heavy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track surpass expectation and woo audiophiles? When Love Actually's music kicks in, absolutely. Both the film's orchestral score and pop-infused soundtrack sound wonderful, filling every speaker with rewarding tones and satisfying swells. However, when the music subsides, all that remains are conversations, whispers, laughs, and pithy banter, hardly the makings of a sonic powerhouse. Beyond ...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of Love Actually includes all of the special features that appear on Universal's 2004 DVD release, as well as a few extras that were only available overseas. I do wish the studio had upgraded all of the film's supplemental content with high definition video, but the features are nevertheless candid, thoughtful, and worth some investment.

Audio Commentary: Director Richard Curtis and actors Hugh Grant, Bill ...

Final Words
Love Actually is smart, funny, and surprisingly poignant, sidestepping the usual genre pitfalls to weave a rather thorough exploration of the human heart. Yes, Curtis makes a few missteps along the way, but his romantic comedy is a hilarious holiday treat worthy of its place in any romcom addict's collection. Universal's Blu-ray release is impressive as well, besting its standard DVD counterpart with a strong video transfer, a faithful DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a healthy collection......

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Howards End (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:07:39 -0500

Winner of three Oscar awards - Best Actress in a Leading Role (Emma Thompson), Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala), and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Luciana Arrighi and Ian Whittaker), James Ivory's "Howards End" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are the documentaries "Building "Howards End" and "The Wandering Company", a short behind the scenes featurette, interview with direc...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, James Ivory's Howards End arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

Supervised by cinematographer Tony Pierre-Roberts and approved by director James Ivory, the high-definition transfer for Howards End has been created on a C-Reality Datacine with Oliver Wetgate processing from the original 35mm interpositive. The result is a vibrant, terrific looking transfer that wil...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it (two-line texts appear inside the image frame; three-line texts have the bottom line outside of the image frame).

The soundtrack has been remastered at 24-bit from the 6-track magnetic soundtrack. Crackle has been attenuated using AudioCu...

Supplements
Building "Howards End" - a very informative documentary on the production history of the film where director James Ivory, producer Ismail Merchant, actress Helena Bonham Carter, costume designer Jenny Beavan, and production designer Luciana Arrighi. This is also an incredibly hilarious documentary (pay close attention to Merchant's comments about American financiers, Sony Pictures Classics, etc). Not subtitled. (43 min, 1080i/60).

The Design of "Howards End"...

Final Words
Criterion's treatment of this most beautiful film is exceptionally strong. I wish they would also find the time and resources to release Quartet, my favorite film from the Merchant Ivory Collection. Of course, Howards End comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:50:08 -0500
All aboard for the latest Thriller from Tony Scott.

Who's responsible for who lives and who dies in New York?

It seems like it's a stigma at best or a mark of certain death at worst to have the word "remake" attached to any picture, especially when trudging into "classic" territory; Psycho's remake is the poster child of all that can go wrong, and while 1974's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three isn't exactly Hitchcock, it's still something of a fan favorite and a fine example of memorable 1970s-style film...

Video
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 arrives on Blu-ray with a strong 1080p. 2.39:1-framed transfer. This one delivers everything discerning viewers have come to expect of a Sony new release. The film's grain structure is left intact throughout, providing to the image a pleasant film-like quality; likewise, other signs of artificial image manipulation are not present. The transfer reveals extraordinary levels of fine detail throughout; though the bleaker subway car interior and tun...

Audio
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 pulls onto Blu-ray with an impressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Like the video, this one delivers a positively booming yet clear and entertaining soundtrack that's the norm from Sony action-oriented titles. Though The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is primarily a dialogue-heavy film, there are still plenty -- just somewhat scattered -- opportunities for the soundtrack to shine. Listeners will not only hear but also feel the subway car speedi...

Supplements
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 boards Blu-ray with a nice selection of extra materials, the package headlined by a pair of commentary tracks. The first features Director Tony Scott discussing the film's ability to stand alone from the original, Scott's initial involvement with the project, casting the parts and the strengths the primaries brought to the film, the rigors and challenges of the shoot, and much more. Track two features Writer Brian Helgeland and Producer Todd Black. ...

Final Words
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is one of those rare movies that succeeds despite its predictable story arc. This is, at a glance, basic stuff, a routine good guy versus bad guy showdown that involves the ubiquitous hostages and demand for large sums of money, but Scott's direction, Helgeland's script, and Washington's and Travolta's performances in particular turn an ordinary movie into one that's borderline extraordinary. Sony's Blu-ray effort is, itself, excellent. Featuring th......

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Identity (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:35:36 -0500
This Blu-ray is easily identifiable as a winner.

The question...is whether to convict the body or the mind.

Even the topsy-turvy world of Horror gets one right every once in a while. In an era where gross-out Saw flicks and other similar movies leave little to the imagination, 2003's Identity does just the opposite, leaving darn near everything up to the imagination, literally. Calling Identity a tight, captivating, and crafty ...

Video
This Blu-ray release of Identity delivers a strong 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. It's clear, crisp, and free of any distracting artifacts or obvious post-production digital manipulation. Rarely does the image go soft, though in those few instances where it's not as noticeably sharp as usual, the effect is minimal. Blacks are deep, dark, and wonderfully atmospheric and mood-setting. Detail is excellent throughout, even in the film's many dark or otherwise drab locales. By defi...

Audio
Identity makes itself known on Blu-ray via a wonderful PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. The film is heavy on atmospherics; a steady rain marks almost the entirety of the movie, and whether characters are standing out in the downpour or are somewhere inside the hotel, the sense of being in the midst of a shower is never lost on the listener. The track also reproduces varying sensations in relation to the rain; whether it's bouncing off clothing, falling into a puddle, rolling...

Supplements
This Blu-ray release of Identity contains several extras. First up is a commentary track with Director James Mangold, who goes through the range of standard commentary fare, speaking on the origins of the script, the strength inherent to Thrillers that take place in a single location, the film's structure, set design, shooting techniques, lighting, the strengths of the actors and their characters' traits, and much more. Though the track covers the usual array of topics, Mangold ...

Final Words
Though it grossed a respectable $51,000,000 at the domestic box office, Identity nevertheless seems a diamond in the rough; its name isn't frequently mentioned in many "best of" lists of Horror or Mystery pictures of this or any decade, but it deserves a slot -- and near the top, for that matter -- of any such compilation. A film that's a master of deceit and sleight of hand but not necessarily manipulative or dishonest, Identity unravels a tale that's smart, bold, surpr......

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Sum of All Fears (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:56:45 -0500
Tom Clancy hero Jack Ryan is back for another political thriller outing. Unfortunately, it has little to do with the original Tom Clancy novel.

A funny thing happened on the way to adapting Tom Clancys mega-bestselling novel The Sum of All Fears for film. They forgot to include Tom Clancys mega-bestselling novel The Sum of All Fears. Well, maybe that isnt so funny, and its certainly not the first time filmmakers have decided to jettison large portions of a projects source material, but it does seem fairly strange in light of the success story in film for the Jack Ryan franchise, Clancys CIA hero who was the ...

Video
The Sum of All Fears arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC encoded image that is overall nicely sharp and detailed if at times too dark and lacking sufficient contrast, with some interesting processed shots that lend interesting hues to the proceedings. Before the disaster which occurs about halfway through the film, we get a nice array of deeply saturated blues and reds, with everything from the hairs on Affleck's arms to the incredible painted designs on the Kremilin springing to life in...

Audio
While the overall amplitude of this Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix seems a little low, there are some bombastic effects, notably some great rumbly LFE, that dot the aural landscape. This is not a riot of sound design, as you might expect from something marketed as an action-adventure political thriller. In fact, the bulk of The Sum of All Fears is dialogue, and that is perfectly directional and always clearly up front in the soundfield. That does, however, make the occasional immersive moments a...

Supplements
Two fairly entertaining commentaries, both ported over from the DVD release, are offered, each with director Robinson, but the first with DP John Lindley and the second, better one, with Clancy himself. A two part SD featurette split into Making Of (29:55) and Visual Effects (27:48) segments offer a little background on not only this project, but the Clancy-Ryan franchise as a whole....

Final Words
The Sum of All Fears simply takes too long setting up its many convoluted plot elements, and then devolves too quickly into standard action hero fare to ever amount to much. Freeman and Cromwell deliver excellent performances, and the epochal event halfway through the film is certainly gasp-inducing, but otherwise this is a major disappointment in the Clancy-Ryan franchise.......

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HD Moods Fire (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:00:34 -0400
In this super-deluxe version of the hoary favorite, the "yule log," you get all sorts of fires to fall asleep to.

I cant say for sure when I first stumbled across the yule log, an annual television spectacular (I joke because I love) which is broadcast here in the northwest every Christmas Eve. I will say Ive spent many years in my long career as a musician as Music Director for various churches, which means of course I usually work late on Christmas Eve, and Im sure I first came across this rather peculiar tradition after getting home late after services and then unwinding while channel surfing. I...

Video
This is the Cadillac of fireplace Blu-rays as far as the 1080p VC-1 encoded image goes. As is advertised on the back cover, this was filmed in HD with a Red Digital Camera, which provides 4000 lines of resolution, twice the normal HD res. What that means is a strikingly realistic image, though of course there's not a heck of a lot to see here. The good news is there is no artifacting in the quickly changing flames in any of the many different modes available on the BD. Colors, such as they a...

Audio
Similarly, there are quite a few options available on the soundtrack side of things, split between Dolby 5.1 and 2.0 offerings. It's a bit unwieldy to toggle between these choices due to Topics' odd menu setup, where you must first choose between stereo or surround and then go into another menu (not even a submenu) from which to make your actual soundtrack choice. On all of the fires included, you are offered natural fire sounds in both sound formats, and they sound just clear and crisp and cr...

Supplements
If you count the other kinds of fires as bonus items, that's up to you, but I lump them all under the main title feature, so I therefore consider this release supplement-less....

Final Words
It may not be as good as a roaring fire in your own fireplace, but if circumstances prevent you from having one of your own, I guess this is the next best thing. At a bargain price, and with at least a little variety to offer in both image and sound, this HD Moods: Fire is the virtual blaze to get on Blu-ray.......

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Monsters, Inc. (PIXAR) (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:32:55 -0400
Another must-have Pixar classic gets its due on Blu-ray...

How does Pixar do it? How does a single studio consistently churn out such fantastic animated films? At first, I thought it had something to do with raw talent. John Lasseter's innate ability to assemble the best artists, technicians, writers, and directors in the industry; master storytellers and visionaries of the highest caliber. But with ten excellent, critically acclaimed feature films and counting -- as well as an equally impressive lineup of award-winning animated shorts -- I'm beginn...

Video
Monsters, Inc. makes its long awaited Blu-ray debut with a striking 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that nearly exceeds expectation to deliver an oft-times flawless presentation of its digital source. Monstropolis is a colorful cityscape indeed, and Disney's palette never falls short. The varied blues and purples of Sulley's fur, the slick-scaled greens of Mike's hide, and the vivid reds and oranges that populate their adventure look fantastic, granting the image a power and stability its DV...

Audio
How much did I enjoy Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track? Enough to rewatch the door storage chase sequence five times. Don't misunderstand, the entire mix is, without a doubt, a sonic showcase piece through and through, but the third act of the film is an absolute joy to experience. Whirring conveyor lines fill the soundfield with breathtaking aggression, clattering doors can be heard from every direction, and Mike and Sulley's banter remains crystal clear in spite of the ...

Supplements
The 4-disc Blu-ray edition of Monsters, Inc. features all of the supplemental content from Disney's 2001 Collector's Edition DVD, adds in some intriguing exclusives (namely a filmmakers roundtable), and includes both a standard DVD and Digital copy of the film. However, while there's admittedly a lot of material to be found, a few odd decisions held it back from perfection. The numerous DVD leftovers aren't just a tad dated, they're peppered with some forced humor that fails to earn lau...

Final Words
Monsters, Inc. is a must-see family film that will appeal to audiences of all ages. With sharp writing, strong voicework, inspired animation, and an ingenious concept, it's sure to be a go-to favorite in your household. Disney's Blu-ray edition is another high definition winner. With a gorgeous video transfer, mind-blowing DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a generous collection of special features, Monsters, Inc. joins a growing catalog of high-quality high definition Pixar release......

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Natural Born Killers: Director's Cut (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:58:38 -0400
"I've seen the future, and it's murder."

Anyone with cable or satellite television can attest to the fact that everything from the mundane to the more patently unusual (think of last months Balloon Boy incident) is announced with breathless alacrity. Such sensationalistic news shows as Nancy Grace routinely have an Urgent Breaking News banner at the bottom, something I guess which could be seen as the broadcast equivalent of the boy who cried wolf. What is Ms. Grace going to scroll across the bottom of her screen when s...

Video
Natural Born Killers arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p/VC-1 encode that is startlingly variegated in its image quality due to the wide variety of formats Stone utilized to film the piece. Natural Born Killers plays like a patchwork quilt of styles, including everything from grainy desaturated video, to highly defined film. Therefore in analyzing this Blu-ray, the viewer needs to separate the widely divergent image qualities inherent in the source material from the Blu-ray itself. ...

Audio
Natural Born Killers has one of the most bombastic Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mixes in recent memory. This is a film which delights in an aural onslaught that is not only immersive but at times almost oppressively loud. Everything from gunshots to the virtually nonstop underscore envelops the listener, with rear channels being consistently utilized throughout the film. Directionality is at times almost cartoonish throughout the film, with bullets whizzing from left to right. This cacaphony can ...

Supplements
Natural Born Killers: The Director's Cut first and foremost restores over 150 (admittedly small) cuts that Stone had to make to appease the ratings board when the film was first released in 1994. In terms of actual extras on the BD, there are two good featurettes, the first of which is new and in HD, Natural Born Killers Evolution (21:59), which goes into some depth about the filming (including some rather nonchalant commentary about the rampant drug use--including hallucinogens-...

Final Words
When a film seems to glory in the very subject it's simultaneously attempting to excoriate, it's bound to be controversial. Natural Born Killers' reputation may have been forever changed by the tragedy at Columbine, but even before that horror, a lot of viewers and critics were troubled by the film's penchant for highlighting the very violence it took the media to task for sensationalizing. All of that said, the film is a wonder of styles and contains both Stone's typical trenchant atti......

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Stargate: 15th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:42:03 -0400
Give my regards to King Tut @**hole!

Ask a science fiction fan to name their top ten films of all time (within the genre), and Id wager the majority of them will place Stargate somewhere on the list. Thats not to say the film is the pinnacle of outer space entertainment (Ill reserve that honor for the original Star Wars trilogy or 2001: A Space Odyssey), but considering the sparse selection of genre entries in the past fifteen years, Stargate stands as a shining example of how to turn a creative conc...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the VC-1 codec (at an average bitrate of 23Mbps), Stargate finally received the high-definition upgrade fans deserve. As much as we hate double-dipping on our favorite films every two years, this is one case where the visual improvements outweigh the annoyance. First and foremost, the coloring problems that plagued the prior version have been corrected this time around, removing the hot skin tones, and artificial brightness boosting. On this version, we h...

Audio
Not to be outdone by the visual upgrade, the audio experience on Stargate offers an equally impressive experience. Lionsgate continues to demonstrate their dedication to offering 7.1 audio tracks on the majority of their titles, and the trend continues with this release. As with most action/sci-fi films, Stargate employs a robust sound design that contains a relentless mix of effects and music to create an epic feel. Thinking back on the first time I saw Stargate in the theater,...

Supplements
Deciphering the Gate: Concepts and Casting (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:51 min): Including present-day interviews with Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, this featurette offers a fascinating history behind the financing of the film and the decision-making process that led to the selection of the main cast.

Opening the Gate: The Making of Stargate (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 10:11 min): Continuing with the interviews from the prior featurette, this segment focuses more on the set design, tech...

Final Words
If youre reading this review, theres a good chance youve seen Stargate at some point over the years, and are mostly interested in the technical upgrade offered by this release. Many fans have dropped over a hundred dollars on multiple versions as each new format, directors cut, or extended edition arrives with the promise of a worthy upgrade. If thats the sole reason youre reading this review, I feel confident in my assessment that this is the definitive technical presentation tha......

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Up (PIXAR) (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:04:59 -0400
A spectacular, must-own release...

I'm unashamed to admit that Up wrecked me. It didn't earn a stalwart man-tear. It didn't make my lip quiver. It didn't even assault me with the usual warm-n-fuzzies. No, dear readers, it absolutely wrecked me. It's not often that I'm reduced to a pile of thirtysomething tears and sobering sniffles, but Pixar mainstays Pete Docter and Bob Peterson created such a touching tale, such a rousing adventure, such a gorgeous masterpiece that I was completely enraptured by everything t...

Video
Up brushes against the stratosphere with a dazzling, picture-perfect 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that boasts more breathtaking spectacle and stunning scenery in a single shot than many high definition presentations deliver in two hours. Pixar's palette simply spills off the screen. Color and contrast are impeccable, black levels are bottomless, and detail is extraordinary. Note the string on every balloon, the tiny grooves in Carl's face, the soft feathers that adorn Kevin's back, the r...

Audio
Disney has once again paired a striking video transfer with an equally jaw-dropping, exceedingly faithful, and incredibly involving DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. It takes a lot to turn my head in the middle of a movie, but I found myself laughing maniacally at the sheer complexity and quality of the sound pouring out of my speakers. Dialogue never wavers, voices are never lost in the mix, and vocal clarity and weight is astounding. The LFE channel gets a full workout as well, dutifu...

Supplements
The 4-disc Blu-ray edition of Up boasts a strong supplemental package, 100% high definition video content, and several exclusive features (one of which is an excellent Picture-in-Picture video commentary). The bundle also includes a standard DVD disc and a Digital Copy disc for families and on-the-go Pixar purists.

Cine-Explore Commentary (HD, Disc 1, 96 minutes): Director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson deliver an in...

Final Words
What more can I possibly say? Up isn't just an exceptional animated film, it's one of the best films of the year. Pixar continues to prove its filmmakers thoroughly understand character, story, humor, and sentiment, and are able to wield them as effortlessly as their animators wield magnificent design and animation. I cannot recommend Up enough. As for its 4-disc Blu-ray release, Disney has pulled out all the stops to produce a perfect... let that sink in... perfect audio/video......

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Franklyn (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:12:14 -0400
If you believe in something strongly enough, whos to say if its real or not?

Maybe its an authoritarian, Big Brother-style government, or a dehumanized populace turned into mindless, emotionless automatons. Maybe, as in Terry Gilliams Brazil, its credit-obsessed consumerism, Rube Goldberg technology, and red tape bureaucracy gone mental. Or perhaps, to use an example from Michael Bays The Island, one of the genres lesser entries, its the promise of heaven, when youre really just being sent up to get your organs harvested. Dystopian films ne...

Video
Franklyn has been given an excellent 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that handles each of the films stylistic changes with aplomb. Youll notice that each characters storyline is shot in a slightly different fashion: Emelias world is darker, with strong contrast. Milos story is told almost realistically, but with slightly dismal and desaturated tones. Esser is glassed with wide lenses and frequently shown in silhouette. And, of course, Jonathan Preests Meanwhile City is a...

Audio
While not as immediately impressive as the films visual look, Franklyns DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track adequately fleshes out the presentation, even if there are few moments of out and out sonic ear candy. Less than an hour after viewing the film, I dont remember a thing about the score, but my notes tell me that the music was subtle and subdued but appropriate. The tracks range isnt quite as broad as what youd hear in a bigger-budgeted productionLFE response is mini...

Supplements
Featurette (SD, 4:01)
This is an average EPK promo piece with clips of the film and brief interviews with the director and stars. What else do you expect from something simply entitled featurette?

Interviews (SD, 32:22)
These cast and crew interviews are much more informative, delving into the motivations behind the project, the actors perspective on their characters, and the films visual aesthetic. Features interviews with Director Gerald McMorrow, P...

Final Words
Franklyn may not be action-packed or thematically cohesive, but nonetheless it marks an impressive debut for director Gerald McMorrow, and I look forward to seeing whatever project he tackles next. Whatever Franklyn is, you certainly cant call it formulaic, and for that Im appreciative. Fans of moody thrillers and dystopian parables will certainly find the film worth watching, but this one falls squarely in the rent first, buy if you like it camp.......

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Eminem: Live From New York City (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:51:52 -0400

It is probably best that I made it perfectly clear upfront that I am not a fan of Eminem. This has nothing to do with the controversy that followed him a few years ago; his singing simply does not inspire me the way it does his fans.

Filmed at the Madison Square Garden in 2005, Eminem: Live from New York City captures the Detroit rapper in top form. Assisted by his right-hand man Proof, and a number of high-profile guests such as D12, Bizarre, Obie Trice and Stat Quo, Eminem p...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Eminem: Live from New York City arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Filmed at Madison Square Garden in 2005, this show looks good on Blu-ray, but not exceptional. The close-ups are well detailed, contrast is adequate, and clarity pleasing. Multiple strategically positioned cameras are used to capture the impressive stage from a number of different angles. T...

Audio
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

The "live-effect" is very strong in Eminem: Live from New York City. The crowd noise is almost always very easy to hear, and at times it feels as if the show is actually a large club event (listen to "Business"). Eminem's sing...

Supplements
Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray disc. ...

Final Words
This release should appeal primarily to hardcore Eminem fans. I personally do not foresee Eminem: Live from New York City suddenly converting those who never embraced his music, but could be wrong. In any event, it is great to see that Eagle Rock Entertainment continue to expand their already very impressive music catalog. ......

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Blood: The Last Vampire (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:47:27 -0400
Another good Anime release from Starz/Manga.

You're lucky. I can't kill 'humans.'

Ghost in the Shell might be a standard-bearer for the Anime genre, but as a film that's perhaps more accessible to newcomers to the genre -- particularly those that hail from the West -- and for a myriad of reasons, 2000's Blood: The Last Vampire might fit the bill better than the aforementioned action-oriented yet philosophically-profound classic. ...

Video
Blood: The Last Vampire debuts on Blu-ray with a strong 1080p. 1.85:1-framed transfer. Though it features that same bugaboo that plagued Ghost in the Shell -- moderate banding throughout -- it nevertheless looks quite nice, all things considered. As alluded to earlier, colors take on a slightly drab tone and look somewhat muted; whether background details in the school or Saya's red scarf, the color palette never sparkles, at least until the film's final minutes where i...

Audio
Blood: The Last Vampire gushes on Blu-ray with a robust DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Loud, aggressive, and a lot of fun, this lossless soundtrack puts the sound system through its paces all through its condensed 48-minute runtime. The film's opening subway sequence sets a tone that remains throughout; the car shoots down the track and, seemingly, straight through the listening area. The rumbling and rattling is accompanied by an ominous piece of music that's accompanied...

Supplements
Unfortunately, Blood: The Last Vampire contains only three extras. Making of 'Blood: The Last Vampire' (480p, 20:52) is a Japanese language feature (with forced English subtitles) that takes a rather choppy look behind the scenes of the making of the picture, featuring interviews with the crew that span various aspects that chronicle the work that went into creating the film. Also included is an "Alternate Digital Data Version" of the film and the Blood: The Last Va...

Final Words
Blood: The Last Vampire might not be Anime at its absolute best, but as an introductory piece to the genre, it's hard to find better. Simple, short, visually captivating, exciting, and lacking any needless side stories to muddle the plot, the film is the sort that's easy to digest and good for anytime viewing. This Blu-ray release from Starz subsidiary Manga Home Entertainment delivers superior video and audio presentations, but it sadly lacks a more comprehensive supplemental ......

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Richard Bangs' Adventures with Purpose: Morocco, Quest for the Kasbah (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:43:00 -0400
Not as ecologically focused as some of Bangs' other treks, this is one of the more colorful outings in the Adventures with Purpose series.

Im not quite sure what the statute of limitations might be in a case like this, but Im about to reveal a not so deep and dark family secret of mine. My father, who ended his military career as a Major General, was a battalion commander in World War II in the infantry division which liberated large swaths of Northern Africa, notably Morocco. As the commander, he had first choice over the spoils of war, and shall we say he liberated some pretty cool artifacts from several Moroccan cities, ...

Video
There are both pluses and minuses to the video presentation of this Adventure with Purpose, which arrives with an MPEG-2 codec. For about 95% of the time, this is a wonderfully sharp and incredibly colorful Blu-ray, with brilliant saturation and some excellent detail. You can count the hairs on a camel's face, or see the unbelievably complex patterns in various arabesques, for example. Unfortunately, for the other 5% of the time, you're greeted by some abysmally bad ringing and shimmer...

Audio
I'm not sure if something like this television features screams out for a 5.1 mix, although with the abundance of ethnic musics offered in this particular episode, some audiophiles may be pining for more than this PCM 2.0 track. That said, there's perfect fidelity and decent enough separation on this track, with everything from Bangs' voiceovers and on screen narration to the really wonderful music delivered with excellent fidelity. There is some fun low end "whomp" here in the many African dr...

Supplements
Again, I'm a bit confused by the lack of real extras on this Blu-ray, as the included promo for the originally released SD-DVD version of this title promotes the bonuses included in that format. There's really nothing to speak of here, just promos for other titles in the series. As with the other Topics releases of this series, this is presented in its original broadcast format, with those semi-annoying PBS "brought to you by" bumpers before and after the main feature....

Final Words
This is another fine offering in the Adventures with Purpose series. More colorful and musical than many of Bangs' outings, this also lacks the environmental focus that seems to be central to Bangs' mission. That said, there's a wealth of information in this brief hour that should delight armchair travelers.......

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Ghost in the Shell 2.0 (Kôkaku kidôtai) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:18:47 -0400
Shell out a few dollars for this collection-worthy Blu-ray release from Starz/Manga.

Memory cannot be defined, but it defines mankind.

Most newcomers to one of Japan's most famous exports -- the Anime genre -- are often told to begin with two films generally considered to sit atop the heap, representative of the best the style has to offer: 1988's Akira and 1995's Ghost in the Shell. Truth be told, perhaps no single (or pair) film can truly prepare an uninitiated viewer for what the best of Anime has to offer, particularly when considerin...

Video
This Blu-ray release of Ghost in the Shell 2.0 delivers a solid 1080p, 1.78:1 high definition experience. Though the transfer features occasional banding, it's otherwise a solid all-around effort. The animation style lends to the image a slightly pale appearance, and some scenes have something of a glowing aura about them. Still, colors are generally strong; while not the most abundantly colorful film -- animated or otherwise -- on Blu-ray, the various shades are all presented ...

Audio
Though the packaging and menu screen both claim the disc features DTS-ES 6.1 Japanese and English language soundtracks, Ghost in the Shell 2.0 in fact comes with a pair of lossless DTS-HD MA 6.1 soundtracks. Also included are two uncompressed mixes in both English and Japanese -- PCM 2.0 offerings -- as well as two PCM 2.0 soundtracks accompanying the original version of the film. With all of that out of the way, listeners cannot go wrong with either the PCM of the DTS soundtr...

Supplements
Ghost in the Shell 2.0 makes its highly-anticipated Blu-ray debut with a decent collection of extras. However, the commentary advertised on the back of the packaging appears nowhere to be found on this release, either in the "2.0" edition of the film or the original version. However the highlight of this package is the inclusion of the original version of the film, presented in 1080i high definition and featuring PCM 2.0 Japanese and English soundtracks and optional Englis...

Final Words
Films like Ghost in the Shell do indeed represent the pinnacle of the Anime genre. Like any other genre or style, there are ups, downs, and everything in between, but Ghost in the Shell -- while it doesn't necessarily have a more mainstream counterpart that's easily-identifiable as a film close in tone, meaning, or spirit -- is akin to some of Hollywood's more profound outings that dare to explore the deepest realms of the human psyche rather than simply k......

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Marilyn Manson: Guns, God and Government - Live in L.A. (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:37:23 -0400

When Guns, God and Government - Live in L.A. was initially released on DVD in 2002, the visual content was assembled from a number of different shows Marilyn Manson staged around the world. What this Blu-ray disc contains is the original high-definition L.A. footage and soundtrack put together as a cohesive film for the first time ever.

I must admit upfront that this is a show unlike anything I have seen before. It is crazy, it is loud, it is very controversial. Marilyn Manson ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Guns, God and Government Live in L.A. arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

I like how this show looks in high-definition! Generally speaking, detail is very good, though due to the unique lighting and other special effects used on the stage, occasionally some scenes look slightly softer than other. The close-ups, however, especially those of Marilyn Manson...

Audio
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track allows for a truly satisfying sonic experience. The bass is strong, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high-frequencies not overdone. The "live effect" - all the crowd noises, echos, etc -...

Supplements
The Death Parade - this is the same documentary that was included on the DVD release of the Guns, God and Government Live in L.A.. It contains plenty of archival footage from different shows Marilyn Manson staged in different parts of the world, from London to Moscow. The documentary contains a curious duet between Manson and Eminem, as well as cameo performances by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Not subtitled. (30 min, 480/60i). ...

Final Words
If you happen to be a Marilyn Manson fan, you want to pre-order Guns, God and Government - Live in L.A. as soon as possible. While I cannot say yet that I liked what I saw - I would probably have to watch the show one more time to figure out exactly how I feel about it - I must admit that it certainly had an effect on me. On the technical side of things, as expected, Eagle Rock Entertainment's Blu-ray treatment does not disappoint. ......

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Tears of the Sun (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:54:23 -0400
An emotionally-driven War picture delivers superb video and audio presentations.

God already left Africa.

It's an old adage but it generally holds true, and Tears of the Sun is its defining movie. It says that the best War movies don't glorify combat but instead frame it in a deeper context, depicting not only the horrors of combat but digging into the souls of those thrust into its jaws, forced to discover who they are, what they are made of, and examine their core values in the face of danger, conflicting orders from superiors, and a consc...

Video
Tears of the Sun delivers a strong and healthy MPEG-2, 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer. Despite its status as one of the earlier releases during Blu-ray's infancy, Tears of the Sun delivers the expected high quality Sony transfer that's virtually problem-free. Only a smattering of white speckles here and there and a few nighttime shots that take on an odd purple rather than black background, the transfer impresses all around. Said blacks are, generally, a strength; inky ...

Audio
Tears of the Sun engages listeners with a robust and reference-quality PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. There's nary a dull sonic moment to be found here; the entire soundstage is consistently active throughout, and whether the track is engaged in a full-fledged firefight or simply recreating the feel of the jungle through completely immersive atmospherics, it delivers a consistent and quality mix that, even several years after its initial release, remains one of the finest lis...

Supplements
Tears of the Sun features a few extras, the package headlined by a commentary track with Director Antoine Fuqua. His voice relaxing and confident, he begins the commentary with an introduction to the film's title and moves on to discuss some of the documentaries that served as inspirations for the film, the tone, how the film differentiates from typical Bruce Willis Action pictures, Hans Zimmer's (Angels & Demons...

Final Words
Not only a quintessential War movie but also a journey into the human condition, Tears of the Sun is a story of both physical bravery and emotional courage to do the right thing in the face of pure evil. Director Antoine Fuqua's film pulls no punches; the brutality of the picture serves not to entertain but rather to reinforce the positioning of the moral compass that finds its true course in the heart of men that choose to do the right thing rather than take the easy way out o......

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Echo (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:28:52 -0400
Hmm, this sounds familiar.

What do The Ring, The Grudge, and now The Echo have in common? Well, yes, all three have titles with a definite article followed by a vaguely creepy noun, but besides that, they share the same executive producers and each is a remake of an atmospheric Asian horror film. All three deal with unsettling supernatural children, black-haired female ghosts, and vestigial hauntings caused by some mysterious familial trauma. Perhaps, then, the question should be: what sets ...

Video
For a lower-budgeted, straight-to-video horror release, I was surprised by the clarity and presence of The Echos 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. Its not exactly in the top ranks of Blu-ray presentations, but it easily beats out similar genre offerings. Aside from a few soft scenes, the image is sharp throughout, showing plenty of detail in close-ups and a nicely resolved look during longer shots. Contrast is excellent, especially in outdoor sceneswhich have a very dimension appeara...

Audio
The Echos DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track starts with some seriously creepy sound design and rarely relents. The audio-only credit sequence features Bobbys mom reacting to the supernatural noises around her, which creak, scrape, and skitter ominously. Theres one instance where ghostly footsteps run a full circle around the soundfield. The cross-channel movements throughout are very convincing, and if youre like me, youll feel oppressively surrounded. But, you know, in a good ...

Supplements
I was hoping at least for a making-of featurette, but all we get here is a trailer (SD, 1:40)....

Final Words
Anyone who has ever taken a high school or college sociology class will recognize the influence on the film of the real-life story of Kitty Genovese, a woman who was brutally murdered outside her apartment building while her fellow residents looked on and did nothing. It makes for a great premise, but the results here are mixed. The Echo rarely differentiates itself from the like- minded array of Asian horror remakes, but it makes up for its sameness with a few good scares and so......

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:14:08 -0400
A meandering but harmless bit of family fun...

Is it possible to review a CG animated film, even one with as much overseas clout and box office success as Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, without mentioning Pixar Studios? I wish it was. Unfortunately, aside from some notable standouts -- Kung Fu Panda and a few other inventive adventures like it -- recent animated films haven't given animation junkies a solid reason to venture beyond the hallowed hall...

Video
As many high definition enthusiasts probably already suspect, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs boasts an absolutely stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that is, in a word, perfect. Colors erupt off the screen -- prepare to be blown away when you reach the scenes involving the underground cavern's lava lakes -- and contrast is impeccable throughout. Moreover, blacks are deep and absorbing, primaries pop, and banding is nowhere to be seen. Detail is astounding as well. Every hair on Manny...

Audio
Dawn of the Dinosaurs features a decent DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, but it isn't nearly as impressive as Fox's striking video transfer. Why? Oddly enough, rear speaker activity is surprisingly restrained throughout the film. A T-Rex invasion, a ride on a lava river, and a scene involving an aerial dogfight of sorts (among other action-oriented scenes) take greater advantage of the full soundfield but, more often than not, the experience is a noticeably front-heavy one. Whi...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs includes a variety of special features, most of which are presented in high definition. While the material is largely hit or miss, fans of the film will be fairly pleased with the package.

Audio Commentary: Director Carlos Saldanha, co-director Mike Thurmeier, producers John Donkin and Lori Forte, art director Michael Knapp, character designer Peter DeSève, and supervising ...

Final Words
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs may leave kids laughing and clapping, but parents will find it to be an uneven affair; one that will appeal to some while boring others to tears. Alas, I was in the latter camp, yawning my way through the somewhat aimless, somewhat amusing animated adventure, wondering when, if ever, its characters would come alive in my imagination (at least like they did in the original Ice Age). Still, it's better than The Meltdown, so that's a definite pl......

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Wagner: Tannhauser (Live Recording from the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:44:45 -0400
A visually and aurally lush production of Wagner's examination of the dialectic between the senses and the spirit.

The dialectic between sacred and profane love runs through most if not all of Richard Wagners gargantuan operas, but probably nowhere more than in Tannhäuser, his recasting and combining of several folktales with actual historical events and personages. If the sacred acts of penance, forgiveness and absolution are at the core of the operas real meaning, Tannhäuser is nonetheless the most explicitly hedonistic of Wagners works, a virtual ode to the glories of the senses and one ...

Video
As you will see from the screenshots, Tannhäuser's staging emphasizes the contrast between light and shadow, with a lot of the stage shrouded in blackness a great deal of the time. The Blu-ray's sterling AVC encoded 1080i image sports excellent black levels and contrast, meaning even small gradations in hue, like the difference between Tannhäuser's clothing and the surrounding blackness are easily differentiated. While a lot of the opera offers a fairly subdued palette, the colors that...

Audio
This is one of Wagner's most deeply burnished scores, and the brass tones in the DTS HD-MA 7.1 are so gorgeously resplendent in this recording that it may very well take your breath away. The sumptuousness of Wagner's voicings is fully on display in this remarkable recording which offers brilliant fidelity and really appealing warmth. Voices and instrumental forces are well balanced throughout the proceedings with excellent directionality. The orchestra is nicely immersive, with, again, the b...

Supplements
Aside from the usual excellent illustrated insert booklet, there's a very good accompanying featurette by Reiner Moritz which plumbs the depths of not only this particular production, but the entire history of Tannhäuser....

Final Words
Tannhäuser may not be the absolutely perfect place to start one's adventure with the operas of Wagner, but it certainly is one of the best. Easier to understand from both a dramatic and musical standpoint than a lot of the composer's more opaque work, Tannhäuser offers a theme that speaks directly to our instant gratification society. This is a resplendent production that is both visually and aurally sumptuous.......

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Flame and Citron (Flammen & Citronen) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:08:27 -0400

Based on a true story, Ole Christian Madsen's "Flammen & Citronen" a.k.a "Flame and Citron" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video. In 2009, the film won a Bodil Award for Best Cinematography (Jørgen Johansson). Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are interviews with Mads Mikkelsen, Thure Lindhardt, and director Ole Christian Madsen; a text-format essay on the history of the Danish Resistance Movement, and more. With imposed English subtitles. Reg...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ole Christian Madsens Flame and Citron arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video. This is a very strong transfer from Metrodome Video. Detail, particularly during the outdoor scenes, is excellent, clarity very good, and contrast consistently strong. Furthermore, the film's interesting color-scheme - the unique use of light has created a variety of blues, gr...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Danish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Metrodome Video have provided imposed English subtitled for the main feature. They appear inside the image frame and cannot be turned off.

The audio treatment is as impressive as the video treatment. The Danish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track conveys a wide range of dynamics that truly enhance the film's noirish aura. Karsten Fundal's gentle music score, in particular, is very effective....

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

Interview - an Al Jazeera interview with Mads Mikkelsen (a.k.a Citron) in which he talks about the character he plays and the message of the film. Before the interview begi...

Final Words
Beautifully shot and superbly executed, Flame and Citron is a film you do not want to miss. British distributors Metrodome Video have put together a wonderful Blu-ray package that I have no hesitations giving our strongest recommendation. This one is a keeper, folks! ......

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Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:13:34 -0400
The Royal Opera House and Ballet give longtime lovers of 'Swan Lake' a picture perfect rendition of one of Tchaikovsky's most beloved works.

In the world of classical ballet, there is probably no more esteemed piece than Swan Lake, a work which has expanded beyond the bounds of dance cognoscenti to reach the public at large as few ballets before or since. And yet the premiere version of this vaunted work was something less than a resounding success story, and in fact it wasnt until after Tchaikovskys death in 1893 that the ballet was revisited by the Russians who had previously dismissed it. In fact it was more or l...

Video
As is usual with these Opus Arte releases, Swan Lake arrives in fairly glorious 1080i via an AVC codec, and offers generally brilliant visuals. Whites are abundantly strong throughout this piece, and detail is excellent enough that the lace ornamenting the swans' tutus can be seen in all its fine glory. But more impressively, the production design offers a wealth of deeply saturated hues, including some really beautiful purples and blues, that make the enchanted forest most enchanting i...

Audio
Two excellent sound mixes are provided, an LPCM 5.1 and a 2.0 fold down. From the mournful sound of the oboe which open Swan Lake to the glorious strings and often quite surprisingly robust brass, Tchaikovsky relishes in his command of the orchestra as in few other pieces of his (in fact, he was decried for being too Wagnerian by some contemporary critics). Through it all, the 5.1 mix especially is wonderfully warm and lifelike, with excellent fidelity throughout all frequencies and som...

Supplements
The best extra is a 30 minute featurette with four prima ballerinas discussing the demands of dancing the Swan Queen. A brief interview with producer Anthony Dowell is also included, as is the typical illustrated synopsis and cast gallery. A brief essay is included in the insert booklet....

Final Words
Swan Lake is one of the most famously demanding ballets in the classical repertoire, and this Royal Ballet version hits every note, figuratively and literally, pretty much spot on. There's a certain dry air to the proceedings, as if these artists wanted to be very, very careful to get everything just exactly right. That breath of innovation and fresh air may be missed by some, but for lovers of Swan Lake's vaunted reputation and longstanding traditions, this production sho......

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Not Forgotten (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:38:33 -0400
Don't forget to check out this release from Starz.

Whatever happens, it's God's will.

It seems there are as many news stories focusing on kidnapped children as there are stories on the weather or the fallout from the weekend's football games. What's truly shocking is that there are far more kidnappings than those reported on television, but even still, it's difficult to become emotionally involved in such a story through the window of the television screen, particularly when the media decides that one case is more dese...

Video
Not Forgotten arrives on Blu-ray with a hit-or-miss 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The transfer features plenty of blocking throughout and some occasional banding, both of which make for some unattractive eyesores that plague an otherwise decent outing. The transfer is pale, resulting in slightly ghastly (but otherwise problem-free) flesh tones and blacks that appear too bright. Several dark, hazy interiors fare the worst, such scenes appearing as if there is a light film cov...

Audio
Not Forgotten features a robust PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. The track delivers a consistently healthy rear channel presentation, beginning with light applause at a soccer game early in the film and later coming to much more vivid life. A brief scene of a kidnapped Toby in the back of a vehicle delivers a violent rattling and rumbling sensation that seems to force the entire soundstage to bounce around. The track also features several good atmospherics, with buzzing insect...

Supplements
Not Forgotten features only three extras. First is a commentary track with Co-Writer/Producer/Director Dror Soref and Co-Writer/Asssociate Producer Tomás Romero. The participants aren't shy, speaking a mile a minute and recalling plenty of tidbits both major and minor, from shooting locations to fake grass in one scene. They also discuss the obsessive details that found their way into the script but not necessarily the film, the work of cinematographer Steven...

Final Words
Intense, well-acted, and thoroughly engaging, Not Forgotten delivers a satisfying movie-watching experience, but its many twists and turns -- twists and turns that veer pretty far from convention -- might not sit well with all audiences. However, the movie deserves credit for trying something different with the material, and whether the finale sits well with viewers or not, chances are the radically differing tones and developments that figure into the story will at least ......

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Stravinsky and the Ballets Russes: The Firebird and The Rite of Spring (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:22:06 -0400
The original productions of Stravinsky's most famous ballets are reconstructed and reproduced in this stunning new Blu-ray.

In the staid and stolid world of classical music (not to mention its sometimes even more reserved sibling, ballet), it may be hard to imagine the chaos surrounding the Paris premiere of Igor Stravinskys Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) in 1913. The audience was split between very vocal detractors and an equal number of modernist adherents, and the cacophony of their shouts was drowning out even Stravinskys gargantuan orchestra, leading famed Ballets Russes star Nijinsky to cl...

Video
Stravinsky and the Ballets Russes arrives on Blu-ray from Bel Air Classics in a sterling 1080i AVC presentation. The ballets were filmed at the historic Marinsky Theater in June of 2008. These productions are a visual feast of the highest order, and the Blu-ray offers them in a brilliant presentation that exudes color and detail. The Firebird is alive with deeply saturated reds, oranges and blues. The weave of Ivan's jacket can be clearly seen, as can the fine detail on the Pri...

Audio
What an experience to have Stravinsky's two most bombastic ballet scores in superb DTS HD-MA 5.1! While some think of the Russian composer as a largely "vertical" composer (and it can't be denied his massed chords certainly have that aural effect), his rather ingenious contrapuntal skills come through with brilliant clarity in this sound mix. Everything from the overbearing brass to the haunting tones of the bassoon in Le Sacre are reproduced with absolute accuracy. These are two score...

Supplements
One excellent and one fair to middling featurette supplement the main ballets:

An Interview with Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer (29:42) gives some interesting background on the duo's research and restoration efforts, as well as the history of Le Sacre itself.

The generically named Documentary (no, I'm not kidding), at 7:46 offers a brief look at the Ballets Russes' history with these venerable pieces....

Final Words
If you were to ask lovers of 20th century music and/or ballet where they would visit if they were able to time travel, chances are a lot of them would opt for the Diaghelev era at Ballets Russes, and probably for one or both of these splendid Stravinsky masterpieces. It's simply wonderful to be able to see these at least more or less like they were originally produced, and this Blu-ray should be treasured by Stravinsky fans in particular, and ballet lovers generally.......

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Tailor of Panama (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:54:00 -0400
A wishy-washy movie makes for a wishy-washy Blu-ray.

Welcome to Panama: 'Casablanca' without heroes.

Films buffs might be hard-pressed to find a more bland movie-watching experience than The Tailor of Panama. Promising an engrossing spy mystery, the film instead delivers a halfhearted attempt at...something, a hodgepodge of styles and themes that consistently play counter to one another and never really add up to anything worth watching, save for several scenes of excellent, screen-igniting dialogue between the f...

Video
The Tailor of Panama suits up on Blu-ray with an inconsistent 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded, 2.35:1-framed transfer. An early release in the life of the Blu-ray format, it's unrealistic to expect the world from this disc, and all things considered it's not a bad effort despite said inconsistencies. The film's first shots inspire absolutely no confidence. Soft, fuzzy, poorly detailed, and terribly flat, the opening scene sets a troublesome tone, but the transfer never looks as bad ag...

Audio
Listeners may size up The Tailor of Panama on Blu-ray through the included PCM 5.0 uncompressed soundtrack. That's right, there's no ".1" or subwoofer channel to be found here. Though the lack of a subwoofer channel is puzzling, The Tailor of Panama isn't the sort of movie that would have thumped and rattled the listening area, anyway. In fact, this one probably could have gotten away with a two-channel lossless or uncompressed track, and the results would have b...

Supplements
The Tailor of Panama stitches a few extras into the Blu-ray release. First up is a commentary track with Director John Boorman. The director delivers a cut-and-dry sort of track, speaking on the basic angles pertaining not only to the filmmaking process but also some of the history of the region, particularly as it pertains to the story presented in the film. Of course, random tidbits about the film dominate; from actor Geoffrey Rush's learned skill in the art of tailoring to...

Final Words
The Tailor of Panama is a harmless little movie that doesn't get much right but neither does it get anything so egregiously wrong so as to make it more of a punch line than a serious movie. Still, the middle ground -- a sort of cinematic purgatory -- in which the film exists certainly doesn't do it any favors, but better to settle comfortably into the pile of passable but forgettable fare rather than descend into the realms populated by the more egregiously terrible pictures,......

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Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs (IMAX) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:23:10 -0400
The only mummys curse on this IMAX film is that its too short.

Egyptology is a like a gateway drug for anthropologists. One minute you have a mild obsession with mummies and the next youve committed all twelve volumes of The Golden Bough to memory and churned out a 500-page dissertation on arctic shamanism and the societal ramifications of Inuit throat singing. Okay, so maybe Im hyperbolizing the standard career path, but its hard to undersell the allure of Egypt, where ancient mysteries lie hidden just beneath the shifting sands. In my ...

Video
As a sticker on the packaging proudly displays, the 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer of Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs is based on an 8K scan of the original 65mm production elements. Like most IMAX films that have been given a quality transfer, Secrets of the Pharaohs is tack-sharp, displaying all the clarity and depth characteristic of large-format cinematography. Some of the wide, desert dune shots are incredibly dimensionalyou may want to dust the area in front of your ...

Audio
Arriving on Blu-ray with DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround tracks in English, French, and Spanish, Secrets of the Pharaohs is well equipped in the audio department. The most striking part of the presentation is composer Sam Cardons Middle East-inspired score, which combines regional instruments with Western elements and arrangements. The music is nicely spread across all the channels, with the deep whomp of tabla drums showing off a satisfying low end and finger cymbals chiming cle...

Supplements
"Making Of" Documentary (1080i, 22:23)
Shooting a large-format film has all the challenges of 35mm and then some, and this documentary explores how, as director Keith Melton says, "it's all about attention to detail." Because the IMAX format shows so much, everything about the production has to be spot-on, from the performances and set dressing to the costumes and lighting, all of which are explored here. Melton also notes that concessions had to be made in historical accurac...

Final Words
For the right kind of childthe kind who does mock excavations in the sandbox and wants to be a mummy for HalloweenSecrets of the Pharaohs will be educational and highly entertaining. And adults can enjoy it too, especially for the frequently stunning cinematography. Recommended.......

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Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:59:00 -0400

Eagle Rock Film Productions Limited in association with The Independent Film Channel bring to Blu-ray the terrific documentary "Monty Python: Almost the Truth - The Lawyers Cut" (2009). Its six episodes - "The not so interesting beginning", "The much funnier second episode", "And now, the sordid personal bits", "The ultimate Holy Grail episode", "Lust for glory!" and "Finally, the last episode (ever) (for now...)" - are placed on two separate discs. Disc 2 also contains "Extended Interviews w...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (original content), encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i transfer, Monty Python: Almost the Truth arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The original content (interviews) looks very strong. Detail is excellent, clarity good, and contrast pleasing. As expected, the quality of the archival footage varies - some of the footage reveals plenty of damage, some of it does not. Additionally, a lot of the important B&W sti...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the English LPCM 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.

Once again, I have absolutely no reservations with the English LPCM 2.0 track whatsoever. The dialog is crisp and notably easy to follow. During the interviews, I did not detect any disturbing issues to report in this review. As far as t...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features arrive with optional English, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.

The Sketches - a collection of seven well known sketches - "Dead Parrot", "Spanish Inquisition", "The Fish Slapping Dance", "Ministry of Silly Walks", "Lumberjack Song", "The Cheese Shop", and "SPAM". (1080i/60).

Extended interviews - a collection of five extended interviews with John Cleese (...

Final Words
I enjoyed every single minute of this terrific documentary! It is rather long but incredibly well produced and, what matters the most, very informative. Frankly, I cannot think of a single reason why anyone who has ever had any interest in the Pythons would not want to add Monty Python: Almost the Truth to his/her collection. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Turning Point (Laughing gor chi bin chit) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:45:04 -0400

Inspired by the popular TV series E.U. (Emergency Unit), Herman Yaus "Turning Point" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors CN entertainment. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are two standard featurettes, an interviews, and more. Unfortunately, they are not subtitled in English. The main feature is. Region-Free. ...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Herman Yaus Turning Point arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors CN Entertainment.

Generally speaking, Turning Point looks good. Contrast is pleasing, clarity ranging from good to very good, and detail convincing. This being said, I must note that there are a number of image and color manipulations throughout the film (primarily during the "flash...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Mandarin 2.0 stereo. I opted for the Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track.

The Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track does not disappoint. The bass is powerful (especially during the car crashes), the rear channels quite active, and the high frequencies not overdone. The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. There are no balance issues to report with Mak Chun Hung's score either. I also did not detect any...

Supplements
Making of - Part I of a standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of the film and interviews with the cast and crew. Unfortunately, it is not subtitled in English. (9 min, 480/60i).

Making of - Part II of the above mentioned featurette. Once again, not subtitled in English. (5 min, 480/60i).

Photo Gallery -

Interview - a rather long interview with cast and crew members, which appears to have be...

Final Words
Even though I am unfamiliar with the hit TV series E.U. (Emergency Unit), I have a feeling that the creators of Turning Point tried to pack in their film as much of what likely made them a success in Hong Kong as possible. As a result, less than half an hour into the film, I lost interest in the story - too much was happening too quickly. I felt like I was watching an unusually long, packed with action foreign commercial. ......

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Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:29:22 -0400
Edvard Grieg's own performances of his pieces come alive via piano roll transcriptions, as does a 1921 performance of his classic Piano Concerto by Percy Grainger.

Laugh at me if you must (and I wont blame you, honestly), but I dragged my parents to see Song of Norway, the infamously bad biopic about Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, when I was a very young kid. We were living in a suburb of Seattle then which was pretty much farmland back in those days, and I lived for my school librarys weekly delivery of the Sunday New York Times. I would pore over each week's Arts and Leisure section, trying to assimilate all that culture via...

Video
...

Audio
As with most 2L releases, we're treated to both a Blu-ray, with three audio options, as well as an accompanying SACD. 2L does not skimp on its recordings, and that love and devotion are evident throughout all three of the Blu-ray's rather pristine sounding mixes. The Blu-ray offers two DTS HD-MA mixes, a 7.1 at 24/96KHz and a 5.1 at 24/192kHz, as well as a standard PCM 2.0 at 24/192kHz. The recording itself was made with a 352.8 kHz sampling rate, in an audio format known as Digital...

Supplements
The only real supplement, aside from a nicely informative insert booklet, is the accompanying SACD. While there is a slight if noticeable drop in fidelity in comparison to the BD, especially when played back via a standard CD player, it's less than you might expect. On my PS3, the SACD performed remarkably well, with beautifully rendered instrumental forces and a nicely immersive experience in the surround channels. I did notice a very slight diminution in the low frequencies, but i...

Final Words
Count yourself lucky that you don't need to "experience" Song of Norway to get up close and personal with not only Edvard Grieg's music, but his own piano playing. This is a wonderful overview of some really historic performances. Yes, the interpretations are patently odd at times, especially Grainger's, but they make for both a compelling listening experience as well as a fascinating history lesson. 2L's attention to quality and detail once again shines through marvelously i......

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Iron Man: Armored Adventures Vol. 1 (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:44:17 -0400
Pesky teen drama aside, Marvel's latest animated series shows potential...

The masterminds at Marvel Comics have long had their fingers on the pulse of the comics industry. Missteps aside -- "Heroes Reborn" anyone? The infamous Clone Saga? The "Acts of Vengeance" debacle? -- they've given their readers some of the finest characters to grace a paneled page, toy lines and collectibles that make some fanboys' basements look like tri-colored museums, and several well-conceived, wildly successful feature films. But the House of Ideas has failed to fully capitalize on anim...

Video
Iron Man: Armored Adventures is bright, colorful, and sharp; everything animation enthusiasts and fanboys of all ages would want from a Blu-ray release of Marvel's animated television series. Despite some palette variations and intentionally subdued primaries from episode to episode, blacks are deep and inky, lineart is crisp, repulsor blasts sear the screen, and the red and gold in Tony's armor pops. Unfortunately, Genius' 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer is tormented by rampant banding, obt...

Audio
Genius' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is much more satisfying, imbuing Iron Man's superheroics with booming LFE support and crisp, clean dialogue. Though Tony's high school antics are chatty and altogether front-heavy, the soundscape comes alive every time he steps into a suit of armor. The series' unexpectedly bold, bombastic effects are peppered with sharp, stable wheens and sheens, granting climactic showdowns with Whiplash, Crimson Dynamo, and others all the n...

Supplements
Genius hasn't cobbled together any supplemental features focused on the production of the show. Instead, four 30-second "Suit Profiles" introduce Tony's Iron Man suits, a three-minute "Rooney Music Video" offers an extended version of the series' theme song, and a "Super Hero Squad Show" promo gives a ragtag bunch of diminutive Marvel heroes the chance to take center stage. Fans will blow through everything on the disc in less than ten minutes (ten standard definition minutes, no less) and be ...

Final Words
Iron Man: Armored Adventures' first six episodes show legitimate promise and a thorough understanding of how to stage pulse-pounding clashes of superhero titans. But anyone who's been following its television broadcast knows that the show gets much better (particularly when the Mandarin becomes a more crucial character in the story), building on the series' strengths while minimizing its weaknesses with each passing episode. As a result, Genius' Volume 1 disc is merely an appetiz......

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National Parks: America's Best Idea (A Film by Ken Burns) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:28:51 -0400
Ken Burns does it again, and on Blu-ray for the first time.

One of the best bits of national achievement which our people have to their credit.

Ken Burns, the world's preeminent documentarian, once again turns to America's storied past to dazzle audiences with his latest labor of love, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. For those with a thirst for knowledge and a taste for wonderfully-realized films that serve as teaching tool, entertainment, and work of art all rolled into one, Burns' films are best experienced ra...

Video
The National Parks: America's Best Idea arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Unfortunately, the imagery doesn't hold a candle to the beauty of Planet Earth, but it does hold up nicely through the majority of the film. Much of the natural footage is abuzz with grain, resulting in backgrounds -- particularly bright blue skies -- that are anything but static. However, considering the film's ...

Audio
The National Parks: America's Best Idea features a clear and surprisingly engaging Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For the most part, the film delivers front-heavy and center-focused sounds, with dialogue the primary sonic feature. The Spoken word is superbly reproduced; Coyote's voice is strong and crisp, reassuring and soothing, and the lossless soundtrack allows it to sound like a natural and integral piece of the film rather than a detached voiceover. Li...

Supplements
The National Parks: America's Best Idea features supplements spread across each of the six discs in this set. Below is a disc-by-disc breakdown of what's included.

Disc One

Disc one features but a lone extra, The Making of 'The National Parks: America's Best Idea' (1080i, 25:24, also available in Spanish and with Spanish subtitles). It contains Documentarians Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan, and others -- scattered about excerpts from the series -- s...

Final Words
The first Ken Burns documentary to appear on Blu-ray, The National Parks: America's Best Idea may not top the filmmaker's earlier and best efforts -- Baseball, The Civil War, or Jazz -- but as either an introduction to his quality style of work, the thoroughness of his endeavors, or his uncanny ability to fully articulate on the subject without the tedium generally associated with history at such an in-depth level, they don't come much better than this. Sma......

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Stan Helsing (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:47 -0400
I'm so excited I can't contain myself.

This whole place is crawling with flesh-eating inbreds.

It was a stroke of sheer brilliance and a once-in-a-lifetime Hollywood achievement: the assemblage of all the icons of Horror brought together for one night of terror and mayhem for the retelling of the Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Schlockbuster Video Monster-Slaying Clerk. Freddy vs. Jason? That junk ain't got nothin' on this! ...

Video
Stan Helsing's Blu-ray release graces televisions everywhere with its workmanlike 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. It's fairly colorful as the film begins; though Oscar gold is nowhere to be seen inside the Schlockbuster Video locale, the image does sport a nice array of hues -- punctuated by assorted video boxes (including Shooter and Semi-Pro...

Audio
Stan Helsing's Greek god-like voice booms on Blu-ray via a PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. Bass is positively kickin' in one early scene. Denzel Washington's car must feature some awesome gear; no doubt there are a couple of Rockford Fosgate woofers in that bad boy's trunk. Unfortunately, there's not much surround activity here; apparently Alfred Hitchcock was not made aware of the advances in surround sound technology, but the film's Metallica-Horne...

Supplements
It would be too daunting a task to cover in-depth Stan Helsing's eight months worth of bonus features, so in the interest of time a quick perusal of a few of the highlights should do the trick. The cast and crew commentary found on disc one is sheer poetry; the insights are profound, the participants well-spoken, and the track is required listening, at least once per day for eternity. Killer Parody: The Making of 'Stan Helsing' (1080p, 11:06) is next. An obvious joke p...

Final Words
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of Stan Helsing and the movie and the Blu-ray that bears his name. Babe magnet, slayer of evil, savior of the world, and the man personally responsible for Steven Spielberg throwing in the towel as a filmmaker ("I could never top that! I quit!" he said after walking out of the premiere), Stan Helsing is the most interesting man in the world. He doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers Dos Equis. The biggest, best, an......

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North by Northwest (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:02:30 -0400
The Hitchcock movie to end all Hitchcock movies.

You know, were not making a movie, Alfred Hitchcock reputedly told screenwriter Ernest Lehman during the shooting of North by Northwest. Were constructing an organ, the kind of organ that you see in the theatre. And we press this chord and now the audience laughs, we press that chord and they gasp, and we press these notes and they chuckle. Someday we wont have to make a movie, well just attach them to electrodes and play the various emotions for them to experience in the...

Video
As the first of Hitchcocks films to arrive on Blu-ray in the U.S.The 39 Steps was released recently in the U.K.theres been a great deal of anticipation and outright skepticism regarding North by Northwests picture quality. For what its worth, Im thoroughly impressed by this new 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer, which was scanned at an 8k resolution using the films original VistaVision production elements. The film has also been given an outstanding restoration; theres...

Audio
The films original monaural presentation has been expanded into a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track here, and though purists may cry foul, few will have any complaints after hearing the subtle and impressive ways that the rear channels are implemented. Of course, the most striking aspect is how Bernard Hermmanns classic orchestral score has been bled into the surround speakers, creating a tense and immersive experience. Strings spiral dizzyingly up and down, timpani drums pound mercile...

Supplements
Commentary by Screenwriter Ernest Lehman
Lehman offers up a quiet, subdued, but ultimately enlightening commentary that owners of the film's DVD release will immediately recognize. Aside from the occasionally lagging pace, this is a great track filled with stories about working with Hitch and making movies the old-school Hollywood way.

The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (SD, 57:32)
Like an introductory course on Hitchcock's directorial trad...

Final Words
As the first film by Hitchcock to appear on Blu-ray in the U.S., North by Northwest is a must-have release for many regardless of the films picture and audio quality. Purchase with confidence, then, because I have no qualms whatsoever about this discs stunning A/V treatment. The video presentation is uniformly excellentas close to a definitive version of the film as were going to get in 1080pand the new TrueHD soundtrack means North by Northwest sounds bigger and mor......

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The Prisoner: The Complete Series (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:55:19 -0400
One of the most unique series in the history of television, 'The Prisoner' may not answer all the questions it poses, but it certainly makes for thought-provoking entertainment.

Its with tongue only slightly in cheek I suggest that the Dick Cheney household may be awaiting with bated breath the new Blu-ray release of The Prisoner. Why, you may ask? Well, heres a little scenario to mull over: extradition with extreme prejudice by a government with every high tech gizmo imaginable with which to keep track of every jot, tittle and miniscule movement of its captives. And just for good measure, lets throw in a little enhanced interrogation up the yin-yang with ...

Video
The Prisoner arrives on Blu-ray in its original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with an AVC encode. Generally this is an excellent looking presentation, especially for a British filmed television production over 40 years old. Colors are bold and beautifully saturated (and very, very, "mod"), and detail is brilliant. Some of the stock footage, principally used in establishing shots of The Village (actually the resort village of Portmeirion in North Wales) exhibits some speck...

Audio
Audiophiles will no doubt be complaining that we have no lossless audio options on this Blu-ray. However, the repurposed Dolby 5.1 mix is really quite excellent, especially when compared with the original mono tracks also offered here. Fidelity throughout is generally very, very good. The mono tracks suffer from pretty noticeable compression and an overall boxy sound; you'll hear the difference between the two offerings right off the bat if you toggle back and forth between them while the the...

Supplements
This Blu-ray comes jam packed with some great supplements, though sadly at least one or two from the 40th anniversary DVD edition have gone missing. We're offered some excellent commentaries by production personnel on the episodes The Arrival, The Chimes of Big Ben, The Shizoid Man, The General, Dance of the Dead, Change of Mind and Fallout. Trailers and underscored image galleries for all 17 episodes are also included, spread over the four Blu-ray discs. The fourth BD offers t...

Final Words
One of the many satirical signs seen in The Village states Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself. McGoohan and his crew probably took that made up adage to heart, as The Prisoner raises more questions than it ever answers, leaving viewers to fend for themselves. Intriguing and infuriating in pretty much equal measure, The Prisoner shows McGoohan breaking free from the strictures of series television, big time. You've never experienced anything quite li......

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Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:44:02 -0400
Spare and lean, this Glyndebourne production puts the emphasis squarely on the psychological underpinnings of the characters and away from spectacle.

If youre ever in a group of espoused music theorists, have a bit of fun asking them to describe in functional terms the following chord: F, B, D#, G#. Sit back and watch in amazement as these men (and women) of great learning fume and fumble, with some probably insisting its a French Augmented Sixth (with a flatted third, and inverted to offer a tritone mounted by a perfect fourth, rather than kept triadic in nature). Others will decry any attempt at a functional analysis and simply say, mo...

Video
Tristan und Isolde arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encode and a 1080i presentation that while generally excellent does betray interlacing artifacts occasionally. While a lot of this opera is staged in ceaselessly dark, often beautifully dark blue, backgrounds, the palette pops quite nicely. When Act III moves at least partially to a more brown-white palette, we get more opportunity to see fine detail, which is abundantly present. You can, for example, see the actual fabric pattern on th...

Audio
Tristan und Isolde features some of Wagner's most sumptuous, even lascivious, music, and this brilliantly recorded Blu-ray offers two excellent sound mixes, Dolby True HD 2.0 and 5.0. The 2.0 is a rather appealing fold down and at times benefits from the reduced separation in making some of the disparately placed singers easier to hear over the immense orchestra. That said, the 5.0 offers a brilliant recreation of an actual hall ambience, with the orchestra sounding positively luscious ...

Supplements
All of the extras from the previously released SD-DVD version of this title have been ported over, though to Opus Arte's credit, the featurettes are presented in HD. Aside from an illustrated synopsis and cast gallery, there's an excellent documentary by Reiner Moritz called "Do I Hear the Light? (56:05), which offers some background not only on the opera itself, but Glyndebourne as well. "On the Set" is a brief (1:01, as in just a bit over a minute) but fascinating multi-screen time lapse loo...

Final Words
Tristan und Isolde may defy cogent analysis, both musically and dramatically. This is a piece that plies the subconscious and works its spell slowly but surely over the course of several hours. There's not much to see in this production, but that frankly works to the opera's benefit as it places the main focus squarely where it should be: the incredible music.......

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R. Strauss: Elektra (Live Recording from the Opernhaus Zurich) (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:16:27 -0400
No, not the Jennifer Garner opus, but Richard Strauss' most forward-thinking opera, in a production which may leave some viewers wanting to wash their hands afterwards.

If dodecaphony was seeded in the tonal ambiguity of Richard Wagners Tristan und Isolde, that seed was liberally watered several decades later by Richard Strauss Elektra, a one act opera which fairly bristles with dissonance and modernist orchestral techniques. Strauss, who was always able to cull ravishing melody out of even the most advanced orchestral thinking, perhaps even more so than Wagner, in Elektra took one giant leap forward into polytonalism and a frankly anti-...

Video
Elektra arrives on Blu-ray with an excellently detailed image courtesy of an AVC encode. As you will see from the screenshots, this is a production which delights in huge contrasts--some scenes are bathed in near blackness, and at other times, when the "asylum" doors are opened and gigantic backlit arc beams shine through, you feel like you're awash in a sea of white. Through it all, the Blu-ray affords superior contrast, with deeply inky black levels and, conversely, vibrant whites tha...

Audio
Unfortunately, Strauss' unusually huge orchestra overwhelms the singers throughout this production. I actually wondered if it were due to my choosing the DTS HD-MA 7.1 option, but, alas, the PCM Stereo mix exhibited the same imbalance between the incredible instrumental forces (under the direction of the redoubtable Christoph von Dohnanyi) and the equally incredible, though often inaudible, singers. In fact at one point, Aegisth declaims, "Can no one hear me?" and I thought he was referring to...

Supplements
The BD itself contains none, which I found rather odd considering the relatively brief running time of Elektra. The insert booklet does have a rather thoughtful essay and a plot synopsis....

Final Words
Elektra is a challenging opera, and this production is in itself even more of a challenge. The production design and Johansson's commanding performance are huge pluses, but the smarmy embellishments of director Kusej may turn potential audience members away.......

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Imagine That (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:36:51 -0400
An under-the-radar Family Comedy earns a sparkling Blu-ray release.

Ain't nothin' but a thing.

Imagine that. An Eddie Murphy Comedy with heart, and it didn't get its just due. Though something of an under-the-radar picture and released in the midst of the summer 2009 blockbuster season in the shadows of Star Trek, Angels & Demons, T...

Video
Imagine That dazzles on Blu-ray with a wonderfully cinematic 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Typical of a new, fresh-from-theaters release from Paramount, this disc delivers quality imagery across the board, and it should satisfy even the most discerning of home theater aficionados. Though a vibrant, colorful, and sharp transfer, this one seems just the slightest bit dim, but otherwise, it excels throughout. Colors are slightly warm, but they are also abundant and tend to pop ...

Audio
Imagine That arrives on Blu-ray with a good but not necessarily remarkable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a basic, no-nonsense track that does little more than reproduce dialogue and music to crystal-clear effect, but as a Family Comedy, it doesn't need to do much more than that. Olivia's scream as heard several times through the film is delivered with a crisp, high, ear-piecing tone and couldn't sound more lifelike if the girl were letting loose in the living roo...

Supplements
Imagine That features several very-real extras on Blu-ray. First up is a commentary track with Director Karey Kirkpatrick and Actress Yara Shahidi. Shahidi continues her charm here, delivering an enthusiastic and affable commentary. Kirkpatrick leads the discussion; he speaks on a nice range of topics, including how he set up the film to deliver a particular point of view, some of the nuances that made their way into the film, the actors, and even Yara's teeth. This isn't ...

Final Words
Both funny and heartwarming, Imagine That is an innocent, easygoing, and family-friendly movie that features a good message on the importance of family and the power of the imagination. Eddie Murphy delivers his best performance in his best role in years, and he's surrounded by a strong supporting cast headlined by newcomer Yara Shahidi who herself delivers a magical performance. No, Imagine That won't be up for any Oscars, but it wins the most important things of all -......

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Chronos (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:39:00 -0400
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Pure cinema is the belief that non-narrative filmwithout character, dialogue, or plotis an equally valid way to explore the human experience, impart ideas, and trigger emotion. As a method of filmmaking, it has been largely relegated to the avant garde, like the Dog Star Man series or many of Stan Brakhages other experimental films, but there are notable exceptions. Few documentary-lovers (and high-definition eye candy junkies) are unaware of Baraka, the non-narrativ...

Video
While Chronos definitely hasnt received the gold-standard treatment that was given to Baraka, the films 1080p/MPEG-2 encoded transfer, which was created from the original 65mm negatives under the supervision of Ron Fricke himself, is a solid effort thats occasionally very impressive. Like most IMAX-format films, Chronos sports excellent clarity from corner to corner of the frame, readily showing the intricacies of rock formations, marble busts, and hectic citysc...

Audio
Chronos contains no dialogue, no voiceovers or narration. Theres no ambient city noise, no wind sweeping over the desert or water lapping at the shore. The entirety of the films audio experience is dictated by Michael Stearns synthesizer-heavy score, which, admittedly, is a love it or hate it affair. Well, perhaps its not that polarizing, but it does sound a bit dated today. On the plus side, whatever you think of the music, its hard to deny that its impressivel...

Supplements
Commentary with Director Ron Fricke, Composer Michael Stearns, and Production Manager Alton Walpole
Dont expect any discussion of Frickes thematic intentions, but if youre after production details, technical analysis, and travel anecdotes, this track will suit you fine. The three participates look back fondly on their creation, share plenty of laughs, and tell some crazy stories, like when the camera operator had to load the film magazine in a dark Egyptian tomb because he...

Final Words
Warm-up for Baraka or not, director Ron Frickes Chronos is an often-stunning look at the way time intersects with humanity. It may not have the emotional resonance of its successor, but its certainly worth watching for fans of travel documentaries and non-narrative cinema. Recommended. Also, keep your eyes out for Frickes sequel to Baraka, Samsara, which is set to release sometime in 2010.......

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Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:09:01 -0400
Blu-ray brings this "dead" film to life.

The dead don't walk around except in very bad paperback novels.

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, a.k.a. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, a.k.a. Don't Open the Window, a.k.a. Weekend With the Dead, a.k.a. Brunch With the Dead a.k.a. No Profanen el Sueño de los Muertos, a.k.a. Fin de Semana Para los Muertos, a.k.a. ad infinitum, might not enjoy the same mainstream recognition as the standard-bearers of the Zombie genre -- Geo...

Video
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue is revived on Blu-ray with a good 1080p, 1.85:1 transfer. It's important to note that this isn't the stuff of eye candy, but the film's intended tone is wonderfully realized here, particularly considering the era from which the film hails. The transfer is generally clear, nicely detailed, and appropriately grainy to lend to it that wonderful cinematic look. Much of the action takes place during daylight hours and around a lush English countr...

Audio
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue delivers a serviceable DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Despite the 7.1 monicker, listeners shouldn't expect the next whiz-bang surround sound extravaganza with this one. It's limited to the source (and the original monaural track is included) so it's generally front- and center-channel heavy. Several high-pitched screeches in the film do threaten to scatter the pets and pop the eardrums, but there are very few other instances of loud an...

Supplements
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue scares up a nice selection of extra materials. Back to the Morgue: On Location With Director Jorge Grau (480p, 44:51) features the director revisiting the shooting locations and describing the action that occurred at each place. He also discusses the film's ecological themes, its many titles, props, the script, and more, all intermixed with corresponding scenes from the film. The piece is presented in Spanish with English subtit...

Final Words
Though best known around circles populated by genre aficionados, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue -- or whatever one might choose to call it -- comes close to matching the superiority of the best of the mainstream Zombie pictures that have made the genre popular and accessible to more general audiences. Though the film starts off rather slowly, its deliberate pace allows for the crafting of a superior story that makes the film's bloody third act all the more intense and gra......

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New York Ripper (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:09:00 -0400
Blue Underground delivers a stunning transfer for a classic exploitation flick.

It was good, efficient butchery.

Tucked away in that little corner in the back of the video store, the one that's far away from the cartoons and Comedies and that promises a goldmine of cinematic perversion, sleaze, and brutal violence, sits The New York Ripper, the 1982 Lucio Fulci (Zombi) film that revels in equal parts debauchery and vile grotesqueness. That's all that really needs to be said about The New York Ripper; edited here, banned ther...

Video
The New York Ripper tears into Blu-ray with a splendid 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Other than several scratches, speckles, and hairs found here and there over the print, this one's exceptionally reproduced. The image retains a moderately thick layer of grain that does a marvelous job in recreating the gritty and grim tone of the film nicely. Flesh tones often looks rather ghastly, but colors in general tend to sparkle. Whether the glitzy neon lights of one of New York's s...

Audio
The New York Ripper slashes into Blu-ray with a solid -- but not astounding -- DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The film's famed, dated, and decidedly 1980s title theme is delivered with excellent clarity throughout the entire range. The sounds of the city -- screaming sirens, passing cars, honking horns, pedestrian footsteps, the cry of a ferry's whistle, a gentle breeze, a subway car rumbling down the track, and other assorted goodies -- are heard seemingly exclusively acros...

Supplements
The New York Ripper features but a few fleeting extras. 'I'm an Actress!' -- Interview With Zora Kerova (1080i, 9:30) features the actress who played a particularly sleazy part in the film recalling her experiences with The New York Ripper, from her initial shock at what she was asked to do for the film to her famous death scene. She also discusses some of her subsequent roles, particularly that in Cannibal Ferox, and her memories of the late Director Luci...

Final Words
The name alone should be enough to ward off potential viewers with no desire to witness wave after wave of nude bodies, stabbings, razor blade slices, stitched-up corpses in the morgue, and plenty of gushing blood; The New York Ripper is the quintessential "off limits" movie that seems only to live in sleazy movie houses, bootleg videocassettes, and that scary back corner of the neighborhood video store. But no more. Blue Underground has released this classic of exploitation c......

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Lymelife (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:53:53 -0400
A thoroughly engaging exercise in discomfort.

If youre on this site, you already belong to a diverse community of film-lovers who cant wait to debate and assess the merits of their favorite productions. Some members love a blood-drenched horror film, while others prefer the comfort of a tame romantic comedy. No matter your taste or interest, it becomes difficult to find newly released films that havent generated a peep on the forums. As a reviewer, I typically avoid any opinions on a film until after Ive had the opportunity to watch ...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps), Lymelife looks decent enough on Blu-ray, but suffers from a pair of noticeable deficiencies. At first glance, the film appears highly detailed and very attractive, but as you start digging deeper youll begin to notice some strange blurring toward the vertical edges of some scenes. I first noticed the problem in the supermarket sequence where the two mothers appear on each side of the checkout aisle. Their si...

Audio
For a DTS-HD MA track, this is a surprisingly quiet presentation. As the opening scenes played out, I gradually increased the volume on my receiver to match the sweet spot I usually go for. Once you have it turned up to sufficient levels, the intricacies of the audio track become more prevalent. I know I mentioned it earlier in this review, but I absolutely adore the soundtrack on this release, which invokes feelings of playful innocence littered with a loss of control. I know that descripti...

Supplements
Alternate Ending (1080p, Dolby Digital 5.1, 19:48 min): Im not sure why this segment runs 20 minutes in length, since the final 30 seconds are the only difference from the theatrical ending. For anyone disappointed in the open-ended nature of the ending used in the film, this alternate version answers any questions you might have.

Deleted Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:39 min): Most of these offerings are simply extensions to scenes already included in the film. I didnt find much...

Final Words
Most writers and directors spend years developing and honing their skills in order to eventually create a masterpiece. The Martini brothers managed to accomplish that elusive task on their first stab. Full of uncomfortable themes and punctuated with glimmers of hope, I was thoroughly engaged from start to finish. Having said all of that, the film certainly wont appeal to everyone, since the overall subject matter is a bit depressing. If you feel comfortable with dark comedies that contain a......

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Walk The Line (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:53:17 -0400

Yet to be released in North America, James Mangold's terrific "Walk the Line" (2005) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Fox Pathe Europa. This disc contains the extended cut of the film, running at approximately 153 minutes. Amongst the many supplemental features on the disc are an audio commentary with director James Mangold, "Becoming Cash/Becoming Carter", "Folsom: Cash & The Comeback", "Celebrating The Man In Black", deleted scenes and more. Region-Free and with a fully functional English men...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, James Mangold's Walk the Line arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Fox Pathe Europa. Please note that the disc contains the extended cut of the film running at approximately 153 minutes.

This is a very strong transfer. Detail is exceptional, clarity excellent and contrast quite impressive. Some of the panoramic shots from the first half of the film, for example, look simply stagge...

Audio
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS 5.1 and German DTS 5.1. Additionally, Pathe Fox Europa have provided optional English HOH, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, French, French HOH, German, German HOH, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles for the main feature.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is terrific. The live performances, in particular, sound exceptional with it (listen to Elvis Presley's "That's Alright Mama" and Johnny and J...

Supplements
Note: the supplemental features on Disc 1 arrive with optional English HOH, French, German, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch subtitles. The supplemental features on Disc 2 arrive with optional English HOH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Thai, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean subtitles.

Disc 1:

Commentary - a won...

Final Words
This is a very strong package! I wonder what prevented 20th Century Fox from releasing Walked the Line in the United States. In any event, if you are a fan of the film and wish to have it in your libraries, you should definitely seek out this disc - it contains the extended cut of the film, it is Region-Free, and all of the supplemental features on it are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SAs. What more could you ask for? VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Water Life: The Big Blue (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:48:09 -0400
The final disc in the Water Life series sets sail for an underwater experience.

Spanning five continents and running 26 episodes in length, Water Life is the latest nature series to bring viewers a first-hand look at the beauty thats evident in the world around us. The footage on display throughout the series was captured over a 16-month period by three separate teams consisting of the worlds top nature cinematographers, naturalists, and divers, whos goal was to capture various aquatic ecosystems using innovative camera techniques to create a fascinating perspective. A...

Video
Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 28Mbps) Water Life: The Big Blue suffers from a less pronounced version of the same problem that plagued the first and second discs in the series. The problem Im referring to is some readily apparent ringing around edges, which dont maintain the stability weve come to expect on Blu-ray. For an example, look for the rock-covered beaches in episode four, paying close attention to movement within the static image (I guarantee t...

Audio
My expectations were already tempered going into this release, since I was aware from the first Water Life discs that all wed receive is a Dolby Digital 2.0 track with English narration. Similar to the first disc, the clarity, volume balance, and incorporation of environmental audio effects are all excellent for a front-heavy lossy mix, but I still feel a lossless mix could have sounded a bit more robust. The one thing I did notice this time around, is the incorporation of a select number of mu...

Supplements
There are zero extras on the disc...

Final Words
Water Life: The Big Blue offers an interesting conclusion to an entertaining series. I wish the disc possessed more variation in the locations on display, but those with a profound interest in ocean wildlife will find plenty to enjoy over the course of the five episodes. Most of you are likely curious how this compares with Planet Earth (which currently holds the gold medal for high-definition nature series), and I have to admit that Water Life still registers a little lower in the q......

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Clear and Present Danger (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:29:50 -0400
How dare you come into this office and bark at me like some little junkyard dog, I am the President of the United States!

Following hot on the heels of The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, Paramount mined the Tom Clancy library for a second Harrison Ford outing as Jack Ryan. At the time of its release, Clear and Present Danger faced the trilogy curse, which always threatens to dismantle any ongoing film franchise. Luckily, the same cast and crew that made Patriot Games such a successful endeavor, managed to create the same level of filmmaking magic, breathing new life into the o...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at a healthy bitrate of 33Mbps), Clear and Present Danger exhibits a strong visual presentation, despite some minor transfer-related deficiencies. Fine-object detail exceeded my expectations for a film of this age, but Im afraid the engineers at Paramount went a little overboard with their application of DNR. We all know grain was heavily-utilized in films of the mid 1990s, yet it seems to be non-existent in surface of this transfer. The do...

Audio
Paramount did us a huge favor by incorporating a lossless audio track on this Blu-ray release. I dont have the prior DVD version to conduct a comparison, but its not difficult to assume this is a far superior track in every way. The most profound change is the increase in clarity, since were no longer forced to deal with extensive compression. Listening to the dialogue or focusing on the sound effects, every subtle nuance in the track is well-defined, without a hint of muffling. Surround ...

Supplements
Behind the Danger (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 26:34 min): This is a fairly mundane behind-the-scenes glimpse at the film. The interviews with director Phillip Noyce and the main cast focus heavily on delivering praise to one another, rather than digging into the history of the production, problems on the set, or Clancys original novel. I doubt Ill ever revisit this supplement in the future.

The only other extra included on the disc is a high-definition theatrical trailer with 2-channel ...

Final Words
Clear and Present Danger is an entertaining film that tries its best to lose viewers within the first half hour. Despite the complexities of the plot, Ive found the film to be a touch on the shallow side, as Im asked to wade through the occasionally outrageous twists in the plot and the conventional drug-cartel villains. Thats not to say I dont have a positive view of the film, but when you consider the best political thrillers in the genre, this Jack Ryan entry seems a bit on the a......

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Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:55:47 -0400
A solid sequel to an already successful animated outing...

All hail the merchandising gods of Disney! Whether you credit Uncle Walt's world famous theme parks, the countless toy store aisles dedicated to Disney play-sets and dolls, the endless home video releases lining store shelves, or the aptly named cable networks that keep mainstays like Mickey and Donald at the forefront of our children's imaginations, it's impossible to deny Disney has effectively extended the lifespan of its classic characters and found new ways to earn more fans with each pass...

Video
Disney delivers yet another gorgeous, high-quality 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer blooming with rich, autumn-swept colors and stunning clarity. Inky blacks, absorbing depth, and impeccable detail abound; every fleck of fairy dust, every falling leaf are lovingly rendered, every twisted twig and aging wood plank look fantastic. While the animation itself falls short on occasion, there's very little to criticize when it comes to Disney's technical efforts. I did notice a bit more banding (particula...

Audio
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure sports a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track; one that's quite effective, especially considering the limited, front-heavy nature of its direct-to-video sound design. Fairy voices are clean and perfectly prioritized, troll grumblings are deep and weighty, and the flutter of wings is crystal clear. While the LFE channel is never really challenged by anything Tink and her lot have to offer, it still injects enough power into the proceedings to mak...

Supplements
Despite the lengthy list of features that grace the back of the box, the Blu-ray edition of Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure actually doesn't have much supplemental content to speak of. No production featurettes, no interactive kids' activities, no snazzy BD-Live bonuses. Ah well, at least it's all presented in high definition.

Outtakes & Bloopers (HD, 20 minutes): This batch of faux-bloopers and deleted scenes add little to...

Final Words
Without a daughter, it's tough to review Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. Suffice to say, it's a tad slow and shallow at times, but it ultimately has all the necessary components of a strong, market-driven, direct-to-video release. Disney's Blu-ray release is far easier to evaluate. With a near-perfect video transfer, a commendable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a decent (albeit small) supplemental package, it's sure to please kids and their AV-savvy parents alike. Give......

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Comme les autres (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:05:52 -0400

Gallic director Vincent Garenq's "Comme les autres" a.k.a "Baby Love" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Nord-Quest Films/France Televisions Distribution. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are a standard Making-of featurette, "L'homoparentalite en France", and alternate ending introduced by director Vincent Garenq, etc. Subtitled in English. Region-Free. ...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Vincent Garenq's Comme les autres arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Nord-Quest Films/France Televisions Distribution.

Generally speaking, this is a pleasing high-definition transfer. Contrast is consistently strong, detail lovely and clarity adequate. There are no serious issues to report with the color-scheme either. Reds, blues, browns, yellows, blacks and whites are well sat...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, France Televisions Distribution have provided optional English and French HOH subtitles for the main feature.

Comme les autres is primarily a dialog-driven film. As such, you would notice that it hardly takes advantage of the surrounds. Still, there are a couple of scenes - mostly around the wedding - where your surround speakers should come alive. This being said, the dialog is...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

Les coulisses du tournage - a standard Making-of featurette containing plenty of comments from the cast and crew. In French and Spanish. Not subtitled in English. (34 min)...

Final Words
Comme les autres is an interesting film that tackles some very serious issues. The cast is excellent, particularly the lovely Pilar López de Ayala (don't miss her in José Luis Guerín's En la ciudad de Sylvia). This is a Region-Free, English-friendly Blu-ray release. Recommended. ......

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Waterworld (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:10:00 -0400
Amazing production design and a basically sound storyline ultimately can't keep 'Waterworld' from drowning underneath the weight of its own flaws. Somewhere Al Gore is crying.

Isnt it interesting to look back and see how one film can so drastically alter a career trajectory? By 1995, when Waterworld hit metroplexes, Kevin Costner was arguably the biggest male movie star in the world. Yes, he had had a few misses or at least not-quite-hits. But he had starred in a remarkable string of smashes, including The Untouchables, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams and his multi-Oscar winner Dances With Wolves. Paired again with his Robin Hood: Prince of...

Video
While Waterworld offers some amazingly detailed and sharp shots throughout its VC-1 encoded image, I found the overall color rather anemic, though it probably accurately reproduces the source elements. You'll see that in the screenshots in this review, where fleshtones routinely are on the brown side and water color tends to be a sort of tepid gray rather than blue, and skies frequently a sort of wispy white color. The good news is there is next to no artifacting. Items like the closel...

Audio
The DTS HD-MA 5.1 mix is where this Blu-ray truly shines. This is a remarkably fluid (sorry, couldn't resist) soundtrack, completely immersive when it needs to be, and not only in the louder action-adventure segments. I was consistently impressed with surround channel utilization throughout the film, perhaps especially in the quieter moments. Long sequences out on the open water offer beautiful splashing effects mixed with ambient environmental effects like bird calls that make for a very enj...

Supplements
Fans of Waterworld are going to be very disappointed with this Blu-ray's absolute dearth of supplements. Wow! BD-Live, with the typical Universal non-existent content availale. And D Box availability if you're so equipped. Let's not forget Bookmarks! Universal really should have released this with seamless branching offering the theatrical and extended cuts. Then they'd have a release worth celebrating....

Final Words
Waterworld tries hard (perhaps too hard, frankly), and occasionally manages to catch enough of a breeze to carry it over its own pretensions to deliver on its action-adventure ambitions. Ultimately, though, I can't see rabid fans wanting to invest in this bare bones release, despite decent picture quality and excellent sound quality.......

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HD Moods: Trains (PBS) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:16:36 -0400
A fun, if brief and uninspired, trip through various locales features some great shots of vintage steam engines and some lovely passing scenery.

My maternal grandfather was a train conductor, and though I dont have very strong memories of it, he evidently arranged for many journeys by rail for my family when I was quite young. That may have instilled a love of this form of travel at an early age, because I still love to journey by train, enjoying the more leisurely pace and, frankly, the ambience of a bygone era. My wife and I have taken our sons on several cross country jaunts by train, and my boys actually prefer trains to the speed...

Video
For a budget priced label, Topics typically does an at least above average job with its Blu-ray releases, and that tradition is continued here with HD Moods: Trains' AVC encoded image, which is generally quite sharp and well defined. A lot of this footage is in winter, so don't expect mind blowing colors, but what's here is very lifelike and crisp, with excellent contrast. The whites of the snow never bloom, and the rest of the palette is well balanced. Very occasional artifacting sho...

Audio
Those of you who read my reviews of this kind of product know that I tend to not take the labels to task for lossy soundtracks, but I have to say in the case of HD Moods: Trains I was surprised and disappointed that we didn't at least have the option of a Dolby Digital surround track. What could be better than hearing the whoosh of clickety-clack trains rushing by, not to mention the Doppler effect of a train whistle filling our surround channels? Alas, all we're offered here are DD 2....

Supplements
No real supplements are offered, though after the feature itself there are about eight extra minutes giving some very basic information on the trains that are utilized in the main feature, followed by a couple of promos for other rail-centric documentaries. The BD automatically loops back to the beginning after this extra footage. There is no main menu, but the audio options can be accessed via a somewhat hard to read popup menu that appears on the left side of the image....

Final Words
HD Moods: Trains is occasionally spectacular, but may leave some viewers wanting more. The best footage is the gorgeous mountain scenery in Colorado and Alaska, and that may be enough to entice nature and train lovers all aboard this low priced Blu-ray.......

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Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:16:35 -0400
Three wrong turns certainly dont make a right.

Them thar studio execs done did it again and greenlit yet another Wrong Turn entry, making an unholy trinity out of one of the laziest, most unoriginal horror franchises to ever crib from better mutant movies. Lets recap: Wrong Turn pilfered liberally from The Hills Have Eyes, Deliverance, and the "Home" episode of The X-Files, creating a whole that was infinitely less than the sum of its stolen parts. Wrong Turn 2: Dead End upped the gore quo...

Video
After Wrong Turn 2 dabbled in digital video, Wrong Turn 3 returns to the series filmic roots, though Ive been unable to find any information on whether it was shot on 35mm or 16mm. Evidence points to the later, as the films 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer is coated with a thick spackling of grain thats especially prevalent during the nighttime scenes, which constitute almost the entirety of the run-time. The film is initially misleadingthe opening whitewater and prison se...

Audio
Dont get me wrong, Wrong Turn 3 has decidedly low-budget sound, but the included DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is the highlight of the film, all things considered. I remember the first film having somewhat decent sound design, and this sequel (threequel?) follows suit, giving plenty of rear channel ambience, like lapping water, rustling leaves, and suddenly snapping twigs, along with directional effects like pinging bullets, running dogs, and wailing sirens. Not all of t...

Supplements
Wrong Turn 3 in 3 FingersI Mean, Parts
Yes, that is actually the title of the discs meager package of supplementary featurettes. Action, Gore, and Chaos (SD, 9:10) is a guided look at the stunt sequences by way of director Declan OBrien, Brothers in Blood (SD, 5:23) features brief interviews with all the actors, and Three Fingers Fight Night (SD, 3:34) is all about the choreography of the clumsy fight sequences. I wanted a battle royale, I wanted bad...

Final Words
Wrong Turn 3 is so bad that, after watching it last night, I popped in No Country For Old Men as a kind of cinematic palate-cleanser. Its sad that I that desperately needed to have my faith in filmmaking restored. Stay away, stay far, far away. ......

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Ocean Voyager (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:32:44 -0400
Geared more for adults, this cerebral documentary offers a definitive study of the humpback whale.

Since childhood, Ive had an inherent fear of drowning, and held a tremendous level of respect for the wide expanse of the ocean. I enjoy the beach as much as most people, but every time I find myself on the coast, Im reminded just how treacherous the waves appear as they crash over one another. You might be asking yourself what this has to do with the review of Ocean Voyager, which would be a valid question. By avoiding potential drowning situations, Ive missed out on the exploratio...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at a healthy bitrate of 34Mbps), Ocean Voyager offers a surprisingly strong presentation despite the use of interlaced scanning. In my experience with 1080i versus 1080p, Ive found an interlaced program can look almost as strong as progressive scanning, so long as the content of the program remains slow-moving. Fortunately for us, this documentary film rarely contains difficult material, allowing for a fantastic presentation. Fine-object det...

Audio
Switching back and forth between the lossy surround track and the front-heavy lossless track, I eventually settled on the lossless version as my preference. The amount of surround activity coming from my rear channels seemed negligible on the Dolby Digital track, and Id rather enjoy the audio experience with a dynamic level of clarity. Its a shame we have to decide between the two options (rather than simply providing a lossless 5.1 track), but perhaps the storage space became a factor on th...

Supplements
There are no extras included on the disc....

Final Words
If you have any interest in humpback whales, Id highly recommend Ocean Voyager. Displaying a perfect mix between education and entertainment, the film transcends simple discourse or evaluation of the species, and delivers a memorable look at one of the most unique creatures on the planet. Add in excellent production values with competent technical qualities, and you have a film thats well worth adding to your collection. ......

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Amazing Journeys (IMAX) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:37:50 -0400
What do crabs, birds, zebras and butterflies have in common?

Im never quite sure what to expect from an IMAX production. For every fascinating 40-minute spectacle released to the unique format, there seems to be an equally lousy offering as well. Those of you with extensive exposure to IMAX films know theyre largely focused on providing an educational experience, with the added benefit of delivering a visual feast. Despite my continued enjoyment of the IMAX catalogue, Ive learned to approach each film with the underlying expectation that the product...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 29Mbps), Amazing Journeys is a captivating visual experience from start to finish. If youre like me, you probably browse through the screenshots before taking the time to actually read the review (not unlike my similar tendency to try and build something before reading the instructions). Needless to say, if youve seen the quality of the screenshots, you already have some idea how gorgeous this production looks on Blu...

Audio
I hope were eventually given a lossless English track on some of these IMAX productions from Razor Digital, but as long as they continue to include Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in seven different languages (on a single-layer disc), the current trend will likely continue. On the positive side, at least the lossy English track offers a competent audio experience that accurately conveys the three primary elements in the overall mix. Beginning with the dialogue, youll immediately appreciate the cris...

Supplements
Making of Featurette (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 32:06 min): Running almost as long as the film itself, this supplement contains interviews with the film crew and production team, who describe the difficulties and nuances of completing an IMAX film. Taken as a whole, there simply isnt much entertainment value in this extra, since most of the interviews are a bit too dry.

Interview with Director (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:23 min): director George Casey is interviewed regarding the backgro...

Final Words
While I cant say Amazing Journeys is the best IMAX film Ive seen to date, it certainly ranks toward the top. The variety in locations coupled with the unique qualities of each species creates a consistently entertaining experience that should please fans of all ages. Add in a strong technical presentation, and Id conclude this is well worth a purchase for fans of nature documentaries.......

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Nothing Like the Holidays (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:07:20 -0400
A different sort of Christmas movie makes for a decent Blu-ray release from Starz.

I just want to enjoy Christmas with my family.

Nothing says the Holidays quite like family and family drama. For the Rodriguez family, this Christmas is unlike any other; it's a time of new beginnings, old wounds, surprise revelations, bitterness, and regrets, but through it all the spirit of the holiday brings with it a chance for renewal, for redemption, for the power of the season and the bond of family to wipe the slate clean once and for all. Indeed, there's ...

Video
Nothing Like the Holidays arrives on Blu-ray with an above-average 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Generally, the transfer delivers solid depth, wonderful color reproduction and finely detailed objects. The film's warm appearance -- lending to the entirety of the image a reddish/orange tint that carries over into flesh tones -- might turn some viewers off. Nevertheless, colors are generally strong; whether a bright red Santa Claus suit, a yellow garment, or any number of color...

Audio
Nothing Like the Holidays features a technically proficient but sonically uninteresting Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is the very definition of a nuts-and-bolts sort of soundtrack; it gets the job done but delivers not a single memorable moment, but that's all right. This isn't a Transformers film, and what's heard is what's meant to be heard. This soundtrack is front-heavy and dialogue-oriented,...

Supplements
Nothing Like the Holidays gift wraps a basic assortment of supplemental materials. First up is a feature-length commentary track with Actor/Producer Freddy Rodriguez, Director Alfredo De Villa, and Producer Robert Teitel. This is a solid, generally engaging track; the participants share their knowledge of the locations and the authenticity the locations bring to the film, the strengths of the cast, the spirit and tone of the story, and much more. Listen for a brief conversati...

Final Words
A different sort of Christmas movie, Nothing Like the Holidays delivers neither heavy doses of Holiday magic nor zany Comedy, instead choosing to tell an honest, down-home tale of love, loss, hope, and everything in between as one family struggles to come to terms with a myriad of problems in the midst of what's supposed to be the most joyous of seasons. Despite its weighty subject matter, Nothing Like the Holidays never becomes bogged down by what can be depressing deve......

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Orphan (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:30:15 -0400
I wish this wandering waif of a film had never found a home...

Is there anything more terrifying than parenthood? Haunting every can of nursery paint, every stuffed elephant, every empty picture frame is the overwhelming fear of failure. Expectant women wonder if they'll be more loving, more understanding than their own mothers. Soon-to-be fathers are consumed with visions of babies tumbling out of cribs, obsessed with identifying death traps like electric sockets and curtain cords, and assaulted by feelings of inadequacy and helplessness. Will I be ...

Video
Orphan features a surprisingly strong 1080p/VC-1 transfer that prides itself on striking textures and impeccable detailing. While Jeff Cutter's palette is steeped in under-saturated primaries, subdued hazels, and pale skintones, Warner's presentation is both consistent and capable, perfectly capturing every nick and spatter that graces the screen. Esther's paintings pop in a third act reveal (undermined only by garish blue lighting that threaten the integrity of the transfer), blood boa...

Audio
Like most horror outings, Orphan is largely a quiet, atmospheric affair littered with sudden screams and unexpected bursts of sound. To that end, Warner's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track does a fine job handling extended silences, hushed conversations, and the chaos that occasionally follows in Esther's wake. Dialogue is clean and intelligible, rarely disappearing beneath the roar of raging fires or the thunder of a particularly punchy handgun. LFE output is reserved but weighty, lendi...

Supplements
The Blu-ray edition of Orphan is extremely light on supplemental content. There's a "Bad Seeds and Evil Kids" featurette (HD, 15 minutes) that offers a generic overview of the film's diminutive antagonist and other nasty kiddies throughout cinema history, and a collection of wisely cut "Deleted Scenes" (SD, 4 minutes), the only notable one being an alternate ending (which, after watching, you won't find to be all that notable). ...

Final Words
Disbelief, confusion, stunned silence, outrage, laughter: just a few of the possible reactions Orphan will elicit from genre junkies and casual horror fans alike. Logic is continually tossed out the window, Collet-Serra fails to settle on a tone, and a ridiculous, outright silly plot twist ruins what little Farmiga and Sarsgaard manage to accomplish. Warner's Blu-ray release is better -- a near-perfect video transfer and a confident TrueHD audio track make a valiant effort to save the f......

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (IMAX Edition, Wal-Mart Exclusive) (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:44:01 -0400
Bigger than meets the eye.

The fallen shall rise again.

Transformers was a fun, entertaining, and altogether novel moviegoing experience. Though based on preexisting characters, Director Michael Bay reworked the look and feel of the world once only realized in the animated and physical toy realms, creating more robust, lifelike, and fluid robots and pitting them one against another in terrifically choreographed action scenes ...

Video
Arguably the quintessential version of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and it's available only at Wal*Mart. Presented in a shifting aspect ratio which approximates the film's IMAX presentation as seen in select cinemas during its theatrical run, this Blu-ray release of Michael Bay's latest mega-blockbuster features the majority of the film in its standard 2.39:1 aspect ratio -- the same as found on the entirety of the ...

Audio
Does this section really require analysis? Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is terrific, quite possibly the best currently available on Blu-ray. The studio logo sequence alone is of reference quality; the Paramount stars sweep through the soundstage from front to back with a digitized, robotic sound, accompanied by a nice low-end presence and fully-engaged rear-channel activity. Bass is positively tight and robust throughout; the entir...

Supplements
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen features plenty of extras, the bulk of which are found on a second bonus disc. The lone supplement to be found on the first disc is a feature-length commentary track with Director Michael Bay and Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Recorded separately, Bay leads the discussion, sharing a few anecdotes from the set and speaking on the film's established tone, his thoughts on the cast, general filmmaking techniques and procedures, Ben Se...

Final Words
Excessively bloated, lacking in focus, far too kinetic, and hedging its bets on inane comic relief, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a borderline disaster of a movie. Though it retains a similar look and feel to its vastly superior predecessor, Fallen accentuates the negatives in an effort to mask the weak plot, and worst of all, the movie just isn't much fun. With a third installment supposedly in the works, one can only hope that it will forego the bad comed......

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Gift Set (Blu-ray Review)

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:44:00 -0400
Sideshow Collectibles fans will want to buy this set.

The fallen shall rise again.

Transformers was a fun, entertaining, and altogether novel moviegoing experience. Though based on preexisting characters, Director Michael Bay reworked the look and feel of the world once only realized in the animated and physical toy realms, creating more robust, lifelike, and fluid robots and pitting them one against another in terrifically choreographed action scenes ...

Video
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen transforms home theaters into the local multiplex with a dazzling 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer that perfectly reproduces a flawless and film-like image for home viewing. The video quality seems almost transparent to that found on the Blu-ray release of Transformers; flesh tones take on a decidedly red tint, but otherwise, there's nothing to complain about. Fine detail is exceptional, particularly when the camera slows down long e...

Audio
Does this section really require analysis? Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is terrific, quite possibly the best currently available on Blu-ray. The studio logo sequence alone is of reference quality; the Paramount stars sweep through the soundstage from front to back with a digitized, robotic sound, accompanied by a nice low-end presence and fully-engaged rear-channel activity. Bass is positively tight and robust throughout; the entir...

Supplements
This particular release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is exclusive to Best Buy and features the film and two additional goodies. Housed in a windowed box measuring approximately 7.5" in height, 5.75" in width, and 5.5" in depth, this set contains three items: the standard two-disc Blu-ray release of the film, a small statuette of Optimus Prime's head which sits atop a separate pyramid-shaped base, and a...

Final Words
Excessively bloated, lacking in focus, far too kinetic, and hedging its bets on inane comic relief, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a borderline disaster of a movie. Though it retains a similar look and feel to its vastly superior predecessor, Fallen accentuates the negatives in an effort to mask the weak plot, and worst of all, the movie just isn't much fun. With a third installment supposedly in the works, one can only hope that it will forego the bad comed......

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Red Cliff (Chi bi) (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:53:10 -0400

John Woo's epic "Red Cliff" (2008/2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Entertainment in Video. This release contains the film's 147-minute version. A longer version of the film, running at approximately 286 minutes, labeled as a Special Edition, is also being distributed by Entertainment in Video. With imposed English subtitles. Region-Free (please see our technical analysis as there are certain limitations with this disc that could potentially affect viewers residing in ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Woos Red Cliff arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Entertainment in Video. Please note that this is the international version of the film, which runs at approximately 147 min. The longer version of Red Cliff - which was released in Hong Kong some time ago, on two separate Blu-ray discs - is available in the United Kingdom as a Special Edition (see our review). The two...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. For the record, the British distributors have provided imposed English subtitles for the main feature. They do appear inside the image frame but are slightly smaller than usual.

Even though the British distributors have not ported the three outstanding audio tracks the Hong Kong Blu-ray release has - DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, LPCM 7.1, and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 - I am every bit as impressed with thei...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features are encoded in 480/60i. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SAs. All special features are placed on Disc 2.

John Woo Interview - the director talks about his decision to film Red Cliff, the technical difficulties he and his crew had to overcome, as well as the film's message. The interview is in English. (16 min).

Behind the Scenes - a standard featurette focusing on t...

Final Words
The international, cut version of John Woo's Red Cliff currently has the exact same price tag the Special Edition of the film does, which contains part I and II that were released in Hong Kong not too long ago (the Special Edition also contains two Blu-ray discs). With other words, if you have any interest in this film, get the Special Edition. Pay close attention to the different covers! ......

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Il Divo (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:31:39 -0400
Power is a disease one has no desire to be cured of.

Unless you rigorously follow the intricacies of Italian politicsand I dont blame you if you dont you may not be familiar with Giulio Andreotti, but in his home country hes a household name, a political survivor who, since he first took public office in the mid 1950s, has been ducking scandals, dodging murder charges, and denying mafia ties. As a seven-time Italian Prime Minister, hes wormed his way into an entrenched place on the bureaucratic heel of the boot-shaped nation, and li...

Video
If Il Divos 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer looks somewhat dim, its because director of photography Luca Bigazzi wanted it that way, calling the darkness a reflection of an unbearable political and social climate. You can expect, then, to find shadow detail routinely crushed by inky blacks. While this may be a transfer defect in other films, its entirely intentional here and the harsh chiaroscuro shadows aptly mirror Andreottis shady and mysterious dealings. Likewise, the color ...

Audio
While audiophiles may be put off by this discs lack of a lossless track, the films Italian Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is acceptable and even occasionally impressive. Its clear that a lot of thought went into the films sound design, which uses some clever cutting and several abrupt musical changes to alter the pieces feeling without becoming trite or manipulative. Director Paulo Sorrentino foregoes a traditional score for an effective mix of pop and classical elements, including Beth Orto...

Supplements
Making of Il Divo (SD, 31:09)
This doc skips the phony-bologna back-patting so prevalent in many behind-the-scenes featurettes and dives right into the good stuff: engaging, informative interviews with all the key players, who candidly discuss the film itself and not just how wonderful all the other contributors have been (although there's a little of that too, naturally). Director Paulo Sorrentino talks about the quest for powerful, not just beautiful images, the prod...

Final Words
Il Divo may be confusing, especially for audiences unfamiliar with the ins and outs of Italian government, but you dont need a degree in European political history to appreciate the Oscar- worthy performance that Toni Servillo gives in this stylish and complex biopic. Despite a lossy Dolby Digital audio track, the films A/V package is excellent, and I have no hesitations giving Il Divo a purchase-worthy recommendation.......

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All the King's Men (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:09:20 -0400
Couldn't put this film together again.

Time brings all things to light.

It seemed a shoe-in to become one of those critically-adored, Oscar-contending Political dramas that, regardless of box office returns, was guaranteed to be a success thanks to plenty of "four stars!" and "two thumbs up, way up!" and "extraordinary!" and "don't miss this film!" sort of blurbs that would populate television and radio ads, and, eventually, home video release artwork. It boasted a stellar cast full of previous Oscar wi...

Video
All the King's Men arrives on Blu-ray with a fairly good 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Though an earlier release in the life of the Blu-ray format, All the King's Men boasts a rather strong transfer that holds up nicely even today. It does lack that last bit of clarity and definition that defines the upper-stratosphere sort of transfers, but all things considered (and the film's intended look in particular), this one's a winner. The color palette a...

Audio
All the King's Men delivers a surpassingly active and sonically satisfying PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. The primary drawback is that dialogue is sometimes delivered with a bit too much bass; combined with the thick accents and occasionally overly loud background sound effects, the spoken word is sometimes muddled and difficult to make out. Otherwise, All the King's Men sounds exceptional, particularly considering the film's standing as a dramatic political picture. ...

Supplements
Nothing is included. ...

Final Words
A wonderful story that falls short thanks to somewhat flawed execution, mediocre acting, and too much self-induced pressure to be better than it needed to be, All the King's Men is a classic example of a film that tries too hard and winds up a lesser film for it. Not a disaster but certainly not the epic and Oscar-worthy picture it should have been and wanted to be, All the King's Men is just a good movie with its heart in the right place but with everything else off-kilte......

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Easy Rider (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:22:01 -0400
Don't bogart this Blu-ray release of 'Easy Rider.'

I never wanted to be anybody else.

No film says "the 1960s" quite like Easy Rider, the quintessential counterculture tale of two motorcyclists on a cross-country trip of discovery across America not of sites and sounds but of the mind, influenced, of course, by the influx of sex, drugs, and rock and roll along the way. Few movies are so ingrained into film culture and, by extension, American Culture, quite like this one. The mere image of the red, white and blu...

Video
Easy Rider pulls onto Blu-ray with a spectacular 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. In true Sony fashion, this disc retains its natural grain structure -- which does appear rather heavily throughout -- that allows the film to retain an accurate and pleasing cinematic quality. Detail is generally exceptional throughout; whether the scuffs on Wyatt's red, white, and blue helmet or the textures seen on the desert rocks at the Hippie commune, the transfer showcases a solid, clear, sha...

Audio
Easy Rider revs up on Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track enjoys but several moments of amped-up special effects. A few planes scream from front to back during a drug deal early in the film; the effect is accompanied by a fair level of bass, plenty of volume, and seamless flow from front to back. Though it's not the most lifelike or clear effect, it's nicely reproduced here and works to wonderful effect with the accompanying scene. Dialogue...

Supplements
Easy Rider heads out onto Bu-ray with a few on-disc extras. First is a commentary track with Actor/Writer/Director Dennis Hopper. Hopper discusses the film's roots, writing the script with Peter Fonda, shooting locations, the film's budget, the film's Western undertones, the soundtrack serving as part of the narrative of the story, and much more. Despite some stretches of silence in the comments, fans will enjoy this track a great deal. Next is Easy Rider: Shaking the Cag...

Final Words
One of the true classics of American cinema, Easy Rider encapsulates a genre, a decade, and a way of life. Influential then and remembered as a brilliant slice of cinema now, Easy Rider defined a generation and remains a time capsule to a long-lost era of upheaval. Also solidifying Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, and Dennis Hopper as stars to be reckoned with for decades to come, Easy Rider represents a true milestone in motion picture history. Sony's DigiBook Blu-......

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Dog Soldiers (Blu-ray Review)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:22:00 -0400
Neil Marshall's breakthrough film debuts on Blu-ray with no extras.

The trick to survival lies not in running and hiding but in removing your enemy's capacity to hunt you down.

There are "guy" movies, and then there are guy movies. Commando and Predator are two that spring immediately to mind as the sorts of flicks that deliver straight meat-and-potatos goodness, passing on even a hint of a ...

Video
Dog Soldiers features a barely-passable-as-high-definition 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Shots that resemble even a high definition transfer of mediocre quality are far and few between; several up-close shots reveal a decent level of fine detail in soldiers' uniforms, but otherwise, there's virtually nothing positive to say about this one. It must be taken into account, however, that Dog Soldiers wasn't shot to look, nor was it intended to be, glossy and colorful. ...

Audio
Dog Soldiers' Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack fares little better than the video presentation. Though much of the film's first act features virtually no back channel activity, the second and third acts deliver plenty of distinct effects as the werewolves beat on the top of a vehicle or rattle the doors around the country house. Unfortunately, plenty of other sound effects play as downright pathetic. A gunshot in one of the first scenes sounds puny and delivers about the ...

Supplements
All that's included are 1080p trailers for Way of War, The Breed, War, Inc., and Immortal....

Final Words
Director Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers isn't an outright classic, but it's a fine example of low-budget Action/Horror filmmaking at its finest. What's so remarkable about the film is that nothing in and of itself -- outside of the basic premise and Marshall's superb direction -- is particularly remarkable. The script is fine but the revelations at the end leave a bit to be desired, the creature effects are good but not great, and the acting is fine but not memorable. Howe......

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Washington the Beautiful (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:46:49 -0400
The shallow narration drags down the beautiful scenery.

Originally shown on PBS, Washington the Beautiful is another entry in an ongoing series that features scenic views of various landscapes across America. Defying classification, the series blends ambient television (a term fittingly coined by our own Jeffrey Kauffman) with a travel-focused twist, to create an entertainingly shallow experience. I know that may seem like an odd way to describe a Blu-ray release, but by the time you finish reading this review, youll have a better underst...

Video
Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 32Mbps), Washington the Beautiful offers an attractive high definition presentation despite some annoying technical deficiencies. Shot using digital cameras from an aerial viewpoint, the level of fine object detail in the wide landscape shots is typically impressive, though youll notice a handful of sequences that demonstrate a noticeable drop in clarity (the tug boat race is a perfect example). Colors appear rich and...

Audio
I cant fathom the reasoning behind offering a Dolby Digital 2.0 track on a release that relies solely on the video and audio presentation to generate interest. After all, theres a reason why most home theater enthusiasts invest in a surround sound system that takes advantage of the full capabilities Blu-ray has to offer. As youd probably expect, this is a below average audio experience that offers little more than a serviceable accompaniment to the visuals. The orchestra-heavy score is lig...

Supplements
There are zero supplements included on the disc....

Final Words
Washington the Beautiful is a decent way to kill an hour, but not something most viewers will revisit in the near future. The visuals offer a unique look at beautiful scenic views (despite noticeable artifacting and scan lines) that most of us would never be able to witness in person. If youre considering a vacation to the State of Washington and want a better idea of what you can expect visually, this might be a good way to go. However, if youre interested in a more informative pres......

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Shadow: Dead Riot (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:54:40 -0400
"You're going to be a handful... Maybe two handfuls..."

Exploitation cinema encompasses such a wide genre that it almost feels lazy to classify a film in that manner. Popularized by the grind house theaters of the 60s and 70s, audiences were introduced to a more extreme form of filmmaking, unencumbered by the conservative limits of most Hollywood studios. Unfortunately, as the number of small, locally-owned theaters began to dwindle, exploitation filmmakers lost the ability to bring their cinematic creations to a marketable audience. In the pres...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 18Mbps), Shadow: Dead Riot is a feast for the eyes (no pun intended) despite some occasional problems. Taking into account every aspect of the transfer, Id say the greatest strength is the level of detail on display. Were never really sure what to expect from a low-budget productions, but the source material is far better than I expected. Individual strands of hair rarely exhibit a tendency to blend together, and mo...

Audio
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English audio track is fairly good despite the noticeably low-budget nature of the sound design. Matching the over-the-top elements of the actual film, the audio presentation is riddled with jump-inducing audio cues, generic heavy-metal musical numbers, and hilarious martial arts effects. To fully appreciate the audio on the film, you should already exhibit a gravitation toward cheesy horror effects (flesh ripping, bones breaking, etc) and kung-fu cinema. If you dont enj...

Supplements
Standing in the Shadow of Shadow (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 57:25 min): This surprisingly in-depth supplement contains interviews with the cast and crew, along with footage from the set. There are a wide range of topics addressed throughout the featurette (special effects, casting, stunts, sound, etc), but the primary focus centers on the themes at the core of the film. Considering the low-budget nature of the film itself, this extra is an impressive addition from Tokyo Shock.

Deleted ...

Final Words
Sitting through Shadow: Dead Riot requires a specific taste that I apparently dont possess. Ive always enjoyed the horror genre, and typically find enough positives in exploitation cinema to warrant a recommendation. However, everything in the film became far too ridiculous by the hour mark, and I eventually lost interest in the plight of the female characters. Blame the lack of focus, the ridiculous pacing changes, or the amateur production values, but I lacked the patience to maint......

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Red Cliff (Chi bi) (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:49:08 -0400

John Woo's epic "Red Cliff" (2008/2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Entertainment in Video. This double set contains the film's 286-minute version. A shorter version of the film, running at approximately 147 minutes, is also being distributed by Entertainment in Video. With imposed English subtitles. Region-Free (please see our technical analysis as there are certain limitations with this release that could potentially affect viewers residing in Region-A territories).<...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Woos Red Cliff arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Entertainment in Video. Please note that this is the Special Edition version of the film, running at approximately 286 minutes. The international, shorter version of Red Cliff, running at approximately 147 minutes, is also being sold on Blu-ray. The two versions have two very different covers.

The Blu-ray ...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. For the record, the British distributors have provided imposed English subtitles for the main feature. They do appear inside the image frame but are slightly smaller than usual.

Even though the British distributors have not ported the three outstanding audio tracks the Hong Kong Blu-ray release has - DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, LPCM 7.1, and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 - I am every bit as impressed with the...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features are encoded in 480/60i. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SAs. All special features are placed on Disc 2.

John Woo Interview - the director talks about his decision to film Red Cliff, the technical difficulties he and his crew had to overcome, as well as the film's message. The interview is in English. (16 min).

Behind the Scenes - a standard featurette focusing on t...

Final Words
This is a solid, uncut Region-B (actually, Region-Free) release of John Woo's epic Red Cliff. I must quickly note, however, that the UK market is also getting the international, shorter version of the film. So, be careful when you shop - what you want to have in your libraries is Entertainment in Video's Special Edition of the film (a double Blu-ray set). ......

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Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (Blu-ray Review)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:31:24 -0400
Series spoilers abound in this intriguing Olmos-helmed film...

I am, without a doubt, a tried and true Battlestar Galactica addict and apologist. But I'm also quick to admit that series creator Ron Moore and his talented writers failed to tie up a few loose ends ("plot holes" to the cantankerous critics among you) in the four-season arc of their acclaimed, genre-defying television masterpiece. Personally, I viewed each of these unsolved mysteries as collateral damage in one of the most inventive, unpredictable series I've ever had the pleasure of w...

Video
"The Blu-ray release of Battlestar Galactica: The Plan accurately preserves the artistic intentions of the creators. The stylized visual elements within certain scenes are intentional and faithful to the broadcast presentation of the television show."

With those wise words of warning, Universal introduces The Plan's 1080p/VC-1 transfer; an entirely faithful presentation of a wholly inconsistent visual experience BSG fans will find to be comparable to the series' previous...

Audio
Universal continues to demonstrate its affection for Battlestar Galactica with yet another powerful and proficient DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. From the Cylons' devastating nuclear attacks on the Colonies to Anders' firefights on Caprica to the pulse-pounding bass that undergirds composer Bear McCreary's score, The Plan sounds absolutely fantastic. Slight normalization inconsistencies aside (an issue that's only noticeable when Olmos weaves scenes from the miniseries i...

Supplements
The Plan may not boast the sort of jaw-dropping supplemental package Universal granted The Complete Series box set, but it still offers a thoroughly satisfying one. While I do wish some of the behind-the-scenes featurettes were longer, most fans will be too pleased with the content itself (and its high definition presentation) to complain too much.

Audio Commentary: Director Edward James Olmos sits down with writer/exec...

Final Words
The Plan, while quite different than what I was expecting, is a thematically thrilling addendum to the Battlestar Galactica mythos that's sure to please diehards searching for every last BSG morsel to devour. Olmos remains one of the series finest directors, pulls powerful performances from his cast, and helms a sharply written, well-conceived script that plugs up plot holes and offers a semi-fresh look at the Cylons and their self-appointed leader, Cavil. Universal's Blu-ray rel......

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Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin) (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:20:14 -0400

Winner of the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987, Wim Wenders' "Der Himmel über Berlin" a.k.a "Wings of Desire" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The disc contains a new, restored high-definition transfer, supervised and approved by director Wim Wenders. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are: "The Angles Among Us", a documentary from 2003 containing interviews with director Wim Wenders; writer Peter Handke; actors Peter Falk, Bruno Ganz, and Otto Sande...

Video
Presented in the director's preferred aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

Director Wim Wenders supervised and approved this new high-definition digital transfer, which was created from a 35mm interpositive and a 35mm internegative scanned in 4:4:4 24P resolution on a Spirit Datacine.

This Blu-ray release of Wings of Desire is leaps and bounds bett...

Audio
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: German (with portions of English and French): DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The soundtrack for Wings of Desire was originally created on an LTRT stereo format. The soundtrack for this Blu-ray release is presented in a multichannel format. Supervised and approved by director Wim Wenders, it has been remastered and remixed at 24-bit from the ori...

Supplements
The Angels Among Us - a documentary from 2003 containing interviews with director Wim Wenders; writer Peter Handke; actors Peter Falk, Bruno Ganz, and Otto Sander; Brad Silberling, director of City of Angels; and composer Jurgen Knieper. (44 min, 1080i/60).

Cinema Cinemas - "Wim Wenders Berlin Jan. 87" is from an episode of the French television program Cinema Cinemas. It was directed by Claude Ventura and first broadcast on February 17, 1987...

Final Words
I love everything about this release - Wings of Desire looks and sounds great and there is a wealth of supplemental features on the disc to explore. I cannot wait to see what Criterion would do with Paris, Texas. Is it January yet? VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Crew (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:00:00 -0400
The problem is, these young crews today aint got no respect.

I dont ask much from heist movies. Like most genre films, they work within certain constraints, using established conventions, stock characters, and tried n true storylines. The best examples of the genre may subvert one or all of these elements to create something stylish, unexpected, or new, but your average crime caper sticks with what worksa cast of stereotyped but memorable thieves, a Hitchcockian MacGuffin to drive the plot, and an Indy 500 tracks worth of plot twists and tur...

Video
The Crew was filmed natively on high definition video, and the results of the 1080i/AVC- encoded transfer are mixed. On the plus side, the film is quite sharp at times, clearly showing the stubble of the gangsters five oclock shadows, presenting lots of facial detail, and rendering the overall image with a decent sense of clarity. What soft shots there areand there are definitely a fewseem to be the result of sloppy focus pulling, and not any kind of transfer defect. Unfortun...

Audio
Despite the presence of a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, The Crews audio presentation is largely disappointing due to a poorly balanced mix. Its already difficult to make out the casts affected Liverpudlian accents, so it doesnt help that dialogue is frequently overwhelmed by pounding bass rhythms and is even muffled inexplicably during several quieter scenes. I resorted to English subtitles just so I could follow the muddled plot. The surround channels ...

Supplements
Commentary with Director Adrian Vitoria and Actors Scot Williams and Kenny Doughty
The three blokes offer up a likeable-enough, laugh-filled track that hits all the usual targets production details, on-set anecdotes, thematic discussionbut as the film itself doesnt really warrant a second viewing, neither is this commentary essential listening.

The Making of The Crew (SD, 29:20)
You know what to expect here. Director Adrian Vitoria talks about how inte...

Final Words
For all of Guy Ritchies faults as a filmmaker, I vastly prefer his crime filmswhich are at least bold and self-assuredto dull, uninspired gangster flicks like The Crew. Couple that with a mixed video presentation and an audio track that is very poorly balanced, and its not hard for me to arrive at a conclusion: skip this one.......

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Expedition Africa: Stanley & Livingstone (Blu-ray Review)

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:56:50 -0400
A little too Survivor-esque for its own good, Expedition Africa is nonetheless one of the most thrilling travelogues cum reality shows in recent television history.

Dr. Livingstone, this is what you covet! It may not have the ring of Dr. Livingstone, I presume?, but, well, that is what youd expect Jeff Probst, if not Sir Henry Stanley, to say to the good doctor upon finding him in the darkest heart of Africa, isnt it? Or at least something Survivor-esque like that? And you may be forgiven if you half expect Probst himself to suddenly appear and challenge the four explorers who comprise Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livings...

Video
For about 99% of the time, Expedition Africa looks splendid in its 1080p AVC encode, with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Colors are precise and lifelike, from the gorgeous greens of the jungle, to the thrilling reds of the Maasai robes, to the burnt rust and brown of the Bahi desert. This is an unusually variegated palette, and the Blu-ray does it proud, offering a nuance and subtlety to the wide array of hues offered throughout the production. Clarity is superb, with busy detail like leaf...

Audio
When it rains, it pours, new audio format-wise. In all the years I have been reviewing, I had never encountered DTS HD-MA 2.0 mixes, and this week I received two reviews with this audio format. While some may complain at the lack of a true surround sound mix for Expedition Africa, the fact is there are precious few moments when it would have made much difference. The bulk of this piece's soundtrack is people talking, and all of that spoken material comes through completely clearly. Ye...

Supplements
Several good to excellent extras augment the main multi-episode feature: Expedition Africa: The Making of History (HD, 20:35), gives a lot of behind the scenes footage and reminds the viewers that everytime you see our four intrepid explorers walking forward, there's a camera crew in front of them walking backward.

Stanley and Livingstone, (4:20), a brief generalist overview of the pair, giving at least a little context which the series itself often just touches on t...

Final Words
I'm a big Survivor fan, so this outing may have seemed more familiar to me than it will to those of you who don't catch the CBS series very often. Even with that caveat, Expedition Africa works as both a travelogue and a fascinating look at social dynamics. The history element could have used some beefing up and frankly I think we could all do without the stupidly blatant car commercial. Otherwise, this is aces, and strongly recommended.......

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Ip Man (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:59:59 -0400

Impressive as a Wing Chun action film, but somewhat underwhelming as an elaborate autobiographical film about the life of Bruce Lee's mentor, Wilson Yip's "Ip Man" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Showbox Entertainment. Amongst the many supplemental features on the disc are the documentary "From Ip Man to Bruce Lee - Tracing the Legacy", cast and crew interviews, deleted scenes, production featurettes, trailers, and more. With imposed English subtitles. Region-Free.<...

Video
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Wilson Yips Ip Man arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Cine-Asia/Showbox Entertainment.

The transfer for this release differs quite a bit from the one we saw from Universe Laser & Video Co. First, the color-scheme is not as rich and well saturated. Blacks, grays and blues are very different. Second, during selected scenes, edge-enhancement is rather easy to ...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Cantonese Dolby Digital 2.0. I opted for the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons for the purpose of this review.

Good news! Showbox Entertainment's Blu-rays finally have loseless audio.

The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. In fact, I would say that it is very mu on par with the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track from the Hong Re...

Supplements
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc - except the Production Gallery and From Ip Man to Bruce Lee - Tracing the Legacy segments - are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

Interview Gallery - Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen, Lam Ka-tung, Hiroyuki...

Final Words
Those of you residing in Region-B territories who could not take advantage of the Region-A "locked" Hong Kong release of Ip Man can finally see this much talked-about film thanks to British distributors Cine-Asia/Showbox Entertainment. Their disc also contains all of the supplemental features, with imposed English subtitles, found on the Hong Kong release. ......

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Camille (Blu-ray Review)

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:40:56 -0400
One of the strangest romance films of all time.

Judging from the cover of the Blu-ray case, youd probably assume Camille is a light-hearted romance film about a gorgeous couple. In fact, the only thing that looks slightly out of place in the generic photo of the two young actors is the strange color of Sienna Millers hair (how many girls do you see walking around with bright reddish/pink hair). Now that Ive had the opportunity to sit through the film and formulate my feelings on the actual plot, I can safely say this is one story ...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 19Mbps), Camille offers a vivid presentation that rarely fails to impress. One of the first things youll likely notice as you browse the screenshots throughout this review, is the bold color palette incorporated into the cinematography. From the deep red of Camilles wig, to the eerie pastel hues of Cowboy Bobs painted horses, the color spectrum matches the over-the-top nature of the storyline. Fine object detail is...

Audio
The lossless audio track on the disc didnt generate the same level of excitement in comparison with the strong visual presentation, but still stands as a serviceable experience. Aside from one or two intense sequences (the shootout in the motel and the motorcycle accident), this is a dialogue-heavy track that relies on the softer elements to create an immersive experience. This doesnt mean the audio mix avoids your rear speakers or lacks surround separation, it simply means you have to activ...

Supplements
The only extra included on the disc is the original theatrical trailer presented in 1080p with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio....

Final Words
I dont always watch a film twice in order to complete a review, but felt compelled to give Camille a second spin before putting my thoughts together. In retrospect, that turned out to be a good idea, since I enjoyed the film a bit more on the second viewing. Once I knew how preposterous the idea of the plot was going to be, it allowed me to enjoy the unfolding storyline without a critical eye on whether or not everything fit together nicely. If youre hoping for answers to your questi......

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Andrea Bocelli: Vivere, Live in Tuscany (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:59:50 -0400

Andrea Bocelli: Vivere, Live in Tuscany was recorded in 2007, nearby Lajatico, a tiny village where the Italian tenor grew up. A special theater was erected to host the one-night event, which Andrea dedicated to his people.

The show is comprised of a total of eighteen songs featuring a number of very special guests: British soprano Sarah Brigthman ("Canto Della Terra" and "Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partirò)"), Laura Pausini ("Dare To Live"), Heather Headley ("Vivo Per Lei" an...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Andrea Bocelli: Vivere, Live in Tuscany arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Music.

This is another breathtakingly beautiful Blu-ray transfer from Universal Music. Clarity is excellent, detail most impressive and contrast levels very consistent. Motion-judder is most definitely not an issue of concern. The close-ups are lovely, well detailed and never harsh looking. The pan...

Audio
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: LPCM 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the LPCM 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the LPCM 2.0 track for the purpose of this review.

As far as I am concerned, the LPCM 5.1 track is perfect. When I review music releases, I am very rarely completely satisfied with the audio treatment, but with Andrea Bocelli: Vivere, Live in Tuscany I felt that everything was handled remarkably well.

The dynamic le...

Supplements
Live in Tuscany/Backstage - a few interesting comments before the show by Andrea Bocelli, Tony Renis, Music Producer & Song Writer, David Foster, Music Producer, Caterina Caselli - Chairman Sugar Music, Elisa, Guest Vocalist, Laura Pausini, Guest Vocalist, Heather Headley, Guest Vocaslit, Lang Lang, pianist, Kenny G and Chris Botti. In English. (16 min, 1080i/60).

Tuscany, A Land of Magic - lovely footage from beautiful Tuscany. (6 min, 1080i/60)....

Final Words
A very, very special release! I really cannot say enough about the performances, as well as the terrific treatment Universal Music have given Andrea Bocelli: Vivere, Live in Tuscany. Treat yourself and add this disc to your collections, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ......

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Bones: Season Four (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:07:56 -0400
Funny, captivating, and addictive. What more could you ask for?

I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for a good procedural. All I need is a strong ensemble with convincing chemistry, an assortment of compelling characters, and a steady selection of riveting cases. No more, no less. In fact, it's that precise television trifecta that makes creator Hart Hanson's Bones one of my go-to favorites in the genre. Yes, there are similar shows with firmer grasps on reality, and yes, there are still others that forgo comedy and focus solely on the murder and mayhem p...

Video
Though doused in the series' usual steely blues and polished grays, Bones' 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer represents yet another confident and capable television presentation from Fox. Yes, skintones are a tad inconsistent -- the culprit appears to be Gordon Lonsdale's ever-changing lighting schemes rather than some nefarious technical deficiency -- but primaries pop, gore is particularly vibrant, and blacks are suitably resolved. Contrast is also strong, granting the image at-times strikin...

Audio
Bones' Blu-ray debut is just as effective on the audio front, boasting a strong and stable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that handles Booth and Brennan's banter and the series' occasional action beats with ease. Dialogue is clear and well-prioritized, dynamics are involving, and LFE support lends welcome weight and power to every shotgun blast and bass beat Season Four has to offer. The rear speakers are relatively reserved, often being assigned little more than lab ambi...

Supplements
Fox gives Bones: Season Four the same sad supplemental package it's given most of its television releases of late. First up is "Androgyny: Playing Haru Tanaka" (HD, 7 minutes), an interview with actress Ally Maki about her induction into the Bones universe and her portrayal of an unorthodox prodigy. Next comes "Squints in Training" (HD, 10 minutes), an admittedly entertaining overview of the various interns featured on the show this season. Two dull and unnecessary "Deleted Scen...

Final Words
Don't be frightened away by the "Season Four" in Bones: Season Four. Even if you've never seen a single episode, the show is so accessible that newcomers will be able to enjoy Booth and Brennan's cases as readily as series regulars. With sharp wit, hilarious characters, and addictive storylines, Bones is a procedural gem. Better still, the Blu-ray edition features an excellent video transfer and an equally impressive DTS-HD Master Audio track. The only downside? A limp and lim......

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Green Mile (Blu-ray Review)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:33:58 -0400
We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, but sometimes, oh God, the green mile seems so long.

When it was revealed that The Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabonts follow-up project would be yet another period prison drama adapted from a Stephen King story, many looked forward to a spiritual successor to that that wildly beloved first film, while others shook their heads warily, wondering if Darabont was simply trying to once again catch cinematic lightening in a bottle. After all, The Shawshank Redemptions formula of nostalgia, emotional camaraderie, and ...

Video
Much like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Miles memory play aesthetic lends itself to a color palette soaked in nostalgic honey brown tones, a warm and slightly stylized appearance bolstered by a solid, but not quite perfect 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer. This is certainly the best the film has ever looked on home video, and I personally wouldnt hesitate to upgrade from the DVD, but there are a few slight issues that keep The Green Mile from being thoroughly im...

Audio
It might not be rife with bombastic, ear-pummeling, channel-panning sound design, but The Green Miles Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track is dynamically solid, clean as a whistle, and modestly engaging. The rear speakers nearly always broadcast subtle ambient soundsrain pours, thunder claps, birds chirp, crickets sing, chain gangs clank, and electricity zizzits ominously, a portent of lethal surges to come. Indeed, the electrocution scenes find this track at its most active ...

Supplements
Owners of previous DVD releases will find nothing new here, but the special features are definitely worthwhile for those that havent seen them before. The disc is housed in a digibook that includes trivia, actor bios, and a short essay.

Commentary by Director Frank Darabont
Darabont hops right into this track, launching into a discussion about on-location shots and studio set-design, and the pace rarely relents over three hours as the director offers up more technic...

Final Words
While The Green Mile may not be a great filmlike its predecessorit is a good film, one that makes a case for compassion and decency when the world around has dried up and turned sour. The film is presented pleasingly on Blu-ray, and with a great digibook case, it makes an excellent companion piece to The Shawshank Redemption in more ways than one. Recommended.......

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Hardware (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:50:54 -0400
No Flesh Shall Be Spared

Ive been anxious for Hollywood to take the plunge and give George Miller a shot at reinventing the Mad Max series for a new generation of film-lovers. After all, weve seen a successful reboot of nearly every other film trilogy in the past three decades, so why not revisit the scorched, post-apocalyptic world of The Road Warrior? Unfortunately, Im not here to offer you good news regarding a long-rumored sequel to that franchise. Instead, Ive been given the opportunity to review a ...

Video
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 22Mbps), Hardware is a home-run visual presentation. Considering the low-budget roots of the film and the fact that were rapidly approaching the 20th anniversary of its release, I expected to find less-than-stellar source material for Severin to work with. Those worries were soon put to rest, as I witnessed a startling level of clarity in the film elements. Every intricate wire in Jills metallic art is readily appar...

Audio
Im a bit disappointed that were continuing to see Blu-ray discs released to market with lossy audio tracks. Im willing to cut Severin some slack considering theyre a small studio that only recently broke into the high-definition market, but after suffering through countless Warner releases that dont fully utilize the capabilities of the format, this is growing a bit tiresome. Now that I have that out of the way, we can move into a discussion of actual merits of the audio track Im here to...

Supplements
No Flesh Shall Be Spared (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 53:59 min): This impressive featurette was produced by Severin for this Blu-ray edition, and includes interviews with almost everyone involved in the film (minus Dylan McDermott). Theres an amazing amount of information regarding the production history of the film, which is largely delivered courtesy of writer/director Richard Stanley.

Incidents in an Expanding Universe (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 44:30 min): This Super-8 film was creat...

Final Words
Despite my enjoyment of the film, Hardware will only appeal to a small segment of the overall viewing public. With plenty of gore, snippets of nudity, pervasive sexual language (vulgar), and a robot with an oddly phallic appendage, the film is far from tame. However, for anyone whos not repulsed by the idea of watching a film with those descriptors proudly attached, theres no reason to pass up the opportunity to give this a spin on an upcoming Saturday night with your friends (just ma......

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Fist of Fury (Jing wu men) (The Chinese Connection) (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:24:44 -0400

Brice Lee's second feature film "Jing wu men" a.k.a "Fist of Fury" (also distributed in the U.S. as "The Chinese Connection" and "The Iron Hand") arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Kam & Ronson Enterprises. The only supplemental feature on the disc is a short interview with actor Yuen Wah. With optional Traditional Chinese, Thai, and English subtitles. Region-A "locked". ...

Video
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lo Wei's Fist of Fury arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Kam & Ronson Enterprises.

This transfer looks slightly better than the one Kam & Ronson Enterprises gave The Big Boss. Contrast is a bit stronger while clarity and detail more consistent. Edge-enhancement pops up here and there but, generally speaking, it is quite tolerable. Digital noise, however...

Audio
There are four audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Mandarin Dolby Digital EX 6.1 and Thai Dolby Digital EX 6.1. For the record, I opted for the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track for the purpose of this review.

Similar to the Big Boss, there are few lip-sync issues with this release, but this is not a mastering issue (some of t...

Supplements
Interview - a short interview with Yuen Wah in which he recalls his past work as a double, including his contribution to Fist of Fury. With optional English, Thai and Traditional Chinese subtitles. (10 min, 480/60i). ...

Final Words
Similar to The Big Boss, this Blu-ray release of Fist of Fury is for hardcore Bruce Lee fans only. Certainly, this is the best the film has ever looked, but there are a number of issues with the transfer. However, I don't believe that Kam & Ronson Enterprises are actually responsible for the majority of them. Recommended. ......

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Blood: The Last Vampire (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:04:20 -0400
A reference quality soundtrack accompanies this lackluster Vampire flick.

Welcome to the other side of the looking glass.

A teenage Japanese girl in a school uniform, bloodsucking vampires, swords, explosions, decapitations, any number of physical impalements, slicing and dicing, and copious amounts of (bad CGI) blood; Blood: The Last Vampire has everything a growing boy needs. For slightly more demanding viewers, however, this Blood may prove too thin when it comes to what's behind the thick veneer of blood-drenched, sword-w...

Video
Blood: The Last Vampire shows its fangs through a film-like 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Parts of the film take on a decidedly golden tint, while others are bathed in red. This isn't a particularly dark film, but it does feature several nighttime and rain-drenched exteriors that tend to look better than anything else found in the movie. Though the image appears just a bit soft in some places, fine detail can be exceptional, too. Leaves on the forest floor in chapter 13 are ...

Audio
Blood: The Last Vampire slices into Blu-ray with a robust and reference quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is the stuff listeners with big sound systems crave; every action scene delivers loud but clearly-delineated sound effects that transform the living room into one of several combat zones. The opening subway scene places listeners in the middle of the rumbling car as it rattles about while zooming down the track, and several exterior shots feature the train ...

Supplements
Blood: The Last Vampire carves out but a few extras for consumption. The Making of 'Blood: The Last Vampire' (480p, 19:07) methodically moves down the list of primary cast as they share their thoughts on their characters and, later, on one another. The piece is intercut with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the film. Battling Demons: Behind the Stunts (480p, 16:48) features a more in-depth look at the work behind the special effects, emphasizin...

Final Words
A decent but unremarkable film, Blood: The Last Vampire features competent execution, fine acting from its lead character, a generic but passable story, and terrible special effects. Vampire film aficionados won't find anything of much relevance here, special effects enthusiasts will walk away disappointed, but the film's target audience -- young teenage boys -- will probably enjoy it as a slice of mindless entertainment. Sony's Blu-ray release of Blood: The Last Vampire......

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National Geographic Ultimate High Definition Collection (Blu-ray Review)

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:24:15 -0400
National Geographic offers six mostly compelling documentaries, with a wealth of beautiful imagery and some fascinating subject matters.

From my earliest childhood, hearing the strains of Elmer Bernsteins iconic fanfare for National Geographic television specials got my pulse racing a little faster. Always a bulwark against mediocrity, National Geographic was the gold standard of television nature documentaries during my youth, and that insistence on top notch quality has continued unabated to this day. National Geographic has always provided some of the most beautifully shot, intelligently written, and tightly focused docume...

Video
All but two of these features are encoded via VC-1, and those two, Extreme and Atmospheres feature an AVC codec. All of the documentaries sport 1.78 1080p images and, with the exception of Kingdom of the Blue Whale, are stupendously sharp and detailed with some of the most impressively saturated color you're likely to see. The most visually impressive feature in this set is, as perhaps is to be expected, the CGI-fest of Journey to the Edge of the Universe, which is ...

Audio
All of these features offer both Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 mixes, and one of them, Atmospheres, which does not have narration, offers two versions of each track, one with natural sounds only and the other with natural sounds mixed with a sort of ambient music track. Audiophiles may wish for lossless fidelity here, but the fact is most of these documentaries are narrated with attendant underscore, with only passing ambient moments that provide a real sense of immersion. Once again, Jo...

Supplements
There aren't a whole bunch of extras on this set. Each disc comes with an "Also from National Geographic" set of trailers. Rhino Rescue and Journey to the Edge of the Universe include a photo galleries. Kingdom of the Blue Whale offers a 6:51 featurette on whaling practices entitled "Wild Chronicles: Whales." Relentless Enemies has a longer, more interesting piece called "Cheetah Chase" (26:18), which has some impressive footage of the fastest of land animals wh...

Final Words
I may just be a kid at heart, but my pulse still races when I hear Elmer Bernstein's fanfare, and these wonderful documentaries prove why National Geographic is the standard bearer for nature information. If Kingdom of the Blue Whale is a bit of a disappointment, the rest of this set is a wonderful compendium of diverse subject matter and some amazing imagery.......

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